MEWXPZLFUDAWV Club!

[C-Chan]

WAAAAAAAAAAH?!  You've been using Microsoft WORKS all along?  @.@

Oh you poor unfortunate soul.  ^.^



*pats Bella on head*

Contrary to what it may seem, there is development support for WPS files in OpenOffice.  However, because the format is particularly locked, poorly supported and badly written (even MS Office needs to use a converter:  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bf41401e-70fa-465d-ae2e-cf44dbf05297&DisplayLang=en ), it's not been included even in the 3.0 release.  

Short of adding the libwps library file yourself or using one of the CLI conversion options, it probably is easier to just go ahead with the copy-n-paste.  The best long-term solution is to discontinue using Works entirely -- it was always meant to be a dead-end product (a 'gateway drug' for MS Office if you will), and even OOo is better if only because it can save it DOC, XLS and PPS formats.  ^^'

Added after 10 minutes:

For me, it's more or less assumption he'd (my brother) prefer not to have a program installed on his computer he'd probably never use. I found a Portable App called Notepad++ that allows for coding in a number of programming languages (obviously including Python), but I'm not sure if it can test for errors (I'm pretty sure it won't work like IDLE).

Nah, but you can get around that easily....

If it runs and it breaks, you have a problem.  ^___^

Still, if you want to use Python, some Python files will be required regardless -- and usually Python is bundled along with IDLE in the Windows installer.

Yeah, the one I saw was an EeePC, I didn't really check it out in all that detail, but I saw that it was small. I'll have to check those others out, too.

The Acer has a bigger screen, a MUCH better keyboard, more SSD space and a faster processor than the first generation EeePCs.  Battery life of the Acer 3-cell battery is not stellar, but it's probably en par with the 4G.

What really makes it a fair win is the OS.  The Asus EeePC uses a somewhat botched variant of Xandros Linux -- not only is the OS locked (the "appliance" mentality at work), but it's a PITA to unlock it and install additional programs in it without breaking the whole system.  (and since the Xandros repositories suck, you would have to install it from the Debian ones).

Asus recently released an online Download "Store" that features several FOSS programs you can download  -- it's kind of a dolled-up repository of sorts, and it was meant to be a step in the right direction.  However Asus, in all its genius, not only crammed the "Store" full of useless bloatware, but they also packaged it in the CNR format -- which none of the AsusOS versions are able to open.  Yeah, good job Asus.  -.-'

The AcerOS is also locked -- however, as it's only a very slightly modified version of Linpus Lite, it has much closer compatibility with the Fedora Core 8 repository.  95% of the programs you'll ever need are in there and relatively stable.

Moreover, the AcerOS is easier to unlock and its Desktop Launcher, while still requiring some text editing to modify, is a lot less of a PITA to do so.  Quite frankly, with only a fraction of the axel grease, you can customize your Acer Aspire One to be as close to the laptop of your dreams as anything else.

Still pales in comparison to Ubuntu NBR, but it's a good stop gap while Canonical goes Gold with that crafty little thing of theirs.

Added after 14 hours 3 minutes:

Back @Bella:

Oh right, almost forgot.  -v-
Admittedly Works is a lot lighter and faster, and besides that I really don't know if you've used it regularly or just happen to have a stray WPS file around.

Either way, I should probably point out that Abiword and Gnumeric Windows ports also exist.  They might serve as more viable Works replacements, since they're both very light and fast, AND can still save in DOC and XLS formats.

They're just a little Spartan, is all.  ^.^'

[IanDanKilmaster]

*pops in*

So, like, I downloaded OpenOffice, and tried to open a file I had been working on in M$ Works Word Processor in OpenOffice. Oh what's this? OOo doesn't support .wps files? WTF!?

I checked out the OOo forums and it seems it doesn't support .wps files at all. So...yeah...I guess I have to learn the ancient art of Copypasta or something...

*pops out*

You're using Media Center Edition, right?  This kind of reminds me of the problem my dad had with finding a word processor.  I didn't know anything about Microsoft Works, so I decided to teach him to use WordPad instead.  After formatting issues with .rtf files, I decided it best to explain to my dad that the kind of stuff he wanted to do would best be handled by a program like Microsoft Office (something he'd assumed he already had).  I eventually convinced him that MCE didn't come with Office and that if he didn't want to spend oodles of money OpenOffice was the way to go.  So I turned him on to OpenOffice, and after hearing about your gripes with Works, I'm pretty glad we never tried that.  So I hope all goes well with OpenOffice after this.

Nah, but you can get around that easily....

If it runs and it breaks, you have a problem. ^___^

Still, if you want to use Python, some Python files will be required regardless -- and usually Python is bundled along with IDLE in the Windows installer.

Well, after trying to work on my own .paf.exe for Python/IDLE, it turns out there's already a PortablePython in development for PortableApps.  The only problem is only the command line version of IDLE wants to operate, and I'm used to operating IDLE via GUI.  It also turns out there are other portable versions of Python out there.  What sounds like the best one is the commercial Movable Python, and there is also another Portable Python which is free (as in beer and speech, I believe) but it doesn't use IDLE.  Neither of these conform to the PortableApps format, so that's also something I didn't really like.  Anyway, I think I have what I want now ^__^.

