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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 1
10 A First ComputerJan Osfield buys a new machine and Liam Keanehelps
12 Black HolesJim Fogg discusses the incomprehensible
14 Updating Windows 95Terry Bibo keeps us up to date
15 Random JottingsKen Meadows tells a good yarn
19 Y2K - Flea or Funnelweb SpiderBrendan Falvey decides
20 Ockhamrsquos RazorTranscripts from Auntie
23 Win 98 Super Toolbar Entry MenusL A Anderson customises Win 98
24 Book ReviewAlan Laird reviews lsquoUsing Access 2000rsquo
27 PCUG CommitteeMeet the new Committee
28 Bits and BytesHave a laugh with Andrew Clayton
29 Puzzle PageExercise the old grey cells with Vic Bushell
30 Whatrsquos NewsMalcolm Morrison keeps up with the latest
2 Editorial InformationHow to contribute to Sixteen Bits
3 Contact InformationHow to contact us
4 EditorialAnne Greiner
4 Presidentrsquos LetterAnne Greiner
5 Main MeetingWhatrsquos on next
5 LettersFrom our readers
7 Membership NotesMike Burke with information for new members
13 TIP NewsAllan Mikkelsen talks about TIP
32 Internet Project ApplicationGet connected with TIP
33 Member ServicesDetails of services available to members only
34 Special Interest GroupsWhere the real action is
35 Training NewsLow cost training for members
36 Vendor DiscountsMembership has its privileges
38 Membersrsquo AdsPCUG Membership formCheck here first for bargains
39 Help DirectoryStuck Call the experts
40 CalendarWhatrsquos on next month
This month in
PCUG News amp Services Features
Profile
We are missing Software Library News thismonth as the CDs did not get to Phil Trudingerin enough time to get to press but hersquoll beback again next month
Advertiser amp Product Information
10 Bettowynd11 Context11 13 15 Hi-Micro12 ABampT16 Interact22 Computer Fair25 Context36 Vendor Discount SchemeInside Front DynamiteInside Back Software ShopOutside Back Select Approach
Sadly this month we farewell DonNicol who has contributed lsquoTheRosetta Pagersquo to the delight of alarge number of readers We willmiss Donrsquos wry humour and wethank him sincerely
2 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Advertising inSIXTEEN BITS
SIXTEEN BITS is a unique and powerfulmedium for reaching the thoughtful decisionmakers in the ACT area Our circulation exceeds3500 copies each month with multiplereadership exceeding 4800 Many copies areretained by members for future reference Theadvertising deadline is normally the first Fridayof the month of publication
Advertising options includebull Cover adsbull Display adsbull Special insertsbull One-off mailing lists
Regular advertisers receive discount vouchersto pay for any future advertising with SIXTEENBITS (subject to account being in order) Every12th consecutive ad placed is free Please contactthe Advertising Manager Brian Thomason on(02) 6295 2423 for further information
SIXTEEN BITS (ISSN 0817-0991)is published monthly by thePC Users Group (ACT) Inc
PO Box 42Belconnen ACT 2616
Australia
We welcome submissions of articles frommembers of the Group If you are interested inwriting please contact the Managing Editor andask for a copy of our lsquoSIXTEEN BITS -Guidelines for Authorsrsquo (also available on theSixteen Bits Web site ath t t p w w w p c u g o rg a u p c u g 1 6 b i t s 16guidehtm)Correspondence and material for review orpublication should be forwarded preferably as aplain text file with separate PCXBMP graphicfiles by the deadline specified to the Editor asfollowsbull By email to pcugeditorpcugorgaubull By fax to (02) 6253 4922bull By mail to the Centrersquos address above
Anonymous contributions will not be publishedthough name and address can be withheld frompublication on request Disks are not returnedunless requested by the authorcopy Copyright 1999 by the PC Users Group (ACT)Inc All rights reserved Permission forreproduction in whole or in part must be obtainedfrom the Managing Editor and is generally givenprovided the author also agrees and credit isgiven to SIXTEEN BITS and the author(s) ofthe reproduced material All other reproductionwithout prior permission of the PC Users Group(ACT) Inc is prohibitedMembers of the PC Users Group (ACT) Increceive SIXTEEN BITS each month Registeredby Australia Post Print Post Publication NoPP22648000009DisclaimerAlthough it is editorial policy to check all materialin SIXTEEN BITS for accuracy usefulness andsuitability no warranty either express or implied isoffered for any losses due to the use of the materialin the journal Unless specifically stated otherwisethe experiences and opinions expressed in anycolumn or article are those of the author and do notrepresent an official position of or endorsementby the PC Users Group (ACT) Inc The PC UsersGroup (ACT) Inc is not liable for inaccuracy in anyadvertisement and does not accept responsibilityfor any claims made by advertisers It is the buyerrsquosresponsibility to investigate the claims made byadvertisers Any material considered misleading orinappropriate will be withheld at editorial discretionNames of hardware software and other productsoffered on a commercial basis may be registerednames and trademarks of the vendors concernedSIXTEEN BITS uses such names only in an editorialfashion and to the benefit of the trademark ownerswith no intent of infringement of the trademark
Sixteen Bitsis produced with the
products and support of
AdobeCorel
Corporation
Deadlines For December1999 Issue
Articles and Member AdsFriday 29 October1999
Commercial AdsFriday 05 November1999
Managing EditorAnne Greiner
pcugeditorpcugorgauagreinerpcugorgau
Online EditorTamsin Sowden
tsowdenpcugorgau
Editorial TeamMike Burke Tamsin Sowden
Andrew Clayton Malcolm MorrisonAnn Byrne Ivan Kramer Vic Bushell
Brian Thomason Philip Grundy
Cover DesignRussell Kerrison
Technical EditorMichael Phillip
PhotographerBrad Van Wely
Commercial Advertising ManagerBrian Thomason
pcugadspcugorgau
ProductionPetra Dwyer and the Stuffing Team
Contributors for this issueMike Burke Anne Greiner
Malcolm Morrison Victor BushellTamsin Sowden Ann Byrne
Ken Meadows Brendan Falvey Jim FoggTerry Bibo Jan Osfield Liam Keane
Allan Mikkelsen L A Anderson Alan Laird
Authors and Advertisers please note
Articles from SIXTEEN BITS are also publishedon the Internet as Sixteen Bits Online at httpwwwpcugorgaupcug16bits
Material published on the Web and broadcaston radio is subject to copyright law andreproduction in any form without permissionof the editor and the author is prohibited Ifhowever you as an author object to publicationof your material on the Internet or on radio forany reason you must contact the Editor torequest that your articles be omitted from theonline version
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 3
PCUG CommitteePresident Anne Greiner 6288 2810
agreinerpcugorgau
Vice President Vacant
Secretary Hugh Bambrick 6249 7667amp Public Officer pcugsecretarypcugorgau
Treasurer Rod Farr 6286 1597pcugtreasurerpcugorgau
General Committee Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164amikkelspcugorgau
General Committee Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185MichaelLightfootcanbauugorgau
General Committee Anne Meade 6231 7881ameadepcugorgau
General Committee David Voss 6258 2178dvosspcugorgau
General Committee George Beaton 6254 6434gbeatonpcugorgau
General Committee Mike Dinn 6281 4877mdinnpcugorgau
General Committee Peter Ortner 6285 2388portpcugorgau
General Committee David Lewis 6226 8811dlpcugorgau
General Committee Alan Vidler 6254 5373avidlerpcugorgau
General Committee Nathan Robertson 6295 2106nathanrpcugorgau
PCUG Committee email to pcugcommitteepcugorgau
Other ContactsExecutive Secretary Petra Dwyer
pcugexecsecpcugorgau
Membership Mike BurkeSecretary pcugmembershippcugorgau
Novell Network Michael Phillips 6253 4966Administrator
NT Network David Schwabe 6254 9086Administrator dschwabepcugorgau
BBS Sysop Michael Phillips 6253 4966pcugsysoppcugorgau
Centre Manager Wolf Lieske 6258 5250wlieskepcugorgau
Training Rm Mngr David Voss 6258 2178pcughirepcugorgau
The phone numbers listed above are home numbers unless otherwisespecified Please restrict calls to between 730pm and 900pm
How To Make ContactPostal address
PO Box 42Belconnen ACT 2616(For ALL correspondence)
PC Users Group CentreNorthpoint Plaza BelconnenOpen Mon Wed and Fri 10am-2pmSaturdays and Sundays 9am-5pm(closed long weekends)
The PCUG Centre is the venue for PCUG training some Special InterestGroup meetings and other activities There is no charge for using theCentre for PCUG activities Contact Petra Dwyer at the PCUG Centre on(02) 6253 4911for bookings
PCUG Main Phone number(02) 6253 4911(Answering machine when Centre unattended)
$ Fax number(02) 6253 4922
Emailpcugpcugorgau (or use addresses at left)
The INTERNET Project(02) 6206 6200 helppcugorgau
World Wide Web pagehttpwwwpcugorgaupcug
amp Bulletin Board Service (BBS)(02) 6253 4933 (5 lines 336k bps)Fidonet address 3620243
BBS Sysop voice number(02) 6253 4966 (600pm - 900pm)
Main MeetingMain meetings are held 700pm for 730pm usually on the last Mondayof every month at Manning Clark Theatre 1 Crisp Building AustralianNational University
New Membersrsquo Information Night730pm first Monday of the month PC Users Group Centre Northpoint Plaza Belconnen
4 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Editorrsquos Desk TopAnne Greiner Managing EditorEditorrsquos Desk Top
Anne GreinerPresidentrsquos LetterPresidentrsquos LetterYou may notice that this edition is a
little smaller than usual this monthand considerably smaller than last
month which contained all those pages andpages of accounts and financial reportsthat we print each year We print these notonly because we are obliged to bylegislation but also because thecommittee is accountable to the membersand has an obligation to inform thatmembership of the steps taken in thatgovernance
The committee is elected by the groupas a whole and undertakes to run thegroup on behalf of the members I havehad occasion recently to discuss variouspolitical frameworks and have come to theconclusion that the PCUG most resemblesthe Government of the United States ofAmerica in that a very small proportion ofthe population (read membership) votesto elect its government In the USA it is
somewhere between 12 and 16 of theeligible voters Amazing that a in countrythat size that prides itself on its democraticfreethinking that only 16 of the eligiblevoting population actually cares enoughto vote You may be surprised to realisethat at the recent PCUG Annual GeneralMeeting 016 of the eligible membershipvoted to elect the current committee
Now there are several conclusions thatcan be drawn about both the internationaland parochial cases here First and mostobvious is that most of the population justdoesnrsquot care Tempting as this hypothesisis I really donrsquot believe that this is thesituation in either the US of A or thePCUG On the other hand it could be saidthat the constituencymembers have suchgreat confidence in the candidates whopresent themselves for office that there isabsolutely no need to vote and the wholeelection is a foregone conclusion I must
say that as one of the officers up forelection last month I infinitely prefer thesecond hypothesis but am reluctantlyforced to the conclusion that the truthprobably lies on a sliding scale somewherebetween the two extremes and that itprobably varies along that scale from yearto year depending on circumstances
The committee this coming year has avery wide range of ages has males andfemales and has students employedpeople and retired people We havetechnical expertise ranging from expert tonewbie and political beliefs right acrossthe board Like any group of 14 or sopeople we will not always agree abouteverything We have had some veryvigorous debates in the past on sensitiveissues such as membership fee rises andcategories of concessional membershipsand will undoubtedly have issues in thefuture that will cause dissent What I can
The veryfirst thing I need to say this
month is that my tale of woe lastmonth was definitely not a
complaint about Microsoft I stronglysuspect that my inability to load Office2000 at that time was due to a number offactors including the fact that hard diskspace is at a premium on my system andeven though I had the minimum requiredthe install process may have been a wholelot happier with a little more leeway Isnrsquotit funny how most of us donrsquot actually dothe electronic housekeeping tillbludgeoned into it I say lsquomost of usrsquo herebecause I know a few ineffably smugpeople who would never have let theirsystems get into that state in the firstplace and who take far too much pleasurein telling me so Oh well I suppose I donrsquot(really) mind about being hung out on the
line as an awful example of how not to dosome things I guess I can comfort myselfwith the fact that there are other peopleout there that still have some thousands(and no I am not saying how manythousands) of old emails stashed awayOne never knows when one might needto consult one of them and as for thegraphics files and the fonts and some ofthose wav files etc etc the least saidthe better but the same applies I will beruthless absolutely ruthless when thegreat electronic Agean cleanup comes
Now back to Microsoft The PCUGowes a large debt of gratitude to MicrosoftOver past years Microsoft has been verygenerous with the group Have younoticed that the vast majority of doorprizes come from Microsoft Over the past12 months alone Microsoft has donatedwell in excess of $10000 worth of softwareto the group There was $1200 worth ofsoftware (Office 2000) given away at theAugust meeting alone and many othersmaller packages have arrived They havealso donated software for use by theeditorial team and software for reviewThey have recently donated a copy of
Windows NT Server (over $1000) to allowus to update the BBS Microsoft are alsoparticularly generous in allowing us tobuy one copy of their products but thengiving us multiple licences for use on allthe training machines So think even asyou are uttering that Microsoft joke thinkabout it What software are you using onyour machine at home at work in thetraining room at the PCUG Centre Evensome of our most diehard proponents ofother proprietary packages have beenknown to use Office to distributeinformation to other users
Soon we may well have softwaretolerance being taught right along therewith racial and religious and politicaltolerance to our children at home and atschool Instead of ldquoNah Irsquom a Cruiser manbeen a Cruiser man all me lifersquo one willhear lsquoNah Irsquom a Red Hat sort of guyrsquoand some one else say lsquoNah votedMicrosoft all me life matersquo
When the last trump sounds and allthose cryonically preserved popsicles arethawed out will they have the vaguestidea of what the current generation aretalking about
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 5
Main MeetingMain Meeting
ampAnne Greiner
Guest SpeakerNilanga WijesekeraSubjectMicrografxDate25 October 1999
Mr Nilanga Wijesekera was appointedto his current role as Distribution ManagerAsia Pacific Micrografx Australia in 1998He is responsible for distribution andchannel management for Micrografxrsquosbusiness products in Australia and NewZealand
Mr Wijesekera initially joinedMicrografx in 1995 as a corporate salesaccount manager which required him tohold overall responsibility for developingcorporate awareness and sales ofMicrografx products into government andcorporate accounts in Australia and NewZealand
Prior to joining Micrografx MrWijesekera was a Senior Account amp
Manager at TGE Computer Companywhere he maintained their large accountclient base while sourcing new businessthrough OEM deals and dealers
From 1986 to 1992 Mr Wijesekera wasa Sales Manager for AGC (Industrial)Limited
About Micrografx IncMicrografx Inc is a recognised global
leader in enterprise graphics softwareThe company is specifically focused onproviding corporations with intelligentgraphic solutions that help people visuallycommunicate and analyse key corporateinformation processes and ideas to solvereal-world business problems Micrografxis dedicated to delivering solutionsthrough highly intelligent graphics-oriented enterprise software in four
From theCommitteeFrom theCommittee
Excerpts from theSeptemberCommittee Meeting
Note that these exerpts arealways from the previous month -as the minutes they are taken fromhave been confirmed by thecommittee
categories including corporate businessgraphics process management networkdocumentation and technology solutions
In 1999 Micrografx delivered the iGrafxSystem a one-of-a-kind easy-to-usehighly scaleable enterprise graphicsplatform to address the needs of users atevery level Visit wwwmicrografxcom formore information
say is that any issue brought before thecommittee will receive the fullestconsideration will argued through andthen be voted on As a committee we willuphold any majority decision made withinthat caucus to the outside world but willtake into consideration all submissions
Scutinise what we do this year makesuggestions if you want things changedmake complaints if you donrsquot like what wedo and remember that the occasionalword of approval (when deserved) doeswonders for morale And also rememberif you absolutely hate what wersquore doingand your complaints havenrsquot had anyeffect you can always vote us out at thenext election Of course you may have tostand yourself in thatcase ltbig gringt
The Committee meeting in Septemberwas kept brief as it preceded a dinner foroutgoing and prospective incomingCommittee members
Michael Lightfoot is talking to NECabout the purchase of a new proxy serverfor TIP ther ewas discussion of type ofbox and type of operating system
Discussion are in hand on the proposalfor replacement lease equipment in thetraining room Input from members SIGstrainers and editorial team has beenrequested and the committee will take
such requests intoconsideration whenmaking any furure decisions
Marion Van Wely has agreed tobecome the new training co-ordinator Thisis an important position and theCommittee expressed their thanks toMarion for taking training on at such shortnotice
The AGM will be at the Septembermain meeting and all committeenominations are in the hands of thesecretary
hellipprepared by Ann Byrne
amp
6 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
LettersLetters
Dear Anne
As a follow up to Janette Lindesayrsquos articlein the October edition about genealogy on theinternet readers may like to know that theBritish Telecom directories are available on theinternet now at wwwbtcom
Cynthia Worringham
IMPORTANT NOTICE - The GST starts to bite
First the bad news PCUG Membership fees will be subject to the GST They willtherefore have to rise by 10
And now for the worse news
The PCUG is already incurring GST on memberships It happens this way
PCUG membership is for 12 months Some part of every new and renewed membershipsince 1 July 1999 is in respect of the period after 30 June 2000 It is that part of themembership that is subject to GST The amount of GST in respect of that part of thememberhip will have to be paid after 30 June 2000
Reluctantly the Committee has raised membership fees to incorporate the GST thatwill have to be paid in respect of periods after 30 June 2000Why doesnrsquot the schedule of membership fees work from the day on joining Wellthere is alays a period ogf grace allowed for renewals of membership You have until theend of the month in which you joined to renew Counting the renewal or joining astherefore starting at the beginning of the next month means that GST is payable forwhole months only
GST will also be payable in respect of the unexpired portion of TIP access when 30June 2000 rolls around
We intend to handle TIP in this way
1 Any usage after 1 July 2000 will be subject to GST2 On 30 June 2000 we will calculate for each TIP subscriber the value of their
outstanding TIP credits3 The amount of the outstanding credits will be notionally refunded to each
subscriber4 Each subscriber will then be notionally credited with new TIP access credits for
the amount of 1011 ths of his or her outstanding credit
5 The value of the other 111 th will be sent to the ATO to cover the 10 GST on theTIP access being used after 1 July 2000
This method ensures that all access prior to 1 July is GST free and all after is GSTpaid TIP subscribers will just have to renew a little earlier
The new fees are $5500 $3500 $2500GST pa $550 $350 $250
Renew GST Ordinary Concessional AssociateFrom Months Member Member Member
Oct 3 $5638 $3588 $2563Nov 4 $5683 $3617 $2583Dec 5 $5729 $3646 $2604Jan 6 $5775 $3675 $2625Feb 7 $5821 $3704 $2646Mar 8 $5867 $3733 $2667Apr 9 $5913 $3763 $2688May 10 $5958 $3792 $2708Jun 11 $6004 $3821 $2729
Subject Re PCUG Fees + GSTDate Wed 13 Oct 1999 014144 +1000From Anne Greiner ltagreinerpcugorgaugtNewsgroups tipgeneral
(in answer to an enquirey as to why we had topay GST now)
Eleanor if I were to renew my PCUGmembership now ie October I would bepaying for membership for November 1999through to October 2000 I pay my moneyto Petra for the full 12 months
PCUG does not have to pay GST onmy subscriptions for November throughto June 2000 but does have to pay GST ofthe part of that yearly membership fee thatcovers
If I have not given Petra sufficient extramoney to cover the GST charges on thatpart of my sub that covers July to October2000 the PCUG will be out of pocket afterit pays the GST to the ATO This worksout at less that 50 cents a month for me(about $185 for those 4 months) butremember we have round about 3000members and for a full year PCUC wouldhave to pay a little over $15000 in GSTwhich it just cannot afford
I believe we are required to pay theATO every 3 months but our Treasurerhas all those details well in handRegardsAnne
I reprint the follong letter that I posted intipgeneral for the benefit of those who do nothave Internet access or who do not subscribeto tipgeneral Ed
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 7
hellipby
Mik
e Bu
rke
Mem
bers
hip
Secr
etar
y
Welcome to new members readingSixteen Bits for the first timewelcome to the PC Users Group
Continuing members should also checkthis column regularly because I am surethat there will be some little surprises from
time to time even for the most jaded ofold hands
Your Membership CardYour membership card and for newmembers a New Memberrsquos InformationDisk will normally be mailed to you onthe third Monday of the month in whichyou join or renew your membershipThose who join or renew after the thirdMonday will receive their carddisk thefollowing month If you lose your cardplease leave a message with the ExecutiveSecretary on 6253 4911 or contact medirectly via TIP atpcugmembershippcugorgau and itwill be replaced without charge
Information DiskNew members should also receive a diskcontaining information about the Groupand its services Please read theinformation on the disk carefully as youwill find the answers to most of yourquestions there This disk now contains
If your PCUGmembership expires at
the end of September 1999RENEW NOW
to avoid losing access toThe Internet Project
Next New Membersrsquo Night01 November 1999
730pmPCUG Centre
Northpoint Plaza Belconnen
Special EventsWe also have some special events suchas the lsquoBring and Buy Nightrsquo at the AlbertHall in November and an annual QuizNight in April You should read SixteenBits thoroughly as special events arepublicised mainly through the magazine
Annual General MeetingThe Annual General Meeting is held inSeptember each year Even if you areunable to attend Main Meetings regularlymembers should make every effort toattend this Meeting at which office bearersfor the ensuing 12 months are elected
Other Good StuffFor those who havenrsquot yet learnt throughbitter personal experience pleaseremember that TIP access is dependenton your continuing PCUG membershipand that it takes time to process yourmembership renewal mdash currently up to twoweeks We are looking at ways to reducethis time but the best solution is for youto remember to renew early Membersparticularly TIP users whose PCUGmembership expires at the end of themonth stated in the above box shouldrenew their PCUG membership immediate-ly Do not delay because your TIP accesswill automatically be cut off at midnighton the last day of the month unless yourrenewal has been processed
instructions on how to connect to theInternet Project
New MembersrsquoInformation Night
New members are especially urged toattend a New Membersrsquo Information Nightwhich is normally held at 730pm on thefirst Monday of the month (exceptJanuary) at the PC Users Group Centre(see map page 3) These meetings are achance for new and lsquoolderrsquo members (whoare always welcome to attend) to meet withrepresentatives of the Committee to putnames to faces and to ask any questionsthat you may have about the Group andits activities Tea and coffee are availableand the atmosphere is informal andfriendly
Main MeetingsOur main meetings targeted at our generalmembership are normally held monthlyon the last Monday of the month Thedate venue and topic of the meetingalways appear on the front cover ofSixteen Bits which is timed to arrive inyour mail-box in the middle of the weekbefore the next main meeting Mainmeetings are also advertised in thecomputing section of the Canberra Timeson the day of the meeting Anyone iswelcome to attend these meetings mdash youdo not need to be a member For mainmeetings we arrange guest speakers on avariety of topics throughout the year Asan added incentive there are usually acouple of door prizes to be won Yoursquovegot to be in it to win it There is no mainmeeting in December
amp
8 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
STRENGTHWith about 3000 members CanberraPCUG is one of Australiarsquos larger PC Usergroups It was founded in 1982 and is stillrun for the members by the members Themotto of the group is Users Helping Users
The Group employs one part-timeExecutive Secretary Most functions of theclub magazine writing and editing onlineservices maintenance collection anddistribution of shareware Organisation ofSIG and monthly meetings etc areperformed by volunteers The Group hasa membership from all walks of life with abroad range of knowledge as well asaccess to a vast store of information andhelp in many fields
SIXTEEN BITS MAGAZINEThe grouprsquos magazine Sixteen Bits ispublished eleven times a year It is theaward winning primary communicationsmechanism within the group Themagazine contains articles primarilycontributed by PCUG members reviewsnotices of upcoming events contactdetails for the various functions within thegroup a handy calendar the new softwarelibrary acquisitions the HELP directoryvendor discount scheme etc Themagazine is created with the aid of AdobePagemaker and Microsoft Office andother software products at the PCUGrsquosNorthpoint Plaza office Members whowish to contribute articles to the magazineor participate in the editorial team magazinelayout day held each month shouldcontact the editor( p c u g e d i t o r p c u g o r g a u ) Contributions are welcome The magazinehas details on the preferred format ofcontributions Contributions can be onvirtually any topic you care to cover fromsoftware reviews to hardware disasterstories or how you used your computerin a strange an unusual way
THE INTERNET PROJECTTIP was styarted as a collaborative effortbetween the Australian Unix Users Group(AUUG) and the PCUG The InternetProject (TIP) offers membership access to
the Internet via 60 (soon to be 72) dial inlines Two forms of access are provided ndashLimited Access which allows people toaccess email and news via PINE via abasic unix shell Full Access provides forPoint to Point (PPP) connectionseffectively putting your computer onto theinternet providing full access to emailnews world wide web IRC telnet ftponline-quake-playing anything a regularInternet Service Provider offers FullAccess accounts provide 10Mbytes ofdisk space per account which can be usedfor the storage of personal web pagesaccessible via the internet 24 hours a dayTIP started for business in 1995 offeringamazingly cheap access to the internetEven with various policy changes by thegrouprsquos uplink provider TIP still managesto offer the cheapest internet access inCanberra TIP policies are determined bythe Internet Project ManagementCommittee The day to day administrationof TIP is by volunteers mostly from theAUUG TIP has about 2000 membersmaking it one of the largest subscriberISPrsquos in the region
BULLETIN BOARD SERVICEPCUG has been offering access to aBulletin Board Service of somedescription since late 1986 The currentBBS offers five-line access to Fidonetechomail areas private Fidonet email alocal file download area access to thePCUGrsquos CDROM library of shareware andability to renew PCUG membership andperform other lsquoonline shoppingrsquofunctions Since the widespread use ofthe internet the BBS has becomesomewhat less exciting that it once mighthave been but it still serves a purposeand access to it is free for PCUG members
MONTHLY MEETINGSEach month (Except January) the groupholds its Monthly meeting normally at theManning Clarke Theatre (1 CrispBuilding Australian National University)usually on the last Monday of the monthat 730pm Each meeting has a guestspeaker usually giving a demonstration
talk about some software or hardwareproduct or upcoming technologySpeakers from a wide range of businessesare invited to give their product or servicea public hearing Prior to the main meetingyou can renew group or TIP membershippurchase blank floppy diskettes or attendthe BYTES SIG at the Asian Bistro in theANU Union building Attendees areeligible for a lucky door prize ndash sometimesthese are valuable once someone wasgiven Unix software valued at manythousands of dollars The Annual GeneralMeeting is where the outgoing PCUGcommittee report on the yearrsquosachievements and what the status of theTreasury is and this meeting is where thenew PCUG committee is elected
PCUG CENTRELocated in a modern air-conditionedoffice at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen thePCUG centre is the site of the mainadministration office It holds the BBS andTIP communications centre an 8-machinetraining room with light-projector andvarious training aids There are a numberof machines available for use at the centreincluding a colour scanner a CD copier aphotocopier and access to the internetThe centre hosts the PCUG committeemeetings the monthly Hardware Setupday and is where the PCUG magazineSixteen Bits is created The PCUG centreis staffed on weekends (9am-5pm EXCEPTlong weekends such as Easter or Anzacday) and during the week (10am-2pmMonday Wednesday Friday) duringthese times members can renew theirmembership purchase blank media orarrange access to TIP Various trainingcourses are on offer ($40 for full daycourses) on certain weekends such asWord7 Excel 7 Designing a WEB pageor Introduction to the Internet Places arelimited so be sure to book a place inadvance
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPSThe PCUG comprises a large number ofpeople with a wide range of interestsSmaller groups of people interested inspecific areas of personal computing get
What does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGofofofofoffffffer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Membersssss
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 9
together to form Special Interest Groupswhich have their own meetings andprojects Some SIGS currently in operationare ldquoCoffee and Chatrdquo ldquoCC++rdquo ldquoTheInvestment SIGrdquo ldquoThe OS2 SIGrdquo theldquoLinux Users Grouprdquo ldquoFlight SimulatorSIGrdquo ldquoInternet Daytime Demo andDiscussion Sigrdquo Contact details arepublished in Sixteen Bits Anyone canstart a SIG ndash just ask in one of the TIPspecific newsgroups (tipgeneral) ifanyone is interested in a formal get-together and arrange things such asdemonstrations discussions or picnics
TRAINING COURSESTraining courses on a wide variety of
subjects from Windows 9598 andIntroductory Internet Connection toMYOB and various programminglanguages are offered to our members andtheir families If there is a perceived needfor a particular course our training sub-committee will attempt to organise a trainerand a curriculum
MEDIA SALESThe group offers high quality disk and
tape cartridges for sale to its members atvery reasonable prices Contact the PCUGcentre during its business hours (10am-2pm Monday Wednesday Friday 9am-5pm on Weekends) for details
SHAREWARE SOFTWARELIBRARYEach month the group gets a new CDROMof the latest shareware The magazinepublishes excerpts from the currentCDROM Titles are available for downloadfrom the BBS (which is also accessiblefrom the internet via ftpbbspcugorgau) and whilst this is a freeservice to members the programsthemselves are usually shareware andrequire payment directly to the author ifyou intend to use the program in questionon a regular basis
HARDWARE AND VIDEO LIBRARYVarious hardware is available for loanCurrently the group has 336K and 144Kmodems and ZIP drives available tomembers as well as some videos includinglsquoDeveloping Applications with MicrosoftOfficersquo and lsquoUsing Windows 95rsquo Itemsmay be borrowed for one week at a timethere is no charge but you must collectand return the items yourselfEnjoy the group amp
TIP Help Pages
httpwwwtipnetautiphelp
bull Whats newHistory of changes to TIP help page
bull TIP Contact DetailsPhone numbers domain proxiesemail addresses
bull Useful TIP informationTime allocation usage statistics
bull TIP documentsAgreement Charging SchemeAcceptable Use Policy AccessApplication
bull InternetFAQAnswers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about the Internet what isthe Internet what you can donetiquette
bull TIP help FAQ
bull Answers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about various problemsother people may have had with TheInternet Project your problem maynot be a new one
bull lsquoHow-torsquo documentsHow to set up and use variousprograms needed to make the mostof your Internet account
bull GlossaryTranslating acronyms computerjargon netese and emoticons like -)in plain English
TIP Technical Information
Domain pcugorgauDNS server 203107634Mail server mailhostpcugorgau
News Server newshostpcugorgauftp server ftppcugorgau
WWW server wwwpcugorgauTime server supremepcugorgau
For users who accessTIP as AUUG members
replace lsquopcugrsquo with lsquoauugrsquoin these addresses
htt
p
ww
wp
cu
go
rga
up
cu
g1
6b
its
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
oba
oba
oba
oba
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t f o
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orm
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ttt t
10 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
I am sitting here beside the pool insteamy Kuala Lumpur contemplatinghow I came to agree to Anne Greinerrsquos
request to write a few lines for Sixteen Bits( it must have been the lateness of thehour that caught me off guard )
Three years ago I bought my firstcomputer All the ldquo How to buy aComputer ldquo magazines suggest that oneshould have an idea about what thismachine will be used for before partingwith the cash I didnrsquot have a clue I justwanted one Once I had it home and upand running I still had no idea what to dowith it So I joined PCUG The articles inSixteen Bits were interesting and althoughI didnrsquot understand everything - still donrsquot- I virtually read it from cover to cover
Surfing the Net seemed to be the wayto go Everyone was ldquo on it ldquo so I appliedfor advanced access and my lovelyneighbour got it all set up for me Now Iwas connected but still had no idea whatto do ( for each of the first two years Ihad in excess of 200 hours of unused time) I really used my computer as a glorifiedtypewriter and the difference between afile and a folder still leaves me lookingsomewhat blank
I now discovered e-mail I tested thefirst one on my neighbour who had spentmany hours explaining and fixing thingsin response to my SOS calls I felt verypleased with my accomplishment
Now I had opened Pandorarsquos Box andthere was no stopping me I wanted tocheck every five minutes to see ldquo if I hadmail ldquo
Then fate stepped in and in the spaceof a few short months I lost my husbandand my daughter Heidi and son in lawLiam moved to Malaysia E-mail became alife line and we were in contact dailyexchanging long notes
High on my list of interests had beengenealogy Now the Internet came intoits own I subscribed to a couple ofnewsgroups and lurked for quite a fewmonths With the help of a friend in CanadaI had made quite good progress in tracingmy family history but had hit a brick wall
( due to the bending of the truth by mygrandparents )
I sat and contemplated what horriblefate was likely to befall me if I sent a requestto a newsgroup for all the world to seeLiterally breathless with panic I pluckedup the courage to post a message andwaited to be struck down Almostinstantly there it was on the screen Ireceived three replies from that postingTwo of them were no connection but thethirdEureka ( thatrsquos the genealogy warcry when one is successful ) Contact wasmade with family in Wales who had noidea of our existence I now progressedto receiving photographs via the netWhat a thrill Of course Liam had givenme instruction in point form on just howto go about this task
Emboldened by thissuccess I joined theNorfolk UK mailing listand jumped in feet firstand posted a request forinformation on the nameI was researching Theresult I havediscovered a cousin inCanada and with themissing pieces of thepuzzle I was able tosupply we can now tracethis line back for ninegenerations He sent itall to me via Gedcom AsI donrsquot understand theworkings of this systemI was very sensible andhad the file sent here toKL so that Liam can doall the work
While helping meunravel my family treeLiam became hookedhimself and we havewonderful exchanges ofinformation on best sitesand new finds He hasprogressed from notknowing the names of hisgrandparents to havingover 800 family memberson his data base Like me
he has made lovely e-mail ldquo pen friends ldquofrom all parts of the globe
Now came the biggest thrill On the7th August 1999 on the secondanniversary of my husbandrsquos death mylittle grandson was born in MalaysiaWithin hours of his birth I had my firstglimpse of him courtesy of e-mail Notquite as good as being there but close
My youngest daughter Stephaniepresented me with another grandson sixdays later which brings me to the reasonfor speaking to Anne in the first place Ididnrsquot want to miss anything re my mailinglists while I was away meeting the newesttwigs on the family tree and so I soughtAnnersquos advice which was given mostcheerfully despite the lateness of the hour
BETTOWYNDmonitor repair specialists
No FNo FNo FNo FNo Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Feeeeeeeeee
Prompt guaranteed repairs toALL types of monitors and
terminals (including Apple andNEC)
Fixed price with discount toMembers
Quality second handmonitors are also available
for purchase
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1 Pirie stFYSHWICK
Telephone 6239 1043
hellipby Jan Osfield and Liam Kean
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
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618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
2 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Advertising inSIXTEEN BITS
SIXTEEN BITS is a unique and powerfulmedium for reaching the thoughtful decisionmakers in the ACT area Our circulation exceeds3500 copies each month with multiplereadership exceeding 4800 Many copies areretained by members for future reference Theadvertising deadline is normally the first Fridayof the month of publication
Advertising options includebull Cover adsbull Display adsbull Special insertsbull One-off mailing lists
Regular advertisers receive discount vouchersto pay for any future advertising with SIXTEENBITS (subject to account being in order) Every12th consecutive ad placed is free Please contactthe Advertising Manager Brian Thomason on(02) 6295 2423 for further information
SIXTEEN BITS (ISSN 0817-0991)is published monthly by thePC Users Group (ACT) Inc
PO Box 42Belconnen ACT 2616
Australia
We welcome submissions of articles frommembers of the Group If you are interested inwriting please contact the Managing Editor andask for a copy of our lsquoSIXTEEN BITS -Guidelines for Authorsrsquo (also available on theSixteen Bits Web site ath t t p w w w p c u g o rg a u p c u g 1 6 b i t s 16guidehtm)Correspondence and material for review orpublication should be forwarded preferably as aplain text file with separate PCXBMP graphicfiles by the deadline specified to the Editor asfollowsbull By email to pcugeditorpcugorgaubull By fax to (02) 6253 4922bull By mail to the Centrersquos address above
Anonymous contributions will not be publishedthough name and address can be withheld frompublication on request Disks are not returnedunless requested by the authorcopy Copyright 1999 by the PC Users Group (ACT)Inc All rights reserved Permission forreproduction in whole or in part must be obtainedfrom the Managing Editor and is generally givenprovided the author also agrees and credit isgiven to SIXTEEN BITS and the author(s) ofthe reproduced material All other reproductionwithout prior permission of the PC Users Group(ACT) Inc is prohibitedMembers of the PC Users Group (ACT) Increceive SIXTEEN BITS each month Registeredby Australia Post Print Post Publication NoPP22648000009DisclaimerAlthough it is editorial policy to check all materialin SIXTEEN BITS for accuracy usefulness andsuitability no warranty either express or implied isoffered for any losses due to the use of the materialin the journal Unless specifically stated otherwisethe experiences and opinions expressed in anycolumn or article are those of the author and do notrepresent an official position of or endorsementby the PC Users Group (ACT) Inc The PC UsersGroup (ACT) Inc is not liable for inaccuracy in anyadvertisement and does not accept responsibilityfor any claims made by advertisers It is the buyerrsquosresponsibility to investigate the claims made byadvertisers Any material considered misleading orinappropriate will be withheld at editorial discretionNames of hardware software and other productsoffered on a commercial basis may be registerednames and trademarks of the vendors concernedSIXTEEN BITS uses such names only in an editorialfashion and to the benefit of the trademark ownerswith no intent of infringement of the trademark
Sixteen Bitsis produced with the
products and support of
AdobeCorel
Corporation
Deadlines For December1999 Issue
Articles and Member AdsFriday 29 October1999
Commercial AdsFriday 05 November1999
Managing EditorAnne Greiner
pcugeditorpcugorgauagreinerpcugorgau
Online EditorTamsin Sowden
tsowdenpcugorgau
Editorial TeamMike Burke Tamsin Sowden
Andrew Clayton Malcolm MorrisonAnn Byrne Ivan Kramer Vic Bushell
Brian Thomason Philip Grundy
Cover DesignRussell Kerrison
Technical EditorMichael Phillip
PhotographerBrad Van Wely
Commercial Advertising ManagerBrian Thomason
pcugadspcugorgau
ProductionPetra Dwyer and the Stuffing Team
Contributors for this issueMike Burke Anne Greiner
