Windows

It is time. To The Mac!

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In late 2006 I wrote an article about how I switched from PC to Mac, and through frustration over a few petty things I switched back. The main reason was simply that the Mac didn’t allow me to play my PC games, nor did it (perhaps more importantly!) allow me to continue developing MS-based applications using the .NET Framework (a Windows only set of application libraries).

I switched back, and was happy for a while. Then I starting listing all the things I couldn’t do on the PC that I’d gotten used to doing on the Mac. In particular, I use Final Cut Studio on a daily basis at work – it seemed a shame that I couldn’t use those tools at home. (more…)

By Oli Trenouth, ago

7 Days with Windows 7: Part 1

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OK, jokes aside, I decided to take the plunge and upgrade to Microsoft Windows 7 this week. I was keen to see if it lived up to the hype, and wanted to see for myself whether this really was Windows “Vista Redux”.

I was an early adopter of Windows Vista, and to be honest I’ve been reasonably happy with it. I can recall a few months of driver problems when I first switched, but that was to be expected with a new OS. Being a long-time Apple OSX user, I actually liked the new Aero design and the easy search features that had been added to the Start menu – even if at the time it felt like Microsoft were trying too hard to be like Apple. (more…)

By Oli Trenouth, ago

Setting Sail Across the C

I’m a Microsoft developer. There, I said it. I’ve grown up in a world of BASIC, from the early days of QuickBASIC through to VB.NET today. It’s a fantastic, easy going world to live in – particularly since .NET – as everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) is laid out for you. As a development environment, it’s so easy to get started – and often leaves you thinking “surely it’s not that simple?!” after writing a single line of code. (more…)

By Oli Trenouth, ago

Tweetr

I just wanted to give you link to a great little Twitter desktop client I’ve been using recently. It’s called Tweetr, and runs on both Windows and OSX thanks to Adobe Air. Just as with Twitter, the application is clean, simple and doesn’t get in the way.

By Oli Trenouth, ago

Downmix

It’s been a long time since I actually used some multi-track, virtual studio software for the job it was intended for. I usually dip in, tweak some levels, and export … or at a push I use the convenience of the multiple tracks to help create composite sound effects for Read more…

By Oli Trenouth, ago

Installing Vista from a Memory Card

I figured there must be an easier way … maybe I could format a USB drive or memory stick? Well, you can … but the thought dawned on me: If you can boot and install from those media, then why not a CF card in a card reader? My reasoning was that I didn’t want to format either my USB drive or 16Gb memory stick … they have all my files on them! However, my digital camera has a rather healthy 4Gb CF card in it that could easily be formatted.

By Oli Trenouth, ago