install printer drivers

[Guest thanatoid]

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

"J. P. Gilliver (John)" <G6JPG@soft255.demon.co.uk> wrote in

news:sleSbbWmuF2IFw9O@soft255.demon.co.uk:

 

<SNIP>

> Yes, but there are/were other ways to stop it jamming that

> _didn't_ involve slowing it down - moving the commonest

> letters so they weren't too close to each other, I guess.

 

Isn't that exactly what they did designing the insane letter

layout? ;-)

>>I only have a b&w laser, and I almost never print anything.

>

> So, a simple camera (and/or microscope) would be some fun

> for you. Just have a play!

 

I don't want to get into all my problems, but I have a

pathological aversion to cameras, and a USB microscope would be

too expensive for what fun could be had. I never really learned

how to have fun.

>>I greatly believe in being "paperless". I would LOVE to put

>>all the news snips and misc. stuff I tore out of magazines

>>and newspapers over 30 years on my HD, but the time and

>>effort required will probably ensure that it never happens

>>- not to mention I am not that interested in the stuff

>>anymore. (It

>

> You are me. Again. (And mp3ing my records/CDs/etc., and

> scanning all my old slides/prints ...)

 

I /did/ finally do the music thing... Only took 5 years...

If I were to scan all my clippings, it would probably take

another 5 years if not more...

>>/would/ make moving a lot easier, but I don't intend to

>>move again, either, let alone with all my crap.)

>

> Ditto. One move after 20 years did show how much junk I

> have - I've made one room here the junk room, but much of

> what's in there hasn't been accessed since I moved in (over

> a year now), so I really ought to throw some of it out ...

 

Moving is a nightmare. The only thing worse is finding stuff.

Here's a tip from one who has suffered and learned: once you put

something somewhere, LEAVE IT THERE. If you move it, in the

naive interest of "being better organized", unless you make a

catalogue of *everything* you own and where it is - or has been

moved to - you will /always/ look in the original place, not

remembering you moved it. It is HELL. Well, that's how it works

with me, anyway.

>>After installing Acronis, you make an Acronis Rescue Boot

>>CD, which has the program on it, boot from it, and then

>>just put the CD(s) with the last image in afterwards. No

>>problem even if the HD is dead. You put in a new drive and

>>have the same C: that you

>

> Ah, I assumed it'd be something like that. Does it actually

> boot some form of Linux?

 

It doesn't look like it does. No "* OS loading" line appears at

all, just the A. logo.

> Is it able to handle (recreate) NTFS drives?

 

I believe so, but from what I have read, ultimately, you are

better off with FAT32 (FWIW).

>Can it read USB HDs/USB CDs?

 

Later versions, yes, I believe so - not this free one. But I

could be wrong. I am USB- and USB-stick-less.

 

I'll just post it and you can read the info/pdf and try to do

whatever you want with it.

>>> - rather like the "toggle keys" for the

>>> three lock keys which are part of W'9x anyway

 

<SNIP>

>>I didn't know about this feature - will have to look it up.

> It's dead simple.

 

Not as simple as using Metapad which I have had for years and

know and love ;-)

 

It has some great features besides the i/o ignore feature,

especially when it comes to extra spaces before and after text.

Etc.

>>means installing accessibility options and sticking the 98

>>CD in the drive again... The torture NEVER stops, does

>>it... Actually,

>

> You mean you don't have the WIN98 directory (root contents

> only) copied to C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS? (That seems to be

> the location of choice - though I've never found anyone to

> explain why.) []

 

The location actually makes sense (options since one would be

accessing it to install an /option/ one had not installed before

- or to remove one, or just to enjoy the MS-provided /option/ of

reinstalling parts or all of the OS). I just checked and I do

have that directory, but it has 23 mostly sys files and not a

single CAB. Go Microsoft!

 

It's not a big deal to put in the CD, anyway.

>>Anyway, seriously, just let me know.

>

> In that case, yes please. (Email me if you wish - anything

> @ my soft255 domain will reach me; G6JPG@ will usually get

> read first.) []

 

Will write soon to let you know where I'll post it.

 

 

--

Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the

votes decide everything.

- Josef Stalin

[Guest J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

In message <Xns9B25E35C556C1thanexit@209.197.15.184>, thanatoid

<waiting@the.exit.invalid> writes

>"J. P. Gilliver (John)" <G6JPG@soft255.demon.co.uk> wrote in

>news:sleSbbWmuF2IFw9O@soft255.demon.co.uk:

>

><SNIP>

>

>> Yes, but there are/were other ways to stop it jamming that

>> _didn't_ involve slowing it down - moving the commonest

>> letters so they weren't too close to each other, I guess.

