Recent Posts

501

General Software Discussion / Re: FinePrint vs. priPrinter

« Last post by xtabber on April 25, 2011, 12:25 PM »

If priPrinter lives up to form version 4 will be a free upgrade from version 3 - in which case don't hold your breath for discounts!

-Carol Haynes (April 25, 2011, 09:40 AM)

The priPrinter site states that "Upgrade is still free !"

I would guess that the pro version uses non-royalty-free code, which would account for the substantial additional cost and lack of discounts.

502

General Software Discussion / Re: FinePrint vs. priPrinter

« Last post by xtabber on April 22, 2011, 09:28 PM »

I bought the standard version when it was last on BDJ and later upgraded to the pro version, after testing it for PDF printing.  I don't have a recent version of Acrobat Pro and had been using V.6 until I moved to Win 7, which it will not run on. I found the PDF output from priPrinter to be superior to any of the other pdf print drivers I have used, other than Acrobat itself. I have also found the developer to be very responsive to questions and suggestions.

503

Living Room / Re: Paragon Go Virtual P2V

« Last post by xtabber on April 18, 2011, 06:58 PM »

Anyone have any comments regarding how this compares with Disk2vhd and VMWare Converter? 

-ewemoa (April 17, 2011, 05:02 AM)

I haven't tried the newer versions of VMware converter, but in the past, I never had much luck with it. I used to use Acronis True Image for imaging my system drives, and although VMware claims their converter can recover from an Acronis .tib image, I was never able to do so.

I gave up on Acronis a year and a half ago because it was just too unstable, and have been using Paragon Backup ever since. Last year, when I moved from a 32-bit WinXP system to a 64-bit Win7 system, I used Paragon P2V to convert a backup image of the old system into a VMware VM which I now use to run programs that I can't move to Win7.  I actually use Paragon HD Manager Pro, which includes nearly all the Paragon tools in a single package, which I find much more convenient, but the standalone P2V is the same.

The whole process was surprisingly easy and problem free, although I did have to re-activate WinXP in the VM, as it complained that my "hardware" had changed signficantly.

504

General Software Discussion / Re: What Android Apps Do You Use?

« Last post by xtabber on April 16, 2011, 01:37 PM »

look at Pimlical from the developer who wrote the Datebk extender for the Palm

-xtabber (April 14, 2011, 07:19 PM)

Datebk is exactly what I had in mind when I made my comment.

As a calendar app, Pimlical looks like a winner. However, the web page makes no mention of a widget to display my agenda in my launcher "home page". That's a deal breaker for me. If he gets around to that feature, count me in.

-CWuestefeld (April 15, 2011, 05:37 PM)

Then you might want to look at Calengoo.

There was an extensive comparative discussion of the two in the Brighthand forums recently that you might find useful.

505

General Software Discussion / Re: What Android Apps Do You Use?

« Last post by xtabber on April 14, 2011, 07:19 PM »

• Jorte - The built-in calendar app is unacceptable. This offers pretty good functionality, including some nice widgets. (But it seems that we're still behind apps I had on my Palm a decade ago)

-CWuestefeld (April 14, 2011, 03:25 PM)

As a Palm user for 15 years, I was also shocked by the lack of functionality of Google Calendar when I moved to Android last year. I have also been using Jorte and found it adequate for my needs, but if you really need a lot more capability in a calendar app, look at Pimlical from the developer who wrote the Datebk extender for the Palm calendar app.  If it were to get better contact management too, I might switch to Pimlical on both Windows and Android and dump Outlook, which I use only as a PIM, altogether.

506

Living Room / Re: Round up: Post links to the best of the April Fool's day 2011 news postings...

« Last post by xtabber on April 05, 2011, 08:13 PM »

Here's one from Infoworld that I missed on April Fool's Day, but it's almost believable: Oracle sues Starbucks over Java trademark

http://www.infoworld...r-java-trademark-176

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Living Room / Re: Round up: Post links to the best of the April Fool's day 2011 news postings...

« Last post by xtabber on April 01, 2011, 09:27 PM »

PC Mag's April Fool site:  http://www.postpcmag.com/

508

Living Room / Re: The mouse is dead: Introducing Gmail Motion [01-04-11]

« Last post by xtabber on April 01, 2011, 08:02 PM »

Toshiba introduces the 3D monocle.

509

Living Room / Re: The mouse is dead: Introducing Gmail Motion [01-04-11]

« Last post by xtabber on April 01, 2011, 05:46 PM »

Google has a second joke today.

Try Googling to see it.

510

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the Windows Helvetica equivalent (original Helvetica from a Mac)

« Last post by xtabber on April 01, 2011, 05:35 PM »

Try Googling "Helvetica" today (April 1 2011) for Google's April Fools Day joke.

511

General Software Discussion / Re: What Android Apps Do You Use?

« Last post by xtabber on March 26, 2011, 01:16 PM »

These are some of the apps I use on a regular basis.  Except for Teamviewer, they are all available from the Android Market.

