Computers

Windows 8 vs Mountain Lion vs Ubuntu 12.10

Published Friday, November 30, 2012 | By Denver Fowler

Mostly I’ve debated the world of computing between Microsoft Windows, which is what I use normally. Against Apple’s Mac and their OS X operating system. I’ve made references to Linux from time to time, but never made it part of my ideas in whole or in any large part. Now that Mountain Lion is out, and Windows 8 has graced us with it’s presence like that annoying uncle who thinks he’s overly cool, but no one likes him…. Sorry got off track there…

The question is, “Is it time to reevaluate my beef with Mac? Or should I consider moving toward an open source horizon?”.

Last year, I actually purchased a MacBook Pro with OS X Snow Leopard, and got a free upgrade to Lion. While at first I was rather impressed, the more I used it, the more I got frustrated at having to buy replacement software for stuff I use for free on a Windows based computer. Plus, the fact I paid over 3 times as much for it, when a simple $400 Windows laptop would’ve done just fine. I sold the MacBook Pro, bought a big screen TV, a laptop and still had $200 I put into the bank and a big comfy smile on my face.

As a tech though, I must keep up with the latest versions of Windows, Mac and I dabble in Linux. The more I saw of Windows 8, the less I liked it. I even got really angry with it and it’s forcing Metro down my throat. It was like removing me from my home and forcing me to live with others who don’t get along with.

So now I actually have Windows 8 installed on my laptop. It’s OK. It’s not nearly as sweet as Windows 7 is. My opinion still is Windows 7 is by far the best OS ever made. However, unlike Windows XP, it won’t last (or should I say be supported) forever.

If it weren’t for Classic Shell, my life with Windows 8 would be morbid. Of the various utilities that have been created to alleviate the misery that is Metro and it’s damnation to the desktop, workstation and PC gamer communities, it’s free, open source and works like it should. A huge thanks the developers who make it. Is it perfect? Pretty damned close. Although, you do get a brief disheartening as you quickly see Metro flash up during boot. Not a deal breaker by any means.

Then there’s Linux. Still struggling for a decent share computing world via desktop, laptop, smart phones and all the other wonderful devices it is on. Closest to world domination is that it is the core of Android phones, but not so much the desktop market. Mostly because as I’ve mentioned before, they have no standardization. As nice as Linux is, if you download software, you have to choose which Linux distro you are installing it on. Or you have to compile it yourself if your distro of choice isn’t on the list. Or possibly it won’t work at all on your beloved subdivision of Linux. That makes Linux even more frustrating than Mac in many ways. However, there are things that it can do that Mac cannot. By far, the most popular and satisfying variant of Linux is Ubuntu. It’s layout is unique, easy to use for the most part and has a decently large library of software for just about any need. You hardly need to go outside of their store to get anything you desire. Still, it’s not every Joe Computeruser’s cup of coffee. But it’s getting closer than ever before.

I could drag this article out more by making long comparison lists of what is good and bad about each OS. Not really feeling up to it. So I’ll give the short and sweet of it.

Windows 8 vs Ubuntu

Here’s where I could simply take my PC that I built for roughly $1000; that plays all the top games available, it does 3D Blu-ray to my 32 inch TV that I use as a monitor and change it to Ubuntu for the grand total of $0. Ubuntu is free! However, there’s no 3D Blu-ray software yet. I can play regular Blu-ray’s via VLC. It’s clunky, but it works. All my games… well those I can get to work via Wine would be alright, a bit buggy perhaps. Others I would lose out on playing or I’d have to play the handful of visually stunning games that are made for Linux. Most of them however, are shooters. Only shooters I play are the old Unreal Tournament games. Not an Army/Marine kind of guy. Plus, again, I’d have to find replacements to all the software I use, although most work on Linux too, so that’s actually a half-assed plus.