>

>Isn't that exactly what they did designing the insane letter

>layout? ;-)

 

No; you can pick a layout where the commonest letters aren't next to

each other, without it being one that slows things down. (In fact

putting the commonest letters together _would_ slow down a good typist.

[]

>I don't want to get into all my problems, but I have a

>pathological aversion to cameras, and a USB microscope would be

>too expensive for what fun could be had. I never really learned

 

Mine came to twentysomething pounds, including transport from (I think

it was) Hong Kong. (Mind you, I'd seen the same model for 50 or 60

pounds, also around 100, on UK and US websites.)

>how to have fun.

 

Aw, shucks (-:

[]

>Moving is a nightmare. The only thing worse is finding stuff.

>Here's a tip from one who has suffered and learned: once you put

>something somewhere, LEAVE IT THERE. If you move it, in the

>naive interest of "being better organized", unless you make a

>catalogue of *everything* you own and where it is - or has been

>moved to - you will /always/ look in the original place, not

>remembering you moved it. It is HELL. Well, that's how it works

>with me, anyway.

 

Me too.

[Acronis]

>> Ah, I assumed it'd be something like that. Does it actually

>> boot some form of Linux?

>

>It doesn't look like it does. No "* OS loading" line appears at

>all, just the A. logo.

 

Ah.

>

>> Is it able to handle (recreate) NTFS drives?

>

>I believe so, but from what I have read, ultimately, you are

>better off with FAT32 (FWIW).

 

I certainly prefer it, for it's easy accessibility (e. g. from a boot

floppy. Though there's something similar around for NT.)

>

>>Can it read USB HDs/USB CDs?

>

>Later versions, yes, I believe so - not this free one. But I

>could be wrong. I am USB- and USB-stick-less.

 

Right. The machines I'm thinking of getting don't have a CD drive, you

see.

>

>I'll just post it and you can read the info/pdf and try to do

>whatever you want with it.

 

Thanks.

>

>>>> - rather like the "toggle keys" for the

>>>> three lock keys which are part of W'9x anyway

>

><SNIP>

>

>>>I didn't know about this feature - will have to look it up.

>> It's dead simple.

>

>Not as simple as using Metapad which I have had for years and

>know and love ;-)

 

The beeps from Toggle Keys don't require you to be running any

particular prog.; IIRR, they come through the internal speaker too, not

the sound card.

[]

>The location actually makes sense (options since one would be

>accessing it to install an /option/ one had not installed before

>- or to remove one, or just to enjoy the MS-provided /option/ of

>reinstalling parts or all of the OS). I just checked and I do

>have that directory, but it has 23 mostly sys files and not a

>single CAB. Go Microsoft!

>

>It's not a big deal to put in the CD, anyway.

 

No, just quicker if you don't have to, and you can put the CD away

somewhere safe (where you'll never find it, of course). Next time you

_do_ put the CD in, do copy the \win9x directory (you don't need any of

its subdirectories) to W\O\C.

[]

--

J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL(+++)IS-P--Ch+(p)Ar+T[?]H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for thoughts on PCs. **

 

....or his cat walked across his keyboard, just as mine has done..<grrrr>

one off cat skin - for sale to good home (Keith Stanbury, 1997-4-16)

[Guest J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

In message <Xns9B2E175DB811Cthanexit@209.197.15.184>, thanatoid

<waiting@the.exit.invalid> writes

[]

>> I'm thinking of getting one of these "netbooks", which are

>> physically too small to have an optical drive in them; 9 or

>> 10 inch screens, very tiny machines. Like the Eee, only

>> with XP. (Sorry. But at least it's not Vista.)

>

>Aside from the insane OS size and some really stupid unremovable

>"folders", it /might/ be better than /regular/ win98 based on my

>extremely limited experience (about 5 days). Full of MS spyware,

>but not as full of it as Vista.

 

Well, I doubt I'll be running all the updates, and also there is

something called XPlite from the people who brought us 98lite. And ERUNT

which serves the same purpose as ERU.

[]

>>>The beep is /probably/ a wave file. Anyway,

>>>what good is

>>

>> I doubt it, as (I think) it comes through the internal

>> speaker.

>

>As you yourself say below, that is somewhat irrelevant - I

>believe old machines ran 'everything' through the int. speaker,

>and new machines have better quality internal speakers which can

>handle normal audio (AOT beeps) quite well. Probably better than

>most £10 "external computer speakers", except mono.

 

No, there is a range of HP/Compaq desktops (maybe other makes too) which

has an internal speaker connected to the sound card; as you say,

acceptable quality. When I said internal speaker, I meant the one that

is driven by a logic output, and really is only capable of beeps (except

with _very_ clever programming).

