AdamCon.org > chat > Sat 2002-11-16

Chat for Sat 2002-11-16 14:58:49

rich-c: test
moved to room Meeting Place
changed username to Guy B.
Guy B.: HI Rich
rich-c: hello Guy
rich-c: glad to see you make it today
rich-c: how is the upgrade coming?
Guy B.: Well, I thought I drop by until I go to my landlord's house lalter today to help with hooking up his new computer.
Guy B.: I haven't installed the memory yet. That should be tomorrow.
rich-c: you have been drafted as the in-house guru, have you?
Guy B.: He asked me. He's got the computer up, but he doen'st know how to hook the printer up.
rich-c: and you are too polite to tell him RYFM
rich-c: what sort of computer does he have?
Guy B.: He's going to pay me for helping him out. I don't know what PC he has.
rich-c: you did say though that it is new, so I guess it's on Win XP and has USB ports
Guy B.: I bet will be right about that. So, I shall see and find out.
rich-c: the size of teh problem will depend on how old the printer is
rich-c: if it's even reasonably recent, it likely prefers to use USB anyway
Guy B.: He also mentioned a Fax machine too as well as the printer. I asked him if he has one of those all in one printers. That can fax, scan and print. He said he's not sure. That's why he came over and asked if I could help him hook this up for him.
rich-c: OK, if he doesn't know a fax machine from a combo, he is in serious need of help
Guy B.: Exactly!
rich-c: in fact, I'm surprised he managed to open the carton himself (THAT;s unfair)
Guy B.: Well I should give him credit for at least getting that part up.
rich-c: I am sure you will have no difficulty bringing light to the unilluminated
Guy B.: It shouldn't take that long to get everything up and running.
rich-c: it occurs to me that giving your landlord the impression you are a handy guy to have around does more good than harm
Guy B.: Any snow up by you?
moved to room Meeting Place
rich-c: in the last hour or so the odd flake has been seen drifting by - it's about 26 and breezy
Guy B.: He has noticed all the computers I have here.
changed username to George
rich-c: how
rich-c: s the weather by you?
rich-c: hello George, we are just comparing qweather
Guy B.: WE have some sun, some flurries and it's cold here.
Guy B.: Hi George
George: Hi Rich, Guy
rich-c: we had some sun this morning but now it's run off and hid
George: i'ts 48 with wind swept rain here
rich-c: you still in that heat wave, George? you should be about 55
Guy B.: George, your going to get cold later.
George: its's 48
rich-c: I will guess the temprature dropped when it started raining, then
rich-c: oh, they have heard of cold and snow in Philly, Guy
Guy B.: November is usually when we get out first snow.
rich-c: but with the Gulf Stream in their front yard they have only a nodding acquaintance
Guy B.: That front should pass through there today.
George: i remember snow in October
rich-c: yesterday the sag in the jet stream went almost into Texas, so there's a big lump of cold air hanging over our turf
Guy B.: We had snow in October too. One year, it snowed on Halloween.
rich-c: I have experienced snowstorms in every month of the year but for some had to travel to find them
Guy B.: Unlike all that sever weather that hit those 13 states last weekend. Man, that was really bad. Especially for that one town in Ohio.
rich-c: normally we dont see serious snow till well into December, but our three biggest blizzards were on Dec. 6th - go figure
rich-c: I thought it was TEnnesee that got rally torn up
George: i can remember one year we had one snowstorm in October and that was it for the year
Guy B.: Both Ohio and Tenn. were hard hit.
rich-c: there was a picture in teh paper today of two survivors getting married - in hospital
Guy B.: Oh wow. My showed two cars that crashed into a theater and the manager heard on the radio about the tornado. He managed to get everyone out of there and into the hallways and washrooms before it hit. He saved alot of lives.
rich-c: yes, buildings with roofs unsupported over a large span have big problems with tornados
rich-c: fortunately the local tornado alley is about 30 miles north of Toronto
Guy B.: Tornado alley passes right through us here.
rich-c: reaaly? I had the impression that Chicago itsdelf saw very little
George: we had a F3 tornado here in 1998
rich-c: of course even a central city can get zapped -remember Salt Lake City a few years back?
