Recent Posts

576

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 as an Internet service?

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 04:18 PM »

I'm guessing (since you can't do much else when it comes to Microsoft licensing) that they mean it in the same way OEM licenses work. Which is to say it's non-transferable to another PC. It's only licensed for the original machine it's installed on. Otherwise, everyone and their cousin would claim a freebie and use it on everything else they buy until Windows 12 comes out.

I suspect they're mostly trying to speed up adoption by the Windows 7 users (remember XP?) without making the Windows 8 users feel like they got taken for a ride like the Vista users did. It's clever too in that because it's free for the first year, corporate IT departments will have a huge amount of trouble justifying to their upper management any decision to stick with 7 if they let the opportunity for that freebie to slip by.

Microsoft certainly isn't doing any of this out of kindness, that's for sure. This is a typical Redmond squeeze play they're making. Just like the hardball offer they tried with Windows 8 - except that upgrade wasn't free. And the early adopter discount offer only lasted a very short time in comparison.
'
I don't like any of what I'm seeing. It feels like the a major 'set-up' is about to go down. And I just hope I end up being wrong about that.

577

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 as an Internet service?

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 02:20 PM »

I thought the whole Metro, RT etc. fiasco had shown that it's a bad idea to try to run the same OS on very different devices (which is why Apple doesn't do it)??

-dr_andus (January 21, 2015, 01:53 PM)

Yeah...noticed that too did ya?

They never learn.

578

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 02:00 PM »

^ That's one of the reasons I'm making sure my son gets a good foundation in Motown as he learns drums. Nobody ever made more music out of fewer notes than James Jamerson and Benny Benjamin.

-Vurbal (January 21, 2015, 01:23 PM)

That's funny. I cut my teeth on Motown when I first started learning to play electric bass. To this day I still tend to leave a lot of space in my lines, frame things around a syncopated backbeat, and almost automatically toss in a little funk whenever I play something. A lot of that came from listening to Jamerson. He was one of my big inspirations. His part on Heard It Through the Grapevine was one of the first Motown songs I really analyzed well enough to actually understand what I was hearing. Awesome bass player! Along with Chuck Rainey, Duck Dunn, Bob Babbitt, Wilt Felder, Carol Kaye and all those other greats too numerous to list.

579

Non-Windows Software / Post your Linux/FOSS humor here.

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 01:08 PM »

580

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 as an Internet service?

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 01:06 PM »

I was about to say "and my postponed transition to the LInux world edges closer" until I read your last line!  So the linux world is threatened as well?  Is there any hope for the computer hobbyists?? 

-superboyac (January 21, 2015, 12:41 PM)

Some. But the war on general purpose open computing platforms is in progress. This is just the latest bid to up the ante. Microsoft has yet to play its nuclear option card. But I have no doubt they will when they think the time is ripe.

581

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 as an Internet service?

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 01:03 PM »

Well that's good news! As long as the problem is getting people to the app store, the solution will never be fixing (as in replacing) Windows.

What could possibly go wrong? 

-Vurbal (January 21, 2015, 12:11 PM)

Ah! You're right. What could I possibly have to worry about?

582

General Software Discussion / Windows 10 as an Internet service?

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 12:05 PM »

This from Iain Thomson over at The Register.

If correct as reported here, Microsoft has finally admitted what many have been saying about where Microsoft plans on going (while taking you along for the ride) for the last three years.

Here's what Iain has to say(emphasis added):

21 Jan 2015 at 17:46, Iain Thomson

Microsoft is planning a big push for Windows 10 and will be giving away the new operating system to Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows Phone 8 users in the first year of release.

"With Windows 10 we think of the operating system as 'Windows as a service,'" said Terry Myerson, VP of operating systems at Redmond. "In next few years could think of Windows as one of the largest internet services on the planet. The question of 'what version are you running' will cease to make sense,"

The upgrade will only be free in the first 12 months after release and will last for the "supported lifetime of the device." Microsoft said the new OS will run on PCS, tablets, phones, and a new device to be announced later today.

