Re: [CGUYS] DMCA: was: [CGUYS] copying a DVD movie disc

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

LOL! The first amendment is free speech and the 2nd is bearing arms.
So, you must be advocating the right to shooting one's mouth off?

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
While admire you as an avid Mac supporter, your a wimp on this
issue.  
You are hardly an authority on law, if you were, I'd never hire you as
my attorney. We live in America. It's the 2nd amendment for freedom of
speech. No DMCA supersedes the constitution.


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Re: [CGUYS] Rudeness [was RE: [CGUYS] copying a DVD movie disc]

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Calling it fair is irrelevant.  Rudeness is failing to meet a minimum
standard of basic courtesy.   

Please raise that standard of behavior.  Many on this list tire of
blatant disrespect of list members.  Please show basic respect; this is
not a list for brats.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-

I ask the same from Tom but it doesn't happen.  When you disagree with
him, name calling ensues.  Remember jerk just a short time ago?  Tom
gets what he gives, no more, no less.  He's a big boy, I'm sure he'll
handle it.

On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)
 wrote:

> Where did all that hostility come from?  Mike, the message is rude!  
> Can we show at least basic respect here, please?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Mark Snyder
> -Original Message-
> We aren't breaking the law, get over yourself and your self
importance.
>
> Discussing the DMCA is NOT illegal no matter how much you want it to
be.
>
>
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Re: [CGUYS] Rudeness

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Rudeness is not subject to a vote.  Rudeness is failing to meet a
minimum level of cordiality and respect of others.  Saying something
that is true does not make it more or less rude: "You are uglier than
dead mole rat!" may accurately describe a person to whom it is directed,
but is rude nonetheless.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
If we're taking a vote, I see no rudeness in _this_ response. It was the
first message - the one assuming some sort of criminal activity - that
was rude.

Besides, what he says is true. There's nothing illegal about discussing
a law.


On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 12:34 PM, Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)
 wrote:
> Where did all that hostility come from?  Mike, the message is rude!  
> Can we show at least basic respect here, please?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Mark Snyder
> -Original Message-
> We aren't breaking the law, get over yourself and your self
importance.
>
> Discussing the DMCA is NOT illegal no matter how much you want it to
be.



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Re: [CGUYS] Rudeness [was RE: [CGUYS] copying a DVD movie disc]

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Call 


Thank you,

Mark Snyder
7575 Colshire Drive
McLean, Virginia 22101
703.883-8365

-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List
[mailto:computerguy...@listserv.aol.com] On Behalf Of mike
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 12:55 PM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] Rudeness [was RE: [CGUYS] copying a DVD movie disc]

I ask the same from Tom but it doesn't happen.  When you disagree with
him, name calling ensues.  Remember jerk just a short time ago?  Tom
gets what he gives, no more, no less.  He's a big boy, I'm sure he'll
handle it.

On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)
 wrote:

> Where did all that hostility come from?  Mike, the message is rude!  
> Can we show at least basic respect here, please?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Mark Snyder
> -Original Message-
> We aren't breaking the law, get over yourself and your self
importance.
>
> Discussing the DMCA is NOT illegal no matter how much you want it to
be.
>
>
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[CGUYS] Rudeness [was RE: [CGUYS] copying a DVD movie disc]

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Where did all that hostility come from?  Mike, the message is rude!  Can
we show at least basic respect here, please?

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
We aren't breaking the law, get over yourself and your self importance.

Discussing the DMCA is NOT illegal no matter how much you want it to be.


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Re: [CGUYS] Mac Mail: Redirect vs. Forward

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Huh, Jeff, WTF?

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> I would call it a dirty trick to force you to look at Apple's Mail 
> program at least once. A bit coercive, not the way Apple typically 
> does business.

Of course not.  Has Apple trademarked "bricked" and "jailbroken" yet?  

No?  That'll probably come with the iPhone PlusT line.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zunepocalypse II [Was: Zunepocalypse]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Mike, please what I said: If Apple bought a 3rd-prty product an put the
Apple logo on it, and it had the Zune date bug, the AFBs would not stop
dunning Steve. But the WFBs have that happen and say, oh, bummer and
move on.

World of difference!  Apple protects its brand, MS and WFBs pass the
blame and yawn.

Your tactic includes accusing me of being disturbed by the WFB "truth" -
WTF is that about?

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Sorry if the truth disturbs you, in point of fact I've never owned a
zune, I don't think I've ever even touched a zune.

Mark, can you tell me where in this post I speak of forgiveness or lack
of, or speak of junk?  All I said is that MS branded a toshiba built
player, that's not a judgement, just fact.  You are going to nail
yourself in the head one of these days with your knee jerk reactions.

As for weather the zune is junk, I don't know, as I said I've never
touched one.  Obviously you have used one, why is it junk?

On Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 2:04 PM, Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)
wrote:

> I guess that just means WFBs forgive MS for sins AFBs would never 
> forgive; if Apple put the brand on junk, Jobs would catch no end of 
> hell!
>
> Stand by your brand!
>
> Thank you,
>
> Mark Snyder
> -Original Message-
> I know it's hard for you to let facts have an effect on your 
> opinion...I can't even fathom why you are arguing this point, but 
> there is a difference between an apple designed product being 
> outsourced for production and MS buying a product already built by 
> someone else and rebranding it.
>
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Re: [CGUYS] Zunepocalypse II [Was: Zunepocalypse]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I guess that just means WFBs forgive MS for sins AFBs would never
forgive; if Apple put the brand on junk, Jobs would catch no end of
hell!

Stand by your brand!

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
I know it's hard for you to let facts have an effect on your opinion...I
can't even fathom why you are arguing this point, but there is a
difference between an apple designed product being outsourced for
production and MS buying a product already built by someone else and
rebranding it.


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Re: [CGUYS] DRM

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

>From my experience with the list, WFB's too often think talking about
birds of the Amazon is MS bashing.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Tom can turn a conversation about birds of the amazon into MS bashing.


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Re: [CGUYS] Product Testing [Was: Zunepocalypse]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

If I test each function, sometimes for each allowed variable, testing is
time-consuming.  I have many years of this and related experience and
can make detailed test plans that cover most, if not all, scenarios.

I don't think of this as 'estimate-padding' for extra time, since I
usually have a pretty close idea of what is involved.  Do you pad _your_
estimates?

I can do half-assed testing in almost no time at all - maybe even in the
time you hoped/asked for.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Is this like scotty telling kirk it'll take three hours to fix it when
it will really only take an hour and a half?


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Re: [CGUYS] Product Testing [Was: Zunepocalypse]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I do something sort of similar.  If they want less testing before, I say
sure, but each cut before deployment will cost 2-3 weeks after we
deploy.  It is much harder to test and fix when everyone is yelling that
it isn't working.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
>Idiots _always_ ask if I "get them all green any faster?"

I used to get that. The kick-off meeting was Monday afternoon and they
wanted results by Friday. I would counter: "You can have it by Tuesday
noon." I would then pause to watch them get all excited, then say, "But
it will be crap." They would then stutter: "But we don't want it to
crap. 
We'll wait 'til Friday." I would counter: "It will still be crap, I
might as well give it to you on Tuesday." That set the stage for a "how
good do you want it" vs. "how long will it take" discussion.

I did this over and over and still can't believe it always worked.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zunepocalypse

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I benefitted from a previous group whose testing was of the Elbonian type and 
they really struggled to go-live and avoid getting canceled.  I still have to 
justify why I can't do 6-8 weeks of testing in 5-10 days, though.  Why I need 
time to verify requirements and write a test plan.  I use a red-yellow-green 
status spreadsheet with all of the tests on it so I can report progress.  
Idiots _always_ ask if I "get them all green any faster?"  (Maybe I could wear 
a blind-fold and cover my ears, cut the requirements way down or just goof off 
and pretend to test...)  Also, why do I need time before formal testing for 
preparation.  The less competent the test team, the faster the testing can go!

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
>I am currently the test manager for an enterprise system.  We test 
>every functional requirement.  In attributes with a fixed number of 
>values, we test each variation and check for expected results. Tests 
>are mapped to one or more requirements and vice-versa.  For each test 
>misstep, I write a test deficiency 'report' that includes the test 
>number to aid in retesting and I track them.  I must be able to show 
>status, by requirement and by test.  Not easy/cheap/quick, but 
>surprises are get increasingly rare every time we deploy.

But that is oh so hard. It gives me a headache just thinking about doing so 
much work. The less we test the more we save and the happier will our 
shareholders be. And happy shareholders means that we won't get any crap when 
we pay ourselves big bonuses. Your way of thinking is so outmoded and a menace 
to the resort island I'm buying for my new mansion. (No, I don't remember how 
many mansions I own. Ask my staff. They get paid to count.)

And I don't buy your bull about testing being a way to reduce support costs. 
Our Cambodian tech support center is so much more economical than then one we 
just closed in India. I know that our deal to have calls taken by political 
prisoners in Guantánamo didn't work out, but we have a firm lead on jailed 
Tibetan protesters. I think we can have them do our product testing too.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zunepocalypse

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

If you don't try to test until everything is correct, you will suffer
later.  My testing finds A LOT.  As close to everything as I'm likely to
get.

I said Apple's experience designing and testing hardware and software is
an advantage they have over MS.  I don't see that as "bashing MS."  They
both make mistakes, but so do I.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> Testing is iterative, and good testing should find as many flaws as 
> possible (errors and design flaws) and cannot end until every thing is

> correct.

I'm not disagreeing with you that extensive testing is a must. Of course
it is. But ensuring that "everything is correct", while an admirable
goal, isn't really possible with current technology for a nontrivial
program. You can only try to get as close to it as you can.

I'm sorry, but bashing MS over this while praising Apple assumes that
Apple finds all bugs in all third-party components, and I think I can
pretty well assure you that it doesn't. They don't even find all of the
bugs in their own software. No one does.

You can say that Apple does a better job, and that is probably correct.
But they aren't perfect, which makes me think that the MS-bashing over
this is rather hypocritical.



