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Gimme
A Computer That Works!:
If Computer Bugs aren't enough of a problem, the software, operating system
and hardware that most of us use, itself is the biggest bug. Viruses
can be thought of as the louse on the flea's back. If you don't want
computer bugs, get a typewriter! A computer is full of many systems, with
multiple subsystems and some moving parts. In all these parts upon parts,
it is unfathomable that none of these components will ever fail. Hardware
platforms,operating systems, and applications are constantly plagued with
problems resulting from bugs, shortsighted programmers and code that doesn't
coexist well on the same machine.
WindowSux.com:
Windows in many respects is not a very good operating system. It has gained
so much momentum and support that there is not really that much of a choice.
There were better choices for a mainstream operating system in the early
days of the personal computer, but the Gates empire rallied for hardware
and software support and won it. Can you recall the Macintosh interface of
the late eighties? If you can't, just look closely at a PC running Windows
today, it's the same thing. This practice of seeing what the top products
do, and making your software do the same exact tasks is not exactly stealing.
Without ever directly copying any code from the original there is really
no crime. This clever little scheme allows your competitors to be your research
and development team, also saving a bit on the way by having your competitors
also create a demand for the product. All the small third party software
companies who are responsible for the innovations will eventually go out
of business. If Gates makes his new operating system with software built-in
that does exactly what your product does how many people will be willing
to pay the 39.95 for your product? These third party software companies will
either be gobbled up or die out, along with the innovations in the software
industry. With all that software hodge-podged together into one package,
no one person can be sure to know all the code. With so many cooks
in the kitchen at microsoft, how can we have an operating system that
is truly stable. Yes, Windows XP is significantly more stable than it's
predecessors, it is not perfect. And it can never be. There is no such thing
as a 100% perfect operating system with no flaws, but must we be forced to
accept microsoft's patch of the week system? And then there's the next version
of windows around the corner. Will this be force-fed to us, with
another price increase, and more bugs that will go along with their new "from
the ground up" OS, and more patch-of the week updates. Why don't they
just take their time ...and get it right? If they do, don't expect it until
about 2021.
The
PANE Of Windows:
Most of the problems associated with Windows and the Wintell machine have
to do with the fact that nobody really has a handle on what's going on inside
the code of the most popular operating system. It seems to be a hodge-podge
of components, sub-systems and applets, which are placed together to appear
as a somewhat homogeneous mess. The operating system could be much more
efficient, if it wasn't built with backward compatibilities in mind. In order
to get people to buy into a brand new computer platform, it has to be easy
for them. In the early days of windows, Bill and Co figured out that they
could sell more Windows products if people could run their old legacy DOS
programs on it. That technique was repeated when Windows turned 32bit. People
could use their old Windows applications on their new operating system, and
they wouldn't have to buy all new software to switch. This eased the transition
between operating system upgrades. However, this backwards compatibility
caused some major inefficiencies to be built into the systems, which among
other things causes locking up or crashing under heavy use.
Windows
In A HEAP On Your Desktop:
One of the main inefficiencies in the your Windows operating system if you
still are running WIndows98, or 95, is the two small 64K "heaps" of memory
that Windows uses to stay afloat during any given session. It uses these
small areas of RAM to stay compatible with older windows 16bit software.
This inefficiency was built into Windows 3.X in it's inception. Originally
this was plenty of RAM for the thin applications and DOS stuff that was running
on it. Nowadays, it's a major inefficiency. As soon as these Windows Heaps
are full, like during a long or intensive computer session, Windows is
effectively done. A crash or lock up is imminent, and the best thing to do
is to save your work, close your applications, and reboot the computer.
Dll's
& ETC's:
Software writers are constantly aware that they have to write their products
to coexist with the Windows operating systems. They also must make their
software behave nicely with Office and the other products that have the largest
market shares in their particular product niche. If they do not write their
products to coexist they will not sell a lot of units. But there are so many
lesser known software titles that are excellent out there ( at least the
ones that Redmond hasn't stolen yet...I'm sorry did I say stolen, .....I
meant reverse engineered). These lesser known applications many times don't
work well together. Problems between two are less likely to be accurately
diagnosed and fixed other then by not using the applications with each other.
In
the early days of Windows files needed to run the program where kept in the
same folder that the program was kept in. They where not stored in the main
Windows folder, where all the system files are. When one program called up
a support file it needed, often times a DLL or Dynamic Link Library file,
that file would go into RAM memory. When an application that was newer than
the one you just started called up for the same file, Windows would read
it out of the RAM. If the newer application needed a newer version of the
DLL file, the application would hang, or crash, and bring down the whole
operating system like a feeble house of cards that it is.
How
Fast Is YOUR Connection? :
The internet is one of the most popular areas of the computer. With computers
gaining speeds almost exponentially, one of the most common bottlenecks in
todays computers is the internet connection. New budding technologies promise
to give us fast non-dial-up connections directly to the information superhighway.
All methods of data transmission are measured in MegaBITS per Second, Mbps.
Most computer users incorrectly think that this means MegaByts per Second.
