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January 2001, Week 1 -- Mac does Windows

   With the right software you can run Windows programs on a Macintosh, or Mac programs on a PC. Most of them, anyway.

   "Virtual PC" is the leader in Windows emulation on the Mac. Using a G3 or G4 model Macintosh and the Mac operating system 7.5 or higher, it lets a Mac user run Windows and Mac programs side by side. Files, text and graphics can be moved easily between the Mac and PC programs on the same screen. Peripherals that have USB (universal serial bus) connectors and were designed to work only with Windows systems, can work with either machine.

   There used to be several programs that let a Mac run PC software, but the field has narrowed to Virtual PC, from Connectix, and Blue Label Power Emulator, from Lismore Systems in Ireland. The latter program works with any Mac computer using a "Power PC" processor, but you must supply the appropriate PC operating system, be it DOS or Windows. On the plus side, it's only $20 from www.lismoresoft.com.

   All such programs are called "emulators" and there are emulators for many systems, including programs that will let you emulate both new and old game machines on a PC or perform the reverse emulation of turning a PC into a Macintosh, though that one is harder. (If you want more information on these, go to www.softseek.com and search on the key word "emulators.")

   The key elements in making an emulator work well are usually processor speed -- the faster, the better, and RAM -- the more of it, the better. Virtual PC needs 64 MB of RAM to work well, and if you have more that's great. The new version 4 is twice as fast as the previous version. You can find an interesting user site with tips on this program at http://vpcguide.cjb.net.

   You might think, why would I bother turning my Mac into a PC, there's plenty of good Mac software. That's true but there are other reasons, and the primary one is being able to share files with colleagues using Windows and to connect to corporate networks based on Windows. You will also gain access to the large number of Internet sites that are only fully accessible to computers with Windows operating systems.

   Virtual PC comes with a copy of Windows 98 and installs that during setup. Virtual PC will in fact let you install any operating system, including Linux.

   Virtual PC, V.4, is $199 with Windows 98, or $79 as an upgrade. Phone info: 800-950-5880 or 650-571-5100; e-mail: info@connectix.com; web: www.connectix.com.

Good Job Hunting

   We haven't visited a resume program in many moons, but there was always a demand. If you're looking for a first job or a better job, you usually have to present a resume at some point.

   "WinWay Resume Deluxe" is the latest and greatest in software that makes it easy to create a good-looking resume. You can choose from 50 different styles and several hundred cover letters. The program has tips and discussions on the kinds of phrases to use to get attention and selects phrases for different industries. There are tips on how to act during interviews and how to negotiate your best salary.

   Resume Deluxe searches the web for job opportunities in your interest categories and then automatically posts your resume, without any need to reformat for the different job sites. If you prefer you can e-mail or fax resumes directly from the program.

   We've covered this program in all its versions over many years, and it remains the best we've seen. Resume Deluxe is $40 for Windows 95 and up. Phone info: 818-591-9600; web: www.novadevelopment.com.

 Internuts

-- www.findtutorials.com A directory of tutorials in many fields: arts & humanities; business & finance; crafts & hobbies; health & fitness; etc. Looks like several thousand are available. Interesting. The tutorial on playing bridge has a quote from billionaire Warren Buffet: "I wouldn't mind being in jail if I had three cell mates who were decent players."

-- www.coolmd.com  A medical advice site aimed at teenagers. It may try too hard to be hip, but there is also sound advice here.

-- www.forchads.com  A site selling Florida voting machine chads, the small piece of cardboard that may or may not have been punched out when a Floridian voted for President. As you might expect from the effort to cash in on the timeliness of this bit of arcane Americana, the site looks hastily thrown together. Supplies are limited, they point out. We hope so. (Editor's note: They went out of business in two weeks.)

-- www.zdnet.com  Don't Panic! That not advice, it's the name of a shareware program that lets you instantly hide your work if someone you don't want to see it walks over to look. It's free to try, $20 to keep if you like it. Go to zdnet and type "panic" in the search field.

-- www.serve.com/xywwweb/  For those die-hard XyWrite word processor users, like me, here is a site where you can download the add-on applications that let XyWrite do its tricks.

Books

   Three new books from Microsoft Press can solve a lot of problems:

   "Troubleshooting Your PC," by Stone & Poor; "Troubleshooting Windows (Windows 95/98/ME)," by Stephen Sagman; and "Troubleshooting Outlook (including Outlook 2000 and Express)," by Julia Kelly, are $20 each. The books are well illustrated, intelligently organized, and suitable for new to experienced users. New problem fixes are added to the press web site each month. Web: www.mspress.microsoft.com.

NOTE: Readers can search more than four years of columns at the "On Computers" web site: www.oncomp.com. You can e-mail Bob Schwabach at bobschwab@oncomp.com or bobschwab@aol.com.