t 'n t luoma

Actually I've probably missed a few, but this one has always annoyed me...

I had to use System Restore today.

I tried to install Windows XP SP2, even though it was in beta. Why? Because I read some Microsoft lackey's website and he said it was pretty much ready to roll.

Yes, it's my own dumb fault.

Windows Update no longer works, and the machine locks up every time it tries to come out of hibernate. Oh yay oh yay.

System Restore is that new feature of Windows XP which says, "Ok, well your computer is screwed up today but when do you think it was working properly?

However, what you need to know is that System Restore is a joke. I know of literally one person who it has worked for when they needed it.

I picked a point about a week ago, and did a system restore.

Now your first question is going to be: Does Windows Update work now?

Well I'd be glad to tell you except that now I can't even get online at all.

I'm not exactly sure when I installed XP SP2, but I'll tell you this, the networking has worked since day one, so any restore point should have been fine.

Of course it isn't fine. In fact it is a steeping pile of filth.

I get this nice little "bubble" telling me that "One or more wireless networks are available." I click on the bubble, and a window comes up and says, "There's this network here, but it's unsecure!!!! Are you sure you want to use it!?!?!? GOOD LORD BE CAREFUL!!!!"

Of course it is secure. It is very secure. It is secure to the tune of using MAC address filtering. For you non-techies out there, what that means is literally only the computers that I allow on the network (by typing in an obscure code tied to the hardware) can access it.

Windows XP thinks it isn't secure because I'm not using WEP. I'm not using WEP because the hardware I have only support a WEP so weak that it could be broken by pouring Country Time Lemonade over it. All WEP would do is make the connection slower, and the last thing Wireless-B (801.11b) needs is to run any slower than it already does.

Anyway, there is this little checkbox next to the warning that says, "Allow me to connect to the network even though it is not secure."

I check the box, and click OK, and you know what happens?

Now did anyone say, "You get to access the network?" Well if so you were SO VERY WRONG and have clearly never met Windows.

No, what happens then is that nothing happens, and a few seconds later that same bubble appears telling me that one or more wireless networks are available.

So, to recap:

Windows XP Service Patch 2 Release Candidate 2 managed to screw up the vitally important Windows Update which gives me the bug fixes for the latest security patches and broke hibernation on my machine (the one feature that I wish Mac OS X had).

System Restore then stepped in and did fix the hibernation problem, however it also completely broke my network connection, which was working fine from the day I installed Windows right up until the point that I used System Restore. I can't say whether Windows Update would work now since I can't even access my local network.

But hey, at least hibernation works... so I can turn the computer off.

Posted by TjL at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

MacMinute reports VirtualPC7 has been delayed because of Windows XP SP2. What's more, Virtual PC standalone, upgrade, and Windows 2000 are apparently ready now but wil not be released until some months after VirtualPC7 with Windows XP SP2 is available.

How dumb is that?

Microsoft, who haven't released a product on schedule in 37 years, was supposed to release VPC7 in the first part of 2004. They missed that deadline (no surprise) apparently because of technical issues.

Now it is seemingly ready to go (the implication is that they are just waiting on SP2 for Windows XP) and they are delaying it.

Huh?

So let me get this straight: I have my own copy of Windows and I already own Virtual PC, but you won't let me buy this product until you ship another product (SP2 for XP). Furthermore, you will ship versions of VPC7 to new customers before existing customers.

Right, sure, that makes a lot of sense.

See, this is why I'm not in business, because my brain obviously doesn't work right. If I had a product to sell today, I'd sell it... well, today. If I had existing customers who were willing to pay for an upgrade today and I had the upgrade today, I'd sell it... well, today.

If I had a product that could ship with a stable version of an OS (i.e. VPC7 for Windows2000), I'd ship it today.

What I wouldn't do... what wouldn't even occur to me.... is to hold onto these products as long as possible so that I can wait for another repeatedly-delayed product (SP2) and then release that first, and then wait to release the other, older, stable versions.

I could clearly never make it as a Microsoft Marketing Genius.

