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Issue 217 - December 11, 2002
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2002
==== 2246 Subscribers in 56 Countries ====
Welcome to the 217th 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. If you give me two or three
issues, I know that you will come back for more!
You can reach me at editor@pcin.net with
any suggestions or comments.
Recommend PCIN at http://PCIN.net/recommend.php
Support PCIN at http://PCIN.net/donate.php
CONTENTS
OPENING THOUGHTS
Most of you received 2 copies of the newsletter last week by accident. I'm
testing out a new mailing list service and it was my fault. Other than that,
the service works well. But because of this, the subscribe and unsubscribe forms
don't work on the web site. If you wish to unsubscribe, please email me directly.
Graham editor@pcin.net
and Chris chris@pcin.net
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The NEWS
Poetic Justice for Spam?
"You probably haven't thought much about haiku since grade school.
But the people behind Habeas, a startup company in Palo Alto, Calif., have
contemplated on the traditional Japanese verses — a lot.
In fact, it's the company's proposed answer to help sort out useful e-mails
from the junk messages, or spam.
'Spam has really impacted the way people are able to communicate on the Net,
and I think that's wrong,' says Anne P. Mitchell, chief executive officer
of Habeas. 'We're going to do something about it.'
Rather than trying to identify spam with an e-mail filter, Habeas' method
is concerned with proving that a message is not spam."
For more info:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/TechTV/techtv_haikuspamstop021210.html
META Predicts Microsoft Will Offer Linux Software
"In a major strategy shift, Microsoft Corp. will introduce software
based on the Linux open source operating system in 2004 for Web services and
server software, market researcher META Group predicted on Monday.
Microsoft, which denied that it had any plans to develop software for Linux,
is facing a growing threat from the open source software standard as it gains
share in the corporate server market used to manage networks and data.
META Group predicted that Linux will be used on nearly half of new servers
by 2007, up from its current share of 15 to 20 percent, making it difficult
for Microsoft to ignore Linux as a platform for its database, Web hosting
and e-mail server applications."
For more info:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=1878318
How Dell Is Defying an Industry's Gravity in Japan
"IT was perhaps the biggest non-event in the history of Dell Computer.
Hiroshi Hamada, the head of Dell's consumer computer sales unit in Japan,
designed a Web site to supplement the company's fledgling telephone sales
here. It was 1997, after all, and the Internet was fast becoming a viable
sales channel in the United States.
Japan, though, was a different story. Computer use and familiarity with the
Internet were still low and, the stereotypical thinking went, the Japanese
preferred to pay in cash for products they could haul away. Besides, the local
giants — NEC, Fujitsu and Toshiba — still controlled the greatest
share of Japan's $20 billion computer market. Even in Dell's small Japan office,
skeptics thought that a Web site was an adornment, not a big driver of growth.
To almost everyone's surprise, Mr. Hamada's little project turned into a tsunami."
For more info:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/08/business/yourmoney/08DELL.html
Of mice and patents and copyright law
"Don't mess with the mouse.
The little critters are a hot commodity nowadays with just about everyone
laying a claim.
Disney is very protective of Mickey Mouse, perhaps the most famous of all
rodents. A few years back, the Walt Disney Co. went after a Florida daycare
centre because it painted some of Walt's characters on the walls. It has to
protect its copyright, after all.
Copyrights are only supposed to last for a limited time. But to stave off
losing its exclusive rights to vintage Mickey footage as long as possible,
the company dove head first into a campaign to extend the length of copyright
protection."
For more info:
http://www.thestar.ca/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?GXHC_gx_session_id_=c850569f0a7235d7
&pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1035775345158
POLL of the WEEK
Last Week's Poll
Do you find software help files to be useful?
| No, I prefer a manual in my hands |
 |
16.09 % (14) |
| No, I can never find a good answer |
|
13.79 % (12) |
| Sometimes |
|
60.92 % (53) |
| Yes, I use them all the time |
|
6.90 % (6) |
| I don't ever look for help |
|
2.30 % (2) |
| Total votes: 87 |
This Week's Poll
FREEHELP FORUM
Visit the new and improved PCIN FreeHelp Forum at http://www.pcin.net/help/forum/index.php
to post your questions or answer others.
Question
I am running 2 PC's, one with Win98SE and one with WinXP Pro. The Win98SE
has two parallel ports, one connected to an Okidata laser printer and the
other to a scanner then Epson Color Stylus 900 Pro. The WinXP Pro is connected
to a second Okidata laser printer. I want to connect the second PC (WinXP
Pro) to the Epson 900 and leave the Win98SE PC connected.
