Volume 3 Number 6 Issue #49 Circulation 17,966 April 23rd, 1997

Is Spring Finally Here? Looks like things are warming up just a bit here in Western New York. With the change in weather, we would like to remind everyone that this is the time of year to watch out for static electricity! Be very careful when touching your computer equipment. Make sure you ground yourself by touching something metal - such as a file cabinet - before touching your keyboard or mouse. One small zap of static electricity can damage your system. Of course, if you have problems with your system, you know who to call.

Q: My hard disk is starting to run out of room. I am not ready to get a larger or second hard drive at this time. Do you have a disk compression program that you recommend? Safety is my first priority and volume is my second. >Bill, Buffalo NY

A: Bill, we have only one recommendation when it comes to hard drive compression software: avoid it like the plague. We have seen many, many hard drives trashed because of either Stacker or DoubleSpace/DriveSpace. Hard drive compression is unreliable and unsafe (especially in a networked environment). Our recommendation is quite simple: if you need more hard drive space either clear off some junk by putting it on tape, disk, or a CD, or buy a bigger drive. >Don

Upgrade Your PC To A Fast 6x86

Is your computer running a bit slow? Do you want to upgrade to today's latest software but find that your PC doesn't meet the minimum requirements? Are you tired of waiting for your computer? Allow us to recommend a motherboard upgrade. We can take your old 486 and upgrade it to a fast new 6x86 (Pentium-class) system for as little as $355. This price includes a new motherboard, processor, and service. If you would like complete details on this offer, please call and request document #704231. There is no obligation.

Q: I ran MSD (Microsoft Diagnostics) and the DOS prompt, and it tells me that I have a 486 processor. I thought I had a Pentium. What gives? >Andy, Buffalo NY

A: Andy, MSD was first written in 1990. It was only designed to see 486 processors and below. Your Pentium or Cyrix 6x86 processor will report as a 486 with MSD. The best way to see what kind of processor you have is when you boot your system. You should notice a BIOS screen that will give you information on your computer, including what processor you have, how much memory is installed, and so on. >Jason

SPRING COMPUTER SYSTEM SPECIAL

6x86 P150+, 16 MB EDO RAM, 1.2 GB Hard Drive, Mid-Tower, 1.44 Floppy, 1 MB PCI Video, Keyboard, Mouse, MS-DOS 6.22. Only$949.00

Leasing Available

Request Document #704232 For Complete Details On This Offer.

Q: You guys seem to be sending mixed signals as to your official standpoint on Windows 95. It seems that about a year ago, you said that Win95 was no good, and now you're selling systems with it. What gives? What is your official standpoint on Win95? > Jack, Amherst NY

A: Jack, you raise a very good question. When Windows 95 first came out - as with all new-release software - it had lots of bugs and other problems. The upgrade (from DOS to Win95) version was terrible. It had lots of bugs. We have seen many people try to install it on old systems, which it simply would not work on. Overall, the initial release of Windows 95 caused many more headaches than it was worth. Now, however, Microsoft has given us PC vendors "service release two" of Windows 95 (otherwise referred to as SR2) and it seems to have fixed a vast majority of the bugs. We have had very few problems with it. The only downside is you have to reformat your hard drive to install it, and you can only buy it from an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or a reseller like us - you can't just stroll down to your local software store to buy it. Win95 still has a lot of the limitations of the old DOS/Windows setup - including 2 GB hard drive partitions and 640k conventional memory barrier. Overall, we prefer to work with Windows NT, but it's a lot more expensive. If you need to run 32-bit Win95 applications, Windows 95 SR2 is an acceptable operating system. However, we still like Windows NT or DOS/Windows better for the vast majority of our business clients. If you would like to learn more about the differences between the three, call and request our document #704233, or call and ask us your questions. > Rick

COMPUTER TRAINING

The complete May-July 1997 schedule for open-enrollment classes in our Executive Training Center has been released. If you would like to learn more about the software you use - Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, WordPerfect, Windows 3.1/95/NT, the Internet, and more - then call and request document #704234 for a schedule, pricing, and details. We have classes available for everyone - individuals and corporate customers as well. We also offer on-site training. Call today for more information - or a detailed course outline. After all, your computer is useless if you don't know how to use it!

Now is the time for PCDoctor Preventative Maintenance service to make sure your computer is running properly. Only $49 carry-in or $59 on-site. Request document #704235 for details.

Call and request document #704236 for our Software Picks of the Month. We are always offering discounted prices on selected new software titles such as Microsoft Office 97 and System Commander.

Network your office computers together. Share printers, CD-ROM drives, Email, files, and more. It is a relatively easy and cost-effective way to greatly increase your office information efficiency! Request document #704237 for details.

Trivia: the term "bug" actually came about because real bugs used to get stuck between the vacuum tubes of the first computers!