Malcolm Morrison Victor BushellTamsin Sowden Ann Byrne
Ken Meadows Brendan Falvey Jim FoggTerry Bibo Jan Osfield Liam Keane
Allan Mikkelsen L A Anderson Alan Laird
Authors and Advertisers please note
Articles from SIXTEEN BITS are also publishedon the Internet as Sixteen Bits Online at httpwwwpcugorgaupcug16bits
Material published on the Web and broadcaston radio is subject to copyright law andreproduction in any form without permissionof the editor and the author is prohibited Ifhowever you as an author object to publicationof your material on the Internet or on radio forany reason you must contact the Editor torequest that your articles be omitted from theonline version
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 3
PCUG CommitteePresident Anne Greiner 6288 2810
agreinerpcugorgau
Vice President Vacant
Secretary Hugh Bambrick 6249 7667amp Public Officer pcugsecretarypcugorgau
Treasurer Rod Farr 6286 1597pcugtreasurerpcugorgau
General Committee Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164amikkelspcugorgau
General Committee Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185MichaelLightfootcanbauugorgau
General Committee Anne Meade 6231 7881ameadepcugorgau
General Committee David Voss 6258 2178dvosspcugorgau
General Committee George Beaton 6254 6434gbeatonpcugorgau
General Committee Mike Dinn 6281 4877mdinnpcugorgau
General Committee Peter Ortner 6285 2388portpcugorgau
General Committee David Lewis 6226 8811dlpcugorgau
General Committee Alan Vidler 6254 5373avidlerpcugorgau
General Committee Nathan Robertson 6295 2106nathanrpcugorgau
PCUG Committee email to pcugcommitteepcugorgau
Other ContactsExecutive Secretary Petra Dwyer
pcugexecsecpcugorgau
Membership Mike BurkeSecretary pcugmembershippcugorgau
Novell Network Michael Phillips 6253 4966Administrator
NT Network David Schwabe 6254 9086Administrator dschwabepcugorgau
BBS Sysop Michael Phillips 6253 4966pcugsysoppcugorgau
Centre Manager Wolf Lieske 6258 5250wlieskepcugorgau
Training Rm Mngr David Voss 6258 2178pcughirepcugorgau
The phone numbers listed above are home numbers unless otherwisespecified Please restrict calls to between 730pm and 900pm
How To Make ContactPostal address
PO Box 42Belconnen ACT 2616(For ALL correspondence)
PC Users Group CentreNorthpoint Plaza BelconnenOpen Mon Wed and Fri 10am-2pmSaturdays and Sundays 9am-5pm(closed long weekends)
The PCUG Centre is the venue for PCUG training some Special InterestGroup meetings and other activities There is no charge for using theCentre for PCUG activities Contact Petra Dwyer at the PCUG Centre on(02) 6253 4911for bookings
PCUG Main Phone number(02) 6253 4911(Answering machine when Centre unattended)
$ Fax number(02) 6253 4922
Emailpcugpcugorgau (or use addresses at left)
The INTERNET Project(02) 6206 6200 helppcugorgau
World Wide Web pagehttpwwwpcugorgaupcug
amp Bulletin Board Service (BBS)(02) 6253 4933 (5 lines 336k bps)Fidonet address 3620243
BBS Sysop voice number(02) 6253 4966 (600pm - 900pm)
Main MeetingMain meetings are held 700pm for 730pm usually on the last Mondayof every month at Manning Clark Theatre 1 Crisp Building AustralianNational University
New Membersrsquo Information Night730pm first Monday of the month PC Users Group Centre Northpoint Plaza Belconnen
4 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Editorrsquos Desk TopAnne Greiner Managing EditorEditorrsquos Desk Top
Anne GreinerPresidentrsquos LetterPresidentrsquos LetterYou may notice that this edition is a
little smaller than usual this monthand considerably smaller than last
month which contained all those pages andpages of accounts and financial reportsthat we print each year We print these notonly because we are obliged to bylegislation but also because thecommittee is accountable to the membersand has an obligation to inform thatmembership of the steps taken in thatgovernance
The committee is elected by the groupas a whole and undertakes to run thegroup on behalf of the members I havehad occasion recently to discuss variouspolitical frameworks and have come to theconclusion that the PCUG most resemblesthe Government of the United States ofAmerica in that a very small proportion ofthe population (read membership) votesto elect its government In the USA it is
somewhere between 12 and 16 of theeligible voters Amazing that a in countrythat size that prides itself on its democraticfreethinking that only 16 of the eligiblevoting population actually cares enoughto vote You may be surprised to realisethat at the recent PCUG Annual GeneralMeeting 016 of the eligible membershipvoted to elect the current committee
Now there are several conclusions thatcan be drawn about both the internationaland parochial cases here First and mostobvious is that most of the population justdoesnrsquot care Tempting as this hypothesisis I really donrsquot believe that this is thesituation in either the US of A or thePCUG On the other hand it could be saidthat the constituencymembers have suchgreat confidence in the candidates whopresent themselves for office that there isabsolutely no need to vote and the wholeelection is a foregone conclusion I must
say that as one of the officers up forelection last month I infinitely prefer thesecond hypothesis but am reluctantlyforced to the conclusion that the truthprobably lies on a sliding scale somewherebetween the two extremes and that itprobably varies along that scale from yearto year depending on circumstances
The committee this coming year has avery wide range of ages has males andfemales and has students employedpeople and retired people We havetechnical expertise ranging from expert tonewbie and political beliefs right acrossthe board Like any group of 14 or sopeople we will not always agree abouteverything We have had some veryvigorous debates in the past on sensitiveissues such as membership fee rises andcategories of concessional membershipsand will undoubtedly have issues in thefuture that will cause dissent What I can
The veryfirst thing I need to say this
month is that my tale of woe lastmonth was definitely not a
complaint about Microsoft I stronglysuspect that my inability to load Office2000 at that time was due to a number offactors including the fact that hard diskspace is at a premium on my system andeven though I had the minimum requiredthe install process may have been a wholelot happier with a little more leeway Isnrsquotit funny how most of us donrsquot actually dothe electronic housekeeping tillbludgeoned into it I say lsquomost of usrsquo herebecause I know a few ineffably smugpeople who would never have let theirsystems get into that state in the firstplace and who take far too much pleasurein telling me so Oh well I suppose I donrsquot(really) mind about being hung out on the
line as an awful example of how not to dosome things I guess I can comfort myselfwith the fact that there are other peopleout there that still have some thousands(and no I am not saying how manythousands) of old emails stashed awayOne never knows when one might needto consult one of them and as for thegraphics files and the fonts and some ofthose wav files etc etc the least saidthe better but the same applies I will beruthless absolutely ruthless when thegreat electronic Agean cleanup comes
Now back to Microsoft The PCUGowes a large debt of gratitude to MicrosoftOver past years Microsoft has been verygenerous with the group Have younoticed that the vast majority of doorprizes come from Microsoft Over the past12 months alone Microsoft has donatedwell in excess of $10000 worth of softwareto the group There was $1200 worth ofsoftware (Office 2000) given away at theAugust meeting alone and many othersmaller packages have arrived They havealso donated software for use by theeditorial team and software for reviewThey have recently donated a copy of
Windows NT Server (over $1000) to allowus to update the BBS Microsoft are alsoparticularly generous in allowing us tobuy one copy of their products but thengiving us multiple licences for use on allthe training machines So think even asyou are uttering that Microsoft joke thinkabout it What software are you using onyour machine at home at work in thetraining room at the PCUG Centre Evensome of our most diehard proponents ofother proprietary packages have beenknown to use Office to distributeinformation to other users
Soon we may well have softwaretolerance being taught right along therewith racial and religious and politicaltolerance to our children at home and atschool Instead of ldquoNah Irsquom a Cruiser manbeen a Cruiser man all me lifersquo one willhear lsquoNah Irsquom a Red Hat sort of guyrsquoand some one else say lsquoNah votedMicrosoft all me life matersquo
When the last trump sounds and allthose cryonically preserved popsicles arethawed out will they have the vaguestidea of what the current generation aretalking about
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 5
Main MeetingMain Meeting
ampAnne Greiner
Guest SpeakerNilanga WijesekeraSubjectMicrografxDate25 October 1999
Mr Nilanga Wijesekera was appointedto his current role as Distribution ManagerAsia Pacific Micrografx Australia in 1998He is responsible for distribution andchannel management for Micrografxrsquosbusiness products in Australia and NewZealand
Mr Wijesekera initially joinedMicrografx in 1995 as a corporate salesaccount manager which required him tohold overall responsibility for developingcorporate awareness and sales ofMicrografx products into government andcorporate accounts in Australia and NewZealand
Prior to joining Micrografx MrWijesekera was a Senior Account amp
Manager at TGE Computer Companywhere he maintained their large accountclient base while sourcing new businessthrough OEM deals and dealers
From 1986 to 1992 Mr Wijesekera wasa Sales Manager for AGC (Industrial)Limited
About Micrografx IncMicrografx Inc is a recognised global
leader in enterprise graphics softwareThe company is specifically focused onproviding corporations with intelligentgraphic solutions that help people visuallycommunicate and analyse key corporateinformation processes and ideas to solvereal-world business problems Micrografxis dedicated to delivering solutionsthrough highly intelligent graphics-oriented enterprise software in four
From theCommitteeFrom theCommittee
Excerpts from theSeptemberCommittee Meeting
Note that these exerpts arealways from the previous month -as the minutes they are taken fromhave been confirmed by thecommittee
categories including corporate businessgraphics process management networkdocumentation and technology solutions
In 1999 Micrografx delivered the iGrafxSystem a one-of-a-kind easy-to-usehighly scaleable enterprise graphicsplatform to address the needs of users atevery level Visit wwwmicrografxcom formore information
say is that any issue brought before thecommittee will receive the fullestconsideration will argued through andthen be voted on As a committee we willuphold any majority decision made withinthat caucus to the outside world but willtake into consideration all submissions
Scutinise what we do this year makesuggestions if you want things changedmake complaints if you donrsquot like what wedo and remember that the occasionalword of approval (when deserved) doeswonders for morale And also rememberif you absolutely hate what wersquore doingand your complaints havenrsquot had anyeffect you can always vote us out at thenext election Of course you may have tostand yourself in thatcase ltbig gringt
The Committee meeting in Septemberwas kept brief as it preceded a dinner foroutgoing and prospective incomingCommittee members
Michael Lightfoot is talking to NECabout the purchase of a new proxy serverfor TIP ther ewas discussion of type ofbox and type of operating system
Discussion are in hand on the proposalfor replacement lease equipment in thetraining room Input from members SIGstrainers and editorial team has beenrequested and the committee will take
such requests intoconsideration whenmaking any furure decisions
Marion Van Wely has agreed tobecome the new training co-ordinator Thisis an important position and theCommittee expressed their thanks toMarion for taking training on at such shortnotice
The AGM will be at the Septembermain meeting and all committeenominations are in the hands of thesecretary
hellipprepared by Ann Byrne
amp
6 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
LettersLetters
Dear Anne
As a follow up to Janette Lindesayrsquos articlein the October edition about genealogy on theinternet readers may like to know that theBritish Telecom directories are available on theinternet now at wwwbtcom
Cynthia Worringham
IMPORTANT NOTICE - The GST starts to bite
First the bad news PCUG Membership fees will be subject to the GST They willtherefore have to rise by 10
And now for the worse news
The PCUG is already incurring GST on memberships It happens this way
PCUG membership is for 12 months Some part of every new and renewed membershipsince 1 July 1999 is in respect of the period after 30 June 2000 It is that part of themembership that is subject to GST The amount of GST in respect of that part of thememberhip will have to be paid after 30 June 2000
Reluctantly the Committee has raised membership fees to incorporate the GST thatwill have to be paid in respect of periods after 30 June 2000Why doesnrsquot the schedule of membership fees work from the day on joining Wellthere is alays a period ogf grace allowed for renewals of membership You have until theend of the month in which you joined to renew Counting the renewal or joining astherefore starting at the beginning of the next month means that GST is payable forwhole months only
GST will also be payable in respect of the unexpired portion of TIP access when 30June 2000 rolls around
We intend to handle TIP in this way
1 Any usage after 1 July 2000 will be subject to GST2 On 30 June 2000 we will calculate for each TIP subscriber the value of their
outstanding TIP credits3 The amount of the outstanding credits will be notionally refunded to each
subscriber4 Each subscriber will then be notionally credited with new TIP access credits for
the amount of 1011 ths of his or her outstanding credit
5 The value of the other 111 th will be sent to the ATO to cover the 10 GST on theTIP access being used after 1 July 2000
This method ensures that all access prior to 1 July is GST free and all after is GSTpaid TIP subscribers will just have to renew a little earlier
The new fees are $5500 $3500 $2500GST pa $550 $350 $250
Renew GST Ordinary Concessional AssociateFrom Months Member Member Member
Oct 3 $5638 $3588 $2563Nov 4 $5683 $3617 $2583Dec 5 $5729 $3646 $2604Jan 6 $5775 $3675 $2625Feb 7 $5821 $3704 $2646Mar 8 $5867 $3733 $2667Apr 9 $5913 $3763 $2688May 10 $5958 $3792 $2708Jun 11 $6004 $3821 $2729
Subject Re PCUG Fees + GSTDate Wed 13 Oct 1999 014144 +1000From Anne Greiner ltagreinerpcugorgaugtNewsgroups tipgeneral
(in answer to an enquirey as to why we had topay GST now)
Eleanor if I were to renew my PCUGmembership now ie October I would bepaying for membership for November 1999through to October 2000 I pay my moneyto Petra for the full 12 months
PCUG does not have to pay GST onmy subscriptions for November throughto June 2000 but does have to pay GST ofthe part of that yearly membership fee thatcovers
If I have not given Petra sufficient extramoney to cover the GST charges on thatpart of my sub that covers July to October2000 the PCUG will be out of pocket afterit pays the GST to the ATO This worksout at less that 50 cents a month for me(about $185 for those 4 months) butremember we have round about 3000members and for a full year PCUC wouldhave to pay a little over $15000 in GSTwhich it just cannot afford
I believe we are required to pay theATO every 3 months but our Treasurerhas all those details well in handRegardsAnne
I reprint the follong letter that I posted intipgeneral for the benefit of those who do nothave Internet access or who do not subscribeto tipgeneral Ed
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 7
hellipby
Mik
e Bu
rke
Mem
bers
hip
Secr
etar
y
Welcome to new members readingSixteen Bits for the first timewelcome to the PC Users Group
Continuing members should also checkthis column regularly because I am surethat there will be some little surprises from
time to time even for the most jaded ofold hands
Your Membership CardYour membership card and for newmembers a New Memberrsquos InformationDisk will normally be mailed to you onthe third Monday of the month in whichyou join or renew your membershipThose who join or renew after the thirdMonday will receive their carddisk thefollowing month If you lose your cardplease leave a message with the ExecutiveSecretary on 6253 4911 or contact medirectly via TIP atpcugmembershippcugorgau and itwill be replaced without charge
Information DiskNew members should also receive a diskcontaining information about the Groupand its services Please read theinformation on the disk carefully as youwill find the answers to most of yourquestions there This disk now contains
If your PCUGmembership expires at
the end of September 1999RENEW NOW
to avoid losing access toThe Internet Project
Next New Membersrsquo Night01 November 1999
730pmPCUG Centre
Northpoint Plaza Belconnen
Special EventsWe also have some special events suchas the lsquoBring and Buy Nightrsquo at the AlbertHall in November and an annual QuizNight in April You should read SixteenBits thoroughly as special events arepublicised mainly through the magazine
Annual General MeetingThe Annual General Meeting is held inSeptember each year Even if you areunable to attend Main Meetings regularlymembers should make every effort toattend this Meeting at which office bearersfor the ensuing 12 months are elected
Other Good StuffFor those who havenrsquot yet learnt throughbitter personal experience pleaseremember that TIP access is dependenton your continuing PCUG membershipand that it takes time to process yourmembership renewal mdash currently up to twoweeks We are looking at ways to reducethis time but the best solution is for youto remember to renew early Membersparticularly TIP users whose PCUGmembership expires at the end of themonth stated in the above box shouldrenew their PCUG membership immediate-ly Do not delay because your TIP accesswill automatically be cut off at midnighton the last day of the month unless yourrenewal has been processed
instructions on how to connect to theInternet Project
New MembersrsquoInformation Night
New members are especially urged toattend a New Membersrsquo Information Nightwhich is normally held at 730pm on thefirst Monday of the month (exceptJanuary) at the PC Users Group Centre(see map page 3) These meetings are achance for new and lsquoolderrsquo members (whoare always welcome to attend) to meet withrepresentatives of the Committee to putnames to faces and to ask any questionsthat you may have about the Group andits activities Tea and coffee are availableand the atmosphere is informal andfriendly
Main MeetingsOur main meetings targeted at our generalmembership are normally held monthlyon the last Monday of the month Thedate venue and topic of the meetingalways appear on the front cover ofSixteen Bits which is timed to arrive inyour mail-box in the middle of the weekbefore the next main meeting Mainmeetings are also advertised in thecomputing section of the Canberra Timeson the day of the meeting Anyone iswelcome to attend these meetings mdash youdo not need to be a member For mainmeetings we arrange guest speakers on avariety of topics throughout the year Asan added incentive there are usually acouple of door prizes to be won Yoursquovegot to be in it to win it There is no mainmeeting in December
amp
8 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
STRENGTHWith about 3000 members CanberraPCUG is one of Australiarsquos larger PC Usergroups It was founded in 1982 and is stillrun for the members by the members Themotto of the group is Users Helping Users
The Group employs one part-timeExecutive Secretary Most functions of theclub magazine writing and editing onlineservices maintenance collection anddistribution of shareware Organisation ofSIG and monthly meetings etc areperformed by volunteers The Group hasa membership from all walks of life with abroad range of knowledge as well asaccess to a vast store of information andhelp in many fields
SIXTEEN BITS MAGAZINEThe grouprsquos magazine Sixteen Bits ispublished eleven times a year It is theaward winning primary communicationsmechanism within the group Themagazine contains articles primarilycontributed by PCUG members reviewsnotices of upcoming events contactdetails for the various functions within thegroup a handy calendar the new softwarelibrary acquisitions the HELP directoryvendor discount scheme etc Themagazine is created with the aid of AdobePagemaker and Microsoft Office andother software products at the PCUGrsquosNorthpoint Plaza office Members whowish to contribute articles to the magazineor participate in the editorial team magazinelayout day held each month shouldcontact the editor( p c u g e d i t o r p c u g o r g a u ) Contributions are welcome The magazinehas details on the preferred format ofcontributions Contributions can be onvirtually any topic you care to cover fromsoftware reviews to hardware disasterstories or how you used your computerin a strange an unusual way
THE INTERNET PROJECTTIP was styarted as a collaborative effortbetween the Australian Unix Users Group(AUUG) and the PCUG The InternetProject (TIP) offers membership access to
the Internet via 60 (soon to be 72) dial inlines Two forms of access are provided ndashLimited Access which allows people toaccess email and news via PINE via abasic unix shell Full Access provides forPoint to Point (PPP) connectionseffectively putting your computer onto theinternet providing full access to emailnews world wide web IRC telnet ftponline-quake-playing anything a regularInternet Service Provider offers FullAccess accounts provide 10Mbytes ofdisk space per account which can be usedfor the storage of personal web pagesaccessible via the internet 24 hours a dayTIP started for business in 1995 offeringamazingly cheap access to the internetEven with various policy changes by thegrouprsquos uplink provider TIP still managesto offer the cheapest internet access inCanberra TIP policies are determined bythe Internet Project ManagementCommittee The day to day administrationof TIP is by volunteers mostly from theAUUG TIP has about 2000 membersmaking it one of the largest subscriberISPrsquos in the region
BULLETIN BOARD SERVICEPCUG has been offering access to aBulletin Board Service of somedescription since late 1986 The currentBBS offers five-line access to Fidonetechomail areas private Fidonet email alocal file download area access to thePCUGrsquos CDROM library of shareware andability to renew PCUG membership andperform other lsquoonline shoppingrsquofunctions Since the widespread use ofthe internet the BBS has becomesomewhat less exciting that it once mighthave been but it still serves a purposeand access to it is free for PCUG members
MONTHLY MEETINGSEach month (Except January) the groupholds its Monthly meeting normally at theManning Clarke Theatre (1 CrispBuilding Australian National University)usually on the last Monday of the monthat 730pm Each meeting has a guestspeaker usually giving a demonstration
talk about some software or hardwareproduct or upcoming technologySpeakers from a wide range of businessesare invited to give their product or servicea public hearing Prior to the main meetingyou can renew group or TIP membershippurchase blank floppy diskettes or attendthe BYTES SIG at the Asian Bistro in theANU Union building Attendees areeligible for a lucky door prize ndash sometimesthese are valuable once someone wasgiven Unix software valued at manythousands of dollars The Annual GeneralMeeting is where the outgoing PCUGcommittee report on the yearrsquosachievements and what the status of theTreasury is and this meeting is where thenew PCUG committee is elected
PCUG CENTRELocated in a modern air-conditionedoffice at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen thePCUG centre is the site of the mainadministration office It holds the BBS andTIP communications centre an 8-machinetraining room with light-projector andvarious training aids There are a numberof machines available for use at the centreincluding a colour scanner a CD copier aphotocopier and access to the internetThe centre hosts the PCUG committeemeetings the monthly Hardware Setupday and is where the PCUG magazineSixteen Bits is created The PCUG centreis staffed on weekends (9am-5pm EXCEPTlong weekends such as Easter or Anzacday) and during the week (10am-2pmMonday Wednesday Friday) duringthese times members can renew theirmembership purchase blank media orarrange access to TIP Various trainingcourses are on offer ($40 for full daycourses) on certain weekends such asWord7 Excel 7 Designing a WEB pageor Introduction to the Internet Places arelimited so be sure to book a place inadvance
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPSThe PCUG comprises a large number ofpeople with a wide range of interestsSmaller groups of people interested inspecific areas of personal computing get
What does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGofofofofoffffffer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Membersssss
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 9
together to form Special Interest Groupswhich have their own meetings andprojects Some SIGS currently in operationare ldquoCoffee and Chatrdquo ldquoCC++rdquo ldquoTheInvestment SIGrdquo ldquoThe OS2 SIGrdquo theldquoLinux Users Grouprdquo ldquoFlight SimulatorSIGrdquo ldquoInternet Daytime Demo andDiscussion Sigrdquo Contact details arepublished in Sixteen Bits Anyone canstart a SIG ndash just ask in one of the TIPspecific newsgroups (tipgeneral) ifanyone is interested in a formal get-together and arrange things such asdemonstrations discussions or picnics
TRAINING COURSESTraining courses on a wide variety of
subjects from Windows 9598 andIntroductory Internet Connection toMYOB and various programminglanguages are offered to our members andtheir families If there is a perceived needfor a particular course our training sub-committee will attempt to organise a trainerand a curriculum
MEDIA SALESThe group offers high quality disk and
tape cartridges for sale to its members atvery reasonable prices Contact the PCUGcentre during its business hours (10am-2pm Monday Wednesday Friday 9am-5pm on Weekends) for details
SHAREWARE SOFTWARELIBRARYEach month the group gets a new CDROMof the latest shareware The magazinepublishes excerpts from the currentCDROM Titles are available for downloadfrom the BBS (which is also accessiblefrom the internet via ftpbbspcugorgau) and whilst this is a freeservice to members the programsthemselves are usually shareware andrequire payment directly to the author ifyou intend to use the program in questionon a regular basis
HARDWARE AND VIDEO LIBRARYVarious hardware is available for loanCurrently the group has 336K and 144Kmodems and ZIP drives available tomembers as well as some videos includinglsquoDeveloping Applications with MicrosoftOfficersquo and lsquoUsing Windows 95rsquo Itemsmay be borrowed for one week at a timethere is no charge but you must collectand return the items yourselfEnjoy the group amp
TIP Help Pages
httpwwwtipnetautiphelp
bull Whats newHistory of changes to TIP help page
bull TIP Contact DetailsPhone numbers domain proxiesemail addresses
bull Useful TIP informationTime allocation usage statistics
bull TIP documentsAgreement Charging SchemeAcceptable Use Policy AccessApplication
bull InternetFAQAnswers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about the Internet what isthe Internet what you can donetiquette
bull TIP help FAQ
bull Answers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about various problemsother people may have had with TheInternet Project your problem maynot be a new one
bull lsquoHow-torsquo documentsHow to set up and use variousprograms needed to make the mostof your Internet account
bull GlossaryTranslating acronyms computerjargon netese and emoticons like -)in plain English
TIP Technical Information
Domain pcugorgauDNS server 203107634Mail server mailhostpcugorgau
News Server newshostpcugorgauftp server ftppcugorgau
WWW server wwwpcugorgauTime server supremepcugorgau
For users who accessTIP as AUUG members
replace lsquopcugrsquo with lsquoauugrsquoin these addresses
htt
p
ww
wp
cu
go
rga
up
cu
g1
6b
its
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
oba
oba
oba
oba
oba t
ft ft f
t f
t f o
rma
orm
aor
ma
orm
aor
ma t
ttt t
10 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
I am sitting here beside the pool insteamy Kuala Lumpur contemplatinghow I came to agree to Anne Greinerrsquos
request to write a few lines for Sixteen Bits( it must have been the lateness of thehour that caught me off guard )
Three years ago I bought my firstcomputer All the ldquo How to buy aComputer ldquo magazines suggest that oneshould have an idea about what thismachine will be used for before partingwith the cash I didnrsquot have a clue I justwanted one Once I had it home and upand running I still had no idea what to dowith it So I joined PCUG The articles inSixteen Bits were interesting and althoughI didnrsquot understand everything - still donrsquot- I virtually read it from cover to cover
Surfing the Net seemed to be the wayto go Everyone was ldquo on it ldquo so I appliedfor advanced access and my lovelyneighbour got it all set up for me Now Iwas connected but still had no idea whatto do ( for each of the first two years Ihad in excess of 200 hours of unused time) I really used my computer as a glorifiedtypewriter and the difference between afile and a folder still leaves me lookingsomewhat blank
I now discovered e-mail I tested thefirst one on my neighbour who had spentmany hours explaining and fixing thingsin response to my SOS calls I felt verypleased with my accomplishment
Now I had opened Pandorarsquos Box andthere was no stopping me I wanted tocheck every five minutes to see ldquo if I hadmail ldquo
Then fate stepped in and in the spaceof a few short months I lost my husbandand my daughter Heidi and son in lawLiam moved to Malaysia E-mail became alife line and we were in contact dailyexchanging long notes
High on my list of interests had beengenealogy Now the Internet came intoits own I subscribed to a couple ofnewsgroups and lurked for quite a fewmonths With the help of a friend in CanadaI had made quite good progress in tracingmy family history but had hit a brick wall
( due to the bending of the truth by mygrandparents )
I sat and contemplated what horriblefate was likely to befall me if I sent a requestto a newsgroup for all the world to seeLiterally breathless with panic I pluckedup the courage to post a message andwaited to be struck down Almostinstantly there it was on the screen Ireceived three replies from that postingTwo of them were no connection but thethirdEureka ( thatrsquos the genealogy warcry when one is successful ) Contact wasmade with family in Wales who had noidea of our existence I now progressedto receiving photographs via the netWhat a thrill Of course Liam had givenme instruction in point form on just howto go about this task
Emboldened by thissuccess I joined theNorfolk UK mailing listand jumped in feet firstand posted a request forinformation on the nameI was researching Theresult I havediscovered a cousin inCanada and with themissing pieces of thepuzzle I was able tosupply we can now tracethis line back for ninegenerations He sent itall to me via Gedcom AsI donrsquot understand theworkings of this systemI was very sensible andhad the file sent here toKL so that Liam can doall the work
While helping meunravel my family treeLiam became hookedhimself and we havewonderful exchanges ofinformation on best sitesand new finds He hasprogressed from notknowing the names of hisgrandparents to havingover 800 family memberson his data base Like me
he has made lovely e-mail ldquo pen friends ldquofrom all parts of the globe
Now came the biggest thrill On the7th August 1999 on the secondanniversary of my husbandrsquos death mylittle grandson was born in MalaysiaWithin hours of his birth I had my firstglimpse of him courtesy of e-mail Notquite as good as being there but close
My youngest daughter Stephaniepresented me with another grandson sixdays later which brings me to the reasonfor speaking to Anne in the first place Ididnrsquot want to miss anything re my mailinglists while I was away meeting the newesttwigs on the family tree and so I soughtAnnersquos advice which was given mostcheerfully despite the lateness of the hour
BETTOWYNDmonitor repair specialists
No FNo FNo FNo FNo Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Feeeeeeeeee
Prompt guaranteed repairs toALL types of monitors and
terminals (including Apple andNEC)
Fixed price with discount toMembers
Quality second handmonitors are also available
for purchase
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1 Pirie stFYSHWICK
Telephone 6239 1043
hellipby Jan Osfield and Liam Kean
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 3
PCUG CommitteePresident Anne Greiner 6288 2810
agreinerpcugorgau
Vice President Vacant
Secretary Hugh Bambrick 6249 7667amp Public Officer pcugsecretarypcugorgau
Treasurer Rod Farr 6286 1597pcugtreasurerpcugorgau
General Committee Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164amikkelspcugorgau
General Committee Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185MichaelLightfootcanbauugorgau
General Committee Anne Meade 6231 7881ameadepcugorgau
General Committee David Voss 6258 2178dvosspcugorgau
General Committee George Beaton 6254 6434gbeatonpcugorgau
General Committee Mike Dinn 6281 4877mdinnpcugorgau
General Committee Peter Ortner 6285 2388portpcugorgau
General Committee David Lewis 6226 8811dlpcugorgau
General Committee Alan Vidler 6254 5373avidlerpcugorgau
General Committee Nathan Robertson 6295 2106nathanrpcugorgau
PCUG Committee email to pcugcommitteepcugorgau
Other ContactsExecutive Secretary Petra Dwyer
pcugexecsecpcugorgau
Membership Mike BurkeSecretary pcugmembershippcugorgau
Novell Network Michael Phillips 6253 4966Administrator
NT Network David Schwabe 6254 9086Administrator dschwabepcugorgau
BBS Sysop Michael Phillips 6253 4966pcugsysoppcugorgau
Centre Manager Wolf Lieske 6258 5250wlieskepcugorgau
Training Rm Mngr David Voss 6258 2178pcughirepcugorgau
The phone numbers listed above are home numbers unless otherwisespecified Please restrict calls to between 730pm and 900pm
How To Make ContactPostal address
PO Box 42Belconnen ACT 2616(For ALL correspondence)
PC Users Group CentreNorthpoint Plaza BelconnenOpen Mon Wed and Fri 10am-2pmSaturdays and Sundays 9am-5pm(closed long weekends)
The PCUG Centre is the venue for PCUG training some Special InterestGroup meetings and other activities There is no charge for using theCentre for PCUG activities Contact Petra Dwyer at the PCUG Centre on(02) 6253 4911for bookings
PCUG Main Phone number(02) 6253 4911(Answering machine when Centre unattended)
$ Fax number(02) 6253 4922
Emailpcugpcugorgau (or use addresses at left)
The INTERNET Project(02) 6206 6200 helppcugorgau
World Wide Web pagehttpwwwpcugorgaupcug
amp Bulletin Board Service (BBS)(02) 6253 4933 (5 lines 336k bps)Fidonet address 3620243
BBS Sysop voice number(02) 6253 4966 (600pm - 900pm)
Main MeetingMain meetings are held 700pm for 730pm usually on the last Mondayof every month at Manning Clark Theatre 1 Crisp Building AustralianNational University
New Membersrsquo Information Night730pm first Monday of the month PC Users Group Centre Northpoint Plaza Belconnen
4 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Editorrsquos Desk TopAnne Greiner Managing EditorEditorrsquos Desk Top
Anne GreinerPresidentrsquos LetterPresidentrsquos LetterYou may notice that this edition is a
little smaller than usual this monthand considerably smaller than last
month which contained all those pages andpages of accounts and financial reportsthat we print each year We print these notonly because we are obliged to bylegislation but also because thecommittee is accountable to the membersand has an obligation to inform thatmembership of the steps taken in thatgovernance
The committee is elected by the groupas a whole and undertakes to run thegroup on behalf of the members I havehad occasion recently to discuss variouspolitical frameworks and have come to theconclusion that the PCUG most resemblesthe Government of the United States ofAmerica in that a very small proportion ofthe population (read membership) votesto elect its government In the USA it is
somewhere between 12 and 16 of theeligible voters Amazing that a in countrythat size that prides itself on its democraticfreethinking that only 16 of the eligiblevoting population actually cares enoughto vote You may be surprised to realisethat at the recent PCUG Annual GeneralMeeting 016 of the eligible membershipvoted to elect the current committee
Now there are several conclusions thatcan be drawn about both the internationaland parochial cases here First and mostobvious is that most of the population justdoesnrsquot care Tempting as this hypothesisis I really donrsquot believe that this is thesituation in either the US of A or thePCUG On the other hand it could be saidthat the constituencymembers have suchgreat confidence in the candidates whopresent themselves for office that there isabsolutely no need to vote and the wholeelection is a foregone conclusion I must
say that as one of the officers up forelection last month I infinitely prefer thesecond hypothesis but am reluctantlyforced to the conclusion that the truthprobably lies on a sliding scale somewherebetween the two extremes and that itprobably varies along that scale from yearto year depending on circumstances
The committee this coming year has avery wide range of ages has males andfemales and has students employedpeople and retired people We havetechnical expertise ranging from expert tonewbie and political beliefs right acrossthe board Like any group of 14 or sopeople we will not always agree abouteverything We have had some veryvigorous debates in the past on sensitiveissues such as membership fee rises andcategories of concessional membershipsand will undoubtedly have issues in thefuture that will cause dissent What I can
The veryfirst thing I need to say this
month is that my tale of woe lastmonth was definitely not a
complaint about Microsoft I stronglysuspect that my inability to load Office2000 at that time was due to a number offactors including the fact that hard diskspace is at a premium on my system andeven though I had the minimum requiredthe install process may have been a wholelot happier with a little more leeway Isnrsquotit funny how most of us donrsquot actually dothe electronic housekeeping tillbludgeoned into it I say lsquomost of usrsquo herebecause I know a few ineffably smugpeople who would never have let theirsystems get into that state in the firstplace and who take far too much pleasurein telling me so Oh well I suppose I donrsquot(really) mind about being hung out on the
line as an awful example of how not to dosome things I guess I can comfort myselfwith the fact that there are other peopleout there that still have some thousands(and no I am not saying how manythousands) of old emails stashed awayOne never knows when one might needto consult one of them and as for thegraphics files and the fonts and some ofthose wav files etc etc the least saidthe better but the same applies I will beruthless absolutely ruthless when thegreat electronic Agean cleanup comes
Now back to Microsoft The PCUGowes a large debt of gratitude to MicrosoftOver past years Microsoft has been verygenerous with the group Have younoticed that the vast majority of doorprizes come from Microsoft Over the past12 months alone Microsoft has donatedwell in excess of $10000 worth of softwareto the group There was $1200 worth ofsoftware (Office 2000) given away at theAugust meeting alone and many othersmaller packages have arrived They havealso donated software for use by theeditorial team and software for reviewThey have recently donated a copy of
Windows NT Server (over $1000) to allowus to update the BBS Microsoft are alsoparticularly generous in allowing us tobuy one copy of their products but thengiving us multiple licences for use on allthe training machines So think even asyou are uttering that Microsoft joke thinkabout it What software are you using onyour machine at home at work in thetraining room at the PCUG Centre Evensome of our most diehard proponents ofother proprietary packages have beenknown to use Office to distributeinformation to other users
Soon we may well have softwaretolerance being taught right along therewith racial and religious and politicaltolerance to our children at home and atschool Instead of ldquoNah Irsquom a Cruiser manbeen a Cruiser man all me lifersquo one willhear lsquoNah Irsquom a Red Hat sort of guyrsquoand some one else say lsquoNah votedMicrosoft all me life matersquo
When the last trump sounds and allthose cryonically preserved popsicles arethawed out will they have the vaguestidea of what the current generation aretalking about
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 5
Main MeetingMain Meeting
ampAnne Greiner
Guest SpeakerNilanga WijesekeraSubjectMicrografxDate25 October 1999
Mr Nilanga Wijesekera was appointedto his current role as Distribution ManagerAsia Pacific Micrografx Australia in 1998He is responsible for distribution andchannel management for Micrografxrsquosbusiness products in Australia and NewZealand
Mr Wijesekera initially joinedMicrografx in 1995 as a corporate salesaccount manager which required him tohold overall responsibility for developingcorporate awareness and sales ofMicrografx products into government andcorporate accounts in Australia and NewZealand
Prior to joining Micrografx MrWijesekera was a Senior Account amp
Manager at TGE Computer Companywhere he maintained their large accountclient base while sourcing new businessthrough OEM deals and dealers
From 1986 to 1992 Mr Wijesekera wasa Sales Manager for AGC (Industrial)Limited
About Micrografx IncMicrografx Inc is a recognised global
leader in enterprise graphics softwareThe company is specifically focused onproviding corporations with intelligentgraphic solutions that help people visuallycommunicate and analyse key corporateinformation processes and ideas to solvereal-world business problems Micrografxis dedicated to delivering solutionsthrough highly intelligent graphics-oriented enterprise software in four
From theCommitteeFrom theCommittee
Excerpts from theSeptemberCommittee Meeting
Note that these exerpts arealways from the previous month -as the minutes they are taken fromhave been confirmed by thecommittee
categories including corporate businessgraphics process management networkdocumentation and technology solutions
In 1999 Micrografx delivered the iGrafxSystem a one-of-a-kind easy-to-usehighly scaleable enterprise graphicsplatform to address the needs of users atevery level Visit wwwmicrografxcom formore information
say is that any issue brought before thecommittee will receive the fullestconsideration will argued through andthen be voted on As a committee we willuphold any majority decision made withinthat caucus to the outside world but willtake into consideration all submissions
