Wednesday. December 16, 1998 ~ North Shore News = 17 . north shore news USINESS HIGH TECH ~ Pe help may fot be free IF you own a personal computer . (PC), you've probably run into software or hardware problems. Michael Becker News Editor michacl@nusnews.com THERE are plenty of wild predictions floating around about how big” © Some technical support tharused to be: Internet commerce will become. e erce W ee . o free, now comes ata price and ifyow're not expecting it, the fees and costs may surprise / ; : The mamber vou choose to embrace is up to you: ” : 2 : eo ica oe Lo vou, but they al share this: ¢conimerce will verv “Fortunately,” says Charles Diltz, ; . saon be amajer forum of commercial transaction: Better. Business Bureau, Information Just a few short years ago World Wide 'Seb-based ‘Technology Otticer, * “most computer man- electronic commerce did- not exist. The ufacturers and marketers provide technical Uhingion- based Organization tor -Econamie support by telephone or fay for consumers: Cooperation and Development has determined who) experience problems, “Having -an that by 2003, the Web will see S1 trillion US. ‘expert a phone call away can be a real ben-., worth of electronic transactions. efit, as long as you are aware-of the costs Forrester Research Ine., an ‘American consult- “that can’ be incurred for this‘kind of sup-° ing company that analyzes Internet and high-tech ort.” : : 7 # . strategies trends and companies, goes further by ’ The best time to find out abour techni- projecting worldwide Internet commierce sales will “cal support’ charges and ease of access is’ be berween $1.8 aillion. US and $3.2 trillion US betore you buy vour computer. Calling the in 2003. The estimates include business-to-busi- company in ‘advance for its support policy .: ness and business-to-consumer sales. ‘is a-good investment. If you have trouble The bulk of today's electronic, commerce is” getting through, or the service is poor, fig- based in the. United States, Expansion of e-com- ure thar. into, your decision. Companies merce on agtobal scale will be tempered by the rel- “vary a lot in what they offer, and technical | ; ; ¥) ative expense of Internet access in’ countries support. as well as equipment. warranty | beyond ithe U.S.-and Canada. The high cost of", should be considered. ‘ computer equipment and a lack of the fast data” _¢ If you have a hardware detect, most ~ access lines thar drive electronic commerce are fac." “-campanies will take vour call for. free and tors in most of the rest of the world. some still have toll-free fines. If something “Yer the Web offers. a sales venue for companies”, needs repairing, help is also’ likely to be” that have relied on sales people for direct and indi- free. But once you get intohow-to Vor soft: fo . ; rect sales, New companies with global reach are; 2 Ware-related snags, the meter may: start : ‘ forming with the Web as their sole medium of sale. “= rumning.: we Canadians, who’ according: to Statscan will spend Sometimes software advice is five fora: : somewhere in the avighbourhood of $1,000 per. limited. time. After that you. mat. be “capita during the Christmas’ séason, and will drop ‘charged ‘for’ the ‘advice. [f° you're: calling some. of that cash at a eyber-store. : : long distance and you're placed on hold for. 2 To. shop, with: awareness visit the Ginadiai minutes or sometimes an hour or more,‘ Bankers Association (CBA) at ‘ for the charges can really start to add up. Some “consumer advice on Internet shopping. companies havea dial policy: Among the many useil and i inseresting things 2" Ef vou place along distance call during the CBA website tells us: os office hours, the help. i is free. “After office & Canada is second only to the UScin ‘Internet «. houirs, vou may’ be required to call/an 800: users per capita;: number, but, you will be charged for the - pe oe ; B most Internet constmer “buys | are’ mace with help. can : . f m LS Cohay : : erédit cards; so When buving ‘software, look for sup: : : ‘ No a B sales are estimated at $33.5 billion Usi in 1998: : part information inside the package. It's'a - Mi fast year. an estimated 10% to 26% of Canadian : good idea: to “ask the ‘salesperson in the ’ Interer tisers made on-line purchases; ore or at thé other end of the phone any @ the. most comma. purchases made: today are software questions you might have about : books, computer software and hardware, compact software technical support. 