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InfoWorld posted an XP analysis the other day, but I don't think they were completely objective in their review. Don't get me wrong - I think that companies would be better off with Windows 2000 for the time being. Windows XP was obviously designed more with the home user in mind. Still, I don't think this test was comprehensive or definitive. Drivers play an important role in the speed any operating system. Once XP-specific software solutions mature, perhaps the differences between W2k and WXP will be negligible. Again, I agree with InfoWorld's conclusions, but I don't agree with the way they performed the tests. I wouldn't recommend Office XP to anybody, anyway. Wanna know what it was like to install Windows XP? Okay, I made this quick video tonight with my Intel PC Camera Pro and the (gasp) Windows Movie Maker. Enjoy the very short film!

Oh, maybe I'm having too much fun with XP. I needed to copy files from my DVD drive to the CD-RW. Without any third-party software, I was able to drag, drop, and burn a fully-functional disc in no time at all. The process was truly intuitive. Yeah, you can go out and get all the latest add-ons - but compatibility issues have arisen with DirectCD in the past. Looks like they may have perfected it this time around. Along those lines, I must say that I'm extremely impressed with the Linksys EtherFast Wireless Access Point Cable / DSL Router with 4-Port Switch (BEFW11S4). It was pretty much plug & play; I was up and running on my home network within seconds. As you recall, I was in the market for selling my perfectly-operational 8-port a few weeks ago (Gretchen's shipping the unit to you tomorrow, Harry). As soon as Socket releases their Compact Flash 802.11b Wi-Fi card, I'll be in business.

United We Stand,              
Chris Pirillo       

GnomeDOWNLOADS

Dungeon Crafter v1.41 [2.4M] W9x/2k/XP FREE

http://www.dungeoncrafter.com/download/dc141.zip
http://www.dungeoncrafter.com/
http://screenshot.lockergnome.com/dungeoncrafter.png

{Where's my twelve-sided die} Being a certified geek - that's right, I have a certificate - I have to occasionally feature a program covering the realm of role playing games. Like, perhaps this one? It's a tile-based map editor that's perfect for giving the many dwarfs, orcs, and rangers on your campaign the visual aid they need. The utilitoy is called "Dungeon Crafter," but it will work for any RPG where maps are needed - and that includes just about all of them. The interface is clean; it's easy to add furniture and other objects to your map. Now, where did I place my Wyvern? It was just here a second... ahhhh!

TexNotes v1.0 [922k] W9x/2k/XP FREE
Unearthed by Kyla Latournerie

http://dl.winsite.com/807/win95/business/texnotes.exe
http://www.gemx.com/texnotes.php
http://screenshot.lockergnome.com/texnotes.png

{Save some notes} I spend a lot of time in front of the computer. So, if I have to remember something, it doesn't make much sense for me to go hunting for a scrap of paper when I can just type up a note right here on Oogie Boogie's screen. TexNotes makes it a cinch to do just that. It keeps all of those little notes and reminders in one safe place until you remove them yourself. Now you don't have to worry about your mom throwing out your homework assignment when she cleans out your backpack. Or Gretchen tossing out the legally-purchased reg code for your favorite shareware application. It happened.

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GnomeSYSTEM

Using Virus Protection Features in OE 6

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q291/3/87.ASP

"This article describes several new features included in Microsoft Outlook Express 6 that are designed to protect you against viruses that may be transmitted through e-mail messages. Virus Protection features in Outlook Express 6 are found on Security tab of the Tools, Options dialog box. Security zones enable you to choose whether active content, such as ActiveX Controls and scripts, can be run from inside HTML e-mail messages in Outlook Express. By default, Outlook Express 6 uses the Restricted Zone instead of the Internet Zone. Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0 and Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 used the Internet zone, which enable most active content to run. CAUTION: Changing security zone settings can expose your computer to potentially damaging code. Use caution when you change these settings."

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GnomeHAUNTS

Kenja's Frightful Desktops

http://kenja.net/themes/holidays/fall.html

{Halloween themes} "Halloween, Halloween time is here; time for love and time for cheer; Want a plane that loops-the-loop; me, I want a hula hoop." OK, so that's not really a Halloween song, but I don't hear the Chipmunks complaining. If they're complaining about anything, they're complaining about my very unimpressive desktop. I need a Halloween theme like you wouldn't believe. No sweat, they got a whole trick or treat bag full of Halloween goodies to pick from on this site. I can hardly stand the wait, please Christmas... er, Halloween, don't be late. I hope the Great Pumpkin brings me a harmonica.

