.
Several more sales are scheduled for the upcoming weeks with
other top brand products to be offered.
For more information contact Don Cowan at 503.620.9000, or
Dan Monberg at 415.989.5483.
Crashing Hard Drives: Do This Now!
What happens when your hard drive crashes? Well, unlike most of the components that make up your computer, the hard drive is a mechanical device (not electronic). And as you know, anything with moving parts can sometimes fail. When your drive 'crashes', it is engaged in sort of, a head-on collision with what are called 'read/write heads'. The moving disk or drive is crashing with these heads. The end result is part of your drive being damaged and usually, data on that part of the drive becomes inaccessible. The most obvious indication of a crash is a computer that won't start. A 'startup' or 'boot' disk will allow you to re-start your computer and may allow you to fix problems and recover lost data.
While installing Windows 95 for the first time, you were asked to create a 'startup' or 'boot' disk. If you skipped or ignored the instruction or bought your system with W95 pre-installed then you probably don't have a 'boot' disk. Creating one will allow you to re-start your computer if it 'crashes' (more on this in the future). To create a 'boot' disk for Windows 95, click Start, go to Settings then Control Panel. Double click Add/Remove Programs and select the Startup Disk tab. Click Create Disk and follow the simple instructions. If you're still using Windows 3.x, go to the DOS prompt and insert a blank formatted disk in your floppy drive. Now type a:setup /f . Follow the simple instructions.
If you think your hard drive has crashed, simply insert the boot disk in your drive and re-start your computer. Your computer will use the files and information on the diskette to re-boot your system. If this doesn't work, it may be time to call in someone with a little more know-how.
Have Bookmark, Will Travel
If you're one of those people who have a PC at home, one that you use at work and perhaps a laptop that use use while on the road, then this resource will be of special interest to you.
A site called the itList now makes it possible to create one central bookmark or favorites file, that you can access anytime and from anywhere. And no, you don't need to copy or update your bookmark file on every computer you currently use. If you've been surfing for fun or business, for any length of time, you likely have a large collection of favorite sites that you frequent.
Just save a copy of your bookmark file at itList and you have instant and easy access to it from any machine, anywhere. If you want to add a bookmark, simply email the URL to your personal file that you create at the site. You can easily set up the security feature so that only you can access your file. Or if you want to share your favorite sites with others, you can make it accessible to everyone. And of course you can browse other bookmarks submitted from around the world. Registration and setup are quick and easy. And best of all, it's FREE!
Mail Display
Wouldn't it be nice if you could screen out any unwanted email that is about to infiltrate your Inbox, before you retrieve it?
Well now you can.
POP3 Scan Mailbox is the email equivalent to the 'call display' feature you may have on your telephone. It acts like a 'filter' that you may already be using, to purge unwanted junk mail. The difference is that you can quickly see the subject, the first few lines and who is sending the mail, before you download anything.
One of the advantages over the usual filters available in most email software, is that you won't accidentally delete/filter any messages you really want, since you can preview them first.
If you subscribe to numerous lists, this can be a handy tool that can help you delete unwanted subjects and/or threads. This is definitely a time-saving utility. And once again, it's FREE.
For MAC Eyes Only!
If you're a MAC user then we're positive you'll want to bookmark this site. Macinsearch.com is one of the most comprehensive resources you'll find for MAC products, services and sites that support Macintosh. This incredible full text search engine has over 23,000 links to MAC only sites.
Categories include business, hardware, software, people, news and indices. You'll also find a comprehensive directory of Shareware files covering everything from applications, art, development, education, fonts, games, graphics, viruses and more. You can even subscribe to the Macintosh mailing list and free magazines. So grab an apple and get ready for some healthy and nutritious surfing.
Organize Your Bookmarks
Here's a nifty program for you savvy surfers and bookmark addicts. The QuikLink Explorer will help you organize your bookmarks, favorites, hotlists, URLs, email addresses, ftp sites, program shortcuts and more!
Those of you who have amassed a huge collection of favorite sites will really appreciate this cleverly designed software. It takes on the appearance and functionality of Windows Explorer, with which you might already be familiar. Just like with Explorer, you can organize your favorite sites in folders. One for your favorite search engines, one for games, another for education, etc.
QuikLink allows you to cut, copy, paste and even drag-and-drop. The software will also import your existing bookmark or favorite files so you don't lose them. Another handy feature is it's ability to let you associate sites with specific browsers, so you can take advantage of sites that are enhanced for use with that browser.
The download is FREE. And for you Net junkies, you can of course purchase the Gold edition.
Fill'er up and Check the Oil
Here's a handy resource for web site owners and developers. Stop by the Web Site Garage for a free site tune up.
