Do things and take responsibility!

I totally agree with this woman and how she dealt with someone.

No I won't do it, really I won't.

In the real world with one of my ThinkGeek t-shirts. I could see that people were reading it, but a couple of people seemed to be very put out that I would NOT fix their computer. Very wierd. I can't begin to imagine what is going on in their head that if randomly informed by a sign that they will not have assistance, they think that anyone cares how dissapointed they are by it.



Mug shot (har har) from ThinkGeek.com

Google browser sync, for Firefox

Google, have a rather groovy tool that lets you use Firefox at multiple computers, with all your history and sessions intact.

So what this means is you can use Firefox on your desktop, and when you use your laptop, or just any other computer anywhere else, it will pick up from where you last left off.

You need Firefox, and a Google account. Once the extension is installed, you sign into your Google account then set up what it is you want to carry over to other computers. The first time on each machine takes a few moments to get the data to Googles servers. Then each time you start Firefox, you get the option of continuing on from your last page or pages, with tabs, and even seperate instances of Firefox running, if thats how you left it.

One thing I found, was that while I was sitting at two machines I had set up, one of them told me I had been logged on elsewhere. Which if you're concerned with privacy issues is a good warning that someone else may be accessing your individual computer account, while they think you are not around!

For me this extension is perfect, as often I am looking up information for other hardware, or people. I don't have to remember where I got it, and go through it all again. So now I can research it once, and when I get to the point where I need the data, simply go through my history, or bookmarks, where ever I am. When I am not at mission control I am usually hurtling through my day, so digging around badly designed support sections of websites, or trying to remember was it a x200i or an x200ip, is hopefully over. Also if I can instantly bring up driver pages for hardware I know I only have 20 minutes at. This makes finding the RIGHT one much less hassle.

Oh and if you are wondering what extensions for Firefox are, look at this.


Thanks Google, I like it.

Vista Installation Diaries

I am sure there are a LOT of people out there documenting the joy and/or pain of a Vista installation, and I am such a sheep I will join in. For anyone wondering what all this talk of, and what exactly Windows Vista is, its the latest version of Windows from Microsoft. Just like Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millenium (cough cough), Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista. See? The fuss up to now has been about the graphical effects you can have on your desktop, as well as security enhancements. From what I have seen of the security side, it's been mainly to stop users doing anything bad, rather than specifics on outside attacks. But as I want to focus on plain old home usefulness I can leave the super-duper script kiddie evaluations to others. I just want to let you know if (for now) there is anything helpful for the typical home user.

So everyone is saying how slow the download for Windows Vista is, right now. Well perhaps I got lucky, because I just hit the download link and it started chugging away at a fairly respectable speed.
**In the end, it took 2 hours and 40 mins to get the 3.2GB .ISO file from Microsoft**

While that was happening, I went to the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor to see if my machine could do all the things Vista is supposed to be able to. It is (well apart from watching TV because I don't have the TV tuner in there at the moment) so once the download is complete the next part can begin.

Update to follow.... Current Frustration factor N/A. Current Elation factor N/A.

Well after all that, it was nothing at all. A clean hard drive, and a downloaded .ISO file, burned to a DVD, was all I needed. After removing the original hard drive, replacing it with a 120GB one, and popping the DVD in the drive, it all just happened as it should. I think that's my first and only ever simple Windows anything, as there is usually some reason or other the usually well documented things just don't work.

Here is how it went, and hopefully how it will go for you too.

0 Mins: DVD boot
Select Keyboard, language
Click INSTALL NOW button
Input key

Disk format options
120 GB HD with multiple partitions, deleted them all, and formated max capacity, then clicked NEXT. I had been messing around with some Linux things, but the wizard let me delete all partitions, and format the full space as one drive. I got no option for a quick, or standard format (unless I missed something) and the format took a few seconds.

5 Mins: "Installing Windows" - Copying Files.
16 Mins: "Expanding Files"
28 Mins: "Installing Features" and "Installing Updates"
29 Mins: RESTART

Booting ok
Grey 'Windows Prepares to Start"

31 Mins: Completing Installation
33 Mins: DOS cursor
35 Mins: More black screen, with mouse pointer and Vista Beta 2 Build 5384 in the corner
Reboot
36 Mins: Weird colors at bottom of screen during boot, nothing else. Looked like a graphics driver error type of thing. It went, but I see it each time Vista boots.
37 Mins: Flicked into higher resolution 1280*1024 on my 17 inch LCD.
Weird heavenly booting screen, animated wavyness, like pool wall underwater.
38 Mins: SET UP WINDOWS
Country
Keyboard
User name
Password
Icon image
computer name
Reccomended settings in HELP PROTECT WINDOWS AUTOMATICALLY
Time Zone
"You're ready to start"
41 Mins: Hit start button on box on screen
42 Mins: Blankness
User log on
Same starting Windows music as XP.
fade out and into SETTING UP SETTINGS?
Warned of no virus protection, and had already connected to the network for intarweb access.
Finally at 45 mins in, there were no issues, everything was up and running. Now just to look at all the new stuff that is going to make everyones life so much easier.

All through the install I had to hardly touch the machine. Inputting the key and my user name and password, was about as tough as it got. Every other setting was already correct except for the time zone.

Fancy shmancy window thingies, fading and glassy, (after some brain faliure) I found the keys TAB + WINDOWS KEY for the flipping through the open applications thing. Like ALT + TAB but much sexier.

