ISYS OUTDOORS Newsletter 2005/01
Discontinuation of v4 Support
(Follows Hillwalker News 2004/09)
In this Newsletter
- Events
- ISYS Product Newsletter
- Support News - Price Increase
- Product News
- Computer News
- Hints and Tips
- Spam
This is the Newsletter for user of ISYS OUTDOORS Software: Hillwalker, MapWise and Alpiniste
Ed Parsons, Chief Technology Officer and IT Director of Ordnance Survey will be giving a talk to BCS Glasgow on Monday 10 January. Not only is Ed the IT Director, but he is charged with investigating how technology will affect the OS from 5 to 10 years out.
80% of Ordnance Survey revenue comes from the supply of digital data, and increasingly the use of this information, in ways often hidden to the user, will impact all our lives. Discover the connections between Napoleon, missile submarines and your mobile phone with an explanation of the potential impact of location-based services.
This is not an ISYS Event but it is open to all Users of ISYS Products who will be made very welcome.
Where? The Lord Todd, Glasgow http://www.bcs.org.uk/branches/glasgow/venue.htm
When? 18:00 Monday 10 January for light buffet, 18:30 for presentation
If you would like just the Product info without the chat, ask to be put on the Product Newsletter distribution. All Product News will be given in this Newsletter so there is no need to subscribe to both.
Support for Version 4 will cease on 31 January 2005. ISYS will always honour the 90 days' support included in the price.
Until 31 January, all version 5 programs will include a free upgrade for all version 4 programs. Each upgrade is worth £12.50, so if you want to move to version 5, do it before 31 January, especially if you have several version 4 programs.
For example, to upgrade the Munros and the Corbetts from v4 to v5 would cost £25 (2x£12.50). However, if you buy any v5 program before 31 January these upgrades are included free of charge. A sensible option might be to add MapWise 50 Scotland but you could get the free upgrades by buying, say, Lakeland Fells at £19.99 or even a Hillwalker Lite (Hills of Ireland, Hills of Man or Peaks, Moors and Dales) at £14.99 or The High Alps at £29.
The price of the following MapWise 50 products will increase to £30:
- MapWise 50 WALES and MAN
- MapWise 50 MUNRO MAPS
- MapWise 50 SOUTHERN UPLANDS
- MapWise 50 LAKES and PENNINES
The increase will happen as soon as we can upgrade the website but we will keep the existing price to users and resellers until 31 January 2005. These new prices still represent the very best value in the market. Once the website is updated, the existing prices will be available to existing users and resellers by telephone, fax and email only.
Intel have just created the world's first all-silicon laser. This is a major step to creating photonic computers. As light can be switch much faster than electricity, this new device brings super fast desktop computers one step nearer.
After the discussion last month on Spybot, the free software that protects your computer against spyware, several users asked about Ad-Aware by Lavasoft. This is excellent software and will remove spyware and other malware. If fact, it found a problem on one of our computers that Spybot missed. Spybot will provide on-going protection but you will need to move to the paid version of Ad-Aware to get this. Whichever you use, regular and frequent scanning of your computer is essential. ISYS computers are scanned every night but once a week should suffice for most home users.
Sitting at the ISYS Support desk, I hear too often that a computer hard drive was reformatted because of malware. For protection, you need a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware.
Download Ad-Aware from www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware
Download Spybot from www.download.com/3000-8022-10122137.html
There is a lot of excellent free software around, and I have a few others for future issues.
Log files can be copied from one installation to another within a level (eg within version 5) but must be Imported across levels (eg version 3 to version 5).
The log files are called TVHill.* (there are about 5 of them) and they are now in C:\ISYS5\db_BU.
To import from a previous level, use Main Menu | File | Import Old Log Files.
Current rates of spam are running at about 1,000 per week. Please, if you email us, put your User Number in the Subject line. This really does help to reduce the chance of your email's being deleted as spam. The cost of spam to industry is enormous. Just within ISYS, if I spend 3 to 4 seconds on each email, that is an hour each week deleting spam or 52 hours per year - well over a week's work. Spam is a global problem; the effect on the national economy is left as an exercise to the reader.
May 2005 be a good year for you, bringing peace, health and prosperity.
Walk long and safely
Iain R White
ISYS OUTDOORS Support
http://www.isysoutdoors.com
support@isysoutdoors.com
0845 166 5701 (UK local call cost)
+44 141 943 1533
A blonde, a brunette and a redhead are stuck on an island. One day, the three of them are walking along the beach and discover a magic lamp. They rub and rub, and sure enough, out pops a genie.
The genie says, "Since I can only grant three wishes, you may each have one." The brunette says, "I've been stuck here for years. I miss my family, my husband, and my life. I just want to go home."
POOF! The brunette gets her wish and she is returned to her family. Then, the redhead says, "I've been stuck here for years as well. I miss my family, my husband, and my life. I wish I could go home, too."
POOF! The redhead gets her wish and she is returned to her family. The blonde starts crying uncontrollably. The genie asks, "My dear, what's the matter?" The blonde whimpers, "I wish my friends were still here."
With apologies to those with light-coloured hair everywhere.