Messages

1526

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: The Journal - 51% Discount at Bits on 1/5/2009

« on: January 01, 2009, 07:53 AM »

All a bit academic for me atm as I haven't had access to BdJ for a few days. I've assumed it was server problems/changes so it might be back soon.

1527

General Software Discussion / Re: SmartWhoIS GiveAwayOfTheDay License Key.

« on: December 30, 2008, 06:43 AM »

That may be true but as a matter of principle we do not condone handing out serial codes for commercial software - even if it was on GAOTD.

The reason developers put their stuff on GAOTD is to tempt users to buy their products - that is why they restrict installation to the day of the give-away and say upgrade options are not included. As you say some developers may be more lax in enforcing these rules but they put their products onto GAOTD to increase sales and get their product promoted to a wider audience - not so that people can avoid paying for the product by sharing keys in a forum.

-Carol Haynes (December 30, 2008, 04:11 AM)

I don't think I commented on giving out keys - just responding to your comments on GAOTD. I don't think that some developers are necessarily lax in not enforcing GAOTD rules; some (eg with Liquid Story Binder) clearly made a different decision about how they wanted to promote their product. Just as some to allow commercial use. The GAOTD rules give the maximum restrictions to the license so that the greatest number of developers feel comfortable in giving their software free on the site - but not all developers want all the restrictions. That's all I was saying, and it is worth people remembering all the possibilities when considering a download from the site - you often don't know whether the developer implements less restrictive conditions without trying it out.

Just to be clear though, I don't think any of them want it to become a permanent giveaway and passing on keys would always be wrong.

1528

General Software Discussion / Re: SmartWhoIS GiveAwayOfTheDay License Key.

« on: December 29, 2008, 08:43 PM »

One of the normal conditions on GiveAwayOfTheDay is that the program cannot be upgraded (or even reinstalled after the day the offer expires).

I am not sure it is true of all products on the website but the keys usually provided with software are usually registered to GAOTD (not the individual user) and so you would not be able to upgrade anyway.

-Carol Haynes (December 29, 2008, 07:55 PM)

There are the GAOTD conditions, but not all developers implement these. Some will give upgrades, some will give support, some are automatically registered, some have registration keys and some of the keys will work with any username and not just GAOTD. You only really find out by trying.

1529

General Software Discussion / Re: 'Time stamping' sound recorder

« on: December 29, 2008, 08:36 PM »

You have looked at the perfectnotes posts in the notes thread?

1530

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: GemX Crazy Summer Specials

« on: December 29, 2008, 11:35 AM »

Tne 'new' price has been $49.95 for some time.

And now there's the 2 for 1 sale (until Jan 10) which brings it down to $25 (if there are two of you wanting it). And the whole thing is portable and can be carried on a USB.

1531

General Software Discussion / Re: GemX - missing in action

« on: December 29, 2008, 11:31 AM »

And now an extra discount (at least until Jan 10th) - 2 for price of 1. So, if 2 of you want to buy, that's only $25 each. Not so long ago, that would have been $165.

Seems pretty cheap to me, even if they don't produce a new version.

And they are looking for suggestions etc for v4.

1532

General Software Discussion / Re: Editor for PDFs: recommendations, please?

« on: December 28, 2008, 05:11 PM »

See here

1533

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

« on: December 28, 2008, 06:11 AM »

I download and run a LOT of software applications and when anyone does that - especially with unproven software - there's a higher degree of risk than so-called "normal" users

-J-Mac (December 27, 2008, 02:44 PM)

I agree completely about the need for caution. I keep my private stuff in encrypted areas; I always have the option of restoring the system if I'm doubtful about software rather than deleting/uninstalling. I would note that successful malware doesn't draw attention to itself, but that doesn't mean you don't get not very successful malware wreaking havoc. I don't think there is that sort of product with this. Not had a problem with the system since. I was running Kaspersky all the time; I have run a F-Secure scan from the web (found a couple of ad trackers). Am doing a detailed Kaspersky scan now; about time anyway.

1534

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: December 28, 2008, 05:55 AM »

I'd also note that a 3 or 4 day beta is pitifully short. Look at the SQLnotes strategy where the betas last much longer and people can have some confidence they will be able to use the product longer term.

