Transcript
vol. 25 no. 12 / december 2007
award winning monthly newsletter for orcopug members
december program
annual christmas
fundraising
raffle!
presented by santa’s helpers… charlie moore & mike lyons
big list
of raffle prizes!
www.orcopug.org/ members/2007prizes.pdf
raffle rules 2 pc maintenance 3 security & routers 6 computer tutor 8 outlook express error 9 solid ink sticks 10 keyword explained 11 new, best, worst 12 restore checkpoint 14 mandriva linux 15 spreadsheets 16 member information 18 user group deals 19 orcopug information 20
PROGRAM NOTES
rules of the
raffle
by Mike Lyons, ORCOPUG President
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he Christmas raffle has always been the club’s biggest money maker. The Tuesday, December 11 meeting at the Placentia Library in Placentia is the only meeting of the year where you have to be a member to participate. If you don’t see your name at the badge table, it means your dues have lapsed. Everyone needs to wear their name tags to place bids.
All of the raffle items will be out on display as close to 6:30 p.m. as possible. Each item will have a yellow sticky note with a number on it (corresponding to the number on the raffle prizes list) and a dish in front of it. Once all of the items are displayed, we will name each vendor and give a brief description of each donated item. Ticket sales should start around 7:30 p.m. Tickets are one dollar each. There are two pieces to each ticket. Put one side of the ticket in the bowl and keep the stub. Please keep the ticket stubs you hold intact. It makes easier to check your numbers for winners. Members can put as many tickets as they choose into the bowls in front of each item. All tickets will be deposited into the bowls by 8 p.m. At 8 p.m., we will check the bowls and add “ORCOPUG’ ticket(s) to any bowl with less than five tickets until the count hits five. Our club ticket will be a different color for easy identification. If a club ticket is drawn, the club wins the prize and it is set aside for use in the monthly raffles. Anyone with a delinquent review as of the December meeting cannot win a review item—even if their ticket is drawn. This meeting is always a lot of fun, so bring your smile and your wallet or purse and join us for a great meeting.
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ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
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ee the list of prizes at www.orcopug.org/
members/2007prizes.pdf. Or, request the list from Charlie Moore, charlie@ orcopug.org.
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simple pc maintenance
part 1 – electricity and cooling by Ira Wilsker
like our food, our electricity may be clean or dirty, and clean electricity is vital to our computers’ health
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ost of us are privileged to have desktop and notebook computers that give us a few years of reliable service. Many of us have computers that reach the end of their useful life cycle not because of wear and deterioration, but because of technical obsolescence due to the rapid advances in hardware and software technology. Sitting on the floor adjacent to my computer table, still plugged in and fully functional is a decade old Windows 98 machine that I originally built as a Windows 95 machine. I occasionally (rarely?) turn it on, and it boots fine, but has been technologically eclipsed by my newer machines, rendering it functionally obsolete. One factor which I believe contributed to the longevity of my antique machine was the maintenance and care I lavished upon it. Similar maintenance and care is being provided to my newer machines with the hope that they will last as long. Computer maintenance is required for both the hardware and software on our machines, and can easily be performed by the all-thumbs novice. Our computers are complex electromechanical machines that tend to run well with minimal care, but do require proper care and feeding to prolong their useful lives. Our computers consume electricity much the same way as we consume food. Just like our food, our electricity may be clean or dirty, and clean electricity is vital to our computers’ health. Too many of us simply plug the power cord from our computer directly into the wall socket; while simple and functional, this is a far from ideal source of electricity for our machines. We may not be aware, but much of the electricity coming from our wall outlets may be “dirty,” in that it can vary in voltage, and carry power spikes and surges from both manmade and natural sources. At a minimum, the computer and its valuable peripherals should be plugged into a surge suppressor, and not a simple power strip or extension cord. These devices may filter out the surges or spikes in electricity that at a minimum can cause extensive wear to the power supplies in our computers, or in worst case scenarios can “fry” the components in our computers. The ability to resist surges and spikes is measured in “joules,” and the rule of thumb is the more joules the better. Surge suppressors should be listed by Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) and have a “1449” rating from the UL. Most surge
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Clean and reliable electricity, and keeping our computers cool, can extend the useful and productive life of our computers. suppressors also have plugs for phone and fax lines, and coax connectors for cable lines; power surges can enter the computer through these conduits, so they need to be also protected. Surge suppressors eventually wear out, and occasionally need to be periodically replaced. While arguable, some surge suppressors claim to protect from lightning damage, several even offering an insurance policy against such damage. Have you ever noticed the power flicker or slight dimming of lights when the air conditioner or major appliances click on? The drop in voltage, however short, may damage the computer and its components. The solution for this potential malady is an uninterruptible power supply, more commonly referred to by its acronym “UPS.” Many of the better UPSs offer automatic voltage regulation (AVR), a feature which assures a steady and proper “clean” voltage to the computer despite variations in the power line. UPSs generally offer excellent protection against power spikes and surges, as well as protection and filtering of telephone and cable lines. Many better UPSs also offer some type of guarantee or insurance protection against damage to the computer and its peripherals in the event of power surges or lightning. One warning about UPSs is that they need to have the capacity to provide adequate power to the computer, and generally the larger the capacity the better.
