He was talking about a split of Microsoft’s web and non-based web assets, but it really doesn’t matter. This quote from John Paczkowski is an instant classic!
Vista – A User’s Observation
Now that my laptop’s no longer brand new, I suppose I can talk a little about my experiences with Windows Vista. Vista is a hot topic on many geek boards.
The laptop itself is a joy to use. I know Dell is no longer the darling it once was, but this laptop performs just as well as I’d anticipated. With 2Gb RAM, a reasonably large hard drive and very high resolution screen¹ it’s sweet.
Vista is not as nice!
Maybe it’s growing pains. Maybe it’s just no one likes change. Maybe things weren’t well thought out. Whatever the reason, Vista is nowhere near as easily operated as Windows XP was.
I know of at least three programs I want to run but can’t, because they’re not Vista compatible. I sense it’s not just these individual pieces of software, but whole classes of programs which have to deal with Vista’s architecture.
Kaspersky virus software (I have used the freeware AOL version) won’t load. Neither will Nero, the disk writing software. I used to use Nero a lot.
I bought a wireless remote control to allow me to control PowerPoint presentations from afar. They say there will be Vista software – just not now. The remote’s currently a paperweight.
My poker software from FullTilt is also Vista challenged. The sound and video are no longer in sync. Cards will come to me, I’ll make a bet and then the signal “ding” will sound telling me it’s my time to act… though I already have.
Just as troubling is Vista’s ‘improved’ security. As far as I can tell, all that means is asking me incessantly if I approve of what’s going. Usually, I know the correct answer. I assume less sophisticated users will not and just say “Yes.”
Microsoft has been advertising Vista as having a WOW factor, based on its Aero interface. I certainly don’t think there’s any functional difference with Aero. And, some programs have problems properly displaying in this Aero configuration. I have never seen a reason to use the 3D floating windows feature that Aero is known for.
There are more troubles when it comes to files. I still haven’t figured out how to allow my networked computers to write files to and from the Vista machine. One program I use, which tries to write data into it’s own directory, is thwarted by Vista’s security ‘features.’
Even worse, Windows Explorer has devolved to be less friendly and less usable.
Like I said, I like the laptop a lot. Using a free program from a Scandanavian developer, I now do most of my DVR watching on this machine. I’ve also used it with Photoshop and Picasa to manipulate photos with no regrets.
But Vista – it’s just not ready yet.
¹ – I have one of those newer glossy screens. It is more prone to glare than the original matte LCDs.
Working For You – Not
I’m not in Las Vegas for the National Association of Broadcasters convention. I wish I was.
It’s a hardware, not content, affair. I was there a few years ago, demonstrating products on behalf of a weather equipment vendor. This broadcasters convention attracts a lot more production companies than TV stations.
Announced at NAB and most interesting to me, without really knowing everything that’s there, are new software suites from Adobe and Microsoft. These are made for posting richly interactive multimedia content on the web. This software facilitates an experience more than a few steps beyond just watching a video on YouTube in a small window.
What concerns me is the deep insertion of DRM, or digital rights management into the output of these products. Producers want the ability to make sure you watch the commercials if you watch their content. Certainly they’re entitled to make money to pay for their troubles.
The problem is, so far DRM has been an invasive add-on. It adds another layer of complexity to the viewing experience. It is software designed for the customer, but not the end user… or at least it has been until now.
I worry because Microsoft’s Silverlight platform requires people watching the content to first download a new plug-in (as you do for Flash, Real, PDF files, etc.). When Microsoft asks me to install free software, I instinctively count my fingers and lock the silverware.
A perfect example of DRM gone wrong shows up in the Sony-BMG DRM debacle. Sony’s audio CDs installed secret software on computers to protect Sony. Unfortunately, the software wreaked havoc with some PCs.
There are rumors Sony’s at it again with DVDs that won’t play in some (even Sony’s own) DVD players.
Maybe, in these rapidly changing days, there’s a better way to include commercial content? Maybe the ‘roadblock commercial’ we’ve accepted for over 50 years needs to change?
