Recent Posts

151

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 10:33 PM »

Bottom line: Apple is what I am grudgingly endorsing (it really kills me to say that!) for now - no learning curve and few pratfalls to worry about...

-Darwin (March 09, 2011, 11:18 AM)

If someone asked me for a recommendation for a tablet, I'd say wait a little while longer.

Apple do make some good hardware and software, but I can't recommend Apple to people I care about simple on principle due to their business practices.

Sure, Apple's trains may run on time, but good luck getting toilet paper when you need it!

-Deozaan (March 09, 2011, 06:17 PM)

  Nice one. My parents have a Snow Leapord desktop (iMac) and two netbooks/ultraportables XP and Win7. They love Mac so I'm not so much recommending Apple as not discouraging them (though I would like to do so). Waiting is the buzzword re: tablets, I'm just not sure that my parents would benefit from waiting...

152

General Software Discussion / Re: AllMyNotes or Notezilla - Looking for a Comparison

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 04:29 PM »

+1 for Stickies. I used it until I won a license for Notezilla. Notezilla is more powerful and configureable, but Stickes is VERY capable. Having said that, DO look at Vista and 7 built in Sticky Notes. I haven't used it but know people that do and it, too, seems highly functional.

153

General Software Discussion / Re: The Bat: Great program, terrible documentation and support

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 02:12 PM »

Wow! That is quite a story, Jim! At least they gave you your money back... Despite the refund, this is not a good way to go about fostering warm, cuddly feelings toward your company and product! Quite "holier than thou" about it, from the snippet of their e-mail that you quoted. What I don't understand is the "no opposing view will be tolerated" attitude. I haven't read you posts on their forums (obviously) but if all you were doing was pointing out bugs and deficiencies it suggests that far from not liking their software you like it enough to want development and improvement to go forward. Sheesh!

154

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 12:14 PM »

PS I did some checking - the Viewsonic available near me isn't - it's available on-line but not in-store - and it's specs are quite unimpressive (my 18 month or so old Archos 5IT has a faster, higher spec, more modern processor, for example).

155

General Software Discussion / Re: eBoostr, now version 4

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 11:59 AM »

Well... I like Xara Designer enough (I have bought every version since 1, even after the upgrade to v.3 followed within a couple of months by a split in the product line between regular and Pro feature sets. You can guess which line I started buying then? Yup, the Pro line. Doh!). I just don't do that much graphics work on my computer. I know it's there and it comforts me... I just don't need it very often.

156

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 11:56 AM »

Motorola Xoom is running Android 3:
http://www.motorola....mers/XOOM/index.html

-Edvard (March 09, 2011, 11:35 AM)

Yes, but it's pricey and hardly widely available (won't even be available in Canada for another week). One of the factors that I was taking into account is how available these devices are to the average Joe going to a bricks and mortar store to buy something. There are perhaps three/four Android devices available in my small city: iPad, Galaxy Tab, Dell Streak, Viewsonic 7" tablet. That's it. The Viewsonic ONLY became available this week.

Like I said, Honeycomb (Android 3.0 - I should have been clear in my earlier post) may change everything but for now it is as rare as rocking horse shit and very few people have used on in the wild/reported on the experience, so it's largely an unknown quantity.

157

General Software Discussion / Re: The Bat: Great program, terrible documentation and support

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 11:26 AM »

Yeah, fair enough, timns. I'm out of the business/academic world now (underemployed since 2008) and should have specified "social" use of e-mail. The only people that seem to use it are those who are over 60 OR who started using it in the early 90's when it started to become mainstream. Kids use Facebook. I loathe Facebook... (we fear change).

158

General Software Discussion / Re: eBoostr, now version 4

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 11:23 AM »

-for maybe a year the number of installed programs has been "in the 310+ range", say between 330 and 360. But you probably use more programs than I do ;-)

What really gets to me is the long list of $hareware programs I have purchased a license for, but don't even have installed. Corel, several Magix / Xara programs, etcetera; they were expensive, but I never used them. Right now I am actually in need of cash for my daily existence, because I were spending too much money last month, to buy software (I most likely won't use)! Hmm... Oh yeah, that,  and on pizza take away! :-)

-Curt (March 09, 2011, 09:53 AM)

You're singing my song, Curt! I have hundreds of $5 to $150+ (e.g. Omnipage Pro) apps that I own licenses for but don't have installed. What kills me more are the programs that I still have installed that I doubt I'll ever use (Xara Designer Pro 6, Corel Paintshop Pro X3, ArtRage Pro 3... see a trend? I'm a sucker for graphics programs that I never, NEVER ,use. Another example is PowerGREP 4 - even paid for the upgrade from 3. I've owned it for five years and have never used it. Another? ArcGIS ($1100!)... <sigh>

159

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 11:18 AM »

You know, having at least one device running the latest OS from everyone with the exception of Linux (machine died about a year ago), as much as it grieves me to say this, nothing else is ready for prime time WRT tablets than iOS 4.x. Android *may* get there with Honeycomb and unfortunately, for now, that is where the competition is: Apple vs. Android. I have two Android tablets and they are fun. However, my father wants to buy my mother a tablet for her birthday and I cannot in good conscience recommend an Andriod 2.21. There's just too much variation in terms of stability and configuration for me to be confident that they would have a smooth, hassle-free experience. Honeycomb may change all that... Wish MS would get its act together - of iOS 4.2, WP7, and Android 2.21, WP7 is by far the nicest portable OS that I use. Of course, my wife is due to be getting a RIM Playbook later this year through work, so that may change things as well.