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UPSs also serve another vital function, and that is the ability to provide stable electrical power to the computer in the event of a power failure or brownout, allowing for
the saving of open documents, and the execution of a proper shutdown sequence protecting both hardware and software. Most UPSs come with software to monitor the power consumption and automate the shutdown process in the event of a power outage, and is connected to the computer via a USB cable. Some older UPSs come with a serial cable (DB-9) to control the shutdown process, but most newer computers do not have a serial port, rendering the monitoring and shutdown functions useless. Beware of some wild claims made by some manufacturers as to
ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
how long their products will power a computer in the event of a power failure, as they are often exaggerated. One of the major killers of computers is heat. Many of us are unaware that our computers’ power supplies, hard drives, CD and DVD burners, video cards, CPU chips, and other components put out a lot of heat, and this excessive heat must be removed from the computer. As they come from the factory, if properly engineered, most mass-produced computers can minimally dissipate the heat generated. At a minimum, computers use the fan in the power Turn to next page
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Be sure to ground yourself to remove any static electricity from your body.
supply to draw hot air through the computer, and exhaust it. On older, less powerful computers, this was often adequate, but on newer more powerful computers, which consume more power and generate a lot more heat, this single fan cooling system is often inadequate. Better engineered mass-produced computers, and many locally-built custom computers, incorporate multiple fans to improve cooling. While we can sometimes easily add aftermarket fans and other cooling methods to improve air circulation, that simple task is often beyond what many of us want to do by ourselves. What we all can easily accomplish is to see to it that the vents on our computers, often slats on the back, sides, or bottom of the case are clear and unobstructed. I have repaired several overheated computers that were placed in a closed drawer or cabinet of a computer desk, where exhaust air had no place to go, wrapping the computer in a blanket of heated air, which eventually damaged the components. In one case, with the expressed consent of the owner, I knocked out the rear composite board
of the computer desk, opening the computer to the air, and the overheating problem disappeared. Do not place a modern computer in a closed cabinet or drawer of a computer desk; that is an invitation to disaster. In addition to making sure that the vents in a computer are not externally blocked, we must also assure that the vents are clean and free of dust bunnies and other debris. You may notice all of the dust collected by your furnace filter, and this same dust can be collected inside the computer, blocking the free and proper exchange of cool air. All users should periodically inspect the computer case, possibly with a flashlight, and look for clogged vents, and clear them as appropriate. A very low-powered, low suction vacuum can perform this task, and devices for this purpose are often available from computer and electronics stores. For those who are adventurous, they may want to open the case of the computer for visual inspection. Prior to opening the case, shutdown the computer, and then unplug the power cord. Be sure to ground yourself to remove any static electricity from your body. Always practice maximum safety! Open the case (methods vary by manufacturer) and look for dust bunnies around the power supply, hard drive, video card, mother board,
and CPU chip. The low powered vacuum or a can of clean compressed air can be utilized to dislodge and remove the dust bunnies. One area that should be visually inspected is the fan and heat sink around the CPU chip. There is often a small fan integrated with a heat sink fastened on the top of the chip, and the fan and heat sink frequently get clogged with dust and debris, resulting in overheating of the chip and possibly premature demise of the chip. Dust and debris can be removed from the fan and heat sink with the vacuum, canned air, or very carefully with a cotton swab. This would be a good time for the technically savvy user to consider installing additional cooling fans. Fans are generally inexpensive, and come in a variety of formats. The simplest to install can be inserted in an empty PCI slot in the back of the computer, and is powered through the motherboard, not requiring any additional plugs or other connections. More powerful fans may be installed in the extra fan opening common on most computer cases. Other forms of cooling may be installed as well. Supplemental fans can be inexpensively purchased from any computer parts store, and most large electronics stores, or online. Clean and reliable electricity, and keeping our computers cool, can do much to extend the useful and productive life of our computers. In future columns I will discuss other simple PC maintenance procedures.
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Hi-Tech Heist
T.J. Maxx and Marshalls suffered the worst high-tech heist in shopping history. Hackers raided over 2,400 TJX stores in the U.S., England, and Canada, walking away with close to 100 million credit card numbers in 2005. TJX did have a security system. The problem was it was the outdated encryption code WEP. View the CBS News “60 Minutes” video and transcript at http://tinyurl.com/32bp9j Submitted by Ted Wirtz
wep is not security by Darry D Eggleston, GTBPCUG
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he “60 Minutes” TV show, on November 25th, featured a depressing segment on how easy it is to get credit card and other personal information from major companies and off of any wireless router using WEP. To read the transcript, go to: http://tinyurl.com/yofx9k. To view the video, go to: http://tinyurl.com/32bp9j. WEP, fielded in 1999, was the encryption code used as the big chain stores started going wireless, but within a couple of years, hackers had cracked WEP, rendering it obsolete. (If you go on YouTube, you can learn how to disable WEP in minutes.) There’s a much better encryption code called WPA. In fact, credit card companies urge retailers to upgrade to WPA, but the expense of doing it causes many stores
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not to use it even though hackers can tell who hasn’t upgraded. Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, who led the investigation of the TJX theft for the Canadian government and the Province of Alberta, released her findings on TJX which operates chains in both countries. In 2005, a TJX vice president sent his bosses this email: “We are still vulnerable with WEP as our security key. It must be a risk we are willing to take for the sake of saving money. “By then, the hackers had already broken in, and once in, raided not only the two Miami stores, but over 2,400 TJX stores in the U.S., England, and Canada, walking away with close to 100 million credit card numbers. “Because all the stores are networked to a central Turn to next page
ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
HOW TO
server, by getting in at any part of the network, they could then make their way virtually to the central server and siphon off the information for a year and a half undisturbed. “On top of the credit card numbers, the hackers got hundreds of thousands of drivers’ licenses and Social Security numbers, and military IDs — personal records about their customers kept for years after the purchases were made.” Bottom Line: IF you are using WEP on your wireless router, change to WPA immediately. IF your router does not offer WPA, invest in a new, standard 802.11g router.
setting a router After reading the previous information, the obvious question is, “How do I tell if I have my router set to WEP or WPA?” Don’t be concerned with which one you have, reset it to WPA. Even if you have WPA, it’s time to reset your “pass phrase” any way. (A router uses a “pass phrase,” not a password.” 1. Turn your router upside down or look on the rear for a small pinhole. It should be labeled “RESET.” 2. With the router turned on, unbend a paperclip or use a ballpoint pen and insert it into the hole. You will feel a small button inside. Press on it with the tip of the clip/pen.
