Reflections of a ModemJunkie
                       by Leonard Grossman

     Today's focus: The real problem with Windows 95. A
revolutionary approach.

     Last week I got a real shock.  I happened to look at a
notice from my bank.  The details aren't important but it was
really scary.  I've never paid more than $4,000.00 for a car.  I
bought my computer in a pawn shop.  I make a decent salary.  How
can things be that bad?  I began to take stock.  The process
isn't over but some things are becoming clear.  I don't do
anything unreasonable.  I just do too many reasonable things. 
Something's gotta stop.  How do I get off of this train?  

     Windows 95 is reasonable.  Only about $89.  Why not get it
and be right on the cutting edge?  So I may need a little more
RAM?  Only 40 or 50 bucks a meg?  A bigger hard drive?  Everyone
has heard the traitorous phrase:  "Storage is cheap these days."
Remember when a 40 meg drive cost over $200 bucks.  I can
probably get a gigabyte for that today.  At that little computer
shop in down the street I can get a 486 motherboard with CPU and
one of those cute little fans for under a hundred bucks.  So why
not jump in?

     Why not? Indeed!  Because it never ends.  Because it is so
seductively reasonable.  It's not just computers.  Its been going
on for years.  From fins in the '50s to full access to the net. 
Its all so reasonable.  And we have to have it now.  Whatever
"it" is, it just always costs a just a little more.  Well, I have
to stop somewhere.  And Win95 is my line in the sand.  Thus far
and no farther... at least for now.

     Don't get me wrong.  I wouldn't buy a new machine today
without Win95 on it.  But before upgrading the OS on your current
machine, I suggest asking yourself a few questions:

     Do you have trouble operating Windows 3.1?
     
     Do you really multitask?
     
     Why do you need it?

     The principle advantage of Win 95 is that the interface is
easier to learn--if you don't already now how to operate a
computer.  If you are reading this that probably is not an issue. 
In fact, you will have to unlearn a few tricks and habits to get
comfortable with Win95.  

     It won't be hard.  You may even like the interface.  But it
won't really be easier for you than your current OS.  On the
other hand if you are really about to learn a completely new
application, it may actually be easier to learn under Win95, just
as my learning curve on internet applications was greatly speeded
up by the use of the Windows interface.  And if you are buying a
computer for a someone completely unfamiliar with computers it
may well be worth the jump.  But this is about you and me, not
about tyros and noephytes.

     The second purported advantage the improved ability to
multitask.  Those in the know say Win 95 can't compare with
Windows NT or OS/2-Warp when it comes to real multitasking.  For
the sake of argument, though, lets agree that it multitasks
better than the existing Windows operating systems.  But how much
multitasking do you really do?  Look at a spread sheet while in
your word processor?  Play solitaire while waiting for your e-
mail on the internet? (I caught my daughter doing that last
night.)  If that's all you are doing, Windows for Workgroups is
quite sufficient.  OTOH, if you are seriously into heavy
multitasking. Win95 may be the answer for you.

     Conservation of "resources" while multitasking is one of the
hyped advantages of Win95.  That's really just the test for
whether you really multitask.  Its true, at least it seemed to
me, that things worked better on the internet when I ran with a
number of open apps under Win95.  But they work fine under W4WG. 
If you are rarely running out of resources under Window 3.x, you
don't need Win95.

     I concede that WordPerfect for Windows seemed a little less
starved under the new OS.  But how much time is really saved? 
How many lock ups prevented?  Even on my pawn shop special -- not
much--not many.

     Oh yes.  You can use true 32 bit applications.  How many do
you have now?  How many do you expect to buy in the immediate
future?  Here's the trap.  If you think you need Win95, then
you'll want to run out and buy the 32 bit version of every app
you run.  Will your checkbook balance any better at 32 bits?  Oh,
each upgrade won't cost that much. Most of them will be
reasonable, just like Win95 itself.  It's all reasonable.  Only
there are so many reasonable things.
     
     What can you do with Win95 that you can't do now?  Do you
really need to do it?  I resisted Windows altogether for years. 
Only when I found something that I couldn't do under DOS did I
make the leap.  The advent of Windows clients for internet access
combined with repeated failure at the unix command line to
convince me to make the move.  I am glad I did.  But I'm also
glad I held off.

     So, when something comes along that I can't do under Windows
for Work Groups, I'll take a good hard look at it and decide if
it's even something worth doing.  Only then will I make the leap. 
And in the meantime I won't have that MSN (MicroSoft Network)
icon staring me in the face, tempting me to log on every time I
boot up. (See, I did bring this month's column back to
communications, after all.)
     Join the revolution!! Stop doing reasonable things!!

Comments to leonard.grossman@syslink.mcs.com
Copyright 1995 Leonard Grossman