Scutinise what we do this year makesuggestions if you want things changedmake complaints if you donrsquot like what wedo and remember that the occasionalword of approval (when deserved) doeswonders for morale And also rememberif you absolutely hate what wersquore doingand your complaints havenrsquot had anyeffect you can always vote us out at thenext election Of course you may have tostand yourself in thatcase ltbig gringt
The Committee meeting in Septemberwas kept brief as it preceded a dinner foroutgoing and prospective incomingCommittee members
Michael Lightfoot is talking to NECabout the purchase of a new proxy serverfor TIP ther ewas discussion of type ofbox and type of operating system
Discussion are in hand on the proposalfor replacement lease equipment in thetraining room Input from members SIGstrainers and editorial team has beenrequested and the committee will take
such requests intoconsideration whenmaking any furure decisions
Marion Van Wely has agreed tobecome the new training co-ordinator Thisis an important position and theCommittee expressed their thanks toMarion for taking training on at such shortnotice
The AGM will be at the Septembermain meeting and all committeenominations are in the hands of thesecretary
hellipprepared by Ann Byrne
amp
6 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
LettersLetters
Dear Anne
As a follow up to Janette Lindesayrsquos articlein the October edition about genealogy on theinternet readers may like to know that theBritish Telecom directories are available on theinternet now at wwwbtcom
Cynthia Worringham
IMPORTANT NOTICE - The GST starts to bite
First the bad news PCUG Membership fees will be subject to the GST They willtherefore have to rise by 10
And now for the worse news
The PCUG is already incurring GST on memberships It happens this way
PCUG membership is for 12 months Some part of every new and renewed membershipsince 1 July 1999 is in respect of the period after 30 June 2000 It is that part of themembership that is subject to GST The amount of GST in respect of that part of thememberhip will have to be paid after 30 June 2000
Reluctantly the Committee has raised membership fees to incorporate the GST thatwill have to be paid in respect of periods after 30 June 2000Why doesnrsquot the schedule of membership fees work from the day on joining Wellthere is alays a period ogf grace allowed for renewals of membership You have until theend of the month in which you joined to renew Counting the renewal or joining astherefore starting at the beginning of the next month means that GST is payable forwhole months only
GST will also be payable in respect of the unexpired portion of TIP access when 30June 2000 rolls around
We intend to handle TIP in this way
1 Any usage after 1 July 2000 will be subject to GST2 On 30 June 2000 we will calculate for each TIP subscriber the value of their
outstanding TIP credits3 The amount of the outstanding credits will be notionally refunded to each
subscriber4 Each subscriber will then be notionally credited with new TIP access credits for
the amount of 1011 ths of his or her outstanding credit
5 The value of the other 111 th will be sent to the ATO to cover the 10 GST on theTIP access being used after 1 July 2000
This method ensures that all access prior to 1 July is GST free and all after is GSTpaid TIP subscribers will just have to renew a little earlier
The new fees are $5500 $3500 $2500GST pa $550 $350 $250
Renew GST Ordinary Concessional AssociateFrom Months Member Member Member
Oct 3 $5638 $3588 $2563Nov 4 $5683 $3617 $2583Dec 5 $5729 $3646 $2604Jan 6 $5775 $3675 $2625Feb 7 $5821 $3704 $2646Mar 8 $5867 $3733 $2667Apr 9 $5913 $3763 $2688May 10 $5958 $3792 $2708Jun 11 $6004 $3821 $2729
Subject Re PCUG Fees + GSTDate Wed 13 Oct 1999 014144 +1000From Anne Greiner ltagreinerpcugorgaugtNewsgroups tipgeneral
(in answer to an enquirey as to why we had topay GST now)
Eleanor if I were to renew my PCUGmembership now ie October I would bepaying for membership for November 1999through to October 2000 I pay my moneyto Petra for the full 12 months
PCUG does not have to pay GST onmy subscriptions for November throughto June 2000 but does have to pay GST ofthe part of that yearly membership fee thatcovers
If I have not given Petra sufficient extramoney to cover the GST charges on thatpart of my sub that covers July to October2000 the PCUG will be out of pocket afterit pays the GST to the ATO This worksout at less that 50 cents a month for me(about $185 for those 4 months) butremember we have round about 3000members and for a full year PCUC wouldhave to pay a little over $15000 in GSTwhich it just cannot afford
I believe we are required to pay theATO every 3 months but our Treasurerhas all those details well in handRegardsAnne
I reprint the follong letter that I posted intipgeneral for the benefit of those who do nothave Internet access or who do not subscribeto tipgeneral Ed
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 7
hellipby
Mik
e Bu
rke
Mem
bers
hip
Secr
etar
y
Welcome to new members readingSixteen Bits for the first timewelcome to the PC Users Group
Continuing members should also checkthis column regularly because I am surethat there will be some little surprises from
time to time even for the most jaded ofold hands
Your Membership CardYour membership card and for newmembers a New Memberrsquos InformationDisk will normally be mailed to you onthe third Monday of the month in whichyou join or renew your membershipThose who join or renew after the thirdMonday will receive their carddisk thefollowing month If you lose your cardplease leave a message with the ExecutiveSecretary on 6253 4911 or contact medirectly via TIP atpcugmembershippcugorgau and itwill be replaced without charge
Information DiskNew members should also receive a diskcontaining information about the Groupand its services Please read theinformation on the disk carefully as youwill find the answers to most of yourquestions there This disk now contains
If your PCUGmembership expires at
the end of September 1999RENEW NOW
to avoid losing access toThe Internet Project
Next New Membersrsquo Night01 November 1999
730pmPCUG Centre
Northpoint Plaza Belconnen
Special EventsWe also have some special events suchas the lsquoBring and Buy Nightrsquo at the AlbertHall in November and an annual QuizNight in April You should read SixteenBits thoroughly as special events arepublicised mainly through the magazine
Annual General MeetingThe Annual General Meeting is held inSeptember each year Even if you areunable to attend Main Meetings regularlymembers should make every effort toattend this Meeting at which office bearersfor the ensuing 12 months are elected
Other Good StuffFor those who havenrsquot yet learnt throughbitter personal experience pleaseremember that TIP access is dependenton your continuing PCUG membershipand that it takes time to process yourmembership renewal mdash currently up to twoweeks We are looking at ways to reducethis time but the best solution is for youto remember to renew early Membersparticularly TIP users whose PCUGmembership expires at the end of themonth stated in the above box shouldrenew their PCUG membership immediate-ly Do not delay because your TIP accesswill automatically be cut off at midnighton the last day of the month unless yourrenewal has been processed
instructions on how to connect to theInternet Project
New MembersrsquoInformation Night
New members are especially urged toattend a New Membersrsquo Information Nightwhich is normally held at 730pm on thefirst Monday of the month (exceptJanuary) at the PC Users Group Centre(see map page 3) These meetings are achance for new and lsquoolderrsquo members (whoare always welcome to attend) to meet withrepresentatives of the Committee to putnames to faces and to ask any questionsthat you may have about the Group andits activities Tea and coffee are availableand the atmosphere is informal andfriendly
Main MeetingsOur main meetings targeted at our generalmembership are normally held monthlyon the last Monday of the month Thedate venue and topic of the meetingalways appear on the front cover ofSixteen Bits which is timed to arrive inyour mail-box in the middle of the weekbefore the next main meeting Mainmeetings are also advertised in thecomputing section of the Canberra Timeson the day of the meeting Anyone iswelcome to attend these meetings mdash youdo not need to be a member For mainmeetings we arrange guest speakers on avariety of topics throughout the year Asan added incentive there are usually acouple of door prizes to be won Yoursquovegot to be in it to win it There is no mainmeeting in December
amp
8 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
STRENGTHWith about 3000 members CanberraPCUG is one of Australiarsquos larger PC Usergroups It was founded in 1982 and is stillrun for the members by the members Themotto of the group is Users Helping Users
The Group employs one part-timeExecutive Secretary Most functions of theclub magazine writing and editing onlineservices maintenance collection anddistribution of shareware Organisation ofSIG and monthly meetings etc areperformed by volunteers The Group hasa membership from all walks of life with abroad range of knowledge as well asaccess to a vast store of information andhelp in many fields
SIXTEEN BITS MAGAZINEThe grouprsquos magazine Sixteen Bits ispublished eleven times a year It is theaward winning primary communicationsmechanism within the group Themagazine contains articles primarilycontributed by PCUG members reviewsnotices of upcoming events contactdetails for the various functions within thegroup a handy calendar the new softwarelibrary acquisitions the HELP directoryvendor discount scheme etc Themagazine is created with the aid of AdobePagemaker and Microsoft Office andother software products at the PCUGrsquosNorthpoint Plaza office Members whowish to contribute articles to the magazineor participate in the editorial team magazinelayout day held each month shouldcontact the editor( p c u g e d i t o r p c u g o r g a u ) Contributions are welcome The magazinehas details on the preferred format ofcontributions Contributions can be onvirtually any topic you care to cover fromsoftware reviews to hardware disasterstories or how you used your computerin a strange an unusual way
THE INTERNET PROJECTTIP was styarted as a collaborative effortbetween the Australian Unix Users Group(AUUG) and the PCUG The InternetProject (TIP) offers membership access to
the Internet via 60 (soon to be 72) dial inlines Two forms of access are provided ndashLimited Access which allows people toaccess email and news via PINE via abasic unix shell Full Access provides forPoint to Point (PPP) connectionseffectively putting your computer onto theinternet providing full access to emailnews world wide web IRC telnet ftponline-quake-playing anything a regularInternet Service Provider offers FullAccess accounts provide 10Mbytes ofdisk space per account which can be usedfor the storage of personal web pagesaccessible via the internet 24 hours a dayTIP started for business in 1995 offeringamazingly cheap access to the internetEven with various policy changes by thegrouprsquos uplink provider TIP still managesto offer the cheapest internet access inCanberra TIP policies are determined bythe Internet Project ManagementCommittee The day to day administrationof TIP is by volunteers mostly from theAUUG TIP has about 2000 membersmaking it one of the largest subscriberISPrsquos in the region
BULLETIN BOARD SERVICEPCUG has been offering access to aBulletin Board Service of somedescription since late 1986 The currentBBS offers five-line access to Fidonetechomail areas private Fidonet email alocal file download area access to thePCUGrsquos CDROM library of shareware andability to renew PCUG membership andperform other lsquoonline shoppingrsquofunctions Since the widespread use ofthe internet the BBS has becomesomewhat less exciting that it once mighthave been but it still serves a purposeand access to it is free for PCUG members
MONTHLY MEETINGSEach month (Except January) the groupholds its Monthly meeting normally at theManning Clarke Theatre (1 CrispBuilding Australian National University)usually on the last Monday of the monthat 730pm Each meeting has a guestspeaker usually giving a demonstration
talk about some software or hardwareproduct or upcoming technologySpeakers from a wide range of businessesare invited to give their product or servicea public hearing Prior to the main meetingyou can renew group or TIP membershippurchase blank floppy diskettes or attendthe BYTES SIG at the Asian Bistro in theANU Union building Attendees areeligible for a lucky door prize ndash sometimesthese are valuable once someone wasgiven Unix software valued at manythousands of dollars The Annual GeneralMeeting is where the outgoing PCUGcommittee report on the yearrsquosachievements and what the status of theTreasury is and this meeting is where thenew PCUG committee is elected
PCUG CENTRELocated in a modern air-conditionedoffice at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen thePCUG centre is the site of the mainadministration office It holds the BBS andTIP communications centre an 8-machinetraining room with light-projector andvarious training aids There are a numberof machines available for use at the centreincluding a colour scanner a CD copier aphotocopier and access to the internetThe centre hosts the PCUG committeemeetings the monthly Hardware Setupday and is where the PCUG magazineSixteen Bits is created The PCUG centreis staffed on weekends (9am-5pm EXCEPTlong weekends such as Easter or Anzacday) and during the week (10am-2pmMonday Wednesday Friday) duringthese times members can renew theirmembership purchase blank media orarrange access to TIP Various trainingcourses are on offer ($40 for full daycourses) on certain weekends such asWord7 Excel 7 Designing a WEB pageor Introduction to the Internet Places arelimited so be sure to book a place inadvance
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPSThe PCUG comprises a large number ofpeople with a wide range of interestsSmaller groups of people interested inspecific areas of personal computing get
What does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGofofofofoffffffer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Membersssss
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 9
together to form Special Interest Groupswhich have their own meetings andprojects Some SIGS currently in operationare ldquoCoffee and Chatrdquo ldquoCC++rdquo ldquoTheInvestment SIGrdquo ldquoThe OS2 SIGrdquo theldquoLinux Users Grouprdquo ldquoFlight SimulatorSIGrdquo ldquoInternet Daytime Demo andDiscussion Sigrdquo Contact details arepublished in Sixteen Bits Anyone canstart a SIG ndash just ask in one of the TIPspecific newsgroups (tipgeneral) ifanyone is interested in a formal get-together and arrange things such asdemonstrations discussions or picnics
TRAINING COURSESTraining courses on a wide variety of
subjects from Windows 9598 andIntroductory Internet Connection toMYOB and various programminglanguages are offered to our members andtheir families If there is a perceived needfor a particular course our training sub-committee will attempt to organise a trainerand a curriculum
MEDIA SALESThe group offers high quality disk and
tape cartridges for sale to its members atvery reasonable prices Contact the PCUGcentre during its business hours (10am-2pm Monday Wednesday Friday 9am-5pm on Weekends) for details
SHAREWARE SOFTWARELIBRARYEach month the group gets a new CDROMof the latest shareware The magazinepublishes excerpts from the currentCDROM Titles are available for downloadfrom the BBS (which is also accessiblefrom the internet via ftpbbspcugorgau) and whilst this is a freeservice to members the programsthemselves are usually shareware andrequire payment directly to the author ifyou intend to use the program in questionon a regular basis
HARDWARE AND VIDEO LIBRARYVarious hardware is available for loanCurrently the group has 336K and 144Kmodems and ZIP drives available tomembers as well as some videos includinglsquoDeveloping Applications with MicrosoftOfficersquo and lsquoUsing Windows 95rsquo Itemsmay be borrowed for one week at a timethere is no charge but you must collectand return the items yourselfEnjoy the group amp
TIP Help Pages
httpwwwtipnetautiphelp
bull Whats newHistory of changes to TIP help page
bull TIP Contact DetailsPhone numbers domain proxiesemail addresses
bull Useful TIP informationTime allocation usage statistics
bull TIP documentsAgreement Charging SchemeAcceptable Use Policy AccessApplication
bull InternetFAQAnswers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about the Internet what isthe Internet what you can donetiquette
bull TIP help FAQ
bull Answers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about various problemsother people may have had with TheInternet Project your problem maynot be a new one
bull lsquoHow-torsquo documentsHow to set up and use variousprograms needed to make the mostof your Internet account
bull GlossaryTranslating acronyms computerjargon netese and emoticons like -)in plain English
TIP Technical Information
Domain pcugorgauDNS server 203107634Mail server mailhostpcugorgau
News Server newshostpcugorgauftp server ftppcugorgau
WWW server wwwpcugorgauTime server supremepcugorgau
For users who accessTIP as AUUG members
replace lsquopcugrsquo with lsquoauugrsquoin these addresses
htt
p
ww
wp
cu
go
rga
up
cu
g1
6b
its
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
oba
oba
oba
oba
oba t
ft ft f
t f
t f o
rma
orm
aor
ma
orm
aor
ma t
ttt t
10 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
I am sitting here beside the pool insteamy Kuala Lumpur contemplatinghow I came to agree to Anne Greinerrsquos
request to write a few lines for Sixteen Bits( it must have been the lateness of thehour that caught me off guard )
Three years ago I bought my firstcomputer All the ldquo How to buy aComputer ldquo magazines suggest that oneshould have an idea about what thismachine will be used for before partingwith the cash I didnrsquot have a clue I justwanted one Once I had it home and upand running I still had no idea what to dowith it So I joined PCUG The articles inSixteen Bits were interesting and althoughI didnrsquot understand everything - still donrsquot- I virtually read it from cover to cover
Surfing the Net seemed to be the wayto go Everyone was ldquo on it ldquo so I appliedfor advanced access and my lovelyneighbour got it all set up for me Now Iwas connected but still had no idea whatto do ( for each of the first two years Ihad in excess of 200 hours of unused time) I really used my computer as a glorifiedtypewriter and the difference between afile and a folder still leaves me lookingsomewhat blank
I now discovered e-mail I tested thefirst one on my neighbour who had spentmany hours explaining and fixing thingsin response to my SOS calls I felt verypleased with my accomplishment
Now I had opened Pandorarsquos Box andthere was no stopping me I wanted tocheck every five minutes to see ldquo if I hadmail ldquo
Then fate stepped in and in the spaceof a few short months I lost my husbandand my daughter Heidi and son in lawLiam moved to Malaysia E-mail became alife line and we were in contact dailyexchanging long notes
High on my list of interests had beengenealogy Now the Internet came intoits own I subscribed to a couple ofnewsgroups and lurked for quite a fewmonths With the help of a friend in CanadaI had made quite good progress in tracingmy family history but had hit a brick wall
( due to the bending of the truth by mygrandparents )
I sat and contemplated what horriblefate was likely to befall me if I sent a requestto a newsgroup for all the world to seeLiterally breathless with panic I pluckedup the courage to post a message andwaited to be struck down Almostinstantly there it was on the screen Ireceived three replies from that postingTwo of them were no connection but thethirdEureka ( thatrsquos the genealogy warcry when one is successful ) Contact wasmade with family in Wales who had noidea of our existence I now progressedto receiving photographs via the netWhat a thrill Of course Liam had givenme instruction in point form on just howto go about this task
Emboldened by thissuccess I joined theNorfolk UK mailing listand jumped in feet firstand posted a request forinformation on the nameI was researching Theresult I havediscovered a cousin inCanada and with themissing pieces of thepuzzle I was able tosupply we can now tracethis line back for ninegenerations He sent itall to me via Gedcom AsI donrsquot understand theworkings of this systemI was very sensible andhad the file sent here toKL so that Liam can doall the work
While helping meunravel my family treeLiam became hookedhimself and we havewonderful exchanges ofinformation on best sitesand new finds He hasprogressed from notknowing the names of hisgrandparents to havingover 800 family memberson his data base Like me
he has made lovely e-mail ldquo pen friends ldquofrom all parts of the globe
Now came the biggest thrill On the7th August 1999 on the secondanniversary of my husbandrsquos death mylittle grandson was born in MalaysiaWithin hours of his birth I had my firstglimpse of him courtesy of e-mail Notquite as good as being there but close
My youngest daughter Stephaniepresented me with another grandson sixdays later which brings me to the reasonfor speaking to Anne in the first place Ididnrsquot want to miss anything re my mailinglists while I was away meeting the newesttwigs on the family tree and so I soughtAnnersquos advice which was given mostcheerfully despite the lateness of the hour
BETTOWYNDmonitor repair specialists
No FNo FNo FNo FNo Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Feeeeeeeeee
Prompt guaranteed repairs toALL types of monitors and
terminals (including Apple andNEC)
Fixed price with discount toMembers
Quality second handmonitors are also available
for purchase
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1 Pirie stFYSHWICK
Telephone 6239 1043
hellipby Jan Osfield and Liam Kean
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
Plans to suit your needsFree support 7 days a weekBasic and Advanced Internet coursesNow in Goulburn Yass WaggaBathurst amp Orange
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nected Today
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
4 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Editorrsquos Desk TopAnne Greiner Managing EditorEditorrsquos Desk Top
Anne GreinerPresidentrsquos LetterPresidentrsquos LetterYou may notice that this edition is a
little smaller than usual this monthand considerably smaller than last
month which contained all those pages andpages of accounts and financial reportsthat we print each year We print these notonly because we are obliged to bylegislation but also because thecommittee is accountable to the membersand has an obligation to inform thatmembership of the steps taken in thatgovernance
The committee is elected by the groupas a whole and undertakes to run thegroup on behalf of the members I havehad occasion recently to discuss variouspolitical frameworks and have come to theconclusion that the PCUG most resemblesthe Government of the United States ofAmerica in that a very small proportion ofthe population (read membership) votesto elect its government In the USA it is
somewhere between 12 and 16 of theeligible voters Amazing that a in countrythat size that prides itself on its democraticfreethinking that only 16 of the eligiblevoting population actually cares enoughto vote You may be surprised to realisethat at the recent PCUG Annual GeneralMeeting 016 of the eligible membershipvoted to elect the current committee
Now there are several conclusions thatcan be drawn about both the internationaland parochial cases here First and mostobvious is that most of the population justdoesnrsquot care Tempting as this hypothesisis I really donrsquot believe that this is thesituation in either the US of A or thePCUG On the other hand it could be saidthat the constituencymembers have suchgreat confidence in the candidates whopresent themselves for office that there isabsolutely no need to vote and the wholeelection is a foregone conclusion I must
say that as one of the officers up forelection last month I infinitely prefer thesecond hypothesis but am reluctantlyforced to the conclusion that the truthprobably lies on a sliding scale somewherebetween the two extremes and that itprobably varies along that scale from yearto year depending on circumstances
The committee this coming year has avery wide range of ages has males andfemales and has students employedpeople and retired people We havetechnical expertise ranging from expert tonewbie and political beliefs right acrossthe board Like any group of 14 or sopeople we will not always agree abouteverything We have had some veryvigorous debates in the past on sensitiveissues such as membership fee rises andcategories of concessional membershipsand will undoubtedly have issues in thefuture that will cause dissent What I can
The veryfirst thing I need to say this
month is that my tale of woe lastmonth was definitely not a
complaint about Microsoft I stronglysuspect that my inability to load Office2000 at that time was due to a number offactors including the fact that hard diskspace is at a premium on my system andeven though I had the minimum requiredthe install process may have been a wholelot happier with a little more leeway Isnrsquotit funny how most of us donrsquot actually dothe electronic housekeeping tillbludgeoned into it I say lsquomost of usrsquo herebecause I know a few ineffably smugpeople who would never have let theirsystems get into that state in the firstplace and who take far too much pleasurein telling me so Oh well I suppose I donrsquot(really) mind about being hung out on the
line as an awful example of how not to dosome things I guess I can comfort myselfwith the fact that there are other peopleout there that still have some thousands(and no I am not saying how manythousands) of old emails stashed awayOne never knows when one might needto consult one of them and as for thegraphics files and the fonts and some ofthose wav files etc etc the least saidthe better but the same applies I will beruthless absolutely ruthless when thegreat electronic Agean cleanup comes
Now back to Microsoft The PCUGowes a large debt of gratitude to MicrosoftOver past years Microsoft has been verygenerous with the group Have younoticed that the vast majority of doorprizes come from Microsoft Over the past12 months alone Microsoft has donatedwell in excess of $10000 worth of softwareto the group There was $1200 worth ofsoftware (Office 2000) given away at theAugust meeting alone and many othersmaller packages have arrived They havealso donated software for use by theeditorial team and software for reviewThey have recently donated a copy of
Windows NT Server (over $1000) to allowus to update the BBS Microsoft are alsoparticularly generous in allowing us tobuy one copy of their products but thengiving us multiple licences for use on allthe training machines So think even asyou are uttering that Microsoft joke thinkabout it What software are you using onyour machine at home at work in thetraining room at the PCUG Centre Evensome of our most diehard proponents ofother proprietary packages have beenknown to use Office to distributeinformation to other users
Soon we may well have softwaretolerance being taught right along therewith racial and religious and politicaltolerance to our children at home and atschool Instead of ldquoNah Irsquom a Cruiser manbeen a Cruiser man all me lifersquo one willhear lsquoNah Irsquom a Red Hat sort of guyrsquoand some one else say lsquoNah votedMicrosoft all me life matersquo
When the last trump sounds and allthose cryonically preserved popsicles arethawed out will they have the vaguestidea of what the current generation aretalking about
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 5
Main MeetingMain Meeting
ampAnne Greiner
Guest SpeakerNilanga WijesekeraSubjectMicrografxDate25 October 1999
Mr Nilanga Wijesekera was appointedto his current role as Distribution ManagerAsia Pacific Micrografx Australia in 1998He is responsible for distribution andchannel management for Micrografxrsquosbusiness products in Australia and NewZealand
Mr Wijesekera initially joinedMicrografx in 1995 as a corporate salesaccount manager which required him tohold overall responsibility for developingcorporate awareness and sales ofMicrografx products into government andcorporate accounts in Australia and NewZealand
Prior to joining Micrografx MrWijesekera was a Senior Account amp
Manager at TGE Computer Companywhere he maintained their large accountclient base while sourcing new businessthrough OEM deals and dealers
From 1986 to 1992 Mr Wijesekera wasa Sales Manager for AGC (Industrial)Limited
About Micrografx IncMicrografx Inc is a recognised global
leader in enterprise graphics softwareThe company is specifically focused onproviding corporations with intelligentgraphic solutions that help people visuallycommunicate and analyse key corporateinformation processes and ideas to solvereal-world business problems Micrografxis dedicated to delivering solutionsthrough highly intelligent graphics-oriented enterprise software in four
From theCommitteeFrom theCommittee
Excerpts from theSeptemberCommittee Meeting
Note that these exerpts arealways from the previous month -as the minutes they are taken fromhave been confirmed by thecommittee
categories including corporate businessgraphics process management networkdocumentation and technology solutions
In 1999 Micrografx delivered the iGrafxSystem a one-of-a-kind easy-to-usehighly scaleable enterprise graphicsplatform to address the needs of users atevery level Visit wwwmicrografxcom formore information
say is that any issue brought before thecommittee will receive the fullestconsideration will argued through andthen be voted on As a committee we willuphold any majority decision made withinthat caucus to the outside world but willtake into consideration all submissions
Scutinise what we do this year makesuggestions if you want things changedmake complaints if you donrsquot like what wedo and remember that the occasionalword of approval (when deserved) doeswonders for morale And also rememberif you absolutely hate what wersquore doingand your complaints havenrsquot had anyeffect you can always vote us out at thenext election Of course you may have tostand yourself in thatcase ltbig gringt
The Committee meeting in Septemberwas kept brief as it preceded a dinner foroutgoing and prospective incomingCommittee members
Michael Lightfoot is talking to NECabout the purchase of a new proxy serverfor TIP ther ewas discussion of type ofbox and type of operating system
Discussion are in hand on the proposalfor replacement lease equipment in thetraining room Input from members SIGstrainers and editorial team has beenrequested and the committee will take
such requests intoconsideration whenmaking any furure decisions
Marion Van Wely has agreed tobecome the new training co-ordinator Thisis an important position and theCommittee expressed their thanks toMarion for taking training on at such shortnotice
The AGM will be at the Septembermain meeting and all committeenominations are in the hands of thesecretary
hellipprepared by Ann Byrne
amp
6 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
LettersLetters
Dear Anne
As a follow up to Janette Lindesayrsquos articlein the October edition about genealogy on theinternet readers may like to know that theBritish Telecom directories are available on theinternet now at wwwbtcom
Cynthia Worringham
IMPORTANT NOTICE - The GST starts to bite
First the bad news PCUG Membership fees will be subject to the GST They willtherefore have to rise by 10
And now for the worse news
The PCUG is already incurring GST on memberships It happens this way
PCUG membership is for 12 months Some part of every new and renewed membershipsince 1 July 1999 is in respect of the period after 30 June 2000 It is that part of themembership that is subject to GST The amount of GST in respect of that part of thememberhip will have to be paid after 30 June 2000
Reluctantly the Committee has raised membership fees to incorporate the GST thatwill have to be paid in respect of periods after 30 June 2000Why doesnrsquot the schedule of membership fees work from the day on joining Wellthere is alays a period ogf grace allowed for renewals of membership You have until theend of the month in which you joined to renew Counting the renewal or joining astherefore starting at the beginning of the next month means that GST is payable forwhole months only
GST will also be payable in respect of the unexpired portion of TIP access when 30June 2000 rolls around
We intend to handle TIP in this way
1 Any usage after 1 July 2000 will be subject to GST2 On 30 June 2000 we will calculate for each TIP subscriber the value of their
outstanding TIP credits3 The amount of the outstanding credits will be notionally refunded to each
subscriber4 Each subscriber will then be notionally credited with new TIP access credits for
the amount of 1011 ths of his or her outstanding credit
5 The value of the other 111 th will be sent to the ATO to cover the 10 GST on theTIP access being used after 1 July 2000
This method ensures that all access prior to 1 July is GST free and all after is GSTpaid TIP subscribers will just have to renew a little earlier
The new fees are $5500 $3500 $2500GST pa $550 $350 $250
Renew GST Ordinary Concessional AssociateFrom Months Member Member Member
Oct 3 $5638 $3588 $2563Nov 4 $5683 $3617 $2583Dec 5 $5729 $3646 $2604Jan 6 $5775 $3675 $2625Feb 7 $5821 $3704 $2646Mar 8 $5867 $3733 $2667Apr 9 $5913 $3763 $2688May 10 $5958 $3792 $2708Jun 11 $6004 $3821 $2729
Subject Re PCUG Fees + GSTDate Wed 13 Oct 1999 014144 +1000From Anne Greiner ltagreinerpcugorgaugtNewsgroups tipgeneral
(in answer to an enquirey as to why we had topay GST now)
Eleanor if I were to renew my PCUGmembership now ie October I would bepaying for membership for November 1999through to October 2000 I pay my moneyto Petra for the full 12 months
PCUG does not have to pay GST onmy subscriptions for November throughto June 2000 but does have to pay GST ofthe part of that yearly membership fee thatcovers
If I have not given Petra sufficient extramoney to cover the GST charges on thatpart of my sub that covers July to October2000 the PCUG will be out of pocket afterit pays the GST to the ATO This worksout at less that 50 cents a month for me(about $185 for those 4 months) butremember we have round about 3000members and for a full year PCUC wouldhave to pay a little over $15000 in GSTwhich it just cannot afford
I believe we are required to pay theATO every 3 months but our Treasurerhas all those details well in handRegardsAnne
I reprint the follong letter that I posted intipgeneral for the benefit of those who do nothave Internet access or who do not subscribeto tipgeneral Ed
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 7
hellipby
Mik
e Bu
rke
Mem
bers
hip
Secr
etar
y
Welcome to new members readingSixteen Bits for the first timewelcome to the PC Users Group
Continuing members should also checkthis column regularly because I am surethat there will be some little surprises from
time to time even for the most jaded ofold hands
Your Membership CardYour membership card and for newmembers a New Memberrsquos InformationDisk will normally be mailed to you onthe third Monday of the month in whichyou join or renew your membershipThose who join or renew after the thirdMonday will receive their carddisk thefollowing month If you lose your cardplease leave a message with the ExecutiveSecretary on 6253 4911 or contact medirectly via TIP atpcugmembershippcugorgau and itwill be replaced without charge
Information DiskNew members should also receive a diskcontaining information about the Groupand its services Please read theinformation on the disk carefully as youwill find the answers to most of yourquestions there This disk now contains
If your PCUGmembership expires at
the end of September 1999RENEW NOW
to avoid losing access toThe Internet Project
Next New Membersrsquo Night01 November 1999
730pmPCUG Centre
Northpoint Plaza Belconnen
Special EventsWe also have some special events suchas the lsquoBring and Buy Nightrsquo at the AlbertHall in November and an annual QuizNight in April You should read SixteenBits thoroughly as special events arepublicised mainly through the magazine
Annual General MeetingThe Annual General Meeting is held inSeptember each year Even if you areunable to attend Main Meetings regularlymembers should make every effort toattend this Meeting at which office bearersfor the ensuing 12 months are elected
Other Good StuffFor those who havenrsquot yet learnt throughbitter personal experience pleaseremember that TIP access is dependenton your continuing PCUG membershipand that it takes time to process yourmembership renewal mdash currently up to twoweeks We are looking at ways to reducethis time but the best solution is for youto remember to renew early Membersparticularly TIP users whose PCUGmembership expires at the end of themonth stated in the above box shouldrenew their PCUG membership immediate-ly Do not delay because your TIP accesswill automatically be cut off at midnighton the last day of the month unless yourrenewal has been processed
instructions on how to connect to theInternet Project
New MembersrsquoInformation Night
New members are especially urged toattend a New Membersrsquo Information Nightwhich is normally held at 730pm on thefirst Monday of the month (exceptJanuary) at the PC Users Group Centre(see map page 3) These meetings are achance for new and lsquoolderrsquo members (whoare always welcome to attend) to meet withrepresentatives of the Committee to putnames to faces and to ask any questionsthat you may have about the Group andits activities Tea and coffee are availableand the atmosphere is informal andfriendly
Main MeetingsOur main meetings targeted at our generalmembership are normally held monthlyon the last Monday of the month Thedate venue and topic of the meetingalways appear on the front cover ofSixteen Bits which is timed to arrive inyour mail-box in the middle of the weekbefore the next main meeting Mainmeetings are also advertised in thecomputing section of the Canberra Timeson the day of the meeting Anyone iswelcome to attend these meetings mdash youdo not need to be a member For mainmeetings we arrange guest speakers on avariety of topics throughout the year Asan added incentive there are usually acouple of door prizes to be won Yoursquovegot to be in it to win it There is no mainmeeting in December
amp
8 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
STRENGTHWith about 3000 members CanberraPCUG is one of Australiarsquos larger PC Usergroups It was founded in 1982 and is stillrun for the members by the members Themotto of the group is Users Helping Users
The Group employs one part-timeExecutive Secretary Most functions of theclub magazine writing and editing onlineservices maintenance collection anddistribution of shareware Organisation ofSIG and monthly meetings etc areperformed by volunteers The Group hasa membership from all walks of life with abroad range of knowledge as well asaccess to a vast store of information andhelp in many fields
SIXTEEN BITS MAGAZINEThe grouprsquos magazine Sixteen Bits ispublished eleven times a year It is theaward winning primary communicationsmechanism within the group Themagazine contains articles primarilycontributed by PCUG members reviewsnotices of upcoming events contactdetails for the various functions within thegroup a handy calendar the new softwarelibrary acquisitions the HELP directoryvendor discount scheme etc Themagazine is created with the aid of AdobePagemaker and Microsoft Office andother software products at the PCUGrsquosNorthpoint Plaza office Members whowish to contribute articles to the magazineor participate in the editorial team magazinelayout day held each month shouldcontact the editor( p c u g e d i t o r p c u g o r g a u ) Contributions are welcome The magazinehas details on the preferred format ofcontributions Contributions can be onvirtually any topic you care to cover fromsoftware reviews to hardware disasterstories or how you used your computerin a strange an unusual way
THE INTERNET PROJECTTIP was styarted as a collaborative effortbetween the Australian Unix Users Group(AUUG) and the PCUG The InternetProject (TIP) offers membership access to
the Internet via 60 (soon to be 72) dial inlines Two forms of access are provided ndashLimited Access which allows people toaccess email and news via PINE via abasic unix shell Full Access provides forPoint to Point (PPP) connectionseffectively putting your computer onto theinternet providing full access to emailnews world wide web IRC telnet ftponline-quake-playing anything a regularInternet Service Provider offers FullAccess accounts provide 10Mbytes ofdisk space per account which can be usedfor the storage of personal web pagesaccessible via the internet 24 hours a dayTIP started for business in 1995 offeringamazingly cheap access to the internetEven with various policy changes by thegrouprsquos uplink provider TIP still managesto offer the cheapest internet access inCanberra TIP policies are determined bythe Internet Project ManagementCommittee The day to day administrationof TIP is by volunteers mostly from theAUUG TIP has about 2000 membersmaking it one of the largest subscriberISPrsquos in the region
BULLETIN BOARD SERVICEPCUG has been offering access to aBulletin Board Service of somedescription since late 1986 The currentBBS offers five-line access to Fidonetechomail areas private Fidonet email alocal file download area access to thePCUGrsquos CDROM library of shareware andability to renew PCUG membership andperform other lsquoonline shoppingrsquofunctions Since the widespread use ofthe internet the BBS has becomesomewhat less exciting that it once mighthave been but it still serves a purposeand access to it is free for PCUG members
MONTHLY MEETINGSEach month (Except January) the groupholds its Monthly meeting normally at theManning Clarke Theatre (1 CrispBuilding Australian National University)usually on the last Monday of the monthat 730pm Each meeting has a guestspeaker usually giving a demonstration
talk about some software or hardwareproduct or upcoming technologySpeakers from a wide range of businessesare invited to give their product or servicea public hearing Prior to the main meetingyou can renew group or TIP membershippurchase blank floppy diskettes or attendthe BYTES SIG at the Asian Bistro in theANU Union building Attendees areeligible for a lucky door prize ndash sometimesthese are valuable once someone wasgiven Unix software valued at manythousands of dollars The Annual GeneralMeeting is where the outgoing PCUGcommittee report on the yearrsquosachievements and what the status of theTreasury is and this meeting is where thenew PCUG committee is elected
