Recent Posts

5176

Living Room / Re: Vista licensing - will it kill enthusiasts interest ?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 23, 2006, 07:13 PM »

Another interesting article relating to all the security competition talk which perhaps sheds a bit of new light on the issue (well it did for me) ...

http://WindowsSecrets.com/comp/061023

5177

General Software Discussion / Re: Two New Internet Explorer 7 Reviews

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 23, 2006, 05:40 PM »

I have reverted to IE 6 SP2 - since I installed IE 7 I have been experiencing random reboots and system freezes (necessitating the use of the reset button). Anyone else experienced anything like this?

It may be a coincidence - time will tell, but at least as far as I can tell the roll back to IE 6 seems to have worked OK.

5178

General Software Discussion / Re: Two New Internet Explorer 7 Reviews

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 23, 2006, 04:40 PM »

2.0 is out tomorrow btw. RC3 is same as Final, same procedure as before. Available now it seems ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/2.0 or http://releases.mozi...irefox/releases/2.0/

-dk70 (October 23, 2006, 11:43 AM)

Yep 2.0 is available now and it seems to work fine.

Breaks quite a few extensions though but overriding compatability checking meant all my extensions worked fine except for RoboForm - but there is a FF2.0RC Roboform extension on the roboform website (update in FF does not find it).

They have changed the name of 'extensions' to 'add-ons' - which made me double-take in the tools menu for a while! Why ?

5179

General Software Discussion / Re: Thunderbird forks to become next Eudora?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 23, 2006, 02:28 PM »

Courier feels very Windows 95 to me and has poor (if any HTML support) and doesn't seem to be able to export email in any useful format. It also seems to have ceased development.

There is a bit of info on Courier in this thread ...

https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=4288.0

5180

General Software Discussion / Re: Two New Internet Explorer 7 Reviews

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 23, 2006, 08:37 AM »

I think you are missing the point - most of IE is loaded into memory all the time - that's why you can view help pages (in a lot of applications which rely on MSHTML) and webpages in a lot of applications which just hook directly to the IE code. For exampl if you use Microsoft Office applications (esp. 2003) it uses the IE rendering engine to view all of the help pages etc. and you can browse the internet within the Outlook application (there is even a web toolbar) - the only difference in Outlook is that it defaults to a more secure zone than IE.

When you load IE specifically it is really only loading a frontend (just like Maxthon etc) onto code that is already in memory. The fact that it isn't list as such in the task lists doesn't mean it isn't there!

5181

General Software Discussion / Re: Two New Internet Explorer 7 Reviews

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 23, 2006, 04:18 AM »

Carol: I use xPlorer^2 and BlackBox, so I shouldn't have much of the IE-specific stuff preloaded... yet IExplorer is a LOT faster than FireFox in terms of startup time. If you count second-time launches, when stuff is in the filesystem cache, IE is still noticably faster to start then FF. Opera is a bit slower than IE, but a bunch faster than FF.

Yeah, I do have some extensions loaded in FF, to make it usable - but even a vanilla FF is sluggish (1.5.0.7, not going to install a RC on my main box).

Yet I still use FF... it still has fewer exploits than IE, and because it's not in as much use as IE is, fewer sites also target FF. And even though things like Avant and Maxthon make IE more ustable, I still find FF + extensions are better. YMMV. I'd use Opera if there weren't those few annoying things I can't entirely put my finger on...

-f0dder (October 22, 2006, 03:45 PM)

When you say "xPlorer^2 and BlackBox" does that mean you have uninstalled all Internet Explorer and Explorer components from Windows ? AS I understand it most of the components for IE are so deeply embedded in Windows that they are loaded whether you use IE or Explorer or not. Any uninstall of IE is only really superficial and doesn't remove all the components. It is therefore not surprising that IE is quicker to load than FF (mine is too) but you have to take into account that most of IE is already loaded during the startup sequence. If you use a plugin to minimise FF to the system tray (effectively what IE does invisibly) then FF would load pretty quickly. Try https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2110/

5182

General Software Discussion / Re: Two New Internet Explorer 7 Reviews

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 22, 2006, 01:02 PM »

How is it NOT fair? Opera starts up just as fast as IE6, IE7 and FF while uses far less memory. Note, YMMV, but that seems to be a general consensus amongst various forums and web sites.

