My mate Simon constantly goes on and on about how much of a "resource hog" Windows Vista is. In his day-to-day working life he's building and maintaining desktop PCs for hundreds of imaptient users, and as a result "You can never have enough RAM" has become his constant mantra. Up until now I've always agreed with him. That is, until this morning, when I read an excellent article explaining exactly what Vista does with your PC's RAM. I was startled to find that actually, Microsoft have thought long and hard about memory management, and that Vista actually does things rather well - and I quote: "Vista treats system memory like a cache much more aggressively and effectively than any other version of Windows".
There's a new process called "SuperFetch" (a background task), which constantly fetches data that it thinks you're likely to need (based on your previous program selections and menu commands), and buffers it to RAM. The goal is to treat RAM like a system cache, which means that almost all of it should be in use - rather than older versions of Windows, which would regularly leave large swathes of it untouched, just waiting for a user command to trundle off and hit the hard disk for a large chunk of data.
This is really clever stuff - I take my hat off to Microsoft. The only downside is that SuperFetch is always running, so occasionally when you want to focus all the system resources on just one intensive task, you'll get a little irritated that the disk is busy, filling the cache with things that you know you won't need in the immediate future. Best option? Get a fast hard disk, like raided SATA. Maybe my next system will be a Vista installation... whatever next!
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Rising costs re-visited
In a previous post, I mentioned that petrol cost £1.10 a litre, and that we could expect it to rise to £1.50 by September. Last night I filled up at the Esso station in Haywards Heath, and it cost me £1.20 a litre, so we've got some way to go, but the general upward trend is pretty clear. In the same period, I've seen a litre of Soya Milk rise from £1.00 to £1.39 in Sainsbury's, and the car parking charge at Haywards Heath station rise from £4.50 per day to £6.00. I'm due to be paying more for my road tax this year, up from the current £170 to £205, which at 20-odd % isn't that bad, considering that my Soya Milk has gone up 39% in the last 3 months. I know that inflation in the UK is at an 11-year high, but I do feel that they've forgotten to carry the 1... 38% would be more like it, 3.8% is just a flight of fancy.
High-definition photography
Chatting to a friend yesterday evening, he casually mentioned that he's getting heavily into "HD (high definition) photography". What the bleep's that, I thought... so he showed me a series of seven photos taken at the village Church. Each photo had been over-exposed on a different setting, to bring out one colour or another - so in one photo all the reds would be violently red, all the blues would be massively "in your face", etc. The idea is that you take a series of photos of exactly the same thing (using a tripod, otherwise you wouldn't be guaranteed to get exactly the same photo each time), all differently exposed, then you use a piece of software to merge them all together into one. The end result - a jaw-droppingly beautiful photo. I was amazed at the results he'd got, from an off-the-shelf digital SLR, and a £33 piece of software called "Photomatix". Check out the user gallery on the Photomatix website - some of the best photos I've ever seen, and they tell you how they took them. I'm itching to give this a try, just need to save a few pennies and get a Nikon D80, or similar.
Monday, 14 July 2008
Computers? Not me, mate...
I often wish I'd never admitted to knowing a thing or two about computers. My life recently has consisted of three things: Work, bowls, and fixing other peoples' computers. The trouble with playing bowls is that an awful lot of bowlers (especially the retired ones) have computers at home, and have little or no idea of how to use them. Every time I pop down to the club, I'm swamped with people asking for advice on this, that and the other.
"My email doesn't work"; "I ran a Windows update and now it won't switch on"; "My printer won't print"; "I think I'm paying too much for my broadband"; "My computer's slow and Dixons advised me to buy a new one" - these are all typical greeting lines which are thrown at me as I scuttle at high speed from the car park to my locker, where I grab my bowls and shoes, trying hard to ignore the queue of expectant bowlers clutching their copies of Windows for Dummies. Only the sanctuary of the green can save me from this modern-day nightmare, as (nearly) all bowlers know not to interrupt someone once a game has begun (the odd couple who tried to talk computers during a game learned the hard way).
Last Monday I counted 14 individual enquiries of the computer variety, fired at me within the 120 seconds it took me to grab my gear and leg it onto the green. The phone usually goes twice a night, with some problem or another. One of these days I'm going to claim amnesia, or just develop an attitude problem, and tell people politely where to get off.
There are, of course, a few people for whom it is a joy to work - people who have done me favours before, like Geoff, who installed my kitchen last year. I'm currently in the process of building him a rather snazzy new PC. For just £350 he's got an Intel Core Duo 2Ghz processor, 2GB of high-speed RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a full tower with a strong PSU, a legal copy of Windows XP, a DVD re-writer, rock-solid Gigabyte motherboard, 256mb of graphics goodness, and more useful applications than you can shake a stick at. That should keep him happy for a while, and at least he's not one of those irritating people who ring me up at work, asking about their Outlook Express settings!