PCUG CENTRELocated in a modern air-conditionedoffice at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen thePCUG centre is the site of the mainadministration office It holds the BBS andTIP communications centre an 8-machinetraining room with light-projector andvarious training aids There are a numberof machines available for use at the centreincluding a colour scanner a CD copier aphotocopier and access to the internetThe centre hosts the PCUG committeemeetings the monthly Hardware Setupday and is where the PCUG magazineSixteen Bits is created The PCUG centreis staffed on weekends (9am-5pm EXCEPTlong weekends such as Easter or Anzacday) and during the week (10am-2pmMonday Wednesday Friday) duringthese times members can renew theirmembership purchase blank media orarrange access to TIP Various trainingcourses are on offer ($40 for full daycourses) on certain weekends such asWord7 Excel 7 Designing a WEB pageor Introduction to the Internet Places arelimited so be sure to book a place inadvance
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPSThe PCUG comprises a large number ofpeople with a wide range of interestsSmaller groups of people interested inspecific areas of personal computing get
What does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGofofofofoffffffer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Membersssss
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 9
together to form Special Interest Groupswhich have their own meetings andprojects Some SIGS currently in operationare ldquoCoffee and Chatrdquo ldquoCC++rdquo ldquoTheInvestment SIGrdquo ldquoThe OS2 SIGrdquo theldquoLinux Users Grouprdquo ldquoFlight SimulatorSIGrdquo ldquoInternet Daytime Demo andDiscussion Sigrdquo Contact details arepublished in Sixteen Bits Anyone canstart a SIG ndash just ask in one of the TIPspecific newsgroups (tipgeneral) ifanyone is interested in a formal get-together and arrange things such asdemonstrations discussions or picnics
TRAINING COURSESTraining courses on a wide variety of
subjects from Windows 9598 andIntroductory Internet Connection toMYOB and various programminglanguages are offered to our members andtheir families If there is a perceived needfor a particular course our training sub-committee will attempt to organise a trainerand a curriculum
MEDIA SALESThe group offers high quality disk and
tape cartridges for sale to its members atvery reasonable prices Contact the PCUGcentre during its business hours (10am-2pm Monday Wednesday Friday 9am-5pm on Weekends) for details
SHAREWARE SOFTWARELIBRARYEach month the group gets a new CDROMof the latest shareware The magazinepublishes excerpts from the currentCDROM Titles are available for downloadfrom the BBS (which is also accessiblefrom the internet via ftpbbspcugorgau) and whilst this is a freeservice to members the programsthemselves are usually shareware andrequire payment directly to the author ifyou intend to use the program in questionon a regular basis
HARDWARE AND VIDEO LIBRARYVarious hardware is available for loanCurrently the group has 336K and 144Kmodems and ZIP drives available tomembers as well as some videos includinglsquoDeveloping Applications with MicrosoftOfficersquo and lsquoUsing Windows 95rsquo Itemsmay be borrowed for one week at a timethere is no charge but you must collectand return the items yourselfEnjoy the group amp
TIP Help Pages
httpwwwtipnetautiphelp
bull Whats newHistory of changes to TIP help page
bull TIP Contact DetailsPhone numbers domain proxiesemail addresses
bull Useful TIP informationTime allocation usage statistics
bull TIP documentsAgreement Charging SchemeAcceptable Use Policy AccessApplication
bull InternetFAQAnswers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about the Internet what isthe Internet what you can donetiquette
bull TIP help FAQ
bull Answers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about various problemsother people may have had with TheInternet Project your problem maynot be a new one
bull lsquoHow-torsquo documentsHow to set up and use variousprograms needed to make the mostof your Internet account
bull GlossaryTranslating acronyms computerjargon netese and emoticons like -)in plain English
TIP Technical Information
Domain pcugorgauDNS server 203107634Mail server mailhostpcugorgau
News Server newshostpcugorgauftp server ftppcugorgau
WWW server wwwpcugorgauTime server supremepcugorgau
For users who accessTIP as AUUG members
replace lsquopcugrsquo with lsquoauugrsquoin these addresses
htt
p
ww
wp
cu
go
rga
up
cu
g1
6b
its
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
oba
oba
oba
oba
oba t
ft ft f
t f
t f o
rma
orm
aor
ma
orm
aor
ma t
ttt t
10 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
I am sitting here beside the pool insteamy Kuala Lumpur contemplatinghow I came to agree to Anne Greinerrsquos
request to write a few lines for Sixteen Bits( it must have been the lateness of thehour that caught me off guard )
Three years ago I bought my firstcomputer All the ldquo How to buy aComputer ldquo magazines suggest that oneshould have an idea about what thismachine will be used for before partingwith the cash I didnrsquot have a clue I justwanted one Once I had it home and upand running I still had no idea what to dowith it So I joined PCUG The articles inSixteen Bits were interesting and althoughI didnrsquot understand everything - still donrsquot- I virtually read it from cover to cover
Surfing the Net seemed to be the wayto go Everyone was ldquo on it ldquo so I appliedfor advanced access and my lovelyneighbour got it all set up for me Now Iwas connected but still had no idea whatto do ( for each of the first two years Ihad in excess of 200 hours of unused time) I really used my computer as a glorifiedtypewriter and the difference between afile and a folder still leaves me lookingsomewhat blank
I now discovered e-mail I tested thefirst one on my neighbour who had spentmany hours explaining and fixing thingsin response to my SOS calls I felt verypleased with my accomplishment
Now I had opened Pandorarsquos Box andthere was no stopping me I wanted tocheck every five minutes to see ldquo if I hadmail ldquo
Then fate stepped in and in the spaceof a few short months I lost my husbandand my daughter Heidi and son in lawLiam moved to Malaysia E-mail became alife line and we were in contact dailyexchanging long notes
High on my list of interests had beengenealogy Now the Internet came intoits own I subscribed to a couple ofnewsgroups and lurked for quite a fewmonths With the help of a friend in CanadaI had made quite good progress in tracingmy family history but had hit a brick wall
( due to the bending of the truth by mygrandparents )
I sat and contemplated what horriblefate was likely to befall me if I sent a requestto a newsgroup for all the world to seeLiterally breathless with panic I pluckedup the courage to post a message andwaited to be struck down Almostinstantly there it was on the screen Ireceived three replies from that postingTwo of them were no connection but thethirdEureka ( thatrsquos the genealogy warcry when one is successful ) Contact wasmade with family in Wales who had noidea of our existence I now progressedto receiving photographs via the netWhat a thrill Of course Liam had givenme instruction in point form on just howto go about this task
Emboldened by thissuccess I joined theNorfolk UK mailing listand jumped in feet firstand posted a request forinformation on the nameI was researching Theresult I havediscovered a cousin inCanada and with themissing pieces of thepuzzle I was able tosupply we can now tracethis line back for ninegenerations He sent itall to me via Gedcom AsI donrsquot understand theworkings of this systemI was very sensible andhad the file sent here toKL so that Liam can doall the work
While helping meunravel my family treeLiam became hookedhimself and we havewonderful exchanges ofinformation on best sitesand new finds He hasprogressed from notknowing the names of hisgrandparents to havingover 800 family memberson his data base Like me
he has made lovely e-mail ldquo pen friends ldquofrom all parts of the globe
Now came the biggest thrill On the7th August 1999 on the secondanniversary of my husbandrsquos death mylittle grandson was born in MalaysiaWithin hours of his birth I had my firstglimpse of him courtesy of e-mail Notquite as good as being there but close
My youngest daughter Stephaniepresented me with another grandson sixdays later which brings me to the reasonfor speaking to Anne in the first place Ididnrsquot want to miss anything re my mailinglists while I was away meeting the newesttwigs on the family tree and so I soughtAnnersquos advice which was given mostcheerfully despite the lateness of the hour
BETTOWYNDmonitor repair specialists
No FNo FNo FNo FNo Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Feeeeeeeeee
Prompt guaranteed repairs toALL types of monitors and
terminals (including Apple andNEC)
Fixed price with discount toMembers
Quality second handmonitors are also available
for purchase
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1 Pirie stFYSHWICK
Telephone 6239 1043
hellipby Jan Osfield and Liam Kean
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
Plans to suit your needsFree support 7 days a weekBasic and Advanced Internet coursesNow in Goulburn Yass WaggaBathurst amp Orange
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 5
Main MeetingMain Meeting
ampAnne Greiner
Guest SpeakerNilanga WijesekeraSubjectMicrografxDate25 October 1999
Mr Nilanga Wijesekera was appointedto his current role as Distribution ManagerAsia Pacific Micrografx Australia in 1998He is responsible for distribution andchannel management for Micrografxrsquosbusiness products in Australia and NewZealand
Mr Wijesekera initially joinedMicrografx in 1995 as a corporate salesaccount manager which required him tohold overall responsibility for developingcorporate awareness and sales ofMicrografx products into government andcorporate accounts in Australia and NewZealand
Prior to joining Micrografx MrWijesekera was a Senior Account amp
Manager at TGE Computer Companywhere he maintained their large accountclient base while sourcing new businessthrough OEM deals and dealers
From 1986 to 1992 Mr Wijesekera wasa Sales Manager for AGC (Industrial)Limited
About Micrografx IncMicrografx Inc is a recognised global
leader in enterprise graphics softwareThe company is specifically focused onproviding corporations with intelligentgraphic solutions that help people visuallycommunicate and analyse key corporateinformation processes and ideas to solvereal-world business problems Micrografxis dedicated to delivering solutionsthrough highly intelligent graphics-oriented enterprise software in four
From theCommitteeFrom theCommittee
Excerpts from theSeptemberCommittee Meeting
Note that these exerpts arealways from the previous month -as the minutes they are taken fromhave been confirmed by thecommittee
categories including corporate businessgraphics process management networkdocumentation and technology solutions
In 1999 Micrografx delivered the iGrafxSystem a one-of-a-kind easy-to-usehighly scaleable enterprise graphicsplatform to address the needs of users atevery level Visit wwwmicrografxcom formore information
say is that any issue brought before thecommittee will receive the fullestconsideration will argued through andthen be voted on As a committee we willuphold any majority decision made withinthat caucus to the outside world but willtake into consideration all submissions
Scutinise what we do this year makesuggestions if you want things changedmake complaints if you donrsquot like what wedo and remember that the occasionalword of approval (when deserved) doeswonders for morale And also rememberif you absolutely hate what wersquore doingand your complaints havenrsquot had anyeffect you can always vote us out at thenext election Of course you may have tostand yourself in thatcase ltbig gringt
The Committee meeting in Septemberwas kept brief as it preceded a dinner foroutgoing and prospective incomingCommittee members
Michael Lightfoot is talking to NECabout the purchase of a new proxy serverfor TIP ther ewas discussion of type ofbox and type of operating system
Discussion are in hand on the proposalfor replacement lease equipment in thetraining room Input from members SIGstrainers and editorial team has beenrequested and the committee will take
such requests intoconsideration whenmaking any furure decisions
Marion Van Wely has agreed tobecome the new training co-ordinator Thisis an important position and theCommittee expressed their thanks toMarion for taking training on at such shortnotice
The AGM will be at the Septembermain meeting and all committeenominations are in the hands of thesecretary
hellipprepared by Ann Byrne
amp
6 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
LettersLetters
Dear Anne
As a follow up to Janette Lindesayrsquos articlein the October edition about genealogy on theinternet readers may like to know that theBritish Telecom directories are available on theinternet now at wwwbtcom
Cynthia Worringham
IMPORTANT NOTICE - The GST starts to bite
First the bad news PCUG Membership fees will be subject to the GST They willtherefore have to rise by 10
And now for the worse news
The PCUG is already incurring GST on memberships It happens this way
PCUG membership is for 12 months Some part of every new and renewed membershipsince 1 July 1999 is in respect of the period after 30 June 2000 It is that part of themembership that is subject to GST The amount of GST in respect of that part of thememberhip will have to be paid after 30 June 2000
Reluctantly the Committee has raised membership fees to incorporate the GST thatwill have to be paid in respect of periods after 30 June 2000Why doesnrsquot the schedule of membership fees work from the day on joining Wellthere is alays a period ogf grace allowed for renewals of membership You have until theend of the month in which you joined to renew Counting the renewal or joining astherefore starting at the beginning of the next month means that GST is payable forwhole months only
GST will also be payable in respect of the unexpired portion of TIP access when 30June 2000 rolls around
We intend to handle TIP in this way
1 Any usage after 1 July 2000 will be subject to GST2 On 30 June 2000 we will calculate for each TIP subscriber the value of their
outstanding TIP credits3 The amount of the outstanding credits will be notionally refunded to each
subscriber4 Each subscriber will then be notionally credited with new TIP access credits for
the amount of 1011 ths of his or her outstanding credit
5 The value of the other 111 th will be sent to the ATO to cover the 10 GST on theTIP access being used after 1 July 2000
This method ensures that all access prior to 1 July is GST free and all after is GSTpaid TIP subscribers will just have to renew a little earlier
The new fees are $5500 $3500 $2500GST pa $550 $350 $250
Renew GST Ordinary Concessional AssociateFrom Months Member Member Member
Oct 3 $5638 $3588 $2563Nov 4 $5683 $3617 $2583Dec 5 $5729 $3646 $2604Jan 6 $5775 $3675 $2625Feb 7 $5821 $3704 $2646Mar 8 $5867 $3733 $2667Apr 9 $5913 $3763 $2688May 10 $5958 $3792 $2708Jun 11 $6004 $3821 $2729
Subject Re PCUG Fees + GSTDate Wed 13 Oct 1999 014144 +1000From Anne Greiner ltagreinerpcugorgaugtNewsgroups tipgeneral
(in answer to an enquirey as to why we had topay GST now)
Eleanor if I were to renew my PCUGmembership now ie October I would bepaying for membership for November 1999through to October 2000 I pay my moneyto Petra for the full 12 months
PCUG does not have to pay GST onmy subscriptions for November throughto June 2000 but does have to pay GST ofthe part of that yearly membership fee thatcovers
If I have not given Petra sufficient extramoney to cover the GST charges on thatpart of my sub that covers July to October2000 the PCUG will be out of pocket afterit pays the GST to the ATO This worksout at less that 50 cents a month for me(about $185 for those 4 months) butremember we have round about 3000members and for a full year PCUC wouldhave to pay a little over $15000 in GSTwhich it just cannot afford
I believe we are required to pay theATO every 3 months but our Treasurerhas all those details well in handRegardsAnne
I reprint the follong letter that I posted intipgeneral for the benefit of those who do nothave Internet access or who do not subscribeto tipgeneral Ed
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 7
hellipby
Mik
e Bu
rke
Mem
bers
hip
Secr
etar
y
Welcome to new members readingSixteen Bits for the first timewelcome to the PC Users Group
Continuing members should also checkthis column regularly because I am surethat there will be some little surprises from
time to time even for the most jaded ofold hands
Your Membership CardYour membership card and for newmembers a New Memberrsquos InformationDisk will normally be mailed to you onthe third Monday of the month in whichyou join or renew your membershipThose who join or renew after the thirdMonday will receive their carddisk thefollowing month If you lose your cardplease leave a message with the ExecutiveSecretary on 6253 4911 or contact medirectly via TIP atpcugmembershippcugorgau and itwill be replaced without charge
Information DiskNew members should also receive a diskcontaining information about the Groupand its services Please read theinformation on the disk carefully as youwill find the answers to most of yourquestions there This disk now contains
If your PCUGmembership expires at
the end of September 1999RENEW NOW
to avoid losing access toThe Internet Project
Next New Membersrsquo Night01 November 1999
730pmPCUG Centre
Northpoint Plaza Belconnen
Special EventsWe also have some special events suchas the lsquoBring and Buy Nightrsquo at the AlbertHall in November and an annual QuizNight in April You should read SixteenBits thoroughly as special events arepublicised mainly through the magazine
Annual General MeetingThe Annual General Meeting is held inSeptember each year Even if you areunable to attend Main Meetings regularlymembers should make every effort toattend this Meeting at which office bearersfor the ensuing 12 months are elected
Other Good StuffFor those who havenrsquot yet learnt throughbitter personal experience pleaseremember that TIP access is dependenton your continuing PCUG membershipand that it takes time to process yourmembership renewal mdash currently up to twoweeks We are looking at ways to reducethis time but the best solution is for youto remember to renew early Membersparticularly TIP users whose PCUGmembership expires at the end of themonth stated in the above box shouldrenew their PCUG membership immediate-ly Do not delay because your TIP accesswill automatically be cut off at midnighton the last day of the month unless yourrenewal has been processed
instructions on how to connect to theInternet Project
New MembersrsquoInformation Night
New members are especially urged toattend a New Membersrsquo Information Nightwhich is normally held at 730pm on thefirst Monday of the month (exceptJanuary) at the PC Users Group Centre(see map page 3) These meetings are achance for new and lsquoolderrsquo members (whoare always welcome to attend) to meet withrepresentatives of the Committee to putnames to faces and to ask any questionsthat you may have about the Group andits activities Tea and coffee are availableand the atmosphere is informal andfriendly
Main MeetingsOur main meetings targeted at our generalmembership are normally held monthlyon the last Monday of the month Thedate venue and topic of the meetingalways appear on the front cover ofSixteen Bits which is timed to arrive inyour mail-box in the middle of the weekbefore the next main meeting Mainmeetings are also advertised in thecomputing section of the Canberra Timeson the day of the meeting Anyone iswelcome to attend these meetings mdash youdo not need to be a member For mainmeetings we arrange guest speakers on avariety of topics throughout the year Asan added incentive there are usually acouple of door prizes to be won Yoursquovegot to be in it to win it There is no mainmeeting in December
amp
8 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
STRENGTHWith about 3000 members CanberraPCUG is one of Australiarsquos larger PC Usergroups It was founded in 1982 and is stillrun for the members by the members Themotto of the group is Users Helping Users
The Group employs one part-timeExecutive Secretary Most functions of theclub magazine writing and editing onlineservices maintenance collection anddistribution of shareware Organisation ofSIG and monthly meetings etc areperformed by volunteers The Group hasa membership from all walks of life with abroad range of knowledge as well asaccess to a vast store of information andhelp in many fields
SIXTEEN BITS MAGAZINEThe grouprsquos magazine Sixteen Bits ispublished eleven times a year It is theaward winning primary communicationsmechanism within the group Themagazine contains articles primarilycontributed by PCUG members reviewsnotices of upcoming events contactdetails for the various functions within thegroup a handy calendar the new softwarelibrary acquisitions the HELP directoryvendor discount scheme etc Themagazine is created with the aid of AdobePagemaker and Microsoft Office andother software products at the PCUGrsquosNorthpoint Plaza office Members whowish to contribute articles to the magazineor participate in the editorial team magazinelayout day held each month shouldcontact the editor( p c u g e d i t o r p c u g o r g a u ) Contributions are welcome The magazinehas details on the preferred format ofcontributions Contributions can be onvirtually any topic you care to cover fromsoftware reviews to hardware disasterstories or how you used your computerin a strange an unusual way
THE INTERNET PROJECTTIP was styarted as a collaborative effortbetween the Australian Unix Users Group(AUUG) and the PCUG The InternetProject (TIP) offers membership access to
the Internet via 60 (soon to be 72) dial inlines Two forms of access are provided ndashLimited Access which allows people toaccess email and news via PINE via abasic unix shell Full Access provides forPoint to Point (PPP) connectionseffectively putting your computer onto theinternet providing full access to emailnews world wide web IRC telnet ftponline-quake-playing anything a regularInternet Service Provider offers FullAccess accounts provide 10Mbytes ofdisk space per account which can be usedfor the storage of personal web pagesaccessible via the internet 24 hours a dayTIP started for business in 1995 offeringamazingly cheap access to the internetEven with various policy changes by thegrouprsquos uplink provider TIP still managesto offer the cheapest internet access inCanberra TIP policies are determined bythe Internet Project ManagementCommittee The day to day administrationof TIP is by volunteers mostly from theAUUG TIP has about 2000 membersmaking it one of the largest subscriberISPrsquos in the region
BULLETIN BOARD SERVICEPCUG has been offering access to aBulletin Board Service of somedescription since late 1986 The currentBBS offers five-line access to Fidonetechomail areas private Fidonet email alocal file download area access to thePCUGrsquos CDROM library of shareware andability to renew PCUG membership andperform other lsquoonline shoppingrsquofunctions Since the widespread use ofthe internet the BBS has becomesomewhat less exciting that it once mighthave been but it still serves a purposeand access to it is free for PCUG members
MONTHLY MEETINGSEach month (Except January) the groupholds its Monthly meeting normally at theManning Clarke Theatre (1 CrispBuilding Australian National University)usually on the last Monday of the monthat 730pm Each meeting has a guestspeaker usually giving a demonstration
talk about some software or hardwareproduct or upcoming technologySpeakers from a wide range of businessesare invited to give their product or servicea public hearing Prior to the main meetingyou can renew group or TIP membershippurchase blank floppy diskettes or attendthe BYTES SIG at the Asian Bistro in theANU Union building Attendees areeligible for a lucky door prize ndash sometimesthese are valuable once someone wasgiven Unix software valued at manythousands of dollars The Annual GeneralMeeting is where the outgoing PCUGcommittee report on the yearrsquosachievements and what the status of theTreasury is and this meeting is where thenew PCUG committee is elected
PCUG CENTRELocated in a modern air-conditionedoffice at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen thePCUG centre is the site of the mainadministration office It holds the BBS andTIP communications centre an 8-machinetraining room with light-projector andvarious training aids There are a numberof machines available for use at the centreincluding a colour scanner a CD copier aphotocopier and access to the internetThe centre hosts the PCUG committeemeetings the monthly Hardware Setupday and is where the PCUG magazineSixteen Bits is created The PCUG centreis staffed on weekends (9am-5pm EXCEPTlong weekends such as Easter or Anzacday) and during the week (10am-2pmMonday Wednesday Friday) duringthese times members can renew theirmembership purchase blank media orarrange access to TIP Various trainingcourses are on offer ($40 for full daycourses) on certain weekends such asWord7 Excel 7 Designing a WEB pageor Introduction to the Internet Places arelimited so be sure to book a place inadvance
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPSThe PCUG comprises a large number ofpeople with a wide range of interestsSmaller groups of people interested inspecific areas of personal computing get
What does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGofofofofoffffffer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Membersssss
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 9
together to form Special Interest Groupswhich have their own meetings andprojects Some SIGS currently in operationare ldquoCoffee and Chatrdquo ldquoCC++rdquo ldquoTheInvestment SIGrdquo ldquoThe OS2 SIGrdquo theldquoLinux Users Grouprdquo ldquoFlight SimulatorSIGrdquo ldquoInternet Daytime Demo andDiscussion Sigrdquo Contact details arepublished in Sixteen Bits Anyone canstart a SIG ndash just ask in one of the TIPspecific newsgroups (tipgeneral) ifanyone is interested in a formal get-together and arrange things such asdemonstrations discussions or picnics
TRAINING COURSESTraining courses on a wide variety of
subjects from Windows 9598 andIntroductory Internet Connection toMYOB and various programminglanguages are offered to our members andtheir families If there is a perceived needfor a particular course our training sub-committee will attempt to organise a trainerand a curriculum
MEDIA SALESThe group offers high quality disk and
tape cartridges for sale to its members atvery reasonable prices Contact the PCUGcentre during its business hours (10am-2pm Monday Wednesday Friday 9am-5pm on Weekends) for details
SHAREWARE SOFTWARELIBRARYEach month the group gets a new CDROMof the latest shareware The magazinepublishes excerpts from the currentCDROM Titles are available for downloadfrom the BBS (which is also accessiblefrom the internet via ftpbbspcugorgau) and whilst this is a freeservice to members the programsthemselves are usually shareware andrequire payment directly to the author ifyou intend to use the program in questionon a regular basis
HARDWARE AND VIDEO LIBRARYVarious hardware is available for loanCurrently the group has 336K and 144Kmodems and ZIP drives available tomembers as well as some videos includinglsquoDeveloping Applications with MicrosoftOfficersquo and lsquoUsing Windows 95rsquo Itemsmay be borrowed for one week at a timethere is no charge but you must collectand return the items yourselfEnjoy the group amp
TIP Help Pages
httpwwwtipnetautiphelp
bull Whats newHistory of changes to TIP help page
bull TIP Contact DetailsPhone numbers domain proxiesemail addresses
bull Useful TIP informationTime allocation usage statistics
bull TIP documentsAgreement Charging SchemeAcceptable Use Policy AccessApplication
bull InternetFAQAnswers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about the Internet what isthe Internet what you can donetiquette
bull TIP help FAQ
bull Answers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about various problemsother people may have had with TheInternet Project your problem maynot be a new one
bull lsquoHow-torsquo documentsHow to set up and use variousprograms needed to make the mostof your Internet account
bull GlossaryTranslating acronyms computerjargon netese and emoticons like -)in plain English
TIP Technical Information
Domain pcugorgauDNS server 203107634Mail server mailhostpcugorgau
News Server newshostpcugorgauftp server ftppcugorgau
WWW server wwwpcugorgauTime server supremepcugorgau
For users who accessTIP as AUUG members
replace lsquopcugrsquo with lsquoauugrsquoin these addresses
htt
p
ww
wp
cu
go
rga
up
cu
g1
6b
its
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
oba
oba
oba
oba
oba t
ft ft f
t f
t f o
rma
orm
aor
ma
orm
aor
ma t
ttt t
10 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
I am sitting here beside the pool insteamy Kuala Lumpur contemplatinghow I came to agree to Anne Greinerrsquos
request to write a few lines for Sixteen Bits( it must have been the lateness of thehour that caught me off guard )
Three years ago I bought my firstcomputer All the ldquo How to buy aComputer ldquo magazines suggest that oneshould have an idea about what thismachine will be used for before partingwith the cash I didnrsquot have a clue I justwanted one Once I had it home and upand running I still had no idea what to dowith it So I joined PCUG The articles inSixteen Bits were interesting and althoughI didnrsquot understand everything - still donrsquot- I virtually read it from cover to cover
Surfing the Net seemed to be the wayto go Everyone was ldquo on it ldquo so I appliedfor advanced access and my lovelyneighbour got it all set up for me Now Iwas connected but still had no idea whatto do ( for each of the first two years Ihad in excess of 200 hours of unused time) I really used my computer as a glorifiedtypewriter and the difference between afile and a folder still leaves me lookingsomewhat blank
I now discovered e-mail I tested thefirst one on my neighbour who had spentmany hours explaining and fixing thingsin response to my SOS calls I felt verypleased with my accomplishment
Now I had opened Pandorarsquos Box andthere was no stopping me I wanted tocheck every five minutes to see ldquo if I hadmail ldquo
Then fate stepped in and in the spaceof a few short months I lost my husbandand my daughter Heidi and son in lawLiam moved to Malaysia E-mail became alife line and we were in contact dailyexchanging long notes
High on my list of interests had beengenealogy Now the Internet came intoits own I subscribed to a couple ofnewsgroups and lurked for quite a fewmonths With the help of a friend in CanadaI had made quite good progress in tracingmy family history but had hit a brick wall
( due to the bending of the truth by mygrandparents )
I sat and contemplated what horriblefate was likely to befall me if I sent a requestto a newsgroup for all the world to seeLiterally breathless with panic I pluckedup the courage to post a message andwaited to be struck down Almostinstantly there it was on the screen Ireceived three replies from that postingTwo of them were no connection but thethirdEureka ( thatrsquos the genealogy warcry when one is successful ) Contact wasmade with family in Wales who had noidea of our existence I now progressedto receiving photographs via the netWhat a thrill Of course Liam had givenme instruction in point form on just howto go about this task
Emboldened by thissuccess I joined theNorfolk UK mailing listand jumped in feet firstand posted a request forinformation on the nameI was researching Theresult I havediscovered a cousin inCanada and with themissing pieces of thepuzzle I was able tosupply we can now tracethis line back for ninegenerations He sent itall to me via Gedcom AsI donrsquot understand theworkings of this systemI was very sensible andhad the file sent here toKL so that Liam can doall the work
While helping meunravel my family treeLiam became hookedhimself and we havewonderful exchanges ofinformation on best sitesand new finds He hasprogressed from notknowing the names of hisgrandparents to havingover 800 family memberson his data base Like me
he has made lovely e-mail ldquo pen friends ldquofrom all parts of the globe
Now came the biggest thrill On the7th August 1999 on the secondanniversary of my husbandrsquos death mylittle grandson was born in MalaysiaWithin hours of his birth I had my firstglimpse of him courtesy of e-mail Notquite as good as being there but close
My youngest daughter Stephaniepresented me with another grandson sixdays later which brings me to the reasonfor speaking to Anne in the first place Ididnrsquot want to miss anything re my mailinglists while I was away meeting the newesttwigs on the family tree and so I soughtAnnersquos advice which was given mostcheerfully despite the lateness of the hour
BETTOWYNDmonitor repair specialists
No FNo FNo FNo FNo Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Feeeeeeeeee
Prompt guaranteed repairs toALL types of monitors and
terminals (including Apple andNEC)
Fixed price with discount toMembers
Quality second handmonitors are also available
for purchase
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1 Pirie stFYSHWICK
Telephone 6239 1043
hellipby Jan Osfield and Liam Kean
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
6 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
LettersLetters
Dear Anne
As a follow up to Janette Lindesayrsquos articlein the October edition about genealogy on theinternet readers may like to know that theBritish Telecom directories are available on theinternet now at wwwbtcom
Cynthia Worringham
IMPORTANT NOTICE - The GST starts to bite
First the bad news PCUG Membership fees will be subject to the GST They willtherefore have to rise by 10
And now for the worse news
The PCUG is already incurring GST on memberships It happens this way
PCUG membership is for 12 months Some part of every new and renewed membershipsince 1 July 1999 is in respect of the period after 30 June 2000 It is that part of themembership that is subject to GST The amount of GST in respect of that part of thememberhip will have to be paid after 30 June 2000
Reluctantly the Committee has raised membership fees to incorporate the GST thatwill have to be paid in respect of periods after 30 June 2000Why doesnrsquot the schedule of membership fees work from the day on joining Wellthere is alays a period ogf grace allowed for renewals of membership You have until theend of the month in which you joined to renew Counting the renewal or joining astherefore starting at the beginning of the next month means that GST is payable forwhole months only
GST will also be payable in respect of the unexpired portion of TIP access when 30June 2000 rolls around
We intend to handle TIP in this way
1 Any usage after 1 July 2000 will be subject to GST2 On 30 June 2000 we will calculate for each TIP subscriber the value of their
outstanding TIP credits3 The amount of the outstanding credits will be notionally refunded to each
subscriber4 Each subscriber will then be notionally credited with new TIP access credits for
the amount of 1011 ths of his or her outstanding credit
5 The value of the other 111 th will be sent to the ATO to cover the 10 GST on theTIP access being used after 1 July 2000
This method ensures that all access prior to 1 July is GST free and all after is GSTpaid TIP subscribers will just have to renew a little earlier
The new fees are $5500 $3500 $2500GST pa $550 $350 $250
Renew GST Ordinary Concessional AssociateFrom Months Member Member Member
Oct 3 $5638 $3588 $2563Nov 4 $5683 $3617 $2583Dec 5 $5729 $3646 $2604Jan 6 $5775 $3675 $2625Feb 7 $5821 $3704 $2646Mar 8 $5867 $3733 $2667Apr 9 $5913 $3763 $2688May 10 $5958 $3792 $2708Jun 11 $6004 $3821 $2729
Subject Re PCUG Fees + GSTDate Wed 13 Oct 1999 014144 +1000From Anne Greiner ltagreinerpcugorgaugtNewsgroups tipgeneral
(in answer to an enquirey as to why we had topay GST now)
Eleanor if I were to renew my PCUGmembership now ie October I would bepaying for membership for November 1999through to October 2000 I pay my moneyto Petra for the full 12 months
PCUG does not have to pay GST onmy subscriptions for November throughto June 2000 but does have to pay GST ofthe part of that yearly membership fee thatcovers
If I have not given Petra sufficient extramoney to cover the GST charges on thatpart of my sub that covers July to October2000 the PCUG will be out of pocket afterit pays the GST to the ATO This worksout at less that 50 cents a month for me(about $185 for those 4 months) butremember we have round about 3000members and for a full year PCUC wouldhave to pay a little over $15000 in GSTwhich it just cannot afford
I believe we are required to pay theATO every 3 months but our Treasurerhas all those details well in handRegardsAnne
I reprint the follong letter that I posted intipgeneral for the benefit of those who do nothave Internet access or who do not subscribeto tipgeneral Ed
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 7
hellipby
Mik
e Bu
rke
Mem
bers
hip
Secr
etar
y
Welcome to new members readingSixteen Bits for the first timewelcome to the PC Users Group
Continuing members should also checkthis column regularly because I am surethat there will be some little surprises from
time to time even for the most jaded ofold hands
Your Membership CardYour membership card and for newmembers a New Memberrsquos InformationDisk will normally be mailed to you onthe third Monday of the month in whichyou join or renew your membershipThose who join or renew after the thirdMonday will receive their carddisk thefollowing month If you lose your cardplease leave a message with the ExecutiveSecretary on 6253 4911 or contact medirectly via TIP atpcugmembershippcugorgau and itwill be replaced without charge
Information DiskNew members should also receive a diskcontaining information about the Groupand its services Please read theinformation on the disk carefully as youwill find the answers to most of yourquestions there This disk now contains
If your PCUGmembership expires at
the end of September 1999RENEW NOW
to avoid losing access toThe Internet Project
Next New Membersrsquo Night01 November 1999
730pmPCUG Centre
Northpoint Plaza Belconnen
Special EventsWe also have some special events suchas the lsquoBring and Buy Nightrsquo at the AlbertHall in November and an annual QuizNight in April You should read SixteenBits thoroughly as special events arepublicised mainly through the magazine
Annual General MeetingThe Annual General Meeting is held inSeptember each year Even if you areunable to attend Main Meetings regularlymembers should make every effort toattend this Meeting at which office bearersfor the ensuing 12 months are elected
Other Good StuffFor those who havenrsquot yet learnt throughbitter personal experience pleaseremember that TIP access is dependenton your continuing PCUG membershipand that it takes time to process yourmembership renewal mdash currently up to twoweeks We are looking at ways to reducethis time but the best solution is for youto remember to renew early Membersparticularly TIP users whose PCUGmembership expires at the end of themonth stated in the above box shouldrenew their PCUG membership immediate-ly Do not delay because your TIP accesswill automatically be cut off at midnighton the last day of the month unless yourrenewal has been processed
instructions on how to connect to theInternet Project
New MembersrsquoInformation Night
New members are especially urged toattend a New Membersrsquo Information Nightwhich is normally held at 730pm on thefirst Monday of the month (exceptJanuary) at the PC Users Group Centre(see map page 3) These meetings are achance for new and lsquoolderrsquo members (whoare always welcome to attend) to meet withrepresentatives of the Committee to putnames to faces and to ask any questionsthat you may have about the Group andits activities Tea and coffee are availableand the atmosphere is informal andfriendly
Main MeetingsOur main meetings targeted at our generalmembership are normally held monthlyon the last Monday of the month Thedate venue and topic of the meetingalways appear on the front cover ofSixteen Bits which is timed to arrive inyour mail-box in the middle of the weekbefore the next main meeting Mainmeetings are also advertised in thecomputing section of the Canberra Timeson the day of the meeting Anyone iswelcome to attend these meetings mdash youdo not need to be a member For mainmeetings we arrange guest speakers on avariety of topics throughout the year Asan added incentive there are usually acouple of door prizes to be won Yoursquovegot to be in it to win it There is no mainmeeting in December
amp
8 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
STRENGTHWith about 3000 members CanberraPCUG is one of Australiarsquos larger PC Usergroups It was founded in 1982 and is stillrun for the members by the members Themotto of the group is Users Helping Users
The Group employs one part-timeExecutive Secretary Most functions of theclub magazine writing and editing onlineservices maintenance collection anddistribution of shareware Organisation ofSIG and monthly meetings etc areperformed by volunteers The Group hasa membership from all walks of life with abroad range of knowledge as well asaccess to a vast store of information andhelp in many fields
SIXTEEN BITS MAGAZINEThe grouprsquos magazine Sixteen Bits ispublished eleven times a year It is theaward winning primary communicationsmechanism within the group Themagazine contains articles primarilycontributed by PCUG members reviewsnotices of upcoming events contactdetails for the various functions within thegroup a handy calendar the new softwarelibrary acquisitions the HELP directoryvendor discount scheme etc Themagazine is created with the aid of AdobePagemaker and Microsoft Office andother software products at the PCUGrsquosNorthpoint Plaza office Members whowish to contribute articles to the magazineor participate in the editorial team magazinelayout day held each month shouldcontact the editor( p c u g e d i t o r p c u g o r g a u ) Contributions are welcome The magazinehas details on the preferred format ofcontributions Contributions can be onvirtually any topic you care to cover fromsoftware reviews to hardware disasterstories or how you used your computerin a strange an unusual way
THE INTERNET PROJECTTIP was styarted as a collaborative effortbetween the Australian Unix Users Group(AUUG) and the PCUG The InternetProject (TIP) offers membership access to
