new boring computer questions

Installed the new version of Skype only to discover it isn't compatible with my Mac OS. How do I get back to the old one?

I have two laptops on the same home wireless network and I need to transfer my music folder (~160GB) from one to the other, but I have no external HD. What is the easiest way to do this? Much thanks.

What operating system are you on?

also what ports do you have on the laptops (hoping you have FireWire if a Mac)

They are both Windows, one Vista, and the other XP, standard USB 2.0. Searching around it looks like I'll need to invest in an external HD?

you can definitely just send them from one to the other across the network, it's getting them to recognize each other's existence in windows that's the annoying part. and it could be slow if it's wireless.

Yeah I figured it might be kind of a mess setting it up on the network, and I only have wireless g. HDs are cheap, think I'll go that route. (I'm so naive I thought you could run a wire b/w the 2 computers haha)

if you had a mac you could run either a firewire cable or an ethernet cable between them, you sure that's not possible with your machines?

xp You can actually connect them w/one cable, using a crossover ethernet cable or special USB cable. USB's a lot easier to setup, but it'll take many hours to get all that over. I wouldn't bother w/wireless for a transfer of that size, too unreliable.

HDs are cheap, think I'll go that route

This is the easiest option, also probably a good idea to get an external HDD anyway so you can back up stuff.

Been thinking about a new laptop for a while now. Should be a Mac, but I do potentially need some of the less know Microsoft packages (i.e. Project, Visio)). How do they work on Macs?

They don't -- there aren't Mac versions. There are Mac apps that do similar things; OmniGraffle is nice for visio-type stuff, but you'll have to virtualise Windows if you want to run the real deal.

Just checking here -- there are Mac versions of Excel, PowerPoint and word right?

Oh yeah what does virtulise mean? Is it to run a version from the web?

of course, and in this iteration they are feature for feature compatible with the windows one (last version didn't do macros o add-ins).

Omnigraffle is way better than visio imo.

virtualise means to work a virtual copy of windows and the apps within it. I use it for the rare occasions I need to use Access or a few other things. It can be sow but not painfully slow.

That really puts a dampener on things - Will have to think about this, but thanks.

Is there a way to specify a resolution for a Internet Explorer or Firefox window?

I just bought a win 7 laptop from the pawn shop and was trying to restore the HD to factory setting w/o recovery disks. After some failed attempts, I booted in safe mode and selected some option (can't even remember which) and now when I boot I get a "no operating system found" message. Can you help me?

Borrow a friends installation disc, or torrent the right version of windows 7 from demonoid and activate it with your laptop's authentication product id code.

thank you, zachary

Hi all,

I really need to find some kind of site for uploading fairly large amount of media (sound, images and HD video) that is:

a) secure and password protected
b) easy for non -techie types to use (REALLY important)
c) looks pretty so that clients actually want to spend time on it, can be organized into folders/sub-folders, etc.

Save from buying my own webspace, is there anything that would serve these needs that I can set up in like, a day? I just need some kind of online portfolio for sharing this stuff on a regular basis where people won't feel like their material is in public view.

oh and b) refers to the fact that the folks I am showing this to may not be particularly savvy. As for uploading, organization, formatting, etc. I regard myself as moderate-to-average in savviness.

So I don't want to send a shitload of links or file paths, I would love something that is like Flickr, with sets and contact sheets that are pretty and easily navigable.

Anybody tried http://carbonmade.com/ or http://dripbook.com/?

how would a site make their money providing a service like this? would you be okay with ads on it?

How does any site make money? Ads or subscription, I guess. I'd be fine with paying a monthly fee. But Vimeo has password protection for example + no ads and looks nice and is free. Can you make sets or thumbnail contact sheets on it?

i think you could set up a tumblr that makes contact sheets that link to vimeo, and if vimeo doesn't have ads, and tumblr doesn't have ads, you'd get it all for free, but it's still puzzling that these services can be offered without charging anything.

Can tumblr host an hour of hd video?

so one "secret" about tumblr (which isn't really a secret) is you can edit their template to be anything you want. you can make it into a regular html page. so you can set up a portfolio site any way you like, and have it link to your videos on vimeo (do they let you upload hours worth of HD? -- for free? -- that's just mindboggling)
You could probably do something fancy, where if you click on it, the videos popup so you never actually leave your tumblr page.

dropbox?

and tumblr doesn't have ads, you'd get it all for free, but it's still puzzling that these services can be offered without charging anything.

FWIW, Tumblr announced today that they will be embedding ads... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17769043

Blogging platform Tumblr is to introduce paid advertisements on its service, despite its owner once saying that online ads "turn our stomachs".

The site's founder David Karp said brands would be offered space within the site's "dashboard" from 2 May.

Many brands already use Tumblr, but this will be the first time they can pay for added exposure on the platform.

Tumblr has been seeking extra revenue streams after enjoying rapid growth over the past 12 months.

The adverts will appear in the service's pre-existing "radar" slot which is currently used to showcase popular posts from other users.

Speaking at Ad Age's Digital Conference in New York, Mr Karp said he was an "idiot" for telling the Los Angeles Times that he was "opposed to advertising" during an interview in 2010.

He had accused ad platforms on rival services such as Facebook and Google of being "devoid of creativity".

In an another interview with Ad Age earlier this month, he said Tumblr could monetise itself immediately by displaying Google's advertising, but that this would be "a complete last resort".

Since launching in 2007, Tumblr has grown massively, now boasting over 40 million individual blogs.

Dropbox is a good call, but some laymen are weirded out by it not being a "site"

I know...

wtfff, dropbox is beautifully transparent most of the time

haha you'd think so, wouldn't u? =)

I think as soon as some people see file structures, etc instead of thumbnails or pretty designs they just glaze over

I love Dropbox FWIW

Yeah, I live out of mine

they have a web interface don't they?

they have a web interface but yeah, i guess it doesn't have pretty thumbnails or anything

pretty thumbnails is the first thing i turn off...

I'm looking for a program that will automatically zip files and name the compressed package after folder names. For mac preferably. Does this exist?

automator lol?

depends on what you mean by automatically? in os x if you ctrl-click a folder you can choose "compress" and it will make a zip file named after the folder

I guess what i need is something that will name the packages by the folder path (two levels of folder), but i think i can make with the ctrl-click. Thanks.

you mean like if you have photos/myeuropeanvacation/eurodisney/*.jpg, you want the zipped file to be myeuropeanvacation_eurodisney.zip, but not photos_myeuropeanvacation_eurodisney.zip ?

ok I have no idea how it works or what it even does but I read the blurb and thought of adamrl's recent question so:
http://googleblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/introducing-google-drive-yes-really.html

it's a usb drive in space

i'm looking for an online organizer thing, as simple as possible, don't even really need scheduling but just a place to keep todo lists

i've heard something called "astrid" is pretty good?

http://workflowy.com