5: + disks," travel tickets, and entertainnienty -Reep™in = rmind thar many companies Fequire you to register your product before . hey Will assist you..." Tf you have to pay tor ‘technical support, one vay to keep. the cost down is to keep ‘the’ call’ short. Also ‘consider the following, “before plating the-call {ors tanec: ‘¢ your product registration and com- © NEWS photo Tey Peters. SHOPPING onthe Internet is a growing ‘trend. Payment bye credit card is the most popular method of purchase. : hen describing the problem;: if. the computer, is giving, you an ‘err m Be, , by sure.to write down the exact voiding of the message; |” commission! F he 54 million contract is” jointly, fiinded by the federal, provincial , and territorial govern: ments. THE Ministry of Health j is involved i in‘a national effort. to assist ‘the health care sec: “2000 National * Clearing: House, for. Health. (CYNCH), a_courdinacing bods: wat will collect and share infor- @ place’ your call when the waiting time is he shortest, like after business hours, but . be prepared for a wait; Gry to first, solve the problem | votunell Double-check the’installation instructions, the “Help” icon on the séreen, or the trou- *-ble-shooting, section, of the user manual ; ; ‘before placing a cal. New Parts SPECIALS” . Brand Comstat 556k Modem V.90 Comstar/Smat Fast CD-Rom:" CD-ROM 36X . ', Acer/Liteon TI 4De ™ 16 bit Sound Card 16 bit Sound Card. : 16 bit. Sound Car Yamaha, -Asound Sound Blaster” Fujitsu A ful : Samsung for prepare its computers ; ‘and other equipment for the: transition to the Year 2000. Governments from across Canada finalized an agreement. recently te. create and operate the Canadian Year XPERT 98 ago 2X MB SDRAM Price |. XPERTS8@play 8MB AGP XPERT 98 PCI BMB £42.00 | 12MB 3D BLASTER VOODOU2 © 61.00 | ;VO0D0G RUSH} . Milleniuts G200 8MB.OEM .: ° 63.00 |: 30 PCI S3 VIRGE DX W/2MB | S8PCI.S3 VIRGE Ox W/4MB Video Card. : : 3000 /4M AGP SGRAM W/TV UT Mother Boards: Suser.7/100mnz2 Bus Super 7/200mn2 Bus |; ASUS Super 7.100 MHZ AGP ATS {P5A-B} Se /scunchin , ASUS Super 7 100 MHZ 46°. AT {58 8} w/ Sound “1 ASUS Pentium 8% Motner Boare ASUS Pentium {) BX W/SCSI malnbdard ASUS : ASUS Pentium It 420CX AGF Baby: - ASUS Oual Pentiom i Mainboad "8s AS ASUS Pernium it Li COPSET ATX MutrerBoad ASUS ASUS Guat Fanti m. Ji mainboard W/SCSI ASUS re: As the ead provinee on the 1 Yow 2000 issue, Briash Columbia award- ed the contract.to operate CYNCH to LGS Group Inc. of Montreal, toi: lowing a national call for applications by the Finance Ministry's purchasing Shuttle Pentium VIA VPX AT MB Sruttle HOT 591P AT VIA MYP3 CHIPSET MBD ~AN electronic nidical must be. dy inchiding baby , incubators, kidney dialy and chemotherapy equip ment, to determine if it is at risk fruny the so- called millennium buy. It is believed” some embedded computer.chips are. ASUS ASUS _ Shuttle Pentium VIA VP3 ATX Marboara ASUS 'Shuttte Pentium If 440L¥ ATX MB ” Shuttle 641 BX ATX Mainboara” Shuttle 661 Bk ATX Marnboara Keyboards Video Card DD, . Sound Card Modem Card Co-Rom Monitor 24" °° - Hard Onve cpu M/B with CPU Speaker «° 5 Software - Microphone” «Scanner Color “Network Card 1/0 Card © ASUS ASUS “ASUS. Ass't Ass't Used Items (all working with waranty) aa Ass't ~ Ass't Ass't from 25.00 :, from 59.00 © equipment “for” prodticts aiid: se offered by the health ca machines place; leading to faster solutions." (ntel Pentium Pro 200 wt ° UPS . aia Monitor 17° Printer (Got Matex : Printer (Laser) ren " 4865x33/4/210 “x: ae coe Extemal Modem » © from 148,00 - from 15.00 Lap Tops: ©. * 4865%25/4/210 Color . $865x25/8/800/Built in Printer - 4B6DK66/8/340 B/W” 4860X75/4/380 Color:” (P75/16/800 . 0s | °P90/16/1.268 | -PCMIA 28.8 Canada. CYNCH will speed up’ the information sharing already: taking