Hold the button down for 10 seconds, or until the lights on the front of the router stop blinking. The router will reboot within about a minute and be ready for configuring from its virgin state. NOTE: Some products require you to turn the power off, then press and hold the reset button, then turn the power on with the reset button depressed. The rest of the instructions are the same. Try this method only if the first method fails. 3. Follow your manual on setting up WPA. Don’t have a manual for your router? Visit the website for the manufacturer. You’ll be able to download the manual, in PDF format, to your PC. Follow the instructions for setting the security settings. 4. IF your router does not offer WPA, buy a new one. Prices for the new, standard 802.11g router begin at $40 plus tax. Setting up a secure router is like traveling through the jungle with an 800-pound gorilla. It’s a bruising, rough trip but no one is going to mess with you.
what is this thing called a router?
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broadband router combines the features of a traditional network switch, a firewall, and a DHCP server. Broadband routers are designed for convenience in setting up home networks, particularly for homes with high-speed cable modem or DSL Internet service. A broadband router supports file sharing, Internet connection sharing, and home LAN gaming. A local area network (LAN) is a group of networked computers, printers, or other hardware devices that are all connected relatively close to each other like an office, home, or school. It allows connected users to share files, printers, or other applications. Whether as small as two computers or much larger in size, a LAN’s major purpose is to allow users to share information quickly and easily. A wide area network (WAN) is a group of networked computers in a much larger geographical area, such as a state or country. The best example of a WAN is the Internet, which spans the entire world. A router connects your personal LAN to the WAN using a type of networking protocol called TCP/IP. Read about routers and how they work at http://tinyurl. com/e3ww3. Advantages and disadvantages of different routers and how to select a hardware router can be found at http:// tinyurl.com/37kez7
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HOW TO
ask computer tutor Q
UESTION: In the Outlook Express inbox, I get the oldest received e-mail first, and then the others are haphazard by date. How do I arrange the e-mails so that the most recent ones are at the top of the list? ANSWER: You are able to SORT your emails in several ways in order to be able to find a specific email easily. Inadvertently you may have clicked on the heading for “subject” and consequently the emails have been sorted by the subject showing a haphazard list as far as the date is concerned. To sort the email list by DATE, just click on the DATE HEADING. QUESTION: How can I open my DVD tray if it does not open after I have used it to backup my documents?
not connect to a webpage when I click on them. How do I access these websites? ANSWER: If the URLs or web addresses do not take you to the websites when you click on them, copy and paste them to the address bar on your browser and hit GO or ENTER on your keyboard. If you are not sure how to copy and paste visit this page for instructions: http:// tinyurl.com/ybeuln QUESTION: When I type a web address into an email the link does not become active, turn blue and underlined. How can I get these links to be active so that they can be clicked on when my recipient receives my email? ANSWER: There is an easy solution to this problem: hit the space bar or the enter key on
ANSWER: There are several ways to solve this problem but the one I would use is the following: 1. Click on START 2. Click on MY COMPUTER 3. RIGHT Click on your CD or DVD drive 4. Select EJECT Your drive should open without a problem. QUESTION: The links to web addresses that I receive by email do
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ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
your keyboard after you have typed the URL (web address) or an e-mail address and the link will become active and be underlined in blue. QUESTION: When I type an email or a Word document it disappears all of a sudden and I cannot get it back. Can you tell me why this happens and if I can retrieve it after it has been erased. ANSWER: The reason that your letter or email disappears is that you may have inadvertently clicked the CTRL key instead of the SHIFT key which are located next to each other on your keyboard. There are a couple of safeguards that you can apply: 1. Make sure you manually save the document every ten minutes or set the options to do so. 2. Use the UNDO feature under EDIT or click the UNDO icon which is the backward pointing Turn to next page
REVIEaom interW HOW TO / TROUBLESHOOTING
outlook express:
QUESTION: As a snowbird in Florida I had downloaded some files on my Dell key which is the E drive. I have a hard time accessing the drive when I connect the key to the USB port. Sometimes a dialog box comes up and sometimes it doesn’t. What is the best way to access the info once the key is inserted into the USB port?
arrow on your toolbar. If this icon is not visible look under the chevrons on the toolbar to add the feature. NOTE: The UNDO feature will NOT work if you have saved your document. QUESTION: Where is the INFO BAR? It is preventing me from accessing websites. ANSWER: You may have missed the notice that appears below the toolbar. It is indicated by the large black arrow on the picture below. Just click where indicated to turn the links on.
ANSWER: The best way to find your “key” or “flash drive” or “thumb drive” is to click on My Computer and you will see it pictured as an extra drive with a new assigned letter. You can then double click on the drive and it will open. Files can be dragged or saved to this external medium and they can also be erased at anytime leaving room for more information to be stored. Please remember not to pull out the “thumb drive” without using the “Safely Remove” icon. Used with permission of the author. Pamela Tabak is a computer tutor, and a member and SIG leader in the Boca Raton Computer Society. Her helpful answers appear each month in Boca Bits, the BRCS newsletter.
source of trouble found by Ted Wirtz
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f you have been following the threads in Google Groups about Outlook Express and the “Message could not be displayed” error that occurs after using OE for awhile, the source of the problem has been identified (http:// tinyurl.com/ys8p38). The culprit? McAfee Site Advisor. An automatic update was sent out to all users of Site Advisor on or about 9/15/07. The problem surfaced immediately thereafter, but of course nobody really knew what had happened, because Site Advisor works with browsers on search pages, not having anything to do with mail or news readers. But - it appears some components of OE share DLL’S with IE, so although the update was intended for IE (and Firefox), OE was impacted. Microsoft has determined (among others) that it is a McAfee problem, and is advising those with the problem to contact McAfee. So far, absolutely nothing from McAfee. Numerous people have e-mailed McAfee concerning the problem, but so far, no resolution or updates. If fact no acknowledgement that the problem even exists. If you un-install Site Advisor I understand you get a dialog asking why you are uninstalling it. A number of people have specifically stated the problem in the dialog, which presumably is forwarded to McAfee during the uninstall process. There appears to be two solutions; 1. Remove Site Advisor. 2. Set OE’s reader to read in text only, disabling HTML. Needed whether you use OE as a news reader or for e-mail. This is a workaround, doesn’t cure the root problem. Now the ball is in McAfee’s court. Let’s see what if anything they do to cure the problem.
