Recent Posts

2201

Living Room / Re: Why is the 'N' key always the first to go?

« Last post by zridling on July 15, 2007, 10:04 AM »

Best keyboard ever made — Northgate back in the late 80s, early 90s. Damn thing was built like a tank, weighed half as much as your CRT monitor, and was made of metal! Now I'm addicted to Microsoft's Natural keyboard series.

2202

General Software Discussion / Re: My favorite software! What's yours?

« Last post by zridling on July 15, 2007, 09:59 AM »

Although it doesn't do the same tasks, Autoruns was updated this past week to run in Vista.

2203

General Software Discussion / Windows Guy Tries Ubuntu

« Last post by zridling on July 15, 2007, 09:53 AM »

An interesting real-time installation and first-experience with Ubuntu Linux by Tom Baker. Installing GNU/Linux on a notebook is typically more difficult than on a desktop.

2204

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the best LINUX software?

« Last post by zridling on July 15, 2007, 09:48 AM »

In my very limited experience, here's a few I've found so far:

— Codeweavers CrossOver Linux Pro (many use WINE)
— XnView
— OpenOffice
— k3b (DVD/CD burning app)
— RAR for Linux
— Gimp Image Editor

You might also add the BASH shell and Samba (networking included on all distros to share file and print services with Windows). Something I'm going to write about this week is the software management model for GNU/Linux. In many ways similar to Windows, you have an overwhelming number of choices with software, and thus the need to answer Ken's question: Which apps are best? There's the rub.

2205

General Software Discussion / Re: MoveOver - Windows to Linux migration tool

« Last post by zridling on July 13, 2007, 11:33 AM »

Interesting. I presume it works only with compatible apps between GNU/Linux and Windows. For example, it couldn't migrate an outlook PST file, so your email would need to be in Thunderbird or something like that, right?

2206

General Software Discussion / Re: Are you a hardcore software fanatic or a poseur?

« Last post by zridling on July 13, 2007, 11:29 AM »

Man, I'm down to 62 apps, and that includes over a dozen redundancies (several text editors, image editors, and three IDEs.). I've been trying to do more with less lately.

2207

Living Room / Re: By the time you read this, Internet Radio will be dead

« Last post by zridling on July 13, 2007, 11:12 AM »

Ah, thanks for the correction App. America used to be about freedom and liberty; nowadays it's about lawyers, expanding rupert murdoch's empire, and war. 

Do you realize that there's no way you could start a public library (in the US) today? No corporation would allow it. Maybe they should sue the Library of Congress for letting people listen to recordings more than once without paying for them!

2208

Living Room / By the time you read this, Internet Radio will be dead

« Last post by zridling on July 13, 2007, 08:14 AM »

According to Savenetradio.org, the real deadline for saving internet radio is upon us... NOW.

An appeals court has blocked an emergency stay, and that means that soon, (Saturday, according to the ticking clock on the website…) most internet radio streams will go off the air. Amazing how the web is being shutdown piece-by-piece by politicians and corporations. In America, you'd be stunned how little lobbying money it takes to buy off a politician.

I'm pissed.

2209

Living Room / Re: Why is the 'N' key always the first to go?

« Last post by zridling on July 13, 2007, 08:07 AM »

Another gripe: anyone else noticed how absolutely tiny the CTRL key is on the new Microsoft keyboards? What's up with that! The CTRL key is further than ever from the F4 key, which for Windows, is highly common.

2210

Living Room / Why is the 'N' key always the first to go?

« Last post by zridling on July 12, 2007, 10:35 PM »

I've always wonnnnnnnnnnndered why the N key was always the first to go on mannnnnnnnny keyboards. I cannnnnnnnot unnnnnnnnnnnnnerstannnnnnnn what is goinnnnnnnnnnnng onnnn here.



Anyone?

2211

General Software Discussion / Re: Forum for Linux software?