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Re: [CGUYS] Zunepocalypse

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I am currently testing just software functions, but we also test
installations of hardware and of software so that we can document the
parameters we use.  That helps us speed-up trouble-shooting, as well as
standing up new equipment or software updates.  

We test as thoroughly as possible.  It takes more time to roll-out new
things, but we have little drama when we do the roll-out.  I still
struggle to defend the time it takes for these tests, though.  Testing
is iterative, and good testing should find as many flaws as possible
(errors and design flaws) and cannot end until every thing is correct.
Clear and concise requirements are necessary for proper design and
testing.

I used to be in charge of hardware and software for a large Defense
contract, though.  We had to show an exhaustive set of tests for all
hardware and software before it was accepted, so I am familiar with that
as well.  Apple also knows designing/selecting and testing both hardware
and software.  That has shown to be a big advantage over MS, in both the
Zune-iPod/iPhone as well as OS X-Vista.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> I am currently the test manager for an enterprise system.  
> We test every functional requirement.

Rigorous testing is a requirement, and I'm certainly not suggesting
otherwise. The company I do most of my consulting for is extremely
aggressive in its testing.

But are you saying that you manufacture hardware, and that you test
every function of every hardware component that you purchase from third
parties?
Because that is what we're talking about. If so, your company is one in
a million and I salute you.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zunepocalypse

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I am currently the test manager for an enterprise system.  We test every
functional requirement.  In attributes with a fixed number of values, we
test each variation and check for expected results. Tests are mapped to
one or more requirements and vice-versa.  For each test misstep, I write
a test deficiency 'report' that includes the test number to aid in
retesting and I track them.  I must be able to show status, by
requirement and by test.  Not easy/cheap/quick, but surprises are get
increasingly rare every time we deploy. 

You can pay this cost up front, or you will pay at the end (and may not
get done).  Upfront is cheaper, by far.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> Because it is virtually impossible for *everyone* to check 
> *everything* you want to absolve MS from checking even the simplest 
> things.

You sure do know how to exaggerate. As I'm sure you well know, that is
not at all what I said. What I said was, "You can't test everything,"
which is rather different from "You don't need to test anything".

You have to pick and choose what you test. The Freescale chip is a
complex device that does a LOT of stuff (see http://tinyurl.com/y78x3d).
If I were responsible for testing it, and I didn't have sufficient time
to test every bit of it, date arithmetic would not leap to the top of my
to-do list. I'd spend whatever time I had available on more complicated
stuff that has a higher probability of being wrong.


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Re: [CGUYS] Good Time to Buy Zunes

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

There is an app for the 3G iPhone and iPod touch that tunes internet
radio. 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
The ability to tune Internet radio stations would *really* be the coup
de gras. Local radio is so crappy I rarely use my tuner at home, and
only listen to WAMU in the car. Other than that it's Internet, CDs, or
iTunes.


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Re: [CGUYS] No ID? No Internet for You!

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

The gist of the effort appears to be how employees gain access to the
network.  The group advocates dropping user-ID and password and
replacing with certificate-based login.  I think your comment is off the
mark.  This is about accessing their network as a regular user, not
accessing the internet.  They are trying to prevent hostile access to
their networks and user-ID / passwords are too easily cracked.  They
want to use their CAC cards (encrypted certificates) for network access.
This doesn't appear to include any change for joe/jane user accessing
the internet or seeing Gov. web sites (at least the external-facing
ones). 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
A complacent attitude about the technology plans of the new
administration opens to door for fear mongers to take over...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/technology/09security.html

"Restricting Internet access is one of a series of recommendations that
a group of more than 60 government and business computer security
specialists will make in a public presentation, "Securing Cyberspace in
the 44th Presidency," on Monday. The report has been prepared during the
last 18 months under the auspices of the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, a Washington policy group, after a number of
break-ins into government computer systems."

This will certainly make it easier for advertisers to track and measure
consumer behavior. And easier to nail those bald guys who criminally
claim otherwise.


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Re: [CGUYS] Gillis v Apple

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Why do we assume logic?  This looks like plain greedy lawsuit and Apple
has more cash.  75 years ago a famous bank robber was asked why he
robbed banks, and said that's where the money is...  How is this any
different?

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> Is not his beef with the AT&T network? I'm puzzled why Apple is 
> getting dragged into this

I assume it's because Apple that was advertising the speed, not AT&T.


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Re: [CGUYS] Gillis v Apple

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

And if my DSL service slows down, should I sue Verizon or should I sue
the modem manufacturer for not delivering advertised specs?

Or if I buy a Lotus whose adverts claim top speeds, but I am always
stuck in DC metro-area traffic, should I sue Lotus?

Unscrupulous lawyers must love these people!

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
>William Gillis is suing Apple over the "twice as fast for half the
price"
>iPhone 3G ads.

Is not his beef with the AT&T network? I'm puzzled why Apple is getting
dragged into this. When standing next to an AT&T tower it probably does
run that fast. When standing in the desert it probably does not run at
all. So?

If I had shitty Comcast would I get to sue Microsoft over it?


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Re: [CGUYS] M$ cell-phone

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Yes, this company seems to be ADDS.  Ballmer seems to only do well at
stuffing his pie-hole.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of mike
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 1:33 PM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] M$ cell-phone

Seems like an odd report seeing that MS is already in the smartphone
market and has been for years.  Otherwise the article is a parody absent
of facts.


Having used a WM device for some time now I can say without reservation
MS's WM development team should spend life in front of a firing squad,
there is no excuse.  Get rid of them all, get rid of the OS, start from
scratch.

Mike

On Mon, Nov 24, 2008 at 11:22 AM, Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

> http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/11/24/microsoft_developing_nvi
> di 
> a_based_mobile_phone_report.html<http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/
> 08/11/24/microsoft_developing_nvidia_based_mobile_phone_report.html>
>
> M$  is still trying to suck someone else's mama, I guess that's not 
> big news ... now always a day late ...
>
> Thank you,
>
> Mark Snyder


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[CGUYS] M$ cell-phone

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/11/24/microsoft_developing_nvidi
a_based_mobile_phone_report.html

M$  is still trying to suck someone else's mama, I guess that's not big
news ... now always a day late ...

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
7575 Colshire Drive
McLean, Virginia 22101
703.883-8365



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Re: [CGUYS] The right harddrive?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Here is a Mac-savvy place to shop the internal laptop disk drive (or at
least see what they select, then compare prices at other places):

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/ 

If you want an external drive, you will need to buy an external drive,
either 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch that will connect to your laptop by Firewire
or USB 2.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-

Arnold - No, that is a 3.5-inch drive.  Your laptop needs a 2.5-inch
SATA drive.  The SATA interface is okay, but a 3.5-inch disk drive just
won't fit in your laptop. 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-

Hello all:
Can someone help me confirm that this hard drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136200


Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD1601ABYS 160GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA
3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Is appropriate for my 2007 MacBook (2.0 Gig) ? 
I don't know this stuff well enough, and don't want to make yet another
mistake.



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Re: [CGUYS] The right harddrive?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Arnold - No, that is a 3.5-inch drive.  Your laptop needs a 2.5-inch
SATA drive.  The SATA interface is okay, but a 3.5-inch disk drive just
won't fit in your laptop. 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-

Hello all:
Can someone help me confirm that this hard drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136200


Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD1601ABYS 160GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA
3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Is appropriate for my 2007 MacBook (2.0 Gig) ? 
I don't know this stuff well enough, and don't want to make yet another
mistake.


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Re: [CGUYS] wireless thermometer frequencies

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I have a Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 weather station that has never
had any interference issues.  It uses 902 - 928 MHz that can be tweaked
with toggle switches, if memory serves.  It has a solar panel and
battery for the outside units and the indoor console is battery and
power brick.

http://www.weathershack.com/davis-instruments/davis-vantage-pro2.html

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of gerald
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 2:27 PM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: [CGUYS] wireless thermometer frequencies

my 433mhz wireless thermometers do not work in my house.  i had read
somewhere that there was a wireless frequency(cordless phone? or network
frequency?) that could interfere with them.  

my search has found 868 mhz(european) and 915 mhz (lacrosse)
thermometers.

anybody know how to get the 433's to work?

anyone have any experience with 868 or 915?  any reason to think these
would also not work?
are there any other solutions? 



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Re: [CGUYS] Odd Time Stamp Problem

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

It is Microsoft's file system: New Technology File System.  Remember
Windows NT?

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
what is NTFS?? Well, I see it is a "file system," but what is that?


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Re: [CGUYS] MS Astroturfing

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

 In the sidebar of the article about RAID was another interesting story:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=2415
The author reports that MS is seeking to pay pundits to write anti-Apple
stories. They offered to provide all the "research" to write from and
$15,000.

I guess that is easier than fixing their crappy software.

Bobbing for turds - MS provides the bucket and the floaters!


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Re: [CGUYS] RAID Risks Rising

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

The article focuses on common components, such as SATA disk drives in a
7-drive RAID-5 (or RAID-6) array, each at 2 TB gross capacity.  People
who have administered RAID over time understand that the scariest time,
where risk is greatest, is right after a failure.  The RAID controller
is trying to restore the drive it lost.  Subsequent failure(s) can mean
the entire array is lost.  The author focuses on a common problem - read
failures.  A humble little issue that could cause, in this example, a
loss of 12 TBs of data.

The more spinning disk drives you have, the greater your chance of one
drive failing.  In the example, seven drives, the risk of a drive
failure increased and left it vulnerable while it tried to restore some
2 TBs of data.  Enterprise configurations have additional protections,
but are just less vulnerable.  Rising disk capacities without a
corresponding increase in throughput adds to this risk of total loss of
all data on the array.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Not too long ago there was a thread on this list about RAID where some
argued that the MTBF was so high on drives that RAID was obsolete.  Now
this
article says basically RAID is obsolete because of such high MTBF.
Neither
camps who seem to not like RAID much offer anything whatsoever to
replace it.  I'm not sure why in the case of RAID, the idea is that if
it fails at all, the entire idea of RAID is a failure.  If this logic
were extended, none of us would be driving cars.  While this article
might be interesting in some shallow way, in the end the real point is
not even really stated,
just alluded.  RAID was never meant as a complete backup solution.
Those
who backup will be rewarded, those who don't..enjoy your suffering.

