PC NEWS DIGEST PC computing, hardware, software, searching, news, books, websites, web design, humor. The PC News Digest is published by SERVENET.COM PLEASE NOTE:
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!This week's puzzle -- Snowflake -- is a festive night-time photo of the Holiday lights in downtown Manhattan. It represents our thanks to you for visiting with us each week, and a sincere wish that your Holidays will be joyous and warm. Unlike the previous puzzles, which are now archived on their own webpage, this week's puzzle includes rotated pieces. Be sure to read the Tip about rotation in the puzzle section. Let us know if you enjoyed the added challenge. When you write, give us your thoughts on an HTML version of this newsletter. Chester Frankfeldt wrote and suggested we tell you that the web version of the newsletter is easier to use because it has a clickable index. It also has links and a search engine to access past issues. Thanks Chester! Once again, Happy Holidays! Snowflake Puzzle PC News Digest on the Web 0.0 Webshop 106: Am I Ready For A Website? 2/2 0.0 WEBSHOP 106: AM I READY FOR A WEBSITE? PT 2 OF 2(This is the second part of a two-part article.) In part one, we said personal websites are easy to make and almost without cost. Want one? Go for it! Business websites, however, aren't free and don't work for everyone. This part of the article looks at when to invest in a business website. SERVICE If your company produces a product or service which requires extensive helpline support, or frequent updates (manuals, drivers, etc.), a website can provide interactive, twenty-four hour assistance, reducing your manpower requirements. Many clients prefer online support to long waits on the telephone. If your business disseminates information such as meeting notices, event descriptions, telephone or fax directories, a business website is a perfect electronic bulletin board. "Perfect" since it can be updated almost instantly, and have instant world-wide distribution. But it's imperfect because you can't force folks to turn on their computers and log on to your website. A business website is also perfect for any organization whose primary business is the dissemination of information. Newspapers, TV and radio stations, libraries, museums, and governmental agencies all use websites to increase their outreach. If your mandate is public service and you don't have a website, we'd say you're falling down on the job. ONLINE STORE Investing in a website to function as an online store makes sense if you already run a successful mail-order business, like L.L. Bean, or if you sell a product (books, CDs, electronic parts and equipment) with a known history of successful catalog sales. but it only makes sense if you're willing to invest not only in a relatively expensive website but in even more expensive promotion and advertising on the web and in other media. Consider how many ads you've seen and heard lately for online stores! MARKETING LEGITIMACY, CREDIBILITY YES, YOU'RE READY FOR A WEBSITE! Am I Ready For A Website? 1/2 The WebShop at SERVENET.COM 1.0 WEBSITES FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
For websites that work -- the WebShop at SERVENET.COM Ready to join the Internet explosion? Let our experts build a website for your club, church, society, community or charitable organization. Want to see a sample of our work? Check out the site we built and maintain for the Oyster Bay Historical Society. The Oyster Bay Historical Society The WebShop at SERVENET.COM 2.0 OPERA 5.01: FREE BROWSER RESTARTS THE WARSA good browser, like a good racing bike, should be lightweight, clean, fast, and without excess baggage. And FREE would make it perfect. Welcome to Opera 5.01! Last week Opera Software announced a FREE version for Windows, supported by (468 x 60) banner ads, along with the continued availability of the same version without ads for $39. Let the Browser Wars resume!
Version 5.01 is small (less than 2 Mb to download if you don't need Java), faster on most PCs than Netscape's or Microsoft's browsers, and trouble- free, at least in our tests. Ads are displayed unobtrusively in the upper right-hand corner of the browser window. Opera has always had a loyal core of satisfied users because of its speed, security, adherence to Internet standards, and accessibility for the visually-impaired. Opera 5.01 adds integrated email and instant messaging software without compromising speed. It continues to offer toolbars, buttons, and color schemes that can be customized by the user.
