Messages

101

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: WaggleImage on Bits du Jour (Nov 18 2008)

« on: August 25, 2011, 08:22 AM »

Heh, heh - strangely, having completely removed PP 14 and reinstalled PP 11, I'm seeing some of the same behaviour, specifically with the installer running all the time. I-R-R-I-T-A-T-A-T-I-N-G! I probably need to reinstall it making SURE that no Office add-ins/hooks are installed with it.

PDF Converter Pro is still great!

102

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: WaggleImage on Bits du Jour (Nov 18 2008)

« on: August 24, 2011, 05:10 PM »

I DID get a 50% off coupon for the Pro version as an upgrade from Paperport 11 Pro and bought it... Four days later i requested and received a refund. The help file was missing and clicking on it resulted in an error message, indexing is just as bad as it was in version 11 - killed my 2.5Ghz Dual Core processor, and every time I booted the installer ran about 20 times before everything settled down. Then, when starting any Office document, the whole thing started again. Pretty disappointing. I went back to 11 because the only thing I use it for are the EXCELLENT SET tools which were nicely tweaked but not updated from 11 to 14...

103

Living Room / Re: Why My Mom Bought an Android, Returned It, and Got an iPhone

« on: August 24, 2011, 02:32 PM »

Stoic Joker - I'm the odd-man out WP7 user where I am, too. I'm the odd-man out in that, in almost a year, I've yet to see another WP7 phone in the wild anywhere in my hometown, population @80,000. It's strange because I think it is a great phone and a great OS. I've experienced the oft-reported (not always) subtle sales pitches away from WP7 to iOS or Android in shops (I often go in and look at other phones - because I'm quite sad, really  ), so there is a clear sales bias against the OS.

104

Living Room / Re: Why My Mom Bought an Android, Returned It, and Got an iPhone

« on: August 23, 2011, 08:13 AM »

It is pretty easy to use. Features wise it rocks, but UI wise of course nothing can beat iOS.

-sri (August 23, 2011, 06:37 AM)

WP7, by a landslide. I'm running Mango on my handset (HTC Surround) and it's da bomb! I loved WP7 prior to installing the beta, but Mango subtly augments and enhances just about everything. I have devices running iOS 4.3.5, Android 1.6 and Android 2.21 and I VASTLY prefer the GUI in WP7.

105

Living Room / Re: Why My Mom Bought an Android, Returned It, and Got an iPhone

« on: August 16, 2011, 08:13 AM »

Dell Streak is dead... Dell had all stock pulled from vendors' shelves a month or so ago, triggering "happy, happy, joy, joy" rumours about Gingerbread or even Honeycomb being installed, but last week announced that they've cancelled the product altogether...

iPod Touch-esque Android devices include the Archos 5IT, Archos 48IT, Archos 32IT and 43IT (all with resistive screens), the Samsung Galaxy Players (3.2 and 5 inch versions) and the Cowon D3 (I *think* it is the D3). There are others, but these are the ones that I am aware of. The latter two have capacitive screens. The 3.2" Galaxy has a pretty chintzy screen resolution (something like 240X320) while the 5 inch version sounds wonderful.

I have the Archos 43IT and love it... however, there are some major limitations to it: 256MB of RAM, the touch screen is very finicky and there are some bugs in the firmware. No showstoppers (for me), but they are there! I also have the Archos 5IT (identical to the 48IT but includes built in GPS) and it is a wonderful little device. Sadly, firmware development has stalled at Android 1.6... The resistive touchscreen is REALLY good - I use it without a stylus without a problem - and the build quality very good.

Cowon D3 is apparently a real gem, but more expensive (I think) than and iPod Touch and the firmware is or was apparently buggy. Not sure if that's been sorted out or not.

106

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« on: July 28, 2011, 05:14 PM »

I just returned an Acer Iconia A500. I liked it a lot - why did I return it, then? Because I don't see these Android tablets (or iPads?) as being more than toys at this stage. Honeycomb is slick and I could check e-mail, read the newspaper, etc. with ease. However, I'm not sure what this brings to the table above and beyond my smartphone and notebook computer. At this stage, the screen technology means that producing anything on it isn't an easy task unless you hook up an external keyboard. I don't buy into the Jobesian view of the tablet as being a tool for the consumption of media... $400 to 750 for what amounts to a big iPod Touch? For that kind of money I'm looking for more productivity.

Hidden in the above is the real reason: the price of even the cheaper Android tablets is hard to justify when balanced against what you can actually do with the things. Right now they are toys, and bloody expensive ones at that!

I'm REALLY excited about the possibilities suggested by what I've seen of Windows 8 so far... Will be watching developments there with interest.

107

General Software Discussion / Re: Add tabbed documents to MS Office

« on: June 04, 2011, 03:22 PM »

Hi, yes, simple and intuitive.. neat.

I found v6 and v7 (v7 is quite new) work with Word, Excel, Powerpoint 2003. v6.51 crashed Word 2003 (only) on launching Word.

(Vista, 32 bit). On v6.51, the developer said he'd look into it.. and now we have v7.

http://www.extendoff...duct/office-tab.html
shows the differences between the free and paid versions.

