Recent Posts

6451

Find And Run Robot / Re: Feature request: text background color by frequency of launch

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 17, 2006, 09:01 AM »

Sounds like a good idea to me (actually I think this would be a nice idea to implement in Start > Programs too ... potential coding snack?)

6452

Living Room / Re: How long will it take you to adopt Windows Vista as your OS?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 16, 2006, 05:51 PM »

What about GEM?

GEM seemed pretty neat at the time - I probably wouldn't want to go back.   

-mrainey (March 16, 2006, 04:43 PM)

It was a shame that GEM died ... it was around at the same time as Windows 2 and infinitely superior. Came a cropper because of law suits with Apple if I remember correctly.

6453

Living Room / Re: How long will it take you to adopt Windows Vista as your OS?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 16, 2006, 12:18 PM »

@Carol- TRS-DOS is (was) the version of DOS that ran on Tandy computers (TRS-80 and the like) back when every computer maker had their own version of BASIC as well.
Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-DOS

-Edvard (March 16, 2006, 11:14 AM)

Actually as soon as I saw the word Tandy it all came flooding back

As far as hardware goes, Linux is supported and is supporting more hardware every day. Consulting the home page of your manufacturer would be a good start, but then again you'd have to learn a whole new operating system...

I know that - I actually like Linux as an operating system but I have now tried umpteen different versions over the last 5 years and I have yet to find a single build that can install my hardware set. Almost every version has problems with the various printers I have had - even when they were supported they didn't work properly but three models weren't even supported unless they were emulating an ancient Epson. Given that my main use for a printer is photography this was simply unacceptible. My current printer (a Canon iP5000 which is hardly obscure) isn't supported in any way at all.

I have a bog standard Canon flatbed scanner that just isn't supported.

My sound hardware (an Audigy 2) is supported but only in a very basic way

and it goes on ...

If/when Linux developers and hardware manufacturers start talking to each other I will probably have at least a dual booting system with Linux but until then Linux (for me) is a toy operating system that has lots of potential but no real benefit.

(Sorry I think I probably said all this before somewhere - not very well today so I am rambling!)

6454

General Software Discussion / Re: Suggest an Icon Editor

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 16, 2006, 11:52 AM »

There is a free plugin for Adobe PhotoShop (full versions and Elements) and PaintShop Pro that allows you to Open and Save ICO files in those programmes. Ot's called ICOFormat and is available at http://www.telegraphics.com.au/ so if you have an app that can use PS plugins you don't need a separate editor.

6455

Official Announcements / Re: Contest - Make a new Banner for Website

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 16, 2006, 05:21 AM »

what about: "A Home for Software Fanatics"

-mouser (March 15, 2006, 01:27 PM)

or "A Home for Software Festishists" (probably truer ... now where's that digital whip?)

or "Great Software at YOUR OWN price"

or "A Great Software Community ... Prices? ... Name them!!"

or "A Community Software Project"

6456

General Software Discussion / Re: Suggest an Icon Editor

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 16, 2006, 04:33 AM »

I am using IconLover (http://www.aha-soft.com/index.htm) which seems to have replaced ArtIcons Pro (I got it as a free upgrade).

Actually I am using it as part of their IconUtils pack.

Actually I say I am using but actually it is more a case of it is installed and occasionally I remember it is there when I want to do something with an icon (rare).

Actually .... that was really good English ... n'est pas?

6457

Living Room / Re: How long will it take you to adopt Windows Vista as your OS?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 16, 2006, 04:29 AM »

Hmmm ... I seem to be ...



which is strange 'cos I've never heard of it. Maybe that's why none of my hardware works ....

6458

Living Room / Re: How long will it take you to adopt Windows Vista as your OS?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 15, 2006, 06:18 PM »

As a long time Windows sufferer (anyone else remember the joys of Windows 2? What about GEM?) I'd like to move to Linux but I have too many bits of hardware without proper Linux drivers (not least my printer and my scanner not to mention most of my USB stuff, including my Canon SLR). The other problem I have with Linux is that I have too much money invested in Windows based software. I know WINE works with some stuff but what is the point of running Linux and then trying to emulate Windows to run Adobe PhotoShop?

Personally I will probably upgrade to Vista at some point, but it will be at least a couple of years after release so that they have time to iron out the major issues that are bound to plague it for at least the first year - Vista SP1 seems like a good target. Win2k/XP are pretty good OSes (not perfect)  knocking the earlier versions of Windows out for good but have really only got rid of most of the gremlins in the last couple of years (esp. in XP).

Anyone still using Win98 should either have a damn good reason (like some ancient hardware that is essential to them) or be barking mad ... I still shudder when I think of the amount of time I spent troubleshooting crashes in 98. Anyone still using ME is definitely barking mad - that was even worse than 98 (and that was MS's own judgment).

6459

Living Room / Re: Partitioning hard drive - any point?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 15, 2006, 07:36 AM »

I would have thought a folder structure would work just as well as partitions for that, unless you want to use TrueImage to backup your iTune library and photographs in which case having two partitions would be simpler?

Personally I backup my iTune library in the form of CDs so that I have hard copies of purchases in a non-encrypted format (and possibly a DVD of the MP3 and AAC files too for quick retrieval).