The Epson 900 has three available connections; parallel, USB and Firewire.
Can I leave the Win98SE PC connected via parallel and connect the WinXP Pro
PC to that same printer via the USB port? I would only send one job to the
printer at a time. The default printers on both PC's are the Okidata laser
printers, I select the Epson when I want to use the inkjet.
I tried to think it through and I don't see why I can't, as the drivers reside
on the PC. Before I ran out to buy the USB cable, I thought I would check
with the experts here.
I do not have the two PC's networked.
Response
No responses given yet.
To post a response, visit the General Hardware Help forum at http://www.pcin.net/help/forum/index.php?board=4
and click on the "Printer Connections Question" topic.
Visit http://www.pcin.net/help/forum/index.php
to post a question of your own.
PCIN.net UPDATE
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
Object Desktop Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/objectdesktop.php
LG GCE-8400B 40x 12x 40x CD-RW Hardware Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/lggce8400b.php
PCIN.net Search
http://PCIN.net/search/
Some Useful Registry Tips
http://PCIN.net/help/articles/registry_tips.php
THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF
Windows Explorer Switches
When you first start Windows Explorer, it always starts up at either My Computer
or the C: drive. It shows you everything. This is the default. But there are
many startup switches which will change the way it displays. Visit http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q152457
for a list of the switches that you can use to customize the display of Windows
Explorer.
Microsoft Word Switches
Microsoft Word 2000/2002 also has many startup switches. You can tell it
to start without any addins, with a different template, and more. Visit http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q210565
to learn more.
Technically Challenged?
Subscribe Marg Pinard sent me this:
" So You Think You Are Technically Challenged? Think Again!! Take heart,
anyone among you who believes they are technologically challenged, this is
an excerpt from a Wall Street Journal" article.
- Compaq is considering changing the command 'Press Any Key' to 'Press Return
Key' because of the flood of calls asking where the 'Any' key is.
- AST technical support had a caller complaining that her mouse was hard
to control with the dust cover on. The cover turned out to be the plastic
bag the mouse was packaged in.
- A Dell technician advised his customer to put his troubled floppy back
in the drive and close the door. The customer asked the tech to hold on
and was heard putting the phone down, getting up and crossing the room to
close the door.
- Another Dell customer called to say he couldn't get his computer to fax
anything. After 40 minutes of troubleshooting, the technician discovered
the man was trying to fax a piece of paper by holding it in front of the
monitor screen and hitting the 'send' key.
- Yet another Dell customer called to complain that his keyboard no longer
worked. He had cleaned it by filling up his tub with soap and water and
soaking the keyboard for a day, then removing all the keys and washing them
individually.
- A confused caller to IBM was having trouble printing documents. He told
the technician that the computer had said it 'couldn't find printer' The
user had also tried turning the computer screen to face the printer but
that his computer still couldn't 'see' the printer.
- An exasperated caller to Dell Tech Support couldn't get her new Dell Computer
to turn on. After ensuring the computer was plugged in, the technician asked
her what happened when she pushed the power button. Her response, 'I pushed
and pushed on this foot pedal and nothing happens.' The 'foot pedal' turned
out to be the computer's mouse.
- A woman called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer. The
tech asked her if she was running it under 'Windows'. The woman responded,
'No, my desk is next to the door. But that is a good point. The man sitting
in the cubicle next to me is under a window and his printer is working fine.'
- Tech Support: 'O.K. Bob, let's press control and escape keys at the same
time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the
letter P to bring up the Program Manager.' Customer: 'I don't have a P'.
Tech: 'On your keyboard, Bob.' Customer: 'What do you mean?' Tech: 'P on
your keyboard, Bob.' Customer: 'I'm not going to do that!!!'"
DISCLAIMER and
OTHER STUFF
PCIN is brought to you by Graham Wing. The opinions expressed are those of
the Editor, Graham Wing and the Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Graham Wing
and Chris Empey accept no responsibility for the results obtained from trying
the tips in this newsletter.
- If any of the links are too long to fit on one line, you may have to cut
and paste.
- You can only win one contest every 30 days.
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and follow the appropriate links.
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and be entered in a monthly draw.
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subscribed by filling out a subscription form on any of the pages on my
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Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2002, 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.php
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