"Helping Your Business Fly"
Issue 10

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. FLIGHT LINES: "Think before you speak"
2. WING TIPS: "Virtual Memory and the Swap File"
3. FEATURE ARTICLE: "VIRUS, Don't you just HATE that Word?"
4. ALTER EAGLE: 10 Laws for Writing Letters that Get Results
5. EAGLE'S TALON: FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0
6. EYE OF THE EAGLE: John plays fetch...Easy boy!
7. CONTACT THE FLYER: Send questions, comments and articles

1) ======= Flight Lines =======
[Observations on business and life]

No one has a finer command of language than the person who keeps his mouth shut.
-- Sam Rayburn

A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
-- The Bible, Proverbs 29:11

2) ======= Wing Tips =======
[A variety of business helps and tips]

Virtual Memory and the Swap File
by Ralph Moore

In addition to the physical memory chips in your computer, Windows uses "virtual" memory, in the form of a "swap file", to process all of the info that you are constantly throwing at it.

The swap file is an area of the hard drive, similar to a "chalkboard" in a class room, where data is temporarily stored, when the main memory area is full.

The default setting allows Windows to automatically handle the size and maintenence of this swap file. Unfortunately, the way that Windows attempts to do this is seldom best for any given computer system, and often contributes to poor performance, including lock-ups, "blue-screens" and disk inactivity.

In most cases, we can do better by manually controlling the size and location of the swap file.

Before making any changes to the swap file settings, first make sure that you have an adequate amount of system memory for the system that you are using. For Windows 9X systems, I recommend having at least 32 megabytes of ram, or more.

As a general rule-of-thumb, use the following formula: For values less than, or equal to, 32Mb of ram, double the number to arrive at the swap file size.

For values greater than 64Mb of ram, add 12 to the ram value to arrive at the swap file size.

So, for 16Mb of ram, use a swap file setting of 32.
For 32Mb of ram, use a swap file setting of 64.

For 64Mb of ram, add 12, for a swap file setting of 76.
For 128Mb of ram, add 12, for a swap file setting of 140, etc.

To make the change from Windows dynamic to a static swap file size, do the following:

First, defragment your hard drive, on the drive where the swap file is to be located.

Next, right-click on 'My Computer', and select 'Properties', then the 'Performance' tab, and finally 'Virtual Memory'.

Select the drive where you will set up your swap file.

Use the same size for both 'Minimum' and 'Maximum', from your calculations, above.

Click O.K., and O.K. again when Windows asks "Are you sure that you want to do this?..."

Setting the "Virtual Cache"

Virtual Cache is an additional setting that Windows can use to improve system performance. Setting the following values will help prevent VCache from prematurely filling up your RAM and causing your applications to frequently be "paged out" to disk.

From the Start menu, select the Run command and type Sysedit in the command box, and click O.K. to display the various system files. Now close the files, one at a time until 'System.ini' is displayed for editing.

Find the [vcache] section (or add it if it is missing), and add these two lines, exactly as shown:

MinFileCache=2048
MaxFileCache=2048

[Use 1024 on systems with less than 32Mb of ram.]
[Use 4096 on systems with more than 64Mb of ram.]

Now close the file, saving the changes.

Reboot your computer, and enjoy a more stable and productive computer system.

About the Author:
Ralph Moore is the owner of Eagle Computers, a consulting firm that shows you "How To Discover Technology That Will Explode Your Business Online". To subscribe to the FREE Eagle Flyer Newsletter now, visit our web site at: Eagle Flyer

3) ======= Feature Article =======

FREE Report: "VIRUS...Don't you just HATE that Word?... Well, you shouldn't!"
by Ralph Moore

Recently, there has been a lot of attention on the latest round of viruses, and the resulting chaos that they cause to business and home users.

The mere mention of the word "virus" is enough to send chills up and down the spine of many computer novices, as well as some veteran network professionals.

The truth is, a virus is nothing more than another challenge that we, as business people, are faced with on a daily basis. While the consequences may be very harmful, there are other issues that, left unattended, can be just as devastating to the life and success of our businesses.

And following a few simple procedures on a REGULAR basis, can go a long way toward minimizing the risk of losing your all- important information, and can reduce the total cost of your business operations.

Whenever someone asks about a new virus that is making the rounds, I ask "When was the last time that you made a full backup of your data?" and "When was the last time you updated your virus definition files?"

For any serious business, a full backup should be made on a regular basis, such as weekly, with backups of any new files being made on a daily basis.

Virus definition files are used by your virus software to find and quarantine, or destroy, any viruses that have made their way into your business. (There are over 500 new viruses discovered every month.)

The virus definition file should be updated regularly. I recommend that this file be updated every week, if possible, or at least monthly, to have any chance of being effective against new viruses.

Many virus intervention software products, such as those from McAfee, and Norton, are now offering web-based subscription services that will update your software and virus definition files, without your attention.

It may be worth considering such a service, rather than taking the chance of losing your important information.

Instead of treating viruses as a dreaded and fearful part of operating a business, take a "pro-active" approach and remain in control. No reason to "hate" the word 'virus'.

Be prepared for any extra work that a virus attack might cause, and consider the preparation to be another form of "grease" that keeps your business moving forward smoothly.

