The LangaList 6-Jul-99 A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa About BrowserTune, HotSpots, Columns, Tips & Tricks, and Other Activities In This Issue: Share That Web Access And Save! A Drum Roll, Please. Here Comes The BT2K Rollout More NT Bugs! Netscape Communicator 4.61 Released Byte's Very First Editor Joins Discussion A Week Too Early? Y2K BS Summer Reading? How To Publish Your Own Email Newsletter Everybody Likes Free! Just For Grins More! Share That Web Access And Save! Have multiple PCs in your home, small business or workgroup? Chances are you're still using a separate modem for each user---an inefficient and expensive way to connect. You're not only saddled with the direct expenses of multiple modems, data lines and ISPs, but every separate Internet connection also is a separate security hole, potentially allowing unwanted access to or from your PCs. Besides, modems just don't cut it anymore. Even a 56K modem gets bogged down with long files, graphics-rich Web pages, streaming video and audio, desktop-to-laptop synchronization of directory trees or databases, and so on. And many desktops still use older, slower modems that offer even worse performance. If you're on a LAN---even a simple peer network such as the one built into Windows 9x, running on inexpensive, generic Ethernet cards and cables---it's amazingly simple to bring faster, cheaper, more efficient and more secure Internet connectivity to every PC. In most cases, you don't even need a network server. I've written about access sharing in the past (for example, see http://www.winmag.com/library/1998/0701/ana0006.htm ), and each time I've done so, I've gotten a flood of mail from people wanting to know more. And the whole topic of connection-sharing is especially relevant now that the Win98 Second Edition has shipped: The full version includes connection-sharing software built in! So I was very glad when the editors of WinMag asked me to write a full feature article on the subject. The article is called simple "Web Access" and you'll find it in the Summer '99 Special Issue, which is now out; or you can read it on the web at http://www.winmag.com/library/1999/0602/bui0006.htm . Check out the article, and then click on over to the Dialog Box area via the WinMag front page at http://www.winmag.com/ starting about midday Tuesday July 6th. I'll welcome your comments, questions, or suggestions for other ways to share access. Let’s pool out knowledge: Join in! ----------Please Visit This LangaList Sponsor!------------ *************COMPUTER GIVEAWAY!!!*************** Earn a FREE PC by joining Hand Technologies' team of Technology Consultants! Our TC's sell top-name products: IBM, Compaq, HP + more! Join today! For complete details: http://www.enlist.com/cgi-bin/cnsmer ----------------------------------------------------- A Drum Roll, Please. Here Comes The BT2K Rollout The shutdown of WinMag's print edition threw me a pretty good curve: I went for the better part of a week not knowing if my freelance contract was intact or not. One of the things covered in my contract is BT2K. But at least for now, it looks as though we're proceeding as usual, and that's good because I'm just days away from releasing the public beta. All the new tests are done and are working great! At the least, I've re-coded and refreshed all the old tests, and in many cases added totally new ones. For example, BT98 has a simple Graphics Test that lets you see if your browser could display GIFs, JPGs and BMPs. (Curiously, Netscape browsers still can't show BMPs.) For BT2K, I've added a PNG image to the test: this is a new "Portable Network Graphic" file format that offers high compression and platform-independence; it's meant as a replacement to the proprietary (but popular) GIF format. Over time, PNG will become prevalent as software vendors opt not to pay royalties to use the GIF algorithms--- your browser needs PNG support. BT2K will let you find out if you can view PNGs, and the test takes literally about a second. Likewise, the streaming audio tests now include MP3 files, and streaming video includes Windows Media Player (which actually isn't just for Windows---- there are Mac and Unix versions, too.) Many, many of BT98's tests have been updated similarly, but there are many new tests too. For example, although you still can opt to run a manual throughput timing test, BT2K now automatically runs nine separate small-file throughput tests for you, and also offers two additional automatic tests for people with fast connections: a 1MB file test that's ideal for ISDN and low-end cable, DSL, and satellite services; and a 10MB file test that's great for gauging the performance of full-bore