[C-Chan]

So I turned him on to OpenOffice, and after hearing about your gripes with Works, I'm pretty glad we never tried that. So I hope all goes well with OpenOffice after this.

Good job on that.  -v-

Works is one of those programs that is crippled by design.  It's designed to confuse people into thinking it's the Word Office suite, and it does the job really well.  But when a kid takes his WPS homework/report file to school and finds out he can't open it from their machines, it won't take long before the parents are convinced to pay for Microsoft Office Proper.  [as one of many examples]

Works holds a special place of disdain in my heart, since [in my more computer illiterate days] I had almost ALL my writing done in an old WPS format that was incompatible with Word AND with newer Works versions on my subsequent XP machine.  Those WPS files I kept in my old Win98 machine, the same one that would eventually die out and take all my old creative writing work with it.

Fortunately it wasn't much of a loss and I had as much blame in this as I willingly chose to stay computer illiterate.  Still, it never ceases to piss me off how they get away with peddling substandard products by capitalizing on fear and insecurity, among many other unfortunate vices.

Well, after trying to work on my own .paf.exe for Python/IDLE, it turns out there's already a PortablePython in development for PortableApps. The only problem is only the command line version of IDLE wants to operate, and I'm used to operating IDLE via GUI. It also turns out there are other portable versions of Python out there. What sounds like the best one is the commercial Movable Python, and there is also another Portable Python which is free (as in beer and speech, I believe) but it doesn't use IDLE. Neither of these conform to the PortableApps format, so that's also something I didn't really like. Anyway, I think I have what I want now ^__^.

Okay I think.... ^___^'
Good look, Ian-san!  Code well!  ^.^

Added after 6 minutes:

Oh, and in other news....

I'm typing this from Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex, built using a Dist-Upgrade from Hardy Heron.  

Unlike the horror that was the Dapper Drake > Feisty Fawn migration, this one proceeded surprisingly smooth and flawless, almost like in Debian.  Having heard other success stories with the upgrade process, it seems Canonical may have finally got their act together in that regards.  Good for them.  ^.^

Other improvements are far more subtle, but they are there and make the system feel refined and polished.  E.g.:

- The latest GIMP version is included, which is A LOT kinder to people used to working with Photoshop.  
- The Gnome media manager no longer identifies Totem and Rhythmbox as default media players -- it's finally expanded to include VLC too.  Still wish it could recognize all media players like in KDE, but it's a start at least.
- Boot time seems a lot snappier than early models -- while they haven't invested as much time in this as Fedora Core and Mandriva, I have heard that boot time reduction is one of the newer focal points of the *Buntu team.  (that and prettying up the system more by the time Jaunty comes around).
- And speaking of "pretty", the default wallpaper is interesting, but the color motif is still bleh.  Fortunately, the extra DarkRoom theme is loads better.  ^^

Added after 3 minutes:

In yet other news, some good news.... ^^

http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/11/01/microsoft-has-a-problem-software-patents-go-up-in-smoke.html

[Bella]

Besides, if you really think about it, Nejin-san has it easy. There IS already a perfect anime reference for a NIA-tan, approriate in every single way right down to the name:

Haha! Perfect!

Incidentally, I sacrifed a little programming time to hold a last minute marathon-run of the last 5 episodes of Gurren Laggan. Verdict: IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! @V@

Note to self: "Watch ANY Anime series that Bella-hime recommends, unconditionally." ^.^

Hey, it's not like I don't sit through a lot of junk before I finally find something good

*thinks of looooongcat long series Bleach, horrible Speed Grapher, so-so Blood+, etc. etc.*

The story was captivating, the characters likable (YOKO-SAMA! ;^v^, the villains had great closure (go Viral!), and despite some really weird #&$@ going on in the final battle(s), the series actually had a proper ending (and an invigorating one at that)!

On the other hand, the series does continue to teach impressionable minds that if the going gets tough, just yell very loudly. ^___^

Got a term paper due in an hour and you haven't even started?

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" >V<

Voila! It's written.

Got money problems and debts piled up the wazoo?

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" >V<

Voila! You won the lottery.

I'm glad you liked it! It's probably one of my favorite series ^^

THE YELL VERY LOUDLY RULE!!! I LOVE THAT RULE!!!! I WISH IT WORKED VERY WELL!!!

FILES, CONVERT FROM .WPS TO .ODF!!! GYAAAAAAAAA!!!

Slim pickings, but otherwise BEHOLD:

http://osswin.sourceforge.net/#graphics

Although if you just want simple touchups, Irfanview should be fine. Not FOSS, but not bad either. ^^

I actually found other SVG programs in that list besides Inkscape. Who knew?

Gah. No, nothing, it's past now. I can handle a few people I know kicking the bucket, I'm a cold-hearted bastard to the core. Just takes an hour or two to kick in. Don't worry 'bout me. ^^

I'm sorry for your loss, Nejin-san...

Contrary to what it may seem, there is development support for WPS files in OpenOffice. However, because the format is particularly locked, poorly supported and badly written (even MS Office needs to use a converter: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bf41401e-70fa-465d-ae2e-cf44dbf05297&DisplayLang=en ), it's not been included even in the 3.0 release.

