Richard Lennox
- @mirajavora nice!
- Evolving the role of a Sys Admin: http://t.co/Iyo0kK09
- Deep fried ear - Glasgow's new delicacy! http://t.co/VH61MD19
Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
Virgin Media vs Sky
Virgin Media and Sky have had a bit of a spat recently. Virgin have chosen to drop Sky's basic and free digital channels (including Sky One!) because of the price Sky want to charge them. Virgin Media are the amalgamation of NTL and Telewest cable services and Virgin Mobile. As an Edinburgh resident, in a set of flats where really a sky dish isn't allowed my telephone, digital TV and broadband are provided by Virgin (formerly Telewest).
Telewest started off being relatively economic. £30 a month for all 3, but that was limited to the basic packages but that simply didn't;t meet my needs, and only lasted 6 months anyway. Now I am paying anything between £50 and £60 a month for a service that we both think is less than what we started with. TV channels have disappeared from our package, not just the Sky channels but other channels too. The broadband quality is just shot with download speeds of 17-35kBs when 400kB/s is more realistic for a 4mB/s service!! To be fair, Virgin are refunding the cost of the broadband for two months but I need a decent service. The phone is OK with only weekend UK land line calls free.
The loss of the Sky channels on Virgin prompted me to look at what other packages I could get for my money. It seems Sky are offering a better quality of service for £26 per month with an extra £11 for a BT line rental. This is some £20 cheaper than my current monthly costs. While there are downsides such as download limits on the broadband and the requirement for a communal dish (on the block of flats) for the TV, £20 is a lot of money. Virgin take note.
To Vista or not to Vista?
This is a question facing the many, many of us over the coming days, weeks and months. Vista the all new operating system from Microsoft. Now, normally with any Microsoft product (particularly the OS!) I would wait until at least the first service pack bu there is something about Vista that has me thinking! There is an awful lot of praise out there for it.. but is it hype. I purposefully avoided the beta version but now I have my copy sitting here, what to do with it?
Any ideas?
IE7 breaks the mould and I don’t like it!
I have finally taken the plunge and downloaded IE7 on my home machine. Working on a site, with IE6 up until the last release has meant that I have not had the time to do this sort of stuff and missed the beta completely.
I hate the new user interface. My first reaction to it was I don't want those buttons here, I want them over there where I am used to seeing them, and using them. But I can't and no amount of searching has found a solution to my needs. Maybe it is just an initial reaction to the change but I do not understand the reasoning behind it, it seems to break the mold of browser interfaces. Maybe I am wrong and Microsoft interviewed and did fully user studies on what worked best for users but I feel that it is change for changes sake.
As a well rounded computer and software user I could adapt to it if I had to, but I think of the people I know who would be strongly affected by the change. Those without the Internet savvy of those of us who use it day in day out. I can think of several people who will not like it because it is not what they are used to, and I know exactly who will get the calls when they get stuck looking for the buttons.
I would like to think that Microsoft would listen to the calls to allow me to change the layout of the toolbars. I would like to think that most application software that relies on toolbars in this way would allow me to change the position and placing of buttons so I can use it in a way that feels right for me and not for the guy that decided this was "better".
Ban on low-power fm transmitters looks to be lifted
It looks as if the use of my iPod may just get better. While good speakers for my iPod are expensive, the FM transmitters widely available may become legal in the UK in the coming year. It has been one of the most annoying thing is that some people do not use their discretion, everything is black and white, no grey areas. Using the low power FM transmitters (that only transmit a short distance) would currently get you a two year jail sentence – almost as long ass some rapists. Is that a joke or what. Those radio stations clammering for this to be enforced are ridiculously out of touch. These transmitters will save big bucks – no fancy set up required for the car (even a hire car) or the office, or at home. I am looking forward to finding a cheap one when it is legal.