* Posts by Rick Leeming

79 publicly visible posts • joined 23 Apr 2007

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Plusnet is doing us proud again with early Christmas present for customers: Price hikes

Rick Leeming

I was a Plusnet subscriber until about a month back. Worked perfectly with 65Mb until someone (kell yComms) messed with the pole outside and the speed dropped to about 4mb. Plusnet booked an engineer who then cut me off totally (Kelly again), and he only turned up after 10 days. Took a further 12 days to then get an Openreach guy out who tested my line, and said there was a break in the cable "42 M away", so at the pole. He fixed it, and Plusnet then tried to tell em they needed to get another engineer out to fix the line "properly" before they would put my speed up. This would also cost cost me a chunk of money "If no fault, or a fault with your internal cables was found". The idea that the Openreach guy had already resolved the issue, so no fault would be found, and I'm not paying out the suggested couple of hundred quid for nothing seems to fly right over their heads.

They did promise to also pay me back some cash for the service I had been unable to use. that didn't happen either.

So now I'm on Virgin, who are relatively cheap, relatively quick, and while their CS is a bit poop I expect it.

David Hockney creates new Sun masthead. Now for The Reg...

Rick Leeming

The Sun?

Surely an emoji turd would be more appropriate for The Sun?

Naughty sysadmins use dark magic to fix PCs for clueless users

Rick Leeming

Blessed Blake Protect Us

It's all gets a little bit COMSTAR after a while.

Bungling Microsoft singlehandedly proves that golden backdoor keys are a terrible idea

Rick Leeming

Re: Surface RT with Android sounds good.

I already use OpenSUSE as my preferred desktop OS (Unless I'm gaming). She hates not having the current version of office to do her work on. In fact she goes mental if I've switched the default boot to Linux without forgetting to put it back again.

Linux isn't always the answer, some people even when shown the alternative will still pick Windows over *NIX or OSX/MacOS. I still run Windows for gaming, because it is just easier than the alternatives.

Rick Leeming

Surface RT with Android sounds good.

Been using The Wife's Surface RT recently, and damn it has got slow. Even she has complained about it. I think it is time to look at an Android build. While I actually like the Surface, it is now way too limited, and as Word etc are free on Android I'm not going to lose any real functionality.

I'd go Linux, but I don't want to make herself learn a 'new' OS from scratch.

Windows 10 Anniversary Update is borking boxen everywhere

Rick Leeming

"Lost" drives.

I lost both my storage drives after Anniversary installed. One I got back by just assigning a drive letter, the other had a corrupted MFT. When that was "fixed" all the files seemed to be missing content, and I had to use some recovery software to actually get the data.

Not a show stopper, but somewhat annoying.

Roamers rejoice! Google Maps gets offline regional navigation

Rick Leeming

Re: Here Maps

I recently swapped off Windows Phone (been using it since I got a HD7). Been using HERE maps since I got a 920. Great maps. Installed them on Android, and they're damn near as good. Couple of features I never used like the links to HERE transit etc don't work (But I've not even checked for those apps on Android). I'd actually pay for this if they started charging on Android, they're actually the best balance of usability and functionality I've found.

RIP Windows RT: Microsoft murders ARM Surface, Nokia tablets

Rick Leeming

The BOSS has a Surface

Wife has a Surface 1 with a Touch Keyboard. She loves it. I did offer her the choice, but she wanted it. She loves it, battery life is great, touch keyboard would be horrible to do serious work, but it isn't for that. She wanted a noodling tablet to browse a bit, shop a lot and generally use without having to boot it up. She hates Android and iOS, and she did have a choice. It has outlasted my Galaxy Tab 10 and Galaxy Tab 7, and they were supposed to be better.

El Reg Redesign - leave your comment here.

Rick Leeming

urgh

When will people work out we don't all use a tablet or phone all the time?

Mobile theme yes, but can we have a real website for real use?

this is horrible on my desktop, and mouseover menus are a travesty best left in 1998.

Microsoft ups OneDrive storage, slashes prices to match Google Drive

Rick Leeming

Re: 2Gb file?

Or maybe, just maybe the roughly 200 different people a month I deal with relating to their personal needs...

Rick Leeming

Re: 2Gb file?

