Are All Modems Alike?
Sharron, Harrogate, BC

Q: Different people are telling me that all modems download at the same spped. IF that is true, then why does an old ESS Tech modem dialed up at 51 kbps while my new modem (WIN xp)dials up at 31.2 …is also very slow in downloading email, especially attachments, WVM files, while the old one had no problem with picture attachements,or WVM files on Win 98SE.

You’re right, Sharron - not all modems are alike. They all adhere to the same specifications, but implementation quality can vary, especially with “winmodems” that is modems that use the computer’s own CPU to do the work. Most internal modems for PCs these days are WinModems.

Another issue that can effect speed is compatibility with the modem’s your ISP uses. Compression settings in the modem can also make a difference. Ask your ISP for the ideal settings.

Improving PC Audio
Andrew, Belleville, ON

Q: Hi,I recently got a Mac mini and a new stereo for my room. Right now I’ve got an RCA to mini plug adaptor going into a mini plug extension cord which hooks up my Mac mini to my stereo. As you can probably guess, the sound sucks. What I’d like to know is if you think that it would be better to get a decent cable to go from my Mac or if an external sound card with an optical output would be better? Since I’m a lazy 16-year old and money is hard to come by (also tends to slip through my fingers) any upgrade would probably need to be sub $150. If only my parents got me an iMac with its fancy optical output.

Taking audio directly from your sound card is often a bad idea - it’s noisy. I recommend using a USB interface to get the digital audio from your mac and then converting it to analog suitable for your stereo. The Griffin iMic is $35 and does the trick - no drivers necessary. This will work on Windows or Macs, by the way.

Griffin iMic
griffintechnology.com

Booting Linux and Windows
Jared, Saskatoon, SK

Q: I was wondering if it is possible to install Fedora Core 4 without using Grub, but instead using the Windows XP boot menu. The reason for this is because I do not want to corrupt my systm if I take off linux, or the hard drive.

I Absolutely. When you install Linux have it put lilo in the /boot partition instead of the Master Boot Record. You’ll have to edit the Windows boot.ini file to reflect the addition of Linux. You’ll need Bootpart to do that: http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm

A better solution would be to use GAG - it can easily be modified if you decide to remove Linux, or uninstalled completely.

Bootpart
winimage.com

GAG
gag.sourceforge.net