Pharmaceuticals
from Canada
the Continuing Saga
by J. Joseph Pia
A
bout a year ago I wrote a piece about buying drugs via the Web. This piece is an update on one aspect of that enterprise, namely buying them from Canada. My experience with Canadian pharmacies has been very enlightening. This piece reports on that experience. I explain here what to look for, what seems to be good and what seems to be less so.
	The major change is that even Canadians engage in business practices that would not be allowed in this country. Another firm has adopted the name of a trusted company and begun to profit at the earlier company’s expense. More detail as the piece progresses.
	Why buy drugs from Canada? There is only one answer: They’re less expensive than buying them from US pharmacies, even those from which you can buy via the Web.
	However, and this is a big however, it is possible to pay as much or even more for drugs in Canada than one would pay from a US pharmacy, even a mail-order US pharmacy. So, it is necessary to do some shopping around.
	It’s also in the buyer’s best interest to know that psychoactive drugs, like anti-depressants, are simply not available from Canadian pharmacies for buyers from out of the country. No one wants to get caught up in the wars against illegal drugs. Since psychoactive drugs can be used illegally, Canadian pharmacies simply won’t sell them to people who have non-Canadian addresses.
	Canadian pharmacies are good sources of drugs used for maintenance. Things like blood pressure pills that one takes every day are the kinds of pills to buy in Canada. They tend to be less expensive than the same items bought in the States, but one has to buy them in the quantities sold by the manufacturer. The pills come in containers sealed at the factory.
	I use a bundle of maintenance drugs for controlling my Type 2 diabetes, for blood pressure and for cholesterol control. So, buying from Canada makes good sense for me.
	My experience has been with CanadaRx. Just CanadaRx without suffix. It has always been good until just recently. It turns out that others have decided that CanadaRx is a good name for an on-line pharmacy. I found myself mistaking one for another.
	I learned that I wanted CanadaRx.net. By mistake I ordered from CanadaRx.com. Fortunately I got a call from the .com company because the person filling my order there couldn’t read my credit card number. After he read to me what he had, I asked why he didn’t just look it up in his files. Then it became clear that he didn’t have me in his files. That in fact he was calling from a different company altogether. He was calling from Calgary when my former provider was in Hamilton, Ontario. So, I asked him to quash the request since I would order from the folks in Hamilton.
	Here is a clear case of one company capitalizing on the good name of another. Further, the costs from the .com company are a good bit higher than those from the .net firm in Hamilton. For example, I use Actos. A bottle of 90 pills of 45mg from drugstore.com in the US costs $428.15. That same bottle costs US$513.56 from Canadarx.com. From Canadarx.net the cost is US$272.68.
	For Lipitor 40mg the same benefit. It comes in bottles of 90 pills. From drugstore .com it costs $269.16. From Canadarx.com that same bottle of 90 pills runs US$256.39. From Canadarx.net the cost is US$141.27.
	A similar discounted price is available for Metformin, which is generic Glucophage. Metformin in the States is still quite expensive. In Canada I pay something like US$26 or US$27, depending on the batch. So I buy two bottles of 90 tabs each at one time.
	The message is simple: One has to be aware that others have tried to horn in on the least expensive suppliers. In Canada the Federal government controls the prices of drugs for use within Canada. However, drugs exported from Canada, even those manufactured in the destination country, namely the US, may be priced to whatever the traffic will bear. No one wants to pay more than he would pay at his local neighborhood pharmacy. So, seeing those high prices ticked me off. Only after getting the message from Calgary did I realize that I had been had.
	In the US CanadaRx.net would be able to take CanadaRx.com to court and force them to change their name. So far, .net hasn’t done that. I’m not sure why.
	Buying drugs from Canadarx.net is not entirely simple. One must have one’s physician’s cooperation. He or she must fill out a form, including his or her DEA and state license numbers as well as the drugs being purchased. The buyer must also cite on the form his or her own address, phone number and credit card number. Next, the physician must write out prescription forms just like normal. Then the physician’s person must fax both the form and the prescription(s) to the Canadarx.net number. Depending on where the pharmacy is, the prescriptions will arrive in anywhere from four days to three weeks. I’ve found that ten days is the usual, though refills can come a lot sooner. Also for refills it is possible just to call the pharmacy that served you last.
	The items may all be sent to the physician’s office where you can pick them up. Or, they can be sent to the patient’s address c/o the physician. I like them to come directly to my house. But your doctor may want to monitor them by having them go to his or her office where you can open the package in the doctor’s presence and both of you can look over what came. Builds the confidence of both doctor and patient/client in this system of buying drugs from Canada.
	Obviously the charge will appear on the next credit card bill. In US dollars. I do not have any prescription drug coverage on my health insurance. So, I’m very pleased to be able to buy my maintenance drugs from Canada. But I was very sorry to learn that I have to be extra diligent to get products from the supplier that I want to purchase from.
	If you give it a try, be sure you get the right on-line pharmacy. If you do, you should have decent luck, too.
	Joe Pia is a past-president of RCSi. A retired linguistics professor, he has written many articles for the Monitor.
How to Get Your Money’s Worth Out of
This Computer Club
by Grant Fuller
Greater Victoria PC Users’ Assn.
I
 joined this club because they said they were a group of enthusiastic computer users and accepted people regardless of their level of experience. I paid my membership and went to my first meeting. I didn’t understand a word that was said, and went home fuzzy headed and confused. 
	What have I done? The language was foreign to me, but there was something about the mystery of it all that made me go to another meeting. This time I actually understood a few words, but still, I was confused. It was then that rule number one occurred to me: 
Rule #1 Get used to being confused. 
	I’m going to spend a lot of time in that state so I decided to learn to accept it. However, the return on my investment was not what I expected. With the exception of a slot machine, I expect to get something back when I put money out. I figured my membership dues would buy me information, but the return rate was about a dollar a week. I kept going to meetings and in a few months I was following most of the conversation and the occasional light bulb went on in my head and I’d rush home to try out the newly acquired knowledge on my computer. I now had discovered rule number two. 
Rule #2 Be Persistent and Patient. 
	I was now beginning to gather information and my investment was returning with interest. After about four months into my being a BB&C1 member, I was beginning to feel that, although the flow of information was encouraging, the social atmosphere was a little cool. I thought “these people are quite reserved, where’s my red carpet?” Having learned rule number two, I decided to approach the first person who seemed like they were involved in an area that interested me. After all, there’s a million things you can do with a computer and it was time to “zero in” on something specific. The word “publishing” came up at a general meeting and I responded like a cat on a mouse (make up your own joke). I had blindly stumbled onto rule number three. 
Rule #3 Choose Something and 
Get Involved. 
	In a matter of weeks I was involved with the newsletter group, admittedly as a junior member, but working with highly experienced people and catching my limit of information at every meeting. In no time they had me working with another highly respected member, teaching an advanced course on Adobe Illustrator. Computer graphics is the only area where I feel conversant, in all other areas, I simply sit and listen. After less than a year in the club, I have collected more information than any number of books could have provided. I still study from books as well, but books alone are too slow and life is too short. 
	So, three simple things were all I had to do in order to become immersed in the benefits of the club. Once I had accepted rule number one, it became fun. 

	1Big Blue & Cousins, the Greater Victoria PC Users’ Association.
Net Nerds 
Buy‑Buy and Bye‑Bye
by Susan Ives
Alamo PC
I
 don’t know about you, but when I get an itch to buy a new computer gizmo I start hyperventilating. There are too many choices! It’s worse than buying a car. 
	I’ve been thinking about getting a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). I wasn’t keen on spending several hundred dollars for a personal information manager when in my heart I knew my boring life could be just as efficiently organized with a $5 calendar and a stubby pencil. Now I am reconsidering. Do I want one at all? Do I want Palm or Pocket PC? How much do I want to spend? What 

features are important to me? Is this the right time to buy?
	I’ll be using my search for a handheld computer as an example to lead you through the process of using online buying guides, but all the sites I am about to lead you to will also give you advice on everything from $25 keyboards to $2,500 systems. 

