What You Need to Know about All Things PC
Volume 5 Number 21Click here to return to the back issues page.Click here to return to the main newsletter page.
The Naked PC - http://www.TheNakedPC.com What You Need to Know about All Things PC Publisher: Lee Hudspeth and T.J. Lee Editor in Chief: Dan Butler Contributing Editor: Al Gordon This issue is for Thursday, October 17, 2002 - Vol. 5 No. 21 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents ** 01. Letter from the Publisher ** 02. Notes from the Field - October 2002 (by T.J. Lee) ** 03. Thinking Inside the Box, Part IV: Bells and Whistles (by Al Gordon) ** 04. Lee's Mail Queue (by Lee Hudspeth) ** 05. Featured Product - Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 (reviewed by Al Gordon) ** 06. Featured Web Site - The Great Idea Finder (reviewed by Lee Hudspeth) ** 07. Featured Drawing ** 08. Newsworthy - a potpourri of current events and interesting stuff ** 01. Letter from the Publisher In this issue Jim covers his recent field experiences with operating systems, nifty laptop accessories, a Word tip, and s_p_a_m. Al delves deeper into the PC box and its sundry peripherals: sound cards, DVD and CD players/burners, plus FireWire and SCSI combo cards. Lee answers a backlog of reader email and passes along reader tips, too. "Yes indeed, you're a winner" to TNPC subscriber Bob L. who won our previous issue's drawing, a $25 TheNakedPCStore.com credit. It's fun and easy to enter, see this issue's Featured Drawing article. The holiday season is soon upon us and you can help yourself while helping to keep TNPC a free newsletter. You want to get your friends, buddies, employees, bosses, spouses, etc., something cool, something useful, and something they don't already have. Well you can find all those things at the TNPC Store. A Micro-Light is super useful and very cool...you literally never have to be in the dark. A Swiss Tech Micro-tool is the ultra-hip gift for the gadget lover on your list. And the Space Pens are not only very sharp looking but very useful as well. Please visit the TNPC Store and make fast work of your gift list while helping keep TNPC free. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?store Corrections: In our previous issue Lee reviewed Sue Mosher's Outlook and Exchange Web site (Slipstick). Slipstick offers not dozens (as reported in the article) but hundreds of Outlook and Exchange add-ins, about 500 in fact. (Well, okay, that's 41.7 dozen!) http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?publet1 Reader support is what keeps The Naked PC free. You can help us by passing a copy on to co-workers and friends (no spam please). We make it easy for you to refer people to The Naked PC... check out our Refer page: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/refer/ +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ A Pen You'll Keep and Use for a Lifetime Space pens are engineered by craftsmen to be a pleasure to hold and write with, first time every time. Sleek and compact the Bullet models fit easily in your pocket or purse, always there when you need it, and opens up to a full-sized pen. The Astronaut model has been used on all manned space flights since 1967. Space pens are all steel and brass, guaranteed for a lifetime. Durable finishes and colors to satisfy every liking... futuristic, elegant, traditional, classic, contemporary. These pens feel so "right" that if you loan yours out, you might never get it back! http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?spacepen +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ ** 02. Notes from the Field - October 2002 (by T.J. Lee) As many regular TNPC readers know I had to give up my erstwhile ways nearly a year ago and get a real job in the computer industry here in California's San Joaquin Valley. I'm the project manager for a consulting company that designs, services, installs, and overhauls LANs and WANs, and provides data communications services such as T1 lines, firewalls, routers and switch implementations. While I don't know how representative this geographical area is considering the worldwide readership TNPC enjoys I thought that from time to time I'd share with you what I see happening in the computer world from behind my desk. The massive server replacement rush of the summer seems to have quieted down a bit for which I'm very thankful. Currently we're staying busy planning Windows 2000 server upgrades to the new Service Pack 3. We've upgraded to SP3 on our own servers and our engineers report that it's ready for prime time. The new Service Pack 1 for Windows XP also appears stable and ready for general deployment (do remember to disable virus software before applying this service pack). Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP are the clear favorites of our engineers for desktop machines running on networks. These desktop operating systems are more stable and much easier to remotely manage then Windows 98 and of course anything is better than Windows ME. Microsoft Word 2002 has always driven me crazy with its convoluted jump-though-the-hoop way of getting to your templates when you perform a simple File, New. Even more vexing is that once you actually get to the good ole File New dialog box is that it defaults to Large Icon view and according to the last Word on Word, none other than Mike Craven himself, there is no registry setting to make the Detail view sticky. You can change it in the dialog box but when you next call it up you're back to Large Icons. Having exhausted the high tech solutions I was about to throw in the towel when one of the engineers at the office found this snippet of code on a newsgroup. Sub DetailViewFileNew() SendKeys "{TAB 5}{RIGHT 2}" Dialogs(wdDialogFileNew).Show End Sub I love low-tech solutions to high tech problems but never thought of using lowly "sendkeys" to solve the problem! Create a macro in Normal.dot and drop this code in it and add it to your toolbar for a Detail view File New dialog box one stop button. Very nice and thanks to Jay F, a Word MVP for this workable solution. From nice code to nifty laptop accessories... while most laptops have either an eraser point or touchpad pointing device you really can't beat a mouse for ease of use. One of the smallest computer mice I've ever run across is the Atek Super Mini Optical Mouse. I'm talking small here, only 1" wide by 2-1/2" long. It weighs just over one ounce and attaches to your laptop via a 3 foot cord that plugs into a USB slot. This mouse is tiny and sports two buttons but no wheel (there literally would not be any place to put it). http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?jim1 For those who want to go totally wireless the larger Targus Wireless Optical Mini Mouse boasts a 3 foot wireless range. Just pop the USB Receiver Key (about the size of your little finger) into a USB slot and you are in business. The mouse is roughly half the size of the Microsoft wheelie mouse I use here at home on my desktop and while huge compared to the Atek mouse, it does have a wheel. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?jim2 S_P_A_M is a hot topic (so hot in fact that you can't even mention it without triggering filters left and right). Dan has recently done a series of articles on unwanted junk_email and feels the pain of anyone who is seriously afflicted with unwanted emails. I receive on any given day between 200 and 300 email messages from bulk mail advertisers that is totally unwanted. This high volume is due to the fact that a number of different email addresses on several Web site ultimately wind up in my personal inbox. A lot of The Naked PC addresses, lots of the old PRIME Consulting site addresses, and others that have been on the Web for years (real years not Web-years) all get routed to me. So I find myself on every mailing list there is. I probably get two dozen Nigerian letters a week, thousands of get_rich_quick deals, and an avalanche of stuff you can't mention in polite society. The built-in rules in Outlook are no match for the bulk_mail gurus who design their junk to avoid the more obvious traps. I tried the SPAMBush filter provided by the ISP through which I ultimately route my incoming email with disastrous effect. Like all trapping services, quarantined email is stored for a period of time (usually 2 weeks) and the sheer volume of bogus messages maxed out the storage allowed for my inbox. So my inbox was refusing more messages but was jammed and not letting me download any messages. My email came to a sudden and grinding halt. Very inconvenient to be sure. This led to some discussions at the consulting practice where I work and in talking to the system engineers I learned that many of our business clients were desperately searching for a solution to S_P_A_M as well. For a business the problems with bulk_email is even more acute. First and foremost is the time fritter- factor. If each employee spends 10 minutes a day dealing with email "noise" it can easily translate to many production hours lost each week. This can represent a substantial dollar cost to the company. And I learned some employees actually read the junk messages and pass around the silliest, most ludicrous, most risque, etc., to the point where it is a huge drag on productivity. Then here is the liability problems of those "risque" emails that often are in HTML format complete with pictures that can create a "hostile work environment" faster than you can click a mouse. This can lead to some very serious consequences for the business owners. In the next issue I'll share with you the solution we're now offering to our clients to address what is becoming a very serious issue for most companies. I'll also discuss email policies and give you some compelling reasons that every firm should have one. You can reach T.J. Lee at: mailto:tj_lee@TheNakedPC.com +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ "Computer Tips Compendium" We've collected over 460 computer tips and have packaged them as an electronic book in PDF format. That means that the text of each and every tip is fully text searchable... you'll find the tip you need, when you need it. We've pulled together the BEST TIPS, tricks, and techniques that you're likely to ever find all onto a single CD. You also get free access to the restricted Tips Section of The Naked PC Web site! Tips on where to find the information you need on the Internet, shortcuts to settings, fixes and workarounds to problems, general computer tips, tips for specific software, over 460 tips to help people like you use your computer even more productively. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?comptips +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ ** 03. Thinking Inside the Box, Part IV: Bells and Whistles (by Al Gordon) No PC is complete without a few "extras" so to complete the "model" unit, I installed a sampling of additional peripherals. -- Turtle Beach's Santa Cruz sound card ($71): http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?al1 -- Plextor's "PlexCombo" DVD player and CD Burner ($170): http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?al2 -- Orange Micro's OrangeLink FireWire and Ultra2 Wide SCSI combo card ($90): http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?al3 "Extras" is pretty much a relative term in this context, of course. A sound card is standard equipment on PCs these days. The Santa Cruz is classified here as an add-on only because the Intel D850EMV2 motherboard in my system has onboard audio. I prefer Turtle Beach's cards to Creative Lab's Sound Blasters on sound quality -- Turtle Beach seems more "musical" to my ears; Blasters strike me as optimized for games. Software is another strong point. The Santa Cruz's control panel software integrates neatly with Windows's sound controls, and the included Voyetra music software bundle provides sound editing capabilities that will be more than adequate for most users. Furthermore, the setup routine allows you to choose exactly what you want installed, so you don't install unneeded software or find that your existing media players and editors have been replaced as system defaults. I also liked the software-controlled mode setup that lets users set the board for the output mode of their choice: 2- or 4- speaker stereo, 5.1 Surround, and Digital 4.1. Plextor long have made the most reliable CD burners, and their Plextor PlexWriter 40x12x40 Internal EIDE CD-RW Drive ($118) is pretty much the industry standard. Combined with a separate DVD- ROM, it would be a good standard configuration on a new PC. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?al4 The PlexCombo is a departure for Plextor, adding read-only DVD capabilities to the burner but trading off max burning speed -- 20X vs. 40X on the PlexWriter. Company spokespeople say they expect the Combo to fill many upgrade gaps: users with PCs that shipped with no burner (or a slow one) or no DVD can upgrade those capabilities with a single unit. PlexCombo also is a good solution for users with PCs that only have a single 5 1/4" drive bay available, or who simply do not want to have more than one DVD or CD drive on their systems. The combo concept is popular on notebooks (where bays always are in short supply) and Plextor now extends it to the desktop. Inasmuch as the Intel chipsets that support both its own motherboards and those made by other manufacturers are wedded to USB 2.0, users who want FireWire or SCSI support will need add-on boards. Adaptec makes boards for both technologies, which were previously recommended here: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?al5 However, I wanted a look at a unit that might combine both, and I found it in Orange Micro's OrangeLink Combo card. Actually, I found a little more than I expected. The card supports 80 MB/sec SCSI speeds, short of the 160 MB/sec and 320 MB/sec specs of the current generation of SCSI hard drives, but fast enough to support most SCSI external peripherals. Also, both the SCSI and FireWire circuits have internal connectors to support internal as well as peripherals, a feature I would have expected only in a dedicated card. The card passed the key test for all things that involve SCSI: setup was easy and no glitches interfered with its use. Notwithstanding the capabilities of USB 2.0, FireWire's popularity in the audio/video world makes it worth adding to any system. If you also have legacy SCSI equipment (in my case, tape backup drives) to deal with, Orange Micro allows you to Have It All. And just use up one PCI slot. (c) 2002, Al Gordon You can reach Al Gordon at: mailto:al@TheNakedPC.com +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ >> "How Many Ways Will You Use These Amazing Devices?" They're incredibly handy. When we first saw these amazing little devices we thought, "these will look cool hanging on my key ring." Then we started using them. WOW - every day we find more uses (and they make great gifts for the holidays). How many will you find? http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?swisstech +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ ** 04. Lee's Mail Queue (by Lee Hudspeth) John C. writes in with a thumbs-up for an online automobile resource that worked out really well for him, "I already knew what I wanted... I just needed to find it at a great price. At carsdirect.com I found a great price with no hidden charges. I 'bought' it over Labor Day weekend. On Tuesday they called and told me where it was and the final cost. I had done my loan over the Internet with my credit union too. On Wednesday I went into the credit union and picked up my check. On Wednesday evening I went to the dealer and drove away in the new car! No hassle, no hidden charges, no trying to sell me... I'll never buy from a conventional dealer again." http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?lee1 In response to my article espousing the use of a project journal whenever working on a consulting gig, Gregory B. inquires what type of software package I recommend. I like Microsoft Word for journaling and note-taking. However, pen and paper is better than no journal, say, if you're rushed or are in a situation where it's easier to carry a paper pad around than a laptop. You can always convert to electronic form later. The moral of the story being: to keep a journal as opposed to not. G.J.P. writes in with this tip, "[in #5.12 in your article about] project journals, etc. I agree with you about distributing files in zip format. I wanted to mention one more