Guy B.: Downtown probably because of the lake, but we are not immune to tornadoes here. We had very close to here in 1967. Oak Lawn had one there.
rich-c: in your context, George, where is "here"?
Guy B.: Oh yeah! Nashville TN downtown got one too I believe in 1999.
George: over my building
rich-c: you must be pretty well out in the outskirts then, George
George: on the border
George: Philadelphia county line
rich-c: even at that, coastal Pennsylvania isnt the first place that comes to mind when talking tornado
Guy B.: The last real bad tornado here was back in 1988 in Plainfield, IL. I happened to see the storm heading that way from work and they didn't get the warnings out in time. Flattened alot of homes and the high school. Everything was rebuilt, but it took a long time.
George: tornados are rare but they do strike every couple of years
rich-c: every once in a while we have a swarm of tornados run across between Toronto and Barrie
rich-c: but it is still mostly farmland so the destrction is relatively minor
rich-c: even so every once in a while a town gets hit
rich-c: and with the expansion of the exurbs it's more of a problem every year
George: we have a tornado alley near Reading Pa
rich-c: that surprises me, tornados usually dont like hilly country
George: they have been clustering there the past couple of years
George: there were a couple in the poconos
rich-c: not quite the sort of place I'm used to hearing such reports from
rich-c: but then, Tennesee isnt exactly noted for its spacious flatlands!
George: they did a lot of damage
Guy B.: Sometime ago we had two water spouts over Lake Michigan and it breezed by our building. It never touched the water and it never came ashore.
rich-c: for some reason waterspouts never seem to become damaging tornados even when they come ashore
rich-c: I have the feeling the meteorologists are baffled as to why
Guy B.: We saw them form right over the lake and we watched them go by. They were heading south.
rich-c: anyway, George, I though ol' man Weather was too busy flooding the Susquehana and Delaware to award you-all any tornados
Guy B.: Did you see the movie Twister?
George: the same reason hurricanes die when the hit shore
rich-c: as it happens, Pamela borrowed a copy of Twister4 and brought it over here to watch it one night
rich-c: so it is one of the very few movies I have seen in the last 30 years or more
Guy B.: There was one waterspout that did become a tornado in one scene.
George: you mean there are 4 twister movies
rich-c: farn dingers
rich-c: in music they call such things grace notes
George: i haven't seen the original
rich-c: you havent missed much, except some fairly spectacular special effects
Guy B.: Twister is the one with Helen Hunt.
rich-c: the last two movie tapes I watched were "South Pacific" and "Brigadoon"
rich-c: I like movies with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse
Guy B.: The classics for you Rich.
rich-c: specifically, the big classic musicals
George: i don't watch many movies
rich-c: back when music had enjoyable tunes and words that made sense and even rhymed
George: busta rhyme
rich-c: ?
George: a rap artist
rich-c: "rap artist" is an oxymoron
George: it sells
George: more than sinatra
rich-c: I guarantee there wont be as much of busta's music played 40 years from now as Sinatra's
rich-c: in fact I would be surprised if he outsells 40 year old Sinatra stuff now
rich-c: and dont tell me about the charts - they leave things out
rich-c: otherwise every bestseller list would be topped by the Bible, since in reality it is the most-bought book
George: i wouldn't mind having some of bustas billions
Guy B.: Speaking of Old Blue Eyes, I have a Greatest Hits collection from him.
rich-c: given the rapacity of the recording companies, he likely has little more than you do - just an expense account for show/publicity purposes
rich-c: I have eyed a number of collections like that, but they are all American and when you convert the price of the CDs into our dollars
George: i think i'm going to loose my lease
rich-c: and then add shipping and taxes and stuff - fuggedaboudit
rich-c: non-payment of rent or too many wild parties?
George: if do loose my lease i'll be in the street in January
rich-c: well, if you know any social workers, I'd talk to them and see if such a fear is realistic
Guy B.: How long have you lived in your current place George?
