Windows Software for Business, Pleasure
There's no other major item most of us own that is as confusing, unpredictable and unreliable as our personal computers. Everybody has questions about them, and we aim to help.
Here are a few questions about computers I've received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about Microsoft's Media Center software, Apple laptops for college freshmen and computer monitors.
If you have a question, send it to me at
mossberg@wsj.com, and I may select it to be answered here in Mossberg's Mailbox.
Q: I am considering purchasing a Dell Windows Media Center PC. Its primary use would be for entertainment, but I would also likely use it for some business use. Will a PC with Media Center run Office [and other] software like a regular XP machine?
A: Yes. Microsoft's Media Center software is a special version of Windows XP. It has a remote-controllable interface that can be used for playing media from across a room. But this interface need not be used all the time. When it isn't in use, Media Center reverts to Windows XP, Professional edition. So, Media Center computers can be used like any other XP Pro machines. They can run all Windows programs, including Microsoft Office.
By the way, this is the last year Microsoft will be selling the Media Center Edition of Windows, but the functions of Media Center aren't being discontinued. They are being folded into some of the versions of the new Windows Vista operating system, which will be available in January.
Q: My grandson wants an Apple laptop for college. Does it make sense to go all the way with the new MacBook Pro, or would the 12-inch PowerBook G4 likely be good enough?
A: The MacBook Pro is a high-end laptop that costs $2,000 and up. It's probably overkill for a college freshman, unless he or she will be taking a heavy dose of engineering or graphics classes. For most freshmen, the 12-inch PowerBook ($1,499), or even the iBook G4 ($999) would be a fine choice. Be prepared to spend a little extra for either model, as you'll need to buy a copy of the Mac version of Microsoft Office, which costs $150 for students.
Q: Unfortunately, I am among the small percentage of the population that can actually perceive light fluctuations at 60 hertz -- or cycles per second -- the rate at which many monitors redraw their screens. This means a standard computer monitor looks like a strobe light to me, and gives me a whopping headache, if I spend a couple of hours in front of one. Is there a solution?
A: Yes. Most monitors offer settings that allow them to operate at higher rates -- say 75 Hz -- which cycle faster and thus offer less visible flickering. This setting is called the "refresh rate." It is adjustable from both Windows and Macintosh computers. You may be able to end your problem just by changing this setting to a higher refresh rate. It's a good idea to use the highest refresh rate that your monitor can handle.
In Windows, you can find this setting in the Display control panel, which is in the Appearance and Themes group. In the Display control panel, click on the Settings tab. Then click on Advanced, and then Monitor, to find the available refresh rates.
On a Mac, just launch System Preferences, select Displays, and Click on the Display button to see the Refresh Rate choices.
Media Center软件商用、娱乐两可
在我们大多数人拥有的大件电器中，再没有什么比个人电脑更令人费解、更变幻莫测的了。每个人或许都有些关于电脑的问题，而《莫博士信箱》将为您提供帮助。
本周我将回答读者有关配置Media Center的电脑能否运行Office及如何调整电脑屏幕更新频率等问题。
问：我正考虑购买一台戴尔(Dell) Windows Media Center个人电脑。这台电脑我想主要用来娱乐，但我也可能用作一些商业用途。配置Media Center的电脑能像普通的XP电脑一样运行Office及其他软件吗？
答：能。微软(Microsoft)的Media Center软件是Windows XP的特殊版本。它有一个可遥控界面，用户能从房间的另一头操纵播放媒体。但这个界面无需一直开著。在不用的时候，Media Center就恢复成Windows XP专业版。因此，Media Center电脑可以像任何其他XP Pro电脑一样使用。它可以运行所有的Windows程序，包括Microsoft Office。顺便说一下，今年是微软最后一年发售Windows Media Center版本了，但Media Center的功能并没有中断。它们将被捆绑进新的Windows Vista操作系统的部分版本，Vista将于明年1月面市。
问：我的孙子想要一台苹果(Apple)的笔记本电脑，他上大学要用。直接就买新款MacBook Pro是否明智呢？或者12英寸的PowerBook G4就已经够好的了？
答：MacBook Pro属高端笔记本电脑，售价在2,000美元以上。对于大学新生来说，它可能是大材小用了，除非他要上大量的工程和图形课程。对于大多数大学新生而言，12英寸的PowerBook（售价1,499美元）、甚至是iBook G4（售价999）都是很好的选择。无论是哪款机型，你恐怕都要多付点钱，因为你还需要购买Office的Mac版，学生价为150美元。
问：很不幸，我是少数能够察觉60赫兹光波动的人之一，而这正是许多显示器刷新屏幕的速度。这意味著对我来说，标准的电脑显示器看起来就像是闪光灯，如果我在电脑面前坐上几个小时，我就会非常头痛。有没有什么解决的办法？
答：有。大多数显示器都可设置成以更高速度──比如，75赫兹──更新，更新速度越快，肉眼可见的闪动就越少。这项设置叫做屏幕“更新频率”(refresh rate)，可由用户调整，适用于Windows和Macintosh电脑。 你只要将这个设置调高，就可以解决问题了。最好是使用你的显示器能够处理的最高更新频率。
在Windows电脑上，你可以在“显示”(Display)控制面板内找到这个设置, “显示”是在“外观和主题”(Appearance and Themes)项下。在“显示”控制面板内，点击设置(Settings)项，然后点击进阶(Advanced)，再点击显示器(Monitor)，就可以找到“屏幕更新频率”了。
在Mac电脑上，只要开启“系统优先设定”(System Preferences)，选择Displays，然后点击“显示”(Display)按钮，就可以看见“更新频率”的选项了。
