Timothy
Parker Consulting Incorporated
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Questions and Answers Part 5 Q: Someone told me that Java 2 is
actually the fourth release of Java. What’s
the real story? A: There have been several “official” releases
of Java. Java 1.0 was released in
1995 and it was intended for WWW programming only. In 1997, Java 1.1 was released and it had
improved interface creation and management routines. Java 2 v 1.2
was let loose in 1998 and had many enhancements to make Java a
general-purpose programming language, while the current release is Java 2 v 1.3
(released in 2000) which adds enhanced multimedia capabilities and faster
execution. This was also the first release to officially support Linux. So, yes,
Java 2 is the fourth release. Java 1 was designed for Web programming only,
while Java 2 is the full-featured programming language (Web and stand-alone
applications). Q: Is it true
that Microsoft will insist on registration for their Office software in the next
release, otherwise it won’t work? A: Yup.
In fact, Microsoft did this with Office 2000 SR2.
When you install the software, you get 50 uses before it won’t start
unless you obtain a registration number from Microsoft.
The license allows you to install the software on two machines (Microsoft
assumes one desktop and one laptop). You can activate the license through a Web
registration or e-mail process. Failing
access to either of those methods, there’s a phone number to call.
Obviously, Microsoft is trying to eliminate the companies that buy one
copy of the software and install it widely, as well as end consumer
“sharing” of the software. In
truth, it’s hard to get upset about this, as rip-offs of software are a major
problem. Still, it’s a hassle and
annoyance for end users. Microsoft’s
phone support is pretty good about issuing registration keys: when I reloaded
one machine after upgrading the hard drive, I had to reregister the Office SR2
software through the ‘phone (no Web or e-mail updates after two registrations
are allowed). I explained I reloaded, and got a registration number quickly.
Microsoft plans the same approach for the next release of Office, and
most likely will roll it out over more products in the future.
It this the end of software piracy?
Of course not. Is it a good step? Depends
on which side of Redmond you live. Q: Is Linux
susceptible to viruses? A: Good timing
on the question! The last week of
March saw the first virus to target both Windows and Linux operating systems at
the same time. While the virus, called W32.Winux, didn’t do anything, it does
prove that a virus can be written to affect multiple operating systems at once.
On both operating systems, W32.Winux attached itself to all executable files in
the current and parent directories, and spread itself that way.
It didn’t cause any damage, but the potential is there.
Linux and UNIX systems have been spared most of the virus threats in the
past for two reasons: they are more complicated operating systems to create
viruses for, and the built-in permission structure made them less likely to be
widely affected. With lax security
settings, though, Linux and UNIX could be infected in the past.
Now, anyone who thinks Linux is virus-proof had better think twice. Q: There are
lots of desktops sporting over 1GHz processors.
Any laptops? A: There are
several new 1GHz and above laptops now hitting the market. The most recent I saw is from Dell in their Inspiron line.
Expect to pay a fair bit for a fully configured 1GHz machine. Q: I keep
reading about new types of RAM. Are
any of these going to become standards? A: I guess it
depends what you mean by standard. There are two or three dozen different types
of RAM available today, and they all conform to some standard devised by one
company or an organization. If you
mean will one type become dominant, that’s unlikely.
There are some RAM forms (such as RamBus) which are too expensive and
finicky to justify in most PCs, and they may become niche players for servers
and high-speed transaction processing devices.
Home PCs will likely adopt one of the more common, inexpensive RAM
formats eventually. Which one,
though, is anyone’s guess at this point.
Just be careful not to mix RAM types without checking comatibility: doing
so can cause failure of the RAM chip and the motherboard in some combinations! |
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