One Byte of computer information is equal to 8 bits of information, therefore
a 14.4 MegaBIT per Second connection is really only putting through 1.8 MegaBYTES
per Second. Sorry to break that one to you when you thought your 33.6 connection
was so fast. Your modem works on a version of a serial port, which puts data
into your computer serially, or one bit at a time, unlike a parallel port
which puts 8Bits through to your computer at a time.
Breaking
The Speed Limit:
We've heard all along that this is the fastest you can push a modem
through....until the next version of compression comes out. But I think this
is really it. 56K modems use the older compression technologies that shrinks
your data before sending it and expands it on the other end, all on-the-fly.
But these new modems also try to limit the amount of times that your data
switches from analog transmission to digital. Remember that modem stands
for MOdulate-DEModulate. So, basically what a modem does is brings your
transmission from a digital state as in your computer to a analog transmission
so that it can go through Plain Old Telephone Service, or POTS lines. 56K
technology tries to keep the data in a digital state until it reaches your
computer so that your computer doesn't have to put the data back into digital.
Also Digital transmission tends to be less subject to disturbances and
interference.
56K....But
Not REALLY!:
56K can never achieve its true goal of 56K transmission. We as consumers,
who accept 17 inch monitors whose screen can never get bigger than 15.5 inches,
should revolt against 56K modems that never achieve over 47K. That's right
with the FCC cap on phone transmission 47K is all you can hope for in a 56K
mode. Nice,huh? That is if your lucky enough to even approach 47K. The standard
calls for being no more than 3 miles from your main switch and to have pristine
line conditions, in and out of your house, with no interference. Got that?
If not then your modem defaults down to 28.8, that's right not even 33.6.
And even if you can achieve a consistent 47K connection, it's only on the
download side. That's good for downloading stuff off the net, or viewing
graphic intensive web pages, but for uploading stuff to your web site you
will only achieve 28.8!
Oh,
Cable Guy Cable modems are gaining in popularity in many communities. This
is a fast method of transmission to and from the internet, if you're lucky
to have a cable provider that has two way transmission. Cable can handle
two way transmission, however some of the main cable switches need replacing
in older cable tv networks. If your cable provider doesn't support two way,
you must use your telephone based modem to go upstream with your data. This
is also the case with satellite internet providers. These two types of
connections are much faster than an ordinary modem could ever hope to be.
Transmission speed is not their only merit. There is no wait for a tone,
dial up, negotiate a connection, verify name, verify password,...just instant
internet....nothin' but net. You can get your mail, or a web page instantly.
However, cable may suffer from a slowdown of transmission as more and more
people flock to join the service. While the cost of cable seems expensive
it really is reasonable. A decent bi-directional cable internet service costs
about $40 a month. For traditional internet service, if you add a dedicated
phone line, and purchase an ISP service, the cost will be about the same.
Perhaps something to consider. And if you have your own network card, you
can probably save some money on hook-up too.
Beyond
56K The great new service that promises high speed internet over POTS lines
is called DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line. The technology is not new, in
fact many of you may be surprised to learn that the technology to bring you
fast internet over the phone is well over ten years old. It was developed
in the eighties, but never implemented by the phone service because too many
people had been paying a lot of money to connect to the internet. Shortsighted
telephone exec's were watching their bottom line. They saw the end of the
dial up connection to the internet, as the end of a good source of revenue.
They feared that the high speed internet and Internet Phone software would
be the end of long distance service and the high prices that they could extract
for it. As they see business flocking away from them in droves to achieve
high speed connections, they will try to lure us back with their own high
speed internet service. If Digital Subscriber Line, high speed transmission
technology takes off over the phone lines, we may see the end of the dial
up isp service.
The
Future's In DSL :
DSL is a slick technology that puts a computer network connection on your
normal phone wire. You use your phone just as you did before, dial tone service,
and ringing, even while you are on the internet, surfing at high speeds,
on the SAME phone line. The technology separates the frequencies of the phone
lines into one that is audible to the human ear for voices, and another that
is inaudible to transmit data. Pretty nifty, and it's already available in
some form in a few test market areas. There is ADSL and SDSL. ADSL is
asynchronous and can bring data into your home faster then it can transmit
it out. Synchronous DSL is just as fast in both directions, and I hope that's
the one that comes into my neighborhood! These days however the companies
that supply DSL see it as the cash cow, and they charge an arm
and a leg... sorry about the mixed metaphors. They tend to chunk it up, and
offer up slow speed for a tiny price and the good stuff for a premium.
Big Business! I thought the internet supposed to be free
for all of us. ...I guess not.
If you should need any
assistance post your problem on our web -based message board, we can
help. ....or you reach an IT Professional on the
phone at (315) 382 - HELP.
If
you prefer, you can eMail at
Lipco@aol.com.
...continued next
month.
*Rich
Lipsky is the owner and operator of ComputerHelp911.com, a local company
that specializes in solving computer problems for local residents and businesses
since 1995.
Rich is available for questions, or for
consultation. You can reach him at:
(315) 382 - HELP. |
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