Messages

351

General Software Discussion / .NET Application Startup Times

« on: November 26, 2007, 03:41 PM »

General question for .NET experts...

Why do .NET applications (programs compiled using Visual Studio 2003 or newer) take so frikkin long to load?

And what the heck is with all the disk activity?  I have some very tiny utilities that take 15-20 seconds to start and run the disk drive like a defragger.  More complicated apps using a different compiler boot up faster.

So what's going on behind the scenes?  Or have I just been unlucky enough to stumble across a few unoptimized .NET apps?

352

General Software Discussion / Re: Why the Windows Registry Exists

« on: November 26, 2007, 02:25 PM »

And that is what Windows, and all its constituent parts is, the least common denominator that will survive the ungodly amounts of crap software that will be installed on it.

Well said, tin!  However flawed, the registry has survived and functioned for 15+ years so the original designers did something right.  Of course, that's like pointing to a 1962 Volvo and saying the same thing -- it may be a crap car but by god it's still running.

And then Gothic sez:

I haven't seen an app that writes ini files into the windows directory in years

Very true.  But consider the perspective of the article: Raymond is writing about decisions made in the early 1990's, and indeed, if an app availed itself of the Windows API then the only place an .INI could go was the Windows (or WinNT) folder.

He's not defending or exhalting the registry, simply explaining how it came to be and some of the problems being faced; why the registry was created.  Taken in that context every one of his points is valid.

Central administration of INI files is difficult. Since they can be anywhere in the system, a network administrator can't write a script that asks, "Is everybody using the latest version of Firefox?" They also can't deploy scripts that say "Set everybody's Firefox settings to XYZ and deny write access so they can't change them."

You can do that with the registry?

Indeed you can.  Permissions willing, Windows allows remote administration of another PC's registry.  RegEdit provides an interface, if you want to play.  And querying the registry for a known key that points to a local file is *way* easier than scanning a remote file system.

Oh, I still hate the registry.  Hate, hate, hate.

But when I sit down to consider what we'd replace it with, I draw a blank.  A collection of .XML files?  How would that be better, aside from being able to edit them with notepad or index them with Desktop Search?  And you'd still have a Windows service to administer them, and yet another dozen API calls to master, so is that an improvement?

And again: how does Linux or OS X manage configuration settings?  Leave it up to each program?

353

Living Room / Re: Interesting new article series by Darek Mihocka

« on: November 26, 2007, 02:04 PM »

Interesting site, and the guy sure isn't afraid to express his opinion.  :-)

But maaan, I found it hard to navigate around there.

Any links to the "Gateway gone" article?

354

Living Room / Re: Seriously, wtf is going on with Apple's Mac vs. Pc ads?

« on: November 26, 2007, 12:37 PM »

Kinda has that "is my prescription ready yet?" gleam in his eyes.

355

General Software Discussion / Re: Why the Windows Registry Exists

« on: November 26, 2007, 12:32 PM »

That 97kb one is from Opera, which seems to work just fine with an INI file that is 3x the 'limit'. 

-app103 (November 26, 2007, 12:30 PM)

Heh.  That's because those programs have stepped outside the Windows API for manipulating .INI files and have rolled their own mechanism.  Exactly what I do.

356

General Software Discussion / Re: Why the Windows Registry Exists

« on: November 26, 2007, 11:41 AM »

Well, exactly.  He's speaking of the early 90's, back when there was palpable panic about what to do about zillions of .INI files.  Back then, most apps used the API to manipulate an .INI, and that's where stuff like the 32K limit comes from.

Assuming you're confident yours is the only app that will twiddle your .INI, and you code responsibly, none of the issues he raises are showstoppers.  In fact, I *do* store binary data within .INI files, and build nested structures, and on today's hardware it's all buffered intelligently in RAM anyway so there's no performance hit.

However, if you're writing a multitasking operating system (with open support for every 3rd party idiot out there) the concern is very real.  Thus something like the registry makes sense.  How does Linux or OS X handle configuration stuff?

Still hate it, but once I recognized nobody's forcing me to store my keys there, the hate has settled down to a dull disdain.

357

General Software Discussion / Re: GoodSync free from RoboForm today (not)

« on: November 26, 2007, 11:30 AM »

Yes, as I said, it is deceptive, but they are not lying.

-Josh (November 26, 2007, 06:22 AM)

Syntax error.  Overflow.  Buffer overrun.  Black is now white, and gravity has reversed.

:-)

Deception != Lying?  Is that really what you meant to say?

358

General Software Discussion / Why the Windows Registry Exists

« on: November 26, 2007, 11:22 AM »

Raymond Chen asks "Why are INI files deprecated in favor of the registry?" then goes on to explain why:

http://blogs.msdn.co...523907.aspx#comments



Basically a big bullet list of why Windows outgrew .INI files.

The registry tried to address these concerns. You might argue whether these were valid concerns to begin with, but the Windows NT folks sure thought they were.

Frankly, it makes sense.  The NT development team saw a world of commercial software spinning out of control with thousands of unmanaged .INI files crammed into the Windows (well, WinNT) folder and came up with the registry as a solution.  Love it, hate it, you're stuck with it -- so here's some salve for your impotent rage: at least now you know WHY they did it.