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xerox
solid color ink sticks solid ink sticks are like a color crayon and simple to replace, nothing to recycle
Q
UESTION: I’ve been reading about Xerox’s solid, color ink sticks. Does it really offer advantages over other laser-quality printers?
ANSWER: Xerox spent five years developing “crayon-like” solid color ink sticks. It claims that its new color printing technology will reduce the total cost of printing in color by half to the monochrome price range. (Purchasing magazine, 10/18/07, p. 33) According to Xerox, “Solid ink is a proven color printing technology only offered by Xerox. A solid ink printer or multifunction printer uses solid sticks (or blocks) of no-mess, non-toxic ink instead of toner or inkjet cartridges. Solid ink is easy to use, produces incredible color print quality, is costeffective, and is very good for the environment. Xerox gives comparisons of solid ink to lasers and inkjets: • More consistent print quality page after page and on any media • Easier to use with no cartridges to load and unload, and no mess • Less waste with no cartridges to dispose of, and far less packaging • No paper curling or wrinkling like inkjet and color laser printers • Fewer parts so there’s less that can go wrong • Faster than inkjet technology • No special paper needed, unlike some inkjet printers • A wider range of colors than most color laser devices However, HP, the printer market share leader, said it considered using its own solid ink technology but dropped the idea “long ago” because of the extra energy needed to
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make it work. It also derided the quality of Xerox’s solid ink, saying, “the output from solid ink also has quality and durability issues. “It can melt in extreme heat, and the waxy surface makes it: harder to write on, highlight, archive, and more prone to scratches.” (Source:“Print War! HP Rips Xerox’ Solid Ink, Xerox Says HP Supplies Wasteful,” CMP Channel, 9/25/07) It is a technology worth exploring if you’re looking for a color printer. Article reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2007 Darry D Eggleston, http://DarryD.com.
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nlike laser and inkjet printers, which need to run out of toner or ink before you can replace it, the solid ink design lets you insert an ink stick any time. Simply top-off the solid ink sticks at your convenience, and you won’t have to worry about running out of ink in the middle of an important job again. If you happen to run out Turn to next page
INNOVATION / KEYWORD
november keyword explained
www.catalogchoice.com
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of color, you can still print in black-only mode. Since the printer completely consumes the solid-ink sticks, you don’t need to change or dispose of messy toner or ink cartridges. Plus solid ink sticks are clean; they won’t rub off on your hands or clothing. With typical ink coverage, solid ink sticks last for about for about 1,000 printed pages. You buy replacement color sticks in packs of three, at around $80 a pack on average. Black sticks cost around $80 for a pack of six. Replacing all of the ink sticks will run you approximately $320. That’s good for almost 3,000 full-color sheets; plus another 3,000 black printouts. That works out to be about 11 cents per full-color page; far less if you add the other 3,000 black print jobs to the equation. http://www. smallbusinesscomputing. com/buyersguide/article. php/3529196
atalog Choice is a free service that allows you to decide what gets in your mailbox. Use it to reduce your mailbox clutter, while helping save natural resources. Catalog Choice is a sponsored project of the Ecology Center. It is endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, and funded by the Overbrook Foundation, the Merck Family Fund, and the Kendeda Fund. The mission of Catalog Choice is to reduce the number of repeat and unsolicited catalog mailings, and to promote the adoption of sustainable industry best practices. Catalog Choice provides services to both consumers and businesses. Consumers can indicate which catalogs they no longer wish to receive, and businesses can receive a list of consumers no longer wanting to receive their catalogs.
did you know?
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ver eight million tons of trees are consumed each year in the production of paper catalogs. Nearly half of the planet’s original forest cover is gone today. Forests have effectively disappeared in 25 countries, and another 29 have lost more than 90% of their forest cover. Deforestation contributes between 20% and 25% of all carbon pollution, causing global climate change. More than one billion people living in extreme poverty around the world depend on forests for their livelihoods. There are other significant environmental impacts from the catalog cycle. The production and disposal of direct mail alone consumes more energy than three million cars. The manufacturing, distribution, collection and disposal of catalogs generates global warming gases as well as air and water pollution. Reducing the number of unwanted catalogs that are mailed will help the environment. ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
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The new, The best, and the worst
by Pim Borman, SW Indiana PC Users Group, Inc.
