Tapas Chakraborty: I have a Pentium IV HCL Beanstalk machine. I want to take home-based Medical Transcription (MT) assignments after taking Computer Based Test on MT. Is it feasible? What are the options of Internet connection like DIAS (BSNL) and who do I contact? Please give me the details of other types of Internet connections available in Calcutta that are suitable for home based MT job.

TechTalk: There are many options available for connecting to the Internet. DIAS from BSNL, as mentioned by you, is one of them. For getting DIAS connection you have to contact Commercial Officer, BSNL of your area. DIAS can be installed using your existing telephone. Internet service providers like VSNL and Sify also offer dial up connection packages for fixed number of hours like 50, 100, 500 and so on. These connections are widely available in a number of outlets in the city. You can choose according to your requirement.

Pradip Mukherjee: I have a 15-inch LG Monitor, 1.7 GHz Intel Processor, Intel Motherboard, 40 GB Hard Disk, 128 MB DDR RAM and 500 Volt UPS from Everlite. My UPS makes the backup sound and after sometime it shuts down the whole system although the main power supply is on. It also does not provide backup power when the mains are off.

TechTalk: You need to check a few things before you can isolate the problem. Is the power cord properly inserted into your UPS? Is there any loose connection in the mains outlet plug point? Is the main voltage supply stable and within the proper range? Extreme low voltage may cause a problem similar to the one you have stated. Does your UPS have the ?Cold Start? feature? This feature enables the UPS to start even when the main power is off. If these points are okay, then there is some problem with the UPS and you need to get it repaired.

Rakesh Shaw: My PC has the following configuration: 40 GB Hard disk, 128 MB RAM, 2.4 GHz Pentium IV processor, original Intel motherboard GVSR 845. Does the processor being Celeron 2.0 GHz or Pentium 2.4 GHz make any difference in the speed of Internet surfing? Also, when I am connected to the Net, sometimes I see that the rate of bytes sent and received is slower compared to other times. Is this a modem problem or something else?

TechTalk: Here is a brief comparative study of PIV and Celeron processors: The Celeron and PIV chips have the same core. Celeron chips have less cache memory than Pentium IV chips. It does not have any L1 cache. Cache memory can have a big effect on performance. The PIV chips run at a higher clock speed than Celeron chips. The fastest PIV can be up to 50 per cent faster than the fastest Celeron. There are significant differences in the maximum bus speeds that the processors allow. Pentium IV processors tend to be about 30 percent faster than Celerons. From the comparison it is clear that a PIV and a Celeron chip having same clock speed will have a big difference in performance. This can be felt if you do a complicated mathematical calculation work like graphics rendering.

However, Internet surfing speed does not depend on whether you have a Celeron or PIV processor because browsing and mailing does not put extra load on the processor.

Your second problem can occur due to various reasons. These include the condition of your telephone line, ?handshaking? or communicating with the interface of the Internet Service Provider, error correction technology in your modem and so on.

Salil Kumar Kundu: My PC is an assembled one with Celeron 2 GHz processor and 256 MB RAM with Windows XP Professional. I have been using Office XP for a long time. Recently, I got Office 2003 installed by a friend. Later, I noticed that I still had Office XP and so uninstalled Office 2003 from Add/Remove Programs. However, after a few days when I tried to re-instal Office 2003, I failed. After keying in the serial number I received the following message: ?Microsoft Office Setup cannot continue because the installation source has been corrupted?. I have even tried uninstalling Office XP but the problem remains.

TechTalk: It seems that the cause may due to any of the following factors. The CD-ROM drive is not functioning properly or the office 2003 CD is damaged. If the installation CD for Office 2003 you are using is an upgrade version it may cause a problem if you have uninstalled the source software. Another program running on your computer may be interfering with the Office installation.

To resolve the last one, try to clean boot your machine with the following steps. Click ?Start?, and then ?Run?.

Type msconfig in the ?Open? box, and click OK. Click the ?General? tab, and then ?Selective Startup?. Clear the check boxes: Process System.ini file, Process Win.ini file and Load Startup Items.

Click the ?Services? tab, click to select the ?Hide All Microsoft Services? check box, and then click ?Disable All?. Click OK, and then click Restart. You may try installing Office 2003 now. To restore the computer for a normal startup, run msconfig once again and select Normal Startup from the General tab.

Md Asique: I recently purchased a PC with PIV-2.6 GHz processor, 128 MB DDR RAM, Intel 845GVSR Motherboard, 40 GB HDD and 52X CDROM. I want to instal Windows 95 because I have a software that runs only on Win 95. I started installation with a Win 95 bootable floppy. I confi gured Himem.sys in Config.sys, restarted and then ran the Win 95 setup. After copying the files, the computer restarts and shows a message that it?s the first time Windows is running. After only a few seconds, there is a black screen with the message ?While initialising ios, Windows Protection Error, Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your computer?. How can I instal Win 95?

TechTalk: Windows Protection Error can occur due to different reasons, including virtual driver (VxD) problems, conflicts between real-mode and hardware problems can also be the cause.

This patch for the AMD K6-2 processor also works for the Intel PIII (1-GHz or faster) and PIV processors. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads and download ?Windows 95 Update for AMD-K6-2/350? (file name: AMDK6upd.exe).

When the error occurs (usually on the first boot into Windows 95), or the computer fails to start Windows 95, boot the PC using the bootable 95 floppy.

In another PC, extract the files from AMDK6upd.exe to a make a bootable floppy disk. To do this, at the DOS prompt, execute ?AMDK6upd.exe /T:a:\ /C?.

Manually copy the updated driver files on the diskette to their proper locations as indicated below:

scsiport.pdr to C:\Windows\ System\IOSubsys

disktsd.vxd to C:\Windows\ System\IOSubsys

esdi_506.pdr to C:\Windows\ System\IOSubsys

hsflop.pdr to C:\Windows\ System\IOSubsys

cdfs.vxd to C:\Windows\System\IOSubsys

vfbackup.vxd to C:\Windows\System\VMM32

ios.vxd to C:\Windows\System\VMM32

int13.vxd to C:\Windows\System\VMM32

ntkern.vxd to C:\Windows\ System\VMM32

Remove the floppy disk and restart the system. If prompted, select Normal Startup. Complete Windows 95 installation. Execute AMDK6upd.exe without any command switches to register the update. The problem should be solved.

... and elsewhere in the world

Apple has reinvented the wheel, again! Looking at the new iMac G5 (picture right shows front and side view), you?ll wonder where the computer is. Everything is neatly tucked away ? unparalleled processor power, massive storage space and every imaginable bell and whistle ? behind the display. Despite that, the rig is incredibly only two-inch thick!

Tech-specs: Choose either the 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz processor, both ready to run 64-bit applications. NVIDIA graphics muscle boosts performance of games by even 200 per cent compared to the G4. The bundled superdrive packs in a DVD burner that slides gracefully into the display, while wireless-ready does away with cable clutter. Not to forget looks. Even when switched off, you might be tempted to spend hours simply gazing at the G5. Own it for $1299.