Posts by John Ellin

Microsoft devises new way of making you feel old: Windows NT is 25

MS SQL Server on NT

Many years ago, I worked for a major financial institution on the European mainland. We were evaluating RDBMS solutions. We were a Netware house and wanted the solution to run as an NLM.

When we contacted our local MS rep for the MS SQL Server NLM they told us that they were discontinuing support, but we could take the NT version out on a spin. When I said 'we don't have NT,' he said 'you can take NT on a spin as well.'

The very next day, he showed up with a stack of 37 3.5" floppies. I started the install. Cluster error on disk 12. A day later, I had a new disk 12. Cluster Error on disk 14. A day later, I had a new disk 14. Eight days later, I called the rep and suggested he 'stuff it.' The next day, he arrived with three floppies and a CD-Rom - I'll never understand why he didn't give us the CD option on day one.

I inserted boot floppy #1 and rebooted. The machine whirred and asked for floppy #2 and 'hit any key'. Then floppy #3. And finally, I received the message: 'Please insert the Windows NT CD-Rom into Drive A: and hit any key to continue.' and there was no way to edit the drive letter. So I did just what it said and inserted the CD-Rom into drive A: a bit at a time.

Ahhh memories.

Want to spy on the boss? Try this phone-mast-in-an-HP printer

Wrong song

Not Rick Astley's "Never gonna give you up"? For shame!

The Reg Coding competition – 10 times as hard as the last one!

Managed C++/CLI

I'm upset. It's bad enough that C++ has been left out, but as I'm now being forced to wrap loads of legacy C++ APIs in ".NET friendly wrappers" (small amount of vomit in back of throat), I think it would be appropriate to include C++/CLI as well as C++.

Windows NT: Remember Microsoft's almost perfect 20-year-old?

I remember when...

Back in 1990, I was reviewing databases which were to run as NLM (Oracle, SqlBase, a few others). MS provided my with SqlServer for NT. When I pointed out that we didn't have NT, they provided it. On 35 floppies.

After 12 had gone back to MS with read errors and I said "No More", they asked if the machine had a CD drive. "Sure does," said I. And so I got a new installation: three floppies and a CD.

Disk 1 booted: no problem

Disk 2 loaded: no problem

Disk 3 loaded: no problem

Then I got the message: "Please insert the Windows NT CD-Rom into drive A: and hit any key to continue..."

Metric versus imperial: Reg readers weigh in

Just the pints of beer

Aircraft should not have their altitude given in feet, rather their Flight Level should be posted. Although this number bears a remarkable resemblance to the altitude in feet, it does so without mentioning said imperial unit. Win-win.

Russia wins World Cup bid in parrot-sickening travesty

Going to the world's largest country?

I didn't know Canada had even asked for it. There should be a new stadium in Hamilton, ON for it by then, but the propects for it being built in time for the PanAm games are getting slimmer.

US healthcare data plan slammed for encryption get-out clause

Encryption hmmm...

"Using encryption on the Internet is the equivalent of arranging an armored car to deliver credit-card information from someone living in a cardboard box to someone living on a park bench."

--- Gene Spafford

Apple admits iPhone apps not suitable for business

Luxury items

Did they ever resolve the taxable difference between chocolate cake and chocolate biscuits ?

Mmmmmmm Jaffa cakes.

The netbook newbie's guide to Linux

Please.....

if I remember rightly, ls is short for list schema. Also, isn't more the M$DOS equivalent of the *NIX more command ?

McAfee update classifies Vista component as a Trojan

Scope

Linux systems are unaffected by this problem ?

McAfee slaps Trojan warning on MS Office Live

what do you mean "no ready solution is apparent"

I run Linux and I never get false positives from an anti-virus program.

I'll get my coat now.

MS takes Windows 3.11 out of embed to put to bed

I'm still here

And I remember Windows 2.

and Geoworks

and Desqview

and Deskview X

Heck, I even remember DOS....

El Reg decimates English language

Prepositions

Everything went to hell as soon as Capt Kirk was first to boldy split an infinitive as none had been split before.

I just want to round up all those who forget that a preposition is something you never end a sentence with.

Oops.

Thigh-drive phone charger put through its paces

Perfect for captain cyborg

This is exactly what the nutter needs to keep his sub-dermal GPS devices charged up. Can't wait to see the press release....

Israeli futurologist predicts terror horror

Captain Cyborg's brother ?

Am I being overly sceptical, or is this guy somehow related to a certain Kevin Warwick of Reading University ?

Sun may never set on British Empire's pint

US pint not really 4/5 imperial pint

Although it's true that a US pint is only a measly 16 floz, the US floz contains more liquid that an imperial floz as its volume is set as the volume of 1oz of water at room temperature (21C-ish), whereas the imperial floz is set as the volume of 1 oz of liquid water at (just above) freezing point...

So how anyone can say "it's easier to trade with the US by keeping the same measurements" clearly hasn't done their research and is talking hogwash - imperial measurements are not the same as the US measurements of the same name...