Screencasting is when you record your computer’s screen as a video. There are several apps that do the job such as Camstudio (free) and Camtasia Studio (paid), but the problem is that you have to install software, set options up, record a few screencasts before you get the settings right, etc.
Screencast-O-Matic is as easy as screencasts get. Just go to the web site, let it install it’s Java app via the browser (that’s how it works) and away you go. The end result is a MOV file you can upload direct to any video sharing service you like such as YouTube or Vimeo.
And by the way, did I mention it will also record your voice with the screencast if you have a mic attached to your computer? Yes, it does.
Via Sarah in Tampa I’ve seen my first screen shots of Windows 7 in action.
The best way to describe the images is that "it’s all in the details", as they say.
These images are exactly what I hoped Windows 7 would be - simple and elegant. I wasn’t looking for "innovative" (that term has been used so much it’s completely lost its meaning when applied to OSes these days). I wasn’t looking for "wow". I wasn’t looking for "cool". What I was looking for is something usable, streamlined and functional.
(The full set of images are at LLarsen’s Flickr set - click that link to see them all)
This is obviously not a large departure from Windows Vista, but Microsoft is getting on the right track with this - and it shows in the interface.
I can say with certainty that yes, this will be the Windows that will make me ditch XP. Windows 7 - at least in appearance - has everything buttoned up proper, the way it should be.
As a long-time Windows user I’ve seen a few BSODs in my day. The version of Windows I had the most BSODs with was Windows 3.10. Not 3.11. Not 3.11 WFWG. Just plain ol’ 3.1. I never really had BSOD trouble with Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000 or XP unless I had a hardware failure (usually right before the hard drive was about to go FUBAR on me).
There is actually a Microsoft TechNet article called Demystifying the ‘Blue Screen of Death’ that does truly help in making sense of that blue screen, should you get one.
Some of the BSOD messages I’ve received have been:
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
This simply means Windows can’t read the hard disk correctly. I’ve encountered this when an older hard drive develops a few bad sectors. It doesn’t mean you have to throw the hard drive out. You can perform a regular (meaning not "quick") format which will mark those bad sectors, making the drive hopefully usable again.
NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM
In my experience this usually happens when your hard disk just has too much stuff on it and the data corrupts easily. For example, if you have a 120GB hard drive and 118GB is in use, you might get an NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM error until you free up some space, DEFRAG it (and run a CCleaner too just for safe measure).
Poorly programmed or too-old driver
In extremely rare instances I’ll download a driver and Windows doesn’t "agree" with it too well usually because it’s too old. For example, if I install a brand new nVidia video card but then use the drivers meant for a GeForce 6 (several generations ago), yeah, you most likely will get a BSOD out of this - and will be listed as such.
Solution: Always use current drivers. Head into "Safe Mode", kill the driver, reboot normally, install the newer version and this fixes driver-specific BSODs 99% of the time.
~ ~ ~
The TechNet article has a ton of info on how to read BSODs and understand what one is trying to tell you. So if your Windows installation happens to be "going blue" a lot, that article will certainly help.
For those with multi-monitor setups running Windows XP, you’ve probably run into the situation where whenever you launch a specific application it launches on the "wrong monitor". Sure, a reboot is a quick fix for this but you obviously don’t want to do this every time you want program windows to appear in their proper places.
Saving your last known window position is easy in XP if you do the following.
1. Launch the app. Yes, it will go to the "wrong monitor" as usual, but that’s okay.
2. Put the program into a "windowed" state (meaning not maximized).
3. Drag the window to the monitor where you want it to appear when launched.
4. Hold SHIFT and click the close button at the top right.
5. Re-launch the app. It should appear on the "correct" monitor this time.
Holding SHIFT and clicking the close button saves the window position of the app you just closed.
Why does this happen?
Here’s an example situation of what makes an app always launch on the "wrong monitor":
You launch an app and drag it to monitor 2.
You then launch a full-screen game that changes the resolution of both monitors.
When you launch that game, Windows resets all the current window positions to suit. If you have an app on monitor 2, Windows deems "Okay, this is where this app is supposed to be" and will re-launch it there each time you close and restart it until next boot.
To avoid this situation:
Minimize your open application windows before launching a full-screen game that changes resolution, or purposely run your game in the native resolution for monitor 1 (if the resolution isn’t reset, the window positions aren’t reset either).
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As a long-time Windows user I’ve seen a few 
For those with multi-monitor setups running Windows XP, you’ve probably run into the situation where whenever you launch a specific application it launches on the "wrong monitor". Sure, a reboot is a quick fix for this but you obviously don’t want to do this every time you want program windows to appear in their proper places.
