Editorial Archive

February 2003

Value and cost: With a PC, you get what you pay for, Katherine Keller, Thinking From the Box, 02.26. With the right choices, your PC can be easy to upgrade and avoid becoming a doorstop.
Networking 101, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 02.10. An introduction to ethernet, hubs, switches, routers, and wireless networking.
Pixels and points, screens and paper, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 02.06. What you see on the screen corresponds to what you get on the printed page. A brief history of points, pixels, and the changing face of computer displays.

January 2003

Deliver us from evil: Thoughts on computer self defense, Dan Knight, The Knight Line, 01.16. "Should you have the right to take active steps to stop a computerized attack on your computer system?"
Why we need anti-spam legislation, Dan Knight, The Knight Line, 01.02. "Unlike rain, sending spam is a human behavior which can and should be covered by law."

December 2002

Tying up loose ends on bitty boxen, Buttercup, and the state of tech, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 12.02. Mandrake Linux rocks, Buttercup gets a new motherboard, and the sorry state of the tech sector today.

November 2002

Good Idea Bad Idea looks at operating systems, Dan Knight, Good Idea Bad Idea, 11.27. Good idea: giving consumers a choice in operating systems. Bad idea: competing with Microsoft.
Good Idea Bad Idea Looks at disk format confusion, Good Idea Bad Idea, 11.21. Good idea: increased capacity for removable media. Bad idea: too many formats to pick from.
Good Idea Bad Idea gets on the bus, Good Idea Bad Idea, 11.15. Good idea: an industry standard bus. Bad idea: a bus nobody else uses.

September 2002

Replacing a totally messed up Windows install when you need to keep your work files, Gregg Eshelman, Tales From the Trailing Edge, 09.25. Installing over the broken version of Windows doesn't work, but you can't afford to wipe the drive and lose all your files.
WinXP ruins useful file sharing, Mark Lim, Thinking From the Box, 09.16. Windows XP takes a huge step backwards on the network, losing the ability to control file sharing for different users.
Building up Buttercup, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 09.12. "My goal was a computer that I could take places without breaking my back or my wallet."
Picking a low end system, Chad Page, Thinking From the Box, 09.10. "There are many different ways of buying an inexpensive PC, especially if one is willing to use Linux, BSD, or older versions of Windows."
This old Compaq sings, Jeff Garrison, Thinking From the Box, 09.09. "He left impressed, and I added another notch in my belt in the war against obsolescence for these older PCs."

August 2002

Hard drives and drivers on PCs and Macs, 08.05. Hardware and software differences in the way Macs and PCs, past and present, have changed as operating systems evolved and hard drives grew larger.

July 2002

Pentium 5 trumps PowerPC G5, Anne Onymus, The Rumor Mill, 07.09. Hoping to steal the G5's thunder, Intel unveils 3.0 GHz Pentium 5 processor.
Bitty Boxen: The Eden Platform, Michelle Klein Häss, Geek Speak, 07.08. This 5-inch square motherboard lends itself to some very compact and very innovative designs.

June 2002

A simple low-end PC project, Roger M, Thinking From the Box, 06.26. How to turn an ancient PC into the heart of a home monitoring and security system.
Off the Net and back on again, Dirk Pilat, Low End BSD, 06.14. Stinker loses his connection to the Internet - and gets it back again.
On the Net with OpenBSD, Dirk Pilat, Low End BSD, 06.06. Stinker is finally connected to the Internet and able to browse.
Little computers, big possibilities, Michelle Klein-Häss (a.k.a. Ms. Geek), Geek Speak, 06.03. The once disparaged "bitty box" has a new lease on life.

May 2002

GEM, a Mac-like GUI and OS for Low-end PCs, Roger M, Thinking From the Box, 05.30. GEM, a Mac-like GUI launched in the mid-80s, can be a real choice for low-end PC users.
Monitor dot pitch, Dan Knight, Low End PC's Online Tech Journal, 05.30. Why your monitor is fuzzy at high resolutions even though dot pitch seems to indicate it should be sharp.
What we hate on the Web, Dan Knight, The Knight Line, 05.29. Hundreds of Web users told us what they dislike on the Web - and how strongly they dislike it.
Toward a less annoying Web, Dan Knight, The Knight Line, 05.29. Now that we know how you feel about annoying Web stuff, what's a webmaster to do?
Good-bye Slackware Linux, hello OpenBSD, Dirk Pilat, Low End BSD, 05.24. Admitting Slackware was a mistake, our *nix newbie discovers OpenBSD and has a working system in no time.
More reasons to run a low-end PC, Roger M, Thinking From the Box, 05.22. A second PC for games and experiments can protect your main PC from unexpected software-related problems.
Going nowhere fast, Dirk Pilat, Low End Linux, 05.20. One step forward, at least one step back with Slackware Linux.
Basilisk II: Solving the printer problem, David G. Bell, Thinking From the Box, 05.15. While Basilisk II emulates a Mac, it doesn't include drivers that work with your PC's printer.
More Linux baby steps, Dirk Pilat, Low End Linux, 05.09. Linux up and running for a while, then refusing to boot.
Linux baby steps, Dirk Pilat, Low End Linux, 05.07. A Linux newbie tries to learn Linux and gets BasicLinux up and running.
More things to do with an old PC, Roger M, Thinking From the Box, 05.03. You have a lot more choices than just DOS and Windows 3.1/95.
Why Not Use a Freenix?, Joseph Bales, Thinking From the Box, 05.02. Why use DOS when free and powerful versions of Unix are available?

April 2002

Practice Safe Computing, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 04.04. How to work on your computer without zapping it to death with static electricity.