I think in 20+ years I've seen maybe 1 office file (Other than PST files) over 2Gb. Plus PST files are an awful way to store data anyway. ScanPST has been the bane of my life in the past, and similarly users who think that the auto-archive features of exchange aren't reliable (despite in one case having a backup system for the exchange server that was multi-millions in cost).

Skydrive/Onedrive is a poor, slow, crappy system. It is barely adequate for what they say it does, to stretch it to using files over 2Gb would just be asking for even more pain.

These days small businesses should really be looking at Hosted services, or just flipping over to Google Apps (I flipped to the google apps 50 user when it was still free due to functionality I needed at the time).

The job I do now I see 20Gb PST files, with multiple mailboxes all dumping their crap, and I rarely see anything for home users that actually needs anything more than a basic IMAP account. I similarly see small business users who are trying to run it on 2nd rate services where they would be _far_ more flexible, and covered to just pay a little cash on google apps (or similar) than paying me a couple of hundred quid every few months to recover what data I can.

I recently pointed a customer at Hosted Services, because their needs were better served there than keep paying me for work that that while profitable, was annoying me and better done elsewhere.

I use Skydrive myself to transfer docs between my machines, and I'm using WP8/8.1 as well as Android, and even occasionally a Macbook (horrible thing). I don't consider it even a remotely suitable backup solution, it's a useful file dump for the occasional thing that I may want later. It isn't even a proper backup solution, it's just a sync folder really.

Rick Leeming

Re: 2Gb file?

No, I'm pointing out that from a marketing point of view MS would be foolish to bite in to their commercial business.

If you need a store over 2Gb then use another product. Nobody is pointing a gun at your head and saying "Use Onedrive or Die".

Rick Leeming

Re: 2Gb file?

If you're regularly needing to put over a 2Gb file in the cloud then This Product Is Not For You. It's not a business service product, MS would be foolish to cut in to their potential Sharepoint customers.

If you're using Onedrive in a professional environment to share out product to customers and staff, then your IT team isn't advising you well.

You wouldn't use a motorbike to pull a caravan, Similarly you don't use domestic products in an important business function.

Rick Leeming

2Gb file?

How many legally obtained files do you have that are over 2Gb?

Leaked photos may indicate slimmer next-generation iPad

Rick Leeming
Trollface

Paper Thin?

All those people making anything over 80gsm better watch out, they're risking being sued for infringing on patents to do with slimness.

Apple to grieving sons: NO, you cannot have access to your dead mum's iPad

Rick Leeming

Re: Why Do Apple Think They're Different?

God no, it's Apple's property, they just allow you to use it in return for a metric arseload of cash.

Nokia to launch low-cost Android phone this month – report

Rick Leeming

Nokia wasn't a "phone" company in the first place,

The phones were just the latest iteration of a company that has made Wellington Boots, Tyres, Cables, Electricity Generation, Gas Masks, Metals, Chemicals, Paper etc etc.

They got in to the phone business when the going was good, and they've left it when the market is saturated and they don't want to be there any more.

They're doing what they've done before. Exiting a business when they don't make money there again. They'll probably still be around in another 150 years if they carry on like they have the last 150!

Looks like Google may ask you to PAY for YouTube music - report

Rick Leeming

Nokia Music?

I dumped my Spotify sub when I got a Lumia (cue Windows Phone is Crap rants). I found as product as good, with less hassle as I only use it on my phone anyway.

Paying for YouTube kind of defeats the purpose. Also if you don't want to see adverts install AdBlock+. I've not seen an anvert using YouTube in years.

Be prepared... to give heathens a badge: UK Scouts open doors to unbelievers

Rick Leeming

Re: Nice to see them catch up with the girls

Most people I know who identify as "Christian" do so by default, and have been in church less than I have in the past 10 years. I'm politely described as "Apostate Catholic", or Atheist. Al

As for removing Relgion totally, that's rubbish. They changed "Love My God" to "to be true to myself and develop my beliefs". Which allows ALL religions or none depending on the person. It's far more inclusive than before, and it IS about time the scouts caught up.

