July 2002 EduNotes

EduCyber is pleased to present the July Edition of EduNotes. In this issue you can learn where to stay on top of the fires raging throughout the west, learn how to improve your computer's performance, decide whether you need a DVD or not, learn about wireless networking and stay on top of current weather conditions from your computer. Enjoy and as always, send feedback to edunotes@educyber.com.
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Did you know that EduCyber, in addition to our business services, has a variety of services for residential computer users? Visit http://www.educyber.com/homeservices to find out what we can do for you.
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Want to know what's burning and where? One of the best sources we've found is the National Interagency Fire Center's web site at http://www.nifc.gov/information.html. You can keep up to date on all the fires raging throughout the west and around the country.
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One of the most nagging problems for computer users is the way their system slows down over time. One of the main causes of this slow down is the clutter on the hard disk. "Tidying up" the clutter can have dramatic effects on the performance of your computer.
The way Windows handles files is by breaking them into chunks to store on the hard drive. When all of those chunks are grouped together, the time required to access them is much faster. Unfortunately, Windows does not automatically put all of those chunks together. In fact, the default behavior of Windows is to NOT put the chunks together. Fortunately there are programs available that will tidy up your system by putting all those chunks together. Windows even comes with its own utility for doing this.
The chunks are called file fragments so the utility is called a defragmenter although a dechunker sounds cooler. Anyway, depending on when, if ever, your computer was last defragmented, the first time you run it, it could take a while. We're talking hours. Before you can run it, you need to make sure that your computer has at least 15% of the drive to be defragmented free.
Then, once you've run it, the next time you start to run the defragmenter, you'll likely be told that the drive doesn't need to be defragmented. Run it anyway. If you wait until Windows thinks you need it, it will take longer and performance will be an issue. Best frequency for running defragmenter? Most computers will maintain best performance (at least as far as file fragmentation goes) if you defragment once a month.
The Windows defragmenter can be found in the Program Files - Accessories - System Tools menu.
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To DVD or Not To DVD
So your CD drive has died and its time to buy a new one. But wait, technology is changing and perhaps you don't want just a plain old CD drive anymore. In fact you have quite an array of choices available.
The first choice we'll look at is that "plain old CD drive." A new one, with a speed of 52X or 56X will only cost around $50 to $70. The number refers to the speed at which the drive reads the data from the disk. A 56x drive can read data at 56 times 150 KB / second. That is about the speed where CD drives have topped out. Why aren't they continuing to get faster? Other, more promising technologies can do the job better.
But if you want to stick with a CD drive, you should at least try either a CD-R or a CD-RW. A CD-R drive can, in addition to reading the data on a CD, record data onto a CD. A CD-RW can read and record data AND it can also erase and then rewrite data on a CD. If for no other reason, you should consider one of these as a very simple and cheap way to back up your data - spreadsheets, word documents, email, financial data, etc. Drives start at around $120 and recordable discs can be had for as little as 50 cents each for a pack of 80 at many box stores.
But any CD drive purchased will likely be dated technology in the next five years. The latest technology is a DVD (digital video disc) drive. One very appealing feature of DVD drives is that they are backwardly compatible with CDs so you don't have to throw out all of your old discs and start over. Low end DVD drives start at around $80. What makes a DVD better than a CD? The most data you can put on a CD is 850 MB. A DVD can hold 4.7 GB of data or more. Suddenly whole movies can fit on a single disk. Or the entire contents of your computer. Or the text of 1000's of books. Or a substantial amount of your favorite music.
But if you want to go with the latest technology then you'll want to try a DVD-R. As you may have guessed, a DVD-R allows you not only to read data from DVDs and CDs but also to write data to them. Starting in the low $300s, a DVD-R could be just the thing your tired old computer needs to add new spark.
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Networking's a Breeze
Or at least it seems like it's in the air. What are we talking about? Setting up a network in your home or small office has never been easier. A few years back my home-based office was in a finished basement. Running wires for our network was difficult and some of the wires just had to be left visible where they went through the floor / ceiling. I wish I could go back in time as that network would be quite easy to install now with no holes or wires sticking out. Wireless networking has at last come into its own.
The typical setup for a wireless network is simple and inexpensive. A wireless router is used to send out the signal. Then the individual computers just need a wireless network card installed. A few simple adjustments to the wireless router and you are networked. No cables to run. No holes to drill. No hassle.
So what's the catch? Well some may tell you that the current transfer speeds are unacceptable. While many of the affordable routers have wireless transfer rates of 11 Mbps, the actual rate is usually around half that. For most homes or small offices, that is more than enough bandwidth. One of the most common uses of a small network is to share Internet access. Unless you have a T1 coming into your office, your network bandwidth will probably exceed your Internet bandwidth.
The most important part of a wireless network is security. While testing a wireless network recently, I was able to sit in my car in front of my client's place and "bum a ride" on their Internet access. I could also see the computers on their network. A malicious hacker could easily cause problems with this setup. There are several simple solutions to security depending on your setup and needs. So if you're ready to give it a try, give us a call at (720) 275-4646 or drop us a line at info@educyber.com.
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Weather or Not
The Weather Channel (www.weather.com) has a couple of different programs that can help you stay on top of the weather. So whether you're interested in whether the weather is fit for golf or whether the weather will affect your business, you should check them out. (Whew, didn't think I'd weather that last sentence.)
The first program is Desktop Weather. It took me less than five minutes to sign up on their web site and download the small program. Once downloaded it only took another minute to install the program, simply indicating my zip code so they knew what forecast to give me. Now my local temperature is visible on the task bar (sorry Mac users, The Weather Channel hasn't made a program for you - at least not yet) and I need only double-click it to get a complete forecast along with current conditions - temperature, barometer and wind speed. Be aware that any program running in the background like this does use system resources and can have a negative effect on overall system performance. If you install the program and have problems, you can either uninstall it or increase your system's memory.
The second program is Inbox Weather. We haven't tried this one but it sounds pretty cool as well. When you sign up, download, and install the Infuzer program, you can then set up your The Weather Channel account to add the five day weather forecast automatically to your calendar program. If you're on the go and using a handheld, this could be quite useful. For more information, visit their web site.
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© 2002 EduCyber, Inc. This newsletter is brought to you by EduCyber, Inc. http://www.educyber.com Permission is hereby granted to redistribute all or part of this newsletter as long as this copyright message is included.
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