PCs

[B'rrr]

Neil you forgot the interest rate   ; )

[Yonkey]

lol, well I usually pay by debit card (not credit card) so I never pay interest.  

[Grundy]

I've built 3 new computers in the last year... all High-end Athlons... I'm expecting the aprts for a new one next week.

Computer specs don't really worry me, it's monitor size that counts! ( 19" LCD mmmmmm....   )

[Kimmie]

i just thought i would say...

my computer has a virus, it wont behave, i dont know whats wrong and i hav no money to get it fixed, big pooooo  

stupid evil people who want to send virus's around, what is the point    

[Yonkey]

Awww that sucks Kimmie.    If you know the name of the virus, you can go to http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/tools.list.html and download the specific virus removal tool for that particular virus.    They're free too!  

[dew7]

 Louisiana Night
P.S. I think the win9x OSs are going to get viruses, no matter what you do. That's one of the reasons I prefer Linux. What OS are you using?

I highly disagree with that statement.  As an unofficial 9x representative, I have to defend my 98SE operating system.  Hackers are interested in the latest and greatest operating systems.  98SE has been battle tested and has won through Microsoft's help.  Blaster and Sasser only affect the NT source code which is in need of a critical overhaul.  Thus, we have Microsoft working on XP SP2 which hopefully will protect PC users.  In the meantime, I will be sitting pretty in my 98SE machine which is protected by HOSTS, Hardware and Software Firewalls, AntiVir -- Antivirus, anti-spyware programs such as PestPatrol, SpywareBlaster, Spybot Search and Destroy, Spysweeper, etc.  Also, I continually am working on dead ends where if the hacker manages to get into the system then they will be directed to a .txt file which contains opporpriate cuss words directed at them.  These cuss words have even been encrypted to make them think they found something. LOL  Now if only I can develop a way to start shutting down hacker's machines then I will really be pleased.  I propose a network of computers that will work together and once hack attempts are directed to one of these machines from another machine then all of these machines can work in tandem to shut the user's machine down.  If this machine happens to be an innocent victim then I am truely sorry but we as a community must do something to protect our PCs which I feel belong to us and not the marketplace because we PAID for them.  JUST MY TWO CENTS.  

[Louisiana Night]

I apologize if I have offended you. I think I was too hasty, with that comment. I was just trying to say that the WinNT/2000/XP line is far better, as far as protection against hackers. The Win9x line was never meant to have high security.

I see your point about the hackers attacking the XP line instead. One of the reasons that Linux gets fewer viruses than Windows is because fewer people use it.

P.S. Win98SE is my favorite Windows operating system, I'm using it right now.

[copycat]

Kimmie, I'd use somthing like Norton,

I've heard Norton AV 2004 slows down your computer speed to 50 % so I wouldn't recommend that one. :-(

P.S. I think the win9x OSs are going to get viruses, no matter what you do. That's one of the reasons I prefer Linux. What OS are you using?

The more Linux becomes popular, the more viruses will be made targeting Linux, no doubt about it. Anyway, I can spot virus-mails from miles away (sort of speak), but my curiosity always gets the better of me and I download the attachment to see which virus it is.). Nevertheless, I have never been infected (AFAIK, and since nobody has alterted me to that fact I suppos that's correct) and, unless I become insane irl, will never be. I'm using Win95 OSR2(mail) and Win XP Home (everything else). My plan is to move the mail to Linux but I've yet to install a distribution that has a boatloader that will work.

[Jeysie]

Kimmie, I'd use somthing like Norton,

I've heard Norton AV 2004 slows down your computer speed to 50 % so I wouldn't recommend that one. :-(

I use NOD32 myself... same pricing, features, and functionality as McAfee, Norton, etc., but uses a LOT less hard disk space, RAM, resources, etc.

Peace & Luv, Liz

[Louisiana Night]

The reason I named Norton, is because they update regularly, they aren't going out of business anytime soon, and I've actually used it. I wouldn't want to recommend something I haven't used. I probably should have mentioned the speed problem, but it's one of the best at what it does, stopping viruses.

[Say]

Kimmie, I'd use somthing like Norton,

I've heard Norton AV 2004 slows down your computer speed to 50 % so I wouldn't recommend that one. :-(

Indeed, I have it... and I must use it like whenever I go to sleep, or eat go make coffee, or watch tv and not use ANYTHING else, my pc per se is annoying and slow, with Norton on, its like... forever...

[Louisiana Night]

I've got to stop giving advice  

at least on things that cost money.

[Louisiana Night]

I dual boot.  
I think you might could run 3DsMAX in Linux, with programs like WINE. Although I doubt it would work well enough that you'd be happy with it. I do very little 3Dmodeling, so I'll just talk about games(since they're the results of 3DsMAX). I play most, if not all, of my PSX games in Linux. I've also played games like Warcraft3, Deus Ex, and Jazz Jackrabbit2 on it(it will run newer games). You could also run (I forgot the name), it lets you run Linux inside Windows!

[Grundy]

Because of the complexity and pure power of a program like 3D Studio Max, it wont run effectively if at all in emulators like WINE.
( I've considered and tried this option before. )
Max is programmed to run on the NT core kernel, and WINE just can't come close to that sort of power.

[Yonkey]

I was gonna say something about this, but wasn't completely sure if it was true.  Looks like it is!  

An emulator never has good hardware support, basically it acts as a facade to your machine so the hardware thinks it's running on a different operating system.  For something as hardware-intensive as 3D Studio Max, I wouldn't expect it to run smoothly or even at all in WINE.  

[Louisiana Night]

I'm almost completely sure you could find an emulator/program to run it, if just barely. I was aware of the problems involved. That's why I said it probably wouldn't work at the level you would require. That's also why I mentioned, or tryed to anyways, the ability to run Linux inside Windows(If I could just remember that name!).

Also, you could use Trios(hardware), to use multiple OSs. After you hook it up(you need at least 2 hardrives), you just click a button(before you push the power button). It's not quite that simple, but it's close.

Trios

P.S. Compatibility is the reason I dual boot.
Nevermind, I think the company might have gone out of business.

[dew7]

Thanks Night for your latest comments about 98SE.    I think that Windows XP (Home + Pro.) are first, next Windows 2000 and finally in third place 98 and 98SE.  :>  It looks like there might be some hope for the 9x code.  Finally, I would avoid Norton and use other products because Norton is a HUGE SYSTEM RESOURCE HOG. LOL      

[Oldbushie]

I use passive resistance like Spybot Search and Destroy and I just do weekly scans manually. My last virus was 200 days ago anyway so that must mean that I'm very careful. I only have 9 programs that always have to run on my machine, including invisible Windows apps.

[copycat]

Last viruses I had were only a few weeks ago, but that was because a site company with a mailing list was being used to send out virusmails. Once they noticed that they shut down their computers and the virusflood stopped. Before that, it's been ages since I got a virus. The strange thing is: the last few viruses I got always came from/through a mailing list. Ofcourse, I know when I get a virus, so I []never[/b] execute them, I only save them to disk to see whether or not my AV-program can detect it.
When I ran Ad-Aware a while back it only found one Alexa-reference in my registry, and that probably only works in IE, which I only (have to) use for XP updates.

[Jeysie]

I get viruses on a semi-regular basis. My virus scanner always detects them the instant it sees the attachment, though. Even if it didn't, all the viruses seem to come from spammers... I don't have *that* many people who have a legit need to possess my e-mail address. So I'd delete the files anyway. I know who usually sends me files and what sort of files, so I'm not fooled by faked e-mails.

Peace & Luv, Liz