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Author Topic: Software suggestions for faster future computing.  (Read 6447 times)
daniel1212av
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« on: August 29, 2008, 09:45:22 AM »


1. Speech recognition (speech to text and commands) Vista (even HB which i have) provides this but it is very very basic. If you don't have MSOffice i have found it only writes text to WordPad, and at that it leaves a lot to be desired. As my fingers increasingly are getting stiffer i myself would like to see this much improved. Vista speech recognition will also launch some apps, but nothing as varied and quick as it should be. In fact, i think the PC should be able to boot via voice command, which could allow extensive password restrictions. And rather than having to say Start and the name of a program, etc., we should be able to set up any program we want to launch by voice command, as in “execute Firefox” (FF), or "Launch group 1 (see # 7).

2. Remote telemetry and execution. PC makers could work with appliance and car makers to allow cheap transmitting of helpful data to your PC, from such things as cost per kw electrical consumption to blood pressure. And laptops could have a program that allows (via plug in)  basic analysis of engine performance. Etc.  More devices could also be cheaply made to be receive commands from a PC (turn lights on, off etc.).

3. HotKeys: A built in hot key utility would  launch things quickly, hibernate, shut down the PC. etc. (I use the discontinued Copernic utility Winkey, and set it up so that the Windows key and F keys launch Internet apps, while Windows, shift and a appropriate key does other apps, while ctrl and a appropriate key does folders).  Under Vista, the Windows key and number keys will launch shortcuts in the quick launch bar, but to my knowledge even these hotkeys are not configurable.

4. Sys. Res. And activity. A single system tray utility that can show HD and CPU temps and activity, as well as specific Internet traffic activity would be helpful. We should always be able to know what is coming on or going out of our computer. Treat surfing like driving. And the clock should be more lie TClock.

5. The Task Bar. It would be helpful to able to be to choose different colors for each button (as in FF Colorful tabs ext.), as well as drag them to different positions, and r. click to Freeze one from closing. Also, be able to close one folder out of many in a grouped Task Bar button without it collapsing.

6.   Along with this, one should be able to able to save different sessions. When working on an ongoing  project with multiple apps, this would enable you to save the session so that the same group of apps and folders could be restored at the click of a button.

7. And or a program that will allow you to launch a group of apps and or folders simultaneously when desired, rather than having to place them in the start up folder where they always load.

8. Navigation. Rather than jumping though numerous hoops in oder to get someplace (like Advanced power management), perhaps a window could just list things. Or again, just speak it or hotkey it.  More advanced would be a 3d navigation, so that you move through the PC like walking through a house.

9. Enable the clipboard to remember whatever has been copied to it, infinitely, as Clipdairy does

Also, return the up arrow in Vista so that one can view folders in a single pane view and navigate faster (the new bread crumbs requires two panes in certain situations, or the use of the Alt and the up arrow). I use the QTTabBar instead.

Well, i am sure there is more than can be added, and that we are still in the “Model T” stage of computers and will see more improvements (as long as God gives grace).
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nChrist
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« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2008, 01:30:49 PM »

Hello Brother Daniel,

That's a pretty impressive list of things you want - BUT quite possible. In fact, I think that many of these things can already be done with various utility programs. I'm using Linux, and I'm finding out that scripts are really pretty easy to write and test for Linux. However, Linux is designed from the start with the idea that many users will want to write their own scripts to do various things, so Linux is friendly in this area. I've done some custom things in Windows over the years, but Windows is not a very friendly environment for simple scripts.

I know that Linux does have speech recognition software, but I don't know a thing about it and haven't experimented any with it. It's free and many people with various disabilities do have a wide range of programs to choose from on Linux. In fact, many of the programs are award winning, but I'm sure there is always room for improvement. Text recognition should be much easier, but optical scanners still have a long way to go in reducing errors. This battle has been fought for years, and I think that most folks expect a certain percentage of errors. There are just too many variables in both areas, but great progress has been made. The greatest progress has been in the reduced cost of the hardware and software necessary to get the job done. It hasn't been long ago that speech or text recognition was a very expensive problem that most users couldn't afford. I remember some outrageous price tags just a few short years ago.

