Wednesday Night Computer Help Desk Chatroom, 7/19/06

[mommalina]

We were No. 3 in the computer group rooms most of the night! - :cheer2:

ATTENDING

Rob (rbob/kern), Doug, Ray (rVidia), Dan, Dale, Rich (and his new dog, Loki!), Elliot, Loop, Photolady (left early, internet problem?), jcampi, Pirules, and I. Visitors who chimed in: LS leha, CBR 76, detective linux, and PYNTAMAN.

PALTALK TEXT BOX

-- Problem (as I see it): Sometimes there are two or three conversations going on, some exclusively in the text box, some exclusively on the mic, some using both. And once in a while, it's like "who's on first?"

-- Suggestion: let's all try to select fonts of different sizes and maybe also of different colors for our typed entries in the text box. An easier-to-follow thread may benefit all, especially visitors seeking help. How about it?

DISCUSSED

* Definitions of laptop, notebook, powerbook, thinkpad. Laptop = notebook. Powerbook is a MAC. Thinkpad is IBM's (Did I get that right? .... :noidea: )

* Today's best laptops

- Rich initially recommended Compaq 6000 or HP. Check www.HPshopping.com (http://www.HPshopping.com) for best price. Do not buy from retail store!

- Input from others caused Rich to conclude that Pavilion 5000 may be better deal.

- Ray is now considering the HP Pavilion dv5000z series notebook. http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/showthread.php?p=6690#post6690.

- 2g not really needed but get it if price reasonable.

- Brightview is better monitor for watching movies on laptops.

- Go with light scribe if you want to create your own labels on cd/dvd

- Lenovo IBM are great Laptops but really pricey without all the features

- Consider use of laptop. Travel? Avoid wide screen if you want to transport

- A ThinkPad is smaller than a laptop.

- Article in PC World about huge laptops/notebooks. 20" screens!

* Vista

- Dual boot

- Creative driver problem, freezes, runs slow. No problem on XP.

- Starting to get freezes.

- Building new hard drives for Vista which will have much enhanced flash as the OS is really cumbersome.

* Upgrading from W98 to XP - Perhaps KH forum discussion is causing member Al Dom to vacillate about getting new computer? Or will he wait until he can donate it to the Smithsonian Institution and take a tax deduction? :)

* Paltalk Ads

- Dale was being annoyed by pop-up ads over top of Paltalk window. Strange. I did not get them. I should have asked if he was using Firefox or Internet Explorer.

- Dan suggested AdMuncher. Rob agreed that it works like a charm. But it ain't "free"......maybe that's why it does such a good job?

- Ray said changing host file would do it. He maintains that's easy to do. (For him, say I!)

* Sysinternal apps - back them up, they may not be free long as Microsoft is buying them!

*Dual-Core Processors

- prices dropping dramatically!

- jcampi said the stuff he was reading today is awesome. First dual core. Then quad core and cores with 8 Cores!!! This is going to be crazy!

* Printers

- Epson printers. Everyone seemed to hate them. But my Epson 740 still performs optimally....and on generic cartridges! ("Miracle," says Dale). But I'm not into photography or graphics.

* Help Sought by Visitors

- Persistent S leha wanted to hook up his dinosaur hp dskjet 712c printer to new XP O/S. (Maybe he can donate it to Al for Al's W98 computer?) Instructions from the guys were above his head, I think, and he gave up. (I can empathize.)

- Equally persistent PYNTAMAN wanted to hook up his dinosaur Genius easypen which was developed for Windows 3.1 and 95 - it is a long discontinued item. No drivers available. Diplomat Dan finally told him, "Throw it away. Buy an optical usb mouse!" (Maybe we should have suggested he sell it to Al Dom?:) )

- Poor CBR76 wanted help with Internet Explorer. I think to ping, go to Start | Run and type cmd.exe, then type "ping www.cnet.com" without quotes. was beyond his comprehension and language skills. He asked about an Arabic Paltalk computer chatroom.

Join us next week, same time, same station (Wednesday, 9 pm EST, KH Computer Help Desk, a Paltalk chatroom).

Lina

[rVidia]

Just for that, Lina, I'm going to start a thread on how to edit your HOSTS file :D

[mommalina]

Just for that, Lina, I'm going to start a thread on how to edit your HOSTS file :D

Thanks! (I think....) :)

Lina

[rVidia]

Here you are, Lina...

http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3006

[mommalina]

Here you are, Lina...

http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3006

Geeze, Louise! Simple for you, my friend! .... :rolleyes: .... :frusty:

I thought perhaps Ad Muncher would be more simple than fooling with the HOST file for me. But I checked out the Ad Muncher site, and apparently there have been some conflicts in the past which the new version corrects. Makes me leery, reminds me of Sygate conflicts I once had.

Ray, many thanks for your time and efforts. I'm sure some computer-savvy members will benefit from your post, but I pass. .... :sorry: ....

Pop-ups have subsided since I cleaned out my Lycos mailbox. Let me mess with Firefox AdBlock first. That may take care of the few pop-ups I now get. If not, and if pop-ups again proliferate, I'll reconsider.

Thanks again. :hug:

Lina

[rVidia]

Thanks for the feedback, Lina. Glad to hear you're doing well without Lycos. You're happy with your Yahoo mailbox?

Anyway, sorry the post was a bit over your head :ohwell: Truly, I have it in three easy steps! :D

1) Open up HOSTS file with Notepad
2) Type 127.0.0.1 www.websitetoblock.com
3) Save

Tada!

Well, I suppose if you know how to do it, you automatically assume it's simple. Hopefully all will go well with AdBlock and you won't see too much of those pop-ups anymore. Good luck!

