Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
July 30, 2006
Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter
http://www.terryscomputertips.com
A computer tips newsletter for users of PC's.
Volume 2, Number 07 — Sunday, July 30, 2006
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
IN THIS WEEK'S ON-LINE ISSUE:
1. Java and JavaScript
2. Updates Last Week
3. Microsoft's Updates
4. Xandros 4 Home Edition Premium
5. Terry's Computer Tips — and Vista
6. My Computer Security Software Recommendations
7. Kerio Firewall Tips
8. Reinstalling Windows XP
9. Recommend my Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter to Your Friends
Welcome to the on-line version of my Terry's Computer Tips newsletter.
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1. Java and JavaScript
I answered a question this week from someone who wanted to know about the "JavaScript Update" icon in their Windows XP Status bar, since it was telling them that there was a new version.
I think he was confusing JavaScript and Java, which are two different things.
A JavaScript interpreter is built into your web browser (IE, Firefox, etc.). JavaScript is a language and all current web browsers include the ability to read and interpret JavaScript.
A JavaScript is a script someone writes for their website. You won't find it telling you something in the Windows Status bar — JavaScript works in the web browser.
Java, on the other hand, is a programming language from Sun Microsystems that is designed for use on multiple different operating systems. You have to download and install Java in order to run Java programs (get it at www.Java.com). For more discussion, see my article Java, JavaScript, ActiveScript, VBScript and JScript for discussion).
By the way, Java and JavaScript are not related.
Sun's Java installs an automatically-running program that checks for updates and tells you when updates are ready.
Should you update Java? Generally, yes. Just like web browsers, occasionally updates add functions — most of the time they fix bugs and security issues. By the way, the latest version of Java is 1.5.0.6.
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2. Updates Last Week
Microsoft (operating systems, email, web browser, office suites):
Mcrosoft releases almost all updates once per month, on the second Tuesday. The next Patch Tuesday is scheduled for August 8th.
Firefox (web browser, http://www.mozilla.com, free):
Firefox v1.5.0.5 was released this week on July 27th. Firefox 1.5.0.5 is a security update. Mozilla recommends that all users upgrade to this latest version. Changes include: improvements to product stability, added changes for Frisian locale (fy-NL) and several security fixes.
Opera (web browser, http://www.opera.com, free):
Opera version 9 was released on June 20, 2006.
Netscape (web browser, http://browser.netscape.com, free):
No update last week. Current version 8.1.
SeaMonkey (web browser, email, HTML editor, newsreader; http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey; free): No update last week. Version 1.0.3 was released this week and includes bug fixes (improved stability) and several security fixes.
Eudora (email, http://www.eudora.com, options: paid, sponsored or free/lite):
No update last week. Current version 7.0.1.0, released 12/21/05.
Mozilla Thunderbird (email, http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird, free):
Thunderbird version 1.5.0.5 was released last week.. This update included several security and stability fixes.
OpenOffice (office suite — spreadsheet, word processor, presentations, graphics, web design; http://www.openoffice.org; free):
Version 2.03 was released during late June.
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3. Microsoft's Updates
This week, subscriber Beth wrote to ask about updates from Micosoft:
I've noticed in many of your newsletters updates you specify windows xp. What about those of us who don't have windows xp, I operate windows 2000 office professional?
Beth from New York
I appreciate that not everyone is running Windows XP, Office XP and Office 2003. However, that's all that I run &mdsash; so that's all the updates I ever see. That's also why I sometimes add "Just to be clear, these are the updates that I saw on my systems, which run Windows XP Pro, Windows XP Home, Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office XP" to my updates article when there are updates from Microsoft.
In general, you can assume that if Microsoft issues updates for Windows XP, they probably issued some for Windows 2000. Now that Microsoft is stepping away from 98, Me, 2000 and XPSP1 for security reasons, you can expect fewer Win2000 patches.
Unfortunately, you can't assume they will have updates for their earlier Office products. MS has a much more rapid phase-out of them.
I've observed that many times I will see Office 2003 updates for my notebook without seeing corresponding Office XP updates on my wife's machine. When I was running Office 2000 Small Business Edition on my old notebook, I observed similar issues with MS quickly stopping most updates to Office 2000.
To get all your updates from Microsoft, the most important thing you can do is to swith to "Microsoft Updates" from Windows Updates.
Windows Updates do not update any Microsoft product other than Windows -- for example, they don't update Word or Excel or any other Office product.
Microsoft Updates handles all Microsoft products at the same time " it's a one-stop update shop.
If you haven't already switched, start Windows Updates. Then, on its home page, at the right side, you can pick Microsoft Updates. From then on, you'll be doing Microsoft Updates, even if you click a link for Windows Updates.
By the way, I'm guessing that Beth meant Microsoft Office 2000 Professional" when she wrote "windows 2000 office professional" because there is not a product by that name.
"Windows 2000" is an operating system. "Windows 2000 Professional" is an operating system. "Office 2000 Professional" is an office suite that includes word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation software, etc. It ran on Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000 and, and later, would run on Windows XP when WinXP was released.
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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Volume 2, Number 07 — Sunday, July 30, 2006
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Copyright © 2006 Terry A. Stockdale. All rights reserved.
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