Recent Posts

6676

General Software Discussion / Re: In a change of fortunes, MS implores developers not to make Webkit the new IE6

« Last post by wraith808 on November 17, 2012, 10:00 AM »

Isn't this is the new world the consumer supposedly is demanding? You know:  freedom from choice?

-40hz (November 17, 2012, 08:59 AM)

FTFY

I mean, look at the gaming market.  People rip on PC gamers because of the hoops they have to go through to get a system that works.  It doesn't matter that it looks better, or that you can mod, or that you have a machine that can do a lot more.  The convenience and instant on is lost, and you have to spend more time with it (sometimes, but that's lost in the shuffle).  And since developers make games to look good on the best hardware, your xbox will be good for games long after your PC is relegated to boring stuff and older games.

With tablets coming of age, I predict that the same arguments will occur.  After all, there isn't a tablet that has as many problems as the typical PC, and the limitations actually help to limit that damage.

I'm not saying it's right- just that we aren't the typical consumers.  We aren't the sheep at whom they are aiming these descriptions.  And there are more sheep than people like us.

6677

Living Room / Re: DOTCOM saga - updates

« Last post by wraith808 on November 17, 2012, 09:55 AM »

I think I'll end up respecting Kim no matter which way he plays this one.

-40hz (November 17, 2012, 08:46 AM)

I'm already respecting him for making it this far...

6678

General Software Discussion / In a change of fortunes, MS implores developers not to make Webkit the new IE6

« Last post by wraith808 on November 17, 2012, 07:45 AM »

Microsoft begs Web devs not to make WebKit the new IE6

Internet Explorer 10 is a fast browser with good standards compliance, and the version of Internet Explorer 10 included with Windows Phone 8 is no exception, as it's almost identical to its desktop sibling. But Internet Explorer 10 has a problem: Web developers don't expect to see it on the mobile Web. The mobile Web is dominated by WebKit-based browsers, and mobile sites tend to be developed exclusively for, and tested exclusively on, WebKit browsers. A similar problem exists for tablets.

Often the development is even narrower; although both Android and iOS sport WebKit-based browsers, iOS is the one that dominates mobile browser usage, and dominates testing as a result.

This situation is all rather familiar; WebKit, especially on iOS, is occupying a similar position to that once held by Internet Explorer 6 on the desktop, where Web content was "best viewed in Internet Explorer 6" and was prone to breaking in Netscape or Firefox.

Continued at link (via Ars Technica).

6679

Living Room / Re: ~$300 Laptop/Netbook recommendations

« Last post by wraith808 on November 17, 2012, 07:20 AM »

You can get near that for a refurbished unit - without the extra goodies, though.  For example:

http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E16834200684

Dell 15" Refurb for $339 from newegg.

Or new 15" Lenovo for $399 from newegg:

http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E16834310606

6680

Living Room / Re: ~$300 Laptop/Netbook recommendations

« Last post by wraith808 on November 16, 2012, 07:01 PM »

one does wonder if it might not pay to wait for the black friday deals.
having said that, i have found the core2duo cpu's to be quite satisfactory; the i3/i5/i7 next generation cpus are obviously better but honestly very few people have need for them.

-mouser (November 16, 2012, 04:59 PM)

This is quite true.  But if you're buying for a 12 year old and you want it to last, the i3 would get you a few more years for right around the same price, while the core2duo is nearing the EOL in all estimation.

6681

Living Room / Re: ~$300 Laptop/Netbook recommendations

« Last post by wraith808 on November 16, 2012, 04:48 PM »

I'd not go for a core 2, personally-

Get a current model, not last-years shop-sale type of a 'bargain'.

-Ath (November 13, 2012, 02:17 PM)

I totally agree with this, so that's the reason.  Especially with Black Friday deals popping everywhere, you should be able to get an i3 for about the same price.  It looks solid, but that's just my prejudice speaking.

6682

General Software Discussion / Re: Synergy Virtual KVM

« Last post by wraith808 on November 11, 2012, 08:22 PM »

Just as a mini-update, Synergy seems to be smoother on my Mac now. Might be because the mouse battery was low before? That doesn't seem quite right, but I don't really have a very good explanation why it seems smoother now. Maybe I just got used to it?

-Renegade (November 11, 2012, 08:10 PM)

Or maybe it *did* get better.  Like I said... in my experience, the Synergy connection must utilize the dark arts and require blood sacrifice or something, because it gets better and worse for no reason that I was able to discern...

6683

General Software Discussion / Re: Synergy Virtual KVM

« Last post by wraith808 on November 11, 2012, 11:40 AM »

*facepalm*

*headdesk*

6684

General Software Discussion / Re: Synergy Virtual KVM

« Last post by wraith808 on November 11, 2012, 08:37 AM »

^ x2

6685

Living Room / Toshiba laptop service manuals and the sorry state of copyright law

« Last post by wraith808 on November 10, 2012, 05:38 PM »

For three years I have run Tim's Laptop Manuals, where laptop repair manuals are free for all to download and use. Toshiba have now used copyright to force me to take down all Toshiba service manuals.