Posted by TjL at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I don't know whether to laugh or cry, because as funny as this is, I can see it happening: ACLU Pizza (requires Flash).

Posted by TjL at 09:18 AM | Permalink

Ethan insisted on having 4 pieces of bacon before going to bed.

I went to get him his customary glass of water before bed, and he pointed vehemently to the bacon box (precooked, just microwave and eat... it's a wonderful time to live when you can have decent bacon in under a minute).

Realizing that an part of parenting is choosing your battles (and also realizing that the kid is still a lightweight), we gave him two pieces of bacon. We went into his room, put on his PJs, read our usual nighttime story, and all settled in our usual spots on the floor: Ethan and I sharing a pillow, Tracey has rolled up blanket as a make-do pillow, and we say goodnight before turning off the light. We then wait for Ethan to fall asleep, at which point Tracey puts him in the crib and he sleeps soundly through the entire night.

It works well for us, so we do it every night.

Except tonight. After the light went off, Ethan started to fuss. One of the advantages to being a generally easy-going kid is that when you do fuss, your parents pay a lot more attention. "Do your teeth hurt?" No, he said. He's clearly tired, perhaps just overtired. It's his usual time for bed but he had no nap today. Finally he asked for more "B" which here meant "bacon".

I thought he was stalling... but I made him more bacon anyway.

He ate every last bit, crawled down on the pillow, and fell asleep.

Some things just ain't covered in the parenting books.

Posted by TjL at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I have written before about fun with the post office. This time it's FedEx.

One of the best parts about waiting for a package these days is the ability to track its progress online.

To do this, you really need either UPS or FedEx. The USPS offers some tracking, but it's far too behind the times. I can see my UPS or FedEx package status change during the course of the day. USPS updates once a day, maybe, if they feel like it.

I watched my Powerbook travel from Singapore, including watching it arrive in Alaska 8 hours before it left. I keep the bookmarks for my old package deliveries. Yeah, strange but true. I can remember some things about them sometimes. "Oh yeah, that was the package that took 4 days to appear after it said 'Departure Scan'..."

Ok, not my most endearing quality maybe, but it's who I am. Or at least part of who I am.

I currently have three packages in the air coming from three different companies. One sent me my tracking information several hours before it went into the UPS system. Another didn't even bother sending me the tracking information until a day later, which means I've lost valuable tracking time. The package is already in Ohio. Maumee, Ohio, to be precise. Where is Maumee, Ohio? I haven't a clue, but MapQuest tells me it is about 5 hours from here.

What's strange is that it left Maumee last night at 11:39 p.m. but hasn't arrived anywhere yet. That's almost 24 hours. Where has it been? Did it meet up with some buddies and go clubbing? Did it go to the Merle Haggard concert at the Kanauga Drive In? I have no idea. But I worry. That's my package, after all.

You can't worry too much, however, because you will come to find out that these tracking pages tend to.... well.... lie. Not so much lie as... well, no, they lie. They're not to be trusted. I wouldn't leave my wallet unattended around any of them, and definitely not my car keys.

For example, take my FedEx package with an estimated arrive date of Jul 19, 2004 by 4:30 pm. Imagine my surprise when I logged in on Friday and saw this:

8:11 am: HUNTINGTON WV: On FedEx vehicle for delivery

"On FedEx vehicle for delivery" is the last update you get before the FedEx guy comes knocking on your door. Friday was only the 16th. I was going to get my package 3 days early.

Except it never came.

I wondered if it was because they had tried to deliver it after everyone had gone from the office, but when I checked back again I saw this:

12:42 pm / Package status / HUNTINGTON WV / Package not due for delivery

Now "Package not due for delivery" usually means, "Yeah it got to the sorting facility but we're ignoring it because you didn't pay for faster shipping." Which would have been fine except that it didn't say this until long after 5 p.m. on Friday. So either it wasn't out for delivery or it wasn't due for delivery. You can't really have it both ways.

One of my UPS packages, on the other hand, has now reverted to saying basically "We've gotten the information, but we don't have the package yet." Yesterday it was telling me to expect it Monday.

Which is all part of the fun.

Posted by TjL at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)