disruptive open source programs
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he prestigious British weekly news magazine, The Economist, carries a 14-page special report on Innovation in its October 13th, 2007 issue. As you might expect it is about innovation in entrepreneurship, not the kind associated with the name Edison and symbolized by a light bulb. Besides, Edison did not invent light bulbs but only improved them to make them practical and marketable. Of the different kinds of entrepreneurial innovation the articles discuss, a particular one caught my attention. Referring to Clayton Christensen, author of The Innovator’s Dilemma — When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail, The Economist writes: “... even successful firms can get into trouble by trying to please their best customers. Because there may be only a handful of highly profitable, highend buyers who want and can afford more features and better performance, firms can invest heavily in trying to deliver what this elite group wants, even though the resulting products may end up being beyond the reach of the majority of customers.” That opens the door to producers of “inferior” but perfectly adequate, lower priced products to compete successfully and to delegate the incumbents to market niches. Christensen calls this “disruptive” innovation, as opposed to innovation due to product improvements or novel marketing techniques. As examples he mentions how personal computers took over most of the tasks of IBM’s mainframes and Digital Equipment’s mini-computers and how Nucor’s highly efficient mini-mills outdid US Steel’s blast furnaces. Another such disruptive innovation that comes to mind is the development of Open Source software in competition with expensive, overly elaborate programs currently in use by the majority of computers in the Western world. Most users of MS Word never use, or even know or care about, its many arcane features and could save themselves a lot of money by using the free OpenOffice.org’s Writer that has most of the same features. Even simpler, but Turn to next page
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perfectly adequate text processors are available for free, such as Abiword. The OpenOffice suite also includes perfectly adequate offsets for most users of MS Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint presentation manager, database, and drawing programs. Recently IBM announced that it would open up its Corel Office suite, and in particular the powerful Lotus spreadsheet program, to the Open Source community and participate in Open Source program developments. Firefox already has taken over a large corner of Microsoft Internet Explorer’s browser market, based on its simplicity, ease-of-use, and the perception that it is less susceptible to virus attacks. The Thunderbird email program is giving MS Outlook Express a run for its money with easy plug-in access to spell checkers in multiple languages and the expectation of greater safety in everyday use. Most of the powerful image
manipulation features provided by the expensive Adobe Photoshop program are available for free in The Gimp, another Open Source program free for the downloading. Many free programs are available to convert documents back and forth to PDF format, long the carefully preserved domain of the expensive Adobe Acrobat program. There are long lists of other Open Source programs capable of performing just about any function required by users, including an excellent simple checkbook and bookkeeping program, GNUCash and a good genealogy program, GRAMPS. Interestingly, almost all Open Source programs run just as well in Linux, without the need to invest in the performance-hogging, malwaresusceptible, expensive MS Windows operating systems, Vista in particular. Open Source programs, including the Linux operating system, are making only slow inroads in the
Western world, especially the USA, due to the overwhelmingly strong marketing legacy exerted by Microsoft. The rest of the world, in which the USA seems to occupy an ever-diminishing niche, is less overwhelmed by Microsoft and mostly can’t afford its expensive, excessively complex products. Open Source programs are widely used in Asian countries like India and China, and stand to gain further in features and reliability due to inputs from highly capable local programmers. Those countries are only now entering the computer age with literally billions of potential computer users about to acquire their own systems. There is no question what software those new computers will use. Meanwhile, in the Western world Open Source programs have found early adaptors amongst government offices at several levels with limited financial resources for software, that have growing needs for use in computers that are already available at low cost. It may take some time, but the advance of Open Source software is unstoppable because it makes perfect sense. Smart major computer companies, such as IBM and Sun Microsystems, recognize this and have decided to switch, rather than fight. Microsoft, mostly dependent on software sales, may well end up being disrupted like the lamplighters of long ago. Tux, the Linux mascot, might paraphrase the Borg, the StarTrek cyborgs that “assimilated” whole planet populations: “You WILL Be Disrupted... Resistance is Futile.” (Thanks to Louis Ritz for The Economist) Turn to next page
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INTERNET COLUMN / HOW TO
xp restore
checkpoint limit
by Dick Trissel, Central Coast Computer Club
W thermal color printing Thermal printers, still used in cash registers, have been around for about 50 years. They print in blackand-white on special paper using rows of heaters to activate the ink. They are sturdy, small and inexpensive since the only moving parts are there to advance the paper. Scientists at Zink Imaging have developed heatactivated inks in the three complementary colors, cyan, magenta, and yellow, needed to generate full-color images. The dyes used are expected to be stable over
time and are still being improved. A hand-held printer will be available by year-end. 2x3 inch sheets of paper will sell for about $2.00 per 10-pack. Expensive still, but a promising development. Over time the prices are certain to come down . (Chem .& Eng. News, 9/10/2007) © 2007 Willem F.H. Borman. This article may be reproduced in its entirety only, including this statement, by non-profit organizations in their member publications, with mention of the author’s name and the Southwestern Indiana PC Users Group, Inc.
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indows XP will create a restore checkpoint every 24 hours if certain criteria are met. Those criteria are: 24 hours must have passed since the last checkpoint and the computer must be on and idle—no mouse or keyboard activity for a certain length of time (I don’t know what that time period is). Supposedly, this is limited to no more than a few months worth of files. However, I’ve seen computers with several gigabytes of disk files containing restore checkpoints—one for every day for several months. The size of each checkpoint folder is a function of the size of the registry and other system files that get backed up. The smallest (after a new system installation) is around 25 to 30 megabytes per checkpoint. I’ve seen systems where each checkpoint was several hundred megabytes. I doubt that many people want or need more than a few checkpoints. So, there is a way to limit the amount of space used for restore checkpoints. To adjust this space size, right click My Computer, click on Properties, click on the System Restore tab. Select the C: drive and click on settings. You’ll notice a slider that is probably set to Max… 12% of the C: partition size. You can slide the slider to Min., which is 200 megabytes. When this area gets full of checkpoints, it will discard the oldest to make room the new one. Before you do that, you should probably clean up the checkpoints using the system disk CleanUp tool. This will remove all but the last checkpoint. Then, create a new checkpoint. You will now have two checkpoints—the last old one, and a new one. To remove all but the last checkpoint, go to Windows Explorer, right click the C: drive, click on Properties, and click on the Disk Cleanup button. Uncheck all the items listed and click on the More Options tab. In the System Restore section click the Clean Up button and press OK. Completing the clean up will remove all but the last checkpoint. To create a new checkpoint, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. On this window you will have the option to Create a Restore Point. Just follow the instructions.
ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
HOW IT WORKS
seventh in a series of reviews of the top 10 linux distros
what’s mandriva
M
andriva Linux was launched by Gaël Duval in July 1998 under the name of Mandrake Linux. At first, it was just a re-mastered edition of Red Hat Linux with the more user-friendly KDE desktop, but the subsequent releases also added various user-friendly touches, such as a new installer, improved hardware detection, and intuitive disk partitioning utility. As a result of these enhancements, Mandrake Linux flourished. After attracting venture capital and turning into a business, the fortunes of the newly established MandrakeSoft fluctuated widely between a near bankruptcy in early 2003 to a flurry of acquisitions in 2005. The latter, after merging with Brazil’s Conectiva, saw the company change its name to Mandriva. Mandriva Linux is primarily a desktop distribution. Its best loved features are cutting edge software, superb system administration suite (DrakConf), excellent
implementation of its 64-bit edition, and extensive internationalisation support. It had an open development model long before many other popular distributions, with intensive beta testing and frequent stable releases. In recent years, it has also developed an array of installable live CDs and has launched Mandriva Flash— a complete Mandriva Linux system on a bootable USB Flash device. Despite the technical excellence, Mandriva Linux has been losing momentum in recent years. This has partly to do with the emergence of other user-friendly distributions that have caught up with Mandriva, but also with some controversial decisions by the company which have alienated a large sector of the distribution’s user base. Mandriva’s web presence is a messy conglomeration of several different web sites, while its “Mandriva Club,” originally designed to provide added value to paying customers, has been getting mixed reviews. Although the company has been addressing some of the criticism, it continues to face an uphill battle in persuading new Linux users or users of other distributions to try
(and buy) its products. • Pros: Beginner-friendly, especially the commercial editions; excellent central configuration utility; very good out-of-the-box support for dozens of languages; installable live CD • Cons: The company’s customer service has developed bad reputation over the years; complex, confusing web site infrastructure; dropping popularity due to its commercial nature and unpopular corporate decisions in the past • Software package management: URPMI with Rpmdrake (a graphical front-end for URPMI) using RPM packages; “SMART” available as an alternative method • Available editions: Freely downloadable Mandriva Free and One editions for 32-bit (i386) and 64-bit (x86_64) processors; commercial Mandriva Discovery, PowerPack and PowerPack Plus editions for 32-bit (i386) and 64-bit (x86_64); also high-end “Corporate” solutions for desktops, servers and firewalls, all with long-term support options • Suggested Mandriva-based alternatives: PCLinuxOS (desktop), MCNLive (live CD) Copyright © 2007 Ladislav Bodnar. Reprinted with permission.
ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
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INTERNET HOW IT WORKS
part 1 of 2
introduction to spreadsheets
&
ways to use them you probably didn’t know about by Ron Hirsch, Boca Raton Computer Society
M
y monthly articles are usually on the very basics of understanding and using your computer. In a survey last year, I had several people ask about spreadsheets. So, this month I’m going to offer some information on a subject that most of you will find very alien—spreadsheets. But, I feel strongly that you are completely overlooking something which can be very useful, once you understand what a spreadsheet is. A number of years ago, I had several articles in Boca Bits on this topic. This article is a revisit to this subject, and hopefully will open up new vistas to those of you just getting started with computers. And also all those who may be experienced users who have never entered the world of spreadsheets . This article is the first of two parts.
some background
A few years later, I switched from Lotus 1-2-3 to Quattro Pro, back in the early DOS days, and have followed along with it through today’s version 12, which is part of the Corel WordPerfect Suite. Many of you may already have Excel, as it may have come preinstalled on your computer as part of Microsoft Office. But most people I know tend to regard Quattro Pro or Excel as something that they neither understand, nor use. They are missing out on a remarkable capability. The purpose of this article is to introduce you to spreadsheets such as Quattro Pro and Excel. Since I use Quattro Pro, I will generally be referring to it. But Excel is similar in most areas, and once you understand the basic principles, you can readily adapt to either. Today’s word processors and spreadsheets have come a long way since 1987, with many areas of overlapping capabilities. But, there are still people who think that these two types of programs do only what the salesman told me back in 1987. It’s probable that more people have been exposed to a word processor than a spreadsheet. Therefore, the thrust of this article will be to introduce you to the tremendous power available in spreadsheets. Hopefully, you will then have a better feeling about just what a spreadsheet is, and how you can use it. This article is not intended to be a tutorial, but hopefully an eye opener for those who really don’t understand what spreadsheets are, and how they can be used to perform amazing tasks. If you’ve never gotten into spreadsheets, you will be very surprised at some of things that you can do. Later on, in part 2, I mention a few of the activities other than plain number crunching where I use Quattro Pro. Maybe some of them will be useful to you.
In early 1987, when I bought my first computer, I was told that I also had to buy some software, or the computer wouldn’t do anything. Even knowing virtually nothing about personal computers then, that seemed to be a reasonable statement. It’s like buying a power saw. It gives you the capability to saw, but if you don’t buy some lumber, you can’t make anything. The two main types of programs available back then were word processors and spreadsheets, and there were very few of either to choose from. So, I asked the salesman what was the difference between the two. He told me that word processors were for letter writing, and spreadsheets were for “number crunching” such as financial reports and the like. I accepted this simplistic statement, but have learned otherwise since then. Both spreadsheets and spreadsheet basics & number crunching word processors are far more powerful than most people recognize. First, let’s define what a spreadsheet is. A spreadsheet Since programs were mostly standalone then, and cost basically consists of a large number of individual cells, $300-400, I decided to go with the spreadsheet, Lotus 1-2-3 arranged in rows and columns. The user can enter text ver. 2.01 as my starting point. I bought WordPerfect 5.1 for strings, values, or formulas into the cells. These cells can be DOS a year later. That’s when I really got my start with the Turn to next page personal computer.
