CompuNotes Notes from The Cutting Edge of Personal Computing ISSN: 1525-4534 October 13, 1999 Issue 157 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= To subscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com SUBSCRIBE COMPUNOTES-L FirstName LastName To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com SIGNOFF COMPUNOTES-L For Contact and Other Information See Bottom of Publication! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= CONTENTS My Notes: 1=> CompuNotes Notes, mailto:pgrote@i1.net 2=> This Issue's Winner! News: 3=> News of the Week, mailto:pgrote@i1.net Reviews: 4=> Product: UltraBac Version 5.04, utility Reviewed By: Robin Nobles, mailto:robin@robinsnest.com 5=> Product: Cumetrix AMD K6-2 350 computer, hardware Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com 6=> Product: Cumetrix 19" K9033 Monitor, hardware Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com 7=> Product: Programming Web Graphics with Perl and GNU Software, book Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com 8=> Product: Norton SystemWorks 2.0, utility Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com 9=> Product: Tecmar Ditto Max(tm) 10GB tape drive, hardware Reviewed By: Howard Carson, mailto:howardcarson@home.com 10=> Product: The Windows(R) 98 Registry: A Survival Guide for Users, book Reviewed By: Howard Carson, mailto:howardcarson@home.com 11=> Product: MCSE the Electives in a Nutshell, book Reviewed By: Don Hughes, mailto:dhughes-reviewcdn@home.com 1=> CompuNotes Notes, CompuNotes - None this Week, mailto:pgrote@i1.net 2=> Winner! This week's winner: Csense@AVALON.NET. 3=> News, Articles and Game Bits, mailto:pgrote@i1.net or mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com Intel's Earnings Fall Short . . . http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-850655.html . . . While Seagate's Explode . . . http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-850952.html Linux Moves into Gaming Mainstream . . . http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-850871.html Microsoft's Annual Report Written on a Mac? http://www.salon.com/tech/log/1999/10/12/microsoft_report/index.html?C P=SAL& Digital Paper is Closer . . . http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2352580,00.html $200.00 PC? http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2350114,00.html Ugly URLs and the People that Create Them . . http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,31721,00.html The INS Makes a Mistake with Visas . . . http://www.msnbc.com/news/322474.asp Microsoft to Use AskJeeves . . . http://www.zdnet.com/intweek/stories/news/0,4164,1017595,00.html Amazon Auction Users Burned . . . http://www.zdnet.com/intweek/stories/news/0,4164,2351063,00.html 4=> Product: UltraBac Version 5.04, utility Reviewed By: Robin Nobles, mailto:robin@robinsnest.com Requires: Windows NT Server or Workstation operating system for UltraBac or Windows 95/98 for the UB95/98 version; screen display of 800x600; 16 color display or more; RAM - 16MB for Win9x - 32MB for NT Workstation - 48MB for NT Server; 10MB of free hard disk space (or more). MSRP: $149 for the Personal Use Edition In these days of personal computers with well over 13 GIG hard drives and business systems having considerably more, the need for a good, extremely reliable backup system is more important than ever. UltraBac Version 5.04, which packs a powerful punch with its impressive features yet easy-to-use interface, is an excellent solution to your backup needs. With UltraBac, you can create "sets" of various backup files. You simply open the program, select Backup, then New. You'll give that particular backup set a description (or name), then click on "Load Set." You're presented with a complete listing of the files in whichever drive you've chosen. Go through the files and choose which ones you want to save to that particular set. When you choose the files, a small red check mark appears next to the file, indicating the file will be added to your set. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a composite listing of the number of files you've chosen and the total size of the set. This is particularly helpful if you're saving to a ZIP drive that holds 100 MB of data, for example, since you'll want to monitor the size of the set as you continue to add additional files. Once you've finished choosing the files, click on Create Set, then Save Set. Click on Perform Backup, and the program will walk you through the actual backup procedure. And let me tell you-the program is fast! My first backup set contained 100 MB of data, and it performed the backup in slightly over a minute. In fact, the rate of backup, as indicated at the bottom of the screen, was 85 MB a minute! With the NT version, you can also choose to schedule various backups of your data on certain days of the week. You simply select Options, then Schedule Backups. Select which sets you want included in a backup group and select the time and date for that backup to run. Name the backup group and save it. Then, go back through the process to create additional groups and schedule backups at different times or days of the week. If the unforeseen happens and you find yourself with a crashed hard drive and lost data, you can easily restore the files you've backed up. From the main menu, choose Restore. You're then presented with the backups you've run. Choose whichever backup you want restored, and the index of that backup is presented to you. Click on Perform Restore, and the program will load the directory of files