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The Naked PC - http://www.TheNakedPC.com
What You Need to Know about All Things PC
Publisher: Lee Hudspeth and T.J. Lee
Editor: Dan Butler
Contributing Editor: Al Gordon
This issue is for Thursday, April 15, 1999 - Vol. 2 No. 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Table of Contents
** 01. Letter from the Publisher
** 02. TNPC Primer - What's a Cookie? (by T.J. Lee)
** 03. Windows NT Online and Other Resources (by Lee Hudspeth)
** 04. Featured FAQ - Emoticons and Acronyms
** 05. Featured Product Recommendation - Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) Atomic Web Clock
** 06. Dan's Software Bargains
** 07. AltaVista's Family Filter Put to the Test (by Dan Butler)
** 08. Featured Web Page Recommendation - Lockergnome
** 09. Featured Book Recommendation - "The CDNow Story" by Jason
Olim
** 10. Newsworthy - a potpourri of current events and
interesting stuff
** 11. We Get Mail - Comments and Tips from TNPC Readers
** 01. Letter from the Publisher
Reader feedback is the underlying theme this issue. T.J.
disassembles cookies, Dan hunts for software bargains, and Lee
addresses NT tips, all with a splash of color and insight from
the many of you who kindly took the time to write in and offer
your thoughts. Our policy here is to always be grateful for each
piece of reader email received, but naturally we can't cite
everyone by name. So we give a tip 'o the hat to the first person
to mention a particular concept or doodad.
Al's taking a short TNPC sabbatical to get his NT house in order,
no small feat as you can tell from this update, "I'm up to my
eyeballs getting the new NT/SCSI PC to run -- kids don't try this
at home -- so I can only offer this short squib (a lengthy rant
is likely for the next issue)... In the last issue's article on
the vagaries of Windows NT4 Workstation, I had noted that NT Task
Manager allows you to kill off an errant app without bringing
down the whole system, but I had been unable to regain use of the
problem app. Several of you wrote to direct me to the "processes"
tab of the Task Manager. NT can leave some of an application's
processes (subsets of the app's software) active even though the
application ostensibly has been shut down. I haven't yet
succeeded in making this happen as I haven't yet figured out how
to decipher the process list. But I am much obliged to everyone
who provided the tip."
As always, reader support is what keeps TNPC free, so please pass
a copy of TNPC on to co-workers and friends (no spam please!) and
always say "I saw it in TNPC!"
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** 02. TNPC Primer - What's a Cookie? (by T.J. Lee)
Cookies are bits of information that Web sites store on your
computer. You surf by and they just up and plunk down some data
on your computer. Scary, huh? Well, yes and no. Mostly no. You
see the Internet is not designed for how most everyone wants to
use and think of it. It's just like the network at your office
only bigger, right? Wrong. In the HTTP world a connection between
you and some other computer (like a Web server upon which you are
displaying a Web page) is not what's called "persistent." The
connection doesn't last longer that it takes for the Web server
to give you the page, file, graphic, etc., your browser just
asked for. And the Web server doesn't remember you from one
connection to the next even if they're only seconds apart.
Think of it like this. You wait in line, get to the service
window and explain your whole situation, who you are, what you
want, why you're there, and on and on. The person in the window
hands you the piece of information you asked for and you walk
away. Then you turn around to ask for just one more thing and the
service rep looks at you with a blank expression and says, "Who
are you?" You have to start all over again with who you are, what
you want, etc., right from the beginning. That's how the Web
works, only much faster. Your browser connects, asks for
something (like a Web page) then disconnects. You look at the
page, click on a link, and the connection process begins all over
again.
Cookies are how the Web fakes persistence. When a Web site needs
to remember something about you it sticks it in a cookie and
stores it on your computer. This way it can find it again later.
Say you visit a Web site and the page asks for your name. You
type in "Harvey" (because you always liked that name) and you
leave. But before you go, the Web site sticks "Harvey" in a
cookie, a cookie that only this Web site knows about. The next
time you surf this site again it asks your browser for the
cookie, the browser coughs it up (sorry, poor choice of words)
and when the page displays it, it says, "Welcome back Harvey!" It
knew it was Harvey because that's what was stored in the cookie.
And it had to be stored on your computer because the Web server
has no way to identify you the next time you connect to it.
If you use Navigator your browser cookies are stored in the
cookies.txt file, typically stored in C:\Program
Files\Netscape\Users\your_profile_name\cookies.txt. Internet
Explorer stores your cookies under the main Windows folder,
typically C:\Windows\Cookies with each cookie being an individual
file.