-Josh (October 22, 2006, 12:42 PM)

Simple I wasn't taking about Opera and neither was Renegade ?

5183

General Software Discussion / Re: Two New Internet Explorer 7 Reviews

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 22, 2006, 11:59 AM »

Ok. I'm sold on IE7. It's getting regular usage from now on.

Check the memory footprint. It's WAY lower than Firefox. Massively! At the moment I'd expect to use about 150MB or so in FF, but IE7 had me clocking in at a cool 30~50MB of memory used!

Nice!

-Renegade (October 22, 2006, 11:13 AM)

Unfair comarison - most of the IE libraries are incoroporated in Windows and so are already loaded with IExplore.EXE ... but having said that they are still loaded even if you don't use IE so I suppose there is an effective memory saving.

5184

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Vista EULA to users: Go to hell!

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 20, 2006, 03:34 PM »

Josh it specifically says in the EULA that the license can only moved to another device once (there is also a clause about transferring the license to another person only once but that is a separate issue). The problem is if you do a lot of hardware fiddling and upgrading.

I have had to phone in numerous times with XP to get my license revalidated after changing hardeware (most recently after changing my network card). I even had one case when I uninstalled some software and had to revalidate - the MS tech said that was perfectly normal and happens a lot.

For me the point is that they are restricting full price licenses to pretty much the same terms as the cheaper OEM copies. If you pay for a full license, or a full license upgrade why should you lose that license just because you build (or significantly upgrade) 2 computers in a five year period - which is what MS are actually saying. I can't remember the clause number off hand - someone quoted in the thread I started with a link to the PDF of the EULA.

I have no intention of upgrading to VISTA but if I have to buy any more copies of Windows I will definitely be buying OEM copies in future (even if I have to purchase a floppy disc drive or a CDROM to justify it).

As for activation and WGA - there are legions of examples of false positives with WGA (just do a search on it and you will find practically every well known columnist with a list of issues). In XP it is an annoyance because you can't download updates but your system still works. In VISTA MS are actually going to remove functionality - and reading between the lines it looks like they mean increasing removal of functionality to force WGA compliance. If your system is legit but doesn't veriofy for some reason with WGA then MS have proven to be pretty unhelpful and basically try to force people to buy a new license pack.

There is also the issue of removing your rights to listen to protected music that you paid for - this is a killer for people who buy legit music online and can only serve to encourage people to buy from dubious MP3 stores rather than protected WMP files.

5185

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Vista EULA to users: Go to hell!

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 20, 2006, 07:22 AM »

Many home users and small businesses will stick with what they have (a lot are still using Win98) unless there is a really compelling reason to shift.

Unfortunately most people will shift to VISTA eventaully because they either get new machines with VISTA OEM installed and larger businesses will shift because they have support contracts which push the latest version of everything on them.

We have to accept that VISTA will be a massive 'success' in MS's eyes whatever happens - as usual knowledgeable users and other businesses will be left to pick up the pieces - and this time the pieces are likely to be many (IMHO).

With MS doing what they are doing I am on my last version of Windows - and when support for that stops I will probably still keep it unless the rumpus becomes so much that MS backtracks on its policies. I have too much software investment to swap to Linux unless big software houses like Adobe and SonyMedia port their products to Linux - which is highly unlikely.

5186

General Software Discussion / Re: Internet Explorer 7.0 Final is out

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 20, 2006, 07:15 AM »

Also getting random system freezes on XP SP2 - they are total and are only recovered by resetting the machin via the button!!

By total I mean the mouse stops moving, no keyboard response and even the hourglass on screen and other dynamic icons freeze.

I thought this was supposed to be impossible on XP ???

