Need laptop help NOW!!!!!!!!!!

theoldprof · Jun 21, 2005

Help, please. I have a HP laptop. I bought Future Dial Suite from Radio Shack. This is software that I can tie my laptop to my cell phone and use cell phone minutes on the internet. Unfortunately the software is not "Microsoft Windows XP" compatible. What software do you guys use with your laptops and where can I get it. It must be MS Windows XP compatible.

One more item: I bought MS Streets and Trips. It didn't come with the GPS gizmo. Did also buy the wrong software? Can I buy the GPS thingie separately.

Thanks. :+ :+

mvbn1 · Jun 21, 2005

Well ... according to the Future Dial webpage, (www.futuredual.com), the Future Dial Suite is Windows 2000 and XP compatible, so it should work. Make sure they (Radio Shack) gave you the right software. I suggest going back to the store where you purchased it, and have one of the sales staff assist you if your having trouble with it.

As for the Streets and Trips issue, go to (www.pharos.com), and you can purchase the GPS antenna from them. Make sure you get the correct cable with it. It looks like you will need to buy the i360 antenna and the USB cable, to hook it to your laptop.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly with a private message.

redytrk · Jun 21, 2005

The software must not only be compatible with your operating system,but also with the technology used by your cell phone.

The Shack sells phones foom several companys they should have matched up the proper one for your phone and service provider.

theoldprof · Jul 1, 2005

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, my MS S&T does not have voice prompts. I thought it did. It has since been replaced by a Garmin GPS unit. It works great!! The nice lady in the Garmin unit talks me to wherever I want to go.

Thanks. :+ :+

mvbn1 · Jul 1, 2005

Isn't that like a nagging woman? Turn here ... turn there. Wait until it start saying, "your going to fast, slow down".

Loose_Cannon47 · Jul 1, 2005

Where do you put the back seat driver, when you don't have a back seat?

Loose

theoldprof · Jul 1, 2005

When I got home from first week, I had an email from the Future Suite software folks. They said it was a licensing thingie between them and Microsoft. Meaning $$$$. F/S would not pay, so M/S leaves the warning on. It is compatible, or so they said. I'll try when I get some time.

Thanks, everyone. :+ :+

greg334 · Jul 2, 2005

>When I got home from first week, I had an email from the
>Future Suite software folks. They said it was a licensing
>thingie between them and Microsoft. Meaning $$$$. F/S
>would not pay, so M/S leaves the warning on. It is
>compatible, or so they said. I'll try when I get some time.
>
>Thanks, everyone. :+ :+

I hope everything is working for you. I have to add a few comments here, hope you don’t mind.

I worked for a MS solutions provider and the company I now own is a MS partner, which gives me access to some work.

This is the first I heard of any company claiming that there is a money problem between them and MS that prevents them from placing a compatible for windows XP on their box. Sounds like they don’t want to help, which is typical for a lot of companies or that they can’t test the product and their lawyers are trying to prevent any liability issues.

There is a compatibility program for developers that MS has, but it is geared towards the server end of their product line, not consumer products. It does cost some money, I have gone through the program to bring a product to market twice.

To add to this, outside of the cheap tools that MS has, there are a number of ways to develop a program and some of them cost the developer not a dime. The thing that makes MS money is allowing developers to create programs without permission, so to speak. As long as there is a tool used that is properly licensed, there are no problems. Apple restricted the use of the source code and other means to develop programs, so this is why we see IBM compatibles everywhere and not Apples.

To help anyone out there with a Windows XP issue and software, remember that most of the software works that is intended to be used on Windows 95/98/ME box and if it is made for Windows 2000, there should be no problems with the software at all. Most of the software problems have to do with direct access of hardware, especially communications ports BUT with that said, I have yet to run across a Windows 95/98/ME program that I haven’t been able to run on my Windows XP box. DOS programs are a no no with Windows XP, so please upgrade them.

My two and a half cents.