the Internet via 60 (soon to be 72) dial inlines Two forms of access are provided ndashLimited Access which allows people toaccess email and news via PINE via abasic unix shell Full Access provides forPoint to Point (PPP) connectionseffectively putting your computer onto theinternet providing full access to emailnews world wide web IRC telnet ftponline-quake-playing anything a regularInternet Service Provider offers FullAccess accounts provide 10Mbytes ofdisk space per account which can be usedfor the storage of personal web pagesaccessible via the internet 24 hours a dayTIP started for business in 1995 offeringamazingly cheap access to the internetEven with various policy changes by thegrouprsquos uplink provider TIP still managesto offer the cheapest internet access inCanberra TIP policies are determined bythe Internet Project ManagementCommittee The day to day administrationof TIP is by volunteers mostly from theAUUG TIP has about 2000 membersmaking it one of the largest subscriberISPrsquos in the region
BULLETIN BOARD SERVICEPCUG has been offering access to aBulletin Board Service of somedescription since late 1986 The currentBBS offers five-line access to Fidonetechomail areas private Fidonet email alocal file download area access to thePCUGrsquos CDROM library of shareware andability to renew PCUG membership andperform other lsquoonline shoppingrsquofunctions Since the widespread use ofthe internet the BBS has becomesomewhat less exciting that it once mighthave been but it still serves a purposeand access to it is free for PCUG members
MONTHLY MEETINGSEach month (Except January) the groupholds its Monthly meeting normally at theManning Clarke Theatre (1 CrispBuilding Australian National University)usually on the last Monday of the monthat 730pm Each meeting has a guestspeaker usually giving a demonstration
talk about some software or hardwareproduct or upcoming technologySpeakers from a wide range of businessesare invited to give their product or servicea public hearing Prior to the main meetingyou can renew group or TIP membershippurchase blank floppy diskettes or attendthe BYTES SIG at the Asian Bistro in theANU Union building Attendees areeligible for a lucky door prize ndash sometimesthese are valuable once someone wasgiven Unix software valued at manythousands of dollars The Annual GeneralMeeting is where the outgoing PCUGcommittee report on the yearrsquosachievements and what the status of theTreasury is and this meeting is where thenew PCUG committee is elected
PCUG CENTRELocated in a modern air-conditionedoffice at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen thePCUG centre is the site of the mainadministration office It holds the BBS andTIP communications centre an 8-machinetraining room with light-projector andvarious training aids There are a numberof machines available for use at the centreincluding a colour scanner a CD copier aphotocopier and access to the internetThe centre hosts the PCUG committeemeetings the monthly Hardware Setupday and is where the PCUG magazineSixteen Bits is created The PCUG centreis staffed on weekends (9am-5pm EXCEPTlong weekends such as Easter or Anzacday) and during the week (10am-2pmMonday Wednesday Friday) duringthese times members can renew theirmembership purchase blank media orarrange access to TIP Various trainingcourses are on offer ($40 for full daycourses) on certain weekends such asWord7 Excel 7 Designing a WEB pageor Introduction to the Internet Places arelimited so be sure to book a place inadvance
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPSThe PCUG comprises a large number ofpeople with a wide range of interestsSmaller groups of people interested inspecific areas of personal computing get
What does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGofofofofoffffffer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Membersssss
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 9
together to form Special Interest Groupswhich have their own meetings andprojects Some SIGS currently in operationare ldquoCoffee and Chatrdquo ldquoCC++rdquo ldquoTheInvestment SIGrdquo ldquoThe OS2 SIGrdquo theldquoLinux Users Grouprdquo ldquoFlight SimulatorSIGrdquo ldquoInternet Daytime Demo andDiscussion Sigrdquo Contact details arepublished in Sixteen Bits Anyone canstart a SIG ndash just ask in one of the TIPspecific newsgroups (tipgeneral) ifanyone is interested in a formal get-together and arrange things such asdemonstrations discussions or picnics
TRAINING COURSESTraining courses on a wide variety of
subjects from Windows 9598 andIntroductory Internet Connection toMYOB and various programminglanguages are offered to our members andtheir families If there is a perceived needfor a particular course our training sub-committee will attempt to organise a trainerand a curriculum
MEDIA SALESThe group offers high quality disk and
tape cartridges for sale to its members atvery reasonable prices Contact the PCUGcentre during its business hours (10am-2pm Monday Wednesday Friday 9am-5pm on Weekends) for details
SHAREWARE SOFTWARELIBRARYEach month the group gets a new CDROMof the latest shareware The magazinepublishes excerpts from the currentCDROM Titles are available for downloadfrom the BBS (which is also accessiblefrom the internet via ftpbbspcugorgau) and whilst this is a freeservice to members the programsthemselves are usually shareware andrequire payment directly to the author ifyou intend to use the program in questionon a regular basis
HARDWARE AND VIDEO LIBRARYVarious hardware is available for loanCurrently the group has 336K and 144Kmodems and ZIP drives available tomembers as well as some videos includinglsquoDeveloping Applications with MicrosoftOfficersquo and lsquoUsing Windows 95rsquo Itemsmay be borrowed for one week at a timethere is no charge but you must collectand return the items yourselfEnjoy the group amp
TIP Help Pages
httpwwwtipnetautiphelp
bull Whats newHistory of changes to TIP help page
bull TIP Contact DetailsPhone numbers domain proxiesemail addresses
bull Useful TIP informationTime allocation usage statistics
bull TIP documentsAgreement Charging SchemeAcceptable Use Policy AccessApplication
bull InternetFAQAnswers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about the Internet what isthe Internet what you can donetiquette
bull TIP help FAQ
bull Answers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about various problemsother people may have had with TheInternet Project your problem maynot be a new one
bull lsquoHow-torsquo documentsHow to set up and use variousprograms needed to make the mostof your Internet account
bull GlossaryTranslating acronyms computerjargon netese and emoticons like -)in plain English
TIP Technical Information
Domain pcugorgauDNS server 203107634Mail server mailhostpcugorgau
News Server newshostpcugorgauftp server ftppcugorgau
WWW server wwwpcugorgauTime server supremepcugorgau
For users who accessTIP as AUUG members
replace lsquopcugrsquo with lsquoauugrsquoin these addresses
htt
p
ww
wp
cu
go
rga
up
cu
g1
6b
its
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
oba
oba
oba
oba
oba t
ft ft f
t f
t f o
rma
orm
aor
ma
orm
aor
ma t
ttt t
10 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
I am sitting here beside the pool insteamy Kuala Lumpur contemplatinghow I came to agree to Anne Greinerrsquos
request to write a few lines for Sixteen Bits( it must have been the lateness of thehour that caught me off guard )
Three years ago I bought my firstcomputer All the ldquo How to buy aComputer ldquo magazines suggest that oneshould have an idea about what thismachine will be used for before partingwith the cash I didnrsquot have a clue I justwanted one Once I had it home and upand running I still had no idea what to dowith it So I joined PCUG The articles inSixteen Bits were interesting and althoughI didnrsquot understand everything - still donrsquot- I virtually read it from cover to cover
Surfing the Net seemed to be the wayto go Everyone was ldquo on it ldquo so I appliedfor advanced access and my lovelyneighbour got it all set up for me Now Iwas connected but still had no idea whatto do ( for each of the first two years Ihad in excess of 200 hours of unused time) I really used my computer as a glorifiedtypewriter and the difference between afile and a folder still leaves me lookingsomewhat blank
I now discovered e-mail I tested thefirst one on my neighbour who had spentmany hours explaining and fixing thingsin response to my SOS calls I felt verypleased with my accomplishment
Now I had opened Pandorarsquos Box andthere was no stopping me I wanted tocheck every five minutes to see ldquo if I hadmail ldquo
Then fate stepped in and in the spaceof a few short months I lost my husbandand my daughter Heidi and son in lawLiam moved to Malaysia E-mail became alife line and we were in contact dailyexchanging long notes
High on my list of interests had beengenealogy Now the Internet came intoits own I subscribed to a couple ofnewsgroups and lurked for quite a fewmonths With the help of a friend in CanadaI had made quite good progress in tracingmy family history but had hit a brick wall
( due to the bending of the truth by mygrandparents )
I sat and contemplated what horriblefate was likely to befall me if I sent a requestto a newsgroup for all the world to seeLiterally breathless with panic I pluckedup the courage to post a message andwaited to be struck down Almostinstantly there it was on the screen Ireceived three replies from that postingTwo of them were no connection but thethirdEureka ( thatrsquos the genealogy warcry when one is successful ) Contact wasmade with family in Wales who had noidea of our existence I now progressedto receiving photographs via the netWhat a thrill Of course Liam had givenme instruction in point form on just howto go about this task
Emboldened by thissuccess I joined theNorfolk UK mailing listand jumped in feet firstand posted a request forinformation on the nameI was researching Theresult I havediscovered a cousin inCanada and with themissing pieces of thepuzzle I was able tosupply we can now tracethis line back for ninegenerations He sent itall to me via Gedcom AsI donrsquot understand theworkings of this systemI was very sensible andhad the file sent here toKL so that Liam can doall the work
While helping meunravel my family treeLiam became hookedhimself and we havewonderful exchanges ofinformation on best sitesand new finds He hasprogressed from notknowing the names of hisgrandparents to havingover 800 family memberson his data base Like me
he has made lovely e-mail ldquo pen friends ldquofrom all parts of the globe
Now came the biggest thrill On the7th August 1999 on the secondanniversary of my husbandrsquos death mylittle grandson was born in MalaysiaWithin hours of his birth I had my firstglimpse of him courtesy of e-mail Notquite as good as being there but close
My youngest daughter Stephaniepresented me with another grandson sixdays later which brings me to the reasonfor speaking to Anne in the first place Ididnrsquot want to miss anything re my mailinglists while I was away meeting the newesttwigs on the family tree and so I soughtAnnersquos advice which was given mostcheerfully despite the lateness of the hour
BETTOWYNDmonitor repair specialists
No FNo FNo FNo FNo Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Feeeeeeeeee
Prompt guaranteed repairs toALL types of monitors and
terminals (including Apple andNEC)
Fixed price with discount toMembers
Quality second handmonitors are also available
for purchase
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1 Pirie stFYSHWICK
Telephone 6239 1043
hellipby Jan Osfield and Liam Kean
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 7
hellipby
Mik
e Bu
rke
Mem
bers
hip
Secr
etar
y
Welcome to new members readingSixteen Bits for the first timewelcome to the PC Users Group
Continuing members should also checkthis column regularly because I am surethat there will be some little surprises from
time to time even for the most jaded ofold hands
Your Membership CardYour membership card and for newmembers a New Memberrsquos InformationDisk will normally be mailed to you onthe third Monday of the month in whichyou join or renew your membershipThose who join or renew after the thirdMonday will receive their carddisk thefollowing month If you lose your cardplease leave a message with the ExecutiveSecretary on 6253 4911 or contact medirectly via TIP atpcugmembershippcugorgau and itwill be replaced without charge
Information DiskNew members should also receive a diskcontaining information about the Groupand its services Please read theinformation on the disk carefully as youwill find the answers to most of yourquestions there This disk now contains
If your PCUGmembership expires at
the end of September 1999RENEW NOW
to avoid losing access toThe Internet Project
Next New Membersrsquo Night01 November 1999
730pmPCUG Centre
Northpoint Plaza Belconnen
Special EventsWe also have some special events suchas the lsquoBring and Buy Nightrsquo at the AlbertHall in November and an annual QuizNight in April You should read SixteenBits thoroughly as special events arepublicised mainly through the magazine
Annual General MeetingThe Annual General Meeting is held inSeptember each year Even if you areunable to attend Main Meetings regularlymembers should make every effort toattend this Meeting at which office bearersfor the ensuing 12 months are elected
Other Good StuffFor those who havenrsquot yet learnt throughbitter personal experience pleaseremember that TIP access is dependenton your continuing PCUG membershipand that it takes time to process yourmembership renewal mdash currently up to twoweeks We are looking at ways to reducethis time but the best solution is for youto remember to renew early Membersparticularly TIP users whose PCUGmembership expires at the end of themonth stated in the above box shouldrenew their PCUG membership immediate-ly Do not delay because your TIP accesswill automatically be cut off at midnighton the last day of the month unless yourrenewal has been processed
instructions on how to connect to theInternet Project
New MembersrsquoInformation Night
New members are especially urged toattend a New Membersrsquo Information Nightwhich is normally held at 730pm on thefirst Monday of the month (exceptJanuary) at the PC Users Group Centre(see map page 3) These meetings are achance for new and lsquoolderrsquo members (whoare always welcome to attend) to meet withrepresentatives of the Committee to putnames to faces and to ask any questionsthat you may have about the Group andits activities Tea and coffee are availableand the atmosphere is informal andfriendly
Main MeetingsOur main meetings targeted at our generalmembership are normally held monthlyon the last Monday of the month Thedate venue and topic of the meetingalways appear on the front cover ofSixteen Bits which is timed to arrive inyour mail-box in the middle of the weekbefore the next main meeting Mainmeetings are also advertised in thecomputing section of the Canberra Timeson the day of the meeting Anyone iswelcome to attend these meetings mdash youdo not need to be a member For mainmeetings we arrange guest speakers on avariety of topics throughout the year Asan added incentive there are usually acouple of door prizes to be won Yoursquovegot to be in it to win it There is no mainmeeting in December
amp
8 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
STRENGTHWith about 3000 members CanberraPCUG is one of Australiarsquos larger PC Usergroups It was founded in 1982 and is stillrun for the members by the members Themotto of the group is Users Helping Users
The Group employs one part-timeExecutive Secretary Most functions of theclub magazine writing and editing onlineservices maintenance collection anddistribution of shareware Organisation ofSIG and monthly meetings etc areperformed by volunteers The Group hasa membership from all walks of life with abroad range of knowledge as well asaccess to a vast store of information andhelp in many fields
SIXTEEN BITS MAGAZINEThe grouprsquos magazine Sixteen Bits ispublished eleven times a year It is theaward winning primary communicationsmechanism within the group Themagazine contains articles primarilycontributed by PCUG members reviewsnotices of upcoming events contactdetails for the various functions within thegroup a handy calendar the new softwarelibrary acquisitions the HELP directoryvendor discount scheme etc Themagazine is created with the aid of AdobePagemaker and Microsoft Office andother software products at the PCUGrsquosNorthpoint Plaza office Members whowish to contribute articles to the magazineor participate in the editorial team magazinelayout day held each month shouldcontact the editor( p c u g e d i t o r p c u g o r g a u ) Contributions are welcome The magazinehas details on the preferred format ofcontributions Contributions can be onvirtually any topic you care to cover fromsoftware reviews to hardware disasterstories or how you used your computerin a strange an unusual way
THE INTERNET PROJECTTIP was styarted as a collaborative effortbetween the Australian Unix Users Group(AUUG) and the PCUG The InternetProject (TIP) offers membership access to
the Internet via 60 (soon to be 72) dial inlines Two forms of access are provided ndashLimited Access which allows people toaccess email and news via PINE via abasic unix shell Full Access provides forPoint to Point (PPP) connectionseffectively putting your computer onto theinternet providing full access to emailnews world wide web IRC telnet ftponline-quake-playing anything a regularInternet Service Provider offers FullAccess accounts provide 10Mbytes ofdisk space per account which can be usedfor the storage of personal web pagesaccessible via the internet 24 hours a dayTIP started for business in 1995 offeringamazingly cheap access to the internetEven with various policy changes by thegrouprsquos uplink provider TIP still managesto offer the cheapest internet access inCanberra TIP policies are determined bythe Internet Project ManagementCommittee The day to day administrationof TIP is by volunteers mostly from theAUUG TIP has about 2000 membersmaking it one of the largest subscriberISPrsquos in the region
BULLETIN BOARD SERVICEPCUG has been offering access to aBulletin Board Service of somedescription since late 1986 The currentBBS offers five-line access to Fidonetechomail areas private Fidonet email alocal file download area access to thePCUGrsquos CDROM library of shareware andability to renew PCUG membership andperform other lsquoonline shoppingrsquofunctions Since the widespread use ofthe internet the BBS has becomesomewhat less exciting that it once mighthave been but it still serves a purposeand access to it is free for PCUG members
MONTHLY MEETINGSEach month (Except January) the groupholds its Monthly meeting normally at theManning Clarke Theatre (1 CrispBuilding Australian National University)usually on the last Monday of the monthat 730pm Each meeting has a guestspeaker usually giving a demonstration
talk about some software or hardwareproduct or upcoming technologySpeakers from a wide range of businessesare invited to give their product or servicea public hearing Prior to the main meetingyou can renew group or TIP membershippurchase blank floppy diskettes or attendthe BYTES SIG at the Asian Bistro in theANU Union building Attendees areeligible for a lucky door prize ndash sometimesthese are valuable once someone wasgiven Unix software valued at manythousands of dollars The Annual GeneralMeeting is where the outgoing PCUGcommittee report on the yearrsquosachievements and what the status of theTreasury is and this meeting is where thenew PCUG committee is elected
PCUG CENTRELocated in a modern air-conditionedoffice at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen thePCUG centre is the site of the mainadministration office It holds the BBS andTIP communications centre an 8-machinetraining room with light-projector andvarious training aids There are a numberof machines available for use at the centreincluding a colour scanner a CD copier aphotocopier and access to the internetThe centre hosts the PCUG committeemeetings the monthly Hardware Setupday and is where the PCUG magazineSixteen Bits is created The PCUG centreis staffed on weekends (9am-5pm EXCEPTlong weekends such as Easter or Anzacday) and during the week (10am-2pmMonday Wednesday Friday) duringthese times members can renew theirmembership purchase blank media orarrange access to TIP Various trainingcourses are on offer ($40 for full daycourses) on certain weekends such asWord7 Excel 7 Designing a WEB pageor Introduction to the Internet Places arelimited so be sure to book a place inadvance
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPSThe PCUG comprises a large number ofpeople with a wide range of interestsSmaller groups of people interested inspecific areas of personal computing get
What does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGofofofofoffffffer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Membersssss
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 9
together to form Special Interest Groupswhich have their own meetings andprojects Some SIGS currently in operationare ldquoCoffee and Chatrdquo ldquoCC++rdquo ldquoTheInvestment SIGrdquo ldquoThe OS2 SIGrdquo theldquoLinux Users Grouprdquo ldquoFlight SimulatorSIGrdquo ldquoInternet Daytime Demo andDiscussion Sigrdquo Contact details arepublished in Sixteen Bits Anyone canstart a SIG ndash just ask in one of the TIPspecific newsgroups (tipgeneral) ifanyone is interested in a formal get-together and arrange things such asdemonstrations discussions or picnics
TRAINING COURSESTraining courses on a wide variety of
subjects from Windows 9598 andIntroductory Internet Connection toMYOB and various programminglanguages are offered to our members andtheir families If there is a perceived needfor a particular course our training sub-committee will attempt to organise a trainerand a curriculum
MEDIA SALESThe group offers high quality disk and
tape cartridges for sale to its members atvery reasonable prices Contact the PCUGcentre during its business hours (10am-2pm Monday Wednesday Friday 9am-5pm on Weekends) for details
SHAREWARE SOFTWARELIBRARYEach month the group gets a new CDROMof the latest shareware The magazinepublishes excerpts from the currentCDROM Titles are available for downloadfrom the BBS (which is also accessiblefrom the internet via ftpbbspcugorgau) and whilst this is a freeservice to members the programsthemselves are usually shareware andrequire payment directly to the author ifyou intend to use the program in questionon a regular basis
HARDWARE AND VIDEO LIBRARYVarious hardware is available for loanCurrently the group has 336K and 144Kmodems and ZIP drives available tomembers as well as some videos includinglsquoDeveloping Applications with MicrosoftOfficersquo and lsquoUsing Windows 95rsquo Itemsmay be borrowed for one week at a timethere is no charge but you must collectand return the items yourselfEnjoy the group amp
TIP Help Pages
httpwwwtipnetautiphelp
bull Whats newHistory of changes to TIP help page
bull TIP Contact DetailsPhone numbers domain proxiesemail addresses
bull Useful TIP informationTime allocation usage statistics
bull TIP documentsAgreement Charging SchemeAcceptable Use Policy AccessApplication
bull InternetFAQAnswers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about the Internet what isthe Internet what you can donetiquette
bull TIP help FAQ
bull Answers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about various problemsother people may have had with TheInternet Project your problem maynot be a new one
bull lsquoHow-torsquo documentsHow to set up and use variousprograms needed to make the mostof your Internet account
bull GlossaryTranslating acronyms computerjargon netese and emoticons like -)in plain English
TIP Technical Information
Domain pcugorgauDNS server 203107634Mail server mailhostpcugorgau
News Server newshostpcugorgauftp server ftppcugorgau
WWW server wwwpcugorgauTime server supremepcugorgau
For users who accessTIP as AUUG members
replace lsquopcugrsquo with lsquoauugrsquoin these addresses
htt
p
ww
wp
cu
go
rga
up
cu
g1
6b
its
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
oba
oba
oba
oba
oba t
ft ft f
t f
t f o
rma
orm
aor
ma
orm
aor
ma t
ttt t
10 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
I am sitting here beside the pool insteamy Kuala Lumpur contemplatinghow I came to agree to Anne Greinerrsquos
request to write a few lines for Sixteen Bits( it must have been the lateness of thehour that caught me off guard )
Three years ago I bought my firstcomputer All the ldquo How to buy aComputer ldquo magazines suggest that oneshould have an idea about what thismachine will be used for before partingwith the cash I didnrsquot have a clue I justwanted one Once I had it home and upand running I still had no idea what to dowith it So I joined PCUG The articles inSixteen Bits were interesting and althoughI didnrsquot understand everything - still donrsquot- I virtually read it from cover to cover
Surfing the Net seemed to be the wayto go Everyone was ldquo on it ldquo so I appliedfor advanced access and my lovelyneighbour got it all set up for me Now Iwas connected but still had no idea whatto do ( for each of the first two years Ihad in excess of 200 hours of unused time) I really used my computer as a glorifiedtypewriter and the difference between afile and a folder still leaves me lookingsomewhat blank
I now discovered e-mail I tested thefirst one on my neighbour who had spentmany hours explaining and fixing thingsin response to my SOS calls I felt verypleased with my accomplishment
Now I had opened Pandorarsquos Box andthere was no stopping me I wanted tocheck every five minutes to see ldquo if I hadmail ldquo
Then fate stepped in and in the spaceof a few short months I lost my husbandand my daughter Heidi and son in lawLiam moved to Malaysia E-mail became alife line and we were in contact dailyexchanging long notes
High on my list of interests had beengenealogy Now the Internet came intoits own I subscribed to a couple ofnewsgroups and lurked for quite a fewmonths With the help of a friend in CanadaI had made quite good progress in tracingmy family history but had hit a brick wall
( due to the bending of the truth by mygrandparents )
I sat and contemplated what horriblefate was likely to befall me if I sent a requestto a newsgroup for all the world to seeLiterally breathless with panic I pluckedup the courage to post a message andwaited to be struck down Almostinstantly there it was on the screen Ireceived three replies from that postingTwo of them were no connection but thethirdEureka ( thatrsquos the genealogy warcry when one is successful ) Contact wasmade with family in Wales who had noidea of our existence I now progressedto receiving photographs via the netWhat a thrill Of course Liam had givenme instruction in point form on just howto go about this task
Emboldened by thissuccess I joined theNorfolk UK mailing listand jumped in feet firstand posted a request forinformation on the nameI was researching Theresult I havediscovered a cousin inCanada and with themissing pieces of thepuzzle I was able tosupply we can now tracethis line back for ninegenerations He sent itall to me via Gedcom AsI donrsquot understand theworkings of this systemI was very sensible andhad the file sent here toKL so that Liam can doall the work
While helping meunravel my family treeLiam became hookedhimself and we havewonderful exchanges ofinformation on best sitesand new finds He hasprogressed from notknowing the names of hisgrandparents to havingover 800 family memberson his data base Like me
he has made lovely e-mail ldquo pen friends ldquofrom all parts of the globe
Now came the biggest thrill On the7th August 1999 on the secondanniversary of my husbandrsquos death mylittle grandson was born in MalaysiaWithin hours of his birth I had my firstglimpse of him courtesy of e-mail Notquite as good as being there but close
My youngest daughter Stephaniepresented me with another grandson sixdays later which brings me to the reasonfor speaking to Anne in the first place Ididnrsquot want to miss anything re my mailinglists while I was away meeting the newesttwigs on the family tree and so I soughtAnnersquos advice which was given mostcheerfully despite the lateness of the hour
BETTOWYNDmonitor repair specialists
No FNo FNo FNo FNo Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Feeeeeeeeee
Prompt guaranteed repairs toALL types of monitors and
terminals (including Apple andNEC)
Fixed price with discount toMembers
Quality second handmonitors are also available
for purchase
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1 Pirie stFYSHWICK
Telephone 6239 1043
hellipby Jan Osfield and Liam Kean
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
8 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
STRENGTHWith about 3000 members CanberraPCUG is one of Australiarsquos larger PC Usergroups It was founded in 1982 and is stillrun for the members by the members Themotto of the group is Users Helping Users
The Group employs one part-timeExecutive Secretary Most functions of theclub magazine writing and editing onlineservices maintenance collection anddistribution of shareware Organisation ofSIG and monthly meetings etc areperformed by volunteers The Group hasa membership from all walks of life with abroad range of knowledge as well asaccess to a vast store of information andhelp in many fields
SIXTEEN BITS MAGAZINEThe grouprsquos magazine Sixteen Bits ispublished eleven times a year It is theaward winning primary communicationsmechanism within the group Themagazine contains articles primarilycontributed by PCUG members reviewsnotices of upcoming events contactdetails for the various functions within thegroup a handy calendar the new softwarelibrary acquisitions the HELP directoryvendor discount scheme etc Themagazine is created with the aid of AdobePagemaker and Microsoft Office andother software products at the PCUGrsquosNorthpoint Plaza office Members whowish to contribute articles to the magazineor participate in the editorial team magazinelayout day held each month shouldcontact the editor( p c u g e d i t o r p c u g o r g a u ) Contributions are welcome The magazinehas details on the preferred format ofcontributions Contributions can be onvirtually any topic you care to cover fromsoftware reviews to hardware disasterstories or how you used your computerin a strange an unusual way
THE INTERNET PROJECTTIP was styarted as a collaborative effortbetween the Australian Unix Users Group(AUUG) and the PCUG The InternetProject (TIP) offers membership access to
the Internet via 60 (soon to be 72) dial inlines Two forms of access are provided ndashLimited Access which allows people toaccess email and news via PINE via abasic unix shell Full Access provides forPoint to Point (PPP) connectionseffectively putting your computer onto theinternet providing full access to emailnews world wide web IRC telnet ftponline-quake-playing anything a regularInternet Service Provider offers FullAccess accounts provide 10Mbytes ofdisk space per account which can be usedfor the storage of personal web pagesaccessible via the internet 24 hours a dayTIP started for business in 1995 offeringamazingly cheap access to the internetEven with various policy changes by thegrouprsquos uplink provider TIP still managesto offer the cheapest internet access inCanberra TIP policies are determined bythe Internet Project ManagementCommittee The day to day administrationof TIP is by volunteers mostly from theAUUG TIP has about 2000 membersmaking it one of the largest subscriberISPrsquos in the region
BULLETIN BOARD SERVICEPCUG has been offering access to aBulletin Board Service of somedescription since late 1986 The currentBBS offers five-line access to Fidonetechomail areas private Fidonet email alocal file download area access to thePCUGrsquos CDROM library of shareware andability to renew PCUG membership andperform other lsquoonline shoppingrsquofunctions Since the widespread use ofthe internet the BBS has becomesomewhat less exciting that it once mighthave been but it still serves a purposeand access to it is free for PCUG members
MONTHLY MEETINGSEach month (Except January) the groupholds its Monthly meeting normally at theManning Clarke Theatre (1 CrispBuilding Australian National University)usually on the last Monday of the monthat 730pm Each meeting has a guestspeaker usually giving a demonstration
talk about some software or hardwareproduct or upcoming technologySpeakers from a wide range of businessesare invited to give their product or servicea public hearing Prior to the main meetingyou can renew group or TIP membershippurchase blank floppy diskettes or attendthe BYTES SIG at the Asian Bistro in theANU Union building Attendees areeligible for a lucky door prize ndash sometimesthese are valuable once someone wasgiven Unix software valued at manythousands of dollars The Annual GeneralMeeting is where the outgoing PCUGcommittee report on the yearrsquosachievements and what the status of theTreasury is and this meeting is where thenew PCUG committee is elected
PCUG CENTRELocated in a modern air-conditionedoffice at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen thePCUG centre is the site of the mainadministration office It holds the BBS andTIP communications centre an 8-machinetraining room with light-projector andvarious training aids There are a numberof machines available for use at the centreincluding a colour scanner a CD copier aphotocopier and access to the internetThe centre hosts the PCUG committeemeetings the monthly Hardware Setupday and is where the PCUG magazineSixteen Bits is created The PCUG centreis staffed on weekends (9am-5pm EXCEPTlong weekends such as Easter or Anzacday) and during the week (10am-2pmMonday Wednesday Friday) duringthese times members can renew theirmembership purchase blank media orarrange access to TIP Various trainingcourses are on offer ($40 for full daycourses) on certain weekends such asWord7 Excel 7 Designing a WEB pageor Introduction to the Internet Places arelimited so be sure to book a place inadvance
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPSThe PCUG comprises a large number ofpeople with a wide range of interestsSmaller groups of people interested inspecific areas of personal computing get
What does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGWhat does Canberra PCUGofofofofoffffffer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Memberer its Membersssss
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 9
together to form Special Interest Groupswhich have their own meetings andprojects Some SIGS currently in operationare ldquoCoffee and Chatrdquo ldquoCC++rdquo ldquoTheInvestment SIGrdquo ldquoThe OS2 SIGrdquo theldquoLinux Users Grouprdquo ldquoFlight SimulatorSIGrdquo ldquoInternet Daytime Demo andDiscussion Sigrdquo Contact details arepublished in Sixteen Bits Anyone canstart a SIG ndash just ask in one of the TIPspecific newsgroups (tipgeneral) ifanyone is interested in a formal get-together and arrange things such asdemonstrations discussions or picnics
TRAINING COURSESTraining courses on a wide variety of
subjects from Windows 9598 andIntroductory Internet Connection toMYOB and various programminglanguages are offered to our members andtheir families If there is a perceived needfor a particular course our training sub-committee will attempt to organise a trainerand a curriculum
MEDIA SALESThe group offers high quality disk and
tape cartridges for sale to its members atvery reasonable prices Contact the PCUGcentre during its business hours (10am-2pm Monday Wednesday Friday 9am-5pm on Weekends) for details
SHAREWARE SOFTWARELIBRARYEach month the group gets a new CDROMof the latest shareware The magazinepublishes excerpts from the currentCDROM Titles are available for downloadfrom the BBS (which is also accessiblefrom the internet via ftpbbspcugorgau) and whilst this is a freeservice to members the programsthemselves are usually shareware andrequire payment directly to the author ifyou intend to use the program in questionon a regular basis
HARDWARE AND VIDEO LIBRARYVarious hardware is available for loanCurrently the group has 336K and 144Kmodems and ZIP drives available tomembers as well as some videos includinglsquoDeveloping Applications with MicrosoftOfficersquo and lsquoUsing Windows 95rsquo Itemsmay be borrowed for one week at a timethere is no charge but you must collectand return the items yourselfEnjoy the group amp
TIP Help Pages
httpwwwtipnetautiphelp
bull Whats newHistory of changes to TIP help page
bull TIP Contact DetailsPhone numbers domain proxiesemail addresses
bull Useful TIP informationTime allocation usage statistics
bull TIP documentsAgreement Charging SchemeAcceptable Use Policy AccessApplication
bull InternetFAQAnswers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about the Internet what isthe Internet what you can donetiquette
bull TIP help FAQ
bull Answers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about various problemsother people may have had with TheInternet Project your problem maynot be a new one
bull lsquoHow-torsquo documentsHow to set up and use variousprograms needed to make the mostof your Internet account
bull GlossaryTranslating acronyms computerjargon netese and emoticons like -)in plain English
TIP Technical Information
Domain pcugorgauDNS server 203107634Mail server mailhostpcugorgau
News Server newshostpcugorgauftp server ftppcugorgau
WWW server wwwpcugorgauTime server supremepcugorgau
For users who accessTIP as AUUG members
replace lsquopcugrsquo with lsquoauugrsquoin these addresses
htt
p
ww
wp
cu
go
rga
up
cu
g1
6b
its
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
oba
oba
oba
oba
oba t
ft ft f
t f
t f o
rma
orm
aor
ma
orm
aor
ma t
ttt t
10 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
I am sitting here beside the pool insteamy Kuala Lumpur contemplatinghow I came to agree to Anne Greinerrsquos
request to write a few lines for Sixteen Bits( it must have been the lateness of thehour that caught me off guard )
Three years ago I bought my firstcomputer All the ldquo How to buy aComputer ldquo magazines suggest that oneshould have an idea about what thismachine will be used for before partingwith the cash I didnrsquot have a clue I justwanted one Once I had it home and upand running I still had no idea what to dowith it So I joined PCUG The articles inSixteen Bits were interesting and althoughI didnrsquot understand everything - still donrsquot- I virtually read it from cover to cover
Surfing the Net seemed to be the wayto go Everyone was ldquo on it ldquo so I appliedfor advanced access and my lovelyneighbour got it all set up for me Now Iwas connected but still had no idea whatto do ( for each of the first two years Ihad in excess of 200 hours of unused time) I really used my computer as a glorifiedtypewriter and the difference between afile and a folder still leaves me lookingsomewhat blank
I now discovered e-mail I tested thefirst one on my neighbour who had spentmany hours explaining and fixing thingsin response to my SOS calls I felt verypleased with my accomplishment
Now I had opened Pandorarsquos Box andthere was no stopping me I wanted tocheck every five minutes to see ldquo if I hadmail ldquo
Then fate stepped in and in the spaceof a few short months I lost my husbandand my daughter Heidi and son in lawLiam moved to Malaysia E-mail became alife line and we were in contact dailyexchanging long notes
High on my list of interests had beengenealogy Now the Internet came intoits own I subscribed to a couple ofnewsgroups and lurked for quite a fewmonths With the help of a friend in CanadaI had made quite good progress in tracingmy family history but had hit a brick wall
( due to the bending of the truth by mygrandparents )
I sat and contemplated what horriblefate was likely to befall me if I sent a requestto a newsgroup for all the world to seeLiterally breathless with panic I pluckedup the courage to post a message andwaited to be struck down Almostinstantly there it was on the screen Ireceived three replies from that postingTwo of them were no connection but thethirdEureka ( thatrsquos the genealogy warcry when one is successful ) Contact wasmade with family in Wales who had noidea of our existence I now progressedto receiving photographs via the netWhat a thrill Of course Liam had givenme instruction in point form on just howto go about this task
Emboldened by thissuccess I joined theNorfolk UK mailing listand jumped in feet firstand posted a request forinformation on the nameI was researching Theresult I havediscovered a cousin inCanada and with themissing pieces of thepuzzle I was able tosupply we can now tracethis line back for ninegenerations He sent itall to me via Gedcom AsI donrsquot understand theworkings of this systemI was very sensible andhad the file sent here toKL so that Liam can doall the work
While helping meunravel my family treeLiam became hookedhimself and we havewonderful exchanges ofinformation on best sitesand new finds He hasprogressed from notknowing the names of hisgrandparents to havingover 800 family memberson his data base Like me
he has made lovely e-mail ldquo pen friends ldquofrom all parts of the globe
Now came the biggest thrill On the7th August 1999 on the secondanniversary of my husbandrsquos death mylittle grandson was born in MalaysiaWithin hours of his birth I had my firstglimpse of him courtesy of e-mail Notquite as good as being there but close
My youngest daughter Stephaniepresented me with another grandson sixdays later which brings me to the reasonfor speaking to Anne in the first place Ididnrsquot want to miss anything re my mailinglists while I was away meeting the newesttwigs on the family tree and so I soughtAnnersquos advice which was given mostcheerfully despite the lateness of the hour
BETTOWYNDmonitor repair specialists
No FNo FNo FNo FNo Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Feeeeeeeeee
Prompt guaranteed repairs toALL types of monitors and
terminals (including Apple andNEC)
Fixed price with discount toMembers
Quality second handmonitors are also available
for purchase
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1 Pirie stFYSHWICK
Telephone 6239 1043
hellipby Jan Osfield and Liam Kean
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
Plans to suit your needsFree support 7 days a weekBasic and Advanced Internet coursesNow in Goulburn Yass WaggaBathurst amp Orange
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 9
together to form Special Interest Groupswhich have their own meetings andprojects Some SIGS currently in operationare ldquoCoffee and Chatrdquo ldquoCC++rdquo ldquoTheInvestment SIGrdquo ldquoThe OS2 SIGrdquo theldquoLinux Users Grouprdquo ldquoFlight SimulatorSIGrdquo ldquoInternet Daytime Demo andDiscussion Sigrdquo Contact details arepublished in Sixteen Bits Anyone canstart a SIG ndash just ask in one of the TIPspecific newsgroups (tipgeneral) ifanyone is interested in a formal get-together and arrange things such asdemonstrations discussions or picnics
TRAINING COURSESTraining courses on a wide variety of
subjects from Windows 9598 andIntroductory Internet Connection toMYOB and various programminglanguages are offered to our members andtheir families If there is a perceived needfor a particular course our training sub-committee will attempt to organise a trainerand a curriculum
MEDIA SALESThe group offers high quality disk and