5187

General Software Discussion / Re: Free PDF creation (PrimoPDF)

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 20, 2006, 07:13 AM »

He is using Primo (we exchanged emails about it)

5188

Living Room / Re: Xara X1 Massive discount (expires 28th September)

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 20, 2006, 05:51 AM »

Is there no unsubscribe link ?

5189

General Software Discussion / Re: Internet Explorer 7.0 Final is out

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 20, 2006, 04:22 AM »

First vulnerability announced ....

http://reviews.cnet....304.html?tag=nl.e501

5190

General Software Discussion / Re: Internet Explorer 7.0 Final is out

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 20, 2006, 03:31 AM »

I have installed it - main complaint is that tabbed browsing is too slow to be useful - try opening 6 tabs on DC's unread posts page in new tabs - it takes forever - whereas it is pretty quick in Firefox to open 20 !

The other odd thing is I have had a couple of random reboots since installing it - but it may be that I have a corrupted driver somewhere.

5191

General Software Discussion / Re: New Winzip will open rar archives

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 20, 2006, 03:29 AM »

(1) WinRAR with its Lifetime license;

-zridling (October 20, 2006, 12:30 AM)

I agree on WinZip (but I think Corel bought it from the company that previous acquired it from WinZip not as a first purchase - whcih suggests the current financial model isn't working).

As for lifetime licences ... I still have a lifetime license for WinZip - much good may it do me now that the issuer isn't running the show any more!

5192

Living Room / Re: Xara X1 Massive discount (expires 28th September)

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 20, 2006, 03:26 AM »

I don't understand Xara packaging - sometimes they send stuff out in 'nifty plastic sleeves', other times in standard CD jewel cases and other times in DVD cases - and with varying degrees of documentation ?

It's all very strange - maybe someone just rummages around for any packaging they can find ???

5193

General Software Discussion / Re: The Vista "kernel access" controversy - what does DC think?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 20, 2006, 03:24 AM »

I can't help feeling that MS has more than one agenda too.

Re. AV companies - it might be simply that Symantec and MacAfee have sufficient international financial clout to whinge effectively. Other smaller players may be suffering too but just leaving it up to the bigger players to make the running with anti-trust threats. How much notice is MS going to take of Kapersky or ESET taking them to court (MS probably wouldn't care about the Russian market/courts anyway and ESET is too much of a geek AV company to pose any sort of real financial threat).

5194

Living Room / Re: Ms Dewey: the search engine with a face & personality

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 19, 2006, 08:31 AM »

I don't know she gets pretty raunchy with her whip though ....

Sorry having her pouting about the screen and whining that you aren't talking to her is enough to make me switch off the computer before I hit something -  maybe there are benefits ....

5195

General Software Discussion / Re: Is there any tool to see pdfs full screen in two pages?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 19, 2006, 08:23 AM »

I don't know of any app. The best I can offer is that in Acrobat you can view two pages at once (just not full screen). You can however turn of all the toolbars etc. so that you can get close to full screen. (There is a button at the lower left corner to hide toolbars)

5196

General Software Discussion / Re: New Winzip will open rar archives

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 19, 2006, 08:13 AM »

Can;t help hearing the bell toll for numerous companies - Corel seems to be the deathbed of most acquisitions ...

I didn't realise they had acquired InterVideo .... boo hoo

5197

General Review Discussion / Re: Icon Tool Shootout Review by HamRadio - Draft Available to Supporting Members

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 19, 2006, 04:23 AM »

There is also IconForge at http://www.cursorarts.com/ worth a look.

Look like a good review

5198

General Software Discussion / Re: PCMag Security Suite Reviews (Part 1)

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 19, 2006, 04:16 AM »

If you go to the link it is just an AntiVirus product.

5199

Living Room / MOVED: PCMag Security Suite Reviews (Part 1)

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 18, 2006, 07:37 PM »

This topic has been moved to General Software Discussion.

https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=5830.0

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General Software Discussion / Re: Internet Explorer 7.0 Final is out

« Last post by Carol Haynes on October 18, 2006, 07:35 PM »

Like wise - actually Josh that was the page I was looking at when I posted it - they must have updated it this evening 'cos when I looked it still showed RC1