Does anyone actually read this thing?

I'm starting to wonder if anyone actually does read this. Feedback would be nice.

Really Folks

This stuff is getting childish Microsoft. Everything you fund a study it tells us how expensive and unsecured Linux is. Everything anyone else funds (including independent studies) a study it tells that Linux is a real, viable and time than not better option to any windows server. Do you think you scare any intelligent IT manager anymore. You have been caught crying wolf too many times for us to believe you anymore, regardless who you get to do it.

Mice

Its amazing that Apple feels it needs to engineer things to their "standard". I'll give them that the ipod was pretty awesome but people have done it as well since then. I'm sure they are going to spend a foturne when all they need to do is the same thing that Microsoft did when they did their first mouse. Call up Logitech and ask them to design something for them. I'm sure they will make it pretty and clear(or white or blueberry or whatever the heck the color of the month is) . I'm sure you want it way too small, if I ever got a Mac (something I'm not doing) I would get a replacement mouse / keyboard to able to use it. (big hands) Either way time to catch up Apple. You can read about it here.

Speak of pointing devices (nice transitoin there). My first trackball ( or was it my second) was an earlier model of this product from Kensington. I ended up giving up on trackballs because of how inacruate they were and how dirty than get hence causing it act unpredictably. This is espiecally annoying when doing CAD. I think it was the late 90s when I gave them up and haven't used one at least in 6 or 7 years. That said when I first saw the opitcal trackballs I laughed, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. That would remove all the problems I had in years past. That said at the time I was still doing CAD work and I was addicted to mouse wheel by then. Wasn't really an option then. Now today check this out from Microsoft. The question should I spring for it

IE 7

I saw a link to an article that had some leaked specs for the next version of Internet Explorer. Not that I'll be ever using it on any PC if I can help it. I requires XP. Amazing how Microsoft can sing how innovative they are when they are just implementing features that I have been using for over 3 years in alternative browsers. Maybe we should be grateful that they are getting around to actually supporting an actual web standard. That reminds me I need to install Debian on my PC at home. Got to get away from those idiots.

Wired Vaporware Awards 2004

This is at least an interesting article.

My favorite quote about Duke Nukem Forever is:

"NASA has planned, designed, developed and successfully landed a rover on Mars in the time this game has been in development," wrote reader Ray O'Neill. "So much for deadlines."

To give some perspective. They were talking about this being a Quake 2 killer back in 98. Yes 1998.

Late Christmas Redux

I know I promised to post more often, and I am. Within a month is an improvement. I hope to do better about that. Anyway on to the reason of the post.

Thanks to my brother and disordered I am now a proud owner of 128mb Geforce FX 5200. Yes I know its not the latest out there but hey its pretty powerful for a 3 year old 1.2 GHz Athlon computer. Who am I kidding I would pair it off with a brand new computer especially considering the price and the fact its not that far off curve. You ask how I know the price, well I kinda sent him the email ad for it. He is the only family member I can ask for stuff like that for Christmas / Birthday. (they are only 3 days apart) Anyway it seems to be doing pretty well on everything I have thrown at it, well except the Doom 3 demo. I suspect that has more to do with processor than anything. Most of what I got is at least a year old so I can't guess how well it will stack up against more recent games like Unreal Tournament 2004. (Which I do plan on buying soon) I am again in need to redo my system config. I hope to get this thing settled eventually. At this point I think I'm going to hold off till next year to build a new system. I think it wise to hold off until a couple things(x64, SATA, PCI Express, etc) I want use become a hair bit cheaper. It will also give more time for the x64 flavors of Linux distros to mature. I figure on retiring the old box to act as a server for various tasks. Not that I'm not looking foward to it.

Happy computing every one

A New Year

Ok, my New Years resolution (well one of them) is to update my blog more often. So look foward to seeing more post after this one. I promise.


Really I mean it.

Christmas List

I have been pestered (probably rightly so) by certain loved ones ( you know who you are) to give them a list of what I would want for Christmas and my birthday. So I decided to modernize the process by posting it on my blog. I'll be giving lists with some examples. Please don't feel you need to buy the exact thing that is listed (unless I specify it) this is just a set of examples of what I want. I'll be updating it as I figure stuff out so keep watching for changes. I' ll make sure to put dates on the ones I post later.

1) Socks & Underwear (Something I'm always in need of)

2) An Electric Shaver (Preferably the tri-blade style, cordless is not nessecary)

3) An Electric Beard Trimmer (Kinda like the one listed, definitly want the adjustable gaurd)

4) A golf swing trainer ( There are serveral on the market that are a lot cheaper than this that will be just fine)

5) A full swing golf net (Not to be confused with a chipping net, also check around for deals at sporting goods places)

6) A poker table top

7) A set of heavy, thick clay poker chips ( as oppossed to cheap plastic ones. The link is a bit overpriced compared what you can get elsewhere so shop around)

More to come

Firefox 1.0

I know my postings are sporadic at best, but I promise to try to keep a more regular schedule. Anyway, Firefox 1.0 is out now. Download at your own merriment. Be forewarned if you have any extensions installed they might not work. I have no clue why, but hey who knows. Regardless, if your addicted to your extension like me this might be a bit of an annoyance. Oh well, I'm sure I'll just wait until they update the extensions on the website. Happy downloading.

Matt

Update: The website that host most of the Firefox extensions seem to be down, so we are going to have to wait.

Gmail Review

Ok, I have been using this service for the past several weeks. I can say I can't imagine using any other web based service. Heck I can see this replacing my regular fat client email program. It struck me as a very mature, well thought out setup. It makes send web based email a pleasure not a pain. When you type in address it demonstrates its type ahead feature where it give you options of who it might be based on your contact list. A feature that is usually recovered for fat clients. Heck lets talk about the contact list. The act of sending (or reply to) someone an email puts them on your contact list. I thought that would annoy me but I have found it very useful. It has actually spoiled me. Its going to be rough to go back to fat client for normal non work email. There is a few philosophical differences on how it works compared to any other email setup. The philosophy that Google has is that with 1 gig of space you should never have to delete email. Well I'm a person who loves that. I'm a notorious pack rat especially with email, but I do end up giving up and deleting email just to keep it from getting too cumbersome. I know I can use folders but I am too lazy to be that organized and its a pain to back up those folders anyway. Well there is this wonderful button on Gmail that takes away that headache. Its the archive button. It be kinda redundant to talk about what an archive is. That archive is searchable though. That is something of note. It does make for simply clean and usable mail account. I could go on for quite a bit, but I got to cut this short. (yeah I thought it was funny too) All I can say is that if can try it out you won't regret it. I got invites coming out of my ears now so I can give them to those who want one. Happy mailing.

Next episode: Firefox PR1