Short of adding the libwps library file yourself or using one of the CLI conversion options, it probably is easier to just go ahead with the copy-n-paste. The best long-term solution is to discontinue using Works entirely -- it was always meant to be a dead-end product (a 'gateway drug' for MS Office if you will), and even OOo is better if only because it can save it DOC, XLS and PPS formats. ^^'

Awwwww dammmit....>___<

I have a ton of .wps files. Making this worse is the fact that out of this ton, I actively use about three of these files-- I just don't want the rest of the to be lost to history when I get new computer.

Oh right, almost forgot. -v-
Admittedly Works is a lot lighter and faster, and besides that I really don't know if you've used it regularly or just happen to have a stray WPS file around.

Either way, I should probably point out that Abiword and Gnumeric Windows ports also exist. They might serve as more viable Works replacements, since they're both very light and fast, AND can still save in DOC and XLS formats.

They're just a little Spartan, is all. ^.^'

I might look into either of those. OpenOffice is HUEG as in Xbox. o__O

You're using Media Center Edition, right? This kind of reminds me of the problem my dad had with finding a word processor. I didn't know anything about Microsoft Works, so I decided to teach him to use WordPad instead. After formatting issues with .rtf files, I decided it best to explain to my dad that the kind of stuff he wanted to do would best be handled by a program like Microsoft Office (something he'd assumed he already had). I eventually convinced him that MCE didn't come with Office and that if he didn't want to spend oodles of money OpenOffice was the way to go. So I turned him on to OpenOffice, and after hearing about your gripes with Works, I'm pretty glad we never tried that. So I hope all goes well with OpenOffice after this.

I'm actually using XP Home Edition...both of my XP machines have Works installed. : |

I'm typing this from Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex, built using a Dist-Upgrade from Hardy Heron.

Unlike the horror that was the Dapper Drake > Feisty Fawn migration, this one proceeded surprisingly smooth and flawless, almost like in Debian. Having heard other success stories with the upgrade process, it seems Canonical may have finally got their act together in that regards. Good for them. ^.^

Other improvements are far more subtle, but they are there and make the system feel refined and polished. E.g.:

- The latest GIMP version is included, which is A LOT kinder to people used to working with Photoshop.
- The Gnome media manager no longer identifies Totem and Rhythmbox as default media players -- it's finally expanded to include VLC too. Still wish it could recognize all media players like in KDE, but it's a start at least.
- Boot time seems a lot snappier than early models -- while they haven't invested as much time in this as Fedora Core and Mandriva, I have heard that boot time reduction is one of the newer focal points of the *Buntu team. (that and prettying up the system more by the time Jaunty comes around).
- And speaking of "pretty", the default wallpaper is interesting, but the color motif is still bleh. Fortunately, the extra DarkRoom theme is loads better. ^^

Ooooh, I'll have to give it a try! Eventually... ;026

[C-Chan]

Fufufu!  Actually, you might want to try Intrepid Ibex sooner than you think.  ^____^

I was looking through this site to find an easy way to install libwps in vanilla OOo:

http://libwps.sourceforge.net/

...when I noted that it says the Ubuntu build of Openoffice already has it built in.  

I checked both Heron and Ibex, and lo and behold!  They do indeed have "Microsoft Works Document" as an Open option!  @v@

Ibex might take a while to download, but I recall you already have Heron around.  Wouldn't hurt to give it a try converting the stuff in *Buntu, no?  ^.^

Added after 15 minutes:

I'm glad you liked it! It's probably one of my favorite series ^^

THE YELL VERY LOUDLY RULE!!! I LOVE THAT RULE!!!! I WISH IT WORKED VERY WELL!!!

FILES, CONVERT FROM .WPS TO .ODF!!! GYAAAAAAAAA!!!

".ODT" you mean, right?  ^.^

I actually found other SVG programs in that list besides Inkscape. Who knew?

Inkscape was originally a fork of Sodipodi, and that project's still around too.  Just a matter of the apprentice outgrowing the master....  ^___^

Awwwww dammmit....>___<

I have a ton of .wps files. Making this worse is the fact that out of this ton, I actively use about three of these files-- I just don't want the rest of the to be lost to history when I get new computer.

Yep, that's the predicament that eventually befalls all Works users... Mmm-hmmm... Say this through experience... -v-

I might look into either of those. OpenOffice is HUEG as in Xbox. o__O

Well it is an office suite and the Windows version installs all components by default, so it's gonna be a little large.  And as the successor of StarOffice, it still has plenty of the old Java code that slows it down.

But file-size wise, it's still not as HUEG as MS Office post-2003.  ^.^

I'm actually using XP Home Edition...both of my XP machines have Works installed. : |

mmm-mmmm....  -v-
*C-chan nods head in reminiscence*

===================

In other quick tech news, QNX-sama is still around causing mischief.... ^___^

http://www.osnews.com/story/20475/QNX_Neutrino_RTOS_6_4_Released

[NejinOniwa]

I'm sorry for your loss, Nejin-san...

Don't worry about it. I'm just mad. People kicking their OWN bucket is against the damn rules!