Excerpt from Blog Post

As you would be no doubt already aware, I run a section of my blog here devoted to the free sharing of laptop service manuals. This is a side project I have run for the last three years, gathering as many repair manuals as I could find on the internet and rehosting them on my website for anybody to download and use.

I have unhappy news for you all. Since I was first contacted by Toshiba Australia’s legal department, I have been attempting to discuss with them the potential for me to continue to share their laptop service manuals on my site. Their flat and final response was “You do not have permission [to disseminate Toshiba copyright material] nor will it be granted to you in the foreseeable future.” As a result, all Toshiba material that was on my website is now gone, permanently.

More at link.

6686

Developer's Corner / Re: Funny Comments in Your Code?

« Last post by wraith808 on November 10, 2012, 10:49 AM »

It was liberally laced with profanity, and just hilarious!

-Renegade (November 09, 2012, 10:28 PM)

I did this before, to earn an achievement in VS. 

-wraith808 (November 09, 2012, 10:41 PM)

I've never seen that before! Love it~!

-Renegade (November 09, 2012, 11:08 PM)

There is an extension for VS that tracks achievements: http://channel9.msdn...vements/visualstudio

I know you're getting away from MS, so not sure how much that will be for you, but it's pretty hilarious, especially since I get them on the xbox and steam...

6687

Developer's Corner / Re: Funny Comments in Your Code?

« Last post by wraith808 on November 10, 2012, 10:48 AM »

^ It's funny how I'm proud of my solution- then when I go back to it, it's like 'Did I write this?'.

6688

General Software Discussion / Re: Sign of the times for OpenSource software?

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 11:36 PM »

Taking the devil's advocate position:

The 7-zip vs. commercial is actually disingenous, because the easier route would be to just use Windows.  You might counter with the Linux argument, but you've already gone out of the way to go the Linux route- no matter what else you might say about it, it's *not* as easy to install as Windows.

For the paint.net vs photoshop example-  If you need the facilities of photoshop, then paint.net (as good of a program as it is) won't fit the bill.  (And of course, there's that whole bit with FOSS that I don't agree with that makes Paint.NET not free software... but that's a tangent)

I do, however, get what you're saying as far as there is a happy convergence at times, which is why I said usually.  However, I think that the usually still applies.

6689

General Software Discussion / Re: Sign of the times for OpenSource software?

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 10:42 PM »

That's a matter of time.  Usually philosophical reasons make you take a less efficient and less convenient route, i.e. cost you more time.

-wraith808 (November 09, 2012, 08:27 PM)

I think that's a point where we'll never agree. I see no reason why philosophical reasons can't make you more efficient or lead you down a more convenient route, costing you less time and money. It can go either way.

-Renegade (November 09, 2012, 10:10 PM)

Not saying that it couldn't... especially in the long run.  But in the short run... show me a case.

6690

Developer's Corner / Re: Funny Comments in Your Code?

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 10:41 PM »

It was liberally laced with profanity, and just hilarious!

-Renegade (November 09, 2012, 10:28 PM)

I did this before, to earn an achievement in VS. 

6691

Living Room / Re: Apple Apologise to Samsung - yeah right!

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 10:07 PM »

That sucks to hear that you went through it, but it in some small way helps to know that someone knows what it is (and yours definitely sounds worse than mine).  It's just strange when you think that things are Black and White one day, then a judge says something that dumps a can of gray paint over your head.

 

But I guess the point I make with judges doing things like this is that it's really just to make a statement.  It doesn't do anything, and even if they posted the most heartfelt apology, would anyone believe it?  It's just a flexing of muscle on a different level, and sets precedent for similar meaningless punishments in the future.

Precedent is a good principle, but when precedent ends up being, "We've been screwing everyone else, so because we've been violent towards others, we get to be violent towards you and screw you any way we darn well feel like," well, I don't think that appealing to a precedent of violence and oppression is ever justified.

-Renegade (November 09, 2012, 09:57 PM)

Oh, i didn't mean it that way, or that precedent was even a good principle.  I just meant that without precedent (and without being *called* on the precedent, which is stupid) one judge won't overturn another, for fear that they will be on the other side- it's a form of 'professional courtesy'.  And I had a copy of the law in court, and the judge outright told me that if I wanted to bring up the letter of the law, that I should have gotten a lawyer.  And without one, the law in his court was what he said it was.  (And of course, if I had the money for a lawyer, I wouldn't have been in court, so there's that too).

Bah.

6692

Living Room / Re: Apple Apologise to Samsung - yeah right!

