Geoff Coupe's Blog

Reflections on life at “De Witte Wand”…

Year: 2009

  • Windows 7: Some Thoughts

    As I mentioned last week, I’ve now got my new Windows 7 software, and am in the process of installing it on our computers. I’ve been running the beta version for a while, so I know what to expect; nevertheless, I’m pleased with it, at least for the most part. There are still some less than shiny bits on the final result, but on the whole it’s pretty good. The two areas that grate on me the most are these:

    1. Windows Media Player. Windows 7 comes with a new version of Windows Media Player (WMP12). With this, Microsoft has given with the left hand and taken away with the right. What’s new is that WMP12 has a “Play To” feature, which allows it to act as a digital media controller (see my Fun With Technology – Part IV post for more geeky information on this). This is a nice feature, and it’s far easier to use WMP12 running on my Tablet PC to stream music from my Windows Home Server to my Denon Hi-Fi system than it is to use the Denon’s limited interface to hunt through my music collection. Alas, while Microsoft has given us “Play To”, they’ve taken away the editor that the previous WMP version had for editing metadata. While that editor was far from perfect, what now remains is so limited and clumsy that it’s a disaster. I’ve resorted to using Media Monkey purely for its metadata editor, oh, and for Podcast support, which WMP still doesn’t have a clue about. Peter Bright’s extensive review of Windows 7 in Ars Technica deals with WMP12 in some detail, and points out just how poorly Microsoft has done with this latest, and not-the-greatest, incarnation of Windows Media Player.
    2. Remote Access. I’ve ranted on before about how Microsoft’s marketing of Windows Home Server is misleading; in particular that you can use it to access “any home computer” remotely via the internet. The fine print actually points out that if you are running Windows 7 Home Premium on your home computers, then you can’t do this. What really irks me is that I recently discovered that Microsoft’s Live Mesh (a free download) will give you this capability. As Peter Bright points out:

    “Home Premium users don’t get the ability to remotely view their PC’s desktop. Unless, that is, they install the (free) Live Mesh beta, which provides remote desktop support for all. One might suggest that perhaps the left hand is not so familiar with what the right hand is doing; if remote desktop support is a feature that we can have for a free download, on any supported version of Windows, why not let us use the (technically superior) built-in facility?”

    Yet another example of the phenomenon that I’ve remarked on before: Microsoft’s teams do not leverage each others’ work to the extent that they could. “Not Invented Here” could be the unofficial motto of many of them.

    If you’re a geek, it’s well worth reading Peter Bright’s review of Windows 7. I found myself nodding in fierce agreement with a lot of it. I note that some people have found his review too nit-picky, for example where he points out that the Windows 7 developers are not even following their own guidelines for Windows 7 look and feel. However, I side with Bright – it’s attention to detail where Microsoft often seems to fall down. And I had the same reaction as him when I saw the default wallpaper that now ships with the released version of Windows 7 – it is simply god-awful. Practically the first thing I did was to switch to another desktop theme…

    Even though Peter Bright’s review is fifteen pages of often dense detail, he has not managed to cover everything that is in Windows 7. For example, he makes no mention of the Homegroup feature, or of the many under-the-cover improvements that have been made over Windows Vista. Still, and despite the fact that he spends much of his review bemoaning the shortcomings, I agree with his conclusion:

    “But at the end of the day, that doesn’t really matter. Windows 7 is, overall, a fantastic OS. It builds on a solid platform, and just makes it even better.”

  • By George, It Might Just Work!

    I’m feeling very low in spirit at the moment. This is because the media, both in the UK and the Netherlands, are buzzing with the news that Tony Blair may well become the President of the EU. Well, here in the Netherlands, there’s also the fact that some are pushing for Jan Peter Balkenende, but even here, there is strong support for Blair. As I’ve said before, the thought of Blair being President of the EU makes me hang my head in shame. The reasons why are very well summarised in the opening paragraph of an article by George Monbiot in today’s Guardian:

    Tony Blair’s bid to become president of the European Union has united the left in revulsion. His enemies argue that he divided Europe by launching an illegal war; he kept the UK out of the eurozone and the Schengen agreement; he is contemptuous of democracy (surely a qualification?); greases up to wealth and power and lets the poor go to hell; he is ruthless, mendacious, slippery and shameless.

