Why do you like the things you use...

st999

Perhaps I should rephrase my posting
When someone says I use Microsoft Office at my work and want to take work home with me but my trial version of Microsoft Office that was preinstalled on my computer at home has ended where can I get Microsoft Office on the cheap? some idiot always says why don't you try open office?

Stan

fwor

Why do you consider that suggestion to be idiotic?

Many people aren't aware of it's existence, and aren't aware that OpenOffice can open, edit and save all of the main MS document, spreadsheet and presentation formats. I was a MS Office user for many years until I moved away from Windows a couple of years ago. I've never had any problems opening any of my old files, nor exchanging documents with colleagues who still use MS products.

For some people, free is better than "cheap", even if it does mean learning a slightly different user interface.

donny-gal

Why do we like the things we use??

Well for me it is ease of use and what has worked so far, my desktops have been Aldi Medion, and I have had no problems until a HDD died in this one, but the replacement service could not be faulted. My last Dell laptop was a Dell and had some heavy use and never blipped, so I got a Dell laptop when I finished work, it's had two replacement motherboards, luckily (and by fluke) I had 3 years on site warranty on it. Again service could not be faulted, they even recognised they were talking to an older female who did know what she was doing!

Software, well after years of using MS Office 2003, and having the software, I keep to it, for home use I do not need any of the 2007 tweaks, and it has Access which I used extensively when working and like to keep my fingers active and brain working with it when I can find a suitable task.

I have just weened myself off IE and gone over to Firefox, but find I still need IE for some programs.

I am fortunate that I pick up most programs very quickly, but possibly a little lazy.
DG

Leopard

asininity wrote: »

Anyway I'd like to know why everyone is so passionate about what they use.

Why do you use what you use?

My favourite computer is my Apple G4 Cube. If you have ever owned one and opened it up you will understand why: it is a masterpiece of engineering and it is utterly beautiful.



The device of which I am most fond, however, is my Junghans Mega Solar watch.

I just love the way it addresses the two problems with a watch: how do you make a watch that keeps perfect time and how do you power it?

The Junghans Mega Solar synchronises with the DCF-77 radio signal from Mainflingen, near Frankfurt-am-Main, which is linked to an atomic clock: so, it is always accurate to the split second.

And it is solar powered. :heart2:

Mine is ten years old and all I have ever have to do is put it on my wrist and wear it. It always shows the correct date and time and it never runs out of power.

It is a masterpiece of technology and it is extremely elegant.

Every time I look at it, I admire what it does and the way that it does it. :iloveyou:

But I wouldn't say I am passionate about it!

m5rcc

Leopard wrote: »

I just love the way it addresses the two problems with a watch: how do you make a watch that keeps perfect time and how do you power it?

A quality automatic Swiss watch has been doing this since 1930

superscaper

negg wrote: »

Although my favourite operating system of all time was RISC OS for the Acorn computers.

Me too.

And you can't get much more secure than an OS on a ROM or EEPROM chip.

antispam246

I made a similar thread to this elsewhere, it's interesting to hear what people use and why, the tech they swear by. I don't usualyl commit myself to brand names as there's such a variety out there and they all serve there purposeo ne way or another, however over the years I can now safely say that I always feel better if I'm buying from the following brand names

Dell
Samsung
Logitech
Netgear

Over the past 10 years or so I've purchased 3 Dell desktops, a server and a laptop. All are still functioning fully and I just can't fault them. I've had many other systems that have all run into serious problems at some point through no fault of my own but my Dells, these babies are solid and built to last and they've all taken a good beating at some point.

My main desktop is a dell 5150 Dimension, it's on 24/7 for the past 5 years and I've never had any major issues certainly none that I haven't been able to remedy with ease. I've probably upgraded it beyond it's stated capacity but it keeps on going.

I have both samsung n110 and my old hdtv is a sammy and both have been great.

Logitech products range from wireless/wired controllers, remotes and the squeezebox range.

As for netgear, I've used these and only these for my routers, starting with the old DG834 wired which I still use and has been on 24/7 for god knows how long, along with the wireless equivalent. I recently purchased the GS108 gigabit switch which gets great reviews alround and it's been solid so far, also moved a portion of my network to wireless -n and of course otped with Netgear, this was one of my most worrisome purchases but again, it's been fantastic, this is the Netgear DGN2000. It was actually a temporary purchase until they released the WNDR3700 which, specs wise, is quite unique and qualifies for everything i need in a router, just wish they'd hurry up and start selling it.

Leopard

m5rcc wrote: »

A quality automatic Swiss watch has been doing this since 1930.

Does it advance the time by an hour, automatically, when Daylight Saving Time begins and retard it by an hour, automatically, when Daylight Saving Time ends? Far less, when politicians change the dates of it.

Does it adjust the date in Leap years?

Does it never gain or lose a second, mechanically, over ten years?

Does it know about Leap Seconds and apply them? (Unlikely in a 1930 timepiece: Caesium atomic clocks weren't built until 1955.)

Does it go on working when it is left stationary on a desk for a week?


I'd call a Breitling "a quality automatic Swiss watch" and I bought mine forty years ago. So, I do know the answers to those questions.

What I also know is that it has to go back to Geneva every two years for a routine service and that now costs £350.

Don't get me wrong: I love my Breitling, too, and the micro engineering inside it is amazing. But in terms of providing a solution to the problem of making a watch keep absolutely accurate time and never needing a kinetic source of energy nor a battery, the concept and the execution of the Junghans Mega Solar is total perfection.


Do the rest of you lot really think about nothing but computers?

I pity you if so.

superscaper

Leopard wrote: »

Does it advance the time by an hour, automatically, when Daylight Saving Time begins and retard it by an hour, automatically, when Daylight Saving Time ends? Far less, when politicians change the dates of it.

Does it adjust the date in Leap years?

Does it never gain or lose a second, mechanically, over ten years?

Does it know about Leap Seconds and apply them? (Unlikely in a 1930 timepiece: Caesium atomic clocks weren't built until 1955.)

Does it go on working when it is left stationary on a desk for a week?


I'd call a Breitling "a quality automatic Swiss watch" and I bought mine forty years ago. So, I do know the answers to those questions.

What I also know is that it has to go back to Geneva every two years for a routine service and that now costs £350.

Don't get me wrong: I love my Breitling, too, and the micro engineering inside it is amazing. But in terms of providing a solution to the problem of making a watch keep absolutely accurate time and never needing a kinetic source of energy nor a battery, the concept and the execution of the Junghans Mega Solar is total perfection.


Do the rest of you lot really think about nothing but computers?

I pity you if so.

That's the thing, it's more about the prestige over function. The mechanical precision engineering is amazing but I mean without any radio signal checking from Anthorn, or Germany etc, a 5 quid quartz digital watch will keep better time than an 8 grand rolex. I completely agree, what you want is to solve the problem of accurate time and continuous power.

Leopard

superscaper wrote: »

That's the thing, it's more about the prestige over function. The mechanical precision engineering is amazing but I mean without any radio signal checking from Anthorn, or Germany etc, a 5 quid quartz digital watch will keep better time than an 8 grand rolex. I completely agree, what you want is to solve the problem of accurate time and continuous power.

I like the fact that the Junghans has two small buttons on the left hand side. If you go to Europe you just press the top one and the hands advance by exactly one hour. When you come back to England you just press the lower one and the hands advance by exactly 11 hours. Yet all the time it keeps track of the time zone you are in and changes the date at midnight, local time. So neat. :T

My Breitling is insured for £4,500. My Junghans for £1,000. Yet I use the Junghans to reset the Breitling every so often - and also when the clocks change or I cross a time-zone!