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changed username to George rich-c: hello George George: Hi Rich rich-c: gather you have a fine cse of freezing rain down there George: my computer locked up on me George: too warm just rain rich-c: froze up, like nothing worked? George: yes rich-c: how did you get out of it? 3-finger salute? George: had to do control+alt+delete rich-c: that's the salute - which program was not responding? George: aol rich-c: OK, I will refrain from commenting on that rich-c: are you using the new computer now? George: i have 256 mb. ram after aol starts i have 10mb. rich-c: which operating system are you using? George: windows 98 se rich-c: ok, same as me. rich-c: are you letting it run its own swap file and memory management? George: whatever default it has rich-c: do you use the system monitor at all? George: no rich-c: maybe you should consider running it long enough to see what's going on George: don't have clue how to use it rich-c: you will find it in accessories - system tools rich-c: you click on it to start it and click on it to use it rich-c: so idiot-resistant even I have no problem with it George: system 46% user 46% GDI 72% rich-c: sorry - I should have told you resource meter - that handles memory rich-c: even so that is what you did get, I see rich-c: anyway right-click on it and it tells you what's free George: i gave you the values rich-c: I was beginning to wonder if you had frozen up again rich-c: anyway, your resources don't seem over-used George: aol is just being a hog rich-c: I don't know anything about how aol sets up its browser and spy programs so can't suggest much George: i'm using goodmem George: it freed up memory rich-c: have you combed through all the options to see how much you can shut down? rich-c: oh, you have an MSI board in teh computer, then? George: the video card geforce 2 is MSI video rich-c: who makes your motherboard, then? George: asus P4S533 rich-c: so the Goodmem came with the video card, not the motherboard George: the video card rich-c: yes, I have an MSI motherboard and Goodmem and the companion PC Alert/ Fuzzy Logic came with it George: oc workbench rated very good George: i'm using asus pc probe rich-c: not surprised - Asus has not put out many undesirable motherboards for quite a while, I gather rich-c: anyway, do you have any programs like Process Viewer or ATM to tell you what you have running? George: i'm thinking of upgrading to windows ME George: no rich-c: from everything I have heard, a lot of people do not refer to ME as an upgrade rich-c: the internet is full of free programs like the ones I just mentioned that will let you keep tabs on what's happening under the hood George: i know but some of my programs are calling for it rich-c: if you're going to jump, go all teh way to XP - at least you'll get some improved parts George: i already have ME rich-c: I don't know what you're using or what you're using them for, but most programs I see will run in anything from 95 up rich-c: those that call for 98SE as minimum usually are ones that need support for USB 2.0 ports George: the ASUS update utilities are calling for windowsME rich-c: that seems very strange to me rich-c: I still see a lot of programs that will support 95 through ME or even 2000 rich-c: and also see some now that require XP rich-c: but I can't recall any that suggest they require ME up George: the ASUS manual says the mainboard was designed for windowsMe and above rich-c: mind you it could just be that Asus' programmers were too lazy to test anything below ME rich-c: well one hopes they know their product but it is highly unusual rich-c: of course your motherboard is a year younger than mine and design parameters change practically hourly George: i think it's bcause microsoft stopped supporting anything below windowsME rich-c: havent stopped yet; they will support 98SE till next June 30th rich-c: but yes, that suggestion sounds very credible George: according to their own staff they stopped supporting win98 and se when they found out they didn't get all of the y2k bugs out rich-c: I have never seen any such information on the Microsoft website George: call REDMOND rich-c: nor have I ever heard of anyone ever finding a Y2K bug in 98 rich-c: Redmond will not talk to you unless you send them a big bribe rich-c: they say get your support from the shop that sold you teh program George: they talk to me all the time George: i even met Bill Gates rich-c: where woukd you ever meet Bill Gates? George: it felt funny asking him questions George: at microsoft extreme event rich-c: depends on where and why you might have met him rich-c: at Microsoft events he is there to be asked questions George: they have me as a VIP rich-c: and you do not plan to disillusion them, right? rich-c: actually they are very nice to people who come to their special events rich-c: they had one here a while ago and Michael went George: i've got some very nice things over the past few years from microsoft rich-c: oh yes, if you're on teh good side that can happen rich-c: I went to