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Marc and Mario in the studio.
Our thoughts are with the victims of California's wildfires, and our thanks to the firefighters who have worked tirelessly to save people and property from the ravages of these firestorms.
Thanks also to KABC listeners who have donated generously to support wildfire victims: $5,000,000, yes, Five Million Dollars has been raised by KABC listeners to provide much needed help to those victims. Click here to help this worthy cause.
GUEST: Debbie Lee, Marketing Specialist, from ASUS
ASUS has the coolest ultra portable computer, the EEE PC, also called the "EPC." It's specially designed for first time mobile internet gadget users; "anyone who enjoys mobility as part of their web surfing experience," according to Debbile.
Marc is really impressed with the EPC (has one in the studio) and especially impressed with the quality and feel of the unit; Marc thought that given the low price ($299 for the basic machine, and $399 for the web-cam equipped version) it would have a "low cost look," but this is a really beautifully designed ultra portable computer - the ideal alternative to schlepping a full-sized notebook when traveling.
The EPC is a linux-based computer which gives it a very fast start up and shut down time. It "comes with everything," according to Marc, including:
- Internet connection
- WiFi Finder - March said it found his WiFi instantly and seamlessly
- Media Player
- Music Manger
- Sound Recorder
- Wed Cam
Additionally, a word processor and spreadsheet are included amongst the 40 built-in applications.
It's an ideal starter machine and sounds like a must-have gadget for mobile computing, weighing only 1.9 lbs, and having a 7in screen. It's about the size of a portable DVD player, to give you some idea of its size.
The basic EPC has 2GB of flash-based storage and is currently priced at $299, and the Web Cam equipped EPC has 4GB of storage and is priced at $399.
ASUS also makes high-end notebooks, the most spectacular of which is the new U3; the lightest 13in notebook, selling for $1599 and it comes with Windows Vista Business edition.
The E3 will be officially launched on November 1, 2007, and is available in the Los Angeles area from
- PC Club
- Micro Center
- and on-line through NewEgg
More information on ASUS computers at:
http://usa.asus.com/
A word of warning - I found the ASUS website a little difficult to navigate, the links above will (hopefully) take you directly to specific product information.
Caller: Al
Al's haunted by the Ghost of Norton Anti-Virus!
His subscription to Norton AV expired and he tried to remove it. The result was that he got an error message on boot-up and was not able to launch Windows. Al then tried editing the registry with the command line regedit.exe program, a risky venture unless you really know what you're doing. The end result is that Al still cannot boot-up.
Marc's advice is to start up the computer and keep hitting F8 until the PC boots up in SAFE MODE. Then select "Boot Up with Prompts" as that is the only way to boot up in safe mode and have an internet connection.
Once Al can get online, go to the KABC Computer Show Yahoo! Group and look for the instructions on removing Norton AV, as there is more to do than just running Windows "Add/Remove Programs."
The KABC Yahoo! Group is free and full of great advice and tips. It's run by Robert Gismondi and you'll find the answers to most PC problems there, and you can ask a question of our dedicated group of enthusiasts to help you get your problem solved.
Another option for Al is to call CyberDefender who, in the 'Spirit' of Halloween, are generously offering KABC Computer & Technology Show listeners free support for 24hrs starting at midnight on October 31.
Also, as Marc will be away for the November 10 show, the show will be a "Best Of" show, and CyberDefender will provide free support on that day too.
Just remember to use the Promo Code: "KABC Computer & Technology Show" to get free support.
Caller: Matt on a Cellphone
Has a problem with his mom's computer. When she tried to log off, she gets a warning message that there are other users logged on and they will be disconnected. Problem is that there's nobody else logged on - at least nobody that she's aware of.
Marc's advice is to check to see if she's logging on as an Administrator, or as a User. If she's logged on as a User, then the error message is simply warning that the Administrator account will be logged off too. A more sinister explanation may be that someone else has gained access to the computer.
Once Matt has determined how his mother is logging on, he can email Marc at marc@kabc.com for more advice and help.
Caller: Sharon
Bought a new PC with Vista and wants to transfer her data from her old XP machine using Windows' Easy Transfer program.
She bought an Easy Transfer Cable but finds that when she connects the two PCs, she gets an error message that there's a lack of storage space.
Marc's had Vista since it came out, and has only had one problem with Vista, namely the Easy Transfer program. If you try to transfer everything at the same time, it often will crash, so it's better to transfer files individually or at least in smaller groups.
Sharon's problem may be with the cable itself, so Marc advises reversing the cable to see if files will flow in the opposite direction.
Vista will have a big Service Pack out at the end of the month, and that may address issues with Easy Transfer.
And Sharon's a lucky winner today! She's won 4 free tickets to the Computer Fair at the Fairplex in Pomona, on November 10 & 11
Caller: Rod in San Pedro
He runs Norton Anti Virus and Norton Ghost. His Anti-Virus subscription is about to expire and Norton wants him to buy a new Anti-Virus program as his version is no longer supported. He's also worried about downloading the replacement as the last time he did it is messed up his PC. Is there a safe way to do this?
