Log4Nev Boats, code, and kids 2008-09-10T08:16:29-05:00 Nev http://www.kuyt.com/blog/index.php nev@kuyt.com tag:log4nev,2008:Log4Nev Pivot Copyright (c) 2008, Authors of Log4Nev Software Architecture in practice 2008-09-10T08:16:00-05:00 2008-09-10T08:16:00-05:00 tag:log4nev,2008:Log4Nev.11 Today. I am mostly coding in Powerpoint..... nev Windows Vista....it's just an operating system, dude! 2008-01-03T04:31:00-05:00 2008-01-03T04:31:00-05:00 tag:log4nev,2008:Log4Nev.9 I bought a new laptop a few months ago - the trusty old Dell Inspiron had been warning about imminent hard drive failure for a while, and it turned out that getting a new hard drive would cost a decent chunk which I could put towards a brand spanking new laptop. It's another Dell Inspiron, and it came with "Vista Business" as the operating system. It's nice and shiny, feels a touch more stable and responsive than XP. I like the way it works with the network - it's pretty much seemless when connecting to the Roku Soundbridge in the bedroom, it recognizes my Linux media centre PC in the living room, and can automatically stream music from the MP3 vault. I was curious, however, to see what the difference was between my "Vista Business" edition and the other flavours - after all, I use it only for home use, so is there something I'm missing out on? It's another Dell Inspiron, and it came with "Vista Business" as the operating system. It's nice and shiny, feels a touch more stable and responsive than XP. I like the way it works with the network - it's pretty much seemless when connecting to the Roku Soundbridge in the bedroom, it recognizes my Linux media centre PC in the living room, and can automatically stream music from the MP3 vault.
I was curious, however, to see what the difference was between my "Vista Business" edition and the other flavours - after all, I use it only for home use, so is there something I'm missing out on?So, I checked the Microsoft site. Okay, I've got one of the 3 best editions for laptops (whatever that means...). I can't, apparently, "experience photos and entertainment" without the gift of Media Centre. Oh, well, Mythbuntu does that very nicely for me, thank you...I can't make DVDs, apparently - though if I wanted to do that, I'd probably go for a dedicated application from Adobe or somesuch.
I'm missing out on some games - though nothing really beats Civilization when it comes to gaming for me...and I don't get to make HD movies. Oh. Well, never mind.
To check out more information, on the various options, I can download data sheets - though they require me to install viewers for Office 2007 documents (no, thanks), and download what appear to be 25 megabyte files. Good gried. Sure, I've got broadband and all that good stuff, but really - 25 meg?
So, I poke around the web site, and find this page about how Vista helps businesses with Sales and Marketing. It is all very tangentially connected to my (admittedly limited) experience with selling. On the other hand, one of the joyous things that Vista does - popping up modal dialog boxes about updates being available while I'm in the middle of a powerpoint presentation - appears to be still there. Oh. Nice - I'm trying to explain how my company knows all about Information Technology, only to get the "booooomcrink" sound effect just as get to the bit about how people trump process.
The final insult is that when I see what it would cost to upgrade to Ultimate, I get a staggering price of £111.74 from the online site Microsoft links me to. Uh - what? Sorry, that's not value for money, as far as I'm concerned. Leaving aside the whole open source thing - you're going to have to work harder to make me think that's even close to right, especially now that mainstream retailers are selling new computers for £300.
Now, about Mythbuntu.....you want it. It works. ]]> nev My experiences with Zune 2007-10-05T10:27:00-05:00 2007-10-05T10:27:00-05:00 tag:log4nev,2008:Log4Nev.8 Okay, it's my own fault. I'm a touch contrarian, and when my old MP3 player finally died, I bought a Zune. Okay, I realized it wasn't officially released in the UK - but that's what Ebay is for. Okay, I'd seen the reviews, slating the sharing feature - but all I really wanted was to turn my CD collection into portable joy. The price was right, too! Except that the power/sync cable was a little awkward to remove from the player - it seemed to take a little more effort than seemed reasonable to extract. Never mind, I thought, it will be fine.
Until it wasn't - the cable doesn't work any more. So I bought a replacement cable (thanks, ebay!), and that doesn't work either.
So, the Zune is now dead - after just 3 months - because the manufacture is such that the most common mechanical interface - the power/sync cable slot - was designed to be fragile.
I bought an Ipod. I love it. ]]> nev Laptops and meetings go together like... 2007-09-06T08:29:00-05:00 2007-09-06T08:29:00-05:00 tag:log4nev,2008:Log4Nev.7 Well, like 2 things that don't really go together at all. Rands writes about this very well - and when an uncaring universe finally elects me emperor for life, I'm going to ban laptops from all meetings! Rands writes about this very well - and when an uncaring universe finally elects me emperor for life, I'm going to ban laptops from all meetings!One thing that's not mentioned in the original post is the pathology that involves people waking up from their laptop trance when certain key words are used which affect them - and disrupting the meeting by not understanding the context of the last 5 minutes. Very annoying! ]]> nev Improving performance 2007-08-23T05:00:00-05:00 2007-08-23T05:00:00-05:00 tag:log4nev,2008:Log4Nev.6 Okay, I'll come clean - I used to own an O2 XDA II. I bought it, with my own money. I was young, and foolish. So, when it was time to upgrade, I didn't hesitate - a Sony Ericsson P990, please! It's a fine phone - things just work the way you expect them to. You can dial a number without needing the stylus, for one thing. It has some flaws - battery life is disappointing; I never get through the weekend without recharging. The web browser has some quirks. The "answer call" button does not end the call - it puts the call on hold. But the major problem is that every now and again, when I receive a call, the phone spontaneously reboots. I mean, camera, games, MP3 player, all that stuff is great - but the primary function is to make and receive telephone calls, and that just has to work! That's not unreasonable, is it? So, the one thing worse than rebooting when receiving a call is the message that's displayed when the phone finally comes back to life: "The phone has rebooted to improve performance". I'm not kidding. Apparently, "improved performance" includes, you know, not being able to take a phone call.
Okay, I'll come clean - I used to own an O2 XDA II. I bought it, with my own money. I was young, and foolish. So, when it was time to upgrade, I didn't hesitate - a Sony Ericsson P990, please! It's a fine phone - things just work the way you expect them to. You can dial a number without needing the stylus, for one thing.