The result for developers will be a single platform to sell apps on. "Developers are always thinking of the next million sales, now we can open them to the next billion,"

This will involved "universal apps," software that works equally well on the phone, tablet, and PC. The Office applications will be included in this, but developers will be encouraged to do the same with their own code.

The idea is to have an operating system that can run on any device and when the user puts one piece of hardware down they can pick up another Windows device that they are signed in on and carry on where they left off. <more>

Bad. Very bad. Yet another massive walled garden looming just ahead.

(Once this gets rolling, can Microsoft's long threatened multi-pronged IP lawsuit against Linux and GNU/FOSS be far behind? )

583

Living Room / Re: wireless networking and wifi printer help

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 11:41 AM »

^Succinct and spot on.  

584

Found Deals and Discounts / Softmaker Office Mobile for Android now free. Forever.

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 11:39 AM »

From Softmaker:

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Get SoftMaker Office Mobile for Android for free. Forever.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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Mobile and Presentations Mobile are now completely free in the Google
Play Store.

Originally, this package, which has earned the highest marks in
numerous tests, was supposed to be available for free only for the
duration of the Load-and-Help charity fundraising campaign as a
"gimmie" to encourage as many downloads as possible and increase the
amount of money SoftMaker had to donate to aid projects.

Following an overwhelming response resulting in a record donation,
we decided to keep offering SoftMaker Office Mobile for no charge
indefinitely.

Find out more:
http://www.softmaker.com

If you already own SoftMaker Office Mobile, you don't need this
download. Stay with the version you purchased; we will offer extra
features in the future. And if you own SoftMaker Office HD for your
Android tablets, free SoftMaker Office Mobile is a great companion
for it on your smartphone.

Please tell your friends and family about this great offer!



Best regards,

SoftMaker Software GmbH

 

585

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 07:59 AM »

featuring Rick Nielsen and Bun E Carlos from Cheap Trick on guitar and drums and Tony Levin on bass.

-Vurbal (January 21, 2015, 07:23 AM)

Wow! Talk about an all-star lineup. I'm always impressed how the real pros, who can play anything, know when (and have enough self-confidence) to go with a lean & mean minimalistic arrangement when it serves the song.

But that's what separates the professional musicians from the wannabes. It's all about serving the song.

586

Living Room / Re: wireless networking and wifi printer help

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 07:02 AM »

Here's the fun part: In networking the default gateway is also known as "the path of last resort", and this by nature must be a singular item. However with the tethered + wireless network combo, you invariably end up with two paths of last resort...and this gets confusing as hell immediately. Because the first time the machine tries to get to an external (e.g. internet) address, it is going to have to digitally flip a coin, pick a gateway, and encounter a 50/50 chance if getting slammed into a wall (of oblivion) if it happens to pick the wrong/dead gateway.

-Stoic Joker (January 21, 2015, 06:55 AM)

This.

587

Living Room / Re: wireless networking and wifi printer help

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 07:01 AM »

by tethering our mobiles

-Target (January 20, 2015, 03:42 PM)

Watch for next week's thrilling instalment, 'Home Laundry Using Rocks'.
 

-cranioscopical (January 21, 2015, 12:37 AM)

At least if you slam your thumbs doing that, you know exactly why you're hurting.

588

Non-Windows Software / Re: *NIX - Problem with Steam shellscript may delete user files

« Last post by 40hz on January 21, 2015, 06:56 AM »

Why is it the little people are reduced to speculation?

-TaoPhoenix (January 21, 2015, 05:14 AM)

LOL! Because we can't read minds; peer into the souls of others; know with certainty what the future will bring; or, define what's truly true like we've been told the big people can.

589

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on January 20, 2015, 07:48 PM »

New concert piano design. Pretty interesting.

590

Living Room / Re: wireless networking and wifi printer help

« Last post by 40hz on January 20, 2015, 07:46 PM »

I think a safer way out would be to get one of the cellular broadband routers that will furnish its own centralized connection and built in wireless router that will share data with their existing plan ..