back into your system. Viola! You're back in business in record time! You can choose to restore all files or just to restore selected files. The program will even perform a complete restore of a failed system disk, in the event of a defective hard drive or if the entire contents of a hard drive has been lost. UltraBac.com also has the ability to make an image backup of partition(s) of a physical disk, rather than the entire disk being backed up. Additional options include better support for autoloaders and libraries; command line restore; RAID to tape support; SQL server 7.0 support; MS cluster aware; and Express Index, which dramatically improves tape file restore times. With Express Index, users can find search indexes on a tape in seconds rather than hours. You can download a fully functional version of the program to use for 45 days in either Win NT or Win 95/98 versions. The Win 95/98 version is in BETA, but the final version will be released 4th quarter of 1999. If you want a serious backup system that you can trust, consider UltraBac.com. This reviewer was quite impressed with its features. BEI Corporation UltraBac.com Version 5.04 Product Website: http://www.ultrabac.com/ 5=> Product: Cumetrix AMD K6-2 350 computer, hardware Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com MSRP: $299 (no operating system), $399 (Windows 98 preinstalled) $698 (19-inch monitor included). Prices do not include shipping and handling. Speaking as an "old-timer" who's been using computers since the early 80's, the current trend in falling prices seems extraordinary. I can remember my first "PC-compatible" computer - a Tandy 1000 which ran at an astounding 8 MHz and cost me $1800. It had no hard drive and could display 16 colors at a time - the very limits of graphics technology. Four years ago I plunked down $199 for 4 MB of RAM. And then the roof caved in, and prices for new computers in the last few years have been in free fall. I was still shocked, however, when the press release arrived from Cumetrix touting a new computer retailing for $299. At first I just laughed it off and moved on to other e-mail. Still, the press release intrigued me - how the heck could they sell you a PC for $299? I thought that either it must be loaded with hardware that was practically antique by today's standards or it was lacking critical components (like a hard drive, for example). I had to prove it to myself one way or another, so I re-read the e-mail and the attached word document. To my amazement, this 'cheapo' system was not lacking in critical components or using yesterday's hardware. This is the list of what the computer came with: * AMD K6-2 350 MHz chip (with 3D Now instructions) * VideoExcel Trident 9750 4 MB AGP graphics card * WebExcel Cirrus Logic 56k v.90 Data/Fax modem * AudioExcel 3D 32-bit PCI sound card * Vigor Green PCI motherboard * 32 MB SD-RAM * 40x Max CDROM * 4.3 GB Fujitsu Hard drive * 3-button PS/2 mouse * enhanced 108-key Windows 98 keyboard * stereo speakers * 1.44 MB floppy (the funny little device Steve Jobs thinks you don't need) * one year limited warranty As you can see from the list above, this is no system using yesterday's hardware. True, a 350Mhz computer is not 'top-of-the-line' but it is definitely in the mid-to-upper ranks of PC's these days. The AGP graphics card is likewise - no Voodoo 3, but still a 3D graphics card using the AGP bus. A 4.3 GB hard drive is part of the system - again, not as big as you can possible get these days but more than enough room for the average user these days. In these cheap RAM days 32 MB might seem low, but this is SD-RAM which means not only is it faster than EDO-RAM but you don't have to buy it in matching chunks (and 32 MB is still enough to run most anything). A one-year warranty is pretty much the industry standard. Keyboard and mouse are included, but two other 'critical' components missing - namely a monitor and an operating system. However, even if you add in a 19-inch monitor and a copy of Win98 the price is still $698 - very reasonable. If you wanted to save the money, you could forego the Win98 and install Linux, which is free. You could also use a monitor from an older system - sure the graphics wouldn't be as great, but you'd still save the money. So you really could get a CPU for $299. Installation The system arrived in a single box. Although I had asked for base $299 system, Cumetrix had taken the nice step and installed Windows 98 for me. The box appeared to have been well packed for the rigors of shipping, and all the components were well protected. Inside I also found a small package that contained the manuals & disks for all of the hardware on the computer. Surprisingly, however, there was no manual for the unit itself, so it became a matter of "match the cable" to hook everything together. This didn't hamper me because I've assembled more than a few computers in my time, but a beginner might have a bit of trouble. The package included with the computer did include the layout of the motherboard, but beginners would get a little lost reading this. All of the components appeared to be well made and should hold up well under typical usage. The tower was not as easy to get into as I would like, but then again how often do you install new components? The mouse was a pleasant surprise, it was not your typical two button mouse but instead a three button mouse with the option to use the middle button for scrolling, ala mice that have the nice little wheel for scrolling. All told, it took me about five minutes to have the computer