Mike


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[CGUYS] RAID Risks Rising

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

>From Zdnet storage blogs - titled "Why RAID 5 stops working in 2009"
Robin Harris discusses why RAID risks are starting to overwhelm its
protections.  A must read for anyone serious about storage (and
especially retrieval) - not a be-all, but these risks are real and not
considering them invites disastrous data loss.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=162

Thank you,

Mark Snyder


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Re: [CGUYS] FIOS-tastic

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

It's probably toast if the owner of the wooded property sees it. 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
I was talking about FIOS with someone in Reston and was told an
interesting story...

The distribution point for the neighborhood was a green box out in a
wooded area adjoining the property where the installation took place.
The FIOS installer ran the cable through the woods and over the lawn,
leaving the cable on top of the ground. After complaints the Vz folks
came back out and buried the cable under the lawn, but in the woods the
cable is still out in the open.

Customer wants to know how long they can expect their FIOS service to
stay up.


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Re: [CGUYS] Risk Aversion [was: Ars- Future of Driving]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Actually, I think this will happen slowly once the technology becomes
reliable and proven (can't have the car reboot while driving, for
example).  Once insurance companies like what they see, they will start
discounting rates for the additional safety features and reduced risk.
States will continue to require licenses for "drivers" - at least for
the first decade, maybe longer.  Initially, these cars will reduce risk;
there will also still be many people continuing to drive their older
cars for many years.  They will also slowly alleviate congestion by
smoothing traffic flow.  I would guess it will take a few decades before
actual driving becomes a rarity (and quite expensive for those actual
drivers).  Many people who enjoy driving do not particularly enjoy
commuting to work in congested traffic.  I would also guess that these
cars will start out with the option of driving itself or being driven
and will be expensive.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
   All this talk of computers operating the car instead of a driver
brings me to some obvious question.  Will we no longer need driver's
licenses?  Who would be charged were an accident to occur?  No more
insurance worries? No more inspections to have to pay for?  Less work
for lawyers?  Huge reductions in policing duties?  No more speed and  
red-light running cameras?  Far less work for auto repair facilities?   
No more DUIs?  Will there be system compatibility issues between
differing states or jurisdictions?  I could go on and on.

   Look like a monstrously huge financial shakeup all around.  States
and counties suddenly lacking all the revenue generated through
licensing fees and fines.  Many repair shops out of business.  Police
departments will have to slash their workforces without the money
generated by fines.


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Re: [CGUYS] MS-tastic

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

So, if I lived near a large office building with many computers inside,
I'd have tons of access!

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Interesting statistic floated by MS to flog Silverlight.

While Adobe claims that the Flash Player is installed on 98% of
computers, MS claims that 25 percent of computer users have access to a
computer with Silverlight installed.

What does that mean? Does living within 500 yards of a computer with
Silverlight installed qualify as "having access"?


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Re: [CGUYS] LCD monitor problems

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I suspect the graphics card (or video component of the main logic
board), John.  Have you tried connecting one of these monitors to
another computer?

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
We had an LCD monitor just turn off and not go on again about a month
ago.
Looks like it is cheaper to replace than repair.

We just got a new one, different manufacturer, and within three days,
the same thing happened.

I Googled around, but didn't see anything specific.

Both were plugged into the "surge protection" part of a UPS.

Could it be the computer connection?  Some power problem getting through
the UPS?

Any ideas welcome.  Thanks.


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Re: [CGUYS] Ars- Future of Driving

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Computerized control of autos will start with safety features, such as
crash-avoidance systems coming out today.  We are not that far away from
cars and trucks capable of complete computer-control.  Whether the
concept presented in the article, renting a computer-controlled car or
light truck for per-trip use from one's cell phone can over-take the
simple ownership of today, remains to be seen.  I suspect people of more
than simple means and those in rural areas will continue to own their
vehicles.  

The concept of getting a car for temporary (per-trip) use would seem to
only work in a city and its nearby suburbs.  So any laws preventing or
restricting human-controlled driving would have to take that into
account, especially if some must own those cars or trucks.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
>I don't understand why you would then throw the driver into prison for 
>leaving the highway.

Human control of a vehicle has proven to be extremely dangerous. It has
killed more people than all wars put together. We want this dangerous
weapon of mass destruction under reliable control as soon as possible.

There is no reason why the computer can't guide the car to its final
destination and park it. GPS boxes are already ordering the human driver
around. Some cares already parallel park under computer control.

With this new technology will there really be a need for
personally-owned vehicles? Would it not be better to just call for a
vehicle of the type needed for each trip and have it come get you? If
you needed a van or a truck you would get one. A family trip would get a
family-size vehicle. 
If you only needed to transport a single person you would call for a
small, economical personal transporter. During rush-hour a group
transporter would make several stops along an efficient computer-planned
route. So overall we would need fewer vehicles and the distribution of
vehicle sizes would probably skew towards the personal transporter and
very few SUVs.


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Re: [CGUYS] Ars- Future of Driving

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

They will start out with huge safety advantages and convenience (eat
breakfast or nap while the car drives itself).  (Please read the article
before commenting.  It is speculative by necessity, but the ideas it
raises are interesting.)

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> Not an entirely new, but an interesting article and thought-provoking 
> discussion, here from Ars Technica, on computerized, self-driving
> cars:

   The auto industry will have to undo decades of pushing the concept
that driving is an enjoyable experience and is part and parcel, perhaps
even most of the reason for choosing one car over another for purchase.
That'll be a damn hard sell, in my opinion, and perhaps almost
impossible to accomplish.


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[CGUYS] Ars- Future of Driving

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Not an entirely new, but an interesting article and thought-provoking
discussion, here from Ars Technica, on computerized, self-driving cars:
http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/future-of-driving-part-2.ars

As this technology slowly becomes viable (the US military is trying to
expedite the technology now), I would think the hardest problems would
be introducing them into the consumer market, while most cars are
owner-driven.  Also fascinating to think about are the ways they could
change things; some dramatic examples are discussed in the article.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
7575 Colshire Drive
McLean, Virginia 22101
703.883-8365



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[CGUYS] Reaction: Apple launches iPhone Developer University Program?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I am interested in comment - As reported by AplpeInsider here: 
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/09/24/apple_launches_iphone_developer_university_program.html

Apple has recently released details of a new program designed for higher 
education institutions looking to introduce curriculum for developing iPhone or 
iPod touch applications.

Dubbed iPhone Developer University 
 , the new program 
allows instructors and professors to create a development team with up to 200 
students free of charge. It offers all of the same tools granted to paid iPhone 
developers, including the iPhone SDK, but also provides iPhones and iPod 
touches for evaluation purposes. 

"With the suite of sophisticated and elegant tools included in the iPhone SDK, 
and a wide-range of resources in the iPhone Dev Center, students participating 
in the class will have everything they need to create innovative applications 
for iPhone and iPod touch," Apple says.

It appears the company will treat university development teams like small 
companies, allowing members to discuss the iPhone SDK and inner workings of 
iPhone development with one another. 

Students within the same development team will also be able share their 
applications with each other through email, or by posting them to a private 
website for presentation and grading purposes. In addition, higher education 
institutions can submit applications developed by students for distribution on 
the App Store.

The program is presently available only to accredited, higher education 
institutions in the United States. 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
7575 Colshire Drive
McLean, Virginia 22101
703.883-8365



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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Feature-by-feature comparisons can be great, but only if they are
meaningful to the specific evaluator.  I wrote earlier about my buying
more current technologies and wrote some of the reasons.  One of the
reasons is usefulness; how productive does it make me, or what ever the
requirement; for MP3 player, it might be is the experience pleasant and
is it likely to last for a decent period?

I evaluate the features that are important to me.  You evaluate the ones
that are important to you.  I don't consider this a contest of who chose
"correctly," because that is in the eye of the evaluator.  The features
you emphasize may be of interest to me, but they are your criteria and I
already have mine.  I probably wouldn't appreciate your criteria as well
as you do, unless they are close enough to mine.  That would _not_ make
your criteria "wrong."

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> Sometimes comparing technology feature by feature isn't enough. 
> Personal preferences are important whether they're based on specs or 
> price or the shocking pink case, or all three. Old tech--new tech, 
> doesn't matter as long as it gets the desired result--or close to it.

Absolutely. I wouldn't argue that for a second.

My real problem here was that the Apple fans refused to even -consider-
a feature by feature comparison. Zune is an MS product; it isn't a
Touch; Q.E.D.  Anyone who buys a Zune is an idiot.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

The life cycle of a particular laptop is about three years, no 20!  When
I say not much has changed, I mean recently and to the current crop of
laptop models.  I want an Apple (in office have new HP Compaq 8510p) -
my Apple laptop is over five years old. 

I must watch changes at a different level than you do.  I have noticed
large technology-driven changes every 1-3-5 years.  The growth of change
is indeed fast.  Consider the early PC disk drive at 10 MB!  I read lots
of tech sites and see lots of change - current products, upcoming
products and hope-to-be products.

I do not like things that become expensive to maintain.  That has been
my experience buying maintenance for customers who won't replace old
stuff.  They will pay a frighteningly large percentage of the original
purchase price each month instead buying a new product that comes with a
2-3 year warranty.  I worked with large gov. contract customers.  I
could contrast costs paid by both types.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of mike
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 2:04 PM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

Well..you didn't give any reasons here...just said you had reasons
gained from your experience.  I'm honestly not trying to play some game
with you,
I'm really interested in why you are backing off laptops?   If laptops
have
done little on new technology in their life cycle of say 20 years, why
do you think suddenly that will change?

You did say you don't buy things that will be unsupportable in a short
period of time in reference to ipods/zune, now you say you are sure they
will be supported by their vendors.

I haven't seen any truly new technology for...well a long time.  The
home pc has been the same for decades now, just bigger/faster/smaller
whatever, but generally the same.  What technology have you bought that
isn't based on 'old' technology?

Your assertion that earlier products are viable for longer periods?  Is
that because you assume that as technology changes it changes faster
exponentially?  I don't know, this logic would lead you to never buy
anything.  Or you would buy something assuming it would be useless in
short order.