In the meantime, my opinion is, Adobe and Microsoft are not working for you.
The Laptop Arrives
UPS arrived early yesterday afternoon, my new Dell Laptop in hand. After lots of anguish, and an email and call to Dell executives, I decided to purchase a Inspiron 640M.
If you have haven’t purchased a notebook computer in a while, or you’ve just pointed to one in a store, said “mine” and took out your credit card, you’ve missed a terribly weird experience.
No matter what you do, you’re never quite sure what you’re doing!
Dell’s site is that way – but so is HP’s and a few others I tried. There are lots of options, but many of them are only described in marketing hyperbole. What’s the difference between different processors in absolute terms? Got me.
Then there’s the matter of price. It’s tough to look at any price conscious website and not see a link for a Dell deal, that leads back to the Dell site. I configured the same laptop in a few similar ways and came up with wildly differing prices!
As I told the woman I spoke to at Dell, I didn’t want this experience to be like buying a car, or worse purchasing an airplane seat. I don’t want to make a purchase only to find the person in the seat next to me paid a lot less!
My laptop has a Core 2 Due processor, 2Gb RAM, CD/DVD writer, 120 Gb hard drive (which shows up as a 110 Gb hard drive) and a WXGA+ screen – meaning 1440×900 resolution.
That was the deal breaker for me, resolution. As far as I could see, there were no other laptops priced in the same ballpark as the Dell that gave me as many pixels on a 14.1″ screen. Pixels are important to me. I edit lots of photos.
Like I said, the laptop arrived and I am favorably impressed. I am not as gung ho about Windows Vista – and that might just be because it’s different.
In typical Microsoft fashion, I loaded some updates, which busted the Vista sidebar! I had to do a rollback.
I also now better understand the Apple commercial where John Hodgman (playing “PC”) is asked for permission to perform a variety of tasks on a steadily maddening basis (go ahead – watch the commercial).
My idea of security isn’t sitting at my door with a shotgun. That seems to be Microsoft’s answer.
At nearly every instance where I installed or tweaked something, Vista asked if that’s what I really wanted. Often it asked two times and sometimes three.
My friend Peter says some savvy users have turned this ‘feature’ off. Maybe me too, though not now.
Speaking of security, though the system came with a trial subscription for security software, I’ve been using the free version of Kaspersky’s virus scanner, given away by AOL. When I attempted to install it, I found it was not Vista compatible.
The battery life on the new laptop is much more than any I’ve ever used before. It looks like it will be at least 5 hours in real life. That means it becomes a DVD player for airplane trips – even cross country trips. That’s cool.
More observations later. Right now, I’m pretty happy.
Silly Bill Gates
I want to write to Bill Gates. This has nothing to do with Microsoft.
Recently, Gates was in Ottawa, Canada¹. As Reuters reports, He was asked about his children and their use of computers.
Gates said he and his wife Melinda decided to set a limit of 45 minutes a day of total screen time for games and an hour a day on weekends, plus what time she needs for homework.
“Up to some age, to be determined, it’s very appropriate for a parent to get a sense of what they’re seeing out there and be able to have conversations about it,” he said.
“My son said, ‘Am I going to have limits like this my whole life?’, and I said, ‘No, when you move away you can set your own screen limits’,” Gates recounted, to audience laughter.”
Bill Gates, you’re so silly. Sure, you’re the richest man in the world, but controlling your children… C’mon Bill, no one’s got that much pull!
I am told, when Steffie was very small, I claimed I’d never say “no” to her. I’d find a way to discuss and explain. I don’t remember saying that, though I don’t deny it.
What was I smoking?
You see Bill, the problem is we teach them to speak. We teach them to reason. They hear us dispute others in our conversations. Somehow, they feel they should have a free mind and free will.
I know, it sounded awfully heavy handed to me too. Why should a 9 or 13 or 19 year old child have any input when I make a decision? And yet, over time, they wear you out. They push and push and push some more until, finally, you are powerless to stop them.