Opera 5.01 from Norway's Opera Software Company is a complete browser separate from those produced by Microsoft and Netscape. However, it will use many of the plug-ins for the other browsers, with the notable exception of Microsoft's Active-Xand Visual Basic. (Readers interested in stripped-down, fast Netscape clones can try Beonex, which looks like Navigator 6, and K-meleon, which looks like Internet Explorer. Both are beta versions and buggy.) Opera Software Beonex K-meleon 3.0 DON'T FIGHT IT, BROWSERSWITCH IT!It shouldn't be, but some websites "optimize" for Microsoft's Internet Explorer and some for Netscape's Navigator. We'd prefer to avoid optimized websites, but sometimes it's not possible. So like many users, we have both browsers (and now Opera, too). More than one browser on a PC is a surefire recipe for internecine battles, unless you have BrowserSwitch. This little application from Coolware, Inc. finds your installed browsers, then sets the default -- the browser that will be launched when you click on an Internet hyperlink or open an HTML (or other associated) file. BrowserSwitch also makes it easy to set your favorite homepage, start a browser when Windows opens, and select default email and news handling software. A unique program, BrowserSwitch is available by download from Digital River for $19.95. BrowserSwitch THE LOOK-UP CENTER AT INSTALLATIONS PLUS+Scouring the web for basic information? Find what you need in one place for FREE! The Look-Up Center has telephone numbers by name, by address and reverse. Weather, stock quotes, dictionaries, quotations, package tracking, calories, currency conversion, maps, metric conversions, books, music, and more. The FREE Look-Up Center at Installations Plus+ 4.0 WHO'S ALIVE, WHO'S DEAD, WHO'S WHO?All of us are fascinated by famous people -- politicians, performers, authors and astronauts. Even those of us who aren't celeb fanatics like to track the noteworthy, if only to win office pools and finish crossword puzzles. Is James Cagney still alive? (No.) What killed Steve Allen? (Heart attack.) Next time you have a need to know, check the Dead People Server (2216 entries) and Who's Alive and Who's Dead (1819). These are not slick, commercial sites, but labors of love produced by computer buffs who do it for the fun and glory. Both are searchable, sort of, but scrolling through the alphabetical listings is faster (and more interesting). Don't visit these sites unless you plan to sit and stay a spell. For even more information about famous folk, try Biography.com, produced by A&E Television Networks, who also produce the Biography Channel, the History Channel, etc. Biography.com includes TV listings (surprise!), classroom aides, games, and 25,000 searchable bios, 2500 with videos. This site is the theme park of personalities -- slick, commercial webbery in the service of edu- tainment. Still need more information after visiting Biography.com? Go to xrefer, which styles itself "the web's reference engine". This search engine, which just partnered with Houghton Mifflin for additional content, currently boasts 300,000 entries covering people, quotations, facts, words, and concepts. xrefer's results come from over 40 major reference works covering art, history, science, health, literature, law and music. Add this one to your list of top sites. P.S. You'll find search fields for Biography.com and xrefer in the Dictionaries section of our Look-Up Center. Dead People Server Who's Alive and Who's Dead Biography.com xrefer Look-Up Center 5.0 TOSHIBA PENTIUM II/266 MHZ NOTEBOOK -- $895There's just time enough to get this Toshiba Tecra 550CDT notebook delivered for the holidays. It's a small (11.8 X 9.1 X 1.9 in), sleek, factory- refurbished laptop with Windows 98 Second Edition installed with an original license (installation media are included). The notebook has a Pentium II/266 mHz CPU, 512 kB pipelined Level 2 cache, and 64 Mb of RAM expandable to 144. There's a 4 Gb hard drive, a 20X CD-ROM and an external 1.44 MB floppy disk drive. The motherboard uses PCI architecture, includes a Yamaha OPL3 sound system driving built-in stereo speakers, and supports Two Type-II or one Type-III PCMCIA slots. A built-in S3 Virge video card with 4 Mb synchronous graphics RAM drives the 12.1 inch active matrix TFT display at resolutions up to 1024 x 768 (16 million colors). This Internet-ready notebook includes a v.90 56 kbs data/fax/voice modem with DSVD that has v.34 and v.80 support for video conferencing. USB, serial, printer, PS/2 and external monitor ports are provided. The price for the 7-lb Tecra 550CDT laptop is $895, plus shipping, and tax where applicable. PayPal, M/C, Visa. Limited time offer. U.S. orders only please. The warranty is 90 days on the notebook and on the Lithium-Ion battery, which is guaranteed to hold a charge for 30 minutes. Call 1-212-567-3705 mailto:specials@servenet.com 6.0 SHIFT KEY TRICKS FOR KEYBOARD COMMANDERSEveryone knows that holding down the SHIFT key makes CAPITAL letters. But did you know the SHIFT key is a powerful navigational aid in Windows? Bypass Startup Applications. The Startup Group (Start/Programs/Startup) contains programs that start when Windows opens. Yours might include your word processor and your Internet connection. To skip the startup applications, hold down the SHIFT key during the boot up process. Bypass CD Auto-Run. Today's music and data CDs play or start automatically when placed in the CD- drive. To bypass the auto-run feature, hold down the SHIFT key until the access light on the CD-ROM door turns off. (Your boss won't know that game's in the drive waiting for him to go to lunch.) Open Multiple Applications. Normally, to open one program right after another, you'd go to Start/Programs, select the program, then repeat the process. Next time, hold down the SHIFT while opening the first application. That holds the Start menu open for another quick selection. Web Forms and Databases. To move from one field to the next in a webpage form or in most Windows database applications, hit the TAB key. Need to move back a field? Hold down the SHIFT while tabbing. And if your form includes a list-box, you may be able to save time by holding down the SHIFT key while highlighting multiple choices. Shortcut Menu. The left-click selects; the right- click pops up the shortcut or context menu. When it's inconvenient to right-click (or the button's broken), you can open the shortcut menu by holding down the SHIFT key and pressing F10. 