1/5     Microsoft to release WMF patch today at 2pm Pacific Time
        http://myitforum.com/blog/rtrent/archive/2006/01/05/18131.aspx
        fyi, Ilfak recently said you can uninstall his patch before or
        after you install the MS patch.
        \_ Looks like it's out now.
        \_ http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/format/default.aspx
	...

6/13    What is the cheapest way to get 3 or 4 arguably legal
        copies of winXP, preferable with SP2 ?  Also, how much
        do extra terminal licenses cost? tnx.
        \_ OEM licenses are cheaper but you can't move them to a different
           machine once you activate it.  (OEM licenses are what you get when
           you buy a new Dell, etc.)
	...

4/8     To save power I set my laptop to shut down HD after 1 min of
        inactivity. However, my laptop always does something to the HD
        and I know this because it keeps clicking and clicking. I've turned
        off Norton Realtime Anti-Virus thing, Firefox/IE, MS Word, and
        pretty much everything I can think of, but it just never turns off.
        What could be causing this? BTW I have 1.5G of RAM and XP and
	...

3/15    It's been a while since I bought a notebook. Is there any reason to
        pay extra $100 to upgrade from XP Home to XP Professional? How about
        Intel Pentium M Processor 7x5, do they run at decent speed relative
        to say, P4? And what's the difference between 1) Crystal View XGA TFT
        and 2) SXGA+ non-crystal view TFT? ok thx
        \_ You definitely want a Pentium M for the power savings.
	...

6/3     If I get a Windows XP and Office XP installation CD from
        someone else, will I be able to install it on my computer?  Will
        it absolutely not work due to licensing issues, or will it
        work in some cases (maybe depending on the type of license)?
        Or is the only way to get Windows XP to buy it?
        \_ All that matters is the serial number. There's a number of them
	...

2/6     Can somebody tell me about installing/upgrading to WinXP?
        I deal with MS as little as possible but it's for a friend who
        refuses any alternative.  There are 2 computers, both w/ Win98.
        I want to do a clean install on both-- will XP let me use
        any old Win98 product key to install, and will it let me reformat
        beforehand?  I'm not sure he has his old keys.  Thanks
	...

10/16   Is there a way to make movie's/animations available on the web, yet
        make them un-copiable?  I think real networks has a technology that
        does it, but they charge, iirc. Any free one's?
        \_ There's a ripper program available so, no, Real hasn't done it
           either.  So what you really want is the Holy Grail of copyright
           protection: viewable content but no copying.  Let us know when
	...

6/15    In a controversial press release, RIAA announced that using FAT32 file
        system should be made illegal. Recently it has come to RIAA officials'
        attention that the FAT32 file system, commonly found in the PCs
        running MS Windows software, can be used for storing pirated mp3 files.
        "We were shocked when we have learned of such possibility. We are
        already working closely with Microsoft to create a successor to FAT32 -
	...

5/21    Is it worth buying a new wintel PC right now or should I wait until
        the Pentium4/Athlon prices drop more? I looking into buying a 1GHz
        Pentium3 or similar system, I just went and configured a Dell Dimension
        with 933MHz CPU, 256MB RAM (SDRAM) 32MB GeForce2. No monitor, with
        RedHat Linux, no windows. Came out at like $985
        \_ Sounds about right, you can probably save $100 or $200 if you
	...

7/24    I am trying to come up with a list of bands that have played the
        Berkeley co-ops. So far I have the following:
        Primus - Barrington "Frizzle Fry"
        Green Day - Cloyne & Chateau
        Digital Underground - Cloyne
        Bluchunks - Chateau and Cloyne
	...

4/11    Countrywide 12 month CD is 4.25%. But some people tell me they're
        going out of business. Is it actually safe to deposit into
        Countrywide right now? Will FDIC pay me the full amount + interest
        should it ever goes out of business?
        \_ Are you really that concerned about 4.25%? I could see if it
           was 7% or something. How much more is that than the next best
	...