As Withnail's friend once said, "Will we never be set free?". Maybe... once I start charging £1 a minute for giving good advice!
"My email doesn't work"; "I ran a Windows update and now it won't switch on"; "My printer won't print"; "I think I'm paying too much for my broadband"; "My computer's slow and Dixons advised me to buy a new one" - these are all typical greeting lines which are thrown at me as I scuttle at high speed from the car park to my locker, where I grab my bowls and shoes, trying hard to ignore the queue of expectant bowlers clutching their copies of Windows for Dummies. Only the sanctuary of the green can save me from this modern-day nightmare, as (nearly) all bowlers know not to interrupt someone once a game has begun (the odd couple who tried to talk computers during a game learned the hard way).
Last Monday I counted 14 individual enquiries of the computer variety, fired at me within the 120 seconds it took me to grab my gear and leg it onto the green. The phone usually goes twice a night, with some problem or another. One of these days I'm going to claim amnesia, or just develop an attitude problem, and tell people politely where to get off.
There are, of course, a few people for whom it is a joy to work - people who have done me favours before, like Geoff, who installed my kitchen last year. I'm currently in the process of building him a rather snazzy new PC. For just £350 he's got an Intel Core Duo 2Ghz processor, 2GB of high-speed RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a full tower with a strong PSU, a legal copy of Windows XP, a DVD re-writer, rock-solid Gigabyte motherboard, 256mb of graphics goodness, and more useful applications than you can shake a stick at. That should keep him happy for a while, and at least he's not one of those irritating people who ring me up at work, asking about their Outlook Express settings!
As Withnail's friend once said, "Will we never be set free?". Maybe... once I start charging £1 a minute for giving good advice!
Monday, 30 June 2008
The joy of networking
One of the perils of working at a small company, is that there's no dedicated IT support person. I've volunteered to take on this role, as I've got years of experience of using Google, a screwdriver, and lots of brute force to get things working. Our current IT problem is that one of our development servers keeps losing its network connection for no apparent reason. The event logs don't throw up anything unusual, yet the connection just dies every few hours, which wreaks havoc with our automated backups! The most annoying thing is that the on-site IT guru in the building (servicing many small companies) came in and fiddled with the servers last month, before which this problem didn't exist. He denies all knowledge, and refuses to look into it - how typical.
After a LOT of Googling, I finally found something useful: Microsoft's DevCon utility. This is Device Manager on steroids, and allows you to start / stop / reconfigure your PC's hardware items via command-line scripts. Thanks to the smart people at Tech Republic, I've now got a working script to ping an external server, and restart the network card if the ping fails. Actually getting the right syntax for the device name took a bit of trial and error, as initially I was inputting the entire hardware ID (located through the detials tab on Device Manager) - something like "PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1064&SUBSYS_0123456&REV_00\4&D2894CD&0&0818", which I thought should do the job. It didn't... it seems to like abbreviations though, so I just removed everything after the SUBSYS value (in the example above, this just left "PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1064&SUBSYS_0123456"), and that did the trick. Pretty nifty little tool - you can even reboot the server using DevCon, so handle with care. Now, where did I put my hammer?
Thursday, 12 June 2008
All bowled out
Apologies for the radio silence in the last few weeks! My blogging time hasn't really existed, due to the outdoor bowls season. It's calmed down a bit now, but for a few weeks I was bowling almost every night at various locations around Sussex, not getting home til 11pm, and blogging was the last thing on my mind.
I'm out of all my county competitions now (both of them!), so I'll have at least one evening a week in which to dream up something interesting to write :)
I'm out of all my county competitions now (both of them!), so I'll have at least one evening a week in which to dream up something interesting to write :)
Friday, 16 May 2008
Driving in Mid-Sussex: a survival guide
If you've never driven round the roads of Mid Sussex before, here are a few handy hints and tips to avoid standing out like a sore thumb:
1) Never use your indicators. To do so would mark you out as a foreigner, and make yourself liable to tailgating (see 2 below). If approaching a roundabout, just wander aimlessly around it, until you spot the correct exit. Everybody else does this, and the number of roundabout-related accidents are surprisingly low, so it's clearly a good strategy. You'll have the added bonus of really p*ssing off anyone who's giving way to you.
If driving down a main road and intending to turn down a side street, just do it - randomly, at speed, and at the last moment. It'll infuriate that polite idiot who's been waiting for you to pass them by.
The good people of Mid Sussex have long been lobbying the motor industry for a slightly cheaper "local" version of popular car models, which wouldn't have any indicators installed.
2) Don't just drive behind someone, drive RIGHT BEHIND THEM, so that your bonnet is just touching their rear bumper. This will remind them that it's not acceptable to do 30mph in a 30 zone (see 3 below), and re-inforce their sense of insecurity.
