Oscar Trelles

Some people like cats. Apparently we have a thing for computers. At Elizabeth’s work, they were throwing computers away like garbage, including a couple of gems. So, we rescued this iMac you see in the picture, becoming our very first Mac and the 6th computer laying around our apartment.

This is an old machine, so I was surprised about it being so “modern” compared to most 2-year PCs. It is in very good shape, and although it runs OS 9.2, it has pretty much anything you need for an entry-level computer. No wonder Mac fans are so, well… fanatic about the brand.

Sadly, that’s as good as you (I) can do with and iMac. Upgrades are usually expensive and can only be done by expert personnel, as these machines seem to be difficult to crack open… hehe. And that’s the main reason I’ve always been a PC guy: I can build my own machine, with whatever components I want and choose from a vast variety of vendors or models. Can Mac guys build their own GXs?

I’ve worked with Macs in past, mostly out of necessity. Now I have the opportunity to gain more familiarity with Mac OS, and get used to that freaky single-button mouse

I think the day I shaved for the last time was the same day I posted my last blog entry. So, when I looked at the mirror this morning, I created a new measurement scale for my blogging absence. Although I haven’t blogged much lately, I have been working on the blog itself.

Work continues to keep myself unavailable for much else. However, I have been working on significant enhancements to my blogging engine, both at the client and the server side of the application. The funny thing is that the updated version is not being used here yet, it is currently powering the blog of an upcoming Flash Video resource (we will launch the site in the following days, so stay tuned).

Anyway, while in beta, I gave my blog engine the codename “Hades”, but it sounds kinda obscure for a formal name. So, I’m still thinking about a suitable name for my unspammable (*cough*) blog engine. It’s not like I’m planning a commercial distribution operation, I’m just tired of calling it “my blog engine” So, if you have any suggestions, feel free to drop in.

I will publish the source files after updating this site, and the next task will be developing a Flash interface for the engine, but that depends on whatever free time I have available.

Microsoft has published Knowledge Base article, with a list of nearly 50 programs and games that may not work properly after installing SP2. Amazingly, but not suprising, many of the titles in the list are theirs, and include Visual Studio and SQL Server. Also, ColdFusion MX is mentioned as one of the affected programs.

Read the Article:
Some programs seem to stop working after you install Windows XP Service Pack 2

—-
Update

Here is more on flaws being discovered on SP2:

Pros point to flaws in Windows security update

This is completely off-topic, but I feel this might be of general interest, especially for those who reside in the New York tri-state area. Just a warning: be careful when buying extended guarantees for electronics bought from PC Richards, sending them for repairs can be very dissapointing.

To make it a short story, a little more than a year ago, I bought a Vaio laptop from PC Richards, the store in Union Square, and everything was fine until earlier this year, when the computer started to have trouble turning on, and eventually wouldn’t turn on at all. By the time I already had a second laptop, and my wife was using the troubled one. So, we kinda took our time before taking it back to the store, making use of the extended 2 year guarantee I bought with the computer. The store took the computer and told me that it should be ready in two weeks, and if I didn’t hear from them by then I should give them a call. Fair enough. This was just before our trip to Puerto Rico, so we were not in a rush.

About a month later, a Tuesday, I was visiting a client in the Union Square area, and decided to see what happened with the computer, so I went to the store. Once there, they told me that they couldn’t find anything about the status of the laptop, and that I should call the repair center directly… fine, but something wasn’t quite right. That week we were very busy, and I didn’t remember about the laptop until next Tuesday. When I called the repair center they me that they computer just arrived last Thursday (wtf?!) and that the technicians were just about to review it. In other words, the store didn’t send the laptop for repairing until after I visited them, and that’s why they were so weird that day. I called the store manager immediately, and after wrestling with his cynicism, he finally told me that they are not responsible for “human errors”. So, if your company isn’t responsible for deceiving your customers, who the hell is?

But it doesn’t end here. Two days later they called to tell me that the problem with the computer was that it had “multiple viruses” and they needed to “reset the RAM”, and that they do not cover that, but as a “courtesy” they were going to repair de computer anyway. In other words, to cover for their complete lack of responsibility, they were blaming me for the damage, in the most stupid way possible. I laughted at their ignorance, and decided not to go any further, I will just wait for my repaired equipment and cancel my account as soon as possible.

Next week they called me from the store to tell me that my laptop was ready for pick up. So, we went and picked it up. But we weren’t prepared for what we saw, already home, when unwrapping the laptop: it has scratches everywhere! In the fourteen months we had it, we kept it in an almost prestine shape; we travelled to Peru and Sydney with it, I carried with me through airports, city tours, zoos and aquariums, and nothing happened to it. Now, you send your stuff for repairs and they give it back working, but with scratches and stains. Yes, in addition to the scratches, there was a stain on the cover, which I only hope was coffee.

We are still waiting for a call from the manager of the repairs center, we called to complaint but they have not returned our calls yet. But there’s no way they are going to give me a new laptop, and there’s no way I’m gonna buy anything else from them, ever. Be advised.

It is that time again: on Tuesday 17th, we will be having an Open Mouse. Open Mouse is an opportunity for all NYMMUG members to showcase their most recent work, share tips, and even ask for feedback. Open Mouse is also about having a great time in community with other Macromedia product’s users and professionals in NYC. This is the planned Agenda for Tuesday.

