Sarasota PC Monitor

Review Chairmans Industry Comments (11/01)

Reviewing Software

by Herb Goldstein, Review Editor

E-mail comments, suggestions, etc. to Herb Goldstein at: revieweditor@spcug.org

WINDOWS XP UPGRADE ADVISOR. As promised, Microsoft has provided an Upgrade Advisor that will look carefully at your computer and determine which of your current software and hardware is compatible with XP. It's a 33+MB download or you can run it directly from Microsoft's Website. Go to Microsoft.com and search for Windows XP upgrade advisor. They also provide a catalogue listing what will or won't work. Interestingly, as I feared, most of my hardware and software is currently incompatible with XP, and I am not running anything exotic. And I sure as heck am not going to the makers of each device and program to see if they have a fix. What price glory??

TOWARD A FASTER COMPUTER. Many users are misinformed about the benefits of a faster computer processor. Doubling the speed of your processor, for example by going from a 400MHz to an 800 MHz computer, will not double the performance speed of a computer. Doubling the processor speed will perhaps give you a 10% boost. You will gain a greater edge by increasing your memory (RAM), like going from 64MB to 128, or 128MB to 256.

Stepping up from a Pentium 2 to a 3, or from a Pentium 3 to a 4 will also provide a more significant move since each in turn increases the size of your processing cache. A better video card with more memory will help game players and video or graphics buffs.

A more meaningful increase also comes from a faster and greater capacity hard drive (like going to a 7200 RPM, ATA100 hard drive). A new ATA 100 hard drive will provide maximum benefit only if your mother board has an ATA 100 controller slot you can plug it in to. Most newer boards do. But..........BEWARE THE VOLUME BUG! Many users who want to add an extra ATA 100 hard drive to their system find they are unable to do so because they are already maxed out on the number of allowable IDE devices that restrict every PC. Some solve the problem the best but most expensive way by adding a SCSI controller card and drive to their system. SCSI devices do not have the number restrictions posed by IDE. Other users have worked around the restriction by placing a Promise Technology (also marketed under Maxtor's name) ATA 100 card in a PCI slot and plugging their drives into it. BEWARE!! This controller card contains a bug that may raise hell with your computer startups, greeting you with a frozen blue screen and the meaningless words, " The volume that was removed had open files on it. Next time please check first to see if the volume can really be removed." You will need to do a power-off restart several times to get up and running again, and even then you may find lost clusters and that your registry and your video driver have been corrupted causing you to lose your SVGA setting or worse.

The problem is more completely discussed at http://www.nocrash.com/bb/messages/812.shtml. Some work-arounds, drivers, etc. are offered by Promise, Gateway and Maxtor that may or not solve the problem for you, if in fact you are knowledgeable or capable enough to install them. Our advice is to be wary of the card whether under the Promise Technology or marketed by Promise or under any other name!

TAKE THE PLUNGE? Windows XP seems to occupy high interest in everybody's mind, and I know many of you are waiting for some good advice. This column was written prior to the release date, but in the past few months we've presented pros and cons gleaned from the beta releases and what has already been publicized in various sources. Once again, the best advice we can offer at this point is to sit tight and wait until the smoke clears. We are following the situation very closely and will keep you more fully advised in upcoming issues of the Monitor.

On the pro side, XP is undoubtedly a more stable product. You will see far fewer blue screens and freezes. From the many complaints I hear from members about their problems in Windows 9x, don't sell that stability short! It also contains a wide variety of interesting new and very useful features although many of you may already have them in various other separate software applications.

There is an anathema in promoting XP because it is more stable, whereas prior Windows versions were not. It's kind of like an automobile manufacturer saying, "Buy our latest model which does not contain the flaw present in our previous models."

On the con side, compatibility with your current software and hardware is still a question. A stiff price is another. A very prominent third and possibly most vexing is Microsoft's new copy protection scheme, WPA, the Windows Product Activation feature that will prevent you from installing it on more than one computer and will provide you with a hassle should you need to reinstall it on the original or its replacement computer. All these matters will become more clear over the next few months and we will certainly keep you informed.