George: the new owner wants to get rid ofsection8 8 and turn the apartments into luxury apaapartmants
rich-c: section 8 -that is a part of a local or state law on such things?
George: i was her 12 years
Guy B.: Then he will most likely get more money for those, since he wants to get people who can afford them.
rich-c: yes, but most cities and states now have rules on when you can do apartment conversions
Guy B.: But, wouldn't he have to get an Ok from the government to do that George?
George: i have no place to go
rich-c: with partial rent control and microscopic vacancy rate, it's all a big issue in Toronto
George: in this state they can convert as long as it is private
rich-c: often tenants can fight it and delay conversions for years, even so long the owner gives up
George: that is privaely owned
George: darn fingerts
rich-c: our law applies to privately owned buildings - among other things the city uses its zoning laws and building permit requirements to control things
rich-c: in our neighbourhood a developer got permission to tear down some reasonably priced walk-up apartment buildings
George: here the private owner has he right of way
rich-c: but he had to find temporary accomodation for those displaced and give them prefeered space and prefeered rent in the new building
rich-c: notice he got to tear down the buildings and build a new one - but the tenants were protected
George: the owner rules in PA
rich-c: bet there's a Philadelphia lawyer or two who would dispute that - and win
George: would dispute him and win
rich-c: guess you will just have to keep track of what is going on and develop the appropriate strategy
George: i came from the school of hard knocks and know better
Guy B.: George, are there other apts that will take Section 8?
rich-c: you're forgetting - you cant fight City Hall - but neither can he
George: they are phasing out section 8
rich-c: sorry - I missed something. What is Section *?
Guy B.: Oh boy! Now, I can see the situation your in.
rich-c: 8?
moved to room Meeting Place
changed username to DanB
DanB: Hello! bonjour!
Guy B.: Hi Dan. Glad you made it in.
DanB: I'm using another computer than mine
Guy B.: How's the recovery going on your system? Were you able to salvage what you could?
rich-c: salut, Daniel!
DanB: I will purchase antoher HD to replace the one who doesn't work.
George: too many complaints of section 8 bringing property values down
rich-c: you came in just as I went out for a drink of water
DanB: The computer re-start now without any problem... but I still have a HD problem
Guy B.: Get a Western Digital. They have a 3 year warrenty and are the best on the market.
George: land the property owners are about to revolt
rich-c: Daniel, please do us a favour and see if your dead hard drive still carries any warranty
rich-c: I would hate to see you pay the price of a new drive if you could have it for free
DanB: I think it still in warranty... but they will probably just give me another one.. no data transfer
Guy B.: I agree with Rich there Daniel.
DanB: So, I will purchase one and try a data tranfer myself
George: hi Dan
moved to room Meeting Place
changed username to Daniel Bienvenu
Daniel Bienvenu: kill the other me
Guy B.: We got twins!
moved to room Meeting Place
left chat session
rich-c: if you can get the data off the old drive, why not borrow one temporarily until you get a warranty replacement?
Daniel Bienvenu: hello!
rich-c requested to ban Daniel Bienvenu
Guy B. confirmed ban
moved to room Meeting Place
Guy B.: Ok, your one again.
changed username to Daniel Bienvenu
rich-c: we have disposed of your twin
Daniel Bienvenu: I see that
Guy B.: Your back Daniel.
rich-c: anyway, Daniel, maybe you could find another drive to use temporarily
rich-c: or even save an image of the bad drive onto a CD
Daniel Bienvenu: I didn't find one big enough. The broken HD is 30Gig and the one my friend have for me is a 10 Gig...
Daniel Bienvenu: I have a good news.. my backup on CDs is OK
rich-c: surely you don't have a 30 gig hard disc filled!
Daniel Bienvenu: So I didn't lost my data about Coleco programming pictures etc.
