So far, the benefits to going Vista boils down to Aero, the new UI with the pretty eye candy. If there's anything that stops Aero from working, I'm liable to make frownie fase and tell everyone I know to stay away from it. So...
Do not install QuickTime if you like Aero.
I installed QuickTime (7.1.3) because some webpage wanted it and suddenly Trilian (3.1) became the reason that Windows Vista alerted me that Windows Vista Basic was now the profile I was going to use, until I quit Trillian. If apps I use start not working, the OS becomes a non-starter.
Searching the web gives you some horsemung explanation of how QT and GDI and Trilian's av.dll and blah blah, but it boils down to having Areo diabled. That means no transparent borders on windows, no window sizing effects, no "Windows Flip 3D," and no toolbar minimized menu previews.
I ended up uninstalling QT, rebooting, reinstalling QT, making sure Trillian had no camera and no camera source. QT in web pages seem to work. When it's a random combo of things that work, that's called "fragile." The alternative, of course, is to not watch the Black Snake Moan trailer until Apple releases a QT that works with Vista.
Thing #2 is the native unzipper. I downloaded and proceeded to unzip Eclipse, the Java-based IDE (size: 120Mb), and Vista thought about it, then told me it'd take 5 hours and 36 minutes to extract. Seriously? Yes, 5+ hours. That's unacceptable, Vista. Fix that.
Third party unzip programs work great and as expected. I prefer 7-zip. But that's not the point. Out of the box, don't expect a coffee break when unzipping something (unless it's under 120Kb, aka 11 minutes), just go to bed. That's what I did.
Today's the third day of my life with Microsoft's newest Windows operating system, Vista. I purchased a new computer from Dell in order to replace an ailing development machine and decided to also throw Vista into the mix of integrating a new desktop into the network.
There are a few things that are striking:
- Aero, the new "look & feel" for Vista, is very pretty - so pretty that when I look at the old G3 with Mac OS X Panther (10.3, the latest is 10.5) on it sitting off to my left, I realize where Windows got their inspiration for their resizable icons, animated window expansions, and backgrounds. It's still impressive to look at. "Windows Flip 3D" is an overly clever implementation of a much needed way to see all the open applications. Makes me want to open lots of applications just to see them in half-profile.
- Installing applications is aggravating. Who knows when User Access Control or, as my brother puts it, the Department of Desktop Secruity, will come knocking, forcing the beautifully coifed but otherwise helpless onto the vast expanse of the internet where mostly Vista haters reside to find an answer. The much maligned Secure Desktop of the "Cancel or Allow" fame (it's "continue or cancel" really) blinks the monitor and turns everything else but the dialog box dark. That's like having someone slap you in the face randomly while having a pleasant conversation. It can be hobbled, but as people will lament, it takes away the secure desktop.
- The sounds are soft and in the background, "part of the wallpaper" as they intended. They spent a lot of time and money on it, and I can barely hear the audio alerts. When I do, I'm in a peaceful trance or attempting to be really quiet and still so I can hear the alerts. Peaceful trance or audio equivalent of a deer in headlights - I dunno, one of the two.
- Things XP just does, like finding printers, seems missing. It took me two tries and another visit into the meat-smelling wilds of the internet to find Microsoft fanbois in order to have Vista recognize the HP LaserJet 1100 attached to another networked computer.
- Unzipping folders takes hours, literally. It's either a Vista bug or the Norton anti-virus checking each bit as its extracted. I haven't been able to emperically isolate who's screwed up here. Unzipping Eclipse (120mb zip) took 6 hours. Yes, hours. I went to bed.
- The Dell Dimension 9200 is, amazingly, "out of the picture" - it's quiet and just performs. The operating system is the star here. That's refreshing to not feel like a patchwork of hardware's a hurdle. With that said, Dell peppers and customizes the OEM OS with enough tchotchkes and unnecssary and useless trial apps that, if I didn't know it was Vista, I'd swear it was a sponsored NASCAR jacket. I'm seriously considering reinstalling the OS just to get rid of Dell's preinstalled mung.
This is day three of the rest of my life: Cancel or Allow?
After determining that corporal punishment wasn't going to be a long term solution, I started sourcing hard drives for my ailing 20Gb 4G iPod. Quickly, I realized I could probably put an even larger hard drive than the original 20Gb (MK2006GAL) Toshiba 1.8 if I got a larger backplate. Uncertain whether it'd work, I looked briefly on the internet and couldn't get a decent affirmative response.
Oddly, I hadn't thought of eBay when looking for backplates or drives, until I started thinking about batteries. eBay (duh) has everything and more. So, I asked one of the 40Gb backplate sellers whether it'd work. "Winterpoem" was very helpful, but unfortunately his auction ended before I could buy it. $167 later and I had a 40Gb 4G backplate and a MK6006GAH, a 60Gb hard drive. The replacement was straightforward and now I have a 60Gb 4th Generation iPod. A new 5G 80Gb iPod's about $350, so I "saved" $187 and a 50 mile trip to the Apple Store. I consider that a good deal.
I'll probably end up buying a 1200mAh battery and an eVo2 iSkin that fits well (the 20Gb sized iSkin fits, but looks like a fat guy in a little suit, which is also fitting) which'll set me back another whopping $25.
I also forgot that they made 4G color iPods in the same size, so for another $100 (which'd've blown my budget) I could've gotten a color LCD (~$50) and a color motherboard (~$50).
As a last note, if you're selling (or reselling) your old 60Gb 4th gen iPod photo's HD on eBay, delete all the info from it, otherwise someone'll find your pictures and keep your music (which, in this case, wasn't worth it).
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i'm in ur cities
panicking ur DHS
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Edit: what boston thought... (video)
So, yeah, ATHF made a PR stunt and now Boston's just getting around to realizing it and they've gone way off the deep end.
It's literally
fantastic.
In a news conference, Rich told reporters he had advised his clients
not to discuss the incident. Stevens and Berdovsky took the podium and
said they were taking questions only about haircuts in the 1970s. When
a reporter accused them of not taking the situation seriously, Stevens
responded, "We're taking it very seriously." Asked another question
about the case, Stevens reiterated they were answering questions only
about hair and accused the reporter of not taking him and Berdovsky
seriously.
Reporters did not relent and as they continued,
Berdovsky disregarded their queries, saying, "That's not a hair
question. I'm sorry."
I love it. Of course, they're already on eBay.
I really want one. They're the defining symbol of the Global War on Terror. Oh, and how Boston's full of queahs.
This + 50 or so of these = GWOT Mooninite 