FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions)

(As promised on the show, here are the first few entries to our
Frequently Asked Questions guide. This is a list of the most common questions asked by listeners each week. We hope you can use this list as a reference while you're waiting for the next scintillating installment of Crabb on Computers. And because the internet is all about interactive communication, your input is important! If you have a question that you think others might share, and would therefore qualify as a Frequently Asked Question, please feel free to email me at: kakers@tribune.com.
--Kristen Akers, producer, Crabb on Computers)

1. What's a FAQ?

A FAQ is a shorthand way on the internet of saying 'Frequently Asked Questions'. This just reaffirms the fact that acronyms are really, really big in the world of computing. A good rule of thumb is that if you can make a phrase into an acronym, do it. This is not done to confuse folks, though. (Some would say this practice dates back to the beginning of programming when code writers would put short messages to one another in the body of their programs to warn fellow programmers of potential problems in the code, poke fun at other programmers or projects and just generally communicate. With the advent of the internet and lightning-quick modes of communication like email and web pages, the acronym has definitely come into its own as a quick and handy communication device.) Fortunately, there are guides out there to help you figure out what the heck things like irt, scsi and usb mean.

2. What kind of computer does Don recommend I buy?

Whoa Nelly! This question comes up at least once a show. Don's favorite and most often recommended home (non-portable) computer models are, in this order: Macintosh, Gateway, Dell

Macintosh: Open up and say iMac! With some early models priced under $1,000, you can get a very powerful computer that is aesthetically pleasing, easy to use and (did we mention this?) cheap. It almost seems too good to be true. Check out these computers from the source
at: www.apple.com or there are a ton of catalog stores with sites on the web that allow you to do your shopping and ordering all online: www.macmall.com, www.maczone.com

Gateway: With savvy marketing, Gateway has made it very, very easy to buy a home PC that will best fit your computing needs and your budget. Broken down into three categories: Performance, Essential and Select, you can look into models starting in the $1,500 range right down to the $900 models. Check out Gateway's site: www.gateway.com A very user-friendly site that walks you through customizing your machine by speed, memory and software packages.

Dell: And you thought Apple's Steve Jobs' is a character: Dell founder, Michael Dell started using computers and (get this) hiding them in his University of Texas- Austin dorm bathroom (!) when his parents would come to visit. (Again "!") Maybe success and insanity go hand in hand. Regardless, Dell is one of the foremost computer manufacturers today; not one of the cheapest, but certainly one of the most popular, especially in the corporate sector. Broken down into two categories: Performance
and Value series, you can select the computer that best fits your needs. Check out their site at: www.dell.com

3. What kind of computer does Don NOT recommend I buy?

By George, this question comes up quite a bit too! Just using our humble three hour show as a litmus, we've heard nothing but problems from Compaq and Packard Bell users. In his planet of experience, Don himself has not had good experiences with either of these models.

*Caveat Emptor on questions 2 & 3: As the Romans were wise to point out, "Let the buyer beware". Just because some of our listeners have had bad experiences with one computer as opposed to another (or vice versa) does not mean that your experience will be exactly the same! We've also heard from folks who were very happy with their Compaqs and not so pleased with their new iMacs. We're only reporting what we have found to be true.*

4. What kind of printer should I buy?

Don is very impressed with Epson. They're affordable, fast and have excellent quality. At www.epson.com you will find three models, one of which is probably right for you: Epson Stylus Color 440, Epson Stylus Color 640 or Epson Stylus Photo 750. Respectively, they increase in price and quality. (Remember that a better quality printer has
more "dpi" or dots per inch.) Canon also makes good printers at good prices. Their home on the web is: www.ccsi.canon.com/goto.shtml?/bjc/index.html

5. What kind of scanner should I buy?

If you're looking for a good, all-purpose flatbed scanner, try models from UMAX www.umax.com - specifically the Astra series, Microtek www.microtek.com - check out their ScanMaker series, Epson (of course) www.epson.com, and Visioneer www.visioneer.com/products/flatbed - the OneTouch series is worth a look. Here again, the rule of thumb is: more dpi=better quality.

6. What kind of digital camera should I buy?

*See our Links and Info page. Specifically, the 5/29/1999 show when we talked with resident digital camera expert, Jim Polaski

7. Will my iMac or Macintosh run applications written for Windows?

Yes, yes and yes. For some reason, this seems to be an often overlooked point by consumers. One of the great things about Macintosh is that it has a Control Panel function called File Exchange that translates PC files into files that can be read by Mac applications on your hard drive. (Mac's have had the ability to 'read' PC disks for quite a while, but around OS8.5, File Exchange was integrated into the standard operating system.) If you want to run a total Windows environment on your Mac (also known as 'emulation'), you can do that too: Virtual PC (produced by Connectix software: www.connectix.com) and Soft Windows (produced by Insignia Solutions: www.insignia.com/4.0/Default.htm) will turn your Mac into a PC and will allow you to run popular programs from the Microsoft suite like
MSWord and Excel.

8. What anti-virus program does Don like?

A software developer named Mr. Peter Norton has been authoring software called, aptly enough, "Norton Anti-Virus" and "Norton Utilities" for years and years. He feels your pain and can help you clear that Trojan horse off your system. Try: www.symantec.com. His products may also be purchased via: www.pcmall.com, www.macmall.com and through
quite a few other catalog vendors on the web.

9. Help! All my files are corrupted/gone/the dog ate them/aliens took them! Is there a program that will bring them back?

For those of you who weren't sleeping during Mr. Kellum's chemistry class junior year in high school, this should ring a bell: "in any exchange, matter is neither created nor destroyed". You might say the same for files on your hard drive. Throwing files in the recycling bin/trash and even emptying the trash/recycling bin doesn't completely get rid of the little buggers. There are several 'file recovery' programs out there; the aforementioned Mr. Norton offers one as a part of "Norton Utilities". Don likes one called "Retrospect" by Dantz. Try: www.dantz.com

10. Why are computers so darn fast these days?

A guy named Moore contemplated that same question and came up with the following answer: the amount of information storable on a given amount of silicon has roughly doubled every year since the technology was invented. This theory, stated in 1964 by semiconductor engineer Gordon Moore (who co-founded Intel four years later) was true until the late 1970s, when the doubling period slowed to 18 months.