Recent Posts

926

Living Room / Re: In rememberance of....The antiquated hardware/software reminiscence thread

« Last post by zridling on March 07, 2010, 12:41 PM »

HP Laserjet 4. Paid $1400 for it in 1993(?) [can't remember]. Kept it more than 14 years. It weighed a short ton, but got me through two graduate degrees! Replaced it with a $30 inkjet.

927

Living Room / Re: Browser Wars: Why did you choose yours?

« Last post by zridling on March 05, 2010, 02:04 PM »

Does your browser stack up on speed tests (and other tests)? Tom's hardware gives them a run:
http://www.tomshardw...rome-opera,2558.html

       

928

Living Room / Will you miss newspapers when they're gone?

« Last post by zridling on March 05, 2010, 01:52 PM »

Not me. Even other icons such as high school yearbooks are disappearing in favor of permanent Facebook pages.

929

General Software Discussion / Re: NoSQL database(s) - anyone familiar?

« Last post by zridling on March 04, 2010, 10:53 PM »

Glad we helped.   

930

General Software Discussion / Re: NoSQL database(s) - anyone familiar?

« Last post by zridling on March 03, 2010, 09:21 PM »

This topic was the subject of an article by Reuven M. Lerner in the latest Linux Journal. Here are some interesting resources:

Videos and presentations from the NoSQL Conference in mid-2009:
http://blog.oskarsso...6/nosql-debrief.html

CouchDB info:
http://couchdb.apache.org/

MongoDB info:
http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/Home

Interesting comments reacting to (and rejecting) the NoSQL movement:
http://www.eflorenza...st/my-thoughts-nosql
http://cacm.acm.org/...do-with-sql/fulltext
http://codemonkeyism...com/dark-side-nosql/
http://bjclark.me/20...ly-it-was-that-easy/

_________________________
Hope this helps!

931

Living Room / Re: The Third & The Seventh - Beautiful CG short film

« Last post by zridling on March 02, 2010, 04:20 PM »

Quite lovely, thanks for sharing!

932

General Software Discussion / Re: Which Linux For Non-Techie Windows Users?

« Last post by zridling on February 25, 2010, 06:02 PM »

...for the home user I don't know why they would really want to get into all the nitty gritty. Not unless you sat the guy down and said "this is computing!" and let him have at it.  Don't tell him there's any other universe.

-MilesAhead (February 25, 2010, 04:16 PM)

That's just it. Even I'm surprised at how far it's come in three years, heck, in the last year. If you sat an uninitiated (virgin) user in front of either Linux or Win7, I'd bet that today your top Linux distros would win on simplicity and ease-of-use among other things. You've got to remember that 90% of all Linux users are like me: former Windows users!

933

Living Room / Re: Pirate vs. Paying Customer illustrated

« Last post by zridling on February 25, 2010, 10:05 AM »

Btw, I found that unsourced photo here:
http://i.imgur.com/GxzeV.jpg

934

General Software Discussion / Re: Which Linux For Non-Techie Windows Users?

« Last post by zridling on February 25, 2010, 10:01 AM »

I would be interested in other peoples opinion on Linux's speed and footprint. We hear a lot about what a fast and light OS it is, but whenever I've tried it (and I mean a distro like Ubuntu, Mint, Mandrake etc which has a full KDE/Gnome gui) it just does not seem any faster than say Windows 7 or even Vista. Even on a netbook Win7 seems to win over Linux distros such as Jolicloud (recent Lifehacker comparison), so I'm not sure what it brings to the table for a Windows user.

-MrCrispy (February 22, 2010, 07:44 PM)

Good point. That's because Gnome and KDE are the full monty of desktop environments on Linux. There are several lighter, faster ones, such as Xfce, Enlightenment, etc. To me, the big advantage is moving from proprietary software -- and all its related lock-in issues -- which then allows you to use open formats that anyone can implement, thus making it relatively easy to change suppliers. Neither your data nor your architectures are locked down by the proprietary vendor (Microsoft, Apple, RIM, etc.).

If you use Windows most of the time I don't think you'll really feel at home in Linux unless they have a bunch of editors now with Windows style editing.... I guess it's like learning a foreign language without hearing it spoken at home.  You have to immerse yourself in it.  If you don't have to do it, you probably won't.  If you want the guy to learn Linux, lock him in a room with a PC with only Linux on it.  If he can boot Windows, forget it.

