Posts by Myself-NZ

Those darn users don't know what they're doing (not like us, of course)

Icon Placement

I had one user that I ended up with, that every time we did an OS upgrade, I would take a screenshot of her desktop icons and make sure that they were back in the "correct" [lace after said upgrades. We usually had new hardware along with the OS change as Windows environment, the new OS needed new hardware so that it didn't run like a tortoise running through mollases. She had tunnel vision, had no idea on how computers worked, but knew the steps necessary to do her job. Very upsetting to her if that changed so I did my best to avoid that as she got stressed and her work did not get done. Apparently I am patient with people, although the trouble and strife would disagree.

LUNAR-CY! SpaceX announces a Moon trip-for-two it'll inevitably miss the deadline on

Re: "SpaceX has already sold 3 other Falcon Heavies. "

"Unlike every other transport system you can't buy one, you only buy a ride on one."

Hmm, trains, buses and aeroplanes you buy a ride on one, not the transport.

Then we get into taxis, ubers, ferries, ski lifts, gondolas, ferris wheels, rollercoasters, I am sure I have missed some, but you get the point........

Tandy 102 proto-laptop still alive and beeping after 30 years, complete with AA batteries

Die Hard

All CDC (Control Data Corporation) are what I remember from the movie.

SpaceX: launch, check. Landing? Needs work

Extinct volcano

AFAIK there are no extinct volcanoes - aren't they all labelled as "dormant" so vulcanologists have a general get out of jail clause in case one that they have labelled as "safe" suddenly decides to erupt and all the people on it get damaged/dead.

Re: Just Read the Instructions

You will know when he goes into full villain mode - the barge name will be No More Mr Nice Guy....

Server retired after 18 years and ten months – beat that, readers!

Disk Magic

Disk Magic (Binary Research c1995) became Ghost in 97' if memory serves.

What a fantastic tool., made setting up new machines so much faster....

Started off installing Windows and Office from floppies

Then did a network install of the floppies and ran the install off the network.

Created our own installer/s using scripted pkzip/unzip and reg entries to do a large chunk as well

Then to Ghost installing off custom builds burnt onto CD

Finally Ghost multicast using a dedicated switch so we didn't kill the rest of the (ancient) network, could image tens of machines at a time then (limited by space to plug em all in)

Sysadmin's former boss claims five years FREE support or off to court

Re: I used to work for a company that did the opposite.

Faark. I remember Sol6, from a customer point of view - Currently top of the list in sh*t support!

From memory we used to pay something like 30k per year for support/maintenance, yet when calling because one of their updates failed which the borked the system, they were so drastically understaffed, that it was a major achievement to get a call back on the same day. Usually it took a couple of days before we get get things sorted.

A few other things - their software wanted root and admin level access to our Netware server (was a while ago), which we did not allow, but all their procedures etc assumed that was the case.

They were used by pretty much all the large accounting firms, don't know how they managed such epic levels of service.

Oh yes - one issue was when we upgraded our server (on Win NT by then), but their stuff shat itself - the fix was to get a Pentium enabled licence - floppy disk mailed out in the post.

I don't know how any of their support people survived - it would have been nuts - staff turnover was fairly high as far as I could tell

Volkswagen: 800,000 of our cars may have cheated in CO2 tests

Rogue Engineers

Maybe the software engineers got new jobs at VW after the cock up at Google........

Sprint sprints away from no-throttle policy – punishes 'unlimited' network hoggers

Not mistaken

In NZ - currently on a mobile plan $39 NZD per month - 1.25 GB data - unlimited text and 400 free minutes.

I use fibre (50/20 Mbps unlimited) at home so can keep well under the mobile cap without any problems.

Long-memoried boffins re-invent 1950s ferroelectric tech

Re - porn capacity

Not much, probably only an 8 bit version of a willy, or half a pair of boobs.........

The 'echo chamber' effect misleading people on climate change

Re: Consensus is not science

Yes, and the consensus was that Bozo was funny.....

My Passport Grip Pack blooms with new colours … and more storage

Postcard

Consider this my postcard.

Black is the absence of light and white is a mixture of all colours. So technically black is not a colour.

If you have ever perused an paint colour chart with a view to redecorating then you will know that there are a range of blacks, and an even bigger range of whites with w**ky sounding designer names which change on a yearly basis. Well the names change and they shuffle around the colours a bit to make it look different but otherwise bugger all difference. I think Spanish white and variants stays constant though...

anyway, where was I ?

nevermind, carry on...........

City of birth? Why password questions are a terrible idea

Re: Even worse

What about orange ? Both a fruit and a colour.

NASA probe sent to faraway planet finds DWARF world instead: Pics

Re: Science +1

Engineers use science so the original science +1 still stands

Here we are now, entertain us: Caltech team designs micro, high-res 3D imager

Re: diagnostics....

