Ask Mr. Modem! – October 2007     
www.MrModem.com 


What’s the Dif:  JPG vs GIF?

Q:  What's the difference between a GIF and a JPG file?

A:  Graphics in their natural state are often too large to be quickly downloaded and displayed, so they need to be compressed (reduced) in size.  The most popular compression formats are .GIF and .JPG. Compressing graphics with either format does not reduce the dimensions of a given image, it just reduces the overall size of a graphics file.

GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. Most people pronounce it with a soft “g” as in “jiff.” Years ago, however, when CompuServe first introduced the GIF format and people started pronouncing it that way, the Jif Peanut Butter folks took exception to the pronunciation. Technically, the format should be pronounced with a hard “g” as in “gift” or (duh) “graphics,” but their nutty objection notwithstanding, most people still refer to items in the GIF file format as “jiff” files.   

JPG or JPEG (pronounced JAY-peg) stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group. The JPG format can reduce files to approximately five percent of their uncompressed size. Photographs and graphics with lots of colors that blend and fade into one another are best served by the JPG format. This format enables users to save images with millions of colors, while the GIF format is limited to 256 colors.

If given the choice between the two formats, you can’t go wrong if you select JPG.  It’s evolved into an industry standard and today is far more prevalent than its GIF counterpart.


Q.  When I use Add/Remove Programs on the Control Panel to remove a program, should I answer "Yes" or "No" to the question, "Do you want to remove a shared file?"

A.  In a word, “No.”  Shared files display the file extension .DLL or Dynamic Linked Library file. What that high-falootin’, technobabble means is that the file in question may be used by more than one program. A word processor and a spreadsheet, for example, may share a DLL file, so removing it could cause one or more programs to malfunction.

On a related note, you may on occasion encounter a message advising that a certain DLL file cannot be found. That means that the missing file is needed in order to open the program you're trying to use. Why is it missing? The most frequent cause is because it was removed when you uninstalled another program. Oh, the humanity!

So whenever you’re asked if you would like to remove a shared file, I’d suggest that you politely decline the invitation. It’s just not worth the risk of derailing another program. I don’t know why Windows even bothers to ask.  In fact, the next time Mr. Gates stops by to mooch a cup of coffee, I’ll be sure to offer that suggestion.


Mr. Modem’s DME (Don’t Miss ‘Em) Sites of the Month -  October 2007

Flight Aware
A live, online flight tracker that allows you to view current U.S. air traffic with the click of a mouse. Visitors can search for planes by tail number, airline and flight number. You can also search flight activity at various domestic airports, or browse the unfriendly skies by aircraft type to determine how many Boeing 737s are currently overhead. 
www.flightaware.com

Heckle Depot
If offering heartfelt words of encouragement isn’t your cup of non-fat, cinnamon mocha frappaspresso, perhaps lobbing sarcastic, jaded, caustic comments to others is right up your alley. If so, the Heckle Depot provides a treasure trove of heckles for all sports, including golf.  You don't hear many golf hecklers because they tend to whisper, but if you ever get within earshot, you'll probably hear, "Take all the shots you need!" "Try aiming out of bounds!" or the always popular, "Nice drive, Alice.”
http://heckledepot.com

Retrographix
Most communities in the 1950s had hometown print shops that doubled as printers of local news and advertising posters and flyers. These small printers (usually under 5’4”) generally could not afford to hire graphic artists, so they used clip art supplied by various companies. This now-nostalgic clip art is available for viewing, so click this site’s index to begin your scroll down memory lane.
www.retrographix.com

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