Each operating system has strengths and weaknesses. Windows has become known for elaborate Graphical User Interfaces. It will still do many things from the command line, but most people rarely use the command line. Linux used to the the other side of the coin with many manual functions, but Linux has quickly moved to nice GUI'S in many of the programs. Linux still has a rich command set in numerous programming languages. Many of the programming languages are fairly easy to understand, and most users can write simple scripts with very little time spent in learning. As a result, many custom things can be done with Linux easily. In my opinion, Linux is a combination of the best in both worlds.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2008, 01:33:55 PM by blackeyedpeas » Logged

daniel1212av
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« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2008, 06:08:13 PM »

Thanks, and i am glad Linux is there, and it certainly has potential, but i have tried just about every major  distro there is (and i worked the longest with Ubuntu) and found them quickly wanting for what i wanted  to do, unless i want to learn and keep trying scripts, or write software, which i do not have the energy for.  I do use it for backing up or deleting Windows, as it now offers a NTFS driver,  but even then all but Puppy made make gaining permissions difficult very difficult.  Plus it seems it is not legal in the US to install some of the codecs i need to watch or encode video/audio files. 

The best overall distro i found was PCLinuxOS,  then  Puppy,  and Fedora,  and the new Linux KDE Mint looks good (i like the KDE desktop). As my new (and first) LightScribe burner will only print in generic mode (i do have the latest updates), and i have it hooked up to a controller card on this dell E520, I  just tried  Linux KDE Mint on my old PC,  but the installer crashed.   

I hope to use it in the future, God willing.
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« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2008, 08:50:58 PM »

Hello Daniel,

I have a few suggestions for you. First, please know that most standard distributions that you try before installing just represent a tiny percentage of the software available. There are huge repositories of software of nearly all kinds, including some commercial software. I haven't found a need for any of the commercial software yet, but my needs aren't very complex. By "HUGE", I would be talking about thousands of titles for all kinds of work, and most of the titles are free. SO, one of the differences to consider is there is usually no advertising for FREE software. You identify areas of need, join some user groups, and research various software that will get the job done.

Please don't get the wrong idea about writing scripts. My computer runs just fine with Linux software that ALL has very nice GUI'S. I have some of the programming types to play with and see what can be done to customize various things for more personal use. Some of them are extremely easy to use. An example is my current Bible and Christian quote program that I use on the forum. I made the quote and ".dat" files in several extremely easy steps that anyone could do. As a result, I have an easy to use quote program with Christian quotes that I want to use instead of quotes about movies. This is just a tiny example. Customizing just about anything is easy on Linux. I go all the way back to DOS when folks made huge ".bat" files to make things work, and I can tell you that custom work on Linux is much easier. OR, you can just use the base programs "as is", and there are a huge number to choose from. I think that most folks would be amazed to see the HUGE catalogs of various kinds of software.

Lastly, many large businesses and government use Unix and Linux as a matter of choice because of the powerful programs available. Bluntly, Windows has a hard time competing in many of the big corporate and government environments. In fact, Windows is the new kid on the block for many types of programs used in heavy work environments. The main point I would try to make is that Unix and Linux are first-class and actually represent the BEST software in many categories. The examples would be countless, especially in large operations involving networks and servers. Most of what we're talking about here is the small home user without HUGE jobs to do. For home users, the bottom line is an individual's personal preference. The individual home user will get what they like and/or can afford. I don't have very much money, so what I can afford is obviously a big factor. It's just nice to know that there is excellent and FREE software of all kinds.

I wouldn't have a clue why your latest installation attempt failed. If you have unusual hardware, it might be best to go shopping for drivers first. Many installations do require separate drivers, and most of the major manufacturers of various hardware now provide drivers for multiple platforms - including Linux. If they don't, many third parties do, so nearly all hardware will work just fine on Linux if you do a little bit of homework first.
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« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2008, 11:00:21 AM »

Thanks. I am aware that much software is available for Linux, and i did install major ones in Ubuntu, but it  is still just a fraction of the degree of freeware that is available for Windows, and which are very simple install without any problems or the need to compile source code or install  dependencies or run terminal commands. A Windows user just needs to download a file and launch it follow the prompts to install it.

