Recent Posts

51

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Expert PDF 8 Professional

« Last post by Darwin on December 23, 2012, 09:45 AM »

Hi Curt and everyone else. I miss you all and DonationCoder and do try to keep up with goings on around here. Life has intruded and I don't have the time that I used to have to post here... I'll keep checking in and will try to post more as software is still a passion for me, even if I don't indulge it as much as I did in the past!

I'm still a File Manager addict, but now have only Dopus 10 Pro installed. I keep the XYPlorer and xplorer2 installers up to date in archive, but went on a serious austerity kick about three months ago WRT the amount of software that I have on my aging computer. Trying to squeeze another year out of it... So, I'm down to one of everything installed on my system.

52

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Expert PDF 8 Professional

« Last post by Darwin on December 21, 2012, 09:04 AM »

Note that the update from version 8 to 8.5 of Power Desk Pro is considered a paid upgrade. Major BS as, AFAICR, there were no free incremental updates between versions 8 and 8.5.

Stay away!

53

General Software Discussion / Re: Uninstalling Google Chrome can mess up your PC(if it was set as default browser)

« Last post by Darwin on December 09, 2012, 08:38 AM »

Google Chrome messed up you settings after you uninstalled it?

Go:-

Internet Explorer
Cog icon top R.H.S click Internet Options
Select programs
Then Make Internet Explorer your default
Apply ok

Sorted

-googlehater (November 28, 2012, 07:05 AM)

Did you read this thread? I don't know about the current state of things, the thread having been dormant for close to a year before you posted the above, but up to that point affected posters, myself included, had tried that with no success...

54

General Software Discussion / Re: Are you going to wait for Windows 9?

« Last post by Darwin on November 20, 2012, 10:22 PM »

I really don't see a difference between 7 and 8 other than the start menu. All of this angst is hot air in my opinion. The real things to be leary of are the fact that Windows 8 brings so little to the table and that MS seems to be shifting toward a more Apple-esque walled playground...

55

General Software Discussion / Re: Strategies to stay with Windows 7 as long as possible

« Last post by Darwin on November 15, 2012, 08:03 PM »

Just to note, my installation started out with Vista 64-bit, I did an inplace upgrade to Windows 7 64-bit and then an inplace upgrade to Windows 8 64-bit. So, while I agree that OS installs slow down over time due to crud accumulation, my system has over 150 programs installed, and my Windows 8 install inherited that. Now, I do expect it to slow over time, but not too drastically as my software selection is fairly stable and I've weaned myself off the obsessive upgrade path.

56

General Software Discussion / Re: Strategies to stay with Windows 7 as long as possible

« Last post by Darwin on November 14, 2012, 08:19 AM »

Don't know what people are in such a lather about.

-Darwin (November 12, 2012, 12:16 PM)

The issue is that it brings nothing new to the table. It's 99.9% change merely for the sake of change. That, and to start the process of slowly moving Microsoft's customer base over to a company app store/closed ecosystem like Apple has.

If that doesn't put you in a lather, you're exactly the sort of customer Microsoft is looking for - and no harm done. For the rest of us, it's a seriously BFD - and we want no part of it as it currently stands.
 

-40hz (November 12, 2012, 03:01 PM)

OK point taken. I've looked in the Windows Store but haven't given it much thought. My gut understanding is that this is more an issue with Windows RT and Windows Phone and not Windows Pro?

Agree that Windows 8 doesn't really bring anything to the table (hence my no need to upgrade comment) but don't feel that there is a compelling reason to downgrade when buying a new computer with 8 preinstalled. Seriously, on the same equipment, 8 boots much more quickly than 7 did... I was pleased when after extensive tinkering my 4 year old Gateway laptop booted Windows 7 in under 3 minutes. It boots Windows 8 in about 30 seconds and is MUCH peppier overall, so it follows that from a performance perspective downgrading new hardware to 7 would be a step backward (though granted, on newer equipment the difference migth be measureable only in tenths of a second).

57

General Software Discussion / Re: Lifetime license from Audials+GAOTD: no good

« Last post by Darwin on November 12, 2012, 12:30 PM »

Yeah... I'm wary of "lifetime" licenses as well. Even if the original intent of the license was free upgrades for the customer's lifetime (ie version 4 to 5, version 5 to 6, etc.), I've had a number of programs with "lifetime" licenses recieve no updates for years and then an upgrade for one comes out and the licensing model is changed and the developer wants to charge for the upgrade. Often they'll respond to queries like Curt's above with "Yes, the original intent was to offer free lifetime upgrades but economic realities...". I sympathize with this predicament and have only once written and demanded that the license be honoured (and it was - Collectorz.com software, which, ironically, I haven't used in years). Mostly, though, I either pay the upgrade fee, stick with the last version for which I have a license, or walk away. Increasingly, I walk away.

Just to note, though, that I have a number of lifetime-licenses for programs that have been honoured for years.

