COMPUTERS, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY

[Tardis]

I'm beginning to think that there should be a daily, if not an hourly prize for the person who says the most inane thing on twitter in all seriousness

[Stanley]

If it's so bad why use it?

[Tardis]

If it's so bad why use it?

I think you may be reading more into the comment than I expressed.

As a medium it comes close to mild sinusitis, but as a tool it can be very good without all the data you have to give out to FB

[Tizer]

When theses things happen I have this mental image of the ants in the server nest rushing round as they find a solution.....

If you read Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels you'll find that's how Hex works, the university's big computer. And cameras have little imps inside to paint pictures. As Pratchett points out, this is no more magic than the way these things really work as far as the man on the Clapham omnibus is concerned!

[Stanley]

I have long asserted that modern technology is the new magic. Consider the book I have bought from the US. A few key strokes on my kitchen table and the book started a journey. I even think long distance calls to my daughters in Oz is magic.

[Stanley]

I have a problem with my keyboard. Due to the fact that I type by watching the keyboard and my failing eyesight I am definitely hampered when the letters start to wear of the keys. The Logitech wireless keyboard I use has been very good and has stayed legible far longer than previous keyboards but is showing signs of age and causing difficulties. So I have ordered a new one and it's a complete set, keyboard, mouse and receiver. So is anyone touch types or can put up with the blank keys, drop me a line and when the new one arrives next week they can have this one with pleasure. I know, it's extravagant but I have enough problems without having to retype because of worn keys! There are no pockets in a shroud!

[Tardis]

It might be worth investing in one of those keyboard clovers that they use in Labs, essentially to make sure that no chemicals get onto the keyboard, and they require less cleaning...but it will have the same effect of preserving the lettering on the keys,

[Nolic]

I use a Microsoft gaming keyboard bought as a present. There is back - lighting behind the keys so that if you wish you can have the letters glowing bright red.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Sidew ... 903&sr=8-1 Nolic

[Stanley]

I'll work on Pluggy's KISS principle, get a new one! It has given good service and doesn't owe me anything.

[Tizer]

Nolic, are you a gamer or do you simply write your emails with bright red lights on your keyboard? If you are a gamer, the shooting icon make me wonder what you shoot - Tories?

[Whyperion]

I think its meant to be a spud gun

[Nolic]

Hi Tize,

Yes I do play first person shooter games on my PC. Tend not to use the lighted keyboard for that unless I'm in the mood to play in the dark. I also use a 7 function , 3 speed mouse which makes for good gaming but uncontrollable surfing.
I haven't shot or injured any Tories since I was at University........interesting thought though. Nolic

[Whyperion]

Shouldn't wayward tories be given their own sword to fall on ?

[Stanley]

Had an interesting example of the power of modern systems this morning. I inadvertently entered 'arch' as a search term while looking for the Western Memorial Arch in St Louis. Of course g Thumb put up every pic in the ARCHive! 54.646 images found. I was brewing up at the time so I told it to put the thumbnails up for viewing. It took about 4 minutes but then put them all up on the screen! I can remember the days when you sat watching an image appear line by line! We are so lucky!

[Stanley]

My new Logitech 320 keyboard is installed and working. I can see the letters on all the keys! The mouse is smaller but more sophisticated and has a lot of features the old one didn't have. It is more sensitive but at the same time more stable, the pointer doesn't skip like the old one did. Another improvement is that there is no cable connected receiver to take up space on the desk. The transmitter/receiver is a small USB unit that looks like a pen drive. Just plug it into a spare port and everything works fine. A big improvement.
If anyone wants the old kit just give me a shout, you can have it with pleasure. It will be a big improvement for anyone still using cable connected mouse and keyboard.

[Pluggy]

Us old Luddites like keyboards and mice we don't have to put batteries in......

[Big Kev]

If anyone wants the old kit just give me a shout, you can have it with pleasure. It will be a big improvement for anyone still using cable connected mouse and keyboard.

That is, of course, a matter of opinion. I tried cordless and went back to wired...

[Whyperion]

Mouse pointers jumping , not certain if inra-red, but a mechanical , remove ball and carefully set aside , wipe off the built up fluff carfully using a sharp HB pencil point , lightly tap on a bit of kitchen roll on a table to ensure the fluffy bits are clear of the mouse , refit ball and refix locking ring.
Should work a lot better , if its got those underside raised bits on again clean with the pencil leave a small run of pencil marks where you have cleaned.

[Pluggy]

Mouse pointers jumping , not certain if inra-red, but a mechanical , remove ball and carefully set aside , wipe off the built up fluff carfully using a sharp HB pencil point , lightly tap on a bit of kitchen roll on a table to ensure the fluffy bits are clear of the mouse , refit ball and refix locking ring.
Should work a lot better , if its got those underside raised bits on again clean with the pencil leave a small run of pencil marks where you have cleaned.

Even us old Luddites aren't that far behind the times.

Haven't used a ball mouse in the better part of a decade. We dropped 'em pretty sharpish at the school I worked at because the kids used to nick the balls and throw 'em through windows. Before the changeover we went through a stage of glueing the rings in to stop the little blighters getting the balls out. You needed a screwdriver and 10 minutes to clean 'em though.

[PanBiker]

Haven't used a ball mouse in the better part of a decade. We dropped 'em pretty sharpish at the school I worked at because the kids used to nick the balls and throw 'em through windows. Before the changeover we went through a stage of glueing the rings in to stop the little blighters getting the balls out. You needed a screwdriver and 10 minutes to clean 'em though.

I used the same tack, (Araldite - sorry for the pun) at the Secondary School I worked at. When IR mice came in we then had the problem of them nicking the entire mouse, got round that one with keyboard and mouse leads through a small P clip security screwed to the back of the case. Had too be one step ahead all the time.

[Pluggy]

We got some special expansion port blanking plates that you wound the mouse keyboard and monitor cables around before screwing them in, you needed to take the lid off the PC to make off with anything. It made changing something a real pain especially if the system box was on the floor.......

[Stanley]

Janet told me that in the early days they used to interfere with each other's balls for a bit of a laugh........

[Stanley]

I have a question. Ubuntu updates isn't working. It does all the normal things but then doesn't download. Is anyone else having problems or is it me?

The error message I eventually get on shut down is "AT SPI registry not responding"

[Tizer]

Haven't seen any problems with Ubuntu updates here Stanley. Just had a couple of biggies in the last two days - one was Samba (the networking software) and the other was Nvidia (video board software). But we are on 32 bit.

[Pluggy]

Give it a day or two Stanley, mine occasionally gives problems, but it normally rights itself. Its usually the server your machine is set to look at for updates that is on the blink.