    But then George made me do a double-take; he ends the paragraph with:

    But never mind all that. I’m backing Blair.

    Eh? Monbiot then goes on to explain that with Blair as EU President, it may in fact be our best chance of finally getting him brought to justice. It’s a crazy plan, but if it works, it will be brilliant. If it doesn’t, then we’re stuck with bloody Blair.

  • I Doff My Hat

    An interesting story in today’s Observer about gay men who have adopted children. It’s great to see the many forms that a loving family can take. Here’s the article and here’s the video that lets some of the fathers speak for themselves. I have to say that I doff my hat to them. I think it’s wonderful that they willingly take on the enormous responsibility of raising a child. It’s not something that I think I could do.

  • Disingenuousness Defined

    It seems to me that the "apology" from Jan Moir merely underlines the fact that she is probably not someone that I would point to as a good example of a moral human being.

  • 32 or 64 Bits?

    Now that Windows 7 has been released, I shall shortly be in the position to replace the beta versions of Windows 7 on our home systems with the real thing. One of the fundamental questions that I need to address is: do I go with the 32 or 64 bit version of Windows 7?

    In an ideal world, of course, I would be leaping on to the magic carpet of technology that is ready and waiting to whisk me away to the land of 64-bit computing. And if you don’t understand the difference between 32 and 64 bit computing, here’s Microsoft’s take on the question.

    Needless to say, it’s an utterly Panglossian take on the topic:

    There’s no need to worry: Simply put, a computer running a 64-bit version of Windows 7 needs 64-bit drivers for all your hardware and devices.

    Ah, but , yes, what’s that “needs” word?

    What that says to me is that if all you have is a 32-bit driver for your hardware, then you’re fucked.

    And so it is, my droogs. I have a Steinberg Midex 8 ; it is my MIDI interface with my synthesiser modules. And is there a 64-bit driver? Why, no, of course not. Steinberg don’t even allow the possibility of an open source driver to be developed for their obsolete hardware, So, no sensawunda 64-bit glory-filled computing dreamland for me… Welcome to yesteryear – it’s where I clearly belong. Sigh. And, thank you Steinberg, for showing me what customer support does not mean. Bastards.

    Update: Mind you, Microsoft’s Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor program doesn’t help matters either. According to it, the Steinberg Midex 8 is compatible with the 64bit version of Windows 7. Er, no, it isn’t, you stupid program.

    Steinberg Midex 8

  • Machinarium

    About four years ago, I mentioned a quirky little game called Samorost. The creative forces behind that have been hard at work and have now come up with Machinarium. It’s been getting rave reviews. I’m downloading it as we speak.

  • An Answer To Jan Moir

    I’ve just realised that, of course, Lily Allen, with the help of assorted French people, has the perfect answer to Jan Moir’s homophobic scribbles:
     
     
     
    Take it away, Lily and GayClic!

  • Who Is Jan Moir?

    I lead a sheltered life. I had not come across this Jan Moir person until today. Apparently, she is what passes for a journalist on the Daily Mail. Here’s what she wrote today about the death of Stephen Gately. Her writing seems rather like the sort of thing one sees when one turns over a stone to expose the insect life scurrying through what was, moments before, fetid darkness. I think Charlie Brooker sums up her piece rather well:
    It’s like gazing through a horrid little window into an awesome universe of pure blockheaded spite. Spiralling galaxies of ignorance roll majestically against a backdrop of what looks like dark prejudice, dotted hither and thither with winking stars of snide innuendo.
    But then again, isn’t that the Daily Mail all over?

  • Meteor Over The Netherlands

    I happened to be outside yesterday at around 7 pm and caught a sight of a very bright meteor passing across the sky in a Northerly direction. Apparently, it was visible from over all of the Netherlands, because many people reported it to the Dutch weather service.
     
    Needless to say, I didn’t have my camera handy, and my mobile is an old-fashioned one that, shock, horror, only makes and receives telephone calls. So I don’t have a photograph of it. I’ve also only been able to find just one on the web, thus far. A pity, because it certainly was very spectacular.