The bottom line is that you need to weigh the pros and cons, or wait until we can digest and pass along anything further after the release and subsequent reviews. Of course, if your new computer comes along with it already installed, so much the better.

DISINFECT YOUR SYSTEM FROM NIMDA. If you think your system may already be infected by the Nimda virus, download the Norton Nimda Removal Tool, which will scan your system for the virus. Also, make sure to update your virus definitions so that your current antivirus software can detect and protect against Nimda. Download the Nimda Removal Tool: http://two.digital.cnet.com/cgi-bin2/flo?y=eCA70BOdMX0YD0eYa0Am

A SIMPLE CURE. When something on your computer suddenly just won't work right, before reverting to all those words that are not in the dictionary, try the simple cure...REBOOT! Many computer ills are transient and will disappear as magically as they came when you reboot your machine. If your system freezes and does not respond to your commands, get out of the application you are stuck in by simultaneously pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete and choosing the End Task option that comes up. Some freezes will shut down your keyboard or mouse making this impossible and leaving a power-off shutdown your undesirable but only alternative. Rebooting also refreshes system resources which may have become dangerously low and possibly caused your problem in the first place. Remember to follow an abnormal shutdown with scandisk or your utility's equivalent. The chances of finding lost clusters, etc. that need to be corrected are considerable.

WINDOWS' HANDIEST UTILITIES. Perhaps the handiest utility that controls many facets of Windows' appearance and operation is Microsoft's free Tweak UI. If you don't already have it, go to find.pcworld.com/11821 for the download. Once installed, it will be available as an applet in Control Panel where you can launch it. Tab after tab of choices allow you to control how you want Windows to look and function.

IT BEARS REPETITION. Fight adware with ad-aware to help preserve your privacy . This indispensable free application not only scans your memory, registry, and disk drives for ad-supported software components (spyware)-it can actually remove them, as well. The latest update, 5.6, supports the removal of additional ad-monitoring components, including EzUla, Expedioware, and Transponder modules. http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?144829:27503412

SCIENCE FAN? Explore everything from the inner workings of your body systems to the outer reaches of the universe, make complex calculations and unit conversions, or simply find the atomic weight of a particular element with these programs. http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?144832: 27503412

GOT THE LATEST? Catch up on the la test updates for your software by downloading Cnet's CatchUp at http://catchup.cnet.com/catchup/cu/index/index.html

CHECK YOUR WEBSITE. Here are the tools you need to check the accuracy of your Website creation. Use them to quickly check the pages of your site for valid markup, accessibility, usability, browser compatibility, spell checking, etc. You will find them at http://www.craigcecil.com/checkyoursite.htm

WINDOWS SHAREWARE UTILITIES. Here's an unbeatable site where you will find the ultimate collection of Windows shareware utilities. It's worth a trip from anywhere! http://www.winsite.com/win95/sysutil/index.html

INTERNET TOOLKIT. This collection of nifty applications will help you run a variety of tasks, from manipulating your bookmarks with Bookmark Converter to running effective online searches with programs such as Copernic 2001. http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?144835:27503412

DOWNLOADING FOR NOVICES is discussed in its simplest terms at http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?123408:27503412.

If you are new to computing and want some very good basic instructions on how to download some of the many fine references we apprise you of here, pay it a visit.

HARDWARE FAILURE? If your CD-ROM drive, printer, or other device attached to your computer appears to be non-working, before you give up hope you need to try a simple procedure at recovery. Go into your Control Panel-System-Device Manager. Select the errant device's properties tab and delete the device. Then go to Windows' Add-Remove New Hardware and reinstall it. By doing this you will refresh the drivers for the device in question. Driver corruption or failure is a common cause of device problems. Reinstalling drivers already in Windows is often a good solution. Sometimes obtaining new drivers from the device's manufacturer or online from sites like drivershq.com will help. Another good source for both drivers and system files is located at http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/drivers.html. To get the right drivers, you have to know the brand and model of each device in question. With new systems, you usually get an itemized receipt that lists all components; that might contain all you need right there. Other times, Device Manager might give you enough hints to go on. But as a last resort, you may have to open the case and examine the target components or cards for brand name and model number. Once you have at least a brand name, visit the manufacturer's home page. If you don't know the home page, use Google.Com and search on the brand name; odds are, you'll find the manufacturer's home page on the first screen of results. Most (but not all) vendors offer FAQs to help you determine exactly which driver you need, plus a free download of the appropriate driver.