tape cartridges for sale to its members atvery reasonable prices Contact the PCUGcentre during its business hours (10am-2pm Monday Wednesday Friday 9am-5pm on Weekends) for details
SHAREWARE SOFTWARELIBRARYEach month the group gets a new CDROMof the latest shareware The magazinepublishes excerpts from the currentCDROM Titles are available for downloadfrom the BBS (which is also accessiblefrom the internet via ftpbbspcugorgau) and whilst this is a freeservice to members the programsthemselves are usually shareware andrequire payment directly to the author ifyou intend to use the program in questionon a regular basis
HARDWARE AND VIDEO LIBRARYVarious hardware is available for loanCurrently the group has 336K and 144Kmodems and ZIP drives available tomembers as well as some videos includinglsquoDeveloping Applications with MicrosoftOfficersquo and lsquoUsing Windows 95rsquo Itemsmay be borrowed for one week at a timethere is no charge but you must collectand return the items yourselfEnjoy the group amp
TIP Help Pages
httpwwwtipnetautiphelp
bull Whats newHistory of changes to TIP help page
bull TIP Contact DetailsPhone numbers domain proxiesemail addresses
bull Useful TIP informationTime allocation usage statistics
bull TIP documentsAgreement Charging SchemeAcceptable Use Policy AccessApplication
bull InternetFAQAnswers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about the Internet what isthe Internet what you can donetiquette
bull TIP help FAQ
bull Answers to the Frequently AskedQuestions about various problemsother people may have had with TheInternet Project your problem maynot be a new one
bull lsquoHow-torsquo documentsHow to set up and use variousprograms needed to make the mostof your Internet account
bull GlossaryTranslating acronyms computerjargon netese and emoticons like -)in plain English
TIP Technical Information
Domain pcugorgauDNS server 203107634Mail server mailhostpcugorgau
News Server newshostpcugorgauftp server ftppcugorgau
WWW server wwwpcugorgauTime server supremepcugorgau
For users who accessTIP as AUUG members
replace lsquopcugrsquo with lsquoauugrsquoin these addresses
htt
p
ww
wp
cu
go
rga
up
cu
g1
6b
its
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
Now
in A
dobe
Acr
oba
oba
oba
oba
oba t
ft ft f
t f
t f o
rma
orm
aor
ma
orm
aor
ma t
ttt t
10 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
I am sitting here beside the pool insteamy Kuala Lumpur contemplatinghow I came to agree to Anne Greinerrsquos
request to write a few lines for Sixteen Bits( it must have been the lateness of thehour that caught me off guard )
Three years ago I bought my firstcomputer All the ldquo How to buy aComputer ldquo magazines suggest that oneshould have an idea about what thismachine will be used for before partingwith the cash I didnrsquot have a clue I justwanted one Once I had it home and upand running I still had no idea what to dowith it So I joined PCUG The articles inSixteen Bits were interesting and althoughI didnrsquot understand everything - still donrsquot- I virtually read it from cover to cover
Surfing the Net seemed to be the wayto go Everyone was ldquo on it ldquo so I appliedfor advanced access and my lovelyneighbour got it all set up for me Now Iwas connected but still had no idea whatto do ( for each of the first two years Ihad in excess of 200 hours of unused time) I really used my computer as a glorifiedtypewriter and the difference between afile and a folder still leaves me lookingsomewhat blank
I now discovered e-mail I tested thefirst one on my neighbour who had spentmany hours explaining and fixing thingsin response to my SOS calls I felt verypleased with my accomplishment
Now I had opened Pandorarsquos Box andthere was no stopping me I wanted tocheck every five minutes to see ldquo if I hadmail ldquo
Then fate stepped in and in the spaceof a few short months I lost my husbandand my daughter Heidi and son in lawLiam moved to Malaysia E-mail became alife line and we were in contact dailyexchanging long notes
High on my list of interests had beengenealogy Now the Internet came intoits own I subscribed to a couple ofnewsgroups and lurked for quite a fewmonths With the help of a friend in CanadaI had made quite good progress in tracingmy family history but had hit a brick wall
( due to the bending of the truth by mygrandparents )
I sat and contemplated what horriblefate was likely to befall me if I sent a requestto a newsgroup for all the world to seeLiterally breathless with panic I pluckedup the courage to post a message andwaited to be struck down Almostinstantly there it was on the screen Ireceived three replies from that postingTwo of them were no connection but thethirdEureka ( thatrsquos the genealogy warcry when one is successful ) Contact wasmade with family in Wales who had noidea of our existence I now progressedto receiving photographs via the netWhat a thrill Of course Liam had givenme instruction in point form on just howto go about this task
Emboldened by thissuccess I joined theNorfolk UK mailing listand jumped in feet firstand posted a request forinformation on the nameI was researching Theresult I havediscovered a cousin inCanada and with themissing pieces of thepuzzle I was able tosupply we can now tracethis line back for ninegenerations He sent itall to me via Gedcom AsI donrsquot understand theworkings of this systemI was very sensible andhad the file sent here toKL so that Liam can doall the work
While helping meunravel my family treeLiam became hookedhimself and we havewonderful exchanges ofinformation on best sitesand new finds He hasprogressed from notknowing the names of hisgrandparents to havingover 800 family memberson his data base Like me
he has made lovely e-mail ldquo pen friends ldquofrom all parts of the globe
Now came the biggest thrill On the7th August 1999 on the secondanniversary of my husbandrsquos death mylittle grandson was born in MalaysiaWithin hours of his birth I had my firstglimpse of him courtesy of e-mail Notquite as good as being there but close
My youngest daughter Stephaniepresented me with another grandson sixdays later which brings me to the reasonfor speaking to Anne in the first place Ididnrsquot want to miss anything re my mailinglists while I was away meeting the newesttwigs on the family tree and so I soughtAnnersquos advice which was given mostcheerfully despite the lateness of the hour
BETTOWYNDmonitor repair specialists
No FNo FNo FNo FNo Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Feeeeeeeeee
Prompt guaranteed repairs toALL types of monitors and
terminals (including Apple andNEC)
Fixed price with discount toMembers
Quality second handmonitors are also available
for purchase
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1 Pirie stFYSHWICK
Telephone 6239 1043
hellipby Jan Osfield and Liam Kean
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
Plans to suit your needsFree support 7 days a weekBasic and Advanced Internet coursesNow in Goulburn Yass WaggaBathurst amp Orange
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nected Today
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
10 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
I am sitting here beside the pool insteamy Kuala Lumpur contemplatinghow I came to agree to Anne Greinerrsquos
request to write a few lines for Sixteen Bits( it must have been the lateness of thehour that caught me off guard )
Three years ago I bought my firstcomputer All the ldquo How to buy aComputer ldquo magazines suggest that oneshould have an idea about what thismachine will be used for before partingwith the cash I didnrsquot have a clue I justwanted one Once I had it home and upand running I still had no idea what to dowith it So I joined PCUG The articles inSixteen Bits were interesting and althoughI didnrsquot understand everything - still donrsquot- I virtually read it from cover to cover
Surfing the Net seemed to be the wayto go Everyone was ldquo on it ldquo so I appliedfor advanced access and my lovelyneighbour got it all set up for me Now Iwas connected but still had no idea whatto do ( for each of the first two years Ihad in excess of 200 hours of unused time) I really used my computer as a glorifiedtypewriter and the difference between afile and a folder still leaves me lookingsomewhat blank
I now discovered e-mail I tested thefirst one on my neighbour who had spentmany hours explaining and fixing thingsin response to my SOS calls I felt verypleased with my accomplishment
Now I had opened Pandorarsquos Box andthere was no stopping me I wanted tocheck every five minutes to see ldquo if I hadmail ldquo
Then fate stepped in and in the spaceof a few short months I lost my husbandand my daughter Heidi and son in lawLiam moved to Malaysia E-mail became alife line and we were in contact dailyexchanging long notes
High on my list of interests had beengenealogy Now the Internet came intoits own I subscribed to a couple ofnewsgroups and lurked for quite a fewmonths With the help of a friend in CanadaI had made quite good progress in tracingmy family history but had hit a brick wall
( due to the bending of the truth by mygrandparents )
I sat and contemplated what horriblefate was likely to befall me if I sent a requestto a newsgroup for all the world to seeLiterally breathless with panic I pluckedup the courage to post a message andwaited to be struck down Almostinstantly there it was on the screen Ireceived three replies from that postingTwo of them were no connection but thethirdEureka ( thatrsquos the genealogy warcry when one is successful ) Contact wasmade with family in Wales who had noidea of our existence I now progressedto receiving photographs via the netWhat a thrill Of course Liam had givenme instruction in point form on just howto go about this task
Emboldened by thissuccess I joined theNorfolk UK mailing listand jumped in feet firstand posted a request forinformation on the nameI was researching Theresult I havediscovered a cousin inCanada and with themissing pieces of thepuzzle I was able tosupply we can now tracethis line back for ninegenerations He sent itall to me via Gedcom AsI donrsquot understand theworkings of this systemI was very sensible andhad the file sent here toKL so that Liam can doall the work
While helping meunravel my family treeLiam became hookedhimself and we havewonderful exchanges ofinformation on best sitesand new finds He hasprogressed from notknowing the names of hisgrandparents to havingover 800 family memberson his data base Like me
he has made lovely e-mail ldquo pen friends ldquofrom all parts of the globe
Now came the biggest thrill On the7th August 1999 on the secondanniversary of my husbandrsquos death mylittle grandson was born in MalaysiaWithin hours of his birth I had my firstglimpse of him courtesy of e-mail Notquite as good as being there but close
My youngest daughter Stephaniepresented me with another grandson sixdays later which brings me to the reasonfor speaking to Anne in the first place Ididnrsquot want to miss anything re my mailinglists while I was away meeting the newesttwigs on the family tree and so I soughtAnnersquos advice which was given mostcheerfully despite the lateness of the hour
BETTOWYNDmonitor repair specialists
No FNo FNo FNo FNo Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Fix ---No Feeeeeeeeee
Prompt guaranteed repairs toALL types of monitors and
terminals (including Apple andNEC)
Fixed price with discount toMembers
Quality second handmonitors are also available
for purchase
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1 Pirie stFYSHWICK
Telephone 6239 1043
hellipby Jan Osfield and Liam Kean
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 11
Researching and genealogy on theInternet has helped me cope with a hugelife style change and checking my mail andexploring new Web sites has become adaily ritual I now make contact quite oftenwith family and friends in America andMalaysia when we happen to be online atthe same time via a programme called ICQ
I am slow but Irsquom learning Liam is currently using Family Tree
Maker to record his research and thefollowing comments are from him
Jan and I started with a simple programcalled Family Tree (V15) which allowedyou to create a family tree and enter alimited amount of information onindividuals such as birth christeningmarriage death and burial details It alsoallows you to import a photograph for mostof these occasions which is a terrific buzzThe important aspect of it which we wereboth to find out later was that it wasGEDCOM compatible GEDCOM is astandard genealogy file format that wasdeveloped by the Mormons If yourprogram is ldquoGEDCOM compatiblerdquo thatmeans that it will allow your data to betransferred to other genealogy softwarewith supposedly little effort and loss ofinformation I wouldnrsquot recommendbuying any program that is not GEDCOMcompatible as the amount of data you
CALL FOR OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
$2050
YOUR NEW PCSUPPLIER
PENTIUM III 450 INTEL64MB SDRAM
64 GIG HARD DISK16MB BANSHEE 2D3D
40X CDROM32BIT SOUND 3D
120W SPKRSSONY FLOPPY
15 DIGITAL MONITORKEYBRD MOUSEWINDOWS 98
DELUX MIDI CASE
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
Are your interested in Access programming
We are build ing a pool of contractors who are interested in casual fixed priced project work in Microsoft Accesstrade to help us meet expanding client needs
We are interested in you if you have maturity skill and flex ibility
Context is a Canberra-based company delivering small and medium-sized databases built in Microsoft Accesstrade and SQL Servertrade Our systems are built with conventional and Web-enabled front-ends
Contact Graham Fry on 6287 1500 gfryozemailcomau
Context
collect can get quite large and the lastthing you want to do is re-enter it all everytime you upgrade to a new program whichbelieve me you will want to do
However exciting it was to watch thefamily tree develop over time we quicklydiscovered that Family Tree V15 was quitelimited for storing lots of information onindividuals and we personally found itwas not particularly user-friendly Sohaving developed a bit of a sense for whatit was that we were wanting I stepped upinvestigations into other more advancedprograms I was amazed how many therewere Some of the best ones are reportedto be Brotherrsquos Keeper (BK) The MasterGenealogist (TMG) Family Tree Maker(FTM) Roots etc I must admit it wasdifficult to decide what to go with Mostif not all are available in a demonstrationversion so you can have a lot for yourselfJust look up the above names in anysearch engine on the web and you willfind their associated web sites from whichyou can download
In the end I settled on FTM (V60)mainly because it was rated as the No1program (in terms of sales I believe) Allprograms have their positive and negativepoints but I believe FTM is a good startingprogram for most budding genealogistsIt is simple to use itrsquos quite cheap (if you
download the demo version from theirwebsite and then purchase the 2-CDversion directly from them itrsquos onlyUS$3990) I wouldnrsquot recommendpurchasing the 8-CD version unless youthink you have a lot of relatives in theUSA as the extra CDrsquos are just data CDrsquosfor US records They may come in handyfor some but I believe they have next tono information on Australian records
Another good thing about FTM isthat they have a well established websitewith much feedback from users so youcan review what problems others arehaving using it There seems to be goodtechnical support from the developersalso I had an early ldquoout of memoryrdquoproblem using FTM and discovered manyways to overcome this from theirdiscussion database on their website
My advice would be to not worry toomuch about the program yoursquore using inthe beginning you will soon find your feetwith any of them Just make sure to keepgood records of the information yougather I didnrsquot in the beginning and Irsquompaying for it now Happy researchingeveryone amp
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
Plans to suit your needsFree support 7 days a weekBasic and Advanced Internet coursesNow in Goulburn Yass WaggaBathurst amp Orange
When it comes to customer service and reliability - the choice is clearGet
Con
nected Today
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
12 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
First just a couple of definitions1Gravity - That which keeps our feetfirmly on the ground (or the density of thewort that determines the alcoholic contentof the fermented beer) 2Light - As in lsquotosee the lightrsquo or the opposite of lsquodarkrsquo
Most people know that if you canaccelerate a rocket missile spacecraftwhatever to a sufficiently high velocity itcan escape the force of earthrsquos gravity andset off into outer space On the otherhand if you could have launched theprojectile from the moon then the requiredldquoescape velocityrdquo would have been lowersimply because the moonrsquos gravity islower than that of earthrsquos Similarlyescaping from a more massive planet suchas Jupiter would require a much higherescape velocity
So does this mean that we can set offinto the wide blue yonder from any planetno matter how great itrsquos gravitational pullWell actually no we canrsquot
Enter my old pal Albert Einstein (Wewere both Patent Examiners) Oneafternoon tea-break Albert scribbled awayon the back of an envelope for a while andthen announced that he had just written aproof that light always travels at a fixedvelocity of 186000 miles per second Heelaborated that if in fact you took asearchlight up to Mars pointed it at Earthand turned it on it would take about tenminutes before we actually saw it light upWell we took his word for it finished ourtea and went back to examining ournavelsrsquoer I mean our patents
The next afternoon Albert indulged insome further scribbling and thenannounced that he had written a furtherproof that it was impossible for anythingto travel faster than light He was right ofcourse and therersquos the catch
If you try to launch anything into spacefrom a body that has such a largegravitation ldquopullrdquo that itrsquos escape velocity
ALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUTALL YOUrsquoLL EVER WANT (OR NEED) TO KNOW ABOUT
is greater than the speed of light yoursquod bespitting against the wind It just canrsquot bedone because you canrsquot get it moving fastenough Not even light itself (at 186k milessec) can escape - thatrsquos why we canrsquot seesuch a body Any light it may have cannotescape from its gravitational force Wecan of course see the effect it has on otherbodies and the way it deflects light fromother bodies so we know that somethingis there - we just canrsquot see it Itrsquos a blackhole
So how does a black hole get there Ihear you cry And what happens if we
get caught in one
Well thatrsquos another story of course
amp
hellipby Jim Fogg
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
Plans to suit your needsFree support 7 days a weekBasic and Advanced Internet coursesNow in Goulburn Yass WaggaBathurst amp Orange
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 13
THETHETHETHETHE
INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNETPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECTPROJECT
Internet Clinics are normally held at the PCUG Centre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen the first Saturday of each month 930am to 1pm There is nocost involved
So if you (or another PCUG member you know of) are having problemsyou (or they) will be welcome to attend It is suggested that you call the
PCUG Centre on the day and check with the staffer that we are not overloadedbefore coming along
To get a problem on your PC resolved it is essential that you bring all of thefollowing items with you
bull PC and Monitor plus all interconnecting cablesbull Mousebull Keyboardbull Modembull Modem power supplybull Modem cables - from PC to modem
and from modem to telephone socketbull Modem and PC manuals amp documentationbull All of your software disks -
ie Win31 or Windows95 disksCD
If you dont have a PC to fix but you want to get some guidance on someparticular aspect of using TIP please feel free to come along and simply talk tous
Clinics are not a free softwaremodem installation service We do expect you tohave made a reasonable attempt at getting the software installed amp working
dschwabepcugorgau
The Internet Clinic
hellip b
y Al
lan
Mik
kelse
n
A new computer to run as a newproxy server has now beenordered and may be operating by
the time this Sixteen Bits is publishedHopefully this will enable us the solve theproblem of ldquoForwarding denied siblingrelationship rdquo that has exasperated mostof us The problem is caused by a slightincompatibility between the proxysoftware run by us and our peering partnerInteract As often happens in computingthe error message is less than helpful andin my opinion anyway quite wrong
This episode has also highlighted thefact that many TIP users do not bother toread the information provided by theadmin team The details of this ldquosiblingrelationshiprdquo problem and a work aroundwere posted to the tipannounce
newsgroup and on the TIP and PCUGhome pages However users continuedto ask about this ldquostrange problemrdquo andcomplain when they received a shortsharp response We always suggest thatall users should read at least thetipannounce newsgroup to see what ishappening with the system While themotto of the PCUG is ldquoUsers HelpingUsersrdquo the most useful form of help isoften self help
The tipannounce newsgroup alsocontains the ldquoMail hogsrdquo list producedeach week to show users over their mailquota Even if you think you keep yourmailbox cleared you should check this list
Hi-
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCSPARTS
SUPPLIER
Blank CD $210Mini AT Case $55
Midi ATX Case $8524x CDROM $79
15 pnp Monitor $195Genius Net Mouse $25
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
CALL FOR OTHER PARTS
regularly as some mail software may causeyou to unexpectedly appear and your mailto bounce If you need to clear yourmailbox or see exactly what is in yourmailbox on the server there are twosuggested methods You can use a telnetclient to connect to supremepcugorgauand then follow the limited access menuto the pine mail system Further assistanceon how to do this is given in the TIP Helpsystem httpwwwtipnetautiphelp Ifpine is beyond you one of the web basedmail reading services can be used SomeTIP users currently use mail2web (httpwwwmail2webcom) or thatweb (httpwwwthatwebcom) for this purpose
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
14 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Maybe you cannot find what you wantin the TIP Help pages There is a searchfunction which may find it Alternativelythe information is not there The pageshave all been prepared and updated byvolunteers and it needs someone withexpertise in the subject to provide theinformation For example we could do withsome details on how to configureMicrosoft mail systems to work with TIPIf you would like to help send an email tohelpmastertipnetau and we will includenew information in the help pages Afeature that is needed is instruction onhow to send mail in plain text rather thanthe default proprietary format favoured byMicrosoft Much of this mail is eitherdifficult or impossible to read by userswith non-Microsoft mailers It is annoyingenough to the helpers that we areinvestigating implementing an autoresponder for some of the systemaddresses (such as helppcugorgauwebmasterpcugorgau etc) which willreject HTML mail and ask you to resend itin plain text
Windows 95 is not dead and judging bythe amount of support available it seemsto be guaranteed a long tenure yet It hasbeen significantly updated since itsrelease and is constantly being kept up todate Microsoft lists six separate versionsof Windows 95 with the version numbersand basic file dates in the following table
Knowing your version number isessential to safe updating as it is easy todegrade the operating system by applyingthe wrong update patch I have done itwhen I applied a Win95 update to myToshiba laptop from the Toshibahomepage Now I am more careful where Iget my updates and what I read aboutthem Among other differences updatefiles will invariably have a higher versionnumber and more recent date than theoriginal files But then who commonlychecks file version numbers ndash even when
they are available I checked the date afterthe disaster
To determine your Windows versionright click on My Computer and then leftclick on Properties My OSR2 reportsversion 400950B which is common butmy basic file dates are correct at 24 August1996 Except of course for those I have
since updatedUpdating from Microsoft is
the safest way to do it as theirupdates include a tool that checksfor applicability But other sitesare friendlier more informativeand often more easily accessible
The Update Information Tool thatMicrosoft uses is Qfecheckexe notpresent in Win98 where QFE stands forQuick-Fix Engineering Qfecheck reads theregistry and installed file versions todetermine what updates are installed onthe computer whether update files aremissing and whether registry informationmatches that of installed files It isavailable independently from httpsuppor t mic roso f t comdownload supportmslfilesQFECHKUPEXE
It is interesting to note that myWindows version number appearscorrectly here on the Registered Updatessheet Not all system update files appearin the registry and these can be foundthrough the Updated Files Found tabWhile all this might be fascinating to someof us you do not need Qfecheck to getyour system updated and keep it that wayif you are not comfortable using utilitieslike thisI have two main sites that I regularly visitto keep up to date and without prejudiceI will recommend them to youbull The best structured is probablythe Windows 95 Update Centre at httpwwwwinmagcomwin95update95htmWith the backing it has it must be aresponsible site At the time of writing itfeatures updates for the Media Player Y2Kand the Dial-Up Networking 13 moduleamongst others The media player may notinterest you but nobody should still beaccessing the Internet with less that thelatest dial-up networking software TheY2K problem is still around even inWindows 98 and is everyonersquos concernLinks to Microsoft open up to a new IE401 Service Pack 1 that I downloaded andcan thoroughly recommend to those ofyou who are reluctant to make the leap to
Windows 95 Update
amp
Release Version File dates
Windows 95 retail OEM 400950 71195Windows 95 retail SP1 400950 0A 71195OEM Service Release 1 400950 123195OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) 4001111 82496OEM Service Release 21 4031212-1214 82496-82797OEM Service Release 25 4031214 82496-111897
hellipcontinued from page 13
IE5 and to grouped and graded packagesfor updating from the various versions ofWin95 You will get a lot of value fromhere with very little probability ofdifficulty And you will have Microsoftholding your hand for the really criticalstuffbull WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMUPDATES at wwwwalbeehmcom Thishas VERY detailed notes from a highlyrespected site about many updates inwhich the author is specific about theiruse and misuse with advice on when NOT
to install them Essential reading I wish Ihad found this page before I got myselfinto trouble He reveals limitations inQfecheck and fixes them in his ownprogram called ListQFE He dissects theDial-Up Networking 13 module and laysits bones bare for general perusal Heactively and profitably employs links torelated Newsgroups other Win95 pagesand the Microsoft Knowledge Base andwrites forms to make access easy for usThis is not bedtime reading but is a greatsource of information
I canrsquot tell you what updates youshould install on your system That is anindividual choice whose spectrum rangesfrom lsquoIf it ainrsquot broke donrsquot fix itrsquo to lsquoIrsquovealways got to have the latestrsquo But certainlythese two sites will open up avenues andopportunities to explore a wide balancedchoice
Finally I suppose the ultimate upgradeto Windows 95 is Windows 98 and therethe whole routine starts all over again withmany of us already running Win98 SE(Second Edition) And Windows 2000 isalready running on some computers andjust over the horizon for rest of us
Enjoy your computing
hellipby
Ter
ry B
ibo
amp
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
PH 62807520FAX 62807540
618 WHYALLA STFYSHWICK ACT
PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
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Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
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Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 15
WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITIONLast month I referred to my installingWindows 98 Second Edition The firstproblem I struck was the failure ofNotepad to open Now I had installed thefreeware NotePad+ a replacement forMicrosoftrsquos Notepad as described byTerry Bibo in Julyrsquos 16 Bits I first thoughtI should uninstall NotePad+ but of courseI could not read the text file associatedwith it which tried to load into notepadSo I opened it in Word This did not helpme directly but it did give me the idea tolook at the properties of notepadexe thatwas if I had thought about it MicrosoftrsquosNotepad reinstalled by Windows Simplyreplacing it by the NotePad+ exe file (samename notepadexe so Windows would notknow it had a cuckoo in the nest) had itworking as good as ever
That has me slightly worried as someprograms especially those that purportto be better than Billrsquos masterpiecefrequently change original Windows filesHow many more timebombs are tickingaway in my Windows
And for those who do not know howto look at the properties of a file simplyright click on it with the mouse and thevery last option is ldquoPropertiesrdquo Click onldquoPropertiesrdquo and all is revealed
CD ROM DRIVE TRAYThe CD Rom drive has a button on the
front to eject the tray The tray can bereturned either by using the eject buttonor by gently pushing it in I have beenpushing it in but recently I read that theeject button should be used as pushing itin may cause problems with some drivesItrsquos up to you what you do but no hardshipto use the button Remove your coffeecup first (Joke in case I give somebodya bad idea)
MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOURCOMPUTER
Why is it that when I start to writeabout something one of the popular PCmagazines comes out with an article onthe same subject This time itrsquos PC USER(August September October 99) tellingitrsquos readers how to use Microsoftrsquos utilityprograms for Windows 98 The author ofthat article is more knowledgable than I
am and he covers most of the utilitiesprovided by your friendly mega billionaireI will just write about the ones I use andhow I use them
Windows 98 has a MaintenanceWizard He (Wizards are male arenrsquot they)is launched by selecting Start Programs Accessories System Tools MaintenanceWizard Using the Maintenance Wizardyou select certain maintenance tasks tobe carried out automatically at a selectedtime The task the Maintenance Wizarddoes is by no means a complete list - onlythe basic tasks I hope you are notexpecting me to tell you how to set him upbecause I am not My maintenance tasksI usually do once a week on a SaturdayHow often you carry out thesemaintenance tasks depends upon theamount of time you use your computerand the things you use it for If you justwrite the occasional letter maybe everysix months is not too infrequent On theother hand I use mine daily and am a suckerfor utilities claimed to be just what everyuser needs And the discs included withPC Magazines give me great pleasureMind you these U Beaut utilities rarelylive up to the hype though the occasionalone warrants a place on my hard driveThe others finish up where they shouldhave been in the first place in the bin SoI try and go through my maintenanceroutine once a week
I have written about my desktopfolders Among the folders is my utilityfolder that includes a ldquoHard DiskMaintenancerdquo folder and a ldquoRegistry andFile Maintenancerdquo folder These twofolders contain shortcuts to maintenanceroutines You know all about short cutsThey are icons which when clicked openthe item - which can be a file or folder -associated with them The icon can beanywhere you want to put it To make ashortcut for a file or a folder click on itwith the right mouse button click onldquoCreate Shortcutrdquo and a shortcut to thefile or folder appears You can tell it is ashortcut by the little ldquosrdquo at the bottom lefthand corner of the new icon It is alsouseful to be able to rename these icons tosomething you understand so you willknow what the program does or the folder
contains To rename something you clickon it with the right mouse button and selectldquoRenamerdquo - try it yourself but rememberto press ldquoenterrdquo after you rename it Thatright mouse button is handy
Before I actually use these routines Idelete all files in the various TEMP folderson my hard drives You will probably havea number of temp folders like I have invarious places on your hard discs If youdo not know where they are a search inStartFind for Temp will tell you and youmay find them full of junk especially ifyou are in the habit of trying differentprograms Then clear your Recycle BinsA word of warning here If you havedeleted files that you may later find youwant (I know I know how do you know if
hellipby
Ken
Mea
dows
Micro
CALL FOR OTHER UPGRADES
HI-MICROSINCE 1987
YOUR PCUPGRADESPECIALIST
$455Installed
PENTIUM 400 CEL $555
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PENTIUM 233 MMX32MB SDRAM
8MEG AGP VIDEO
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
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SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
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PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
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Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
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Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
16 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
you are going to need them later) it is agood idea to copy the likely ones to aspecial directory oops folder which youcan really delete some months down thetrack Now you can start the real work
Microsoft Check LinksThis program finds and eliminates dead
links and shortcuts This is found inCProgramFilesWin98RKChecklinksexe
Microsoft Registry Clean Cleans outredundant registry keys When run itdoes what it is supposed to do thencreates a file in the same directory (folder)as Registry Clean listing the bits removedIf you wish to undo the action run thisfile and the bits which Registry Cleanremoved are put back into the registry Ifyou open this file by clicking on it withthe right mouse button and clickingldquoEditrdquo you can see what has beenremoved Donrsquot click on ldquoRunrdquo or doubleclick with the left mouse button or all thegood work will be undone unless of courseyou want the action reversed
As new file is created each time it isrun so the number of files build up Everyso often delete them but keep the last twoin the unlikely case you have problems Ihave a shortcut to the folder in whichRegistry Clean resides so I can if I wish
look at this file with the funny name Mylatest one has the filename ldquoKENMED19990926 094729Regrdquo which tells me itrsquosmine and gives the date and time created
I had regcleanexe but was not sureexactly where I got it from so tried to findit to put the information in this article Asit was a Microsoft program I tried theMicrosoft site As usual trying to getinformation from a Microsoft site was afrustrating experience No way could Ifind it so I loaded up ldquoAsk Jeevesrdquo anexcellent search engine put inldquoregcleanexerdquo and the first answer was alink to Microsoft to download regclean
Easy Clean Not a Microsoft programbut a very good freebie I am not sure ifthis does what Microsoftrsquos Reg Cleandoes but if you run Reg Clean then EasyClean Easy Clean shows many more bitsto delete The instructions say to back upthe registry first which is always goodadvice when fiddling with the registry Ido not back up and I know others whouse Easy Clean without backing up andwe have never had a problem touch woodIf you use it without backing up and youhave problems donrsquot blame me Thisfreebie can be downloaded from theInternet as Eclea1_5exe A word ofwarning here Easy Clean has other
options but I have never tried them as itcan be dangerous to delete programs anditems that you are not sure about
Scan Disk Having tidied up theregistry the next step is to tidy up the harddrives using Scan Disk Scan Disk is foundat CWindowsScandiskwexe This is avery important routine Your hard disc isthe hardest working (not a pun) part ofthe computer as it is spinning away all thetime the computer is switched on whichcauses general wear and tear Because ofthis constant activity most hard discs wearout after a few years Further the ldquoreadwrite headsrdquo which ride on a cushion ofair above the spinning disc platters cancrash onto the surface of the disc if subjectto bumps or jolts As well power surgescan cause problems to your data
Scan Disk can be set up to do twotypes of tests Tests on the files and testson the surface of the hard disc Becausemy hard drives are new I only do thesurface scan test occasionally In a yearstime I shall do regular surface scans butfor the moment I have it set up to test thefiles This battery of tests looks for invalidfilenames invalid file dates and times badsectors lost clusters invalid clusters andcross-linked clusters I have it set toautomatically fix these problems which
inte
rne
t
httpwwwinteractnetau - infointeractnetau25 Torrens St - Braddon - ACT 2612
Plans to suit your needsFree support 7 days a weekBasic and Advanced Internet coursesNow in Goulburn Yass WaggaBathurst amp Orange
When it comes to customer service and reliability - the choice is clearGet
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nected Today
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 17
seem to occur in even the best families Ifthe surface test is not done these tests donot take very long to carry out
Because of its importance and thevarious options Scan Disk deserves awhole article by itself Not by me
Disk Defragmenter Found atCWindowsDefragexe Its job is toeliminate file fragmentation from the harddisc When a computer has been in useand files are deleted and added the filesbecome fragmented - that is a file is storedin scattered bits over the hard drive Whenwindows goes to open a scattered file ithas to make several stops to collect thevarious pieces This slows it down If alot of files are fragmented even the fastesthard disc can slow to a crawl This is notserious like the file problems Scan Diskcorrects but disk defragmenter tunes yourhard disc by physically rearranging filesso each file has its clusters storedcontiguously
It can also be set to track theapplications you use most frequentlyThis information is used by the programto store these files on the part of the discwhich can be accessed most quickly thusimproving load times and overallperformance
Defragging is the most time consumingpart of looking after the health of yourcomputer The first time a drive isdefragged it can take hours on a big driveDone regularly it can be done while youhave a meal or even your morning coffeeif you enjoy your breaks like I do
Then there is the routine I dooccasionally Microsoft System FileChecker Found at
CWindowsSystemSFCexe Thisprogram takes a snapshot of the systemrsquosconfiguration and uses it as a basis tocompare future configurations If it detectscorrupted missing or replaced system filesit can restore the system to a previouslystable configuration To tell the truth Iwould have to study the available optionsmore deeply than I have done to get themost out of this utility and I wouldprobably wait until the system actsstrangely before taking it seriously
Finally donrsquot forget your mouse thatsits on your desktop or mousepad sopatiently Look after itrsquos bodily functionsand it will reward you by obeying all yourcommands without fuss Turn the mouseover and remove the ball by turning thatcircular piece on its underside You willsee two long slim wheels and a largerdiameter wheel When you move themouse the ball turns them and the actionis transferred to the mouse pointer on yourscreen If these get dirty and they will nomatter how clean your desktop and padthe pointer sticks and moves erraticallyYou can feel the jerky movement whileusing the mouse Clean them by using asmall pointed plastic rod or similar to pickthe gunk of the moving parts I have neverhad to clean the mouse ball but perhapsthatrsquos because I attend to the mousersquosbodily functions regularly Do this everyweek and the mouse will love you for it
GENEALOGYLooking at the GENEALOGY
NEWSGROUPS is one way to improveyour knowledge and to get almost instantanswers to your problems Note I saidldquoproblemsrdquo - not answers to your research
I subscribe to four and it is recommendedthat before you contribute either bymaking an enquiery or answering anenquiery lurk Now a ldquolurkerrdquo is someonewho reads but does not contribute to thenewsgroup
And why should you lurk Well afterlooking at a newsgroup for some time youwill notice that there are a number ofpersons who are knowledgeable andfrequently answer questions You will alsonotice that some questions are repeatedlyasked It is also noticeable thatoccasionally one of the knowledgeablepersons is flamed and VERY noticeablethat the person flaming is usually one whohas never answered a question andfrequently is a newcomer to the groupThese ldquoflamersrdquo are usually personswithout a sense of humour andor of adifferent nationality and unable tounderstand the nuances of the languageBy lurking you will get to know how toask a question and importantly what notto ask
Genealogy is about research Yourresearch Do not expect to get instantanswers and expect others to do yourresearch for you if you are capable and ina position to do it Some examples fromldquosocgenealogybritainrdquo
ldquoWhere is Yorkrdquo Wherever yourancestors came from get a decent map ofthe country A motoristrsquos road atlas threeinches to the mile will locate most placesand for England certainly show York Avillage your ancestor came from 150 yearsago may now be a suburb of a large townand not show in the atlas or you may have
14 years of corporate SOHO and personal computing support ndash thatrsquosreliability
We supply systems upgrades software components monitors printersWe design and build to your exact requirements using the best components
Wersquoll install your software and do a demonstration test run before you take delivery ndashthatrsquos reassurance
LampS ASSOCIATESALWAYS FOR QUALITY SERVICE amp PRODUCT
PHONE OR FAX FOR PRICES VISIT OUR WEB SITE wwwlscomau FOR DETAILSCALL IN FOR GUIDANCE ON SYSTEM NEEDS
PH 6257-7555 69 PATERSON ST AINSLIE ACT 2602 FAX 6247-2880
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
18 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
the name spelt wrongly Say you cannotfind it in your atlas and you will get lots ofhelp