Also as you skirted round, Science cannot prove something doesn't exist. In fact scientists will tell you they can't prove anything beyond doubt. I don't think god exists, because I've seen no proof. I can however look at the evidence for the theories of Evolution and The Big Bang and say that is a fact. I mean, Gravity is only a theory, and nobody argues with that.

Rick Leeming

Nice to see them catch up with the girls

Girl Guides (wife is a Brownie Leader) have been doing this for years. Nice to see the scouts catching up.

Microsoft: Oh PLEASE, HTC. Who says Windows Phone can't go on an Android mobe? – report

Rick Leeming

Nice Idea, but it'll never fly

I like Windows Phone. I've used it since I got a HD7, and found it to be FAR more reliable than the Android handsets I've also had at the same time. I've never had to wipe my phone because of some weird error that nobody knows what to do with. It's also quick, and simple to use. Actually easier than iOS. It's not the most cusomisable OS ever, but after the abortion that was Windows Mobile I'm not surprised MS went as far as they did to lock it out.

Before I got my current Mobile (Lumia 920) I spent 8 months with various Android Handsets and an iPhone. None of them were as nice to use In My Opinion. The iPhone was frustrating for what it didn't do for me, and the Android handsets were irritating in their need for apps that had a habit of saying "****** has stopped", and giving me nothing but an option to report or OK. Well yeah,but WHY did it crash? If you're telling me it's crashed, tell me WHY rather than leaving me to guess.

Windows Phone on the other hand has never given me an App Crash, it gets rebooted maybe once every 3 months, and it's no slower at that age than it is straight out of the box.

Different strokes for different folks, and no mobile is suited to everyone, but the majority of people I know that have lived with Windows Phone for more than a couple of weeks turn in to "Out of My Cold Dead Hand" people. The others tended to have a particular app they wanted, or just wanted the latest shiny shiny iPhone/Galaxy-S.

Microsoft to merge Windows, Windows Phone stores in 2014

Rick Leeming
Thumb Up

So basically they've finally worked out 3 different code bases was a mistake, and they're going to merge WP8 and RT together. Maybe build their own emulator to run ARM on x86?

I like Windows Phone. Hell, I even like RT, but what stopped me buying an RT Tablet was the consideration I'd have to start buying all my apps again. MS pushed me in to buying the Tab2, I don't really like Android, but I did find I had a use for a tablet when I borrowed one.

MYSTERY Nokia Lumia with gazillion-pixel camera 'spotted'

Rick Leeming

Just got a 920

No regrets for getting the 920 I just picked up. Comparing shots with my wife's Canon Compact that's about 18 months old, and you can't tell the difference for the most part.

I've also had an N8, and an extended play with a Pureview 808. Both stunning cameras on them.

I tried some time with an iPhone, also with an S2 and other Android phones. I went back to WP8 as soon as I could. It's quick (yes it is), it's stable, it's easy to use, and it's reliable. In over 2 years my old HD7 never gave me a problem (until small child decided phone made a nice splashy in the loo), and I never regretted it. After the absolute abortion that was Windows Mobile 6.5 I was wary about going back to a phone using an MS Operating system. However It's actually pretty good. Nobody I know that has used WindowsPhone for more than couple of weeks considers it bad. Some people prefer android, but my experience of Android is less than stellar.

Thought you'd escaped Twitter? Think again as Twits get email button

Rick Leeming

First Person who uses this on me...

Gets the biggest .BMP file I can create e-mailed directly to them with the words "Don't Send Me TwitterSpam" written in it.

Eric Schmidt: Ha ha, NO Google maps app for iPhone 5

Rick Leeming

Re: Bing?

I've used Google Maps (On my Galaxy-S), and I've used Navteq/Nokia maps (I'm using Navigon on my HTC HD7 at the moment).

Navteq are actually BETTER than google maps in the UK. Same maps as used by Garmin, and many car manufacturers. Google maps kept trying to get me to go up roads that are closed off (and have been for years), and sometimes routed me the LOOONG way round where I live.

Google I'm told is very good in large cities with large populations, however we don't all live in London/New York/LA.

Nokia's WinPho 8 double date announced

Rick Leeming

I rather Like Windows Phone!

Picked up a HD7 about 18 months back when it was just WP7, not 7.5. On the same day I picked up a Galaxy-S. I've still got the HD7, and the Galaxy got traded at CEX.