But if you get stumped, http://www.driverguide.com/ can help: You have to register (it's free), but once inside you'll find links to download sites from a huge searchable database of driver info. And for rare or no-longer-supported drivers, there's a member-to-member area where people can share the driver they have with others seeking same.

If you have a working copy of Windows, it's often helpful to pre-download everything you'll need before you start a reinstall, and store the drivers in a safe place. That way, you can install the new drivers right from the start of your new Windows setup. A MISPLACED COMMA or period in a Web address is all you need to prevent successful access to the sites we recommend. Be especially careful to enter your URL's accurately.

AFTER THE BLUE SCREEN. Microsoft's infamous blue screen containing a variety of undecipherable error messages means that some type of conflict has occurred that has crashed your application and made your computer unstable. You may be able to reboot, or you may need to do a power-off shutdown, then reboot. Either way, you need to run Scandisk or a similar utility after rebooting. Invariably you will find lost clusters and probably other corrupted information that Scandisk will fix. Attempting to save lost clusters as files (Scandisk will give you the choice) is a waste of time. You won't know what the saved files are or what to do with them. Just delete them and hope they are not the remnants of something you badly needed. If blue screens occur too frequently, you need to get to the bottom of your corruption-instability problems. There are many diagnostic tools that will help. Sometimes, switching to a more stable operating system like Windows NT-2000 or the new Windows XP is the answer.

A WORD OF CAUTION. Before running ANY software downloaded from the Internet, no matter the source, run a virus checker against the downloaded files. A few extra seconds worth of work just might save you from several hours of recovery.

LEAVE IT ON? TURN IT OFF? There are times to leave your computer on, and times to turn it off. Take this grossfadder's wisenspouten and turn a deaf ear to the gurus that tell you to leave your computer on all the time. If you plan an absence from your machine for an hour or less, fine...leave it on. For longer periods of inactivity, turn it off. Here's why:

  1. Computers and their peripherals have a healthy appetite for electricity. Leaving computers on unnecessarily will cost you.
  2. Computers generate heat. Heat is a prime drag on electronic components. Most computer fans are inadequate, especially when dealing with a heat buildup resulting from continuous "on."
  3. As you use your machine, you deplete system resources. Software frequently does not replace resources as it should when you exit a program. As you run low on resources, your computer will do funky things that you can't explain and result in more frequent crashes. When you reboot, you make a fresh start with your resources. People who leave their machines running during long periods of disuse also tend to use screensavers, one of the biggest resource hogs going!

4, A computer when "on" is subject to current interruption problems and lightning damage.

Do you leave your car running when you are not using it? Apply the same logic to your computer. So there, Jack D.!

FASTER DHL COMING. A faster flavor of DSL may be coming to a phone line near you-just not anytime soon, so don't hold your breath. Europe is leading the charge to a new, faster DSL standard, known as G.SHDSL. How much faster? Two to three times. Even better, the new standard would allow telecommunications providers to offer DSL connections over greater distances, unlike current DSL standards which have disenfranchised folks like me from getting DSL just because we're more than 2.6 miles away from a central switching office.

SPEED UP YOUR ZIP DRIVE. If you use a Zip or Jaz drive, you can hasten writing data to the drive by going to Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-File System-Removable Disk, and check the Enable write-behind caching on all removable drives box.

