Question: Dear Geek, in reference to your response to me in #723 (Geek Note: I.G.T.M. #723, May 30, 2021) and another reply of yours in today’s column, (Geek Note: I.G.T.M. #769, April 17, 2022), I must apologize to you and thank you. However, in my defense, I never saw a response to my question as I was either out of town and didn’t see our paper or else your column never appeared in our paper. There have been times where your column has not appeared in our Sunday paper (Odessa American) for whatever reason (deadline issues perhaps?). However, I shall give your DOSBox suggestion a try. When I first tried to use some sort of an emulator I found on the internet a couple of years ago, all it did was crash my system or throw errors when I tried to use it. I also tried their suggestions of changing parameters and values to no success, so I uninstalled it and have done nothing since with the old games titles I still have in my possession. Thanks again and happy computing.
– Mike M.
Odessa, Texas
Answer: No apology was necessary, Mike, and you’re welcome. The issuance of columns is somewhat of a one-way experience for me. I just write them and send them in, and the publishers take over from there. I have neither the time nor the patience to follow-up with each submitter to see if the reply reached them, or with each newspaper to see whether the column got published. I can say with a modicum of pride that I doubt it was a deadline issue, as I’ve never missed a deadline in the nearly 15 years the column has been publishing, though I’ve come close a few times.
Sorry your experience with emulators hasn’t been more positive. There are a lot of software applications floating around out there, and not all of them are very well-written or supported. I hope you’ll have better luck with my suggestion of DOSBox. It’s no fly-by-night app, nor something written by a kid in his bedroom. It’s large and well supported and should fit your need perfectly.
Question: I wrote to you and got a good response in Issue #763 (Geek Note: I.G.T.M. #763, March 6, 2022) about “ghosting.” While your suggestions did not solve it, most of the problems went away with a new one. The left side of the screen has detached slightly — about 70 percent of it will not stay stuck, but it is barely noticeable. The computer has actually been in a substantial leather carrying case since new, and rarely transported. I guess Microsoft used a questionable adhesive. Is it OK to just ignore the little gap? Thanks for all you do.
– John P.
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Answer: Sorry my suggestions didn’t help, John, but as I recall, I wasn’t too certain that any one of the solutions I offered would actually work for you. That said, I can’t help but wonder why a new one only solved “most of the problems.” Is there more going on here than you’ve let on? If the system is both new and has some 70 percent of the screen that won’t stay stuck in place, I think I’d have returned or exchanged it if it had been mine.
You asked if it was OK to ignore the little gap? Well, if it’s been there since you’ve had it, and you’re willing to live with it, then why not? On the other hand, if it represents a problem that seems to be getting worse over time, then eventually it’s likely to become unusable. If you think that’s the case, then you’ve probably answered your own question.
To view additional content, comment on articles, or submit a question of your own, visit my website at ItsGeekToMe.co (not .com!)
