From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V14 #63 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Friday, March 6 2009 Volume 14 : Number 063 To unsubscribe: e-mail ecto-digest-request@smoe.org and put the word unsubscribe in the message body. Today's Subjects: ----------------- Juliet Turner in the UK [Adam Kimmel ] ecto wiki [breinheimer@webtv.net (bill)] more questions [breinheimer@webtv.net (bill)] Re: ecto wiki [kerrywhite@webtv.net (kerry white)] Re: ecto wiki [Markku Kolkka ] Re: ecto-wiki needed [Michael Pearce ] Re: Ecto-wiki [kerrywhite@webtv.net (kerry white)] Neko Case: making of Middle Cyclone docu [birdie ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 00:33:00 -0800 From: Adam Kimmel Subject: Juliet Turner in the UK As usual, the reward for being on a musician's mailing list seems to be that I get to be the last to know of any tours. Even Ents 24 didn't pick up on Juliet's London dates, which I unfortunately can't make: 07/03/09 b Juliet Turner in Glasgow, King Tuts, GB Time: 8:00pm. 08/03/09 b Juliet Turner in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Barrels Ale House, GB Time: 7:30pm. Gentry Morris www.gentrymorris.com 09/03/09 b Juliet Turner in Chester, Telfords Warehouse, GB Time: 8:00pm. Special Guest www.gentrymorris.com 11/03/09 b Juliet Turner in Sheffield, The Boardwalk, GB Time: 8:00pm. Special Guest: Gentry Morris www.gentrymorris.com 12/03/09 b Juliet Turner in Leicester, The Musician, GB Time: 8:00pm. Special Guest Gentry Morris www.gentrymorris.com 13/03/09 b Juliet Turner in London, The Back Room, GBbs Bar, GB Time: 8:00pm. 15/03/09 b Juliet Turner in Southampton, The Brook, GB Time: 7:30pm. Age restrictions: No minors. opening show for Mary Coughlan 16/03/09 b Juliet Turner in Maidstone, maverick@Zebra Bar, GB Time: 8:00pm. Special guest Gentry Morris www.gentrymorris.com 19/03/09 b Juliet Turner in Milton Keynes, The Stables, GB Time: 8:00pm. Special Guest: Gentry Morris www.gentrymorris.com 20/03/09 b Juliet Turner in Bury, The Met, GB Time: 8:00pm. Special guest: Gentry Morris www.gentrymorris.com 21/03/09 b Juliet Turner in Mallow, The Lodge, IE Time: 8:00pm. Address: Mallow, Co. Cork. This is cut and paste from the email I got, so apologies for any gibberish that might appear. Adam K Juliet Turner with guitarist Brian Grace special guest Gentry Morris www.gentrymorris.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3D Earth Screensaver Preview Free 3D Earth Screensaver Watch the Earth right on your desktop! Check it out at www.inbox.com/earth ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 09:41:48 -0500 From: breinheimer@webtv.net (bill) Subject: ecto wiki thanks, kerry for asking this as I'm in the same position and have been meaning to ask for technical assistance (for the layman) here. If a/v is the primary consideration what do you need? do you even need a computer as it seems I've seen equipment you can use with your tv. any advice would be greatly appreciated. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 10:30:00 -0500 From: breinheimer@webtv.net (bill) Subject: more questions portability and sound quality are also things I wonder about. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 13:52:31 -0600 From: kerrywhite@webtv.net (kerry white) Subject: Re: ecto wiki Hi, From ectophiles I now know that 'read/write' is same as 'play/burn'. Thanks! I Googled 'laptop basics' and found a page from Wayne State University with tech stuff designed as a primer for their students. They said to get an extended warranty (2 years) , but, were talking to students who would be trundling the thing around with them on a daily basis. Do folks [here] think a stay at home laptop would need more than one year? They said that if you were planning on using it for extended periods that maybe getting a mouse would be a good idea, but, then they said that more and more newer ones are skipping the mouse ports as 'outmoded'. Thoughts?? Are Bill and I the only ectophiles getting a crash course in laptop-ery? 8-) bye, Kerry KrW I'm Peter Pan! I'm perpetually young!! OW!! What's wrong with my back? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 23:49:49 +0200 From: Markku Kolkka Subject: Re: ecto wiki kerry white kirjoitti viestissddn (ldhetysaika torstai, 5. maaliskuuta 2009): > They said that if you were planning on using it for extended > periods that maybe getting a mouse would be a good idea, Touchpads are useless in my opinion, every laptop owner I know uses a separate mouse. > but, > then they said that more and more newer ones are skipping the > mouse ports as 'outmoded'. Thoughts?? Modern mice plug in an USB port instead of a dedicated mouse port, or use Bluetooth wireless interface that's built in most laptops. - -- Markku Kolkka markku.kolkka@iki.fi ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 14:21:05 -0800 From: Michael Pearce Subject: Re: ecto-wiki needed At 1:55 AM -0500 3/5/09, kerrywhite@webtv.net (kerry white) wrote, >Hi, As it looks like a buyer's market I am thinking of going from >Webtv to a real computer and need loads of advice. I just casually >eyeballed the local BestBuy, as it was convenient, and saw lots of stuff >in the $350 -$400 range. A lot of these did not include the monitor. I >saw some name brand lap-tops for around $400. I am a little tight for >space and these sound good. You pay big bucks in pain and suffering for these cheapies. Best to avoid them. > I am woefully computer illiterate. Get a Mac. You should be able to find a used one, such as a G4 PowerBook for not much money (but a bit more