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 08:46 PM »

Actually, I totally disagree with this 'freedom' that judges have in many cases to come up with strange and contrary to the norm punishment, especially when it takes away freedom of others by forcing them to do arbitrary things that are not enforced by precedent.  It seems cool in cases- but what it does in practice is make their courtrooms into their little fiefdoms where they can do anything they want.  Fine them, impose sanctions... fine.  But to force someone to make a statement that you know they don't believe?

Believe me, if you'd been on the other side, like I have, and know that you have some sanction imposed on you that you have no way out of because there's no precedent in law and thus no way to appeal (because judges won't turn over without precedent in appeal, at least for the little people), it's very frustrating and disheartening.

/rant

6693

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

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 08:28 PM »

Have you turned off UAC just to see if they work?

-wraith808 (November 09, 2012, 05:05 PM)

No, I haven't. I thought that would create some vulnerabilities... I did look into some workarounds to get rid of them per specific software but I haven't got around to trying them yet.

-dr_andus (November 09, 2012, 05:16 PM)

Oh, I didn't mean permanently- I meant to see if UAC was the problem.  That could be just a red herring.

6694

General Software Discussion / Re: Sign of the times for OpenSource software?

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 08:27 PM »

I think in the end it comes down to a simple equation based on the two most limited resources people have - money and time.  Whichever one of those wins out will dictate what they gravitate to- everything else is just framing that argument.

-wraith808 (November 09, 2012, 10:32 AM)

I'd add in Stallman's position there. There are philosophical reasons to use freedom software. They're not really affected by price so much.

-Renegade (November 09, 2012, 08:16 PM)

That's a matter of time.  Usually philosophical reasons make you take a less efficient and less convenient route, i.e. cost you more time.

6695

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

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 05:05 PM »

Have you turned off UAC just to see if they work?  Perhaps it's that interaction that's causing the problem.  Not sure... but this just interests me, and I don't have anything like it to test.

6696

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

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 03:03 PM »

Did you try compatibility mode?  That fixed most (if not all) of my compatibility issues.  Just right click, select properties, and select the compatibility tab, and set the compatibility mode option to Windows XP SP3.  Unless you're running off a network drive or optical drive, it should allow you to select that option.

-wraith808 (November 09, 2012, 12:31 PM)

Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I did, but it doesn't seem to make any difference in my case for some reason.

-dr_andus (November 09, 2012, 02:50 PM)

Hmmm... I know its off-topic, but what kind of errors were you receiving after you did this?

6697

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

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 12:31 PM »

What software? Maybe someone here is familiar with it and can say if it works on Windows 8. I have so far only tried Windows 8 in virtualization but everything I've tried to installed has worked fine.

-Nod5 (November 09, 2012, 11:22 AM)

Okay, my main concern would be Outline 4D (formerly known as StoryView 2.0, which I also have), but other oldies include Maxthink, BrainStorm, and Natara Bonsai. When I switched from XP to Win7 for example it was an unpleasant surprise that some software forced me to upgrade by simply not being compatible at all (such as EndNote), or by starting to crash (Adobe Acrobat Professional 6, Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8 etc.). The latter I don't want to upgrade because I don't think they're worth the money, but I was annoyed that I was forced to look for alternatives.

-dr_andus (November 09, 2012, 12:18 PM)

Did you try compatibility mode?  That fixed most (if not all) of my compatibility issues.  Just right click, select properties, and select the compatibility tab, and set the compatibility mode option to Windows XP SP3.  Unless you're running off a network drive or optical drive, it should allow you to select that option.

6698

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

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 12:08 PM »

The problem with Vista was perception, and MS being unable to get ahead of the PR curve.

-wraith808 (November 09, 2012, 10:34 AM)

The problem with Vista was the hardware manufacturers tried to get away with - it required significantly better spec hardware than Windows 7 to get it to run at a decent speed - in particular memory optimisation was an issue.

-Carol Haynes (November 09, 2012, 11:04 AM)

Actually, I think the original part of the quote speaks to that better, i.e.

Actually, Vista is a matter for discussion/personal experience.

-wraith808 (November 09, 2012, 10:34 AM)

I didn't have the same experience.  My laptop wasn't ahead of the curve- neither were any of the other machines I used Vista on, and didn't have that problem.  That's what the last part of that meant- people had problems in their personal experiences, and because they weren't able to get ahead of that sample in their negativity towards Vista in their PR, it affected the collective views towards it.

6699

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

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 10:34 AM »

Actually, Vista is a matter for discussion/personal experience.  I personally had no problems with Vista.  I used it for years on my laptop without problems, and now my daughter is using that laptop and still has no problems.  The problem with Vista was perception, and MS being unable to get ahead of the PR curve.  ME was a totally different thing- it had serious problems that they never really addressed.  But Vista was different, at least IME.

6700

General Software Discussion / Re: Sign of the times for OpenSource software?

« Last post by wraith808 on November 09, 2012, 10:32 AM »

I think in the end it comes down to a simple equation based on the two most limited resources people have - money and time.  Whichever one of those wins out will dictate what they gravitate to- everything else is just framing that argument.