up and running. Testing 1-2-3 In order to test the system I had previously decided that I would load Office 97, and some of the more demanding 3D games. Office 97 had no problems performing on the system and was notable quicker on the draw than my poor old 166, which has 48 MB of RAM. Total Annihilation: Kingdoms has gained a real reputation on Usenet as a performance hog, but it performed well here. True, I didn't have the 64 MB RAM needed for multiplayer games, but in the single player campaign the game performed very well. Quake 2 performance was also good, and when I downloaded and installed the 3D Now patch the performance became spectacular. Similarly, Mechwarrior 3 also did very well - even with all graphics & sound options turned on. All of these games not only looked good but also made good use of the sound system, which uses the Aureal 3D drivers to simulate 3-dimensional sound. 3D sound in computer games is quite an enhancement and really adds to the feeling of being there. With all the software I tested, the system ran fine from the first boot, and never crashed. Setting up dial-networking and connecting to my ISP with the 56k modem was a cinch, and the modem ran quite smoothly - with the system reporting a 52k connection every time I logged on (compared with an average 49k with my 3Com modem on my computer). The only detraction I could note is that the tower is not well insulated, so the fan is loud by comparison with other systems (my NEC at home and the Gateways where I work). Not so loud as to be unbearable, but still noticeable. Summary While I was skeptical when I saw the press release, I have to admit that Cumetrix is providing a nice system at a really good price. The only detractions are the lack of a manual to tell you where the various cables go and the noise from the fan. Those are hardly major faults, by any stretch of the imagination! For the price, this is a terrific bargain and will give you a system that should easily be able to run the latest applications and games for the next couple of years. If you don't like the basic system, the order form at suredeals.com lists a number of upgrades for all of the various components, all at a very reasonable price. It is certainly a system I would purchase, where I in the market for a new computer right now (buying a house taking more precedence - for the moment). Oh yeah, there is one more detraction: at the end of my evaluation I had to return it :^) *Note: After I finished this review, I received a notice from the people at Cumetrix that the fan had been upgraded and is much quieter now. As well, the base system has been upgraded to 380 MHz. AMD-K62 350 system Cumetrix http://www.cumetrix.com 6=> Product: Cumetrix 19" K9033 Monitor, hardware Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com Requirements: PC-compatible or Macintosh computer MSRP: $299 (from Suredeals.com) When Cumetrix sent me their AMD K6-2/350 computer to review they sent a 19-inch monitor for me to use with the computer - but the monitor didn't arrive until my review was finished. Cumetrix then asked me if I would go ahead and review the monitor as well. What the heck, I figured, the computer was pretty nice and the monitor was certainly a good price. The computer was a good deal for the price; the monitor is a phenomenal deal for the price. Specifications Here are the specs on this monitor: * 19" monitor, 18.1" viewable screen * Energy Star compliant, low radiation compliant * On-screen display * 30-95 KHz horizontal * 50-160 KHz vertical * 1600 x 1200 maximum resolution Specs only begin to tell you the story. I typically use 17" monitors at work but was a little awe-struck at the immense amount of screen real estate on this monitor. It is huge! There simply is no other way to describe it. The monitor is also very heavy - not surprising, given its size - but be prepared. Installation was a snap, as it should be with any plug-and-play monitor in this day and time. The on-screen display is easy to use and the manual explains quite thoroughly how to adjust the monitor to your liking. Every-day use To test the monitor I decided to run a number of my favorite games and see how they looked. On my 15" monitor, I typically run the desktop and most games at 800x600, but for this test I wanted to see what things looked like at not only 800x600 but also 1024x768 and 1280x1024. The first test was Railroad Tycoon II, which runs only at 1024x768. This game looks small on my 15" monitor, and the text is hard to read. On the Cumetrix 19", the playing field is huge, and the text has gone from chicken scratch to fully legible. Quake II, Rollercoaster Tycoon, and Need for Speed III all look fantastic on this huge monitor. And what a blast it is to play these games on such a huge screen. Need for Speed III especially looks good with its phenomenal background scenery. The only minor nagging detail about everyday use I found was when you boot the computer. My computer, printer, Zip drive, and monitor are all hooked up to a single power strip, and usually when I turn on the computer I just flip the switch to the power strip. That works for my old monitor, but for the Cumetrix you still have to reach over and push the power button on the monitor. That's the first time I've seen a monitor that does that! The Energy Star rating is hardly a surprise on a monitor these days, but it is nice to see the low radiation as well because with such a large screen it would otherwise put out a lot of energy. Pros: Huge screen real estate. Low, low price - especially for the screen