	The premiere site for reviews and comparison‑shop-ping is CNET Networks. CNET itself is a series of Web sites, including CNET, Download .com and News.com. ZDNet (the ZD stands for Ziff Davis) is best known as the publisher of 12 computer magazines, including PC Magazine and Yahoo! Internet Life. Computer Shopper is that gigantic magazine, an in‑depth reference for expert guidance on what to buy, where to buy, and how to. MySimon is a comparison‑shopping site, concentrating on finding the best online prices. All of these come under the CNET umbrella. 
	Let’s start with ZDNet. They have an interactive finder that helps you narrow your choice, first by price, then by features. Finders are also available for digital cameras, desktop and notebook computers, MP3 players and scanners. After indicating what you can expect at each price point, it asks three questions: are you looking for a basic information manager, a state‑of‑the‑art machine or do you just want a fashion accessory?. Once you get to the list of recommendations, you can create a side‑by‑side comparison of different models, read full reviews and even search for the best price. There is room for users to rate the products, which I often find useful. For example, the review of the Compaq iPAQ H3650 Pocket PC mentions that its fast processor drains the battery quickly. The review estimates 12 hours of use between charges, but the users are claiming that they are only getting two hours. 
	Now move to CNET to look at handhelds by lifestyle, by price, by operating system, by manufacturer, by top five picks . . . for some of the product there are even videos from their TV show. CNET also links to reviews (different than the ZDNet reviews) and pricing information. 
	MySimon has a nifty “Active Buyer’s Guide” that asks you dozens of questions (it takes 5‑10 minutes) and then makes recommendations based on your criteria. The “tradeoff” questions are clever. They pose several scenarios, along the order of “all else being equal, which product do you prefer?” and then describe two PDAs with one or two competing features. I found the results interesting and the process itself helped figure out what I was looking for. 
	Finally, check out Computer Shopper. Most of their editorial content, at least in the PDA category, referred back to ZDNet. Most of ZDNet’s pricing information comes from Computer Shopper. 
	If all of this sounds incestuous, it is. I picture about five guys, all sitting in the same room, deciding what the best PDA (or camera, or printer, or scanner . . .) I should buy. This isn’t all bad—five heads are better than one —but it would be prudent to check some other sources. 
	If all you want is no‑frill reviews, check out Review Booth. They carry links to more than 16,000 product reviews, handily arranged by category. 
	I found PC World disappointing. It’s repackaged material from the magazine, which is excellent, but it doesn’t take full advantage of the power of the Internet to integrate the information. They are not as thorough as the CDN Network in providing product reviews of individual products or in offering the opportunity to directly compare products. 
	I enjoy the About.Com guides. The guide for handhelds can be reached directly at palmtops.about.com/ and for digital cameras. To get a complete list of all their computer and technology sections, go to home.about .com/compute/. 
	For buying info, About is not the best first source, but after you narrow the field a bit it’s a superb place to probe more deeply. The topics covered in the handhelds category include: Pocket PC Update; Hot Palm Software; Medical Palm; Education Software; Database Apps; DOC Readers; Overclocking and about 25 more topics. 
	If price is your main criteria, try PriceScan. This site finds best prices for computer stuff and displays a price trend report which shows a graph of high, low and average prices over time. A savvy shopper could use this feature to spot trends and predict the best time in a product life cycle to buy. Another helpful utility is the PriceScan Alert, which will send you a one‑time message when the item you are watching hits your target price. 	Reprinted from the December 2001 issue of PC Alamode, the newsletter of the Alamo PC Organization, Inc. of San Antonio, TX. This is her final Net Nerds column but Susan Ives promises not to disappear entirely.

Computer Law

The Internet,
the Law and
 Emergency Planning
by Bill Wood
AlamoPC
I
t seems like a year ago. I had just sent my article to the Editor of PC Alamode on September 11th from New Orleans when we learned the horrible news. Life for all of us has changed. Many of us turned to the Internet for news, to send messages to co‑workers and loved ones and to make travel arrangements to get home. Others turned to the Internet to begin recovery operations. 
	Nobody’s disaster plan could have envisioned all of the challenges that we faced in those first hours and days. But, the need for disaster planning was proven. In some ways having any plan was a start toward rebuilding. This month I’d like to make a few observations about the legal aspects of a recovery plan and suggest a few items to discuss with your attorney. 
	Your plan should be a lot like the Y2K preparations. Remember that? What are your essential tools, where do you store the data and how do you get to it? It doesn’t matter if it is your family finances or the electronic nerve center for a multinational corporation. If you lose your data, you have suffered a second disaster. 

	One thing is abundantly clear. The Internet proved its resiliency that day in September. When telephone lines were clogged, e‑mail and instant messaging was working. One observer noted that instant messaging buddy lists were invaluable in locating employees that were spread around the county. As each one logged on a computer, the buddy lists lit up with another name of someone who was safe. 
	By all means include the Internet in your recovery plans. Having a plan where every remote site and traveling employee sends a status e‑mail to a central mailbox is cheap and makes sense. If e‑mail is down try IRC channels or instant messaging buddy lists. Knowing that family, friends and co‑workers are safe is essential. No recovery is possible when you are worried about the safety of your people. 
	Storing backup copies of essential files and software off site makes sense. You will need to ensure that you have the necessary software, hardware, log‑on information and licenses to accomplish a recovery that is as smooth as the situation will allow. 
	Especially with new software that tracks its installation to specific PC’s (Microsoft Windows XP for instance) you will need access to a PC that can legally run the software. That means you need reserve licenses for the operating system, the backup program itself and the application programs. Even if you have the legal right to make a backup of an application program, if you have the original disk and key right next to the PC that is destroyed in a fire, you still have a problem..
	You should think about the location of the fall‑back site. Some of the businesses in the World Trade Center maintained the data archives in real time at sites in New Jersey and at other locations around the country. One firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, maintained a mirror site with hardware and software in Rochelle Park, NJ and it kept a third set‑up at its London facility. For them, the equipment and data was safe and reasonably available as soon as they were able to regroup. They dealt with the horrible loss of life — more than seven hundred co‑workers died that day — but they were ready when bond trading resumed two days later. (Baseline Magazine printed a riveting account of their actions and a copy is available online. 
	Others weren’t so well prepared. Some maintained the second set of data in the other World Trade tower. 
	If your backup site is served by the same power grid as your primary site or is located too close to the original site, you may still have a problem. At least some of the backup generators in the World Trade Center area worked as expected…until they were choked with the dust that made breathing almost impossible. The same result might have occurred in a fire or earthquake. Nothing says the natural or man‑made disaster won’t affect the backup generator if it is located right beside your primary site. 
	Storing that information, backup copies of the programs and data, and copies of the keys to unlock them at a remote site can all be accomplished via that net. However, prudent planning would indicate that an offline set should also be available. Although the net slowed on September 11th, it didn’t break. However, recent experiences with denial of services attacks indicate that you can’t always rely upon one specific Internet site to be available when you need it. 
	All of which is to say that you should certainly think about storing a second backup set offline. Again, check your license agreements, but since this copy of the program is not actively running on a computer you may not need to pay a licensing fee for it because the copyright law already provides for the making of an archival copy. Consider entering a mutual aid agreement with a friend or business associate that runs a computer system similar to yours that will allow you to share their equipment until your computers are running again. 
	Your legal checklist should include an inventory of the programs you need to resume operation.  
Hint: This list could also serve as the basis for filing an insurance claim

Find Sound Bytes every Saturday on
WHAM 1180 from 12:20 to 2 pm
	It does not matter if you are a family or a multinational corporation. Make a list. You must also think about the hardware you will need. A new PC can usually be obtained very easily. But do you need a minimum capacity for the RAM and the hard drive? What about a replacement for the DSL or cable modem? Do you have a copy of the settings for the broadband connection and the dial‑up number for the Internet Service Provider in your area as well as for the backup site? How about including the ISP Customer Service telephone number (and your account details) in your recovery plan? 
	You should check the license for the programs you need. As noted above, the licenses to most consumer and business programs allow you to make a back‑up copy for archival purposes. However, it may not allow you to actually install the program on a second, remote machine at the same time to ensure that the backup system is actually working? You’d be surprised how often the first drafts of contracts from reputable software vendors do not legally permit the installation and testing of the backup set. If you are negotiating the license, by all means insist that you be allowed reasonable rights to install and test the program on a backup machine to ensure the archive system is really working. 
	That brings me to a problem with the new licensing mechanisms. Microsoft’s new Windows XP Operating System comes in two versions. The consumer version requires that you register it within a certain amount of time. The registration process, Microsoft calls it “Product Activation,” takes a snapshot of the configuration of the machine upon which it has been installed and transmits that information to Microsoft. Thereafter, any attempt to install the program on a second PC will cause the program to treat the second installation as an unauthorized copy. The problem comes in when your original machine is toast. Normally you would be within your legal rights to transfer the paid license to a substitute machine. It appears that Windows XP owners will have to convince Microsoft that the second installation is legitimate. (Actually, some users testing the beta version claim the software has stopped working for no apparent reason. The program wrongly surmised that it was on a new machine.) 
	I have not seen the license that accompanies Microsoft Windows XP but I will be very interested in reading what rights the purchaser has to reinstall it on a second machine when the first machine is sold or destroyed. More importantly, how fast will Microsoft be able to issue substitute keys to unlock the system when hundreds, maybe thousands of PC’s are replaced through a natural or man‑made disaster? 
	What things should you do first? 
	Take a deep breath, hug your family and get to work on your plan. 
	Reprinted from the December 2001 issue of PC Alamode, the newsletter of the Alamo PC Organization, Inc. of San Antonio, TX  .

