* Posts by Lorin Thwaits

44 publicly visible posts • joined 30 May 2013

Kinder, gentler Oracle says it's changed, and now wants you to succeed

Lorin Thwaits

It's great that you started caring now, Oracle... how about providing OCI for Mac M1 machines?

If you'd like for us to use your database then having Oracle Instant Client is critical. Two and a half years into the Apple Silicon refresh, essentially all tools and libraries have been ported. Except for OCI!

Looming ventilator shortage amid pandemic sparks rise of open-source DIY medical kit. Good thinking – but safe?

Lorin Thwaits

Re: I *believe* I have it...

Yes, rapid pulse (plus rapid breathing and a feeling of shortness of breath) is one way the body compensates for hypoxemia.

Apple's latest keyboard travels back in time to when they weren't crap

Lorin Thwaits

Re: 1 person who only cares about iOS

Tim really only cares about the iPad, methinks. It's the rest of us that mostly care about the Mac. Will be a sad day if the great platform of OSX gets traded out for iOS. A very sad day.

Not LibreOffice too? Beloved open-source suite latest to fall victim to the curse of Catalina

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Sinofsky?

Indeed, Windows 7 -- Sinofsky is part of the miracle that brought the Vista code base into something usable.

Lorin Thwaits

What a fucking nightmare.

Find your Steven Sinofsky, Apple. Find this saviour now.

Remember Windows 8? Microsoft is still trying to reunify the API it split for the touchy OS's benefit

Lorin Thwaits

Re: (As a non-developer) most of that meant very little to me.

As a developer, I'll say that a house that is divided against itself will fall.

Please make one thing, Microsoft. You're done with phones, so be done with phones. And make one thing.

We've Falcon caught it! SpaceX finally nets a fairing half after a successful Heavy launch

Lorin Thwaits

Re: "We've Falcon caught it"

SpaceX is now working with Guice Offshore to prepare a second boat with a big net. (GO now owns and operates the boat formerly known as Mr Steven, and was very lucky to have success catching the fairing during Tuesday's mission. They had recently bought the vessel and renamed it to a GO name, similar to their other boats, also used for SpaceX work such as towing drone ships around and pulling fairings out of the water.)

Woke up on Wednesday, expecting a SpaceX launch? Surprise! It got postponed

Lorin Thwaits

Then they've been grossly negligent to established protocol which mandates spare parts be available on-hand.

Microsoft buffs up its open-source halo to fine sheen with PostgreSQL GUI in Azure Data Studio

Lorin Thwaits

.. It is in a different league from MS Access

Access got lots of us excited about data, and the forms and macros available are cool, but trying to use it for any kind of large-scale solution, even with a big-boy database to back it up, exposes how plagued it really is around reliability.

Lorin Thwaits

Hold on now, Postgres is good stuff!

MS SQL is great, perhaps their best product. The excellent rewrite ages ago that brought about SQL 7 has facilitated two decades of awesome.

But don't think that big bunch of wonderful stands alone -- Postgres is also the bee's knees, man. Remarkably solid, perfectly reliable, very flexible.

Tens to be disappointed as Windows 10 Mobile death date set: Doomed phone OS won't see 2020

Lorin Thwaits

The confusing tileware that dominated WinPhone surely is the thing that spelled its demise.

Notice that both other popular phone platforms have actual icons (as well as Windows 7 for that matter). Those with icons remain solidly in the game!

Windows 10 Pro goes Home as Microsoft fires up downgrade server

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Just go Linux

It certainly makes sense -- Microsoft needed more testers for the Home version instead of the Pro version!

(Personally I'm running Win 7 Amateur edition)

Zip it! 3 more reasons to be glad you didn't jump on Windows 10 1809

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Regressions

> (monkeys at) the Galtaji temple, in Rajasthan

Now that would be an awesome contrast. A mix of solid and reliable old architecture next to flimsy, gimmicky new technology, with monkeys as the caretakers. Wait, that describes Redmond exactly!

Microsoft has another crack at fixing Chrome problems in Windows 10

Lorin Thwaits

It's incredible to me ...

... how willing Microsoft is to completely defile the very product which brought them to being a household name. Surely this will not end well.

Latest Intel, AMD chips will only run Windows 10 ... and Linux, BSD, OS X

Lorin Thwaits

Re: DR-DOSJA VU?

"...fake incompatibility code in the silicone" -- haha, sounds like Microsoft has made a boob job.

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Can you spell lawsuit?

Sincere condolences for having to work in an environment where a Microsoft OS is mandatory. Huge reason to consider finding a new workplace.

Microsoft won't back down from Windows 10 nagware 'trick'

Lorin Thwaits

It's astounding that Microsoft is actually willing to have their customers equate them on the same level as a payday loan outfit. One slimy tactic after another.

