Hello!

Welcome to another edition of "Computer Universe". As you can see I've changed the format of the ezine so it can be easily read and enjoyed by you. I hope everyone has had a great summer, and I hope work/school is good for all of you. When this time of the year rolls around, the computer is due for its 6 month check-up and maintenance routine. Unless you've just gotton a brand new computer that doesn't need any of that yet. There will be an article on how to maintain your computer in the next issue. This issue includes a feature business article, inside the computer section and several other articles that keep with the ezine's theme. The new computer universe website will be up and running, hopefully, by the end of November or may be earlier. In the contents, you can click on the section and it will go straight to the article/section. This should make reading easier and quicker. And anyone who signed up for the chat, it will take place next Saturday at 3:00 pm PT. I'm sorry it couldn't of taken place yesterday. I was just too busy.

I wish everyone a prosperous month, and happy reading!

Matthew Zator
Editor, Computer Universe

Contents:

1. Is Windows XP all it's cracked up to be?
2. Comparing Notebooks (HP & Sony VAIO)
3. Inside The Computer: Installing More Memory
4. Business Section: How to write killer sales copy
5. Privacy Watch: Spyware is watching you
6. Next Issue...
7. Info & Credits

Is Windows XP all it's cracked up to be?
by Matthew Zator

Since the day Windows XP came out into the market as a new Operating system from Microsoft it has been a headache for every person that uses it. It has had the most updates for an operating system. I think I can speak for almost everyone that this OS still needed a bit of tweaking before it was released to the public marketplace. It seems that the updates never stop coming into the Windows Update website and now Microsoft has had its last excuse. A worm has taken advantage of yet another flaw in the windows xp operating system (OS). And it has ravaged computers all over the world because of just one little problem that could have been fixed before it went out.

On the bright side, windows xp has a lot of good points to it. Like the different accounts you can create if you want to have different accounts for each member of the family, and the many new features that have been added to the software. Despite all the flaws and problems with it, I think Windows XP is the best OS that Microsoft has come up with.

If you're having problems with Windows XP

If you have just gotton a new computer that was manufactured in 2001/2002, you probably have all the flaws and problems that came with the version of the software that first came out in . If this is you, you should go to the Windows Update website and first download the patch that prevents the Lovesan worm from entering your computer and takeing advantage of the "RPC service" flaw. Then download all the vital security patches and recommended updates. If you do this, Windows XP should work as smoothly as if you bought the updated version of the software that sells for $150 retail.

If you are one of the many people that was frustrated when you first used Windows XP, don't get angry and write insulting letters to Microsoft. The updates are there and if you take the time to download them, your computer will run smoothly. Trust me, I did it and my computer is running very well after I downloaded the updates. I think the good outweighs the bad in many ways.

So in the end, I recommend you get Windows XP if you haven't already gotton it. I think it has lived up to my expectations even if there are probably many more flaws that Microsoft has yet to discover. Don't get me wrong, I think the programmers and testors that are employed by microsoft should take more time to weed out the bugs in the software before they give it there approval for it to go out to the paying customers. If they really cared about the customer, they would give it their all to make the software perfect or almost perfect.

Click on the link corresponding to the Operating System you want to buy:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Upgrade

Notebooks (HP & Sony VAIO)
By Matthew Zator

	Sony VAIO TR1A Notebook PC	HP Compaq Business Notebook
C-NET Editor Rating	8.4/10	7.9/10
Price	$2050.00	$2099.00
Review	The VAIO TR1A is a tad too diminutive to serve as your primary computer, but it's an awesome supplementary system for frequent fliers.	Business travelers in search of long battery life and a wide screen will like the nx7000, as will mobile videographers and movie fans.
Specifications	900 MHz 10.6 in x 7.4 in x 1.5 in 1 year warranty CD-RW / DVD-ROM 10.6 in 30 GB Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 3.1 lbs 512 MB 1 Lithium ion Pentium M Network adapter	1.3 GHz 14 in x 10 in x 1.4 in 1 year warranty CD-ROM 15.4 in 40 GB Microsoft Windows XP Professional 6.5 lbs 256 MB 1 Lithium ion Pentium M Network adapter
My Choice	X
Purchase Information	Buy Now!	Buy Now!

Some information is © Copyright 2003 C-Net.com

Installing More Memory
By Matthew Zator

Memory is a valuable piece of technology in your computer. It gives you more power and space for the computer's regular processes. And when you are using the internet a lot, memory becomes even more important in your computer. It gives you more bandwidth when you're downloading things from the internet. This article will tell you how install more memory quickly and easily. Here are the steps to do it:

1. First you've got to go to, or order online from a computer retailer like Office Depot, PC Mall, etc. Once you are at the web site/store look for memory that is larger then the memory you have now on your computer. Here are the links for the "memory" pages on the major computer retailer's web sites:
   
   
   • Tech Depot (Office Depot)
     
     
   • PC Mall (256 MB Memory Card)
     
     
2. Once you've purchased your memory card, open up your computer (ground yourself first) and find another card that looks like the card you've just purchased. There should be an empty slot beside it, or above it. Once you've found the slot, take the card in both your hands and push it into the slot until you hear 2 "snap" sounds. This indicates that the two white clips on the slots have locked onto the new memory card. Once this has happened, the card should be firmly in place in your computer, and it is ready to be used.
   
