If you work in software development, you can’t help hearing that it’s cheaper to test properly rather than skimp on testing and fix the bugs after the software goes into production. Sony’s learning the hard way. They have released over 400 000 LCD rear projection TVs and LCD flat screen TVs into the wild . . . → Read More: Software testing is cheaper than fixing the problems later
|
|||||
|
If you are running Windows, it is time to back up your MS-Office documents and ZIP files. Deadline for completion: 2006-02-03. If you are fed up with listening to the fans in your PC the whole time it’s running, it’s time for drastic measures. Take 30 litres of cooking oil, a well-sealed plexiglas case and remove all the fans to get a completely silent PC… Someone in the UK decided to send us an iTunes gift voucher. A nice idea, but unfortunately, it’s not possible to download the gifted CD. The error message in red on the screen shot says: This code is only valid for customers of the iTunes store in Great Britain. As we don’t have . . . → Read More: iTunes – International gifting not possible If you are prepared to take your iPod mini apart (which you need to do anyway if you want to replace the rechargeable battery), then you can replace the standard 2GB or 4GB hard disk with an 8GB hard disk from Seagate (street price around $200). See Jason Parry’s home page for details. Some time ago, I bought an HP 2550L colour printer. I soon realised there was a problem – I couldn’t find the software (HP Toolbox), which HP’s product specification says is on the driver CD, to control the setup of the printer under Mac OS X. I raised an issue about it in the HP support forum. For over a year there was no reply from HP, only further reports from others that they were also having this problem and also some people were additionally having a problem with slow black and white printing. Today, one of the people, Mel Beckman, who has commented in the past on my posting reported that HP has recently told him that they never put the software on the CD and never completed development of it either. However, HP still state that the software is on the CD in their product specs and printer handbook. After escalating his problem to their management, HP has offered to take back his 2550N (the same printer as mine, but with a network card pre-installed) and sell him a different printer that works with the Mac (at list price) at a price over 60% more than he paid for his original printer, and having consumables which are twice as expensive as on the 2550N. Very generous. Customer service and honesty like HP’s deserve to be rewarded – they are now on my blacklist. No more HP products in this household – ever. Here is Mel’s posting in full: I used to use Xara X under Windows quite a bit, so I am pleased to see that they have decided to make it Open Source – also for the Mac: Xara is pleased to announce that it intends to make its flagship graphics product, Xara X (in its latest and greatest incarnation, Xara . . . → Read More: Xara Xtreme to be open-sourced I don’t do .INI, .BAT, or .SYS files.I don’t assign apps to files.I don’t configure peripherals or networks before using them.I have a computer to do all that.I have a Macintosh, not a hobby. (Fritz Anderson) Noticed in the right-hand screen-bar of Mac Essentials What would it take to destroy an iPod Nano? It’s very slim, so is it fragile? Well, no. Actually. Throwing it out the car window at 50 mph isn’t go to do the trick, nor is driving over it in the car… We have three cupboards containing around 530 CDs in our lounge and several further shelves of DVDs. The cupboards are almost full, and for some time I have been toying with the idea of using a Mac Mini as a music- and video-server and banishing the CD and DVD collections to the cellar. . . . → Read More: Honey – I’ve shrunk the CDs |
|
||||
|
Copyright © 2000 - 2012 John & Ruth Keys, all rights reserved |
|||||