by Dennis Schulman
Tampa Bay Computer Society
A
re Your Mortgage Rates Too High?” “Can You Work 10 Hours A Week and Make $10,000 A Month More?” “Do You Want to Lose 30-40-50 Pounds and Nothing Works?” “Would you like to be secure in your financial future?” “REAL ESTATE IS THE ANSWER!” “Would A 5% Mortgage Interest You?” “Try A New Form of Internet Entertainment!” “Need A New Computer?” “Do You Have Bad Credit?” “Fix Your Windows Registry Once and for All!” “Congratulations! You have been selected as a finalist in the Getaway Travel Sweepstakes!”
	Are you getting tired of deleting this stuff?
	Junk Spy can do it for you! All you need is 3 MB of free disk space, an e-mail program that uses the POP3 protocol to receive mail, and Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4.0, 2000, or OS/2 Warp. In all cases, WinSock 2 runtime is required.
	Junk Spy v 2.0 does not work in Netscape 6, Juno, and many of the freebie Internet connections that do not use Internet e-mail programs. And there are a few changes that must be made to your e-mail program to make it work with Junk Spy. Setup instructions specific to the following e-mail applications are included: Eudora, GoldMine, MR/2 ICE, Netscape 4.7x, Notes R5, Outlook, Outlook Express, Pegasus, PMMail 2000, and Polarbar Mailer. Just remember: junk mail is not the messages you receive on a mailing list or mail from a company you signed up with. While you may find them undesirable, e-mail from organizations you gave your address to is not technically junk.
	Installation is very easy and straight-forward from a CD or you can download it from the Internet from Sundial Systems website: www.junkspy.com
	There is an installation Wizard that guides you through all the network phases — even if you don’t understand what needs to be done!
	Since Junk Spy can be run without registering, the non-registered (demo) mode only allows 2 pieces of junk mail a day until you register and pay for it ($59 retail, $39 to user groups). At least that way you can get the flavor of the program. Once installed, Junk Spy intercepts your e-mail and verifies to you that it made the right decision, it then blocks (filters) your junk until you decide to change your criteria. You can even create a junk mail folder to direct Junk Spy’s interceptions to — in the event that a message may get identified as junk by mistake, so you can tighten or loosen the rules it uses.
	Why bother? Well, if you don’t get very much junk, then don’t bother. But if you get something you don’t want and you reply to the cancel subscription option website address, you just may find that you start getting even more junk. (Hey! This joker actually read the e-mail and followed our instructions! Let’s sell this address to other junk mail companies! )
	Obviously, there must be some money to be made in sending junk mail, otherwise they wouldn’t bother. At the same time you have to realize that junk mail service is handled by an Internet Service Provider for a fee and that fee helps to offset your connection cost. So, junk mail does have a redeeming feature — even if you don’t like it.
	Although I haven’t noticed anything yet, I understand that Junk Spy to some extent recognizes virus content e-mail and also works with your anti-virus download filter to keep potentially harmful e-mail out of your inbox. Once you are registered, Sundial Systems updates automatically the Detector Database via e-mail, since junk mailers are constantly trying to sneak around spam and junk blockers.
	The documentation for the program, including setup and tweaking, is thoughtfully written and wonderfully easy to read — with plenty of illustrations as to what you can expect to see during a procedure. After you’ve purchased and registered your copy, you’ll receive a password to use with your license number for access to the Junk Spy Detection Update Center. The Junk Spy Detection Update Center is the place to go to change the e-mail address that your Junk Spy updates are sent to. In addition, you’ll see when updates have been sent and can have them resent to you, if necessary.
	For some Junk Spy is just the ticket to monitoring and eliminating junk mail you did not ask for and do not want. For others you’re stuck unless you cancel your current e-mail address service and start fresh. Do something. Good luck! 
	Reprinted from the November issue of the Tampa Bay Computer Society newsletter Bits & Bytes.	

Help Cure Anthrax, Cancer,
and Other Diseases
http//www.intel.com/cure/
Put the power of your computer to use helping combat disease. At this site, you can download a program that runs in the background making you part of a world-wide virtual super-computer. It doesn’t degrade the speed of your computer and you are unaware of its presence unless you choose to watch it run.	–Sally

From The DealsGuy
by Bob Click
Greater Orlando Computer Users Group
I
 like Caligari software for the unique effects it offers. Last year they began sending me e‑mail marketing messages for their products, often a special offer. When they came out with iSpace, I bought their introductory special. Two months later they introduced an updated version of iSpace, but if I wanted it, I had to buy it. I was upset and didn’t buy it. I complained, but to no avail.
	Several months later, I purchased a special they offered on version 5.1 of trueSpace with some plug‑ins bundled (how soon we forget). Not even a month later, they introduced trueSpace 5.2, an updated version that I would have to pay $99 for if I wanted it. I thought that was unfair and complained to their marketing department, saying that other vendors usually have a grace period for a free upgrade if you have just purchased their software, but it fell on deaf ears. I feel their marketing tactics are very unethical and I have now written off buying anything more from Caligari. I just thought I’d alert you to my experience.
Still Good
	Word Smith for the Palm is still good. Go to [http://www.bluenomad.com] to order. The Omega Frame should still be good. To order, e‑mail your request to George Johnson [jenco@pacbell.net] and mention the "DealsGuy column." By this time, I'm sure the eVest deal is dead because it was only good until supplies lasted. Unfortunately, other offers helped to deplete their inventory fast, so I'm sure most of my readers missed out. I don't understand why it was just for the present supplies, but that was the rule. He did not tell me it was a closeout, and I've not received a new offer to replace the old one under the circumstances.
	Two readers had problems with PC Pinpoint. Be SURE to type DealsGuy (one word) in the password box for the discount. They tell me they are very committed to resolving your problem or your money back. Keep their techs at it until they get it fixed, if a fix is possible.
Not A Good Month For Deals
	Vendors completely ignored me this month except for one who contacted me about an offer. What I thought were some good leads for deals from vendors I talked to at Comdex are duds so far. Four vendors I’ve since tried to contact have completely ignored me by not returning my phone calls or e‑mail. Another marketing manager hung up on me when I was trying to explain my column to him. I guess they don’t need any help.
	Reminds me of a vendor I was making my pitch to at Comdex. His product was a solution called “Wipe Out” to repair scratches on CDs. He quickly interrupted to show me write‑ups in several magazines saying he already has lots of exposure and the last thing he needed was more media exposure by (insults withheld). It didn’t take me long to exit that vendor’s booth. It was one thing to tell me he was not interested, but quite another to impugn my integrity and use those comments in front of my wife. A friend standing near was also dumbfounded.
Do Your Income Taxes FREE
	It seems I always forget Tax Act at this time of year, but I’m belatedly reminding you about the free income tax software from Second Story Software. There is also an upgrade version. The paid version is only $19.95 and does offer better features. Download your choice at [http://www.taxact.com] and I’d say to get it done soon.
Ink Jet Your Ink Jet
	Susie McLean of Inksell.com contacted me about offering my readers a discount on their products. I know nothing about prices for this type of product, so you are on your own here. However, the Web site seems very professional and it sounds like they offer quality product. Here is Suzie’s message:
	“InkSell.com is a discount printing Supply Company that specializes in cartridges for all makes of ink jet and laser printers, solid ink printers, copiers, and fax machines. We sell brand names, new (not remanufactured) compatible cartridges, and refill kits. Our compatible cartridge quality is certified to match that of the manufacturer and our prices are up to 70 and 80% less. We would be happy to offer your readers a 10% discount on purchases at our online store.
	“A discount coupon code will be valid through April 30, 2002. To redeem the 10% discount, (not valid with any other discount or offer), simply visit our site, [http://www .inksell.com], place your order and continue to ‘check out’ where there will be a blank to enter the discount coupon code (D0302). The discount will be automatically calculated. Should anyone have questions or need assistance, phone customer service at 1‑800‑255‑0483, or send e‑mail to [help @inksell.com].”
	Here are more items I found in the September issue of the Macon Users Group’s newsletter.
Free HTML Editor
	1st Page 2000 is a professional HTML Editor that you can use to create a very good Web site. I understand there are over 450 Javascripts and it supports just about all the latest Web languages. They say it has won 14 Web awards and has been rated one of the top three HTML editors of all time. It contains a novice interface along with an expert one, and, get this ... I’m told it offers live tech support and user forums.
	You’ll find it at [http://www.evrsoft.com] where you can find more information and download it if you like.
Make Annoying Popup Windows Go Away
	Popup Killer is a godsend if you hate those ads popping up all the time when you're on line. They are annoying and we can do without them. This is another one I found in the Macon Users Group newsletter. If this concept interests you, go to [http://software.xfx.net/utilities/popupkiller/]. It's freeware, but the article I read recommends you send the author $7.00 to help keep him in beer and pretzels. I'm not sure if that would be the author of popup killer or the author of that article!
Clean Up Your Mail Before Forwarding (Another From Macon Users Group newsletter)
	I'm sure you've received e‑mail that has been forwarded several times and filled with all kinds of annoying marks. StripMail is just the ticket. It cleans up all those angle brackets and other marks from the e‑mail before you forward it on. StripMail will also format text into paragraphs and change the right margin by indenting. You'll find StripMail at [http://www.dsoft.com.tr/stripmail]. It's free and only 265 KB.
SPAM Punisher 
(From the Macon Users Group newsletter)
	SPAM Punisher is an anti‑spam tool that makes it easy for you to find out the address of a spammer’s Internet Service Provider, then generate and send complaints. If an ISP receives enough complaints generated by SPAM Punisher, he may close Internet access to a spammer. Tech TV’s The Screensavers recommended it as “a free download of the day.” You can download the utility from [http://biosolutions.hypermart.net/].
	That’s it for this month. Meet me here again next month if your editor permits. This column is written to make user group members aware of special offers I have found or arranged, and my comments should not be interpreted to encourage, or discourage, the purchase of products, no matter how enthused I might sound. Bob (The Cheapskate) Click [Bobclick@dealsguy.com]. Visit my Web site at [http://www.dealsguy.com] for past columns. Also, there are interesting articles from user group newsletters on my “Articles of Interest” page for viewing or downloading.
Practicing the Black Art