Daniel Bienvenu: Yes it was filled 80%
rich-c: like, I have a 40 gig hard disc - but an image of my C drive fits on i-i/2 CDs
George: i lost my entire computer i couldn't salvage it
Daniel Bienvenu: I have a TV card to capture any clip I record on VHS.
rich-c: I have one of those in my basement but have never fitted it to a computer
Daniel Bienvenu: So it's why the 30Gig is allways filled 80%
rich-c: OK, scratch bright idea number one
Daniel Bienvenu: Someone talk to me last night about XXCOPY
rich-c: around Toronto, I don't think it is possible to buy a 30 gig HD any more - 40 is teh least anyone sells
Daniel Bienvenu: it's a freeware who can do many things and also clone your data on another partition (drive).
George: Medion puts out a computer with a seagate 120 gb. hd.
rich-c: right, Fred Langa wsas talking about that in his newsletter a few months back
rich-c: I also have a freeware that will clone a partition onto another partition or drive
George: Aldi has it advertised but has set no price
rich-c: in fact, didn't I give someone the URL for that a few chats ago? it's on a Frenchsite
Daniel Bienvenu: the best price I found for another HD 30Gig like mine is there : www.shoplci.com
Guy B.: Well, gang. I have to get going. So, I'll see you guys on the 27th. I'm watching the season finale of The Batchelor this Wednesday and it's two hours. I'll see you then. Can't make it next Saturday. I have to take my dog to the vet.
rich-c: the biggest HD being offered at a serious discount here is 100 gig - bigger ones are less discounted
Daniel Bienvenu: 2022 Lavoisier #196
Daniel Bienvenu: Quebec
rich-c: OK Guy, see you then - meanwhile take care
Daniel Bienvenu: 30Gig Maxtor 107$
Guy B. left chat session
George: bye Guy
Daniel Bienvenu: bye Guy
rich-c: hold on a sec, Dan - brb
Daniel Bienvenu: ok
George: i got a Maxtor 30 gig for $49.00
George: sorry thats $39.99
rich-c: you are tal;king US dollars, George - multiply by 1.6 for comparison
Daniel Bienvenu: in canadian dollars
George: i don't know about conversion
rich-c: factory direct are only offering refurbished 7200 rpm drives this week
George: the one i have is new
rich-c: and computer warehouse just have 8 and 60 gig
George: i got it at Compusa
George: on sale
rich-c: sorry, Daniel, I'm looking through The Computer Paper but not too many hard discs quoted this issue
Daniel Bienvenu: there is also Future Shop with a Western Digital 40Gig (but 5200rpm) 99$ (after rabate)
Daniel Bienvenu: in canadian dollars
Daniel Bienvenu: of course
rich-c: that is a fairly good price, Daniel
rich-c: here the small offerings are 20 and 40 gig, hardly any 30s
rich-c: figure a WD 40 gig 7200 rpm at about $115
rich-c: for your purposes, the Future Shop unit is likely a fairly decent buy
rich-c: I went from a 5400 to 7200 HD when I got the new computer but cant see any difference
rich-c: refresh my memory, Daniel - you bought your computer from Costco or something?
Daniel Bienvenu: I bought my Packard Bell computer at future shop but I bought my Maxtor HD 30Gig at Costco
rich-c: that's the disadvantage of dealing with Costco - when things go wrong they dont want to hear about it
rich-c: a regular dealer will often intercede for you with the manufacturer
rich-c: still, you might try an inquiry by email with Maxtor - maybe they have an agent there who could help
George: have you ever heard of grapeseed oil?
