Dave Bytes

Dave "Bytes"

Please remember to use your thinker, before you tinker!

A Periodic Newsletter for the Members of the Sarasota PC User Group

January 1, 2004

Click here to subscribe to Dave "Bytes
(if you haven't already)

Here's A Wish For My Loyal Readers

(this might take a few moments to load)

Click "Music Off" when you've had enough !!!

If you can not view this card you can download the free Flash Player by clicking HERE

WinZip Simplified

This is the best zip compression utility around, and if it is not on your hard drive, it should be.
The good: Zips files quickly; extremely easy to use; new Split command lets you chop big archives into smaller pieces.
The bad: Cannot handle some popular archive formats, such as ACE or RAR; no download assistant.

No matter how fast your Net connection is, bandwidth is a precious resource. That's why practically every file you download from the Internet comes in compressed format; smaller files make for faster, smoother transfers. And when you need a utility to compress or decompress files, nothing beats $29 WinZip.
Version 8.1 works faster than any other zip utility. This new version isn't revolutionary, but it does offer improved integration with Windows, runs and looks great in Windows XP, and lets you split large archives into smaller bits so that you can e-mail them more easily.
Unless you use a Mac (in which case, you may want to look into StuffIt Expander), there's no reason to use any other zipper.

Reviewed by Gregg Keizer - Cnet

To view an instructional video click the WinZip Movie Button and choose
"Save to Disk"
I suggest it be saved to your desktop.

Double-click the new desktop icon to play the WinZip tutorial

The file size is 2.6 mb
Nothing gets installed on your computer

If you don't have WinZip you can get the evaluation version HERE
The file size is 1.8 mb

George's
BITS

Dave's
Bytes

Clicking on the WLSS Logo will take you to the

"Bits & Bytes"

site where you can listen to the most recent broadcast and our Commercial too !!!

From the "Bytes" Mailbag

Dave,
I have an old laptop on which I cannot run Windows XP. I would like to use some peripherals that have USB connectors. I have seen cards that can be used with the laptop that would provided USB connections. However, everyone of them require I be running Windows 98 SE. I am using Windows 98. I've searched Microsoft for a download but could find nothing that is identified as SE. Is it no longer available or am I searching in the wrong place?
Thanks,
Murray

Well Murray, your options are limited. (See article below "Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE") Since support for '98 is soon to disappear you will have to find someone who will sell you their copy so that you can install it on your older laptop. I know of no retailer who is still selling either version of Windows 98.

Hi Dave,
Have 15 jpeg photos in a folder, they are all sized at 2160X1440 pixels.
I have Irfanview on my computer. Would like to resize the pics to 800X600 pixels.
I know how to do this one picture at a time. What I would like to do is the resize them all at once.
Can I do this with Irfanview and if yes, how?
Thanks and regards,
Art

An acquaintance of mine has setup an excellent webpage with all the step-by-step instructions.
You can read it by clicking HERE

Click the Irfanview Logo to download this SUPER program

File size is 817 kb

Got a question?

Why not "Byte" me?

While Wandering the Web

Movie Madness

The Internet is the perfect place to showcase movie clips, and the movie industry has been quick to cater to the desires of the Web browsing public.

Movie promotion now almost always includes a Web site with short video clips from the film, along with still photos and perhaps a few cuts from the soundtrack.

To link yourself up with a film's Web site, try starting your search at one of the mega-movie directories like MovieClicks.com

SPCUG PC Donation Program Update

by Roger Leer

Last week we visited the Women's Resource Center and delivered a few PCs.
Above is a picture of some of the SIG members outside the center.

David Winkleman and Bill Schlapfer participated in the delivery and Iris Forrest took our picture. I'm the silly old guy with the hat. I was cold! Lou Newman refurbished this PC. I only re-imaged it with our new software.

