It seems that whenever I mention ''Windows 95'' in this column, I get several e-mails from users with questions about . . . Windows 95.
Perhaps readers assume that to achieve the lofty position of Enquirer computer columnist, I must be familiar with everything in the computer superstore. Not so. The truth is that on the four computers I use regularly - a Mac and a PC each, at home and the office - Windows 95 is nowhere to be found. The Enquirer, like many corporations, has no plans to take on Bill Gates' latest creation, and my home machine isn't up to the task of running Win95.
But if I had enough money in my pocket to buy a new computer today, I would buy a Win95 machine. Partly, it's my sense of adventure (I've done Macs and Win3.1) and partly because most of the new software we receive for review is designed for Win95.
And if I did, I would join the ranks of home users hunting down the elusive secrets of Windows 95. Actually, they're not so elusive. There are literally hundreds of sites on the World Wide Web devoted to Win95.
Before we start the tour, let me say that the majority are not heavy on graphics and should load reasonably well even on pokey connections. This is important for the Win95 novice, who probably hasn't conquered Win95 TCP - IP yet and is reaching the Web through a commercial online service such as America Online.
OK, let's start:
The best place to begin any journey is an information booth, which on the Web is a directory page that links other sites. One of the most complete I've seen is My Personal Reference Desk (http://www.refdesk.com/win95.html). It has more than 150 Windows links, 90 for Win95 information. Also try Cutter's Windows 95 Crossroads (http://www.io.com/~kgk/win95.html), which includes links to Win95 newsgroups and the new Win95 Service Pack 1.
Ziff-Davis, publisher of a dozen computing magazines, including Computer Life, Computer Shopper, MacUser and PC Magazine, has a large site that includes 1,001 Windows 95 Tips (http://www.zdnet.com/pccomp/1001tips) for Win95, Excel, Word and other applications. Exploring the Ziff-Davis site (http://www.zdnet.com) will turn up other Win95 articles.
Mike Dixon's Windows 95 Question Answer Information Database (http://www.kingsoft.com/qaid) is a searchable database that offers advice as well as links to pages on specific Win95 issues.
For tips on connecting to the Internet, try Bob Cerelli's Windows 95 Page (http://www.halcyon.com/cerelli/) for advice, and The Ultimate Collection of Winsock Software page (http://www.tucows.com) for - you guessed it - winsock software.
For Windows 95 basics, try Microsoft's FAQs page (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/qa/qa.htm ), which assures customers that ''Windows 95 was designed to run well on any PC using a 80386DX or better processor and 4 MB of memory.'' (If anyone's running Win95 on a 4MB 386, I'd love to hear from you!) The Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://www.microsoft.com/KB/) is a searchable database of information on all MS products.
The tricky ''dual boot'' process is outlined on several pages. One of the more complete explanations can be found at http://piglet.cc.utexas.edu/~jkonkle/win95/dualboot.html (I can't vouch for its accuracy, though).
The IBM faithful can see a comparison of OS - 2 Warp and Win95, which is only slightly slanted considering it's on the IBM site (http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/os2vschg .html). And the Apple faithful can read testimonials from former Win95 users who switched to Macs at http://www2.apple.com/whymac/
And if you want to see how much money Bill Gates is worth today, check out his Personal Wealth Clock (http://www.webho.com - WealthClock).
This is only a tiny fraction of the Win95 sites out there. If I missed your favorite site, e-mail the URL, and I'll mention it in a future Input - Output.
E-mail Charles Brewer with questions, comments and suggestions at cbrewer@enquirer.com.