This Month:

What's New

  • Annandale Expo

  • H&R Math

  • Local.Live

  • With Us

  • Windows Next Version

    •

    Internet

  • Parental Control

  • Web Email

    •

    FYI

  • Working with Attachments

  • New Computer?

    •

    Laugh a Little

    We are PC correct but not necessarily when it comes to humor.. :-)
     

    Any suggestions, recommendations or ideas found on this site are applied at your own risk.

     

    You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing. - Michael Pritchard


    April - 2006

    12th year in business

    9th year of newsletters

    Have problems or ideas you would like to have us address?  Let us know!
    Like most sites, this one is designed for an 800x600 screen resolution.
    For previous newsletters click here.  (Web Printing Hints)

    A Few Reminders...

    If you have a new computer: Save your original CDs!
    No Operating System Restore CD?  See our July 05 newsletter

    • Be sure to activate the antivirus application immediately! 
       
    • If your new computer is more than *90 days old, or
      if you have not paid for a subscription within the last year,
      your antivirus application is out-of-date and you are not protected.       More details on this issue in the March 02 newsletter.

    * Many new computers come with a 90-day free trial version, but after that period you must pay to renew the subscription.  Wonder if your antivirus is up-to-date?  Click here

    Looking to buy a new computer: 

    Click here for some ideas that may help your decision.

    --top

     

     

    Annandale Expo

    The Annandale Expo is April 8th.  See you there! Map

    How is your math?

    This probably should be in our Laugh a Little section...  H&R Block miscalculates their earnings by $32 million!  Now this has to hurt public relations just a little... The article.

    Local Live

    Competing with Earth.Google.com, Microsoft has a similar mapping and aerial view website: http://local.live.com/   If you have GPS and a mobile Internet connection, you could even use Local.Live with Microsoft's Streets & Trips 2006.

    Like Earth.Google, Local.Live is image based so you will need a high speed connection.

    Thanks Tom

    With Us

    Sorry for the somewhat truncated newsletter but we were a little busy in March changing our own equipment.  We replaced our internal server and like any move to a new computer, it consumed more time than we had hoped.

    Our old file server is for sale...

    It is a Dell 300SC, 256RAM, Dual processor board with a single 80256 - 800MHz processor, 40Gb primary drives running Windows 2000 Professional w/all service packs installed.  It has two network cards, a 70Gb data drive and a 20Gb secondary data drive used for quick backups.  The server is about five years old, the primary and secondary data drives are about two years old.  The server backup system is a Python 20/40Gb tape drive with 9 new tapes.

    Also for sale is a 7-CD, "CD tower" that can be shared with the network. 

    If interested, call Steve. 
    Local sale only, i.e., we will not ship.

    Windows Next Version

    "Vista" release has been delayed once again.  The public beta version may not be made available until sometime next year.

     

    --top

    Parental Control

    This summer, Microsoft will offer an update that will allow parents to control email, instant messaging and their children's blogs but there may be a catch... 

    While the article indicates this software will "compete" with CyberPatrol and others, it specifically indicates the control is over Microsoft Live mail and Microsoft messaging. 

    So it is yet unclear to us if this control will affect the more widely used Yahoo, MSN and other instant messengers.  The article.

    Web Email

    If you use a web based email such as Hotmail and are experiencing problems, there are a few things to try:

    • Run the cleanup manager: Start > Run type
      cleanmgr
      then click OK to delete all temporary files. 
    • Get all available Windows updates.
    • Windows 2000 and XP users try: Start menu > Run type
      sfc /scannow
      then click OK

     

    --top

    Working with Attachments

    When you receive an attachment such as a Word document, do not open it from within your email application. 

    Attachments, when opened, will reside in a temporary folder that maybe very hard to find! 

    If you open, edit and save the attachment directly from the message, you may be unable to find it later on...

    Rather than opening the attachment from the email message, open the email message and from the File menu, select Save Attachments. Then change the destination folder to My Documents or another folder and open the file from there.

    A friendly reminder:  If you are not expecting the attachment, scan it before opening. 

    New Computer?

    We consistently remind people to get the system restore CDs with their new computer but be forewarned: some new computers (Dell for sure) offer Norton Ghost as the system restore system.  If that is what you get be aware, it could be a "trial version" good for only 90-days. 

    So even if you immediately create restore CDs, chances are by the time you need them the trail version will have expired and you will be unable to restore your system.

    Be sure to order the actual Microsoft Windows XP CD.

    -- top

    Fun Facts:

    We have all heard the comparison of automobiles and computers, specifically the slam on Microsoft, but let's really compare the innovations and timelines.  If you have not heard this one, click here.
     
    Invention Invention Year Years Lapsed
    The first (practical) automobile is generally attributed to Carl Benz. 1885 (some may argue this date)
    Electric engine starter by GM. 1911 26
    Interstate Highway project. 1956 71
    First minicomputer & monitor was invented by Digital Equipment. 1960 (some may argue this date)
    Mouse. 1963 3
    The first practical personal computer was invented by Apple. 1977 17
    Internet available for personal use. 1980 20

    While the two are not really comparable, if computer innovation paced that of the automobile, the Internet would not exist until the year 2031.

    Strange facts

    Take any number and multiply by nine. The individual components of the results always add up to 9, e.g.:  2*9=18 so 1+8=9 and 48*9=432 so 4+3+2=9.  This works with any number eventually...  987654321*9=8888888889 so 8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+9=81, 8+1=9.  More numeric facts.

    Did you know that there are 300 bones in a child but only 206 in an adult?  More science facts.