Decaflon

I've yet to tweak Ubiquity to its fullest, but I already use what it has now and it's become one of my favourite Firefox add-ons (next to another one of Mozilla Lab's plugins Weave).

The hardest thing about it is to break my old surfing habits of say, using the search bar to look for what you want. But after that, all I have to do is use Ctrl-Space and I can search on Google, Wiki and IMDB. I can do instant translations, define words, do quick calculations.

While there are other command line programs out there, the fact that Firefox is always the first thing open makes this easy for me.

I'm going to try and see if I can edit the command list to do other things as well. It's flexible enough, but I still don't have anything I can think of that I can use with this. It seems to do everything I need.

@Shadowsun: Command line interfaces have never really died out. It's just that the general public has been spoiled with icons and the excessive use of mouse clicking. I find it very easy to call on interface with hotkeys and just type out what you want. In fact, it's not just Firefox that I now run with CLI, but my Windows desktop as well, so no desktop icons whatsoever.

It's not just quiet. It's also ahead of schedule. I mean, when is the last time a WordPress release was actually on time, let alone ahead of time?

Besides, 2.6 isn't really packed full with features. Like the post said, a lot of it is meant to streamline what they have now rather than adding completely new features, which is a good thing and I actually appreciate them for this.

The good thing is that in all my 50 over plugins, I don't have any problems with compatibility. They said it wasn't meant to be anyway since it's pretty much the same as 2.5.

It takes me 20 seconds to update each WordPress site I maintain though. SSH is a Godsend.

@Dreamweaver: You should update your WordPress though for a number of reasons. One are the critical updates that come with it. Second is that if I remember correctly, Search engines like Google or Technorati doesn't index older versions of WordPress. I'm not sure if they meant version numbers or older versions of WordPress that have security vulnerabilities which rules out the patched legacy 2.0. Though, come to think of it, it's been 2.0.11 for ages. I thought it was supposed to keep updating as soon as new security flaws come through?

Downloaded on my computer here and my computer at the lab. So that works perfectly. Then again, I've been using it since RC1 and loving it anyway.

I've done some digging and I just got Facebook chat to work with Pidgin. Now I can feel all the power of time about to be wasted talking to people I haven't seen in ages.

While most of the people I know are on MSN, I also talk to people on Yahoo, Gmail and AIM, but because of the amount of people I know on these platforms as well, I couldn't be bothered to install every software for that purpose, so I use Pidgin as my instant messenger.

It's got all the protocols that I use and I can carry it with me everywhere on my thumbdrive. It'll be great that Facebook will use XMPP soon though. That'll add more access to people I lost contact with a long time ago. Just another thing to add to my Pidgin list.

I second Ozone. You use the operating system simply because you want to get the job done, not as a symbol of how cool you are. More so for smaller businesses out there that need to maximize their earnings. You don't get a Mac or some bloated Vista when XP or Linux based systems can do the job for less cost.

That being said, alot of the programs in the laboratories I'm at are only compatible on a Windows based platform which leads to the reason why we use only that irregardless of how crappy it is at times.

I think though that if there is any hope for a unified flexible system for smaller companies to work on, it would be on a Linux platform. When you think about it, it can be customized to what businesses use and increase productivity without additional costs. The only problem like I mention is the compatibility of software out there. It does help that you can run a fair share of windows programs on Linux, but that requires a whole lot of jerry rigging depending on your technical skill which maybe some businesses can't afford.

So it goes back to the beginning, use what works best.

@Gnorb: Well have fun on it. I think it's good to actually go out and find out just whether that software is for you or not. Back when I was deciding between WP and MT, I tried them both. I found out I liked WP and never looked back. I don't regret it and I'm better off. Maybe you'll find you'll like MT, maybe you'll find something new that you can work with entirely.

My motto with base softwares like this is and will always be: "As long as it works for you." There won't be any argument there.

After I tried to install it the first time and got it up and running only to find a horribly complex and slow interface, I will never touch MT again.

EVER.

...than the devil you have to walk through hell to know.

I understand why WordPress is horrible from a programmers perspective. If you're going to build something out of it, with what it has become now, it's a horrible mess to sift through and recode from scratch.

But if you're not going to touch the code, if you aren't planning to build something huge out of it. On its own it's a pretty solid thing to have.