-MilesAhead (February 24, 2010, 06:03 PM)

They have several Windows-like editors. On KDE, both KWrite and Kate text editors are like any Windows text editor. And now UltraEdit is also native to Linux, with its UeX version. Immersion is great advice, because I strongly recommend it. KDE is most like Win7, only more flexible. Comes with a butt load of apps, all of them free, of course. And if you code, making the move is easier than you think with distros like openSUSE.

935

Living Room / Pirate vs. Paying Customer illustrated

« Last post by zridling on February 25, 2010, 09:42 AM »

Yes, this whole thing really punishes the honest guy. <Insert cursing here>

936

Living Room / Re: The Olympics run on WinXP!

« Last post by zridling on February 25, 2010, 09:39 AM »

Using XP also guarantees that other countries' reporters are familiar with the OS. I figure only 25%(?) of Windows users have moved to Win7 to date, and perhaps half the world is still using XP.

937

Living Room / The Olympics run on WinXP!

« Last post by zridling on February 25, 2010, 09:18 AM »

Who knew!
http://news.cnet.com...mp;subj=BeyondBinary

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--The good news for Microsoft is that all the PCs powering the Olympics are running Windows. The bad news: it's the older Windows XP operating system. Windows 7, it seems, was a bit too new to be used, while Windows Vista was, well, Windows Vista. So, instead, all the PCs are running an operating system that was first released before the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.



Acer has delivered more than 6,000 computers to Olympic organizers--with all the notebooks and desktops running Windows XP. Representatives for Acer confirmed that the more than 6,000 notebooks and desktops that they delivered to Olympic organizers were all running Windows XP. "It was the operating system requested by VANOC (the Olympic organizing committee) and Atos Origin" (the technology integrator managing the Olympics tech operations), said Todd Olson, who manages Acer's tech work in Vancouver.

To be fair, the Olympics tends to be conservative, even in the IT profession. Its mandate to suppliers was to "deliver a flawless Games" not try out the latest in new technology.

938

Living Room / You are what you charge

« Last post by zridling on February 25, 2010, 09:10 AM »

Eoghan McCabe makes some good points on what developers and designers should charge for their services. Don't sell yourself short, but make yourself available.


pic not related

A person’s willingness to pay for something is directly related to the value they see in it. And like it or not, that value may be as fluffy as “a better life”. Or it may be something quite straight-forward that you just don’t realise. Either way, if you don’t charge correctly for that value, you lose.... So think about what you really are and what you should be charging for—make sure to purposefully price your service.... Freelancers: nine times out of ten, your clients value only your availability, flexibility and malleability, not your sweet Javascript skills. Price downwards accordingly.... Established agencies: nine times out of ten, your clients value your professionalism, reliability and prestige, not just the hours you bill. Price upwards accordingly.

939

General Software Discussion / How To Use Google's Free, Online Hard Drive

« Last post by zridling on February 22, 2010, 11:45 AM »

Step-by-step instruction on uploading and downloading files to Google's free online HD (1Gb). Nice.

940

Living Room / Re: I hate Valentine's Day!

« Last post by zridling on February 22, 2010, 12:16 AM »

skyyjohn has a hilarious video on Valentine's Day:
http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=K5PAFJzTMHA

941

Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?

« Last post by zridling on February 21, 2010, 11:30 AM »

I have been challenged, by my wife, to read every one of the books in my massive collection (just over 150) of Isaac Asimov literature.

-parkint (February 19, 2010, 11:03 AM)

I've got to admire such a noble quest.

942

General Software Discussion / Which Linux For Non-Techie Windows Users?

« Last post by zridling on February 21, 2010, 11:11 AM »

A Slashdot user asks a good question: Which Linux For Non-Techie Windows Users??



Having at last gotten Linux to run satisfactorily on my own PCs, I'd now like to start transitioning friends and family from XP to Linux instead of Windows 7. The catch is that these guys don't understand or care much about computers, so the transition has to be as seamless and painless as possible. Actually, they won't care for new things; even the upcoming upgrade to Windows 7 would be a pain and a bother, which is a great opportunity for Linux. I'm not too concerned about software (most of them only need browser, IM, VLC, mail and a Powerpoint viewer for all those fascinating attachments). What I'm concerned about is OS look-and-feel and interface — system bar on the bottom with clock, trash, info on the right, menu on the left, menu items similar to those of Windows. Is it better to shoot for a very targeted distro? Which would you recommend? Are there themes/skins for mainstream distributions instead? I've been looking around the web, and it's hard to gauge which distros are well-done and reasonably active.
______________________
And off they go! The usual suspects are heartily recommended -- openSUSE, Mint, PCLinuxOS, Ubuntu -- but the broader discussion of what to do with users moving from XP but not to Win7 is quite interesting.