Bill, it’s going to be tougher in your situation, because you’re surrounded by an army of sycophants who only know yes. They will be outweighed by your children who will only know “no.” Unfortunately, Children can’t be fired or outsourced to Bangalore.
Here’s my biggest revelation as a parent. You can’t teach experience! Your child will have to do everything you know is wrong or foolish or against their own best interests, just the way you did. From time-to-time, you will just have to sit back and watch them screw up.
I know you’re still a little naive. I’ve heard you talk about the incredible stability and security of the Windows platform. Fixing children is much more difficult. And this time, you’ve got to do it in “version 1.0”.
¹ – When I first visited Ottawa in the late 70s, my friend Howard drove by the US Embassy and said, “That’s where the landlord lives.”
Tech Support Times Three
I have three tech support stories to tell. Two are brief, the third is not. They all have relatively happy endings.
The first concerns a phone call I received yesterday from the company that provides much of the on-air weather equipment we use at work. We’d had a terrible problem, which they fixed. Now they wanted some log files.
The logs were needed because they fixed the problem, but weren’t sure how!
That sounds terrible, though it’s not as unusual as it seems. Points to them for asking me to send the files. These log will help them understand what they did for us, so they can do it for everyone.
The second story concerns my laptop. It is, in computer time, ancient. There’s a sticker on the front attesting to the fact that it was designed for Windows 98!
If you’re technically inclined, it’s a PII-300 with 128 mb of RAM for memory and 2 mb more for video.
If that was a meaningless blur, it’s got about the same horsepower as a tricycle.
A while ago, I upgraded it to a heavily customized version Windows XP. I carefully turned off as much as I could to preserve as much of this machine’s minimal power as was possible. It’s still a hog.
This has been a hacker machine for me. I’ve experimented with it by swapping hard drives in and out. Until today it had a tiny 8 gb drive.
With a weekend trip coming up, I wanted more storage, so I swapped in a 20 gb drive last night. Windows XP was on the drive, so I freshened some programs with newer versions and then went to reboot.
Before the power went off, Windows told me it had to install some updates… 57 updates!
Are they serious? Sure, this drive had been out of service for a while, but were there really that many updates (mostly security related) to XP? And this version had already been inoculated with SP2 and other fixes.
I took a shower while the laptop did its thing.
Tech support story three is a little more troubling. It started with phone calls from Matt Scott, one of our meteorologists at the TV station.
When he went to fire up his Dell desktop machine, it quickly crashed into a Blue Screen of Death or BSOD! The BSOD screen is cryptic, but it hinted at problems with the boot sector. That’s serious.
Before Matt got to me, he had spoken with Dell tech support. Their solution, after a few tests, was to send the drive to a forensic computer lab where, for $1,800, it could be resurrected!
He brought the PC in to work and Jeff Bailey, our webuy, began to work on it. I did some scouting around Google and found what typically causes this particular BSOD.
HINT: If you ever have a computer problem, write down exactly what’s on the screen and search for it on Google. You are not the first person with this problem. You can often find solutions just by looking. It’s very important to search for the exact words you see.
“Matt, do you have any disks that came with the PC,” I asked. My suspicion was, Dells don’t come with disks… and it hadn’t.
I went through the station looking for a Windows XP CD. Yes, what I was doing probably violates some stipulation in the end user licensing agreement – sue me.
By the time I returned with the disk, Bailey had the machine on its side. A panel had been removed from the case, exposing the innards to the world. As it turns out, that wasn’t necessary, though it makes Jeff and me look like über Geeks (as if knowing how to make a “ü” on the screen isn’t enough).
Computer repair is modern day sorcery. You must follow a number of steps, none actually documented, before you begin to fix the trouble. We started by reconfiguring the BIOS to boot from a CD instead of the hard drive and loading XP’s recovery console.
Matt looked sheepish – fearful his pictures, video and documents were about to get trashed.
We lucked out. Matt’s problem was the same as most of the others I’d read about. It took a few hours, but slowly but surely, his computer fixed itself, rebuilding files and reconstructing the recalcitrant boot sector.
