DIY Life

There are more reasons than ever to learn how to burn a CD: to create your own CD wedding favors or to make a story CD for your child, for example.

Are you technically savvy enough to do it? I, for one, am happy to have a husband who is, but in the interest of being a strong, independent woman and a good example to my child, I set out to learn how to do burn a CD myself.

The first thing I learned is that there is this thing called a "Wizard" that pretty much does everything for you; simply drag and drop the files you want to write to the CD and surf the internet during your wait time.

OK, it isn't quite that simple (but it's close), but Worldstart has a tips and tricks page with:

• CD-R versus CD-RW tips
• step-by-step instructions
• a separate tutorial for Microsoft Windows XP, which has its own CD burning software

and more -- everything you will need to know to burn your own CD, in fact. Independence is just a click away!

My fabulous new laptop is all set up and running beautifully. My old laptop has been consigned to its temporary new home: the garage. There it shall stay until I get an opportunity to take it to an electronics collection event, which my city periodically holds. (It's the green way, people.)

Anyway, I may have been a bit hasty taking it straight to the garage. According to stuff I've been reading online, you should always retire your old computer. That is, before you toss it, recycle it, sell it, give it away, donate it to charity--whatever--it's recommended you carry out some basic steps first.

The following computer retirement tips come courtesy of everyone's favorite software behemoth, Microsoft:

If you've found yourself at the consumer electronics or computer retailer of your choice in the last eight months or so mulling that Windows Vista operating system upgrade for that newer PC, you're not alone. Although the computer giant likes to spin retail sales of Windows Vista in a positive light, sales have been pumped by licensing to OEM computer manufacturers, not by retail sales.

Perhaps it's because the retail plastic box is so darn complicated to open. I've been through the process several times and wondered why these plastic boxes did not have an obvious opening process that did not require directions. I wonder if iPhone boxes are this hard to open?

Well, the Redmond, Washington software behemoth wants you to know that it's heard your plea. In fact, the company even has a "how to" on physically opening the retail package, which is akin to a minor rubik's cube to some consumers. Why on earth did Microsoft make a multi-step process to open a software box? To some anti-Microsoftites, the unnecessary complexity of opening the retail box is along the lines of how complex the software inside is.

But, if you venture into a store soon and buy that Windows Vista Home Basic or Premium software and get home only to be befuddled by how to quick rip that box open and slap the disc into your newer PC, at least the three-step process is painstakingly outlined here. This one gets my goofy DIY badge of the year. Well, for software packages anyway.