My Great Grandfather John Smith camefrom London Could someone please lookup the English 1891 Census for me It isexplained that the 1891 Census is notindexed that there were millions of peoplein London at that time and it could take aresearcher several years to locate the entryIn many cases such an Enquirer is locatedwith access to an LDS Family HistoryCentre where they can do their ownresearch on the Census entries
I am new to this and researching myname SMITH Could someone please giveme all the information on the name SmithSurprising as it seems some peoplebelieve that somewhere somehow detailsof their ancestry is waiting for them topluck from this mythical somewhere
These are actual questions asked andthe same or similar questions are askedfrom time to time Always give as muchdetail as you know such as location fullnames etc By lurking you will get thefeel of the group learn a lot and not askquestions which show you have notbothered to read a beginners guide togenealogy or do any research yourself It amp
is quite acceptable to ask a ldquohowrdquoquestion It is not ignorance but lazinessthat is not liked Also if someone has adisability that prevents him or her fromactive research saying so will get themhelp
There are many genealogynewsgroups and the ones you shouldsubscribe to are the ones that relate toyour research How do you know whatthey are I imagine all or most browsersallow you to quickly search thenewsgroups that TIP or your ISP haveaccess to In my case I use AGENT Thisis how it is done in Agent and if you donot use Agent you will have to puzzle itout for yourself or get someone whoknows your browser to help you It is notimpossible but tedious to look at thenewsgroup list
Before you do this download the fulllist of newsgroups While online and withAgent loaded click on OnlineRefreshGroups List My list has over 31000 in itwhich shows I have not updated it latelyas the Webmaster of TIP has gonethrough and deleted half of them the onesunlikely to be requested If you know of ageny newsgroup that is not in the listperhaps if you ask your Webmaster nicelyhe may add it for you
To subscribe to a newsgroups inAgent click on GroupShow Groups andFoldersAll Groups and Folders The fulllist of newsgroups appear Click on EditFind A box comes up labelled Find GroupIn Find What put Genealogy then clickFind First The first newsgroup withgenealogy in its name appears If youwish to subscribe go to GroupSubscribeand click on Subscribe
Whether you subscribe or not andwish to continue press ldquoF3rdquo You willthen be shown the next genealogynewsgroup Carry on in this fashion untilyou run out of genealogy newsgroupsOnly subscribe to two or three at yourfirst attempt as you will find some haveover one hundred posts a day Onlydownload the headers - a ldquoheaderrdquo is thetitle of the posting If you are interestedin a header mark it for retrieval next timeyou go on line Once you are in the swingof it each time you go on line you candownload e-mail new headers and thebodies of messages you have markedMark and read off line
Newsgroups like reading century oldnewspapers can be timewasting Thereis so much of interest not related to yourown research
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
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Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
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Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 19
I read with interest comments by ChessCrawczyk on the Y2K bug I agree withmost of his comments having recently
come to similar conclusions myself TheY2K for PC owneroperators is real buthas achieved the size of an ocean ratherthan a muddy pothole Chess addressedthe hardware checks and I felt itappropriate to address the OperatingSystem and applications in a little moredetail
I came to my conclusions when I hadreason to look at the Y2K bug for anorganization Only date sensitiveapplications would be critically affectedThese applications include financialbooking and planning applications Idiscounted word processors since anydate problems here would be more of anannoyance rather than a business killerThe real problem lay with majororganizations and their old main framesSome innovative ideas to set the clockback 7 years seemed on the face of it agood idea I suggest the caveat is providedyou cleared away all previous data fromafter that date to prevent overwriting andensure that all your applications functioncorrectly go for it I understand someapplications are date conscious and may
refuse to function on the basis they arenot yet born sort of Forward to the Past
Firstly I considered the hardware theprimary problem since it affects theunderlying date reference I ended upcategorizing hardware into compliantpartially compliant and non-compliantThe first requires no explanation The
partial compliance is hardware thatrecognized 2000 and following leap yearscorrectly but is unable to automaticallyrollover to 2000 However they are ableto recognize 2000 when the CMOS clockis manually reset This should not be aproblem for PCUG members I suspectsome early attempts at compliance causedall years beyond 2000 to be set as leapyears It is not a problem for most businesscomputers except for business (mission)critical servers that are required to remainoperative during the roll over periodIndividual businesses would need toevaluate this problem based on their ownneeds Otherwise shut down before theNew Year break and then manually resetthe partially compliant computers at bootup after the break say 2 minutes percomputer Minimal costs are involved
A funny thought crossed my mindreading comments in Chess C articleImagine a traveller arriving at an airlinecheck in desk on the 29 February 2000 onlyto be told the day did not exist becausethe computer said so
Back to software Microsoft and mostother major software vendors list all theirsoftware and its degree of complianceWindows generate their own calendarsbut rely on the underlying clocks beingaware 2000 exists not necessarilycompliant Microsoft is probably the mostimportant since most of us love it or hateit use DOS or a flavour of Windows Later
versions are generally compliant withldquominor issuesrdquo Minor issues seem tocome about from the use of a sliding
window of dates such that two digit datessay between 1930 and 2029 are handledimplicitly eg 21 is recognised as 2021 not1921
I chose to ignore word processingsince in their unmodified form they are notdate critical The worst that could happenis an inserted date would require manualmodification It is not going to causecatastrophic problems except perhaps inlegal or financial agreements
For Windows 9x and NT you shouldset the system date to use 4 digits in itsshort date format The following is a guideto ensure your short date uses 4 digityears Start the correction by left clickingon Start|Settings|Control Panel|RegionalSettings The Figures below are from NT4 Win 9x format seems to be the sameCheck the regional settings tab (Fig1)displays ldquoEnglish (Australian)rdquo and thenselect the Date Tab In the short dateGroup (Fig 2) ensure the short date hasldquoyyyyrdquo rather than ldquoyyrdquo If there is noldquoyyyyrdquo forms select the basic format youlike and then edit it to contain ldquoyyyyrdquoWhile this will not guarantee no problemsit should minimise any that may occur
For those who are dyed in the woolDOS aficionados I believe Microsoft hasreleased upgraded executables for datesensitive core programs in DOS
For date sensitive applications (sayspreadsheets) ensure that you formatyears as 4 digits and then ensure that 2digit dates are handled as intended eg 01is recognised as 2001 rather than 1901 Ifall else fails take the extra effort to enter 4digit dates and sleep easier Then at leastthe educated of us can correctly enjoy thenew millennium in 2001 Unfortunatelymost media morons have not realised orhave conveniently forgotten there was noyear zero only year 1 Last time I subtracted1 from 2000 I got 1999 Hence 2 millenniaare not up until 2001 even the Victorianmedia were smarter than the current mob
I may be cynical but the primary gainfor Y2K PC compliance seems to be forcompliant and software hardware salesStill any excuse to upgrade that ancient 2year old beast on or under the desk Isuggest the reality of the Y2K problem islikely to be an anti climactic flea bite ratherthan a civilisation threatening funnel webspider bite unless the nuclear weaponspeople get it wrong
Fig 1
amp
Fig 2
hellipby Brendan Falvey
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
20 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Robyn Williams Towards the end ofnext month the Prime MinisterrsquosScience Council will sit to consider
a subject vital to Australiarsquos future Thepublic awareness of science itself Here tooffer a few thoughts in advance of themeeting is Berry Anne Billingsley
Berry Anne Billingsley OK are youready for this What does a scientist looklike Aha Itrsquos a trick question isnrsquot it Weall know the right answer to this Ascientist isnrsquot an old man with white wiryhair and glasses wearing a lab coat Ohno A scientist could be a young man oreven female
So what do you think you get if youask a bunch of schoolchildren to draw ascientist I tried it out today and they drew(wait for it) old men with lab coats andglasses and wiry hair Why After all ourefforts to tell them that scientists areordinary people why did they do that Assomeone who works in education I wascut to the core So I asked them lsquoWhatrsquosthisrsquo lsquoItrsquos a mad scientistrsquo said one lsquoArescientists really madrsquo I asked My artistlooked dismayed lsquoNorsquo he told me blanklyFeeling heartened I persevered lsquoAnd doall scientists wear glassesrsquo I asked lsquoSomedorsquo came back the reply as if in defence ofthe colourful caricatures they werepresenting lsquoAnd are they all menrsquo Iventured lsquoNorsquo chorused the class Andthen as if repeating a phrase theyrsquod heardmany times they chimed up lsquoScientistsare just ordinary peoplersquo I felt smug for amoment lsquoThen why did you draw mad menin lab coatsrsquo I asked them Theyshrugged as if to say lsquoWell what else isthere to drawrsquo These kids knew what ascientist looks like but if you were agedeight and given the option would youdraw someone who looks like your mumor would you get carried away with blackglasses and wild hair It stands to reasonif you ask a computer-literate youngsterto draw something they draw you an iconYes an icon These kids are used to seeingcartoon symbols on the screens of theircomputers and as they scour their mindsfor an icon of a scientist then the madboffin is what comes to mind
I too grew up knowing what a scientistlooks like My father is a scientist He haswhite wiry hair spectacles on the end ofhis nose He points his finger when hegets excited hersquos so intelligent hesometimes scares people and hersquoscertainly a little mad about his robots Theugly truth is I was parented by astereotype
But credit where itrsquos due he broughtme up to believe that I could too be ascientist So it wasnrsquot a stereotype hepromoted so much as personifiedAnyway back to the kids My experienceseemed to show that the media or theeducation system or whoever else isresponsible has done a jolly good job oftelling them what scientists are and arenrsquotAnd just to be really sure my finalquestion to them was lsquoWho here couldone day be a scientist Put your handsup if you think you couldrsquo Without apause to think up went the hands lsquoNahnothing to itrsquo
Can it be that wersquove done such a goodjob persuading kids that science is a cinchthat theyrsquove started to believe it
The more I think about it the more Ithink itrsquos true When I was a kid at schoolif you were a bit good at science which Iwas then you belonged to a secret clanwho had a different kind of brain toeveryone else lsquoDo you understand all thatstuffrsquo the uninitiated majority would sayadmiringly lsquoI dorsquo I would say with half-closed eyelids Back then science waslike magic indeed scientists could weavemagic Eggs would be mysteriouslysucked into bottles green froth andpurple smoke would materialise frombeakers of unassuming looking liquidspens would appear to bend in waternewspapers would become amazinglyheavy when you tried to lift them with aruler This is how science was sold to ouryoungsters Why is it so Science hasthe answer But only the elite few canunderstand it
But that was then and this is nowScience is no longer presented as amystery tour or a magic show now itrsquos ascience of everyday life Science is all
around you Therersquos a science to hair dayand a science to skateboards Learn aboutfriction stiction gravitational potential andcentres of mass and hey you may be ableto skateboard better bounce higher on thetrampoline and balance better on yourbicycle
Back in my day we had an awe and arespect for science We knew that sciencewas always right When I was at universitythe only way to get a decent mark in aphysics practical was to get the rightanswer and to do that you rigged theresults Therersquos no way using theapparatus provided that a student couldcarry out the investigation as describedand get anything like the answer in thetextbook Components were missinginstrument needles were weighed downwith rust batteries were flat and crocodileclips were bent beyond usefulness Butas each group of students mysteriouslyproduced ever more accurate results therewas no reason for the lab technicians tocheck on the quality of the apparatus Andso the vicious circle continued The onlyway to pass was to work backward Firstyou looked up the answer in the bookthen you drew the straight line graph thenscattered some points around it and thendeduced what readings you should havetaken
But Irsquoll bet you now yoursquod get extramarks if you could find a flaw in theinvestigation
Science is common as muck now anditrsquos aimed at the everyday student Eventhe history of science is being rewrittento present science and scientists in a newdown-to-earth way Scientific discoverywas a noble affair great minds thinkinggreat thoughts It was dignified It wasEinstein with his faraway look It wasNewton under his apple tree
Todayrsquos portrayal of the history ofscience sees it as a much dirtier businessThese days we mix the stories of scientificstruggle and success with stories aboutscientific cheats and frauds and flukesPenicillin was discovered by accidentMilikan rigged his oil drop experimentThese days we know that no scientist
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 21
What does a scientist look like worth their salt does an experiment withan open mind No they know the answerthey want and thatrsquos the answer they get
There are countless examples outthere and we delight in reading aboutthem This shift hasnrsquot come about byaccident itrsquos a deliberate move to portrayscience more realistically to open it up tothe people Now science is for everyoneHow itrsquos all changed About ten years agoI wrote an article for New Scientist I cameacross it the other day The editor gave itthe title lsquoThe rise of scientific media slangrsquoI wasnrsquot sure I liked it but since it was myfirst article to get into the mag I wouldhave been happy to have it calledanything provided they put it in
Anyway the essence of the item wasto point out some of the wonderful wordgames that journalists come up with toget people interested in what was thenconsidered a dull subject There was lsquoacidrainrsquo instead of lsquoacidic precipitationrsquo lsquobigbangsrsquo lsquopancakesrsquo and lsquotest tube [Image]babiesrsquo
And then I stopped Thatrsquos odd Ithought you donrsquot hear that phrase lsquotesttube babyrsquo much these days Nowitrsquos IVF or in other words in vitrofertilisation How odd Donrsquot thepublic need to have their sciencejazzed up and watered down andsquashed into shape any more
When I started my journalisticcareer science was like Latin astrange language that could onlybe translated by scientists andhighly trained scientificjournalists like myself But 20years later and everyone thinksthey understand it Maybe peoplearenrsquot afraid of science any more Ialmost laugh as I say that Ofcourse people arenrsquot afraid ofscience Pah itrsquos all just theoriesisnrsquot it Science is made up byscientists and scientists can bewrong Sorry but theyrsquore justordinary people doing their jobwhich happens to be thinking andexperimenting and stuff But we allknow they also go shopping andhave holidays and drive the kidsto school and eat fish and chipson Fridays And of course theymake mistakes And when they do
wersquore not afraid to tell the scientists thattheyrsquove got it wrong
In the bad old days no-one was goingto argue about whether their prematurebaby should go into a newfangledincubator we were just thankful to haveit But now every punter has an opinionon whether Dolly should be clonedwhether tomatoes should be engineerednot to ripen whether money should bespent on space research or bionic ears
I was at a childrenrsquos playground at afast food restaurant the other day I waswatching my three-year-old and anotherkid racing each other up and down theplastic slide The other kidrsquos grandmothercame over to catch her man at the bottomAnd zap she got a shock I knew it wascoming I could see his hair sticking uplike an advert for a van der Graaf generatorAnd as he touched Granny his hairflopped back into place lsquoOwrsquo sheexclaimed lsquowhat caused thatrsquo The boyrsquosmother looked up from her newspaperlsquoFrictionrsquo she said as though thatexplained everything The grandmotherlooked unconvinced That was it With
that word the whole experience wasexplained I think not
To actually explain the shockscientifically requires you to call on anawful lot of scientific models First youneed the notion that matter consists ofatoms and that these atoms haveelectrons loosely tired to their cores Thenas the childrsquos bottom slides down the slideyou need to imagine that some of theseelectrons are rubbed off This creates acharged up child I always knew fast foodmade kids hyper
Anyway the child now has an electricalpotential relative to Earth When he comesin contact with the grandparent electronscharge off towards Earth to lower thepotential back to zero So where does thestabbing pain come in Do the electronsjump so quickly that they rip out flesh asthey go or at this stage does anothermodel get called in the notion that nervesspeak electrically to the brain and thatthis flow of electrons mimicked theelectrical signal of a distressed nerve oreven send some muscle into spasmAnxious to get it right I got on the phone
to one of my scientists friendsto give me his version of eventslsquoNorsquo he said lsquoeven this is notthe final explanationrsquo In thisexample Irsquom told the current istoo small to trigger a musclespasm but the voltage andhence the energy wersquore talkingabout is comparatively large Idonrsquot want to scare you but Ithink the number of 10000 voltscame up in the conversation Thetruth is horribly complicated Asthe electrons jump from oneplace to another they suddenlyrelease energy this energytransforms to heat the heatheats up the skin the nerves inthe skin detect the heat and senda message to the brain the brainreceives the message and themouth says lsquoOwrsquo
All in all that Mum did prettywell to sum the whole thing upin a single word donrsquot youthink
But my point isnrsquot so muchto question whether she wasaware of this web of
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
22 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
explanations so much as to point out howcomfortable she was with the idea ofcalling on a scientific term
Science has a whole new image thesedays So whatrsquos caused this shift Hereare a couple of things Irsquove noticed
Firstly we have much more time thesedays to think about things that donrsquotdirectly affect us Science has given ustechnology and technology has given ustime to take a break from scratching out aliving from the soil and now that we havethe time we find we can pontificate andphilosophise and hypothesise with thebest of them
It reminds me of that joke where theman says lsquoI make all the big decisions inmy house my wife makes the littledecisions what we should eat where thekids go to school where we should livewhere we should go on holidayrsquo Anywayhe goes on and on and on and then hesays lsquoAnd I decide whether we shouldhave a GST on food whether humans willever reach Pluto yes the more importantthingsrsquo
A second influence is moneyScientists who can promote themselvesand their science tend to get more fundingthan scientists who hide away in their labsScience used to be carried out in secret
by monks hidden in abbeys Now itrsquos bigbusiness Scientists are forced to take aninterest in self promotion When I startedin journalism I had to beg the scientiststo let me use analogies that ouch mightslightly distort their science Now thescientists are offering them up themselves
The ugly truth is that scientists are stillas weird and wonderful as ever and thatscience is still just as difficult tounderstand But now we think weunderstand it I suppose this is a goodthing but I canrsquot help but remember thatphrase lsquoA little knowledge is a dangerousthingrsquo
Meanwhile and more importantly forme whatrsquos going to happen to all thescientific journalists once wersquore notneeded to translate science Maybe wecould be redeployed Maybe since wersquovedone such a good PR job for science wecould be given the ultimate challenge wecould be asked to look at the most deadlymost secretive incomprehensible subjectand turn it into something friendlycomprehensible and interesting Irsquomtalking about Law
Robyn Williams No thatrsquos just toohard Berry Anne Billingsley brings thewonders of science to young people inMelbourne
National Hockey CentreMouat street Lyneham
Saturdays October 23 November 20 December 4
Thousand items of hardware software amp accessories at wholesale prices Much
more than a computer superstore
Open 10am to 3pm Entry $2(Kids Free)For enquiries call Hazel or Glenn on o414 96 1117
or visit our web site
amp
Ockhamrsquos Razor is broadcast at845am every Sunday and repeatedat 2am every Thursday on RadioNational the AustralianBroadcasting Corporationrsquos nationalradio network of ideas
The transcripts are reprinted herewith the kind permission of theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation
Customer ldquoSo that will get meconnected to the Internet rightTech Support ldquoYeahrdquoCustomer ldquoAnd thatrsquos the latestversion of the Internet rightrdquoTech Support ldquoUhh uh uhyeahrdquo
Tech Support How much freespace do you have on your harddriveCustomer Well my wife likes to getup there on thatInternet and she downloaded tenhours of free space Is thatenough
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
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Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 23
STEMS lets you have instant accessto any folder nested sub folderapplication utility or drive from a
hiding cursor-bump drop-down listanchored to the top of your screen
STEMS utilizes the Taskbarrsquos Toolbarsfunction in its origin but allows numerousindividual ldquoStemrdquo sub menu launch bariterations on the same horizontal Toolbarwithout stacking At the present Ipersonally have seven individual Stemiterations on a single width launch barsitting hidden in a drop-down at the topof my screen with room for more beforerunning into a scroll situation
Obviously setting STEMS up allowsone to remove lots of clutter from theDesktop and also from the Taskbar Itallows selecting various applicationsutilities folders nested subfolders etcto list under each individual STEMldquoheaderrdquo The speed comes from beingable to bump the drop down click on aStem header and immediately see a list ofwhat you have chosen to locate there
The following are just three examplesto get you started Use your imaginationand create other individual Stem menusto suit your own needs
Create 3 sets of foldersCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEMAPPSCSTEMSFOLDER STEMFOLDCSTEMSUTILITIES STEMUTES
Shortcuts to applications go into theAPPS subfolder
Shortcuts to often visited folders intothe FOLD subfolder
Shortcuts to utilities into the UTESsubfolder
Keep these subfolders with shortestpossible names to allow more room formore individual additional Stems to belocated across the STEMS bar
Next working from the desktopwindow with Taskbar showing Right clickthe clock or any blank spot in the Taskbaror Systray When the Taskbarrsquos contextmenu appears select the ToolbarsNewToolbar command and use the ldquoNew
Toolbarrdquo dialog to locate and open theCSTEMSAPPLICATIONS STEM folderNOT the APPS folder and click OK
That should place a new ldquoAPPSrdquoToolbar on your Taskbar Move the APPSToolbar from the Taskbar to the very topof your screen by placing your mousepointer over the vertical toolbar ldquohandlerdquoon its left side and when the mousepointer turns into a double-headed arrowdrag the toolbar to the very top of thedesktop and drop it It should stayanchored there This will be the base onwhich we will build our STEMS
Now this is important Rightclick an empty spot on that APPS Toolbarat the top and when the context menuappears select the ToolbarsNew Toolbarcommand Again use this dialog to locateand open each of the other two remainingldquoSTEMrdquo named subfolders you havecreated ldquoFOLDER STEMrdquo andldquoUTILITIES STEMrdquo Those subfoldersshould now appear in turn on your newToolbar which we will now refer to as theSTEMS bar
important because this will addadditional Toolbars to the original toolbarnot to the Taskbar
Things You may wish to do in eachindividual Stem on the STEMS bar
Right click each in turn and in theresulting context menu
DISABLE the ldquoShow Titlerdquo optionENABLE ldquoAuto Hiderdquo and ldquoAlways
On ToprdquoDrag each individual Stem horizontally
to the location on the STEMS bar to whereyou want it to reside by grabbing it by itsldquohandlerdquo and dragging it to that location
If you have set a STEMS Toolbar andhave created a ldquoFoldrdquo Stem to gain fastentry to the folders and subfolders of yourchoice you may get aggravated whenwishing to look at several folders insequence
Example You are about to do aDefrag and you have opened theWindowsTemp folder to delete its files
then you wish to go to theNetscapeCache folder to delete its filesfollowed by the WindowsRecycle toremove all the files An obvious sequenceof choices
You canrsquot get directly back to theldquoFoldrdquo Stem via its own open windowbecause when you try to back out yousimply run back up the C root filemanagement tree instead of going straightback to the Stem window to select anotherdesired folder
The simple solution is to hit ALT+F+Fand you will be placed right back in theldquoFoldrdquo Stem window ready to select asubsequent folder
The TCS hopes you will find this to beuseful enjoy
Copyright Tucson Computer Society4444 East Grant Rd 104Tucson AZ 85712
httpwwwaztcsorgindexhtmlMailtolandersazstarnetcom
Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98Super ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarSuper ToolbarEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMSEntry Menus STEMS
hellipby TCS member L A Anderson
amp
Tech Support ldquoAll right nowdouble-click on the File Managericonrdquo
Customer ldquoThatrsquos why I hate thisWindows - because of the icons - Irsquoma Protestant and I donrsquot believe iniconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell thatrsquos justan industry term sir I donrsquot believe itwas meant tordquo
Customer ldquoI donrsquot care aboutany lsquoIndustry Termsrsquo I donrsquot believein iconsrdquo
Tech Support ldquoWell why donrsquotyou click on the lsquolittle picturersquo of afile cabinet is lsquolittle picturersquo OKrdquo
Customer [click]
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
24 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Caters to Intermediate to AdvancedLevel Users If yoursquore aprofessional Access database
developer or a serious Access enthusiastthen this book will provide you with a verysolid understanding of not only how touse and get the best out of Access butalso the forces and attitudes shaping theprogramrsquos evolution Rating itself assuitable for Intermediate to Advanced userlevel the bookrsquos 1296 pages andassociated CD are a tome of easilyaccessible and detailed information aboutAccess and its cultural landscape
The book assumes the user has anexisting knowledge of the programsaying ldquoYou have acquired Access andwant to learn to use it more quicklyand effectively Or you may beconsidering Access as the databasemanager for your yourself yourdepartment or division or yourentire organisationrdquo
Thus Access is not treated asa simple application developmenttool It is considered as asophisticated program withmany flavours characteristicsand tricks which enable usersto create and managesophisticated applications insecure networkedenvironments
The book howevercould be used bybeginners in that the earlychapters cover all thefundamentals of tableform report and macrodesign in relativelysimple language with only occasionalreferences to more advanced topics ofVBA Code Access Data Projects SQLServers and the like - aspects which arenot particularly meaningful to non-professional programmers
What it covers What does the bookcover The book comprises 31 chapters
grouped into seven major sectionsarranged in increasing levels of detail andcomplexity It suggests you use the bookin a linear front-to-back manner for thefirst four sections That is up to andincluding ldquoPublishing data on Intranetsand the Internetrdquo which finishes on page706 That is a big ask There is much abeginner or less experienced Access user
could skip however and I found that Iused the book as a
r e f e r e n c e
manualto trouble shootspecific questions
The first section deals with ldquoLearningAccess Fundamentalsrdquo followed by adetailed section dealing with querydesign Good query design is central to
being able to extract filter sort and displayrequired database information Poor querydesign is a very common source of errorThe book provides detailed informationabout the different types of queries howto use them and how to use filteringcriteria so that only records matchingdefined criteria are displayed
Thereafter follows a section dealingwith forms and reports These are used todisplay and manipulate databaseinformation on the screen and fordisplaying information on the printed
page This is followed by theintranet and internetpublishing section
referred to aboveThe next three
sections cover moreadvanced topics
Section V ldquoIntegratingAccess with Other Office
2000 Applicationsrdquocovers the use of charts and
graphics and theintegration of the program
with Word and ExcelThe section ldquoUsing
Advanced AccessTechniquesrdquo provides a
chapter on database designThis is a topic which I see as
fundamental to the use of theprogram and which might better
belong in the earlier sections Inmy limited and amateur experience
database design takes a great dealof thought and attention and is
crucial to the proper operation of theapplication Design tends to be a bit
iterative as what started out to be aperfectly sensible design now displays
unanticipated complications andlimitations Knowing the fundamentals
of relational database design is a key tominimising such re-workings The chapterdevoted to this topic goes into substantialdetail
Special Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using MicrSpecial Edition Using Microsoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000osoft Access 2000
RRRRRogogogogoger Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningser Jenningshellipreview by Alan Laird
(alairdpcugorgau)
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 25
The remaining chapters in section VIand those in section VII relate to a varietyof advanced topics including multi-usernetwork applications security issuespermissions learning SQL responding toevents and working with recordsets
Access Evolution Throughout thetext and in ldquoIn the real worldrdquo sections atthe end of each chapter lies a wealth ofinformation about the forces and attitudeswhich have shaped the evolution anddevelopment of Access We learn forexample that a decade ago Bill Gatesdecided that all Microsoft applicationsusing macros would share a commonmacro language built on BASIC Theevolution of BASIC as a macro languageits relation to Word BASIC AccessBASIC Visual BASIC and VBA isdescribed
Understanding the trends and forces shapingthe program provide a rich cultural context inwhich to appreciate the program and how itrelates to the Microsoft stable of programs andto the programs of competitors
Ease Of Use Perhaps because of thebookrsquos large size and attention to detail Ifound it to be well laid out and its contentswell described Indeed this is done in anumber of ways as a very useful
ContextTraining amp Consulting Pty Ltd
ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988
Practical small system development
PhoneFax
Contextemailnetau02 6287 150002 6287 1508
Microsoft Accesstrade development
Up-sizing to SQL Servertrade
Support for existing systems
Free telephone support to PCUG members
Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate
ldquoContents at a Glancerdquo page showingSection and Chapter names and pages amore detailed listing containing chaptersub-headings and at the end a detailedand comprehensive index
Chapter and subheadings are in colourmaking them stand out clearly and easilythe diagrams are clear and well presentedand the ldquolearn by doingrdquo examples useinformation contained in a CD suppliedwith the book It all fits together verynicely
The CD ROM contains examples ofdatabases forms reports queries andVBA code from the bookrsquos exercisestogether with the full text of the book itselfIn addition the CD contains selectedchapters of other Special Edition Usingbooks on the Microsoft Office 2000 suitof programs
The book features a few additionalniceties These include Tips tags Cautionboxes Note boxes and ldquoNew to 2000rdquotags
Conclusion I was very impressed withthe book I would rate myself as a seriousamateur Access database developer andfor me the book covers all and more thanI will ever need to know about the programIt has proved to be and will continue to
be a very valuable and user-friendlyreference source
Acknowledgement PearsonEducation Australia kindly provided thecomplimentary review copy of ldquoSpecialEdition Using Microsoft Access 2000rdquo
Published in 1999 by QueIndianapolis USA RRP $8995
amp
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
26 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Yes folks itrsquos on again The annual PCUG bring andbuy bonanza Once again it will be held at the Centrewith tables both inside and out to give us more roomto move around
As tables will once again be at premium it will bea case of first come firstserved To book a tableplease contact Ann on 62822536 or via email at
booppcugorgauOnce again Santa will be in attendance for the
children and well will be having our famous sausagesizzle and sodas for sale
Come along clear out the cupboards and get ridof all that stuff you will never use and make somemoney for Christmas or alternately find thatcomputer part that yoursquove been looking foreverywhere
Bring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyBring and BuyThe November Main Meeting will be theannual Bring and Buy (of computer bitsthat is)
Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipTen Years ago in Sixteen Bits hellipCompiled by Andrew Clayton from Volume 6 Number 10 November1989
amp
John Hilvert (now of PC User) took up stewardship ofSixteen Bits Peter Townsend wrote a preview of Clipper5 (A D-base lsquoacceleratorrsquo) Karl Auer wrote a lengthyarticle about porting LHARC (a file compression utility)from Ansi C on a Unix platform to Ansi C on his belovedQNX platform Alex Zaharov-Reutt mentioned eightdifferent Bulletin Board Systems in the ACT includingPCUG MicSig PC-EXCHANGE The Capital BBS CAUSeBBS PERCOM BBS Ghost of Opus and the Mac BBSMalcolm Street wrote about purchasing a 386 computerwith 3MB of RAM (expandable to 10MB) and a 100MBhard disk He also commented that his previous
enthusiasm for Macintosh computers was not fanaticism rathera sense of being impressed with various features of the MacChris Conran reviewed the Amstrad PPC 640 a PC clone fromthe then quite popular Amstrad line of computers Reg Dwyerwrote about his experience with Lantastic Network
Some Prices Premier 386 SX - $2650 With a HD and amonitor a mere $4480 An 80286 laptop with 40MB HD $5995NEC Multisync 2A monitor $899 80387-sx Co-Processor chip- $575 71MB Miniscribe $995 (ed this was my first ever harddisk but I paid $1250 for mine -()
Andrew Clayton
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 27
IrsquoM ON A COMMITTEE
Oh give me your pity Irsquom on aCommitteewhich meets from morning to nightWe attend and amend and contendand defendwithout a conclusion in sight
We confer and concur we defer anddemurand reiterate all of our thoughtsWe revise the agenda with frequentaddendaand consider a load of reports
We compose and propose wesuppose and opposeand the points of procedure are funBut though various notions arebrought up as motionstherersquos terribly little gets done
We resolve and absolve but neverdissolvesince itrsquos out of the question for usWhat a shattering pity to end ourCommitteewhere else could we make such a fuss
Anon
PCUG Committee1999 - 2000
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
28 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
And
rew
Cla
yton
Some Stupid Web Pages
httpwwwstairwellcomstareplayhtmlStare down Green Eyed Sally Trulystupid
httpwwwwvicom~odonnellvcrclockhtmhttpwwwhenet~xmiscvcrclockhtmTwo lsquoVirtual VCR Clocksrsquo Fairly selfexplanatory
httpmembersaolcomjpegsindex1htmAny explanation of this URL will ruin thejoke
httpwwwinformatikuni-frankfurtde~fpToolsGoogoolhtmlThe search for a ldquogoogolplexrdquo generatoris over It will take an awful long time tocalculate the number though donrsquot sayyou werenrsquot warned Has many links toother lsquonumberrsquo pages
httpwwwgeocitiescomTimesSquareFortress6472starthtmlAnother URL where an explanation wouldspoil the ldquojokerdquo
httpwwwamusedcomCentre for the Easily Amused A bunchof links to fatuous web pages
httpwwwx42comBizarre URLrsquos
The following text has been pinched fromhttpwwwgeocitiescomHeartlandFarm7478
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THEMILLENNIUM BUG
Move computerrsquos clock ahead now to testfor co^^^NO CARRIER
Open checking accounts in dozens ofdifferent banks with no more than $20 ineach and wait for a windfall
Convert to Judaism then begin worryingabout the Y10K bug
Party like itrsquos 1899
Send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in timeto slap some sense into those lazy COBOLengineers
GENRE JOKE
A blonde a brunette a redhead a vicar apriest a rabbi two giraffes and a duck afarmer a lawyer an accountant an IRSagent a Mexican an Indian a Chinese anIrishman an Englishman a Scotsman anda redneck walk into a bar
The barman says ldquoHang on a minuteWhat is this some kind of joke
CLASSROOM WIT
The teacher of the earth science class waslecturing on map reading After explainingabout latitude longitude degrees andminutes the teacher asked ldquoSuppose Iasked you to meet me for lunch at 23degrees 4 minutes north latitude and 45degrees 15 minutes east longituderdquo
After a confused silence a student voicevolunteered ldquoI guess yoursquod be eatingalonerdquo
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Two elderly women were out driving in alarge car -- both could barely see over thedashboard As they were cruising alongthey came to an intersection Thestoplight was red but they just went onthrough The woman in the passenger seatthought to herself I must be losing it Icould have sworn we just went through ared light
After a few more minutes they came toanother intersection and the light was red
again and again they went right thoughThis time the woman in the passenger seatwas almost sure that the light had beenred but was really concerned that she waslosing it
She was getting nervous and decided topay very close attention to the road andthe next intersection to see what was goingon At the next intersection sure enoughthe light was definitely red and they wentright through
She turned to the other woman and saidMildred Did you know we just ranthrough three red lights in a row You couldhave killed us
Mildred turned to her and said Oh am Idriving
Should we tell him
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 29
hellipby
Vic
tor
Bush
ell
Send your replies (or gifts andorbribes) to Vic at
vicbuspcugorgau
9 The rules of racing in Calculariastipulate that the combined weight of thehorse and the jockey are to be accuratelyrecorded Would there be any differencebetween that recorded with the jockeymounted on the horse and the sum of theindividual weights of the horse and thejockey Why
10 Determine the truth or falsity ofthe following four statements 1 The even-numbered statements are false 2 The odd-numbered statements are false 3 Thesquare-numbered statements are false 4Most of these four statements are false
11 Leave six adjacent numbers of theface of a clock intact and rearrange theother six in such a way that the sum ofevery pair of adjacent numbers is a prime
12 Using each of the ten digits 0 1 hellip 9 once find two 5-digit numbers with thelargest possible product
13 A hula-hoop of circumference 40inches performs one revolution about agirl with a 20-inch waist How far has theoriginal point of contact of the hooptravelled
14 A babyrsquos nappy is in the shape ofa triangle with sides 24 20 and 20 inchesThe long side is wrapped around thebabyrsquos waist and overlapped two inchesThe third point is brought up to the centreof the overlap and pinned in place Thesafety pin is to go through threethicknesses of material What is the areain which the pin may be placed
15 In a certain code used in high-levelcommunication in Calcularia twopermutations of the nine positive digits692547318 and 768415932 are codeequivalents respectively of the wordsINTERVENE and EXTROVERT Break thecode and decipher 895173246
16 A complete sentence of twentywords is concealed in the table below Ifyou start with the right word and thenfollow the jumps of a chess knight fromword to word along the correct route asimple problem will be revealed A knightjumps two squares one way and one
square at right angles ndash or vice versa ndashbut only in the up-and-down and acrossdirections
Sue is in her teens so how old is Sal
WAS NOW OLD WASNOW
AS SUE SAL HALF ASIS A OLD IS WHENAS SUE SAL THIRD AS
17 If Peter earned as many cents anhour as the number of dollars Pam wouldearn in four weeks if Pam earned as manycents each week as Peter earns in fortyhours Peter would earn eighty-sevencents an hour more than he does What isPeterrsquos hourly rate