This cybermechanic site will perform 7 free diagnostics on your home page. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you can use the Turbocharge Self Service tools. If you want to announce your internet presence, you can register your site with 16 search engines in just a few minutes. Are your graphics in tip-top shape? Get a GIF Lube. Don't have any meta tags, use the META Tag Generator. You can even get a screenshot of your site on various browsers and platforms. Peel over to this handy site and check out some of the additional tools you can use to get started on your high performance web site. On your mark....get set....GO!
Virus Shmirus!
One of the unfortunate realities about the internet and this wonderful new technology, is the inevitability that some day your computer will be infected by a virus. Knowing how to protect yourself from the thousands of strains that exist should be a priority. Knowing which ones are real and which ones are hoaxes is also important. Yes, some viruses are hoaxes. For example you cannot get a virus via email (unless an 'attached' program is infected by one). You should seriously take some time and visit the resources below. Protect your investment and your sanity.
Virus Resources:
http://www.umich.edu/~wwwitd/virus-busters/index.html
http://www.nai.com/services/support/hoax/hoax.asp
http://www.kumite.com/myths/
http://www.virusbtn.com/Welcome.html
http://search.zdnet.com/pcmag/iu/toolkit/virus.htm
http://www.av.ibm.com/BreakingNews/HypeAlert/
Most anti-virus makers not only have information on viruses, but also offer free evaluation copies of their software:
http://www.drsolomons.com/vircen (Dr Solomon)
http://www.networkassociate.com/ (formerly McAfee)
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/vinfodb.html (Symantec)
http://www.datafellows.com/news/hoax.htm (Data Fellows)
Urgent Email
Expecting an important email communication? Don't have the time to wait around your computer all day to receive it. Whether you use email for business or pleasure, you might want to check out this new service.
MailPush will notify you 'off-line', any time you receive a new email message. You can set your preferences in many different ways to customize the service. When that urgent message arrives, MailPush can notify you via your cellular phone, a regular land line phone, by fax and even via paging devices.
Simply download the software and follow the setup instructions. It can be configured to call you and read you the header of the message or fax you the mail in it's entirety. If you use a pager the header will be sent. You can even call in 24 hours a day to check for messages and even filter unwanted mail. Try it. You have nothing to lose since the first month is FREE.
Email Acronyms
One of the founding principles of email communications is brevity.
The idea is to get to your point across quickly and clearly, leaving out
the often unnecessary babble. To assist in this effort, experienced
Netties use acronyms. Yet even those with plenty of experience
can sometimes get duped by an acronym they've never seen before. Acronyms
can be especially handy for those who have yet to master the keyboard.
After all, how many of you can type 60 words per minute?
Below is a list of some of the most frequently used acronyms. Use them next time you email someone. See how many you recognize. TTFN.
- TTFN = Ta-Ta For Now
- IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
- BTW = By The Way
- BRB = Be Right Back
- J/K = Just Kidding
- LOL = Laughing Out Loud
- OIC = Oh I See
- ROTFL = Rolling On The Floor Laughing
- IRL = In Real Life
- 10Q = Thank you
- FWIW = For What It's Worth
- FYI = For Your Information
- HTH = Hope This Helps
- NOYB = None Of Your Business
- OTOH = On The Other Hand
- RTFM = Read The Fine Manual
- TIA = Thanks In Advance
- TTYL = Talk To You Later
- YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary
- WYSIWYG = What You See Is What You Get
- ISP = Internet Service Provider
Mac Newsgroups
Below is a quick list of groups for Mac users. If you're considering buying a Mac, this might also be a good place to get some advice. As you can see, you'll find discussions on a variety of topics. Take a peak (lurk) and subscribe to those that interest you. Have fun!
Designing Websites
Since this can be a confusing topic for some, and there are literally thousands of sites that offer help, we'll recommend only one site (for now), to get you started.
A great beginner site is www.pageresource.com, which offers a great tutorial that starts from scratch and many other useful inks. You don't need any special software, just Windows Notepad and a web browser which you should all have.
The Tutorial guides you with easy to follow language and examples, from the very basics to more advanced lessons like adding graphics, animations and video. Bookmark this site and revisit it as you progress. The best strategy is to save each lesson on your hard drive (or just print it). To do this,go to the "File" menu and click on "Save As". This will prompt you to create a name for your file. In the box, type in "lesson1.htm" . At the bottom of the prompt you should see a space that says "Save file as Type" or "Save as Type". The default is .txt, so you will need to change it. Click on the down arrow on the right side of the input box. You should be able to highlight All Files(*.*) . Click on this to make the change. Now you may choose the drive and directory to save to, and click on "Save". You can use this routine each time you create a new HTML file. Repeat this for each lesson. Saving the files as '.htm' will allow you to read the file offline with your browser.
If you're a beginner, you'll learn quicker and have fun doing so, if you remember the "KISS" rule....you know it!
HTML Goodies
It seems that many of you just can't get enough tips and information on creating, maintaining and improving your websites. Well, after some more digging we found another great site, that's loaded with stuff for beginners and experts.
