Unutterably Silly So what are you doing RIGHT NOW?

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

What insomnia lurks in the hearts of Men; only the Zzzelda knows.

Cheers,
Marc

alas.

i really need to get myself a portable computer, if only for emergencies (like today). it would be handy for client meetings too. of course, after today, i won't have the funds for an emergency computer for quite some time. and possibly by that time, either i'll have gotten complacent and put it off, or the new one will have some sort of problem which will be expensive to fix, and yet again i'll have to put off the emergency kit.

plus, as my next Big Computer Investment, i think i'd really like a second monitor (my new graphics card has 2 dvi ports right on the back).

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

alas.

i really need to get myself a portable computer, if only for emergencies (like today). it would be handy for client meetings too. of course, after today, i won't have the funds for an emergency computer for quite some time. and possibly by that time, either i'll have gotten complacent and put it off, or the new one will have some sort of problem which will be expensive to fix, and yet again i'll have to put off the emergency kit.

plus, as my next Big Computer Investment, i think i'd really like a second monitor (my new graphics card has 2 dvi ports right on the back).

Yeah, I just today sold my Toshiba G15 laptop (worth about $1000 used and $300 broken) to one of my friends for $350. She was looking to get a new desktop, but then I showed her this one that I wasn't using ... and offered it to her at the "broken" price. We spent this evening installing XP Pro on it, and some programs that I think she'll really like.

When she realized that the laptop had the capability to support two monitors, her eyes just lit up. It was so cute.

The thing is .... I know that machine backwards and forwards, so if it breaks, I can easily repair it. Of course it was barely used .... I just couldn't keep it because I need my laptops for traveling, and that one is too wide to get down the airplane aisles. And, naturally, no one seems to make a rolling laptop bag where you can insert the PC so that it has the wider side perpendicular to the ground.

Ah well. One more piece of "stuff" that I wasn't using gone. It feels good.

[RWood]

People that I have not heard from for years have called recently looking for a place to stay and tickets for the Inauguration. Just because I have lived in the DC area for years they assume that it is easy for me to get tickets. For some of the callers I had to look up the old school yearbooks and still did not remember a few of them.

Of course, happy to have you stay here. No need for you to pay for a hotel or motel room that have been sold out for almost a month. No need for you to pay that $750 or more a night for the few rooms that are left. So what if I haven't seen you or talked to you in 40 years. What was your name again?

[RWood]

Like Ricky, I keep several computers around the place (main, music server, video/graphics editing station, data server, wife's computer, laptops, spare.) In addition to the data backup, I keep the main data files on their own hard disk in the main computer. If I need to rebuild that one (and I have rebuilt it several times), I can move the data drive to another computer and continue as if nothing has happened.

Several of the machines are configured with the same applications and updates. Printing is through the network so the same drivers are installed on each machine. I keep most machines in WinXP, one in Win2k, and one old laptop in Win98SE. No Vista anywhere.

Hang in there Zelda, it is painful but over time so much stuff builds up in a computer and it is good to clean it out every now-and-then.

[nekokami]

What am I doing right now... trying to catch up with a bit of MR before heading off to Quaker Meeting. It's been hectic this week! And I'll be away from internet for most of the day. I'll try to pop in again this evening. I miss you all!

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Yeah, I just today sold my Toshiba G15 laptop (worth about $1000 used and $300 broken) to one of my friends for $350.

right there : that's why i don't yet have a portable computer.

Originally Posted by RWood

People that I have not heard from for years have called recently looking for a place to stay and tickets for the Inauguration. Just because I have lived in the DC area for years they assume that it is easy for me to get tickets. For some of the callers I had to look up the old school yearbooks and still did not remember a few of them.

Of course, happy to have you stay here. No need for you to pay for a hotel or motel room that have been sold out for almost a month. No need for you to pay that $750 or more a night for the few rooms that are left. So what if I haven't seen you or talked to you in 40 years. What was your name again?

oooh, i hate that. that happens to me too, sometimes when there are big events but sometimes just because i live in the big city and people think that means i'll be so happy to have them as guests for their vacation. sheesh. i've had people call my parents to get my telephone number. here's a little tip : if you don't know how to reach me without calling my mother, we're probably not close enough for you to stay at my house. it's not a hotel, yo !

Originally Posted by RWood

Like Ricky, I keep several computers around the place (main, music server, video/graphics editing station, data server, wife's computer, laptops, spare.) In addition to the data backup, I keep the main data files on their own hard disk in the main computer. If I need to rebuild that one (and I have rebuilt it several times), I can move the data drive to another computer and continue as if nothing has happened.

i wish i could do that. but apart from the cost of buying them, there is also a little problem of "where the h*ll am i going to put another computer ??" (really small flat).

Hang in there Zelda, it is painful but over time so much stuff builds up in a computer and it is good to clean it out every now-and-then.

i keep telling myself that. i hope one day to actually believe it. so far, not quite convinced.

Originally Posted by nekokami

What am I doing right now... trying to catch up with a bit of MR before heading off to Quaker Meeting. It's been hectic this week! And I'll be away from internet for most of the day. I'll try to pop in again this evening. I miss you all!

we miss you too neko ! we'll save you a seat for when you get back.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

right there : that's why i don't yet have a portable computer.