-Stoic Joker (January 20, 2015, 06:04 PM)

Agree 100%.

And yeah, that tethering bit is a pretty unique wrinkle. Can't say I've ever tried that one before, but I'm guessing it would be a pretty fiddly exercise getting it setup just right...

591

Living Room / Re: issues with uefi, more than 6 drives, ahci, windows 8.

« Last post by 40hz on January 20, 2015, 04:05 PM »

^Microsoft will let you download a free 180-day full-featured trial copy. I'd suggest trying it out before you buy to see if it works for you. Look here.

I'd also try FreeNAS and anything else you're curious about that you think might work. Servers aren't one-night stands. You'll be working with whatever you select for a long time barring a major disaster. So it's important to shop around and test before you commit - and like (or a least not mind) what you eventually decide to go with.
 

592

Living Room / Re: wireless networking and wifi printer help

« Last post by 40hz on January 20, 2015, 03:56 PM »

And given that that functionality is explicitly available in all the existing devices it seems reasonable to expect that it would actually. well, function.  It's not like wifi is new or bleeding edge, quite the opposite in fact (I know this is a generalisation and that there are a lot of factors to consider)

-Target (January 20, 2015, 03:42 PM)

It's not so much wifi as it is per-to-peer networking. In an ad hoc network environment there’s no persistence. So it tends to be flaky.

Besides...a wifi router does a lot more than just provide wifi connectivity. It also handles DHCP, provides a unified gateway, allows for QoS tuning, gives you a basic SPI firewall and related security services, plus a host of other benefits. It's not just a dumb radio box. It's a computer - complete with CPU and software. With a router, all you need to do is connect with a very basic TCP/IP connection. All the heavy lifting and dithering in the background that's needed to make your network stable and pleasant to work with is handled by the router. Less of a load on your PC as a result.

Routers are good things to have no matter what size the network.

593

Living Room / Re: issues with uefi, more than 6 drives, ahci, windows 8.

« Last post by 40hz on January 20, 2015, 03:42 PM »

Home Server for the multi drive tower I'll build.  I like storage spaces, it's easy to use for a windows guy like me.  I also like the idea of the linux servers and ZFS, but that experiment will have to wait for when i have more time.  There are some complaints with storage spaces regarding expansion and reliability, but after seeing it in action I can't really see myself running into such issues at my small scale.  Home server is just easy.

-superboyac (January 20, 2015, 03:05 PM)

AFAIK, they've discontinued Home Server. They created Foundation as one replacement. The main drawback is it's single-CPU and with no Hyper-V virtual machine support plus it has to be purchased installed on a server. No retail copies available. It's also fairly brain-dead when it comes to management tools. So skip Foundation. Essentials is a better deal. Better tools, better features, supports 2 physical CPUs...and you can install it on anything you want that will run it. And Essentials RC2 (the current version) now allows for one virtual machine to be hosted on it. Very handy at times that is.

594

Living Room / Re: issues with uefi, more than 6 drives, ahci, windows 8.

« Last post by 40hz on January 20, 2015, 10:24 AM »

There may also be an issue with how many drives the desktop version of Windows can realistically support. Especially with the controllers supplied on a workstation-class mobo. The server versions of Windows now support drive pooling. Or in Microsoft-speak: Storage Spaces. If you're in a total Windows environment, considering something like the Windows Essentials Server might be one viable - and easy - solution for home use. There's a lot to like. (Even I have to admit that much. ) And it's affordable. Especially if you buy it with an inexpensive server from somebody like Dell.

Alternatively, a (possibly FOSS) NAS solution, as has been previously suggested by xtabber, would also be an excellent (and likely less expensive) alternative.
 

595

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Syncfusion Essential Studio Suite *FREE*

« Last post by 40hz on January 19, 2015, 08:31 PM »

Licensing implies something different to me than price, however...