My wife has a 3GS, she's OK With it, but after playing around with my handset (and stealing it for a couple of weeks) she's rather more impressed with it. Prefers the menus, the battery life, and the software (Zune isn't bad really, it just takes a little getting used to).

In the past 2 years I've had Symbian, Blackberry, iOS, Android and WP7.5. I'm still using the Windows Phone, and I'm a demanding user*. Likewise I know a number of other people who are converts to WP7, because it really does "just work".

If you're slating it (like I did when it first arrived), you've not used it for more than a few minutes. Give it a chance, you may like it!

*My only gripe is being unable to use Mass Storage Mode.

Forget Ultrabooks and Win 8 - only fondleslabs can save us now

Rick Leeming
Facepalm

They Said this when XP Tablet edition came out, and people carried on buying computers. (Ok, it was cack, but it was supposed to change computing forever).

Then Smartphones appeared, and they declared desktop computing at all dead.

Then laptops became affordable, and they declared the desktop computer dead.

Then netbooks came along, and they declared Laptops and Desktops dead (again)

Then the new high-end smartphones arrived, and they declared Laptops and Desktops dead again.

Then workable tablet arrived, and the desktop and laptop was declared dead again.

Then Ultrabooks arrived, and everything else was declared dead.

Then tablet stuck their head above the wall again, and marketing pukes have once again declared Laptops and Desktops dead.

And So The Cycle Continues. I've recently had more requests related to building and buying desktop computers than I've had for years. Because people have finally cottoned on that you can fix a desktop machine cheaply, after they have had a price for repairing a broken laptop, and found that they just aren't worth fixing. On the plus side, I've now got a nice collection of spare 2.5" Drives and SODIMMs. :)

Ten... pieces of tat for Apple fanboys

Rick Leeming

I had one of the sweatshits, and a hat at one point. Freebies because they were in a box at a place I did work experience at 6th form. Actually quite crappy IIRC, but they'd likely be worth a bloody fortune now to some hipster gimp.

Marathon

Rick Leeming

ran fine on a 68040...

I was using a Quadra 630 DOS, and it ran Marathon and Marathon 2 with no issues!

Properly takes me back, I've likely still got the disks in the attic with The Collection of Crap!

RIM seeks bailout buddies as banks count Heins' beans

Rick Leeming
Facepalm

Circling The Drain....

It's a shame to see, as they made some very good products, for many years. They should just roll themselves as a Software and Services company, and let another manufacturer make the handsets.

A Microsoft/Nokia alliance is the obvious one to buy them out, Nokia rolling out handsets (their economy of scale would probably make it viable), and MS dealing with the software. Let Windows Phone live in the consumer marketplace, and let the Blackberry OS and Services live in the business arena (with a cheap handset or two for the Chavs).

I Liked Blackberry products, and had a personal Blackberry or years, but they appear to have lost their way. Shame really, they did some killer products. I had an 8900 at one point, and "Upgrading" to the Torch 9800 was probably the worst handset swap I've done. The 8900 could take a beating and keep on ticking, the Torch was a fiddly bugger that needed rebooting every day.

'Dated and cheesy' Aero ripped from Windows 8

Rick Leeming
Meh

Aero?

Why Bother?

I'm using the Classic theme, because it's an OS. It lets me find the apps I want to run, and I want it to be clean.

As long as I'm not FORCED to use Metro day-to-day i'll upgrade, otherwise I'll stick with Win7 on all my machines.

Google Drive stalls on LAUNCH DAY

Rick Leeming

Re: Point?

Skydrive auto-sync app working fine here, and as you said, it's 25Gb.

I've used Dropbox before now, not a fan.

RIM extends management software to iOS, Android

Rick Leeming

So basically they realised the hole they dug for themselves is far too deep to get out of on their own, and they need a little more appeal.

Don't get me wrong, I like Blackberry's products, it's just that they are trying to be all things to all people, and it's not working. Apple know their market, as do the Android handset makers, and MS is now turning out a proper consumer-focused handset OS that really does work well (It got me off Blackberry after many years, and after I had a HD2, a handset that would put anyone off). Blackberry on the other hand have stumbled along producing too many handsets, most of which don't have an obvious market.

