Number 14 Edunotes Logo

December 13, 1999
Announcements
- Educyber publishes two editions of Edunotes, one for Educators and one for Computer Users.  To change or add to your subscription, contact Educyber (303-421-2223,edunotes
@educyber.com) Check out our new look at www.educyber.com and see our new business resources

 

Inside Edunotes
Beyond Y2K
Eduwords
Ask Ed Cyber
Windows 98 Second Edition
Remember the Memory
Shop Online for Christmas

Educyber Site Guide
Business Users
Computer Users
Educators

NOTE: Links and Web sites change frequently. All links and web sites were accurate at the time of publication.

Beyond Y2K

Just a few more weeks and, hopefully, we can put all this Y2K stuff behind us.  Until then though, we can expect the hype to just keep growing and the media to just keep getting shriller.
From here the greatest danger with Y2K appears to be all the charlatans and cheats out to make some quick money off of the event.  If someone offers to verify that your credit card is Y2K compliant, beware.  Likewise, watch out for unsolicited offers to make your computer Y2K compliant.  Be especially wary if you are a Mac owner as Mac hardware has never not been Y2K ready.  There may be software issues (and PC owners may have hardware issues) but your best bet is to check with the maker or seller.
One of the most common computer-related Y2K hoaxes (though no one can make any money off of it) is the Windows 95/98/NT hoax.  It tells you the short date display on your computer MUST be set to display the long date or programs that get date information from Windows will go haywire.  Several people who are normally quite skeptical of the "Send
this message to all your friends" type email have forwarded the above hoax to me "as a precaution."
Hackers might have a ball during Y2K without even being recognized as hacking.  Your computer or company's computer system experiences glitches and you naturally assume it was due to Y2K.  If you have had someone check out your system, it wouldn't hurt to call them back again.  It will be comforting to find them still in business and you can verify their credentials.
If you work in a large organization, you should also be careful when you go back to work after the first of the year.  Think how plausible it sounds if someone calls you with the line, "Hi, I'm from your IT department and I need to check your account to make sure it made it past Y2K o.k.  I'll need your password and user i.d."  Who wouldn't want to be reassured that they made it through safely?  But don't leave your common sense behind when you return to the workplace.  If you don't know the caller, don't give out the information without checking to ensure that the caller is who they say they are.

Until next year . . .

Edunotes Newsletter
This newsletter is created by Brian and Maki DeLaet and Nick Lee at Educyber, Inc.
Subscriptions in the U.S. are free. Subscribe online at www.educyber.com or call (720) 275-4646.
Educyber is based at:
11830 W 35th Ave.
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

Edu Words (a glossary for computer users):
 Memory:  Internal storage areas in the computer. The term memory identifies data storage that comes in the form of chips.
SIMM:  Acryonym for Single Inline Memory Module.  It is a small circuit board that holds Random Access Memory (RAM) chips.  SIMMs can be plugged into sockets on the computer's motherboard to add memory to the computer.  Depending on the computer, SIMMs may need to be installed in multiples of two or four.  Typically, SIMMs hold eight (on Macintoshes) or nine (on PCs) RAM chips.
DIMM:  Acryonym for Dual Inline Memory Module.  It is a small circuit board that holds Random Access Memory (RAM) chips.  One DIMM is equal to two SIMM's.
ECC memory:  Short for Error-Correcting Code memory, a type of memory that includes special circuitry for testing the accuracy of data as it passes in and out of memory.


Ask Ed Cyber

Dear Ed,
I want to make sure that my computer is Y2K compatible. Can you tell me what the latest versions of the software are (I'm assuming they're Y2K compliant!).

--Ready for the New Millenium

Dear Ready,
While your assumption certainly seems reasonable, it's simply not true. The following list is the latest software available but you will need to check to see if any patches or updates are needed for these programs

Operating Systems:
Windows Windows 98 Second Edition (With Windows 2000 due February 17)
Apple OS 9
RedHat Linux 6.1

Internet Applications:
Netscape 4.7 (Windows and Mac versions)
AOL 5.0
Internet Explorer 5.0
Windows Media Player 4.0
RealPlayer 7
QuickTime 4

Office Suites:
Microsoft Office 2000
Microsoft Works 2000
AppleWorks 5 (upgrade from ClarisWorks):
WordPerfect Office 2000 (Service Pack 1)

Other Programs:
Adobe Photoshop 5.5
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.05
PartitionMagic 5.0
Quicken 2000
QuickBooks 99

Hope this helps.