Ubuntu vs Mac OS X Mountain Lion

As for moving to either of these, I’d have virtually the same exact issues as far as software goes. Mac, I’ve already purchased some software replacements, and I made sure they all had lifetime upgrades free. Software is covered really, I’d have to deal with the old frustrations I had before. Plus, Mac finally got Blu-ray software, but I don’t think it does 3D yet. You have to buy a USB Blu-ray player, because you can’t buy it when you buy the Mac as an internal drive. Which is dumb as hell. Plus, then I’d be paying well over twice as much for the Mac hardware. Starting at $2499 for something I already have basically is financial suicide. Sure I could go iMac, but that’s all integrated, and not very user upgradable. Actually they frown on user upgrades. If I wanted to have an integrated computer, I’d just keep my laptop.

Mac vs Windows

I’ve already compared Mac’s to PC’s. Repeatedly. The horse isn’t moving anymore.

My Conclusion

Though, as disheartened as I am over Windows 8. I think I’ll wait to jump ship on the Windows based PC for now. I’ll just hang on to my beloved Windows 7 as long as I can on my desktop and leave the Windows 8 and whatever future holds for Microsoft Windows in general to my poor laptop (or whatever I replace it with in the future). Who knows, maybe Microsoft will redeem themselves. However, this time I kind of doubt it. Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s time I let go of computers. I just don’t want too. They still hold a world of wonder, excitement and creativity to me. I’m not ready to do that just yet.

Posted in News | Tagged Computers, Linux, Mountain Lion, Windows 8

Infected Apples

Published Thursday, April 12, 2012 | By Denver Fowler

Just as I predicted, Apples across the globe are becoming infected by malware at an alarming rate because of the mass mindset that is the Apple owner. The “My Mac does not need antivirus, it’s a Mac!” syndrome.

As I’ve said, “Security is still something most Mac users take for granted. They don’t understand that prevention is better than patching a known problem.”.

I also said, “As I’ve said before, Macs have viruses too. And with the current growth rate, the bullseye is only getting bigger on Apple’s flagship product. My personal opinion is if you have a Mac and don’t think you need an antivirus software, you’re an idiot.”.

If you think that your Mac laptop/desktop is safe, think again! The (misplaced) confidence of Mac users, about the security of its operating system may backfire, as happened again, recently in the case of the BackDoor.Flashback.39, also known simply as Flashback Trojan. More than 600,000 Mac machines have been affected and with no appropriate guidelines from Apple on how to counter that or stay safe, the count may be on the rise. It is said that the infection rates are comparable to the Conficker botnet, which infected many Windows machines.

Source and read more @ The Windows Club

This is one of those times when “I told ya so!”, makes me feel so evil and good at the same time

The mindset Mac owners have will be their undoing {evil laugh}

This is not by far the first virus for Macs and it certainly won’t be the last. However, I wonder what this will do for Apple’s growth rate on the market. I’m also curious when the iPads and iPhones will be struck next. Even though my phone is a Droid, I use antivirus. Not because there are known issues, but to prevent having issues. It’s called thinking ahead.

Posted in News | Tagged Apple, Computers, Internet, OS X, Security

I am a PC!

Published Thursday, January 12, 2012 | By Denver Fowler

In this post, I’m going beyond all the things I’ve already covered repeatedly in my previous posts about Macs vs PCs. Such as for $1800 it should come with something more than the goofy iMovie, Garage Band and iPhoto. Like they could’ve tossed in some rip off of Office or their Pages crap at least to make it productive. Not going to go into how I get more for less with a PC, or how much easier it is to find good freeware and open source software. This post is going to be about the things I’ve had to deal with in the past six months that piss me off about Macs. In so much as I’ve concluded that I will only keep my Mac around for reference and education, but I won’t be using it for day to day use. This way I can actually get something accomplished.

File Associations

When Windows doesn’t know what to do with a file you’ve downloaded, however you know that it can be opened by a program you have installed; you can associate the file by it’s extension. You simply right click it and choose “open” or “open with”. Then browse to the appropriate program, put a check mark in “always use this program to open this kind of file”. Bam, all files with that extension will open with the program in question in the future.

My example is a Shockwave Flash file ending in *.swf. Normally I simply tell Windows to open the file with Firefox. One time deal and I’m done.