I've come to the conclusion that, with the exception of larger companies with very popular programs, lifetime licensing is not sustainable and I take offers of the same with a grain of salt. Overall, my advice would be to write to the developer/sales arm of the company and ask questions about how "lifetime" is defined for licensing purposes and what plans (if any) are in place with respect to grandfathering lifetime license holders in the future should the model prove unsustainable.

58

General Software Discussion / Re: Strategies to stay with Windows 7 as long as possible

« Last post by Darwin on November 12, 2012, 12:16 PM »

Two points to make here, the second tangential:

1. I've been using Windows 8 Pro since July and have had no problems with it whatsoever. The only software that I had an issue with was Alcohol 120%, but they have a fix coming and in the interim upgrading to SPTD 1.83 and re-installing Alcohol has it running flawlessly. Don't know what people are in such a lather about. I don't miss the old Start menu at all, just hit the Win key and start typing and my programs show up in a list.  My main issue is access to the power commands but I've gotten used to hitting Win-C and selecting Settings. Cumbersome? Yes. The end of the world? No. I don't even think about it anymore. Everything else works fine. Having said all that, I don't see any compelling reason to upgrade to Win 8, so if you're on Vista or 7 and are happy, stay there. I wouldn't stay away from a new machine with Win 8 preinstalled, though, and I wouldn't "downgrade" such a machine, either.
2. Really peripheral to this discussion, but I feel compelled to note that my experience with Vista was great! Biggest problem I've encountered wit Vista and Windows 7 has been Windows Media Player Network Service...

59

Living Room / Re: Just Had a Baby Girl~!

« Last post by Darwin on June 04, 2012, 08:45 AM »

A friend told me that my perspective on a lot of things would change once she was born. He's right. Some perspectives are changing.

-Renegade (June 03, 2012, 09:55 AM)

Exposure to "responsibility" in the purest and most absolute sense of the word does that to you.

Falling in love can do that too. But, once a child enters the picture, you can't honestly say your life is completely your own any more. 

Isn't it odd how paradoxically liberating that loss of personal freedom becomes?

Not a bad trade-off giving up some personal freedom in order to acquire an additional purpose in life: a family.

Family...

Almost magical isn't it? 

-40hz (June 03, 2012, 01:28 PM)

It is! My focus shifted entirely from my own future to that of my son's (now sons'). I lost all interest in my PhD and let it fade away over a protracted [cough]six years[/cough]  That probably DOESN'T sound positive or thinking about my son's future, but it was. I should never have started the thing in the first place; having a child brought that into stark focus for me. I wanted security, stability, and time with my son, not running like a rat on a wheel trying to get ahead in academia, moving every few years in search of tenure, frequent travel to conferences/fieldwork, late nights working on papers, research, and grant proposals, etc.

Enjoy this time, Renegade and kunkel321! You *almost* make me want to do it all over again!

60

Living Room / Re: Just Had a Baby Girl~!

« Last post by Darwin on June 03, 2012, 09:09 AM »

Gorgeous! She's a keeper. Thank you for the pictures - I understand about the reluctance to post them; my wife and I both had a similar reaction after having our kids.

Crying sounds familiar- don't worry, though, the sleepless nights only SEEM to go on forever.

61

Living Room / Re: Just Had a Baby Girl~!

« Last post by Darwin on June 02, 2012, 10:00 AM »

Congratulations  , Renegade! My "babies" are now 8 and just about 10 and I can tell you that it does not get any better than this! Having children is a huge life changer - REALLY. But it's all worth it.

Enjoy your precious child. Everyone will tell you that the time flies and they are NOT wrong. You'll wake up tomorrow with a 10 year old daughter and wonder what happened to the previous decade.

Now, where the hell are the pictures  It never happened if there's no picture!

62

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Darwin on May 20, 2012, 02:34 PM »

Cause someone mentioned a favorite program being better now because of the ability to customize its ribbon... Surely you saw that?

-J-Mac (May 17, 2012, 11:01 AM)

What I saw was that Excel 2010 now had that ability, so I wasn't sure how that pertained to note-taking. Maybe I missed something.

-longrun (May 17, 2012, 12:16 PM)

Well, I've mentioned it about Excel 2010 now too. Meanwhile, depending on "what a note is", if you don't need the tree concept, then Excel is stunning for other kinds of notes - its very "chartiness" lets you make endless little tables of info, but now with the new Customizable Ribbon all the excruciating top-down misery of 2007's ribbon goes away, and scary-to-me, some unseen pain of the old menus does too. So sometimes speed is a feature in note taking, and with a custom ribbon, on certain types of notes you can blaze like Ghostrider through your information because of all of Excel's Info-Shuffling.

-TaoPhoenix (May 17, 2012, 05:25 PM)

Funny, I was a bit lukewarm about the ribbon at first. Recently, however, I had to work on a computer with Office 2007 installed and was using Outlook and Publisher without the ribbon. Drove me bonkers! It's all what you get used to - I can't go back to life without the ribbon. Really like it now...

63

General Software Discussion / Re: Editor for PDFs: recommendations, please?

