Need some computer help from Coumpter folks.

[NeO6874]

Windows 98? Well, it depends on what you're using your computer for.

In my case I do a lot of graphic intensive DVD video stuff, and the vendors of this software *require* you have XP SP2 and at least a 2.8MHz processor with 1GB of memory.

windows XP will run on 2.8 MHz Joe!? LOL!

i'm pretty sure you meant GHz

Well you know how it goes, the glitch in the system is located between the monitor and the keyboard ...

Yes, GHz.

LOL, yep.. i see a lot of problems with the interface between the chair and the keyboard @ my job.  I work for the IS dept @ my college... it's a nightmare what some of the people do to their computers...and then have the audacity to expect us to fix it in 3 hours when there is 30-something computers sitting on the table before they even showed up...*sigh*

although, if you did get XP to run on a 2.8 MHz machine...

[Anonymous]

I was shown this thread by my dad who is a member here.  I hope you'll allow me to shed some light...

I am a web designer.  I do not use Internet Explorer unless I absolutely have to (I use Firefox if you're curious).  IE has for a long time been a source of problems because Microsoft chooses to let the computer illiterate (that's an observation, not judgement) dictate what one can do with a browser.

See, over the last five years or so, IE became sort of a mini "operating system" in and of itself.  Not content with just viewing webpages, Mom wants to play Mahjonng, Dad wants to see realtime stock movements, and junior and sis want to play videos and surf MySpace and play action games right in the browser.

In order to do that, IE has to let websites install software on your browser.  You've seen these things - they're usually called ActiveX controls.  Thing is, most computer-illiterate users will click "yes" to practically anything that is shown to them, and this is why we have spyware, malware, adware, and whatever you want to call it.

I remember when there were computer viruses - notice how you don't really see them anymore in their usual form?  That should tell you how much easier Microsoft has made virus authors' lives.  They don't need to write viruses; they just need to exploit the "open" nature of IE.

What does this have to do with IE7?  Well, in a nutshell, Microsoft got a big surprise a couple years back when Firefox started taking their almost-monopolistic market share.  While Firefox hasn't broken 20% of web users, that's a lot to a company that was expecting near-100%.  As usual, nothing ever changes until someone's bottom line is affected, so Microsoft responded with IE7.  Overall, it looks like it's going to be a decent browser, because they've put in a lot of safeguards to prevent spyware et al from being so easily installed and IE being so easily compromised.  If you're not going to run Firefox, Opera, or one of the other alternate browsers, you should definitely install IE7.

As to the problems with IE7 you're experiencing - believe it or not you've got it backwards.  IE7 actually displays HTML (web code) correctly; the problem is that IE6 and below didn't - so a lot of web designers who use IE designed "broken" sites because they were checking their work in IE.  The people in charge of what HTML is have published a "standard" as to how HTML works, and Microsoft for a large part ignored that.  They got it half-right, but you should see what kind of a pain it is to make a website that works in all different browsers because of the incorrect way IE has handled webpages.  Granted this is Microsoft's fault from the get-go, and somebody oughta hang for it, but let's face it, it's Microsoft, they're going to do what they're going to do.  In that sort of situation, I figure, better late than never.

So, the problem is not with IE7.  If you're having problems on this forum, it's because the person/people who designed it were using IE6 to check their work.  They have made an IE6-only site (something that, in all fairness, you used to be able to get away with), and they need to go back and correct the programming mistakes because IE7 is here, it's not going away, and to the delight of web designers like me, it renders HTML correctly.

If you can't understand where I'm coming from, imagine (and forgive my analogy, I'm not a train guy) if 80% of your trains ran one way and 20% ran the opposite way and whenever you had to make a layout, you had to make sure that all of the trains could use all of the track all of the time, without collisions or traffic problems.  IE was that 80% of your trains that was going the wrong way, however it's human nature to side with the majority even if they're wrong.   IE7 goes the right way, but you've gotta tell the guy who's running the layout.