FASTER WEB SURFING. Here is a collection of tips and tricks that you can implement to boost your existing system. Click here to speed up your surfing: http://two.digital.cnet.com/cgi-bin2/flo?y=eCBX0CRbF70Eq0ecP0A1

SOME HYPERLINKS DON'T WORK? Some hyperlinks that appear in this column may not work for you. The problem may be with your browser, or with the time span between when this column is written, and when you get to following the link. So, please don't be angry at Uncle Herb. Kick the dog!

WHAT'S IT DOING? Do you ever experience your hard drive cranking away all by itself at odd times when you never told it to do anything. What's going on? Is there a gremlin at work? If you are really nosy, go to pcmag.com and download the utility, DISKACTION. It will tell you exactly what's going on.

FIGHT SPAM. I don't know of anything that ticks computer users off more so than the evil of your email inbox, spam! It seems that no matter how you try to filter the garbage out, the evil purveyors always come up with a novel "from" address to by-pass your filters. For the latest dope on these dopes, including some excellent suggestions and downloads, here are some super-great sites to go to:

  1. http://spam.abuse.net/spam/
  2. http://www.elsop.com/wrc/nospam.htm
  3. http://w3.one.net/~banks/spam.htm
  4. http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/nospam.html
  5. http://ddi.digital.net/~gandalf/spamfaq.html
  6. http://combat.uxn.com/

And lastest with the mostest (grammatic license, Waldo!), http://hotfiles.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/texis/swlib/hotfiles/search.html?link=1&Utext=spam&Usrt=date

BUILDING YOUR OWN WEB SITE? Here are a couple of excellent, free downloads to help do a good job. You can get them at http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?/adeskb/adt0907/2810840:683154

  1. CoffeeCup Free HTML is an excellent, streamlined HTML editor. In addition to all the normal Web-creation tools you'd expect, it includes templates to get you started. (Free/Win95-98-NT)
  2. Applet Menu Pack includes three Java applets that will let you build great navigational menus for your Web pages. (Free/Win95-98-NT)
  3. unFREEz makes it a breeze to create GIF animations. It's small, it's fast, and it's simple to use.(Free/Win95-98-NT)

VITAL ELECTRIC CURRENT INFO. Here's a site which can answer any well thought out questions about protecting electronics and structures from lightning, surges, harmonics, power failures, etc. is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LightningProtection Experts are

available to dispel myths, sales hokum, spurious performance claims, etc., and make scientifically correct observations (when there is scientific agreement). But, this site is NOT a forum or chat room where non-productive messages are allowed to be posted, or overly simplistic questions are answered. There isn't time, and the people who contribute information are busy professionals (physicists, professors, engineers, medical doctors, meteorologists, safety experts, ...). People responsible for managing electronic networks should find enough resources here to use in evaluating proposed or existing protective systems (lightning protection devices, grounding, surge protection, ...).

FLAT AND THIN! No, it's not your old 7th grade sweetheart. It's the latest LCD monitors. A year ago, you couldn't touch one for under a thousand dollars. Some are less that half that now, and still dropping. Without a doubt, they offer you many advantages over the current CRT ubiquitous products. And as prices continue to drop, along with the current market for electronic products, you might want to treat yourself to the latest and greatest. Computer Shopper's noted guru, David English, reminds us of some of the many advantages offered by the new LCT beauties:

  1. LCDs tend to have sharper focus than CRTs. This is especially true for flat-panel displays that are connected to the PC via a digital interface. Unlike CRTs, the pixel pitch, which is expressed in either pixels per inch (ppi) or dots per inch (dpi), doesn't vary much between models and manufacturers.
  2. LCD monitors are also much easier on the eyes. Because their pixels remain lit longer, they're usually flicker-free.

If your eyes hurt after staring at your CRT for many hours, you could benefit greatly from a flat-panel display.

3. Flat panels also consume significantly less power, saving money on electricity bills. Samsung, for example, claims its 15-inch SyncMaster 570vTFT ($449) uses just 30 percent of the juice needed to power a similar-size CRT, or about as much electricity as a 25-watt light bulb. Sharp has a Savings Tracker on its Web site that calculates the savings you'll garner by switching to an LCD. At press time, the potential savings it calculated ranged from $15 to $40 a year, depending on how much the monitor is used and the local going rate for electricity.

