There's a lesson to be learnt here:

My nVidia software helpfully told me that a new driver update was 
available that improved frame rates and fixed various bugs etc (the 
usual). Why not, I thought. After the update I find that nVidia surround 
doesn't work (the thing that lets you use 3 monitors as one large one). 
Maybe I have to restart? Nope still doesn't work. Doesn't work as in the 
icon is there and you can click it but nothing at all happens. Had to 
use device manager to roll-back the driver - works fine again now.

I plugged in my Garmin satnav to my PC to download a log of a recent 
trip I did in the car. The Garmin software then tells me that apart from 
the paid-for map updates there are some free map updates available. 
Great, I install them (2GB download). Now the satnav won't start up 
(invalid map key or some such error). Google reveals lots of people have 
this issue, although none of the "official" solutions worked, there's 
probably a reason why the web page of the person who hacked the map 
files to remove the encryption key is ranked #2 in the search result.

The driver for my 3D mouse told me a new driver was available, a totally 
new version packed with new features. Great! Unfortunately now one of 
the axes is reversed for small movements (but corrects itself for large 
movements). Bummer, it's almost unusable now. I'll just uninstall it and 
reinstall an earlier version (luckily still available for download). 
Cannot uninstall "There was a problem starting C:\Program The specified 
module could not be found.". OK so who forgot to put quotes around the 
filename at some point. No solution to this one yet.

Android software update available! For my 3 year old phone. Let's do it. 
Ermmm now the battery lasts 12-16 hours? WTF. Surely they can't be this 
obvious to try and get me to buy a new phone? After much time spent 
googling and installing various diagnostic apps (surely my time costing 
more than the price of a new phone) I trace the problem down to the 
location services feature. Turn it off and now it's back to lasting 
36-48 hours.

Post a reply to this message

scott <sco### [at] scottcom> wrote:
> There's a lesson to be learnt here:
> Android software update available! For my 3 year old phone. Let's do it.
> Ermmm now the battery lasts 12-16 hours?

my experience exactly

hate updates.  IMHO, they're just sales tactics to get you to buy newer,
"faster" hardware now that they updated your old hardware into complete junk by
making it run far more "optimizations" than it can deal with...

Post a reply to this message

> my experience exactly
>
> hate updates.  IMHO, they're just sales tactics to get you to buy newer,
> "faster" hardware now that they updated your old hardware into complete junk by
> making it run far more "optimizations" than it can deal with...

I am currently employed full-time to write these "updates".

You know we actually spend all day, every day, trying to actually 
improve our product?

Sadly, sometimes you try to improve the product and end up actually 
making it worse. For example, we deleted a load of crufty old code and 
replaced it with a single, streamlined class which is far smaller, 
simpler, easier to test, etc. Unfortunately, it also exposed a Linux 
kernel bug whereby our product can't read HFS+ filesystems anymore. :-S

I assure you, we didn't break HFS+ support on purpose! Indeed, a few 
kernel updates later, and it's working again. It's weird like that 
sometimes...

OTOH, I've seen updates where you seriously have to wonder if the 
manufacturer is actually trying to make you stop using the product. 
(E.g., why does Windows 8 exist?)

Post a reply to this message

Orchid Win7 v1 <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> I assure you, we didn't break HFS+ support on purpose! Indeed, a few
> kernel updates later, and it's working again. It's weird like that
> sometimes...

oh my

andrew is involved in android updates! o_0

that explains a lot jk

Post a reply to this message

> Sadly, sometimes you try to improve the product and end up actually
> making it worse. For example, we deleted a load of crufty old code and
> replaced it with a single, streamlined class which is far smaller,
> simpler, easier to test, etc. Unfortunately, it also exposed a Linux
> kernel bug whereby our product can't read HFS+ filesystems anymore. :-S

But of course that came up in testing before you released the update... ;-)

I assume the issue with Android is that it is expected to run on 1000 
different combinations of hardware and it would be impractical to 
thoroughly test on all the devices, especially the ones that haven't 
been on sale for a few years.

Post a reply to this message

On 09/10/14 21:25, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
> 
> I am currently employed full-time to write these "updates".
> 

So now we know who to blame ;-)

> You know we actually spend all day, every day, trying to actually
> improve our product?
> 

Really?

<snip>

> OTOH, I've seen updates where you seriously have to wonder if the
> manufacturer is actually trying to make you stop using the product.
> (E.g., why does Windows 8 exist?)

... A good question.
5000 words on the subject by our next tutorial, please ... and that
includes you two, Henderson and Macavoy.