On the Mac, it had a similar function. It even had the check box to say remember this setting. However, apparently Mac goes by file name in general. So when I open one file such as “mymovie.swf” it does what I tell it to do and open in Firefox. However, when I try “myothermovie.swf”, Mac goes stupid and doesn’t know to open it with Firefox. I go back to the first file and it opens fine. Thus telling me, I have to associate each and every file individually. What a pain in the ass.

Just install Windows to play games

This is what I get told, when I complain about the lack of games for Mac. If I wanted to spend another $100 to install Windows just so I can play games… Hey, I got an idea, why not just buy a Windows based gaming laptop and it will not only come with decent productive software, but it can play games too! NO extra cost needed! Plus, I’ll get all those nifty keys I love so much! Like Insert, a proper Delete Key, Backspace, Home and End. And when I get the whim to play said games, I won’t need to reboot. Gee, that works out swell!

Dashboards and Widgets

The dashboard. Just how useless is this thing? So, if I want desktop widgets (or gadgets), I can only have them in this dashboard area. Kind of negates the usefulness of being able to “glance” at the weather. Instead I have to go or “swipe” my way to the dashboard to look at it. The calculator widget. So to the special dashboard to play with the calculator. It’s just as fast to look through the apps menu, or dock it to the dock bar. What Apple’s developers couldn’t figure out how to put them on the desktop like every other OS does? Windows… Linux… I’ve got a swipe motion for the dashboard, it’s my middle finger!

Uninstalling Software does not remove settings

This I’ve found can cause some issues if you want to remove a software by simply removing the app from the applications folder. If you don’t show hidden files and go into the Library and rip out the applications settings, you may find yourself hurting when trying to reinstall the application. I’ve only run into this a couple of times, but still what a hellacious pain the ass that is. Guess there’s something to say about having an uninstaller for every program now isn’t there.

Crap Files

Macs love their crap files. You can’t see them, they are hidden. But if you want to zip up some files and shift them to your windows machine, you get a boatload of stupid files you didn’t see before. Some zip programs for Mac can clean this up for you, but what the hell is all this mess for? I’ve seen “thumbs.db” and “desktop.ini” on Windows, but not a huge mess of “._name of file.whatever”. Plus these things can take a good sized chunk of space up too. On a USB thumb drive, I found as much as 120mb of this nonsense. Space I really needed as the thumb drive is nearly full as it is. No matter how many times you remove them, just popping it in the Mac they all come back like a bad rash.

Cycling through open windows

Maybe there’s a trick I have yet to learn, but this confounds me too. On Windows, if I have my email, my editor, my photo editor and several copies of my browser open, I can cycle through each open window by using ALT+TAB. For me, it’s loads faster than “swiping”. On the Mac, I can do similar with using OPTION+TAB. However if I have several copies of the same program running (like the browser), it only goes the top most window for it and then on to the next program rather than opening up the next window of the browser. If I want to change windows in the browser, I have to click on “window” and the sub-title of that window to get it to come forward.

There are other things that annoy me about the mac, mostly trivial. It’s like a camel carrying straw though. Sure each piece of straw is light and small, but pile enough of them on, and eventually you’ll reach “the straw that broke the camel’s back“.

… The worst part is, I’ve had this damned Mac for over 6 months now, and I’m still paying it off. Good thing I’ve chalked it up to an educational item, or I’d really be pissed off. Wonder if they have a good resale value. Then I could get a new Windows laptop and enough left over to make a decent size deposit in my savings account! Owning a Mac is a lot like a relationship I’ve had. Looks pretty, costs a lot, and if you want it to be productive, you’ll have to spend even more. Then it clutters up your storage with useless crap. Also, others seem to have more fun with it than you do.

Macs are what they are, and fit who feels comfortable with them. Providing they have the pocketbook to afford it. Plus all the extras they’ll need to buy. For me, I am now and always have been a PC.

p.s. Linux lovers, I’ve tried that too, you can go through all my Mac posts, and replace the words Mac, OS X and Apple with Linux and have just about the exact same experience minus the cost. Personally, I think Linspire had something going for ease of use and loads of software with super simple installations, but it apparently wasn’t enough as they got swallowed up and made to go away. In any case, not going there again either.

