Tips on Technology By: Bill Michling

Welcome back, I hope July 4th holiday went well.

Last week we talked about how you could win a digital camera. I have received a number of emails on how to send pictures. I look forward to receiving some pictures to post and be judged.

This week I will attempt to answer some emails that may apply to others as well.

Remember, this article and all past articles are available online at: ( http://www.mespn.com/techarticles ) as well as the online version of the Saipan Tribune, which you can access by clicking the banner on that same page.

** A reader writes, “Bill how many files can I use on the Mac OS extended disk format?”

Answer:

The Mac OS Extended (HFS Plus) disk format supports up to 4,294,967,295 files and folders (items). In practice you’ll never have that many items on a disk. Let’s face it, if you add one file or folder every second it would take over 136 years to reach 4,294,967,295 items. So your question really boils down to whether there is a practical limit on the number of items.

If you’re asking about reliability with regard to safety then I would have to say that there is no practical limit. I don’t see how 1,000 items or 100,000 items makes any difference.
The disk format handles any number of items with equal safety.

One could always argue that having more files on a disk puts more data at risk should something go wrong. If that’s true then it would be true for any disk format and not just HFS Plus. I don’t buy into that argument and would counter that a disk with a single file can be more valuable than a disk with millions of others if it happens to contain the one file with irreplaceable data.

If by reliability you really mean efficiency then I would again say that there is no practical limit. The HFS Plus disk format “scales” very well. This means that it handles a large number of items as efficiently as it handles a small number. Any limits are actually imposed by the software using an HFS Plus disk and not by the disk format itself.

The Finder, the open and save dialogs that appear in applications, and many disk utilities just don’t expect large numbers of items in the top level of a folder. Trying to display a large list of items often results in errors or a truncated list or both. It’s best to stay under a few thousand items within a folder. Feel free to stuff as many files on the disk as will fit. Just break them up into different folders.

** Another reader writes:

“Bill, if I want to send you pictures, what is the best way?”

Answer:

As most of you are aware, you can send pictures via email as an attachment, this is probably the easiest way. You can also put them on an FTP server and send me email at ( photos@mespn.com ) to let me know where to download them from. I am in the process of setting up a FTP site for you to directly upload pictures to as well.

I am also setting up a special server area that you will be able to login to so you can just copy the pictures you like to send.
You can also send pictures suitable for scanning to my mailing address:
Bill Michling 2983 Amber LN Dallas, TX 75234

These can be prints, or slides. Remember all pictures sent cannot be sent back, I just don’t have the time.

Lets get those pictures in soon…. You could be the lucky winner of a digital camera!

Well, the word counter says we are all out of space.

See you here and on the web next week.
==========================

Bill Michling is a computer professional and welcomes any comments or questions you may have. Just send email to: bill@mespn.com or michling@usa.net.

You may also go to Marianas Electronics and ask help from the friendly staff there, or call them at: 234-5424, Just ask for Annie, Jun or Joseph.

For world access this Wednesday column is also on the Saipan Tribune website at: (http://www.saipantribune.com) or at the mespn.com site at: (http://mespn.com/techArticles/ ), now connected to the Internet via broadband T1+………..