Are you saved?
by Vinny La Bash vlabash@home.com
Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.
M
any people have difficulty finding their data because they pay little or no attention to where they save their files. The same lack of attention is given to naming files. This happens because a lot of folks have no idea where a file ends up when downloading it from the Web, or trying to save it in a word processor. One of the most important things you can do to avoid these unnecessary problems is to understand how to use the Save and the Save As... dialog boxes.
	If you are saving something for the very first time Windows is going to present you with the Save As... dialog box. The box appears because Windows doesn’t know which folder to save your work in, or what to name it.
	The following list shows how the Save As... dialog box can appear on your system:

1.	Opening the File menu and clicking on the Save As... option, always brings up the dialog box. 
2.	Clicking on the Save option in the File menu will produce the dialog box only if you’re saving the document for the very first time. Once you specify a folder and file name, Windows simply saves the changes and doesn’t ask for the information again. 
3.	Clicking the Save button on the Toolbar brings up the dialog box the first time you save a document. If you’ve previously saved the document, Windows saves the changes and doesn’t bring up the box. 
4.	Using the keystroke combination Ctrl + S will produce the dialog box only if you’re saving the document for the very first time. Once you specify a folder and file name, Windows, as in item 2, simply saves the changes and doesn’t ask for the information again. 
5.	Pressing the F3 function key always brings up the dialog box. 
6.	Creating a new document and then trying to exit the program without saving will get you a confirmation dialog box asking if you want to save your work. If you answer Yes, you will see the Save As... dialog box. 
7.	Windows will desperately try to save your work, even if you forget to save your changes. The computer does this through dialog boxes which establish a conversation between you and your computer through the Windows environment. You begin the dialog when you ask Windows to save your work. Windows responds with a dialog box that asks “OK, where do you want me to save the file, and what do you want to call it?” Windows does not have any other method of communicating with you which may explain why a typical response is to stare at the box in dull‑witted incomprehension until the eyes glaze over, foam appears at the mouth and a state of temporary insanity takes over. This is what sometimes happens when otherwise reasonable people are asked to make a decision under duress.
	Let’s look at the Save As... dialog box that appears when you attempt to save your Word 2000 document and understand its options. Other applications that run under Windows have similar dialog boxes.
Save In
	The “Save in” drop‑down list displays icons representing your Windows desktop, the disk drives available to your computer, the Network Neighborhood through which you can reach other computers on your network (or My Network Places if you’re using Windows XP), and the folder hierarchy leading down to the current folder. The current folder is where your file will be saved when you choose Save. In the example above, the current folder is the February 2002 subfolder of the Black Art of Computing, which is a subfolder of the Wpdocs folder stored on the hard drive D, which is named APPLS. Alternately, you can choose another item on the list to make it the current folder and display its contents in the list box.
List of Files and Folders
	The large white area in the center of the dialog box generally lists the subfolders contained in the current folder, as well as any files in that folder matching the file type chosen in the “Save as type” box. (More on this later).
	In addition to its name, each file item has a descriptive icon. Most of these icons are assigned based on the filename extension of the file in question, which usually indicates what type of file it is.
	An extension is the part of a file name that follows the period. Depending on what version of Windows you’re working with, an extension can be three or more characters long and usually indicates the nature of the file. The standard extension for a Word document is DOC as in Are You Saved.doc.
File Name
	Name your document in this text box. Before Windows 95, file names had an eight character limit. One character was reserved for the period to act as a separator between the file name and its three character extension, giving you a whopping eleven characters. File names were very creative and downright cryptic before Windows 95. Even though you now have 256 characters available, resist the temptation to become verbose. Keep your file names simple and meaningful, and you will have little trouble finding them.
Note: When you type the name of your document in the File Name: text box, you don’t have to include the extension as part of the name. Windows tacks it on to the end of the file automatically. If you do include it, Windows won’t put it redundantly. In addition, Windows lets you turn off the display of those extensions that are associated with a specific application, so you may not see the .DOC extension at the ends of your Word document names.
Save as Type
	This option gives you a list of the various file formats available. In Word, the default option stores documents in Word Document format, which is usually the best alternative. It’s also the default format which make the most sense since that’s the most likely choice for anyone working in that application.
	Other formats are available for various reasons. For example, if you plan on posting your work on the Web, you can store the document in HTML format. You can store documents in previous versions of Word, or in other word processor formats like WordPerfect.
	If you want to send your document by email, but you don’t know what word processor the recipient is using, try Rich Text Format (RTF) or plain text (TXT). One of these usually works, but some graphics and fancy layouts may not transmit well. If you have conversion utilities installed on your system, your choices will be much wider.
	The large icons on the left side of the dialog box are shortcuts to areas where Microsoft seems to think you would most likely store your documents. Draw your own conclusions.
	This article is hardly the last word on saving your documents, but enough of the basics are here to help you save and more importantly find your work on any Windows system.
	Reprinted from the February 2002 issue of Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.’s newsletter the Monitor. Vinny La Bash is a retired IBM’er who teaches computer part time at the Sarasota Vocational Technical Institute. He is also the host of a local TV Show Computers & You!. 