Galtech.com's Desktop Doom

http://www.galttech.com/desktop.shtml

{Creepy Halloween themes} Shhh... don't tell anyone, but I'm going to try and trick the Great Pumpkin this year. You see, every year the Great Pumpkin visits the pumpkin patch that he deems most sincere, and I want him to pick mine. The problem is, I don't actually own a pumpkin patch, so I'm painting some watermelons orange and gluing leaves onto some basketballs to try and trick him. I know that's not very sincere but I figure I can tackle him and grab the loot before he knows what hit him. He's too large for my Easter Bunny trap, anyway. I was checking out some creepy Halloween themes on this site and the idea just occurred to me. I guess you could say I'm easily influenced.

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GnomeSOAPBOX

AOL is Idiot Simple
Scribbled by Bruce Feirstein

I've written to you before; as a long-time reader, I look forward to your postings and think your stuff is terrific. However, I have to take exception to the AOL blast. Yes, I've got an AOL account - along with an MSN account and about five other e-mail addresses. I'm the family geek. I write the James Bond films, and I've found that AOL is easiest and most reliable way to connect with overseas. The thing about AOL is just this: it's idiot simple.

My 75 year old father uses it, as does my mother, and my aunts and uncles. Do you have any idea what it was like several years ago to sit on the phone with them and (try) to explain the things we take for granted: "Scroll," "Active Window," etc. I wrote about this in Internet Life magazine: The things we take for granted are - at first - beyond the grasp of first time computer users. It's amazing and wonderful that my parents, and technically challenged relatives (including my wife), can communicate via e-mail, and can use the internet at all. For this purpose, AOL is terrific.

You know all the problems with Outlook. You know you can't use a Hotmail account when you're offline. For these people (the vast majority of the 30 million AOL subscribers), AOL is a godsend. Don't castigate them; be thrilled that they're online, ordering stuff, e-mailing, making the Internet a vital part of commerce and information. Let me put it another way, using the automobile analogy: in the early part of the 20th century, there were guys like you (and me) who could get under the hood of a car, change the sparkplugs, and navigate impassable roadways with a manual transmission that didn't have synchromesh.

Then, one day, somebody came along with an automatic transmission and started to make cars idiot-proof. Your great grandmother (and mine) could suddenly drive; we didn't have to drive them around anymore. The roads got better, the economy changed, and you ended up at Arby's. Have mercy and patience with the AOL folk. Tell them to disable the "Start Center" in RealPlayer and to go to 'Preferences' and opt out of the blizzard of sales pitches and online billboards. Look instead at the miracle of the whole thing: I can send my father and mother pictures of their 13 month-old grandchildren from 3000 miles away. They: a) don't have to call me to figure out how to download them; and b) aren't here to criticize the way I'm bringing them up.

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GnomeFAVORITE

Quek Chatting Suggested by Martin Kool

http://chat.q42.net/

{Apps for the future} What is Q42? Some old Atari game? Nope, it's actually an agency that makes some interesting Internet applications. Naturally, there's a lot of companies that do that, but these guys have whipped up a few awesome programs that make Web sites act like applications - giving them a more "hands on" feel. It's all about making the Internet a more interactive experience. "The internet isn't finished. Not by a long shot. The web is evolving so fast it's more of a revolution." And, you can use Quek on your own site, too. Any URL will do! Click on the Demos link for a better idea. I swear, you'll freak.

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GnomeTIP

Peek-a-boo! I see you! Not really. Does that mean you're not there? Of course not. You're reading this paragraph, after all. Unless you're not. If a geek falls in the forest, does anybody really care? Before we get into a heated philosophical discussion, I need to prove that you can make something come from nothing. It's easy to do. At least, with Microsoft Word. How many documents do you have open right now? 15? Wow, you must be a busy person. Click File | Close. Yeah, it just closes the current document. What if you want to close ALL of your open documents? Well, that's when you have to use your SHIFT key. Go ahead, mash it before you click the File menu again. Lookie, lookie! Two new options: Close All and Save All. That oughta save you some time. You can do the same thing in Excel, although it only shows the 'Close All' shortcut. At least Windows XP will group similar windows together, saving your Taskbar from being flooded with Word documents. SDI is sdo sdupid in this day and age. If you're looking for something in between WordPad and Word, consider getting Ultraedit. It's got an MDI - multiple document interface. Ah, that was almost like three tips in one.

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After you figure out who this guy is, why don't you see what it was like to sit in the Gnomedex audience. It was still early, so not everyone was there yet:

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