I want to be able to encode and author DVDs  with menus for instance, and while there is some spare offerings for Linux to do so,  and which i think are very basic, to install just one of the programs needed to do so under Ubuntu,  one has to go to Configuration -> Settings, and in the Core tab change the first line to:   

jpegtopnm "$FILE_IN" | ppmtoy4m -n 1 -I t -L $FRAME_RATE -S 420mpeg2 | mpeg2enc -f 8 -b $BITRATE -o "$FILE_OUT" $VIDEO_NORM

And it turns out the encoding software is buggy in some distros, which requires one to go (under Ubuntu) System->Admin->Software repositories and activate the Backports source. And the authoring software requires running scripts, like $ tovid -in MGS4.wmv -out Metal_Gear_Solid_4.

This is not most people's  idea of user friendly.

And then there is the codec issue which in the US would require buying codecs needed to encode, watch and play all major formats. 

My previous major drawback with the distros i tried was that they did not allow RW access to NTFS drives. Though a driver is now available to mount and read such (and likewise Linux reader allows you to easily RW to Linux from Windows, although the EULA would exclude Christians from using it), yet despite help from a\ forums, i could not get Linux  to automatically mount and grant RW access to all my windows partitions and files, though i tried various complex terminal scripts. Security is good, but don't tell me i do not have ownership over my own files, or prevent me from gaining such.   

And some would not recognize a USB keyboard, and most will not configure an internal modem without out much difficulty.
 
These are  just part of the problems windows users face when seeking the kind of versatility that one finds natively in Windows, with far less of a learning curve.  Linux help forums, while useful, themselves testify to the many difficulties Linux must overcome in order to be much more of a viable replacement for windows.

None of this is means Linux does not have some better qualities, in addition to being free (and Linux  is remarkable considering that it has little funding), and the freedom to customize (which is a Christian principle, as opposed to clones) it is one of them, and such freedom and community involvements has made Firefox and Thunderbird superior to their Windows counterparts.  But the same customization has resulted in efforts not being concentrated in just a few distros, in which making Linux more user friendly while increasing it's versatility is needed. 

I may try to install Linux mint on an exteral drive (with my other 2 HD's unplugged, so it does not mess up the complex Vista bootlader) and see how it does.  I have to use a controller card for my pata DVD burner and it will be a test to see if it recognizes it.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2008, 11:04:07 AM by daniel1212av » Logged

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« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2008, 11:06:33 PM »

Hello Daniel,

Brother, you must be doing some heavy duty stuff with sound and video from an author's viewpoint instead of a user's viewpoint. I do very little of either from any viewpoint, so most of that would be worse than Greek to me. You might also be talking about some commercial stuff that average people don't have to worry about. I don't even listen to much music on my computer, and nearly all of my video stuff is family movies of kids. I haven't had any problem with audio or video, but I would probably be categorized as a very limited end user. I know what codecs are, but I'm not aware of any problem. The standard install stuff has worked fine for me, but I realize I don't do much. I did see a codec package for sale on one of the German Linux distributions, and I wondered why. It was only $7, but I still wondered why. Most of the players already have that stuff installed. I'm not a commercial user of any kind, but I would expect some licensing issues if I was trying to sell something - even with Windows. If I understand correctly, nearly all of the audio and video stuff for any operating system is only for non-commercial use. If you start involving even a penny, everything changes.

Brother Daniel, it probably boils down to using what works well for what you want to do. My needs are probably simple compared to your needs. I know that I'm not going to be designing any software or doing any complex video stuff. The most I might do is family videos, and I already know those work on my computer. Heavy audio and video stuff would be something I don't know a thing about. I might not remember the exact name, but I think that Ubuntu Studio does fairly heavy audio and video stuff. This is a specific distribution designed for that. So, if you want to experiment, try that one and see what happens.

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« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2008, 02:48:01 PM »

Well, it is not any more heavy duty than authoring DVD's with menus or recording mp3s.  Aside from the software issues, you may have the codecs you need, but to play or record MP3/WMV/WMA/DVD formats you (or someone) should have had to download the codecs separately, and the reason for that is that they are patented, and thus fall into the Linux category of “restricted software,” ans so you should have had to assent to the warning box to install them.

There is some debate on this, but the short of is that in the US and some other countries it is most likely illegal.  See http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/entdev/article.php/3689726 or http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=665 for more.

