Sorting out your car tax is never going to be glamorous, but that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult or time-consuming. I’m really impressed by how easy the car tax system at www.direct.gov.uk/taxdisc is to use, especially when you compare the process to taking all your forms and books to the Post Office and standing in a queue for half an hour, only to find you forgot your MOT certificate.

Your tax reminder form has all the information you need to pay online, and the whole process takes less than ten minutes to complete. All you need is your reference number – found on the form – plus a debit or credit card, and you can pay your tax without leaving the house, leaving you more time to enjoy your car.

Step-by-step: Save time on your car tax

1 Sign in
Log on to www.direct.gov.uk/taxdisc to start using the online system. Make sure you have your reminder letter to hand, as this has all of the reference codes required to log into the system. Once you’re on the landing page, choose the blue Apply for a tax disc online button.

2 Confirm what you want
The next step is to confirm that you’re ready to apply for a tax disc. You need to check the Yes box to confirm that you’re the registered keeper, your MOT is valid, you’re insured, you agree to the £2.50 credit card charge and you acknowledge the five-day delivery schedule. Then click Next.

3 Get the reference
In the next window type in your reference number, which is located on your reminder form. This is the easiest way to start the process, but if you don’t have it to hand you can use your vehicle’s registration number and document reference number to log in. Click Next when you’re ready.

4 Check and double check
Once you’ve entered your reference number, the website will retrieve your car’s details. The next screen will show you the model, make and number of your vehicle, so check that everything is correct before you proceed. If something is incorrect then use the links at the bottom, otherwise, click Next.

5 MOT check
The DVLA site will now check that your details are up-to-date. You need valid insurance plus an up-to-date MOT that has more than a month left to run, and details are stored on a central database. If there are any problems they will be flagged here, otherwise check your details and click Next.

6 Choose your type
Now choose how long you want to tax your car for. You can choose six or twelve-month periods. Buying a twelve-month tax disc does offer better value, so it’s a good way to make a small saving. Choose the length of time you want your tax to last and then press Next to proceed to the next screen.

7 Time to pay up
Now you just need to part with the cash, so type your card details in here. The DVLA charges £2.50 for credit card payments, but there’s no penalty for using a debit card. When you press Next you will be given a summary of your transaction, and you need to press Pay Now to finally accept.

8 Get driving
Now you’ve paid your tax, you can drive carefree, safe in the knowledge that your duty to society has been fulfilled, and enjoy the time saved from standing in the Post Office with an arm full of forms. The tax disc will be posted to your home address within 5 working days.

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These alterations can make a big difference to how media and games sound on your computer – so if you use your PC to watch DVDs and Blu-rays, or listen to music, ensuring that your sound settings are correct is a must.

With Windows Vista and Windows 7, you can also manage the sound levels for individual programs. This means that you could have the volume for Windows Live Messenger or Windows Media Player quite loud, while sounds in Internet Explorer play quietly.

Step-by-step: Make your PC sound better

1 Volume Mixer

Click the speaker icon on the notification area of the taskbar, then click Mixer to open up the Volume Mixer window. The Speakers setting enables you to change the volume for your entire PC, while the Applications setting lists all the programs that use sounds. You can adjust each one separately.

2 Add enhancements
From the Volume Mixer window, click on the Speakers icon to open the Speakers Properties window. Click the Enhancements tab to see the available enhancements. These include Bass Boost, which adds extra bass, and Virtual Surround, which varies the timing of stereo speakers to create the illusion of surround sound.

3 Preview changes
For most of these, you can alter their settings by selecting the enhancement, then clicking Settings… For example, Loudness Equalization keeps playback volumes consistent – so a very loud song won’t shock you when it plays straight after a quiet song. Click Preview to test out the new settings.

4 Configure speakers with Room Correction
The Room Correction enhancement is a clever setting that helps you configure your speakers so they take into account the layout of your room. You need to connect a microphone to your PC, then click the tick box next to Room Correction. You’re taken through a walkthrough on calibrating Windows for your room.