a Corel event which is why I have Corel Linux George: i got my train simulator free George: and office rich-c: train sim is a poorly selling game - but MS is not going to give out Office free George: tee shirts George: wined and dined for free rich-c: yes, that sort of thing is standard PR fare George: all because i wanted to learn as much as i can rich-c: I gather teh key is to ask some flunky questions about something he is interesteed in and wants to talk about rich-c: I'll be cynical and say if you're going to use MS products you'd better learn all you can George: it helps rich-c: which is why last Sunday at the Computer Fair I bought a book on Windows 98 rich-c: but yes, that is why I read our three freebie computer papers every month and go to the computer fairs rich-c: and as you know I subscibe to a newsletter and have a lot of information websites bookmarked George: have you read about all of the security flaws in IE they were in ZDNET CNET and PC WORLD rich-c: yes, Internet Tourbus and Langalist pick them up quite well, as does teh Bigfix program rich-c: in fact Bigfix has taken me to the MS website for patches that weren't dated for release till the next day George: the next big project is longhorn rich-c: I've seen references to it but don't recall the details rich-c: that I think I got out of the daily newspapers; their business sections have good computer industry coverage George: it's a desktop only system blackhorn is for servers rich-c: what's it supposed to do (besides make MS even bigger piles of money)? George: it may not be ready till 2005 rich-c: wait a minute - that's Gates' way of taking a swipe at Sun Microsystems, isnt it? rich-c: sort of an underground (and underhanded) attasck on Java? George: my lawer friend ran into problems when she tried to put XP home on her office servers the net crashed rich-c: sounds like she tried to use the wrong version, should have got XP Professional George: i wonder how XP home can work on home networks rich-c: or maybe she just tried using the same copy on two different computers rich-c: I suspect that as long as you buy a copy for each of teh networked computers there is no problem at all George: i was thinking of putting in a home network so i can use my DSL in the bedroom rich-c: just stay with 98SE and you should be fine rich-c: my ISP is trying to talk me into taking DSL but it's too expensive George: what about linking different operating systems rich-c: not sure how far you can stretch tolerance of OS differences on a network - there is some George: i only went out today to pickup some medicine now i'm tired rich-c: in fact, I believe Ron has some sort of networking with his Apple and Linux machines George: i'm on doctor samples rich-c: right - you have to understand that Canadians just shake their heads at that George: what? rich-c: for most folks, it's a matter of there's insurance at work rich-c: but for seniors and the disbled, all costs (less a token) are covered by the government rich-c: I pay $100 per year plus a dispensing fee of $6.12 per prescription - period - no matter how much I use rich-c: same of course for Frances, but Pamela has to get her inhalers covered by insurance from work George: as of Jan. 1 2003 my G.I. doctor will not take my insurance George: the meds. i do get on my plan are 100% covered no copays no insurance fees rich-c: my doctor is paid directly by the government; this is the case for all Canadian citizens in Canada rich-c: we just get the treatment and he sends teh government the bill George: my primary doctor will have to pick a new G.I. specialist rich-c: again, a situation Canadians would never see George: and i have to get another endoscopy Dec. 27 rich-c: great - just what you always needed, right? George: i dread it rich-c: it occurs to me that there are rather more comfortable ways to spend your time George: just impale me on a stake rich-c: well, it isn't REALLY quite that bad, but I do get your point rich-c: even if what you really get is a rounded end George: good rich-c: anyway, had a bit of an adventure Tuesday night George: oh rich-c: you have heard me mention that I very much like a freebie program called Easy Office George: yes rich-c: anyway, I was on their website last week and discovered they have developed it a LOT further rich-c: if you have the freebie edition you cant have the upgrade patches - you have to download the new current version and erase the old George: what do they have now? rich-c: oh, a really neat new image viewer/editor, upgrade to the zip program, better help, all sorts of stuff George: what happens if tou just use the old version alone rich-c: anyway, the latest edition is a 58 MB download which with a dial-up modem is a bit of a challenge rich-c: if you keep the old version you dont get the benefit of the neat new stuff George: you mean a glutton for punishment rich-c: no, I could just set it up at midnight and let it run itself all night George: and next week rich-c: however, Bruce at Videoling where we have our Amiga meetings has a cable network rich-c: and at