Now to try out that Windows 8 Developers Preview. See what all the fuss is about there. I’m not getting my hopes up for it, but I can always just learn it and revert back to Windows 7.

Posted in News | Tagged Computers, Games, OS X, Software, Windows 7, Windows 8

Things I just don’t understand about computer owners…

Published Thursday, November 3, 2011 | By Denver Fowler

I wish I knew what it is with these different crowds of computer owners. There are two groups of them in particular that frustrate me to no end. The one group that are petrified of their computers. The other group that refuse to learn anything about their computers but expect help if any tiny thing goes wrong; and then get upset when you ask probing questions so you can better help them.

Of course the first thing I hear is “I’m computer illiterate.” or “I’m not a technical person.”. I know that, or you wouldn’t be calling me. That is a given. However, you aren’t a mechanic either and yet you know to change the oil in your car every 3000 miles right? You aren’t a food and beverage expert, but you know to keep your food cold to keep it from spoiling… You know not to heat your cup of coffee in the microwave for 10 minutes or you’ll give yourself third degree burns drinking it. Am I generally right? So why is it, you’ve owned a computer for several months, or years, but you can’t tell me the simplest things about it? Like what version of Windows or Mac you run? What email program you use? Why don’t you know to defrag your Windows machine every month? Why can’t you keep your antivirus up to date? These things aren’t that hard, you don’t need to be an expert to know any of this. And what makes some people afraid of their computer? It’s not going to jump off the desk and beat them up if they do something wrong. “But I don’t know how!” You didn’t know how to drive a car at one point, and you learned didn’t you? You can kill people or yourself in a car, you generally can’t kill people with a computer. Unless you throw it, or drop it or are an evil genius that uses it to control an army of human killing robots. However, I’m thinking that’s kind of unlikely.

Then the folks who don’t want to learn. They crack me up with their “I don’t know or care how it works, I just want it to do what I want it to do!”. That to me is like owning a T.V. but don’t want to figure out the remote control. Own a refrigerator but don’t want to know what temperatures to set it too. Have a washing machine but don’t want to add soap or carry the clothes too and from it. Own a car but expect it to do all the driving and maintenance. A.K.A. it’s just not going to happen. If you want something to do what you want it do to, you need to learn to use it properly. Otherwise get a butler or maid to do everything for you.

Then of course they call me up, crying about something or other. Can’t tell me a thing when I ask about “what is the error you are getting”, or “what program are you using to do that with” and so on. And call me rude for not being able to provide help. Funny thing, is I only ask three things of any one person when they call me.

It’s the only 3 things I ask of any customer:

Know what you own.
Read to me exactly.
Listen to me.

It’s amazing that I can’t get that out of most folks that call me these days. I mean, what am I supposed to do if you can’t tell me anything, you have no basic knowledge at all and refuse to even try? I realize after nearly 20 years of tech support, I’m very well burnt out, but still, as time goes on, this trend seems to get worse and worse. I remember back in the day walking an elderly woman through replacing a video card in her computer over the phone, and she did wonderfully. Yet the past 5-10 years, I can’t even get someone to tell what version of Windows they spent their hard earned money on.

Posted in News | Tagged Computers, Customers, Education, Phobia

New Windows 8 and OS X Lion

Published Monday, June 13, 2011 | By Denver Fowler

Just when you think they both got it just right… Here comes new versions from both the big players in the computer operating system market. Microsoft Windows 8 for PC’s and OS X Lion for Macs.

You’ve read/heard my praises for Windows 7 time and again. Microsoft finally got it right, and for the majority of the populous who have used Windows for a long time or those who just got it for the first time, can easily agree it’s a great operating system. Even some Mac users say it’s good stuff.

To top it off, I’m a new comer to OS X Snow Leopard. Finding my way around just fine. Learning it as quick as lightening, as they have something pretty damned solid going on.