When you buy a Windows OS, you are also paying for the license to use the above codecs with that particular OS.   Because many countries (Israel, etc.) do not recognize such patents, some Linux distros (Linux Mint it turns out, and i think OpenSuse 11.0, more maybe in gotcha17/Xandros etc)  include more codecs, but there would be some sort of EULA you would have to agree to.   The response to this ranges from scorn for copyrights, to those who (erroneously i think) contend that if you paid for a Windows OS, you are licensed to use it's coeds, to those who are dissuaded from using Linux due to this problem. I myself certainly appreciate freeware, and would like to see MS give more liberty in some ways,  but i also support right of those who write code for a living to do so. Much work has gone inot makes formats frm JPEG to MPEG, and the authors inc depends upon sales, which in software  cases is via licensing.  It's more Christian ministries that forbid the free sharing of testimonies (like the 700 clubs Amazing Stories) that grieves me.   

But thanks for the info on http://ubuntustudio.org/. i was not aware of this, and it certainly makes Linux more of a viable alternative, if Americans want to be legal and pay for codecs,  And the codec  package is actually 40.00

A final thought is it would help if the motion picture and audio recording industry made more accommodation for free formats like Ogg,
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« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2008, 09:21:17 PM »

Thanks Brother Daniel!

The information on codecs was fascinating. It appears to boil down to legal technicalities that one would almost need a lawyer to figure out. I would opt for the easy answer and stop using the codecs in question. I can't remember the last time I played something with the file extensions mentioned in the articles, but that would be a different discussion. I would simply think there are substitutes of like or better quality. You probably get the same thing when you install a web browser, and I thought a lot of it was to support advertising and being able to view various advertisements. I turn a lot of that stuff off on my web browser. I have seen the page after page of legal mumbo-jumbo on some things, and it's past the point of ridiculous. The same is becoming true on some free and open source software. Most of it boils down to non-commercial use, agreeing not to reverse engineer the software and selling it as your own, and on and on and on. Frankly, I quit paying much attention to that stuff. I don't do anything commercial and I'm not going to repackage someone's software and sell it. I do have separate commercial packages I bought over the years when I had windows, but I really have no use for it. I thought I did at the time I bought it, but now I couldn't explain why I bought that software. There were free versions of the same software, MAINLY because they wanted you to be able to view all the advertising on the web made with it. They made money with the advertising, so it was in their advantage to make sure you could see and hear the advertising. It really appears to be a confusing mess, and I can easily sacrifice the advertising. It appears there are plug-ins for Firefox that probably do nothing but advertising, so this is an extremely interesting issue. The quick answer might be to just disable the stuff and forget it.

Advertising was a major problem and still is for folks with slow Internet connections. Some sites start automatically loading lengthy video advertisements of various kinds when the site starts to open. The choices are:  1) forget the site and don't come back;  2) disable the advertisement;  3) get whatever is required to view their advertisement. After reading these articles, I'm thinking the right answers are either #1 or #2. Why in the world would I want some kind of POSSIBLE legal issue to view an advertisement? I can see many sides to this issue. Everyone should know that money is being made with the advertising. Otherwise - why would there be such interest in giving you free software to view it? I also realize this issue would have other facets for other uses involving MORE MONEY. Some of the money issues have the appearance of being UGLY and resulting in unfair or unethical business practices, but they still want you to view and hear the advertising. WHEW! - How did we ever live without audio and video advertising on the Internet? (Tongue Firmly In Cheek)   Grin
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« Reply #8 on: September 03, 2008, 08:01:59 AM »

" I can't remember the last time I played something with the file extensions mentioned in the articles,"

If that is the case, then you cannot play MP3/WMV/WMA/DVD formats. If you can it is bcz someone installed the restricted software into your OS at some time.

“Most of it boils down to non-commercial use, agreeing not to reverse engineer the software and selling it as your own, and on and on and on.”

Or using it in a nuclear facility. But as we are called to obey every ordinance of man, we should read at least the pertinent parts before agreeing, which (even in freeware, of which i have plenty) sometimes requires assent to more restrictions, even idealogical. The aforementioned Linux reader states in part, 

“Without limiting the foregoing, use, display or
distribution of this SOFTWARE together with material that is...promoting hatred,
discriminating or displaying prejudice based on religion,...sexual orientation..is strictly prohibited.”

Christians would easily be charged with that (though i wrote to them in protest and they said i could use it). 

