Tag: Business

Microsoft: Try Vista, it\'s not as bad you think 

I just upgraded my Macbook Core2Duo 2GHz from 1Gb of RAM to 2Gb. Took me about 3 minutes and cost less than $200. Will make a real difference in performance, especially running parallels.

Occasionally get asked what apps I run on the Mac, so here goes:
Firefox, Thunderbird, Neooffice, Twitterific, MSN, Skype, iChat, iCal, CyberDuck (FTP), Disco (Disc Burning)

That\’s pretty much what\’s in my dock. I bought a fantastic bundle from macheist.com but I don\’t necessarily use those apps every day.

I think the Tech Doctor needs to get into the Remote Control business. There are basic one which may or may not automatically know how to turn on everything in your AV Rack, right through to fully programmable, touchscreen ones that do everything you need, like switching to the correct TV input etc.

I mentioned it to Jase, and within minutes he came back with this…

Of course, I would need at least two of them – at the moment we have like 6 or 7 remotes, but at least if we lose one we can still control all the other things.  If we lost the one true remote we’d be screwed 🙂

    Three Remotes for sport-kings watching Foxtel and Sky
    Seven for the DVD, video and stereo surround,
    Nine for batteries doomed to die,
    One for the House Lord on his comfy throne
    In the Lounge Recliner where couch potatoes lie.
    One Remote to rule them all, One Remote to find them,
    One Remote to bring them all and in the loungeroom bind them
    In the Lounge Recliner where couch potatoes lie.

System Updates
Installed: Firefox
Google Browser Sync for Firefox

It’s been a week of remote repairs, with varying levels of sucess.

I managed to remote control my Sister’s machine in Mt Beauty (3 and three quarter hours away) to help her with a confusing install.

Then I completely failed to be able to get a remote control session on my parents machine in Lakes Entrance (3 and a half hours away) to help them with what what looks like an IE spyware problem. (I really wish they would listen to me and use firefox…) If there are major problems, I’m going to set them up as a power user so they cant install anything!!

I think we finally got Mum &amp:: Dad’s machine working a bit better though.

Then my sister rings me to tell me that the keyboard just stopped working on her laptop!! We tried a few things like restarting &amp:: tapping all the keys with no luck. I told her to try and vaccuum it while brushing the keys with a pastry brush and hung up, expecting to have to spend another hour or so on the phone to her tonight walking her through taking the keybord out of her laptop to check the connection.

she sent me an email 5 minutes later with the subject:
&quot::It’s all ok!  the vacuum did the trick – thank you – thank you – thank you!&quot::
Yay.

Dont get me wrong, I love helping my family, but that was already 4+ hours spent on the phone or Skype, when I really need to get some business background work done, and some sleep!