Analog-Theater 2.0

So, having used multiple operating systems and the various graphical interfaces thereon, I finally got bored with the Windows XP desktop.  Thankfully a company called Stardock (who incidentally make software to change the desktops look and feel) have released a program called Impulse.  When I launched Impulse the other night I noticed that Stardock had ripped off a feature of the KDE 4 (Available now for Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, Solaris, and OS X) desktop that I really liked.  The feature is called folderview.  Folderview allows you to display the contents of a folder inside a little window on the desktop.   Now, what Stardock has released is Fences.  Fences takes the idea that you could display your My Music Folder in one view, and your Documents in another and dumbs it down (Not there fault, and it is a nice product) to putting all your shortcuts for documents in one box, and all your music in another.  The idea being that some folks use their desktops as a filing cabinet.  I, myself, can not stand a cluttered desktop, probably because I finally got used to KDE 4 where you can’t actually put anything except plasmoids on the desktop, but in Windows this is a nice feature.

Now, for my day to day, typical computer needs.  (Non Game Releated) I prefer my Macbook Pro to my shiny Windows box.  I like how when I close the lid it goes to sleep, and when I open the lid it wakes up.  Something I have noticed the Dell laptop (running Vista Business) at work is almost capable of doing.  I still have to push the power button to wake it up.  I like how I don’t have to reboot frequently, pretty much only after major updates, and how it is still very fast after 2 years of use.  I know it isn’t fair but when I aquired that laptop I had an AMD 4400+, then I bought an AMD 6000+, and now I am using an AMD Phenom II 940.   Now for the eco nuts - The AMD 4400+ first went to my brother.  He used it until recently when I upgraded him to my 6000+.  I then took the 4400+, motherboard, and Ram and installed that in a friend of mines P-IV case.  The P-IV was then stripped of all usable parts to upgrade a second P-IV desktop and those parts not usable are being recycled.  See, we care about the environment.

But I digress.  One of the things I like about the Mac and OS X is the dock.  XP sort of has the Quick launch thing down by the start button, but it isn’t the same.  So what I did was install the Crystal XP bricopack from CrystalXP.net   And woohoo, Dock! Now, I don’t exactly have my KDE 3.10 or KDE 4.2 desktop, nor do I have my OS X desktop, but XP is a lot nicer.  It makes my gaming time a lot more enjoyable.

Enjoy the screenshot.

And just so everyone knows, everything I have linked to is free.

It would seem that at my office, in my lab, inside the building that I am responsible for, that we would use anti-virus on the machines that I oversee.  Yes, you would think this.  As of today, you would also be correct.  We have 8 machines that we use to duplicate software, and two big machines that house all the data.  So, all in all, 10 units.  Nothing talks to the outside, not a single one of them.  However at some point one of them got a little frisky with an external hard drive and well, it didn’t ask where that drive had been.  And wouldn’t you know it, it got busy with every other machine in that little room, and they passed it on the little externals that sent all over the country and in one case (the one where we got an email saying your drive gave our server something) England.

But, we learned something from this, something that really suprised me.  The Anti-Virus software I have been telling everyone to use for the last few years is not all that great.  Sure, it found the virus, but not until I actually launched it to do a full system scan.  It also found the virus when doing a boot scan.  But, and this is the key, it’s “On-Access Scanner” did not stop the virus from getting in.  You see, once we wiped all the machines we wanted to find a good real time virus scanner.  So, we downloaded free trial versions of several different virus scanners, and tested them with infected drives.  The only one we found that stopped the virus from making it into the machine was Avira.  I had heard of them before, but not much about them.  A few different PC magazines rated them highly, but I typically discount what those publications say.  Well, they where right.  I think I found my new Anti-Virus Software.  The home edition is free!

That I have developed a bit of a reputation as an agitator.  I’m just not really sure as to the why, I mean what it boils down to is that I have no patience with large companies.  When they upset me, and I mean really upset me, I tend to find the largest stick I can and then attach a very nice, well written, spell checked letter to, and then poke them with the stick until they read the letter.  Sometimes that stick is an email to an executive office, other times it is a state or federal regulatory body, and other times it is an attorney generals office.  But having worked in customer service I know exactly what goes on, and I know what happens when someone several levels up the totem pole calls down and asks about a specific case.

So, I’m wondering if there is a business that can be built on this.