E-mail: There's more than just
"LookOut" and "LookOut Depress"
I don't get it. Microsoft's e-mail programs (Outlook and Outlook Express)
continue to be the target of every jerk who thinks he (and it's usually
"he") can write a virus or worm. Nearly every week Microsoft announces
a new "security issue" and offers a patch. Yet these are probably the
most used e-mail applications in use. Corporations have adopted Outlook
as the corporate e-mail standard. I just don't get it.
You do have options. Despite the security holes, a lot of people use Outlook
or Outlook
Express. I'm not one of them. Eudora was my favorite until version 4
suffered a serious case of feature bloat and instability (largely
fixed in version 5, although it's still a huge memory hog).
I would have gone back to Eudora had I not encountered The Bat
(product of Moldavia/Moldava), text-centric with limited abilities to
deal with HTML mail, configurable in ways that I haven't even yet
imagined needing, horrid documentation, excellent on-line support by
users, quirky interface, largely impervious to viruses and worms). In
other words, it's a mixed bag. If you're willing to work with the
program until you understand it, you may love it; if you expect it to
work the way you want it to out of the "box", you won't love it.
Prior to adopting The Bat, I used Calypso from MCS in Texas. Calypso couldn't
attract enough customers and MCS dropped it. That looked like the end
of the line. But Rose City Software (http://rosecitysoftware.com/Courier/)
bought Calypso and now offers it as freeware. The companay is developing
a new e-mail program called Courier that's now available in beta. (Download
it and use it only if you understand the dangers of using beta software.)
DVD+/-RƒRW£fu÷bar ROM RAM whatever
If you've looked at DVD recorders, you've probably concluded that there are
still far too many formats. You're right.
There are DVD-Multi units that can play back some or most of the formats,
but consumers are still waiting for one format or the other to "win"
so they can decide what to buy. I thought maybe the "multi" systems
would be enought to push people toward a buying decision, but that seems
not to be the case.
The good news is that Microsoft says it will provide built-in operating system
support for all major writable DVD formats in future versions of the Windows
operating system. By "major", Microsoft means DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW
and DVD+R formats. (Note: DVD-ROM is missing.)
Microsoft says its support will enable users with a compatible drive to work
with any of their existing writable DVDs used as a data storage medium. Users
will not need to download any additional drivers to ensure compatibility with
their DVDs.
More information about Microsoft's DVD support can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/tech/stream/DVD/DVDRW_support.mspx.
Follow-ups (miscellaneous)
Free money from AOL
Last week, I said: AOL is also offering $10 off purchases at CompUSA if you
sign up for a free 3-month membership. When I bought a USB hub for Kaydee's
computer this week,
they offered me the discount. "You just have to sign up," the cashier
told me. "You don't actually have to use it." Fair enough. I sign
up and AOL pays $10 of my purchase price; then I call to cancel the
account.
We've heard from people that it's next to impossible to get AOL to cancel
an account, so the experiment would have been worth it even without
the $10 enhancement.
This week, I called AOL and explained that I wanted to cancel the account.
The gentleman I spoke with was polite and sounded sincerely concerned
that I wanted to stop using AOL. I explained that I already use Roadrunner,
so I'm already sending some money to AOL. Then he tried to sell me on
using AOL over the Roadrunner connection. He pointed out that it's "free"
(which it would be during the free trial period) and only later (and
very quietly) did he mention that I would pay $10 per month for AOL
after the trial period.
"No, I'd just like to cancel the account," I told him. Suddenly very businesslike,
my representative quickly gave me a confirmation number, said that I
could still use the service for free until the end of the free-use period,
and thanked me.
So I've cancelled the account. I have the confirmation number. But AOL still
has my credit card number.
Stay tuned.
iTunes Music Store
I haven't yet had a chance to try Apple's on-line music service, but all indications
are that it's off to a great start. I was amused by a letter to the
editor of the New York Times this week. The writer, clearly not old
enough to remember 45RPM records, derided Apple for creating a service
that will eventually -- in his opinion -- eliminate albums.
Why? Because most albums contain 1 or 2 good recordings and a lot of "filler".
(I don't know what his musical tastes are, but most of the CDs I buy
contain mostly good stuff. Or maybe I'm just not a discerning listener.)
By offering individual cuts, Apple will -- the writer says -- cause
artists to concentrate on single-hit sales at the expense of albums.
Rewind.
We now return you to the 1960s. Radio stations played "the hits" -- meaning
the top 20 or 30 songs. Yeah, they said "top 40", but the playlist was
usually more like 30. The other 10 were on the published survey, but
made it to air no more than once or twice per week. Nobody played cuts
from albums. Nobody even played the B-side of a hit (with the exception
of the Beatles).
We went to the stores. We bought "singles" -- 45RPM records with "the hit"
on the A side and something else on the B side. But we also bought albums.
Next time you're in the home of an aging hippie, ask to see the old
vinyl in the basement.
As far as I'm concerned, the only mistake Apple made is not to make its service
available for use by PC users.
Nerdly News
George Morrow died this week
He was 69 and there's a good chance that you've never heard of him. Morrow
dropped out of high school, but went back to school when he was 28. He earned
a bachelor's degree in physics from Stanford University. Then a master's degree
in mathematics from the University of Oklahoma. Morrow entered the Ph.D. program
at Berkeley, but then he did something that changed the world.
Morrow discovered computers. He became active in the Homebrew Computer Club
-- an organization that deserves the term "legendary". Dozens of companies
flowed from members of the club. Morrow founded Microstuf, a company that
sold expansion cards and other computer add-on products. Later the company
became Thinker Toys and then Morrow Designs.
Morrow Designs introduced a portable computer to compete with the Osborne
1 computer. The machine sold for the same price -- about $1800 -- but came
with more software.
Morrow Designs filed for bankruptcy in 1986.
Earthlink, spam, patents, and the legal system
Earthlink had no sooner announced plans to offer a challenge-response system
to help users fight spam that a small company filed suit claiming patent infrigement.
In March, MailBlocks introduced a service that forces e-mail senders to prove
that they are people by following a link and responding to a request at a
website. This is similar to the process used by GoodbyeSpam.com, a service
we've talked about here.
EarthLink plans to offer a similar service called SpamBlocker starting at
the end of May. MailBlocks has already filed suit against Spam Arrest, DigiPortal
Software, and MailFrontier.
On the other side of the court room ...
The New York Times reports that a federal judge in Atlanta has awarded Earthlink
$16.4 million in damages from Howard Carmack of Buffalo. The court also ordered
Carmack to stop sending spam through EarthLink. Earthlink says the man opened
343 fraudulent account and used them to send millions of spams every day.
Let us know what you think about this program! Write to:
Bill Blinn --
(wtvn@blinn.com still works)
Joe Bradley -- |