See you next year,

--Ed

Remember the Memory

Are you out of your mind or do you just need more memory? The ability to add massive amounts of memory (first 128 MB was a lot, then 256, 384, 512, 786, what's next?) to desktop computers has led to software developers designing programs to use up more and more of that memory. If you're buying a whole new system, get as much memory as you can afford. While memory prices are moving upwards right now, it's still usually cheaper to get it with a new purchase than it is to just buy an upgrade later. If you're ready to upgrade now, do it quickly. The long period of memory glut is quickly drawing to a close and the pressure on prices is building. That upward trend isn't likely to change anytime soon. How much memory should you get? Most new computers start with a MINIMUM of 64 MB of RAM. If you're running less than that, it's definitely time to consider upgrading. Rather than upgrade to the minimum though, try going up to 128 MB as many new systems are starting with that. If you like trying new things and / or if you plan to upgrade to new OS'es being rolled out (Windows 2000, OS 9) you'll definitely want to go for more rather than less. Plan to have at least 128 MB and go as high as you can afford and your computer can hold. What will memory set you back? Remember please that prices are volatile so what is written here may no longer be true by the time you read it. Adding 32 MB can cost from $81 to $112 depending on system configuration. 64 MB ranges from $152 to $235, 128 MB from $335 to $445, and 256 MB from $725 to $1029. Most computer makers no longer bolt the cases on in such a way as to discourage us from opening them. In fact, many are getting quite easy to open. Micron, for example, has a case where the side panel slides right off after lifting a lever and the memory slots are easy to reach. When performing a memory upgrade, consult your user's manual for information specific to your machine.

Windows 98 Second Edition

Let's not stick with the standards already established, like Service Pack 1 or Version B. Instead, we'll start a new naming method and call it Second Edition. Windows 98 Second Edition has been out for about two months now. Do you really need this new edition?

If you've got a home network or are considering setting one up, you'll want to consider this edition. It comes with an "Internet Connection Sharing" protocol that let's you share an Internet connection across a network. You don't need to have a server or expensive hardware to set this up. If you've got two or more computers connected with a hub, it's simple. Visit http//www.zdnet.com/pcmag/pctech/content/18/15
/tu1815.001.html for complete instructions.

If you're still running a pre-Windows 98 OS, you should give some serious consideration to this upgrade. It still has the familiar interface of 95 (and yes, you still have to go to the start button to shut your computer down) with several enhancements. Shutting down your computer is no longer a long, drawn out process. Once you tell the computer to shut down, it turns off almost immediately. Windows 98 really works with USB ports as well. It's kind of fun to plug something in (to the USB port) and then watch Windows detect and set up the device. Soon all the various ports on your computer will disappear and USB will be all that's left but that's a topic for another issue.

In the waning days of 1999 though, if you're still using pre-Win98, you may as well wait a few more months until February 17, 2000 when Windows 2000 will be released for sale. If you can wait no longer, the Windows 98 upgrade edition is retailing for around $90.

Shop Online for Christmas

Yes, it's already that time of the year. For some it's the time of shopping fun, fun, fun. Hop in your car and zoom over to the mall. But for those of us without the time for shopping, well, here's a solution - Shop Online! More stores this year have their websites ready for you, so you really don't have to go out in the cold and fight the crowds to get your holiday shopping done. Here are some online stores you may not have thought of visiting

Department Stores
Bloomingdale's
http//www.bloomingdales.com/
Macy's
http//www.macys.com/
Sears
http//www.sears.com/

Clothing/Outdoors
Nordstrom
http//nordstrom.com/
Cabela's
http//www.cabelas.com/
GAP
http//gap.com/
LAND'S END
http//www.landsend.com/

Home
marthastewart.com shopping
http//www.marthabymail.com/

Toys for All Ages
Disney Store Online
http//store.disney.go.com/
Brainstorms.com
http//www.brainstorms.com/
Hearthsong
http//www.hearthsong.com/
Oriental Trading Company
http//www.oriental.com/

Superstores
Wal-mart On-line
http//www.walmart.com/
Kmart
http//www.kmart.com/
TARGET
http//www.target.com/

This Newsletter is published by Educyber. For more information, or to subscribe, call (720) 275-4646 or Email edunotes@educyber.com ©1999 Educyber,Inc.

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