HTML Goodies is a commercial site that offers web site design services, but like many of the better sites do, it offers an abundance of free tips and resources. The main page offers an index of various links. They are summarized below:
- The HTML Primers - for pure beginners. Seven short lessons will have you up and running in no time at all. Topics include HTML Tags, Managing Text, Linking Pages, Images and more. You even get a Graduation Diploma after completing the tutorials.
- HTML Tutorials - over 100 more advanced tutorials. Topics range from Java Applets, DHTML and Layers, CGI, Tables, Forms, Frames, Cascading Style Sheets and plenty more!
- Java Goodies - over 450 Java scripts (incredible!)
- Free Images - 400+ graphics for your site
- HTML FAQs - questions and answers about creating web sites
- Links to HTML Goodies - even more links other resources!
MacFixIt Troubleshooting and Apple Resources
If you're new to computers and the internet and your system is powered by the MacOS, then you should find these sites of great value. Even more experienced Mac users might discover some real gems here.
MacFixIt offers "Troubleshooting Solutions for the Macintosh". The home page is titled Late-Breakers and is updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It features a variety of fixes related to Macs and Mac software. For example, the May 26 update offered QuickTime and -2048 error: the complete story, Graphics images in Word 98 files may get "lost", Microsoft posts Memo-Resume Wizard Updater version 1.0, Utilities Updates and more. Past updates are archived and can be accessed quite easily. You'll also find links to the Download Library, MacFixIt Reports, a search engine and more.
If you want more, try getting the info right from the horse's mouth at
Apple. Here you'll find a well organized set of links to all kinds of support including the Tech Info Library which holds over 15,000 easy to read technical articles. Another mysteriously hard-to-find link is Apple Support Tools. Here you'll find everything from software, to online and offline resources and even mailing lists.
Apple....for wholesome and refreshing computing!
Get The Latest Info
Are you spending too much time checking your favorite sites to see if anything new has been added? Some of the newer browsers can be configured to update you on such changes but if your browser doesn't have this feature, here's a service that will do it for you.
URL-Minder, will monitor your favorite sites and send you an email notification when the site is updated with new content. It will also allow you to specify which portions of a webpage to watch for changes. This can be a handy resource for keeping an eye on competitors, industry and technology trends, new product releases and just about anything else that is online.
The service is simple to use and provides various customization options. You can add, edit and delete sites to be monitored quite easily. Your access is password protected to prevent prying eyes from tracking what you're tracking. Check it out for yourself. There's plenty of online documentation that explains the service in great detail, but you probably won't need it. Hey, set it up to watch for changes on our site!
Software Updates, Patches and More
Updates on your favorites sites are not the only things you need to monitor.
How about updates on the software that you use on a daily basis! Keeping track of new versions and fixes can be a game of Catch-Up.
Catch-Up is an award winning service that automatically searches for the newest versions of your software and generates a customized list of sites from which to download revisions. Once you're set up, a simple click of a button will begin the process. Updates are added weekly. There is no need to use out-of-date software any longer. Updates are provided for a variety of applications such as, internet browsers, sound and video players, plug-ins, helper applications, email and newsgroup readers, games and more.
Catch-Up can even distinguish between beta and production releases, and will detect whether you need a 'full' download or simply need to download 'patches'. This clever feature can save you hours of downloading unnecessary files. The catch (hehe!) is that you have to download Catch-Up software, but it's well worth it considering the time you'll save and the fact that it's a FREE service with no obligations!
HTML Editors For All Platforms
Homepages, homepages, homepages. Millions of them, in all shapes, sizes and forms.
If you're building one for personal or corporate use, you're going to need an HTML Editor.
Sure, you can use Notepad if you like, but why not use the latest technology.
Today's editors come with just about every feature you can image, that will have your pages up and online in no time at all. They're getting easier to use and you don't even have to know Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). For a well organized and sizable list of available editors, check out Mag's Big List of HTML Editors.
Here you'll find editors for numerous platforms including Amiga, DOS, Mac, NeXTstep, OS/2, Unix, VMS and Windows. Looking for non-English language editors? You'll find them here too. How about CGI, JavaScript and other HTML resources? They're here too. So if you're just starting on your first page or looking to try out some new editors, Tom Magliery's page is good place to begin. Who knows, some day we might be featuring your homepage!
Update Your Mac Software
Do you know if you're running the latest version of your software? Not sure? Well now you can quickly find out at VersionTracker Online.
VersionTracker is the self-proclaimed "#1 Source for Macintosh Software". And for good reason! The main page provides a list of updates and upgrades for various software applications, that is updated daily. The most recent 30 day list is quickly available with a click of a mouse. If you're software is not listed at first glance, use the snappy search engine to find it. All software titles are categorized as Commercial upgrade, Update-free commercial, Shareware, Freeware or Beta.