And this from WordWeb dictionary-thesaurus.

“All users may use WordWeb for 30 days for evaluation purposes. After 30 days it may freely be used only if you personally:
Take at most 4 flights (2 return flights) in any 12 month period
AND do not own an SUV (sports utility vehicle). “

Thank God i presently qualify for this one!

Other EULAs, and especially the TOC of web forums, including this one, require assent to terms that are so ambiguous that most any doctrinal stance or opinion could be disallowed, as it prohibits posting anything “which is..hateful,..threatening,..or otherwise in violation of ANY law.”

That could include eveytthing from California's to Sharia!

Likewise GooglySync

....you agree that when using the Extensions, you will not:
 upload, post, email or transmit or otherwise make available any inappropriate,... or unlawful Content;

According to who? Ted Kennedy's hate crime laws? We can see what is coming.

But back to the codec topic. These patent restrictions are different than both the above as well as  restricting free use to noncommercial work, but like that on books and music, etc, they are legitimately designed to provide income, from commercial to noncommercial users, for the laborer's work.  A person or group who works writing books or software will gain little or far less return for his work if most everyone can get it for free, and it is up to them to decide whether they will allow noncommercial users to do so. This has not happened yet with codecs, which are just part of a potion of software which where written in order to fill a need, just like other inventions, even though it may not seem like much labor. 

This legal problem is one the part of the Linux community (which seeks to be legal in countries like the US) has had to acknowledge, and thus the Ubuntu Canonical Store e offers the codec package   https://shop.canonical.com/product_info.php?products_id=244
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« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2008, 02:02:20 AM »

 Grin   Grin   Grin   ROFL!

Many things are ridiculous these days. Some things are simply standard disclaimers that are written in broad terms to avoid frivolous law suits. What you mentioned on forums is a perfect example. That same language is present on nearly all of them.

I'll look again, but I don't think that I have anything with the file extensions you mentioned. If I do, I'll do some homework and convert them to something else. I do own some Christian music, and I can't remember the file extensions. I can listen to any kind of Christian music I can dream of 24/7 from DirectTV and not even use my computer. The family movies I have can be played on my television without using the computer. So I'll get that garbage off of my computer and quit watching Internet Advertising. I doubt that I'll miss it.   Grin

Bluntly, I won't be worried about hiring a lawyer to go through 20 pages of legal mumbo-jumbo for each piece of open source, public domain, or free software I use. I'm not going to worry about it. If it comes down to going back to DOS, that's no problem either. As far as that goes, typewriters worked pretty well also.   Grin   Life is too short. If there is something I decide I need to worry about, it will be placed in a bin for pickup at the curb. Until then, I don't plan to be losing any sleep over it, and I certainly won't be paying lawyers to decide what open source, public domain, or freeware I can use.

Other than Internet advertising, the only videos I've watched over the last years were from GODTube. Firefox downloaded the free version of Adobe Flash to watch Internet advertising, and it worked fine for GODTube. I have some purchased Christian music on CDs, and they work fine on CD players without the computer. Other media devices actually produce much better sound than the computer does. As far as I know, the codecs just make it possible to listen to the same thing on your computer, so I don't need it. If I decide that I do, I'll buy the codecs and be done with it. My primary use for my computer is Christian volunteer work, so I mainly do Bible studies and prepare posts and other things to give away in non-commercial environments. I can't remember the name right now of some large Christian organizations that recommend software for Church and other Christian use. I'm already using what they recommend, including Open Office and many other outstanding pieces of software. I already have a large assortment of bought software that's sitting idle and unused right now. In fact, it would probably make me angry if I added up the money I've spent on software over the years. In fact, I've probably bought those codecs that are the subject in question right now several times. A lot of the stuff was bought for things the kids wanted to do, but I don't need them. The bottom line for me will be use of the bin on the curb for any reasonable worry. I would suggest the same thing for you unless you have some compelling need. If you do have a compelling need, do some shopping for software that will eliminate any worries you might have. If the answer turns out to be commercial software, buy it and stop worrying. TOO much worry, especially over unreasonable things, will give you high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks. It would be better to go back to paper and pencil!