[]

>I'm not a technician, but I don't believe (aside from things

>like "crappy tinny sound", "boomy muddy sound", or "limited

>frequency response" etc. etc.) ANY speaker (or device used as

>one, you can hook up a transducer to a chair and you /will/ hear

>"sound") is made "for" anything in particular as far as content

>- which of course is not the same as saying most people wouldn't

>rather get a pair of Castle speakers for their HiFi rather than

>a pair of 3" computer speakers.

 

The little internal speaker connected to the above-mentioned logic line

is usually an acceptable moving-coil loudspeaker unit of the type you'd

find in a cheap radio or whatever; it is the drive electronics that

limit it rather than the unit itself.

[]

--

J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL(+++)IS-P--Ch+(p)Ar+T[?]H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for thoughts on PCs. **

 

This area of 'when does a computer know that it doesn't know' is relatively

undeveloped. - Colin Barker (Computing, 1999-2-18 [p. 20])

[Guest thanatoid]

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

"J. P. Gilliver (John)" <G6JPG@soft255.demon.co.uk> wrote in

news:9BKWSGHFoV6IFwd1@soft255.demon.co.uk:

 

<SNIP>

> No, there is a range of HP/Compaq desktops (maybe other

> makes too) which has an internal speaker connected to the

> sound card;

 

I have just exactly one of those (EVO D510) and I based my

rather general and probably incorrect statement on that.

 

<SNIP>

> The little internal speaker connected to the

> above-mentioned logic line is usually an acceptable

> moving-coil loudspeaker unit of the type you'd find in a

> cheap radio or whatever; it is the drive electronics that

> limit it rather than the unit itself.

 

As I said, I'm not a technician. I don't even know what "logic

line" means.

 

 

 

--

Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the

votes decide everything.

- Josef Stalin

[Guest J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

In message <Xns9B2F14D1B619Bthanexit@209.197.15.184>, thanatoid

<waiting@the.exit.invalid> writes

>"J. P. Gilliver (John)" <G6JPG@soft255.demon.co.uk> wrote in

>news:9BKWSGHFoV6IFwd1@soft255.demon.co.uk:

>

><SNIP>

>

>> No, there is a range of HP/Compaq desktops (maybe other

>> makes too) which has an internal speaker connected to the

>> sound card;

>

>I have just exactly one of those (EVO D510) and I based my

>rather general and probably incorrect statement on that.

>

><SNIP>

>

>> The little internal speaker connected to the

>> above-mentioned logic line is usually an acceptable

>> moving-coil loudspeaker unit of the type you'd find in a

>> cheap radio or whatever; it is the drive electronics that

>> limit it rather than the unit itself.

>

>As I said, I'm not a technician. I don't even know what "logic

>line" means.

>

[]

In this context, I meant it is driven in a binary fashion - one end of

the speaker is connected to ground (or 5 V), and the electronics either

connects the other end to ditto or doesn't - so current through the

speaker is either on or off, which limits it (except with very clever

programming) to clicks and beeps. The drive to a speaker from the sound

card is more analogue, i. e. current through it is from a variable

voltage source. (These days often one with limited power output also, in

the expectation that the speakers will contain their own amplifier;

early sound cards often had about 2 watts of drive and could thus work

with unpowered speakers.)

--

J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL(+++)IS-P--Ch+(p)Ar+T[?]H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for thoughts on PCs. **

 

This area of 'when does a computer know that it doesn't know' is relatively

undeveloped. - Colin Barker (Computing, 1999-2-18 [p. 20])

[Guest thanatoid]

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

Re: 95/98 ramblings

 

"J. P. Gilliver (John)" <G6JPG@soft255.demon.co.uk> wrote in

news:S6+tcnRWvb6IFwaO@soft255.demon.co.uk:

 

<SNIP>

> In this context, I meant it is driven in a binary fashion -

> one end of the speaker is connected to ground (or 5 V), and

> the electronics either connects the other end to ditto or

> doesn't - so current through the speaker is either on or

> off, which limits it (except with very clever programming)

> to clicks and beeps.

 

Ah. That makes sense.

> The drive to a speaker from the sound

> card is more analogue, i. e. current through it is from a

> variable voltage source. (These days often one with limited

> power output also, in the expectation that the speakers

> will contain their own amplifier; early sound cards often

> had about 2 watts of drive and could thus work with

> unpowered speakers.)

 

Yes, I noticed that my 11 years old AWE32 sound card has plenty

of power to drive a pair of 50RMS speakers, while the

considerably newer Audigy I put in the EVO has no amplifier chip

at all.

 

 

--

Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the

votes decide everything.

- Josef Stalin