A quick click on the Categories menu will take you to an impressive list of Mac freeware and shareware. There's lots more at this site, but don't take our word for it.
Check it out for yourself. Come on...take off your coat and stay for a while.
Intelligent (ro)BOTs
One of the latest and most exciting technologies invented for the internet it the BOT. As you've surmised, the name comes from the word robot. But a BOT is much more than a robot that simply executes pre-defined instructions. Today, BOTs are interactive. They respond to users. They answer and ask questions in an effort to help you find what you're looking for.
BOTs are very shrewd. They retrieve, organize and index information gathered from the internet. Unlike search engines that often return information that is not relevant to your query, they can be astounding in their precision. And the place to find, use and learn more about them is The BotSpot.
Here you'll find "intelligent agents" for just about everything. Clicking on the Search link will provide you with a list of Academic Bots, Bot Descriptions, Chatter Bots, Commerce Bots, Government Bots, News Bots, Stock Bots, Search Bots, Software Bots and more. Each category will return a list of Bots and descriptions of the type of information they retrieve. You interact with the Bot by answering the questions it asks, and your information is returned.
To get a feel of how Bots work, you can start a dialogue with Eliza, the original Bot created at MIT. You'll find her on the main page. But be careful - she simulates a psychotherapist and only answers questions with questions. And if you're looking pick a fight, you're going to lose!
16,000 Amazing Animations...FREE!
If you're looking for some really cool animations, you've got to check out
The Animation Factory.
This is a fantastic resource for web developers of all experience levels. The site is packed with a lot of terrific goodies that will jazz up your site in no time at all.
The main attraction are the over 16,000 FREE animated gifs, clipart, buttons, icons and more. The site boasts to be the "largest collection of original animations and clipart on the web." And for good reason. Here you'll find every category from alphabets, characters, creatures, bullets, sports, music....you name it! It's easy to get lost looking through all the great free stuff, so don't forget to check out the links to other tools and resources that will help you build first-rate web pages and sites. We've said it before and we're saying it again...don't forget to bookmark this site too!
Conflicts Be Gone!
Now here's terrific site for Mac owners that's have been around for a while. The Complete Conflict Compendium.
The name says it all.
The site and free newsletter is a collection of reported hardware/software conflicts and the relevant fixes that are available. You can quickly search the Hardware, Software and System links for conflicts related to your specific applications and system configurations. Really handy! The reports cover systems 7 (or earlier), 7.0, 7.1, 7.5, 7.6, 8.0 and 8.1 (and versions in between).
If you don't have time to visit the site for updates, then subscribe to the free newsletter and get reports delivered directly to you via email. To subscribe, send a message to c3d@mac-conflicts.com with the word subscribe as the subject. This is a very thorough site and service, that is updated regularly. A must reference for Mac users.
Software For All File Formats
Ever come across a file that none of your applications will open? Well fret no more.
Eric Perlman and Ian Kallen of Internet Literacy Consultants have published a handy online guide to dozens of the most common Mac and PC file formats you'll find on the Net. You can get it at Common Internet File Formats.
This is a handy reference because not only are the file formats described, but the authors also include links to software applications that will open them. The site isn't fancy, but it's a quick and handy resource that explains file formats and helps you find software that will handle just about every file type you can think of. Simple, short and to the point. A real time-saver.
Boost Your Browser
Did you know that the most recent releases of the most popular browsers support over 300 different functions? Make sure yours is in tip-top shape by visiting these great resources.
In a few short minutes BrowserTune will test your browser to see if it supports hundreds of functions that will make your surfing more efficient and enjoyable. It will test it's capability for general navigation, caching, list handling, graphics, animations, advanced table handling, frames, backgrounds, audio capabilities, Style Sheets, DHTML, ActiveX, channels, security, cookies and more. A report card is generated that identifies potential problems. You'll also find links to informative resources that can shed more light on resolving any problems.
At Browsercheck you'll find a similar utility that tells you if you're running the latest version of your browser. If you aren't, the utility will outline the benefits of updating. If you decide the update is worthwhile, a click of the mouse will take you to a download site so you can grab the upgrade. Check out both resources about once a month. Technology changes rather quickly and we want to make sure you're staying current.
Browser Compatibility Test
Ever wonder why some sites don't look quite right on your browser? Not all websites look the same to all browsers. Netscape and Internet Explorer don't necessarily have 20/20 vision on all sites. Formatting and graphics may be different and pages may load slowly.
This should be of concern to you if you have a website, especially if it's a corporate site.
Well Bobby can help.
To test your site, just type in the URL (address)and specify the browser you want to test. Bobby will visit your site with the desired browser and perform an analysis. You'll get a report detailing the problems, if any. You'll even get a report noting how long it took Bobby to load your page.This might explain slow loading on some sites.
