Graeme's space

 

Woo Hoo!

 

Finally, my TV card (Leadtek Winfast DVT 2000H) works on my desktop PC running Vista Ultimate.

 

Up until now I've had the Winfast2 app crash every time I started it. I'd downloaded the latest drivers and software regularly from the Leadtek site but it always crashed. It has always worked somewhat in MCE mode but that was never what I wanted.

 

Really happy with that.   

 

I bought a Wacom Bamboo Digitiser last weekend and have been using it for the past week.

      

 

                                                                       

 

 

It takes a little getting used to when it is in pen mode. This is where the digitiser maps to your screen so top right on the digitiser = top right on the screen etc but this is definately the way to go. If you switch it to mouse mode there is no mapping but trying to write with it is tricky because it is subject to the same speed and accelleration that you have your mouse set to.

 

I've found it really good. I'm running Vista Ultimate and Office OneNote 2007. I use one note to jot down ideas and diagrams for a project I'm working on at the moment. It really is a great replacement for paper when used with a digitiser. It removes the barrier of how to use the technology when just trying to capture ideas.

Its how Tech should be, it just works. 

I've just installed Vista SP1 on my notebook (Acer Travelmate 4203 with 2GB Ram).

I think it took about an hour but I wasn't really watching (Ice Age 2 DVD on the TV)

No issues with the install so far and network navigation seems quicker but that could just be my imagination.

OK, just been to the Heroes Happen event here in Canberra.

Caught up briefly with Andrew Coates (MS Developer Evangelist) and caught one of his sssions on VS 2008. Got to get into this VS208 and .NET 3.5/AJAX etc and now that I'm here in Canberra I've got more time on my hands to look into this sort of thing.

SQL 2008 also looks great with its baked in Resource Management, this should allow a whole bunch of SQL server consoliation with all those boxes out there just for reporting and OLTP. These can now be consolidated, not to mention the new filestream datatype, about time.

All in all, a good overview of the latest MS offerings. Now down to work to really get under the bonnet.