« Last post by Darwin on May 07, 2012, 08:05 AM »

I bought a $90 license for Adobe Acrobat X Pro

-Darwin (May 06, 2012, 08:46 AM)

-I must get myself a new job!
The price in Denmark is DKK 5,212.50 = US $920 

-Curt (May 06, 2012, 10:39 AM)

The MSRP regular price here in Canada is north of $450... which is insane. $920 is ludicrous

64

Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?

« Last post by Darwin on May 06, 2012, 08:54 AM »

Ha! I just dropped in here to recommend Arnaldur Indridason (I'm working through the Erlendur series) an see that rjbull has beaten me to it. I'm currently reading "Arctic Chill" (book number 4) and am very impressed with Indridason's plot development and "mood".

65

Living Room / Re: Show us the View Outside Your Window

« Last post by Darwin on May 06, 2012, 08:50 AM »

Outside my window I have a view towards the future: the cimitery.

-Giampy (April 06, 2012, 06:25 PM)

I suppose there is a certain symmetry to that.

66

Living Room / Re: Show us a photo of your mutt or other creatures..

« Last post by Darwin on May 06, 2012, 08:49 AM »

Thank you for sharing that, Stephen66515. My motto (which my wife fortunately agrees with) is: love me, love my dog.

67

General Software Discussion / Re: Editor for PDFs: recommendations, please?

« Last post by Darwin on May 06, 2012, 08:46 AM »

Courtesy of my employment at a community college, I bought a $90 license for Adobe Acrobat X Pro and it's a thing of beauty. This post constitutes my  +1 to TaoPhoenix' commet above.

68

General Software Discussion / Re: Why is it so hard to find a decent image organizer?

« Last post by Darwin on March 05, 2012, 09:11 PM »

That seems excessive, here it took about an hour to do 115GB, (555 directories, 43515 photos).

-4wd (March 05, 2012, 05:39 PM)

Perhaps! But I'm "rocking" a 4 year old Core 2 Duo Notebook with 4GB of DDR2 RAM... Not the fastest rig in the world! Also, correct about the thumbnail directory - mines' at 1.86 GB; I hadn't noticed it on initial inspection.

69

General Software Discussion / Re: Anyone testing Daminion Media Manager ?

« Last post by Darwin on March 05, 2012, 01:47 PM »

Thanks, Murat! I'm testing the beta now - am posting in the "Why is it so hard to find a decent image organizer?" thread.

70

General Software Discussion / Re: Why is it so hard to find a decent image organizer?

« Last post by Darwin on March 05, 2012, 01:31 PM »

Daminion took a LONG time to import my pictures folder (about 34 GB in just over 8 hours) but it's been smooth since.

The catalog generated is small (only 55MB vs 5GB for exifPro) but is taking a very long time to load after updating to the latest beta - just finished after perhaps 2 or 3 minutes.

Will report back after I've played with it. Like what I see so far, though.

71

General Software Discussion / Re: Why is it so hard to find a decent image organizer?

« Last post by Darwin on March 04, 2012, 05:01 PM »

Looking at Daminion Beta myself. Funny how I dropped back here to read this thread and found that it had been reactivated around the time I decided I needed to organize my image files again! PhotoCollector 2.x just crashes on my Win7 64-bit machine.

72

General Software Discussion / Re: I spy...with my little eye...on my hard drive...

« Last post by Darwin on February 18, 2012, 09:07 AM »

I use a combo of Windows Desktop Search, Archivarius and dtSearch. dtSearch is amazing, but four times as expensive as X1 (though I haven't paid an upgrade fee in four years). I got an academic discount on it which resulted in it being as cheap as Windows Desktop Search... Archivarius is very good and probably what I'd recommend in your situation.

73

General Software Discussion / Re: Zentimo/USB Safely Remove - Are they needed anymore?

« Last post by Darwin on February 12, 2012, 10:30 AM »

I find Zentimo convenient under Windows 7 to return drives that I eject and then remember that I need to transfer a file (or something) AND to permanently assign drive letters to thumbdrives (used to use USBDLM for this). HOWEVER, I really don't miss it on my work computer and can confirm Carol's report that Windows 7 handles USB ejection just fine.

Overall, I would rate Zentimo as convenient but not essential. Actually, you've got me thinking that maybe I should uninstall it... except I am too lazy to configure USBDLM again!

74

Living Room / Re: Show us a photo of your mutt or other creatures..

« Last post by Darwin on December 27, 2011, 10:51 AM »

Wow! Cell phone shots don't zoom or deal with shaky hands that well  

75

Living Room / Re: Show us a photo of your mutt or other creatures..

« Last post by Darwin on December 27, 2011, 10:36 AM »

Here's Bert - he came to us as a 6 month old in August because his mum discovered that she was allergic to him. Poor girl, she was so upset that she wouldn't come to meet us/say goodbye and we dealt with her mum:


Our first meeting in August


Savaging a stuffie!


Nature calls!


Bert