Intel literally decimates workforce: 12,000 will be axed, CFO shifts to sales

Lorin Thwaits

This fallout stems directly from the bigger fish just up the food chain; the folks in Redmond. Four tiresome years of tiles, with the hope that the world would somehow think Microsoft's tablet was useful. Total wreck of an operating system. The latest atrocity was to limit Windows 7 to run only on older hardware. Of course Intel can't sell new Skylake chips if Microsoft's only useful OS is cripped to only run on Broadwell and older.

Waving Microsoft's Windows 10 stick won't help Intel's Gen 6 core

Lorin Thwaits

Purely ridiculous if Intel isn't actually up-in-arms about Microsoft's strong-arm tactics. They would see Skylake sales skyrocket if Windows 7 was more easily available. Imagine a business model where you get the garbage Windows 10 for free, but for an extra £100 there's an upgrade to Windows 7. It would sell well.

The upside of all this madness is that Linux and Apple users can benefit from the faster chips, even if Microsoft doesn't want to allow their best OS to be able to play along.

Lorin Thwaits
Windows

So you got an extra 40 minutes of run time. But that's 40 more minutes you have to deal with a tiled OS as compared with one that's easier to use.

Some would argue that there's extensive profiling being performed by Microsoft as well. Not sure about that myself, but the conspiracy theories abound.

Someone please rid me of this turbulent Windows 10 Store

Lorin Thwaits

Re: What went wrong?

Perhaps Windows 10 users don't complain, but instead just defect back to Windows 7. Or make plans to transition to OSX or perhaps Linux.

Plenty of people I know who gave Windows 10 a shot and then went back to the safe haven of Windows 7, vowing to never get mixed up in that mess of an ecosystem.

How Microsoft will cram Windows 10 even harder down your PC's throat early next year

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Linux is working for me.

"Windows in various versions runs on 92.x percent of the desktops (blocking flash) would quickly result in lawsuits from users AND Adobe. Lawsuits that MS would LOOSE!"

Microsoft is going to let loose lawsuits against itself??? That would be wonderful because it would save valuable time as we all wait patiently for this completely antiquated organization to systematically self-destruct. So far this process has been agonizingly slow, and we could all benefit by expediting things, and getting the world switched over to an OS that actually cares about the best interest of its users.

Australian boffins say Quantum Pentiums are on the horizon

Lorin Thwaits
Happy

As with some other things in life, with this it's not the size that matters. (OK with those other things perhaps size actually does matter a bit!)

Anyway, there's huge difference between doping for N and P channel gates vs creating a qubit! And size of lithography doesn't play into that.

If you wanted Windows 10, it looks like you've already installed it

Lorin Thwaits
Coffee/keyboard

I suppose Redmond's remaining hope to get more tileware followers lies in sales of new machines. Today's announcement of the Surface 4 is thus particularly important. Incredibly thin bezel, so they say. Edge-to-edge sea of pixels that will leave you aghast.

We'll see if today's hoopla is enough to convince folks to give up a usable OS for more portability.

And I'm curious to see how long it takes for Apple to fire a return shot across the bow ...

KRAKKOOM! SpaceX Falcon supply mission to ISS EXPLODES minutes after launch

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Refreshing to read ... TRUTH

+1 on that.

average american is pretty steeped in their own self-righteous fakery these days. drags them and anyone who will listen pretty far from reality.

Lorin Thwaits

lightning? bah.

electro-stormage hitting something not in contact with the earth? riddle me this ... how often do airliners get struck? pretty danged rare.

Microsoft U-turns on 'free' Windows 10 upgrade promise for ALL previewers

Lorin Thwaits
Windows

The Embalmer's last victim was his own!

Good summary. The more complete article is from August 2012:

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/business/2012/08/microsoft-lost-mojo-steve-ballmer

In the nearly 3 years that have followed since that publication, Ballmer remained consistently unwilling to listen to reason. His incessant need to continually steer Microsoft down the worst possible path is nothing short of astonishing. After bailing at the apex of this nightmare, Nadella came in, being dealt the worst possible hand. Hats off to Nadella for quickly making lots of great choices under dire circumstances. Still he is saddled with the many ridiculous design decisions that emerged with Windows 8. Definitely the Windows 10 team did the best they could to cobble together something that no longer makes the average end-user freak out. But it's full of compromise compared to iOS / OSX.

I do wish them luck.

RIP Windows RT: Microsoft murders ARM Surface, Nokia tablets

Lorin Thwaits

Three years gone

Gosh, when is this tablet circus going to end? Somehow I think Nadella has a pulse on what's up, and wants to go the right direction. He got dealt a pathetic hand by his predecessor.

At least the Longhorn code base has been leaned up quite a bit ... no more sidebar or aero. Completely at the expense of usability. Powershell was a great addition. Let's not discount that. C# plus CLI = good stuff all around.

