Excel 2003 Level 1 in Bakersfield and Oxnard

We have several inquiries for Excel 2003 Level 1 training in Bakersfield.  If we get just a few more students, we can put this class on our schedule.


We would like to let everyone know that we can run this class in Oxnard as well!

Students will learn the basics of building a spreadsheet and pick up useful tips on increasing their productivity.  Even experienced Excel users learn many useful tricks in this class!

Topics include:

• Excel Basics
• Calculations
• Formatting 
• Charts

...and more!


If you are interested in this class, please post a reply here indicating how many students you would like to send and when are the best dates for you. Please don't post anonymously...log in so that we can contact you to enroll your students. Or email info@diamondtechsolutions.net

Photoshop in Bakersfield Had Been Re-Scheduled

At the request of the group currently attending, we have moved the Photoshop CS4 Level 1 to Tuesday, June 14 through Wednesday, June 15.  The original post has been updated, as is the event on our Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/DiamondTechnologies?sk=events
http://diamondtechnet.blogspot.com/2011/04/photoshop-cs4-level-1-in-bakersfield.html

Downloadable Wallpapers

We've added downloadable wallpapers to Facebook!  This includes Dual Monitor Wallpapers!

Download them here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.217633058247776.62707.198981890112893

Access 2007 Level 1 in Oxnard, May 25-May 26

Databases are a reality of modern life, both business AND personal.  In this class, students will learn database basics and the fundamentals of using Microsoft Access.  If you deal with a lot of data, this class will take your ability work with that data to the next level!

You will learn about: 

• Database Basics
• Tables
• Queries
• Forms
• Reports 

…essentially, the basic concepts and objects you need in order to work with Access!

If you are interested in this class, please post a reply here indicating how many students you would like to send and when are the best dates for you. Please don't post anonymously...log in so that we can contact you to enroll your students. Or email info@diamondtechsolutions.net

Excel 2007 Level 2 in Oxnard - Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Our intermediate Excel class covers working with data.  Topics include linking formulas, subtotals, sorting/filtering, charts…and more.  If you use Excel to tabulate and analyze lots of information, this class is a must!

Topics:

• Multiple Workbooks
• Outlining and Subtotals
• Advanced Charts
• Tables
• Formula Auditing
• Templates

…and more!

If you are interested in this class, please post a reply here indicating how many students you would like to send and when are the best dates for you. Please don't post anonymously...log in so that we can contact you to enroll your students. Or email info@diamondtechsolutions.net

Excel 2007 Level 1 in Oxnard - Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Students will learn the basics of building a spreadsheet and pick up useful tips on increasing their productivity.  This class consistently gets rave reviews…even from veteran Excel users!

The class will cover:

• The Office 2007 Interface
• Excel Basics
• Calculations
• Formatting
• Charts

...and more!

If you are interested in this class, please post a reply here indicating how many students you would like to send and when are the best dates for you. Please don't post anonymously...log in so that we can contact you to enroll your students. Or email info@diamondtechsolutions.net

Adding All Class Details to this Blog!

A number of clients have told us that they cannot access Facebook from their networks.  In consideration of this, we will be copying all class details to this blog.  This should allow more of our clients to get real time updates on our offerings!

We appreciate any feedback you may have on this!

Post here or email info@diamondtechsolutions.net

Album of Photoshop Samples

Higher resolution samples of Photoshop exercises are now on our Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.217391481605267.61783.198981890112893&l=66af13f121


We'll be posting more images over the next few days!

Photoshop CS4 Level 1 in Bakersfield

We don't have the pleasure of teaching Photoshop too often...but we'll be having a Photoshop CS4 Level 1 class in our Bakersfield training center.

NEW DATES!
Updated 6/8/11

Wednesday, July 6 through Thursday, July 7

We'll show you all the basics and make crazy stuff like this...

But you'll also learn the skills to do serious work like this...

And this!

If you'd like to learn how to do professional image editing using industry standard software, then this is the class for you!

Look at some of the things we'll cover:

The Photoshop Interface

If you thought the new Microsoft Office Ribbon is different...then you haven't seen Photoshop's interface.  But the reality is that once you learn it, editing images becomes a breeze!

Photoshop Tools

The tools are what gives you the power to manipulate your images to the Nth degree!  We'll show you the 

basics of using the most important tools.

Selection of Areas in an Image

If you want to work on an image, you need to know how to select the areas you want to edit.  We'll cover some of the most effective ways to make selections.  Plus save them for future use!

Working with Layers

Layers are a very powerful feature in Photoshop.  You can use them to not only montage images...but also change or hide only specific parts and features of your images.  We'll give you a guide to working efficiently with layers!

...our class will cover all this and much, much more!

If you are interested in this class, please post a reply here indicating how many students you would like to send and when are the best dates for you. Please don't post anonymously...log in so that we can contact you to enroll your students. Or email info@diamondtechsolutions.net

Outlook 2010 Level 1 in Bakersfield

You've opened Outlook 2010.  And now you can't find anything!  What will you do?

Step 1.  Calm down.
Step 2.  Take Outlook 2010 Level 1 from Diamond Technologies!

Okay.  It may not be the end of the world, but there have been a lot of changes in Outlook 2010.  So if you take our class, you'll learn about what's new.  And maybe a few things about the program that you never knew.  Things like:

• The New Interface (or What Have They Done to My Toolbars)
• Email (Duh!  It is Outlook.)
• Contact Management (Throw Out That Little Black Book, It's the 21st Century)
• Tasks (Ooh...an Electronic To-Do List!)
• Appointments and Events (You Might As Well Throw Out the Day Runner, Too!)
• Meeting Requests (or Stop Playing Phone Tag with a Dozen Evasive Coworkers)

A client has requested this class and we're looking for anyone interested.  We'll set a date when we have enough people!

