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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2006-01-26

A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware, 
Software, and Time Online

Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!

1) XP In Your Pocket

Fred- Thanks for the great newsletter. I haven't seen much about this topic, so I thought I'd suggest it to you, as I think it would be of interest to your readers.
 
I've recently discovered the virtues of portable applications for flash type drives. Essentially, you can carry an "office in your pocket". You can work from any computer with a USB port when you travel, save the files to your own apps on the pocket drive, and then upload any documents you create to your main computer when you return home. You don't need the applications on the "main" computer to work or play.
 
At http://johnhaller.com/jh/ you can download portable versions of all the basic office and multimedia apps you need to your usb or Flash drive: Mail, Browsers, Open Office, Winamp, FTP, HTML editors, IM, and personal management calendars are available....
 
With the new U3 standard http://www.everythingusb.com/u3.html, it will be even easier to use your pocket drive as a "portable computer". Suitable software can be found here: http://software.u3.com/ , much of it free.
 
Question: It seems to me, there could be a way to use an OS on a CD, like Knoppix, as the basis for using a pocket drive as an entire operating system with applications. Is this true? If so, I'd like to know how to do it. Thanks again, Danny Hoffman

Thanks, Danny!

Yes, some Linux distributions can boot from a USB thumb drive. In the normal Linux fashion, there's a HowTo: Linux bootable USB key
http://openfacts.berlios.de/index-en.phtml?title=Linux_bootable_USB_key_HOWTO

And lots more info:
http://www.google.com/search?q=linux+bootable+usb

That's fine if you like Linux, but you also can boot XP from a thumb/flash drive. That's what this complete step-by-step article (illustrated with many live screen shots) is all about--- how to get an entire, lightweight installation of XP on a self-contained, zero-footprint, USB thumb or flash drive. It's posted now, free, at
http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=177102101

Click on over to
http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=177102101
and see for yourself!

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2) Reader Tip On Easier Interface

Hi Fred, Happy New Year!  I have a tip for the new year for people running, at least, Windows XP Home, to fairly easily navigate their hard disks.

The idea is to create a toolbar from "My Computer", which is apparently a folder.  So you do a right click on the taskbar, select Toolbars, then New.  When the first list comes up, select "My Computer", and complete the toolbar.

The "My Computer" toolbar can now be moved to any edge of the desktop, but I put it on the Taskbar and move the separator so that it displays as little as possible, with a double down arrow on the right to indicate more items.  Creating a second toolbar pointing to an empty folder and named "Filler", put on the same desktop edge, can accomplish the same thing on the other desktop edges and allow you to display less than the full contents of the My Computer folder, enabling the drop-down menu.

I right click on the toolbar title or separator, select Properties, and unselect "Display Title" and "Display Text."  After that, the first hard disk icon is always drive C.  BTW, if you hover over a disk icon, a tooltip is displayed with the used/available statistics for that disk.

The real payoff is that when you click on the double down arrows to show the rest of the bar as a menu and hover over a hard disk item, it will expand the next level subfolders, and so on as you hover over a displayed subfolder.

When you get to the folder you want to look at, you can right-click and select "Explore" from the folder context menu to open it in Windows Explorer. ---Steven Groginsky

Thanks, Steven. Yes, you can modify the Taskbar contents quite a bit, and even move it as a whole to the top or sides of your monitor, rather than the bottom. And any toolbars (a toolbar is sort of a sub-Taskbar) that you create can likewise be moved around and modified.

For more info, click to Start/Help in Windows and search for "taskbar" (without the quotes); the best information will be in the "full-text search matches" portion of the results.

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3) Update On Suradon

Remember Suradon Janno, from Thailand? Way back in 2001, he became one of the very first kids assisted on an ongoing basis by LangaList Plus! subscribers:

His family is extremely poor (less than $290 per capita per year) , and ekes out a marginal living doing odd jobs and some farming. The local relief agency writes "Suradon badly needs food, clothing and medical care." (See  http://langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-09-06.htm#9 )

A while later, we got a photo of him and his family: http://langa.com/images/suradon2.jpg

And then last year, just before a tsunami ravaged that part of the word, we heard from him again: http://www.freetune.com/kids/suradon05.htm

Now, it's time for an update: As mentioned previously, rather than dribble out info to you about our sponsored kids (it arrives here in an erratic and piecemeal fashion), I've saved the correspondence from and about each child to present to you all at once. Here's the latest from Suradon--- and it's a lot! His life was grim in 2001 when we started helping, but he's now doing much better!