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ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
HOW IT WORKS
sized in both width and height. In a Quattro Pro 12 spreadsheet, one can have up to 18,728 “pages,” 18,278 columns and 1,000,000 rows available. That’s a lot of room to do a lot of things. This is mainly for PR purposes, as it is unlikely that most people will eventually get close to these numbers. To be practical, if one created a spreadsheet that large, no existing PC could really handle it The columns are designated by letters, and the rows by numbers. Therefore, the upper left corner cell is a1. While this is “one page” of a modern spreadsheet, don’t confuse the page term here with the printed output paper pages. One spreadsheet page could actually contain hundreds of “paper” printed pages. For now, we won’t get into the using of multiple pages in spreadsheets. Let’s just say that each page is like another spreadsheet, and can actually be just that if desired. The earliest use for spreadsheets was for manipulation of numbers. By establishing relationships between various cells, basic arithmetic can be automated.
number manipulation example For example, let’s enter into cell a1 the unit price of widgets, and b1 for the number of widgets. In column c1, we want the extended total dollars, which is the product of the two previous amounts. So, we enter +a1*b1 into cell c1. The asterisk is the multiplication sign in spreadsheets, as it is in a typical electronic calculator. Once we have entered numbers into a1 and b1, the total dollars automatically show in c1. And, whenever we change a1 or b1, c1 immediately changes. Human math errors are eliminated, and instant updating of calculated or linked information results. This simple example is just that—simple. In actual use, very complex arithmetic, and mathematics can be performed instantly. Remember the first electronic calculators—they were just four function devices—adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Then came the “fancy” calculators with exponents, roots, trig functions, log functions etc.. Today’s spreadsheets have everything all built in, and offer a mind-boggling array of features.
While the four common arithmetic functions are the soul of spreadsheets, the available functions and commands run into the thousands. Virtually every mathematical function you can think of is available to the user. And, once the basic information has been put in place, the user can format things in endless ways with lines, fonts, colors, sizes, and shapes. Of course, one doesn’t have to use any of these—but they are there for the using. Quattro Pro also has a very large series of @functions, which are designed to execute all types of special computations/actions for the user. Furthermore, included with Quattro Pro, there are a variety of pre-made template spreadsheets which can do things such as providing the full information of a mortgage/loan payout, month by month, with principal, interest, etc., all displayed. There are many such templates, already formatted, and presented so that any user can take advantage of them. These alone could be worth the price of the suite. Most users I’ve talked to don’t even know they are there.
conclusion This concludes part 1 of the spreadsheet discussion. Next month will be part 2 of this article. In the interim, if you have Excel or Quattro Pro on your computer, and you’ve never used it, why not run the program, and do a little “browsing” around to introduce yourself to the wonderful world of spreadsheets. (Source: Boca Bits, December 2007. Used with permission.)
ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
17
MEMBERS’ PAGE
email addresses
november raffle winners Marine Aquarium Screensaver $25 Dan Gonse Not Present Bill McGraw Winner Borland Delphi 4 $75 Carl Westberg Winner MS paper pad $5 Walter Jackson Winner QoS for IP/mpls Networks $55 Lloyd Boutwell Winner Answers.com T-shirt $5 Mike Lyons Winner Computer Bath $10 Milton Gorham Winner Marine Aquarium Screensaver $25 Dick Tooley Not Present Frank Bollinger Not Present Linda Gonse Not Present Hank Dart Not Present David Musser Not Present Bob Schmahl Not Present Donald Bickel Winner Marine Aquarium Screensaver $25 Lothar Loehr Winner McAfee mousepad $5 Ted Wirtz Winner Security Threat Mitigation book $55 Lothar Loehr Prev. Winner Dick Tooley Not Present Lloyd Boutwell Prev. Winner Siles Bazerman Expired Leonard Prince Winner
New Member
Bazerman, Siles
[email protected] Bollinger, Frank
[email protected] Boutwell, Lloyd
[email protected] Covington III, Gary
[email protected] Gonse, Linda
[email protected] Gorham, Milton
[email protected] Jackson, Walter
[email protected] Kaump, LeRoy
[email protected] Klees, Larry
[email protected] Leese, Stan
[email protected] Loehr, Lothar
[email protected] Lyons, Mike
[email protected] Moore, Charlie
[email protected] Moore, Michael
[email protected] Musser, Dave
[email protected] Tooley, Richard D.
[email protected] Wann, Harold
[email protected] Westberg, Carl
[email protected] Wirtz, Ted
[email protected]
Marine Aquarium Screensaver $25 Lloyd Boutwell Prev. Winner Charlie Moore Winner Norton Antivirus 2005 $10 Don Ogden Not Present Siles Bazerman Expired Darryl Swensen Winner submitted by Mike Lyons
welcome new member
R
obert McDonald, Fullerton, joined our group at our last month’s meeting. Welcome!
time for your membership renewal? OCTOBER 1– Siles Bazerman (2 mos.) DECEMBER 1– Donald Bickel, Dick Tooley, Carl Westberg jANUARY 1– Joe Gionet, Ted Wirtz, Leroy Kaump FEBRUARY 1– Ron Schultz, Darryl Swensen, Charles Burgwin, Mike Lyons, Charlie Moore MARCH 1– Frank Bollinger, Milton Gorham submitted by Charlie Moore
membership application
Renewal*
Expired members are not eligible to win raffle prizes or to access the Members’ Only web page. Last Name
First Name
Mailing Address
Nickname
City
Home Phone ( ) Work Phone ( ) Areas of Interest/Comments
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Meetings are the second Tuesday of every month. See www.orcopug.org for more details.