I'd have to say that if I was potentially a $9.95 a month payer, I wouldn't want to be getting mixed up in such short-term betas now. I'd think my time was worth much more and would wait to evaluate the final release. And if I wasn't a $9.95 a month payer, I wouldn't bother at all since it wouldn't be realistic to think I'd get any long term benefit from using the program or helping it develop.

1535

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: December 28, 2008, 05:51 AM »

The price will be $9.95 per month with automatic upgrades. A microphone and CD will be shipped to each customer when they subscribe.

-perfectnotes (December 28, 2008, 12:17 AM)

I can see it's a very difficult product to price. Worth a lot to a small number of people; worth something to a large number of others. I don't think the average customer will want anything posted to them, but corporates might, so might some colleges/schools. I think that $9.95 a month is a corporate/high-end price level which will keep sales low (not implying that's a bad thing, it is certainly one way of marketing the product and may be the best; allows you to issue a similar but cut-price more mass market product later, if someone else has not picked up the idea there; will require much more time and money being spent on schmoozing customers). If you look at Evernote pricing, you will see that they offer a lot for a little in comparison and are clearly going for a 'mass market'; not that they are a competitor, but people will look at other progs to work out whether yours is worth the money. And few individuals, without a very clear need, will be happy with the monthly pricing.

1536

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: December 28, 2008, 05:41 AM »

You can use the keyboard shortcuts to create markers quickly on the fly without having to use the mouse at all. If you click on Options and then My Timemark Hot Keys, you can configure the keyboard shortcuts to create markers in the timeline. There are many options including the Pause key, function keys, and others. You can optionally type in a short label in your marker.

-perfectnotes (December 28, 2008, 12:41 AM)

I had tried this but not got anywhere I thought worth getting. Does put in a marker, can type a new on-the-fly comment (not quite so sure how to get out of the comment, except by pressing Return), but could not set up a new timemark with its own hotkeys.

1537

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: December 28, 2008, 05:30 AM »

What do you mean by clickable checkboxes? I'm not familiar with those. Do you mean a checkbox on the timeline that you could mark off that you have listened to that marker?

-perfectnotes (December 28, 2008, 12:41 AM)

Clickable - so that you can click in it and have it ticked and unticked. Some progs have checkboxes that you can't click in.

No, not a checkbox on the timeline. I suspect that you are rather focussed on your original ideas about it all being about taking notes from lectures. If the program is going to be used at all, it will have to be usable for much more - and that much more will have to be general note-taking/writing functions.

One of the things I have in mind would be that from lectures (sometimes), meetings (often) some of the things noted will be actions that need to be completed. The tickbox can indicate those - and later whether they have been done or not.

1538

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: December 27, 2008, 11:52 PM »

Using mouse on timemark buttons means a lot of movement away from keyboard & writing.

-Dormouse (December 27, 2008, 11:41 PM)

Would work well on later editing with recording running though. But would then need to be able to do that edit on the timeline later.

Would also be good if snippets can be taken out of recording and put in notes.

1539

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: December 27, 2008, 11:41 PM »

This way, when you are in a class or a lecture and you wish you could stop the professor, rewind him, and hear it again, you can! It's instant replay for your life. If you're interested, check it out at http://www.perfectnotes.com.

-perfectnotes (December 27, 2008, 10:46 PM)

Interesting idea.
But would need to know price/likely price.
Basic functionality seems limited.
To be used as a real-time note-taker it needs to be built for speed. But there is no right click menu.
Using mouse on timemark buttons means a lot of movement away from keyboard & writing.
Need way to add and edit timemark buttons.
Probably needs the standard note-keeping outline pane as well as tabs.
Automatic back up is essential.

Despite my preference for mouse use, notebooks are easiest done just from keyboard most of the time, so everything in perfectnotes needs to be easily done through keyboard.

Portable is better.

Being able to insert clickable checkboxes would make it much more useful.

I look forward to seeing new versions.

1540

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

« on: December 27, 2008, 04:06 AM »

what about StopKa

-vitali_y (November 24, 1973, 12:04 PM)

OK. I thought I would give it a go.

Problem 1
What I expect to see when setting up an index is a number of obvious options to select. At a minimum-

• location(s) of files/documents to index
• types of file/document to index
• location to save index to
• name of index

I did not find this. And in my initial looking around the menus, I could not even find the location in which the index would be placed.

