Computer Info – August 25, 1999
EasyTranslator
        We had a demonstration of the Universal Translator program a couple of weeks ago. Ted sent us a web page that tells about another translation program (EasyTranslator) that is on the market. We haven’t seen the program, but here is the web address and a description of the program for those who might be interested.
           http://www.transparent.com/catalog/products/product.cfm?Id=132
        EasyTranslator breaks down complex sentence structures, identifies parts of speech, resolves ambiguities, and synthesizes the information into the components and structures of the new language. It translates English to and from Spanish, French and German - English to Italian - English to Portuguese - Japanese to English. The cost is $69.95.
Translation Online
        Translate foreign languages online. At http://www.altavista.com – choose TRANSLATION. This site provides one of the best online translators. You can translate by typing or pasting text – or enter a URL and let it translate a web page (this only works with web pages that have no frames) You can’t count on perfect translation – in fact, some translations range to humorous. It will translate between English - French – German – Spanish – Italian – Portuguese.
Digital Cameras
        There are advantages to shooting with a conventional film camera and then scanning the images into your PC. Film cameras are generally cheaper and more foolproof than digital cameras. And even a disposable film camera is apt to take pictures that are as good as or better than most digital cameras. But digital cameras offer you the ability to view your pictures on the spot – are ready to email to friends and family.
Here are the top personal digital cameras according to PC Computing Magazine from September, 1999.
MODEL OF CAMERA
PRICE
MAX RESOLUTION
VERDI CT
Olympus D-340R
$399
1280 x 960
5 stars – Great pictures at a great price
Canon PowerShot A5-Zoom
$399
1024 x 768
4 stars – if only the little shooter had the pixels
Casio QV-7000SX
$599
1280 x 960
4 stars – a well-balanced camera
Kodak DC200 plus
$399
1150 x 864
4 stars – few perks but the pictures are sharp
Toshiba PDR-M3
$599
1280 x 1024
4 stars – lots to like in this sharp zoomer
Hewlett-Packard PhotoSmart C30
$399
1152 x 872
3 stars – a decent camera but no frills
Polaroid PhotMax PDC 700
$350
1024 x 768
3 stars – a fair price but only fair pictures

Here are the top semipro digital cameras according to PC Computing Magazine from September, 1999.
 

MODEL OF CAMERA
PRICE
MAX RESOLUTION
VERDICT
Nikon Coolpix 950
$999
1600 x 1200
5 stars – the gold standard in 2-megapixel
Fujifilm MX-2700
$699
1800 x 1200
4 stars – a stylish way to take 2 megapixels on the road
Kodak DC265
$999
1536 x 1024
4 stars – this well-rounded camera’s pictures won’t disappoint
Olympus C-2000 Zoom
$999
1600 x 1200
4 stars – a superb shooter with a mini-SLR look
Ricoh RDC 5000
$699
1792 x 1200
4 stars – a clever camera in a compact body

Typical IRQ uses

                                              IRQ                     Typical Default Use        Other Common Uses

0
System timer
None
1
Keyboard controller
None
2
Replaced by IRQ 9
Modems, COM3, COM4
3
COM2
COM4
4
COM1
COM3
5
Sound card
LPT2, LPT3, COM3, COM4
6
Diskette controller
Tape accelerator cards
7
LPT1
LPT2, COM3, COM4
8
Real-time clock
None
9
(open)
Network cards, sound cards, SCSI host adapters
10
USB controller
Network cards, sound cards, SCSI host adapter
11
  
Network cards, sound cards, SCSI host adapter
12
PS/2 mouse
Network cards, sound cards, SCSI host adapter
13
Floating point unit
None
14
Primary IDE hard drive/CD-ROM/DVD channel
SCSI host adapters
15
Secondary IDE hard drive/CD-ROM/DVD channel
Networks cards, SCSI host adapters