Modems use several different methods to achieve maximum throughput. One method is data compression. A modem sending data uses a compression algorithm, similar to that used by PKZip and disk compression software, to reduce the overall number of bits that must be sent over the phone line. The receiving modem knows that it is receiving compressed data, and runs a reverse algorithm to reconstruct the original data. If either modem has compression turned off or is not capable of data compression, all data sent and received by both modems will be transferred at the slower uncompressed rate. The compression/decompression process is transparent to the user. The standard compression algorithm agreed on by manufacturers for 14.4Kbps modems is called V.42bis. A 14.4Kbps modem always sends data at a maximum of 14.4Kbps over the phone line. Using V.42bis, however, it is sending compressed data at 14.4Kbps, resulting in effective throughput of up to 57.6Kbps. Likewise, a 28.8Kbps modem using V.34 compression can send up to 115.2Kbps.
Until recently, at least 90% of 14.4Kbps modems had the V.42bis compression algorithm built-in to the hardware. Any communication software the user chose to run, therefore, could take advantage of the higher throughput it offered. These modems are still available, and are generally priced in the $100Cdn to $150Cdn range.
A new breed of 14.4Kbps modem is now available in the $75Cdn to $100Cdn range. These modems do not include built-in compression. They are advertised as using "software compression." Many sales people do not understand the difference, and may insist that the modem is capable of compression. Some even tout software compression as a feature. These modems include minimal communication software which compresses the data before it even reaches the modem. This is undesirable for two main reasons. First, the software compression uses CPU time instead of offloading the task to the modem itself. It will, therefore, slow down other processes which are competing for CPU time. Conversely, the effectiveness of the data compression will be affected by other tasks. Second, and most important, current versions of most popular communication software do not support software compression, and custom applications which use modem communication certainly don't. This means that, if you want compression, you must use the software included with the modem, which is usually cheap and buggy.
In our experience, a few extra dollars for built-in hardware compression are well spent.
WordPerfect Internet Publisher (WPIP) is designed to simplify the daunting task of constructing HTML (HyperText Markup Language) documents--the standard file format for displaying information and graphics on the World Wide Web. By virtue of having evolved in the cryptic UNIX world, HTML is not the "user-friendliest" format.
Similarly to Microsoft's Internet Assistant, WPIP consists of a document template, several macros, and a handful of new paragraph styles. Overall, it performs well. The use of macros to add functionality beyond the original scope of the program occasionally results in operations being somewhat cumbersome and un-intuitive. We hope that the soon-to-be-released SGML edition of WordPerfect will correct this, having internet-specific operations built-in to the code. The limited condition-checking allowed in a macro language makes it easy to end up with duplicate or ambiguous codes. For this reason, it's best to have Reveal Codes turned on when using WPIP. Forms, tables, and other recent HTML developments have not been implemented in WPIP, but a "literal HTML" paragraph style allows them to be entered manually.
WPIP also includes Netscape 1.1 and the Envoy viewer for Novell's portable document format. (It may be worth noting that the Envoy viewer seems to have significant problems with some video drivers.) If Novell has its way, we'll soon start to see Envoy files mixed in with the HTML files on the Web.
WPIP goes a step beyond other current editors in taming HTML, though at least a cursory knowledge of HTML structure is still recommended.
Naturally, WordPerfect Internet Publisher, Microsoft Internet Assistant, and several free and shareware HTML editors are available on the internet from the home pages of their respective companies.
Windows applications regularly create temporary work files on your hard drive, with file names ending in ".tmp". Under normal circumstances, these files are deleted when you exit Windows, but when Windows or applications terminate abnormally, these files are sometimes left behind, wasting storage space.
To find out where these files are, exit Windows (don't just run MS-DOS Prompt) and type set<ENTER>. The computer will display several lines, one of which should say TEMP=C:\, followed by a directory name. Type cd\[directory name]<ENTER>;. To get a list of temp files, type dir *.tmp<ENTER>;. Then type del *.tmp<ENTER>; to remove the files. If there were more than four or five temp files, your computer may have a problem. Have an expert check it out.
Read last month's issue
Back to Northmount Computing Home Page
Send e-mail to Northmount Computing