CnC S'Side 10 Oct 2000 - 20 plus attended JoanM presiding...
USUAL DISCLAIMER:
If you don't send the response to your item to the note's collator by COB
Friday - It won't be included {:-((
1. GregB. Printers - Beating the "chips"
Ed: Talk drifted to "how do various inkjet manufacturer's tell their driver
software how much ink is left? Ans: Cannon have some direct
optical/electronic methods, Epson calculate averages based on pages printed.
HP don't bother - however I found some averaging software for HP at
http://www.pokluda.cz/download.htm and have just installed it - time will
tell how accurate it is. The software implies that you have to enter the
number of pages printed in each mode manually each time you print! We'll
see.
2. EmilJ. Refresh Win98
3. EmilJ. USB devices at Startup
From RichardG:
Someone at the last "coffee and chat" had a question :-
Why did his USB device fail to initialise when already plugged into the
computer at computer "switch on" but did initialise and work correctly if
the computer was started first and the device then plugged in?
I've been reading a little about USB in Elektor magazine and I've learned
the following.
There are two data lines, D+ and D-. Similar in concept to a signal line and
an earth return but in reality they are very different (I won't try to
expain here).
A non-used USB connection is inactive and the hub will not send data frames
to it. The two data lines are then low and represent an internal resistance
of about 15k. Each USB peripheral device has an internal resistor of 1.5k
connecting one of the data lines with +3.3v. In a full-speed device the D+
line is pulled up, in a low-speed device, the D - line.
This information is used by the hub first to determine the type of
peripheral it is talking to and then set up the required data rate.
Mentioning the above was necessary to explain the significance of the real
point that I wanted to make.
If you look closely at a USB plug you'll find that pins 1 and 4 for the
positive supply voltage and ground are a little longer than pins 2 and 3 for
the data lines. When the cable is plugged in the supply pins are connected
first. Consequently the USB device is reliably powered before the data lines
are connected.
Maybe our friends computer / peripheral combination is slow to power up the
USB peripheraI when it's already plugged in at startup, I don't know, all I
know is here we go again "chasing the goal posts".
Ed: I also read somewhere that USB devices should be disconnected during a
new W98 setup. My 4 USB devices have no problems after W98SE system boots.
4. TrevorF. Spacemonger - Sounds for programs
5. JohnJ. Software for CD/R-R/W
6. JohnS. Majordomo, Networks, M.E. Bootss, National Archives.
A. Am not having much luck remotely controlling the Majordomo software to
place a footer containing un-subscribe info at the bottom of each message.
Some of the config file parameters appear to have strange non-printing
characters embedded? Working on it - please bear with me if I send a few
test messages to the list.
B. Also was having no luck with a simple peer to peer network under W98SE at
home. The (IBM ISA Ethernet) cards are recognised by each BIOS, W98SE Plug &
Pray sees the cards and allocates adresses and IRQs within the default
ranges. But IBM DOS diagnostic cannot detect any cards on either system...
Eventually gave up on the cards, brought a couple of 10/100 PCI "cheapies"
at $25 each at the markets and had a perfect 100 Mbs network running in 20
mins or so.
C. Found a good article at
www.duxcw.com/digest/Howto/software/windows/winme/startup/print.html on
making DOS and emergency startup disks for Win ME. Apparently some
diagnostics are removed in the ME startup (compared to W98) so there is
really no need for compressed files and cumbersome virtual drives.
D. Found a good leaflet at the Library on the National Archive resources for
Genealogy.
7. MikeD. My Album, SuperJPG, Newspaper Scan
From JohnK:
While scanning a PowerPoint newsgroup I came across the following references
which are relevant to today's meeting. What they are like have no idea and
certainly am not an expert but maybe useful for info in case anybody wants
to check them out.
"If you are simply wanting to create a "Picture" CD I'd suggest using a much
simpler program called Pictures2Exe. You can download a trail version from
http://www.WnSoft.com . It's big advantage is that it creates a stand alone
*.exe file that *should* run on just about any PC as the required image
viewers and sound drivers are built into the exe.
The other BIG benefit is file size, as in much smaller.
I have seen a number of requests for "What is the
best resolution to scan this and that, so that I can use it in this and
that". I stumbled across
this nifty utility a couple of days ago, and thought, after trying it, and
replacing my outdated
Excel spread sheet with it ,that I would pass it along.
http://freebyte.com/scancalculator/ is a description of the utility
http://freebyte.com/download/scancalc_en.zip downloads the utility."
8. Greg - CIS
9. Rick - AVI files
10. Bendon - PC speakers
11. RodP sent the following info concerning lunch arrangements at the Irish
club on Melb cup day:
Menu: Hot or cold buffet with dessert
Time: 12 - 2 pm
Venue: Function room
Numbers: By 10.30am to Peter in kitchen.
Money: $ 13 - $ 16 - pay at lunch.
Entertainment: Live music - Hit Mechanics
Prizes - Best hat
Best dressed male
Best dressed female
12. Some items from 3 Oct N'side meeting.
A. KenF.
I reported to the meeting that I had
a problem with lengthy delays in accessing the comsec.com.au site through
the pcug ISP, with delays of up to 10 minutes in logging on and getting
just a share price. The usual outcome was that after 10 minutes I abandoned
the attempt to obtain any more complex material: I considered the site
unuseable. On the previous Tuesday Owen connected me directly via a
Training Room machine, with delays measured in seconds. At C & C JohnK said
that he had immediate service with his ISP (tpg) and agreed that the
problem was the pcug server. Alan said he would follow the matter up with
our ISP.
(Today at the Internet Clinic Owen looked at several minor problems with my
computer, and reconfirmed that my connection with comsec.com.au was as bad
as I said: the PCUG machines continued to connect within seconds. He also
confirmed that my $45 Web Excel V.90 internal modem from the Computer Fair
is only good for a paperweight, with other people having the same
experience with theirs: as I had exchanged it 6 months ago, rather than
take a Netcomm for another $15, I'll just write it off to experience.)
B. KenM.
At the meeting on Tuesday the problem was raised of opening the notes
on Chess's Maintenance Course attached to an e-mail. The notes opened
OK but graphics did not. The file is a doc file called by Chess "a
hyperlinked document". I also have had the same problem. The file
appeared in a new folder as C:\data\doc\win98whsp.htm and that file
opened in Internet Explorer without the graphics.
However, to-day I tried again. I do not know what I did but it now
opens in MS Word with the graphics! Opens directly just by clicking
on it. The file is named win98whsp.doc. Whether I changed the
extension I do not remember.
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