Shopping Tips for
Internet Shopaholics
by Steve Bass
Pasadena IBM Users Group
L
ast month I described my experience spending over $150 to save about $4 on vitamins I bought on the Internet. This column takes care of the other side of the story: Tips on tackling the problems of Internet buying. 
Fighting the Free Syndrome
	How much do you make an hour? If you’re clocking more than, say, $5 an hour, don’t waste your time hunting for discounts that come and go. The worst ones to try finding are free shipping or $10 off with your first order. A better strategy? If you bump into an offer from Half.com, say, and you’re in the market for a bunch of used books, it’s a slam-dunk. Otherwise, don’t bother tracking them down.
Factor in Shipping
	Paying attention to shipping costs may seem obvious, but there are variables to consider. You might think you’ll save on shipping by choosing a site that charges a flat fee for shipping no matter how many items you purchase. That’s likely true unless the site’s products are inflated to cover the shipping costs. With some items—vitamins, for instance—that’s not such a big deal as most sites charge a flat $4.95 for standard shipping. (One exception, though, is AdvanceRX; they charge a flat fee of $3 for the entire order, and the product pricing is lower than other drug sites.)
Listen to Users
	The wealth of opinions on the Net is overwhelming and you need to tap into it before making any major purchase. There are two spots I listen in on, are useful in its own way. First try the newsgroups and do it using the Google.com search engine. When I was interested in a camcorder, I typed “Panasonic Camcorder” into the Google search field and clicked on Groups. Goggle will provide a list of groups that contain the two words. It’s a little daunting from here because you’ll face at least 10 groups. Choose the one that’s closest to your search. For instance, “Humanities” (Fine art, literature, philosophy) and “Misc” (Employment, health) won’t fit while “Comp” (Hardware, software, consumer info) sure will. 
	You’ll then see a dozen or more sub-groups belonging to Comp, each with a green bar showing the likely hits in the groups. Type “Panasonic Camcorder” into the field again and choose “Search only in comp.”
	The dilemma, as you’ll soon find out, is there’s a lot to sort through in order to find the recommendations and discussion you’re looking to read. 
	The other spot I really like is Epinions .com. It’s filled with people like us providing their observations and experiences with products. Don’t be put off by thinking these are just willy-nilly opinions. Granted, some are, but most people are careful and thorough in their reports, few seem to have an ulterior motive, and those that do are easy to spot.
	Try Epionions by typing, “Choosing an Air Conditioner” into the search field. Scroll down to “Member Advice” and you’ll get a sense of what Epionions offers. Better, search for an item you’re very familiar with and see what others have to say. 
Make those Comparisons
	You’re crazy if you shop on the Internet without using a price comparison site. There are many available, and here’s a sampling:

•	Mysimon.com
•	
•	Dealtime.com
•	Pricingcentral.com
•	Bizrate.com
•	Smartshop.com
•	BuyBuddy.com
	If you’re wondering which sites I use regularly, take a gander at some of my favorites:
•	Pricescan.com: A neat site with an assortment of ways to search for products and spots to purchase the item. The site does an exemplary job at digging up pricing for a myriad of products including for books, computers, office equipment, home and garden, and other categories.
•	DestinationRX.com: Does a remarkable job at neatly displaying a grid with product, vendor, price, estimated shipping, and total cost. Great: Sorting by column-cost or price-is easy, and getting details about the vendor is a click away. Not so hot: “Total Cost field” doesn’t take into account price per unit, so comparing a bottle of 100 60milligram vitamins with the same bottle of 100mg vitamins isn’t accurate. 
•	Pricewatch.com: This site has been around the longest and provides a fast, convenient way to find the best prices on computing hardware.
•	Addall.com: Think Amazon has the best prices in town? Nope. Half.com, Books AMillion.com, and others often beat Amazon. The saving are enough that it makes using Addall.com a must every time you shop for books.
•	PCworld.pricegrabber.com: I’m a little biased here, so pardon my conflict-of-interest for a minute, and try PCWorld’s Product Finder. Primarily hardware, software, and electronics, it gives you a way to find products, and check and compare their prices. Three things I like better here than the other sites: I can easily track a product, watching for price changes, just by supplying my e-mail address. Next, if the product’s been reviewed by PC World, one click gets me to the article. Finally, the site gives me access to the full spec sheet of the product, something I find invaluable.
•	Cnet’s shopper.cnet.com: Does a decent job with hardware and software but only so-so for consumer electronics. It’s sometimes difficult separating ads from product reviews.
	Steve Bass is a Contributing Editor with PC World and runs the Pasadena IBM Users Group. He’s also a founding member of APCUG Write to him at Steve_bass@pcworld.com. Check PCW’s current edition at http://www.pcworld.com/re-source/toc/index.asp and sign up for the Steve Bass online newsletter at www.pcworld.com /bass_letter.
Media Notes
by Bill Petitt
A
OL Confirms Security Hole in AIM – Flaw could leave PCs vulnerable to malicious code.
	America Online admitted last month that there was a security hole in the latest versions of its AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) chat program, which corroborates findings an independent security group released Wednesday. AOL says it will fix the problem by changing the server software. The applications existing on users machines do not need modification.
	AOL has “identified the issue and developed a resolution that has been deployed,” says Andrew Weinstein, spokesperson. The fix to the hole took place on AOL’s servers and did not require users to download patches, he says. AOL was unaware of the security problem actually impacting any users, he adds.
Buddy List Flaw
	The hole, discovered by the security group w00w00, takes advantage of a flaw in the shared game features of AIM, Weinstein says. The vulnerable feature lets users invite members of their buddy list to participate in online games, but could let an attacker send malicious code to the victim’s machine, w00w00 says in its advisory.
	The security group also speculates that virus writers could use the bug to create a worm similar to the Code Red and Nimda worms that hit Microsoft’s IIS (Internet Information Services) Web servers in July and October, respectively. In this scenario, the worm would attack vulnerable systems and spread via the buddy list on the infected PC, W00w00 says.

has a weekly listener call-in computer talk show featuring news, product reviews, helpful tips, and special guests. It’s broadcast live on Monday evenings from 6:30 until 7:30 with a taped replay on Saturday mornings from 8 to 9. It’s also simulcast live on the web at www.wysl1040 .com
Helping Hand?
	In a move that could potentially bring such a scenario into reality, W00w00 also posted code on its Web site that would let people use the hole for attacks. Posting full attack code follows full disclosure policy, which has been at the heart of a number of debates in the security community in recent months.
	The vulnerability affects users of AIM versions 4.7 and 4.8, Weinstein says. W00w00 initially said the same thing, but later amended its findings in a post to the Bugtraq e‑mail list saying that the problem impacts AIM versions as far back as 4.3.
	However, AOL’s Weinstein says that the only versions of the software that support the shared game feature where the vulnerability resides are versions 4.7 and 4.8.
	Although Weinstein did not have exact numbers on hand, he says that AIM has more than 100 million registered users. No numbers were available as to how many users have the vulnerable versions of the software.
	An announcement issued Jan. 4th said that AOL had fixed the problem with an update to the AIM servers. “Rest assured”, they said, “its all fixed.”
Intel revamps the Pentium 4 ‑ New versions of Intel’s Pentium 4 that came out in early January are expected to stifle criticism that the chip is more expensive and offers less‑enthralling performance than its nearest competitor.	
Intel revamps the Pentium 4 – New versions of Intel’s Pentium 4 that came out in early January are expected to stifle criticism that the chip is more expensive and offers less‑enthralling performance than its nearest competitor.
	On January 6th, Intel introduced two new versions of the Pentium 4— code‑named Northwood—that run at 2.2GHz and 2.0GHz. But more important than the speed bump are the design of the chips and the way they are manufactured, developments that are expected to help the company open a competitive gap between itself and cross‑freeway rival Advanced Micro Devices. PCs featuring the chip, along with a chipset for hooking Intel PCs into fast double data rate memory, will arrive the same day from Gateway, Dell Computer and others, according to sources.
	The Northwood Pentium 4 chips differ from the current versions of the chip in that they are made on the 130‑nanometer (0.13‑micron) manufacturing process, rather than on the 180‑nanometer process by which existing Pentium 4s are made. The 130‑nanometer designation refers to the average size of the features on the chip.
	The new process allows Santa Clara, Calif.‑based Intel to dramatically shrink the size of the chip, which in turn allows it to lower the cost or raise its profits per chip. The current Pentium 4 measures 214 square millimeters and initially cost Intel about $100 to manufacture, estimated Kevin Krewell, an analyst at the Microprocessor Report.
	By contrast, Northwood chips will measure approximately 145 square millimeters and cost about $55 initially to make, Krewell said. Other estimates peg Northwood to measure around 116 square millimeters.
	At the same time, performance will improve because Northwood chips will offer—along with the higher clock speeds—a larger secondary cache, a reservoir of memory located on the same piece of silicon as the processor for rapid data access. Northwood chips will contain 512KB of cache, while current Pentium 4s contain 256KB.
	“Because of the increase in cache and the boost in clock frequency, Intel will start to pull away from AMD,” he said. “Even with the larger cache, (the chip) is going to be smaller.”
	Performance has long been a sticking point for the Pentium 4. Although it is the fastest chip on the market today, as measured by gigahertz, analysts and benchmark testers have criticized its overall performance. A 2GHz Pentium 4, for instance, provides less oomph than the Athlon XP 1800+, which runs at 1.5GHz on many benchmarks, according to testers. Gigahertz refers to the number of cycles per second‑‑2 billion in the case of the current Pentium 4. The disparity exists because the Pentium 4 performs less work per clock cycle than the Athlon.
	The lower manufacturing cost will also let Intel continue to wage a price war against AMD. The 2.2GHz Northwood will come out at $562, the typical entry point for Pentium 4s. Prices on other Pentium 4s will be cut during January. The price war has been great for customers, but it has drastically cut Intel’s profits and sent AMD into the red. Pricing “is not going to get any better,” Krewell said.
	Sunnyvale, Calif.‑based AMD, of course, wasn’t standing still. It kicked off 2002 with a 2000+ Athlon XP in January. In the first quarter, it will also come out with “Thoroughbred,” a version of its Athlon XP chip made on the 130‑nanometer process. The chip will cover 80 square millimeters in area. “We believe we have a 10 percent to 20 percent advantage on cost” because of smaller chip sizes, Hector Ruiz, president of AMD, said in November.
	The Northwood chips will also be the first Pentium 4 chips to be made with copper wires, rather than aluminum ones. Copper conducts electricity better than aluminum and thus gives designers an avenue to break through looming physical barriers that could prevent further boosts in chip performance. Intel introduced its first copper processors, Pentium III‑M chips for notebooks, in the middle of last year. A copper 1.2GHz Celeron, based on the Pentium III architecture, came out in October. AMD and IBM already sell desktop processors with copper.
	Although it may seem odd to release new chips and PCs right after the rush of the holiday buying season, it is a common strategy in the processor business. In 1996, Intel decided to postpone the release of the first Pentium MMX chips from late that year to early 1997. Press coverage of the MMX had been rather extensive, and executives and analysts later blamed the relatively slow buying of 1996 to a desire on the part of consumers to wait until January to buy PCs with the new chips.
	Since then, Intel has tackled the problem by putting out the last major chip releases for a given year in September or October and then refreshing in January. In the first week of 1999, Intel ushered in a raft of Celeron processors, along with a prolonged price war. The Pentium 4 itself was supposed to debut in October 2000, but got pushed back to November because of a minor glitch.

