Me or 2K
I have recently been offered a new PC with the alternative operating systems of Win Me or Win 2000 as part of the deal. I do not have a network, and don't know how otherwise to make suitable comparisons between the two. How might I best evaluate the offers? David J Leigh
d.j.leigh@staffs.ac.uk
Jack Schofield replies: Windows 2000 (aka NT5) is technically much better, but should be used only with products on the official compatibility list (see www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat).
This should not be a problem with new hardware but you may have old software that it will refuse to run, including games.
Windows Me (aka Windows 98 third edition) does its best to be compatible with any old rubbish, at some cost to its own stability. Currently, Windows 2000 is recommended for business users and Me for home users. Some suppliers are still dragging their knuckles on the ground when it comes to supporting versions of NT, even seven years after its launch. AOL is an example.
However, next year they will have no choice. Microsoft is working on a unified operating system, codenamed Whistler, which will replace both W2000 and 98/98SE/Me.
It will be available in both professional and consumer editions, and will offer the option of installing either "Windows classic" or a new user interface. It is currently on beta test.
HP on AOL
I have just bought an HP Jornada 720 handheld computer, which has a built-in modem. I want to use it for email and the web but so far haven't managed to. My internet service provider (ISP) AOL tells me that I need to install its (massive) program. Is there another, better way of doing it? Arthur Hughes
GArthurH@aol.com
JS: One problem with running a proprietary email service like AOL mail is that the company has to develop its own client software for every device it wants to support. This is why CE users are still waiting for PocketPC software. According to the information online (keyword: PALM), AOL claims to support a wide range of Windows CE machines running version 2.11 of the operating system or later, including the Hewlett-Packard Jornada models 420, 430, 680 and 820. However, the 720 is not on the list.
The Jornada 720 does support standard internet email and web browsing, so you should find it easier to use a standard internet service such as Freeserve or BT Click, which needs no registration procedure and does not charge a monthly fee.
You can still collect your AOL email using AOL Anywhere via the website at www.aol.com
Movie magic
I have a number of Video CDs (VCDs?) which I would like to play on my PC. What is the appropriate software to use; and where might I get it? Will I need special hardware to do this? David J Leigh
d.j.leigh@staffs.ac.uk
JS: Video CD is a forerunner of DVD, and in Asia, it is still hugely popular as a movie format. It uses MPEG-1 compression to provide a resolution of 352 x 288 (PAL) and 352 x 240 (NTSC), which is similar to VHS. MPEG-1 players are not all that common but Microsoft's Media Player 7 supports MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-3 and should do the job. If not, try Xing Technology's XingMPEG or Zoran's SoftPEG http://www.visiblelight.com/mall/.
No special hardware is required if you have a reasonably quick PC, with a 200MHz Pentium MMX or better.
There is also MpegTV, a Video CD player that runs under Linux and other versions of Unix, which can be downloaded from www.mpegtv.com/download.html. The same site offers PocketTV, a free award-winning program that plays MPEG-1 movies on a PocketPC or Windows CE machine.
Install that on your palmtop and you can download a bunch of shorts and movie trailers from www.pocketmovies.net.
TweakUI
As you suggested, I had a look for TweakUI on my Windows 98 SE CD, but without success. I then read \tools\reskit\readme.doc which said: "Note: TweakUI has been removed from the Windows 98 Resource Kit." Where can I get it? David Wood
dry@tesco.net
JS: It seems TweakUI was buggy and had not been updated for 98SE.
However, Version 1.33 can be downloaded from Microsoft's website at www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp and can be used in Windows 95/98/Me as well as NT/2000.
You could also take a look at TweakAll, a free alternative from Abtons Shed. There is a comprehensive list of tweaking tools at www.tweakfiles.com/allinone.
OE ordered
When I open my Inbox in Outlook Express, how do I get it to go straight to the new messages, rather than the top (and oldest) one on the list? David Steed
David.Steed@ukgateway.net
JS: Thanks to more than a hundred readers who pointed out that the order of messages in the Inbox can be changed simply by clicking on the little arrowhead in the Received header panel (this is standard Windows behaviour, even if there is no little arrowhead), or by using the View|Sort By menu.
But I still cannot see a way of selecting either the first or last unread message...
Modem driver
Please could you let me know how I can download the driver and software for a US Robotics 14.4 Fax Modem? Ken Donkin knd@mweb.co.za
JS: Windows should already have supplied a driver for this. However, US Robotics has an official site with drivers to download at www.usr.com/support/s-main-menu.asp .
Other useful sites for driver hunters include1 WinDrivers and The Driver Forum.
Save the driver in your My Downloads directory, or on a floppy disk, then go to Start|Settings|Control Panel and run the Add New Hardware wizard.
If the modem is already installed, you can go to Start|Settings|Control Panel|Modems and remove it, then restart your PC. Windows should find the modem again.
When prompted for a driver, select Change or Have Disk and point it to the floppy drive or My Downloads directory.