size. Works very well with all games tested. Cons: Still working on this one, I really can't think of any. K9033 19" Monitor Cumetrix http://www.cumetrix.com Suredeals http://www.suredeals.com 7=> Product: Programming Web Graphics with Perl and GNU Software, book Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com Author: Shawn P. Wallace Requirements: Knowledge of web design, graphics, UNIX. Familiarity with Perl helpful, but not required. MSRP: $29.95 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Buy Programming Web Graphics with Perl and GNU Software at Amazon.Com Now and Support CompuNotes! Amazon.Com - about $23.96 -- Click Here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565924789/compunotes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Programming Web Graphics with Perl and GNU Software is an intimidating title, isn't it? It conjures up images of a very dry discourse on how to program, of the type given to insomniacs. Which is funny, because this book is not written for computers jocks and in fact is quite easy to read. Programming Web Graphics has a simple goal: teach web designers how to create graphics "on-the-fly" (primarily through the use of Perl scripts). For web designers looking to create more interactive or personal web experiences for their visitors, this book is very helpful. Surprisingly, knowledge of Perl is not required to use the scripts in this book, and the author does a good job of basic techniques & principles so the reader won't feel lost or overwhelmed. A little knowledge of UNIX is a good idea, as is experience creating web pages. For professional or amateur web designers, this book would be a welcome addition to their library. Part I: Introduction to Web Graphics You may have designed a web page using GIF, JPEG, or even PNG graphics files, but do you have any idea how those files are created or handled by the web server? Because that is at the heart of this book; in order to create web graphics on the fly, you have to understand how computers 'see' these file types and how the information is transmitted from the server to the client browser. So the first portion of this book goes into a fairly detailed description of the basic graphic file types used on the Internet and how your computer discerns one file type from another and then processes that information into the visible graphic. The first part of the book also covers web servers and how it handles requests for files & relays that information to the client. This is all handled assuming that the reader has little (if any) knowledge in these areas, which is good - because many web designers are not programmers. All of this information is very important, and the author manages to both convey that importance and present it in a readable format. Part II: Graphics Programming Tools Once covering the basics of graphics and web servers, the book then launches into the art of creating web graphics on the fly. Numerous examples are provided, including such things as the ubiquitous hit counters you see on so many web pages and a chessboard with moving pieces. Each chapter in this section introduces a Perl module and how it can be used to script web graphics. Modules covered include GD, PerlMagick, GIFgraph, and Gimp. This is the part of the book that it would help you most to have some knowledge of Perl, although you can probably slog through it without immersing yourself in Perl. Part III: Dynamic Graphic Techniques The third and final part of the book covers some of the more typical methods of web animation - image maps (both client-side and server-side), GIF animation, all served up with some Perl examples of web graphics 'recipes'. The final chapter in the book is about Postscript and how to use it to bridge the gap between the Web and traditional print. Summary Programming Web Graphics with Perl and GNU Software is essential reading for those looking to create server-side animations and graphics-on-the-fly. The author made the excellent choice of NOT requiring his readers to already be experts on Perl, Apache, and UNIX. In order to carry that goal off the book had to provide a concise but well written coverage of a lot of background material, which the book does very well. The book would be a good addition to your web library simply for the discussion of web graphics and how servers handle files. The meat of the book is in the second and third parts where the book really proves its worth, providing fantastic examples and plenty of information to stimulate the imagination into creating your own graphics-on-the-fly. Surprisingly this topic has not been covered by other texts, except in small chapters in books on Perl and/or CGI - a surprising omission considering the topic's potential. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Buy Programming Web Graphics with Perl and GNU Software at Amazon.Com Now and Support CompuNotes! Amazon.Com - about $23.96 -- Click Here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565924789/compunotes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Programming Web Graphics with Perl and GNU Software http://www.ora.com/catalog/prowg/ O'Reilly & Associates http://www.oreilly.com 8=> Product: Norton SystemWorks 2.0, utility Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com Requirements: Win95/98, 486/66, 16 MB RAM, 2x CDROM, VGA, 105 MB HD space Recommended: Zip or Jazz drive MSRP: SystemWorks 2.0 is the latest all-in-one collection of Norton system utilities for computers running Windows 95/98. SystemWorks 2.0 includes the following: * Norton Utilities 4.0 * Norton AntiVirus 5.0 * CrashGuard * CleanSweep * "Bonus Pack CD" - includes Zip-It, WinFax, Secret Stuff, Norton 2000 Bios Test & Fix, Symantec Visual Page Norton Utilities and AntiVirus Norton Utilities and AntiVirus are two utilities I consider to be essential for the maintenance and upkeep of any PC running under either Windows 95 or 98. Antivirus protection is essential in this age of the Internet; just take a look at all the recent viruses, worms and Trojan horses that have made the headlines in the last few months. Norton's AntiVirus is one of the best antivirus programs out there, because Norton has made a commitment to providing updates to detect new viruses. Norton Utilities includes a number of system tools, including basic disk utilities better than the ones Microsoft provides. These utilities can be broken down into three groups: * Diagnose and repair problems * Improve performance * Preventative maintenance * Troubleshooting New to Norton Utilities: WinDoctor which can detect & repair corruption in the Windows Registry, SystemCheck which provides a complete checkup on the system, Connection Doctor which troubleshoots Internet connection problems, and WipeInfo which can remove all traces of deleted files (to free space and for security). CrashGuard CrashGuard is a utility designed to "defend against data loss caused by application crashes" - certainly a common problem for anyone running under Windows :^) CrashGuard is composed of two parts - CrashGuard & AntiFreeze. CrashGuard runs continuously, looking for application crashes and can attempt to help you retrieve your precious data. AntiFreeze is used to unfreeze an application which has stopped accepting commands (frozen, as opposed to crashing). Both CrashGuard and AntiFreeze can help to retrieve your data from being lost forever, but keep in mind that these utilities do not always work. At least you can feel like you tried to save it! CleanSweep CleanSweep is an uninstall utility that Norton acquired when Symantec purchase Quarterdeck. While Windows 95 and 98 can handle uninstalling most software, most applications still have a tendency to leave a large amount of clutter lying around - clutter that can eat up precious chunks of your hard drive's real estate. CleanSweep can help identify orphaned & unused files, either by monitoring the installation or by examining file accesses (also, some CleanSweep has a list of common file types that can be deleted without harm - like help files). CleanSweep can also cleanup Internet files and the Windows Registry. Bonus Pack The bonus pack is a nice feature, mostly because it includes the Norton 2000 Bios test and fix. Even if your computer is brand new, the possibility exists that it might not be Y2k-compliant. Norton 2000 Bios test and fix can detect (and repair, if necessary) the bios of your system. Be warned - other Y2k problems might still be lurking in your operating system & software. New Features SystemWorks 2.0 includes new features that span all of the utilities. TrayManager reduces the clutter on the Windows "Tray" (the small box on the right hand side of your Windows 95/98 tool bar, usually cluttered with software running in the background, like Norton Utilities). LiveUpdate now updates all components of SystemWorks at once rather than individually. Web Services is a subscription-based service that can update hardware drivers and download patches for software on your system. SystemWorks comes with a six-month free subscription to Web Services; after that you pay $29.95 per year. Whether the convenience seems worth the price is up to you - new drivers & patches are a given for any new system, but over time that need will fade. Installation & Stability SystemWorks installation gives two choices - 105 MB "typical" installation and 122 MB "complete" installation (the differences are is not stated). During installation you are also given the option of making a rescue disk; Norton includes the "Zip Rescue" utility that allows you to make a rescue disk on a Zip or Jazz disk (assuming you have the right type of drive). On systems with more than the minimal requirements, no noticeable system slowing was seen while running System Doctor. All the SystemWorks utilities appear to function well and never crashed during testing. Summary SystemWorks 2.0 is a good update of the original, providing some new features & utilities that are essential. Anyone who has used Microsoft's defrag of scandisk utilities on their PC will be amazed at the speed of utilities such as Speed Disk or Disk Doctor. The price is a fraction of what you would pay if you purchase all of the utilities separately, and you would be lacking the Bonus Pack CD. In my opinion, there is no better option than SystemWorks for providing the utilities you need to keep your system up and running. Norton SystemWorks Symantec http://www.symantec.com 9=> Product: Tecmar Ditto Max(tm) 10GB tape drive, hardware Reviewed By: Howard Carson, mailto:howardcarson@home.com Requires: Windows 98/95, Windows 3.1 or higher, DOS 5.X and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation MSRP: US$249.99 (US$218.82 street price @ Egghead.com) Tecmar Technologies(R), Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of high performance tape storage solutions designed specifically for networking environments. The company is headquartered in the U.S. southwest, in Longmont, Colorado. During 1999, we've reviewed several of Tecmar's professional network backup products including the Travan NS20 tape drive, Novanet Backup 7, and