I know some pastors who have BOUGHT the best of the best software, crossed all the "t's" and dotted all the "i's", and they are still experiencing all kinds of problems with their COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE. Believe it or not, GIANT BIG BROTHER went through their prepared sermons on the pastor's computer and deleted what they wanted to. If the pastor had read all the fine print, the pastor would have seen that they agreed up front to let GIANT BIG BROTHER go through the contents of their computer and delete whatever they deemed inappropriate - ACCORDING TO THOSE EXTREMELY BROAD AND VAGUE STATEMENTS THAT ARE PART OF THE SOFTWARE AGREEMENT! This is the absolute TRUTH, and I know personally that IT HAS HAPPENED! We're talking about Bible quotes, notes from commentaries, definitions from Bible dictionaries and other common things associated with sermon preparation - INCLUDING PERSONAL NOTES. GIANT BIG BROTHER was not required to give notice, and the software agreement offered NO RECOURSE except to trash the software. I WILL NOT TOLERATE OR PUT UP WITH ANYTHING LIKE THIS! AND THAT WOULD BE THE END OF THE STORY FOR ME! By the way, we're talking about the OPERATING SYSTEM - NOT the commercial or non-commercial software that the pastor used to prepare the sermons. WITHOUT NOTICE OR REASON, BIG BROTHER SOFTWARE COMPANY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT IN YOUR COMPUTER WITHOUT RECOURSE! We're not talking about a government entity like China shutting down Christians, RATHER THE VENDOR WHO SOLD THE OPERATING SYSTEM! What does it take to get on their target list? I don't know, but doing something illegal IS NOT REQUIRED! WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT? NOTHING EXCEPT QUIT USING THEIR OPERATING SYSTEM! They will tell you that things like this don't happen, but that's a LIE! It does happen, and it happens OFTEN!

In conclusion, I certainly agree that all Christians should do everything according to Biblical principles and have a clear conscience. HOWEVER, there must be a line drawn somewhere that defines what's reasonable and what's not. If you went to the limits of the implications of every word, you wouldn't be using a computer at all. You might even need to hire a lawyer to go over all the fine print that comes with a typewriter. By the way, if there is any legally offensive material in the Holy Bible, I'll be legally offensive for the rest of my days. Any law passed that makes the Holy Bible offensive in this country would be ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AND A DIRECT VIOLATION OF CIVIL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS! ANY ATTEMPTED ENFORCEMENT OF SUCH A LAW WOULD BE CRIMINAL AND SUBJECT TO SEVERE CRIMINAL AND CIVIL REMEDIES! By the way, it's also IMPOSSIBLE to sign away basic rights or agree to let someone violate your basic rights. This is in REAL LIFE - not a software environment.
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« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2008, 11:10:19 AM »

This has become quite a stimulating discussion.

Regards. commercial  software, outside that of Operating Systems and that which comes with it, the only piece of software i think i have bought is a cheap Roxio DVD Creator 8 and some restore software (freeware wouldn't do it). Plus an E-Sword disk years ago because my old PC couldn't handle the download. So i thank God for freeware and those that write it. 

Regarding the over broad EULA's and TOC's, if they are to be understood as such then it works against reasonable expectation of full compliance, and it is to be understood according to the letter,  then often most anyone could potentially  be disqualified for even Biblical positions, which of course is where the West is largely headed.  But i find nothing presently in any OS Eula that would allow the deletion of software, although the DRM might conceivable allow that for audio/video. More likely, Windows Defender could've determined the software or bundled programs were malicious and removed it., which could happen automatically, at lest in it's beta release, if so selected.

“So I'll get that garbage off of my computer and quit watching Internet Advertising.”

I am hardly ever bothered with Internet Advertising. I guess i ignore the side panes that contain it. And with Firefox and a mvps host file i cannot remember getting a pop up in FF.

Like yours, i use PC  mostly for ministry and related purposes. We do not have cable or satellite, and just an old TV with some rabbit ears which is very rarely used (like when i watched part of the the RNC and the news last night), and the PC is my CD player (i even have a cheap FM transmitter you can plug into it), though it is not used much for that or for watching movies, but which a Pc is the main unit for doing. I  have a built rather large database of videos you can download, from Moody science videos to war documentaries (Internet Archive), to testimonies from such places as   http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing ,http://www.muslimjourneytohope.com/ http://freecdtracts.co, the latter two of which we have permission to freely share many video's from,   which is what i want to do.  I just called up again to contact TBN about their To Hell and Back video, which they offer for download, but which i lack formal permission to share for free (and they forbade me in an email). The 700 club also would not allow me to share any of the many wonderful video testimonies they offer for download, though i fairly pleaded with them to do so.  These are mainly not for believers, but for the lost.