-wraith808 (January 19, 2015, 09:30 AM)

Fair 'nuff. But would you care to elaborate?

596

Living Room / Re: wireless networking and wifi printer help

« Last post by 40hz on January 19, 2015, 03:04 PM »

One of the main questions that should also be asked, is does the printer itself really need to be wireless? More often than not the answer to this is no. Because the printer is almost always a stationary target that simply needs to be accessible from any moving location. So it really just needs to be accessible by wireless devices. Until they come up with a battery powered printer it's going to be tethered to a wall anyhow so you might as well take the advantage and wire in the network too. It's amazing how many people waste money getting upsold on this rather critical - but often misunderstood - detail.

According to the specs the device has an RJ45 Ethernet port, so get a cheap wireless router, wire the thing to it, and you should be ok. The router will handle the IP scheme, and you won't be left twisting in the wind hoping that some flakey "Cutting Edge" technology will decide to be kind enough to actually work on any given day.

-Stoic Joker (January 19, 2015, 11:51 AM)

Bingo! Although the Brother MFC-8710DW I recently bought for the house (thereby neatly breaking my own 'rules' about "wired before wireless" and "no multifunction devices") worked fine right out of the box in that regard. Unboxed it, stuck it in a corner of the den, fired it up, connected it via it's wireless to one of our access points using the front panel, and Bob was my uncle. Windows, Linux, Nook, and all our smartphones (iOS and Android) are perfectly happy printing through it via wifi.

I'll confess I did more research than usual before I bought it - primarily as a backup copier that could do 2-sided and legal. But I did pay attention to user feedback on how well its wireless features worked since that's always been the Achilles Heel with this class of product. The feedback wasn't exactly stellar. But it was noticeably better than anything else I looked at. YMMV.

597

Living Room / Re: chrome browser is so nasty

« Last post by 40hz on January 19, 2015, 02:45 PM »

At least Chrome sufficiently satisfies the DRM demons enough to allow Linux users to watch Netflix without having to resort to all sorts of Pipelight and agent switching shenanigans.

598

Non-Windows Software / Re: *NIX - Problem with Steam shellscript may delete user files

« Last post by 40hz on January 19, 2015, 02:37 PM »

^Well...it happened. Not much else we can say about it since we could only speculate endlessly as to why it happened. Somebody screwed up or wasn't thinking clearly. That's the centerpiece problem at the heart of everything from space shuttle explosions to checking account overdrafts.

Makes for a good cautionary tale if nothing else.

599

Non-Windows Software / Re: *NIX - Problem with Steam shellscript may delete user files

« Last post by 40hz on January 19, 2015, 02:15 PM »

So is this a bug?! Or a hack?

-TaoPhoenix (January 19, 2015, 01:05 PM)

Neither really.

It's a programming mistake. Or a bad call by a script coder. Period.

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with rm -rf/. It's just one more command. The same as rd /s/Q in Windows. It can be a handy way of cleaning out a lot of unneeded directories and files provided you know (a) exactly what you want to accomplish; and (b) exactly how the command actually works.

In this case, not having the '$STEAMROOT' directory where it was expected to be was the same as invoking the command with a wildcard. So instead of purging a specific directory, having a null value for $STEAMROOT meant the shell interpreter blew past it and went straight to / as its next valid criteria. Booyah! And blammo too!

I'm amazed whoever put that command in a script didn't realize that could happen. Especially since rm -rf/* is one of the first "killer commands  Linux users learn and repeatedly get warned about. My guess is that whoever did this is probably a Windows programmer by trade. Windows has some built-in safeguards when you run the rd command. That, however, is not the case in Linux, which assumes you know what you're doing when issuing commands within a terminal session.

600

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Syncfusion Essential Studio Suite *FREE*

« Last post by 40hz on January 19, 2015, 08:06 AM »

because of the licensing?

-wraith808 (January 19, 2015, 07:54 AM)

Yeah. I had a client that used it. The license used to go (still does?) for several thousand IIRC.