So are they a good thing or a bad thing? Well, generally they
only store things you (or your browser) tell a Web site, or
things the Web site wants to remember about you. Like the last
time you visited, what the order number was on the purchase you
just made. Stuff like that. But if having cookies bugs you, you
can tell your browser not to accept them. Or use a utility that
lets you selectively use or avoid cookies as you see fit.
You can reach T.J. Lee at:
mailto:tj_lee@TheNakedPC.com
+++-----------------------------------------------------------+++
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low price of $15 per issue. Get your message out to over 22,000
TNPC subscribers.
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** 03. Windows NT Online and Other Resources (by Lee Hudspeth)
I've received many Windows NT hot tips from readers, several
covering alternate boot techniques. Robert Strom was first to
suggest booting right off the CD-ROM. "If you set your CD-ROM as
bootable you can boot off the WinNT Workstation or Server CD-ROM
without using the boot disks. After the initial files are copied
to the hard disk you need to remember to either turn off the
'boot to CD' option in the BIOS or temporarily remove the CD-ROM
from the drive. If you don't do this you will have a continuous
installation loop going." Well said, Robert.
John Z. was first to mention the ultra-cool /b switch that allows
you to skip creating WinNT boot diskettes. (It's still a good
idea to create these disks after you've booted up successfully.)
To try this, boot into MS-DOS then from a command prompt type:
Z:\i386\winnt /b
(replace the "Z" above with your CD-ROM drive letter). You can
use the /? switch to see a list of all available winnt command
switches. To do so, type the following command:
Z:\i386\winnt /? | more
For additional setup information, check out the pithy Microsoft
Knowledge Base (MSKB) article "Windows NT 4.0 Setup
Troubleshooting Guide" at:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q126/6/90.asp
Here's a hot USB lead from Kenneth H., "Inside Out Networks
already has a product or two out that will add USB capability to
WinNT systems." I dropped by their Web site and perused their
press release on this. The Edgeport/4 device looks intriguing
($399 SRP), but I don't have any hands-on experience with it.
Drop me a line if you do.
http://www.ionetworks.com
Kenneth also was first among many to mention the Pnpisa.inf file
on the WinNT CD that adds *partial* Plug and Play (PnP)
capability. You'll find it in your CD's Drvlib\Pnpisa\X86 folder.
The official name for this feature is the PnP ISA Enabler driver,
a.k.a. PNPISA. The associated MSKB article puts us all on notice
that PNPISA is strictly a "use at your own risk" tool.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q156/3/44.asp
I've put together a preliminary list of online and other WinNT
resources that have been useful to me in my NT trek. As spring
turns into summer, I'll be covering these in more detail. They're
presented here in rough order of how useful they've been to me
over the last few weeks.
1. Latest Windows NT Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) -- the
description says it all; you can search by category or company.
(Nice interface.) Definitely check here before upgrading a PC
that you don't know is certified by the manufacturer to be NT-
ready, or before buying a new peripheral.
http://www.microsoft.com/hwtest/hcl/
2. "Microsoft Windows NT Workstation Resource Kit (Microsoft
Professional Editions)" -- You can get yours for $55.96 at
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1572313439/tnpcnewsletter/
There's a separate kit available for NT Server.
3. JSI Inc.'s Windows NT Tips, Tricks and Registry Hacks --
Jerold Schulman's site provides an extensive and impressive set
of searchable NT suggestions and hacks. You have the option to
become a subscriber ($49 single-user) and get even more tips.
Jerold also contributes to the Windows NT FAQ site (see below).
http://www.jsiinc.com/reghack.htm
4. Windows NT Frequently Asked Questions -- This site includes
FAQs, news, a discussion area with 19 sections ranging from
Active Directory to User Administration (check out the Dual Boot
area!), and links. All FAQ content is searchable.
http://www.ntfaq.com
5. NTBugTraq -- To stay on top of the latest WinNT security bugs
and exploits, plus extensive discussion re same, subscribe to
this mailing list from owner/moderator Russ Cooper. The site also
includes the NTFixes program (described by the author as a tool
that helps you "keep up-to-date on the latest service packs and
hot fixes for NT from Microsoft's FTP site"), some editorial
content, and sparse downloads and FAQ sections.
http://ntbugtraq.ntadvice.com
6. NTWare.com -- WinNT software abounds here and is presented in
a well-organized manner. Plus a free newsletter. This site is
searchable.
http://ntware.com
7. Windows NT Home (for Windows NT Server 4.0 and Windows 2000
Server) -- Check out the Microsoft party line at:
http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/Default.asp
8. Windows NT Workstation Home Page (including Windows 2000
Professional) -- Again, check out the Microsoft party line at:
http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/
9. Hotfix Control -- I've been too busy to get to this one, but
it looks neat so I intend to give it a go soon. Author Magnus
Back says, "Hotfix Control is a maintenance tool for Windows NT
users who want to keep track of what hotfixes are applied, and
when they were applied. This information is found in the
registry, and Hotfix Control gathers it along with the filenames
which are affected into a list. Any computer on the network can
be examined. You can also uninstall any hotfix from the local
computer and open the Microsoft Knowledge Base article that is
primarily associated with a hotfix."