I also have permission to share some good Christian music. And as these must be able to play on home players (and there is some work in making DVD's best do that), rather than just in a format like OGG, then this is where the Linux codec issue is a problem. Of course, i could possibly buy the codec package, God willing, if i ever needed to go fully with Linux, and as it matures more that may be an option. Bless the LORD who hath given us grace to know and serve Him.   








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« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2008, 01:16:51 AM »

Hello Brother Daniel,

I hope that you consider this to be a pleasant discussion between Brother in CHRIST. That's the way I consider it. NOW, I understand what you're trying to do, and I admire you for doing it. The tasks you have decided to do for the LORD are much more complicated than I imagined. If you do what you've been led to do, you will have concerns and worries that I don't have. You also won't have much choice except to use audio and video software. You've used many terms that I had to look up to understand (i.e. OGG). I got a very short and incomplete education on "OGG", and I read about other formats at the same time. It was fascinating, but I'm glad that I don't have to deal with stuff like that every day. It would obviously take a lot of skill, patience, and time to do what you are doing. I have viewed some testimonies and other Christian materials on GODTube, so I know that audio and video can be very inspiring and useful in the LORD'S Work. I probably sound old-fashioned, but I've dealt completely with text and some simple Christian graphics. "Probably" is the wrong word - I know that I'm old-fashioned. I had nothing but very slow dial-up connections until just a year ago, so I formed habits that were based on text. It took forever to do anything with audio or video on the Internet, so I bought what I wanted. I did have many things disabled on my computer when it came to Internet use because I simply didn't have the time at the horribly slow connection speeds. My kids used the computer for other things on the Internet even at the slow speeds, but I didn't have the patience.

My favorite Christian sites are still text based because of old habits. However, I'm aware of many places that have excellent audio and video Christian materials. For whatever reason, I still haven't tried much of it yet even though I now have a fairly fast connection. Christians Unite has a nice media library, but I've only used the text. Another favorite Christian site is Grace Gems, and I think they have a quickly growing media library. Again, I've just used their texts. I don't know anything about their media formats, but I think that I'll try to find out. 80% of my hard drive is currently empty. I must also add that my kids are no longer interested in using my computer when they visit. It's an old guy computer now.   Cheesy

Brother Daniel, hang tough with your ministry in audio and video. I'll be praying for you.

Love In Christ,
Tom



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revelation are both Divine: they flow, though in different channels,
from the same adorable source. It is indeed preposterous to separate
them from each other." -- James Wilson (of the Law of Nature, 1804)
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« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2008, 04:24:40 PM »

Thank God for your good spirit  Tom, and encouragement thereby. I am blessed to be able to share a few relatively minor things with a believer, as on secular forums they mostly seem to scoff at legal concerns or reasons Christians should would want to use a PC.

And like you, i used dial up till about 2 years ago, when i prayed and trusted that i could justify and afford the 15.00 a month for 768kbs DSL, and that was on my old W/98se box (the LORD has since graciously given us a new PC). 

If it seems like i know somewhat about pc tech stuff, it is because  i needed or wanted to know, and had time to do research, and that is one thing you can do easily on the web.  And there is more that i do not know, both in the spiritual as well as realm. "But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD." (Jer 9:24).

And sometimes i get caught up in other things (even the news), rather than constantly sanctifying the LORD in my heart as i should and want to.   

I much apreciate that i can post the daiy Bible study on CU, among other things. The first things that get usually launched first when i boot up in the morning is my Quick verse Bible program, and then e-sword, and then Open office (OOo), and  browsers and T-bird email client. And these are all launched abot at once, as i have them hot keyed.  And i have many things in the OOo Auto correct that automatically change certain character into a complete word, such as [cns which turns into [ color=navy][ size=11pt]
 (w/out the spaces).

