ShowMeBlog

Amazon selling Windows 7

  I just got an email that Amazon is now selling Windows 7.  You get 50% off if you order now.  Supply is limited and release date is October 22, 2009.
  I have not read all the details yet I just got the email.  It looks like the three below are the full retail price.

  Now those prices are if you are  not up-grading.  Here is the prices and details if you are doing an up-grade. One of them is a dis-count of 58%.

  I am using Windows 7 RC right now and it is excellent.  My feeling is that this is the first version of Windows that works. I started out using DOS and have used OS/2 and Windows from the start.
  I have never used Apple OS.

Power Lost V2

  I told you Friday about the power loss we had a number of times each day.  The last we had were on Friday.  I had a feeling we would not have any until Monday and I was correct.  At 0800 hours we lost power for less than a second.  There must be some people working on some project.  They are working around the city on traffic lights.   The must switch off power and then do work and then when done switch the power again.

  I have another problem and it has nothing to do with the power loss.
It is with my WordPress install.  When I try and go to the “Editor” of the theme for WordPress I get this message “Sorry, that file cannot be edited.”  I get the same thing when I try and edit a Plugin.  It is a problem.

 

Losing power…no UPS

  I been telling Russ and Ken for years that we need to get USP units for all our computers.  Russ just laughs at me.  Ken will not spend the money.
  I tell  you I get no respect.  Smile
  I failed to get a UPS for my computer and for the router and cable modem.  We been having the power go off and on for a second or less a number of times for the last three days.  I know it did it around 6 AM or time or two and in the last hour or two it has done it about 3 or 4 times.

  Well I am not sure if I have any hardware damage yet but I know I got software problems.
  It killed my email program (IncrediMail).  That is no small thing.  I got about 10 email accounts and I had IncrediMail all set up to pull in my pop mail accounts.  It has worked excellent for me. But I could not fix it so I just un-installed it and I will see what happens when I download and re-install.  But I will have lost a lot of email.  I had emails put in a “Save” folder that I will have lost.

  That is not the only problem.  FoxFire has some problems.  It lost settings…It says it is not my default program and even with I select it it still says it is not the default.
  So I am not sure how many other problems I may have that I have not found yet.  Plus I still do not have a UPS and I expect we have not seen the last of the power problems.  I am not sure why we are having the power problems.

  Guess I will try some other programs and see what else is messed up.

Windows 7 beta shutting down every two hours now

  If you are using Windows 7 beta today it will start shutting down every two hours.  So you need to go and download Windows 7 RC.
  I am using Windows 7 RC and it is excellent.

Microsoft Windows Pricing

  I hate being poor and broke all the time.  If you are poor you end up paying more for things. 
  
  Microsoft is saying that they expect to sell Windows 7 for $119.19 and $199.00 each.  Because I been using Windows 7 RC I can get half off.  I can get Windows 7 Home Premium for $49.99 and Professional for $99.99. 
   I am running Windows 7 RC and it is excellent and I do plan to buy Windows 7 when they release it. Because I am poor it looks like I will have to pay the $199.00 and that happens to the poor all the time.
 

   CNN reports that you can purchase an upgrade copy of Windows 7 RC for $49.99 and $99.99 each.  That offer is good for both Windows XP and Windows Vista owners.
   Now both these offers are good for a limited time and the number of copies is limited but Microsoft is not giving out a date and a number.

   If you buy a new computer with Windows Vista on it you will get a free upgrade to Windows 7 and be able to upgrade without doing a clean installation of Windows 7.

   People that are poor end up paying more for things and services and they end up paying late fees etc.
   There has been some talk of the United States having a sales tax.  I have heard a few people say that even a half of one percent sales tax would bring in tons of money for the federal government and allow us to pay for national health insurance and pay off our debt and do other things.  I wonder if that sort of tax hurts the poor more than others.  Or is it a fair tax?
 

  I guess some people are thinking of a Value Added Tax which is different than a Sales Tax.  I want to see our taxes become easy and simple but I do wonder if it would not be more fair and better for the poor if food and medication was not taxed or if a person cold get a refund for those taxes when they file a tax report.

  How did I go from talking about Windows 7 to talking about taxes?

