UPDATES

[Snoopy]

I have, for some time, been unable to get Windows Updates to ..... errrrr......... upload onto my PC. It would look at them and then spit them out with a sneer. This, I deduced, was due to some "pirate" software but frankly I wasn't that bothered. Having had the PC overhauled and generally sorted out and all previous unlicensed stuff removed the updates are flowing thick and fast. Today they happened as usual and my entire desktop appearance has changed. Different colours, different fonts etc ~ I don't like this  Is Mr Gates taking my machine over? I have tried my usual trick of a "System restore" but it makes no difference. I am not happy with this. Linux here I come 

[Barman]

Don't talk to me about linux! 

[Grumpmeister]

If you are sticking with XP you may as well get used to this kind of thing. Now Microsoft have announced that they are going to continue support for XP they are planning on adding in a large number of the features from Vista such as visual effects etc.

[Snoopy]

Don't talk to me about linux! 

OH  Not so good then?

[Snoopy]

If you are sticking with XP you may as well get used to this kind of thing. Now Microsoft have announced that they are going to continue support for XP they are planning on adding in a large number of the features from Vista such as visual effects etc.

I don't doubt you are right ~ but I don't want bells and whistles, not even smoke and mirrors ~ just a stable, reasonably quick internet connection and a word processor that has the facility to add pictures downloaded from my camera into the text and save the results to a CDR when I ask it to. I like to be able to look things up on the net but if I can't find them there I am happy to walk to another room and get a book off the shelf.
Why can't someone market just that without all the other "must have" kit that I will never use. Come to that why must my mobile phone have texting facilities ~ I use a phone to talk to someone, if I want to write I'll send them a letter. Why does my car have to tell me when I need a service ... I can use a dip stick. Modern technology for the sake of it is worthless.

[Barman]

Don't talk to me about linux! 

OH  Not so good then?

No, actually I like it a lot – the new Mandriva 2008 is excellent…

But…

The problem is that I’ve been using CP/M then DOS then Windows for umpty-ump years and anything you want to do beyond the ‘norm’ is bloody hard!

I’ve spend two weeks setting up a music/file server here. I announced it was all up-and-running on the 8th but I discovered that for some reason the ‘shared’ 60Gbyte disc was only 2Gbytes…

So I re-sized and re-formatted the disc but then it wouldn’t work at all…

So I wasted another week before seeking help on the Mandriva support forum – they all say stuff like ‘oh just run drakwizard’ which should be easy but I couldn’t even work out if I had drakbloodywizard let alone how to install it and run it…

The problem is that you just don’t understand at a basic level what is happening and what permissions you need to access discs and how ‘root’ fits into everything…

And I realised that I was wasting an enormous amount of time (money) in order to solve a relatively simple problem: -

-   share a disc on a linux box using Sama so that it can be read by Window$ PC’s.
-   Set the linux box to run slimserver and share my music library.

So yesterday I threw money at the problem! I bought a 200Gbyte network file storage box (which happens to be based on linux) which now holds all my shared network files. I then copied my entire music library to a USB portable hard drive and copied it from there to the linux box. Bish-bosh it all works!

I now plan to use linux on the desktops which will work fine I’m sure and perhaps in time I’ll gain enough knowledge to do clever stuff… the bonus is that I don’t need a supercomputer just to run it.

[Darwins Selection]

 

[The Moan Ranger]

If you are sticking with XP you may as well get used to this kind of thing. Now Microsoft have announced that they are going to continue support for XP they are planning on adding in a large number of the features from Vista such as visual effects etc.

I don't doubt you are right ~ but I don't want bells and whistles, not even smoke and mirrors ~ just a stable, reasonably quick internet connection and a word processor that has the facility to add pictures downloaded from my camera into the text and save the results to a CDR when I ask it to. I like to be able to look things up on the net but if I can't find them there I am happy to walk to another room and get a book off the shelf.
Why can't someone market just that without all the other "must have" kit that I will never use. Come to that why must my mobile phone have texting facilities ~ I use a phone to talk to someone, 1. if I want to write I'll send them a letter. Why does my car have to tell me 2. when I need a service ... I can use a dip stick. Modern technology for the sake of it is worthless.

1. A text will arrive with the recipient generally within seconds. The same cannot be said of snail mail and the strange practices of Postman Prat.
2. That is no way to talk about Nick 

[Nick]

 

[Bar Wench]

 

[Snoopy]

But there is no pleasure in receiving a text. A letter implies thought, that someone cares enough to take the time to put their thoughts on paper, that they have considered and taken trouble over their desire to communicate with you. If it's instant you need then speak to them on the phone.

If I have to press a button and then scroll down the reams of unintelligible abbreviations and symbols why can't I simply press a button and say Hello? I know why ~ it's because the person sending the text is a self important arse who can't be bothered to do me the courtesy of saying hello properly. Well bollox to them ~ I don't want to read their gibberish and I will NOT do so. And that includes my sister in law who likes to make out she is too busy to speak but has time to fiddle around typing out her messages. How long does it take to say "Hello, is it OK if I come to you for the weekend?" as opposed to tapping it out on her mini keypad?
I delight in ignoring them and they then feel obliged to ring me and say "Didn't you get my text?" ~~~ "Yes I got it but I couldn't be bothered to read it"

As for a mechanical recording to say "your service is due" + the fvcking dealer texting me to say "Your service is due" and a letter from Motability to say "Your annual service is now due" ~ I am disabled, meaning I cannot walk far, I am not stupid and I know how many months there are in a year! 

[Nick]

Completely agree. Text messages are the work of the devil!

[The Moan Ranger]

Just tried to ring Mrs TMR. Line engaged. I sent a text saying "Please ring me, I will be home late".

I could have written a letter, but by the time it arrived, my testicles would already have been smashed to a pulp.

Texts have their uses.

And my texts NEVER contain anything other than proper English.

[Uncle Mort]

And my texts NEVER contain anything other than proper English.

That's my rule number one with regard to text messages.

[Bar Wench]

Exactly!!! Also Mr Wench can't answer his phone at school but he can send the occasional text message. Handy for meetings too.