5 Improve the audio quality
If you want to get the best sound quality possible, click on the Advanced tab. Here you’re able to adjust the sample rate and bit depth of the sounds your computer plays. The default is 16-bit CD Quality, but you can click the drop-down box to increase the quality to 24-bit Studio Quality.

6 Configure your surround sound
Use Windows to configure your surround sound set-up to help you get the most out of your films. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select Playback devices. Click Speakers and then Configure. You’re asked to choose your speaker set-up from a list: stereo (two speakers), 5.1 and 7.1 layouts.

7 Change the Windows sounds
Windows plays different sounds for different events – configure these by clicking the Sounds tab. You can choose a sound scheme, or click the event you’d like to change the sound for, then either select a Windows sound from the Sounds drop-down list box or click Browse to choose your own sound.

8 Listen and enjoy!
Well done, you’ve now configured your PC to play your music, movies and other media the way they were supposed to be heard. Thanks to the Windows Sound Settings, you’ll be amazed at what a difference a few tweaks can achieve. Play your favourite CD to hear just how good your PC now sounds!

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Inside issue 48:

• Ultimate guide to free apps! Discover the best free apps from Microsoft, Amazon and more!
• Use your webcam for home security
• Erase your browser history and safeguard your web privacy!

Also inside issue 48:

• Budget laptops reviewed
• Speed up your PC the easy way – do it now with a spare USB stick!
• We reveal the best Windows 7 gadgets for your desktop!

We are also giving away two great free gifts with issue 48:

Gift one:

60 brilliant Windows tips and tricks

Speed up, customise and master hidden settings on your computer!

Gift two:

23 new apps to try now!

10 top apps for photos, music, art and more!

13 great utilities to extend the power of Windows

Plus full software worth £54.99!

Watch out for it in your newsagents from 1 September 2010 or alternatively subscribe here to get the issue.

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Much of this disappointment is due to fundamental misunderstandings about the purpose and capability of netbooks, with many of us ending up confused about exactly what can or can’t be done on a low-power machine, and even which operating system it comes with.

What is a netbook?

Netbooks are essentially a sub-section of the greater laptop category, but are designed to be cheaper, smaller and consequently less powerful than their full-sized brethren. A typical netbook costs between £250 and £400, which makes them relatively cheap propositions, when you consider that large, heavy, yet still relatively low-powered laptops start at around £400 – but there’s a significant pay off in terms of what they can do.

The first ever netbook was the ASUS Eee PC 701, which was an unexpectedly huge success, sparking a race among other manufacturers to bring out their own offerings. Subsequently the market has become swamped with netbooks, with every manufacturer making at least one, and the lines between laptops and netbooks – which were at first clearly defined – have become blurred.

Back when netbooks first appeared, most of them ran the Linux operating system to keep the costs down. But people quickly started demanding Windows on their machines. The backlash against Linux led to netbooks being some of the most returned items of tech, with estimates of one in four being taken back to shops by customers who were confused as to why their programs didn’t work. The problem was that Windows Vista licences were too expensive for netbooks, so using this would have forced prices up. Microsoft allowed Windows XP to be sold on low cost machines, so long as the specification didn’t exceed a specific level. Through 2009 most netbooks shipped with a 1.66Ghz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and no CD drive. This defined netbooks for around a year, and the only differentiating factor between brands was form, keyboard and battery life. The release of the Windows 7 Starter edition in October, which is designed for low-cost PCs, means that manufacturers are now scrambling to bring out
upgraded machines.

With the restrictions on hardware gone, netbooks are moving forward at a frantic rate, with better processors, more RAM and bigger hard drives making up a virtual arms race of lightweight, low-cost laptops. Anyone who resisted buying a netbook in 2009 will now be able to reap the rewards of patience, earning themselves better hardware and Windows 7 instead of Windows XP to boot.

