As of the first week of February, InfoWorld would terminate Help Desk, the long-running Q&A column which had garnered top reader scores from its inception in 1989. You can still access his old columns here.
YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary by Brett Glass
YMMV, which stands for "Your Mileage May Vary,"
is an acronym used on the Internet to qualify advice, opinions, and accounts of personal experiences. It recognizes the fact that every situation is different; that sauce for the goose is often, but not always, sauce for the gander.
YMMV's Daily Links will help readers to keep current on worthwhile news related to Cyberspace. If you only have 15 minutes to get current on what's going on in the world, these are the pages to read.
" If there's sufficient demand, I'll also do a Q&A column. Since InfoWorld's new column will focus primarily on network and enterprise issues, I'm inclined to focus this one on other areas: debugging and upgrading individual PCs and workstations, SOHO (small office/home office) computing, spam elimination, etc."
http://www.ymmv.com/
Need Help? Newsletter by ZDNet
"very day, our editors scour all of ZDNet to bring you the best tips, tricks, how-to's, downloads, and quick-fixes for your computing needs."
http://www.zdnet.com/zdhelp/need_help/need_help.html
Price Watch allows retailers to advertise their prices in real time, using our proprietary Price Watch Info-Link system. Price Watch was first presented on the Web in August '95.
http://www.pricewatch.com/
NetBuyer
Shop and Compare more than 40,000 computer products from over 180 vendors, and get expert buying advice from Ziff-Davis.
http://www.zdnet.com/netbuyer/
Compare.Net
Do some in-depth comparison shopping.
CompareNet has a large up-to-date product comparison information. Categories include:
Automotive, Electronics, Home & Garden, Home Office, Services, Software & Peripherals, and Sports & Leisure.
http://compare.net/
WebShopper
http://www.webshopper.com/
Computers.com
http://www.computers.com/
Epinions.com
Epinions is a platform for people to share their experiences - both good AND bad. With more than 1 million reviews and comments, Epinions' robust content engine presents you with high quality content based on how helpful other users have found it.
http://www.epinions.com/
Computer Fair: Computers, monitors, printers, parts, supplies, accessories, etc. “Wholesale” prices to the public.
Computer shows & sales since 1980 in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
KGP Productions, LLC - PO BOX 37 - Kendall Park, NJ 08824-0037
(800) 631-0062 - Toll free or (732) 297-2526 (outside 48 states) - Fax: (732) 422-0076
http://www.pcshow.com/
A collection of photographs taken on a single day - Thursday, February 8, 1996. Images, captured by 1,000 professional and amateur photographers dispatched to every continent, record how the online world is changing our lives.
http://www.cyber24.com
BugNet On-Line
Bruce Brown offers a Web version of his monthly BugNet newsletter. Access a list of software bugs and fixes, or submit a form to report a bug, glitch, or incompatibility.
http://www.bugnet.com/
FreeBees by Andrew Goolding:
Free Stuff on the Net. The site is packed with all things freely available on the Net, neatly categorized with over 400 direct links to free stuff.
http://members.tripod.com/~freebee/
Microsoft's Knowledge Base
Information about resolving some problems with software and hardware. Note: Works best with JavaScript enabled.http://support.microsoft.com/support/
Find the KB article number then use the following URL as a template:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q142/3/24.asp
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/peropsys/windows/kb/index.txt
Supporthelp.com
Is a Web site that provides an index and links to more than 2,300 software and hardware vendor help desks in a searchable data base.
http://www.supporthelp.com/
Tandy Retail Services Product Support
Product Information: Computers, Monitors, Printers, Hard Drives, Tape Drives, Parts list, jumper settings, motherboard layouts & More
Software Updates & Recoveries: Download CD-ROM Drivers, Video Drivers, Sound Drivers, Printer Drivers, & More
Computer Setup Programs: Download Computer Setup Programs.
