Sam Ewalt wrote:
>
> Even $400 US now gets you a Pentium II, 300 with all the toys if
> you buy used. I'm starting to feel silly with my 386 and the frustration
> of curtailed surfing with Arachne and my ten year old computer.
>
> Why not upgrade? Why not enjoy easier and faster access to the
> Internet? Why not just use Windows and call it a day? Help me,
> I have been assimilated. Resistance is futile.
US400$ is awful high for a used computer of that grade.
Why not upgrade ? Self respect ? A general feeling that things shouldn't
have to work this way ?
That said, when you do upgrade, stay away from big name boxes because they
have big name shortcuts in the hardware.
A generic box is just that. GENERIC.
It should accept and use any hardware you want to stick in it.
Remember that the HD, FD, serial and printer are probably built onto the
mother board, and when they die it's probably junk.
And remember to count the ISA slots. They are getting scarce.
> I'm being co-erced by forces outside my control. I have to actively
> resist using Windows. My kids think I'm nuts to do this. They
> don't see the point.
Tell them that no self respecting adult should have to treat his tools
as if they were part of a video game.
> But every time I go to a site that doesn't work all that well with
> Arachne, I lose a little perspective. I don't want to have to edit
> the errors out of the site's HTML or have to futz and figure out
> what's wrong. Is it me, is it the site? Is it sunspots?
Just complain and go to another site. <G>
> I just want the damn thing to work. I want it to work better.
Yes. We all do. Try using the most stable version instead of the latest.
> My three current problems with Arachne are:
>
> #1. Red squares! Sometimes I get them, sometimes I don't. No pattern
> that I can discern. It's just hit or miss. If a page has twenty images
> some may or may not be red squares. Reconnecting or reloading will
> often fill in the squares and others will turn red. Some days all is
> well.
My recent experience with large quantities of large images taught me that
red squares are usually the result of no space left in \TEMP.
It's amazing how fast a 6MB RD fills up when you are playing with images.
And Arachne never seems to delete anything in \TEMP. Or maybe the version
I use doesn't. This should be user fixable in the later versions that have
a .BAT on F8.
> #2. Forms! Like at Amazon. Most often I can't get it to work. I did
> once. I ordered ok and it went through. Other times not. It doesn't
> work consistently enough for me to want to use it on a regular basis.
> You shouldn't need McCorkle's Luck (and expertise) to order a book
> from a service that millions of Windows users access every day no
> problem.
I agree. Forms should ALWAYS work, and they don't.
> #3. Sites won't work because Arachne doesn't yet support Javascript or
> CSS or SHTML or 128 bit encryption or something else that I don't
> understand and really shouldn't have to if all I want to do is
> find out how to get tickets to Ozzfest or need information about
> a low cholesterol margarine or some other routine chore that I want
> to use the Internet for.
See my other post the security issue.
If you need HTTPS to get info on low cholesterol whaterver, something is
DEFINITELY wrong, and it isn't Arachne.
> Now it may be that trying to surf today's web on a 386 is a recipe
> for frustration. With the lower cost of better hardware, it really
> is time to upgrade.
You also have to consider your bloodpressure. I get red-outs when I try
to use Arachne on my '386.
> And do I need to get involved with Windows or Linux if I want
> to go to Http://www.ozzfest.com or Http://www.takecontrol.com?
That last one seems a bit of a joke. Who's taking control of what ?
- Clarence Verge
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