The delivery went extremely well. Julian is an avid computer buff, but the PC we delivered today is the first PC that he can call his own. Customarily his mother, Lisa, takes him to the Selby library so he can do his homework on weekends. Now he can do more of his homework at home. The computer we donated contains a telephone modem with software for a 9-hour Free NetZero account. A working NIC card was also included along with all of the software developed by the PC Refurbishing SIG. I asked Lisa to have Julian and maybe a friend or 2 visit one of our SIG meetings when we return to our customary schedule in February. I requested that maybe he would be willing to tell us how he and his friends use computers. I told Lisa to tell Julian that when he was ready, we would provide him with a scanner. I think I'll also throw in a Joy Stick that he might find use for.

This Christmas gifting was a bit out of the ordinary for donation program, but it leads to the heart of what I want to include. Many of you already know that I plan to fully include all levels of our community. I want to include the kids as well as the seniors in assisted living facilities as well as the disabled with the SunCoast Center for Independent Living.

The "Bytes" Beg, Bargain & Barter Basement

Got something "computer related" to sell? Looking for that rare peripheral? If it's computer related you can submit a short classified ad for exposure in Dave "Bytes". Be sure to include your name and e-mail address in the ad. You can also include a picture of the item. Now some would suggest that there be a charge for this feature but alas, since my bookkeeping skills leave much to be desired I've determined that this will be a free service to all SPCUG members in good standing. "Bytes" is currently sent to almost 1000 homes in the area. Ad requests will be included as soon as possible. I assume absolutely no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of supplied info. All transactions are between consulting adults which leaves me entirely off the hook. Please let me know by clicking HERE when your merchandise is sold so that I can remove it from the listing. I will try to run each ad for a month.

Compaq Presario 4860
333 MHz Intel Pentium II
128 MB Ram
8 GB hard drive
DVD-ROM drive
56K modem
17" Monitor

$200 or Best Offer

Contact: Bill Merkent
Email: wmerkent@comcast.net
Phone: 351-1294

Click here to send your ad

Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE

Key Dates:

No-charge incident support ends June 30, 2003
Extended hotfix support ends June 30, 2003
Paid incident support ends January 16, 2004

Details:

Microsoft will offer paid-incident support for Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) through January 16, 2004. Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE downloads for existing security issues will continue to be available through regular assisted-support channels at no charge during this time. Customers can request Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE fixes for new security issues, and these requests will be reviewed. Fixes for any new security issues can be specifically requested through regular assisted-support channels. Web-based self-help support will be available for at least one year after assisted support ends. Mainstream support for Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE ended on June 30, 2002. No-charge incident support and extended hotfix support end on June 30, 2003

Tips to Prevent Spyware Infections

1. Use a software firewall like ZoneAlarm, which will give you a detailed list of every program that is trying to access the internet. That way you have control over what information is being distributed across the web.

2. While web-browsing, if an unusual box or message pops up, be very careful not to click the wrong button. Take the time to make sure that you are not accidentally giving it permission to install something you don't want.

3. When installing MP3-sharing software or other programs downloaded from the internet, be sure to read the end-user license agreement (EULA) that describes in detail the items to be installed on your computer, as well as the rules and restrictions associated with them.

4. Install anti-spyware software, and run it often. This is the only way to be sure that your computer is free and clear of spyware.

Here's The Latest Virus Information

Be sure to attend the January 7th General Meeting to hear one of the world's most knowledgeable individuals in the Anti-Virus world today

Dave Perry of Trend Micro

Pause For Thought

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.
- Benjamin Franklin

Please Sign the "Bytes" Guest Book

Here's An Internet Tip

Sometimes Web sites don't function correctly -- a glitch comes down the phone wire along with the computer code, or some other flaky things happen -- and the Web site freezes halfway to your screen. When that sort of thing happens, click Go again or click the Reload button at the top of the screen to see whether that fixes the problem

Don't Be an Invisible Member

Get Involved

To inquire about volunteer opportunities

Click Here

Remember.. "The more you put in....

the more you'll take out"

Here's A Downloading Tip

Downloading Pictures

To download a picture over the Web, first display the picture in your Web browser. When you see a picture you want to save on your hard disk, right-click the picture.
From the menu that appears, choose Save Image As or Save Picture As. Tell your browser where to save the picture.
That's all it takes!