Product Information: Audio, Video, Telephones, Scanners, CB's, Personal Electronics, Alarms, Auto Accessories, Games/Toys, Do-It-Yourself, & More.
http://support.tandy.com/
Spotlights Web development tools, Java toys, graphics thingies -- anything that "makes your online life easier, more productive, more fun, stronger, faster, better...you name it" and provides links to where the eager-beaver browser can go for a quick download.
http://www.cooltool.com/
Happy Puppy Software library
Large Shareware software library of games. Flight simulator forum.
http://www.happypuppy.com/
Jumbo Shareware Site
Software for DOS, Windows 3.1 and Windows 95.
http://www.jumbo.com/
Shareware.com
http://www.shareware.com/
Walnut Creek CDROM
http://www.cdrom.com/
ZDNet Software Library
Shareware and Freeware with reviews, descriptions, ratings.
http://www.hotfiles.com/
Tutorials / Software Information / Overviews, etc.
How Stuff Works
by Marshall Brain
HowStuffWorks is an online destination for anyone who wants to know how anything works.
Covers a wide variety of subjects: e.g. Internet, Computers, Engines, Music and Entertainment, Automotive, Health and Nutrition, Sports, Home Appliances, Employment/Education, Money, etc.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/
PC Webopædia:
Contains descriptions of more than 2,000 computer terms, plus links to thousands of other Web pages where you can find additional information.
http://www.pcwebopaedia.com/
ComputerUser High-Tech Dictionary
http://www.computeruser.com/resources/dictionary/
TechEncyclopedia
http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/
Designing a Database - Understanding Relational Design:
Ureldes.doc shows you how to plan and design a database from the ground up. For practical examples, it uses the database design of the Northwind Traders sample database included in the Microsoft Access package.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q164/1/72.asp
(Q164172) http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/Reldesgn.exe
(size: 126,799 bytes)
Note: Microsoft keeps moving this file. If the previous links are broken, go to the
Microsoft Knowledge Base and search for "Understanding Relational Design"
FAT 32 File System for Windows
FAT32 is an enhancement of the File Allocation Table file system that supports large drives with improved disk space efficiency. FAT32 is part of OEM Service Release (OSR) 2 of the Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows 98 operating system.
http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/devdes/fat32.htm
20 Questions: How the Net Works By Scot Finnie
The Internet is a tool that comes with few instructions. Most of us are let loose on it while we're still scratching our heads.
What is the Internet backbone? Should you be worried about browser cookies? Aren't ActiveX and Java basically the same thing? What is an intranet? Could people you don't know be reading your email? Who is Veronica, and what is she doing on the Net? Why is everyone talking about "push"?
For anyone who wonders about these things, we've prepared 20 questions and 20 corresponding answers to help you sort through the basics.
http://www.scotfinnie.com/20quests/hownet.htm
Instantaneous Introduction to CGI Scripts and HTML Forms, An
Discusses the beginnings of TCP/IP and how it has evolved into what we use today and. http://pclt.cis.yale.edu/pclt/COMM/TCPIP.HTM
Pine Information Center
A Program for Internet News & Email - is a tool for reading, sending, and managing electronic messages. Pine was designed by the Office of Computing & Communications at the University of Washington specifically with novice computer users in mind, but it can be tailored to accommodate the needs of "power users" as well. Versions are available for UNIX and PC's.
http://www.washington.edu/pine/
SQL Tutorial: Introduction to Structured Query Language:
This page is a introductory tutorial of the Structured Query Language (also known as SQL) and is a pioneering effort on the World Wide Web, as this is the first comprehensive SQL tutorial available on the Internet. SQL allows users to access data in relational database management systems, such as Oracle, Sybase, Informix, Microsoft SQL Server, Access, and others, by allowing users to describe the data the user wishes to see. SQL also allows users to define the data in a database, and manipulate that data. This page will describe how to use SQL, and give examples. The SQL used in this document is "ANSI", or standard SQL, and no SQL features of specific database management systems will be discussed until the "Nonstandard SQL" section.
http://w3.one.net/~jhoffman/sqltut.htm
Creates ASCII Art characters.
http://www.inf.utfsm.cl/cgi-bin/figlet
IconBrowser
http://www.cli.di.unipi.it/iconbrowser/icons.html
Stock Solution CD-ROM
1,000+ color photographs. To include an image in a publication you distribute to the public, you must pay a license fee.
http://www.tssphoto.com/cd_free.html
Texture Land
Currently has 196 textures that you can use in web pages, 3D modeling, VRML, for wallpaper, or anything else you can think of! The textures here are free for individual use, i.e. free for an individual to use on their personal web page, and also for non-profit companies.