And as usual, the comments are worth a read as well.

359

Living Room / Re: Seriously, wtf is going on with Apple's Mac vs. Pc ads?

« on: November 26, 2007, 10:21 AM »

TOP 10 REASONS TO SUSPECT YOU'VE TAKEN YOUR APPLE OBSESSION TOO FAR

10. You've stopped stalking Steven Jobs, and started stalking his sperm bank.

9. You had all the windows removed from your home because they were "clunky, inelegant, and difficult to operate".

8. You had your name legally changed to Apple MacIntosh.

7. Vitamin deficiencies from eating only apples.

6. While listening to iTunes on your iPod while talking on your iPhone you crash your iCar into an iTree.

5. You make your mother cry when you list all the reasons her blueberry cobbler is inferior to apple pie.

4. You get really cool seating at the Apple media events, right next to the security detail.

3. Your dog is named iDog, your cat Leopard, your children Mac, iSteve, and Lisa.

2. You've got autographs from Steven Jobs and Bill Gates, on your restraining order.

1. You're still defending the Apple-IIgs on internet forumns.

360

Living Room / Top 10 Signs You May Have Overclocked Your PC Too Much

« on: November 26, 2007, 10:03 AM »

10. Powering it on requires 40 minutes of manual adjustments and a room full of chanting monks.

9. You can make microwave popcorn by placing a bag near the case.

8. Agreement with the local power authority to operate your PC only during the hours of 2:00 and 6:00 AM.

7. You can't remember what a gallon of gasoline costs, but you can name what liquid nitrogen is selling for to the penny.

6. You buy Intel CPUs in the handy 12-pack.

5. Next door neighbors call police to complain about the sound of illegal drag races.  In your house.

4. You achieve 20,000 FPS on Crysis and finish the game in 95 seconds.

3. Your room maintains a toasty 75F degrees, despite the fact it's -30F outside and you've stopped paying the heating bill.

2. You have to "top off" your liquid cooling system every 15 minutes.

1. The only advice you get from fellow overclockers anymore is, "Run!  Get out of the house, NOW!"

361

General Software Discussion / Re: Hard Drive Diagnostic Software

« on: November 26, 2007, 09:28 AM »

Also, take a peek at the system logs.  Might be some useful leads there as to why Windows barfs while running scandisk.

362

Living Room / Re: Top 10 Ways to Destroy the Earth

« on: November 26, 2007, 09:14 AM »

Related themes: Pave the Earth, Destroy the Earth with a Coffee Can, and Chrome the Moon.

363

Living Room / Re: Seriously, wtf is going on with Apple's Mac vs. Pc ads?

« on: November 26, 2007, 07:53 AM »

Total threadjack, but here's some interesting news about XP SP3... apparently even the beta releases boost performance by as much as 10%:

http://www.computerw...8&taxonomyId=125

I bet the Vista SP1 development guys are just fuming.

364

General Software Discussion / Re: Hard Drive Diagnostic Software

« on: November 26, 2007, 07:48 AM »

While I detest Steve Gibson's hysterics sometimes, his SpinRite low-level disk scanner has brought some dead drives back to life for me.  Its not free, however: $89

Was the drive running when it fell to the floor?  If so the head might've crashed... that's pretty catastrophic.

365

Living Room / Top 10 Ways to Destroy the Earth

« on: November 25, 2007, 10:09 PM »

No, this isn't one of my stupid Top 10 lists; this is an article about what it would take, energy & effort-wise, to completely destroy the earth.  It's broken up into 10 easy-to-digest slides, and includes a material list for each project.

http://www.livescien...estroy_earth_mp.html



If anyone succeeds in destroying the earth, please post your methodology here.

366

Living Room / Re: Net Neutrality, Good for Innovation?

« on: November 25, 2007, 09:42 PM »

The link to the entire article is there, and from what I read that is his stance.
I pointed out the article and used it as an opportunity to rant a little about the coercive tactics of some of the providers.

I recognize that, and I did read the whole article.  I'm just amazed that Kahn's view seems to mirror that of the big providers.  Suspiciously so.  Wonder if they got to him?

367

Living Room / Color Theory

« on: November 25, 2007, 09:15 PM »

Found a fascinating color theory tutorial, including links to additional resources and a bibliography:

http://www.worqx.com/color/



This is general stuff, easy to read and organized so that it's amenable to topic hopping.  It's applicable to paper documents, application & web design, or simply making sure your chosen Windows color palette won't give you a siezure.

Simply reading the section about Perceptual Opposites led me to an "aha!" moment, when I finally understood why some colors just look nasty together, like they want to vibrate each other off the screen.  I'd subconciously recognized the phenomenon, but now I know why that happens.

Unfortunately none of this will not stop Mrs. Maximus from painting the kitchen green.

368

Living Room / Save Fred!

« on: November 25, 2007, 08:46 PM »

An... interesting... flash game, wherein you try to save the life of a stuffed bunny, Fred.

http://www.10mg.nl/



It's SFW, but will probably freak kids out.

