vanderwal.net

One annoying item with XP for me is the option in the menu on IE6 (in XP) to mail > send a link. This action used to send an attached .url with the e-mail and embed the URL in the text of the e-mail message. Now it only sends that attached .url file. This is problematic for two reasons on is that folks that have their e-mail security turned up do not have access to the .url file. The second reason is there is not a link to copy so that it can be easily pasted in a link page or in a weblog entry. I have spent much time looking for a setting to get the printed out URL sent as a default. The second thing is I can not find my PhotoShop 5.5 CDROM so to reload the program. I do not seem to have it at home any longer. ARG!!! I found my activation string while searching for the disk, but not the disk.

So far so good. No major expletive-laden blurts have been uttered. In 24 hours I have upgraded my CD-R/W to a TDK Velocd (which is a fast mother), added a new 40GB hard drive (for a clean start), and Windows XP Home.

I added the new CD-RW to backup files more quickly than the cheap slow writer I had been using and pulled my essential files (e-mail, finance, Lotus Organizer, and site files). Then I added the hard drive so to start from fresh for adding a new full version of the OS, so as not to pull any of the unbelievably crappy Win ME OS. Then I tried adding the XP OS (full version) from scratch. The building the OS on a fresh hard drive was a little bit of a hand-holder (meaning it was a good thing Joy was out shopping or doing what ever she was doing while I was going through the logic puzzle of having XP partition my drive, then have XP not recognize the partition and other wonderful tricks). I now have most of my main software reinstalled and seemingly running properly. I have a hand full of software that I am having problems locating in my stacks of CD-ROMs, which are now slightly better organized.

I am really enjoying having a more stable operating system. The real test will come when I start doing working from this machine again. Running Dreamweaver, Word, fax software, e-mail, and a couple browsers will be a decent test. I am really hoping it will take that pressure. If it can handle that maybe I will be able to compile Java applets/servelets or compiling C/C++ applications while running a cygwin instance to upload and tweak the output of the compiling. Oh, to live a life where the computer is a tool for me to use and not chunk of plastic with electronic bits that induces cursing.

Posts may be sporadic of the next few days as my main computer gets an upgrade of OS. Going away is the piece of garbage MS ME. Having the system run out of resources with two browsers, e-mail and textpad open with 384MB of RAM and 64MB of SDRAM on the graphic card is beyond pathetic. I will be staying in the Microsoft family for the time being, but I am saving to switch to a more capable OS in the hopefully near future.

The stability of the MS ME operating system is horrid (operating seems to be an oxymoron). There were three crashes Satufday, which was largely a day of errands and Joy and I entertaining 5 year old twin nephews (more on that later). Sunday there were five crashes, which were quasi detrimental as they were happening during a site integration of an updated Dreamweaver template. Trying to finish what should be two to three hours more work on a small project with an unstable OS is not my idea of fun. This may mean that I am forced to move up to XP. I have thought about Windows 2000, but there are more drivers available for XP. I will have to move the scanner and fax software to Joy's computer from this point forward, if and when I make the move. The move will probably require getting a new hard drive so to start clean and still maintain my files. I have back-ups of the most important items, but not all 25GB. A new hard drive and a full version of XP should allow me a nice clean slate to start on, which should be less problematic. I really don't like a computer making me less productive.

Trying to decide on getting Windows XP, take a look at InfoWorld's Waiting for Windows XP article.