What a bargain! For about $2 a month you can’t beat the benefits of belonging to our user group! Make check for $25 payable to ORCOPUG — mail to: ORCOPUG, P.O. BOX 716, Brea, California 92822-0716
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ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
USER GROUP DEALS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
free-to-anyone items at the january 2008 meeting!
B
ring your unwanted, computer-related items to our meeting in January. Leave them on the free item table for anyone who wants to take them. Items can be books, magazines, hardware, or software. You must label your items so other members know whom to talk to about any item. The original owner must take all unclaimed items home at the end of the evening. We are not allowed to dump our items in the library’s wastebaskets.
thanks to generous 2006 donators!
W
e sincerely thank the following companies for donating prizes to our 2006 fundraising raffle: 2nd Story Software, Adept Computer, Aviar Inc., AskSam, Help Me 2 Learn, Iolo Technologies, Millennia Corp., NotePage Inc., Pearson Education, Prolific Publishing, Smart Computing, Stardock Systems, and User Group Relations (Gene Barlow). Special thanks to: Charlie Moore and Mike Lyons for building a custom pc as the raffle’s top prize, and to the Toshiba notebook donator.
get magazines at
discounts for user group members
T
hese prices are for new subscriptions and renewals. All orders must be accompanied by a check, cash or money order. Make payable to Herb Goodman, and mail to: Herb Goodman, 8295 Sunlake Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33496. Call or write: 561-488-4465,
[email protected].*
Computer Games Computer Gaming World Computer Shopper Dr. Dobbs Journal Mac Addict Mac World Maximum PC Microsoft System Journal PC Gamer PC Magazine (22 issues/year) PC World Videomaker Wired
1 2 Y
E
A
R
thank you
newsletter contributors!
Charlie Moore, Darry Eggleston, Ira Wilsker, Ladislav Bodnar, Linda Gonse, Ron Hirsch, Mike Lyons, Pamela Tabak, Dick Teissel, Pim Borman, Ted Wirtz, Tim O’Reilly
Deadline for Jan. issue is Dec. 22
O
RCOPUG membership entitles you to access the Members’ Only page at www. orcopug.org for special discounts. User name is first initial+last name (lower case). Password is member letter+number.
S
$12.95 — — $14.95 $28.95 $41.95 $16.97 $32.95 $47.95 $15.95 — — $10.97 $19.97 $28.97 $152.95 — — $ 9.95 $18.95 $27.95 $21.95 $39.95 — $12.95 $23.95 $33.95 $25.97 $48.95 $68.95 $16.95 — — $11.95 $21.95 — $ 6.00 $12.00 $17.00
S
tan Leese did not name the secret keyword when his name was drawn at the November meeting. The prize, a Sudoku handheld electronic game, will be held over until January when the secret keyword raffle will resume. There will be no keyword raffle in December. Darryl Swensen won Acronis True Image version 11 Home, a special raffle prize, donated by Gene Barlow.
members’ only! page
*Revised June 2007
3
keyword/special raffles
Please allow 10 to 12 weeks for your magazines to start. You must supply an address label from your present subscription when renewing. I carry over 300 titles at excellent prices. Just email me for a price.
recycle ink cartridges
P
lease bring your Hewlett Packard, Canon (BC-02, BC-05, BC-20 or BX-3), Lexmark, Dell, Compaq, Kodak, Samsung, or Sharp inkjet cartridges; or any laser cartridge to our next meeting for our ongoing fundraising project.
ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — DECEMBER 2007
19
GROUP INFORMATION
computer users helping computer users
member of the association of personal computer user groups
ORCOPUG Post Office Box 716 Brea, California 92822-0716 714-990-0580 • www.orcopug.org
President, Mike Lyons
[email protected] Treasurer/Membership, Charlie Moore
[email protected] Editor/Webmaster, Linda Gonse
[email protected] Reviews, Terry Schiele
[email protected] Programs, Lothar Loehr
[email protected] Membership, Carl Westberg
[email protected] APCUG Rep, Siles Bazerman
[email protected]
Nibbles & Bits is electronically published and distributed by Orange County IBM PC Users’ Group to its members and vendors. Opinions expressed herein are the writers and are not reflective of the Orange County IBM PC Users’ Group position, nor endorsed by inclusion in this newsletter. Submit newsletter items to:
[email protected]. Reprint Policy: PAGE LAYOUTS AND IMAGES MAY NOT BE USED. User groups MAY REPRINT UNALTERED, UNCOPYRIGHTED TEXT, WITH CREDIT TO THE AUTHOR AND NIBBLES & BITS.
our website’s got it all!
• Program of the month • newsletters • pdf & site search • anti-spyware comparisons • current weather • driving map • Linux newsfeed • computer help sites • software giveaway • meeting/contact information • membership application • Members’ Only! area • links to antiviruses & updates • newsletter/web awards
www.orcopug.org
benefits of User Group Membership
• • • • • • •
Product & “How To”demos Free raffles and magazines Help from other members Newsletter and web site Special offers & discounts Monthly meetings Affiliation with worldwide group
User groups represent the spirit of the frontier, a community getting together to do things that no individual ought to have to do alone. The pioneers of the American west got together for barn raisings, cattle roundups, and the occasional party. The pioneers of new technology get together for installfests, new user training and support, and just plain fun. Being part of a user group is the best way to get more out of your computer, and lets you make friends while you’re at it. Tim O’Reilly President, O’Reilly & Associates
where are the meetings and when are they held?
R
egular meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Placentia Library, 411 East Chapman Avenue. Placentia, California 92870, (714) 528-1906. Call (714) 990-0580, for information. Meetings are free and the public is welcome!
Planning meetings are held the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at Downey Savings & Loan, one block east of Harbor at Bastanchury in Fullerton. All members are welcome to attend planning meetings!
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next meeting: tuesday, december 11, 6:30 p.m. placentia library, placentia
ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — SEPTEMBER 2007
