Q And A

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday January 5, 2009

Nicole Manktelow

Q I've seen ads for naked DSL but don't understand how it would make my broadband internet service any better. Can you explain what the fuss is, please?

A Most fixed-line broadband services are DSL (digital subscriber line) and are provided over the same infrastructure that gives us ordinary phone services. Getting a broadband connection in this way typically included paying for a phone line, wanted or not. Naked DSL is a cute way of saying you can now buy the broadband services without needing to sign up for a phone line.

Q Whatever happened to good old Outlook Express? I don't really like the Windows Mail in Vista and couldn't get my old messages into it anyway, even using the built-in transfer. Is there any way I can just use OE instead?

A Unfortunately, Windows Mail replaces Outlook Express in the operating system. OE cannot be installed on Vista; only Microsoft Outlook or other email programs such as Thunderbird will work.

All is not lost, however. If you're having trouble importing your old OE backups, OE Help (oehelp.com/backup.aspx) is your best hope with instructions for when the "Easy Transfer" doesn't get the job done (support.microsoft.com/kb/928635).

Q I have a lot of Skype contacts and would like to back them up before I upgrade my computer. Where can I find the necessary files?

A If you have the latest version of Skype, the company suggests that you no longer need to backup contacts (hooray!). Instead, contacts are stored centrally on Skype's servers. Nevertheless, if you're a stickler, you can find your contacts listed locally on Windows machines in the folder located at C:\Documents and Settings\Windows Username\Application Data\Skype.

On Mac OS X, contacts can be found in Library/Application Support/Skype.

Q For one reason or another, I have some friends on Windows Messenger, some on Yahoo! and some on Skype. I think it may be possible to chat to all of them using some multi-chat programs but is there anything that will work for a Mac user?

A Try Adium (adiumx.com), a handy little application that will connect to a bunch of instant messaging services, although you may need an additional plug-in for it to be compatible with Skype. Best of all, it's free. And for those with too much time on their hands, there are various themes to dress up your chats. Looking for other options? You can find multi-protocol instant messaging applications thoughtfully arranged in a comparison chart at Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org

/wiki/multiprotocol-instant-messaging-application).

qa@nicolemanktelow.com

www.smh.com.au/techtips

© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald

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