Why couldn’t the Dell tech fix this? No clue. They should be ashamed of themselves for the solution they recommended. That’s totally unacceptable.
Why doesn’t Windows XP do this on its own without demanding a disk most users don’t have? Again, no clue. Microsoft should be ashamed of that and for its often meaningless BSODs.
Bottom line – always have a geek at the ready… preferably two!
Viruses – Never Say Never
Viruses are the scourge of the Internet.
Earlier this week, I told my friend Farrell (always searching for better, more vigorous virus protection) how I use none and had never been hit by a virus!
Oops. Somehow I got two at once!
I turned on my old laptop¹ when I came home last night and there they were. I’d probably picked them up the night before, but they needed a reboot to activate. They didn’t come via email, because I don’t get mail on that machine. They must have come through Firefox or (more likely) Windows Media Player.
They were both sitting in the system toolbar at the lower right of my screen and one was popping up dialog boxes ever few seconds. The sentence structure hinted of slightly broken English. That was my cue it wasn’t what it claimed to be – a warning from Microsoft that I’d been infected and needed to download protection.
The first of the virii cleaned up with no trouble. In fact, it had an entry in the add/remove programs dialog, as if it were legit. The second wasn’t quite as easy.
I can’t tell you its name except to say its toolbar signature is a red circle with an “X” in the middle.
A little sleuthing turned up some older entries, but none seemed to exactly match my poison. What I caught was probably an adaptation of an earlier virus.
We’re talking about crooks and thieves here. They’re not buying their software at CompUSA.
On the inside, my virus was programmed to hide in plain site, creating a new, randomly named, program each time it ran. Find the virus, stop the program – it creates another.
I found what I think is the ‘seed,’ a program called winstall.exe, as a new entry in my registry. It was scheduled to run each time the computer rebooted.
I did some manual pruning, removing a line from the registry, then allowed AOL’s new virus scanner² (actually the very highly rated Kaspersky anti-virus) do its thing. As is my custom in these cases, I ran it in ‘safe mode,’ then ran it again.
I’ll keep an eye on the little laptop to make sure it hasn’t been permanently compromised. I’ve heard of cases where the virus goes dormant for a while only to return when your defenses are down.
I’d hate to have my computer responsible for sending out thousands of spam emails (as compromised computers often do) or interrupting my surfing with pop-up messages.
I’m upset I allowed this to happen to me! I’m supposed to be the guy who fixes other people’s computers and then, disapprovingly, shakes my head.
It wasn’t a virus as much as it was an injection of humility.
¹ – This is a really old machine – a Dell PII 300 laptop with 256 mb RAM. It is ploddingly slow for many things, but easily handles web surfing and poker while I’m in the family room.
² – AOL’s virus scanner is free, and you don’t have to join AOL to get it. I suppose its in their best interest to clean up the Internet as best they can.
It’s Wisconsin
I’m writing tonight from a motel in Mequon, WI – just north of Milwaukee. The story of the day is the trip here.
We left Connecticut on Southwest’s 12:50 PM flight to Chicago’s Midway Airport. Driving to the airport, parking and boarding was no problem. In fact, somehow Helaine has gotten off the TSA’s ‘frisk me every time’ list. We don’t know how.
Thunderstorms were expected this afternoon in Connecticut (and from the radar, it looks like much of the state got hit). That meant building clouds as we flew west and a very bumpy ride.
It didn’t much matter, because no sooner had we left the ground than I had my ‘ox yoke’ on and was snoozing. That lasted nearly 45 minutes, which was when someone right behind us began sneezing.
These weren’t dainty achoos. This was projectile sneezing! Then another nearby voice loudly complained that someone else had spilled a drink on him.
There would be no more sleeping for me.
We were on time into Midway. I know the airport because I’ve seen it so many times from Microsoft’s Flight Simulator. From the air it looks like a square plot with criss crossing runways.
Since it’s the second airport in Chicago, I expected it to be a small facility. Houston’s like that with Hobby versus IAH. I could not have been more wrong. I was very surprised.