I'm actually using XP Home Edition...both of my XP machines have Works installed. : |

O_o

Oh, and also: with regards to my recent migration from x64 to x86, I'd like to share a few notes on having two windowses on the same partition. Oh, the hilarity one could make out of that in a comic. ^.^

"Hey, this is my house!"
"What? Hey, you're me! That means this is my house too!"
"That doesn't make any sense at all!"
"Let go of those drivers! You're using the wrong ones!"
"AM NOT! And those .dll's are corrupt, you know that?"
"PAH! Just because SOMEONE's not bilingual..."
"Bwaah! How the hell did you write this file!? Now Master's gonna have to start this game all over again..."

All the above actually happened to me. Fun times. ^^

[C-Chan]

The LOLZ!  A massive injection of LOLZ.  GrantP should be around to see this.  ^__^

I have PCLOS 08 and Mandriva 09 in the same machine, but they rarely talk.  After watching Clannad (YAY!!!!  >v<), it kind of resembles the interaction between Tomoya and his father, PCLOS-sama not really wanting to talk with Mama Mandriva after finding out she can't install K3B and KMyMoney properly, and that she's hogging the really kick-ass new version of Ktorrent.  

Ahhhh... family disputes among Linux-tans is so quaint and petty....  -v-

In a few weeks I'll be trying out Fedora Core 10 to see for myself just how good the original new programs/features are.  I certainly like it when a distribution goes to great lengths to actually BUILD new FOSS softwaref rather than repackage bits and pieces of preexisting FOSS software throughout the internetz.  

In other news, beware the wolf in wolf's clothing:

http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3463.html

Added after 13 hours 58 minutes:

This one, however, is less about spotlighting M$ than demonstrating the kind of dangerous assumptions that are made about how an economy is supposed to work:

http://techblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/11/windows-7-could-be-great-for-p.html

*rolls eyes*  T__T

[IanDanKilmaster]

In other news, beware the wolf in wolf's clothing:

http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3463.html

Well, given my biased (you see, I openly admit it) distrust of M$, I probably would've already formed similar conclusions as the one in said blog.  That is (for those that prefer not to read the rather brief blog), if M$ giving away free stuff, you gotta know it's just a hook.

or... IT'S A TRAP!

This one, however, is less about spotlighting M$ than demonstrating the kind of dangerous assumptions that are made about how an economy is supposed to work:

http://techblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/11/windows-7-could-be-great-for-p.html

*rolls eyes* T__T

You have got to be kidding me, I almost thought this was a joke, but given that it is not April 1st and this is in the Tech section of a news website, I can only believe that this guy is taking himself seriously.  WTF?!  People not buying new computers every so many years because each new OS is a total resource hog is going to ruin computer manufacturers and not only contribute but cause our (the U.S.') ever-dwindling economy to get worse?  Seriously?  Just because M$ is actually doing something that would potentially benefit their users for once, the U.S. economy is going to be ripped asunder as if it had been swallowed by a supermassive black hole?  Really?  I'm sorry for all the hyperbole folks, if you just read the link C-Chamina just posted you'll realize I only took said blog's exaggerations to the next illogical level.  And I have to ask, just to be sure, but are you certain the guy wasn't just being satirical, C-Chamina-senpai?

In other news, I'm typing this from another computer because my brother's is loaded with spyware.  I can't really do anything on it because all the RAM is being devoured by some beast.  It is so bad, I do not even want to bother to try to fix it.  My brother installed Spybot S&D, which did not find the problem.  He also has AVG installed, which also has not found the problem.  I have told him that perhaps he should install Lavasoft's Ad-Aware, which might catch whatever it is the other programs have missed.  These are really the only programs I know of for Windows to deal with spyware/virii, he seems to be content to ride it out for now, but I refuse to even bother with a computer where programs repeatedly experience seemingly random crashes.  At this point, I think he should just back up and try again.  I hate to sound like a certain former VP candidate, but sadly, I do not think that now is the time to experiment with Linux.  My brother has a lot of stuff he needs to get done, and I do not think he'll want to take time out to adjust to something new.  I've been on him about Linux, which is an idea he seemed to be open to, but I realize that at this moment, it might not be such a good idea to even mention it (he's a lot like our father, which means he's not someone you want to bug when he's feeling pressure).  Anyway, when dust finally settles, I'm hoping this will be a lesson to him.  I'm also hoping I'll have an Intrepid Ibex CD ready for him (I'm dl'ing the .iso as I type).

All the talk of desktop compositing and KDE 4 coming standard with Ibex has me a little worried if it will work well with my older computer.  I was honestly having a bit of trouble getting Heron to work on it (apparently it wasn't simply my older hardware, there was a good deal of other users having similar problems on the ubuntuforums).  Anyway, I'm hoping Ibex has all the bugs from Heron worked out, so I can have a mostly trouble-free upgrade when I get home.

[C-Chan]

And I have to ask, just to be sure, but are you certain the guy wasn't just being satirical, C-Chamina-senpai?

I wish, but it's not like it's from theregister.co.uk.  Some people, sadly, are just naturally stupid.  

(I met a lot of them during the Katrina disaster debacle -- you usually were able to spot them by how much drool they dispense at the prospect of "fantastic" investment opportunities.)

(aaaaaah... P.T. Barnum, where art thou.... -v-)

At this point, I think he should just back up and try again. I hate to sound like a certain former VP candidate, but sadly, I do not think that now is the time to experiment with Linux. My brother has a lot of stuff he needs to get done, and I do not think he'll want to take time out to adjust to something new. I've been on him about Linux, which is an idea he seemed to be open to, but I realize that at this moment, it might not be such a good idea to even mention it (he's a lot like our father, which means he's not someone you want to bug when he's feeling pressure).

