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Please note: Older issues may contain information that is now out of date. How To Subscribe
and Unsubscribe is at the end of this note. Mailing List Trouble? See http://www.langa.com/help.txt Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000 !) An easier-to
read formatted HTML version of this newsletter is available on line at The LangaList 2000-07-03 A Free Email
Newsletter from Fred
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I've added a "Part Four"
to the memory/resource leak series. In Part One of this series we discussed the
how and why of "resource leaks;" what they are, the problems they can
cause, and how you can determine if your system is suffering from them. To
refresh your memory, resource leaks typically involve two special, fixed-size
areas of Windows memory (how much RAM you have is irrelevant); in poorly coded
apps, some of the memory used by an app may not be released when the app
closes--- or crashes. Over time, more and more resources may be marked as
"in use" even when they're really not. Eventually, there's not enough
space available in these two special memory areas to continue working (again,
regardless of how much total RAM you have), and you get an "out of
memory" error message or crash. (For more detail, see http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/11.htm
.) In Part Two, I detailed the inner
workings of a variety of tools and utilities that claim to solve memory leaks.
(See http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/12.htm
) Along with explaining the pros and cons of "opening holes in RAM,"
"RAM defragmentation" and related issues, Part Two tells you why these
apps can be worthless or even counterproductive. But it does detail one limited
and specific use of one particular freeware utility that I feel is worthwhile. After Part Two appeared, I also
covered some ancillary information in my newsletter. For example, in a recent
issue ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-06-12.htm#3
) I explained why Windows has memory limits in the first place. In Part Three, I explained a
five-part strategy I use that just may let you solve your memory leak problems
once and for all--- or, barring that, perhaps reduce their severity to a
negligible level. (See http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/13.htm
) It focuses on the way Windows' various memory subsystems work together---the
swapfile, Vcache, and so on. Part Three is the heart of this series, so if you
missed it or haven't yet tuned your system, your best bet is to go back and get
tweaking. Once you're done, you'll have a system that's probably far more stable
than what you now have. When the worst leaks and memory
problems are resolved or reduced, there are additional fine-tuning steps you can
take to refine your setup and preserve its newfound stability. These steps are
an extension of Part Three: by perfecting the rest of your Windows setup, you
can reduce or eliminate "ripple effect" problems that can cascade from
one area to another. In fact, these final steps can help
make up the remaining differences between systems that can run for long periods
without resource or memory problems, and ones that can only run for periods of
time ranging from a couple days down to just a few hours! I'll lay out final steps of this
comprehensive, four-part series in the Explorer column that goes live midday
today at http://content.techweb.com/winmag/
. Click on over, check out the column, and then join in the discussion! (Alternate access to the
column: http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/default.htm
Note that if you arrive before part 4 is posted, you'll only see parts 1-3.) Click to
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Reader Mark Rickling was disturbed
at my mention of an embargo on Windows Millennium Edition (WinME) reviews: Fred, What's the deal with
the so-called embargo of writing reviews of WinMe??? Why can't a reporter write
whatever she or he feels like writing about? And I almost believed you when you
said the DOJ claim of Microsoft having too much power was wrong. Seems like they
own the computer-beat writers too :) take care, mark Well, have you ever wondered how
newspapers and magazines publish reviews of new movies on the day the movie
opens? Clearly, the reviewer had to have seen the movie *before* it was open to
the public. What typically happens--- and it's not an evil thing--- is that the
reviewer was given a sneak preview in return for promising not to publish the
information before the movie opened to the public. It's common in many industries; it's
how car magazines publish test drives of brand-new models, for example; or how
music critics and radio stations get early copies of new CDs, and so on. In the US, anyone can write anything
about any product, person, or thing as long as (1) it's true and (2) the
information was obtained legally. If a reviewer legally obtains an early look at
an unreleased product, he or she may write about it in any way they choose. But copies of commercial operating
systems are protected by copyright; you can't just grab one, any time you feel
like it. If you request an official prerelease copy of an operating system from
Microsoft (or Apple, or Sun, or IBM.... or a prerelease car from GM or Ford, or
a prerelease viewing of a movie from Universal Studios or Warner Bros., etc etc
etc) then in return for granting you early access to the product, the company
may request that you not spill the beans prematurely. Note that this is not the
same as requiring that the review be favorable, or controlling the content in
any way: It's just a matter of timing. Here's why: One perfectly valid reason for
Apple, Sun, IBM, Microsoft and other OS vendors to want to control timing is
simply that prerelease code is, by definition, unfinished or "beta."