Although this said the free version allows customisation (the default tabs position really should be on the left of wide screen laptops, not the top), I found it didn't..   

-dalchina (June 04, 2011, 12:14 PM)

v.6.51 and 7 both work with everything but Powerpoint (2010 32-bit) for me - powerpoint crashes with the plug-in enabled, whether it's loaded or not.

108

General Software Discussion / Re: True Launch Bar v5.0

« on: June 04, 2011, 08:27 AM »

I find TrueLaunchBar to be indispensible under XP and Vista. Under Win 7 I no longer have any need of it as I have grown to love the new taskbar.

-Darwin (October 12, 2010, 11:30 AM)

How does the Win 7 taskbar take the place of TLB, which is commonly used as a launcher? I have a few programs pinned on my taskbar in Win 7 but not nearly enough to be that useful. For launching I mostly use FARR and Launchbar Commander.

Thanks!

Jim

-J-Mac (January 09, 2011, 09:44 PM)

Sorry, Jim - I've been visiting DC infrequently (work and other committments) for the past year and missed your reply and question. To answer it, I just use the start menu's search field as a launcher - I hit the windows key and start typing and what I want shows up.

109

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« on: May 04, 2011, 08:55 AM »

She didn't belive that you can still just use USB (which is required for setting up the WiFi) with the "WiFi" printer? Load the printer with sandpaper and then print a phonebook ... The issue should then solve itself...

-Stoic Joker (May 03, 2011, 12:02 PM)

  Good one, I might just have to try that!

I could have gone back and killed the salesperson (and rue the fact that I didn't go with my mum's friend into the shop) - I find salespeople these days really ANNOYING. All the old bird wanted was an $80 HP Laserjet and she walked out empty-handed because the salesperson couldn't stop talking up all of the features, including the built-in wireless networking. My mum's friend is technophobic to the point of anxiety, and she concluded that you have to have wi-fi to connect the printer (and not that you have to have USB connectivity to connnect to a wi-fi network). Grr... I ran into an officious little turd of a salesperson like that myself at The Source (a pale version of Radio Shack in Canada) who tried to impress me with his networking chops. All I wanted was a Network Switch. He asked what I wanted to do with it, and after I told him (run 50 feet of cable from my wi-fi router's LAN port under my house to the switch to connect my TV, blu-ray player and xBox to my network), proceeded to tell me that what I wanted to do wouldn't work. He wanted to sell me either a secondary router or some other EXTREMELY expensive contraption. I know that the LAN router would have worked, but that's not the point. I can't stand being fed techo-mumble that serves only to (try to) assert the salesperson's credbility with the customer. Can't remember the details of his argument, but needless to say Futureshop got my business and I've been happily networked for a couple of months now.

110

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« on: May 03, 2011, 11:12 AM »

I just came across this post: http://www.thebestpa...et/c.cgi?u=macs_cant

doing a totally unrelated search but thought it *might* resonate here. NB language NSFW or children.

111

General Software Discussion / Re: What Android Apps Do You Use?

« on: May 03, 2011, 08:37 AM »

Anyone found a useful ebook reader? I ask because I am disappointed with Aldiko and other choices I've found. I'd like a reader that reads more than one or two formats; I don't want five or six apps where one would suffice. My most used formats are pdf, txt, epub, and mobi.

112

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« on: May 02, 2011, 10:56 PM »

Heh, heh - that comment about networking resonates - my mum's friend, who is 71, went to buy a printer but was turned off because it was wireless and she doesn't have wireless... Doh! I've been trying to get her to replace her ancient HP inkjet for YEARS because troubleshooting its issues with OSX have been driving me crazy... Sigh 

113

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« on: May 02, 2011, 09:12 AM »

If you are old, don't care to learn just want to use something and it work, apple is for you.

-Kamel (May 01, 2011, 12:37 PM)

God, Grant me the serinity...

-Stoic Joker (May 01, 2011, 12:53 PM)

You must only meet one of the criteria, not all. Not saying apple is only for old people, but am saying old people should only use apple

EDIT: ESPECIALLY if you're an old person calling me for help fixing your internet

-Kamel (May 01, 2011, 08:18 PM)

I've set my parents' Macs (orignal iMac running OS 9.2, an iBook running OSX 10.1-10.4 - we kept upgrading OSX - and three iMacs runnings flavours of OSX including the latest with Snow Leopard) and have met with the same sorts of issues that I have setting up Windows machines over the years. Worst offenders have been printers and scanners, but I've also had trouble with networking, and miscellaneous difficulties with software configurations.

I find the notion that Apple products "just work" laughable... 

114

General Software Discussion / Re: Documents Organizer

« on: May 01, 2011, 09:05 AM »

First sight : publicity

Sorry, but I don't see any relation with what I need.

I have a bad impression of your program.

Perhaps you can make publicity with the subject adequate

Best Regards

-Contro (April 17, 2011, 12:57 PM)

Just to note: cmpm simply suggested the product - he or she is neither the developer nor an employee of Debenu...