Rod could pay the extra to buy Norton's new program on a CD, the only real benefit is that there is documentation that comes with the CD, however, these days, most downloaded programs have extensive help documentation built into the program.
Will a different Anti-Virus program conflict with Norton Ghost?
Marc is no fan of Norton's Anti-Virus, but Ghost is a good product. Rod can use a different Anti-Virus program without conflicting with Ghost, but it is vital to completely remove Norton Anti Virus before installing another program.
First, use "Add/Remove Programs" to remove the visible parts of Norton Anti-Virus, then go to the KABC Computer & Technology Show's Yahoo Group for instructions on removing the rest of Norton Anti-Virus.
Anti-Virus Programs that Marc likes are:
- Panda Titanium
- CyberDefender - and they have a free download
- WebRoot's combo Anti-Virus & Anti-Spyware program
Caller: John in West Hills
Wants to know what an IP Address is, as he got kicked out of a chat group and they've blocked his IP Address.
For a full explanation of IP Addresses, click here, but the simple explanation is that it's your computer's identity on the internet.
You can find out more about IP Addresses and ho\w that can pose a security threat by visiting Gibson Research Corp's website and using their free ShieldsUp test.
20th Anniversary of one of the Best Movies - Ever
Yes, it's 20 years since The Princess Bride hit the silver screen, and in Marc's expert opinion, it's still one of the best films ever, and suitable for kids of all ages.
Caller: Walter in Hollywood
Has a lot of podcasts (over 10GB) and wants to copy them to CDs. Unfortunately for Walter, he has carpal tunnel syndrome, and has difficulty doing more than clicking a mouse button. Selecting files and then moving them to be burnt on a CD requires too many keystrokes for him, so he wants to know if there's any software that can make the process easier.
Marc's suggestion is to post a message in the KABC Computer & Technology Yahoo! Group for possible solutions. Walter can also email Marc for more advice.
Caller: Ron
Has a new Gateway PC that came with a TV Tuner Card and Windows Media Center. Unfortunately the card does not have an FM Tuner. Ron wants to know if Windows Media Center will recognize an FM Radio if he buys and installs another TV Tuner card that does have an FM Tuner.
Marc says that Windows Media Center will recognize the FM Tuner after Ron installs the appropriate card.
Caller: Joe on a cellphone in Camarillo
Has Outlook Express. Until a few days ago all his emails were in chronological order, but something happened and now they're all messed up.
Marc advises Joe to use the "Arrange By" option in the option box, that allows the user to specify how email messages should be displayed. Joe tries it out and voila! by selecting "Arrange By Descending Order" the problem is solved.
Caller: Sam in Irvine
Has a new iMac (lovely machine!) and wants to know if Apple's new operating system, "Leopard," still allows you to run Windows on a Mac?
Parallels and VMWare's Fusion are third-party programs both of which currently allow Mac users to simultaneously run Windows on a Mac. Marc does not know if those programs have yet been optimized to run under Leopard.
As Leopard has been under development for over two years now, and third party developers have been given copies of Leopard in advance of this week's launch, it is highly likely that both programs will work under Leopard.
If Sam sends Marc an email, Marc will check with his Mac experts and get back to him.
Apple has a video tour of Leopard's powerful new features that certainly are worthwhile and valuable additions to one of the most stable operating systems available to computer users.
Buy Of The Week
It's a 20.1 inch flat-screen, wide-screen LCD monitor for only $159.99 from Tiger Direct!
Supplies are limited, so don't delay, this is amazing value.
Click here to go directly to this BOTW.
Caller: Carol in Studio City
Bought a Toshiba Satellite notebook from BestBuy. When she found that it would not play DVDs, she called Toshiba and they told her that the problem was with Vista, and that she needs to contact Microsoft to find out how to alter her Registry settings to allow DVDs to be played.
Nonsense! Marc says it's unacceptable for a manufacturer like Toshiba to respond in this way. They make the computer and they should make sure it will operate properly. Marc's advice is to take the notebook back to BestBuy and insist that they make the notebook play DVDs.
If BestBuy cannot get the Toshiba to play DVDs, return it and get a notebook that does play DVDs - Marc's recommendation is one of the Gateway NX860 series 17 inch notebooks.
Feature: Cool Gift for the Holidays
The Nintendo Wii continues to sell out as soon as it hits the store, and now there's a really cool Table Tennis (Ping-Pong) game that can also give you quite a healthy work out!
Digital Disaster Advice
You may not be able to prevent a fire, flood or earthquake from destroying your home and valuable possessions, but you can do something to arm yourself to convince your insurance company to pay out for your damaged/destroyed property: Take digital photos and video of everything in your home. Oh, and don't forget to store the DVD or CD with your evidence somewhere other than in your home!
Thanks again to the brave men and women of California firefighting agencies who have worked so hard to limit the damage caused by this past week's wildfires.
See you all next week at 9am.
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