Society News
New User Group Meeting
Feb. 5, 2002
by John McMillan
I
t was a small group that met for February's New Users Meeting. The discussion started when a user mentioned wanting to load a new program that requested that other programs be shut down before starting the installation. He started the conventional method of simultaneously hitting control-alt and delete and then closing everything in the list except Explorer and Systray, one program at a time. As many of us have found, inadvertently pressing the 3 finger salute (contol-alt and delete) twice in succession shuts off the machine and when you restart, the entire list is there again. After several unsuccessful attempts, he finally just loaded the new package which seemed to install ok. Concerned
about what the programs were and whether they were needed or not he copied the list of names. Some of the names could be identified, but many were not recognizable. There was agreement that some programs, particularly virus checkers, should be shut down when loading other software. 
	When the 3 finger salute is used, a Close Program a dialog box appears with a list of programs that are currently running plus buttons for "End Task", "Shut Down", and "Cancel". After selecting a program,
pressing the "End Task" button should close that program, but not all programs close in the same fashion. Sometimes there is a dialog box with "End Task" and "Cancel" buttons that says this program is not responding. Pressing the "End Task" button of that window will close the program. Sometimes there is no apparent action and giving the 3 finger salute again returns the dialog box showing the program is still in the list so you need to select it and press "End Task" again. In other cases the closing may not be obvious but when you check the list again the previously selected program is gone.
	Bill Statt suggested a software program called "Enditall" that he thought was available from enditall.com. It is supposed to close all of the open programs except Explorer and Systray. He also thought that C-net downloads or Soundbyte's "I 've heard of a web site on your show." might also provide a path to Enditall. Bill also mentioned clicking Start in the lower left corner of the screen; clicking Run; and typing MSCONFIG. This will open the System Configuration Utility window where clicking the Startup tab will list the programs with a more extensive description. To permanently remove programs, uncheck any that are not required or desired, then click Apply, and Restart the machine to shorten the startup list and process. Any program removed from the startup list can always be started by clicking Start; Programs and then the program itself or by using a shortcut icon on the desktop.
	A related question about file types (extensions or suffixes) was raised because of messages indicating that "Windows does not know what program to open this file with". Windows 98 starts with over 100 predefined file types and their program associations. Frequently when an application builds a file, a 3 character file type is established that allows windows to open the program when the file is opened. Registered file types can be found by opening My Computer, clicking the View menu and selecting Folder Options. In the window that opens, clicking File Types presents a list showing icons and names of registered file types. The extension of any selected entry appears below the list with a larger copy of the icon and an indication of what software opens when you select a file of that type. Buttons are available to add new types and delete or edit existing types. The general and view tabs of Folder Options let you
control the appearance and content of the file half of the My Computer window. Several attendees who opened files in the wrong program had trouble getting the file back but did not know why. 
	One user asked how to change the margins in Notepad, which had been mentioned as an example in the preceding discussion. In Notepad, clicking on the File Menu presents a drop down menu including a Page Setup command which in turn opens a window that allows the top, bottom, left and right margins to be set. Page size, orientation, headers and footers can also be defined. Bill Statt used his laptop to demonstrate how this would appear but noted that in WindowsME it was called Wordpad instead of Notepad. 
	A Picture Publisher user started getting an unnamed window within the normal work area. The narrow vertical window had a blue title bar but no buttons for minimizing, maximizing or closing. There was also a sub header with up and down arrows but the shape could not be adjusted by dragging the edges or corners though it could be moved by dragging the Title bar. No one else used Picture Publisher so no thoughts were forth coming. Subsequently it was found that the Show Object List command of the Object Menu had inadvertently been turned on but there were no objects to list, hence the narrow blank window. 
	A user E-mailed a picture to a friend. In the process he got an option that said "Do you wish to configure this E-mail?" which he assumed would change the resolution from 300 to 72. When the friend got the picture she said it was fine on the screen but not when printed. Bill Statt thought that the resolution was changed to 640 by 480 and asked what size picture was printed. He said that would print a decent 3 x 5 picture but an 8 x 10 would be very grainy. Clicking on Properties would tell what type file it was and show the resolution. 
	Another user asked why his screen had a half inch black border around it. It was pointed out that most monitors have buttons or dials that adjust contrast, brightness width and height or move the picture to the left or right and that one or more of these may have been accidentally changed.
	When asked what is new with Napster, Bill Statt said it is dead and should be uninstalled. He is currently using AG Satellight's AudioGalaxy and Win Mix which he demonstrated. Both are free but Audio Galaxy, which is limited, is faster so it is his first choice. Some of the songs that were listed were blocked, based upon the fact that they are currently available at record stores and outlets. Those which are no longer for sale are not blocked. He did mention that the AudioGalaxy download included some spyware. 
	The same user asked about Seagate's personal firewall which received very high rating by PC Magazine. ZoneAlarm, the firewall most talked about locally, can be downloaded free from ZoneLabs.com. Not only does Zone Alarm prevent people from breaking into your system, it also gives you control of things leaving your system for the internet by asking for permission thereby preventing a virus from sending things out. Levels of security can be selected by the user when the firewall is installed and at that time it should be added to your startup file so it is always running. Everyone who uses E-mail or surfs the net should have an active firewall because any machine with an active on line connection is vulnerable. Hackers have gotten into the Monroe County Library system and I have been attacked by hackers while connected to the Library system.
	Bill demonstrated bringing up www. soundbytes.org and then opening the link to “I heard a web site on your show” that provides a list of web address links organized alphabetically and by program date. This is a good place to find links to some of the more popular downloadable programs. The current list includes “Ad Aware,” “Ask Nick,” “Easy Clean,” “Microsoft Hardware Compatibility List,” “Spam Killer” and “Zone Alarm” just to mention a few. Http//download.cnet.com also provides a number of links to popular download sites and in addition gives statistics on a programs popularity with users as well as comments both good and bad. 
	Recognize that these notes summarize an hour of interesting discussions. If you want all of the details, why not plan to join us on March 5th for our next meeting at the  Monroe Developmental Center, 630 Westfall Rd.
PROGRAM MEETING
MINUTES
February 12, 2002
Charles Grover, Secretary
[Note: the Secretary has checked all URL's given below and updated them.]
Our meeting was held in room one at Element K, beginning at 6:30 with Helps Half Hour, led by Arpad Kovacs. Before taking questions he added a little information to last month's discussion. The start up control panel program is available at http://www.mlin.net /StartupCPL.shtml. He told us that .avi files are DivX files and that information is available from http://www.divx.com. 
	At the end of Helps Half Hour a member expressed thanks for Sally's work on the Monitor.
