 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Ash Nallawalla ash@melbpc.org.au |
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I am pleased to present two reviews of Windows XP: the Home edition was
reviewed by our President, George Skarbek; the Professional edition, by me. Before considering any new
version of an established program, you should always ask yourself if you need it. My work laptop does not
have the same software that I have at home and it is often useful to make a comparison when looking at
operating systems or antiviral software. In other words, there is no need to have Product X to survive or to
"boost productivity".
Microsoft has used an activation scheme with Windows XP, as it did with Office 2000 and Office XP. The
activation scheme will thwart the casual pirate and a few genuine owners. It will not thwart the
"warez" puppies who can get hold of corporate versions that don't require activation. I imagine that
this activation is just another experiment to try until some future operating system will come equipped with
a more foolproof technique.
I have one more incompatibility to report since the review pages were set: the popular FTP program WS_FTP LE
refuses to work properly for me. Although I can authenticate and transfer files, I cannot see the list of
files at the remote machine. I have logged it with Ipswitch, the makers. It is a serious inhibitor for
me as I try and maintain a small number of non-profit Web sites.
Ailments on the Net
Although I was well aware of the medical information available on the Web, I
had not looked at it in any depth. I have a generally healthy family - the kind that pays insurance for years
for seemingly little use for it. A recent medical emergency changed that. In 1984 I had experienced a
prolapsed disc (L4/5), which would give me some discomfort about once a year, but it almost never stopped me
from working.
I had my back pain under control with the help of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as
Voltaren and Anaprox. Most of my prescriptions had repeats that expired because I seldom needed the pills.
Last year my GP prescribed Celebrex, which is a COX-2 inhibitor.
On the third day of a 10-day overseas trip I twisted my back when my computer bag's strap broke and I tried
to save the laptop. I used up the three Celebrex pills and continued a hectic schedule of meetings and plane
trips. Upon my return, my GP placed me on a new NSAID. A week later, I spent two nights in Western Hospital
with a bleeding ulcer that had been exacerbated by the prolonged exposure to the pills.
If you have been wondering why I have used terms such as "NSAID" and "COX-2 inhibitor", the credit goes to
our fellow members who read about my adventure in our newsgroup, melbpc.general. A few people posted
their experiences and a couple of doctors sent me e-mails. They gave me a few interesting local and overseas
pointers, which helped me understand my medication and increase my vocabulary.
I know that many other members use the Net to learn more about their medical condition, so I trust that they
will not attempt self-diagnosis or self-medication. I will not list any specific sources of information, but
there is a lot of information in the form of Web sites, mailing lists and newsgroups. I am pleased to report
that I am back to my former self (not "cured", as prolapsed discs are permanent) and better prepared
for the next episode.
DVD
These days, many PCs come with a DVD drive or offer you the option to have one fitted as a
combination
CD-ROM/DVD drive. When conventional DVD players used to cost over $1000 and you did not have that kind of
budget, it made sense to use your PC to view a DVD. Today, you can buy a no-name player for less than $200,
albeit one with few fancy features. For $200 you can forget about component video (which uses separate cables
for the three colours), 5.1 stereo and other niceties. However, a $200 player is fine if you are only
connecting it to a monaural TV set in the kitchen. With some older classic movies becoming available on DVD
for as little as $3.88, this newish technology should appeal to the movie buffs.
If you need a technical excuse to get a DVD drive for your PC, you will be interested to know that a few
software packages (such as encyclopaedias) have a DVD version that includes video clips. For a few years,
publishers of technical component catalogues have moved to DVDs when the information outgrew the capacity of
a CD-ROM.
2002
I still participate in our user group's mutual-help Job network where most participants are anonymous. I
feel the pain of those who have been recently laid off, having been there three times so far. If you are
looking for job tips, even if you are working, please visit
http://communities.msn.com/melbpcnet/.
I trust that 2002 will be kinder to us than last year.
Reprinted from the February 2002 issue of PC Update, the
magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