As for the HP software, it's broken because HP (stupidly) chose to write their software so that it uses Internet Explorer to display its screens.  Since they were sure everyone who would run it would be running it on IE, they were able to make extra-sloppy code, and frankly I'm not surprised it doesn't work under IE7.  HP may at some point realize this and correct their mistake, but I warn you: Microsoft has finally done something right.  However, like lowering the drinking age, there's no way to do something like this without causing some headaches in the short term.  While I'm still going to use Firefox, I think IE7 is the best thing to happen to the web in years and it's going to make my life so much easier.  I ask you to think about this before blaming the wrong things.

Thanks -
Mark Scudder
http://www.markscudder.com

[NeO6874]

So, the problem is not with IE7.  If you're having problems on this forum, it's because the person/people who designed it were using IE6 to check their work.  They have made an IE6-only site (something that, in all fairness, you used to be able to get away with), and they need to go back and correct the programming mistakes because IE7 is here, it's not going away, and to the delight of web designers like me, it renders HTML correctly.

Thats not entirely the case. I run FF, and everything displays here fine.  Assuming that FF follows the HTML standards more closely then MS did, there's nothing (ar at most, very little) wrong with this site.  The main problem that people have had is that IE7 will add HTML code to the image tags, or it will replace the BB code used for posting images to this site with HTML, thus "breaking" the site.  However, this only appears to be an issue if one was to post an image, as opposed to viewing images that others have posted here.

[SteamFreak]

Mark Scudder,

I just took a look at your website, and was pleasantly surprised - your music is fantastic!  A refreshing point of view as well. I think I'll be ordering a copy of "Don't Wait." "Glory Be" reminds me a bit of Karnataka, if you know who they are. I guess this is off topic, but I wanted to give you a plug.

Nelson

P.S. I prefer Maxthon.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I canh understand how people are having trouble posting pics with IE7, it's junk. But I can't understand how they can be having the same trouble with IE6. I use it and I never had any problems posting pics. As for Windows 98 slowing a computer down, bull. I use 98 on mine with a 2.2 gig processor and it runs circles ariund my mothers computer which has a larger processor and Windows XP. It pokes along.

[cudaken]

 Well I am typing in the big box again. Uninstalling did the trick. Will be a lot more carefull about Mr Gates thinks I need.

 Here is a test to see if it is working right again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QURWYEj4lgo&NR

                                       Cuda Ken

[SteamFreak]

It works Ken. I would just be sure to hide IE7 on your Windows Update page so that it doesn't try to install itself again.

Nelson

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Disable Windows update.

[grayfox1119]

Mark, thank you for bringing some real good info to this thread. I have been using IE7 since June, and Beta 2 version of Vista, now RC-1 until the final version is released real soon. I have been part of the Microsoft " Friend & Family" beta test program. I have been feeding back info to MS on any issues or problems that have arisen.

I had previously used 98 2nd ed, and later Me which really stunk, very unstable, with many crashes. Later I installed Xp, and this has been the finest and most stable OS for home computers ever, not a single crash in the 3 years that I ran it.

Obviously, when you have 90% of the OS market, your product is going to be #1 to get attacked if there are any flaws in your program, and in Microsoft's case, there were plenty.

Now, Firefox has been hit and Mozzila is looking into a fix, so as you can see, as your market share grows, so does that target on your back.

As for the various problems that I read in the thread replies, here is what I recommend PC users consider to help their system run faster:

1. Get as much RAM as you can afford. For Vista, you are going to need 512MB minimum. Why is RAM so important? Because Random Access Memory is where your programs get run, and if you do not have enough RAM, your computer need to shifts things back and forth from your Hard Drive (HD) and that takes time ( slows the system down ).

2. Get a good Anti-Virus program and keep it updated.

3. Get a large Hard Drive, two if you can afford it, as Jeff does, one for OS and one for Programs, Data and backups.

4. Get a program like Zone Alarm .

If your system is running slow, have you done a Defrag yet? Have you looked at your STARTUP menu to see what programs are being loaded that you really don't need for startup and can be removed?

Remember, MS has stopped updating Windows 98 and Me, so you are on your own now. At least update to Xp which is a very good OS. Change is happening and you cannot stop it, so don't be waving at the Caboose when the last train leaves.

[BMRR]

I downloaded IE 7,works fine for me. In fact I like it better than the old one.

Stan.

[grayfox1119]

MS has made some updates to IE7 since the first release, so those who are having some trouble with it "might" have the earlier release. Just a thought. Check the MS IE website for latest info.