Recent Posts

2026

General Software Discussion / Re: OCR too expensive? Try freeloaders!

« Last post by Darwin on October 23, 2008, 11:10 PM »

I'm still completely clueless... No big surprise there, I guess 

2027

General Software Discussion / Re: Spam filtering

« Last post by Darwin on October 23, 2008, 11:08 PM »

Crap! Spambayes spontaneously combusted on my XP installation (Sp-3 with Outlook 2007 Sp-1). I've updated Windows, Office, rebooted, uninstalled Spambayes, rebooted, downloaded the latest version, installed, rebooted, yadda, yadda, yadda... 

I'm going to have to find something to replace it. What're people using and loving these days?

2028

Living Room / Re: Eggnog season is upon us!

« Last post by Darwin on October 23, 2008, 07:43 PM »

Any chance of getting her recipe and posting it?

-40hz (October 23, 2008, 06:03 PM)

+1 for this idea/request 

2029

General Software Discussion / Re: OCR too expensive? Try freeloaders!

« Last post by Darwin on October 22, 2008, 01:49 PM »

scancode - you've lost me with this one?!   

2030

Living Room / Re: Things your kids will never know - old school tech!

« Last post by Darwin on October 22, 2008, 12:04 PM »

Heh, heh - Brandon, I think 40hz was commenting on the quality of the music played on the radio... 

-Darwin (October 22, 2008, 08:22 AM)

T'wasn't me that said that!

But while we're on the subject, how about when MTV actually was about music?

-40hz (October 22, 2008, 09:21 AM)

OK - sorry, shouldn't have put words in your mouth (or is that wrested them from your fingertips  ) 

2031

General Software Discussion / Re: which Linux version for my laptop

« Last post by Darwin on October 22, 2008, 12:01 PM »

@Houstier - Hmmm... I've yet to actuatlly *try* Xubuntu (because of the aforementioned hiccough during installation  ) Is Xubuntu 8.10 running more snappily or is it the regular Ubuntu version?

@David - your machine should be fine with a regular Linux distro...

2032

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Please List Any BitsDuJour.com Clones To This Thread. (Software Only Please)

« Last post by Darwin on October 22, 2008, 11:59 AM »

Yes -  I regularly visit several freeware sites, such as freedownloadaday and xtort 

2033

Living Room / Re: Things your kids will never know - old school tech!

« Last post by Darwin on October 22, 2008, 08:45 AM »

Wow! I missed the query about 45's and LP's... You might know LP's as "vinyl", Brandon. They're making a big comeback and are ofen used by DJ's (the remixer/sampling sort).

2034

General Software Discussion / Re: which Linux version for my laptop

« Last post by Darwin on October 22, 2008, 08:33 AM »

David - what are the specs on your notebook? I am running Ubuntu Hardy Heron (a.k.a. 8.04) on a PIII 600 notebook with 192MB RAM. It runs, albeit slowly. Not to go into long-winded details, but I had MEANT to install Xubuntu which is for lower spec, older machines. However, I had major problems with a dead stick of RAM that I initially thought were due to either a dead dvd-ROM drive or a bad burn of Xubuntu and thus kept trying different combos. When I finally got the RAM fixed, Ubuntu happened to be in the drive! If your machine is new-ish, this won't be an issue, but I thought I'd ask...

2035

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Please List Any BitsDuJour.com Clones To This Thread. (Software Only Please)

« Last post by Darwin on October 22, 2008, 08:28 AM »

Bits du Jour is the most... reliable and consistent one that I know of. The other (that purports to offer daily deals but go for MONTHS without updates) that I know of is: Software Deal of the Day

2036

Living Room / Re: Things your kids will never know - old school tech!

« Last post by Darwin on October 22, 2008, 08:22 AM »

Heh, heh - Brandon, I think 40hz was commenting on the quality of the music played on the radio... 

2037

General Software Discussion / Re: split PDF files - context menu program?

« Last post by Darwin on October 22, 2008, 08:20 AM »

Not only that, as they also didn't come back after july 11. I guess that means something.

-jgpaiva (October 22, 2008, 05:07 AM)

  Hadn't noticed the date!

2038

General Software Discussion / Re: WINDOWS 7 THREAD (ongoing)

« Last post by Darwin on October 22, 2008, 12:39 AM »

As far as being able to work anywhere and stuff, I'd prefer to just setup a robust synchronization system based upon my personal needs rather than have an OS manage it all in a general way.