4. Sleek styling and efficient design are two other reasons why flat-panel monitors have become increasingly popular. Not only do they have a futuristic flair, but they let you reclaim a considerable patch of desk real estate. Sharp, for example, says its flat-panel monitors require 60 percent less room than comparable CRTs. Because LCD screens are so thin, the screen and base together usually have a depth of less than 8 inches. If you have a narrow desk, you may favor a display with an especially compact design, such as NEC-Mitsubishi's 15-inch MultiSync LCD1530V ($479), which is a svelte 6 inches deep.

5. A final advantage is LCDs' extremely low radiation emissions. While there's no proven link between CRT-monitor radiation and health problems, many users prefer to play it safe. CRTs have dramatically improved their emissions ratings over the past 10 years, but LCDs are-and likely will remain-far superior on this score because they don't employ radiation-emitting cathode-ray tubes.

NOSY?? Want to know more about your system and what's happening in it? Here are some shareware downloads from zdnet.com/downloads that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask:

  1. M2 Information grabs all kinds of vital data about your PC and makes it easy to copy and paste the details into an email message if you need to send one to technical support. (Free/Win95-98-NT)
  2. Sysid gives you all kinds of great information about your computer, down to the level of your CPU cache size and the specific manufacturer and make of the CPU. (Free/Win95-98-NT)
  3. PC Information lets you collect an astounding wealth of information about your system-not just about your CPU and memory, but about your CD drive, video and sound system, motherboard, IP address, and a whole lot more. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)

HELP FOR DOWNLOADING. Try Fresh Download version1.0 We haven't, so we don't know how well it works, but what the hay, it's free! If it does anything near what it claims, it's sure worth a look. Fresh Download is, so they say, a robust and very fast download manager software that will turbo charge downloading any files, such as favorite software, MP3 files, video files, etc. Unlike any other similar utilities, this software is 100% free, no charges, no banners/ads, and no spyware in the software. Key features of Fresh Download version 1.0:

To download Fresh Download setup file, please visit the download page at http://www.freshdevices.com/download.html

SLUGGISH COMPUTER? Here are some shareware apps that purport to speed up your machine. You can find them at zdnet.com/downloads:

1, PC Accelerator 6000 will rev up your PC and your Internet connection. You'll be able to boost Windows performance, graphics performance, and more. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)

2. Dr. Salman's WinBooster boosts Windows and the speed with which you connect to the Internet. It'll especially help anyone who connects to the Internet via a traditional dial-up modem. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)

3. 3DMark2001 helps you tweak your PC's settings to get the best performance out of your 3D graphics card. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)

BEWARE OF TROJANS. No, they are not something high school seniors carry around surreptitiously. A Trojan horse, such as Back Orifice, is a virus-like intrusion which allows a hacker to take control of your PC without your knowledge. The best preventative is use of anti-hacker software like Zonelabs' free Zone Alarm.

SOME PRINTER TRICKS. You can teach your printer to do some interesting things with the right software. Here are some shareware apps that will accomplish a few very useful tasks. You will find them at zdnet.com/downloads:

  1. FinePrint 2000 lets you print two, four, or eight pages onto a single sheet, saving paper. It'll also allow you to create your own booklets as well. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)
  2. Pochette Express lets you print CD covers and labels in the proper sizes. You'll even be able to find original CD art and then print it out using the program. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)
  3. Album Toolkit is a photo album that will let you organize all your graphics on a PC, and then print several of them on a single sheet. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)

FOR VIDEO EDITING. For those of you into video editing, here are some shareware/freeware apps from zdnet.com/downloads to help you get the job done:

  1. MoviexOne gives you a whole suite of editing tools. You can add titles and audio, convert between video formats, and animate and edit clips. It supports all the major video, graphics, and audio formats, and can also be used as a multimedia browser and organizer. Amazingly enough, it's free. (Free/Win95-98-NT)
  2. Adobe Premiere is a powerful video-editing tool that lets you create high-quality movies. You can simultaneously view your source clip and the edited footage. The program also integrates into other Adobe programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe After Effects. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)
  3. Ulead VideoStudio is great for jazzing up your home movies. You can add rolling credits, titles, background music, and even narration. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)

HP'S NEW PHOTO PRINTER. HP has recently added a photo lab to its all-in-one printer. Hewlett-Packard now offers a fifth function to its all-in-one printer. In addition to printing, scanning, faxing and photocopying, the HP PSC 950 will produce digital photos without requiring people to load them onto a PC first. The company recently released the unit at a list price of $399.