Ideally, if you see someone in front of you, accelerate wildly, wind your windows down, crank up the MC Hammer tape you just know you've got in the player, and let them know who's boss. You'll double the chances of inflicting some serious whip-lash injuries on the gullible fools if they stop suddenly, and add to your street cred by putting a neat dent in your bonnet. Tailgating for the win!
3) If you're in a hurry, and don't have time for the joys of tailgating, then just overtake. Anywhere, on any road, but preferably in a dangerous spot, like on the brow of a hill, or approaching a blind bend. Ideally, sound your horn constantly and give them the ole' two-fingers sign as you roar past, risking your life and vehicle for the sake of a few seconds' advantage on your overall journey time. People will fear and respect you for miles around, and the local press will thank you for giving them a juicy story when you finally run out of luck and hit that huge tree on the corner.
4) Drive big, park small. Find the smallest parking space available, and squeeze your car into it. Ease yourself out gently, then hide in a nearby bush, and be ready to leap out and accost the poor mug who's parked next to you, and has just left a minor scratch in your paintwork by being stupid enough to try to get into their car.
5) Stock up on projectile weaponry. With so many idiots on the roads these days, it's good to be prepared. Keep a small stash of projectile weapons handy, so that you can wind down your window and pelt people at random, if you think they deserve it. Eggs, tennis balls, oranges, stones, marbles, and water balloons are standard fare, and should keep the nutters busy while you rummage for your Lighthouse Family greatest hits collection.
6) Don't bother with tax or insurance. Nodoby else does, so why should you? Just get a car and drive, like a real man.
7) Clamp your phone to your ear. Talking on the move is pretty damn cool. You'll look good, especially if your mobile handset is up to date. Driving with one hand gives you far greater control of your car, and if you're really skilled, you can lean on the window with your phone-arm, eyeing people up, chewing gum, and talking football with Baz prior to this evening's p*ss-up.
I hope you've found this advice to be helpful. If you follow all the points above, then you will truly be the king of the road (at least in Mid Sussex).
1) Never use your indicators. To do so would mark you out as a foreigner, and make yourself liable to tailgating (see 2 below). If approaching a roundabout, just wander aimlessly around it, until you spot the correct exit. Everybody else does this, and the number of roundabout-related accidents are surprisingly low, so it's clearly a good strategy. You'll have the added bonus of really p*ssing off anyone who's giving way to you.
If driving down a main road and intending to turn down a side street, just do it - randomly, at speed, and at the last moment. It'll infuriate that polite idiot who's been waiting for you to pass them by.
The good people of Mid Sussex have long been lobbying the motor industry for a slightly cheaper "local" version of popular car models, which wouldn't have any indicators installed.
2) Don't just drive behind someone, drive RIGHT BEHIND THEM, so that your bonnet is just touching their rear bumper. This will remind them that it's not acceptable to do 30mph in a 30 zone (see 3 below), and re-inforce their sense of insecurity.
Ideally, if you see someone in front of you, accelerate wildly, wind your windows down, crank up the MC Hammer tape you just know you've got in the player, and let them know who's boss. You'll double the chances of inflicting some serious whip-lash injuries on the gullible fools if they stop suddenly, and add to your street cred by putting a neat dent in your bonnet. Tailgating for the win!
3) If you're in a hurry, and don't have time for the joys of tailgating, then just overtake. Anywhere, on any road, but preferably in a dangerous spot, like on the brow of a hill, or approaching a blind bend. Ideally, sound your horn constantly and give them the ole' two-fingers sign as you roar past, risking your life and vehicle for the sake of a few seconds' advantage on your overall journey time. People will fear and respect you for miles around, and the local press will thank you for giving them a juicy story when you finally run out of luck and hit that huge tree on the corner.
4) Drive big, park small. Find the smallest parking space available, and squeeze your car into it. Ease yourself out gently, then hide in a nearby bush, and be ready to leap out and accost the poor mug who's parked next to you, and has just left a minor scratch in your paintwork by being stupid enough to try to get into their car.
5) Stock up on projectile weaponry. With so many idiots on the roads these days, it's good to be prepared. Keep a small stash of projectile weapons handy, so that you can wind down your window and pelt people at random, if you think they deserve it. Eggs, tennis balls, oranges, stones, marbles, and water balloons are standard fare, and should keep the nutters busy while you rummage for your Lighthouse Family greatest hits collection.
6) Don't bother with tax or insurance. Nodoby else does, so why should you? Just get a car and drive, like a real man.
7) Clamp your phone to your ear. Talking on the move is pretty damn cool. You'll look good, especially if your mobile handset is up to date. Driving with one hand gives you far greater control of your car, and if you're really skilled, you can lean on the window with your phone-arm, eyeing people up, chewing gum, and talking football with Baz prior to this evening's p*ss-up.
I hope you've found this advice to be helpful. If you follow all the points above, then you will truly be the king of the road (at least in Mid Sussex).
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