Anyway, rambling musings aside, Apple owns the tablet and PMP market because their devices are pretty much idiot proof. Android devices expose the idiot in all of us and MS isn't really in the market yet (does that make MS a pack of idiots?  ).

Bottom line: Apple is what I am grudgingly endorsing (it really kills me to say that!) for now - no learning curve and few pratfalls to worry about...

EDIT: typos..

160

General Software Discussion / Re: The Bat: Great program, terrible documentation and support

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 08:22 AM »

Speaking for myself, I suspect that part of the reason many of us are no longer seduced by expensive, feature-rich e-mail clients (says he who uses Outlook!), is that e-mail seems to have SERIOUSLY declined in use over the past five or so years. The decline may well have started before then, but I don't receive or send anything near the volume of e-mail that I did in the past. This is a general trend, not just my experience, I *think*, non?

161

General Software Discussion / Re: eBoostr, now version 4

« Last post by Darwin on March 09, 2011, 08:19 AM »

-close ;-)

I install and uninstall, mostly. The total number of programs is almost consistent.

-Curt (March 08, 2011, 05:59 PM)

And what is that magical number, Curt  For myself, after years in the 310+ range, I'm down to 182 application installations (which is not entirely accurate, it's the number reported by Your Uninstaller! PRO and doesn't include software that ships without an installer).

162

General Software Discussion / Re: eBoostr, now version 4

« Last post by Darwin on March 08, 2011, 12:34 PM »

Thanks, Curt. I uninstalled eBoostr 4.x a couple of months ago and haven't looked back.

-Darwin (March 08, 2011, 10:57 AM)

-this doesn't tell much, does it. You uninstall anything and everything!   

-Curt (March 08, 2011, 12:26 PM)

 

163

General Software Discussion / Re: The Bat: Great program, terrible documentation and support

« Last post by Darwin on March 08, 2011, 11:00 AM »

I totally understand where you're all coming from. What I love about Gmail is... it stopped me really caring about filtering, for the most part.

-JavaJones (March 05, 2011, 02:13 AM)

I find this to be true of Outlook 2010/Windows 7 Search as well. Flitering/applying rules to/organizing my e-mail is habit for me, though.

164

General Software Discussion / Re: eBoostr, now version 4

« Last post by Darwin on March 08, 2011, 10:57 AM »

Thanks, Curt. I uninstalled eBoostr 4.x a couple of months ago and haven't looked back. Really haven't noticed any difference in the performance of my computer, but then I'm not sure that in the last few months that I using eBoostr it was really working. Often the caches that I'd had it create were inactive and I'd have to manually start them up.

165

General Software Discussion / Re: The Bat: Great program, terrible documentation and support

« Last post by Darwin on March 03, 2011, 11:13 PM »

MacMail is straight forward.

When you have a mail where you last moved it in 3 or 4 different folders, it gives you a choice to move it to the last 3 or 4 locations where you last moved it to.

For example, those PayPal emails... you file it under [ISP], [Rent], [Mac Programs], [Windows Programs], the next time the same email comes, it gives you a choice to file it under any of those last 4 folders you want.

If it's from that user, click [File] or [Thread] to file all the threads under that folder.

Click on To-Do, if you have WiFi, it flows to your iPhone or iPad

Top notch. 

I still remember the time spending many hours filing my emails with TheBat

-vizacc (March 02, 2011, 06:24 AM)

Sounds a lot like what SimplyFile does...

166

General Software Discussion / Re: Switcher2: Expose Clone (Window Arranger) for Windows

« Last post by Darwin on February 28, 2011, 09:16 PM »

It's called "Instant Viewer" and the tiles are "Live" - I watched Outlook's startup dialogue scrolling from within it...

-Darwin (February 28, 2011, 09:13 AM)

How live, though? The test is playing back a video and determining whether the preview is 100% smooth, and without a noticeable increase in CPU usage.

-f0dder (February 28, 2011, 09:25 AM)

dlhost.exe uses a fair amount of CPU (@30% on a dual-core setup) when there is video playing back, but the playback is perfectly smooth. I guess instant viewer uses the same windows components as win-tab because the playback is the same.


EDIT: clarity

167

General Software Discussion / Re: Switcher2: Expose Clone (Window Arranger) for Windows

« Last post by Darwin on February 28, 2011, 09:13 AM »

Here's a screenshot:



It's called "Instant Viewer" and the tiles are "Live" - I watched Outlook's startup dialogue scrolling from within it...

I've never really explored instant viewer too much, so am not 100% sure that you need to install IntelliPoint to use it.