UPDATE: Forgot to mention... the site's apparently the work of an advertising/web design agency; their "About" link is kinda fun too.

369

Living Room / Re: Blog Piece: Trend Watch: P2P Traffic Much Bigger Than Web Traffic

« on: November 25, 2007, 08:28 PM »

The thing about p2p is this: a few users can generate a disproportionate amount of traffic.  One p2p client can chew up gigabytes of bandwidth per day, as compared with typical users whose usage patters are more "bursty".  Normal folk may watch YouTube or download mp3s occasionally, but that pales in comparison.

It's why Comcast has been motivated to sabotage p2p networks and why the days of "unlimited" access may be numbered.  It's a bit like everyone in a house chipping in to pay for telephone service, but one guy spends all day monopolizing the phone.

If EVERYONE were to abuse p2p, the internet would probably collapse under the load.

370

Living Room / Re: Net Neutrality, Good for Innovation?

« on: November 25, 2007, 08:08 PM »

Kahn rejected the term "Net Neutrality", calling it "a slogan". He cautioned against dogmatic views of network architecture, saying the need for experimentation at the edges shouldn't come at the expense of improvements elsewhere in the network.

Net Neutrality's a "slogan"?

The concept of Net Neutrality is simply this: that no one company or organization receives favorable access above another, that the owners of backbone infrastructure may not select some packets for preferential treatment.  All the data in the pipe should be treated equally, with a blind eye.

That's it.  That's all.  What does that have to do with stifling innovation or removing profit incentive?

I'm kind of surprised -- I expected different from Robert Kahn; am I misreading his stance?

371

Living Room / VectorMagic: Convert Bitmaps into Vector Art (Free)

« on: November 25, 2007, 05:44 PM »

VectorMagic is an online experiment of Stanford University's Artificial Intelligence lab, taking bitmaps you upload and converting them to vector graphic files while-u-wait.  Vectorization really excels at simple logos and line art, but this bad boy will take anything you throw at it and deliver interesting results.  It has a clean and simple interface, with a Wizard that walks you through the process and then back again if the results make you go "meh".

http://vectormagic.stanford.edu/


They even include a brief tutorial for those new to vectorization, or why it's a Good Thing for certain applications.  Oh, and while the site has "Login" and "Signup" links in the upper right, rest assured you can vectorize all you want without registration.

I've included some before/after samples by way of demonstration.  Each took less than 4 minutes to process from beginning to end.  The first is an Audrey Maximus pencil sketch of the Mona Lisa:



Not bad.  Kind of screams "Impressionist", but it's a nice effect.  It's not a 100% perfect conversion, but I intentionally chose something that would be a challenge, and it worked out well.

Next up, the president of the RIAA:



Whoa!  It handles photographs well, don't you think? There's obvious problems with the reflection on his shoulder, but other than that most people wouldn't notice.  Note that while these samples are bitmaps (I converted them back again for posting) you can download your vector masterpiece in EPS format.

Vectors!  They're not just for making geometry students cry any more.

372

General Software Discussion / Re: GoodSync free from RoboForm today (not)

« on: November 25, 2007, 04:55 PM »

Something to keep in mind... if the company is based in the United States, and if it can be demonstrated that enough consumers have been suckered into thinking they're getting something for free when they're not, that's classified as deceptive advertising.  Something the Federal Trade Commission has an interest in.

They won't send vehicles with sirens or anything, but they do log complaints.  If enough complaints register, they'll investigate.  They are terribly gung-ho about internet crime right now (id theft, scams, interstate ecommerce theft) so nothing is too small for them, and who knows?  If enough complaints roll in for a given company a nice letter from the FTC might be all it takes to stop the behavior.

https://rn.ftc.gov/p.../dod/wsolcq$.startup

373

Living Room / Re: Seriously, wtf is going on with Apple's Mac vs. Pc ads?

« on: November 25, 2007, 09:47 AM »

I imagine Apple users are universally amused by the ads.  Also, it reaffirms their feeling that they've made the right decision by not going with that horrible Vista. 

And if Windows users get pissed off, so what?  Apple's not targeting that demographic.  The overlapping set of Mac+Windows users is so small they probably don't even register on their demographics radar.

By now "conventional wisdom" has condemned Vista to a defensive position; even if MS gets all the bugs fixed and Vista becomes the Windows of our dreams, 13 months of Vista Sucks word-of-mouth has done its work.  Even MS knows this, which is why we're hearing more and more mainstream chatter about Windows 7.

374

General Software Discussion / Re: Going back to XP

« on: November 25, 2007, 09:39 AM »

It does run in usermode. The graphics subsystem is run via a desktop window manager now (DWM.EXE).

-Josh (November 25, 2007, 09:04 AM)

Interesting.  What does that buy you exactly?  If the video drivers crash it doesn't take Windows down too?

So what happens if they do crash?  They reboot?  You get "Safe Mode" 256-color drivers so you can limp along and do a manual shut down?  Or what?

375

Living Room / Re: Seriously, wtf is going on with Apple's Mac vs. Pc ads?

« on: November 24, 2007, 09:11 PM »

Are you a fruity artist?