As regards your “old school PC, it sound more like you seek to be old paths” believer, which is good! I certainty agree that text testimonies etc, are needed and powerful, and i have some sources myself, but we are also in a visual generation, which is the most Biblically illiterate and morally confused generation this country has ever seen, and i am burdened in particular for them, though all need to read and perhaps watch the amazing grace of God, as well as understand the terrible consequences of sinning away their day of grace. I have been able to post many replies on a certain Yahoo answers forum and i often have posted many text and videos links in response to the often arrogant as well as sincere queries that seem to most often come from young persons, among whom atheism is the fastest growing “religion.”  But that's another thread, but if God blesses, i hope to  give more grace to them,  and Muslims too, with any good video's i can legally share for free. To God be the glory.
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« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2008, 12:32:21 AM »


1. Speech recognition (speech to text and commands) Vista (even HB which i have) provides this but it is very very basic. If you don't have MSOffice i have found it only writes text to WordPad, and at that it leaves a lot to be desired. As my fingers increasingly are getting stiffer i myself would like to see this much improved. Vista speech recognition will also launch some apps, but nothing as varied and quick as it should be. In fact, i think the PC should be able to boot via voice command, which could allow extensive password restrictions. And rather than having to say Start and the name of a program, etc., we should be able to set up any program we want to launch by voice command, as in “execute Firefox” (FF), or "Launch group 1 (see # 7).

I read an interesting article on this online just recently, but I can't remember where. The essence of it was that one company has bought up almost all the rights to speech recognition, but they are only interested in promoting it to businesses ( like your phone company), not to individual computer users.



2. Remote telemetry and execution. PC makers could work with appliance and car makers to allow cheap transmitting of helpful data to your PC, from such things as cost per kw electrical consumption to blood pressure. And laptops could have a program that allows (via plug in)  basic analysis of engine performance. Etc.  More devices could also be cheaply made to be receive commands from a PC (turn lights on, off etc.).

For your car, try http://www.auterraweb.com/. I have the Palm version and it works well, but they also have a PC version. Some medical equipment can be connected to a PC, but the programs are usually expensive and restricted to the doctor's office.


3. HotKeys: A built in hot key utility would  launch things quickly, hibernate, shut down the PC. etc. (I use the discontinued Copernic utility Winkey, and set it up so that the Windows key and F keys launch Internet apps, while Windows, shift and a appropriate key does other apps, while ctrl and a appropriate key does folders).  Under Vista, the Windows key and number keys will launch shortcuts in the quick launch bar, but to my knowledge even these hotkeys are not configurable.

Never got into this one - can't help you there.

4. Sys. Res. And activity. A single system tray utility that can show HD and CPU temps and activity, as well as specific Internet traffic activity would be helpful. We should always be able to know what is coming on or going out of our computer. Treat surfing like driving. And the clock should be more lie TClock.

Likely exists but you might have to search for it.

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« Reply #14 on: September 06, 2008, 01:26:36 PM »

Hello Brother Daniel,

We appreciate you posting the daily Bible studies here. Many people are reading it.

I use many of the same programs you do every day. I even have the commercial Quick Verse, but I prefer the free e-Sword.

I've been spending considerable time recently in trying to organize many years of collecting sermons, Bible studies, and all kinds of various Christian materials in text, ".doc", ".pdf", and several Open Office formats. I really like the new formats in Open Office and feel they might become the new industry standard because of the reasonable size, speed, and compatibility that should last well into the future. You probably know that I'm talking about Oasis. I'm converting a lot of things to Oasis, but I'm still hanging onto text formats. You're working on a database for modern media, and I'm working on a database for textual media. I wish that I had done more labeling, categorizing, and sorting when I first got the material because things would be much easier now. Some of the material is false for study purposes only, and I don't have that identified or divided yet. I actually have gigs of material - even with most of it zipped. Quite a bit is also very old material that I really enjoy often.

I can definitely see and understand the real need for excellent visual materials. Christians need to be using everything possible in the attempt to reach the lost in these possible end days of the Age of Grace. I do plan to start looking at different kinds of materials, including audio and video. My plans have been to put up another web site. At this point, I'm still thinking it will be text content, but all excellent Christian materials. I had some rough drafts, but I keep starting over. A lot of it is probably just putting things off because of the amount of work involved.  Cheesy  I need to just jump in and do it - and worry about changes later.

Love In Christ,
Tom



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Lashed, like the drowning mariner, to the raft
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"Hold me up, and I shall be safe!" Psalms 119:117
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