Keep it Simple
There are tools out there that can help us all. When we find one we think you should know about, we highlight it here.
Creating pdf files.
If you need to send a file to someone else and you want to be sure that the file will look exactly the way that you see it, the best way is to convert the file to pdf. Just about any type file can be converted to pdf, but normally you need the expensive Adobe Acrobat program to do the conversion.
There are many replacement programs out there that might get you there, for a lot less money. Grandma recommends, though, that you go open source. The thing about open source programs is that they are not only free, but they are developed and coddled by numerous thoughtful techie types, rather like nannies, so there is a lot of support for them and they tend to be excellent programs.
Try PDFCreator. It's small, easy to install, and easy to use. To create a pdf file, you send the file to a printer and choose PDFCreator as the printer. Sometimes it will not succeed or will not convert exactly, but most of the time it does exactly what you want.
Colors
ColorPic. If you are developing a web site or working with someone else who is, or if you are working on a printed item, you will want to know more about colors. Sometimes you'll find colors you like but you have no idea what "color numbers" they are. With this handy free little tool you can place your cursor on the color you like and it will tell you the correct number to use, in several different number systems.
Check it out: http://www.iconico.com/colorpic/
Tech support forums
Granny has admitted here and elsewhere that she is not the geeky tech person who knows all of the odd terminology associated with computers. Sometimes Granny needs help herself. And when she does, she usually goes to Tech Support Guy. These forums are for people who want help with problems. The problems can be with software or hardware, operating systems, games, website development, and even such things as do-it-yourself projects (like remodeling your kitchen!). There are always a lot of people reading and watching these forums, so if you post a question you're likely to get an answer quickly. The people who ask for help here come with all manner of qualifications. There are people who hardly know how to turn on a computer and there are those who have been immersed in software development for years. In Granny's experience, there are many who are qualified to help most of us with just about any problem.
To use these forums you do need to register. It's a quick process and it's free.