Several bullet points I suppose then a cohesive paragraph.

On Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 10:27 AM, Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

> My reasons and opinions are based on over 25 years in the tech field.

> I gave you enough facts, if you have any tech experience evaluating, 
> selecting, buying, maintaining and replacing tech products.  I did not

> mean that support will disappear very soon from these vendors.  I am 
> sure MS and Apple will back up these consumer products if one buys the

> support.  It is self-evident that most products are viable for longer 
> periods of time if selected earlier in their lifecycles.  Those are my

> facts.
>
> Laptops have done little, from my point of view, on new technology.  I

> am waiting for some change (and a few reviews) before I buy.  For many

> of the reasons stated above.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Mark Snyder
> -Original Message-
> I never said I was attacked.  I'm just weary of the left handed
insults.
> How about more explanation instead of dismissals?  Your reasons for 
> not buying an ipod, that it won't be supported isn't proven out by
facts.
> When pressed we get that questioning your view is half baked.  Could 
> have just said why you suddenly think support for HD based players is 
> going to vanish.
>
> I also asked what you were waiting for in the laptop arena?  What is 
> keeping you out, what would make you go in?  A new tech that will soon

> be integrated?  Or just that laptops have been stagnate for years 
> except for the common line of bigger/better but nothing *new* ?
>
>
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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

My reasons and opinions are based on over 25 years in the tech field.  I
gave you enough facts, if you have any tech experience evaluating,
selecting, buying, maintaining and replacing tech products.  I did not
mean that support will disappear very soon from these vendors.  I am
sure MS and Apple will back up these consumer products if one buys the
support.  It is self-evident that most products are viable for longer
periods of time if selected earlier in their lifecycles.  Those are my
facts.

Laptops have done little, from my point of view, on new technology.  I
am waiting for some change (and a few reviews) before I buy.  For many
of the reasons stated above.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
I never said I was attacked.  I'm just weary of the left handed insults.
How about more explanation instead of dismissals?  Your reasons for not
buying an ipod, that it won't be supported isn't proven out by facts.
When pressed we get that questioning your view is half baked.  Could
have just said why you suddenly think support for HD based players is
going to vanish.

I also asked what you were waiting for in the laptop arena?  What is
keeping you out, what would make you go in?  A new tech that will soon
be integrated?  Or just that laptops have been stagnate for years except
for the common line of bigger/better but nothing *new* ?


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Please do not think I presume to be able to prevent you from buying what
ever you'd like.  Do not think I will disparage you over what ever
choice you make.  I was stating my opinions on tech, not about you - or
your decisions. 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> I meant I would not buy something Apple designed 6-7 years ago and has

> really only changed the capacity of the disk drive.  I would never buy

> something using the same tech that another manufacturer just came out 
> with.

Fine, that's your point of view and you're entitled to it, but it is
YOUR point of view. Someone else may have a different point of view,
don't you think? I do not understand why someone who wants a box with
the specs I've described repeatedly should not be permitted to compare
the available boxes and then purchase the one he prefers.

But I guess 'nuff said.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

It is an on-topic technology discussion.  If it bores you, we do not
mind if you delete messages with this topic. However, we don't care for
such rude, pompous notes.  Start a more interesting topic.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Please shut this discussion down. It has long since sank below the
standards of playground spat.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Mike,  Don't let yourself be insulted so easily.  Half-baked was
directed at the idea, not the person.  I am sure I have the occasional
half-baked idea; it does not make me a half-baked person.  Same applies
to you.  That was not an attack. Sheesh.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
What are you waiting for in the laptop arena?  What would make you buy?

BTW, it's these kind of casual drive by insults that seem to propagate
this list now.  What is the point?  I didn't insult you with my
response..I was purposely sarcastic as I admitted, but I didn't insult
you.  And I realize you didn't come out and say 'you are an idiot', but
through implication the only way to read this email is that anyone who
disagrees with you is 'half baked'.  Why can't there be a simple
disagreement?  Why does it have to be 'I'm right and your not capable of
thinking clearly' ?


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I want to take advantage of as much current, fully-supported product as
I can, so I would want at least five of those 6-7 years.  At the moment
I am waiting on a laptop because right now, my evaluations say buy
nothing now.

I have watched technologies change, in every detail I could muster for
contract buying reasons, for over 20 years.  I don't buy on half-baked,
casual decisions.  You may do it any way that pleases you.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
So what are you using in place of computers?  They were designed a lot
longer ago then the first ipod.  Yes I'm being sarcastic but to make a
point.  It might be obsolete tech to you, but to most people it's not.

The fact that those iPods designed as you said 6 or 7 years ago are
still working and interacting the way they were designed to do so with
the systems they were designed for, as well as the newest macs makes
your point...less pointed.

What about cell phones?  You only buy cell phones from the company that
manufactured the first cell phone?  Of course not.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I do sometimes choose nothing, if I don't care to pay for new
technology.  I wait for it to come down a bit.  I meant I would not buy
something Apple designed 6-7 years ago and has really only changed the
capacity of the disk drive.  I would never buy something using the same
tech that another manufacturer just came out with. 

I would never have been the last Betamax buyer.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> I do not buy tech things that will be unsupportable in a short period 
> of time.

There's no basis for saying that MS is going to drop support for this
"in a short period of time". In fact, considering that the 120GB unit is
brand new, it's unlikely in the extreme. The same goes for Apple's 120GB
model.

But more importantly, you really ignored what I said, to wit, if what
you want is a lot of storage, or if you can't afford a Touch, then
there's no choice except between Classic and Zune. You choose one of
those, or nothing.


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Re: [CGUYS] When AOL was ...

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Chris,

I suspect it was cool for folks who needed what AOL provided.  As
someone who got his first email account in the 1980's and first used a
browser sometime around 1992, I do understand why you'd say it was never
cool.  I don't think AOL was ever cool to the techies.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> Don't you mean to say "before broadband"?

No, Tom is RIGHT.  :)

In Olden Tymes, AOL (like CompuServe) was a service unto itself, not
connected to the Internet. When you went to AOL, there was nowhere else
to go. And if you had an AOL account and your buddy had a CompuServe
account, you used the phone to talk to him because there was no email
between the two services.
 
He is, however, wrong about AOL ever being cool.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I do not buy tech things that will be unsupportable in a short period of
time.  I do not think older technologies are generally worth pursuing.
The hardware breaks sooner.  The software stops working with the new
hardware sooner, and also with new software.  These are all general
truths.  Maybe you don't see them because all of your models of
comparison involve Microsoft? 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> It should be obvious that if one model is 6-7 years old, and one is 
> new, buy the new one.

I'm sorry, but that is not at all obvious. What if you want a lot of
storage? You have to get the newer product anyway, because it's newer?
Even though it's much more expensive? Buying something that is more
expensive and not what you want simply because it's newer seems just,
well, silly.

Incidentally, your axiom doesn't seem to apply to XP and Vista as far as
a number of people on this list are concerned. There have been plenty of
posts discussing how to get new machines with XP, which is now 7 years
old. I don't want to get into another XP/Vista discussion; the point is
that newer is not always better in all users' opinions.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I would not buy either one at this point; both are obsolete. I do not
like buying obsolete tech.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> So, my point is that comparing the latest Zune, the most advanced 
> product from MS, to the classic is pointless.  Apple designed it 6-7 
> years ago.  The only updates to it are basically drive capacity.  It 
> is a product near its end of life and Apple won't have it around a 
> whole lot longer.  I mean, I'd be embarrassed to make that kind of 
> comparison.

You'd be embarrassed to not pay a $100-$180 price premium for what
amounts to an interface and far less storage?  That's a might low, and
strange, threshold. Status quo for snobbery, I suppose.

I want space to store all of my music, which currently is hovering
around the 30 GB mark and growing.  I don't want to play the "which do I
listen to today?" shuffle so I can squeeze part of it onto a flash
player.  The hard disk is the best option for me, today.  If flash
players expand to fill that need at a competitive price, that's fine by
me.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

It should be obvious that if one model is 6-7 years old, and one is new,
buy the new one.  Except a new product that is so similar to one that is
6-7 years old is pathetic. 

 YES _ I READ POSTS I RESPOND TO. 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> So, my point is that comparing the latest Zune, the most advanced 
> product from MS, to the classic is pointless.  Apple designed it 6-7 
> years ago.  The only updates to it are basically drive capacity.  It 
> is a product near its end of life and Apple won't have it around a 
> whole lot longer.  I mean, I'd be embarrassed to make that kind of 
> comparison.

I'm sorry, but didn't you read -any- of the posts where I pointed out
that if, for whatever reason, you want a box with a decent screen size
and lots of storage, as my son did, Apple doesn't make anything else?
What exactly is embarrassing about saying that IF this is the kind of
box you want, then the Zune is the better choice?


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

So, my point is that comparing the latest Zune, the most advanced
product from MS, to the classic is pointless.  Apple designed it 6-7
years ago.  The only updates to it are basically drive capacity.  It is
a product near its end of life and Apple won't have it around a whole
lot longer.  I mean, I'd be embarrassed to make that kind of comparison.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 2:46 PM, Snyder, Mark wrote:

> You are _still_ comparing the latest model from MS to a very old model

> from Apple.  Why are you doing that?  What is the point?
>
> No he is right on the 120gb being the only current harddrive based
iPod.
Apple discontinued the 160 gb and the 80 gb and replaced them with the
120 gb when they announced the new models a few weeks ago.


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Re: [CGUYS] Zune [was: iTunes 8 causing BSOD]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

You are _still_ comparing the latest model from MS to a very old model
from Apple.  Why are you doing that?  What is the point?


Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-

Are you doing this on purpose?

For the tenth time, the $249 120GB Zune competes with the $249 120GB
iPod Classic. Not with Nano. Not with Touch. Not with iPhone. Not with
Cray CX1, Oldsmobile Cutlass, or vegetarian bratwurst.

The Zune is thinner and lighter, like I said. They are the same width.
Zune is .2" taller because the screen is .7" larger (diagonal). 