Problem 2
Never mind, I thought. I'll try an index and see how it goes and then should be able to find the index file easily enough.
I did the index; drive C. Indexed lots of files; only just over 3 hours. Found index in C:\Stopka\. But however I tried to search, I couldn't get it to find any documents.

Problem 3
Never mind, I thought again. I will move the index location to a suitable place. I will index most of the internal hard drives. And left it to run overnight.
In morning, a visual C error message. And a Windows message saying windows had run out of memory and had switched to a paging file (first time that has ever happened to me in recent years, and not a lot was running apart from Stopka) - and it was obviously running like treacle. Restarted machine. Deleted Stopka.

Sorry to be negative, but I do expect a much easier path into testing out a Search program.

1541

Living Room / Re: Photography Questions

« on: December 23, 2008, 04:53 PM »

Another point worth considering is the lens.
 
If you were to get the A200 (and money weren't a major issue), it would probably be worth getting it with the extremely well regarded Sony or Tamron 18-250 lens (which would make it more equivalent to the Canon 40D in price, but produce much better quality output; putting a decent lens on the Canon would push its cost even higher).

Can't emphasize enough that making the best of any of these cameras means putting on a much better quality lens than comes in the kit.

The 18-250 seems to be exceptional value for money (rather like the A200) and also adds a much greater range (and is said to be pretty good along the whole range). A lot of people seem to use it as their only lens, even when they have a number of decent lenses to choose from. Works very well on the A700 too.

I'd want to repeat that I'm not trying to recommend the A200. The essence, as Lutz_ said, is trying all the options out.

1542

General Software Discussion / Re: Editor for PDFs: recommendations, please?

« on: December 23, 2008, 12:52 PM »

I didn't spot a PayPal link, though I wasn't looking for one.  Did I miss it?

-rjbull (December 23, 2008, 09:22 AM)

I think they stopped doing PayPal.
A virtual debit/credit card is not the same as paypal even if it is one done by paypal. Their one works as a standard Mastercard, but you only have the amount of money you are spending with that retailer on it. It's a system to avoid giving your real credit card details to retailers you aren't sure of, but it seems it might circumvent this difficulty.

1543

General Software Discussion / Re: Editor for PDFs: recommendations, please?

« on: December 23, 2008, 06:37 AM »

Since we do not ship internationally, we also do not accept international credit/debit cards. We only accept credit/ debit cards that are issued in the U.S., from a U.S. Bank.

This despite the offer being a download rather than physical shipment.

-rjbull (December 23, 2008, 03:46 AM)

Have you tried a virtual debit/credit card such as paypal's?

1544

Living Room / Re: Photography Questions

« on: December 22, 2008, 06:36 AM »

That is correct, only has to cover the 18-55 range. Right now, I am being pushed in the Sony direction but from what I read, the quality at higher exposure levels (ISO Levels) tends to be a bit noisy when compared to the somewhat more expensive canon. We were looking at the Sony A200 and the Canon 40d.

-Josh (December 22, 2008, 06:08 AM)

A lot of fuss is made about high ISO differences, but most photos are taken in low ISO, and the differences between the brands at high ISO are actually very small and not easily noticed on prints at most normal sizes. Any difference in quality between the lenses on the cameras will be greater.

The counter argument tends to be that Canon photos look 'plastic' because of the in-camera noise reduction which smoothes things out. (And whatever claims are made, ALL digital cameras do have in-camera NR)

You always need to think whether any differences important to pixel peepers will be differences you will actually notice in your own real life use.

High ISO photos on Sony are generally best taken in RAW and not PPd with ACR, but again whether you will notice the difference is pretty moot.

If you are worried about high ISO, download copies of photos you like taken by the camera in question at high ISO and have them printed at relevant sizes (or just check them out on your monitor - worth remembering that not all monitors are really worth trying to calibrate, so worth thinking about monitors too - potentially $£$£). Remember a lot of stuff on the web is either too small in resolution, or done at 100% making it too big.

You have to be really cynical when reading stuff on the web about cameras, whether they are reviews or comments. Most, if not all, are done by people with a commitment to one system and much less experience of others.