Graphics files have special filename extensions that identify what graphics format the file is in.
When you download a picture, you can change the name of the file (the part that comes before the period), but don't change the extension (the part that comes after the period).

Remember

Don't Let Your

Membership Lapse

contact: membership@spcug.org

Cost cuts put more DVD burners in homes - By Kim Komando

Few things are more convenient than the drives (or burners) that make CDs or DVDs. Once expensive, they're now standard on the cheapest computers. Adding a drive to an existing system isn't difficult, but the options and variety can be confusing.

CD-RW drives, which make recordable (write-once) and rewritable CDs, go for as little as $50. They have been supplanted by DVD burners. These add-ons can make DVDs as well as CDs, which store six times more than CDs -- 4.7 gigabytes of data versus 700 megabytes for a CD. That difference can be crucial if you are backing up your computer or making a home movie.

Internal or external

A DVD burner that mounts inside a computer runs less than $200. Expect to pay about $100 more for an external drive. The upside is that external burners are easier to install. Actually, "install" is the wrong word. Basically, you run the Universal Serial Bus (USB) or Firewire cable from the burner to the computer, and plug in the burner.
Install the burner's software, and you're ready to go.

If you want an external drive, keep your hookups in mind. Burners use either Firewire -- also known as IEEE 1394 -- or USB. USB comes in two varieties, 2.0 and 1.1. Only the USB 2.0 variety is fast enough to burn DVDs.

If you have USB 1.1 ports on your computer, buy a $20 upgrade card that you can install in one of the computer's expansion slots.

Firewire transfers data at 400 megabits per second; USB 2.0 at 480 megabits, but these are theoretical limits. Despite USB 2.0's higher theoretical speed, Firewire is the fastest way to go. It is almost always significantly faster than USB 2.0. Macintosh computers have Firewire ports, and more and more new Windows computers do, too. If yours doesn't, you can install one in an expansion slot for about $30.

Simple installation

If you can use a screwdriver, you can install an internal DVD drive. If you are replacing a CD or DVD-ROM drive, note the connections before removing it. The DVD burner should use the same connections. Set it up so it's the only optical drive. That is done with jumpers on the back of the drive. It can also be set up as master or slave, if you want to continue using your current CD or DVD. Instructions with the DVD burner will explain jumpers.

A word about speeds: DVD burners come with speeds such as 4X/2X/4X. CD burners come with much higher numbers -- for instance, 48X/24X/48X. In both cases, the numbers are multiples of a base. They refer, respectively, to the speeds with which write-once (recordable discs) are burned, rewritable discs are burned, and discs are read.

CD and DVD speeds are not comparable. The DVD speed is about nine times faster than the CD speed. A DVD rated at 4X is approximately equivalent to a CD rated at 36X.

DVDs have been handicapped for years by multiple standards. Many burners today can burn both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW formats. If you will be playing the DVD back on something other than your burner and computer, check to see which standard the DVD player uses.

Looking for a SIG or Forum?

The best place to go is the SPCUG Event Calendar.
Once there you can view everything planned for SPCUG members.
Want to register for a SIG? There is no better place to do that then at http://www.calsplus.com/spcug
This calendar is updated on a daily basis making it the most accurate way to see what's happening in the world of SPCUG.

Click here for the Dave "Bytes" Archives

P.S. Don't forget to say "Hi" at the meeting!!

Sarasota Personal Computer User Group, Inc

Phone: 877-SPCUG-HI

To Send A Message To Dave Click Below

Sign the "Bytes" Book

FastCounter by bCentral