http://www.jpl.nu/~magnus/hotfixcontrol.html
10. NTLinks.com - Your Resource Center for Links to Sites Related
to the Windows NT Operating System by Microsoft -- The site
presents its wares organized across categories: user groups, news
groups, magazines, banners, FAQs, hardware, and software. Oddly,
no search feature. On my first visits, the FAQs page was empty.
http://www.ntlinks.com
If you have a favorite NT resource of any kind, I'd like to hear
about it. Especially how you've used it to make your NT
experience a better one, or simply to save your bacon.
You can reach Lee Hudspeth at:
mailto:leehudspeth@TheNakedPC.com
** 04. Featured FAQ - Emoticons and Acronyms
"IANAL but IMHO people should really RTFM, OTOH, that can too
can be a PITA assuming I'm not ROFLing ;-) ." Got that? Old
hands at electronic communications and online chatting have no
problem with the shorthand you encounter in email, in chat rooms,
and on Usenet. But if you're new to all this you can get lost :-0
in the emoticons (also called smileys) and acronym shortcuts.
Fear not! Here are the resources you need to figure out what
people are saying and the emotion they're trying to display.
The Smileys and Acronyms Dictionary page:
http://wellweb.com/behappy/smiley.htm
Usenet Acronyms Dictionary:
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tajwileb/dictionary.html
Acronyms Used in the Computer Community
http://www.freewarehof.org/acronyms.html
(Beware of this one - while the most complete, there are many
acronyms listed that include profanity. -- Ed.)
** 05. Featured Product Recommendation - Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) Atomic Web Clock
Download this nifty utility which you can run and use to
automatically synchronize your computer's clock with that of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology Atomic Web clock.
If your clock is out of sync it will tell you by how much and
offer to adjust your computer's timepiece for you. One click and
you are on time! Very slick and completely free. You can even
configure the utility to periodically check for the correct time
over the Web.
http://www.bldrdoc.gov/timefreq/
** 06. Dan's Software Bargains
Last issue we again mentioned a way to get Microsoft Encarta for
free. Unfortunately the rebate expired prior to our issue being
delivered to all of our subscribers. Most of the time there are
no advanced warnings as to when a free rebate will be
discontinued so always check!
Some of the currently free software offered on Beyond.com is
listed below. The Corel GALLERY is a great bargain. Being able to
choose clipart and fonts from a book rather than tedious Web
surfing saves me lots of time each week.
Corel GALLERY Magic 65,000
500+ fonts, 25,000 clipart images, 100 Web images, 40,000 photos
http://www.beyond.com/AF23174/PKIN747696/prod.htm
Free after $19.95 rebate
Learn a Foreign Language with the Tell Me More programs:
Spanish: http://www.beyond.com/AF23174/PKIN098804/prod.htm
French: http://www.beyond.com/AF23174/PKIN098802/prod.htm
German: http://www.beyond.com/AF23174/PKIN098803/prod.htm
Italian: http://www.beyond.com/AF23174/PKIN098805/prod.htm
English: http://www.beyond.com/AF23174/PKIN098801/prod.htm
Free after $59.99 rebate
** 07. AltaVista's Family Filter Put to the Test (by Dan Butler)
Once upon a time AltaVista launched a family friendly search
engine. Having a family myself I tested it by searching for a
single word starting with the letter F. This search yielded 10
hits. The banner ad was for an online Casino. That was over a
year ago. More recently was an incident involving Winnie-the-Pooh
icons that returned a citation that I'm sure Disney would not
approve of. So much for family friendly. In each instance email
to the company produced no response.
So tonight I'm at AltaVista and notice the Family Filter option,
right there on the front page, and decide to test it in my usual
manner. Turning the filter on placed a lovely red A+ at the top
of my screen so I can relax knowing I'm in Family mode. I
searched again for one word that begins with the letter F. Of
course I spelled it out. This time I received 3,111,010 hits!
There was a link at the right offering to take me to Amazon.com
for books about F. Family friendly indeed. An email to AltaVista
has gone unanswered.
It concerns me when companies say "Family Friendly" or "Family
Filter" because many people will assume that they are not going
to see things they don't want to see. Is that a simplistic
assumption on their part? Maybe, but that is what is apparently
being offered. A better approach might be a small tutorial on how
to limit your searches to avoid undesirable material. This would
leave the individual Web surfer in control of what is and isn't
offered from the search engine. (Please understand, I know that
what is undesirable to me may not be undesirable to you.)