OUTLOOK EXPRESS TIPS. So, you use Outlook Express. Doesn't everybody? Here are some keyboard shortcuts to make things a little easier, and a hint to set up individual accounts:

Ctrl-M: Send and receive mail

Ctrl-D: Delete a message

Ctrl-Shift-B: Open your address book

Ctrl-R: Reply to a message

Ctrl-I: Open the Inbox

Ctrl-N: Create a new message

If you share a computer with other people, you can each create your own identity with your own folders, signatures, and even email accounts. To create a new identity, choose File > Identities > Add New Identity and type a name and a password for the new user. You'll be asked if you want to switch to this user; when you do, you can set up the user's account, folders, and preferences. Switch between users at any time by choosing File > Switch Identity.

POP-UP CRAZY? Pop-Up Stopper from Panicware, Inc.will protect you from those infernal pop-ups and pop-unders that plague your peaceful browsing (even that blasted X-10 garbage), and what's great about this one is that if you want to view something, all you have to do is press CTRL or Shift while clicking a link to temporarily disable it. This is total freeware, not ad-ware or spyware, although you have the option to donate a nominal amount should you care to.

Unlike much freeware, they also offer full support. Here is the link to check it out Panicware, Inc. - Pop-Up Stopper .

They do have a couple of other programs designed to protect privacy as well, not freeware, but worth a look. The URL for Pop-Up Stopper is http://www.panicware.com/product_dpps.html .

MORE INTERESTING DOWNLOADS. You can find these at pcworld.com/12720

  1. Bounce Spam Mail- Discourage spammers by sending them fake bounce messages.
  2. Ultimate Boot Disk- More system info than the Windows version.
  3. System Mechanic- Fixes and prevents problems with your PC.
  4. AdSubtract SE- Stop those annoying banner ads you get while surfing.
  5. Photo-Jam- Make a musical photo album or slide show by combining images and music.

BROADBAND ASSISTANCE. Broadband encompasses the several means of fast Internet access and usage. It includes cable, DSL, and wireless connections. There are several sites that may be of interest to you if you use one or another:

  1. Speedguide.net- Increase the speed and stability of your connection.
  2. Broadband Wizard- After a 15 day free trial, it costs $20 to keep this downloadable utility that optimizes your connection.
  3. DSL Reports- News, facts and reviews on local providers.
  4. Getconnected.com- Details on cable and DSL plans, special deals and shopping advice.
  5. Cable-modems.org- All kinds of excellent info on your cable modem connection.

RECENT UPDATES. Recent updates are available for the software listed below:

1. pcAnywhere 10.02. Paint Shop Pro 7.043. CRT 32 3.4 beta 2 4. Ad-Aware 5.65. PolyView 3.636. Dope Wars 2.17. Personal Stock Monitor 5.1.2 8. Norton Antivirus Definitions 9/5/20019. Kyodai Mahjongg 17.02 10. Dark Ages 3.71

MORE INNOVATION FROM STOMP. Surely you remember a name as unusual as Stomp. Perhaps it came from their original product, the CD Stomper, a little device that easily and very effectively affixes a label on to your CD. It also may be that you remember their superb CD burner software, Click N' Burn that was reviewed recently in the Monitor. Whatever the recollection, here are two more reasons to remember the name:

1. Disk Savers- The latest and greatest way to store and protect your CD's. An ultra-thin jewel case of semi-flexible, unbreakable plastic in which to store your CD. It's a vast improvement over the current thick and fragile jewel case. Available in boxes of 25 Disk Savers. No better or as good a way to do the job!

