Month: December 2012

A slow start isn’t so bad. It is what happens after the start that counts, and Windows 8 is proving that every other Windows release is not a good one. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9235059/Windows_8_s_uptake_falls_behind_Vista_s_pace?source=rss_latest_content&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+computerworld%2Fnews%2Ffeed+%28Latest+from+Computerworld%29 I know what you are thinking. “Why does Microsoft have so much difficulty getting to the next stage?” The reason that we build using steel is that steel is LIGHTER and takes up less room in a structure than bricks alone. Look at how thick castle walls are. They are not that thick just to stop the ‘other side’ from getting in. If they were not as thick as … Continue reading Windows 8 – a slow start..

.. and that includes inanimate objects like computers too. Don’t throw your new Windows 8 computer out of the window in frustration or into snow. It invalidates the manufacturer warranty.. Install a 3rd party Start Menu if it is all too much for you.. Free.. http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ https://www.pokki.com/ Costs $5 but is just like Windows 7.. http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/ They make a huge difference to usability, trust me. I use one myself and would be back with Windows 7 were it not for Start8. Now, I have the best of both worlds. I can still get stuff done, and can have a play … Continue reading The time of goodwill..

OK, so I managed to install TWO whole apps that work. Way to go. Unfortunately, they are the anti-thesis of production. I now have to Logo Quiz games, very addictive, but lacking any other value. I tried SIX other apps, mainly productive, but they will not install. All of the originals are lost too, and every time that I go to Windows Store, the apps try to install but ultimately fail. In my opinion, Modern UI is a waste of space, it really is. I fix home user computers and do online support for thousands, and there is NOTHING about … Continue reading Modern UI.. partial success

Desktop, Advanced English Dictionary and CBC News are the only apps still working in my Windows 8 Modern UI. Maps almost worked but had no idea of the whereabouts of my actual location. Windows Store is like a retail establishment that looks busy, but all of the boxes in the store are actually empty. In truth, I don’t mind at all because there is nothing there that I want or need. The games, apart from TriPeaks and FreeCell, are not my cup of tea, and the productive apps are not too productive, some lacking essential productive features. You might think … Continue reading Three left standing..

Not too long ago, an Apple Store was opened in London Ontario. It resides on the second floor at Masonville Place, London’s premier mall. Anyway, it came to pass that I was in the area and in the company of an iPad expert, so I decided to take a look.. Hmmm.. I saw the white Apple icon first, but as I got closer, I was quite surprised. All flat tables, the first four had an ‘express checkout’, and three tables of iPads. The second row was combination of Macbook Air, Pro and the iPhone 5. The third row had desktop … Continue reading B for Apple..

Yesterday, I was trying to eliminate powering down issues with the computer. It had been shutting down of its own volition, no blue screen, no error messages, no mini-dumps, nothing. I ran the Windows 8 Memory Diagnostic, clean boot, everything suggested in the MS support pages for Event ID 41. Finally, I went into BIOS and set for Optimal defaults, but made one HUGE error. My motherboard defaults to IDE, not AHCI, and I need AHCI to be able to use the X-Port on the top of the case. So the machine rebooted, but couldn’t find a bootable device. Realising … Continue reading Windows 8 was not happy..

Linux and Mac supporters can stand down. It’s not that you don’t count, even if you actually don’t, so don’t take offence. Windows is now pitching against Windows. In one corner is Windows XP, stable and fast but not slick and not secure either. It is still a hot favourite with many users, and considered the standard by which all others shall be judged for ever more. In another corner is Windows 7, slick, stable and secure. It is the apex of the classic Windows operating system. Without being picky, it is instantly recognisable as Windows and is the ideal … Continue reading Ménage à trois .. Which side are you on?

Dreamscene.. Wah, it’s back.. If you set Bing.com as your homepage, you will see what I mean. At the moment, a village in the Pyrenees is rotating slowly, similar to the effect of laying down after drinking too much. A day or two ago, it was a Lemur licking Bamboo. Very disconcerting.. Are these the family and friends that Steve Ballmer talked about having on the desktop? Whose family?   It doesn’t happen in IE9/Windows 7, so this must be a hidden Windows 8/IE10 feature, except that it is not hidden.. I wonder how much more battery power this feature … Continue reading A couple of things..