   
3. Next, put the case back on the computer and turn it on. Once the computer has started up, it should detect your memory card and install the required software. To see if it has detected it, look at the memory count that the computer does when it starts up. It should show you this within a few seconds of starting up.
   
   
4. Now your extra memory has been installed and it is ready to be used!
   
   

If some of this is confusing, email me at: compuniversezine@yahoo.ca

How to write killer sales copy
By Scott F. Geld

Written words are a powerful marketing tool. They have the ability to persuade, reason, explain & direct the reader to take action. They can hold someone's imagination and open them up to possibilities never before visualized. But used improperly or without due care & attention they can destroy all the good work you have done in one foul swoop.

Developing copy for your website is therefore a job that should not be taken on lightly. Here are 5 keys to help hold your readers' attention and convert them to sales and sign-ups on your site -

1. Your Headliner - It takes a matter of seconds for visitors to form an opinion of your site. Many factors will come into play, such as speed of download, graphics etc, so you'll need to grab their attention quickly before they click off the site. A few words that stand out from the background, graphics and the rest of your text will draw the readers' eye - this is your chance to make an impact and keep them on the site. It should be something that compels the reader to want to find out more.
   
   
2. Develop Interest - Identify with the reader and let them know that you understand how they feel about the challenges they face. Hint that you have a solution to their problem. This will hook your visitor in, and you can enhance its effect by using keywords and hot buttons to fire the reader's' desire to find out more.
   
   
3. Reveal the details - Show the reader your solution and how it will solve their problems and/or meet their goals. Then hit them with additional benefits as to how what you have to offer will exceed their expectations. Use testimonials that verify the strength of the product or service you are offering. Again use keywords and hot buttons that appeal to the readers' emotions, and remember people buy on emotion not logic.
   
   
4. Call to Action - No marketing copy is complete without a strong call to action. It is the final push to close the sale that should be lined with incentives. The benefits should be highlighted and the reader urged to take action. You could even mention the consequences of not taking action - a deal always looks better when someone is taking it back away from you!
   
   
5. Be Professional! - In the eyes of the reader, the professionalism of your copy reflects the professionalism of its owner, and the more professional it is the more confident the reader is of you and your intentions. Make sure you run copy through a grammar & spell checker before uploading it to your site.

About the author:

Scott F. Geld is the Director of Marketing for Marketing Blaster, Inc., a firm dedicated to providing targeted traffic and leads for ecommerce websites: http://www.MarketingBlaster.com

Spyware is watching you
By Stephen Bucaro

Advertising is getting far too intrusive and invasive. Advertisers that are weak in ethics, and strong in grabbing for money, don't see a problem with installing spy programs on your computer without your knowledge.

In Internet Explorer's "Tools" menu, select "Internet Options...". On the "Security tab" click on the "Custom level..." button. If you don't have the "Disable" or the "Prompt" radio button set next to "Download ActiveX controls", I can almost guarantee that someone has installed a spy program on your computer and is monitoring your web browsing activities.

Your Web surfing is being tracked and the data is being sold to third parties. These thieves make big money selling your profile to companies who then target you for advertising. Popup advertisements appear even when you visit web sites that don't use popup windows.

The Lavasoft company keeps a reference database of all spy programs and provides a free Windows program that scans your hard drive and registry for spy programs. Their Ad-aware program lets you remove the spy programs from your computer.

At Lavasoft's website www.lavasoft.com select "Download" in the "Support" menu. On the Download page scroll down to "Full install" and click on a download source, (ie download.com). This will download the 1.45 Mb file aaw6.exe.

Double-click on aaw6.exe to execute the installation program (with Windows 2000, first login as Administrator). The installation program puts an icon for Ad-aware on your desk top.

Double click on the icon to execute Ad-aware. In the Ad-aware program window, click on the [Scan now] button. On the "Preparing system scan" page click on the [Next] button.

Ad-aware takes a few minutes to scan your hard drive and registry for spy programs and data tracking cookies. On my system it returned the results:

44 objects recognized 1 Registry key identified 43 files identified

When the scanning is complete, click on the [Next] button. This takes you to the "scanning results page" which displays a list of objects found. One object found on my computer was "Alexa Data Miner". Then click on the [next] button. A dialog box appears asking if you want to remove the objects. Click on the [OK] button to delete the spy objects.

The free Ad-aware Standard Edition removes spy software and data tracking cookies from your system. The $27.00 Ad-aware Plus Edition adds real-time monitoring and blocking to the program. Not only can you remove spy programs from your computer, but you can also BLOCK them from invading your system in the first place! I found Ad-aware easy to install and use, and very effective.

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Resource Box:
Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit http://bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank email to bucarotechhelp-subscribe@topica.com
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Information & Credits