2. Clutter Buster- Here's a novel structure you can attach to your monitor, computer case, or stand free on your work space. It contains a variety of slots, draws, shelves, and configurable storage areas in which you can organize and store CD's, pencils, paper clips, and any other sundry item that normally floats around and clutters your work area. It's one of those clever things that you look at, smile, and wonder why nobody ever thought of it before. Clutter Buster will appear on this month's Special Drawing at the software review table. Don't miss it!

CD-RW PRIMER. Many of you are confused about the meaning of the numbers that describe CD-RW drives. Let's see if we can't clarify it a bit for you. Take a 16x/10x/40x drive, for example:

The first number, 16x, is the write speed at which the drive will write to a CD-R disk. Most CD burning software will allow you to choose the record speed with a maximum up to this number. CD-R disks will also be labeled with the maximum speed at which they will record.

The second number, 10x, is the maximum speed at which the drive will write to a rewritable CD-RW disk. CD-RW disks can be written to and erased up to 1,000 times. Unfortunately, you can't erase files on them selectively. It's all or nothing.

The third number, 40x, is the speed at which the drive will read a CD when you use it as you would an ordinary CD-ROM drive. It's handy to have both a CD-ROM and a CD-RW drive so you can copy directly from one to the other, but if you have to opt for just one, select the CD-RW drive because it can do the job of both. When you have only a CD-RW drive and want to copy a CD, you will copy first to your hard drive, then replace the CD with a CD-R disk and copy from the hard drive to the CD-R.

Because of their considerably greater capacity, longevity and reliability, CD-R's are rapidly replacing all other forms of removable media. It would be a mistake to buy a new computer without including a CD-RW drive, and it makes good sense to add one to your current setup if you don't already have one. A drive of less than 12x is not advisable. 12x is currently considered entry level, but we recommend at least 16x. Drives as fast as 24x are now available. If you currently have your maximum allowable (4) IDE devices and want to add a CD-RW drive, fear not. They are available in an external USB variety.

Remember too that CD-R disks are also speed rated. You will not want to try to burn an 8x CD at 16x speed. Most CD burning software will permit you to adjust the speed of burn. Yamaha, TDK, and Plextor are among the top-rated drives.

In CD burning software, Roxio's Easy CD Creator sports all the bells and whistles for audio CD's, and Stomp's Click N' Burn is unbeatable for ease of use. The recording software you use is just as important and often more so than the quality of your CD-RW drive.

Information you are recording passes from its source to a buffer or memory cache, thence to the CD. If the CD recorder draws that information from the buffer faster than the source can supply, the result is the most common cause of an inaccurately burned CD, buffer underrun. The better drives of 16x or greater today incorporate buffer underrun protection via a feature known as burn-proof, safe-burn and similar. Look for it in the drive you buy. Click N' Burn tackles the problem in its software by creating an image on your hard drive from the data source, then feeding the data in the image from your hard drive to your recorder.

The next technical step upward whose earliest models are just beginning to appear is recordable DVD-RW. Although currently slower and considerably more expensive, DVD discs have some 4.7GB capacity and can be overwritten 100,000 times. Another advance coming soon is multi-level CD recording which will triple the capacity of your current CD's to 2.1GB at triple current record speeds. Look for it in early 2002.

Here are some hints you can use to increase the speed and reliability of your recordings. Don't do this while you are in the process of recording:

  1. Go Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager and select your CD-RW drive from the hardware list. Click on Properties. Select the Settings tab. Select (check) to turn on DMA. Unselect (uncheck) to turn off Auto Insert Notification.
  2. Defragment and optimize your hard drive before recording. :

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Copyright 2001. This article is from the November 2001 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For further information about our group, email: admin@spcug.org/ Web: http://www.spcug.org/

The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,300+ members and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are members of the America Online Ambassador Program.

See http://www.spcug.org for all reviews from the Sarasota PC Monitor, go to the Newsletter Section.