Installing Windows Media Center
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 installing Windows Media Center, opening files in Safari and transferring 8mm films to DVDs.
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 want to upgrade my laptop to Windows Media Center. I have an external TV tuner and I acquired the software through a friend who got it free with his computer, but would rather run regular XP. If I just install Windows Media Center and plug in the tuner, everything should work OK?
A: I've never tried this, but I doubt it will work. Media Center isn't a software program, but a flavor of the Windows operating system itself, so you'd be upgrading or replacing your current version of Windows, which could alter many things on your machine. It might not work at all, because Microsoft only sells Media Center with new PCs.
Even if installation did somehow work, however, you'd probably get trapped in Microsoft's "activation" process. In order to run any new copy of Windows, it must be "activated" by Microsoft, and I suspect the copy your friend gave you would be recognized as one that came with a particular new PC and activation would be denied on grounds of piracy, which would eventually cause your computer to stop functioning.
Q: I just switched from a PC to an iMac. On Windows, I used Firefox as my Web browser, and I could right-click on any link or bookmark, and it would open in a new tab. In the iMac's Web browser, Safari, I cannot find the same function. Have I overlooked something?
A: Safari offers similar functionality, including the right-clicking -- if you have a two-button mouse. But it only works with links, and with individual bookmarks in the Bookmarks Bar. Bookmarks inside folders, or in the main Bookmarks menu, can't be opened in a new tab by right-clicking on them. Also, in Safari, you have to first go into preferences and make sure tabbed browsing is turned on.
Bear in mind that you can also use Firefox on your Mac. The Mac and Windows versions are nearly identical. Oddly, on the question you raise, the Mac version of Firefox behaves like Safari, not like Firefox on Windows.
Q: I have lots of old regular 8mm films in the closet, and I'd love to have all of these reels transferred to DVD. What's the best method and how expensive would it be to transfer perhaps 10 hours of this film to DVD?
A: I suggest using a service to do this. The best one I know of is called YesVideo (
www.yesvideo.com). It charges $49.99 for the first 250 feet, and 10 cents per foot thereafter. But you can't send the film directly to YesVideo. You have to go to a retail store that partners with the company, such as a Best Buy or Ritz Camera shop. Details, including a store locator, are on the company's Web site.
安装Windows Media Center
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安装Windows Media Center、在Safari浏览器中开启新分页以及将8毫米胶片影片转录成DVD的问题。
问：我想把笔记本电脑的操作系统升级至Windows Media Center，这套软件是一个朋友给我的，而他是随电脑免费获得这套软件的，不过他还是愿意用一般的Windows XP。我还有一个外置的电视调谐器。我是不是只要安装上Windows Media Center，并连上电视调谐器就能用了呢？
答：我从来没有这样试过，但我怀疑你这样做可能不行。Media Center并不是一个软件程序，而是Windows操作系统的一种，它可以用来升级或是替换现有的操作系统，但可能会改变你机器上的某些东西。由于微软(Microsoft)只与新电脑配套销售Media Center，因此它在你的电脑上可能根本无法使用。
即使安装成功，你可能还会落入微软设置的“激活”陷阱。任何新的Windows操作系统在使用之前都必须经过微软的激活过程。我怀疑你朋友给你的Media Center会被认出是要配合特定电脑使用的，因此在激活时可能被视为盗版而遭到拒绝，从而导致你的电脑最终瘫痪。
问：我才把Windows电脑换成iMac。在Windows电脑上我用的网络浏览器是Firefox，我只要在任何链接或书签上点击右键，它就会在新分页中弹开。但在iMac网络浏览器Safari中，我找不到类似的功能。如何找到这项功能呢？
答：Safari也有同样的功能，包括右键点击－－如果你使用双键鼠标的话。但它只对链接以及Bookmarks Bar中的单个书签起作用。对于文件夹、或是主要书签菜单下的书签，点击右键不会弹出新的分页。另外，在Safari中，你要先到偏好设置栏中确认分页浏览功能已经打开。
记住你也可以在Mac电脑上使用Firefox。Mac版和Windows版的Firefox几乎完全一样。奇怪的是，就你提出的问题来看，Mac版Firefox像是Safari，而不像Windows版Firefox。
问：我柜子里有大量老的普通8毫米胶片影片，我想把它们都转成DVD。最好的办法是什么？将大约10个小时的此类影片转成DVD大概需要多少钱？
答：我建议你使用外面公司提供的DVD转录服务。我所知道最好的一家公司是YesVideo（
www.yesvideo.com），它对前250英尺电影胶片的转录收费是49.99美元，之后每超出一英尺收费10美分。不过你不能直接把胶片给它，你需要到一家与该公司有合作关系的零售店，比如Best Buy或是Ritz Camera等。具体详情你可以参阅该公司的网站。
