Technology Q&A

Q. In presentations to small groups, I often use my laptop and a projector to display a spreadsheet on a wall screen. But the numbers in a cell are sometimes too small for viewers to read. If I enlarge the entire screen image by changing the display settings the resulting field of view is too limited. I heard somewhere I can selectively enlarge only part of a screen. Is that true—and, if so, how’s it done?

A. It’s true—and here’s how to do it. Windows 98 has built-in accessibility tools for people with disabilities—in this case, visual disabilities. One of the accessibility features is the Magnifier. When you evoke it, your screen divides into two sections (see the screen shot below). The left side of the screen shows the file image as you would normally see it, and the other shows a magnified view of a portion of the screen under the cursor. You can adjust the degree of enlargement and the relative size of the screens (by grabbing and sliding the bar between the screens one way or the other). Magnifier provides three options: It can magnify what’s under the cursor—so if you move the cursor, the enlarged section moves apace. Or you can set the default to follow either the text cursor as you type and edit or the keyboard arrow keys.

The Magnifier function enlarges a section of the screen.

To launch Magnifier, click on Start, Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, Magnifier. However, if Accessibility is not listed under Accessories, don’t worry: It is in the operating system but for some reason was just not set up. To set it up, go to Start, Control Panel, Add/ Remove Programs and click on the Windows Setup tab and highlight Accessibility. Then click on Details, check the Accessibility Tools box and click OK twice. You may be asked to put your Windows 98 CD into the drive; in that case, just follow the screen instructions.

Once Magnifier is loaded, you can drag its icon to your desktop so you can access it conveniently.

Q. I keep hearing that Windows 98 is the last of the Windows operating systems and that we’ll have to learn to run yet another new one called NT. What’s the scoop?

A. There’s some truth to what you say. Some months ago Microsoft announced that Windows 98 will be the last to use the “old” operating system technology. However, Microsoft just released an update to Windows 98 to correct some minor bugs—and some wags are labeling it Windows 99. Early next year Microsoft is scheduled to introduce Windows 2000, an operating system based on its New Technology (NT). Windows 2000, which is targeted to business, will be optimized to run business applications. For the home, Microsoft soon will introduce a modified NT operating system called Millennium. Unlike Windows 2000, it will be optimized for the kinds of activities nonbusiness PC users frequently engage in: sharing photos, watching videos and listening to music.

But I detected an edginess to your question about having to learn yet another Microsoft system. While it’s true that Microsoft’s Windows run most of the world’s computers, the company is facing some unique competition from both the Apple computers and an operating system called Linux. The operating system came out of obscurity a few years ago; it was developed by a young Finnish college student, Linus Torvalds, and then offered free to programmers to develop further. Copies of the program are still being offered free, but a handful of companies have developed enhanced editions of Linux with documentation and sell them for under $50—and that’s not just for each user but for an entire network. It’s estimated that Linux has already grabbed nearly 10% of today’s market, and that number continues to grow. Recently, some large organizations dropped Windows and turned to Linux. Their reasons: Not only is Linux cheaper, but it’s nearly crash-proof.

If you want more information about Linux, do a keyword search on the Internet. There are hundreds of sites.

Q. In trying to keep up with the latest technology, I bought a new computer with an Intel Pentium III chip. While it was a little pricey, the machine is fast and I get more work done. But a colleague told me I got ripped off. He said the economy Celeron chip, which was designed to compete against low-end competitors, is actually faster than the top-of-the-line Pentium III. What’s the story?

A. There’s some truth to your colleague’s statement. The $165 500-MHz Celeron chip runs nearly 9% faster than the $225 450-MHz Pentium II and neck and neck with a $670 450-MHz Pentium III. However, if price is no object, watch for the 600-MHz-plus Pentium III. It’s about to be introduced and it’ll make the others look as if they’re standing still. But if you want speed at bargain prices, check out the Celeron—it’s an economical racehorse. By the way, don’t believe rumors that the Celeron can’t run Windows 2000.

Q. Is it true some applications that run just fine under Windows 95 and 98 won’t run under Windows 2000?

A. I’m sorry to say that is correct. But all is not lost. As part of its pre-upgrade routine, Windows 2000 is designed to do an inventory of all the software on your machine, and it will report which programs may cause problems. If you get the latest upgrades for each of the applications you use, you’ll minimize that problem. Tip: Windows 2000 has a big appetite for RAM. The more you make available, the better the operating system will run. Forget about 64 megabytes—think a minimum of 128 Mb.