Computer Problems

[Spindles]

Yeah, I was using ubuntu on the media box for a while, but the simple fact is that the software I use is written for windows. As I'm doing more than just web browsing and watching/listening to media linux is ruled out for me.

[eFestivals]

Yeah, I was using ubuntu on the media box for a while, but the simple fact is that the software I use is written for windows. As I'm doing more than just web browsing and watching/listening to media linux is ruled out for me.

I still use windoze for my desktop, tho as far as I'm aware there's nothing that I couldn't do on linux now. The last thing was Quickbooks, but they now offer an online version that can be done from a web-browser so that's no longer a problem.

The only thing that's stopping me moving over is some older programming stuff - that I'd be consigning to the bin forever, and I'm not quite ready to do that yet. i'll probably never touch it again but I've put so many hours into some of it that I can't bear the thought of it being a project that's come to an end (even tho it did about 10 years ago in reality).

Edited May 27, 2015 by eFestivals

[Spindles]

That's pretty much it for me, I use Max for 3d stuff and Uengine4 for developement, so no chance of going to another platform any time soon, although Mac versions of software are becoming more and more prevalent these days and companies like Valve are doing their best to push nix as an alternative.

I've been trying out windows 10 the last couple of weeks, on the whole it has been a good experience, now the start menu is back I didn't realise how little I missed it.

[LondonTom]

I've been trying out windows 10 the last couple of weeks, on the whole it has been a good experience, now the start menu is back I didn't realise how little I missed it.

You moved to 8?!

I kept meaning to install Windows 10, but haven't got round to it. Ah well, a project when I am bored of applying for new jobs and have nothing better to do in day in a couple of weeks.

[Spindles]

Yeah, again it was a necessity, Uengine4 won't run on 7.

10 is basically 8 with some big changes in the interface, some good some bad, just like any windows release. The file manager is getting ever more cluttered with useless crap you never use, the metro interface is still there but integrated into a start menu so not so obtrusive. The much vaunted new browser is utter shite (it renders this forum virtually unusable).

[LondonTom]

Ah! Odd, you would have thought it would support Win 7 given its adoption rates. I still haven't found anyone whose willining made the upgrade then

Yeah 10 seems to be what everyone wanted from 8, there was nothing wrong with trying to have an similar interface across everything but for desktop users, it just seemed a bit cumbersome.

[Spindles]

To be fair, I was using 8.1 (and still am on a couple of other machines), which is a big improvement on 7 for me (smaller install and memory footprint, everything just seems a little smoother and more efficient) and addresses all of the complaints of the original release of 8. In both 8.1 and 10 the metro interface is still there, but in neither do I ever see it. After a few boots of 8.1 where I was just jumping straight to desktop it got the message and now when it boots it does that automatically, never showing me the metro panel again.

[eFestivals]

a high-spec tablet for £35 (at over £100 off!)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00WY2NISS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00&tag=efestivals-21

[LondonTom]

a high-spec tablet for £35 (at over £100 off!)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00WY2NISS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00&tag=efestivals-21

If you not using it for watching movies while travelling its decent! As Just screen resolution/size is a bit naff. (But then I am a note 3 owner, so tablets only make sense to me at 10" plus =p)

Edited June 4, 2015 by LondonTom

[Spindles]

7" is fine, I reckon. 1024x600 is a little on the low side compared to HD tablets, but against competitors it fares well.

My old nexus has charging issues, I replaced the port and eventually that one went again. Begrudge shelling out another £20 knowing it would happen again when low cost tablets like this are about. Maybe something I'll look at after Glastonbury.

[eFestivals]

My old nexus has charging issues, I replaced the port and eventually that one went again. Begrudge shelling out another £20 knowing it would happen again when low cost tablets like this are about. Maybe something I'll look at after Glastonbury.

I've just broken my old nexus by trying to fix the broken wifi tab. Whoops!

So I've bought myself a v2 Nexus 32GB - not bad at £130 - but went for one of these cheapies as well as i'll have a use for it even if it's pretty naff (tho apparently it's not).

[LondonTom]

7" is fine, I reckon. 1024x600 is a little on the low side compared to HD tablets, but against competitors it fares well.

Yeah for most it is really.

But when your phone is 5.7" and full HD....

[Spindles]

I've just broken my old nexus by trying to fix the broken wifi tab. Whoops!

So I've bought myself a v2 Nexus 32GB - not bad at £130 - but went for one of these cheapies as well as i'll have a use for it even if it's pretty naff (tho apparently it's not).

want to bring it to the efests meet so I can scrounge it for parts?

[eFestivals]

want to bring it to the efests meet so I can scrounge it for parts?

I won't bring it to the meet, tho I might be happy to send it your way - tho I'm going to see if I can get it fixed cheaply first.

[kaosmark2]

Anyone got much experience of Windows 10? I can get it for free but wondering whether I'll just be better off sticking with 7. Perfectly happy with how 7 is doing, but forward compatibility is always nice and if it's free it seems strange to turn it down.