	Steve Staub, treasurer, presided over the business meeting. He told us that he is trying to get a response from the computer show operators about our having a table at the next show. He went on to talk about the work of the Nominating Committee. Steve agreed to take on this work at the last Board meeting. This year, we need to elect a President, Vice President, Secretary, and one Member at Large. Steve informed us of the difficulty and great importance of filling these positions, for if we do not fill them the Board will have to start proceedings to disband the organization. People on a slate for election will be asked to write a paragraph about their expertise, which will go into the Monitor. The election will be at the May meeting. The terms of the new officers begin in September.
	The program topic for next month is “Use of Computers in Newspaper Publishing.” For April we can perhaps invite Annexa back for another Linux program.
	In response to a question, Sally Springett confirmed that the Money 2002 door prize will require a review for Monitor.
	Frank Howden rose to speak about the need to "give back something" by serving in leadership positions.
	It was reported that the McAfee Store site has given some members problems in purchasing updates. 128 bit encryption is required; make sure it is enabled. Internet Explorer has worked for some where Netscape would not.
	Bill Statt announced that he had brought in some copies of Smart Computing tricks for various operating systems. They were made available for the members.
	Ron Matteson began the program portion by distributing a poll on program ideas. He told us that We Do Windows is having a program the following evening on storage trends. He asked that anyone who might attend let him know how the program was, for we might seek to have the same speaker.
	Ron presented his program, “10 More Tips and Tricks for Windows.” They were as follows.
1.	Burning CD-R disks
2.	Tuning up the PC
3.	Used computers
4.	Windows support
5.	Windows updates
6.	Create your own shortcut icons. (They can be made from a 32 by 32 pixel graphic saved in bitmap format. We were told that an alternative is to get IconEdit Pro at http://www.iconedit.com/.)
7.	Get new drivers for sound card, modem, etc. (Two web sites were given: http://www.windrivers.com/ and http:// download.cnet.com/?tag=txt. Windrivers charges a fee; there is no charge at present for Winfiles.)
8.	EZ shut down (On the desktop: right click|new|shortcut “C:\Windows\rundll .exe user.exe,exitwindows.” Rename the shortcut if you wish.
9.	Fixed Swap Space (First defrag the drive where your swap file is located - most likely C:, right click my computer, properties, performance tab, virtual memory button, choose “let me specify my own...” The fixed swap space should be 2 ½ to 3 times the size of your RAM.)
10.	Cookies, a-d
	Ron added several bonus tips and tricks.
	Bill Statt will do Helps Half Hour next month. Steve thanked Ron and we applauded him for his presentation. Steve then conducted the drawings and we adjourned shortly after 8:30. Ron collected completed poll questionnaires as we left. 
Program Idea Survey Results
T
he results of the survey taken at the February 12 program meeting were very interesting, and very helpful to the program planning committee. Action on the results may not be too apparent for a few months, due to other things in process; but the information that attendees passed on will be extremely helpful in the future. Thanks!
	Those of you who missed this meeting can still respond by e-mail, by indicating your first, second, and third choices for future programs from the listing below.
	Additional topics were suggested that were not on the survey sheet list: Microsoft PowerPoint, Video capture and editing, Desk-top publishing, Word processing, Voice recognition, and Networking.
	We had one person volunteer to give a talk on desk-top publishing.
	The topics receiving the most first-place votes were: Microsoft XP Operating System (7), and More Tips and Tricks (5). The topics receiving the most votes overall (10 votes each) were: More Tips and Tricks; Web Site Creation, Updates, etc.; and Cleanup/Backup Techniques. 
	Next in order for most votes overall were: How to build/upgrade a PC (9); Music collection, etc. (8); Microsoft XP OS (8); Linux OS (8); and Creating Photo Slide Shows (7). 
Program Idea		 First-place		Overall
Microsoft XP OS		7	  8
More Tips & Tricks		5	10
Web Site Creation		2	10
Cleanup/Backup		3	10
How to Build a PC		3	  9
Music Collection, etc.		2	  8
Linux OS			3	  8
Creating Photo Slide Shows	3	  7
Genealogy			2	  6
Web Server and/or ISP		3	  5
How to Install Windows	1	  5
Computer Architecture		1	  5
Storage Trends			1	  4
AMD, Intel Microproc. Chips	0	  4
Data Communications		2	  3
All others		          0 or 1     0 or 1
More Windows
 Tips and Tricks
by Ron Matteson
1. Burning CD-R disks: Make sure you are trying to load less than about 640 MB of data to the CD. If you keep loading data into a CD until you get a message that it is full, it doesn’t have room on it to write the Table of Contents. Therefore, you should always start a new folder in which you can accumulate stuff to write to the CD. If you have several folders, you can click on one, then use shift-click and/or control-click to select all the folders. Then write-click on the accumulation, select properties, and you will see the total size of all the folders. Keep this below 640 MB, in order to keep 10 MB for the TOC, which should be plenty. (NOC 19.2) Buffer underrun problems? Drop the write-speed down by a factor of 2 or 4.
2. Tuning up the PC: (Charlie spoke on this topic last month—see the February Monitor.)
	1. Update your anti-virus software, and scan for viruses.
	2. Do a backup.
	3. Scan your disks using ScanDisk (in “Safe” mode).
	4. Sweep out unneeded files: Use Start-Programs-Accessories-System-Tools-Disk Cleanup, choose a drive, select OK, and remove files.
	You’ll find additional choices under the More Options tab.
	5. Defragment your drives using Start-Programs-Accessories-System-Tools-Disk Defragmenter (in “Safe” mode). (PCW Dec01)
3. Used Computers:
	Computer Renaissance
	Maven Technologies (advertised in CLM)
	RCR&R (advertised in CLM)
	Yukon Computer (Palmyra)
4. Windows Support: In IE, Click Help-Online Support. (http://support.microsoft.com /directory/; gives you Knowledge Base, FAQ’s, Download Updates and Drivers, and more.) (CLM Dec01)
5. Windows Updates: In IE, Click Tools-Windows Update. (http://windowsupdate .microsoft.com) (CLM Dec01)
	Alternatively, click Start-Windows Update.
	Install “Critical Updates” only. 
	Internet Explorer and Outlook Express can also be updated to ver. 6.0.
6. Create Your Own Shortcut Icons: Create a drawing 32x32 Pixels in size, in any program such as Paint. Save in *.bmp format. Then Right-Click on a shortcut icon you want to change, click Properties, click Change Icon, and browse to where you saved the new one. Click on it, click OK twice. (CLM Oct01) Non-shortcut icons can also be changed, but it involves tampering with the Registry.
7. Get New Drivers for Sound Card, Modem, etc.: Go on the web to 	http://www.win-drivers.com or http://winfiles.cnet.com. (CLM Sep01)
8. Easy Shutdown: On the Desktop, Right-Click and select New, and then Shortcut. Then type in the open field: “C:\windows \rundll.exeuser.exe, exitwindows” without the quotes. You can then change the name of the shortcut if you want, to “Shutdown” or something, the same way you change the name of any folder. (CLM Oct01)
9. Fixed Swap Space: Usually Windows manages virtual memory. This causes some thrashing around of the hard drive, resulting in some loss of efficiency. By using a fixed swap space, this inefficiency can be eliminated. The procedure is as follows:
Defragmentation is recommended first. You must have enough contiguous space on your hard drive to do this.
	Right-Click My Computer
	Choose Properties
	Click the Performance tab
	Click the Virtual Memory button
		Choose Let Me Specify My Own Virtual Memory Settings
	Set the minimum and maximum space to the same value. 2.5x the size of your RAM memory is recommended. E. g. with 256 MB of RAM, the values should be set to 640MB. You will get a couple of warning messages which you can bypass. The computer will have to be restarted in order to have the values take effect. (Windows 98 Secrets, p. 1040)
10. Cookies: Why are cookies used? Two reasons: 1. To identify visitors; and 2. Save information on a transaction between your PC and the web site.
	Why be concerned about cookies? 1. They are information stored on your PC by the web site server. Do they take up too much space on your hard drive? 2. Could they introduce a virus into your PC? 
Concern 1: Browsers usually limit the size of each individual cookie to 4KB. In addition, the total number of cookies saved by your browser is limited. In JavaScript for Dummies, the limit is said to be 300 cookies, but in checking my cookie file (C:\Windows \Cookies)*, I discovered that there were 474 cookies, dating back to March 22, 1999. The total space occupied by the cookies was only 183KB, however. All of the cookies were 1KB in size except two, which were 2KB.