While Helaine and Stef went for the bags, I headed to Hertz to fill out the paperwork for our car. Helaine had found an unbelievable deal on Hotwire – better than half off anything else available.
Before I go on, let me mention the obvious. It could have been named Pleasant Experience Rent-a-car. It was not. Though an alternative spelling was used, Hertz pretty much sums up my experience today.
There were two people behind the counter and somewhere between 15 and 20 in line when I arrived just before 2:15 PM! Though two others would be added to the staff, it took a full hour (almost to the minute) before I was served.
The woman behind the counter was nice enough. She slavishly asked each insurance and gasoline question, though she must have known from my answer to question one that I was saying no to everything.
About three quarters of the way through the process, a woman came up behind her and whispered in her ear. Helaine heard the words, “emergency at home.” In a flash she was gone.
Her replacement came out a few minutes later. The first thing we noticed about her was that she didn’t seem to notice us. It was as if we were totally invisible.
She immediately set out to clean her area. She rearranged papers, moved things, lowered the computer keyboard, sanitized the desk. When she finally looked up at us, she said, “Do you think I have a problem?”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her how many paragraphs she’d get. Helaine looked at me and said, “This is going in the blog.”
You betcha!
Our car is a Buick La Cross. You know, it’s not bad. Good going GM. It’s got comfortable large seats and a good size tunk… though without a light (or at least a working light).
We headed north for Milwaukee. Midway is an old airport, shoehorned in by neighborhoods that have grown around it. Traffic was heavy and slow as we moved down busy Cicero toward I-55 South.
The idea was to skirt around Chicago and avoid the traffic. Still, it’s disconcerting to get on the ramp for I-55 toward St. Louis.
We took I-55 to I-294, the Illinois Tollway. Illinois has its own RFID toll system – I-Pass. I don’t have one. I should have thought about that before I got caught in an I-Pass only lane! I’ll let you know when they catch up with me and send the bill.
The traffic was horrendous. We stopped more than once. At other times we were cruising along at 4 or 5 mph.
In case you’ve never been to the Midwest, a little physical description: nondescript. It is much less green than Connecticut. The vegetation is significantly more scrubby. There are probably other locales less physically stirring. I just can’t think of any off hand.
Somewhere in Northern Illinois things lightened up and we started to move nicely. The three of us were happy…then a police car raced by… and another.
North of Milwaukee a tanker truck was on the center divider. A set of wheels was at a 90° angle to the truck and connected to nothing. Good grief – another half hour lost I’ll never get back.
We did finally make it to the hotel and dinner with my folks, sister and brother-in-law.
Honestly, I’m so exhausted right now the story will just have to wait.
Taking Care Of Business
I mentioned a week or two ago, Helaine and I are starting a small business. We still are. It’s still not ready. It’s getting closer.
I continue to be surprised by all I don’t know. We’re well beyond any experience either of us have.
In the past I’d be scared of this introduction to the unknown… and I suppose I am still apprehensive. What I’m learning is, when you don’t know something, move forward anyway. Many questions just can’t be answered in the abstract. Many answers will be ad libbed on the spot.
We’ve applied for an LLC, gotten an 800 number (actually 866) and inquired about advertising. We still need a bank account, tax number and way to accept payments from customers.
What if no one wants our service? What if lots of people want it? Both are daunting possibilities.
People have asked, is anyone doing what you’re planning on doing? Sort of. There are similar services, though I’d like to think not as good. Ours has some unique attributes which should make it special.
Does it really make a difference? The first doesn’t always become the market leader. Google wasn’t the first. Microsoft wasn’t the first. They either had a better product or were marketed better or got very lucky.
Within the next week or two I should be able to say more. If you’re not in broadcasting, our business will probably not be all that exciting to you. I’m just hoping it’s of interest to someone.
What have we forgotten?
Working Hard In PJs
Usually, by this time of night, I’ve posted something on the blog. Today I’ve been very busy. I’ve been working on a new website.
I hinted around about this site before… but it’s taking a long time to get it up to speed. And, as was the case earlier, I’m not ready to reveal much about it… other than to say it will only interest a very small percentage of those reading this blog.