RIM if it has a future needs to sell the software products, and let others make the handsets. If it wants to keep the handsets in-house it needs to scale it's range back to a few handsets aimed a few levels of the corporate market again.

I've said for a few years that RIM will end up being bought out by another company, and I was told to stop being stupid. iPhone was the first nail in the coffin, and they keep getting hammered in.

HP Pavilion dm1-4125ea 11.6in netbook

Rick Leeming

Nice Little Machines...

I'm using a little Acer "Ferrari One" at the moment, had it for about 18 months as it was only £300 brand new when my old lappy died. I used an MSI Wind u135 for a while, but it caused me rage!

Similar points raised in relation to a netbook and this type of machine. Screen res is good, graphics are pretty slick, and it's USABLE. The 11.6" point is where usability and portability meet. You're using a proper keyboard for the most part, you've a screen you can read, and the battery life does well.

18 months down the line the ONLY regret I have in my case is not checking first to see if the XGP parts would come on the market here. They didn't, but I'm still not disappointed by the Sub-Laptop/Big Netbook machines.

O2 denies Nokia WinPho handset cull

Rick Leeming

Never had them...

To the best of my knowledge they never had them in stock anyway. Her Indoors asked for one as her upgrade, so I asked to be kept informed, and never heard a thing. I checked the website every single day, never a dickybird. Asked them 2 weeks after release date, they said they had no word on supply date.

She's now on Orange, paying less, with the handset she wanted.

TBH I think they are just trying to shift their old Trophy and HD7 stock, but TBH as much as I love my HD7, it's been over a year since release, and I wouldn't agree with anyone getting one now on anything over £25 a month.

AMD Llano vs Intel Sandy Bridge

Rick Leeming

Nice to see

At least they are being a little more competative at last. I've never really had any issues with AMD laptops, using an Acer Ferrari One to type this on, works great. Last machine was a 2.0Ghz Turion, and the one previous was an XP Mobile. All have been great at the times they were bought.

Personally for a laptop I'd steer clear of Intel for the most part, as ny desktop does the most work. Anyone using a Laptop as their Only (or main) machine isn't really getting the best experience anyway.

Apple shareholders demand CEO succession plan

Rick Leeming

Just put Woz in charge

Because putting Woz in charge will give them the other Founder, and a man who does actually believe in open, interesting, fun and innovative new products.

Roundabouts and swings at Everything Everywhere

Rick Leeming

Might help if customer retentions had a clue...

They wanted £250 for me to upgrade to a Blackberry 9800 from a Curve 8900, that was on a £45 per month contract. I'm dumping that contract in a month or so, and I've already got a 9800 for £30 a month. Their customer retentions people seemed to think that as an existing customer I wasn't worth their time to deal with. Went back with Orange on the new contract as well because we get good contract discounts a month, but I was shocked that basically I could have a 9300 and enjoy it according to Orange.

BlackBerry OS 6 – Red Star Rising

Rick Leeming

typing this on my 9800...

I've been a Blackberry user on and off since the 7x00 series devices. A couple of years back I caved in and bought a Pearl as I finally caved in and bought a personal. Blackberry.

I've had few regrets, namely the AWFUL browser on the pre-OS6 devices, but when I got one I knew it was awful! With the Torch I really think they do actually have a handset that matches (and indeed surpasses) the iPhone in many areas. Still not beating the iPhone for media consumption and gaming, but for what matters to most people who buy this type of handset it's stunning.

If Adobe do roll out Flash as they are suggesting, and RIM do roll out a JVM to run Adroid apps (again as the rumours have been saying for months) then the iPhone really does have a serious competitor!

I gave my wife my old 8900 to replace the HD2 thing she's been using, and after a short grump about the keyboard she's already suffering from Blackberry Thumb!

Standard smartphone charger to dominate in two years

Rick Leeming

Apple agreed to this years ago

As above, they agreed to do this before the iPhone 1 arrived on the market, then ignored it totally. They'll lost out to the market that buys the new data cable every 6 months because it's broken, again.

Facebook on the blink for second time in two days

Rick Leeming
Thumb Up

Awesome!

Got to love it, some people think the entire 'net is facebook, they'll be in TEARS.