« Last post by zridling on July 11, 2007, 12:18 PM »

I'd agree with jgpaiva, since I think DC supports good software, wherever we find it. I don't use a Mac, and I'm not going to try to get people to switch to GNU/Linux, but it'd be nice for persistent dual-booters like myself to see what others like and contribute. Moreover, I think a classic problem with many forums is that they grow too vast, spread themselves too thin, and thus become useless. I have a hard enough time keeping up with GENERAL SOFTWARE DISCUSSION and the LIVING ROOM!  :-)

2212

General Software Discussion / Re: How does one backup Opera's settings,like wand passwords.

« Last post by zridling on July 11, 2007, 12:13 PM »

You can also import/export bookmarks and other items via the File menu > Import and Export > Export Opera bookmarks.

2213

General Software Discussion / Re: Forum for Linux software?

« Last post by zridling on July 11, 2007, 10:59 AM »

That would be cool, but content drives community. Would you be willing to write some mini-reviews of your favs? I'm considering writing up one on SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10-SP1 later this month. I'm the pickiest bastard I know on software, and even I've been impressed by what's happened on the Linux side for the past 18 months. Interesting, indeed. Here's a few places to start:

              — FreshMeat Repository
              — The Linux Alternative Project
              — Windows-Linux Equivalents
              — IceWalkers
              — FileWatcher

2214

General Software Discussion / Re: "XPLinux" Running Windows XP and Kubuntu on one joint desktop

« Last post by zridling on July 11, 2007, 10:32 AM »

Ah, thanks for the correction, Carol. Yea, VMware is the way to go if possible. Version 6 works great.

2215

General Software Discussion / Re: "XPLinux" Running Windows XP and Kubuntu on one joint desktop

« Last post by zridling on July 11, 2007, 08:50 AM »

Many distros will recognize and provide step-by-step setup options during install. The two main things are to let Windows be the first OS on your system (because if it's not, Microsoft will erase Linux's Grand Unified Bootloader file every time [GRUB]) and learn how to restore the GRUB file (it's really easy) when Windows deletes it anyway. The best guide I've come across — with screenshots — is by APCmag:

The definitive dual-booting guide: Linux, Vista, and XP step-by-step

2216

General Software Discussion / Re: A Guide to Trying Out Linux Distros

« Last post by zridling on July 02, 2007, 05:52 AM »

Here's a better GNU/Linux start page.

Ubuntu's got WiFi going pretty well. As for internet access, I take you you don't have a high speed connection, Carol, is that why? And Josh, Apple uses that same argument to sell its computers — use our hardware, our software, our chips and it will all magically work. GNU/Linux is still in the tinkerer stage unless you sit down with a big distro like Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, Fedora 7, or SLED (SuSe Linux Enterprise Desktop), the latter of which mimics Windows very well, but makes some stunning UI improvements, if you ask me.

Carol, I couldn't agree more about printers. You can download proprietary drivers through an easy link for many, many printers (at least 225 HP printers alone), but I also ran into the same problem when I upgraded to Vista and lost both my [new!] printer and older scanner. On the flip side, that same HP Laserjet 1020 printer will work under most GNU/Linux distros. As far as I can guess, HP just intends to mostly leave all but the color models unsupported for Vista and force everyone to buy new printers. That really pisses me off, because I live on a very tight budget and have to scrape together the money to buy hardware; it's never an impulse item. Hardware companies just don't see the need to write drivers for such a small [GNU/Linux] market... yet. Maybe soon. But if HP won't write drivers for Vista (which had a long, long beta period), then I'm not counting on it.

This is the biggest reason for all the LIVE CDs you see with almost every Linux distro; you can boot the CD and see how well all your hardware works with it. If not, try another distro or stay with Windows. Working to switch to GNU/Linux has made me appreciate some things I took for granted under Windows, but after using Windows since the 2.0 version (1987?), I've earned my chops and it's time to give another OS a try for a while.

2217

General Software Discussion / Re: My favorite software! What's yours?