It has some flaws - battery life is disappointing; I never get through the weekend without recharging. The web browser has some quirks. The "answer call" button does not end the call - it puts the call on hold. But the major problem is that every now and again, when I receive a call, the phone spontaneously reboots. I mean, camera, games, MP3 player, all that stuff is great - but the primary function is to make and receive telephone calls, and that just has to work! That's not unreasonable, is it?



So, the one thing worse than rebooting when receiving a call is the message that's displayed when the phone finally comes back to life: "The phone has rebooted to improve performance". I'm not kidding. Apparently, "improved performance" includes, you know, not being able to take a phone call.

nev So, am I related to.... 2007-08-20T15:57:00-05:00 2007-08-20T15:57:00-05:00 tag:log4nev,2008:Log4Nev.5 Dirk Kuyt? Well, I think so. I mean, my father always said there were two Kuijt clans in Holland - in Katwijk, and in Barneveld, and that they were related through a pair of brothers somewhere back in the 19th century. My father was from Barneveld, Dirk is from Katwijk. Dirk Kuyt? Well, I think so. I mean, my father always said there were two Kuijt clans in Holland - in Katwijk, and in Barneveld, and that they were related through a pair of brothers somewhere back in the 19th century. My father was from Barneveld, Dirk is from Katwijk.But, no, I've never met him. I can't get tickets to Anfield. I'm happy he came to the premiership - now at least some people recognize that my last name is a real name, and not the result of a cat sitting on a computer keyboard....Now, if he'd only see the error of his ways and sign for my local side.... ]]> nev Becontree Brassband 2007-08-20T14:43:00-05:00 2007-08-20T14:29:00-05:00 tag:log4nev,2008:Log4Nev.4 I play for this lot... this lot... ]]> nev We're back! 2007-08-20T08:08:00-05:00 2007-08-20T08:08:00-05:00 tag:log4nev,2008:Log4Nev.3 After a brief hiatus - caused mainly by the bumbling idiots at cqhost.com - we're back! nev