The attraction of netbooks isn’t hard to fathom, but there is a considerable pay-off in return for lightweight laptops that cost under £400. Performance is the first hit, and most netbooks feature single core, low-power processor chips, which aren’t capable of the extremities of everyday PC use. Netbooks are designed to handle basic web surfing, emailing and other types of PC communication. If you start asking your netbook to do tougher tasks like playing iPlayer and HD YouTube videos or dealing with large batches of images, you will see performance drop off drastically.

Netbook Numbers

CARPHONE WAREHOUSE
DROPPED LINUX-BASED
NETBOOK PCS, CITING
CUSTOMER CONFUSION
AS A REASON FOR A
WHOPPING 1-IN-5
RETURN RATE

RETURN RATES OF
WINDOWS XP MACHINES
WERE A QUARTER OF THOSE
FOR LINUX NETBOOKS

72 PER CENT REVENUE GROWTH
IN NETBOOKS THROUGH 2009,
COMPARED WITH 13 PER CENT
DECLINE IN NOTEBOOK MARKET

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Well, provided you’ve got one of Apple’s touchscreen devices, an iPod Touch or iPhone, you can do just this by using it as a touchscreen remote control to play, skip or choose any song on your hard drive.

To create your PC remote control, you only need iTunes – a program that’s very similar to Windows Media Player – on your PC, and a Remote application on your touchscreen device. Once you’ve paired the two, all your music is shown on your portable screen and all it takes is a finger press to start listening.

Step-by-step: Control your music remotely

1 Download the app
To turn your iPod Touch or iPhone into a remote control, you need to get the Remote application from the App Store. There are two ways to do this. The first is to download it through the iTunes Store when you’re on your PC, then connect your device and synchronise it so that the application downloads to it.

2 Use your device
The second way – which is much easier than the aforementioned route – is to download the application directly through your iPod Touch or iPhone. If you’re using an iPod you will need to be connected to a wireless connection. However if it’s an iPhone you’re using, you can download it easily via the 3G mobile network. Go to the App Store on your device.

3 Find it
At the App Store, you can browse through the list of applications and find the Remote application by type, if you so wish. But the easiest way to get it is to select the Search function at the bottom of the screen and type in Remote to find it.

4 Install it
Once you’ve done this, you’ll be given a lengthy list of possible matches, but the one you need is the first in this list. If you’re not entirely sure, it’s the one with the Apple Inc. wording above the Remote name. Select this application, press the Free button, then press the Install button immediately.

5 Connect your device
To start using the Remote application, you first need to make sure that you can access a wireless internet connection, and that your PC is connected to this wireless network. Then you need to connect your iPod Touch or iPhone to this wireless network, by going to Settings ➜ Wi-Fi and selecting it from the list.

6 Sync it
Open the Remote app on your device and press Add Library. You’ll be given a four-digit passcode to connect to iTunes on your PC. Open iTunes and look for your device in the left-hand menu. Click on it and enter the code. iTunes will say that you are able to control iTunes, so click on OK.

7 Play music
On your touchscreen device you’ll now see all the music in iTunes displayed on-screen, and you can play songs simply by tapping them. If you look at iTunes on your PC’s monitor you’ll see that the selected music is now playing, and obviously you’ll hear it coming from your speakers to further confirm that it’s worked!

8 And relax
That’s it. By installing the Remote application you will have turned your iPod Touch or iPhone into a handy remote that allows you to control your music collection on your PC as far away as your wireless network will allow you. So, if you want to be flash and change tracks from another room, you can!

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Blogging is a great way to express yourself and connect with other people with similar interests. From your political views to poems or pictures of your puppy, absolutely anything goes! Tumblr is a blogging platform that is a joy to use and we highly recommend giving it a try.

With the emphasis on customisability and ease of use, you can quickly post text, images, video, links and audio to your blog. Tumblr is a short-form, or microblogging site, which encourages users to post lots of short entries, rather than labouring for hours and hours on a single entry. It’s perfectly acceptable just to post a link to something cool you’ve seen online, or a photo from your phone – it’s ideal, in other words, for people with busy lives.

