Software

Our First Zune

Mark Treadwell — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:29:02 GMT

My wife and I were talking by phone while I was at a store when she mentioned that she wanted an MP3 player for use around the house. Easy in-car use was also a requirement. I went to the music player display case to see what was offered. A full 80% of the boxes were various flavors of iPods. The rest were Zunes with a couple of Samsung units.

Since I have a bad opinion of Apple DRM and iTunes lock-in, I bought her a 4GB pink Zune and brought it home. My wife loved opening the box and playing with all the bits. We both agreed that the out-of-the-box experience was great. She went off to do some grocery shopping while I handled the task of installing the software and getting the thing running.

The great hardware happiness died an ugly death during the software installation. The process was agonizingly slow. The software prepared the computer for installation three times. The Zune software appeared to get installed three or four times, although I knew those were small support programs, then ... reboot! What? What does a simple music player need to restart the entire computer for? While writing this blog post, the software also automatically ran Microsoft Update without my permission and contrary to my Microsoft Update system settings. Very rude!

The total length of the install seemed like I was installing Microsoft Office and Visual Studio at the same time. It took nearly a half an hour on a computer with nothing else running and no other load on the broadband modem. I can only assume the 33MB of dedicated files are supported by numerous other changes -- and all this on a fully updated Windows XP system. I actually ended up with multiple restarts for multiple updates. I was disappointed the install process was so miserable, but grateful it went forward with no errors.

Happily, my wife saw none of this and was soon listening to a few of our CDs I had ripped previously. She dutifully listened to the music that came with the player, then spent some time learning the Zune software deleting it all. She judged it all to be crap. The only artist she recognized of the bunch was Bare Naked Ladies and that was only because they sang a song for Disney's movie Chicken Little.

She loves the size, feel, and interface of the Zune. That part of the experience was great. The car kit just worked with no problems. She is happy, and that was a primary goal of the purchase.

Technorati Tags: Zune

IE8 Beta 1 - Fixing the Favorites Crashes

Mark Treadwell — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 04:21:05 GMT

IE8 Beta 1 now available here.

My initial experience with this version was not good. As soon as I viewed my Favorites and started to mouse over the list, the browser crashed. Every time. After the fifth or sixth time, I uninstalled it and returned to IE7.

After downloading a new copy, I reinstalled. It still crashed. Then I started the browser without add-ons. (Right click the Desktop icon and choose "Start Without Add-ons.") No crashes when viewing Favorites.

Ah hah. I went in and pruned down the list of add-ons. I was surprised at how many things had crept into the list. A couple of companies got turned off entirely: InstallShield (2), Symantec (6), Groove Alliance (1). I also disabled a couple of duplicates and some strange things I never used. In the end, I had stuff from Adobe, Apple, Sun, Microsoft, and a few others. After restarting in normal mode, I had no more crashes.

I am not sure of the precise culprit, although Eric Law hints on the IE Blog that it may be the Sonic Solutions Drive Letter Access (part of the Roxio CD/DVD burning software which I got from Dell) and disabled in the browser. I wondered why InstallShield and Symantec needed such a browser presence. I will see what complains as I work and if things seem faster.

Technorati Tags: IE8

IE7 Downloads Are Live

Mark Treadwell — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:22:00 GMT

Go to the main site before it gets hammered with traffic: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/

Even better, they seem to have fixed the nonresponsive Favorites folders bug that crept into the last release candidate.

Update 1: Too late. Microsoft's download servers, as well as the supporting authentication, RunOnce and update servers, are creaking under the load. It would be best to wait a bit for the update rush to subside. When the phased Automatic Updates hit, expect even more mayhem.

Update 2: All clear. Go for it.

Microsoft Private Folder 1.0 MSI

Mark Treadwell — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 22:12:00 GMT

Update: You are now too late. It took Microsoft five days, but they have finally removed the download file and the page linked below. Sorry. You may want to try the Google search linked below to find someone who has it posted elsewhere.

After corporate security types screamed, Microsoft pulled the download of their Private Folder 1.0 installer. More accurately, they pulled the web pages that pointed to the file, but, for the moment, left it posted on their download server. You can find it using this Google search (now down around 20th place, it is the one with a gibberish title) and directly via this link. If you are interested, download fast.

For info, Microsoft Private Folder 1.0 lets users “protect your private data when your friends, colleagues, kids or other people share your PC or account. With this tool, you will get one password protected folder called ‘My Private Folder’ in your account to save your personal files.” The software requires Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Professional Edition or Media Center Edition with SP2 to run and does not come with any product support.

It appears Microsoft missed a download page, though.

New Dell Computer Crapware

Mark Treadwell — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 01:12:00 GMT

Today I got to unpack and set up my new toy. After over five years of existing with the same old 1.1GHz P3, I finally got my brand new Dell XPS 400 -- Pentium D Dual Core 3GHz Processor 930, 4GB DDR2 SDRAM, 256MB nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX, and other toys -- Sweet! I plugged in two 19-inch LCD monitors that I had ready, fired it up, and promptly got deluged with the Dell advertising crapware.

I had to read the startup configuration screen very closely to make sure I was not agreeing to AOL Broadband or NetZero dial-up. I wanted to use my existing ISP. Not to worry, I still had to view the AOL Broadband ad anyway since I chose to intentionally bypass the install.