Daniel Bienvenu: I don't know... I still have the box
rich-c: I have a suspicion the hard disc business is extremely competitive at the moment and they will do helpful things you would not ordinarily expect
Daniel Bienvenu: I didn't go at Costco with my HD
rich-c: you could try that - the worst they can do is say no
rich-c: Bob says that Maxtor hard discs are effectively guaranteed forever, though taking advantage of the guarantee may be awkward
George: here they bannish you from thier store
rich-c: and George, as far as I know, grapeseed oil is not toxic but has no significant commercial application
rich-c: dont be ridiculous, George
George: i don't know they were talking about it on food TV
rich-c: I think you mis-heard something, George
rich-c: I can tell you that if a product from an outfit like Costco is defective, they usually tell you that warranty claims are between you and the manufacturer
George: no it's from the grapes used to make wine
rich-c: I know George, what's left is the mix of stems, seeds and skins called pomace
rich-c: the Italians use it to make grappa
rich-c: otherwise and more often they use it as fertilizer on the fields
George: now they are talking about truffles
rich-c: even Bill Gates finds truffles expensive
George: they are comparing truffles to women
rich-c: a good truffle can cost upwards of $10 per gram - a gram in less than 1/4 ounce
Daniel Bienvenu: I finish! I have done a frontend Windows to compile a ColecoVision project in C just by clicking on a button
rich-c: well, truffles are the J. lo of foods...
George: now they are jumping to cheeses
rich-c: like, Daniel, it takes your code and automatically compiles it without superfision?
rich-c: vision
Daniel Bienvenu: without knowing how to use the compiler
George: ?
rich-c: you may not need such a thing but I bet you will find it handy
Daniel Bienvenu: want to try it?
rich-c: I have a hunch Dale and Dr. D. will be very interested in it too
Daniel Bienvenu: Which Windows version they use?
rich-c: heavens, Daniel, I can't even get the emulator to work, let alone write code
George: you lost me
Daniel Bienvenu: Ok George, I will try to explain
rich-c: hang in there, George, you'll [pick up the trail sooner or later
Daniel Bienvenu: There is a freeware named Hi-Tech C compiler for Cp/M
Daniel Bienvenu: To use it you have to run a CP/M emulator
Daniel Bienvenu: The one I choose is 22nice
rich-c: I suspect for business reasons Dale pretty much has to use XP Pro
Daniel Bienvenu: it's a CP/M emulator for DOS
Daniel Bienvenu: So, my frontend run 22nice in a popup DOS window
Daniel Bienvenu: Then run the compiler
Daniel Bienvenu: with the correct parameters
Daniel Bienvenu: Only by clicking a button
George: i still don't know how to use redhat linux
rich-c: I suspect, Daniel, that George would not understand less if you explained in French - he is not a programmer
Daniel Bienvenu: I'm talking about windows 9x, Me, NT, 2000, XP... not LINUX
Daniel Bienvenu: I simply do a front-end to avoid you typing a comand line
Daniel Bienvenu: that's clear now?
George: not to me
Daniel Bienvenu: You know how to click a button?
rich-c: I can follow it, but would not be about to take advantage of it
George: yes
Daniel Bienvenu: You just need to know how to click a button to use my frontend for the Hi-tech C compiler I ahve done now.
rich-c: right - it would be very useful if one got uncompiled code, wouldn't it?
George: but i don't know how to run an emulator
rich-c: have you ever tried, George?
Daniel Bienvenu: Which OS you use George?
Daniel Bienvenu: Win 2000? 98? XP?
Daniel Bienvenu: Me? NT?
George: just ADAMEM in dos using -cv
Daniel Bienvenu: ok! ADAMEM... good choice!
rich-c: OK George, you have tried to use the Colecovision emulator then
rich-c: your game programs would run from that, wouldnt they, Daniel?
George: only to run the colecovision game cartridges
Daniel Bienvenu: The little front-end I have done is for compiling ColecoVision project easily
rich-c: that's all the Colecovision part can do
Daniel Bienvenu: I can add a button to automaticly run a Coleco emulator to test the rom.
rich-c: Daniel's programs are the equivalent of cartiridges - images of the chips in the carts
Daniel Bienvenu: After compiling Coleco projects the result is a ROM file like the one to be in carts.
George: i have a full list of roms
George: a-z
rich-c: Daniel, are your carts posted somewhere where George can download them, or should I send them to him?
Daniel Bienvenu: And if you know how to project in ANSI C, you may be able to compile your own Coleco projects. And it's more easy now with the little front-end I have done now.
