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The Case of the Missing Gigabytes
Q. I have a Dell, 160GB hard
drive. While checking the size of the drive in My Computer, I discovered that my
C: drive has three partitions: a 71MB, a 4.27GB, and a 144.67GB. Adding those
three together, I get a little over 149GB, so there seems to be approximately
10GB missing. Where did it go?
A. The apparent discrepancy is caused
by differences in the units of measure associated with megabytes and gigabytes,
one unit being rounded off, and the other not being rounded off. (Anybody
getting a headache yet? If not, keep reading.)
Disk capacity is
measured using decimal kilobytes (KB), megabytes (MB), and gigabytes (GB). In
decimal units, 1KB equals one thousand bytes, 1MB equals one million bytes, and
1GB equals one gazillion bytes -- okay, okay, just kidding. It equals one
trillion bytes. But for file sizes, memory, and just about everything else
computer related, for some strange, mysterious, and eternally confusing reason,
we use binary kilobytes, megabytes, and gigabytes. In binary units, 1 KB equals
1,024 bytes, 1MB equals 1,048,576 bytes, and 1GB equals 1,073,741,824 bytes.
To convert your disk's 160GB decimal to binary units used by the rest of
Windows, you have to divide by 1.073741824. Let me see if I can do it in my
head. Nope. Not a prayer. Breaking out the official Mr. Modem simulated plastic
slide rule (with faux Naugahyde sheath), the result is approximately 149GB --
which is close enough to what you calculated. So when all is said and done,
there really are no missing gigabytes. Mystery solved.
Q. I’ve
been a subscriber of your excellent weekly newsletter for years, but I’ve never
seen this question addressed: I suffer from RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury), so I
have to find keyboard shortcuts for most of what I do at the computer. When
reading articles online, every Web site requires a mouse to click the “Next
Page” link. How can I move to the next page by keystroke instead of mouse click?
A. Using the Web pretty much assumes you are using a mouse, though that
does pose a problem for many people in your situation. There is a way around it,
however, by pressing the TAB key. Repeatedly pressing the TAB key will move from
one link on the page to the next. When it reaches the link you want (such as
“Next Page”), press ENTER to execute the action. SHIFT+TAB reverses direction
through the links which may be faster if the link you're targeting is near the
bottom of the page. Pressing the END key takes you to the bottom of a page; the
HOME key takes you to the top.
Q. I have one telephone line and
dial-up access to the Internet. Is there a way for me to be notified of an
incoming call while I’m online, so I can go offline and answer the phone?
A. BuzzMe.com (www.buzzme.com)
is a service that will display a window when an incoming call arrives, so you
can then decide whether to accept the call or reject it. There are several
BuzzMe services available that range in price from $14.99 per year to $47.90 per
year. The BuzzMe Notify service provides notification of incoming calls.
Complete information can be found on the BuzzMe.com Web site.
Q.
Sometimes I receive an email of an appointment in Outlook. Is there a way to
forward this to myself on a certain day so that when I open my email, it will
serve as a reminder?
A. After you compose or prepare to forward a
message, instead of clicking Send, click the Options button (on the Send menu
bar). Under Delivery Options select “Do not deliver before:” Date/Time options
will appear from which you can select and schedule the date and time when the
message should be sent. Close the Options menu, then send the message. The email
will be saved in your Outbox and will be sent when the date and hour match the
scheduled date and time selected.
Mr. Modem’s DME (Don’t Miss ‘Em)
Sites of the Month
AllMyFaves
A colorful, NASCAR-like search
engine that includes what AllMyFaves considers to be the best sites in each of
41 categories. The categories aren’t listed alphabetically, which would be
helpful, but AllMyFaves gets an “A” for originality, regardless. Try it a few
times and it will grow on you.
www.allmyfaves.com
Seafood Watch
A program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium (oh, the irony),
created to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from
sustainable sources and to provide reliable fish facts to help us make informed
purchases. Use the Seafood Search to find your favorite seafood’s rating.
Ratings range from “Good” to “Call the paramedics!” Each fish selected includes
a consumer note, health alerts, and a summary. Hint: If you’re planning to have
giant scallops tonight, you might want to think twice about that. Ixnay on the
allopsscay.
http://tinyurl.com/22r7zn
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