Windows 7 – I want it released right now
Posted in Geeky Stuff by Harley
I had some time on my hands last week so I downloaded the Windows 7 release candidate, wrote it to DVD, took an image of my windows XP installation, backed up all my files and installed Windows 7. I don’t have the worlds fastest/greatest computer.. actually I have a pretty boring Acer Aspire 3050 with 2GB of ram and Windows 7 installed perfectly and runs nicely. The only thing I had to do after installation was install sound drivers which I found easily enough from the Acer website because Windows 7 hadn’t recognised my internal microphone.. no biggie.
The thing I like most about Windows 7 is the speedy response time when minimising/maximising windows. It’s so sharp you could cut yourself and according to the CPU gadget the comp is using a steady 33% of my RAM. CPU usage was sitting at around 25% but I was running two monitors which takes a bit of juice. Running Firefox puts my CPU usage up to around 14% but that’s not much different from Windows XP and startup time for Firefox is a lot shorter.
I use two monitors which in XP means I have to install separate programs in order to manage my desktops efficiently. In Windows 7 the multiple monitor support has been greatly enhanced so it’s easy peasy to turn off my laptop monitor and only use my extra, which conserves juice and also my eyes.
Most folk don’t seem to like the shaking of a window in order to minimise all the rest of them but I can see myself using that feature frequently. I often have many programs running at once while designing and those windows can all be of different sizes so being able to minimise almost everything quickly would be handy. A problem with minimising background windows is that with the new toolbar you have to hover over a programs icon to see the open windows so I’ll bet there will be times when there are so many windows minimised that my computer will overload and die :/.
So far the only negative thing I have to say about Windows 7 really doesn’t have much to do with Windows 7. Program compatibility.. so far I’ve come across Daemon Tools and Philips Voip321 not working but I’m sure there’d be a lot more once I started trying to install games. Since I still use some old software (some programs from way back in Windows 95) it’d be nice to get those working, luckily there’s the compatibility modes so with a bit of luck I can get them running.
All in all I say well done Microsoft. You’ve finally made an OS that seems to work (at least until a service pack and a few million patches come along and you clog my computer with useless crap :S).
Testers Required
Posted in Misc by Harley
Wanna help me test a new plugin? Course you do… it’s a CSV to post plugin and lets you populate a blog using the many CSV files out there. During my own testing I got the entire season of the Boston Celtics in my blog. I think the script’s quite nifty but the real question is.. what do YOU think? ;) Download it below and lemme know what you think via the contact page.
Pwaaahhhhhh
Posted in Misc by Harley
I get frustrated sometimes like everyone :S My recent frustration is caused by sitting at this computer for hours and yet still not getting anywhere. So many things to do so much faffing around to do first. For the past few years I’ve been considering starting up my own wee business but I think that in order to do that I’d have to be well dedicated and energised and motivated and look good in a suit and actually do some bloody work. In other words; somebody else.
In other news I turned 24 last weekend and got a Nintendo DS which I’m really chuffed with. Been playing Pokemon Diamond (yes I know). My pets have been especially annoying the past week probably cos they smell the summer and all of the animals in heat running around. My cat and dog have both had the snip but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t give it a bash, bit like guns, the trigger would go off but no bullet. Minging.
Easter Weekend
Posted in Misc by Harley
I’ve just had four days off work cos of Easter and I’ve been making the most of it by sitting on my arse ;) This always happens to me.. before the holiday I think ‘right, gonna get lots of stuff done. Spring clean the flat.. take the dog on lots of walks.. clean up the terrace.. update plugins and do lots of geeky stuff… wash my hair’ ya know the usual. Then the holiday comes along and *foosh* all the plans go out the window and I end up vegging out with a bar of blue fazer (best chocolate bar in the world) and a bottle of Fanta. Today I woke up late, switched on my comp and sat for hours watching YouTube videos and browsing a new find oddee.com. It’s the kind of site you get sucked into and have trouble getting out of. Time goes so fast it’s like I blinked and the holiday’s over already, luckily I have a two week holiday the first two weeks of May.. then two weeks of working.. then unemployment (contract’s done :S). Dunno what I’ll do after that but something’s bound to come up and there’s a couple of courses I’m interested in so I’ll try to get in there. So.. three weeks of work then I’m on holiday again :D just got to keep positive…
Why I’m going back to Skype 3.8
Posted in Misc by Harley
I downloaded the newest Skype (4.0) basically because I’ve never had any trouble with updating Skype before. After an update everything worked better than before and it all seemed like a beautiful dream.. then Skype 4.0 came along.
The interface is so complicated that it took me three minutes to find the button to disconnect a call. This is not because I’m technically challenged, neither is it because I have eye problems. It’s a tinnyyyyyy wee button. The interface takes up half of my screen and I don’t like that either, sure I can put it on compact view but that doesn’t really help matters and the IM windows have been pounded by the unreadable tree.
Ick.. Skype 3.8 here I come again.
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