Power Play

Apple genius bar says my latest Mac problem was a power-management issue, i.e. the computer wasn't sending enough power to the gizmo
managing WiFi & Bluetooth. The phone tech didn't mention leaving it unplugged for a full five minutes, hence he sent me on a useless errand. Everything seemed OK at the store. Just have to trek back through the rush hour & check it out. Next time I'll try the unplug trick and save the drive.
Sent from Stacie's iPhone

Windows

It is so nice out today, I decided to shut off the A/C and open the windows.

Speaking of Windows, I installed Windows 7.0 Ultimate on an iMac. The are a few major points to consider, aside from the normal things, like using Apple's Bootcamp to prepare a partition. Firstly, get an actual installation disc from Microsoft. The download is useless for installation on the Mac. Secondly, if you are using Apple's Bluetooth keyboard and Bluetooth mouse, pick up a conventional keyboard and mouse, preferably USB instead of wireless, and have those plugged in. I made both mistakes.

First I partitioned the drive and found the three downloaded files from Microsoft would not install. I waited a week for the disc from Microsoft. $15 extra for a program that cost over $300. Then once I had it installed, guess what? It didn't recognized the keyboard. I had a trackball sitting around from my old laptop, so I was able to use the on-screen keyboard. However, when restarting the Mac, it is essential to hold down the Option key (or Alt key in Windows-land) in order to tell the system whether to load up Mac OS or Windows. Without a working keyboard, the system was locked into Windows with no escape. Catch-22. It felt as if I were trapped in Dante's hell. A quick trip to Staples solved the problem and I'm back with a dual system.

It is a real hoot to see Windows side by side with Mac OS. Right off the bat I have 85 system and security updates, and it got stuck updating Microsoft's Internet Explorer. So much for Windows Ultimate.

Well, I have to put all these things in perspective. They are just issues of software. My neighbor currently has THREE plumbing trucks out front, one covers the whole length of my abode. They've got a small tractor-thingy on their front lawn. Now, those are some real problems. 

Uncool

I am trying to "like" my iTunes tracks on PING. My musical tastes are so esoteric, iTunes does not sell this music. I think I like a free forum where I can talk about what I like, not just something that is for sale on the site. I think they came late to the party with PING anyway. I still like Apple though (love it compared to Microsoft).
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A terrible thunderclap was heard, the moment I started installing Windows on a Mac. Please don't let that be an evil omen!

Tech stuff

Some guy just parked in my driveway, blocking me in. When I heard the commotion, I went out to see if he was lost. He told me he was here to install the cable. Problem is, I already have cable. Hmmm, maybe I should shelve the paranoia and chalk it up to human error. The guy next door is supposedly with the CIA....ha ha.

In the realm of technical stuff, I've been perusing all these computer programming books, and it seems best if I read possibly a basic book on object-oriented programming. If anyone can recommend an appropriate book for someone with no programming experience (definitely don't know C, or C++, or Java, or any of that). Something that would lay the groundwork for learning a language and learning how to code in Objective-C. I'm wanting to write an app for the iPhone or iPad, as so many others have done.

I have lofty goals, considering how the slightest speed bump on the computer sets me back. I successfully installed the Time Capsule/Time Machine and installed a new wireless network. Then after prematurely unplugging the computer (if that was the cause?!), or the dangling electrical cord (how did that happen?), someone the entire thing needed to be reset. Somehow the wireless settings were "changed", but fortunately the original backup which took over two days was not obliterated.

The latest "oops" was downloading a Devmode widget, something a book touted as being able to move a widget from the Dashboard to the front permanently, or I could create my own widget from a website. What it ended up doing was not allowing me to stay on the Dashboard page, and my Desktop was cluttered with 5 open browser windows referencing something #####socialgoogle or something like that. Anyway, I'm glad I signed up (tardily) for Apple Care Protection, because a quick phone call to them and I was guided to the secret library where widgets may be deleted. Lion operating system hides the library, I guess for good reason, to protect if from newbies like me.

Fourth Post

Thanks to all those who have visited so far. If you've done more than once, you'll have seen it change from minute to minute. The more I learn, the more gadgets and gizmos I am trying out. Hopefully it will settle into a stable look, and you'll be coming back for the content, rather than the fluff.

My intention was to setup a website with Wordpress, since that is the application I'd heard bandied about. I just happened to pick up a book at the big Borders "Going Out of Business" sale, called "Beginning Google Blogger" by Heather Wright Porto. Who knew Google had blogs! Then again, what don't they do? They don't deliver coffee and a bagel to my front door, but they do most everything else. Well, it didn't take much reading to discover how easy the process would be. I did also pick up an book on HTML, but I also found a google search turned up a great tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/html/ . So hand-in-hand I muddled through the initial setup. Once I really understand the HTML I can customize, but they have so many templates and gadgets, it is almost unnecessary.



I did receive two books from Amazon today. One is "Objective-C for Dummies" by Neal Goldstein, and the other is "Head First Java" by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates.  I've always done pretty well as queen of the "dummies", so the first was a given, especially if I ever hope to write an iPhone or iPad app. I also liked another book in the Head First series, as they are all billed as "A Brain-Friendly Guide". My brain can use all the friends it can get, and this book has lots of cheerful pictures to drive the point home.

The first programming experience was at George Mason University. In order to satisfy the Biology curriculum, I needed one math course, beyond Calculus. It could be either Biostatistics or Computer Science. I decided to take both. Not only was I a masochist in choosing both, but I opted for Computer Science for Computer Science Majors. I could have taken some fluffier version, but I would have missed the opportunity to write programs in Fortran, submit them to a batch, wait a day for the output (or error notification), and start from scratch. I personally witnessed people ahead of me in the program using IBM punch cards, but fortunately all my experience was at a terminal. That was the last time I did any formal programming. The illustrious professor who never graded or returned a quiz notified us at the final exam that an "A" meant you were in the right field, a "C" was you had chosen the wrong field, and a "B" meant he wasn't sure. As he had scared all the non-computer science majors away the first day of class (except for me), I was satisfied to get a "B".

The only other programming I did was writing some batch files for MS-DOS, on my clunky PC, in the early days of Windows. So now I jump from old Star Trek to Next Generation in one fell swoop. This should be interesting. If you smell something burning, it is probably my brain.

My sister Juliette

My sister Juliette is in my thoughts, as tomorrow would have been her birthday. She passed away in 2008 after struggling with breast cancer for over a decade. She worked in nursing, helping people with alcohol and chemical dependencies, even while she was receiving chemotherapy and radiation. It was not an easy job under the circumstances. I don't wish to stand on a political soapbox, but I wish sick people could have health benefits and not have to work to retain those benefits. She was fortunate to have Ray as a life partner, and he was such a loving caregiver, and will always be my brother. She was also fortunate to benefit from some of the newer treatments that weren't available 20 years ago. While I did not feel close to Juliette at a younger age, we grew closer together as the years went by, and she was definitely my best friend and closest confidante.  I miss her today and every day.

Second post

Already made a goof! Second post lagging behind the third. I guess texting will win over email. Seems to be the trend in society anyway.

Sent from Stacie's iPhone

This third post is via texting (not while driving)!

First Post

So I've been consuming and participating in technology now for many years, and I thought it was time to start learning about the underpinnings. I could spend some time learning about HTML and website development for starters. Later I'll learn a programming language, but first things first.