I want to go geek .. and VPC?

["mhchoate" mhyerchoate@xxxxxxxx]

Hi, folks -- this is a continuation/update of the previous thread I
initiated, on "giving up on giving it up" --

Just fishing here. Not looking for any particular answers. Apologies for
hastily written cyberstyle ... and any parentheses that don't mate up ....
I've abandoned the idea of stocking up on a few computers all running DOS
XyWrite in full-screen mode, so I'd never be forced out of my current work
setup .... instead, as STEP 1, I'm going to use my old Dell desktop (circa
2000, Windows 98) as my current redundant immediately available system ... I
need to get it dusted inside (I don't do hardware!) so I can quit listening
out for the fan to get loud ... and so I won't be afraid to keep it on long
enough to work .... I plan to get it checked out, and will probably even get
the lost-my-dial-tone modem replaced (though I can go to friend's house for
emailing, in a crisis) ...
And, as STEP 2 -- I want to go geek .... try to acquire some PC guts-level
sophistication .... for planning ahead and not being at the mercy of ....
hmmm, what is that I'm at the mercy of?  M$ ?? Best Buy salesmen? Dell?
Gateway? ... pocketbook? ....
I finally took the time to make the 120-mile round-trip to the nearest Best
Buy, and browse. I came away a little depressed.
I have learned that while Vista does have a "Command Prompt" feature, it
does not support "Full-Screen" mode. (My experience with my current
laptop -- bought fall of 2005, with XP, is that "full-screen" capability is
essential for the way I work ... my "work" is indexing books, and is
deadline driven ...a hardware failure and I'm in trouble, without a
redundant XyWrite-supporting system ready to go.) (I bought current indexing
software about 3 years and have discovered that I'm not willing to switch. I
lose more than I gain. I may develop some hybrid technqiues... but later)
....
I doubt that I'd succeed at picking out the right book(s) at Barnes & Noble
(another 120-mile round-trip) ... but I plan to go next time I have the time
....any recommendations?.... I know this question is way too general ...and
my need to ask the question pretty much sums up my problem. (In a previous
life I was a systems programmer, and even helped write (team of 3) a
minicomputer network operating system for controlling a pipeline, of all
things.... ... but I know NOTHING about PCs and Windows that I haven't had
to learn. Which means not much. I don't have the vocabulary to ask for what
I need ....

I've decided it's time to learn (I am going to try to "go geek") ...
I hate online documentation, but use it when I have to. For getting a
top-down picture and absorbing complicated info, and getting any real
expertise, I need paper. Books I can fall asleep with. Until you can go to
bed with an e-book, I'm not interested. (I have great books on Windows 98,
but assume better not to study those.)
Taking a college course would not be out of the question, though it would be
an 80-mile round trip ... and I haven't a clue whether they teach the things
I want to know, in one college course. Surely, I would think, but I've been
WRONG on lots of stuff I think "surely" about .... (hmm.. wonder if PC
Magazine still exists) ..(hmm, maybeI can go spend a day in a city library)
... hmm.... maybe I can .... (will brainstorm some more later)
I googled for "Command Prompt" and "full-screen" and found a blog that I
plan to find again, and join. ( I was in a hurry.) It belongs to a guy who
works for M$ and yet seems to recognize their problems. What I read
suggested that I could get Virtual PC 2007 and run any operating systems I
want. Does anybody out there have experience and general comments about
Virtual PC.. ??
I apologize if VPC has been discussed extensively on this list before -- I
don't have time to read all the messages on technical stuff I don't know
anything about .... and don't know (yet--I intend to find out) how to access
the archives for this list .... and don't have the time right now to try
....
I don't know how, and IF, I can obtain obsolete operating system(s)...hmm,
all I would need is DOS .... (VPC'd on same computer as whatever current OS
was easily available.) .... but I'd be happy with any OS that gave me the
full-screen ...and is there a source for buying obsolete OS's? .... I'm even
wondering if the DOS directory I have on my
CD-With-XY-Based-Indexing-Programs is all I'd need .... but "surely" (again)
there is something else needed to support that .... a boot program or
something .....
I've never installed or reinstalled an OS -- just used what came in the box
.... my mindset is that there is always at least one little simple thing
that they mistakenly assume everybody knows ... hmm.... what use am I
allowed to put any CDs that came with my Windows OS Dell Desktop purchase?
... if that crashed .... would that Product Key be good .... would that CD
load ... do I even have that CD? (pardon stream of consciousness here) ...

I don't have the vocabulary, and I don't know what it is that I don't know!


Marge
Who enjoys eavesdropping on the OT intellectual stuff ....