John
-- 
Protect the Earth
It was not given to you by your parents
You hold it in trust for your children

Post a reply to this message

On 10/10/2014 16:25, Doctor John wrote:
> On 09/10/14 21:25, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
>>
>> I am currently employed full-time to write these "updates".
>>
>
> So now we know who to blame ;-)
>
>> You know we actually spend all day, every day, trying to actually
>> improve our product?
>>
>
> Really?
>
> <snip>
>
>> OTOH, I've seen updates where you seriously have to wonder if the
>> manufacturer is actually trying to make you stop using the product.
>> (E.g., why does Windows 8 exist?)
>

It exists to drive people to Windows 10.

(I hate it!
)^2.125401807


> .... A good question.
> 5000 words on the subject by our next tutorial, please ... and that
> includes you two, Henderson and Macavoy.
>

Yes dear doctor. And a quicker response if you spell my name correctly. 
The Mac is abbreviated and the "a" is capitalised as all proper names 
are in English. :-P


-- 

Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On 10/10/14 17:53, Stephen wrote:
> 
> Yes dear doctor. And a quicker response if you spell my name correctly.
> The Mac is abbreviated and the "a" is capitalised as all proper names
> are in English. :-P
> 

Sorry. Slip of the fingers
... but, for answering back, you will provide 10,000 words by tomorrow.

John
-- 
Protect the Earth
It was not given to you by your parents
You hold it in trust for your children

Post a reply to this message

On 10/10/2014 18:03, Doctor John wrote:
> Sorry. Slip of the fingers

Accepted :-)

> ... but, for answering back, you will provide 10,000 words by tomorrow.

Yer bum's oot the windie.

Old chum. ;-)

-- 

Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On 10/10/2014 01:16 PM, scott wrote:
>> Sadly, sometimes you try to improve the product and end up actually
>> making it worse. For example, we deleted a load of crufty old code and
>> replaced it with a single, streamlined class which is far smaller,
>> simpler, easier to test, etc. Unfortunately, it also exposed a Linux
>> kernel bug whereby our product can't read HFS+ filesystems anymore. :-S
>
> But of course that came up in testing before you released the update... ;-)

Naturally.

> I assume the issue with Android is that it is expected to run on 1000
> different combinations of hardware and it would be impractical to
> thoroughly test on all the devices, especially the ones that haven't
> been on sale for a few years.

We recently moved our product from only working on hardware supplied by 
us, to working on ANY arbitrary PC that meets the minimum specifications.

This causes an explosion of possible test combinations. And the entire 
company is 10 people. Oh, did I mention we have no money? We can't 
afford to replace a £50 USB HD, there's no way we're getting an 
assortment of PCs to test the product on...

...I guess that makes the customer the beta tester? :-S

Post a reply to this message

On 10/10/2014 20:27, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
> ...I guess that makes the customer the beta tester? :-S

The name of the game. :-(

-- 

Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On Fri, 10 Oct 2014 16:25:24 +0100, Doctor John wrote:

> ... A good question.
> 5000 words on the subject by our next tutorial, please ... and that
> includes you two, Henderson and Macavoy.

(Because.) * 5000



-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw

Post a reply to this message

Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:

> (Because.) * 5000

tsk. tsk.
That's only one very large scalar Because.

#version 3.7;
#include "debug.inc"
 Set_Debug (true)
#debug "Because, "
#declare Word = 2;
#while (Word < 5000)
     #debug "because, "
     #declare Word = Word + 1;
#end
#debug ".  :D"

Post a reply to this message

nemesis <nam### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> hate updates.  IMHO, they're just sales tactics to get you to buy newer,
> "faster" hardware now that they updated your old hardware into complete junk by
> making it run far more "optimizations" than it can deal with...

That doesn't make any sense. If you have, for example, the latest
NVidia card, and a driver update breaks it, you are being enticed to
buy a newer... what, exactly? Firstly, there is no "newer" anything
if you already own the newest NVidia card, and secondly, the driver
would be buggy even with a newer card if there is one.

Breaking your own product with a driver update is bad PR. What it
does is to entice to switch to a competing product. Why would any
sane company do that? They don't.

Your comment makes no sense.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

Post a reply to this message

On 11/10/2014 09:15, Warp wrote:
> nemesis <nam### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
>> hate updates.  IMHO, they're just sales tactics to get you to buy newer,
>> "faster" hardware now that they updated your old hardware into complete junk by
>> making it run far more "optimizations" than it can deal with...
> 
> That doesn't make any sense. If you have, for example, the latest
> NVidia card, and a driver update breaks it, you are being enticed to
> buy a newer... what, exactly? Firstly, there is no "newer" anything
> if you already own the newest NVidia card, and secondly, the driver
> would be buggy even with a newer card if there is one.
> 
> Breaking your own product with a driver update is bad PR. What it
> does is to entice to switch to a competing product. Why would any
> sane company do that? They don't.
> 
> Your comment makes no sense.
> 

Well, both are right... in different products.