« Last post by zridling on July 02, 2007, 05:33 AM »

Thanks for the list BrokenNails! Fortunately, using the Opera browser has allowed me to forego Roboform, even though it's undeniably fantastic. Much like Vista's disk management allows me to disgard all those partition utilities — if I don't need, I won't install it. But AutoHotkey is "on the cusp"?!  ;-)

2218

Living Room / Go on Scoble show, get yourself fired!

« Last post by zridling on July 02, 2007, 05:28 AM »

Well, this explains a lot about why Microsoft pursues monopoly software and why they are naturally opposed to virtualization in Vista, among other things.

"I got yelled at at Microsoft for talking to the press a few times. But they stopped bothering when they realized that I was talking to the press on my blog anyway and generally I wasn’t causing too many messes that needed to be cleaned up."

2219

Living Room / Anyone planning on buying an iPhone?

« Last post by zridling on June 29, 2007, 01:16 PM »

Even if I had the money, I wouldn't, but you can see the future of the small computer right there. And it's pretty cool that Opera and Zoho have already built apps for it. But man, that is one expensive toy to maintain. And you know Apple's going to have one twice as powerful, fast, and more expensive next summer. But what about the smudge and ear-grease factor. I can see some dude showing off his iphone and his ear hair and wax is dripping off the display. Ewwwwww.



I hate talking on the phone so much, I only turn mine on if I'm expecting good news (like Hell freezing over).

2220

Word Processor Roundup / Re: TextMaker: Additions

« Last post by zridling on June 29, 2007, 12:53 PM »

On top of that, it's multi-platform, which means you can install it on other systems from that USB stick if you want to, given its small size (30M for the Win version; less for others).

2221

General Software Discussion / Re: Software to AVOID!

« Last post by zridling on June 28, 2007, 02:42 PM »

Ah, isn't that the inherent problem with forums — that guys like me don't pay attention to what's new and just dump everything into one of two sections?!    (Please move this to that section, since it would be easier to find and follow there.)

2222

General Software Discussion / Re: Making the Switch-05: Ten Great Ideas of GNU/Linux

« Last post by zridling on June 28, 2007, 07:52 AM »

There's a lot of opportunities to create some great software on the GNU/Linux platform; if nothing else, just making similar software like the great file managers we have on Windows. Porting won't work for this category. But the first person who does build (a) an AutoHotkey app, and (b) a great file manager for GNU/Linux will be a pioneer, I think. I'm using MEPIS this week and you can do some clever things with Konquerer, but it presents files in a web layout kind of way. Definitely not used to that. My question is: who has this kind of time anymore?

2223

General Software Discussion / Re: Software to AVOID!

« Last post by zridling on June 28, 2007, 07:23 AM »

I'll start with SolSuite Solitaire, a great game package, but they have no direct support and you have to write and beg them for a new activation code every time they update their software. Oh, and they don't write you back with the activation code. I presume they want you to buy a new copy every time. These guys suck chunks, period.

2224

General Software Discussion / Software to AVOID!

« Last post by zridling on June 28, 2007, 07:21 AM »

DonationCoder.com is all about recognizing and supporting those who possess coding talent (among other things), and thanks to you guys, I've found a lot of great software here. However, I need your help identifying software to avoid like the plague. I'm seriously sick of buying a license to what seems like good software only to find that the company does not support it, or they double the price on the next upgrade, or they completely change their EULA, voiding that "lifetime" license you bought, whatever. I think some of the worst offenders are those with slick UI's — they give good face, but then never follow up on the execution.



So help me make a list of software (and companies) to avoid, thus saving us all time, trouble, and money. One other request I'll make is that you give us at least one reason why we should avoid it.

2225

General Software Discussion / Re: My favorite software! What's yours?

« Last post by zridling on June 28, 2007, 06:52 AM »

Wow, you guys have good tastes. Curt, yea, I like GimpShop. Been using the Linux version on MEPIS this week. It and Xara's Linux version work like a charm.