Posts by Jim 59

My Documents

But Redmond is discouraging that, pointing out that those who chose to do so “... will not be able to keep any files, settings, or applications when upgrading Windows XP, so they will need to back up all their files and locate any installation discs (or purchase confirmation emails) prior to doing the upgrade.”

because, to Microsoft, the idea of separating your OS and data partitions is an unknown concept. It is the norm in Unix since around '75, and other platforms before that. Admittedly, professional Wintel admins do it, kind of, by creating a D: drive, but that is plainly not what Microsoft assumes.

Re: Not like they're going to respect western IP anyway

For appley looks just try Pear. Surprisingly good.

Only if you have been listening to the energy suppliers.

Competition seems to work okay in the mobile market place.

Churchill Exhibition

I saw the Churchill Exhibition a couple of years ago. It was in a separate building, minded by an older chap in a tweed jacket who showed everybody around then left them to browse. He was passionate about it and his interest was infectious. He was also charming. Had it not been for him, we would not have stayed so long. I spoke to him on the way out, when he happened to mention that as well as minding the displays, he actually owned every item in the place.

Smartphones

Finally bought one after years as a Luddite. Smartphones can be amusing and help to pass the time in hotels, for example, Personally I still go for a newspaper if one is available. Really useful ? Only for calls/SMS. Everything else they do - the "smart" bits, a PC or dedicated device does better. He who uses the smartphone for everything is condemned to a UXP just as poor as the chap who eats curry with a Swiss army knife.

Re: Reg Commentard surely?

...skim the article, post a rant without reviewing the facts...

Words to live by.

Re: Standard

"Audiophile", especially the silly/expensive stuff, is relatively poor quality (sub hi-fi) kit sold to the domestic market, which p*ss-poor enthusiast magazines have been duping innocent (but usually non technical) music lovers into buying since around 1977. Monoblock amps, valves, etc .etc. have nothing to do with hi-fi.

Phew got that off my chest. Well the author says ...contemplative core... fabulous jolts as it climaxes... wonderful precision....It's like moving from a Trabant to a Mercedes." and so on and so on. That's great, but it sort of depends on what you were listening to before the sub woofer. I guess you were using rather small speakers ?

Re: Overreaction?

The article unjustified but well written. Fry may be annoying for many reasons, but he doesn't deserve to be assassinated just for making a few factual errors, and those debatable. This is not like his GPS howlers.

A better reaction might have been to send a compressed version of this article to the Torygraph letters page. Papers are usually reasonable about printing corrections, it might have got conversation going and improved understanding in the general public.

Unfortunately we don't need much encouragement to fling bile, and several head-banging commentards have already obliged, sticking the boot into Fry for no reason. Now Fry will summon a similar mob on Twitter (as happened last year) and we have defcon 3 for no good reason.

...applications are telling British and American intelligence agencies everything about you – from your location to your politics or whether you're part of the swinging set.

And even more shocking new research shows the pope is be a Catholic...

The point is that they're selling a fixed-length, fixed-price contract with penalties if you try to leave early. So they shouldn't be allowed to change it either.

Well said.

Re: Hang on a minute... and counting

I am old enough to remember the days when most things were made by the "Pat Pending" company. Pat is now a retired...

Correct horse battery staple

I try to follow the XKCD way, but remembering several random words for each site is not as easy as it sounds. I can remember many "Tr0ubad0r" type passwords, but only 2 of the XKCD variety.

Re: Oh, W00T!!!

You guys are *hard core*...

Always more down voting on Mondays.

Seriously, I would hate to see Marvell go south. They make the chips in some good embedded products, eg. sheevaplug and its derivatives.

Aproveofitspendingonspecificprojects = bot

Looks like a version of amanfrommars, but better, and specializing in politics.

But dude, seriously ? You botted 8 posts in one article ? We don't mind an occasional visit but don't take the Michael. Or likely the vultures will have you. Unless it is an El Reg plot...

Re: "Universal sync tools"

Agreed. Personally I have no interest in shared tabs. Or even saving tabs across sessions, except the 4 I have permanently pinned.

Re: Oh Sir Clive was so very clever

Nonsense. Sinclair, with Nigel Searle, wrote the trig algorithms for the world's first single-chip scientific calculatror, the Sinclair scientific. Even the chip manufacturer (TI) said it was impossible. 6 years later he virtually created the UK home computer market with the ZX80 and 81. To say nothing of the Spectrum, miniature TVs and digital watches.

As for "arrogant" and "not taking advice", these are both basic requirements for starting a business.

A properly clever bloke, brilliant inventor, tenacious entrepreneur and deserves his knighthood (unlike most "Sirs").

Competition

@JDX and when the parasitised resource dies so does your choice and the quality of your user experience.

I notice even a mild criticism of Google is quickly downvoted in these forums. Certain commentards just won't here a bad word said about Googlesoft.

Re: Its almost as if Google wants Google+ to fail

Agree with VinceH. The only good thing about Hotmail, and it gets better every day, is that they don't datamine your ass.

Re: Alternate KEY Power Generators ...... Clever Alien Parts with Zero Non-Disclosure Agreements

Somebody has been using El-Reg forums to test their AI text generator spam bot.

According to Wired, the bot went live on 31/3/2010, but its comments on El Reg go back almost a year earlier.

Re: In 2014?! A new service "offering" 48Khz?!?!?

48KHz is fine, that's the sample frequency.

No, it's the bit rate, and it is 48kb/s, not 48Khz. In terms of quality, that takes us back to the pre-FM days of the 1940s. Unbelievable. Please let it be a misprint.

...you can spell out requests letter-by-letter...

While driving ? Seriously ?

...£27 a month...

I give up. Many new cars already have USB integrated with music and VDU/satnav functions. All your music on a £15 thumb drive at 320 kb/s, available all the time, everywhere, for free, along with high quality FM stations offering curated music, sports, speech, jokes, whatever you fancy...

Re: "The average member of the public"

Personally I don't see any reason not to aim for a single device that can do it all and fit in one's pocket.

That's a lengthy post, did you write it on a smartphone ?