But how do you fit a tablet in your mouth for the dental inspection ?

Forum chat is like Clarkson punching you repeatedly in the face

Re: M&S

@BongoJoe. One foot planted behind, as if to start pushing a car, kness slightly bent, and lean into. Quite simple really.

Atomic keyrings: Just how bright are they?

Re: Decommissioned nukes

I too am interested in the source as I would like to confirm that it is not blood tritium, and that it is fair trade certified.

Give biometrics the FINGER: Horror tales from the ENCRYPT

Re: Trouble is, that's only going to work for ~50% of the population…

How do the readers cope with someone who has their breasts removed due to cancer ? (or as a preventative measure)

Australia's new broadband satellites won't be all the help Willowra needs

Something from left field

How about using Thinstuff XP/VS server and turn a single machine into a terminal server - make that your local target with dumb terminals, or linux, or whatever suits. Updates happening on one beefier machine, easier to manage etc etc. Downsides are single point of failure, (and pretty sure Thinstuff is not welcomed by Microsoft).

Superfish: Lenovo? More like Lolnono – until they get real on privacy

Re: Simple solution

Have you had a look at the HP Probooks ? The HP ProBook 430 G2 may fit your needs. Can take max 16 GB RAM, has an M2 2242 slot for SSD as well as a space for a 7mm SATA HDD. Can go up to an i7 dual core CPU, not too heavy and from my experience they have decent build quality. Not sure if the keyboard is what you are after though. They tend to be my go to laptop range. Still has a bit of bloat, but nothing that a fresh install doesn't get rid of.

Linux clockpocalypse in 2038 is looming and there's no 'serious plan'

Re: Too late!

Funnily enough my son is driving around in his first car - a 30 year old Toyota Corolla. You might also wish to look at Cuba where people are driving around in things much much older than that. Having said that, the 30 year old Toyota has nothing in it resembling a computer and is thus immune from any time code problems.

Boffins grasp Big Knob, get ready to go ALL THE WAY at the LHC proton-punisher

360Z

Hmm, as far as eye no, Nissan made a 350Z (3.5 litre) and a 370Z (3.7 litre), never heard of the 360Z.

The Interview? Kim Jong-Un, you really shouldn’t have bothered

Re: have to agree

Have a go at dumb and dumber to, makes the interview seem like a blockbuster in comparison....

Google, Amazon 'n' pals fork out for AdBlock Plus 'unblock' – report

Re: Sigh

When did you last try firefox ? To test your assumption I just opened up the same 13 web sites in tabs on each browser and firefox was using about 600 MB of memory, whilst chrome was using about 800 MB. Chrome not using ABP (installed but not enabled), firefox was.I think the later versions of firefox may have got the memory usage under a bit more control.

Object storage bods Exablox: RAID is dead, baby. RAID is dead

Re: 10x premium relative to retail pricing

So you just buy some spares and swap them in when needed. No need for a warehouse as 10 drives (or more if needed) could probably be kept in the same location as the unit, they are available 24/7 and pretty sure most IT types can remove a faulty drive and plug in a new one without too much trouble.

Hard drive = commodity item.

The Windows 8 dilemma: Win 8 or wait for 9?

I'm OK with Windows 8.1

I hated Win8 when I first tried it, spent about three days cursing the thing and not getting much done, before I went back to Win7.

Seeing as I support people with computers, and the majority of people with new computers are getting Win8, I thought I had better try it again so I at least can do a decent job of supporting the people that put some money in my pocket, so I went to Win8, but this time I installed Classic Shell/Start.

Not ecstatic or anything with it, but it gets the job done. With Classic Shell/Start, I boot straight to the desktop and use it pretty much like Windows 7. I get an OS that is more up-to-date security-wise, slightly better performance (nothing to complain about there). Basically never see or use the modern/metro interface unless I absolutely have to, which is fairly infrequent. I don't use the apps or app store as I install and use proper desktop programs.

As an OS should be, it is largely something I spend next to no time thinking about, it is something that is required to run the programs I want to use. As long as it does that and stays out of my way, then I am OK with it.

Boffins devise world's HARDEST tongue-twister

Swap pheasants with figs

If you want more rudeness, doing the twister as a fig plucker etc tends to be funnier. (at least to me it does)

First ‘three strikes’ decision handed down in NZ

3 Strikes - softball

@beachrider. 3 strikes is a known phrase in this here part of the world. We play softball which is similar to baseball (but we have bigger balls and a weird style of pitching the ball, and use gloves instead of mitts). This also has the three strikes and you're out rule, so we do understand what that means, thanks for your concern though.

LOHAN turns up the heat on Vulture 2 motor

Pre Heating - pedantry alert

It is either heating, in equilibrium or cooling. pre-heating is nonsensical. Next thing I know you will be talking about post-heating when attempting to cool something down...

Having got that out of my system, you lot can carry on with the actual rocket science