-superboyac (October 21, 2008, 05:12 PM)

USB thumbdrive all the way for me... I can pick up a 16GB Sandisk Cruzer Micro right now for under $40 where I am. With that kind of capacity I can put all of my documents AND enouhg portable apps to sink the Bismarck on the thing... Heck, I already do that with my 8GB version of the same drive and I can't fill it!

I'm with you on the optimized OS idea as well. Dammit! I've waited 20 years for quad core and terabyte drives and gigabytes of RAM. I want the computer to be so fast when I'm using it that it peels the skin off my face! Then I wouldn't need to exfoliate...

2039

Living Room / Re: Things your kids will never know - old school tech!

« Last post by Darwin on October 21, 2008, 04:32 PM »

Heh, heh - I'd forgotten about "Red Barchetta" 

2040

General Software Discussion / Re: split PDF files - context menu program?

« Last post by Darwin on October 21, 2008, 03:48 PM »

another first post recommending a commercial product..

-lanux128 (October 21, 2008, 10:05 AM)

I wondered about that, too...

2041

Living Room / Re: Things your kids will never know - old school tech!

« Last post by Darwin on October 21, 2008, 03:47 PM »

BTW I think that there may soon come a time when the whole concept of the internal combustion engine and the use of gasoline as a fuel for anything might be foreign to "yoots".

2042

Living Room / Re: Eggnog season is upon us!

« Last post by Darwin on October 21, 2008, 03:45 PM »

As for classy, apparently Ms. Jolie can look the part, but I'm sure she can pick her nose and scratch her butt as readily as any one with less genteel breeding...

-Edvard (October 21, 2008, 10:17 AM)

IS Angelina Jolie's breeding that genteel... ?!

2043

Living Room / Re: Things your kids will never know - old school tech!

« Last post by Darwin on October 21, 2008, 03:39 PM »

Pretty soon it's going to be letter-box format, analogue TV's (or at least their mention) that draw blank stares...

Here're a few:
Imperial weights and measures (Canada - I encounter this one already)
Audio cassettes (I had to show a 15 year old what a "Walkman" was! LP's are making a comeback, though)
Going to the movie theatre to watch a movie (as in, life before VCR's/DVD players)

2044

General Software Discussion / Re: split PDF files - context menu program?

« Last post by Darwin on October 21, 2008, 08:34 AM »

Hmmm at $350 ..... not even bothering with the demo

-Carol Haynes (March 09, 2008, 07:26 AM)

Thanks for posting that, Carol! I'm not even bothering following the link at that price!

2045

General Software Discussion / Re: WINDOWS 7 THREAD (ongoing)

« Last post by Darwin on October 21, 2008, 08:33 AM »

I am not too happy about the idea of a webcentric OS on my computer.

-Carol Haynes (October 21, 2008, 03:20 AM)

Nor am I. I thought this was a terrible idea 15 years ago and think it is a worse idea now. Accessibility is, obviously an issue, but security has only become a greater problem in the past few years. 

2046

Living Room / Re: Rats! MS Auto Updates Got Me Again!

« Last post by Darwin on October 21, 2008, 08:30 AM »

Re-reading Josh`s post (thanks for the lotto numbers, BTW!), I guess that`s been more or less my experience as well: Windows updates by themselves have never hurt my computer (that I can recall). What has hurt my computer have been conflicts with 3rd party stuff. It`s no problem now, I simply vet all updates before they are installed and never update 3rd party hardware drivers via Windows update. These are always optional, anyway.

2047

Living Room / Re: My computer is older than YOUR computer!

« Last post by Darwin on October 21, 2008, 08:21 AM »

Just answering my own question: I'm pretty sure sazzen was referring to wreckedcarrz original post/computer 

2048

Living Room / Re: Eggnog season is upon us!

« Last post by Darwin on October 20, 2008, 05:37 PM »

OK - I'm going to pour a very tall beer and drop a shooter of eggnog into it... as soon as I get some eggnog.

2049

Living Room / Re: Real Life Tron on an Apple IIgs

« Last post by Darwin on October 20, 2008, 05:36 PM »

Thanks - I enjoyed Tron as a kid and enjoyed the story all the more!

2050

Living Room / Re: My computer is older than YOUR computer!

« Last post by Darwin on October 19, 2008, 10:10 AM »

sazzen - which computer system are you referring to?! Also, what replaced the PB Multimedia M415 in daily use? Enquiring minds want to know...