Building a website is like building anything else – you need a vision. The finished product might differ from that early idea, but there’s got to be something to aim for. It has been tough coming up with the vision.
Finally last night, around 4:45 AM, it started to come into focus. I was playing around in Photoshop and found a design for the site’s logo. It was an accident. I did something wrong, but liked the result! It contained enough elements of style and typography to start defining the rest of the page.
As I continued, I was constantly reminded how little I know about web design! The nuts and bolts are done in a few very simple computer languages: HTML and CSS. I am picking up what I need on the fly.
If you’re really interested, your browser has the ability to show you the ‘source’ for any web page you’re on. That’s what the browser sees and what I was writing today. Though there are fine programs for doing this, I chose to write by hand in a notebook program.
Over the past few years, I’ve read about inconsistencies Microsoft designed into Internet Explorer. In some cases IE works opposite the standards! There are workarounds, but the first time you look at your page, and then watch it get mangled when displayed in IE, is very frustrating.
Maybe I’m being a little too innocent, but I think the site can be mostly finished this weekend. That would be great.
Unfortunately, as little as I know about web design, I know less about the next steps! Wish me luck.
The Good And Bad Of Open Source
If you’ve been following the trials and tribulations of my homebuilt DVR, you’ve been listening to the good and bad of open source software.
To quote Richard Nixon, I am not a thief.
The software I’m using has been built for the common good and released under licenses that allow fairly free use. That includes the operating system, Linux, the DVR’s framework, MythTV and all the utilities I use, including an excellent program called ffmpeg.
Ffmpeg is like a Swiss Army Knife for video files. It allows the movement of these files into different formats. That’s valuable under a variety of circumstances, including mine.
In order to watch what I’ve recorded online from anywhere (and that’s my goal) I need to be able to convert the DVR’s nuv files to Flash compatible flv files. Ffmpeg should do that, and in a way which can be automated.
I’m bringing up ffmpeg, because it’s a sign of what’s good and bad about open source.
Part of the good is its free availability. That allows ‘hackers’ like me to play around in a sophisticated area of computing with readily available tools. There are all sort of additional programs built around ffmpeg. It’s like seed corn.
Part of the bad, is how these programs are supported – in other words, what happens if you get stuck? There’s no company behind it, so no company to call!
Ffmpeg depends on community based support, which runs through a mailing list. If you understand the program, you’re encouraged to share your knowledge.
When I began to have trouble, I signed up for the list, posted my question and waited… and waited… and waited.
Someone saw my question, took mercy on me, asked me to provide some error outputs and then… nothing. I sat and waited some more.
As I posted again, looking for help, members of the community responded, but they also complained about how I was posting and the fact that I was using the most current version of ffmpeg on their website – an old version.
At some points more of the conversation was about procedure than problem solving!
I jumped through hoops, doing whatever anyone asked, to try and get things working. No matter what I did though, ffmpeg failed me in the exact same way.
I was willing to put up with this stuff, though I was getting perturbed. I wonder how many others would have just bailed?
If open source is to be ‘ready for prime time,’ the spotty response to cries for help needs to be made a little more friendly. I was made to feel like a jerk or idiot or both. That’s not good. And believe me, I understand I have just bitten the hand that feeds me.
OK – so I’ve vented about what’s wrong with open source. But, there is a silver lining to this story and something that’s very right with open source.
I believe my problem was caused by a bug in the software, or maybe a part that was just never fully implemented. One of the developers saw my cries and modified the program to accommodate my needs!
Would Microsoft do that for me? I doubt it.
Tonight, when I get home, I’ll load another version of ffmpeg that should solve my problem – and will be available in the future for others like me.
Companies like Microsoft worry about open source. Why would anyone buy Windows or Office if they could get the same functionality for free?
Right now the big difference is support. It might not always be that way. It is today.
Juno Beach Art Show
My promise to Helaine was, this would not be a trip spent in flea markets and Costco. We would do stuff in Florida other than kill time. Today was my first opportunity to come through.