Private Plus! Edition Subscriber link:
http://www.langalist.com/plus/kids/suradon/suradon06.asp

Standard Edition (Public) link:
http://www.freetune.com/kids/suradon/suradon06.htm

Here's what this is all about: Those of us with computers and Internet access are vastly better off than most of the world's population. Because of this, I decided that a portion of the LangaList Plus! subscription fees would be donated to registered/legitimate charities helping the underprivileged around the world. The contribution does not increase the cost of a Plus! subscription in any way; the donation is taken "off the top" of any profits. (This is described in the pages at http://langa.com/plus.htm  )

Suradon is one of many children sponsored on an ongoing basis--- week in, week out--- by the collective generosity of LangaList subscribers. LangaList Plus! subscribers also have collectively contributed to emergency earthquake relief efforts in India; to funds to help the victims of the Sept 11th attacks in the US; to tsunami and hurricane relief efforts; and more. (To see all the donations so far, click to http://langa.com/plus2.htm#kids )

As time goes on, and as more readers sign up for Plus! subscriptions, I hope we'll be able to sponsor more children and assist other charities around the world.

If you're not yet a Plus! subscriber check it out: With a Plus! subscription, you can not only help yourself make the most of your hardware, software and time online--- but you also can help those less fortunate (like Suradon) make the most of their very lives. Thanks for your help!

http://langa.com/plus.htm

or give a GIFT SUBSCRIPTION to the Plus edition:
http://langa.com/plus_gift.htm

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4) Wants "System Restore" Off Some Drives

This reader mentions a USB drive in his question, but the answer applies to *any* drive, not just USB thumb or flash drives:

Fred here is something I have not seen discussed before. I have a 2 gb thumb drive that I wanted to clean up. I deleted everything on it and windows reported 1.97 gb total 1.06 gb free.Turns out that the system restore was using the rest. I went to windows and turned it off but it reported the same figures. I had to delete the restore files myself and then windows reported 1.97 gb total 1.86 gb free. Is there a way to keep windows from putting system restore on usb drives. ---dicknic

In a word, yes. System Restore (and the Recycle Bin, although you didn't mention this) both set themselves up on all drives, by default; and they both claim a pretty large amount of space for themselves. But both can be tamed:

Right click on the Recycle Bin, select Properties, and decide how much space you want the Recycle Bin to consume either for all drives in your system or on a per-drive basis. To turn off the Recycler for a drive, move the slider all the way to the left, and click the "Do not move files to the Recycle Bin..." box.

It's not much harder to tame System Restore, but rather than simply repeat information I've posted elsewhere, please let me point you to the full text: http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020711S0009

With both those space-eating functions under control, you can get more room for live data and files on your space-limited disks--- or *any* disk!

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--- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) ---

"Hi Fred... As an instructor at a 1000+ member
computer club here in the Phoenix area, I have been regularly
recommending your website to my students who want to get past the basics
of computing. I really feel your easy to understand approach to
explaining sometime complex issues is wonderful and really valuable in a
world full of soundbites and assumed knowledge of current technology.
For $1 a month you probably have the best value in this space, and I for
one am extremely glad I found out about you. Sincerely, Dan Spedale"

Thanks, Dan!

Plus Edition subscribers not only get about 40% extra content and no
advertising, but also can get their extended-length issues in any of
four formats--- HTML (easiest on the eyes); plain text (universally
compatible); digest (just the facts, ma'am); and the specially formatted
"Notify" edition, designed to get past overeager spam filters. And all
the Plus! editions are sent out before the Standard Edition even starts
to mail, so Plus! readers see everything first!

And it's all only around $1 a month!

Get all the details:
http://langa.com/plus.htm

--------------( the above is an advertisement )--------------

5) "Personal Servers"

Fred, Can you comment on personal servers?  I am thinking about a Buffalo Terabyte server (Mirra servers are too small) as a way to have a mindless backup system and server for my consulting business.  Some reviewers have complained that these systems are slow and if you want to replace one harddrive you need to replace them all.  I have looked at descriptions to build your own server but I want to be able to plug-n-play and not deal with incompatible components.  Are these servers really practical or given your recent discussion about a new windows OS, should I wait for the next round of servers? Best regards, JoAnn

Remember that most "real" big-business servers are essentially just PCs in a different physical package; and perhaps with some hard/soft/firmware add-ons to ease centralized management. The name "server" really is more descriptive of the function than the machine--- *any* PC can be a "server."

In a smaller office, the need for centralized management is kind of moot; and unless you really, really want to rack-mount your stuff (why?), the normal PC form factor is just fine. For example, my "server" sits about 12 feet from my desk. It's a cheap, generic PC with a huge hard drive; it's a file and print server for my office; and it also serves as a connection-sharer and firewall, sitting between my office PCs and the internet.

Most inexpensive PCs will support at least 4 mass-storage devices, so you could get over a terabyte of storage in there, using the largest hard drives currently available. Or, you can install a RAID array, if you prefer that technology (I don't, in smaller office setups; I think the downsides of RAID outweigh the benefits, except in some unusual situations.)