Concern 2: Cookie viewing is only allowed by the domain creating the cookie.
	Cookies offer some advantages to web surfing. Everything you do in interacting with a web site can be encoded into a cookie saved on your PC. The next time you visit that site, then, the site will customize the page your browser sees, in accordance with your last visit. It’s a little disconcerting to have a web page come up saying: “Welcome back, Ron Matteson. Here are some things you might be interested in since the last time you visited here.” But, it can help you in accessing information you want. 
	To configure cookie support in Internet Explorer 6.0:
	Select Tools-Internet Options-Privacy; set the slider to the level you prefer; mine is set to Medium, which does the following: Blocks third-party cookies that do not have a compact privacy policy; Blocks third-party cookies that use personally identifiable information without your implicit consent; and Restricts first-party cookies that use personally identifiable information without implicit consent. The advanced button can be clicked on this dialog box, also, to allow you to override the preset controls invoked by the slider. Also, the Edit button can be clicked to provide control over cookies from one particular web site.
	On older browsers, cookie controls my be found by selecting Tools-Internet Options-Security-Custom Level, and scrolling down to the cookies area.
* If your PC is part of a local area network, your cookies may be in the folder 
	C:\Windows\Profiles\userName\Cookies.
(JavaScript for Dummies, 3rd Ed., Emily Vander Veer; IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 2000)
11. URL Addressing: Save typing when addressing a URL: If it’s http://www .amazon.com for example, just type “amazon” without the quotes, and hold down the Ctrl key while you hit Enter. Your browser will automatically insert all the rest- http://www. and .com.
12. Copy, Move, or Make a Shortcut: Do you want to save, move, or make a shortcut when you drag a file? You can use the Ctrl or Shift key, but I can never remember which one to use for which function. If you drag while holding down the right mouse button instead of the left, you will get a menu of choices, including Copy Here, Move Here, and Create Shortcut Here.
13. More Display Space: Do you want more display space while using Internet Explorer? Hit F11 to eliminate all toolbars except one. To restore, just hit F11 again. To even eliminate the one remaining toolbar, right-click the mouse in an open area of the toolbar, and select Auto-Hide. To see this toolbar again, just move the cursor to the top of the screen. To restore this toolbar, move the cursor to the top of the screen, right-click, and select Auto-Hide again.
14. CD Auto-start Inhibiting: Do you want to prevent a CD from auto-starting when you insert it into your drive? Just hold down the Shift key when you insert the CD. 
	If you want to enable or inhibit auto-start as a default, right-click My Computer, select Properties, choose the Device Manager tab, click the + sign in front of CDRoms, right-click your CDROM, select Properties, choose the Settings tab, and finally check or remove the check in the strangely-named option “Auto insert notification”.
15. The Windows Key: Do you know what the Windows key is used for? That’s the key near the lower left corner of the keyboard, with the Microsoft logo on it. It does have some useful functions:
Windows	Displays the Start menu
Windows + F1	Open Help
Windows + E	Opens Windows Explorer
Windows + F	Opens Find/SearchFiles or Folders
	There are more, but these appear to be especially useful.
More: For more Windows Tips and Tricks, go to the PC World web site: http://www.pcworld .com/resource/printable/article/0,aid,52643,00.asp
Planning Meeting
February 18, 2002
by Charles Grover, Secretary
T
he February meeting of the Board took place on Monday, the 18th, at the home of Sally Springett, beginning at 7 PM. Present were Sally; Steve Staub, Treasurer; Jim McGrath; Ron Matteson; and Charles Grover, Secretary. 
	Members of the Board had received an e-mail message from Joe Varga resigning from his position as President. We received his resignation and accepted his suggestion that he give to the organization the laptop in which the organization had installed a new hard drive.
	Steve spoke about our lease for equipment used to fold and staple the newsletter. It costs us $87 per month. Paying that much each month puts pressure on our finances. Steve will research the requirements of the lease to determine how much longer it has to run and whether we could terminate the lease early. Steve will also be in touch with Joe about items he has in his possession: the projector, banner, laptop and library books.
	Elaborating on our financial position, Steve informed us that there was $1315.17 in the treasury. Steve has not had a response to his queries of Market Pro about having either table space at their next show or payment for their ad. Monthly Monitor costs include $100 for copying, $87 for machinery, refreshments and postage, all totaling about $225, or $2800 per year. We have about 70 members. At $30 per year the annual dues income is about $2100. We pay $180 per year for our mailbox. APCUG dues are $50 per year. We pay about $50 per year for our postal permit.
	Steve reported on his efforts to secure people to run for office in May. Warren Ganter has agreed to run for Member-at-Large. Bill Statt is willing to run for an office. Arpad Kovacs may run for office. There are some other people Steve is asking to consider serving.
	The poll about program topics conducted at the last meeting helped with our planning for the future. We have a program for March set. For the future, Bill Statt wants to give a talk on spy-ware, security and privacy. We could have that in April. Ron will invite a specialist in Web commerce to speak in May. Ralph Squire volunteered to do a talk on desktop publishing. Ron will invite him for June. The picnic would be held in August, so we needed a July program. Some possibilities are that Ron might ask Joe Varga to do a program on Windows XP, or the local Seagate Representative, who did a good program for We Do Windows, might be invited. Steve pointed out that many people are away in July. Charles suggested July might be a good time to ask members to bring their own tips and tricks to share.
	The Computer Renaissance radio program was discussed.
	When we get our equipment back from Joe Varga we can store it at MDC, in Bill Statt's secure office. Our Photography and Scanning SIG and our New Users SIG meet there.
	Summarizing our position then:
1.	We have some program ideas for several months and Ron will be issuing invitations.
2.	When Steve gets information about our lease terms we will have a good sense of our financial outlook.
3.	If Steve continues to have positive response to his invitations to stand for election, we should have a slate of officers for the May meeting.
	Steve reported that postage cost about $37 for the last newsletter mailing. He will soon add another $100 to the postal account. Steve had received some promotional mailings, which he shared with us.
	We finished our work about 8:20 PM.
Treasurer’s Report
by Steve Staub
Balance as of 1/24/02	$1,255.21
Income
Dues	$319.00
Expenses
Paper	$42.40
St. Stephen’s	100.00
Lease	86.72
Food	  29.91
Total	$259.03
Balance as of 2/18/02	$1,315.18
The Lighter Side
Teen Killed in Dispute Over $70 Pair of Domains
Secaucus, N.J. (SatireWire.com) — In yet another sign that senseless geek‑on‑geek crime is out of control, a 13‑year‑old honor student and computer genius was arrested yesterday for allegedly killing a classmate in a dispute over a $70 pair of new domain names. 
	According to bystanders, Byron Pell, 14, was bragging to fellow computer lab students over the two .com addresses he had recently purchased when classmate Evan Gillette, a National Merit Scholar and programming wiz, hacked Pell’s password and registration information and transferred title for the domains to himself. After Gillette refused to transfer title back, police say Pell killed Gillette by shoving a Zip disk down his throat. 
	Because Pell and Gillette are minors, police would not reveal their domain names.
	“This is the third geek‑on‑geek crime we’ve had in the past week, and each one gets more senseless,” said Secaucus police captain Wayne Bolletti. Last Monday, a carload of coders jumped a 12‑year‑old geek and killed the boy by repeatedly banging his head against the start button of his laptop. Police are calling the incident a drive‑by booting. 
Just for Fun  Kill a few minutes with a clock that takes advantage of your high speed connection. http://yugop.com/ver3/stuff/ 03/fla.html
–Pasadena IBM Users Group