March 2002

This $5 PC is a keeper, Jeff Garrison, Thinking From the Box, 03.05. "This machine is a delight. It surfs pretty well. I call it quick. It's quicker than any other 486DX I've fooled with."

February 2002

Console madness, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 02.25. How I became a Dreamcast junkie despite how badly I do at games.

January 2002

Saying good-bye to the Reseda Computer Fair, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 01.11. A fond farewell to a favorite computer fair - and where to find more.
Why not use DOS?, Eric McCann, Thinking From the Box, 01.10. The pros and cons of setting up an inexpensive DOS computer - and what they can do.
What can you do with a low-end PC?, Eric McCann, Thinking From the Box, 01.04. Some ideas for using really inexpensive, very low-end systems as file servers, firewalls, and even basic productivity.

December 2001

Low end is a state of mind, Peter Nelson, Thinking From the Box, 12.13. Low end is a mindset that approaches challenges with a maximum of mental resources and a minimum of material resources.
Sorry, Bill, but my PCs work, Chris March, Thinking From the Box, 12.10. No, Mr. Gates, some PCs do work as well as they should - but they don't run Windows.
Number Crunching for Webmasters, Dan Knight, The Knight Line, 12.07. How to get the most out of your website's logs.
Surfing with Sega, Michelle Klein-Häss (a.k.a. Ms. Geek), Geek Speak, 12.05. Low end? How about using a $50 Sega Dreamcast to surf the Web, do email, and IRC?

November 2001

Protect your computer with a firewall, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 11.19. Why you need a firewall to protect your computer from the Internet.
My First PC, Dan Knight, The Knight Line, 11.13. Our publisher shares his journey through Apples, Commodores, Zeniths, and more.
Strolling down memory lane, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 11.12. A PC book from 1987 brings back memories of the way things were - and how far we've come.
Standard, Enhanced, and Real Mode, Gregg Eshelman, Tales From the Trailing Edge, 11.06. An introduction to Standard, Enhanced, and Real Modes, which CPUs use them, and how to kill a hard drive.

October 2001

Forward into the past?, Dan Knight, The Knight Line, 10.31. Why both Windows XP and the Pentium 4 offer one step forward, two steps back performance.
The power of kawaii. How a dot-bomb casualty won my heart, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 10.30. How a cheap, compact PC won my heart - and what I had to do to make it work well.
More on Internet at the low end, L Victor Marks, Second Time Around, 10.29. More on free and low-cost operating systems and Internet software for older PCs.
My first PC, Katherine Keller, Thinking From the Box, 10.26. "Upgrading and Fixing PCs for Dummies" made that computer mine.
Will it run Windows?, Gregg Eshelman, Tales From the Trailing Edge, 10.23. Which versions of Windows will run on which older PCs - from the PC through the 486.
Internet access at the low end, L Victor Marks, Second Time Around, 10.22. Operating systems and Internet software (including browsers) for XTs and higher.
School dropout gets software, goes surfing, Garry Hamblin, Ramblin' Hamblin, 10.19. Picking the right Windows, browser, email client, and software.
Upgrading your Socket 7 computer, James Burton, Thinking From the Box, 10.17. Advice on updating that old system with a Socket 7 motherboard.
What is the Windows Shell?, Gregg Eshelman, Tales From the Trailing Edge, 10.16. What the Windows Shell is, how you can change it, and why you may want to.
Free DOS for the lowest-end PCs, Freya, Thinking From the Box, 10.15. Introduction to FreeDOS, a free alternative to MS-DOS that even works on XTs.
Is Microsoft the enemy?, Dan Knight, The Knight Line, 10.15. Is Microsoft's dominance of personal computing a bad thing? If so, what can we do about it?
School dropout gets upgrades, Garry Hamblin, Ramblin' Hamblin, 10.12. Upgrading the $35 laptop on the cheap.
How to turn that 486 into a webpliance, Katherine Keller, Thinking From the Box, 10.11. A floppy, an old 8 MB 386 (or better) PC, a modem, and a free OS = instant Web access.
A "must not" upgrade. Windows XP, Michelle Klein-Häss (a.k.a. Ms. Geek), Geek Speak, 10.10. Why you really should avoid Windows XP at all costs.
The importance of the software license, L Victor Marks, Second Time Around, 10.09. In fact, you don't own anything other than limited rights to use the software.
The PC performance scam, Mike Wafkowski, Thinking From the Box, 10.08. The need for the latest and greatest and fastest PC is nothing but marketing hype and adolescent ego insecurity.
It all began with a school dropout, Garry Hamblin, Ramblin' Hamblin, 10.05. Serious budget computing - would you believe a $35 laptop?
Last ditch disaster recovery, Gregg Eshelman, Tales From the Trailing Edge, 10.04. Things to try when Windows won't load.
Meeting your needs with a low-end PC, L Victor Marks, Second Time Around, 10.02. You don't need to have the latest greatest software and hardware to be productive.
The missing upgrade variable, Mick Benoit, Three Finger Salute, 10.01. When upgrading your PC, do you consider switching your operating system?

Septebmer 2001

CPU Reminiscences, Gregg Eshelman, Tales From the Trailing Edge, 9.27. Remembrance of CPUs past, 8088 through 586.
Personal computer history, 1975-2001, Dan Knight. No, it didn't start with IBM, although Microsoft and Intel got in very early.
Writing for the Web, Stephen Van Esch. Advice on writing for publication.
Writing for Low End PC, Dan Knight. We're looking for a few good writers.
The Nimda Worm, The Virus Page, 9.18. Nimda came out of nowhere on September 18, 2001....

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