If you are interested in this class, please post a reply here indicating how many students you would like to send and when are the best dates for you. Please don't post anonymously...log in so that we can contact you to enroll your students. Or email info@diamondtechsolutions.net

We promise...there will be no screaming actresses in the class.

Excel 2007 Level 3 in Oxnard - Tuesday, June 7, 2011

We have just added an Excel 2007 Level 3 class in Oxnard, California on Tuesday, June 7 2011.

It’s a great chance to learn about the advanced capabilities of Excel 2007.  This class does not run very often, but we have a group that needs it.  So if you are interested, please take advantage of this course offering!

Topics include:

• Advanced Functions
• Lookups and Data Tables
• Advanced list management
• PivotTables and PivotCharts
• Exporting and importing Data
• Analytical options
• Macros and custom functions
• Conditional formatting and SmartArt

If you are interested in this class, please post a reply here indicating how many students you would like to send and when are the best dates for you. Please don't post anonymously...log in so that we can contact you to enroll your students. Or email info@diamondtechsolutions.net

Windows Tip: Using Run and Search to Find Files and Other Resources

Yesterday, we discussed opening programs using the Run dialog box in Windows XP (or earlier) and Start Search in Windows Vista or Search for programs and files in Windows 7. (You can just call it Search.) Now let’s look at what else we can do with these tools.

If you look at the description in the Run dialog box, you can see that you can type the name of not just programs, but also folders, documents, and Internet resources. So you can use it to open any of these items. The key to successfully opening a file is to make sure you type the full path. In other words, if you want to open an Excel file named Price List.xlsx and it is in a folder named Pricing on the L: drive, you would type “L:\Pricing\Price List.xlsx” in the Run dialog box.

In Windows Vista or Windows 7, you could simply type “list” and it would locate the file and anything else that contains “list” in its title.

But do note that the Run dialog box also indicates that you can use it to open internet resources like web pages. And of course you can type the beginning of what you want to search for in Search and it will complete it for you.

So if you know what you’re looking for and would rather not take your fingers off the keyboard to use the mouse, Run and Search are very useful tools.

Windows Tip: Run Dialog Box and Start Search/Search programs and files

Our last tip covered the Windows key (between Control and Alternate on your Windows keyboard).  We mentioned using the Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.

Let's explore this further...

When you open Run, you'll notice in the description that you can run programs and open files and locations (among other things). In other words, if you know the name of the program you want to run, type its name and it opens...without using your mouse to wade through the Programs menus.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: While Windows + R still works, you can also do exactly the same thing by using the Windows key to open your Start Menu and using Start Search (Vista) Search programs and files (Windows 7). Or just click on Start. Start Search/Search programs and files (let’s just call it Search) is the little white box that opens right above Start.  It works just like Run, but what's great about it is that as you begin typing, it previews matching choices. Pretty much in the same way that the search box in Google works!

So here's some useful program names to know:

To open Excel, just type "excel" in Run or Search.  This works because when Excel is installed on your computer, it runs from a file named excel.exe. .EXE files are executable, which basically means they run, so you just need to provide the name of the file and not the .EXE extension.

In Microsoft Office, Outlook and also Visio can be opened in the same way. It gets a little trickier with other programs, because their executable files are named differently.

The best example is Word.  Its executable file is winword.exe (think the Windows version of Word).  But type winword in Run or Search and Word opens up! Without have to use your mouse.

PowerPoint uses powerpnt.exe because most executable files use the old DOS naming convention of using no more than 8 characters.

Microsoft Project uses winproj.exe.

And for Vista and Windows 7, if you use Search...you can just type Word or PowerPoint and Search will find them. After all, it is Search!

So here's a quick summary of the executable files we've discussed (and a few other programs). Of course, these programs will have to be installed on your computer in order for them to work.

Excel: excel
Outlook: outlook
Visio: visio
Word: winword
PowerPoint: powerpnt
Project: winproj
Notepad: notepad
Calculator: calc
Internet Explorer: iexplore
FireFox: firefox

Next time, we'll talk about some of the other uses of Run and Search!

Windows Tip: The Windows Key

Nestled between your Control and Alternate keys is the Windows key.  And just like those keys, it is also used for shortcuts. If you're busy typing and would prefer not to use your mouse, the Windows key can be a great timesaver!

By itself, the Windows key can be used to open the Start Menu.  Hold it down like Control and Alternate to access shortcuts like these:

Windows + D shows the desktop.  Hit Windows + D a second time and all your windows are restored.

Windows + E opens the Windows Explorer. (My Computer/My Documents).

Windows + Pause/Break shows System Properties.

Windows + R opens the Run dialog box.

Windows + L locks your computer.

These are just a few examples of what you can do with the wonderful Windows key!

We're Blogging Now!

Hello Everybody!  Welcome to Our Blog!

We created this blog to give more people access to our updates.  We'll be regularly posting Tips and Tricks and also updates on our training events, plus our latest product and service announcements.  For your convenience, you'll also find this on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DiamondTechnologies) and Twitter (@DiamondTechNet).

We selected Blogger.com, because you can feel free to post comments anonymously.  But you can always log in as well so we can get communicate with you.

What we also love about this blog is the fact that you can also subscribe to our RSS Feed. (See the bottom of this page.)  We love RSS, because you don't need to give out any information, not even an email address to subscribe and receive our updates in real time!

Speaking of email, do note that you can also give us feedback at info@diamondtechsolutions.net

So this blog will be one of the many ways you can contact us and give us feedback.  We will be scheduling our training classes and other client-driven events based upon what our clients request. And so this blog...like Facebook, Twitter, and email...is just one more tool available for you to use!