Downloaded and installed Firefox and CA virus protection (because they say they give you a year for free. My usual standby of AVG is not currently compatible with Vista.

Also went to Nvidia to get some proper Vista drivers. Vista itself has this thing in the control panel which tells you what is affecting your performance.

Plugged in a digital camera, it fired up, transferred the images, and allowed me to tag, and edit them.

Of late I have been trying to break the habit of not using sleep mode, or hibernation, on my PC's. I still remember when a lot of them would never come out of it, so it's something I tend to just not bother with. So when I went to switch off the Vista machine I clicked a power icon, which instantly put the PC to sleep. Ok no problem, I put it back on and it was less than 5 seconds to be back at the log in screen.

Day 1 and vista is groovy for me, with all its fading windows, and shiny new graphics. Hope the Vista-Lurve continues....

Nothing yet has been a real problem.

**Update**
Next day I noticed that both the DVD drives were simply not there in Vista. Not sure if they were never there, or mysteriously vanished since the install. And yes, the install was done from a DVD so if I find the answer I will update again.
**Update Part II**
So the solution turned out to be, power off, disconnect both DVD drives. Power on, then shutdown again. Then while off, reconnect one of the drives. I had two drives, a Sony DVD burner, and a generic DVD ROM drive. The non-Sony one was beginning to show signs of age by occasionally having to be 'helped' to eject. So I left that disconnected. Upon reboot, it found the drive and is currently installing the Office 2007 trial. Very slowly though. The computer informed me that I had interrupted the installation of the Sony DVD burner, but it was ready for use. Unless I am not reading the messages appearing properly, someone at Microsoft needs to look at what they are telling the users.



Vista, it's new so it has to be better right?

RIAA New coporate slogan?

Nice

The dog died

Misty, passed very peacefully. She was laying only inches where she had been born. No struggle, no lingering, just quietly drifted away. She had not been ill until today. Had a couple of strange topples on the spot. Got very quiet, had to be carried downstairs. I sat with her most of the day, instead of her normally sitting with me while I worked. It's nice she didn't have to be sick for very long, as she even went for her usual walk today as normal. She was excited, and made sure we kept to the route, as that was the proper way to do it of course. She was my friend.

One of the family

Crazy laptop gamble

Toshiba is offering to refund 66% of the cost of specific laptops, if England win the 2006 Fifa world cup. Come on chaps, buy one and try it.

Term 12 of the conditions states that it's UK residents only. So I can't do it, but let me know if you decide to try it.

Wii (Weeeeee)

Bootcamp, you know, it might be worth it?

Bootcamp from Apple, allows you to run Windows XP on your Mac laptop. So now the question of cost is a little more appealing.

Previously a $2500 laptop is just too much to swallow, just to get my feet wet in the whole Apple cult thing. But now it seems to make a little bit more sense.

So ok, a brand new XP Install disk is going to set me back $200. But thats the point. I get both systems, on one laptop. So I can get me some new hardware, and new OS for a more reasonable price.

Although I suppose thats like saying if I dual boot my XP machine with Linux, I have a Linux computer for $500 or so.... hmmmm.

If the chaps at Apple would just lower the initial price anyway, I would have gotten one a LONG while ago. Well Apple, keep going, it may make sense for me at some point in the future.

And it seems you can get some good protection too!

Lots of thinky here... I will get back to you on this

Web 2.0 is what again?

I have been amazingly busy signing up for, and testing a lot of these new Web2.0 services. If you were not aware that there was a new Web, then you are not alone. As far as I can gather, the definition of Web2.0, is that it's a two way thing. You can instantly update the site, use it in much more interactive ways, than just browsing texts or clicking links.

Problem is that there is SO much out there, all doing similar things, you have a hard time choosing which service you want and sticking with it. So without any further messing about I present some groovy links to some shockingly good website, which do more than tell you about stuff. This list will grow as I remember more of them, but I wanted to post here before the door to my blog became too hard to open after such a long gap in posting.

Writely.com
Create and share documents online. Its free and happens all in your browser. One of the most useful things to ever come out on the web. It works and works well. Even allowing for two or more people to be editing the same document at the same time, in remote locations. For instance, meeting notes or agenda, which can be updated as the meeting happens, so people around the table, as well as those not in attendance can see things unfold.

Irows.com
Same as writely but for all you bean counters out there. Online spreadsheets... come on, I know SOMEONE is salivating over this.

30boxes.com
Simple and no nonsense online calendar. Go there, sign up, organize your life.

RemembertheMilk.com
A todo list of lovelyness. Works well and allows for multiple lists of things, with oodles of reminder option. I am trying to stick with it, and not get pulled away by other services offering similar.

Eyeos.info
A complete online operating system. Sort of weird, but it has programs you sort of run on a desktop. All happening inside your browser. Word processing, contacts, little games and other programs too.

Goowy.com
Same as Eyeos really, but take a look at both and see what you like.

Thinkfree.com
Word Processor, Spreadsheet, and a Presentation app, all available anytime, anywhere, with personal storage of documents.

Ajaxwrite.com
Not even having to sign up for this one MUST make you at least want to try it. Go on, you KNOW you want to.

All of these websites act the same as programs you might run on your computer. They load in a few moments when you visit the site. You can do real work on these, and if you need to be at more than just your computer at home, it becomes painless to access your stuff where ever you are. In fact, even if you only use one computer, it means super duper security for you because the files are not on your computer. So even if someone stole your PC, your stuff is still available to you. Weird. There are lots more of these to come...