cable, satellite, DSL, and other high-speed connection types. I'm knee-deep in coding the "results" section (where BT2K tells you what it's found about your browser), and as soon as that's working reliably, we'll go live! I know you've been waiting for BT2K for a long time--- but I honestly think it'll be worth the wait. Stay tuned for an announcement very soon! Meanwhile, a newly-updated version of the short (but thorough!) BT2K Demo awaits you at http://www.browsertune.com/bt2kdemo/ More NT Bugs If you or your company is running Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, grab a patch for this bug. Microsoft describes it this way: "If an executable file with a specially-malformed image header is executed, it will cause a system failure. The affected machine will need to be rebooted in order to place it back in service. Any work that was in progress when the machine crashed could be lost." OK, that sounds nasty. But you can grab a free patch at any of these places: Windows NT Server and Workstation 4.0: ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt40/Hotfixes-PostSP4/Kernel-fix/ Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition: ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt40tse/Hotfixes-PostSP4/Kernel-fix More info: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q234/5/57.asp Netscape Communicator 4.61 Released Netscape fans should note that Communicator 4.61 is out, although (curiously) Navigator has not been updated---it's latest release is still 4.08. Grab a copy or an update at http://www.netscape.com/computing/download/index.html?cp=hom07pbro Byte's Very First Editor (Chris Morgan) Joins Discussion I was very pleased and honored when Chris Morgan---the editor who launched Byte back in 1975, joined the discussion attached to my most recent column at Byte.com--- Part Two of a retrospective on 25 years of Byte. Part One (covering 1975-1985) appears at http://www.byte.com/columns/monitor/1999/05/0524langa.html and Part Two (covering 1985 to the present) is available at http://www.byte.com/columns/monitor/1999/06/0628langa.html --- but note that the column may soon be moved into the archive area, so you may need to navigate to it from Byte's front page (www.byte.com) if the link above doesn't work. If you prefer, you also can jump straight to the discussion at http://cmpweb-media0.web.cerf.net/scripts/WebX?cmpnet-13@^41345@.ee6d875 A Week Too Early? In last week's Dialog Box , I wrote: A long time ago---in January 1996---in a speech I gave to the Washington Software Association, I joked that AOL eventually would tire of carpet-bombing the planet with free diskettes and CDs and would start giving away free PCs. The catch, I thought, would be that you'd be locked into AOL---sort of like a TV that's permanently tuned to one station. The rest of the Dialog Box revolved around speculation that AOL might do a deal with Microworkz (http://www.microworkz.com/) for just such boxes. Days after column appeared, AOL and Microworkz announced that, in fact, just such a deal had been consummated: AOL's CompuServe division would start giving out "free" PCs as a come-on. Not to be outdone, MSN, Prodigy and other services then rushed in with similar deals. But what most glowing accounts of this "free" AOL PC deal missed is that you have to sign up for nearly $800 worth of connect time from CompuServe, over three years. The Wall Street Journal did the math and figured that the real cost to AOL for the connect time and hardware was about $500, so AOL is going to make about a $300 profit on every "free" PC it manages to foist on the unwary. PT Barnum was wrong--- there's not a sucker born every minute: there are boatloads of them born every minute. Y2K BS Most of the Y2K hysteria has passed (although it will return in the last few months of this year). But a few companies out there are still using scare tactics to drum up sales. Reader "miketraina" wrote this note about experiences: Dear Mr. Langa: I look forward to your articles in each month's WINDOWS Magazine. I finally got around to performing the Y2K compliance test that was detailed in the January 1999 issue. I ran those tests after I ran a few of the Y2K test programs found at various sites on the web. I ran two programs, then decided to do the tests "manually", using your method. The program, PCWatch2000, by Henry Spencer Company, P.O. Box 3090, McLean, VA. 22102 (a freeware program I found somewhere) indicated a non Y2K compliance, in particular the date change: Dec 31, 1999 to Jan. 1, 2000. The program then alluded to the necessity of purchasing a full "registered" version. The program 2000 Toolbox, by McAfee Software (downloaded from the PCMag website) indicated (all three) BIOS, DOS and Windows date of 1/01/2000 failure. As above, a solution was to purchase the 2000 Toolbox full version. Anyway, my PC passed your test procedures with flying colors. I should not have been so lazy. I should have known better. As is often the case, if you want something done properly, do it yourself. In this case, following your guidelines. Thanks for the continuing education! I thoroughly enjoy your articles! Mike Traina The article he's referring to is at http://www.winmag.com/library/1999/0101/fea0061.htm and it contains a series of fast, free tests that takes about 5-10 minutes to run and that will smoke out all the most common types of Y2K glitches a PC can have. The article also has information on dealing with software issues. There may be times when commercial Y2K software is indeed the best choice. But not always: If you haven't done your own Y2K tests yet, before you go and spend money on test suites you may not need, check out the above article for easy, free tests you can do on your own. Summer Reading? Reader Dave Solimini wrote: Fred: I found something you should be able to put in your Newsletter - a book, "Dealers of Lightening" by Michael Hiltzik. It's about Xerox PARC. As I'm sure you know, PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) invented the PC, the GUI, WYSIWYG, the mouse, and Ethernet, among other things. Its told as a personal story, mainly from interviews with the people who were there, and its a fun read, regardless of the topic. I knew a bit about the place before, but this book really educated me on the story. Its a new book, written in 1999. Love the newsletter... Dave Solimini Thanks Dave. I hadn't heard of that one. But a related book I have read is "Fumbling the Future; How Xerox Invented, Then Ignored, the First Personal Computer" by Douglas K. Smith, Robert C. Alexander. Fascinating reading! By the way, an easy way to search for and order any book online, at a discount, is via the form on the bottom of this page: http://www.langa.com/book.htm Speaking Of Books: How To Publish Your Own Email Newsletter I wrote a long chapter about this free email newsletter, the "LangaList," for a book, called "Poor Richard's E-Mail Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Bulletins, Discussion Groups and Other Powerful Communications Tools." Through an "affiliate" program, you can get a copy for 20% off the cover price! Here's how Amazon.Com describes the book: "E-mail publishing is growing faster than the World Wide Web. This book shows entrepreneurs how to use e-mail to create newsletters, discussion groups, news bulletins and other powerful communication skills. This book presents the essentials of E-mail program, signing up members, successfully moderating a list, and using the lists to promote a product without alienating members. It also discusses making money by selling advertising, writing newsletter messages, using E- mail services when your subscriber lists is down and much more. With the help of this book, readers can confidently stem into the fastest-growing area of Internet communications." If you've ever considered starting a newsletter, discussion list or other email-based group communication tool, this book can help! The book lists for $29.95, but you can save $5.99 (20%!): your cost will be $23.96: just click here to order: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966103254/langacom (Online ordering here is 100% safe--- guaranteed by Amazon.Com!) Or, for discounts on any other book, CD or video from Amazon, use the search form on this page: http://www.langa.com/book.htm *************advertisement**************** You KNOW Ezines are where you need your ads. But getting ad rates, circulation, deadlines, ad rules, payments options, takes SO much time! We have the solution! Everything you need to place your ads all in ONE place. Stop by for all the details! http://www.lifestylespub.com ********************************************* Everybody Likes Free. Use the 60-second form over at http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm to instantly email your friends a free, no-obligation sample issue of the LangaList in your name. Word of mouth is the very best there is for my subscriber list to grow. Do you know just one other person who might find this newsletter interesting or useful? Send `em a copy! Thanks! Just For Grins: Here's a quick Y2K chuckle from reader "buytexas:" "Spoken by a software programmer: "I've finally figured out why this whole Year 2000 problem is causing so much trouble. Fixing it depends on programmers finding a date. This isn't exactly one of our classic strengths" See you next issue! Best, Fred ( fred@langa.com )