than the barrel-bottom price you mentioned). Why a Mac? Because you said you are "woefully computer illiterate." Do you want to learn how to configure Windows DLLs and install drivers, and maintain DAILY updates of at least two anti-virus and anti-malware programs, that usually have a subscription cost? That is what it takes for a non-expert to prevent their MS box from being taken over by malware servers. Plus wouldn't it be nice to NOT be afraid of every strange email you receive or every dodgy web site you visit? PCs can be taken over by simply RECEIVING an infected email attachment (if you use Outlook for your email program) or by visiting a malicious web site that can use IE's weaknesses to install something. Macs do not get infected by any Windows viruses at all, and the few weaknesses that do exist are easy to avoid and not very malicious. >Does CD and DVD read and write capable mean the same as having an >audio and video burner? Macs can burn data CDs and DVDs, make music CDs via iTunes, make DVDs from movies you make using bundled programs. You have to buy Toast to make copies of CDs, and get a few free or shareware utilities to make DVD copies or extract movies from them. >Do computers these days all come bundled with most of what a person >would need? You get a text editor that can read and export to Word's .doc files, an email program, a Web browser, a photo management program (iPhoto), iTunes, and for when you get interested, access to the UNIX underpinnings of the operating system through the Terminal application. You can download for free or shareware: a photo editing program (GraphicConverter), a voice and music recording program if your Mac doesn't come with Garage Band (which also lets you create music), iMovie for editing videos, and more, depending on how old or new your resulting purchase is. >Is it better to buy from a local off-line >store for ease of service, if needed? Are you still living in Oz? Prices are different there, as is availability. Apple does sell there, and US retailers like http://www.powermax.com/ sell internationally, carrying a lot of used and refurbished models. Pricing (US) for new ones: cheapest new MacMini, $599, needs separate DVI display (or VGA with an adapter), keyboard and mouse. Refurb or used ones are less. MacBook laptop entry-level model, $999, figure $100 less for refurbished. Of course there are other models that cost more, but that is the floor for new. The desktop iMac has been discounted to $1199 and includes everything. While looking for a used iMac, avoid G3 models (too old) and the 15" G4, although they are cheap due to the small 1024x768-pixel screen. Newer is better. When getting used, accept no less than 512Mb RAM, preferably a gig or more. Mac service is a bit harder to find, depending on where you live. Fortunately, they don't need service very often. You would try to connect to the nearest Mac users group for help and support. >I would remain on dial-up. How slowly would music download? How >about the occasional MST3K or old TV show video? Forget YouTube and other videos entirely. Music streaming would not work at all. Music downloads are doable, they just take 20-30 minutes per song. MacBooks come with a WiFi card so if you can find a cybercafe to connect to, or find an open node somewhere, you can do your larger downloads that way. If everyone has to pay by the minute for broadband, you might not have much luck there. Do libraries there offer wifi? >I'd stay away from on-line movies. Any other considerations I >haven't asked about? Thanks! You really need to ask yourself, how much pain do you want to put up with in order to save a few hundred bucks by getting Windows. There is a reason why there are millions of compromised PCs around and if you don't want to deal with that, pay the difference, get involved with other Mac users for the learning and support, and good luck! Alternative: Get a PC, wipe the drive and install Ubuntu Linux. All the programs are free (only the support costs money) and it isn't that difficult to learn. There is a users community for Linux all over the planet and plenty of help. It's harder to learn, but less cantankerous than Windows and also immune to all the Windows malware. You pretty much need access to WiFi to get the software updates, kernel patches and other programs, though, because they are not sold in stores. A local university would be a great resource (for the Mac as well). Good luck! I'll answer any more questions you might have off-list. Michael ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 16:13:20 -0600 From: kerrywhite@webtv.net (kerry white) Subject: Re: Ecto-wiki Hi, I have read about uninstalling "evaluation software" that comes with computers and laptops and to go straight to the real thing. How about some advice about 'store bought' software and downloadable freeware? What besides Norton AntiVirus is absolutely necessary? Besides "evaluation software" that expires in 60 to 90 days and is mostly an advertisement, what other software might be bundled in a laptop that would be worth keeping? Would I need to be looking to find media playing software, ie: windows media player, etc to buy somewhere? Please help dissolve my ignorance! bye, Kerry KrW I'm Peter Pan! I'm perpetually young!! OW!! What's wrong with my back? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 14:37:11 -0800 From: birdie Subject: Neko Case: making of Middle Cyclone docu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-urO5VDgi28 ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V14 #63 **************************