ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2001
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Welcome to the 163rd issue of the PC Improvement News. PCIN consists mainly of news and tips. There is something for everyone, and if this is your first issue, I'm sure there will be something for you.
You can reach me at editor@pcin.net with any suggestions or comments. If you give me two or three issues, I know that you will come back for more!
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Well, today was my first day back at work after my vacation. It was nice being off, but it is also nice to get back in to a regular routine. I was able to get quite a bit done around the house. Now if only I could find the time to finish what I've started!
Christmas is less than a month away. Lisa and I put up our Christmas lights on Saturday, and on Monday my family came over and helped us put up our tree and decorations around the house. The decorations are very festive, and thankfully, no snow. A white Christmas would be nice, but we don't need the snow too early.
I'm selling a couple of things (computer-related) that I've acquired over the
years on eBay. If you're interested, visit:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1301209226
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1301214552
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1301259231
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1301436655
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1301577825
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1302772476
Lastly, a subscriber emailed me asking if I knew of any good "power-on" password software? I didn't know of any. If you do, send your suggestions to editor@pcin.net
Computer produced fake cash, U.S. says
"Secret Service agents seized more than half a million dollars in counterfeit $100 bills from a Joliet man who produced most of the bogus money on his computer at work without his employer's knowledge, according to charges filed Tuesday.
Aaron Sulwer was expecting to be paid tens of thousands of dollars in real currency when he handed over about $450,000 in counterfeit bills to an undercover Secret Service agent posing as an exotic animal trafficker, authorities said."For more info:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0111210182nov21.story
CD copy protection sparks Imbruglia imbroglio
"Call it the Imbruglia imbroglio. The latest CD from Natalie Imbruglia, the coquettish Australian pop star, won't play in some CD and DVD players because of copy protection technology included on the disc. That has prompted a spate of complaints to Imbruglia's record label, Bertelsmann Music Group, which has set up a toll-free phone hotline to deal with the fallout over the CD White Lilies Island, released Nov. 5 in Europe. The album has not yet been released in the United States."
For more info:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001/11/20/cd-protection.htm
Red Hat Offers Option in Microsoft Suit Deal
"Red Hat has jumped into the Microsoft class-action suits settlement fray, offering to provide open-source software to every school district in the United States free of charge. Red Hat encouraged Microsoft to redirect the money it plans to spend on its own software--estimated at more than $500 million--into purchasing additional hardware.
Microsoft said on Tuesday that it had agreed to settle the 100-plus class action suits accusing it of using its desktop operating system software monopoly to charge users inflated prices. Under terms of the deal, Microsoft will supply computers and its own software to thousands of the U.S.'s poorest schools."For more info:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,72724,00.asp
China shuts down over 17,000 Internet bars
"Chinese authorities have shut down more than 17,000 Internet bars for failing to block Web sites considered subversive or pornographic, a state-run newspaper reported.
The closures came during a nationwide sweep of China's 94,000 Internet bars that was launched in April, the Shanghai-based Wen Hui Bao reported Tuesday."For more info:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/661393.asp
Microsoft's Top Lawyer Sets Retirement
"William H. Neukom, the legal field general in Microsoft (news/quote)'s antitrust conflicts, said yesterday that he would retire next year. His announcement came on the heels of two major settlements engineered this month by Mr. Neukom and his team - both regarded as victories for Microsoft - and as the company's antitrust problems appear to be finally receding.
Mr. Neukom - 60, tall, silver- haired and always appearing in court in a well-tailored suit and a bow tie - started doing legal work for Microsoft in 1979 when he was a partner in a Seattle law firm headed by the father of William H. Gates, co-founder of Microsoft. Mr. Neukom joined Microsoft in 1985 to begin its in-house legal department with one other lawyer and a paralegal. Today, the Microsoft law and corporate affairs department has 600 people, including 200 lawyers."For more info:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/22/technology/22SOFT.html
Recently subscriber Forest Brumagen emailed me about how he set up a Mac at home. Instead of installing Windows XP on their Windows computer, they decided to move to a Mac. He asked, "Do others think that, with the advent of OSX, a UNIX based platform, we might move away from Wintel-based systems? I submit this as a proposition to your readers." After asking you, "Has XP made you thing about switching", here are some of the replies I received:
**
I dont think that for average user the introduction of the Windows XP family
introduces the need to change hardware. Simply because I dont think anyone needs
it. Personally I wouldn't install such bloatware. The minimum requirements of
a 300Mhz CPU with 1.5GB of harddrive made me laugh.