I could have easily sold it at the higher price, I just liked selling it to a friend for a lot less.

And, of course, I'm not in the habit of purchasing the really high end laptops anymore. I went through a period where I thought having a TV tuner in a laptop would be a great idea ... then I got TIVO.

That ended that little experiment.

[Wetdogeared]

I just downloaded google Chrome for a test drive. They have a long way to go.

Couldn't install Adobe flash player as add-on. (yet i have???)
Couldn't use my Norton 360 v2.0 Identity Safe (a must for me)
No buttons for printing/cutting/clipping or anything!!!
It was faster than IE though.
Un-installed it and returned to IE7, hopefully I didn't screw up IE7.

What am I going to do?

Go out and buy a pair of suspenders, if anyone sells them anymore.
My pants keep falling down, and yes I have heard of a belt.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Wetdogeared

I just downloaded google Chrome for a test drive. They have a long way to go.

Couldn't install Adobe flash player as add-on. (yet i have???)
Couldn't use my Norton 360 v2.0 Identity Safe (a must for me)
No buttons for printing/cutting/clipping or anything!!!
It was faster than IE though.
Un-installed it and returned to IE7, hopefully I didn't screw up IE7.

IE7 ?? IE7 ???? please, say it isn't so !!!! install firefox3 !!! it's sooooo much better. IE is the work of the devil. take it from me. or any number of people. seriously. every time you use IE, you make a webdesigner cry.

you are right about chrome. definitely has a ways to go. it does have some nice features though. i love that you can drag any tab out of the window and it becomes a new window. or you can drag it into a different window. excellent for keeping things organised. i also love that any text-box is resizeable without having to use some kind of hack, or click on anything. you just drag the corner. and it's pretty fast. and i like the searchbar feature ; very useful. especially the "hit tab to search on this site" if you type in wikipedia or similar, so you can load your search directly. i like how it searches for matching keywords among your bookmarks / history / google results when you start typing in the address bar.

i do not like the fact that from time to time (far too often) it crashes, and there is no session restore (arg !! all those tabs i was saving !). i do not like the fact that as you say, i haven't found a way to install the plugins (flash, etc.). i do not like the fact that you can really easily close an whole window of tabs (no prompt to confirm) or accidentally close a different tab than the one you're in / you intended to if you get a little careless with the mouse (or your cat bumps your hand while you're clicking).

What am I going to do?

Go out and buy a pair of suspenders, if anyone sells them anymore.
My pants keep falling down, and yes I have heard of a belt.

i like suspenders. let us know if you find some.

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

I

i like suspenders. let us know if you find some.

I like suspenders, too, kind of goes well with my bask cap and my cord pants BUT( and this is a huge but): Don't ever buy those with clips, always go for the button ones.
The clipped version breaks down at places and times you desperately want them to stand by you (yeah, yeah, long embarrassing story and all that) In short: get extra buttons on your pants and get the good kind.

[Wetdogeared]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

IE7 ?? IE7 ???? please, say it isn't so !!!! install firefox3 !!! it's sooooo much better. IE is the work of the devil. take it from me. or any number of people. seriously. every time you use IE, you make a webdesigner cry.

There are others using this PC, I got vetoed.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by mtravellerh

I like suspenders, too, kind of goes well with my bask cap and my cord pants BUT( and this is a huge but): Don't ever buy those with clips, always go for the button ones.
The clipped version breaks down at places and times you desperately want them to stand by you (yeah, yeah, long embarrassing story and all that) In short: get extra buttons on your pants and get the good kind.

don't say we didn't warn you.

Originally Posted by Wetdogeared

There are other using this PC, I got vetoed.

well, 1. nothing is stopping you from installing firefox *anyway* and using it yourself ; it won't interfere with IE (alas). 2. did you mention how IE makes webdesigners cry ? seriously. i am one, i should know. cry, and swear a LOT. you should show them how brilliant firefox is. a little proselytisation goes a long way.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by Wetdogeared

There are others using this PC, I got vetoed.

So, everyone doesn't need to use the same browser. In fact, just stick it under your user log in and no one else has to even see it.

I stopped using IE years and years ago. I went with Maxthon for the longest time, and loved that until the makers sort of screwed it up. Tried Chrome and was unimpressed, so I switched to Firefox. I have a few very minor quibbles with it, but mostly I love it.

[RickyMaveety]

Oh, hey .... still reeling from the shock of my life. I accidentally bit into a piece of tomato (in a sandwich someone else made for me without knowing about my allergies) and .... nothing happened.

I've been through the throat tightening up and tongue swelling and lungs shutting down so many times it's really almost a drill with me .... but .... nothing .... happened.

However, I didn't like the taste much. Still .... nothing???

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

I stopped using IE years and years ago. I went with Maxthon for the longest time, and loved that until the makers sort of screwed it up. Tried Chrome and was unimpressed, so I switched to Firefox. I have a few very minor quibbles with it, but mostly I love it.

I tried Firefox and Opera because I'd heard good reports.
But, for what I need a browser to do, they didn't seem any better (worse in some ways); so I'm back with IE now.