And just as I get comfortable with both, what do I start hearing about all over? New versions of both Windows and OS X. What’s more, they both boast that they have features found in their smartphone versions to make it more social network friendly. Here we go again with those nasty words… So now I’m threatened to have social networking rammed down my throat regardless that I’m not a socialite. I know I’m not the only one like me by a long shot, but because it’s the “popular thing”, it’s the direction they both are going too. For folks like me, that just means more useless features that we’ll never use. OK whatever. For those who are socialites, this means they can be more in your face with phenomenons of brilliance such as Planking, Teapotting, and Pillaring. Because social networking people are just so much cooler when they perform in public.

As well as they both (Windows & OS X) are starting to push the usage of the new storage phenomenon of the cloud. Rumor has it that these services will be more closely integrated with the OS’s in question. They advertise how you can access your files remotely, and share them easily. I find this a little scary honestly. I’m not a huge fan of my personal files being stored on the internet. Encrypted or not, this just means that personal data, will more and more become totally dependent upon the internet. Where we know identity thieves are just waiting for it. I not crazy at all about this idea. So, my first thought is to not use these options. Should they be integrated in these new operating systems, then my first project is to find a way to disable or omit these features.

All the other features they promise seem pretty good. Though I’m not too crazy about a new Windows release so soon after they finally make a good one. Releases like that have always gone south. Anyone remember Windows ME (Millennium) and Windows Vista? /facepalm

As for OS X, they’ve done good so far in my opinion, perhaps this will be good.

Posted in News | Tagged Comp, Computers, OS X Lion, Social Networking, Windows 8

Life is Simply Mactastic

Published Tuesday, June 7, 2011 | By Denver Fowler

Just moments ago, I opened the white box, and gently removed the brushed aluminum unibody of my MacBookPro. With curious wonder I lifted the lid and pressed the enticing power button. A white light shined upon me with the sounds of digital angels cried out in happy accord.

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It’s like all my sins have been forgiven. The weight of life’s burdens have been lifted from my shoulders. I now understand and comprehend the astral celestial enlightenment that is the holiness of Mac ownership.

From this day fourth, I shall no longer consume fattening fast food. Only Panera‘s, Bonefish Grill‘s and other prestigious chef driven establishments shall caress my palate. Starbucks, Tropical Smoothie Cafe‘s and expensive wines are the only beverages I shall ever seek to enjoy to quench my thirst for this new heavenly lifestyle.

All public places I go, will have open free Wi-Fi where I and my Mac can proudly be seen together in perfect harmony. Where we together shall check over my growing stock options on the open trades of the world. Read CNN, the Washington Post and check in on all the hottest social websites while I synchronize my iPhone. And people will immediately recognize and respect me because they know I am better than those foolish souls who failed to grasp the omnipotence that is Mac ownership.

I suddenly understand without knowing why, that all PC users are losers and should be swept from this earth along with all their horrible internet infecting viruses. PC users are the viruses. This world shall not obtain perfection until they are long extinct for our motherly planet. Then yay truly the heavens can bless us with Steve’s love.

Once everyone is using Mac’s the world can then become the heaven that has been promised to us for so long. Rainforests will heal and flourish. Natural disasters will cease. All men will become handsome, rich and sensitive. All women will become attractive, sensuous and intelligent. The ozone layer will recover and all the worlds pollution shall vanish into usable energy and fuel.

I shall go forth at once and trade my Kia in for an energy efficient Prius as suddenly I see clearly now that I wish to no longer to grow old and die of natural causes. But to die doing 90 on the highway in an uncontrollable automobile while colliding head on with family filled minivan.

Download this Mactastic WordPress Theme

Posted in News | Tagged Apple, Blog, Computers, Society

Holiday Hell Week

Published Thursday, December 23, 2010 | By Denver Fowler

It’s that time of year when one should be filled with cheer and holiday spirit. Though I know the truth of it. Christmas, as much as I’d like to love it, always leaves me with some sort of disaster. In-so-much as I started rewriting an old Christmas Classic “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Meredith Willson.

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,
Assholes everywhere.”

The time of year when already horrible traffic becomes an absolute nightmare of texting retards on ice! Peoples already withering patients go from zero to negative two hundred. It’s as if the once favored spirit of days gone by have has taken a u-turn to raising blood pressure and tension.