Apple's update usually make previous generation crawls. So, you need the
latest hardware on update.


-- 
IQ of crossposters with FU: 100 / (number of groups)
IQ of crossposters without FU: 100 / (1 + number of groups)
IQ of multiposters: 100 / ( (number of groups) * (number of groups))

Post a reply to this message

> We recently moved our product from only working on hardware supplied by
> us, to working on ANY arbitrary PC that meets the minimum specifications.
>
> This causes an explosion of possible test combinations.

I should maybe point out that our "product" isn't just some application 
that you install with Windows Installer. It's an entire 
custom-configured operating system. So we have to check that we have 
drivers for every device known to man. The product also interacts 
closely with the hardware, further complicating matters.

If we were just building a word-processor then... yeah, it probably 
wouldn't matter what hardware you run it on. So long as your OS works, 
our product should work. But we're not; we're building an entire OS.

Fortunately, the OS is Linux, and those guys have been making bootable 
live-CDs for years now. Even so, we still hit snags from time to time...

Post a reply to this message

On 10/10/2014 08:47 PM, Stephen wrote:
> On 10/10/2014 20:27, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
>> ...I guess that makes the customer the beta tester? :-S
>
> The name of the game. :-(

...aaand now I have ABBA in my head.

Post a reply to this message

On 11/10/2014 13:12, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
> On 10/10/2014 08:47 PM, Stephen wrote:
>> On 10/10/2014 20:27, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
>>> ...I guess that makes the customer the beta tester? :-S
>>
>> The name of the game. :-(
>
> ....aaand now I have ABBA in my head.

Sorry, I did not make the link.
Try thinking of the dam busters march, to get rid of it.


-- 

Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 00:27:00 -0400, Bald Eagle wrote:

> That's only one very large scalar Because.

Ah, but a large scalar with 5000 words in it. :)

Jim



-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw

Post a reply to this message

On 11/10/14 18:04, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 00:27:00 -0400, Bald Eagle wrote:
> 
>> That's only one very large scalar Because.
> 
> Ah, but a large scalar with 5000 words in it. :)
> 
> Jim
> 

Might I remind you three that Finals are less than a year away?

When a question requires clever maths it will indicate it. In this case
the question clearly required a confirmation or refutation of the
original statement.

McAvoy, fewer hours in the company of the Low Flyer would seem to be
indicated.

Henderson, a lack of breadth in your answer. Ask McAvoy for a taste of
his stash.

BaldEagle, I know little of you. Professor De Groot speaks highly of
your abilities ... but if you think this course will be simple, you have
another think coming. Less High-school simplicity and more real world
problem solving, please.

(Professor) John
-- 
Protect the Earth
It was not given to you by your parents
You hold it in trust for your children

Post a reply to this message

On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 19:27:27 +0100, Doctor John wrote:

> On 11/10/14 18:04, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 00:27:00 -0400, Bald Eagle wrote:
>> 
>>> That's only one very large scalar Because.
>> 
>> Ah, but a large scalar with 5000 words in it. :)
>> 
>> Jim
>> 
>> 
> Might I remind you three that Finals are less than a year away?

I believe you just did. :)

> When a question requires clever maths it will indicate it. In this case
> the question clearly required a confirmation or refutation of the
> original statement.

I was never one to go for a non-creative answer. :)

> Henderson, a lack of breadth in your answer. Ask McAvoy for a taste of
> his stash.

Here in WA, that means something other than what I think you think it 
means. ;)

Jim

-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw

Post a reply to this message

On 11/10/2014 20:17, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> Henderson, a lack of breadth in your answer. Ask McAvoy for a taste of
>> >his stash.
> Here in WA, that means something other than what I think you think it
> means.;)
>
> Jim


He said it in his Dick van Dyke, voice. Rhyming slang.

-- 

Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On 11/10/2014 19:27, Doctor John wrote:
> McAvoy, fewer hours in the company of the Low Flyer would seem to be
> indicated.
>


Mr. McAvoy, if you please. Bearing in mind the nights are drawing in.

> Henderson, a lack of breadth in your answer. Ask McAvoy for a taste of
> his stash.

It seems that someone has gotten to it and scoffed the lot.
Giving him illusions of grandeur. He thinks he is Quelch of Greyfriars 
School.
What ho! The fellow’s been disappointed about a postal order. Put him in 
a beastly throw.

