FAQS! FACTS! FAX! 061 (10/06/97)

MINDERS AND MODEMS

I have been advised that I cannot connect a PC modem or fax machine to my phone line if I subscribe to the BT Call Minder service, why is that? Is it like Call Waiting, where bleeps generated by the system interrupt data transfers?  If so is there any way of temporarily disabling the facility?

Steve Henson, Isle of Dogs

A

There’s actually nothing to stop you using a modem or fax machine if you have Call Minder. However, BT advise against it for two reasons. Some types of modem get confused by the ‘stutter’ dial tone, that indicates messages are waiting. Secondly, Call Minder will answer, and try to record or respond to incoming data or fax calls, whilst you’re on the phone. This could clog up your voicemail box with a lot of meaningless bleeps and squawks. If your modem or fax machine has trouble dialling out the solution is to dial 1571 first, to retrieve any messages, which then restores the dial tone to normal.

DOUBLE DEALING

I have an old Amstrad double-deck VCR which is well past its junk-by date.However, I have found it impossible to track down a replacement.  Do you know of any twin VCRs currently available, and if so, where?

Alex Taylor, London

A

There was a brief spate of double-deck VHS video recorders about five years ago but they have all since disappeared. They never really caught on and fears that they would encourage tape piracy proved unfounded. Most pre-recorded movies are copy-protected, in any event the quality of second-generation VHS to VHS recordings made on those machines were quite poor. As far as we’re aware the only twin-deck VCR currently in production is the Sony SLVT2000, which costs just under £900. This has VHS and Hi8 decks and is mainly designed for copying and editing camcorder tapes, but it has a tuner, timer and NICAM decoder, so it can function as a normal homedeck VCR. If you want to copy or edit recordings, or record two TV channels at once, it is cheaper and simpler to buy two VCRs. Sony UK, customer information, telephone 0181-784 1144

PORTS OF CALL

I am a mathematics teacher, living and working in Portugal. I am planning to buy a PC, or laptop, and would like some advice. Which model would enable me to e-mail and send faxes to my bank in London (National Westminster), from Portugal? How can I protect myself from harmful radiation coming from the apparatus? Which European country am I likely to get the best quality computers at the most affordable prices?

Julieta Poiares. 1900 Lisbon, Portugal

A

Sending faxes and e-mail is one of the easiest jobs for a PC almost any model made in the past five years, equipped with a telephone modem, will suffice. The UK has a highly-competitive and well-developed PC market; prices are amongst the lowest in the world, outside of the USA and Far East. Well specified Pentium desktop PCs are currently selling here for less than £1000, basic laptops with colour screen start at around the same price. Most direct mail order companies advertising in UK computer magazines have overseas sales facilities.  

The only component in a PC capable of emitting significant amounts of non-ionising radiation is the CRT monitor. All new monitors sold in the UK must comply with relatively strict European and international regulations. However, there is no generally accepted ‘safe’ exposure level, particularly during pregnancy. If you are concerned then you should consider buying an LCD monitor screen, or a laptop machine. The National Westminster Bank can be contacted by fax or e-mail, and they’re currently conducting trials of an on-line banking system, that will eventually enable customers to manage their accounts via the internet. Their current web site can be found at: www.natwest.co.uk  

MILLENNIUM MADNESS

A lot is heard these days of the perils of the Millennium and crashing computers. As far as I can see this is all doom and gloom, without any helpful or practical suggestions.  If I replace my domestic PC, will the new one be Millennium proof? If I do nothing and continue writing letters, playing with my domestic finances on spreadsheets, and drawing the odd Christmas card, using Designworks, is anything drastic going to happen?

Roger Sharatt, Aldingbourne, Chichester

A

If your PC was built more than couple of years ago then it is possible that the internal clock and calendar is not programmed to recognise the changeover to the year 2000. If so, you may find that files created after midnight on December 31st 1999 will be incorrectly dated by the system. This won’t affect the normal operation of the computer and is unlikely to be a problem for word processing and paintbox software, but it could cause difficulties with date-sensitive financial applications. Numerous simple ‘fixes’ are available for desktop PCs, these can be found on the many ‘Year 2000’ web sites on the internet, or from the manufacturer of your machine.

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE

In a recent F!F!F! you showed how to remove icons from the Start menu in Windows 95, but I have a slightly different problem. When I have completed a document, and deleted it from the disc, the names of files remain in the Document list on the Start menu. How can I get rid of them?

Roy Meakin, Honley, Huddersfield

A

Click on Settings on the Start menu, then on Taskbar. Next select the Start Menu Programs tab and you will see a button for clearing the Documents menu.