Step-by-step: Begin blogging with Tumblr

1 Sign up
Getting your own Tumblr account couldn’t be easier and it’s completely free. Head to www.tumblr.com and click the Sign up button on the menu bar, where you’re asked for your email address, a password and to pick your personalised URL, which will end in .tumblr.com.

2 Get personal
Once you’ve signed up, Tumblr automatically prompts you to title your blog (if you change your mind, you can alter this at any time) and upload a picture of yourself – this is important, because blogging is all about personality, so people will want to know who’s behind your posts.

3 Customise
One of the great things about Tumblr is that it’s totally customisable. Click on your Account tab on the top right, then Preferences, then Theme. Pick a theme to suit your personality or interests (you can submit a theme yourself or use HTML if you’re an advanced user). Click Save when you’re happy.

4 Perfect your customisation
Now you’ve chosen a theme and your blog is beginning to take shape, it’s time to choose the finishing touches. Click the Appearance tab (next to Theme) and go through the options to make subtle changes such as background and text colour to make it your own. Don’t forget to save it.

5 Create your first post
Now you’re ready to create your first post. Click the Dashboard button, then pick from the Text, Photo, Quote, Link, Chat, Audio and Video buttons on the toolbar. You’re guided through the upload process and have the option of writing a caption. Click Preview to check, then Create Post when happy.

6 Share
We really love the Bookmarklet button, which enables you to quickly share web links with your blog followers. Click the Goodies tab, then drag the Share on Tumblr button to your bookmarks bar. When ever you see something you like on the internet, just click Share on Tumblr to post the link.

7 Follow
Naturally, you’ll want to follow other people’s Tumblr blogs. Click on the Dashboard option, and the Following tab on the right-hand side. Find your friends by entering your email address and password. From the list on the left, pick some topics you’re interested in, and click the grey icon to follow anyone interesting.

8 Get listed
Getting listed is the ultimate way to gain new followers, because your account is recommended to others by Tumblr. To get listed, click on the Directory tab from the top menu, then on the Get Listed button. Choose a category, then Tumblr gives you a link to pass to your followers, so they can recommend you.

9 Share with Facebook
Adding your Tumblr posts to your Facebook news feed couldn’t be easier. Click the Goodies tab from the top bar and then on the Facebook Application. Sign in to Facebook and then confirm that you want to allow Tumblr access. This is a great way to share your posts with all of your contacts.

10 Explore
Now you’ve created a fully-functional, customised blog ready for you to update as often as you wish, with whatever takes your fancy. Tumblr has a wealth of features, ready for you to explore – spend some time looking at the various options in the menu bar. Have fun!

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Changes all depend on what you want to do with the taskbar. If you want to make it look a bit special, then you should change it. If you want to make it more useful, again – you should change it. Even if you think it’s fine as it is, try changing it and you might be pleasantly surprised.

If you want to go one step beyond the visual and functional tweaks shown here, try downloading WindowBlinds from www.stardock.com. This program will give you complete control over your taskbar, and it’s free to try.

Step-by-step: Get a fresh taskbar

1 Find a new home
The default location of the taskbar is at the bottom of the screen. Don’t feel that you have to stick with this though, as you can put place it on any edge of the screen you like. Right-click the taskbar and click Lock the taskbar if there’s a tick next to it. Now, use the mouse cursor to drag it to whichever edge you prefer.

2 Manage notifications
Click the upwards-facing arrow on the right of the taskbar and you’ll find icons and notifications. If you’d rather not see these all the time, click on the arrow, click Customize and choose what you want each icon to do from the Behavior menu. To keep an icon on display, drag it to the taskbar.

3 Hide it away
While the taskbar is useful to have on screen, sometimes it would be better if you could tuck it away until you needed it. To hide it from view so that it only appears when you hover over it, right-click on the taskbar and click Properties. Then, under the taskbar tab, check the tick box next to Auto-hide the taskbar.

4 More taskbar programs
Normally, the taskbar only has a few icons, but you can easily add more programs to make it a bit more useful. Just drag a program icon to the taskbar and drop it on to pin it. Programs you no longer want on the taskbar can be removed by right-clicking them and clicking Unpin this program from taskbar.