night when we meet most of the computers are idle rich-c: so I took over a blank CD and asked permission to download teh program over his cable connection rich-c: he said OK so I did, then burned the CD - took about an hour George: tell me it won't burn to CD rich-c: would have been less except he was using a computer online and that cut the cable speed rich-c: oh it burned to CD just fine rich-c: in fact that was a bit of an adventure too because his CD burning software is Nero which I had never used George: which i need to download some MS trial games and burn them to CD rich-c: but it's sufficiently straightforward that I just booted it up and followed the directions and bingo - success first try rich-c: I do my downloads to a file on my hard disc, then every once in a while back them up en masse to a CR George: i have HP software powered by roxio rich-c: yes, that is what is on my computer too - Adaptec (Roxio) Easy CD Creator rich-c: I found it a big awkward pain in teh ass, very crash prone rich-c: to the extent that I uninstalled it and reinstalled it George: it works well except for mp3 to CD audio rich-c: at which point I found that there had been a module left out that I should have been using rich-c: since I started using that module everything has gone just fine George: yes rich-c: of course I only do data CDs, I do not download music George: i convert mp3 to audio CD's George: and data CD's rich-c: would it go any better if you downloaded to hard disc first, converted them on the hard disc, then burned the CD? George: that's the way i do it rich-c: and, I assume, that gets around your problems, then George: i have special directories for mp3's on my HD rich-c: if you want to add a command "print directory" to Windows Explorer it can be done George: i just click on the folders rich-c: yes, but it wont print the file names within the folders George: i remember them well rich-c: anyway, I found in Easy CD data unit there was no way to label the CD or establish a file name rich-c: and after a burn, it always wanted to save the directory under the same file name, rewriting the existing file rich-c: given time, one can generate a lot of coasters that way George: i'm not sure i understand rich-c: each CD must have its own unique directory - Easy CD did not provide for that to happen rich-c: in Direct CD (the othr module) you get to label the disc and the directory isnt saved into CD Creator rich-c: if you still dont understand, dont worry - it is really wonky and very confusing George: i've always had to select the file it kept its name and didn't rewrite anything and it always worked rich-c: right, and I'll bet your copy didnt crash (illegal operation) on exit either George: no rich-c: anyway, after removal and reinstallation it is now much better behaved rich-c: oh yes, I kept forgetting to disable Norton Anti-Virus when using it, which may have added to the troubles George: well you must have done what you needed to rich-c: apparently the anti-virus battle is the reason most folks are switching to Nero now for their CD burning rich-c: anyway, if you would like to look at the office program, it's Easy Office at www.e-press.com rich-c: with a DSL connection and big empty hard disc, you might want to give it a look rich-c: after all, if you dont like it, you can uninstallit George: i disable as many programs as i can when i'm burning cd's. just the cpu bandwith it takes to burn a cd tells how much memory you'll need rich-c: I tend to shut down programs only when I am doing a program installation, though your method might help rich-c: in any case toher than the idiosyncrasies I've mentioned, I've had no problems with bandwidth on CD burning rich-c: of course, you never miss the water till the well runs dry ;-) George: after i burn the cd i restart the computer and read the cd rich-c: given all the tsr programs we all have nowadays, a restart is usually the easy way out George: they all want 500mhz or higher rich-c: well, I have triple that so I have bandwidth to spare George: that wasn't the case a few years ago rich-c: it wasnt' my computer now represents a jump up from a 166MMX George: see rich-c: the 166MMX would burn CDs too, but back then the burn speed was about 2X George: i wouldn't even have bothered rich-c: I didnt have a burned then so the question is moot rich-c: but then, a burned and USB ports were main drivers towards getting the new computer rich-c: that's burner, of course George: add 3d graphics and that's an extra reason for me rich-c: I dont care much about graphics - a 32MB board is quite adequate for me George: my p180mmx only had 2mb 2d graphics rich-c: so you have made quite a step up, but then you play a fair number of games George: yes very intensive graphics rich-c: anyway, I see time is getting on; I know you're tired, and I have stuff to do rich-c: shall we hang it up till Wednesday? George: ok, see you Wed. rich-c: good-oh. See you then. Bye now. George: bye for now
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moved to room Meeting Place
changed username to rich-c