Some people think any filtering is censorship. I don't view it
that way. Filtering does not prevent you from saying your piece,
it only enables those who don't want to hear it to avoid it. This
assumes of course that it is private companies or personal
programs doing the filtering. I don't want the government in the
filtering business! Does this mean I want to repress people and
limit free speech? Not at all. I believe the Internet to be a
great resource. I just want it to be a good resource for
everybody. I'd like to have my 5 year old sitting with me while I
search for Winnie-the-Pooh icons and not have to worry about what
is going to show up in the search results. So be aware that
"Family Friendly" may not be.
You can reach Dan Butler at:
mailto:dbutler@TheNakedPC.com
** 08. Featured Web Page Recommendation - Lockergnome
Most TNPCers know that Chris Pirillo's Lockergnome is the
definitive Windows shareware newsletter packed with the latest
32-bit downloads (freeware & shareware), games, MIDI, fonts,
updates, themes, and more, that's delivered hot daily to your
inbox. But not many think of Lockergnome as a Web site resource.
They should. The Lockergnome back issue archive (fully
searchable) is a tremendous resource for finding just the right
font, or that handy utility you heard about but can't remember
where to find.
http://www.lockergnome.com/?tnpcv2i8
** 09. Featured Book Recommendation - "The CDNow Story" by Jason
Olim
Subtitled "Rags to Riches on the Internet," this book traces the
rapid growth of the online music store CDNow. Started by twin
brothers Jason and Matthew Olim in their parents' basement, this
book is an excellent chronicle of a true Internet success story.
You'll not only read the story but learn from their mistakes. The
lessons on applying the Internet to business are clear and many
of the concepts carry over to any business. If you enjoy a good
success story, pick up a copy of this book.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966103262/tnpcnewsletter/
** 10. Newsworthy - a potpourri of current events and
interesting stuff
*-* There's an update out for Microsoft Internet Explorer 5. The
new and improved IE5a (a.k.a. 5.00.2314.1003) fixes some minor
glitches in the original release. The IE5a version will be the
one found in Office 2000, which will be available in retail
stores in June. If you downloaded IE5 before the new version was
released there is no way to update the version you have short of
downloading IE5 all over again and reinstalling.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/Ie/default.htm
*-* Cringley has a great column on how software companies control
price and product availability in retail stores. Ever wonder how
a store can afford to sell some products so cheaply, apparently
below cost? Hey, don't worry, the stores can make a profit
selling software below cost! They don't really sell software,
they sell shelf space. Check it out.
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit19990408.html
*-* Amok Shing welcomes the Yemen Yellow Pages to the Naked Horde
page (just the thing for planning your next trip to this Middle
Eastern paradise).
http://www.yenet.com/
Also, The Sheila Casey Mysteries page by author Jean L.
Hohnstein. Murder's afoot, and whodunit fans can check out these
online novellas.
http://www.olypen.com/jeanhohn
All these and more at:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/horde.html
*-* Check out Rob Rosenberger's great commentary on the Melissa
virus hype and how some are trying to capitalize on it.
http://kumite.com/myths/opinion/thoughts/
*-* Microsoft has released an update to the Windows 98
Registration Wizard that removes the hardware ID number that the
old Wizard creates and sends to Microsoft without the user's
permission. For more information on this and details on how to
get the patch:
http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?99045.ecmsidtool.htm
(Beware: this URL may wrap in your email reader)
*-* Following his "I invented the Internet" gaffe, Presidential
candidate Al Gore has claimed his reelection Web site is "Open
Source." I don't think that word means what he thinks it means
;-). Meanwhile Microsoft has been using the terms "open source"
in the same breath as Windows 2000 but industry pundits are not
buying it.
http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,34876,00.html
** 11. We Get Mail - Comments and Tips from TNPC Readers
Bill B. points out that in last issue's "Configuring Your Browser
Window for Maximum Readability" we neglected to mention the one
thing he finds most important of all: namely replacing the
default font (usually, Times New Roman) with one that's
specifically designed for reading text on screen. He favors
Georgia, which is available free from the Microsoft Typography
page.
http://www.microsoft.com/truetype/fontpack/win.htm
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DISCLAIMER
Personal computers are individual machines with performance that
can vary with components, software, and operator ability. The
Naked PC is not responsible for the manner in which the
information presented is used or interpreted. Also, although we
work hard to provide you with accurate Internet links in The
Naked PC, we are not responsible for Internet links herein that
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Copyright (c) 1999, PRIME Consulting Group, Inc. and Dan Butler.
All Rights Reserved. The Naked PC is a trademark of PRIME
Consulting Group, Inc.
ISSN: 1522-4422
RMH: 583
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