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Did You Know?

It’s amazing to see what you can accomplish if you work very hard each day and always have the customer in mind. Our services have steadily grown in number and strength, and we thought we would list them just in case you lost track. They include:

  • Computer purchases of all kinds

  • Computer Networking (multiple computers communicating with one another)

  • Security (firewalls, antivirus, etc.)

  • Software training

  • Website design and maintenance

  • Marketing materials design (brochures, flyers, magazine ads)

  • Email promotions design and delivery

  • Broadcast fax design and delivery

If you are happy with one or more of our services, please think of us next time your needs grow into the areas listed above.

What browser types are visiting your site?


It pays to know the technology of any potential customer visiting your website. If your client base tends to be a little behind the times, you will want to stay away from some of the latest bells and whistles such as java script and cascading style sheets (CSS). 

Netscape browsers used to provide some compatibility challenges, but as the numbers show below, Netscape is becoming a bit of a dinosaur. AOL version 4 is also a bit quirky, and also dwindling in popularity. 

Are you behind the times? We compiled data from some of our managed websites representing tens of thousands of HTML and other documents and several thousand user sessions per month. Below is a breakdown of browser usage by visitors to these sites:

browser

usage %

AOL 7 27%
MSIE 5  21%
MSIE 6 19%
AOL 6 12%
AOL 5 7%
AOL 4 4%
Netscape %1


Black Cat Cupcakes 

Prep Time: 10 min.
Serving Size: 24 

Ingredients:
  • 1 ¼ c Reduced Fat Oreo® cookie crumbs 
  • 18 ¼ ozs reduced fat chocolate cake mix 
  • 24 pcs Halloween Oreo® cookies
  • 16 ozs reduced fat milk chocolate frosting
  • black string licorice
  • jelly beans
  • semisweet chocolate chips 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Prepare 24 - 2½" muffin cups with cooking spray and flour; set aside.
    Prepare cake mix according to package directions; stir in cookie crumbs.
  3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes.
  4. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack.
  5. Make cat faces on each of the remaining 24 cookies: using some frosting, attach 4 - 1½" licorice strings for whiskers, 2 jelly bean halves for eyes and 2 chocolate chips for ears.
  6. Let set at least 30 minutes.
  7. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting.
  8. Stand cat faces on edge on each cupcake.
  9. Place 3" piece licorice string on back half of each cupcake for tail. 

Source: Nabisco's Kitchen 

Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1)

Computer engineers usually look skeptically at a new operating system until the first service pack is released. Windows XP was no different. With Microsoft’s recent release of Windows XP SP1, many of us feel more comfortable recommending XP to businesses.

Since service packs tend to include major changes, however, we recommend that they not be taken lightly. Microsoft’s “fixes” are notorious for causing problems in other areas of your computer. If proper care is not taken when installing the update, the only solution to problems that arise may be to rebuild the computer.

If you’re feeling brave and would like to install SP1 yourself, consider strongly using the “backup existing files” option when running the setup program.

Here are some excellent reasons to upgrade to SP1:

1.  Security – the most important feature of SP1 is that it blocks some potentially risky security holes in Windows XP, including a flaw that allows files to be deleted by a user simply clicking a link that they receive in an e-mail or see on a web page.

2.  For those of you who don’t like the Internet Explorer browser, Microsoft has made it possible to hide program icons (per the November 2001 proposed antitrust suit settlement).

3.  Reduces the chances for headaches with the antipiracy technology. If you change the components of your computer, you now have a short grace period to update the XP license registration before you get locked out of your operating system.


Visit our website for a complete list of 324 fixes provided by Service Pack 1:
http://www.promethiusconsulting.com/winxpsp1.htm


If you have questions about SP1 or if you would like assistance installing it on your Windows XP computers please call us at 317/733-2388.

Is there something specific you'd like to see? We'd appreciate your feedback and article ideas.
Please e-mail them to support@promethius.com.

Promethius Consulting, LLC
www.promethius.com