BBS: The Documentary – Part 1 Baud

“The BBS Documentary by Jason Scott Licensed under Creative Commons Description: The BBS documentary part 1 baud [at lower resolution) In the Summer of 2001, Jason Scott, a computer historian (and proprietor of the textfiles.com history site) wondered if anyone had made a film about these BBSes. They hadn't, so he decided he would. Four years, thousands of miles of travelling, and over 200 interviews later, "BBS: The Documentary", a mini-series of 8 episodes about the history of the BBS, is now available. Spanning 3 DVDs and totalling five and a half hours, this documentary is actually eight documentaries about different aspects of this important story in the annals of computer history. * Baud introduces the story of the beginning of the BBS, including interviews with Ward Christensen and Randy Suess, who used a snowstorm as an inspiration to change the world. Among the features of this documentary: * 5 and a half hours of episodes * Over 80 minutes of bonus footage * Commentary Tracks and Statements by Jason Scott * Easter Eggs * Subtitles on all Episodes and Footage * Region-Free DVDS (Play them anywhere) * No Copy Protection, CSS or Macrovision * Licensed under Creative Commons * DVD-ROM Section with: o Thousands of photos o Additional audio interviews o Speeches by Jason Scott and guests”

  This video is 38 minutes long just so you will know.  It is only part 1 of the documentary.

BBS: The Documentary Photos

  Jason Scott made “BBS: The Documentary” between July of 2001 to December of 2004.  He filmed it using a Canon XL-1.  He visited 30 states and one Canadian province.  He shot roughly 250 hours of video.  He interviewed 205 people.
  I was one of the people that he interviewed.  He came to Texas and took over 2 hours of video of me.  Of course only a very little of that shows up in the documentary. 
  One day that entire video will be on the Internet so after I am long gone someone can do research and use that interview and they can check and get information from the other entire 204 interviews.
  Jason Scott made a great documentary but he also has saved the history of bulletin board systems and created a great database of information that will be long after we all gone.

  He also took 11 photos when he interviewed me with a digital camera.  I do not think I have ever posted them all.  You may have seen a few of them.  I think it is about time for you to see them all.

 

View Full Album

maestro1.sys

  I am running Windows 7 RC and it has been working excellent for me.  A few days ago I was sitting at the computer and I have no idea what I was doing at the time or perhaps more to the point what I had just done and my computer started to act funny.
  Text on the screen was hi-lighted like I had marked the text for copy, cut or paste.  My mouse acted odd.  I did a re-boot and the computer still acted different.
  I do not re-boot often but for the last day or two when I reboot I get the blue screen.

As you can see it looks like “maestro1.sys” is the problem.

“Description: File Maestro1.sys is located in the folder C:\Windows\System32\drivers. Known file sizes on Windows XP are 7,850 bytes (80% of all occurrence), 7,818 bytes.
The driver can be started or stopped from Services in the Control Panel or by other programs. The program has no visible window. It is a keyboard driver, can record inputs. The service has no detailed description. The file is not a Windows core file. Maestro1.sys seems to be a compressed file. Therefore the technical security rating is 59% dangerous, however also read the users reviews.”

  OH yes, remember my G-15 keyboard had problems at that time and I hooked up a new keyboard and I installed a driver for it.  I bet that is the problem.
  Windows is fun fun all the time.
  I am still sold on Windows 7 RC.
  I need to see if I can fix this current problem.

Update:  I was using an HP Multimedia keyboard.  An old but nice keyboard and it seems to have been the last problem.  I am now using an old white Logitech keyboard but I do not like the feel of the keys. The action on some of the keys does not feel right.  The shift key, for one, feels a bit like it sticks.  I got a feeling someone spilled something on this keyboard.

DestroyTwitter

  I woke up today and DestroyTwitter had been running all night.  I looked at the screen and I saw Twitter posts of “Troops moving into Tehran” and “Steve Jobs dead” etc.

  You just can not use Twitter as a source of news.  It is a tool.  I have got some great information from it and good links.  But many people like to screw with Twitter. 
  Twitter is a very excellent service but follow people you can depend on.

World Events and News and Twitter

  I do not think anyone should get their news from Twitter.  Most of all I do not think that CNN or any news media should report anything that appears on Twitter.
  I use Twitter and you can follow me on Twitter:  n0uwy

  But you never know who someone is on Twitter and you never know if anything they say is the truth.  They may say they are reporting from Iran and they may be sitting in their living room in Kansas City watching TV.

  Twitter is great to keep up to date on when a blog is updated or if a new program is out or what is on TV and things like that …but you should not get “news” from Twitter.