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Pastimes : Dream Machine ( Build your own PC ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Zeuspaul who wrote (3413)	11/5/1998 12:25:00 AM
From: pae	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14778

KISS - A software thing? Keep It Simple, Stupid! In software design, less IS more! (Sorry, wasn't trying to stump you or anyone else - even if I did have to look up aamof yesterday. <g>) Is buying Disk Image online and downloading cheaper than CompUSA? NT bootable: I was thinking about that, but was having problems with CDROM drive at the moment that thought crossed my cortex - tray wouldn't come out. Probably was related to the IDE cable problem. Currently resolving a few issues before proceeding to the NT install. Starting @9pm yesterday, I installed video boards (just 2 so far: MM/W98 IS working), ensoniq sound card, $9 isa ethernet combo board, 2nd hard drive, thrashed thru some bios issues, did some partitioning and formating (the old fashioned way <g>), got Win98 up @3am after some nuisance sound card driver chasing the tail problems. Have since added new machine to LAN, screwed up this machine (p5-166) with Lan and later with dial-up networking as well. At the moment, I'm back on the net AND have all three on the LAN. Although, in general, I like the Linksys Network Starter Kit - I think its install procedures are shaky. Or it is MS Win95 looking (but not too hard) for various net components that really are not too hard to find once you commit to fly that low. Want to do a quick CPU/Memory benchmark prior to executing the OC procedures. Probably do this prior to biting the NT bullitt. Robbed myself of a valuable serial port by not specifying the at-connector for the touchpad. (My BMI Satellite receiver goes in via Serial port - and so does the external modem.) They do make an AT-6din connector version of that keyboard but I ended up with the serial port version: failure to do the extra level of research on my part. I think I can do more with this touchpad if I install the Acer driver ... but I may try to custom wire a serial to 6din conversion if I can locate the pin maps. Other alternatives out of this small hole: a) exchange the KB for the AT6din setup KB (xport costs,restock fee), b) hook the external modem to parrellel port rather than serial (but will then have 2 printers only 1 avail P-port once p5-90 goes upstairs), [will an Hp1170Cse 2-way data flow work thru an A/B switch?] c) use a PCI slot for an add-ports card, d) find some way to use USB to bail me out - I ALMOST went for the USB modem. Oh well. Actually acting on plans in a sufficiently complex environment is ALWAYS sub-optimal - unless you compare it to spending too much time optimizing. <g> So far, so good. But then I haven't chewed NT (or vica versa) yet. Onward. Paul P.S. Haven't yet figured out where to hang the external Zip yet. Those extra ports sounding better than swapping plugs alot. Hmmm. ABC Switch? I occasionally have had both printers churning but not often. Zip passthru is not a problem with the simple BJ-200 but the HP does the 2-way and doesn't tolerate much in the middle.

To: Zeuspaul who wrote (3413)	11/5/1998 7:39:00 PM
From: Spots	Respond to of 14778

>>Partition Magic has become a basic utility IMO. It can be used for anything to do with creating , changing and resizing partitions. For me, Partition Magic has a great problem, which if there's a reasonable workaround for I would certainly like to know what it is. The problem is the license. The license for PM is for use on a single computer, and moreover, the one on which it is first installed. In other words, there's no legitimate way to uninstall it on one computer and move it to another. According to the license agreement, the only legal way to remove it and install it elsewhere is to disassemble the computer on which it was first installed, that is, completely disassemble it and destroy it. I think if you read it carefully, you can't even sell it, though I might have been too PO'd by that point to read it carefully enough. So to be reasonably honest in a household of 6 computers, I can only use it one place, which place must be decided in advance. Now there are multi-use licenses for PM, but they are clearly aimed at, or at least priced for, people who build or maintain computers professionally. Of course in a sense I do that, the sense being that I maintain 3.5 out of 6 of my household PCs for some degree of professional use, but I am definitely NOT a professional hardware/software or configuration maintenance guy. Moreover, I am constantly shifting configurations around in multiple PCs for various reasons, which is an ideal application for PM. But, although I own two versions of PM (an original and the latest upgrade), I have never actually used it. I'm afraid to "pick" a PC to put it on. As a consequence, I continually juggle partitions the old-fashioned way (copy this, copy that, reformat the other, copy back, ad nauseam) because I am not willing to commit several hundred bucks to the legitimate PM licenses that would be required. It does only occur from time to time. So, unless there's an unpublished licensing scheme, or unless you have only one PC to worry about or else have a commercial buget, I wonder how this issue can be resolved. The license is VERY restrictive, especially for a utility that by its nature isn't used often. True, it's like an elephant gun -- you seldom need it but when you do you need it badly -- but that's all the more reason to my mind to build more flexibility into the license. I can see where they're coming from (heck, I write software for a living myself), but I can't see how the fairly large number of us who have boxes all over the place deal with this. Seems like we're the forgotten niche user, or else we tell 'em to stuff it and use it illegally, or ante up an amount of money way out of proportion to the utility (to my mind anyhow). Or did I miss an obvious legal out somewhere? If so, someone please enlighten me. I'd like to install this thing and move some partitions for practice <gg>. Spots