April 18th, 2004
The reinstallation of my main desktop continues. It’s always such a chore to restore. One thing that really frustrates me is all of the different methods of registration/activation that my software has. For some, it’s pretty straightforward and all you have to do is enter in your registration key and then it works. The ones that really piss me off are the ones that have to do with activation. And guess what? Microsoft’s is perhaps the easiest one to deal with. As much as Microsoft is maligned about their activation scheme, I find it to be a reasonable compromise and in most cases, there’s no hassle at all. Yes, you can be hassled if you’re trying to activate multiple times within a short period of time but otherwise it leaves you alone.
The ones that piss me off the most are the ones that are time limited. Basically, you are sent a key after purchasing a product and then you can immediately register the product. However, if you need to reinstall it later (even on the exact same hardware) the key they send you fails and you must request a new key. Ok, so that alone isn’t the problem.
The problem is that there’s no automated way to get the key. You have to manually send the company an e-mail with proof of purchase and then wait for them to send you a new key. This might not be a problem if the company operates 24/7 but in most cases, they do not. So, as a paying customer, you’re forced to wait days for a new key. That’s ridiculous! The longest I should have to wait is 24 hours. Anything longer is unacceptable. It makes me want to search out a way to hack the software so I can just get working again.
I understand the need to keep piracy at bay but ruining the experience for paying customers is not the way to do it. I think there needs to be some sort of automation so that a user can automatically look up their own registration keys (even if they change). There are plenty of other good models out there on the market so a lot of these companies just need to get a clue and stop alienating their customers.
April 16th, 2004
It’s been slow in the labs as I’m stuck resurrecting my desktop system. It has been acting weird for a while and needed a clean installation of Windows XP so I’m stuck taking care of that. It’s always an arduous process and for some reason, I deleted my “ready-to-go” Acronis TrueImage file for my desktop. Normally, I would just boot up off the Acronis CD and restore my pre-fabbed installation in 15 minutes.
So, I’ll be sure to make a new one this time and keep it in a safe place.
A clean install of XP is always nice as it typically runs faster before I install all of my crap. I am still wavering on my decision to turn my desktop into a PVR. It’s not something I need to do all the time but it would be nice to have the option. At any rate, I’ll just get the system up and running first before I make any more decisions. It’s already pushing my reviews back.
Speaking of which, the reviews are still in the queue. Unfortunately, I have some client work to finish first before I can have any fun so the reviews will have to wait.
April 14th, 2004
I’ve recently been spending some time trying to setup my own PVR/DVR with one of my desktop systems. I purchased the very popular Hauppauge WinTV-PVR250 card which works very well. The software interface is clunky but works as advertised. I hate how the software from a lot of multimedia vendors have esoteric interfaces that break operating system conventions. I don’t understand the logic behind it as it only serves to confuse their customers.
At any rate, despite the great hardware, my hands are basically tied. I have almost no way to setup a PVR because of my cable provider, Comcast. Because they use STBs (set top boxes) there’s no way to change the channel from the software. I have researched about getting an IR Blaster to forcibly change the channels but it’s cumbersome. I couldn’t even use a TiVo if I wanted to either. As of right now, Comcast has no timetable on when they’re going allow my area to use a PVR. I know they’re going to only allow it once they have their own built-in PVR/DVR of which they’ll probably charge an extra monthly fee.
It does have me mulling the switch to satellite TV although that presents another issue in that the monthly cable modem price would go up because of the discount we get for having both cable modem and cable tv service from Comcast.
Extremely frustrating. :-(
April 6th, 2004
I finally had a chance to put my new Sony DSC-F828 through some trials this weekend when I headed to Las Vegas for a wedding.
The camera handled beautifully with quick shot to shot time, pretty good flash coverage, and very crisp photos. I’m still reviewing the shot but I was extremely happy with the camera. I’m still getting used to some of the new control schemes but overall it was good first experience.
I also made good use of my T-Mobile AirCard 750 this weekend and was able to check e-mail, surf the web, and mapquest stuff while in my hotel room. The convenience of having a connection anywhere is really nice. I do wish the connection would be faster but for the price I’m paying I think I can live with it. As long as I’m not multitasking heavily (in terms of loading multiple web pages at once) then it’s fine.
March 30th, 2004
One item in my droolworthy list has arrived. I’ve decided to move from my 5 megapixel Sony F707 to a new 8 megapixel Sony F828 digital camera. Do I need 8 megapixels? That’s debatable as 5 megapixels has been good enough. I did want the higher zoom, CF support, better image sensor, and more manual controls.
I’ve been taking more and more photos recently and have started toying with the idea of using my photography to actually make some money so I figured I’d invest in a better camera so I can make bigger prints of my work. I know I could get a D-SLR (which I still want) but I’m not a traditional photographer and don’t necessarily have the same needs. I’m pretty ghetto when it comes do digital photography but I do get great shots and know what catches my eye and what looks good to me. As always, a review will be forthcoming once I’ve had time to get to know the camera better.
I guess I should also review my F707 even though it’s no longer sold just to get a baseline in terms of performance.