Overall, not too bad, but lots more than past computers. I especially dislike anything AOL. I killed it off and uninstalled it as fast as I could. In typical AOL fashion, they left an install link on the Start menu along with an install package directory that I had to delete manually.

Update: I also pulled some stuff out of the registry at HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.

What do I end up with on my new desktop?

Windows stuff (Recycle Bin, IE, Media Center, Windows Media Player)
Dell Documentation and Support; Games, Music, and Photos
Crap: AOL Free 6 Months, Internet Service Offers, NetZero - First Month Free!

Start Menu Crap:

MSN (twice)
America Online 9.0 (and subfolder)
Install Netscape Internet Service
NetZero - First Month Free!
InstallShield Update Service (it only updates itself and Corel Photo Album 6)
RealPlayer
WordPerfect Office 12

Background Process Crap:

AOL connectivity service (System level! Why would this ever need to be running in the background on every new PC?)

IE Shortcut Crap:

Real (3 links)
Dell (4 links)
MSN

Control Panel - Add or Remove Programs Crap

America Online
AOL Coach Version 1.0
AOL Connectivity Services
EarthLink Setup Files
ESPNMotion
Dell Get High Speed Internet!
Dell Internet Service Offers Launcher
NetZeroInstallers
RealPlayer
WordPerfect Office 12

I uninstalled all this since I never wanted it, will never use it, and feel much better with it gone. Interestingly, Dell is shipping old versions of Sun Java (1.4.2_03 vice the current 1.5.0_06-b05) and Adobe Acrobat Reader (6.0.2 vice 7.0.8). No Flash or Shockwave included either. Who knows what else I will find strange about this new machine.

ClearType in IE7 Beta 2 Preview

Mark Treadwell — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 19:21:00 GMT

I mentioned earlier, that I endorsed IE7 Beta 2 Preview, but I should clarify that something seems wrong with the ClearType implementation. It is so bad for me, that I have had to turn it off.

Now I admit that I have a wimpy old home system (P3 1.1GHz), but the ClearType pages at Microsoft say that I should have seen an improvement. There is a new IEBlog entry today talking about this. Try it and see if it will improve things for you. I think it will likely be a wash on more modern hardware, but it is unworkable for me on my nearly ancient system.

IE7 Beta 2 Preview - It's Worth It

Mark Treadwell — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 23:34:00 GMT

After playing with Beta 1, I find the Beta 2 Preview to be worth it. Uninstall Beta 1 if you have it before installing Beta 2 Preview. My installs were seamless.

Note: The .Text editing window is a little flakey with delete/backspace and cursor positioning. It also has problems with the post body toolbar. Hmmm ... maybe a reboot.

Lots of people are calling this Beta 2 -- that is incorrect. The IEblog announcement calls a beta preview “a release for everyone involved in making the Internet work.“ While they anticipate it will be downloaded by the public at large, a later Beta 2 will be for the masses.

Sony DRM Debacle: Now for the Lawyers

Mark Treadwell — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 10:37:00 GMT

Brian Bergstein, AP Technology Writer, gives us a good summary of where things stand with Sony and their DRM problems. Suffice it to say that they relied on First 4 Internet for the expertise and F4I proved to be inept.

I think Sony's suits have little concern about the “thieving users” who are trying to steal their content, but only get concerned about the lawsuits and lost profit. The music industry got too used to obscene profit margins and now cannot live without them. Sony seems the most adamant of the labels about keeping their kingdom afloat, but their fall is just an inevitable as the other companies.

Sony DRM Death Spiral Continues

Mark Treadwell — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 09:21:00 GMT

The media is looking for blood, and there is plenty of Sony's lying around.

Update 1: Someone finally says that the antivirus companies who were supposedly protecting us have no clothes.

Update 2: A good USA Today article that links the Sony DRM to executive changes, a questionable merger, and staff downsizing.

The stories are only getting worse. I think this will emerge as a perfect case study of now not to protect a company's intellectual property.

Sony issues a second apology, stops production and later recalls 4.1 million CDs with the XCP DRM software. Of those, 2.1 million had been sold.
This Eweek story on how a Dan Kaminsky estimate of world-wide installations of Sony's rootkit is above 568,200 based on nameserver queries.
This AP story (also here) about how the hurriedly-issued “fix“ actually made user's computers more exposed.
The general /. pummeling is here.
Another /. story on how Sony/First 4 Internet also manage to violate the LGPL.
Other stories: NYT, USA Today, WaPo, Wired

Does Japan still practice harakiri?

Sony Maximizing Their DRM Pain

Mark Treadwell — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 22:31:00 GMT

Previously, I hypothesized about a fictional pitch that sold Sony on the rootkit XCP DRM they included on some recent CDs. I then examined how the software's authors pitched their product. All of those scenarios were fatally limited because I think I fell into the same trap the Sony did -- I did not examine how CDs are played from all angles. My assumption was that the players in this game were Sony (and by extension First 4 Internet) and the incipient thieves who buy the CDs.

The point of view that I missed was that of the employers of those who bought the XCP DRM rootkit CDs. These corporate victims are not very happy at the prospect of rootkits appearing on their corporate networks as an inside job. Years ago, we worried about the floppy disk as the primary vector for infection of corporate networks from home computers. Sony has now introduced an unique new spin, pissing off numerous network administrators along the way.

One can only assume that the probable lack of disclosure from First 4 Internet precipitated this snowballing disaster.