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/09/showdown-new-zu.html


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Re: [CGUYS] Why Small business's and Non_profits buy PC's and W

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Stewart, I am more than happy to "allow" you to enjoy Windows, if you
wish.  I was merely making a point, not dissing anyone. 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
I use Dell's all day long and am supremely happy with them.

So what is the big deal?

Why can't we just get along.  (I know tired phrase)

Why is it that everyone has to keep trying to show who has the bigger
whatever or the better whatever.  Sounds like the old line of whose dad
is the bigger one or best.


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Re: [CGUYS] Why Small business's and Non_profits buy PC's and W

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Apple uses their software to sell their hardware.  I personally buy
Apple to use the software.  The hardware is very nice and usually lasts
quite well.  But I but it for their software. I use Dell/IBM, etc.
laptops with Windows all day at the office, so I do know the
differences.

I do not think WFBs get this.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Tom there are just some points you never seem to get.

For a lot of us, and I mean the vast majority price point is the most
important thing out there.

If toy A does the same thing as toy B and is $80 less.  I am buying toy
B.

I do not buy computers out of fear, or OS's out of fear.  I buy them
based on price point.  Does OS A do the same things as OS B?  How much
is the equipment going to cost me?  Which in the end will be 
cheaper.(By the way, yes I did read the comparison, and I do not 
buy equipment at that level.  I drive a Ford because I cannot afford a
Lincoln, I drive Chevy's as I cannot afford Cadillacs.)

One of the biggest differences between Apple and Microsoft I see is two
totally different philosophy's.

Apple wanted to become a premiere Hardware and OS company.  They have
achieved that but by going after that goal, they have limited their
exposure.

Microsoft wanted to become a premier OS/Software company and they have
achieved that goal.  Like Chevy's their product is pretty good, but it
is not the premier product out there.  But hey when you have a few
million Chevy's out there compared to a few hundred thousand Ferrari's
and Porche's etc.

Ms sometimes gets into equipment sales, but it is far overshadowed by
their Software operation.  Apple is a Hardware company that has a great
software but that is eclipsed by their hardware.

This is evidenced by the fact that their software is relatively
inexpensive as compared to their hardware.


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Re: [CGUYS] Comcast puts on the brakes

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

A rant that could use a healthy dose (okay, any dose) of fact-checking
itself.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Larry Sacks

Seems most journalists write what they think you should think and not
the facts.  

I know it's difficult not to get caught up in the story and want to let
your feelings run amok, but really, journalists *should* be impartial in
their writing.  

Shame they rarely ever do  


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Re: [CGUYS] Hard Drive manufacturers?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Larry, I have sourced and bought hundreds of disks drives for about
twenty years.  Early on, the going was rough; many failures.  Today,
drives are much more reliable.  My point about the (fictitious) 72 Chevy
was that I too have seen manufactures go through bad stretches, but
don't pay much attention today.  If I wanted to protect your photo
library, I would do something very much along Tom's recommendations.  I
would use enterprise class drives, such as SAS for primary storage and
enough SATA for rotating backups, with enough capacity to grow.  You can
attach SAS and SATA drives to a SAS controller.

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
>Your diatribe against manufacturers translated to cars: 

You thought that was a diatribe?  Really?  Seems I should post one
sometime so you can see the difference.

>I used to have a
>72 Chevy, but it broke down so I won't go near GM. 

So, you won't go near GM because of experiences with a car over 30 years
ago?  You should check out what GM has to offer.  You'll find they in
general - and Chevy in particular - has many cars much nicer than the
Vega.

If you owned a Mercedes or BMW, would you also not buy another one if it
broke down too?  

My experiences with Seagate are based upon about 20 consecutive failures
(by Sun workstation serial number) about 10 years ago.  After the first
5 or so, Sun contacted us and started to proactively replace workstation
hard drives - all by Seagate.

I'm still willing to buy Seagate and have, although they're not my
favorite.  

>That is silly

Yes, I agree.  Your reasoning is quite silly.
 
>but, more important, you didn't tell us what is most important for you 
>about the drive.

I started a thread back on 9/2 and eventually posted the same question
(literally) but it got lost amidst the brouhaha over cell phones or some
other issue.  

But since you asked and probably didn't see my original post, I've got a
professional photography business and have about 200 gb of pictures
(almost all are jpegs) that I'd like to keep backed up.  I started out
using 2 separate hard drives but they filled up.  I added an external
USB hard drive (that I keep off-site) and a little over a year ago, I
bought a My World Book II (setup for RAID-1) but one of the drives in it
failed recently (but just out of warranty).  (Oh... someone mentioned
RMA but I'm less concerned with returning a drive when it becomes a
paperweight).

Some people had suggested 3-drives in rotation (Tom P. IIRC) and I was
looking for a recommendation on what drives people seem to like.  

>Still, here is a fair source of disk
>drive information, especially performance: 
>http://www.storagereview.com/

Yeah... I know about that site.  I thought I'd ask here since I know
(more or less) most of the people here and figure this is a better place
to ask than a forum where I don't have any idea who is who.


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Re: [CGUYS] Hard Drive manufacturers?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Your diatribe against manufacturers translated to cars: I used to have a
72 Chevy, but it broke down so I won't go near GM. 

That is silly, but, more important, you didn't tell us what is most
important for you about the drive.  Still, here is a fair source of disk
drive information, especially performance: 
http://www.storagereview.com/

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-

I'm looking for recommendations people might have about hard drive
manufacturers.

Maxtor used to be one of my favorites until they got bought out by
Seagate (which was one of my least favorites based on a series of
failures we saw in about 2 dozen Sun workstations - true, it was many
years ago, but still, the memories of the early morning phone calls
linger). 

The My World Book has 2 Western Digital drives in it (seeing how it's
sold by WD).  I'm assuming both drives were new, but still, one failed a
bit over a year after I bought it.


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Re: [CGUYS] Latest Safari version for MacOS v10.3?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Three years is old for a personal computer.  All of my computers are old
by this standard.  Most four to five year old Macs can run OS X, 10.5,
though.  Not many three year old PCs can run Vista.  Any computer that
can't run the current version of its OS qualifies as old.  I am planning
to buy a new laptop as soon as Apple updates its models.  My office just
replaced "my" Windows laptop (still XP, but it could run Vista if
company wanted it to).

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> Middle-aged, maybe?

   Maybe.  Tom Piwowar uses the terms "old" or "very old" often to
describe the computers that some folks have, and that started causing me
to wonder about what the "Computer Age" has done to redefine what the
term "old" means.


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Re: [CGUYS] Firefox bookmarks etc (XP)

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Slashdot, other tech sites, sw/hw vender sites.  Also company sites on
the intranet that have stupidly long urls. 

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
>Excellent - that got me right there.  I now have my bookmark file that 
>goes back almost to 1990.  (I do occasionally copy bookmarks to my 
>computers, but was expecting the installer to migrate it all.)

What is the value of a 9 year old bookmark?
Does anything on the internet hang around that long?
I think the only site from those days that I still visit is macintouch.



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Re: [CGUYS] Firefox bookmarks etc (XP)

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

 
Excellent - that got me right there.  I now have my bookmark file that
goes back almost to 1990.  (I do occasionally copy bookmarks to my
computers, but was expecting the installer to migrate it all.)

Thank you,

Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Ask Mozilla:

http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/profiles#How_to_find_your_profile

How to find your profile
Windows:

Each profile is stored on your hard drive in a profile folder. The
following table identifies the default locations of Firefox profiles on
various operating systems.

* The following examples refer to the default profile. The
corresponding profile folder is named .default, where 
represents a random string of 8 characters.

Operating System

Profile Folder Path
Windows Vista/XP/2000
%APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\.default\

* (Windows Vista, XP, and 2000) %APPDATA% is shorthand for the
C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\ folder (Windows Vista) or the
C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\ folder (Windows
XP/2000), which depends on your Windows user account name.

Richard P.

> My company laptop was just replaced.  The installer did not get any of

> my Firefox bookmarks or other settings.  Where are they stored in XP 
> so I can get them?
>



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[CGUYS] Firefox bookmarks etc (XP)

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

My company laptop was just replaced.  The installer did not get any of
my Firefox bookmarks or other settings.  Where are they stored in XP so
I can get them?  

Thank you,

Mark Snyder


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Re: [CGUYS] [Fwd: TERMINATION OF YOUR STARPOWER WEBMAIL ACCOUNT]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

If it is real, it is stupid.  I would not respond to any such message.
I would rather lose the account.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
is this real looks like it, but never been asked for password
before!

 Original Message 
Subject:TERMINATION OF YOUR STARPOWER WEBMAIL ACCOUNT
Date:   Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:38:36 -0500 (CDT)
From:   Starpower Webmaster <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To:   [EMAIL PROTECTED]




-- 
Dear Subscriber,

  TERMINATION OF YOUR STARPOWER WEBMAIL ACCOUNT

We are currently carrying out an upgrade on our system due to the
fact that it has come to our notice that one or more of our subscribers
are introducing a very strong virus into our system and it is affecting
our network.We are trying to find out the specific person.
For this reason all subscribers are to provide their USER NAME AND
PASSWORD for us to verify and have them cleared against this virus.
Failure to comply will lead to the termination of your Account in the
next 48 hours.


Information to send;
EMAIL ADDRESS:
USERNAME:
PASSWORD:


Hoping to serve you better.


Sincerely,

Starpower Support



This is an Administrative Message from Starpower internet. It is
not spam. From time to time,Starpower. will send you such
messages in order to communicate important information about
your subscription.



(c) 2008 RCN Digital Services, LLC. All rights reserved.






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Re: [CGUYS] What we actually get for our money...

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I meant that corporations do not become feasible until government
matures enough to provide the infrastructure they depend on.  Legal,
police, fire (some of my taxes go to volunteer fire dept.), roads and
laws to make trade possible.  Since they are legal entities making
income, it is logical to tax them.  To try to give them a free ride
would make serfs of people of regular means.  Have you thought about
what goes into all of these government services (federal, state and
local)?