Most beta software products contain "debug" code that's used to enable
breakpoints or to collect information about error conditions. This code is
removed when the software is finished. But while it's in the beta product, the
extra code makes the software bulkier and to run more slowly. Any benchmarks or
time-tests on the beta code will therefore be invalid, and won't accurately
represent what the final software will do. Even so, inexperienced or malicious
journalists may run heavy tests on unfinished code and post the results,
potentially creating a false impression of the final, finished product. In the case of WinMe, Microsoft had
no problem with people talking about WinMe in general, based on prerelease
software, but they didn't want anyone running benchmarks on the new OS until the
code was actually finished and ready for testing. This is not at all
unreasonable; and is in fact exactly what other OS makers require of beta
testers, too. But WinME is now in final form; the
"gold" preview copy from Microsoft has the same code that will appear
in stores in 2 months, and so now it's OK to benchmark. Rather than being an
evil thing, this careful distinction between finished and unfinished code
actually makes sense and helps ensure that readers---that *you*--- get
information that's both timely and accurate. I guess if someone wants to see the
Evil Hand of Microsoft in this particular embargo, they will. But those
same people better also stop reading reviews of any other prerelease software
and hardware--- or movie reviews, car reviews, CD reviews, book reviews, etc etc
etc --- because they all follow *exactly* the same pattern. <g> Click to
email this item to a friend Want a taste? Surf over to http://www.browsertune.com/flanga/winme.htm
. There, you'll see the new OS's logo, setup tips, a readme, and can view the 2
min 11 second propaganda/demo video that illustrates some of the major features
of the new OS. The setup tips are especially
interesting: Microsoft recommends that you perfect and update your current
system, and then run WinMe as an upgrade (and not as a clean install). Looks
like our four-part series on fine-tuning your system came along just in time! On the page linked above, you also
can hear the new default "Microsoft Sound" that plays when you start
the new OS. Amusingly, there's a french horn riff in the middle of the clip that
sounds to me like someone yodeling! 8-) Click to
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Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0,
4.01, 5.0 and 5.01 all share a vulnerability that a hacker potentially might use
to overwrite files on your system. It involves a problem with "Active
Setup," which many people have *always* considered a dangerous area in IE. You can get the patch that fixes the
problem at More info/FAQ: Click to
email this item to a friend Sun's "Star Office Suite"
is a well-developed, smooth-running, good-looking and nicely integrated package
comprising a word processor and Web-page editor, spreadsheet, database, calendar
and scheduler, presentation maker, drawing and graphics tools, an E-mail client,
newsgroup reader, and a browser. It runs on Windows and several other OSes, and
it's free! I've written about it before: See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/1999/sept-9-99.htm#iweek
and http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter/090899langa.htm But last week, reader Richard Holt
tipped me to a new version: Hi Fred, Just a note to
let you know that StarOffice 5.2 is now available from www.sun.com since at
least 23-June when I discovered it. The English version for windows is about 80
MB so it was about an 8 hour download. I reinstalled Go!zilla for the event.
(great for restarting downloads). After using
the v5.1 for a year, the v5.2 is a welcome change. It has been greatly improved.
Import / export of MsOffice 97/2000 files, business cards, etc. I much prefer
StarOffice for its smaller footprint and multi-language spell checking. Best
regards, Richard. Thanks, Richard. To get the new
version for free, you have to register, and the download is indeed huge (up to
109MB, depending on language and platform). If that's too much, you can buy a
"Deluxe" version on on CD for $40 and have it mailed to you. Info and support for the
English-language version (there are versions for many languages) is at www.sun.com/products/staroffice/5.2/download.html Click to
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newsletters like this one! If you think the
LangaList is a worthwhile read, just use the following link to recommend the
LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful
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and good luck! Click to
email this item to a friend Do you have a home page or website?
(It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm,
and maybe you can join the hundreds and hundreds of LangaList readers who have
"Loaded the Code!" (If you've already "Loaded The Code" and
are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com web site, please
see http://www.langa.com/link.txt
) Speaking of which: Here's another
eclectic sample of reader sites--- some professional, some very personal: Click to
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The real and fake product warnings
and human misunderstandings in the last couple issues (see http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-06-26.htm#9
and http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-06-29.htm#11
and http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-06-22.htm#10
) prompted reader David Maleski to send along these supposedly true stories
(culled from various web sources). Some have been around the block a few times,
but they're still worth a grin. <g> I was signing the receipt
for my credit card purchase when the clerk noticed that I had never signed my
name on the back of the credit card. She informed me that she could not complete
the transaction unless the card was signed. When I asked why, she explained that
it was necessary to compare the signature on the credit card with the signature
I just signed on the receipt. So I signed the credit card in front of her. She
carefully compared that signature to the one I signed on the receipt. As luck
would have it, they matched. I live in a semi-rural
area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative
office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason:
many deer were being hit by cars and he no longer wanted them to cross there. My daughter went to a local
Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the individual behind the counter for
"minimal lettuce." He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg. I was at the airport,
checking in at the gate, when the airport employee asked, "Has anyone put
anything in your baggage without your knowledge?" I said, "If it was
without my knowledge, how would I know?" He smiled and nodded knowingly,
"That's why we ask." The stoplight on the corner
buzzes when it is safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an
intellectually challenged co-worker of mine, when she asked if I knew what the
buzzer was for. I explained that it signals to blind people when the light is
red. She responded, appalled, "What on earth are blind people doing
driving?" At a good-bye lunch for an
old and dear coworker who is leaving the company due to "downsizing,"
our manager spoke up and said, "this is fun. We should have lunch like this
more often." Not another word was spoken. We just looked at each other like
deer staring into the headlights of an approaching truck. I worked with an Individual
who plugged her power strip back into itself and for the life of her could not
understand why her system would not turn on. When my husband and I
arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told that the
keys had been accidentally locked in it. We went to the service department and
found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's side door. As I
watched from the passenger's side, I instinctively tried the door handle and
discovered it was open. "Hey," I announced to the technician,
"it's open!" "I know," answered the young man. "I
already got that side." Click to
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Abbreviated version: The tips and other information given in the newsletter are
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