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Recent Posts

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3951
Living Room / Re: Poem of English Pronunciation
« Last post by Darwin on November 17, 2007, 09:42 AM »
Brilliant! I know quite a few ESL teachers and a lot more ESL students. I'm not sure if they'll appreciate this or not  :o, but I'll have fun watching the fireworks  :P
3952
Living Room / Re: Laptop or Desktop — which are you?
« Last post by Darwin on November 17, 2007, 09:04 AM »
I just can't stand fiddling with the trackpad. That kind of motion with your finger is supposed to be done to please a woman, not move a cursor.

Consider being proficient with a trackpad a transferable skill and using it all the time a way to develop and maintain your skills that skill, Renegade!  :D
3953
General Software Discussion / Re: Mahjongg Titans
« Last post by Darwin on November 17, 2007, 07:38 AM »
Mahjongg Artifacts is the giveaway today (November 17) on Game Giveaway of the Day - might be worth a look!
3954
Living Room / Re: Laptop or Desktop — which are you?
« Last post by Darwin on November 17, 2007, 07:33 AM »
Great idea, Zaine (nice to see you around here again!). I'm answering this without reading the other responses - I've stuck with a notebook since buying my first one in 1993 (gave up my last desktop in 2002) because I split my time between a home office, library, and work office and like to have my own machine with me whereever I go. I also like the reduced footprint of the notebook (though I realize that with modern LCD monitors and mini towers this isn't really much of an argument today). I spend most of my time in my home office these days, and have wireless keyboard and full-sized mouse connected while I am here. Of course, while at home I'm free to move around the house with my notebook, so often sit in the living room with the kids and work (that's code for lurking at Donationcoder while my wife thinks that I am working on my PhD  :o) while they destroy the place.

PS Zaine - you've described me to a tee in describing yourself, right down to the chocolate addiction. Add caffeine fuelled and we're practically twins! OK, perhaps I flatter myself, but you get the point.
3955
Living Room / Re: What Intel Giveth, Microsoft Taketh Away
« Last post by Darwin on November 17, 2007, 07:19 AM »
After my experience with a Vista notebook (that was the same model with the same spec as an earlier XP MCE notebook that I tried a year ago), I believe the chart. Dual Core processing and 2GB RAM and it was a slug compared to my XP Pro machine with a four year old Centrino chip and 2GB RAM. Loved the hardware, loathed the OS's resource hogging.

Interesting that the analysis also supports another of my suspicions: Win2k on a 7 year old PIII-E machine with 512MB RAM was quicker than my Centrino with a gig of RAM. Makes me want to dualboot the Centrino with Win2k and install Office 2000 on it...

Sidenote: when I first read the "Lemur vs. Penquin" aside in Ralf's first post, my mind managed to convert it to "Leopard vs. Penquin" - imagine my surprise when I found not a shootout between OS X and Linux but a paper speculating about who would win a real fight - a flightless bird or an arboreal primate. Nice.
3956
General Software Discussion / Re: Ideamason on special
« Last post by Darwin on November 16, 2007, 09:20 PM »
Er...

No, not really.

To do so would require active PhD work and I am in advanced denial/procrastination mode at the moment! I have a couple of courses to design and run by the various levels of bureaucracy at the college before December 20, a textbook to edit before December 15, midterms to grade and lectures to prepare...

