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Pastimes : Dream Machine ( Build your own PC )

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To: Sean W. Smith who wrote (4750)	1/9/1999 2:01:00 PM
From: Zeuspaul	Read Replies (1) of 14778

The whole discussion of PM/DI, partitioning and multi OS is a complex one. I personally would never consider recommending this to novices. Experience, knowledge, and comprehension all take time. I agree. However I do not characterize Clarence as a novice computer user..novice NT yes but he is an experienced Mac user. I believe the concept is common to most Operating Systems. I think the issue is better characterized as a fundamental one. I believe novices should familiarize themselves with drive letter concepts and directory structures early in their learning curve. It surprises me how often users do not have a clue where they saved a file. Windows' attempt to handle all of this "for us" is a disservice IMO. On the other hand I believe that most standard computer systems available to novices are flawed wrt restoration options. An 8 gig C: drive with NO option for backing up and restoring the OS is a disservice IMO. It is a bit like sending someone on a cruise and not providing a life boat. For example: A novice buys a computer and then installs some software. The first thing the user reads in the installation notes is to back up the system before installing the software..square one the novice is being asked to do something that he has not been given the tools to do. The CDs that are provided by the big boys for system restoration do not address this issue IMO. If the user has installed any software or done any custom configuration the restoration options provided by the big boys will wipe it all out. Since the big boys do not provide the necessary options it leaves the novice in a position of coming up with a solution. I believe the issue is best addressed early in the learning curve. Why wait for a system failure to find out what should have been done? Why install software that corrupts an OS and then spend hours, days or weeks with tech support that may or may not be able to rectify the problem? IMO there are options that could be provided with a new system. The Plextor CDR drive with the Plextor backup looks like a viable option to me. I have not tried it yet but it is on my wish list. A significant drawback is 650MB media is too small. Tape drives can also address the issue. Why aren't they included as a standard option? My guess is the manufactures do not want to provide a hardware solution because it would add $200+ to a $500+ machine. IMO the PowerQuest programs address the fundamentals and are easy to use. IMO one of the first things any computer user should do is make a Drive Image of their installation. As software and custom configurations are added additional Drive Images should be made. We can argue that users shoulda bought some additional hardware when they bought their system to address these issues. In reality most users blindly or with full knowledge proceed down the path to disaster. At minimum..with no purchase of additional hardware..the PowerQuest software package gives all users an opportunity to create a basic recovery strategy. IMO it should be done early. Zeuspaul

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