Novanet Web Backup. The latest offering from Tecmar, the Ditto Max(R) 10GB tape drive, is interesting and curious at the same time. First off, you'll probably recognize the Ditto name. It was a prominent Iomega(R) trademark. But on March 17, 1999 Tecmar and Iomega announced that Tecmar was paying a total of US$3 million for the rights to Iomega's Ditto 2GB and Ditto Max family of products, which included the 10GB Ditto Max Pro and the 7GB Ditto Max drives. Tecmar acquired intellectual property and exclusive Ditto product rights including certain software, media intellectual property product rights, tooling, jigs, and dies owned by Iomega, a pile of other equipment, the Ditto brand name for tape and tape-related products, packaging rights, product images, logos, etc. Iomega received an exclusive license to the Ditto trademark outside of tape and tape-related products and retained its "one-step" icon. Second, with the Ditto Max Tecmar appears to be expanding its market positioning beyond the strictly professional tape backup channel to cover the SOHO and small business market as well. It's something a wee bit different for the company. The Ditto Max home page on the Tecmar web site even states that "Whether you use your computer for work, personal business, or just for fun, Ditto Max Professional 10GB is the perfect backup solution." The obvious conclusion one comes to is that Iomega, bleeding a bit of red ink, decided it really wanted to focus on the most familiar part of its consumer market, and decided to spin off what it thought of as a professional tape drive line. Tecmar is the beneficiary and now has an inexpensive, legitimate SOHO and small business tape backup contender to offer. After receiving the drive from Tecmar, we installed it almost immediately. It did not undergo testing for almost a week however and as a result, we had a chance to examine the software (Flash!File and Fullback) supplied on the Ditto Tools CD, bundled with the Ditto Max. We couldn't help but notice that the tools appeared to be a full version of Seagate Backup Exec (but at v4.0), completely renamed and re-branded. We contacted Darryl Lloyd, Inc., the active and responsive agency which represents Tecmar, and asked the obvious question. It turned out that we were correct about the Seagate software, but Tecmar had to go the long way 'round to actually get this software. Veritas bought Seagate Software. Tecmar licensed the software from Seagate/Veritas. Seagate had originally provided the software to Iomega and it was prearranged that Tecmar would be able to transfer the rights to use it under an umbrella license. Tecmar has now had the time to incorporate an updated and customized, full version into Ditto Tools. We tested the Tecmar Ditto Max on a variety of handy computers including our PII/400 workhorse running Windows 98, a dual 133MHz Pentium former server (now a much happier workstation) with 128MB RAM running Windows NT4 (SP5), and a P166MMX machine with 64MB RAM running Windows 95. Ditto Tools installed without problems on each machine, and the Ditto Max drive was up and running in no time. Testing these sorts of solutions is always fairly interesting, but one thing that should be noted is that parallel port devices will never win the speed sweepstakes. While we did hit the maximum throughput numbers once or twice (19MB per minute), average throughput was much slower (closer to 14MB per minute). A 5GB compressed backup took about 6 hours (averaging around 830MB per hour). But if you're sleeping, and the backup is being performed automatically by a solid and reliable combination of software and hardware, who cares about speed? Note that, according to Tecmar's specs, the internal version of this drive is almost twice as fast. We also tested the Flash!File utility. Basically, Flash!File creates an uncompressed 125MB fast access location on a backup tape. This allows much faster access to anything you store under Flash!File (you can simply drag & drop files onto the Flash!File desktop icon which is installed). Flash!File is quite easy to set up and will be of serious interest to people who have a constant need to access backups which cycle quickly: accounting numbers from the previous week's business, inventory numbers from a recent backup, queued database information which is backed up but not yet entered, and so on. You can designate what files/paths use the Flash!File setup. Cons: Backing up large partitions and drives is a lesson in patience when using the parallel port, so absolutely do NOT ever do a multi-gigabyte backup with this unit until after hours. The other large backup related problem is associated with big video files. The dual processor test machine is frequently used to create really large uncompressed video files, and the backup software choked on individual files larger than 4GB. This situation is unusual and we don't anticipate too many people running into the problem. In any case, a parallel port device is not the place to be backing up gigabyte after gigabyte of data (unless you're doing it overnight). WinFax 8 from Symantec would not detect incoming calls while the backup software was operating. After upgrading both test machines to WinFax Pro 9, the problem disappeared (and we recommend WinFax Pro 9 anyway). Pros: The Ditto Max 10GB tape drive is absolutely reliable. The transport, tape technology, and general drive stability are undisputed. Set up your regular backup schedule using Tecmar Ditto Tools, make sure there's a tape in the drive, and walk away. Ditto Max Professional 10GB is