5 Get more space
Once you start adding programs to the taskbar, you might find it’s not long enough. To free up some space for your pinned programs, right-click on it and untick Lock the taskbar. Then hold the top edge of the taskbar with your mouse, and drag it upwards until it’s big enough to accommodate your selection of programs.

6 Prefer Windows Vista?
If you liked the Windows Vista taskbar, you can modify your Windows 7 taskbar to look the same. To get the retro look, right-click the taskbar and select Properties. Check the tick box next to Use small icons then in the drop-down menu next to Taskbar buttons choose Combine when taskbar is full.

7 Add toolbars
You can add more functionality to the taskbar by placing toolbars onto it, such as an address bar that allows you to browse to websites quickly, a quick-launch button for the tablet PC input panel and you can even add your own. Just right-click the taskbar, hover over Toolbars and select a toolbar from the menu.

8 Finishing touches
You can finish your tweaking by doing something just for fun – turning back the clock to Windows 95. Right-click the desktop, select Personalize and under Basic and High Contrast Themes, choose Windows Classic. We prefer keeping the new-look Windows 7 taskbar, as shown above, though.

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Inside issue 47:

• Speed up Windows with out complete guide
• 10 ways to do more with home video – expert tips for better movies
• We test the best budget netbooks for school and student life

Also inside issue 47:

• Get the awesome Aero Snap feature on Windows Vista and Windows XP
• Everything you need to know about how to use Spotify for free
• Read eBooks on your PC

We are also giving away two great free gifts with issue 47:

Gift one

The ultimate Windows dictionary

Your essential A-Z guide, packed with over 350 tech terms!

Gift two

459 Classic Books

An e-library that includes Austen, Shakespeare, Dickens and more! Enjoy these complete classics, absolutely free.

Also includes full software worth £49

Watch out for it in your newsagents from 4 August 2010 or alternatively subscribe here to get the issue.

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There’s no shortage of cheap laptops out there to choose from, but with new models bring released and almost immediately replaced by manufacturers, the choice is no easy task.

The lure of netbooks and the rise of the mini laptop are also huge factors for those looking for a new notebook, but each has their downsides.

To try to make the process easier, TechRadar has published its list of the 20 best laptops.

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Step-by-step: Create a budget in Office Excel

1 Browse budget templates
Rather than going through the complicated process of creating your own budget template from scratch, you can download a ready-made Excel template. Go to the Microsoft Office website at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates. Click the Budgets link in the Browse templates section.

2 Select the template
Each template has a small preview that you can use to see how your budget will look. You can also see which version of Office Excel the template is compatible with, plus each template is given a star rating from other people who have used it. Click the name of the template you want for an overview.

3 Save the template
Once you’ve chosen a template, click Download. We’re using the Family monthly budget planner template, which can be downloaded from http://snipurl.com/v69j0, but you can use any template you like. After clicking Download you’re asked to save the template in the default Templates folder. Click Save.

4 View the template and change the currency
Once you have saved the template, Office Excel opens it automatically. Some templates have been formatted to give the results in US dollars. To change this to pounds, select the whole spreadsheet by clicking Ctrl and A on your keyboard, then click Accounting number format ➜ £ English.

5 Enter in your information
You can now enter your data. For example, in the Mortgage or rent row, put the cost in the Projected Cost column. At the end of the month, put the actual cost in the Actual Cost column. Do the same for all rows – if there are any that are not applicable, ignore them or change the name to something more suitable.

6 Review your results
At the end of the month, enter actual costs. Excel displays the difference between what you budgeted for, and what you spent. If the differences are in negative figures, you overspent. Think about why you spent more, and alter next month’s budget. The Actual Balance shows how much is left after expenses.

7 Get budgeting
There you have it. As long as you get into the habit of filling in the budget at the beginning and end of each month, you’ll find that balancing your finances can be pretty easy. You get peace of mind that your spending is under control, and you’ll be able to save money to treat yourself and your family.

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