Rich's Ramblings

by Rich Schinnell

Those who know me or read my "Ramblings" know that I am a real true believer in large tape drives and regular backups. "Backing up is hard to do," or was that "Breaking up," as the song goes? But believe me, you will be a very happy camper when your hard disk crashes or breaks up if you have a usable backup. <G> With some of you piling so much on your hard disk, and with the sizes of hard disks increasing on almost a daily basis, you will regret it when your disk crashes if you don't have a good backup.

I highly recommend Seagate Exec 2.0 backup software and the IDE tape drive that I reviewed in my "Ramblings" column last month. For those who are new or forgot what I said, it is the Seagate 4/8-Gbyte IDE/ATAPI drive model TS8000R. It sells for around $300. It uses TR-4 tapes and the Seagate Exec software. They are a great combination, and those of you who might say that $300 is too much to spend for peace of mind should think again. How much is the aggravation worth? If you are in a small business, then this warning is for you as well.

I bought the tape backup device at The Computer Place, Inc., in Gaithersburg. It is not good for those with plastic in hand because the store has goodies everywhere -- laid out on tables and stacked on the floor. If you don't see something you want, just ask. I don't have a financial interest in the store, except
in the plastic that I use there. <G>

Windows NT 4.0

I am still doing Windows NT 4.0 Workstation installation and testing. It seems that Windows NT 4.0 does work pretty much like Windows 95, but is not as forgiving for nonstandard hardware. There is a program that you can download from http://www.Microsoft.com that will test your system and give you
an idea of whether you will have problems installing Windows NT 4.0 Workstation.

As I said a couple of months ago, Windows NT 4.0 is one of the best solutions for a multiuser household. Each user can have his or her own userid and configure the screen to suit. As administrator, you can add programs to the desktop and not have them changed by other members of the family. Desktop wallpaper and related items can be personalized.

All in all, it's pretty good. Dial-up networking is a bit trickier, requiring a bit of knowledge. But, after all, any product worth using requires some thought and education.

U.S. Robotics PalmPilot

I am still using my U.S. Robotics PalmPilot, and it seems to be molding itself to my hand. I could not keep my schedule straight without it and Sidekick 97. The calendar system in Sidekick is much clearer and easier to set up than the U.S. Robotics PalmPilot software, so I synchronize my PalmPilot with Sidekick's calendar and the U.S. Robotic PalmPilot database and memo software. I use a product called Intellisync to do this. It cost around $50 at http://www.pumatech.com, 1-(800)-248-2795, or via
one of those many mail order catalogs. It's a great combination, and the PalmPilot software has a real slick database print program. It prints a listing of entries very pleasing to the eye and easy to read.

I now seem to see more of the PalmPilots when I am at meetings and on the Metro. With Microsoft producing a competitor, things should get interesting. I just hope that this competition brings the price down.

Computer Shows

NFR and AE Software

This is the answer I received from Microsoft to my e-mail about the legality of vendors at the local computer shows selling software marked NFR and AE.

From: MICROSOFT.com
To: "'Rich Schinnell'" <schinnel@cpcug.org>

Subject

RE: NFR & AE software. (Not For Resale and Academic Edition)

AE FPP product can only be sold to higher ed students, faculty, staff, or the institutions themselves. Or, K-12 institutions, faculty and staff (NO K-12 STUDENTS OR PARENTS OF K-12 STUDENTS CAN PURCHASE FOR USE AT HOME).

All qualified purchasers of AE product must have proper identification and the AER must make copies of student/faculty/staff id's and keep them on file for a minimum of 2 years. If the software is purchased from the school, they must have a copy of the PO on file for 2 years.

Therefore, unless the resellers at these shows are abiding by the above conditions, then they are selling AE product illegally.

I can only answer for the AE software, not the NFR, except to say that what they're doing with NFR is also illegal.

So the bottom line for those of you who might be considering the purchase of the NFR or AE software available at the local

computer shows

It is not legal for these vendors at the computer shows to sell.

Another thing to watch out for at computer shows is software and hardware that is just too cheap to believe. There are people who sell products on the street for unbelievable prices. You might have to handle the products with asbestos gloves! If the price is too good to be true, the product might be hot or stolen.

If you buy the software or hardware, you become an accomplice, according to those in law enforcement. Now, you might think, who would ever know? Well, the serial number is encoded into the hard disk itself. If you buy one from a street person and want to return it, its history could be traced. Lots of software as well is encoded internally. One of the local dealers was telling me that he stopped selling Iomega ZIP drives because someone was undercutting his price by 50 percent. The only way he felt this could be done is by selling stolen merchandise. Deal with a reputable dealer, and you should be fine.

This reminds me that those selling stolen goods are also ripping off taxpayers by not reporting that income. The same may be true of the restaurant I patronize frequently for carryout. I have never, in almost 15 years, seen a sale rung up on the register. So I suspect that gross receipts don't match real sales, and the difference is all tax-free income. But that is another story.

Moving and Other Changes

By the time you read this, the Capital PC User Group (CPCUG) will be in the process of moving. Our landlord (WRIT) decided to lease our space to a larger tenant in the building and would not renew CPCUG's lease. Hopefully, our new space will be better and closer for some of you. We were in our Monroe Street facility for more than 10 years, and it served us well.

But time marches on, and so do we. This is a chance for us to become more visible than we were and to gain more members. Our Monitor is back on track and is on the way to getting out regularly before the first of each month, thanks to Barbara Conn and Beacon Writing Services Corporation. We had a rocky start, but that is now history. Our training program will be better than ever by fall.

Writing for the Monitor

I have been writing this column since the early 1990s and enjoy being able to spout off here on almost any subject. If you feel you would like to add your voice to the Monitor, our editor is more than willing to listen. I write in a style that some understand easily, but others call to ask what the heck was I talking about! Our editor makes me look better, and there is room for your column as well. Barbara will welcome your input, especially if you are new to computers and can put into words your frustrations.

Writing a column on a monthly basis is not as difficult as you might think. I work on my column throughout the month, writing about what frustrates or fascinates me. I just write about it all. In no time at all I have two or three pages for my "Ramblings." At one time I was almost 3 months ahead, but no longer. My columns are, hopefully, more timely and relevant now. I learn something new every day, so most of what I write is about this new knowledge or about small but hopefully helpful technical
revelations. <G>

Rich Schinnell can be reached via e-mail at schinnel@cpcug.org or in the evenings from 6pm to 9pm at (301) 949-9292 voice. He enjoys helping people and has been active (sometimes too active) in CPCUG since 1982.

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