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
You make several unsupported or undefined assumptions below:

1.  Modern business depends on modern government.  Please define these  
terms?  The limited liability corporation dates to at least the 16th  
century, possibly before.  When do you date the beginnings of "modern  
government"?  What is a "Modern business"?

2.  "It is Government that provides police protections and other
> infrastructure required by all of us."

> This statement seems to imply that all infrastructure that is  
> required comes from government.  That is demonstrably no so to  
> anyone who has used a telephone or been served by a volunteer fire  
> company for instance.  In any event, we must be careful not to  
> conflate required with desired.

3. If corporations pay less, then the rest of us must pay for it, or  
subsidize them.

All corporate income comes from the customer base (read "the rest of  
us"), we pay all taxes, directly or indirectly.  Corporations have two  
choices over the long term - pass on all costs to their customers, and  
taxation is a cost, or loose money until the capital investment is  
gone and then cease business.

Matthew


On Aug 20, 2008, at 2:21 PM, Snyder, Mark (IT CIV) wrote:

> Modern business (corporations, etc.) is possible because of modern
> government.  It is Government that provides police protections and  
> other
> infrastructure required by all of us.  The only way for all of us to
> have these is to pay for them.  If corporations pay less, then the  
> rest
> of us must pay for it, or subsidize them.
>
> I am not willing to cover the tax obligations of others, especially
> large corporations.
>
>



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Re: [CGUYS] What we actually get for our money...

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Modern business (corporations, etc.) is possible because of modern
government.  It is Government that provides police protections and other
infrastructure required by all of us.  The only way for all of us to
have these is to pay for them.  If corporations pay less, then the rest
of us must pay for it, or subsidize them.

I am not willing to cover the tax obligations of others, especially
large corporations.  

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
This a really scary conclusion, regardless of the questionable accuracy
of the premise.

How do you conclude that corporate income belongs to the state via  
taxation, and any reduction in the tax take is a subsidy?


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Re: [CGUYS] [Fwd: Re: [CGUYS] What we actually get for our money...]

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

The US corporate tax rate was listed as a range of rates, not 35%.
Includes none of the many business deductions or exclusions.  That chart
is a joke for the purposes it was dragged out for.  There must be some
useful data somewhere, but don't base your argument on Wiki's table of
nominal rates.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Not so. It is the highest in the industrialized world. See Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_rates_around_the_world

and click on the Corporate column to sort

Forgot to add; the US Corporate tax rate is 35%, higher than all but a 
few 3rd world countries in that list,


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Re: [CGUYS] DVD's vs. External hard drives for archiving

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Not speaking for Tom, but RAID controllers can fault and the result can
be loss of some or all data.  If more than one drive fails while another
is rebuilding, all data for that RAID set is lost.  Power loss for RAID
can be a much bigger problem than for independent disk drives.  There
are others, but those should be an indication. 

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
I'm wondering how RAID can be less realiable then a 'modern' hard drive
when those same modern hard drives are used for the RAID?


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Re: [CGUYS] DVD's vs. External hard drives for archiving

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I stay away from RAID for personal or small business uses.  Tape, as
long as the person doing the backups practices restoring from them, are
still a nice way to get data backup off-site.  (Backup is one thing;
recovery is Everything!)

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
I avoid both tape and RAID. I consider them significantly less reliable 
than a modern hard drive. Their time has passed.


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Re: [CGUYS] DVD's vs. External hard drives for archiving

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I would keep it simple, and not use RAID.  Most people don't understand
it; especially where the risks of data loss are.  At the low end, the
risks of data loss are high for those who do not know a LOT about RAID.
Personally, assuming this is important data, I like serial SCSI, SAS.
SAS disk drives are almost always enterprise-class drives (more
reliable).  I would add a SAS card and connect it to an external 1.5 TB
SAS drive.  I might add a cheaper SATA drive (SAS controllers can do
both) for older stuff.  I would still use the tape backup.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
I agree... the  fast online data backup/ access is expensive and the 
slow online storage  reasonable and for now the "twain shan't meet." 

But as  long as you are looking to add retrieval speed and continue the 
tape bkup you referred to, and considering that hardware is relatively 
cheap these days,  a server with a SATA RAID controller card (3ware 
brand?) and some drive trays full of  the appropriate number of 1.5  
Terra byte disks would give you the real time retrieval of your data. 

With the controller card, you could run RAID 5 with 4 or more drives if 
you like so that your system could survive & auto rebuild a drive 
failure (not so uncommon with large SATA drives) but you wouldn't even 
need RAID to as long as you have the tape backup.

The key is not to invest too much labor/ money in this type of system 
and with the redundant tape backup you don't have to. 

If you drop the tape backup however ... then you are into a whole 
different kettle of fish.  You have to have fail safe server redundancy 
that includes offsite dataset storage... and that is technically 
complex, laborious and expensive to do yourself for a real time 
operation... and as was noted at the start ... with commercial online 
services it  is either expensive or slow.

But you might want to do a cost analysis.  By the time all is 
calculated,  you might find it as cheap and a lot easier to not create 
an additional local server bkup, drop the tape backup and just contract 
for a commercial fast retrieval online bkup service.  It also allows you

to keep things simple and to remain focused on your own biz, rather than

IT support.  

There are no magic bullets in this backup game... only various choices 
that have various consequences. 

Time, money and labor are your factors in the decision and labor is 
really either time or money.


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Re: [CGUYS] DVD's vs. External hard drives for archiving

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

About 2-3 years ago, I worked on a proposal for Gov't Printing Office.
Even by then, organizations with large storage needs learned to
distinguish between on-line with quick access (very fast SAN/RAID with
10-15K RPM Enterprise disks) and online storage that was still mostly
enterprise quality, but slower and cheaper as a second-tier form of
storage.

For simpler needs, 1.5 TB capacity disk drives are available.  Might
make a nice middle layer between fast-access and archive/backup.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Typical use of the terms by storage experts is along these lines:

Online.  Files accessible immediately.  Could be local, could be a
network
drive, could be a SAN, could be on a web page, but immediately
accessible
without any other steps.

Archived.  Not immediately accessible.  Requires some step to make it
accessible.  Again, could be stored on almost any kind of media, from
tape
to DVD to hard drive to SAN to whatever.  A request is made to make the
archived files or data sets available online for a period of time, so
the
user can access them.  Offloads files which are no longer accessed
regularly, reducing load on the online file storage systems.

Backup.  A copy of some files or data sets that can be used to restore
the
originals in case of a problem.  Orthogonal to the first two.


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Re: [CGUYS] DSL line and lightning

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

This can be from the telephone carrier's side.  (Old-model) telephones
can draw power from the phone line - so it is possible for the surge to
come in over the telephone connection.  It is also possible to get the
surge over the power line.  Does anything else in your house show any
effect from the lightning when the DSL modem does?  If yes, it is
probably the power line.  If no, it could be the telephone line bring
the surge.

I usually just turn my DSL modem off when I'm not using it.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
I have the DSL service through Verizon.  Every time there is lightning
in
the area, the DSL connection resets.  The modem then takes about a
minute or
so to re-establish the DSL connection and all is happy ... (until the
next
lightning during the dark and stormy night, that is.)

Has anyone else experienced this with their DSL line?  Any educated
guesses
as to if the problem is on my side of the box (NID, I believe it is
called)
or the phone company side?  The Phone Co. side is not all that old since
verizon re-did the copper wiring in the area about 5-6 years ago.  My
side
has a cat-5 cable running on the outside of the house for a fair bit
(30-40
feet) before entering the house.


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Re: [CGUYS] Smileys Are Insulting (was RE: [CGUYS] Will iPhone

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

No.  Probably only the Welcome to HEAVEN and the Welcome to HADES signs
need smileys.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
>Does anyone else find Smileys to be insulting?

I wrote "depressing" not "insulting." If they were merely "insulting" I 
would not care since that is something going on in your head. 
Contradistinctively, "depressing" is something going on in my head. That

I care about.

Do you think this needs a Smiley?

[  ] Yes

[  ] No

[  ] What is a Smiley?


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Re: [CGUYS] Will iPhone Kill Radio?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I use both WPC and Mac.  I am neither. 

Your comment shows minimal attention, or is just gratuitous. 

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> Should we be denied a good laugh at the folly of the ultra rich?

Now I'm confused. I was under the impression that the glitterati use
Macs,
and only busboys and their ilk use Windows.


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Re: [CGUYS] Will iPhone Kill Radio?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I get my news from the Post (paper) and from NPR.  I don't listen much
to commercial radio, except the occasional baseball game.  I don't watch
TV at all.  I get mostly tech news from the web.  I have an iPod, but
have never gotten news from it (my iPod is before the Touch model).
News paper circulation shrinks every year.  If radio shrinks too, where
will you all get your news?

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> Two free applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and another
> program
> that costs only $4.99, make it possible to listen to live radio on the
> iPhone from anywhere, including a moving car..."

No, radio (and the NAB) will kill radio.  Who cares what you can listen
to
it on, the product is just as god-awful.


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Re: [CGUYS] Macs in business...take 3: Fear Factor

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I was not talking about people happy with windows. I did not mean to
imply that fear is all that holds people to windows.  

I have seen "windows-happy" people (not on this list) who have not seen
another OS in many years (or ever).  They fear os x - and even new
versions of windows.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jeff Wright
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 1:37 PM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] Macs in business...take 3: Fear Factor

Or, like me, happy with what they have and see no need to go to another
platform.

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 11:52 AM, Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:


> There are still Windows users who actually fear anything else.
>



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Re: [CGUYS] Macs in business...take 3: Fear Factor

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

They got pretty close to that in DOS and early versions of windows. 
Macs had little trouble with files from MS, but MS had trouble reading
files formatted for MS.  

There are still Windows users who actually fear anything else.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder

-Original Message-
This reminds me of a post from a few weeks ago about adding software to
a 
Windows PC. I think it was FireFox. The poster was concerned that adding

new software would somehow make the computer stop working.

Microsoft has been very effective at marketing by fear. Their message is

that deviating from their products will make you an outcast. Your 
computer will break, nobody will be able to read your files, and 
everything sent to you will be gibberish.