The Palm Beach Post had an ad for an art show in Juno Beach, about 35 miles north on I-95. Everyone agreed we’d go!
While waiting for the last Fox to be ready (no names), I checked the website of the show’s promoter and saw David Gordon was one of the exhibitors. Helaine and I know David and have a half dozen works by him scattered around the house. We hadn’t seen him in at least ten years, so this would be an added bonus.
The trip to Juno was uneventful. The promoter had wisely set up a remote parking area and buses to the exhibition. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm Florida day – and the exhibition was adjacent to the beach.
Rather than bore you with more details, I’ve taken some of my photos and put together a slide show.
I have no idea why, but youtube.com hosts videos like mine for free! How could I resist, especially when I can’t remember how to properly embed the wmv file which contains the show.
Actually, I put it together with Microsoft’s free Photo Story 3. It’s simple and heavily automated, and as you’ll see, it really works.
What will tomorrow bring? Who knows! In my parents world, every day is Sunday. How nice.
Click the video button (above) to start the slideshow.
Microsoft – Activation And Bad Music On Hold
Once the main computer’s case was buttoned up, I booted and that’s when I got Microsoft’s message. Because of my changes this looks like a new computer. To them, it seems like this machine’s copy of Windows XP has been activated too many times.
I am currently upset. I am upset while listening to bad, guitar laden, non-descript instrumentals on the Microsoft Activation Hotline.
It is now five minutes since the first guitar was strummed.
Here’s the backstory. Now that my new computer is working, it’s time to really optimize it.
A warning message has flashed each time I booted. I was using the wrong cable on one of the disk drives. I would be slowed, not stopped. The DVD writer was old, but I had a faster one in my backup machine. Why not swap?
These are simple things to do. It’s almost like unplugging one TV and plugging in another.
I moved the computers from their place, wedged between my desk and file cabinet. You could call the mess of wires back there a rats’ nest, but that would be unfair to rats!
It’s amazing how many formerly used cables there were back there. It’s a job I should have done 10 years ago – and it hasn’t gotten prettier.
As I lifted cables and wires, there were dust bunnies the size of real bunnies.
Still on hold. I’m getting a gun to shoot a random guitarist. This is beyond painful.
Anyway, I cleaned, straightened and reinstalled. Helaine asked if I’d be throwing some of the old cables out?
Please! These are cables. Where I come from, you sacrifice to the cousin level before you ditch cables. There has to be a place in the attic for them to lie in state.
Once the main computer’s case was buttoned up, I booted and that’s when I got Microsoft’s message. Because of my changes this looks like a new computer. To them, it seems like this machine’s copy of Windows XP has been activated too many times.
They won’t let me reactivate over the Internet, that would be too simple. And, if I don’t do this, and then wait too long, my computer will be frozen like a Popsicle.
It would be one thing if this was a bootlegged copy of XP. This is legit. I am holding the packaging in my hand – see?
It’s approaching a half hour and that guy is still strumming. There hasn’t been one voice nor any hint I might have misdialed. Maybe instead of Microsoft I’ve gotten hold of the non-descript guitarist hotline? No way to know.
Even worse, it’s a short piece that keeps repeating… and repeating… and repeating.
If this were work, it would be on my speakerphone. Here at home it means phone firmly between chin and shoulder. I am tethered in place and can accomplish nothing.
A few minutes ago, a call came for Helaine. I answered it, but didn’t take more than 5 seconds, telling her Helaine would call back. Hey – you only get one shot. I don’t want to go to the back of the line.
I want to know if Bill Gates waits this long? Actually, at this moment, I just want Bill Gates!
Addenum – After around an hour, I was getting suspicious this might end up my life’s work. We have another phone, and I called on that line. It wasn’t more than a few minutes (after hearing the same guitar music) before I was speaking to a woman with an Indian accent.
After swearing on my parents that this copy of XP is only in one machine, I was allowed to activate it.
Now, who gives me back the hour I lost?
Geeky Me
I have built my last few PCs. I’m about to build my next.