In previous years, Christmas saw the end of both of my previous marriages and being stranded in Illinois. This week alone has been a whopper.

Monday – Angry and stupid customers got the best of me and put my day in a foul disposition. To cap it off, I dropped my laptop in the parking lot on the way home. It was pretty much destroyed (see picture above).
Tuesday – Was “nothing is going to go right” day.
Wednesday – First call of the day, a douchebag customer insulted me because I don’t own an Apple TV. The day started to look better when my boss assisted me in getting a replacement laptop. But ended on a down note as one of my best people in Guild left us for a Role Playing server.
Today it’s idiots on the internet who setup their new router and can’t remember the password they assigned to it. And the day isn’t even over yet…. Sigh…

Now that I’ve spent the past two days redoing this new laptop, having to remove the loads of crapware; let’s see how she goes! She’s pretty and sleek and has a full keyboard. Never owned a Sony laptop before.

Certainly not for gaming, but that’s what my desktop PC is for anyways. So far, she seems faster, lighter and quieter. Yeah.. O.K. got to stop with the gender for inanimate objects. It’s even starting to creep me out.

Only downside I see so far, is I’m afraid to touch it. It’s so shiny that any touch leaves finger prints and such. I am digging the dual core with Hyper Threading though.

Well at least I can say I got a hell of a deal on it and a good warranty. It’s even got built-in 4G Wireless and a web cam. Though I don’t see me using either of those.

Though I am praying the rest of my week improves. It’s already awkward enough dealing with Thanksgiving and Christmas because certain family members aren’t getting along. I don’t need anymore damn disasters on top of it.

Posted in News | Tagged Computers, Customers, Holidays

PC’s are not to be feared!

Published Wednesday, July 28, 2010 | By Denver Fowler

I’m getting kind of sick of magazines and websites who always seem to use fear to get their articles read by PC users. It’s no wonder why they get fed up with their PC after it gets infected or compromised or perhaps is just having fault issues with the operating system, software or hardware. Then they run out and buy a Mac, just to get as equally frustrated when they call for help and they get replies from guys like me who say “I don’t use Mac, so don’t ask me.”.

Essentially they are gearing their topics to elite geeks like myself and scarring the hell out of the everyday average Joe User who thinks that if they use a PC, they have to play hide and seek from the world to look at their youtube, facebook and porn. Yeah, I said it, porn. I’m not gonna pretend that no one ever does that. Whether it be intentional or accidental. Frankly I’m a little sick of hearing how Christian family never does that but when I’m cleaning their hard drive, there is cold hard proof that someone was enjoying themselves.

Anyway… The truth is, doesn’t matter if you run Windows, Mac or Linux, you need to protect your PC from harm and use utilities to keep Viruses, Spyware and the computer in general in good health. This comes from educating the end user, not putting the fear of Epic System Failure in their heads.

Over all, it appears that these “rags” are trying to lose their customer base. If I had the resources, I would compete by showing the end user that they can get what they want from their computer for little to no cost. How to make them more productive, how to make money using their PC’s effectively. How to spend hours of complete entertainment via gaming, media streaming and online media like Netflix.

There is one magazine that does, but they are so high end, they should call their rag Maximum Credit Limit. They just built their “Dream Machine” to the tune of almost $16,000.00!!! Holy rape my wallet Batman! That’s more than I had spent on my last 3 cars combined! You know as well as I, that in today’s economy very few can afford such “Dreams”. You guys keep dreaming, I got bills to pay. Perhaps since their magazine is roughly 60% ads, perhaps they should call it Maximum Ad Space and Minimum Content. But I digress…

Everyday Joe User man and/or woman, should be able to be educated and informed on computer matters and how to manage, mend and prevent issues in manners befitting their education level. Safe surfing habits so they won’t fear online banking or shopping. Not be scared into running away from technology.

Unless of course, the evil Apple corporation is somehow manipulating these media outlets to sell their overpriced wares….. {scratches chin} hmmmm…

Windows Key + D = Show Desktop

Posted in News | Tagged Computers, Joe User, PC

Eh, just disable your security…

Published Wednesday, February 10, 2010 | By Denver Fowler

This is the response you get from many software makers and publishers when you have difficulty downloading or running their software.

