Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Vista SP1
After all the recent probs with Vista, maybe SP1 is the answer? The installation was super-smooth and trouble-free. Let's hope it's the start of a great relationship.
Finally in-sync
Sometimes, the bundled solution isn't the best. This definitely applies to some of the tools within Windows Vista. This time I'm talking about syncing offline files, but first, some context.
Yes, another Vista rant. But I'm entitled to this one, having been through the pain of having to completely reinstall Vista on my notebook. I had actually weighed everything up and had decided to revert to XP, except that Vista seems to have done something proprietary to the MBR on my hard drive and the XP installer couldn't see it. There was NO WAY that I was going to make fresh backup copies of the 30 or 40GB-worth of data on my D and E drives and then format the whole drive. Just forget it.
Anyway, having reinstalled Vista I made the mistake of reactivating it on the first day - and of course the install was corrupted, because after a shaky six days I needed to reinstall again. This time I couldn't afford any offline time at all so went out and bought a spare notebook, which has now been deployed as an upgrade for a colleague. She's delighted...
Fingers crossed this time around and no I could not wait for SP1 to come out. For the first ever time, I chose the "upgrade" option - upgrading a non-functional version of Vista to a functional version is an upgrade, right? And yes, I'm back in the honeymoon period where the system is actually really quite fast despite having only 1.5GB of memory. I picked up a 4GB USB stick at CeBIT which works nicely with readyboost and my apps open a bit faster, too.
Of course there is an upside to a clean install - you lose some of the drekk that's built up on the system. Programs that I'd installed, messed around with and then dumped. From here I have resolved to restrict such installations first to my XP VM that's running in VMware Player (Google around to find out how, it's pretty simple with QEMU) as it's pretty simple to roll back a VM, also I have a couple of backup copies on various drives.
Getting to the point, I sometimes for convenience carry around a local copy of important ongoing work files - because I can't be online when travelling. I decided to once again try the sync option built into Windows, but it still sucks really badly and leaves multiple temp files at both ends when trying to sync - I haven't had the time, energy or inclination to solve this. Instead I spent a whole $30 (about the price of a Chinese take-away for two now in Euros) on a super little program called GoodSync from a company called Siber Systems.
It's my second $30 purchase from Siber - the first being the wonderful RoboForm, which stores all my login passwords and other credentials, including my credit card details, and helps me fill-in online forms. I keep the RoboForm data on a fully-encrypted USB drive so the data is safe and sound.
GoodSync is exactly that - and it's lightning fast, too. This is perhaps the most visible difference between it and the built-in offline file sync capability of Vista, apart from those temp files which can quickly fill a few GB if you're not careful. Once again, proof for me that something that's free has no value.
Yes, another Vista rant. But I'm entitled to this one, having been through the pain of having to completely reinstall Vista on my notebook. I had actually weighed everything up and had decided to revert to XP, except that Vista seems to have done something proprietary to the MBR on my hard drive and the XP installer couldn't see it. There was NO WAY that I was going to make fresh backup copies of the 30 or 40GB-worth of data on my D and E drives and then format the whole drive. Just forget it.
Anyway, having reinstalled Vista I made the mistake of reactivating it on the first day - and of course the install was corrupted, because after a shaky six days I needed to reinstall again. This time I couldn't afford any offline time at all so went out and bought a spare notebook, which has now been deployed as an upgrade for a colleague. She's delighted...
Fingers crossed this time around and no I could not wait for SP1 to come out. For the first ever time, I chose the "upgrade" option - upgrading a non-functional version of Vista to a functional version is an upgrade, right? And yes, I'm back in the honeymoon period where the system is actually really quite fast despite having only 1.5GB of memory. I picked up a 4GB USB stick at CeBIT which works nicely with readyboost and my apps open a bit faster, too.
Of course there is an upside to a clean install - you lose some of the drekk that's built up on the system. Programs that I'd installed, messed around with and then dumped. From here I have resolved to restrict such installations first to my XP VM that's running in VMware Player (Google around to find out how, it's pretty simple with QEMU) as it's pretty simple to roll back a VM, also I have a couple of backup copies on various drives.