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Re: [CGUYS] Apple Pricing on Par with HP, Dell (PC World)

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

The one thing that lead you astray was [when I compare the cheapest Mac
to the cheapest HP] - you are allowing HP to set the  standard for
cheapest components.  

The author deliberately took the time to upgrade either configuration to
par, so he was comparing apples to apples.  Your "200 bucks" was from
comparing apples to oranges.  You are chasing the bottom pricing.  That
is not comparing fairly or honestly.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
If he'd compared low end macbook to low end HP, the HP would have won
out by
about 200 bux.  I can drive down to Fry's right now and get a HP
configured
with twice the memory, 2 inches larger screen, larger HD all for about
200
less then if I buy the macbook they sell next to it.   


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Re: [CGUYS] Apple Pricing on Par with HP, Dell (PC World)

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Wayne, as I stated, this was mainly for people who were considering a
laptop.  If you are happy using Windows, please continue and disregard.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-

Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)
> James Martin of PC World has an article on price comparisons
> of Apple and Dell, HP.  His comparisons are fair, he likes
> OS X and Windows.  If you've been considering an Apple laptop,
> it is worth reading:

> His conclusion:
> Adding It All Up

> Don't buy into the old argument that Mac laptops are
> categorically more expensive than Windows machines.
> Sometimes that's true--but they're often on par with,
> or cost less than, their closest Windows laptop equivalents

True, but sometimes the Mac's have stuff I don't particularly
want.  For quite awhile I had no real need for sound, yeah it's
convenient and anymore it's required.


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[CGUYS] Apple Pricing on Par with HP, Dell (PC World)

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

James Martin of PC World has an article on price comparisons of Apple
and Dell, HP.  His comparisons are fair, he likes OS X and Windows.  If
you've been considering an Apple laptop, it is worth reading:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/148032/mac_vs_windows_laptops.html

His conclusion:
Adding It All Up

Don't buy into the old argument that Mac laptops are categorically more
expensive than Windows machines. Sometimes that's true--but they're
often on par with, or cost less than, their closest Windows laptop
equivalents

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder


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Re: [CGUYS] Texas PI-licensed computer techs

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

The article says that any computer repair must have a PI license, unless
some onerous disclaimer that no investigation, no sensitive data, blah,
blah, blah.   

So, those of you who think this is reasonable: would requiring a law
degree also be reasonable, since there are many legal restrictions that
relate to computer data?

The Texas law seems to just be feeding those with PI licenses.  Maybe if
they restricted it to forensic criminal probes, requiring a PI-licensed
participant; but that is not what their law says.  Seems to be more like
requiring someone who builds a fence to be a licensed surveyor. 

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-

> Snyder, Mark (IT CIV) wrote:
>> Saw a link to this on /.  Okay, what's up with this?
>>
>> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2324220,00.asp
>> Texas PC Repair Now Requires PI License
>>
>> Thank you,
>>  Mark Snyder
> That is really messed up.  Invariably, That law will cause a  
> proliferation in the number of PI licenses.  Where in the world are  
> they getting the idea, that, in order to work on a computer,  
> professionally, a person must have a degree in criminal justice,  
> accompanied, by the PI license.  They are really messed up.

   I believe the law only requires a PI license if the purpose of  
doing 'work' on a computer is for the purpose of providing data  
related to a criminal investigation.

   Steve



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[CGUYS] Texas PI-licensed computer techs

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Saw a link to this on /.  Okay, what's up with this?

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2324220,00.asp
Texas PC Repair Now Requires PI License

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder


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Re: [CGUYS] OMG! Gates Agrees With Tom

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Okay, and Gates was CEO.  Gates was heralded as a techno-genius by the
media.  Ballmer directs MS just as Gates did, and I was replying to
Tom's message and its reference to Gates.  He mentioned Ballmer in
relation to NT...

If I was chief architect responsible for Vista, I would try to keep a
very low profile.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> Ballmer was only selected to continue the ruthless business tradition
> (a la' "Knife the baby."); not because he has any particular technical
> leadership skills.

Nor did Lee Iacocca have any particular automobile engineering skills.
Ballmer is the CEO, not the chief software architect--that's Ray Ozzie.


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Re: [CGUYS] OMG! Gates Agrees With Tom

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Ballmer was only selected to continue the ruthless business tradition (a
la' "Knife the baby."); not because he has any particular technical
leadership skills.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
>My point was that certain people would sooner sleep on bed of hot coals
than
>acknowledge that MS is quite well aware of Windows's shortcomings AND
might
>be trying to do something about it. He says that "[Gates] knows Windows
>sucks, but mistakenly thinks he can apply band aids to make it better."
The
>existence of Singularity/Midori neatly disproves this statement.

Experience belies such hopes. Was this not the exact same promise MS
made 
for NT -- was that not supposed to be "New Technology."  I think MS has
a 
mindset and a management problem. I see no evidence that Balmer has the 
ability to do anything about it.


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Re: [CGUYS] US is access loser

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I think that it was settled decades ago: no substantiated risk. 

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of rlsimon
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 5:36 PM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] US is access loser

I'm on the Planning/Zoning Board of our town.  Recently we reviewed an
app
to put up a tower along the main road on a piece of land behing fire
company
#2 with good rental $$ for the town.  I objected given it is kiddycorner
across the street from the new school.  They brought in a big gun (prof
of
engineering and physics from PennState who has over 100 pub on his
resume
about rf from cell towers, etc.) who gave a very detailed explanation
with
charts&graphs showing the decrement of the signal strength and the
dependency on the elevation and distance from the tower, etc.  It
passed.
That was last year.  No tower is growing yet.  I think the evidence
(including the fat packet provided) is the worries about that are bunk
and
junk science.  I wonder if it is a settled issue or if there is still
any
doubt??



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Re: [CGUYS] US is access loser

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Middleburg has had this in effect for at least 5-10 years.  I am on the
town council and listen closely when someone complains.  No one has
complained.  Middleburg is a small historic town (fewer than 700
residents) laid out around the time of the revolutionary war with
England.  It is in the middle of horse country.  Scenic preservation and
view-sheds are important here.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jeff Wright
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 2:48 PM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] US is access loser

> -Original Message-
> Correct, to an extent.  My town (Middleburg) leases to most of the
> carriers on our two water towers.  We prohibit private towers inside
> town limits.  No one wants the eye sore of private towers here.

It was a unanimous vote? *No one* wants rental income from the carriers?
Or
was it just the people who bothered to show up for the meeting?

A woman came to my house with a petition last year, to block the
proposed
building of a cell tower in our neighborhood.  My neighborhood is a
cellular
black hole and I wouldn't mind better coverage at all.  It would be in
the
middle of a rather large and tall thicket of trees, on land owned by the
community swimming pool (which is always one foot in the financial
grave)
and abutted by my kids' elementary school.  Lots and lots of buffer
zone.
She had all sorts of Very Scary[tm] reasons, including declining
property
values, why we shouldn't allow it to be put in.

When I asked her how the an adjacent development, which has a nearly
identical setup, sans trees to hide in, fared in terms of property
values,
she started blubbering how it wasn't the same (because, you know, the
laws
of economics operate differently there) and wouldn't give me a straight
answer.  I asked her a few more questions about her other dubious claims
and
it was obvious that she hadn't encountered anyone skeptical of her
horror
stories yet.  She scurried off rather than answer any of them.

Turns out, her house will be one of the closer homes, albeit about 300
feet
away on the other side of the thicket.  Funny that.

I find it strange how many of us will tolerate all sorts of
technological
"eyesores" on our streets: power lines, telephone poles, traffic lights,
mailboxes, street lights, lines for phones and cable, satellite dishes,
cars, trucks, roads, etc, but lose all rationality when it comes to cell
towers.  Does the DSM IV have anything on this yet?



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Re: [CGUYS] US is access loser

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Correct, to an extent.  My town (Middleburg) leases to most of the
carriers on our two water towers.  We prohibit private towers inside
town limits.  No one wants the eye sore of private towers here. 

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rev. Stewart
Marshall
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 1:29 PM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] US is access loser

It is my understanding that at present most wireless companies lease 
space on towers and do not own the towers.

Plus you need to have a tower about every 20 miles.

Stewart


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Re: [CGUYS] T1 vs DSL?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Tom,

Tom, Google cisco ip phone 7941 and get the product information (Cisco
has pdf model information).  I am not sure if you'd need anything except
the phones.  We have no onsite support people for this.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder

-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tom Piwowar
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 12:07 PM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] T1 vs DSL?

>We use Cisco IP Phones (7941 model) and it is reliable.  I am in a
large
>building with hundreds of coworkers, so it may be an economy of scale.
>I do not know what, if any, network-to-telecom hardware or software
>configuration is used. 

That is where I see such installations. I'm thinking that a large 
organization can have the on-site support to make it work. A small 
organization would have to let the thing run unattended and that could
be 
a problem.


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Re: [CGUYS] T1 vs DSL?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

We use Cisco IP Phones (7941 model) and it is reliable.  I am in a large
building with hundreds of coworkers, so it may be an economy of scale.
I do not know what, if any, network-to-telecom hardware or software
configuration is used. 

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-

Is VOIP a sane option today? I see if offered by various startup 
companies for "free." Is there a reliable version that can be used by 
someone who depends on their telephones working?


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Re: [CGUYS] Forced to Vista?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

I just migrated my parents (late 70's, early 80's) from their 10-year
old, first edition iMac to the latest model iMac.  Yes, they are
learning OS X 10.5 after using OS 8.6.  That said, I told them not to
buy any software, but to download Firefox and OpenOffice.  The free,
open-source software is reliable and will handle all of their modest
needs.  They paid less for their 20-inch LCD iMac than they paid for the
original iMac.  They are through with Microsoft Office, through with
buying any software.  Their requirements are light, but I bet most
people don't have much in the way of software requirements for simple
home use.  They used that old computer for ten years until it died -
dead power supply, and I told them it was time to replace it.  (Business
would be another analysis.)