Leaving the softare disadvantages of XP behind and focusing on the hardware
side of things I think it a shame that people would leave the open Intel market
for a much more closed Mac market. In comparison the Intel market has a much
greater variety of both hardware and software available, and if not at equal
then lower costs. This not only increases the purchase price of such computers
but also their running costs.
To put it simply, just because I don't like a single model of tyre won't make
me buy an entire new car.
Not only are other other hardware platforms too restrictive for most people
to convert there is no reason to worry. There are plenty of alternatives. There
a few Microsoft alternatives, and even better, other OS's. To start with there
is OS/2 by IBM, and more flavours of Linux are on the net than I've had hot
dinners. On a personal note I installed Linux Redhat 7.1 the other day and found
it easier than any of the other dozens of installs of Microsoft products that
I've completed. Even better is the fact that many if not most of the work that
can be done on a Microsoft OS can be done on Linux, and that support grows every
day. Heck with Linux you can run Linux and Windows at the same time with softare
like Wine.
In summary, although the introduction of XP will cause migrations from 'Intel
based' computers I dont think most people would find it to their advantage.
Other computing markets are more niche markets, and too many alternatives exist
in the current IBM-compatible market to make the switch profitable for most.
Stephen Green
After many years of Win9X, I want to get away from Micro$oft. Towards that goal,
I've had a professional install of Linux Mandrake done to an old wintel PC.
With the intent to learn a different OS.
Apple and its latest Unix based OS X is also on the agenda. As I will switch
to one of these two, sooner or later.......
Darryl McKay
I work with both Windows & Macintosh platforms, and believe the day may
come where all operating systems may be very close. My experience with Windows
XP and Mac OS X is nil, but I prefer to use a Mac at home. I work with an NT
4.0 network in a school, and find it very frustrating at times : I have a lot
of network issues that sometimes just can't be resolved. Much of it has to do
with the age of the PC's, reliability of components, profile problems served
over the network etc.
By comparison, I also run a small peer to peer network of 10 Macs, in one classroom.
I have very little trouble with them, and they are all over 6 years old.
I think I'll stick with Apple for a long time, because I believe its a quality
product.
George Kaposhilin
The stupid XP registration thing has certainly made me rethink about upgrading
or even buying an XP installed new machine.
Here is an example, which I would not normally worry about, but now have to
think twice about.
A friend, who is in the auto repair business wants to buy a computer to help
him run his shop. One of the Apps he needs is a DVD based data base of auto
repair info for all cars. He also wants to run QuickBooks which he already has.
And he wants to network his existing Win98SE machine with a new faster machine
The dilemma is this:
The new machine he is interested in, which has a very good price, is
preloaded with XP Home edition. It has an CD-RW, but no DVD.
It has a 56K modem, but no network card. The vendor of the auto data base says
there is no guarantee that it will operate on XP. It will, and does operate
on Win98.
So. If he swaps out the CD-RW for a DVD and installs a network card will he
have to re-register the new machine? Since it is preloaded with XP, he does
not normally have to register it.
Will the XP network with an 98SE?
If the machine crashes and he has to re-install the OS from a vendor supplied
CD will the restoration recognize the additions of the DVD and the network card,
or does he have to re-install those?
Will an XP machine permit dual booting with a win98 OS? in case the auto data
base does not work with XP.
If his existing version of QuickBooks does not work with XP, does he have to
buy a new version, when it comes out?
Can he delete the XP OS on the new machine and install win98 instead, or does
the XP do something special to the BIOS?
Needless to say, if the machine did not come pre-loaded with the XP OS none
of the above would be a concern.
Would anyone, in their right mind, advise this fellow to buy an XP machine,
AT THIS TIME?
Not I
Peter
Yes.
But I'm not sure to what. I've read a little about Lindows, a Linux-based system
that is supposed to run Wintel apps, but don't know much about it. The activation
process really irritates me. I live and work in China, and I wipe my two systems
at least once a year and reinstall everything, partly (maybe mostly) because
of the accumulated space junk that accumulates on my hard drive under Win982e
and eventually accelerates the frequency of crashes.
My son agrees with my assessment of the actvation process, which is not unusual
in itself, except that he happens work for Microsoft.
Gary Bryant
Yep, I sure do think so. I, for one, will install Linux and/or get a Mac before
I buy XP. I'm not that concerned with the WPA or whatever it is, but rather
the fact that Micros**t has already announced the time table to end support
of WIN 9X. Now that they have succeeded in buying off the federal government
(opps, I mean making a large campaign contribution) to get out of the monopoly
suit, they are going to, among other things implement forced upgrades. If no
one else offered a viable alternative it might work, but I think Slick Billy
just shot himself in the foot, with a cannon.