• Jorte (free): A calendar app that can work as a front end to Google Calendar and makes it half-way decent.
• Weatherbug Elite ($1.99) 2 bucks changes a so-so weather app into a really great one, with vast amounts of information made easy to access. My favorite feature: continually updated local weather radar as wallpaper.
• RealCalc (free/donation): A calculator that does it all, including conversions.
• Aldiko (free): Excellent ePub and pdf reader. I have several others of each, but find I now use this one almost exclusively.
• Documents to Go Full Version ($14.99): The free version is a good viewer, but the editing capabilities of the full version are well worth the extra 15 bucks.
• Evernote (free or $45/year): I'll eventually have to plop down the 45 bucks, but so far, I've been able to get by with the free version.
• Wifi Analyzer (free): Essential for locating and evalutaing hotspots.
• Locale ($9.99): Worth 10 bucks to know that my ringtone won't ever interrupt a concert, even if I forget to turn it off.
• My Tracks (free): Google app designed for hikers and croos-country runners that works for many other tracking purposes.
• System Panel ($2.99): Everything I want to know about my phone and a good app manager too. The free Lite version is nearly as capable.
• Teamviewer Android app (free - from http://www.teamviewer.com)

I also regularly use some (expensive) reference works, such as Oxford English and French dictionaries, apps for several newspapers and my bank.

512

General Software Discussion / Re: [PREDICTION] You Will Eat a Tablet in the Next Few Years

« Last post by xtabber on March 23, 2011, 09:00 PM »

There's a parallel discussion going on in https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=25577.0

513

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by xtabber on March 23, 2011, 08:54 PM »

(This is not a criticism, just a comment):
From the discussion, it doesn't sound like many of you understand how truly different a tablet is from a laptop or a desktop.
.....
This is the transition people are going to make the next few years.  I didn't "get it" myself until I used my ipad daily for a couple of months.  Now I get it.  ....  People are going to forget about their desktops and laptops and just use tablets for everything.
...
That's really it.  My own sister got an iphone and she has stopped using her desktop...like within a week.  This is NORMAL.

-superboyac (March 23, 2011, 11:27 AM)

I agree with this, except that I would say that tablets are more comparable to smartphones than to PCs, whether desktops or laptops.

I am not going to use my Android phone for work, but I do find that I use it for many of the things that I used to use a computer for. A tablet would expand that capability even more, meaning that my computers would be used more and more just for the kind of work that requires a keyboard and a big screen. For everything else, which simply means everything for much of the population, a tablet would be not just adequate, but a better tool altogether.

That said, I'm just not impressed with the iPad. I had the chance today to play with both an iPad with a Motorola Xoom. The Xoom has some rough edges and is way overpriced, but I liked it much better than the iPad. Perhaps because I'm more used to working with an Android phone than an iPhone. It just seems much more flexible and capable, and I find the rectangular shape more pleasing than the squarish iPad. But the killer feature is the 1280x800 screen that simply blows the iPad's 1024x768 screen away, particularly with HD video, which I think will be a major factor in determining which tablets succeed in the non-geek market.

514

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by xtabber on March 22, 2011, 08:59 PM »

For the past 15 years, snobs have been proclaiming the superiority of the Macs over Windows PCs. During that time, Windows PCs have outsold Macs by at least 10 to 1 and the ratio of available software for the platforms is even greater. Yes Macs have cachet, and if you are in one of a very few fields (graphic arts or publishing), they might possibly be a better choice. Apple is laughing all the way to the bank while the fanboys pony up for style over substance, but in the real world, most of us prefer Windows (or Linux), and the numbers reflect that.

I think the same will happen with tablets. You can have an iPad which is designed to be cool in the eyes of Steve Jobs, or you will be able to choose among a variety of Android (and possibly other OS) tablets that give you what YOU want from a tablet. 

In 2 years, Android has already overtaken the iPhone, which had a 2 year head start, in smart phone sales. I expect it will take much less than 2 years for the same to happen in tablets.

515

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by xtabber on March 22, 2011, 05:06 PM »

The Galaxy TAB 2 units look like serious contenders. Not only is the price competitive, but they are thin and light. They are both 8.6 mm thick (iPad2 is 8.8 mm) and weigh 596 g  for the 10.1 (iPad2 is 601 g) and 470 g for the 8.9 model. They are also supposed to be preloaded with the Kobo Readers Hub e-book system.

Archos always sounds wonderful, but have a history of failing to deliver, and once again I can't really imagine them competing with the big guys, although it would be nice if they did, at long last.

For my money, the Toshiba (starting at $500, supposedly) still sounds like the best option, but there are still a lot of unknowns about it, including capacity and weight.

But there are clearly going to be a lot of interesting choices before the end of summer.

516

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by xtabber on March 20, 2011, 06:55 PM »

Amazon now has a page for the Toshiba Tablet: http://www.amazon.co...Tablet/dp/B004I43F9C

No pricing or availability date so far, but I'd guess this means the product is for real and coming soon. There has never been any mention of cellular service for the Toshiba, although I'd guess it might be possible as an add-on using the full-sized USB port on the device.