Photos I backup to DVD too using "Archive Creator 3" from http://www.rawworkfl...e_creator/index.html which I find really easy to use and produces CDs/DVDs with easily accessible indexes as web pages. The index is present on each disc so it is easy to find what you are looking for by putting in any disc from the backup set. In theory Archive Creator will allow you to backup anything on a file by file basis but it is certainly optimized for photo use and works very well. It also has the advantage that you can verify your backup data against the original which some programs don't do (which is plain daft). If you don't want a different app to do this Genie would do the job well enough.

6460

Living Room / Re: Partitioning hard drive - any point?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 15, 2006, 04:54 AM »

Depends how big it is and what you want to use it for:

• If you are using it to store offline backups then why bother?
• If it is something you will need to backup by imaging then partitioning can make the whole process more manageable.
• If you plan to use it for data storage which you backup file by file then you won't gain much.
• If you are using it for video editing (or similarly speed critical or large file operations) then having partitions you can defrag quickly is really useful.

6461

Site/Forum Features / Re: new forum feature - spoiler tag

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 15, 2006, 04:49 AM »

LOL - about right with C code ...

6462

Site/Forum Features / Re: new forum feature - spoiler tag

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 15, 2006, 04:19 AM »

WOW

Now that is what I call prompt!!!

Question?

How does the spoiler tag affect the forum search? I presume it can 'read between the tags' but it isn't going to be so obvious when you scan a thread! How about a profile option to autoexpand spoilers (for those who will hate this) which can also be set and unset from the search box?

6463

Living Room / Re: Partitioning hard drive - any point?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 15, 2006, 04:11 AM »

I have Disk Director and Partition Magic and still find myself trusting Partition Magic more.

If you have to use it as a recovery tool it doesn't help that Disk Director runs under Linux from it's CD and so sees drives in a slightly different way to Windows, and doesn't see some drives at all (I can't get it to see my RAID drives). Certainly I had a bad experience with ADD when I tried to resize a partition - I ended up with a 'Bad Partition Table' which I had to fix by buying a third party tool.

I get the impression that Acronis have some great ideas but they never quite iron out all the glitches. For me a partitioning tool has to be 110% trustworthy and so I no longer even install ADD.

6464

Site/Forum Features / Re: new forum feature - spoiler tag

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 15, 2006, 04:08 AM »

Any chance of removing the "click to reveal/hide" prompt altogether when a button text is specified ?

6465

Site/Forum Features / Re: new forum feature - spoiler tag

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 14, 2006, 08:43 AM »

Guess what ...

I'm not a spoil-sport

I like this

6466

Site/Forum Features / Re: The new forum is up!!

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 13, 2006, 04:42 AM »

Maybe a "Add this threat to your DC-bookmarks"-Button ?

-AbteriX (March 13, 2006, 04:39 AM)

Is that a Freudian slip

6467

Living Room / Re: Planet Earth starts tonight

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 13, 2006, 04:20 AM »

Agreed the Snow Leopard footage was awesome. I had seen a little of that before as the same team produced an earlier programme just on the Snow Leopard - but it ended when they had to leave as one of the team got Mountain sickness. Obviously they had been back to film in the same area and the footage of the mother and cub as well as the hunting were just amazing. What incredible patience these film crews have - 7 weeks on your own in a hide without anything to report!! Either total dedication or completely barmy

I was also very taken with the secret filming of the Panda nursing the baby in the cave.

6468

Site/Forum Features / Re: The new forum is up!!

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 12, 2006, 05:53 PM »

Strange - maybe it is a cookie thing?

6469

Developer's Corner / Re: Python411 podcast

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 12, 2006, 04:50 PM »

Python is an unfortunate name in the UK - I was looking for a Monty Python podcast !!

6470

Site/Forum Features / Re: The new forum is up!!

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 12, 2006, 04:49 PM »

Have you logged in on the other computer - or are you looking as a guest? You need to log in so that it knows which posts are unread by you.

6471

Site/Forum Features / Re: The new forum is up!!

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 11, 2006, 05:33 PM »

Good job Mouser - and the new lower button bar is great!

6472

Living Room / Re: Who has made the best house for their pet?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 11, 2006, 11:09 AM »

LOL - a hamster cat ....

6473

General Software Discussion / Re: Free Visual Studio 2005

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 11, 2006, 11:07 AM »

And once again:

*Offer good in the United States and Canada only ...

-Jibz (March 11, 2006, 01:37 AM)

I have signed up using my parent's address in Canada so it will just cost me the postage from there

6474

General Software Discussion / Re: Driver backup

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 08, 2006, 02:38 PM »

I wouldn't recommend using ANY drive image software that runs in the OS that you are backing up.

-pseudolus (March 08, 2006, 12:39 PM)

Actually there are quite a few now that do the job really well and don't cause problems when you restore a partition.

Symantec Ghost does the job (though I haven't used it since they acquired Powerquest). Also Acronis Disc Image does the job easily.

Both can be run within windows and they are MUCH quicker than DOS versions because in Winodws they can use DMA on the drives (which can't easily be done under the DOS based discs other tools generate).

6475

Living Room / Re: Companies paying people to say good things about their products on forums

« Last post by Carol Haynes on March 06, 2006, 01:27 PM »

Especially the slimming  ads...All those beautiful girls with attractive  bodies, and body building guys... that they use in the ads?

-Baseman (March 06, 2006, 12:08 PM)

I love the ads for wrinkle creams with 12 year old models saying "I use xxxx and look I have no wrinkles" - it isn't a lie as such but ... give me a break.

It also annoys me when they use pseudo scientific jargon to sound plausible assuming that women are too stupid to realise it is complete bollocks!