7.0 WANT TO TALK? WE'VE GOT A FORUM FOR YOU!As a public service, SERVENET.COM hosts and moderates four online forums. You are welcome to participate in any or all of them. • The PC FORUM for help with computer problems. • The REAL ESTATE FORUM for buyers, sellers. • The OYSTER BAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY FORUM. • The SHOP-TALK FORUM for things automotive. THE PC CLINIC AT INSTALLATIONS PLUS+PC PROBLEMS? Help is just a mouse-click away! PC News Digest subscribers get priority treatment at the FREE personal computer clinic at Installations Plus+. The FREE PC Clinic at Installations Plus+ 8.0 WHY TAKE CHANCES? FREE ANTIVIRUS PROTECTIONThere are two basic steps you should take to protect your PC from a virus. First, back up any files you create (letters, photos, webpages, etc.) on a regular basis. Second, use anti-virus software. (For a longer writeup of computer viruses, see our still-timely January 1997 PC Tips Column.) The two most popular anti-virus programs are VirusScan from McAfee and Norton AntiVirus from Symantec. The good thing is that new PCs often come with these programs installed, with a free one year subscription. The bad thing is that users often let their subscription lapse when it comes time to pay for the second year and beyond. That's bad because antivirus software, like medicine, becomes useless with age. Fortunately, Computer Associates (CA), a major software manufacturer, has stepped in to fill the need. CA's InoculateIT Personal Edition 5.2 works with Windows 95 and later, and is entirely FREE to individual users. InoculateIT, with full ICSA certification, detects, cleans, and protects against file, boot sector, and macro viruses. The software is FREE, and regular virus signature updates are FREE. All you have to do is download and install it. InoculateIT is CA's way of "giving back" to the community of PC users. A big hurrah for them. Now there's no excuse for operating an unprotected PC. TIP: Scan all disks, downloads, and email attachments for viruses before opening. These are the most common virus entry points. January 1997 PC Tips: Computer Viruses McAfee VirusScan Norton AntiVirus Computer Associates InoculateIT 9.0 BOOK: WINDOWS ME: THE MISSING MANUALThe instruction manual for Windows Millennium (ME) edition isn't really missing. It's on the distribution CD-ROM, but for the average Windows user, it leaves a lot to be desired. David Pogue's new book, Windows ME: The Missing Manual from O'Reilly & Associates (September 2000) covers all the bases, both the parts of Windows ME common to earlier systems and the new parts like MovieMaker and System Restore. Pogue covers every nook and cranny of Windows from the Desktop to menus, system tools, Control Panel applications, and troubleshooting Wizards. Especially helpful are the sections on using the Internet and setting up a home network to share Internet access. Written in straight forward, jargon-free language, the book includes shortcuts, tips and tricks that make computing fun. If you're getting someone a new PC for the holidays, be sure to stuff their stocking with the Missing Manual. You can get Windows ME: The Missing Manual at most bookstores, or you can buy it online here for $15.96 (20% off the cover price). Windows ME: The Missing Manual 10.0 HUMOR: WHAT YOUR COMPUTER REALLY MEANSWhat Your Computer Is Trying To Tell You It says: "Press Any Key" It says: "Fatal Error. Please contact technical support quoting error now. 1A4-2546512430E" It says: "Installing program to C:\...." It says: "Please insert disk 11" It says: "Not enough memory" It says: "Cannot read from drive D:...." It says: "Please Wait...." It says: "Directory does not exist...." It says: "The application caused an error. Choose Ignore or Close." More Computer Humor 11.0 JIGSAW PUZZLE: HOLIDAY LIGHTS IN MANHATTANThis week's puzzle captures the magic of Manhattan's holiday lights at night. It's based on a photo by our peripatetic editor, Lou Bruno. We used Tibo Software's Jigs@w Puzzle program to make the puzzle, which downloads in 47 seconds at 56.6 kb and plays in 12-15 minutes on Windows 95 or later PCs. Tip: To rotate a puzzle piece 90 degrees: select, then right-click it. P.S. Puzzles from earlier editions of the PC News Digest can be downloaded from our Puzzle Page. Snowflake Puzzle Jigs@w Puzzle Software PC News Digest Puzzle Archive  12.0 HELP KEEP US FREE: VISIT OUR SPONSORSAmerica Online -- Up to 700 hours FREE! Amazon.com -- A lot more than books and music! Dell Computer -- Let Dell build a PC for you. eBay -- Auctioning everything imaginable! McAfee -- PC system protection. MemTurbo -- For that just booted feeling! StoreRunner -- Shop your favorite stores. 13.0 SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE/SUGGEST/ETC.PAST ISSUES.09/19/2000 09/26/2000 10/03/2000 10/10/2000 10/17/2000 10/24/2000 10/31/2000 11/07/2000 11/14/2000 11/21/2000 11/28/2000 12/05/2000 12/12/2000 SUGGESTIONS. Your thoughts about our newsletter and our website are always welcome. Tell us. We're listening! RECOMMEND US. Tell a friend about our website and newsletter. LINK TO US. Written by Louis J. Bruno Edited by Judith Reinfeld ICQ:101670502 AIM:LouisBruno |
You won't be surprised to learn that Opera 5.01 earned our Best Choice Award for an easy to use, professional browser that provides features, not baggage. We particularly like the integrated search window which can be customized to default to Google, AltaVista, HotBot, Barnes & Noble, stock quotes, MP3s, etc. and return 10, 25, 50, 75 or 100 results. We also like the handy print- preview button, and the ability to scale a webpage down to 20% or up to 1000% in 21 steps.