Because a video is worth a whole mess of words. NAME and DOWNLOAD LINK: RenderSoft CamStudio 1.61 DESCRIPTION: Makes videos of on-screen actions. SIZE: 674KB, self-executing. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Win98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP, 400MHz processor, 64MB RAM recommended, 4MB space for program installation. COMMENT: How often have you been driven to the point of suicide trying to explain by phone, or email, how to do even the simplest functions on a computer? When we were in middle school (junior high for those of you on the West Coast) a teacher assigned us the task of writing instructions on how to tie a shoe. Try it, then have someone follow your directions. The simple solution is "loafers." CamStudio goes a long way towards helping guide your student. It allows you to create a visual demonstration (including mouse pointer, cursor and prompter) of the function in question. Operating CamStudio is fairly straightforward, though using words to describe it seems paradoxical. Press a red button to start recording, a blue one to stop, a black one to pause. When you're done, name and save the .avi file which can be viewed using RealOne Player, Windows Media Player, and others. Then email it. Now you know that's just too simple. Your first step is to choreograph the movements you wish to communicate. Practice them several times because, unfortunately, CamStudio does not come with an Belly up to the toolbar. (Excel 2000) Right click a blank area of the menu toolbar and chose from 16 additional toolbars, plus customize your own. editor and its files can grow in size like a pubescent teen. This very short demo showing how to access additional toolbars in Excel 2000 was originally 142KB. Only through the use of a video editor was it brought down to a manageable 42KB. Tip: On the "Region" menu choose "Region" or "Fixed Region" to define the area you want to film. "Full Screen" will simply increase the file size and is probably not essential to your explanation. Tip 2: Employ the "Hot Keys" "F8" and "F9" to start and stop recording respectively. Keep a finger hovering over that "F9." CamStudio is capable of recording sound so you can include verbal aids. Again, however, your file will explode in size. If you're not easily intimidated by video editors, the creator of CamStudio recommends the freebie VirtualDub. Another handy use for CamStudio is keeping a video directory of complex functions you rarely use but find essential, and where file size is not relevant. It can be a lot faster than going through the help files again and again. RATING: The life it saves could be your own.