It is time for Apple to pay attention to compatibility again, though.
My four year old Power Mac dual-G5 will run 10.5, but probably not 10.6,
which will likely be Intel-only.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
>To me, it looks like the game is played:  Buy MS OS--whatever the
latest 
>version.  Use all MS products on it (browsers, email programs, 
>Office).  Repeat about every 3 years.  My son is pushing me to buy a 
>Mac.  Is the situation the same with them?  I see no reason to switch
to a 
>more expensive system if I have to keep replacing them too.

The old Apple was very long-term stable and I often supported clients 
that were running a range of Mac OSs that spanned 10 or more years. Old 
software ran fine on new machines and new OSs.

Recently that has not been the case. Apple's transition to OS X forced 
changes at a much faster pace than Mac users were used to. Over about 6 
years the old systems became hard to integrate with newer systems.

Before we could catch a breath Apple changed processors. Now we have a 
situation where the old software won't even run on the new hardware. 
Apple is pushing us through this transition at an even faster pace than 
the OS X transition.

Will things slow down now? Or will Apple decide that this rapid pace is 
better for them? 


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[CGUYS] FireFox 3 download day starts at 13:00 ET

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

If you plan to download Firefox 3 today, I would appreciate reviews.  XP
or OS X, please specify.  I will wait awhile before updating the FF
running in XP on my company's laptop and not sure when I will update FF
in OS X at home.  I am especially interested in what you think about
performance & stability - does it use less RAM and any new functionality
you recommend (or hate)?

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder


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Re: [CGUYS] Forced to Vista?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Computerworld posted an FAQ on Micro$oft's XP/Vista deadline here:


Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder


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Re: [CGUYS] Forced to Vista?

[Snyder, Mark (IT CIV)]

Jeff makes a valid point and my company is one example.  We have many
applications used across various sectors and the company does not
support multiple OS versions, testing, etc.  The company buys and
reconfigures every computer to a specific XP configuration.  At some
point, they will probably switch to Vista, but I also hear about changes
to maybe support OS X.  Multiple operating system support is easier if
they can interface to corporate applications through the browser, which
is becoming the case; most applications have been redesigned so that
desktops and laptops get to them through their browser.  Until last
year, the company even frowned at Firefox because the stupid web apps
were too tied to IE.  Now, even that is improving and Firefox is
supported.  It is becoming easier, but is not yet easy or cheap to
support multiple versions, let alone multiple operating systems.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-


Here's something I don't understand, Jeff.  Why is there a need for
"upgrading all the desktops to Vista"? This is basically the same
argument
that Eric makes in another message when he mentions a "potentially super
expensive platform change".

Why upgrade everything at once?  Why not just replace XP machines with
Vista
machines on their regular replacement cycle?  I've heard some comments
about
IT issues with maintaining two OSs, but I don't really see it. It's just
doesn't seem that hard. They aren't THAT different.

Stewart's later message says: "As [schools] upgrade they go with the
latest
OS, but they cannot afford to just upgrade machines at will." That
strikes
me as the sensible way, if not the only way, to go.  How many
organizations
of ANY kind can afford to upgrade everything at once?



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Re: [CGUYS] T1 vs DSL?

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Mike, Back then it would have to have been Arpanet.  T1 is
point-to-point, but can be used to get to the internet.  Typically this
would be from the house or business to the ISP and then to the internet.
This is how you connect using a DSL line, because it too is
point-to-point to an ISP.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
T1 is literally technology from another century and is only good for 
1.544 m/sec, required specially conditioned dedicated leased circuits, 
and is extremely expensive. I cannot imagine what possible value it 
would have in today's data communications environment. And, unless I am 
wrong, is considered "point to point" with no access to the Internet. 
Maybe some telcos are selling something different these days, but that 
is my understanding from when I sold T1 for the Bell System back in the 
1960s.


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[CGUYS] Apple Posts Mac OS X Security Guides

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Apple posted security guides for 10.3, 10.4 and 10.5 (desktop and server
versions for each) here yesterday (PDF): 

 

Apple warns that these are not for the inexperienced OS X user.  If you
are not familiar with Terminal command line, networks and OS X, find
someone who is before trying to follow the guides.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder


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Re: [CGUYS] FYI: Safari on the Windows Platform

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Mike, slamming Apple's security by quoting security companies who sell
security software for Windows is less than creditable to me.  They are
saying use Windows and buy our security software; don't switch to OS X
and ignore us!

If they also sold security software for OS X (and had a creditable
number of customers, reflecting the market), I might believe them.  If
their claims that Mac OS X (current versions - 10.4 and 10.5) are true,
then why can't they make and sell security software to those users?
There are plenty of companies selling software for OS X; why do none of
them sell security software?

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
So when mediadefender went to take down rev3 with a DoS attack, if they
had
been rich snobs they would have gone after only macs to set the attack
up?
Or would they realize that the DoS attack only works when you have a lot
of
machines sending data and go after the other 90% of systems out there to
launch the attack?  I don't have to convince anyone, it's just facts.
Look
at almost any security firm who measures medium to critical flaws among
the
os's and they all say the same thing, Apple lags far behind in fixing
such
flaws.  They get away with it because these guys such as mediadefender
need
as many systems as they can get to attack.  This last safari problem is
a
perfect example, MS was out saying they would fix the issue, Apple said
we
aren't fixing it.  Now after some press articles and pressure from the
community and MS,  Apple has agreed to fix it.


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Re: [CGUYS] FYI: Safari on the Windows Platform

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

This is a good example of a defect that mostly affects the ignorant.  I
set up my browsers to download to a specific place that I specify for
each download.  So this would not really get me.  I have not used Safari
in a while, in either OS X or XP, but at least in OS X, I set up a
regular user account that requires administrative account permissions to
install anything, so I am not very worried about this exploit in OS X.
I do agree that Apple should fix the problem - or stop providing Safari
for Windows.

Mike, it is more pleasant for the list to make your point without being
snarky, snooty, etc.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
It's snooty, thank you.

I can't really say I agree or disagree, I was just reading facts.  In
reality do I think the safari exploit matters in real world environment?
Of
course not, there is no money (yet) in attacking Apple products.  This
is if
the tree falls in the forrest...if safari or os x has a vulnerability,
does
it matter since no one will exploit it?

FYI, the safari issue exists on the os x side also, not just windows.


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Re: [CGUYS] FYI: Safari on the Windows Platform

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Don't suppose your problems; examine them.  Aside from the nasty
proclivity to interpret expert as 'someone who agrees with me' maybe
branch out a little and examine also your tendency to be unnecessarily
snarky and defensive when you reply to posts on this list. 

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
I suppose my problem is I'm going by several different experts in the
field
instead of deferring to hobbyists for my information.


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Re: [CGUYS] Problems for windows safari users could spread to m

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

The Dick Cheneys and Microsofts of the world count on your reliable
response to the fear card.  Your ready reaction turns the fear card into
the Bingo! Card for them - every time.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Not that I'm a MS defender in the least, nor am I am Mac lover, but...

MS is screwed either way.  If they don't publicize the problem, then
they'll be blamed because they knew about it and didn't do anything.
They chose - what I consider the decent thing to do - to let people know
about the problem.  

And they still get blamed for it.  Personally, I'd rather have them
"play the fear card" every single time than not.


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Re: [CGUYS] Problems for windows safari users could spread to m

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Down to their last cards.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
 So MS plays the fear card.


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Re: [CGUYS] PC, Mac or Modification

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Tom, I will look at Leopard's screen sharing, thanks!  I did get better
at asking questions to diagnose problems over the years, though.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
>I usually end
>up diagnosing their problems anyway by phone and if they want the tech
>to come out, it is usually a quick visit after they tell the tech what
>we talked about.  Their problems with the last iMac were few and far
>between until the power supply died, and it did last about ten years.

Have you looked at Leopard's new screen sharing feature? This is now
part 
of the OS and very convenient. My only complaint is that the program is 
buried in the Core Services folder in the System domain. Not a normal 
place to look for applications. Other than that, it is very nice.


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Re: [CGUYS] PC, Mac or Modification

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

My parents are late seventies and early eighties.  They live in Arizona;
I live in Virginia.  Their iMac was around ten years old and died
recently.  They were frustrated by dial-up.  I helped them price, spec.
and buy a new iMac.  I offered to go out and set it up, but they have a
local tech they like.  So I gave them some set up parameters, like
setting up real user accounts after the tech sets up an administrator
account and told them to d/l Open Office, etc. since the M$ Office
license on the old Mac was toast, too old to run in OS X.  I wanted to
keep things simple and they are happy.  They upgraded to DSL when I told
them the price points; about the same as dialup.  They are not buying
and don't need any third-party software, except the OSS.  I usually end
up diagnosing their problems anyway by phone and if they want the tech
to come out, it is usually a quick visit after they tell the tech what
we talked about.  Their problems with the last iMac were few and far
between until the power supply died, and it did last about ten years.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
> He might be ready to switch to a Mac - my 82-year old mother is  
> happy with hers.  I'm thinking of doing the same - except I need to  
> exchange Word & Excel files with the Dell at work either thru e- 
> mails or flash drive.
>

If not wanting to buy a new version of Word is all that's stopping  
you, check out Open Office. It's free and will let you read Word and  
save your creations in Word format.

It definitely works for me.

Mar



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Re: [CGUYS] OMG! Apple US Market Share for "Premium" PCs Hits 6

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

Ever seen a 1980's HP PC?  HP did not sell PCs in the 80's.  They were a
company that bought companies to get into the market. 

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-
Ever heard of Hewlett Packard?


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Re: [CGUYS] OMG! Apple US Market Share for "Premium" PCs Hits 6

[Snyder, Mark (IT Civ)]

IBM left the PC market (more than once).  Sun has sold PCs, but never
really got into the PC market very long - they were traditionally
workstation and server focused.

Thank you,
 
Mark Snyder
-Original Message-

What about IBM?


On May 22, 2008, at 10:49 AM, Snyder, Mark (IT Civ) wrote:

> Historically, PC makers have all (except Apple) migrated down to the  
> low
> end of the market, squeezing the middle into oblivion, before going
> under themselves (or getting bought-out and subsumed by a larger
> competitor).  Apple is the only remaining company that originated in  
> or
> before the eighties.


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