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3351

General Software Discussion / Re: Plain text editor for writers

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 03:05 PM »

[Blatant thread hijack]

I can't leave well enough alone... These comments from the Jon Galloway blog are illuminating as well:

Sadly, not only microsoft went this way, Logitech decided to follow them and also use the "extended" function keys. Fortunately, my logitech iTouch configuration program allows this nifty setting called "Keep original function"

Maybe you could try installing the logitech itouch drivers, and use them for your microsoft "intelli"type keyboards? Since they're all multimedia keyboards, it might work.

Gods, I have been annoyed by this for so long, until I got so bothered I had to find a fix. Your post prompted me to explore my own settings, and that made me find the above solution, THANKS!

@Eddemans: a HACKsaw maybe? ;-)

Or you could always use the scanmap-trick, and then pry loose the keys and rearange them on the keyboard. (gentle, but persistant, force works on a surprising amount of keyboards)


Sunday, September 03, 2006 4:32 PM by Jules Kerssemakers

and

Wow, what a relief. I just plugged in an old Dell keyboard that doesn't have an F-lock key. However, windows was treating the keyboard as if the keys were F-locked. After two days of searching, I came across this solution. It worked great. Many thanks!

Wednesday, February 07, 2007 4:41 PM by Nick

(emphasis is mine)

[/Blatant thread hijack]

PS Thanks for the link to yWriter, Rhutobello. I've tried it in the past and it is very nice.

3352

General Software Discussion / Re: Plain text editor for writers

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 02:48 PM »

Finally, the udolpho blog post links to a blog post by Jon Galloway that no longer links correctly. Here's the correct link: http://weblogs.asp.n...05/11/29/431762.aspx

I might just play around with this (when I have time) and see if it works! Again, I don't know if this is what is "ailing App" but it is conceivable that in one of its less lucid moments HP adopted this MS re-map and didn't provide a key to switch back and forth.

One final thought, thoug - App, is there a key labelled Fn on your keyboard by any chance?

3353

General Software Discussion / Re: Plain text editor for writers

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 02:36 PM »

This quote, from the link above, sums things up nicely from my perspective:

So the function key mapping is confusing, indeed pointlessly aggravating, to say the very least.  Then there is the F Lock key.  This is the new key that allows you to toggle between using the new Microsoft function keys and using the old PC function keys.  Microsoft decided to make the function keys twice as brain-damaging to use by enabling their new behaviors every time the keyboard is powered on.  What does this mean?  It means that every time you start your computer, and every time you bring it out of suspend or hibernation, and every time you use a KVM switch to toggle between multiple computers, the function keys revert to the new Microsoft behaviors.

Obviously, I should rephrase my first post on this subject to read that I have to hit the F Lock button to turn off MS keymapping and revert to traditional key mapping. It really is a PIA!

3354

General Software Discussion / Re: Plain text editor for writers

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 02:28 PM »

Here's a page on F-Lock (for mnemonic and I) that I just found via google: http://www.udolpho.c...-Microsoft-keyboards

Don't know if there will be any joy there for app or not... worth a look!

3355

General Software Discussion / Re: Suggestion for design - Resize window from top on Windows

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 02:21 PM »

I thought that was what i understood from your first post. The reason why i asked is because i can resize any window from any corner or edge... Strange.

-jgpaiva (January 20, 2008, 12:06 PM)

Not really... I can do the same here on WinXP Pro Sp-2.

EDIT: Classic theme with themes service disabled. I am pretty sure that I still had this functionality when I was running WindowBlinds 5 and 6...

3356

General Software Discussion / Re: Really simple clipboard extender/note taking software?

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 02:15 PM »

PS as may be apparent from the images in my previous post, I installed ExplorerNotes2 to see if it would run under WinXP Pro Sp-2. I haven't had it regularly installed since I was running Win98SE!

3357

General Software Discussion / Re: Really simple clipboard extender/note taking software?

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 02:09 PM »

PCMag's (now shareware) ExplorerNotes2 works well with XP as well. I got my copy when it was free.

Here's the Context Menu before adding a note:



And after:



The Note editing window that appears:



Note Manager Window (from Start Menu - Programmes):

3358

General Software Discussion / Re: Bits du Jour New Syndication Program (Partner Program)

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 11:22 AM »

Coffee's not helping - my head still feels like it's full of cotton wool this morning    Anyway, mouser's managed to capture and clarify exactly what I was trying to say...