No, it's a good strategy.  You have to first establish yourself as someone you can trust before they trust you to make that kind of leap -- even if it is your bro.  

AVG has lost a lot of reliability lately.  Otherwise, my favorite winning combination is Ad-Aware, Avast Antivirus and Comodo Firewall all at once.  Stripping away preexisting anti-malware/anti-virii/firewalls and replacing them with that free triple-suite has worked for me consistently on other Windows boxes in the past.  

And of course, now WOULD be a great time to back up all his stuff.  

BTW, even though the Puppy USB key didn't work, did you at least bring the CD?  It's the best thing to have on hand in the dreadful event that Windows decides to keel over and die (meaning "not start").

Anyway, when dust finally settles, I'm hoping this will be a lesson to him. I'm also hoping I'll have an Intrepid Ibex CD ready for him (I'm dl'ing the .iso as I type

That'll be nice.  
Not sure if he'll enjoy the human theme, but I can honestly vouch that it is the most stable vanilla Ubuntu I've used.

I've not yet tried the Gnome version of Mandriva 2009, but the KDE4 version wasn't set up properly prior to deployment so sadly I can't recommend it except for expert or patient users (shame too -- the fast boot actually works).  Maybe 2009.1 will be a winner.

If he does ever use it, recommend the "DarkRoom" theme in lieu of the default "Human" theme.  It really makes it look classy.  

All the talk of desktop compositing and KDE 4 coming standard with Ibex has me a little worried if it will work well with my older computer. I was honestly having a bit of trouble getting Heron to work on it (apparently it wasn't simply my older hardware, there was a good deal of other users having similar problems on the ubuntuforums). Anyway, I'm hoping Ibex has all the bugs from Heron worked out, so I can have a mostly trouble-free upgrade when I get home.

Yes, in a way Ibex is a living, breathing bug fix for Hardy Heron.  Because it also includes experimental new ATI drivers too (straight from AMD), it may also work faster with its graphic cards.

Boot time has been improved somewhat as well, although I can't really vouch since I didn't use Hardy very much.

Without compositing KDE4 uses roughly about the same resources as KDE3 -- remarkable considering the use of vector graphics.  But without compositing KDE4 really doesn't have much to offer over KDE3, especially since you can theme KDE3 to look REALLY REALLY slick.  

And in many aspects it still has a lot of work to go to achieve full user-parity with KDE3.  That DE is definitely best left to those interested in helping it grow, or bug-test newer application variants (e.g., Amarok 2.0, Koffice 2.0, etc)

[IanDanKilmaster]

No, it's a good strategy. You have to first establish yourself as someone you can trust before they trust you to make that kind of leap -- even if it is your bro.

Can I trust myself?  Interesting question...  Seriously though, this has been a real problem since I've been here.  Actually, it's been a problem for quite some time.  I hardly ever make any statements with complete certainty, even when I'm 100 percent sure of something.  Usually the most certain answer I'll give anyone is "pretty sure", which means "Yeah, go for it".  I just happen to be a guy who almost always expects the possibility of failure.  I work in possibilities and probabilities and I expect people to realize that.  For me, it's just a matter of intellectual honesty - I understand the difference in what is likely to happen and what can happen, but no one else really gets that because they don't overthink like I do.  It just seems that whenever you refuse to give that 100 percent answer, people don't put any confidence in it.  Anyway, I guess I need to start filtering my thoughts a little better :p .

AVG has lost a lot of reliability lately. Otherwise, my favorite winning combination is Ad-Aware, Avast Antivirus and Comodo Firewall all at once. Stripping away preexisting anti-malware/anti-virii/firewalls and replacing them with that free triple-suite has worked for me consistently on other Windows boxes in the past.

Yeah, we discussed Avast in here (actually I think it was the Linux thread) before.  I used to use it (or rather, encouraged others to use it), before it started requiring registration for a key every year and got me all paranoid.  Before Avast, I used AntiVir, but I do not think it has the free real-time protection offered by Avast.  Anyway, I really like Comodo Firewall, I generally recommend it, but that means I'll have to engage in the headache of teaching my brother how to use a firewall.  I just really wish there were more open-source security tools for Windows.  I noticed there's ClamAV for Windows, but supposedly it isn't as good as ClamAV on Linux.  Anyway, this is one area for Windows in which FOSS is really sparse.

BTW, even though the Puppy USB key didn't work, did you at least bring the CD? It's the best thing to have on hand in the dreadful event that Windows decides to keel over and die (meaning "not start").

But of course...

I also brought several other LiveCD OSes I like that are also generally easy to use (Kubuntu, PCLinuxOS, NimbleX, others).

I'm going to leave temporarily to ensure that all goes smoothly with the burning of the Intrepid Ibex .iso.

[Bella]

I have PCLOS 08 and Mandriva 09 in the same machine, but they rarely talk. After watching Clannad (YAY!!!! >v<), it kind of resembles the interaction between Tomoya and his father, PCLOS-sama not really wanting to talk with Mama Mandriva after finding out she can't install K3B and KMyMoney properly, and that she's hogging the really kick-ass new version of Ktorrent.