About the Author:
Ralph Moore is the owner of Eagle Computers, a consulting firm that shows you "How To Discover Technology That Will Explode Your Business Online". To subscribe to the FREE Eagle Flyer Newsletter now, visit our web site at: Eagle Flyer

4) ======= Alter Eagle =======
[Products and services that we recommend]

"The 10 Laws for Writing Letters that Get Results."
By Joe Vitale

The following is a letter in response to a question about how to write sales letters. This is something you could model in layout, tone, and ideas, to write your own letters. By the way, this is where your letterhead should go.

Dear Fellow Chicago Seminar Attendees,

Jerry Jenkins asked me to tell you how to write letters that get read and get results. That's a tall order! Well, here's what I think the "laws" are:

1. Know what's in it for your reader.

Get out of your ego and into your reader's ego. Complete this sentence: "Get my book so that you can...(fill in the blank)." Your book (or whatever you are selling) is the feature. What people get as a result of having your book is the benefit. Focus on benefits. Always! Without this, your letter will bomb.

2. Write a headline that telegraphs the key benefit to your reader.

ALWAYS use a headline. There is only ONE exception to this rule. When you personalize your letter, the "Dear (whoever)" opening becomes your headline. There are few headlines more powerful than the reader's own name. The headline is THE most important part of your letter! Spend nearly all of your time on it.

3. Be brief.

Say what you have to say in terms of the reader's self interest and shut up. This does NOT necessarily mean a short letter. If you are trying to make a sale, and the reader has never heard of you or your item for sale, you may have to write four or more pages to get your message across. If all you want is a return call, a one page letter may do. Don' be afraid of length. People will read any length of copy AS LONG AS IT'S INTERESTING!

4. Always use a PS.

Always. Why do copywriters who charge upwards to $15,000 to write a sales letter and have weeks to draft it always use a PS? They are always read. Always.

5. Look good.

Visual attractiveness accounts for 70% of your letter's impact. Use short sentences, short paragraphs, bulleted points, indented paragraphs, subheads, etc. Some people will just skim your letter, so engaging subheads and bulleted points help reach them instantly.

6. Outline first.

Use a planning tool to help you think through your message. Or talk to a friend. Or to a tape recorder. Or to yourself. This also helps you get comfortable with speaking your letter rather than writing it.

7. Write first, edit last.

Turn your inner editor off. You can rewrite later. For now, write spontaneously and quickly to get your ideas on paper.

8. Ask for something.

Why are you writing? You want a call. Or an order. Something. Say so!

9. Get a reader.

Find one person to read your letter OUT LOUD in front of you. If he (or she) has trouble reading your letter, if he wrinkles his brow or stops to reread a sentence, rewrite those places. Don't skip this step! It's the secret of many professional writers.

10. Rewrite your letter again.

Is it the best you can do? Be honest! If not, throw it away and call the person instead. Or hire a copywriter to write it for you. Why waste your time or your reader's with something that doesn't communicate in a persuasive and interesting way? (I rewrote this letter 24 times!)

Well, there you have it. Of course, there are more rules, laws, ideas and suggestions for writing letters that get results. You should always guarantee whatever you are selling, for example, and always offer proof for all of your claims. But the above will get you rolling.

Sincerely,

Joe Vitale Hypnotic Writing

(ALWAYS Identify yourself. People look here to see who the letter is from.)

PS -- Notice that you read this PS?

PPS -- Notice that you read this one, too?

5) ======= Eagle's Talon =======
[Tools to help you "get a grip" on things]

FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0

Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF) is the standard for electronic document distribution worldwide. Adobe PDF is a universal file format that preserves all the fonts, formatting, graphics, and color of any source document, regardless of the application and platform used to create it.

Adobe PDF files are compact and can be shared, viewed, navigated, and printed exactly as intended by anyone with free Adobe Acrobat® Reader® software. You can convert any document to Adobe PDF using Adobe Acrobat 5.0 software.

* Ability to save copies of files downloaded in Web browsers

* Improved usability; drag-and-drop toolbar icons, dynamic thumbnails generation

* When windows are resized, text in Tagged Adobe PDF files reflows to fit the window for better on-screen reading

* Improved access to Web-hosted applications/online services

* Support for Adobe Illustrator® 9.0 graphics with transparency

* Compatibility with previous versions of Acrobat Reader

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* Adobe CoolType technology gives better text on LCD screens

For more information, visit:
Adobe 5.0 Info

To download the FREE Adobe 5.0 reader:
Adobe 5.0 reader

6) ======= Eye of the Eagle =======
[Ideas to help you think creatively]

John plays fetch with his dog, named Easy. He calls the dog, and throws a stick for the dog to fetch. John calls the dog, again, throws the stick again, etc.

What famous saying would explain this behaviour?

(Answer in the next issue of the Flyer)

***
Answer to Last Month's Puzzler...

[Forward I am heavy, but backward I am not. What am I?]

"Ton" spelled backward is "Not".

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Copyright © 2000-2003 Eagle Computers. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole, or
in part, without the express written consent of the
publisher.

Registered with the Library of Congress. ISSN: 1535-8429
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