advantage: the files contained within the zip archive all retain their original date/time (i.e., the time and date stamp on the originator's computer) and this can help resolve questions about which is the latest version of a file. Example: if I get a DOC or RTF file by its lonesome as an attachment, my e-mail program date-stamps it at the time I downloaded it. Another colleague may have the very same file, but if she picked it up later, the time stamp will be different from my copy. If we both received the file inside of a zip, the internal date stamps are identical, no matter what time we checked mail!" Pat C. offers a PDF tip (note: I haven't personally tested this site), "Regarding PDF creation. [Check out a] Web site called ps2pdf.com. You install a postscript printer on your system and have it output to a file. Then go to this site and run a conversion. You are left with a PDF file that you can download back to your computer. The service is free, but you do get popup ads appearing." http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?lee2 Thanks for writing in, folks! Due to time constraints and the volume of mail received, although I can't guarantee that I'll personally answer each message I do appreciate all of your comments and support. You can reach Lee Hudspeth at: mailto:LeeHudspeth@TheNakedPC.com ** 05. Featured Product - Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 (reviewed by Al Gordon) As noted in my earlier upgrade space before, my idea of a worthwhile upgrade embraces two specific approaches: major feature enhancements that make your life easier, or updates that take the weak spots of a previous release and make them go away, thereby making your life easier. Adobe has done an excellent job of delivering the later in Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 (priced as low as $40). http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?fprod I liked Elements 1.0 for the smart way Adobe looked at the full version of Photoshop, a mainstay of graphics professionals, focused on the 10-20% of the features "ordinary" users would actually employ and made them available via a friendly interface. But there were some bugs -- for example, I use a left-handed mouse, and a number of tutorial features didn't work when the mouse was set that way. Also, a little too much of the Industrial Strength interface was still there. With 2.0, problems solved. The interface has been made even more user friendly. A new "Quick Fix" feature groups all the major picture adjustments a user normally would make -- brightness, color correction, focus, and rotation into one handy dialog box with a "before" and "after" display. The long-standing Photoshop color variations dialog -- it shows you what the picture will look like if you adjust hues and shadings -- has been updated to the same format. And both are now buttons on the main toolbar. Paint "brush" choices in the interface are now more clear with respect to the effects they will produce. Choosing a tool now more reliably links to a "hints" box explaining what the tool does. New in 2.0 is a Selection Brush tool, which permits you to select parts of a picture for modification by freehand with a mouse or tablet. The thumbnail File Browser is much improved, with a Windows Explorer type design. 1.0's slightly confusing "Recipe" box has been replaced by a more logical "Tutorial" item on the Help menu. The only major disappointment for me was that Photoshop 7.0's new "Healing Brush" -- a retouching tool that can fix things from scratches in a photo, to wrinkles and bad complexion in a photo subject -- did not find its way to Elements 2.0. Elements's target audience arguably needs this help more than graphics pros. But be that as it may, Photoshop Elements 2.0 is the graphics editor of choice for business and home users who aren't graphics professionals. (c) 2002, Al Gordon You can reach Al Gordon at: mailto:al@TheNakedPC.com ** 06. Featured Web Site - The Great Idea Finder (reviewed by Lee Hudspeth) If you're an inventor, a would-be inventor, or just curious about who invented what when, and related topics, this Web site will be of interest to you. This site offers an idea catalog, invention facts & myths, inventor profile, innovation timeline, a trivia quiz, data and links that provide support and resources for inventors. At the bottom of the "facts & myths" list are additional links to pursue if what you're looking for isn't on the list. I found this site while searching for the definitive history of, you guessed it, Post-It Notes at 3M (see below for answer). There are other portal sites for inventors (if you have a favorite drop me a line); however, I found this one pleasant and not in my face trying to make a sales pitch. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?fsite (Answer: Arthur Fry and Spencer Silver, 3M scientists, back in 1974... I knew the 3M part, and maybe you did too, but there are many more fascinating details provided, including an extensive list of resources related to the Post-It Notes product). ** 07. Featured Drawing If you haven't entered one of our The Naked PC survey drawings before, here's how it works. You go to a Web page on our site, answer one survey question, and type in your email address. To encourage folks to participate, we conduct a drawing from the email addresses of each survey's participants and we give away something really useful. Now, obviously we already have your email address or you wouldn't be reading this, but this drawing for prizes will only include those folks who answer this issue's question (entering a prior drawing doesn't count for this one). We'll only use the email addresses we collect for the purpose of notifying who won the prize, nothing else. Before our next issue is published, we'll pick one entered name at random. The winner gets a $25 store credit at TheNakedPCStore.com. But you have to enter to win. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?fdrawing ** 08. Newsworthy - a potpourri of current events and interesting stuff *-* Wireless calls to 911 rarely can be pinpointed, even though half--and that percentage is mounting--of all 911 calls are from cell phones. Technology gaps, prohibitive upgrade costs, and varying standards used by different phone companies are to blame. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?news1 *-* Microsoft plans a Windows XP update that supports Bluetooth, a wireless connectivity standard for peripherals. The firm is offering the update bundled with a $159 Bluetooth keyboard/mouse package that includes Service Pack 1 for Windows XP (SP1 is required for the Bluetooth-enabling update). http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?news2 Have you come across something newsworthy? Drop us a line: mailto:hottips@TheNakedPC.com **PLEASE SUPPORT THE NAKED PC BY VISITING OUR ADVERTISERS** +++----------------------- classifieds -----------------------+++ MICRO-LIGHTS the Super POCKET FLASHLIGHT! The BRIGHTEST flashlights for their size in the WORLD. Reliable, incredibly bright light for any situation. Small enough to clip unobtrusively to your key chain, carry it in your pocket or purse. You'll never be caught in the dark! 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Walk around, stretch, exercise... all while staying productive. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/521/tr.cgi?textaloud +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ Tweaki...for Power Users Designed for all Windows operating systems, Tweaki is your Swiss army knife of utilities. Implement security, lock down your Desktop, tweak Microsoft Office, optimize Windows--roughly 500 tweaks in all! Tweaki also comes with a built-in undo function that restores any tweaked setting the utility tracks, no matter how long ago you tweaked it! http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?tweaki +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ PUT MICROSOFT OFFICE TO WORK FOR YOU If you use Microsoft Office 97, 2000 or XP, you need a PRIME for Office Utilities CD. From the Publishers of The Naked PC newsletter, on one CD you get PRIME for Word, PRIME for Excel, and the amazingly useful PRIME DocLauncher for Office utilities. 100s of features, plus a free ebook! http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?pcgcd3 +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ **NEED INK? SAVE 40-70% OVER RETAIL!** High Quality Inkjet Printer Cartridges, JetPaks, Refill Kits. Super Prices! Your Satisfaction IS Guaranteed. NEW! We now offer High Quality Remanufactured Toner Cartridges Save 30-40% * FREE Printer Utilities! * MaxPatch Ink Supplies http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?maxpatch +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ DISCLAIMER Personal computers are individual machines with performance that can vary with components, software, and operator ability. The Naked PC is not responsible for the manner in which the information presented is used or interpreted. Also, although we work hard to provide you with accurate Internet links in The Naked PC, we are not responsible for Internet links herein that represent sites owned and operated by third parties. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, performance, or availability of any such third-party sites. Gort, Klaatu, barada nikto... so I sent it out late, what can I say? REDISTRIBUTION POLICY We encourage you to forward this newsletter to your friends, associates, and colleagues for their review and enjoyment. However, please do so only by sending it in full, thereby keeping the copyright and subscription information intact. We do request that, once they've reviewed an issue or two, they subscribe independently rather than continue to receive issues from you. This helps The Naked PC grow and prosper, thereby funding its continued publication. Also, if you wish to post this newsletter to a newsgroup or electronic discussion group, you may do so if you preserve the copyright and subscription information. Thanks. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe, surf on over to: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/subscribe.html To make comments or suggestions, surf on over to: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/tnpfeedback.html or send email directly to: mailto:tnpc@TheNakedPC.com WEB BULLETIN BOARD Check out our 24x7 Web bulletin board. If you've got a technical question about PC issues, or suggestions of your own, this is the place to hang out: http://www.PRIMEConsulting.com/annoyanceboard/ ADVERTISING To advertise in The Naked PC go to: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/tnpcadvertising.html Mail services provided by Blue Horizon Enterprises, one of the very few "Mom and Pop" operations left on the Web: http://www.bhorizon.com Copyright (c) 2002, PRIME Consulting Group, Inc. and Dan Butler. All Rights Reserved. The Naked PC is a trademark of PRIME Consulting Group, Inc. ISSN: 1522-4422 TNPC Hot Tips:
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