Actually, it’s more of a rebuild, replacing the older guts of one system with new innards. It’s very exciting… it is. Oh c’mon, humor me… please.
I’m not sure she asked in so many words, but Helaine wanted to know why I needed another computer? After all, I have 4 desktop machines and a few laptops. There are more carcasses and parts scattered in the attic and in a cabinet in my office. Most of the working machines are older, discards from friends and family.
The computer that should be my main squeeze has become unusable. It was unstable (hey, who isn’t). As of last night, I can’t even get it to boot. My backup machine isn’t exactly poky, but it’s way behind the times.
OK – There’s really no reason. I can’t say I need a new computer. This is like Jay Leno having a garage full of classic cars and cycles or my daughter’s collection of shoes and bags.
The faster processor will make a significant difference when I work on photos or edit video. Both are tasks I do a lot.
Actually, it’s faster processors – plural. I am buying a new AMD dual core CPU.
If you’re glazing over now, I’m not sure this entry will get any better.
In order to use the CPU, I’ll need a new motherboard. And the new chip and motherboard will need a new cooling system. Computer chips get really hot and if left to their own devices would quickly go poof.
There’s been lots of research reading about various motherboards, CPUs and chipsets. How much memory? What kind of memory? There’s lots to think about.
Here’s the rundown:
Processor: 120364 – AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Dual-Core 512K cache/core
Heatsink Fan: 130099 – Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu Silent CPU Cooling
Memory: 140895 – DDR (400) 3200 – 1 GB (2 pcs 512) OCZ Value
Warranty: 800125 – Standard Tech Support, 6 Month
Nero 7 Promotion: 210614 – Nero 7 Ultra Edition Retail Box FREE!
When the box comes, the surgery will take place on the kitchen table. There are no instructions, but putting together computers is relatively simple – really. The whole job shouldn’t take more than a half hour, though it will probably take closer to three hours.
With Microsoft’s new Vista operating system a year away, plus more and more enforcement of digital rights management, this might be the last time I’ll be able to build my own machine and expect it to perform with mainstream applications. That’s sad.
I’ll let you know how the build works out, because surely, though my heart is set on this new system, it will break my heart.
Why I Might Change Browsers
This is a very geeky entry. I apologize in advance. Feel free to pass it by.
When I go on the Internet, like right now, I use the Firefox browser. Firefox comes from Mozilla. I suppose this is unimportant to all but those of us who wear propeller hats.
Most people use Internet Explorer. That’s the browser that comes standard with Windows.
IE, as it’s called, is fine… except it is often the equivalent of living in a home in a bad neighborhood with no locks on the doors. Truthfully, if everyone were trustworthy, IE would be perfect. They aren’t. It isn’t.
There are some improvements Firefox brings, including some in security. A whole community has sprung up, writing ‘extensions’ to give it extra capabilities. I take advantage of many of those (including one that eliminates all pop-ups and most other ads).
Unfortunately, Firefox isn’t without its downside. It was totally incompatible with the software Mississippi State used to administer my courses. It falls on its face on MSNBC.com video files(big surprise there), asking me to install software I already have.
This weekend I attempted to install MyWebexPC.com. That too wouldn’t play well with Firefox.
I am not alone. There have been a number of articles citing the inability of FEMA’s website to work with anything but Internet Explorer.
The problem is, Firefox follows the standards that have been established for the web. Anything that won’t work with Firefox won’t work because the author has decided to write to Internet Explorer’s peculiarities. Websites should be browser agnostic.
Since IE controls nearly 90% of the browser market, it makes sense to keep things compatible with it. What doesn’t make sense is excluding Microsoft’s competitor.
If these sites were more forgiving toward agreed upon standards, Firefox might get a better foothold and Microsoft would have to respond by improving IE. Competition is good.
As it stands right now, I am seriously thinking of abandoning Firefox. That’s not because it isn’t good. It’s because I’m sick and tired of hitting dead ends.
Firefox doesn’t have to be ‘fixed’ for it to work. Quite the contrary. The only thing wrong with Firefox is, it isn’t broken.