http://www.meat.com/textures
Xoom's Free Clip Art Library
Choose from our library of 75,000 Web objects perfect for your Web site or presentation. This online clip collection is FREE for personal, non-commercial use. Animated GIFs, Non-animated GIFs, Line Art (EPS), Photos, Classic photos.
http://xoom.com/clips/website/
"Make the most of your hardware, software, and time online with the LangaList--- a free and lively, award winning, twice-a-week e-newsletter from noted computer author and editor Fred Langa. Each issue is packed with tips, tricks, and other useful and interesting information!"
http://www.langa.com/newsletter.htm
Microsoft Security Bulletin
This is a free e-mail notification service that Microsoft uses to send information to subscribers about the security of Microsoft products. Anyone can subscribe to the service, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
To subscribe to the service, follow these steps:
Compose an e-mail to [email protected].
The subject line and the message body are not used to process the subscription request, and can be anything you like.
Send the e-mail.
You'll receive a response, asking you to verify that you really want to subscribe. Compose a reply, and put "OK" in the message body. (Without the quotes). Send the reply
You'll receive two e-mails, one telling you that you've been added to the subscriber list, and the other with more information on the notification the service and its purpose. You'll receive security notifications whenever we send them.
Excellent source for computer industry happenings.
http://www.infoworld.com
The Cobb Group
Inside Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 95 Professional, Inside Microsoft Office 95, Inside SCO Unix, Inside OS/2, plus links to several other resources on the net.
http://www.cobb.com.
Netsurfer Digest
A FREE e-mail delivered e-zine bringing cyberspace directly to your mailbox. The current issue is available online.
Check out their other ezines:
Netsurfer Science,
Netsurfer Education,
Netsurfer Books
http://www.netsurf.com/nsd/
NetWare Connection Magazine
http://www.nwconnection.com
PC Today Magazine Buyer's Directory
Updated weekly, the Buyer's Directory lists 300+ leading mail-order vendors offering for sale 4000+ networking, microcomputer, software, peripheral, and new technology products.
http://www.peed.com/pctoday.html
TechWeb
Contains lots of information from the 16 magazines from CMP Publications. CMP publishes the following magazines: Communications Week , Communications Week International , Computer Reseller News, Computer Reseller News Germany, Computer Retail Week, Electronic Buyers' News , Electronic Engineering Times, HomePC , Informatiques Magazine , InformationWeek, InteractiveAge, Max, CD-ROM , NetGuide , Network Computing, OEM Magazine, VAR Business, Windows Magazine.
http://techweb.cmp.com
WEB Techniques:
http://www.webtechniques.com
ZDNet
Publisher of PC Magazine, PC Week, PC Computing, Computer Shopper, Windows Sources, MacUser, MacWEEK, Inter@ctive Week, Computer Life, FamilyPC, Computer Gaming World, Yahoo! Internet Life.
http://www.zdnet.com
ITworld.com
http://www.itworld.com/
ExtremeTech.com
http://www.extremetech.com/
SlashDot.org
http://slashdot.org/
FreeTechMail.org
IT Newsletter Subscription Service FreeTechMail has searched the web for the best IT Newsletters, and brought them here for you. Read about them, see samples and sign up to as many or as few as you would like. All newsletters are FREE.
http://FreeTechMail.org/
Who's got the best horror stories? Tech support folks!
Ever wonder why tech support experts get a reputation of being grumpy? It's because they get calls from people who are using their CD drives as cup holders, can't figure out why they can't tune in the local ABC station on the monitor, and don't understand that unplugging a computer without shutting it down isn't really a good thing.
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2830217,00.html
Tech Support Comedy
Comic relief for the tech support worker.
http://www.techcomedy.com/
Computer Stupidities
A collection of stories and anecdotes about clueless computer users. It's a baffling phenomenon that in today's society an individual, who might in other circumstances be considered smart and wise, can sit down in front of a computer screen and instantly lose every last shred of common sense he ever possessed. Complicate this phenomenon with a case of "computerphobia," and you end up with tech support personnel having phone conversations that are funny in retrospect but seem like perfectly valid motives for wild machine gun shooting sprees at the time.
http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid/
