Letters from the mailbag
Letters, we get letters, we get stacks and stacks of letters…
Q. I am thinking about getting a wireless router so I can connect my laptop but I don’t understand if I also can use my other computers with wired connections or if I have to get wireless cards for them, too?
A. Yes, you can. Most consumer-level routers come with four wired ports that you also can use along with the wireless. Wired connections are more reliable, more secure and often faster so if you can run a wire without too much hassle it’s worth it. If you need more than four, you can add on a hub.
Q. I am ordering a new PC and I have to choose between Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional. There’s about $90 difference. I heard Pro is more secure, is it worth it for a home system?
A. I don’t think so. I would spend the extra money on RAM if you need it. Most home users don’t need the networking options that Pro brings to the table and if you do, you already know the answer to this question.
Q. I heard you can run Windows program on the new Apple PCs. Is that true and if so how does that work? Does it run just as fast as a Windows PC?
A. Yes. Microsoft has released version 7 of Virtual PC for the Mac, which allows most Windows programs to run on the Apple platform. Just set the expectation that you won’t have the same speed but many applications will run just fine. You can get more info on the Microsoft web site.
Q. I have a Gateway PC running Windows Me that is about three years old. It has an AMD processor and 256 megs of RAM. The hard drive has crashed and I need to decide if it is worth paying to fix it. I suspect it is not.
A. I would upgrade the whole box unless you know how to replace the hard drive yourself and install the operating system. Paying someone else to do it when basic PC systems are running $450 isn’t a good use of money given that your video system, USB and other systems also are behind the times.
Q. Will an external hard drive work on any brand of PC?
A. Yes, assuming you have the right plug. Most external drives now come with USB 2.0 and Firewire. The latter is more common with Apples but also is found on some PCs. If your PC only has the original USB (not version 2.0) you may consider adding a USB card to your PC to take advantage of USB 2.0, which can be about 40 times faster than the original USB in terms of transferring files. That is the key metric in an external hard drive…how fast the data can go from the drive back to the PC.
Q. When is the next version of Windows coming out?
A. Bill Gates says 2006, so consider it late 2007.
Q. Do I absolutely need to enable security on my wireless connection? My connection slows down when I do.
A. No, not if you do not mind other people being able to use your connection. In some places leaving it turned off is a matter of courtesy; the goal is to let other people share. I have heard of entire neighborhoods who all turned off their security so everyone could share a few connections. I would assure you change your router user name and password if you take this route, as well as assure you have computer security turned on.
WEEKLY WEB WONDER: Check out Lance Armstrong’s foundation at www.laf.org. A little bit can go a long way.
James Derk is co-owner of a computer-repair firm and is computer columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. His e-mail address is jim@cyberdads.com
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