11:34 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 26, 2006

By WALT ZWIRKO / WFAA-TV

This week from Computer Corner, something good and something not quite so good for you and your PC. And they both come from the same company. Plus: How to use your cell phone to guide you with Google Mobile Maps .

If you are an individual or even if you run a small business or manage a non-profit organization, you might have thought that having your own very own outpost on the World Wide Web was out of your league.

But Microsoft has a rather generous offer for you: A free Web site.

You can sign up right now at the Microsoft Office Live site. The Microsoft Office Live Basics package offers up to 30 megabytes of online storage to create an unlimited number of pages. I tested it by launching WaltZwirko.com.

I created a home page with easy-to-use online tools; no special software is needed (although the tools work only with Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser).

Your free site features a variety of ready-made templates that can be customized. I used the "Computers & Electronics" theme, but there are a number of other options available.

Now it's up to you to upload photos and type in information; or you can cut-and-paste from documents on your PC.

Microsoft Live Basics also comes with five free e-mail accounts with 2 gigabytes of storage available in each.

Why is it free? Microsoft is hoping to lure small businesses to its $30-and-up plan that offers more online storage, along with online business applications that can help manage customers, sales and employees.

Be aware that you'll need to provide a credit card number to sign up, even if you don't plan to upgrade to paid features. Applicants also must be at least 13 years old.

This free service is a great start for a small business, a church group or club—or even for a family—to establish a place in cyberspace.

Microsoft also has something else that's new—and free—to offer, but I can't recommend it to you; at least not yet.

It's Internet Explorer 7, the latest version of the world's most popular Web browser.

IE7 finally adds tabbed browsing, a feature of the rival Firefox browser for quite a while now. It means you can have more than one Web page open at a time; just click on the tabs (think of file folder tabs) to switch from one to another. No need to clutter your screen with separate windows for each page.

You can even get an overview of all your open Web pages on a single page (something Firefox doesn't have, but I'm not sure if this will be as useful).

IE7 also adds a handy "zoom" function, so you can get a closer look at what's on the page and it has improved printing so that the page margins will be reduced to fit on your paper.

But because Internet Explorer 7 is still in "beta" testing, you may have problems using it.

I couldn't get it to play back any of the video clips on WFAA.com or another site I tested. I've seen reports of similar problems, and other potential trouble spots.

IE7 is definitely headed in the right direction, but I suggest you wait for the final version, which should be available later this year. If you like the idea of tabbed browsing, give Firefox a try.

A lot of you have seen those GPS (global positioning system) devices on (or in) an auto's dashboard. These are the screens that let you navigate from place to place using satellite signals.

The new and free Google Mobile Maps service needs only your cell phone to give you some of the same functionality.

After downloading a small application to your phone (many, but not all, are supported; click for the list) all you need to do is type in your origin and destination addresses.

Google then plots out a route on a very clear map and the screen presents you with a simple choice: go forward or back.

Each press of a button takes you to the next turn, and tells you what to do when you get there.

You can even type in the name or type of business you're looking for; you'll see the nearest locations pop up on your map.

Google Mobile Maps doesn't know where you are; it doesn't use any positioning device that might already be part of your phone. It counts on input from you.

If you don't know an address, you can "point" to a spot on the map to set a starting or ending point.

Since most cell phones aren't keyboard friendly, the software "remembers" your previous destinations to reduce the need for retyping.

Clearly, using Google Mobile Maps isn't as elegant as having a box on your dashboard with a large touch screen that communicates with satellites and speaks directions to you.

Because of the way GMM works, it's best to have a co-pilot operating the phone so the driver can focus on the road.

And while the service is free, you'll need to have a data plan with your cell phone to handle the Internet access charges.

But if your phone supports it, Google Mobile Maps is a pretty cool pocket-sized option for getting around.

Watch Computer Corner every Wednesday on News 8 Midday at noon, or online any time.

E-mail askwalt@wfaa.com