3359

General Software Discussion / Re: Plain text editor for writers

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 11:19 AM »

Sounds like I have the same keyboard (or a similar one, anyway) to menmonic. I hate using SnagIt with it, for example, because I like to use the PrtScn key to take screenshots. Unfortunately, the F Lock button has to be invoked first, otherwise in trying to capture a screenshot I inadvertently invoke Insert instead.

Anyway, AFAICT, F Lock allows for more functinonality to be mapped to the Funcition keys. On mine, default actions are the ones you'd expect - F2 is rename in Windows Explorer, for example, but Undo is also mapped to it. I can switch between the two with the F Lock key. FWIW, F1 invokes Help on my keyboard.

What kind of keyboard are you using, app? Is there a setting in your Control Panel applet for the keyboard that might help?

3360

Living Room / Re: OK - lets get to know each other... who are you, what do you do, where from?

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 11:10 AM »

Yes - good thought. I think it's just my eyes playing tricks on my, knowing Brandon's age, BrandinIMP seems apropros (even though I don't know much about him or his "mischievousness") 

3361

General Software Discussion / Re: Bits du Jour New Syndication Program (Partner Program)

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 11:04 AM »

It's been suggested that we could take the affiliate payments and do something special with the money, but i don't think that really solves the ethical problem -- i just don't think we should be making money based on users buying certain programs instead of others..

-mouser (January 20, 2008, 09:39 AM)

Intruding where I should perhaps keep my head down and my mouth shut (or at least my fingers bunched tightly into fists, held away from my keyboard), I recall similar issues being raised a number of times in the "early days" of DC. The ethical objections revolved, in part, around the need for DC (the site, not the community) to maintain its impartiality because of the software reviews and mini-reviews. I think that the possibility of BDJ links on the site also raise this issue, even if peripherally.

I don't know if this is part of what mouser was thinking about, but wanted to mention it anyway. Like much of what takes place in my thinking, this is one of those half-formed, vague thoughts. Caffeine is a cruel mistress and I must yield to her demands! Maybe I can make more sense after a couple of more cups of coffee 

3362

Living Room / Re: OK - lets get to know each other... who are you, what do you do, where from?

« Last post by Darwin on January 20, 2008, 10:49 AM »

Yes - I had the same reaction as Tom! Wecome to the site, BrandiniMP

I take it that your user name should be read "Brandini MP"? I keep reading it as "Brandin IMP"! At any rate, welcome to DC and hope to see more of you around here 

3363

General Software Discussion / Re: great (long) article on the usefulness of CS research, etc.

« Last post by Darwin on January 19, 2008, 07:35 PM »

Yes - really interesting. I branched off, too, and read his critique of universities as well. Another long, but worthwhile and interesting, read.

Thanks, urlwolf 

3364

General Software Discussion / Re: DVD/CD Menu Creation - what's the best utility for this?

« Last post by Darwin on January 19, 2008, 05:06 PM »

Thanks PaladinMJ  - I'll take a look! I still haven't settled on anything just yet - I've a way to go before this is going to becomes a pressing issue 

3365

General Software Discussion / Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??

« Last post by Darwin on January 19, 2008, 12:55 PM »

Question #13 is very helpful in noting that it takes at least one hour after rebooting for the un-install to complete. I heard that Vista SP1 may take three days to install.

-blarson (January 19, 2008, 11:05 AM)

  That's unbelievable. I'm off to read the FAQ at Softpedia - thanks for the link.

3366

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Program to swap data selections from one drive to another

« Last post by Darwin on January 19, 2008, 09:32 AM »

Interesting idea, and certainly a useful one. I'd be interested in this kind of functionality as well. I wonder if a file/folder synchronizing tool could be used this way? I'm thinking in particular of Super Flexible File Synchronizer.

3367

Living Room / Re: When you make your 100'th Post

« Last post by Darwin on January 18, 2008, 05:34 PM »

Actually, I thought they were better at the beginning, unperverted and innocent little unicellular organisms, as pure as spring water...