OK excuses aside, I'm hoping to use it in earnest over the weekend - I'll post back!
3957
Living Room / Re: Keeping track of software license/serial keys
« Last post by Darwin on November 16, 2007, 09:17 PM »
I use ClipMate to save serial numbers. I have a separate "safe" clip collection and keep everything there in addition to saving the emails as txt files.. I *should* use Roboform as well, as a form of insurance...
3958
General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?
« Last post by Darwin on November 16, 2007, 06:22 PM »
Dang! And I was trying to think of a rejoinder - perfect, João  :Thmbsup:
3959
Yes - I've been playing around with using the tablet and the pen in place of a mouse - not very convenient. I'm having better luck with the Bamboo mouse, though I'm not sure that it will replace my battery operated wireless one... It's a bit awkward being restricted to a 6x5 area. However, I've been working with it without significant trouble all afternoon, so who knows?!
3960
Hi all - bought a small Bamboo fun this morning. Quite like it. There is no absolute option but I am getting used to the scaling of the thing. The navigable area is mapped to the monitor so if I want to click on the upper right most corner of my screen (for example the close icon on a maximized window), I move the pen to the corresponding point on my tablet - the upper right-most corner of the navigable area. To draw it's a bit awkward getting used to watching the monitor to see what your hand is doing, so to speak. If you can get into this mindset, the scaling isn't an issue. I'm not quite there, yet, but I think this will be fine.

Now, I've 14 days to return/exchange this puppy and should note that I passed on the same sized Graphire 4 for 30 THIRTY dollars less (clearance priced at 69.95 vs 99.95 for the Bamboo with pen and mouse). From my reading around the internet for the past couple of days it seems the Bamboo is essentially a replacement for the Graphire with some new features. Anyone know of a compelling reason (other than those $30) to exchange the Bamboo for the Graphire? I chose the Bamboo because I didn't think I'd like the clear plastic surface of the Graphire and it comes with more up to date free software. However, I haven't installed it yet and realise that I don't really have any desire too! FWIW it's Adobe Photoshop Elements 5 (vs. 3 in the Graphire) and Painter Essentials 3 (vs. 2 in the Graphire). I wish that I had kept notes on the reviews and opinions that I read last night but somewhere someone was comparing the two and suggested that the Bamboo was actually higher spec than the Graphire, but reading the boxes I can't see the difference, other than aesthetics...

Anyway, don't get me wrong - there's no buyer's remorse. Just thinking about that $30 differential and wondering if I was being foolish with my loot!
3961
General Software Discussion / Re: Ideamason on special
« Last post by Darwin on November 16, 2007, 03:20 PM »
I did more or less that same thing, for the same reasons as your friend, wraith. I'm really hoping that IdeaMason can help me focus on writing my dratted dissertation... If not, the price was right!
3962
Wow! Thanks everyone. I think I'll take nudone's advice (modified) and buy a small Bamboo Fun. They appear to be the replacement to the Graphire and have "Wacom Quality". The Genius is a bit bigger and has more sensitivity for the same price ($99) but from what I've been reading since I posted this, the extra sensitivity may not translate into a noticeable difference when using it. Also, Wacom's solution is completely usb powered whereas the Genius product requires batteries.

PS what's got me in a lather now is that the same sized Intuos is on sale at the moment for $199...  :o This is alarming because I quite often go in to a shop intending to spend $50 on a basic tool and walk out having spent several times that to get something with more features. I could just seem myself dropping $459 on an 8 x 6 Intuos.

Anyway, thank you all again!
3963
General Software Discussion / Re: Blog steals Zaine's Great Software List
« Last post by Darwin on November 16, 2007, 08:12 AM »
This is kind of like stealing someone's car and hanging a picture of it with the original owner behind the wheel in your garage. What a jerk.

Ha, ha - good point Tom!
3964
General Software Discussion / Re: Blog steals Zaine's Great Software List
« Last post by Darwin on November 16, 2007, 02:21 AM »
The idiot that pulled this stunt describes himself as a "gentleman"! There aren't words...
3965
General Software Discussion / Re: roboform2go or sticky password?
« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2007, 06:13 PM »
Ah - that's great, John! Thank you. Nice to know that my info can be backed up to a non-proprietary format in the event that Roboform is no longer a going concern.