Amazon also has a page for the Motorola Xoom without cellular service, priced at $599 ($200 less than the Verizon Wireless version), also with no availability date ( http://www.amazon.co...-Wi-Fi/dp/B0045FM6SU ), and a Dell Streak 7" tablet without cellular for $379, also with no availability date ( http://www.amazon.co...t-Gray/dp/B004QZASJ8 ).

517

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by xtabber on March 16, 2011, 06:13 PM »

Rumors are circulating that Toshiba, Dell, Acer and HTC will all be shipping 10" Android 3.0 tablets in June, priced between $449 and $549.  ASUS is also expected to bring out a 10" Android 3.0 tablet with a slide out physical keyboard, priced at $400!  If true, there will be some serious alternatives to the iPad by summer.

Also, PCWorld has an article comparing the iPad to the Galaxy Tab and Motorola Xoom: http://www.pcworld.c...xy_tab.html#tk.hp_fv . No real surprises, but it reinforces my negative feelings about the Apple iTunes environment, which is the biggest reason I have long avoided Apple music players and handheld products.

The Toshiba tablet seems particularly promising to me because it makes a point of addressing one of the major issues I have with most of the handheld devices out there, lack of connectivity options. In addition to a mini-USB port, WiFi and Blutooth, it has a standard USB port (which one can supposedly use to transfer data from any USB 2.0 device), a full-sized SD card slot, and an HDMI port. It also has a replaceable battery (for "screwdriver-savvy" users, according to Toshiba). I'd guess the question is whether they can keep the weight down with all that built in.

518

General Software Discussion / Re: Most Pirated Software?

« Last post by xtabber on February 23, 2011, 09:22 PM »

Virus software???  Surely you mean anti-virus, not that I can imagine anyone pirating anything in that category.

519

Living Room / Re: 3Tb Drives are Here! That's 500,000 songs. Enough yet?

« Last post by xtabber on February 18, 2011, 07:14 PM »

Price expected to be about $240.

-zridling (February 17, 2011, 06:26 AM)

Both WD and Hitachi have 3TB drives currently available from Newegg for $199.99.  These are both "green" drives, meaning they spin at around 5400-5900 RPM. The Hitachi moves data internally at 6GB/s, and they also have a 7200RPM version for $349.99.

520

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by xtabber on February 14, 2011, 09:38 PM »

It looks like there will be a flood of Android 3.0 tablets using a 10.1" 1280x800 pixel form factor coming to market within the next 6 months or so.  Acer, ASUS, Motorola, Samsung, Toshiba and Viewsonic are the big name brands that have demonstrated working models to date, and there will probably be lots of  smaller players as well.

This form factor provides 30% more screen area than the iPad, but many of these devices also sport features to make them more compelling choices, such as removable flash storage, swappable batteries and HD video output.

The only one that seems to have a price tag as of now is the Motorola Xoom at $800 plus a Verizon contract, which seems ridiculously high to me, but I'd expect more competitive pricing by summer, when there will be many choices.

521

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by xtabber on February 09, 2011, 06:47 PM »

And then, of course, there are the losers who expect to compete with the first iteration of the iPad long after it has been superseded by something else, such as this: http://www.palm.com/.../touchpad/index.html that came in the (e)mail a few hours ago.

522

Developer's Corner / Re: DNS Propogation Checkers to Check DNS Propogation Status

« Last post by xtabber on February 09, 2011, 04:39 PM »

Better to invest in a spell checker than a "propogation" checker.

523

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by xtabber on February 09, 2011, 04:32 PM »

Both the Motorola Xoom and the Toshiba Tablet run Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) according to their web sites.  Since the Xoom has been announced by Verizon for delivery before the end of this month, it would seem that Honeycomb is nearly ready to go.

524

Living Room / Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by xtabber on February 09, 2011, 02:13 PM »

It looks like there will soon be a number of serious Android-based challengers to the iPad from Motorola, Toshiba, LG, HTC and most likely others.

The Motorola Xoom (http://www.motorola....S-EN/XOOM/index.html) should be available from Verizon by the end of this month and looks really good, except for the reported price: $800 not including a mandatory overpriced Verizon data plan.

The Toshiba Tablet (http://androidheadli...ablet-goes-live.html) looks even better, but no pricing has yet been announced.

Unless the iPad 2 due this year improves substantially on the existing screen (9.7", 1024x768), the new Android devices look to be a better choice for reading ebooks, with 10.1", 1280x800 displays.

525

Living Room / Re: A question for Google -- why are you so desperate to have me switch to Chrome?

« Last post by xtabber on February 09, 2011, 01:50 PM »

But right now (beyond Opera), you have three choices: (1) buy into a closed proprietary system like Apple, (2) go with Microsoft, who refuses to implement key open source standards in its browser, or (3) go with Chrome, which is trying to shed as much proprietary baggage as possible for one simple reason: so you can "take your data with you" -- whether that be mobile/tablet, desktop, netbook, and even gaming within the browser.

-zridling (February 09, 2011, 06:20 AM)

So which of these three choices includes Mozilla and its various open source offspring?  Firefox currently has more than twice the market share of Chrome, and is the only officially supported non-IE browser for many online transaction sites like banks.  Of course Opera (my primary browser, btw) is also a closed proprietary system.