Try turning off your firewall and antivirus.

This is a disaster waiting to happen. You tell the average Joe User who most likely doesn’t have all his/her patches for their Operating System installed, to take it a step further and run on the internet without protection from hackers and rampant viruses/malware. Sure why not just ask them for their credit card info while your at it, and inform them that they will be used to buy vacations in the Caribbean for the company employees.

Several studies have been done over the years warning users to keep their Operating Systems patched, Firewalled and Antivirus/Malware software up-to-date to protect themselves. Yet right behind them, companies who produce software are telling the user to disable it so they may download or run the software.

I think that one would have to have been on an extended vacation from both computers and cyber space, not to have an understanding that the Internet is now the playground of cyber criminals and has been for a considerable time.

~ Bill Mullins Weblog

In many studies conducted in 2004 (here and here and many more), say that an unpatched and/or unprotected computer can be compromised with viruses or hijacked by a hacker in as little to 10-20 minutes.

Today it’s most likely even worse with malware and identity theft on the rise.

Yet, here’s the software maker RealmCrafter (screenshot taken from the official members forum – not seen to general public) who if you are having trouble downloading their software, this is their official advice (I took screenshots of these yesterday in case they decide to change their wording after I post this).

A game publisher for Rohan Bloodfeud has this to say about running the game and getting an error.

In all honesty, no one should ever have to put themselves, their identity or their computer at risk just to play a game, run some software or to just do something simple like download a file.

Honestly if these companies can’t make their software or website play nice with your security, then they don’t deserve any support from any customer. If a company asks you to disable your security to download or run the software, ask for a refund or stop using it and do not promote their business. They don’t deserve it. If they can’t create proper software or websites, or if per chance the end user is having issues with it due to an incompatibility between security and software/website, then it’s up to the company to assist or point the customer to a solution (should it be found that the security software is to blame – say have them contact the security software provider to fix the issue with the security software), not to further add insult to injury by asking the customer to put themselves at risk.

Posted in News | Tagged Computers, Internet, Security

Ugh… I’m worn out

Published Wednesday, August 16, 2006 | By Denver Fowler

Ugh… I’m worn out. OK, so I’m all done. All the content has been uploaded. (finished that yesterday) But I’m tired of looking at reports. I now have an easier way to do my work, but it now involves reading and updating reports. Time consuming and utterly boring. (yes, I have the TPS cover on!)

I’m getting closer to movie making than ever. It’s so sad that I don’t have the same decent equipment as these teenagers out there recording themselves acting like idiots. But patients is a virgin, extremely hard to find these days. I must persevere.

Funny how things work. I can get a laptop easier than I can get a video camera. But the distributor we deal with, doesn’t have video equipment, just computers. So it’s up to me to get the camera (poor credit and all).

I can use a laptop now though. I’ve been thinking about it heavily lately. I know the wife won’t understand, but I’m sure she’ll forgive me. Or not… Not truly sure, though she has always said “have I ever not let you do what you do?”. She has a point. Why do I need a laptop you ask? Let me enlighten you:

I have a horrible memory. I have ideas all the time and can’t remember crap when I get home. I used to carry a notepad for that, but it got to be unorganized and eventually I just gave up doing that. So…

I can jot ideas and work on scripts on the fly.
I can use wireless to do research for my scripts.
I can download video from the camera to the laptop so I can keep recording.
I can use the laptop to make edits anywhere I am.
I can use it when I’m on long trips to relatives and am bored.
I can use it when my wife has my desktop tied up.
I can work on ideas in my own backyard (wireless).

I’m sure I could think of more reasons. But what makes the whole thing just that much cooler, is that I don’t need an expensive one. A cheapy will do. And I can sell my workstation (as it’s my own computer), to my boss by the money going to the purchase of the laptop rather than coming out of my own pocket. So we both get something out of the deal. (I love my Boss – and no I don’t need knee pads..)

I’ve also got some good news about my son Allen… more on that in another post