-- 

Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 21:32:10 +0100, Stephen wrote:

> On 11/10/2014 20:17, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>> Henderson, a lack of breadth in your answer. Ask McAvoy for a taste of
>>> >his stash.
>> Here in WA, that means something other than what I think you think it
>> means.;)
>>
>> Jim
> 
> 
> He said it in his Dick van Dyke, voice. Rhyming slang.

Hmmm, that's not one I'm familiar with.

Jim



-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw

Post a reply to this message

On 11/10/2014 23:13, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 21:32:10 +0100, Stephen wrote:
>
>> On 11/10/2014 20:17, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>>> Henderson, a lack of breadth in your answer. Ask McAvoy for a taste of
>>>>> his stash.
>>> Here in WA, that means something other than what I think you think it
>>> means.;)
>>>
>>> Jim
>>
>>
>> He said it in his Dick van Dyke, voice. Rhyming slang.
>
> Hmmm, that's not one I'm familiar with.
>

I am not surprised as I just made it up. :-P
Stash of hash, Bob Hope, Finnegan’s Wake.
Nope, the last one’s not right. Must have been stream of consciousness.

What does “Stash” mean in WA?


-- 

Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

Am 11.10.2014 06:27, schrieb Bald Eagle:
> Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
>
>> (Because.) * 5000
>
> tsk. tsk.
> That's only one very large scalar Because.
>
> #version 3.7;
> #include "debug.inc"
>   Set_Debug (true)
> #debug "Because, "
> #declare Word = 2;
> #while (Word < 5000)
>       #debug "because, "
>       #declare Word = Word + 1;
> #end

Tsk, tsk... did we not learn our new language features?
1000 extra words on the topic of the "#for" loop.

> #debug ".  :D"

Parse Error: Expected "the wonderful wizard of Oz", found "."

Post a reply to this message

On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 23:27:40 +0100, Stephen wrote:

> On 11/10/2014 23:13, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 21:32:10 +0100, Stephen wrote:
>>
>>> On 11/10/2014 20:17, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>>>> Henderson, a lack of breadth in your answer. Ask McAvoy for a taste
>>>>> of
>>>>>> his stash.
>>>> Here in WA, that means something other than what I think you think it
>>>> means.;)
>>>>
>>>> Jim
>>>
>>>
>>> He said it in his Dick van Dyke, voice. Rhyming slang.
>>
>> Hmmm, that's not one I'm familiar with.
>>
>>
> I am not surprised as I just made it up. :-P Stash of hash, Bob Hope,
> Finnegan’s Wake.
> Nope, the last one’s not right. Must have been stream of consciousness.
> 
> What does “Stash” mean in WA?

Pretty much what you'd expect - a cache of illicit drugs.  Though here, 
marijuana is legal, so it sometimes is used in reference to that, too.

Jim



-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw

Post a reply to this message

[harumph]

Prof. de Groot

Post a reply to this message

On 12/10/2014 02:40, clipka wrote:
> Parse Error: Expected "the wonderful wizard of Oz", found "."

LOL

-- 

Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On 12/10/2014 07:16, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 23:27:40 +0100, Stephen wrote:
>

>> What does “Stash” mean in WA?
>
> Pretty much what you'd expect - a cache of illicit drugs.  Though here,
> marijuana is legal, so it sometimes is used in reference to that, too.
>

What! No street cred this side of the pond?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N0IjBgyFoE


-- 

Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On Sun, 12 Oct 2014 09:05:37 +0100, Stephen wrote:

> On 12/10/2014 07:16, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 23:27:40 +0100, Stephen wrote:
>>
>>
>>> What does “Stash” mean in WA?
>>
>> Pretty much what you'd expect - a cache of illicit drugs.  Though here,
>> marijuana is legal, so it sometimes is used in reference to that, too.
>>
>>
> What! No street cred this side of the pond?
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N0IjBgyFoE

Well, maybe a little. ;)

-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw

Post a reply to this message

>> hate updates.  IMHO, they're just sales tactics to get you to buy newer,
>> "faster" hardware now that they updated your old hardware into complete junk by
>> making it run far more "optimizations" than it can deal with...
>
> That doesn't make any sense. If you have, for example, the latest
> NVidia card, and a driver update breaks it,

I think the suspicion is that they only cripple the older hardware, not 
the latest versions. There may well be perfectly valid explanations (ie 
they don't test old hardware as thoroughly with the latest drivers)
  - but it doesn't stop people thinking it is on purpose.

Post a reply to this message