943

Developer's Corner / Re: The programmer as (starving) artist

« Last post by zridling on February 21, 2010, 10:57 AM »

Yea, but even in the "practical arts" of carpentry, electronics, and plumbing, you have millions of handymen and do-it-yourselfers working on myriad projects for home, friends, and community. The key is: with more and more free code available every year, why would I pay someone to "reinvent the same wheel" over and over? Stand on their shoulders and build something more, something better.

944

General Software Discussion / Re: Why OpenOffice? Why Microsoft Office? Each one makes their argument

« Last post by zridling on February 20, 2010, 12:46 PM »

I favor OpenOffice, but IBM's Lotus Symphony, which is based on OpenOffice and uses the ODF standard, you get the same features only in a tabbed UI. Symphony also has a ton of sharp template galleries that work on OpenOffice, too. Linux guys like Edvard and me don't get to use MS Office because Microsoft doesn't port to that platform. I'm pretty sure Wine allows it, but honestly, I got to the point where I could no longer afford MS Office.

Still, each one's marketing pages are convincing.

945

General Software Discussion / Why OpenOffice? Why Microsoft Office? Each one makes their argument

« Last post by zridling on February 19, 2010, 10:19 AM »

Four years ago, the OpenOffice.org Marketing Project put together some web pages to present the case for using OpenOffice.org, which we called Why OpenOffice.org? It’s a sign of the increasing level of worry in Microsoft that they have now produced their own Why Microsoft? pages.

   

The arguments each make are interesting. For example, Microsoft's biggest crank against OpenOffice is that it doesn't work with all of Microsoft's online apps:  OpenOffice.org doesn’t provide email, calendaring, companion web applications, mobile applications, or out-of–the-box integration with companion products like SharePoint and Exchange—a limitation that can impact your user’s, and your IT departments, productivity. If you're not locked-in, your company is losing out!

OpenOffice's argument is more simple: It's built on an open source development model using the open document format (ODF), it's easy to use, and it's free, free, free! Okay, we get it.

946

Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?

« Last post by zridling on February 18, 2010, 09:28 PM »

"Erotic western" and "western thriller" don't compute!

-f0dder (February 18, 2010, 06:43 AM)

That's why you have to read the review. The book is badddddd. So bad, it's good.

947

Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?

« Last post by zridling on February 17, 2010, 11:09 PM »

Devil's Pact, an erotic Western thriller that is so bad it's good. My review is very NSFW. Hilarious.

948

Living Room / Re: Which is better windows mobile or android os?

« Last post by zridling on February 16, 2010, 01:30 PM »

Musubi, perhaps it's best to wait a few months in this area. But whatever your choice, consider the exit strategy that provides the most choice for you.
- Are you allowed to choose phone carriers?
- Is the software proprietary (like Windows and Apple) or is it an open development model, such as Android?
- Can you run many of the same or similar apps on your phone that you run on your PC?
- Consider the provider, which phones they offer, and the type of service you want and can afford. (For example, will you spend more time texting than anything else, or perhaps sharing files with your company?)
- How long are you locked into a contract? How soon can you upgrade your phone without renewing your contract?

Guess it all depends on your needs, just like buying a PC.

949

Living Room / Re: Be careful with your credit cards!

« Last post by zridling on February 15, 2010, 09:35 AM »

Wow, thanks for the alert, Carol. I've had "after charges" applied to my card a couple of times, claiming that the stated price didn't take into account shipping to my location. But that's bull.

950

General Software Discussion / Windows Phone 7 Series should erase those repressed Zune memories

« Last post by zridling on February 15, 2010, 09:29 AM »

Sascha Segan lays out how 'Windows Mobile' turned into WP7, its new UI and hardware. Looks nice.



There will be no non-touch WP7 phones, but there will be phones with hard QWERTY keyboards. Lots of choices in smartphones now.