Ahhhh... family disputes among Linux-tans is so quaint and petty.... -v-

I guess the Linxues are Unix-tans, after all...

In a few weeks I'll be trying out Fedora Core 10 to see for myself just how good the original new programs/features are. I certainly like it when a distribution goes to great lengths to actually BUILD new FOSS softwaref rather than repackage bits and pieces of preexisting FOSS software throughout the internetz.

I'd say I have to give it a try...but I still have to give Intrepid Ibex a try...

In other news, beware the wolf in wolf's clothing:

http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3463.html

To use a popular parental cliche: DON'T TAKE CANDY FROM STRANGE PEOPLE!!!

This one, however, is less about spotlighting M$ than demonstrating the kind of dangerous assumptions that are made about how an economy is supposed to work:

http://techblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/11/windows-7-could-be-great-for-p.html

Ehm....I'm with IDK....you sure this isn't a satire? O__o

In other news, I'm typing this from another computer because my brother's is loaded with spyware. I can't really do anything on it because all the RAM is being devoured by some beast. It is so bad, I do not even want to bother to try to fix it. My brother installed Spybot S&D, which did not find the problem. He also has AVG installed, which also has not found the problem. I have told him that perhaps he should install Lavasoft's Ad-Aware, which might catch whatever it is the other programs have missed. These are really the only programs I know of for Windows to deal with spyware/virii, he seems to be content to ride it out for now, but I refuse to even bother with a computer where programs repeatedly experience seemingly random crashes. At this point, I think he should just back up and try again. I hate to sound like a certain former VP candidate, but sadly, I do not think that now is the time to experiment with Linux. My brother has a lot of stuff he needs to get done, and I do not think he'll want to take time out to adjust to something new. I've been on him about Linux, which is an idea he seemed to be open to, but I realize that at this moment, it might not be such a good idea to even mention it (he's a lot like our father, which means he's not someone you want to bug when he's feeling pressure). Anyway, when dust finally settles, I'm hoping this will be a lesson to him. I'm also hoping I'll have an Intrepid Ibex CD ready for him (I'm dl'ing the .iso as I type).

Does he still have a restore CD for his computer? A relative of mine had a huge spyware/virus problem and I ended up doing a system restore and everything was fine...granted, she didn't have many personal files on the computer...

AVG has lost a lot of reliability lately. Otherwise, my favorite winning combination is Ad-Aware, Avast Antivirus and Comodo Firewall all at once. Stripping away preexisting anti-malware/anti-virii/firewalls and replacing them with that free triple-suite has worked for me consistently on other Windows boxes in the past.

All I have installed is AVG...should I be worried...? '___'

That'll be nice.
Not sure if he'll enjoy the human theme, but I can honestly vouch that it is the most stable vanilla Ubuntu I've used.

I've not yet tried the Gnome version of Mandriva 2009, but the KDE4 version wasn't set up properly prior to deployment so sadly I can't recommend it except for expert or patient users (shame too -- the fast boot actually works). Maybe 2009.1 will be a winner.

If he does ever use it, recommend the "DarkRoom" theme in lieu of the default "Human" theme. It really makes it look classy.

What is it that people have against the Human theme...? I like it. Plus, who would judge an OS on it's GUI?

[C-Chan]

Can I trust myself?

Sorry, I wrote to fast.  I meant to say "You have to first establish yourself as someone they can trust before they trust you to make that kind of leap...".

But still interesting to hear all that -- you never struck me as being overly cautious.  @.@

At one point as a lad I might have been like that, insecure to the point of instilling as much confidence in people as a sheep would instill fear in a pack of lions.

But after seeing/meeting countless economists, politicians and just overall rich people earning so much power, fame and respect just because they have the courage to make unconditional asses of themselves in public....

Well...

After a while you just can't help but say #%$@ it, and push forward.

Sometimes it's not a question of doing something good or bad, but just doing it.  

Anyway, I really like Comodo Firewall, I generally recommend it, but that means I'll have to engage in the headache of teaching my brother how to use a firewall. I just really wish there were more open-source security tools for Windows. I noticed there's ClamAV for Windows, but supposedly it isn't as good as ClamAV on Linux. Anyway, this is one area for Windows in which FOSS is really sparse.

ClamAV for Windows is a'ight -- won't win any awards compared to Avast, but at least it's trustworthy.

Still, I do disagree.  I strongly believe that the persistence and proliferation of computer virii is a sham, permitted by Micro$oft, software makers, computer manufacturers, etc, to ensure a revenue stream through maintenance -- in much the same way as certain car parts designed for regular failure help secure a multi-billion dollar automobile repair industry.  And given the dismally-small penalties to virus writers and hackers relative to other crimes, I wouldn't be surprised if this was hood-winked by governments either.

They can work on ClamAV if they want, but pouring valuable resources to play catchup with the virus makers is like putting up a single sand bag to stop a torrential flood.  Better to stick with improving operating systems that are designed from the ground up NOT to play this silly virus game.  

Which actually brings me to another "virus" defense that open source operating systems like Linux have which is often overlooked by the It'll-Get-More-Viruses-If-It's-Popular-Crowd: what I call "Genetic Diversity".

