The speed of things to come
year 2000, now just 21 months away (and counting down), ultra-fast modems will carry data at speeds up to 25 times faster than is possible today.
The speed of things to come will make today's computing seem like waiting for a bus. To get some idea how much faster computers are promised to perform, just think a couple of years, when the newest wave of PC modems was introduced at 14.4K.
This news makes your 56K modem a likely candidate for replacement within a year, but offers little comfort as you sit waiting for what can seem like ages for data files to be transferred from the Net.
Fear not. If you follow some or all of the following expert tips, you may be able to speed yourself into the future a little bit faster. Here is what a panel of a dozen experts came up with when asked the question: "How can I compute faster, fast?'' (1) Spend some money . Nothing resolves a computer problem quicker than a hit on the credit card. One way to shed cash for speed is to buy a faster modem.
The current limit of 56K is carried by two service providers in Bermuda, although both admit that the actual data transfer rate is nearer the low 40s.
But if you're operating with less than 56K nominal, a new modem will add zip.
An alternative is to buy more RAM. Random Access Memory is like chocolate ice cream: more is always a good idea. If you're living with less than 16mb, you're not living. Those with 32mb are finding they need twice that to run some of the newer programmes. Those with 64mb are saving up for the move to 128mb.
Prices change constantly, and where you choose to spend will affect what you pay, but RAM is cheaper now than it's ever been.
(2) No pictures, please . On the options menu of your browser, turn off pictures, video and sound.
Why wait for what you're not going to use anyway? With these options disabled, you see only the words and the spaces in between.
If you need to see an image, or hear a sound, turn them back on. In asking for the minimum amount of data, you make the Net a lot quicker for you and infinitesimally quicker for everyone else.
(3) Time yourself . Just like East Broadway, traffic on the Net is slowest at rush hour. But where East Broadway barely moves at 8:30 a.m., the Net jams up later in the day when our neighbours to the west arrive at their offices and check their e-mail.
This happens -- like rush hours -- twice a day: at breakfast-time, when the home PCs check in to see what the day holds, and lunch-time, when the owners of the office machines plug in to see how their afternoon is shaping up.
Avoid surfing around 9:30 in the morning and 2:00 p.m., and your life will unfold more quickly, and therefore more efficiently.
(4) ... if it ain't got that ping . Having trouble connecting with a particular address? Open a window in MS-DOS and type: ping.www.anysiteyoulike.com. Instead of waiting until it eventually dawns on you that you're not going to get in, your machine will repeatedly knock on the door of the address you're trying to reach. If answer comes there none in a few seconds, you're knocking on the wrong door; the site is not working. Move on.
(5) What does it mean anyway? If you're still typing in the entire Net address, with the backslashes, stop it at once. Your browser understands that when you ask for http:/www.cbs.com, all you're looking for is www.cbs.com.
That's seven keystrokes every time you dial an address. Now you're cruising.
(6) Search me . A few tips to cut down the amount of time you spend staring at the search engine departure screen: Use inverted commas. Search for "Mr. Right'' and you'll only receive pages containing those words in that order.
If you come across a page you like, stuffed full of goodies, which would sidetrack you from your goal, save it as an HTML file and come back to it on your hard drive whenever you feel like it.
Having taken all those steps, if you're still waiting more than the guys in the hotels, spend the time thinking about how fast things will be on your next machine.
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