compatible with 3GB, 5GB, 7GB, and 10GB cartridges from Tecmar, Iomega, Imation, Sony and Verbatim. The prices for these tape cartridges range from US$19.95 up to US$34.95 for singles, with discounts for 2-packs and 3-packs. If you're looking for a really inexpensive, reliable, large capacity tape backup unit, the Tecmar Ditto Max is worth a long look. Tecmar Technologies Tecmar Ditto Max 10GB tape drive Product Web site: http://www.tecmar.com/ditto/index.html 10=> Product: The Windows(R) 98 Registry: A Survival Guide for Users, book Author: John Woram Reviewed By: Howard Carson, mailto:howardcarson@home.com MSRP: US$24.95, Cdn$35.99, UKP23.99 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Buy The Windows(R) 98 Registry: A Survival Guide for Users at Amazon.Com Now and Support CompuNotes! Amazon.Com - about $19.99 -- Click Here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1558285911/compunotes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MIS:Press/M&T Books, a new-ish division of IDG Books Worldwide, publishes top-quality, professional reference books, high level programming books, and instructional, hands-on novice guides (including the popular Teach Yourself series). IDG Worldwide has done business with author and editor John Woram before. Woram's previous book for IDG, The Windows(R) 95 Registry, was a top tech seller and a finalist for the 1996 Computer Press Association's "How-To Book" award. Woram is also the author of the well-known PC Configuration Handbook, and a Consulting Editor for Windows Magazine. Supported by MIS:Press, Woram has come up with another indispensable reference work. Microsoft's well-known, oft-seen warning about using the Registry Editor in Windows 98 is worth repeating here: "WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. [...] Use Registry Editor at your own risk." In case you're wondering (and aside from Microsoft's endlessly poor grammar), I can confirm that you actually will find Windows 95 citation references in Windows 98 reference papers. Despite the ubiquitous warning text however, many Windows users have no choice but to delve into the complexities of the Windows Registry from time to time. Since on-line help in both Windows 95 and 98 offers virtually no Registry help at all, what's a person to do? The simple answer is: buy a good, authoritative book on the subject. There are plenty, certainly, but The Windows 98 Registry: A Survival Guide for Users, seems to stand out as the book of choice for intermediate and advanced Windows users. The Windows 98 Registry: A Survival Guide for Users is based on the premise that the Windows Registry is often the most versatile and sometimes only way to troubleshoot and customize a PC. Accordingly, the book provides a full roadmap of all six HKEYs, lengthy and detailed instructions about finding and editing Registry keys and subkeys, and various methods of removing Registry leftovers. In addition, exact instructions are provided for safely editing the Registry, customizing and optimizing Windows 98 and Windows 95, troubleshooting and repairing a corrupted Registry, and recovering from configuration disasters. There's even an Appendix which deals with the use of TweakUI, Microsoft's 'now you see it/now you don't' unsupported (but invaluable) Registry configuration utility. Despite Microsoft's well-documented recommendations to not configure, customize, or in any way alter registry files, Woram demonstrates why and how the Windows Registry is the most effective way to optimize your PC. The only things missing from this book are step-by-step tutorials. But the book clearly documents access and manipulation of the Registry in well-ordered fashion, so any intermediate or advanced Windows user who reads the first few chapters and only then jumps ahead to specific subjects will be extremely well-served. Best of all, I finally found out how to get rid of one of the most irritating and cluttersome Context Menu features: extra entries created by newly installed software (you know the ones - 'Open with', 'View with', 'Scan with', etc., even when your 'File View' options are different). The myriad Windows user interface configuration settings are only one large group out of the vast number of things which can be manipulated with Registry settings. Installed software and application settings and configurations are also fully accessible. The book provides clear instructions and insight about editing the Registry to optimize software, applications, and Windows itself. Note that the book is recommended for intermediate and advanced Windows users. Note also that for novices (or at least users who are somewhat less than confident) there are several good Windows Registry configuration utilities available including the free TweakUI, and the excellent WinBoost98 (from Magellass Corp., www.magellass.com). Cons: Every book of this type should have stiff, flush-cut board covers, and be ring, cerlox, or spiral bound. These books should also have reinforced page binding gutters and more margin white space to accommodate notes, quick access tabs, and so on. The trend for the past 8 or 9 years has been toward so-called (and misnamed) perfect binding. Despite the publishing industry's favoritism toward perfect binding, it ain't perfect: pages do not lie flat, signatures (individual folded, cut and bound sections which make up the book) loosen and detach, and even though many sections can be made to stay open on their own, the facing page always has an arch or curve, making it difficult to read. Do publishers still not