But god damn, let Ballmer's ideas die already. He is gone ... he might as well be off in some corner painting like George W is. Bush dealt a horrible hand to the current incumbent, and while Obama has not been the sterling decision-maker that liberals have longed for, he's still doing at least an OK job. Fewer wars I guess.

Anyway, can we finally get back to a usable OS??? I will NOT ever install a touch screen in order to administer a rack of servers. EVER. I transitioned to a bash shell on OSX because charms should only be found on bracelets worn by washed-up 90s kids.

Been 30+ years using the MS platform (ever since Altar BASIC 4K) and the last 3 years have been completely wasted.

Actually no ... screw it. Let's all just buy Macs. Swift is pretty awesome.

It's true, the START MENU is coming BACK to Windows 8, hiss sources

Lorin Thwaits

It's about effing time, Microsoft.

and... WHAT THE FUCK... It's BEEN time for a whole year now.

And you're not coming to market for another TWO YEARS??? ARE YOU MAD??? If you lose your shirt, it's your own doing.

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Well For A Tech Site !!!!

BRAVO!!!

I'm one of the lucky blokes that has escaped to MacOS. Heartfelt sympathies for anyone who has to toil through this completely unusable UI.

Windows 8.1: Read this BEFORE updating - especially you, IT admins

Lorin Thwaits

Hmmmmm....

Is this an upgrade, or a slap in the face?

Seems like same shit, different day.

Windows 8 fans out-enthuse Apple fanbois

Lorin Thwaits
Meh

Re: Sigh....

But when you do ver at the command prompt, it claims 6.4.

I'm so damned confused.

Microsoft lobs second Windows 8.1 preview at enterprise IT admins

Lorin Thwaits
Alert

Re: Enterprise "Tiles"?

Great, now I have to work at an ATM all day. I already hate their dumbed-down, slow interfaces.

Win 8 man Sinofsky's 'retirement' deal: $14m shares, oath of silence

Lorin Thwaits
Holmes

Of course just speculation here, but I think Ballmer might have forced Sinofsky to make Windows 8 a tablet-only environment with heavy focus on an AppStore. With Windows 7 Sinofsky had been left to his own devices, and there was success. It doesn't seem plausible that he would jump off the deep end and create such a freakish environment for the next iteration of the product.

I'm starting to think that Ballmer had forced all of this on him, and he pulled a Pontas Pilate and washed his hands of the whole thing after the project was done. $14M later he won't utter a peep about it.

Who knows for sure though.

God I wish Microsoft still had a usable interface. It could spell their demise.

Windows 8.1: Here at last, but is it good enough?

Lorin Thwaits

Re: I see that some at least of the....

Nothing amateurish about Windows 8?

The kernel, Powershell, and other core elements are professional.

But everything else about this OS screams, "I am a freaking moron!!!"

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Not really a U turn, more a wiggle in the road.

I've got lots of videos in HuffYUV that I'd like to play!!!!

Lorin Thwaits

Re: First experiences

Let's not side-step the reality that Microsoft dealt a bad hand to both OEMs and users alike.

The lack behind Windows 8 does NOT rest with the OEMs. The lack rests with the origin -- which is the executives in Redmond.

Will the corporate brass accept reality or remain numb?

That is the next bit of fate.

Lorin Thwaits

Re: I see that some at least of the....

IT professionals have looked at the freak-tard of an excuse that 8.1 is.

And they are not impressed.

It is just 8.0 all over.

Give it up.

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Back to 1990 anyone?

Heck, I've gone to a command-line interface for Windows 8. The pile of tiles is so convoluted that the easiest way to navigate everything is open PowerShell and then CD "\Program Files" and go from there. I teach professionals on a daily basis how to get things done, and the only cross-version way I've found to operate is with Win+R and then cut to the chase. Nobody wants to deal with a random interface designed by the marketing department.

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Way too little, way to late... their base of loyal customers has already jumped ship.

Everything about this article is spot-on. (Obviously gunslingor's tome is much more than just a comment!!!)

Here's the core axiom: "(Microsoft) took a highly flexible OS -- used in every notch of our society -- and turned it into a god damned smart phone."

Well said. When can we have a real OS back, please?

Microsoft, must you DIE instead of being relevant?

Lorin Thwaits

When an OS has this much disdain in the community -- for over a year now -- it is nearly certain to be destined for failure.

A smaller-scale case study could be taken from the failed Unity interface. Perhaps some in Redmond don't consider this a valid comparison... But the similarities are striking, and this time the fail is on a much grander scale.

Windows 8.1 Start button SPOTTED in the wild

Lorin Thwaits

Re: Out of the box

If Microsoft is no longer hoping for their operating system to be used by professionals, then I guess they could coddle along this sorry excuse of an interface. Otherwise they had better get busy teaching people PowerShell or something so that the entirety of the feature set is exposed.

Metro is a complete waste of time for anyone wishing to get real work done.