The very same HUEG selection of distros that the above said people whine about is also one of the greatest security assets -- because all systems aren't the same.  Even the Linux kernel is different across the board, some distros using different versions, others hacking and recompiling there own custom-made versions.  Different security profiles and encryption setups are used; and as long as their respective source codes are readily available, cautious individuals and companies have the ability to modify and recompile their own custom variant of said security tools or tie in their own proprietary security solutions, thus making there system completely unique and original.

A hypothetical virus that manages to affect one Linux variant could very likely not affect 99.8% of all the other machines in existence.  Like the Debian security debacle a few months back, it got a lot of attention from people who ignored the fact that only certain users of Debian unstable were affected, but not users of Debian Stable (the majority), Debian Sid, users of older Debian systems, Knoppix users, Xandros users, Ubuntu users, etc, etc, etc....

Genetic Diversity baby! ^_________^

I'm going to leave temporarily to ensure that all goes smoothly with the burning of the Intrepid Ibex .iso.

Might as well take advantage and make yourself one of them Ubuntu LiveUSBs while yer at it....  `v'

I'd say I have to give it a try...but I still have to give Intrepid Ibex a try...

Yeah, Fedora-tan can wait.  Try Intrepid first.  Remember, you still have all those WPS files to convert and Intrepid's version of OOo may be just what the doctor ordered!  ^^

Does he still have a restore CD for his computer? A relative of mine had a huge spyware/virus problem and I ended up doing a system restore and everything was fine...granted, she didn't have many personal files on the computer...

I swear,... if I see ANOTHER STUPID HARD DRIVE "RESCUE" PARTITION AGAIN!!!  SO HELP ME!!!! >v<

*shakes hoof in air*

When I bought my first EeePC (already a year ago... wow! happy birthday, baby girl!  ^__^), I didn't know what to make of the round plastic disc it came with.  The etching looked like it said something like "Recovery Disk".  I wonder if it's edible....

Oh wait.... I remember.... yes, when I was a lad they used to include those with all the PCs of yore...  -v-

All I have installed is AVG...should I be worried...? '___'

Uhh..... ^^

...

Well that at least could explain why your performance is so good.  ^___^'
But... well... your a nice girl and probably already avoid the sites that invite at least 70% of all the malware you could run across.  ^^;

What is it that people have against the Human theme...? I like it. Plus, who would judge an OS on it's GUI?

*sputters milk*

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!!  ^V^

...

Oh Bella-hime, you're..., so... CUTE!  ^.^

Will I have to call you "Bella-chan" for a while?  ^_______^

*starts dangling cat toy*

As for my own personal opinion of the Human Theme, grey and orange just doesn't mix.  It actually helps enhance the antiquity of the GTK+ theme.  T__T;

On the other hand, black and orange with gradient-capped windows is sexy....  ^___^

*purrs*

Not to worry, though, DarkRoom also uses the Human theme icons at least, so it's not a total departure.  

You'll see what I mean when you give it a whirl.  ^.^

Added after 2 minutes:

[EDIT]  Or why wait?  See it in action [in the attached below].  ^.^

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Bella]

Yeah, Fedora-tan can wait. Try Intrepid first. Remember, you still have all those WPS files to convert and Intrepid's version of OOo may be just what the doctor ordered! ^^

Oh yeah...that would make a good excuse to give 'er a try.

I swear,... if I see ANOTHER STUPID HARD DRIVE "RESCUE" PARTITION AGAIN!!! SO HELP ME!!!! >v<

*shakes hoof in air*

When I bought my first EeePC (already a year ago... wow! happy birthday, baby girl! ^__^), I didn't know what to make of the round plastic disc it came with. The etching looked like it said something like "Recovery Disk". I wonder if it's edible....

Oh wait.... I remember.... yes, when I was a lad they used to include those with all the PCs of yore... -v-

The computer I had to restore for that relative only had a recovery partition, as well. I was going frickin' crazy looking for the recovery CDR...I was searching all around the house looking for the box the computer came in, rummaging though desk drawers, grilling the owner about where she may have placed it...

It was only after visiting the HP site that I discovered, lo and behold, it had this new thing called a recovery partition.

Uhh..... ^^

...

Well that at least could explain why your performance is so good. ^___^'
But... well... your a nice girl and probably already avoid the sites that invite at least 70% of all the malware you could run across. ^^;

True that. O__o

*sputters milk*

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!! ^V^

...

Oh Bella-hime, you're..., so... CUTE! ^.^

Will I have to call you "Bella-chan" for a while? ^_______^

*starts dangling cat toy*

As for my own personal opinion of the Human Theme, grey and orange just doesn't mix. It actually helps enhance the antiquity of the GTK+ theme. T__T;

On the other hand, black and orange with gradient-capped windows is sexy.... ^___^

*purrs*

Not to worry, though, DarkRoom also uses the Human theme icons at least, so it's not a total departure.

You'll see what I mean when you give it a whirl. ^.^

Added after 2 minutes:

[EDIT] Or why wait? See it in action [in the attached below]. ^.^

Um...

...It's...okay... it's not, like, gorgeous or anything...and I usually use some custom theme anyhow.