18 ldquoHow much have you gotrdquo Jillasked hopefully Jack delved deep in hispockets ldquoIf I had a quarter more and alsoa dollar Irsquod have twice as much as Irsquod haveif I had only three-quarters of what Irsquovegotrdquo he replied Jill thought a momentldquoCould you have that three-quartersrdquo sheasked ldquoSurerdquo replied Jack And that toldher all she wanted to know How much didJack have (Hint a ldquoquarterrdquo can meaneither frac14 or 25 cents)
19 Doug was busy at the table ldquoSayDad Is Aunt Elsiersquos phone number 9638and is Uncle Fredrsquos number 2591rdquo heasked ldquoThatrsquos right and donrsquot forget oursis 8739 if yoursquore listing family numbersrdquoreplied Steve ldquoIs that itrdquo ldquoNo butsomething I just figured out about thosethree numbersrdquo the boy replied ldquoEach ofthem gives exactly the same remainderwhen you divide by one special number Idiscoveredrdquo What was that specialnumber and what was the remainder
1 A noted mathematician wasshopping and asked the price of certainarticles The sales person replied ldquoOnewould cost 10 cents eight would cost 10cents seventeen would cost 20 cents onehundred and four would cost 30 centsseven hundred and fifty-six would alsocost 30 cents and one thousand andseventy-two would cost 40 centsrdquo Wheredo you think he was shopping and whatin the world was he buying
2 The numbers are divided into threegroups as follows 0 3 6 8 9 hellip in thefirst group 1 4 7 11 14 hellip in the secondgroup and 2 5 10 12 13 hellip in the thirdIn which groups would 15 16 and 17 beplaced
3 A bricklayer has 8 bricks Seven ofthe bricks weigh the same amount and oneis a little heavier than the others are If theman has a balance scale how can he findthe heaviest brick in only 2 weighings
4 Five suspects were rounded up inthe famous ldquoCock Robin Murderrdquo Theirstatements were as follows A ldquoC and Dare lyingrdquo B ldquoA and E are lyingrdquo C ldquoBand D are lyingrdquo D ldquoC and E are lyingrdquo EldquoA and B are lyingrdquo Who is lying
5 The family of a quality controlengineer consists of 1 grandmother 1grandfather 2 fathers 2 mothers 4children 3 grandchildren 1 brother 2sisters 2 sons 2 daughters 1 father-in-law 1 mother-in law and 1 daughter-in-law What is the smallest possible numberof persons in his family
6 Prove that at least two Irishmenhave the same number of Irish friends
7 ldquoRelationships are funnyrdquo remarkedBob ldquoTomrsquos the same relation to you thatI am to your sonrdquo ldquoSo he isrdquo Charliechuckled ldquoAnd yoursquore the same relationto me that Tom is to yourdquo What relationwas Charlie to Tom
8 A neat computer programmer wearsa clean shirt every day If he drops off hislaundry and picks up the previous weekrsquosload every Monday night how many shirtsmust he own to keep him going
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
30 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
hellipby
Mal
colm
Mor
riso
n
Telstra plans ADSL high speedInternet access technology
Telstra has announced a move into the futurehigh-speed broadband environment - acomprehensive trial of the latest high-speeddata service utilising the existing copper wirenetworkADSL (Asymmetric Digital SubscriberLoop) will make it possible tobullprovide high-speed lsquoalways-onrsquo Internetaccess bullallow people to make phone callswhile simultaneously surfing the net on thesame line bullprovide superior data securitybullsupport interactive video such as videogamesBy enabling such higher-volume multi-mediatransfers at faster speeds ADSL makesadvanced communication networks a realvalue proposition for small and mediumbusinesses as well as home usersADSL is a modem technology enablingcopper telephone lines to support highspeed broadband data applicationsconcurrently with the PSTN [public switchtelephone network] basic access serviceTo encourage the rapid growth of ADSL-based services across Australia Telstra isdeveloping and trialling both wholesale andretail ADSL servicesFor the trial they will work on connectionsbetween the customerrsquos premises and theexchange at upload speeds of up to 256Kilobits per second downloading at up to15 Megabits per second The initial trial willinvolve about 100 selected wholesale andretail customers on 10 exchanges in BrisbaneMelbourne and Sydney The next phase willextend to approximately 1000 customersBoth phases are expected to be complete byJuly 2000 A rollout beyond the trial periodwill be based on demand
Microsoft to offer Net computerMSN has announced its MSN WebCompanion The company has said the
upcoming device will run a scaled-downversion of the Windows CE operatingsystem and is intended to act as a simpleInternet access appliance
MSN Web Companion will not run localsoftware like a typical computer but willoffer applications and services provided aspart of the MSN serviceSeveral analysts speculate that MSN WebCompanion will cost as little as US$100with the price subsidized by Internet accessfees
French firm plans inexpensiveInternet PC
ComOne a French manufacturer of productsfor computer manufacturers andtelecommunication operators said today itplans to unveil a stand-alone PC that offersaccess to the Internet email and telephoneserviceThe so-called max developed inconjunction with France Telecom givesusers access to the Internet emailtelephone fax as well as television andclose-circuit TV surveillance servicesComOne chief executive Jacques Saubadesaid if sales took off the price of theterminal could be reduced to 1500 Frenchfrancs ($238) by the end of 2000 He did notreveal the current priceThanks to wwwcnetcom for these stories
Linux creator foresees softwareindustry shakeout
Computer software priceswill crash when the needfor constant upgradesdisappears and this isonly a matter of timeaccording to leadingcomputer and softwareexpert Linus TorvaldsldquoThere are already some
signs of this beginning[a crash] may comethree years from nowrdquo Torvalds developerof the free operating system Linux said
Torvalds now works for Transmeta SiliconValleyrsquos most secretive start-up companywhich is thought to be working on either arevolutionary high-speed computer chip oron software improving the way chipsworkmdashor both Some information about thehush-hush operation is expected at theComdex trade show this November in LasVegasTorvalds predicted that demand forcustomized software such as Linux whichcan be tailored to a clientrsquos specificationswould rise in the future He said Linux mostcommonly used to run servers includingInternet servers could become a commonoperating system on personal computersbreaking the dominance of MicrosoftrsquosWindowsldquoI believe it could break through ondesktops letrsquos wait three years and thenlook again at the situationrdquo he said But hereiterated that his focus was on designingLinux for appliances smaller than laptopsrather than putting it on desktops
Linux gains groundLinux is gaining groundwhile Windows 2000sputters along accordingto a market research firmCompanies are increasingtheir use of the upstartoperating system whiledelaying deployment of
Microsoftrsquos latest operating system forbusinesses according to International DataCorporation (IDC)In a recent survey by the market researcher13 percent of the respondents said they nowuse Linux compared to 1997 when thesoftware did not register in any findingsbecause it was statistically such a smallpercentage of survey respondents Largecomputer makers such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard have become active supporters ofLinux which is popular in the Web serverand email server market Linux is a Unix-likeOS created originally by Linus Torvalds aFinnish graduate student at the timeThe survey also indicated that respondingcompanies have no plans to immediately
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 31
implement the Windows 2000 operatingsystem Microsoftrsquos latest and greatestupdate to the former Windows NTMicrosoft is putting the finishing touches onthat software
The Sony Player
Sony has introduced its first Walkmansupporting digital music downloaded fromthe Internet a development that couldprofoundly influence the direction of thenascent business The move which waslargely unexpected at this time gives Sony apotent weapon by combining one of todayrsquoshottest digital technologies with a consumerdevice that has changed the way peoplelisten to music since its introduction in 1979
The new Walkman which featuresSonyrsquos ldquoMemory Stickrdquo technology wasintroduced alongside other new portablemusic models Smaller than a piece ofchewing gum the Memory Stick is a storagemedium competing with memory flash cardsfor dominance in electronic devices such asPCs and digital cameras It is expected toarrive in US stores in January and retail forabout US$400
Analysts believe that the newWalkmanrsquos design represents the directionmost consumer electronics makers will takewith devices that download digital music atleast in the near term
The next-generation Walkman furthersSonyrsquos strategy of melding all itsentertainment and electronics propertiesfrom content to hardware That philosophyhas its roots in the companyrsquos purchase ofHollywood studios and record labels datingback to the mid-1980s
For the budding digital music scene thenew Walkman marks an importantendorsement coming from one of the best-known brands in the consumer electronicsindustry At the same time however itcould pose a major threat to rival productssuch as Diamond Multimediarsquos popular Rioplayer
The portable digital music player marketis expected to grow to 667 million units in2003 up from 62000 last year according tofigures from IDC Those estimates howeverdid not reflect the possible impact of Sonyentering the digital music market
Owners of Sony Vaio computers will beable to download digital music to their PCs
and transfer it to the Memory Stick whichis loaded into the MP3 Walkman MemoryStick is available with up 32MB storagecapacity Sony plans to introduce the storagemedium to more than 30 consumer electronicdevices during the coming months
The ldquoMemory Stick Walkmanrdquo with itscompact size (37mm width 963mm height192mm depth) and lightweight (approx65gincl battery) is small enough to be carriedaround easily in a chest pocket It alsofeatures an anti-skip function that allows foruninterrupted enjoyment of music during acommute or while jogging
Picture ItToday digital imaging is becoming moreaccessible for everyone Now with PictureIt 2000 Microsoftrsquos latest version of itsphoto-editing software digital imaging isabout to get easier than ever before PictureIt has always been easy to use but the latestversion is even easier and provides moreways for users to share photos with theirfriends and familyTo get photos looking as they shouldPicture It 2000 features Mini Lab anunrivalled tool that provides users an easyand efficient way to edit and enhancephotos
EBook - Paving the Way forBooks of the Future
The prospect of a vital commercial marketfor electronic books has taken a big stepforward with the final agreement and releaseof a widely supported standard forconverting books and other documents intoelectronic form The Open eBookPublication Structure Specification mdash inconcert with the recently announcedMicrosoft Reader software that greatlyimproves on-screen reading mdash bringsconsumers one step closer to a world whereentire libraries are accessible anytimeanywhere and from any deviceThe Open eBook Publication StructureSpecification Version 10 which will beavailable free of charge to all interested usersdefines the format that a book or otherpublication will take when it is readied forelectronic distribution or converted from aprint version to electronic form Users of thespecification will include authors editorspublishers and content owners who want tohave their titles in a format that is eBookready which can be used by a wide varietyof electronic book publishing systems PC
reading software and hardware readingdevicesThe specifications grew out of a proposalfor an open non-proprietary standard foreBooks suggested a year ago by Dick BrassMicrosoft vice president for technologydevelopment at the first government-sponsored conference on electronic booksThe National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) brought together over300 people with an interest in the emergingeBook industry last October MicrosoftrsquosSteve Stone delivered the technicalpresentation at that time including theoutline for the set of standards and the OEBcontent structure specification and helpedguide the Authoring Group through thenecessary steps to flesh out the documentsand finalize the specification The successfulcompletion of the specification wasannounced today at the second such annualgathering before an anticipated audience thathad more than doubled in since 1998 AsUS book sales rise along with the numberof Internet users officials at NIST envision amarket for eBooks titles and other electronicdocuments that will eventually reach US$70billion a yearThe standardized format based on theHTML and Extensible Markup Language(XML) specifications used on the Web willallow readers to easily access materialpublished by different sources eBookpublishers will not have to format booksspecifically for each PC software reader orreading device on the market Publishers canbe assured that their customers will havesimilar reading experiences even though theymay be using different reading machines
IBM breaks outIBM was to adopt oneof the revolutionaryadvances in personalelectronicsmdashcolouredplasticmdashwhen itdebuted a series ofnew notebookcomputers in early
October Big Bluersquos notebook division wasto debut new ThinkPad ldquoirdquo laptops for theconsumer market with among other featuresinexpensive snap-on coloured covers Sevendifferent colours including silver metallicgreen two kinds of red and IBM blue willbe available to start while more may come inthe future
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
32 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Applicant Details (mandatory)
First Name
Last Name Principal Organisation
( AUUG ( PCUGMembership Number
I the applicant declare that I have read the terms ofthis application and affirm that the details that I have
provided are correct
Signed Existing Accounts
( Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS
( Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months
Current Login Name New Accounts
( NEW Application for FULL ACCESS
( NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESSLogin name request in order of preference (optional)
1
2
3 Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long Itmay contain only letters and numbers and MUST beclearly based on your real namePayment (Full Access only)
Please make cheques payable toPC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Payment 12 months $13200 (6 months $7100 (3 months $3800 (
Method of payment ( Cash ( Cheque
( Visa ( Bankcard ( Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date
Name on Card
Signature
PCUG Office Use Only
Processed by Accounts
Signature
Important Notes - please read1 Access to The Internet Project is available only to
members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by theInternet Project Acceptable Use Policy copies of whichcan be obtained at the PCUG Centre or downloaded fromthe PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project
2 The Internet Project is managed and administered byvolunteers The Internet Project aims to offer affordableaccess to as many members as possible allowingmembers to experience all the resources of the InternetNo minimum level of access or service is offered orguaranteed
3 There is a limit of one Internet account per non-corporatemembership Corporate members may sponsor up to threeindividuals who are then personally responsible for theoperation of their accounts Please complete oneapplication for each person
4 Part of your email address will be determined by theprincipal organisation If your membership of thatorganisation expires so too does your membership of TheInternet Project In this event no refunds for unusedallocation will be made
5 The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices andservices offered at any time Fees paid for Internet accessare non-refundable and non-transferable
Access Categories6 Note Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real
hours on-line time allocation will be debited in a non-linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day The debit rate is set from time totime by the Internet Project Management Committee Formore details refer to httpwwwtipnetautipcharging
7 Limited Accessa) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and
news onlyb) Limited Access is free on applicationc) In any calender year calculated from the 1st February
Limited Access provides up to 100 lsquohoursrsquo usage8 Full Access
a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and includesemail news WWW etc
b) Advance Access is not free Current rates are shownat left with up to 25 hours per month usage over theperiod
c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR youuse up your hours of access (whichever is earlier) youwill be required to purchase another subscription
d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Accessallocation - see above
9 All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-offfree five hour allocation of Full Access
Collecting Your Login Details10 For existing members please allow up to two weeks for
your application to be processed11 Login details can be collected - in person by the
applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre Werecommend that you phone the Centre first to check thatthe details are waiting for you
12 You (and your parentguardian if you are under 18 yearsof age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use PolicyDeclaration when you pick up your login details Proof ofidentification will be required at that time
The Internet Project
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 33
Disks amp TapesWe offer high quality disks and tape cartridgesin various formats at very reasonable pricesDisks amp tapes are available from the PCUGCentre Monday Wednesday amp Friday 10amto 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends
BBS AccessNew members wishing to access the PC UsersGroup (ACT) InterActive Bulletin BoardService (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 andcreate an account on the system Once the mainmenu is presented select the lsquoGoodbyersquo optionfollowed by the lsquoYesrsquo option to leave a messageto the Sysop
In this message state your membership number(from your card or magazine address label) andrequest an access upgrade This will usuallyoccur within a few days
SharewareMembers have access to a huge selection oflsquosharewarersquo software The PCUG subscribesto a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mbof new and updated software titles on eachmonthly CD
One complete section of the permanent libraryis also contained on each CD-ROM Inaddition there are many programs on thePCUG BBS which members have uploaded orwhich come from other sources
This software is provided as lsquosharewarersquo Ifyou continue to use it you must register thesoftware with the author The Group does notlsquosellrsquo the software - it charges a fee to coverthe cost of obtaining the software maintainingthe library and copying the software to themember
Computers are available at the Centre whichare connected to the BBS enabling members todownload software
Hardware amp Video LibraryThe hardware and video library is located atthe PC Users Group Centre Items may becollected and returned on Saturdays andSundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are forone week) Please bring your membership cardwith you
We now have aGiveaway Table at the
PCUG CentreIf you have any SMALL
items of computer relatedequipment (software orhardware) that you nolonger need or use and
donrsquot want to throwaway put them on thetable and someone elsemay find a use for themJust bring them to the
Centre when itrsquos open andwersquoll pass them on
for you
The library provides access to equipmentwhich members would not normally havereadily available Most items have instructionsmanuals and software where appropriateModems do not include software check theShareware Library for suitable packages Itemsmay be borrowed for one week There is nocharge but you must collect and return theitems yourself
Equipment available includes
bull modems (336k and 144k)
bull zip drives
Videos includebull Developing Applications with
Microsoft Officebull Using Windows 95
Member ServicesThese special offers and services are only available to PCUG membersPlease bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders
Stuffed Again
We are always looking for volunteers toassist us with the lsquostuffingrsquo of ourjournal We start around 500pm(latecomers are welcome) usually on the2nd last Monday of every month andare generally finished by 800pmRefreshments are provided If youwould like to help please ring PetraDwyer at the PCUG Centre on 62534911
Next Stuffing500pm Monday 22 November
at Northpoint Plaza Belconnen(see map page 3)
We would like to thankthe following members and friends
for assisting withthe mailing out of our Journal
George AdamsonBruce BlackJeff ColwellOwen Cook
Eddie amp Raymond de BearJim amp Chris Fogg
Rufus GarciaJohn Hempenstall
Emil JosephDavid Lewis
Neville MaddernAllan Mikkelson
Don NicolBill Parish
Keith SayersFred Schaeffer
Rod Smith
John StarrGordon UrquhartMarion Van Wely
Peter WatneyLew amp Sylvia Yardley
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
34 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
amp ChatThe Coffee and Chat Group meet at thePCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternateTuesdays from 1030am to 1130am Thedoors are open from 930 to 1200 for 30minutes of individual discussion before andafter the meeting The dates of thesemeetings are shown in the Calendar ofEvents
BytesBytesBytesBytesBytesThe Bytes SIG is designed for those wholike to talk about computing over a meal Itmeets from 6 pm at the Asian BistroAustralian National University Union onthe PCUG meeting nights There are noBytes SIG meetings in NovemberDecember or January Contact personAndrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailafreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightml
Evening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGEvening Internet SIGThis is for those of you whocanrsquot make the daytime SIGCome along to the evening SIGand share your wide world ofwisdom and your favoritesitesMarion van Wely 6258 8750
$$$The Investment SIG
The group meets at the PCUG Centre at730pm on the fourth Thursday of everymonth except for December to discussinvestment affairs especially the stockmarket and share ideas and informationMatters covered may be someonersquos hotstock or a tax problem or an interesting Website and sometimes a software demo We arelooking for volunteers to present briefreviews of a favourite stock Contact MickPreskett ph 6252 5036
The OS2 SIGAn enthusiastic forum for those operating orinterested in OS2 Warp Meetings includewide ranging discussion and interestinghands on demonstrations Meetings are heldon the fourth Thursday (except January) at700pm for 730pm at the IBM Building 8Brisbane Ave BartonContact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806(bh) Full details about the OS2 SIG can be
obtained from httpwwwpcugorgau~aactonos2welcomehtm
The Delphi SIGA lively forum for software developers whoare working with or interested in DelphiOur meetings include wide ranging dis-cussion and interesting hands-on demon-strations Come and see why Delphi isRAD Some of our recent meetings havediscussed Delphi components bestshareware tools database applications andHTML tools Meeting 3rd Tuesday of eachmonth 730pm at PCUG Centre ConvenorDavid Gray email graydrpcugorgauYouare welcome to also subscribe to the PCUGDelphi mailing list by sending messagelsquosubscribe act-delphi-l [your email address]rsquoto Majordomoauugorgau
Computers and VegetarianismThis SIG is designed for those who have aninterest in both computers and vegetarian-ism It generally meets with the Bytes SIGNo meetings are held in NovemberDecember or January Contact person
Andrew Freeman Phone 6258 7411 Emailfreemanpcugorgau or WWW at httpwwwpcugorgau~afreemancvsightmllowerypcugorgau
Internet Daytime Demoand Discussion SIG
Meets every second Monday at the PCUGCentre from 1000am to noon We meet todiscuss internet issues software sites (andanything else of relevance) and demonstrateon Centre equipment selected software andtechniques The meeting starts with informaldiscussion and coffee followed by a more in-depth look at a particular topic of interestThere is also time for discussion (andhopefully solving) of members problems withthe internet A home page for the SIG is athttpwwwpcugorgau~amikkelsintdddhtmlEnquiries or suggestions for topics arewelcome at amikkelspcugorgau
Linux User GroupStephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) StephenRothwellcanbauugorgau 4th Thursday700pm Room N101 Computer ScienceDept ANU
Linux Learners SIGFor newcomers to Linux - installation
and use of one of the currently availableLinux distributions Designed for theend user rather than the systemsprogrammer or administrator Meets 10until 12 every second ThursdayContact Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164
or amikkelspcugorgau
The Games SIGA SIG that runs Fridays in school holidaysat the PCUG centre Contact John Phone6281 2350 email plumpcugorgau orICQ 25886924
AutoCADGeoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4-5pm Please call for details
NetworksGarry Thomson 6241 2399
gthomasonpcugorgau Thursday after mainmeeting Please call for venue
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 35
Training News
All courses are held at the PCUGCentre Northpoint PlazaBelconnen mdash maximum 8 peopleCourses cost $40 unless otherwiseindicated Full day courses run from930am to approximately 300pmAM Courses commence at 930amPM courses commence at 130pm
Last month I asked all readers tocontact me to tell me what you wantso far as training is concerned I
invited all readers to respond with somegood ideas I received only 5 fiveresponses out of our 3000 membersEither you donrsquot read the magazine or itdoesnrsquot worry you that we are cancellingtwo courses a month due to a lack ofinterest Are we holding the wrongcourses for you I need your suggestionsSo how about it
Are you going to lift your index fingerto plunk your ideas down on an email thismonth and send it to me
I would really like to hear from you withsome good ideas for putting our trainingroom to better use
Donrsquot delay do it nowIf you are unable to find the questions
I asked last month here they are again
1 Should we put on longer courses2 Would there be more interest inshorter courses [1 2 hours or half a day]3 Should our subjects be morediverse4 Maybe a course on graphicscomputer maintenance upgrading orinterfacing the home wateringsecuritysystems5 Should we open the facility atdifferent times6 Should we give consideration toprofessional teachers who will offeraccreditation
Courses
The Full Access intro to the Internetcourse is an introduction to the programsused to access the World Wide Webincluding how to download files send andreceive email and participate innewsgroups If you would like to attendthe course you will need Full Access[Advanced Access] to the InternetPlease note that Netscape Communicator405 will be used to teach this course
The Win 9598 - Intro course isdesigned to introduce members in the useof Win9598 including creating folders andfiles how to cut copy and paste Thecourse also covers lots of tips and tricksto make Win9598 an operating systemthen most if not all of the content of thiscourse will be applicable to you
Design Your Own Web Page ndashIntroduction to HTML covers the basicsof writing a web page including how towrite HTML and using a GUI editor (suchas Microsoft FrontPage) to your bestadvantage You will also learn how to makethe job easier by planning ahead You willbe able to spend some time on your newpage and at the end of the day you will beable to upload it to The Internet Project(requires Basic Access - organise thiswhen you book)
Advanced HTML builds on the firstpart of the course The skills learnt withFrontPage will be built on Learn abouttables and frames and how they can beeffectively be used to layout a site Youwill also learn how to make your site more
dynamic by using Java applets andActiveX controls
ContactsCourse Bookings Petra Dwyer at the
PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 MondayWednesday and Friday between 10am2pm
Training coordinator and courseinformation [not booking] Marion vanWely on 6258 8750 700pm to 900pm orby email welypcugorgau
Microsoft Product courses [notbooking] Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332700pm to 900pm or by emailhenkpcugorgau
1999 D ate D ay C ourse L eng thO ctober 23 Sat D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay
24 Sun Exce l 7 F u ll D ay30 Sat In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay31 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay
N ovem ber 6 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am7 Sun W ord 7 F u ll D ay
13 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay14 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay20 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay21 Sun D esktop Pub ish ing F u ll D ay27 Sat Exce l 7 F u ll D ay28 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
D ecem ber 4 Sat Layou t D ayIn te rne t C lin ic C lin ic am5 Sun In te rne t In tro F u ll D ay
11 Sat M YO B F u ll D ay12 Sun W in 95 In tro F u ll D ay18 Sat D esign ing Y our O wn W eb Page F u ll D ay
hellipby
Mar
ion
van
Wel
y
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
36 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
Vendor Discount SchemeVendor Discount Scheme
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Accountants
Peng Lee BA BEc(ANU) FCAChartered accountantRegistered tax agentHolder of Certificate of PublicPractice
Accounting and taxationservicesA fee schedule published 1year in advance will beforwarded upon request
Ph 6258 0156Fax 6258 0157Mob 0419 625 801leeppcugorgau
6 McGuiness PlaceMcKellar ACT 2617
10 discount offthe published feeschedule to PCUGmembers
Lesley PikoCertified practisingaccountant registered taxagent
Personal and businesstaxation servicesGeneral accountingservices
Ph 6288 8888 Suite 117 Trenerry StWeston ACT 2611
15 discount offquoted fee
Books
Collins Booksellers A wide selection ofcomputer titles for thenovice and also advancedcomputer user
Ph 6251 4813Fax 6251 3926
Belconnen Mall 10 discount offcomputer bookpurchases only
Daltons Books No 1 for computer andbusiness books
Ph 6249 1844Fax 6247 5753
54 Marcus Clarke StCanberra City 2600
10 off RRP ofcomputer books
daltonsdaltonscomauComputer relatedThe Software Shop Suppliers of all business
educational and personalsoftware plus selectedhardware
Ph 6285 4622Fax 6285 4614infosoftwareshopcomau
42 Townsend StPhillip ACT 2606
5 discount off ouralready low prices
ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs upgrades newsystems softwareinstallationLow rates Open 7 days
Ph 6294 2592Mob 0419 990 669actvaldynamitecomau
10 discount onupgrades andrepairs
Amalgamated BusinessMachines
Computer printermonitor repairs andupgrades networking andcabling
Ph 6280 4887Fax 6280 7729serviceabmeleccomau
65 Kembla StFyshwick ACT 2609
10 discount onrepairs
The Cartridge Factory Premier re-manufacturerof inkjet laser copier andfax cartridges
Ph 6260 4571Fax 62604572infotcfcomauwwwtcfcomau
65-B Dundas CourtPhillip ACT
10 discount on allremanufacturedinkjet and tonercartridgesNo discount on newink or tonercartridges
Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgradestrade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
Bettowynd Prompt guaranteed fixedprice repairs to monitorsand terminals
Ph 6239 1043Fax 6239 1043grahillozemailcomau
Unit 5 Centrecourt 1Pirie StFyshwick ACT 2609
5 discount
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 37
bull Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchasebull Benefits may not apply to some sale itemsbull The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offeredIf you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2
BUSINESS SERVICESPRODUCTS PHONEFAXEMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT
Computer related (cont)Hi-Micro Computers Computer upgrades
trade-ins service partsnew systems
Ph 6280 7520Fax 6280 7540himicroatraxnetau
618 Whyalla StFyshwick ACT2609
5 discount onaccessories andupgrade installation
L amp S Associates Ph 6257 7555 69 Paterson StAinslie ACT 2602
Special price on anyMicrosoft productdealer price plus 5
NCHndashSwift Sound Multi-media audioProfessional voice oversmusic and SFX formultimedia telephonegames software
Ph 6257 7221Fax 6257 7889
GPO Box 1169Canberra ACT 2601
25 discount to non-corporate members
PE Computers amp SoftwareSolutions
New systems upgradesHardware and softwareinstallation setup amp homePC supportSoftware tuition includingWin95 amp Internet srsquoware
Phfax 6258 9806Mobile 015 484 711pelliottpcugorgau
5 discount on allnew systems andupgrades10 discount oninstallation tuition amphome PC support
Robrsquos Computer Help Desk Telephone amp on-site helpfor all your computer andsupport needs
Ph 6292 3211(24 hours7 days)
5 discount onconsulting services
Sproatley Computer ServicesPty Ltd
UpgradesNew and used PCsMYOB specialistsSoftware installationonsitehome service24 hour help desk
Ph 6231 5397Fax 6231 3605
10 discount on allservices
Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software forhome amp small businessfrom Lanyon Managementsolutions New release ofAutomobile WorkshopBusiness System
Ph 6231 1813Mob 0418 607 748jardeeeffectnetau
PO Box 1187TuggeranongACT 2901
5 for single copieshigher discounts forresellers
World Wide Website Creationamp Consulting (W3C2)Canberra
Your key to the InternetTraining consulting andweb site services
Ph 02 6292 3211Fax 02 6292 3914Mobile 019 440 608fcmoorew3c2comau
PO Box 5145Chisholm 2905
5 to a maximum of$100 on web siteservices
OtherANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs Union
Building UnionCourt ANU (next tomain meetingvenue)
Union memberdiscount on PCUGmain meeting nightsONLY
Steversquos Mower Service Lawn mower servicespares and repairs
Ph 6291 1458 8 Hutcheson StMonash ACT 2904
10 discount on allrepairs
Aspect Computing EducationServices
Ph 6247 7608 86 NorthbourneAveBraddon ACT 2612
10 discount
Australian ManagementControl
Ph 6285 4888 Suite 4 32ndash36Colbee CourtPhillipACT 2606
5 discount onrecordkeeping andpayroll courses
Canberra Lawyers Litigation specialists - Ph 6287 1223canberralawyershomeordercom
Unit 7 13 NapierClose DeakinACT 2600
1st interview free and10 discount toPCUG members
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
38 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
Membersrsquo Ads
Annual Fees Applicable () one) General1 $ 55 Concessional2 $ 35 (requires concession type and card no)
Associate Family3 $ 25 (requires memb no of primary member)
Corporate4 $145 Additional Corporate5 $ 55 International (Air Mail) $130Notes1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS and Internet access2 Concessions apply to full time students and Social Security pensioners Proof ofeligibility must be sighted upon joining (and upon renewal by other than Age SocialSecurity concessions)3 Associate Family Membership covers family members living at the same address as acurrent financial member and endows all membership rights except receipt of a magazine4 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees5 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $55 each
I am paying by () one) Cash (if paying by person) Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc
Credit card ndashndash Bankcard Mastercard or Visa
I would like to ( ) one or more)
Become a new member for ____ year(s) Renew for ____ year(s) Change my address details Change Corporate nominees Take my address off advertising list Access the Bulletin Board (BBS)Reasons for Joining ) (one or more)
Sixteen Bits Magazine Training Courses The Internet Project Advice and help
Other ____________________________________
TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $__________________
Please Post your application with payment toPC Users Group (ACT) IncPO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616
Additional Corporate or Associate Family Membership NomineesTitle Given Name Surname
Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable)
Postal Address
Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type and card number
Credit Card Type Number Expiry Date Signature
PC Users Group Membership Application Renewal
Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)_______________________________________________________Title Given Name Surname_______________________________________________________Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w)
Intel EtherExpressPro10+ ISA LANcardsBrand new not opened with warrantyFeatures 10M full duplexhalf duplex network card ISA (perfect for networking the old 486in the corner) Cat 5 network connection Power Management - use as little as125mW Includes Intel flash upgrade kit for easierinstallation Concurrent processing improvesperformance Better performance than most NE2000clones Compatible with Win9531NetwareClientWinNTLinux and others
$7 eaPhone Peter 62852388 AH
FOR SALE
HP Vectra XU590C PCUpgraded with150MHz CPU64 MB RAM2x CD ROM1MB SCSI HDD (is functional but hasnumerous bad sectors)Includes KBD and mouse but no monitor
Phone Paul Golding 6251 5438 any time
A copy of Mastering Word for Windows (SpecialEdition) by Ron Mansfield
A copy ofNetscape Beginners Guide to the Internet2nd Edition (Windows) by Shelly OrsquoHara
WANTED
FOR SALE
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
SIXTEEN BITS November 1999 39
Subject Name Email Phone Days TimesAccess for Windows Graham Fry gfryozemailcomau 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmAccess 97 Andrew Bartlett abartletpcugorgau 6254 0272 M-F (ex Tue)
Weekends400pm - 900pm1000am - 900pm
Assembly Language Thomas McCoy tmccoypcugorgau 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmAutoCad Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 400pm - 500pmAutoCAD Rel 12 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmBASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 830pm -1000pmBluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 700pm - 900pmBatch Files TSRs Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 800pm - 1000pmBulletin Board Service Michael Phillips 6253 4966 All days 730pm - 830pmChinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 100pm - 900pmExcel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 730pm - 830pmFlight Simulation Roger Lowery lowerypcugorgau 6258 1583 All days AnytimeFree Agent Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 900pmGEOSGeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days
except Wed600pm - 1000pm
Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days AnytimeHDK Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauHDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 700pm - 900pmHypertext Markup Language Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 1000pmMicrostation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 600pm - 1000pmMicrosoft Front Page Peter Tilbrook webmasterdynamitecomau 6242 4000
0411 508 169Weekdays 1000am - 600pm
6253 8153 (ah)Modem Communications Michael Phillips 6281 1980 or All days 730pm - 830pmNoteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam apurdampcugorgau 6230 2231 All days AnytimeOS2 Andrew Acton aactonpcugorgau 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pmOS2 Dave Thrum davetozemailcomau 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pmOS2 Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmOutlook Outlook Express Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmScream Tracker 3 (3SM) MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 730pm - 900pmSmall Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 730pm - 930pmTelix Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmSCO Unix amp Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 700pm - 900pmUnix Michael Lightfoot 6258 8185 All days 730pm - 930pmUnixLinuxBSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 600pm - 1000pmTurbo Pascal Michael Phillips 6281 1980 All days 730pm - 830pmVisual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear cbearinteractnetau 6258 3169 All days 730pm - 830pmWindows 95 Graeme Challinor gchallinpcugorgau 6236 8166 All days 1000am - 400pmWindows 98 Chess Krawczyk chesskpcugorgau 6247 1218 All days 700pm - 930pmWord for Windows Lis Shelley lisnullarborcomauWordPerfect 51 DOS 61 Win Gayle Scott gaylespcugorgau 6254 1579 All days 730pm - 930pmWordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 700pm - 900pm
The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given The Help Directory is designed to help individual users andshould not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors This service is provided for members only Please quote yourmembership number to the helper For those helpers with an asterisk messages may be left on the BBS in either the General messagearea or as a Netmail message on 3620243 Send updates to pcugeditorpcugorgau or via post to the PCUG Centre
The Help Directory
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
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M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
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December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
40 November 1999 SIXTEEN BITS
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
M T W T F S S
November
October
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7
1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
December
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9
2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6
2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1
Please note Unless otherwise stated all activities take place at the PCUG Centre
New Membersnight 730pm
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Sixteen Bitscommercialdeadline forNovember
Internet Clinic930am - 1pm
Layout DaySixteen Bits
Training Day930amWord 7
InternetDaytime SIG10am - Noon
PCUGCommittee
Meeting730pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
Training Day930amMYOB
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Delphi SIG730pm
OS2 SIGIBM BuildingBrisbane Ave
730pm
Training Day930am
DesigningYour OwnWeb Page
Training Day930am
DesktopPublishing
InternetDaytime SIG10am- Noon
Sixteen BitsStuffing 5pm
AssistedAccess SIG9am-11am
Linux LearnersSIG 11am-1pm
InvestmentSIG
730pm
Article DeadlineforJan
Linux SIG RmN101 CompScience Dept
ANU730pm
Training Day930amExcel 7
Training Day930am
Intro to Win95
Main MeetingBring and Buy
PCUG Centre700pm
Santa SausagesSoda andbargains
Coffee and Chat930am - 12pm
Evening InternetSIG 7-9pm
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