-Armando (January 18, 2008, 04:14 PM)

3368

Living Room / Re: Suffering over USB

« Last post by Darwin on January 18, 2008, 03:52 PM »

just a thought tho, powering these hubs or drives could be a bit of a problem while jimdoria is commuting 

-Grorgy (January 18, 2008, 03:41 PM)

Good point. I'm assuming that at home and in the office there is a power supply, though, and that AC adaptors for either the portable hub and/or the enclosure will be porable as well.

3369

Living Room / Re: Suffering over USB

« Last post by Darwin on January 18, 2008, 02:00 PM »

Sounds like a barking mad way to get power to any USB device - presumably the device manufacturer was being cheapskate and din't want to supply a power unit!

-Carol Haynes (January 18, 2008, 01:45 PM)

Thanks, Carol. I"m pretty sure you're right and that I've just got a cheapo enclosure. I'm not worried about it, having picked up a powered 3.5" 500GB External before Christmas - I never use the 2.5" drives anymore. Still, I will take a look at the hub settings in Device Manager, just to be thorough. I am using a powered USB hub (can't speak for Jimordia, though). Tangentially, I think that with the one problematic drive I'm dealing with corner cutting in the design of the enclosure, the fact that it is a SATA drive, and it is a 7200 rpm Seagate. Kind of a perfect storm of power need versus supply issues!

3370

Living Room / Re: Suffering over USB

« Last post by Darwin on January 18, 2008, 01:03 PM »

Just to add to the above, I have about six external drives in USB enclousures and only have a problem with one of them - a SATA drive (the others are all older ATA100 drives). The others require, at most, that I plug in both the USB connectors (there's the main one plus a secondary one that branches off from it to draw additional power for the drive). The SATA drive requires that I use all FOUR USB connectors - the main one and it's "branch" plus a secondary one that actually connects just like an AC adaptor (round plug into back of enclosure) and its "branch". Even then I have to mess around with the order in which I insert the USB cables to get it to connect properly. Likely this comes down to a USB bandwidth issue - even though I have a powered hub, everything going through it is still sharing bandwidth through a single USB port on my notebook. Hmmm... my notebook only has two USB ports  - the other has an ancient, and huge, powered USB 1.1 hub plugged into it with my keyboard, mouse, printer, and USB Creative Live soundcard plugged into it.

Just free association/food for thought. YMMV - this has been my experience with the dratted things.

3371

Living Room / Re: Suffering over USB

« Last post by Darwin on January 18, 2008, 11:20 AM »

What connection type is the actual harddrive that you're using as an external drive? ATA or SATA?

Tying in with the above, it sounds like a power issue to me - your USB drive is simply not getting enough juice. FWIW - the easest, most reliable way to deal with this is to get a jpowered USB 2.0 portable hub and an enclosure that comes with an external power source (ie an AC adaptor).

3372

General Software Discussion / Re: Editor Needed

« Last post by Darwin on January 18, 2008, 11:14 AM »

  Nice one Ken - it's *almost* a haiku! 

PS have downloaded, but not yet installed, the last freeware version. You're safe for now, Ken!

3373

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: List of disc catalogers

« Last post by Darwin on January 18, 2008, 12:18 AM »

I didn´t mention at what customers you´re aiming: chemists, biologists, geneticists and other scientists that have enough money for something like Axiope.

-Crush (May 25, 2007, 05:09 AM)

Well... this is one evolutionary biologist that can't afford Axiope  Thank goodness for the free version... which I've not yet tried. Might give it a go though.

3374

General Software Discussion / Re: Editor Needed

« Last post by Darwin on January 18, 2008, 12:10 AM »

Ken - don't worry about me blaming you if I spend money on it. I'd be more worried about my wife, if I were you. I have a low threshold for pain and would probably sell you out before she even broke a mental sweat, let alone a physical one. Be afraid. Be very afraid 

3375

Living Room / Re: Laptop hard drive... 5400 or 7200 ?

« Last post by Darwin on January 18, 2008, 12:08 AM »

Good question, lanux. I'm not sure why someone would buy a notebook harddrive and then return it, but my understanding is that it can't be re-sold unless it is working, and non-faulty, condition. It does work - when I can get it to be recognised. I'm sure the issue is with powerconsumption and this does give me pause about actually obtaining one to install as my primary harddrive - they must really suck the juice!