Gene Cote
From what little I've read about Windows XP, I feel the best thing I can do
is stay with Windows 98. I really don't like big brother watching my every move
and dictating when I have to purchase another license because I've added or
change components.
G. Perreault
There just isn't enough of a MAC "world" out there to switch.
If you do graphics you MIGHT consider it. But, even that is no longer a definite
since so many good graphics programs using Windows have been developed.
If your doing anything in the business "world" Windows is the way
to go.
Almost all the major companies develop software and hardware with Windows in
mind. While X is fast Windows with a newer chip and the right amount of memory
is still faster.
I am not considering switching.
Cheap Trick of the Week
Make your desktop dance
Your Windows desktop can shake, shimmy or do the lambada, once you know how to use a video clip as your wallpaper.
You'll need an AVI file (ending in the .avi extension), as well as Microsoft's FrontPage (though you could try it with another HTML editor).
If you don't have an AVI file, you can always download one for free from shareware sites on the Internet. A large file with high resolution to cover your entire screen is preferable.
Once you've located a video file you want to use, open FrontPage to a new FrontPage Editor window. In FrontPage Editor, look for the command to insert video. In Frontpage 2000 you'll find it by opening the Insert menu, and clicking on Picture and Video. In FrontPage 97, look under Insert for Video. You might also find it under Insert and Active Elements.
Insert your selected AVI file. When it's placed, right-click on the image in FrontPage, select Image Properties or Picture Properties from the pop-up menu and, in the window that appears, select the Appearance tab. Put a check beside Specify Size and fill in the figures to make the image fill your screen (800 by 600 pixels for most 15-inch monitors).
If you want the video to play continually, click on the Video tab and, after Loop, put a check beside Forever. Click Okay to close the Properties window.
Save the file with an .html extension (for example, as desktop video.html) and close FrontPage.
On a blank part of your desktop, right-click and select Properties from the context menu. Go to the Background page and use the Browse button there to locate the HTML file you'd saved. When you find it, click Open and make it your wallpaper.
Click Okay to close the Display Properties window.
To activate your desktop video if it is not already running, right-click on the desktop and select Play. You may have to reboot the computer to make it take effect. Then the video should run automatically.
Get your own copy of "The Little Black Book of Cheap Tricks: 2001" by visiting http://www.pcin.net/lbbct/
New FrontX Ports
I recently reviewed the FrontX Computer Port Extension. This a device that fits in an empty drive bay, and brings your ports from the back of the computer to the front. The review can be found at http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/frontx.shtml and all of the FrontX items can be seen/purchased at http://FrontX.com/
Well, I recently received the following from Susan Lee, Sales Manager at FrontX:
"FRONTX - Extend Computer Ports to the Front
IEEE 1394 & RCA Video Released !!
Dear Editor,
Thank you for our product review article posted in your site previously.
We take this opportunity to inform you that FRONTX IEEE 1394 & RCA Video Ports have been released as scheduled.
We will be much appreciated if you can kindly inform your readers accordingly.
Online Price:
CPX105 IEEE 1394 6 Pin - USD12.90
CPX106 RCA Video - USD6.90"
Major PCIN.net Additions
Since I was on vacation, I had a lot of time to do some work on the PCIN.net web site. The following are new/updated pages/sections of the site:
Entire 2000 archive updated to new site format
http://PCIN.net/archive/2000/index.shtmlHebus.com Wallpaper of the Day
http://pcin.net/help/tods/wod.shtmlView Thumbnails in Windows Explorer
http://pcin.net/help/articles/viewthumbnails.shtmlWindows Registry Help
http://pcin.net/help/articles/registryhelp.shtmlWindows File Extensions
http://pcin.net/help/articles/fileext.shtmlWE Compute Magazine's Cheap Tricks of the Week
http://pcin.net/help/articles/cheaptricks.shtml
(The entire collection is in Microsoft Word format and is more than 30 pages long. You can download the file from here)Internet Backbone Speeds
http://pcin.net/help/articles/internetspeeds.shtmlBIOS Help
http://pcin.net/help/articles/bioshelp.shtmlSee the PCIN test system
http://pcin.net/help/pcin_system.shtmlPCIN FreeHelp Downloads
http://pcin.net/help/download/PC Industry News
http://pcin.net/news.shtml
PCIN is brought to you by PC Improvements. The opinions expressed are those of the editor, Graham Wing. PC Improvements and Graham Wing accept no responsibility for the results obtained from trying the tips in this newsletter.
Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2001, PC Improvements and Graham Wing. All rights reserved.
This publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, as long as the author is notified and the newsletter is presented as is.
Support PCIN by visiting http://www.pcin.net/donate.shtml