115

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« on: May 01, 2011, 08:57 AM »

My new email sig on the iPad (in an attempt to play both sides) 

-nosh (May 01, 2011, 01:38 AM)

Hahahahaha~! That's awesome~! Nothing like playing both sides against the middle.

-Renegade (May 01, 2011, 03:17 AM)

What's the middle? Windows Mobile?

116

Living Room / Re: The great toilet paper debate

« on: May 01, 2011, 08:56 AM »

I developed a preference for over because the house we now live in has TP holders in each bathroom that has a stainless steel flap that drops down to cover the top of the roll. Really irritated me when we first moved in because I couldn't see the point, but then I realised that it's there to trap the roll so that you can rip off a section of bog roll one-handed. It works when the roll is installed so that the free-end rolls off the front (or over). It's been five years and I still can't get my wife to see the brilliance of this - she's an under person all the way...

117

Living Room / Re: The great toilet paper debate

« on: April 29, 2011, 07:07 PM »

Over, DEFINITELY over. I won't be contradicted on this, either 

118

General Software Discussion / Re: Uninstalling Google Chrome can mess up your PC(if it was set aa default browser)

« on: April 27, 2011, 05:03 PM »

Is the trick merely to set another browser as default before removing Chrome? 

-Curt (April 27, 2011, 10:04 AM)

One of the "fixes" I tried was to re-install Chrome, set it as default, reboot, set IE as default, reboot, then uninstall Chrome. Didn't work! Of course, that was a while back... If I do give it a spin again, I'll definitely be sure NOT to let it set itself as my default browser, though! Having said that, I'm perfectly content with IE9.

119

General Software Discussion / Re: Uninstalling Google Chrome can mess up your PC(if it was set aa default browser)

« on: April 27, 2011, 09:07 AM »

Re-reading bits and pieces of this thread, I wonder if this issue arises only if the end-user sets Chrome as their default browser? For myself, having gone through it, I'm not willing to test this theory!

120

General Software Discussion / Re: Uninstalling Google Chrome can mess up your PC

« on: April 26, 2011, 04:17 PM »

I can attest to this - about two years ago I took Chrome for a spin and then uninstalled it... What a nightmare! I would have thought that this had been sorted out by now. In my case, I can no longer remember how exactly I solved the problem, but I know I tried reinstalling Chrome without luck. I suspect I wound up using a disc image to return to a state prior to Chrome being installed. Must say, I'm glad I stumbled on this thread - I had been giving some thought to installing Chrome again... Not any more!

121

Living Room / Re: Please kill me now - just bought an iPad off of eBay

« on: April 24, 2011, 12:59 PM »

Monor point

-40hz (April 24, 2011, 11:55 AM)

Do you mean a single point or a minor point? I'm confused  

-Darwin (April 24, 2011, 12:03 PM)

Minor. Fixed it. Thx.

Feel free to ignore too. Just my 2¢ on videos where they're deliberately pissing off an animal.

I'm a bit of a choirboy when it comes to that. But I am that way without going off the deep end (ala PETA) about it. Don't worry. No soapbox or lecture. I promise.  

-40hz (April 24, 2011, 12:12 PM)

No worries - I'm not at PETA levels by any stretch (I'm more of a PITA), but I object to mistreating animals for "fun", as well...

122

Site/Forum Features / Re: I think we should close the Company Complaints and Compliments Section

« on: April 24, 2011, 12:16 PM »

And we thought the OC thread was getting bad and worn out...  

-Renegade (April 24, 2011, 04:03 AM)

Yeah, really!

-40hz (April 24, 2011, 05:08 AM)

More like the OCD thread...

123

Living Room / Re: Please kill me now - just bought an iPad off of eBay

« on: April 24, 2011, 12:03 PM »

Monor point

-40hz (April 24, 2011, 11:55 AM)

Do you mean a single point or a minor point? I'm confused  

124

Living Room / Re: Please kill me now - just bought an iPad off of eBay

« on: April 24, 2011, 12:01 PM »

The ipad, for once, actually offers something not pre-existing. the small form factor of this tablet and fact that it's completely keyboardless was unique to the market.

-Kamel (April 06, 2011, 10:49 AM)

Er, no. My Archos 5IT was doing this in September 2009 and it was the SECOND generation of Archos Internet Tablets (the first, from about September 2008 was almost identical but ran an Archos version of Linux while the version I have runs Android 1.6 (Donut). Archos also offered a 7" version of the original tablet in September '08...

125

General Software Discussion / Re: What Android Apps Do You Use?

« on: April 13, 2011, 09:01 AM »

I had the same experience in Canada - Amazon Marketplace installs and loads but purchases are blocked (including the Angry Birds Rio givewaway last week ).

-Darwin (March 31, 2011, 08:49 AM)

I noticed Angry Birds Rio is now also available on the regular Market, for free.

-phitsc (April 13, 2011, 02:07 AM)

Yeah... I grabbed it sometime last week  I've been busy building a fence and haven't been "DC'ing" much! Anyway, thank  you for updating that - I'd forgotten about posting it!