launching on Wintel/inter-process communication

[Dar Scott]

On Monday, December 2, 2002, at 07:36 PM, Richard Gaskin wrote:

> I generally like using sockets, but I tend to reserve their use for 
> apps in
> which I have reason to believe the system is set up for networking.  In 
> this
> case, the app is very consumer-oriented, and may be running on a machine
> that hasn't even had PPP set up on it.

On some (all? most?) Windows computers is the driver for a virtual 
adaptor (to a small virtual net).  Find it under Microsoft.  That can be 
installed so that there is at least one TCP/IP supporting adaptor.  
However, for "very consumer-oriented" environments you will have to 
automate this or maybe doc it and provide support.  (I have this nagging 
feeling this is not needed for ME or XP, but I can't remember why.)

Alternatives:  Require that the product is only available through 
download.  Or add network features, thus adding networking to the list 
of requirements.  :-)

Dar Scott