Plus, using a standard PC means all your normal maintenance tools will work; everything will be familiar; and parts for eventual repairs or upgrades will be easy to find. It also means you don't have to rely on web- or network-based interfaces for server management: Although you can do the remote-control thing if you want, you also can plug in a cheap keyboard and a cast-off monitor and have full access to the server and its contents even if, say, the network is down.

If you're dead-set on a "personal server," then a Buffalo Terabyte server ($700-$1000+) could be a fine choice. But if I were you, I'd get a very basic, bare-bones, generic white-box or small-brand PC (perhaps $150 or so), load it to the gills with mass storage (you can get a 250GB drive for $80; four of them, totaling a terabyte, will cost $320), and you'll have a massive "server" for under $500 or so.

See:
In Praise Of White-Box PCs
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020214S0003

White-Box PCs Revisited
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20030206S0014

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6) Recommend This Newsletter And Win!

If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, maybe a friend would find it useful too! Just use the following link to recommend the LangaList---your friend may find a new source of useful information and you just may win one of three FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS to the LangaList Plus! edition given each month. (If your name is drawn and you're already a Plus! subscriber, your current subscription will be extended by a full year.)

Check out the details at http://langa.com/recommend.htm . Thanks for recommending the LangaList--- and good luck!

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7) CD Markers Worth It?

Fred, To maximize the lifetime of the data on a CD or DVD, I have read that a felt-tip pen, especially made for writing on CDs/DVDs should be used. Is this correct or does the pen make no difference?

The local, "big box" office supply store nearest to me refuses to stock such pens. Have they read something that I haven't seen or are they just trying to keep their stock down to make more money?

Thank you. Great newsletter. ---John Wirt

I've seen such water-based pens--- they can sell for $3 each. And I suppose you'd be safest to use that kind of pen. You can get them online, if you wish:
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=felt%20tip%20pen%20cd%20marker

But to tell you the truth, I use "Sharpie" brand fine-point permanent markers (well under $1 each). Because the solvent-based Sharpies aren't specifically designed for CD use, I can't exactly recommend them. But the fine point means there's not much ink going on the disk in the first place, and whatever solvent the Sharpie uses seems to flash off almost instantly. I've lost CDs to glue-on labels in the past, before I knew better; but I've never had a problem with Sharpie felt-tip pens.
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=sharpie+marker&btnG=Froogle+Search

If you want to try the Sharpie methods, note that all I'm saying is that they work for me. I can't guarantee they'll work for you--- your mileage may vary, parental guidance is advised, call before you dig, consult your doctor, action figures sold separately, see a qualified tax professional, mind the gap, may contain peanuts, no user serviceable parts inside, offer void in Nebraska, etc etc etc. <g>

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8) Another Code-Load Success Story

Code-loader John Bradley writes:

Hi Fred, Recently you loaded my URL code "Jigsaw Puzzles on CD" ( http://www.jbradley2002.com ) in your newsletter and I just wanted to tell you that my counter increased over 1,000 hits in 2 days! It was absolutely amazing! I thought I was seeing things! Thanks for a great newsletter too! Have a great week.... John Bradley

Do you have a home page or website? (It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to http://langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join the thousands 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://langa.com/link.txt  )

Speaking of which: Here's another eclectic sample of reader sites--- some professional, some very personal:

View A Randomly-Chosen Reader Site
http://langa.com/randomlink.htm

Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At
http://langa.com/readersites.htm

Hope House Day Care
http://www.hopehousedaycare.org/

Boxes, Bags, etc
http://boxesandbags.tripod.com/

Cleenbore USA
http://www.cleenboreusa.com/

Photoshop brushes
http://brushes.500ml.org/

Funny World
http://www.freewebs.com/thefunnyworld/

Marie's Emporium
http://www.mariesemporium.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

DAV-37 (NC)
http://www.dav37nc.org/

Barb Motto
http://www.freewebs.com/barbmotto/index.htm

Best Travel & Special Search Engines
http://www.allsitecafe.com/search2.html

Richard Drdul
http://www.drdul.com/index.html

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9) Obscure e-Shorthand

Could you please tell me what "<g>" means in your newsletter? ---Joe

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10-13)Plus! Edition Only:

Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains about 40% more content including:

HTML Validation Services
    (make sure your pages are up to snuff)
Network Won't
    (thorny networking problem)
A Mountain Of CDs?
    (how NOT to drown in your backups)
Tape/CD Life Tips
    (storage pro offers opinions)

Just pennies an issue!

Complete Plus! Edition info: http://langa.com/plus.htm

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14) Just For Grins

I relish bringing you sites like these:

This site is an absolute RIOT! 
http://www.clearfour.com/condiment/ 
---Peter C.

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(Give a gift subscription to the LangaList Plus edition!
Click <a href= " http://langa.com/plus_gift.htm ">here</a>)

The LangaList is published about 72 times a year, or about 6 times a month. See you next issue, 2006-02-06!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win a prize!)

An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://langa.com.  (The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site.

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