Here is the latest issue of Hewie's Views and Reviews for August 31, 2001. Be sure to visit Hewie's Favorites at http://www.hewie.net/ . Please pass on this newsletter to your friends and ask them to subscribe at the site. I want to double my subscribers, so I need each of you to get at least 1 friend or relative to subscribe.

++ Virus Warnings and other news on main page
++ Newsletter page added to Hewie's Favorites
++ Five-Megapixel Cameras Arrive
++ WindowsXP coming to a computer near you
++ Microsoft extreme is October 20
++ Tip from Lockergnome
++ Intel releases 2Ghz Pentium 4 and shows 3.5Ghz

++ Virus Warnings and other news on main page
The main page of Hewie's Favorites Web Site has 6 news blocks from Moreover which are updated regularly. There are six categories:
1. Top Technology Stories
2. Top Internet Stories
3. PC Software News
4. Handhelds News
5. Virus Warnings
6. Computer Security News

Make sure that you always check the Virus Warnings for the latest threats and news about new infections. The headlines are linked to the stories and show the source and date of the article. These are regularly and automatically updated. Visit the main mage of Hewie's Favorites often.

++ Newsletter page added to Hewie's Favorites
I have added a new page to Hewie's Favorites. Many of you have asked how I keep up with all of the industry changes, the mergers, the software, the hardware, etc. I get a lot of my information from newsletters that I receive from many websites, such as this newsletter. I am going to share with you the many newsletters to which I subscribe. I am listing the 68 newsletters including a short description and a link to the site. Take a look at the page at http://www.hewie.net/nl.html

I am currently updating my Views & Reviews section. It will include product reviews, items of interest, and an archive of Hewie's Views & Reviews Newsletters. There may be some other surprises as well.

++ Five-Megapixel Cameras Arrive
For those of you needing high-end photography, the 5-megapixel cameras are available in the $ 1,000 range. I have been using a 2-megapixel camera for almost 2 years and find that it is really more than is needed for web pictures. A 1-megapixel camera should be sufficient for most people and the prices are coming down. There is a good article on the latest cameras at http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,54243,00.asp.

++ WindowsXP coming to a computer near you
I have been trying to test WindowsXP on my Hewlett Packard Pavilion Pentium III 500Mhz with 128MB of RAM. I have had 3 different beta versions installed, including the RC2 (Release Candidate 2), which is the final beta just prior to Microsoft sending the new operating system to be pressed. The release date is October 25, but some of the major brands may have WindowsXP systems before then.

I have hardware in my HP that XP doesn't recognize, such as the modem. I have not been able to get it to properly talk to my network. The HP website states "Hewlett-Packard does not support Windows NT on any models of HP Pavilion PCs. It is possible that Windows NT" (the base system of XP) "will operate correctly with the hardware and software on the HP Pavilion Desktop computer models. However, Hewlett-Packard has not done any product testing for compatibility with Windows NT regarding HP Pavilion Desktop computers." I did have to upgrade the BIOS as recommended by HP.

I think we will see a lot of problems when people try to upgrade to WindowsXP. When even a Pentium III 500Mhz system has compatibility problems, we are in for some interesting consumer problems when WindowsXP is released. This discussion doesn't include the registration controls in the new operating system. There will be plenty of talk on that as well.

PC World states "The controversy over the OS formerly code-named Whistler, and now in Beta version 2, stems from Windows Product Activation, a new and stringent copy protection scheme that requires upgrade customers to contact Microsoft for an ID number (a procedure separate from the usual registration process). This feature, which could hinder some installations, isn't the only potential upgrade hurdle. Microsoft already anticipates that XP may conflict with some system BIOSs, hardware, and applications. As a result, installing the new OS could be a real hassle for people who don't have state-of-the-art PCs. You'll also need a gigabyte of free disk space."

The magazine continues, "However, Windows XP inherits Windows 2000's stability and security, and it will be even more appealing than Windows Millennium Edition to digital photo, video, and audio enthusiasts. XP also includes ME's highly popular software for returning a system to the way it was before installation of a buggy driver or application." http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,44741,00.asp

Compare the features in Windows XP Home Edition to those in Windows 95, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/evaluation/whyupgrade/featurecomp.asp

++ Microsoft extreme is October 20

I will once again be chairing the CFCS and Microsoft Orlando extreme on October 20th. The extreme is a live satellite broadcast to 40 cities around the United States including Orlando. This extreme will be at AMC Pleasure Island Theaters at Lake Buena Vista and will feature the following:
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Pocket PC
Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
Microsoft Office Keyboard
Encarta Reference Library 2002
Picture It! Publishing Platinum 2002
Flight Simulator 2002
Zoo Tycoon

Registration just opened and you can sign up at
http://www.microsoft.com/insider/extreme/.

++Tip from Lockergnome
Here is a GNOME TIPS & TRICK from Chris Pirillo's Lockergnome's Weekly Windows Digest http://www.lockergnome.com/ "It's been a while since we've covered that number pad thingy. Look on the right side of your keyboard. Go ahead, I'll wait. Okay, did you notice anything special in the top row? Probably not. Take a look again (but be quicker this time -- I've got a steak on the grill). There's an asterisk! Sure, you could hold onto SHIFT and press the 8 key to produce the same character, but... one key is always easier to tap than two. But wait -- there's more! Open up your Windows Explorer and put the cursor's focus into the Folders pane. Don't have a Folders pane on the left side? Turn it on by clicking View | Explorer Bar | Folders. Or, ya know... click the Folders icon in Explorer's toolbar. Now, let's say you wanna see all the subfolders of your Windows folder. Select it in the left (Folders) pane first, then tap that asterisk. Just like pulling a rabbit out of a hat (albeit, with much less fur). And even though we covered it a few months ago, you can use another key-combo to resize field widths when your Explorer view is set to Details. Hold onto CTRL and tap the plus sign on your numeric keypad. Ah, each column is optimized for the longest data string within it."

++Intel releases 2Ghz Pentium 4 and shows 3.5Ghz
On Monday, Intel launched its 2-GHz P4, and systems using the new chip are already available. No word yet on when a 3.5-GHz P4 will be ready for the marketplace.

In coming years, the P4 architecture will scale to 10 GHz, Intel's Otellini says. After all, some applications out there--such as voice recognition, video encoding, and others--already need more MIPS, or million instructions per second, than today's fastest processors can provide. See more at http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,59825,00.asp

That's it for now. Don't forget to share Hewie's Favorites http://www.hewie.net/ with your friends, relative, and co-workers and tell them to subscribe to this newsletter at mailto:hewie_favorites-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Thanks.