  • Bad Science

    I’ve understood this from an early age, but just in case there are some innocents out there, here’s a health warning for you. Never, ever, trust any science reporting from The Sun. It’s not just wrong, it’s likely to cause your brain cells to commit suicide.

  • Swimming With Ghosts

    A wonderful interview by Johann Hari of Gore Vidal, who vividly impersonates a world-weary Cassandra. I find the portrait strangely attractive. Mind you, I’m much more ambivalent about Vidal the person; for example, I would hardly describe Timothy McVeigh as a "noble boy".
     
    But here’s one heart-stopping thought that Hari brings out: Vidal, at the age of 83 years has lived through one-third of the lifespan of the United States.

  • Give Me Strength…

    I’ve ranted on about Philippe Starck before in this blog. He does come up with the most pretentious shite when describing his work on a depressingly regular basis. The latest example is that LaCie, makers of external hard drives, have just paid Monsieur Starck to design some housing for a new series of drives. And according to Monsieur Starck:
    "Technological genius explodes exponentially, each time with incredible power whose limits are yet to be known. The power remains, never abating, symbolically characterized by the sculptural magma that one attempts to cleave, to master within this geometrically perfect strongbox. A symbol of strength mastered, of freedom guided, of incandescent magma heeding to the form of its cast. The interpretation is free. But the mystery remains."
    Gawd, give me strength…

  • A New Arrival

    Our dog, Kai, will be seven years old next March. Labradors have a life expectancy of between ten and twelve years. We thought it might be a good idea, before he gets too old, to have a companion for his later years. Here’s Watson, born on the 29th July 2009…

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    Of course, at this stage, he spends most of his time asleep…

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  • Please Make It Stop…

    Charlie Brooker has another cracking column in today’s Guardian, this time commenting on the eternal Apple versus Microsoft versus Apple evangelism. He draws our attention to what must be the worst video ever commissioned by Microsoft’s marketing machine. As one of the men in the video declaims: "I’m not a salesman at this party; I’m not supposed to be a total expert, either". But, honey, you are a total dork. Watch this video at your peril.
     

  • Sagan Sings

    This brought a smile to my face.
     
     
     
    (hat tip to Phil Plait)

  • Alf Garnett in a Tiara

    I think that’s a pretty good summary of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

  • The Only True Liberal Position

    I see that Tariq Ramadan has been giving us the benefit of his opinions again:

    My position on homosexuality is quite clear…Islam, as Christianity, as Judaism, as even the Dalai Lama…[are] not accepting of homosexuality, saying that this is forbidden according to the principles of our religion…My position, with homosexuals, is to say, "We don’t agree with what you are doing, but we respect who you are," which I think is the only true liberal position that you can have.

    As Ophelia says, this is hardly the “only” true liberal position that you can have. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it shows very clearly what a piece of work Tariq Ramadan is, and why I totally reject his “philosophy”. Indeed, I think Mo sums Ramadan up pretty well. It’s hardly surprising that the city of Rotterdam terminated his contract as an “integration advisor”. But then again, one wonders how they ever fell for his sophistry in the first place.

  • The Rise of the Real Midwich Cuckoos

    Jenni Russell has an eye-opening article in The Guardian about the erosion of adults’ powers to deal with children. The example she gives of a school dinner lady, Carol Hill, being sacked as a result is appalling. If it is indeed indicative of what is happening in UK society, then I agree with Russell – it completely undermines the importance of a community, and the importance of social pressure and shame.
     
    It is truly ironical that it turns out to be a Labour government that seems to be intent on fulfilling Margaret Thatcher’s dictum: "There’s no such thing as society".

  • De Witte Wand

    I made a new photosynth of the front of the farmhouse and garden yesterday. You can see it here.

    Addendum: And of course Microsoft has now scrapped the Photosynth product and technology, so none of these links work anymore. It’s dead, Jim.

  • Varsseveld Hippisch Festijn

    Last weekend was the annual horse festival held around here: the Varsseveld Hippisch Festijn. It’s a three-day event, but this year, I only had time for going along to view a couple of hours of the cross-country event on Sunday morning.

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    More of the photos I shot are up on Flickr.