[Tortanick]

Sounds like you guys had fun, Sorry I couldn't make it. Timezone diffrences.

[mommalina]

Sounds like you guys had fun, Sorry I couldn't make it. Timezone diffrences.

Tortanick, many in California get up before dawn to watch/listen to C-Span Washington Journal (http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspan_wm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS) via TV, radio, or internet stream, from 7 am to 10 am EST. Most are politically astute and motivated C-Span addicts.

Can we addict you enough to make time for the KH chatroom at an inconvenient or ungodly hour? At your age, I could stay up partying all night and then go straight to work. .... ;) .... Just kidding. It sure would be nice to have you join us but not at the expense of school, work, or needed sleep .... :nono:.

In the meantime, we enjoy and benefit from your posts here on our forum. .... :grouphug:

Lina

[Tortanick]

Its five hours later for me than it is for you, I don't think I could say anything usefull at 2AM

[mommalina]

Its five hours later for me than it is for you, I don't think I could say anything usefull at 2AM

Your "youthful, sleepy moments" couldn't be any less useful than some of my "senior moments"! .... :doh: .... :)

I was just teasing you about joining us in the wee hours of the morning. Don't even think of jeopardizing the nourishment of that fine mind of yours by sleep deprivation. :nono:

rVidia wrote: You're happy with your Yahoo mailbox?

Ray, I failed to answer you earlier. Yes, I'm very happy with my Yahoo mailbox. Never any pop-up ads. Good spam control. I quit checking the Bulk (i.e., Spam) Folder because I never found anything there that was not spam. I use Outlook Express solely for family and friends, so I don't think I'm missing important emails.

Lina

[Pi rules]

I think to ping, go to Start | Run and type cmd.exe, then type "ping www.cnet.com" without quotes. was beyond his comprehension and language skills.
I was trying to simplify it from "ping cnet.com". I was looking up Arabic, but couldn't find anything fast enough. I found "Hello" at least.

Let me mess with Firefox AdBlock first.
I love that extension, I may make a thread about it later.

Thanks for the summary! :wave:

[photolady]

I moofed and then got a phone call. Maybe next week I can stay longer. Btw, I'm sorry to have missed the discussion on Epson printers. I would have given them a run for their money on that one subject. I've used Epson printers since the dot matrix days and never had a problem. My 1270 still prints beautiful full color photos a lab can't tell the difference from mine to theirs. ;) It depends on how you treat them whether they work forever or quit after a few months. Just like any thing else in the tech world. ;)

[dale@fcg]

Lina,
You are an absolute blessing to this website. :bounce:

Thanks so much for taking the time to give the minutes of our Paltalk session. I know from teaching that nothing helps retention like going back over all you've learned. To see our talk all summed up puts it all together and makes it so much easier to use the evening's proceedings to my(our) benefit. :tea:

As for your suggestion on different color text, it's all Dan's fault::bump2: I had brown first! (btw, Dan, my crummy little hp laser printer still works!)

As for the problem of three ring circus atmosphere of mic and text, its the nature of the beast - unless we were to try to solve one problem at a time. But that would require a moderator, and also would lead to time frame issues where a discussion would have to be ended before the originator wanted it too (like the laptop research on Wed nite- it was ongoing for an hour or so).

One way to help those of us trying to learn from all situations presented would be for each typist/micist to start their thoughts with the name of the person being addressed.

Thanks again for being there for us, Lina.:wave:

[mommalina]

As for the problem of three ring circus atmosphere of mic and text, its the nature of the beast - unless we were to try to solve one problem at a time. But that would require a moderator, and also would lead to time frame issues where a discussion would have to be ended before the originator wanted it too (like the laptop research on Wed nite- it was ongoing for an hour or so).

Eventually Ray (rVidia) and Rob (Kern) took their detailed conversation about laptops to an IM to give others a chance to further discuss other matters and to help visitors. That was very considerate and a good idea!

One way to help those of us trying to learn from all situations presented would be for each typist/micist to start their thoughts with the name of the person being addressed.

Good suggestion, Dale.

How about let's try to remember to:

- use different size font for our text box entries (maybe different color also)
- name the person you are addressing, be it in the text box or via mic
- use IM to continue a conversation of interest to only you and another party


Thanks again for being there for us, Lina.:wave:

My pleasure, Dale. And a way of paying back for all the help and encourage you guys have given me over the years.

Lina

[dale@fcg]

You wear the Netiquette Queen's hat next Wed, Lina. Keep us in line!

[mommalina]

As for the problem of three ring circus atmosphere of mic and text, its the nature of the beast - unless we were to try to solve one problem at a time. But that would require a moderator, and also would lead to time frame issues where a discussion would have to be ended before the originator wanted it too (like the laptop research on Wed nite- it was ongoing for an hour or so).

Eventually Ray (rVidia) and Rob (Kern) took their detailed conversation about laptops to an IM to give others a chance to further discuss other matters and to help visitors. That was very considerate and a good idea!

One way to help those of us trying to learn from all situations presented would be for each typist/micist to start their thoughts with the name of the person being addressed.

Good suggestion, Dale.

How about let's try to remember to:

- use different size font for your text box entries (maybe different color also)
- name the person you are addressing, be it in the text box or via mic
- use IM to continue a conversation of interest to only you and another party

Thanks again for being there for us, Lina.:wave:

My pleasure, Dale. And this is a small way to thank all of you for your help, patience, guidance, courtesy, and encouragement these past years. My first computer -- and maybe this second computer -- would have landed out the window without you. :hug:

Lina