Date: Tuesday, 8/17. OpenMouse
Time: 6pm. Meet and Greet, 6:30 Presentations start.
Place: Motion Over Time. 18 West 21st street, 5th Floor. (Bet. 5th and 6th).

Presenters:

Robert Walters, Imaira.
Will give a demo of Sculptoris Voices for the creation of lifelike characters in the Flash file format. Check out the site, very cool:
http://www.Sculptoris.com

Anna and Derek Nash, DNAARTS
Anna and Derek will present their web design and motion graphics work. Examples will include http://www.squindo.net. Fun and dynamic.

Robert Walch, Entermation
Robert will show us Movie In a Window Tools (MIAWs) that he is developing for Director. Robert will also discuss some of the challenges and aspects of developing Window based (MIAW or Movie In A Window) tools in Director that act on the active cast’s member selection, and use dynamic behavior description lists.

Avery Smith, http://www.asmithstudio.com
Avery will present his extensive design work. Nice and clean.

Mike, VTek LabsMike will show us his use of binary search methods to find the edges of dynamically loaded movie clips in Flash and his use of the drawing API.

For more information and to RSVP, visit the NYMMUG website.

FYI, a downloadable version of Windows XP SP2 is already available for network administrators, developers and other people installing the package in multiple computers, and can be downloaded from here.

According to the document at Microsoft’s website, this package is not intended for user upgrading just one computer, as a lighter version will be available through Windows Update shortly. The languages available at this moment are English and German.

Either downloading this installer or using Windows Update to install SP2, be aware that Microsoft has acknowledged that some applications you might have installed might not work properly, given the (supposedly) tighter overall security being added through the update.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers

Thanks to Joe Garraffo for the info.

[via LIFUG mailing list]

I have been playing Dr. Frankenstein again, but this time for a very good reason.

Ever since I bought my latest desktop computer, I tried to keep it up to date by upgrading some of its components here and there. However, it comes a time when the original plan is completely screwed and you need to start over. Besides, ever since I landed this long-term contract with with an eLearning contents provider, I can’t afford to stop my production (as a matter of fact, I’m looking into expanding my operation, but that’s a subject for another post). In a nutshell, I needed a new computer, a machine with enough power to keep up with heavy multimedia jobs and long work days. So, in order to make the most out of my hard earned money and to get exactly what I needed, I decided to build it myself.

I had experience assembling computers in the past, it was part of my first actual job as a support specialist in my department’s computer lab, during my second year of college. However, the last computer I ever built was a Pentium 2 and so much has changed since then: not only the technology is different, but there are so many choices and brands for computer components out there that you really have to be careful, and make sure you are buying compatible stuff.

First decisions

To simplify my research a little bit, I decided to buy both the motherboard and the processor from Intel. However, Intel alone has almost 30 different motherboard models compatible with Pentium 4 processors. So, how to discard choices? Well, in my case it wasn’t so difficult since I wanted a “barebones” board, given that I was considering getting sound, video and networking cards separately. Then the choice actually depended on the processor and the number of USB ports available. I decided to go with the Intel D865PERL motherboard which allows for up to 8 USB ports and supports my Pentium 4 3e processor. Memory for this combo is no regular DIMM, so you gotta be careful with what you get there. Usually, merchants have preselected choices available when you select your board, if not, you better ask first.

Silence please

When you have to work with audio almost all day, you learn to appreciate silence. So, when looking for a case, I was especially concerned about their noise reduction features. Good merchants give you pages of detailed information and technical specs, but it is always a good idea to read customer reviews. After considering several options, this beautiful black case from Antec was apparently the best choice. Gladly, it was even better than I expected. It is really well designed and it makes the assembly process very comfortable. I also got an extra frontal fan to keep the hard disks cool.

No Sweat

With the core and housing out of the way, the rest is easy and depends more on the mission of the computer. Since I have to work with increasingly heavy multimedia pieces, I needed a decent video card, a respectable sound card (with quality analog and digital inputs), massive storage and a fast DVD/CD writer. For the record, this is the final configuration (notice that I already had spare parts, and reused them in thus machine):

Processor: Pentium 4 3.0E GHz (New)
Motherboard: Intel D865PERL (New)
RAM: 2x512Mb PC 3200 DIMM (New)
HDD1: Maxtor 300Gb (New)
HDD2: Maxtor 40Gb (Reused)
HDD3: Western Digital 20Gb (Reused)
Video1: ATI Radeon 9600XT (New)
Video2: ATI Radeon 7500 (Reused)
Sound: SoundBlaster Audigy ZS Platinum Pro (New)
DVD: Sony DRU700A 8X DVD+/-RW 8.5Gb (New)
CD: HP CD Writer Plus (Reused)
NIC: Linksys Instant Wireless Network Card (New)
Case: Antec SLK3700BQE Midtower

Where to buy components

To decide for a merchant, I built a chart comparing prices, including taxes and shipping charges. At the end, I bought everything from mwave.com, except for the sound card which I got directly from Creative, due to a $70 rebate they were offering

Here are some pictures I took while building the little monster:

(to come)

*Disclaimer: I am in no way being compensated by any of the manufacturers and merchants mentioned in this post. I am only sharing my particular experience, in the hopes somebody may find it useful.