Getting to the point, I sometimes for convenience carry around a local copy of important ongoing work files - because I can't be online when travelling. I decided to once again try the sync option built into Windows, but it still sucks really badly and leaves multiple temp files at both ends when trying to sync - I haven't had the time, energy or inclination to solve this. Instead I spent a whole $30 (about the price of a Chinese take-away for two now in Euros) on a super little program called GoodSync from a company called Siber Systems.
It's my second $30 purchase from Siber - the first being the wonderful RoboForm, which stores all my login passwords and other credentials, including my credit card details, and helps me fill-in online forms. I keep the RoboForm data on a fully-encrypted USB drive so the data is safe and sound.
GoodSync is exactly that - and it's lightning fast, too. This is perhaps the most visible difference between it and the built-in offline file sync capability of Vista, apart from those temp files which can quickly fill a few GB if you're not careful. Once again, proof for me that something that's free has no value.
Labels: nerd, rant, tech, virtualization
Monday, March 17, 2008
Removal of the Oktoberfest Bombing Memorial
Not sure what?s planned, but the memorial to the Oktoberfest bombing from 1980 is being removed / re-sited. It was a pretty unobtrusive, low-key memorial situated close to the main entrance to the Oktoberfest, but workmen have been busy since week with their jackhammers, removing it.
The memorial was put up after the 1980 bombing which killed 13 people, including the bomber. Conspiracy theories have of course kept the topic alive.
Normally there?s a remembrance ceremony every year to mark the occasion. I can?t imagine the memorial would just be ripped out. But I am curious as to what?s happening.
Labels: beer
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
How times change at CeBIT
The early signs of spring always mean an annual trip up to Han(n)over, where the "Laatzner Volksfest" otherwise known as CeBIT takes place.
How times change ... this year's show is more SMB-focused but the biggest difference is that the place is half empty in comparison to recent years. The organizers, Deutsche Messe AG, have taken the brave step of closing Hall One, which is the size of several football fields and was home to all the big names in IT.
Why? The official word is that H1 is going to be refurbished or redeveloped into a congress center. The rumors are that it was to fill some big holes on the show floor. IBM's stand alone now takes up half of Hall 2, while SAP, Software AG and Microsoft are all in Hall 4, one of the biggest halls. You could spend a day exploring that hall alone...
What's utterly frustrating is that not only is H1 closed, but also its wonderful car parks. I don't see the logic in that one.
I don't miss H1, which was always claustrophobic thanks to its low ceilings and high booths, and it used to get damned hot, too. But I do miss the buzz. Where's it gone? Partly to Barcelona, for Mobile World Congress, and partly to Berlin, for IFA, the consumer electronics show.
What's most scary is that CeBIT today is starting to feel like the last few Comdex shows in Las Vegas. After years of decline, Comdex finally took a "holiday" and hasn't been seen since.
On a road sign near my accommodation in Hanover there's another reminder that things change - a faded and almost illegible sticker that proclaims that Commodore is the market leader in consumer PCs. It must be from the early 1980s - the inks used in the sticker have lasted way longer than the company's market share in consumer desktops. Food for thought.
How times change ... this year's show is more SMB-focused but the biggest difference is that the place is half empty in comparison to recent years. The organizers, Deutsche Messe AG, have taken the brave step of closing Hall One, which is the size of several football fields and was home to all the big names in IT.
Why? The official word is that H1 is going to be refurbished or redeveloped into a congress center. The rumors are that it was to fill some big holes on the show floor. IBM's stand alone now takes up half of Hall 2, while SAP, Software AG and Microsoft are all in Hall 4, one of the biggest halls. You could spend a day exploring that hall alone...
What's utterly frustrating is that not only is H1 closed, but also its wonderful car parks. I don't see the logic in that one.
I don't miss H1, which was always claustrophobic thanks to its low ceilings and high booths, and it used to get damned hot, too. But I do miss the buzz. Where's it gone? Partly to Barcelona, for Mobile World Congress, and partly to Berlin, for IFA, the consumer electronics show.
What's most scary is that CeBIT today is starting to feel like the last few Comdex shows in Las Vegas. After years of decline, Comdex finally took a "holiday" and hasn't been seen since.
On a road sign near my accommodation in Hanover there's another reminder that things change - a faded and almost illegible sticker that proclaims that Commodore is the market leader in consumer PCs. It must be from the early 1980s - the inks used in the sticker have lasted way longer than the company's market share in consumer desktops. Food for thought.
Labels: tech
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