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BOOT CAMP 039
FILING FOR FUN, PART 1
The filing system used by Windows 95 and 98 is reasonably
straightforward and simple to understand. Providing you're only creating files
that will be used on your PC it's fairly easy to keep track of everything.
However sooner or later you will want to transfer or copy files to another
computer, or import a document from another machine, and that's when
difficulties can arise.
This week we're going to look at the various methods of
moving files about between computers, in part two we'll take a closer look at
file formats, including data compression systems, and how different types of
computer -- i.e. PCs, Macs and palmtops -- can be persuaded to talk to one
another.
Essentially there are three ways of moving a file from one
computer to another. The simplest is to copy the data to a portable storage
medium, such as a floppy, optical disc, or tape cassette that can be read by
both machines. Secondly individual computers can swap information by cable or
wireless communication systems. Third, computers can exchange data en-masse, over
a network either locally in an office or company, or a very much larger
national or international network like the Internet.
The humble floppy disc is still the most convenient means of
transferring data between PCs. The 3.5-inch high-density double-sided diskette
is an international standard and most PCs and laptop machines are fitted with a
suitable drive mechanism. Floppy discs are cheap, reasonably robust and mostly
reliable. Discs can be easily transported and safely sent through the post or
by courier (unless they travel alongside a consignment of magnets…). The main
drawback of the floppy is its limited storage capacity, normally just 1.4
megabytes, which makes them inconvenient for larger files. Nevertheless that's
more than enough for most data files and text documents, indeed it is possible
to squeeze the contents of a small novel -- 30,000 to 40,000 words -- on a
single disc. We'll look at ways of getting even more information onto a floppy,
without compromising compatibility, in part two.
Windows 95/98 is very floppy friendly. The Save As command
on the File menu of most Windows applications allows you to copy an open file straight
to a floppy disc in your A: drive, right clicking on a file icon in Windows
Explorer brings up the Send To option, which includes the floppy disc
drive.
Other portable disc and tape based portable media have much
greater capacity (100Mb to 1 gigabyte) problem but none of them are as flexible
or widely used as the good old floppy. If you need to move very large files then
recordable CD-ROM is definitely worth considering. Blank discs only cost a
pound or two and can hold up to 650Mb of data but CD-R and CD-RW recorders are
still quite expensive (prices start at around £170). Moreover, the second PC
must also have a CD-ROM drive, which is not always possible, or convenient on a
portable PC. High capacity magnetic
disc formats such as the Zip, Jazz or L120 are another possibility but few
desktop PCs have them as standard and they're even rarer on laptops. Tape-based
systems suffer from the same disadvantage; they're also slow and better suited
to archiving.
When two PCs are physically close to one another -- i.e. in
the same room, it's a fairly simple matter to link the two machines together by
cable. Palmtop and laptop computers often come with their own dedicated
'docking stations', designed for direct connection to a PC, however, it's
slightly more awkward when it comes to connecting desktop machines together.
Windows 95 and 98 include a utility called Direct Cable
Connection (DCC). The only extra you'll need is the cable. There are two
options, serial or parallel. Serial cables connect to one of the PC's COM ports
(make sure you use a 'Null Modem' type). A parallel cable link -- it needs to
be a bi-directional type -- uses the PCs printer sockets. Parallel connections
are faster but cable length is limited to around 5 or so metres. You'll find
the DCC set-up Wizard in the Accessories folder (Start then Programs), on
Windows 98 you may find it is in the Communications sub-folder. The instructions
are simple to follow; nominate one PC as the Host (the PC you want to access),
and the other as the Guest (the one you use to access information). You will
have to enable sharing on the files you want to access on the Host PC, do this
by right-clicking on the file or folder, select properties then the Sharing tab
and check the 'Share As' option.
Once the connection is made you'll be able open, copy and
move files as if the other PC were another disc drive. The only points to bear
in mind are that it is important to make sure you have the correct cable -- there
are a lot of very similar looking cables out there… -- if you're not sure
consult your dealer. You should also be aware that DCC can be a bit
temperamental and there are compatibility issues between Windows 95 and 98
(there can be problems if one PC is using CompuServe, for example). If you are
trying to connect PCs using different versions or Windows, or other
incompatible operating systems then you will be much better off using a
proprietary communications package, such as LapLink or PC Anywhere.
The latest variant on the direct PC to PC connection
facility is an infrared serial link. A growing number of laptop and palmtop
computers now have this facility, along with peripheral devices, like printers
and digital cameras. Unfortunately it has been very slow to catch on with
desktop PC manufacturers, even though Windows 95 and 98 supports the industry
standard irDA system. The necessary transmitting and receiving modules are
available as upgrades, devices such as JetEye PC cost around £70.
Connecting two or more PCs together, to form a fully-fledged
computer network requires a little more effort and is beyond the scope of this
short article. However, the main points to bear in mind is that each PC has to
be fitted with an interface card and -- depending on the type of network
configuration -- you will probably need extra software as well.
Finally, we come to the mother of all networks, the
Internet. Once your PC is connected to the Internet you can send and receive
files from any other Internet PC, anywhere in the world. It's reasonably cheap
and fairly quick, at least files move around the Internet fairly quickly but unless
you have a high-speed digital line or fast modem it large file transfers can
take ages, from a few minutes to an hour or more is not uncommon.
Next month, files and formats
JARGON FILTER
CD-R/RW
Recordable CD-ROM systems; CD-R uses discs that can be
written to just once whilst CD-RW (read-write) discs can be recorded on and
erased many times
IrDA
Infra red Data Association, the organisation responsible for
setting and maintaining technical standards for IR wireless communications
systems used on PCs and peripherals
NULL MODEM
Type of serial communications cable, configured for two-way
data transfer between a PC and a modem, or two PCs.
TOP TIP
Over time your PC can accumulate dozens of interesting fonts
or typefaces. Viewing them manually, using your word processor, can be tedious
so when you get some time to spare create a sample font book. From the Start
menu select Control Panel and then double-click on the Fonts icon. Open each
font icon in turn, click on the Print button and you'll get a full-page
print-out of that font. Keep them together in a loose-leaf file folder for
quick reference.
NEXT
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