YMMV

168

General Software Discussion / Re: Switcher2: Expose Clone (Window Arranger) for Windows

« Last post by Darwin on February 28, 2011, 08:52 AM »

If you have a microsoft mouse (I have one but am not currently using it - it's in the 6000 wireless series), the software adds a VERY Expose-like switcher to Windows 7 and Vista (can't speak to earlier versions of windows. I might reinstall the mouse and its software (though I don't really want to add more software to my setup) as the HP wireless mouse I am using eats batteries like CRAZY, whereas the MS mouse has awesome powersaving features that mean that I get months out of a set. If I do this, I'll report back with screenshots.

169

General Software Discussion / Re: The Bat: Great program, terrible documentation and support

« Last post by Darwin on February 28, 2011, 08:48 AM »

The rules in Outlook can be tamed (I've done it!) but it's also hit and miss - ie, I can't always remember from one day to the next *how* I managed to get a rule to do what I wanted it to do! Having said that, I'm pretty sure that I haven't created a rule in Outlook 2010, possibly didn't create on in 2007, either. I've been using SimplyFile by TechHit in lieu of creating new rules and all has been well for about a year. The add-in doesn't really replace rules per se, but in combination with rules it's a snap organizing my mail just how I like it.

I wish Microsoft would make organing favouries and rules and other content more intuitive... Favourites management is about the only remaining thing that I miss from Firefox.

170

General Software Discussion / Re: The Bat: Great program, terrible documentation and support

« Last post by Darwin on February 27, 2011, 09:25 AM »

Sort of OT here, but just wanted to chime in: I have a license for the Bat! 4.x but haven't had it installed, let alone used it, in over a year. Hell, maybe even two or three years (as I get older the time compression thing is getting much more problematic for me*). Anyway, I started out with PINE in grad school (1993) and used Eudora for several years at home, then Outlook Express and then Outlook 2000 (around 1999). I haven't really looked back. I've tried Netscape Messenger, Thunderbird, and others along the way as well. I'm currently using K9 on my Android devices. It's fair - bettter than the built in client. The iOS 4.3 email client is alright as well. WP7's email client, though it lacks an integrated inbox, is MUCH better than either, though, IMNSHO. Have used MacMail on my OSX Snow Leapord system but am now using Outlook 2011. Much better (for me!), though I concede superboyac and vizaac's points about Mac's mail client. There is a lot to like about it.

My main e-mail client is Outlook 2010, and I have no significant complaints about it. Actually, I can't think of any.

*Wrinting cogent, topical, and interesting posts is also a challenge  Too lazy to do much about it, though (also age-related: can't be asked!).

171

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by Darwin on February 13, 2011, 10:40 AM »

I think Rio vs iPod probably boils down to marketing, marketing, marketing and the iPod's wheel. Which indirectly means that it came down to Apple's deep pockets and their position, even then, as being GUI innovators and builders of high quality hardware. They also had a huge Apple fanboy PC userbase to market the iPod to. To make a rather weak comparison, this is like Archos marketing first the Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet (with Archos' own linux based OS on it) in 2008 and the Archos 5 Internet Tablet (Android OS) in 2009. Few people paid the slightest attention. I think that if either device had been marketed as the "iPod Touch GPS" by Apple they would have sold like hot cakes and garnered fabulous reviews. Of course, there are other factors involved: having the capital to produce the things in sufficient numbers to get them onto shelves, initial releases were rather buggy, and zero marketing...

Of course, it didn't hurt that they were flogging aa decent, well reviewed product.

172

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by Darwin on February 10, 2011, 06:58 PM »

I have yet to see Archos hit a homerun with their devices.  They always seem so promising, yet they never quite cross that line of truly awesome.

-superboyac (February 10, 2011, 04:18 PM)

Agreed, thought the A5IT is wonderful. I can only imagine that it didn't do better because it only has a 4.8" screen.

173

General Software Discussion / Re: Upgrading RoboForm from v6 to v7: worthwhile?

« Last post by Darwin on February 10, 2011, 04:13 PM »

I, too, have found a few sites that haven't migrated 100% from Roboform into LastPass. Overall, though, I'm hugely impressed with LastPass. I keep downloading the installers for the updates to Roboform, but have yet to install them. The temptation is dimishing quickly, as well.

EDIT: typo

174

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by Darwin on February 10, 2011, 04:11 PM »

Great points all, superboyac 

@ Deozaan - I'm still waiting to see what Arhchos does WRT the A5 and Android 2.x they haven't definitively said that they won't be doing it (though as noted above I'm not holding my breath) so it *might* happen. For now, there's nothing in 2.2 that I miss when switching to 1.6 and I don't need anymore apps (so OS incompatibility with apps in the marketplace isn't an issue, yet...).

175

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by Darwin on February 10, 2011, 11:19 AM »

Yes, the Adam is sweet looking on paper, particularly with the Pixel Qi display. However, it's been vapourware for close to a year now and is only now slowly rolling out to lukewarm reviews... here's an example: http://blog.laptopma...k-adam-early-verdict