An example of why it may be best to take a cautious approach to the
*absolute latest in new technology.
kelly
October 13, 1997
Compaq Warns Presario Users
About Trouble With IE 4.0
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
S EATTLE -- Compaq Computer Corp. is warning some users of its
popular Presario computers to be careful about using Microsoft's
new Web software, Internet Explorer 4.0.
The problem was spotted when Steve Touger of Seattle tried to load
the latest version of the Web browser on a new Presario he bought
about a month ago, The Seattle Times reported Saturday.
Touger's computer was messed up so badly that he had to wipe clean
his hard drive and start over, reinstalling software that had been
on his system.
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Active Desktop technology may be incompatible with Home Base, a
Compaq technology built into some Presarios.
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"I'm still trying to fix everything and get everything back up,"
Touger said.
Although Microsoft and Houston-based Compaq at first thought
Touger's problem was unique, on Friday Compaq said it might occur
for tens of thousands of Presario owners.
Mike Rubin, Compaq's director of product marketing, said the
company planned to post a notice on the Internet to suggest that
Presario owners whose systems come with software called Home Base
not try Internet Explorer 4.0 until the problem can be fixed.
Rubin declined to say how many customers might be affected, but
said, "You can safely assume it is in the five figures."
Rubin said Touger's was the first documented case of the problem
that Compaq learned of, and now a "trickle of calls" is coming in.
A key feature of the Internet Explorer version introduced two weeks
ago is Active Desktop, a technology built into Microsoft's Windows
95 operating system.
However, the Active Desktop technology may be incompatible with
Home Base, a Compaq technology built into some Presarios. Home Base
allows multiple users of a single computer to customize Windows
settings and the computer desktop.
Rubin said Presarios no longer are shipped with Home Base. The
incompatibility turned up during early testing of Internet Explorer
4.0 and was fixed in later test versions, he said, but for reasons
that remain unclear, the incompatibility occurred again in the
final release of the browser.
Rubin declined to say whether Compaq or Microsoft was to blame.
"We found a problem after it (Internet Explorer) was released that
we thought was fixed," he said. "Now we're remedying it. That's the
important thing."
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