understand why perfect binding would never be accepted by orchestra musicians (people who have a constant need for sheet music to lie perfectly flat on a music stand)? Pros: Bless Microsoft for not creating accessible documentation for something as fundamentally important as the Windows Registry, because it's given John Woram the opportunity to provide the computing world with another, well-written, informative book. IDG's MIS:Press has provided solid editorial and layout support for Woram. The Windows 98 Registry is extremely well organized, contains a wealth of indispensable corollary information, and is written in a carefully detailed manner. The understated humor throughout the book is both appropriate and welcome in a reference book of this type. Highly recommended and great value for anyone who needs to delve confidently into the Windows 98 Registry. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Buy The Windows(R) 98 Registry: A Survival Guide for Users at Amazon.Com Now and Support CompuNotes! Amazon.Com - about $19.99 -- Click Here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1558285911/compunotes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MIS:Press (an imprint of IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.) The Windows 98 Registry: A Survival Guide for Users ISBN: 1-55828-591-1 Product Web site: http://www.idgbooks.com 11=> Product: MCSE the Electives in a Nutshell, book Author: Michael Moncur Reviewed By: Don Hughes, mailto:dhughes-reviewcdn@home.com Price: $24.95 US and $29.95 DAN ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Buy MCSE the Electives in a Nutshell at Amazon.Com Now and Support CompuNotes! Amazon.Com - about $19.96 -- Click Here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565924827/compunotes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MCSE The ELECTIVES is the companion guide to Michael Moncur's other book published by O'Reilly "MCSE The Core Exams." Both published by O'Reilly & Associates. The Electives contains three hundred and fifty-plus pages, broken down into five parts: Part 1: Internetworking with TCP/IP, Part 2: Internet Information Server, Part 3: Internet Explorer 4.0 Administration, Part 4: Proxy Server, and Part 5: Exchange Server. Both guides are similar in the layout of each part covering topics as: Exam Overview, Study Guide, Suggested Exercises and Highlighters Index. The exam overview is quick reference text for information needed to pass the electives exams and a listing of the various topics covered during such an exam. The Study guide goes into detail on the various topic's example: TCP/IP basics, TCP/IP Protocols, IP Addressing, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Name Resolution, IP Routing, IP and Unix Printing, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Optimization and Troubleshooting. The suggested exercise sections examples and problems a reader can execute on his or her test network. The author highly recommends one server and workstation be available as a practice tool before you taking the exam. The hand on experience helps to reinforce what one has studied in the guide, and better comprehend the exam questions. The Practice Test contains thirty to fifty examples of the types of question one might encounter on an MCSE exam. The highlighters index has items that one might have underlined or highlighted while reading the book, and is a quick view of important points covered within each section. Also throughout the chapters are boxes with the heading "On the Exam" and the boxes contain suggestions on subjects one must have experience in using, before writing an exam. The two guides "MCSE The Core Exams, and MCSE The Electives by Michael Moncur, Published by O'Reilly & Associates, are a "must have" for anyone considering studying for or writing the Microsoft Exams. The two MCSE books encompass need to know information, are proficiently written to ease exam anxiety. An added bonus is the hand on training gained if one applies and follows the instructions given in the "Suggested Exercises." The guides are a wealth of information on what one need to know to prepare for writing the MCSE exams. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Buy MCSE the Electives in a Nutshell at Amazon.Com Now and Support CompuNotes! Amazon.Com - about $19.96 -- Click Here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565924827/compunotes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. 101 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472 Web Site: www.oreilly.com +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Managing Editor: Patrick Grote -- mailto:pgrote@i1.net Assistant Editor: Doug Reed-- mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com Assistant Editor: Robin Nobles, mailto:smslady@netdoor.com Archives: ftp://ftp.compunotes.com/pub/archive Website: e-mail: mailto:notes@compunotes.com Want to Write for Us?: mailto:writers@compunotes.com fax: (314) 909-1662 voice: (314) 909-1662 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= CompuNotes is: Available weekly via e-mail and on-line. We cover the PC computing world with comprehensive reviews, news, hot web sites, great columns and interviews. We also give away one software package a week to a lucky winner for just reading our fine publication! Never dull, sometimes tardy, we are here to bring you the computing world the way it is! Please tell every on-line friend about us! CompuNotes B440 1114 West Essex Ave. St. Louis, MO 63122 notes@compunotes.com (C)1999 Patrick Grote ISSN: 1525-4534