[eFestivals]

Anyone got much experience of Windows 10? I can get it for free but wondering whether I'll just be better off sticking with 7. Perfectly happy with how 7 is doing, but forward compatibility is always nice and if it's free it seems strange to turn it down.

 

I'd stick with what you have for the next month, at least. There's bound to be big bugs found.

 

Also, be prepared for some programmes you might be running to not work. The whole point of the 'free' upgrade is to push people onto the microsoft subscription services, so they've probably deliberately knobbled stuff to try and force you that way (they did much the same [used an OS upgrade to push app upgrades] with an upgrade about 15 years back)

[windy_miller]

I've reserved my copy, but there's no way I'm going to install it for a few months yet.  I'm also going to take a full hard disk image before installing it so I can roll back in case of any problems

[frostypaw]

I just did the install... no real problems.

One crash due to old nvidia drivers not gracefully upgrading but uninstalled the old in the with the new all is good.

Seems fine... some bits distinctly nicer straight away. What a relief not to see metro when I click start

[kaosmark2]

 

I've reserved my copy, but there's no way I'm going to install it for a few months yet.  I'm also going to take a full hard disk image before installing it so I can roll back in case of any problems

 

Good idea, I'll probably do the same.

[eFestivals]

What a relief not to see metro when I click start

 

some of us are on win7, and there's little incentive to upgrade for us ... which is precisely why Microsoft are trying to make us do it.

 

I'm actually planning to give up on windoze sometime soon, to use linux instead (which I already use, but not on my main PC). There's very little I actually need windows for nowadays, and why pay if there's something that's both better and free?

[frostypaw]

IKWYM but I still watch my linux friends posting about recompiling kernels because they bought a new bit of kit....

I think it just depends so much on what you want to do with it and how much patience you've got for sorting it on some kinda scale from apple > windows > linux

It seems much tidier than 7/Vista so far, but still first steps. Seem to have lost that MADDENING multiple control panels bollocks from 8 which was the only bit that really got my goat.

[eFestivals]

IKWYM but I still watch my linux friends posting about recompiling kernels because they bought a new bit of kit....

then your friends need to get a better distro that needs none of that.

Linux (depending on distro) is now an easier install and maintain than windows. Check out Mint, or Ubunto (they're pretty much the same thing).

I think it just depends so much on what you want to do with it and how much patience you've got for sorting it on some kinda scale from apple > windows > linux

you're about 10+ years out of date with that. It's now just about the reverse of what you say. Apple is a very poor linux kludge, and even windows is going that way.

I'm no linux advocate - I've been saying much the same as what you've said there for 20+ years, but the facts are the facts.

What do you use on Windoze that you don't think you could do at least as easily (and probably easier) on linux?

[frostypaw]

Hah found the multiple control panels still. Arse, but a lot better than it was.

It's the friend with Mint that's keeping me put-off tbh, he raves most of the time then when anything goes awry it seems just like good'ol'linux still

Yeah a bit out of date strictly but still how it works for most apple users who stay within the apple hardware ecosystem it's all streamlined beyond requiring thought, though you can treat it differently now I know.

The facts are true, but it's all user-experience in the end. Plug in, go - which is kinda my requirement and why I'm sticking where I am for now. I buy a new thing, I plug it in and turn it on and it works 99.9% of the time and if I do want to poke around I'm familiar with how it all works so I can fiddle a setting or two without going way beyond the "here be dragons" that plaster apple's maps, but without having to learn cartography first IYSWIM

I'm sure I could relearn all that for linux, heck i'm trained to program you a working linux based OS from machine code up strictly, but it's easier to stay here in the big ecosystem I know well and where all my mates are

[eFestivals]

It's the friend with Mint that's keeping me put-off tbh, he raves most of the time then when anything goes awry it seems just like good'ol'linux still

I run Mint on an old machine here (that's too slow for windows, runs like a dream with Mint) and nothing goes wrong.

For ever a decade I was installing Red Hat/Fedora on machines here, mostly because that allowed me to replicate the set-up of my live servers, and that was a right pain in the arse - but Mint is a dream.

 

The facts are true, but it's all user-experience in the end. Plug in, go - which is kinda my requirement and why I'm sticking where I am for now.

unless you're going out and buying just-released hardware, its no different with Mint.

But I do understand your reluctance. One of the reasons I've not dumped windoze myself is because I find the thought of switching a bit scary, particularly as I wouldn't have a windows fallback option if I put Mint on my best machine.

(but also because there's a couple of windoze-only programs I run, just occasionally).

[frostypaw]

(but also because there's a couple of windoze-only programs I run, just occasionally).

That's the bit that stops me in the end. I'll reach for Photoshop or something and find out it's simply not there anymore...

I dunno if PS is on Linux now, was just an example of the top of my head

Wimpy really lol but got better things to do perhaps