I'd better go update my support ticket now...
3966
I'd really like to buy a graphics tablet but wanted some feedback before taking the plunge. My choices are the full range of Wacom tablets (drool) and what appears to be a relatively new kid on the block - Genius. The price differential is significant, though the new Bamboo line from Wacom is comparable in price to the Genius offering but offers half the touch sensitivity. I suspect, though, that reading specs off a box isn't going to be a reliable way of choosing a tablet. I intend to use it for touching up digital photos, noodling around with ArtRage, and working on graphics for my PhD (archaeological site plans in particular).

So... what I am looking for are opinions about the relative merits of the different Wacom tablets and how Genius compares (assuming anyone has put on through its paces).

Thanks (and I realise that this is a vague and broad bunch of questions - feel free to demand clarification if needed!),

Mike
3967
General Software Discussion / DoMercury - another Quicksilver/FARR type program
« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2007, 05:48 PM »
Yes welcome, odiernod :Thmbsup: This software segment just keeps growing. I have a real soft spot for these sorts of applications and have yet to settle completely on one. At the moment, I'm not using any regularly (ie don't have any set to start with windows) though I have ActiveWords, FARR, DirectAccess and Dash Command installed. It's a weakness...

Anyway, will HAVE to give DOMercury a try now that you've posted about it!
3968
Found Deals and Discounts / Re: EverNote - Free today at GAOTD
« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2007, 05:43 PM »
OK - I suppose that exactly what the activate.exe file does varies to suit the style of registratoin that the s/w authors use. In Evernote's case the installer has likely been modified so that it will NOT run in the absence of whatever it is that activate.exe writes to the registry. Anyway, you can tell what activate.exe does by running an app like Total Uninstall or Ashampoo Uninstaller before and after you run it.
3969
General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?
« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2007, 05:21 PM »
I'm in more or less the same boat as superboyac. I'll try to give it a more comprehensive appraisal this weekend.
3970
General Software Discussion / Re: roboform2go or sticky password?
« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2007, 03:54 PM »
Hmph! All the export feature does is export the url associated with the passcard  >:(. It doesn't do anything with your login information. This is probably a good thing, from a security perspective. <sigh> I guess my earlier thought, which is to use copy and past to save all the information manually, is the way forward. However, I'm not giving up yet - I'm going to do the unthinkable and consult the user's guide for more options (if any).
3971
General Software Discussion / Re: roboform2go or sticky password?
« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2007, 03:47 PM »
Roboform gives you the option of exporting your data as either Firefox bookmarks or as IE favourites. I've not tried this in the past, but am doing so as I write this. It offers to export to a your Favourites folder - from this dialogue you can select an existing folder and create a new one. I've created on called "Roboform" - dead clever, don't you think? It's finished and I must restart Maxthon to view the results. Back in a flash.
3972
Found Deals and Discounts / Re: EverNote - Free today at GAOTD
« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2007, 03:41 PM »
Evernote doesn't provide any visual clue that it has been activated or that it's running in Plus mode. I *think* that the free version says that it is free in the about page, but am not sure. I've been running it for so long I no longer remember.

RE: activation, the activate.exe file actually "phones home" to GATD and returns information that is written to your registry. This must be done during the 24 hour giveaway period. The information written to your registry unlocks the software/provides the licence key for the software.
3973
Found Deals and Discounts / Re: EverNote - Free today at GAOTD
« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2007, 12:58 PM »
Regarding the app itself, I dislike the "toilet paper" model.
Although I also dislike the TP model, some of my coworkers believe that most of what I write is complete crap and is best suited for toilet paper.

3974
General Software Discussion / Re: Patch for new Critical Windows Flaw (MS07-061)
« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2007, 12:56 PM »
check out

http://www.askwoody....ents.php?newsid=1763

Great. Thanks for alerting us. Thankfully, this isn't an issue for me... but still...
3975
General Software Discussion / Re: Patch for new Critical Windows Flaw (MS07-061)
« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2007, 09:01 AM »
Yeah, I installed this yesterday and so far (Darwin raps his knuckles on his forehead) no problems to report  :D
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