If you are interested in Sony, it is worth visiting photoclubalpha. The photog who runs the site has extensive experience of Sony and Minolta - but also of other systems - and one of the most frequent posters seems to think of nothing but extremely high ISOs.

1545

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: MiniReview of Linkman URL Organizer and Search Tool

« on: December 22, 2008, 06:06 AM »

Firefox has no ability to display CHM files. So this is not a configuration issue. All CHM files, on all Windows versions and from all programs are displayed by Internet Explorer. If you don't like this you can use the PDF help file.

-Outertech Support (December 22, 2008, 06:00 AM)

Has an add-on for CHM, though.

1546

Living Room / Re: Photography Questions

« on: December 22, 2008, 06:02 AM »

• DSLR Camera with interchangeable lenses. The lens it comes with MUST have a focal length of 18-55mm. I was looking at the Canon EOS 40d which seems to have all she needs and will be a decent system for her use throughout the course (Or until they require us buy more lenses, etc)

-Josh (December 20, 2008, 12:31 AM)

Whatever anyone says, it's best not to choose a camera without trying it in hand, trying the control system (buttons and menus) etc. Some people adjust quickly from one system to another, some find one system much more intuitive than others. How the camera feels, size etc also makes a difference. We all do better with a camera that feels right.

Also worth looking at photos made with the different systems by 'ordinary' photographers. All makes produce good cameras, but color tones and the general look of a photo vary in a significant way - even if you shoot raw and do a lot of PP.

Once decent (ie expensive) lenses are bought, that becomes an extra disincentive to change makes. So buying the brand that feels best at the beginning is worth the effort. There does tend to be a consistency within each brand in the types of body, control systems and tones etc. And remember, in the end, most photographers end up with far more money invested in lenses than in camera bodies.

At the very least, I'd try Canon, Nikon and Sony (all likely to be around long-term; Canon and Nikon well-established; Sony fast expanding market share from its Minolta/Sony base); and I'd also try to look at Pentax and Olympus, though they'd have to feel very attractive to make me go with their systems at this stage). All capable of producing good photos.

I assume that it doesn't have to be an 18-55 lens, just one that covers that range?

1547

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: MiniReview of Linkman URL Organizer and Search Tool

« on: December 22, 2008, 05:20 AM »

I'm just surprised and a little disappointed that Linkman's Help file is configured to run in an IE window rather than in the window of the user's default browser.

-cyberdiva (December 22, 2008, 05:10 AM)

I'd agree with that. Seems to me that most people who don't use IE as their default prefer not to see it activate at all. May not be a big issue, but a bit disquieting.

1548

N.A.N.Y. 2009 / Re: NANY 2009 Teaser: Tree List

« on: December 21, 2008, 09:06 AM »

I would like to be able to see more text visible (ie that the text box is able to go as wide as the window). Also easy export/import; I assume it would not be too much of a prob to do this with xml files.

1549

N.A.N.Y. 2009 / Re: NANY 2009 Teaser: Tree List

« on: December 21, 2008, 08:59 AM »

Congratulations Richard, as a simple To Do List it works fine (at least I couldn't break it).

And simple is pretty nice. I also use ToDoList, which now does almost everything, but it's not small and quick anymore (well, not as small and quick as it used to be)

-Perry Mowbray (December 05, 2008, 05:35 AM)

I also use ToDoList, but like most tasklist/todolist progs it is complex and not well suited to quick lists of transitory stuff. So simple tasklist progs definitely have their place, and probably would be used most often. In comparing this with ToDoList and JustDoIt, it seems to me that this is the prog that is best for very transitory jotting and todo management, JustDoIt interfaces well with other progs (easy to export from ToDoList into it for example) and is better for checking whether something was done and so fits in-between TreeList and ToDoList. I hope both progs develop further because they could both be even more useful than they are now.

1550

N.A.N.Y. 2009 / Re: NANY 2009 Teaser: Tree List

« on: December 21, 2008, 08:47 AM »

Terrific. The hierarchical functionality is what's missing from JustDoIt IMO.

-Ehtyar (December 05, 2008, 05:19 AM)

Interesting differences between the two.

This has the hierarchy. And multiple lists.
JustDoIt has moving of the done items, a record of what is done (can be kept long-term, on daily, weekly, monthly etc basis), a very easy way to import items in bulk and 'automatic export'.