Funny how I'm very utilitarian when it comes to XP, but like shiny, glossy themes with Linux...and how I think CLIs are much more exotic and interesting than GUIs... ^^

Anyhow, I just got a Walkman MP3 player and am waiting for it to charge right now. I was at Wal-Mart yesterday (as an imperfect being, I admit my one massive, everything-for-which-I-stand-against flaw is shopping at Wally World), and found out there was going to be a sale today. So my dad went out and got two of them.

When he showed up, there were people in line, as there was a $300 Compaq laptop for sale. He said he contemplated purchasing one...but then remembered how pissed I would be if he came home with a Vistard machine. XD

Oh yeah, and yesterday I got to play with an Acer Aspire One running XP. It was so cute! And teeny! K8 could eat two of them alive! ^///^

[NejinOniwa]

Oh yeah, and yesterday I got to play with an Acer Aspire One running XP. It was so cute! And teeny! K8 could eat two of them alive! ^///^

I wonder, if K8 could eat two alive, what would DELTA consume...?

She IS a damn monster, after all.

In other things: DELTA has been acting up recently. I first thought it was heat problems (again) but that doesn't seem to be the case as last time she crashed the CPU wasn't even over 60 degrees (I've seen her take 67 without problems). So it's gotta be something else, then. I'm suspecting DirectX, because it ONLY happens when I'm playing games; it's also happened on both the x64 and x86 XP's, so no good going there.

Oh, and do any of you folks have any experience with water cooling? Since I'm likely to invest in that within the month or something, I mean.

Added after 31 minutes:

OH. And also. I just realized, I've got a LOT of HID's plugged in simultaneously.

1 3-button Mouse
1 Dual-Wheel 6-button Mouse
1 Keyboard
1 Joystick
1 Remote Control
1 Brain-Computer Interface (NIA)

6 interfaces. Lulzy, isn't it ^^

[C-Chan]

It was only after visiting the HP site that I discovered, lo and behold, it had this new thing called a recovery partition.

*bangs head on wall*

Since it's more than likely they realized hard drives would break often, sounds like a pretty good way to lull people into calling their very expensive technical support.  TvT

...It's...okay... it's not, like, gorgeous or anything...and I usually use some custom theme anyhow.

GAH!! >v<

*collapses*

...Well in fairness, Gnome still doesn't cut it for me from a visual standpoint (except when paired with the Netbook Remix packaging), so it's really only marginally better.  But while it's no KDE or Enlightenment, I can certainly work with DarkRoom (or the Ubuntu Studio theme).

Funny how I'm very utilitarian when it comes to XP, but like shiny, glossy themes with Linux...and how I think CLIs are much more exotic and interesting than GUIs... ^^

New stuff is intriguing after all.  After watching Windows XP, 98 and 95 shells all my life, I couldn't take my eyes on any of that stuff at all because it was brand-spanking new.  Like walking into an unexplored candy store with original, homemade candy.  ^___^

And what struck me the most was that the terminal text was often in color (rare to see that in DOS).

Anyhow, I just got a Walkman MP3 player and am waiting for it to charge right now. I was at Wal-Mart yesterday (as an imperfect being, I admit my one massive, everything-for-which-I-stand-against flaw is shopping at Wally World), and found out there was going to be a sale today. So my dad went out and got two of them.

Lesse:

C-chan's Designated Weakness:  Wii
Bella's Designated Weakness:  Wally Mart

There's gotta be something about the "w"'s.  ^.^

When he showed up, there were people in line, as there was a $300 Compaq laptop for sale. He said he contemplated purchasing one...but then remembered how pissed I would be if he came home with a Vistard machine. XD

Good thing too -- a halfway-decent copy of Vista probably COSTS $300 by itself.  Even if the OEM price was half that, that leaves the OEM $150 to make your laptop.  Yeeeeeeeeeeah... that thing was destined for that village you saw in the computer ewaste video.  -.-'

Oh yeah, and yesterday I got to play with an Acer Aspire One running XP. It was so cute! And teeny! K8 could eat two of them alive! ^///^

Fufufu!  I'm so glad you finally got to try one of the babies.  ^.^
Funny thing is:  Acer-chan could eat my old EeePC 4G.  

In fact I'm using Acer-chan right now -- the keyboard and screen is SO FREAKIN BIG compared to what I'm used to.  Makes it much better for working in Inkscape.  ^___^

But yeah, case in point:  the Acer Aspire One (either the Linux version or the XP one) is only a few dollars more expensive than that Compaq you mentioned -- and yet the supreme portability and rock-solid specs make it 10x more useful!  ^^

I wonder, if K8 could eat two alive, what would DELTA consume...?

She IS a damn monster, after all.

If she's anything like those freakin HUEG alienware machines, then yeah,... she'd be Godzilla-sized in comparison, with a vorocious appetite to go with it.  -v-

My old Acer POS desktop had a footprint of about 20 EeePCs (past-tense, cause I gave it away some months ago).  But my new Shuttle KPC is only 5 EeePCs worth -- certainly keeps my babies at ease.  ^___^

Oh, and do any of you folks have any experience with water cooling? Since I'm likely to invest in that within the month or something, I mean.

Well I always thought water cooling meant dunking your desktop or laptop in a pool of water.  Fufufu!!!!!!  ^.^

6 interfaces. Lulzy, isn't it ^^

My GAWD!  that computer might as well be bionic.... -v-