I'm a committed sceptic.  I don't trust people who tell me I can speed up my computer by some mysterious fiddle that Microsoft apparently forgot to do, or by buying a tune-up product, and I also don't trust Microsoft.  This document trusts Microsoft too much, I think.

Running as a limited user, specifically, is indispensable but not sufficient in a security recipe.  Someday something nasty is going to leap out of Internet Explorer at me.  I do encounter applications that don't work as limited user, and if I have to then I'll run them on my desktop as Administrator sessions.  Apparently this will be easier in Vista.  But, developers, I want to hear how you justify demanding full control of my PC.  I don't have full control of my PC.  I don't really understand what a Registry is.  And it's -my- PC.  So why should -you- get control of it??  

It's like you're a guest in my home and you want the keys to the safe and the gun locker...

Specific root-only applications that I use include the Fitaly on-screen keyboard (I think it doesn't address the registry in a proper multi-user way - and its market is too small to demand a fix), and the software for Hauppauge DEC-2000T PC-DTV receiver, which is broken in a lot of other ways (video doesn't work on my Tablet PC; sound randomly cuts out of plays half an hour late[!?]; timed recording consist of using Task Scheduler to open and close the application, each time rebooting the hardware twice).

I use "ExplorerXP" as a file manager which I can run as Administrator to handle files for stoopid applications - amongst the things I can't see a way to run as Administrator from a limited desktop are Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer.

I have in my Windows XP "Control Panel - Mouse - Pointer options" a choice to "Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key".  It gives a dark circle drawn around the pointer, that contracts in to the point.

But it's nice to have a choice.

There is also a free download called "LecturePen" that draws a large fountain pen on the screen to follow the pointer around!  I think you can choose left or right handed ;-)

Just saw a shareware program that does just this.... admittedly it's a tad expensive at ~$25, but it may give ideas.

http://www.colorpilot.com/morse.html

Kevin

-kfitting (October 06, 2005, 02:41 PM)

If you just want to make noises as you go then their SoundPilot is cheaper at $15.55.  The Morse program offers extra features when registered compared to the free download, but I don't know if a free installation also expires.  Bottom line, I don't think they're really gouging.

I've evaluated SoundPilot as a typing aid - if you make it speak the alphabet and punctuation as you press keys then you can hear mistakes and miskeys.  I found that my productivity improved when I combined SoundPilot with the Fitaly on-screen keyboard, which I use because of a degree of RSI-style handicap, compared to Fitaly on its own.  The catch is that you have always to look for the next letter that you're about to click or tap on, so you don't see the previous stroke that went astray - but my ears aren't doing anything else, usually...

I think SoundPilot is probably worth paying for, for this use, because it also distinguishes upper and lower case typing and it has voices ready-made as separate downloads.  For best results the speed of speech can be cranked up to keep pace.

MS Windows recently also comes with a Narrator program that speaks keystrokes, but it doesn't keep up with me and it insists on reading out text from the screen as well.  And I don't think it tries to do Morse code, but I may be mistaken.

Another disadvantage with software like this is when you type a password and anyone in earshot can pick it up...