George: i collected them some years ago
rich-c: dont advertise that fact beyond our little group, George - you arent supposed to have them
Daniel Bienvenu: www.geocities.com/newcoleco ... you may find a few new ones
Daniel Bienvenu: and also informations about Coleco programming
George: i also use vcoleco.exe for windows
Daniel Bienvenu: Knowing you just compile a ROM, it's a thrill.
Daniel Bienvenu: want to try it?
rich-c: Daniel, getting back to your computer problems for a minute...
Daniel Bienvenu: I have done a little test file to test my frontend.
rich-c: is there any online disc space - say on a university server - where you could stash an image of teh dead drive?
George: i need to learn more
Daniel Bienvenu: My computer problem will be solve when I will have cash to pay another HD... then I will be able to do a data transfer and after that request a new HD because of the warranty
Daniel Bienvenu: I didn't find anyone who have enough free space to do an image disk
rich-c: seems to me that poses two problems - one, the delay in getting the price of the new drive, and two, what will you do with the extra drive when the warranty replacement arrives?
Daniel Bienvenu: Keep it to duplicate my data... to avoid losing all data if the new drive crash too
rich-c: that's why I asked about the university - they might have server space if they would allow you to use it
Daniel Bienvenu: university... they refuse to help me. @no cash@ they said
rich-c: will your computer support a RAID1 array?
Daniel Bienvenu: I don't think so.. o be honest, I don't know
rich-c: you'd have to have a Promise chip or similar, and the connections, on the motherboard
Daniel Bienvenu: I will check that when I will be back at home tonight
rich-c: I asked because a RAID setup automatically gives you a backup
rich-c: one of the extras on my motherboard is a RAID0/l capability - backup or striping
rich-c: you might try a Google search too - there are places on the internet that allow you a free "X drive"
rich-c: that is, places where you can stash data temporarily as if it was a hard disc
Daniel Bienvenu: maybe but with my 56k modem it will take so long to dump.
rich-c: yes - 24 gig is a rather big transfer on a dialup connection
George: i hate those long uploads and downloads
George: 24 gig would take forevevr
Daniel Bienvenu: This wednesday, I will have enough money to purchase a new HD. This way I will be able to continue my work at home.
rich-c: what are you complaining about? you have DSL
Daniel Bienvenu: Me? a DSL?
rich-c: no, George
Daniel Bienvenu: no way, I'm using a 56K modem
rich-c: any used computer shops in your area that might have a used HD at a better price?
rich-c: I'm guessing no judging by the local scene, but one never knows
rich-c: btw, Daniel, I also find 56K sufficient
Daniel Bienvenu: I don't think so... I really need a 30Gig to dump data from the broken HD.
rich-c: you might stumble across a pull from someone upgrading to a bigger drive, but that's it
Daniel Bienvenu: The only HD used I found herre is a 10Gig
rich-c: all very well, but far too small for your needs!
George: lets hear it for tomato ketchup
rich-c: change of subject, Daniel - maybe you can help
rich-c: my impression is Win98SE has native support for USB 1.1 but needs a driver for USB 2.0 - is that right?
Daniel Bienvenu: good question
Daniel Bienvenu: My computer is working under win98.. I upgraded for Win98SE and I really don'T know
rich-c: I need to get a USB card for my laptop and need to know if I have to get a driver too
Daniel Bienvenu: if I can plug a pci card with USB 2.0 ports
rich-c: oh, USB 2,0 ports will simply default to USB 1.1 if support isnt available
rich-c: I have 2.0 ports that work fine in 1.1 mode with Frances' digital camera
rich-c: but in the Manager those ports show with a yellow question mark
rich-c: I just dont know if the driver is hidden in Windows but uninstalled or if I have to add it
Daniel Bienvenu: i don't know
rich-c: anyway, getting on towardds dinner time - I am going to have to leave
rich-c: so I shall wish you both a good afternoon
rich-c: and hope to see you Wednesday
rich-c: bonjour, Daniel and good day, George
George: ok, bye Rich , Daniel
Daniel Bienvenu: bye
rich-c: colour me gone
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AdamCon.org > chat > Sat 2002-11-16
Send comments to dmwick@rogers.com. I am Dale Wick