The Reg guide to Linux, part 1: Picking a distro

Rick Leeming
Happy

OpenSUSE user here

OpenSUSE user here, because I'm lazy and prefer everything in one place ready to go. I tried Ubuntu, but TBH I just think of it as Debian for people who aren't technically advanced enough to install Debian directly.

Apple gives MobileMe a makeover

Rick Leeming
Jobs Horns

Too expensive.

MyPhone offers enough service for anyone, and you can opt-out of the advertising if you want. Likewise the OVI store stuff, and Blackberry is binging out Blackberry Shield at some point soonish.

All of the already released ones are free if you have the right handsets. Google I wouldn't use, because I prefer not to give them ALL of my information. Blackberry Haven't announced a price for their service yet, but it's unlikely to be expensive, if they even charge for it at all. Plus the features I personally am more concerned about are remote wipe, phone location and OTA backup anyway, these aren't charged for unless you're Apple.

Expensive phone, expensive contracts, vendor lock-in and even the OTA backup being charged? You're having a laugh! I like the iPhone as a media and browsing handset, there is NOTHING to touch it in those areas, but for e-mail and actually making calls on it leaves an awful lot to be desired.

GCHQ imposes Whitehall iPhone ban

Rick Leeming

Good call

I'm agreeing with what is already said about security. The iPhone is an amazing handheld browser and media device. However from a security point of view it's a disaster.

You can't enforce what apps are on it, you can't turn the camera off, you can recover wiped data, you can bypass the password easily.

Blackberry on the other hand is designed from the ground up for security. Even the encryption on them is reliant on the hardware side of things as much as the software. You have absolute control over it (I've worked places with varied security levels dependent of the idiocy level of particular users), and you can pretty much support anything remotely using BES (Over 500 pre-defined options IIRC, plus any custom policies).

As for it "only" being verified up to Restricted level, big deal. You shouldn't be carrying around data any more sensitive than that in the first place! It's one of the reasons a lot of large corporates disable USB ports and the like to protect client data!

Firefox takes walk down 64-bit Windows street

Rick Leeming
FAIL

64bit IE

Is utter garbage, they seem to have done the minimum amount of work so they can say "We're the first to market with a 64Bit browser on Windows". Never mind the fact it's horribly incompatible, horribly insecure with the Active-X controls it does actually support, and just plain horrible to use.

T-Mobile flips bird to alternative voicemail

Rick Leeming

Included in Allowance?

I used to be on T-Mobile, and some time in 2006 they removed the free access to voicemail after I upgraded my call plan. On my previous (Cheaper) plan I wasn't being charged, but with the upgrade they started charging. When my contract came up for renewal I listed it as the main reason for leaving. Some of us don't answer our calls when driving, and turn our phones off when they don't want to be contacted. It annoyed me that they then charged me extra, so I left.

EFF seeks shelter for iPhone mobile 'jailbreakers'

Rick Leeming

@ Charles

If you've paid for the handset then it's legally your property. Would you be happy if your OS was locked to use a particular ISP or similar? No you wouldn't, you'd go ape and complain.

Microsoft slings Windows Home Server in OEM bargain bin

Rick Leeming
Thumb Up

I'm running WHS

TBH it's not a bad product. I was going to pile 2k8 on the box I've got, but after installing and setting up I found I had no real use for it. Loads of nice shiny options to play with, but in a home environment they just aren't needed.

I've got the 120 day trial running atm, and it's doing everything I need it to, and a few extra things that are rather useful. I would guess most tech-savvy folks will install 2k8 or 2k3 server, but having done that in the past It's more arse for a home setup than needed.

Rackable does cookie sheet servers

Rick Leeming

Reminds me of a homebrew setup...

I remember seeing something similar done years ago. Guy was building a cluster for some university students to use, and just slapped a load of motherboards (P3s) onto a load of shelves, then powered them up. Never realised Google started out with the same idea. Mucho cheapness to do, and fixing things is so easy it's untrue.

Apple revamps MacBook as 13in MacBook Pro

Rick Leeming

@ Alexis

I wouldn't use BMW and Ford as comparisons. If you want to stick with the Ford then think Jaguar X-Type and Ford Mondeo. Basically the same car, but the look is changed to keep the snobs happy.

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