I don't think WordPress is bad, but I do think it's gotten needlessly supersized ever since the earlier versions. I've never had any problems with WordPress and if I did, it could easily be solved with what I found out from the community or with other community developed plugins.

I think it works well for the basic to the average power users. Don't forget, there are plenty of us out there that don't get dugged or any traffic spikes or high traffic at all. A lot of people out there aren't interested in the programming language nor will they ever be. I know we shouldn't have to be the one that fixes the flaws that come out with a system, but at the end of the day you use what works best for you, much like an OS.

I've got no qualms with WordPress. Overall, I think it's spectacular.

I'm sitting here thinking you should glue a normal phone to an EeePC and call it the ultimate PDA, but that's just a crazy idea that probably won't work.

I'll leave it for the people who know better.

@Ozone: Now that they are putting Windows XP into it as standard. It screams for epic fail.

@Lelia: Actually, for what it has. The EeePC is quite a bargain. It is impossible to a rig with that much options for less money. Think about it. A 900mhz Celeron-M, 512mb RAM, 4gig SSD, inbuilt mic, webcam, 3 USB ports, 802.11 b/g, monitor output. Short of a bigger storage space and an optical drive, it's comparative against it's low-cost rivals. But for the same size up against its ultraportable rivals which costs 2000 dollars more.

When you look at it from both those points. It's a remarkable feat.

Just thought I'd update myself anyway. I have a desktop which I use when I'm home, an old Toshiba Satellite that I use as a media center connected to the TV and finally, my EeePC, which I carry with me ll the time to uni and into my lab. I also use that round the house because I use it to remotely control all the computers at home and with the webcam, it makes Skyping anywhere in the house the best thing on Earth.

@Lelia: I'd recommend the EeePC actually. It's cheap ($500 AUD), the battery lasts bout 3 and a half hours and it can do anything a normal laptop can do including going online. The catch is that it's got a 800x480 max resolution so that might turn some people off. I wrote an in depth review of it here if it's piqued your interest. :)

@NoelKingsley: You know, by far that has got to be the best answer I've heard. Forget all our tech stuff. When it boils down to it. What's a good old fashion pen worth but a thousand words? :)

To be fair, I'll throw in my lot as well and mine would be my brand new EeePC.

A full fledged 7 inch ultraportable laptop for the price of an iPod Touch. Because it doesn't weigh a ton, I can carry this with me anywhere. Go online wherever I want and however I like it. It's the best investment I've ever made.

The preemptive talk in Pidgin is one of the best plugins ever. Scares people half to death when I reply to them before they even finished their greetings. My reply...I always use the force. :)

@Pelf: That's my personal beef though, when people don't take some time to at least reply to your mail, even if it is to tell you that they are too busy to go through it and reply in detail, even if they might forget it later on, at least they have gotten it.

That's why in my experience though, I've known no cases where a university fails to actually receive or send an email. Just that they don't bother replying you at all. Which is extremely bad.

Oh...I should mention that Trillian is a bit of a resource hog, at least compared to Pidgin. That's one of the reasons why I use Pidgin now.

Ever since I've started on Pidgin (formerly known as Gaim before the finalization of the AOL lawsuit), I've always stuck to it.

Compared against Trillian Pro, Pidgin is free BUT unlike Trillian, Pidgin doesn't have voice and video conferencing, for that I just rely on Skype instead. The best part about Pidgin is that you can use it from a thumbdrive which for me is the best thing. I can go to any computer with a net access and a USB port and never be far from all my instead messages.

So for me, if you can live with the slight minimalist interface. Pidgin is one of the best things out there for PC. Adium would be for a Mac, but of course, Adium is based of the Pidgin core so that says a lot.

I rely on a lot of emails being sent back and forth especially from my university email which forwards the mail directly to my Gmail and Gmail to send under my official email addresses. In fact, most of my official business though goes through my university email so the chances of me being picked up as spam is relatively low especially for important business.

I suggest that for anyone doing business, they should rely on their own official email addresses rather than free accounts to relay information. It cuts down on problems sending things back and forth .

I've always used Bloglines because it gives me everything I need and works pretty well. I have tried Google Reader, but for some reason it just doesn't work right for me.

For the past few days though, I've been trying out FeedDemon as my main feed reader and synchronizing it Bloglines has made it all the more enjoyable. But I don't see the point of having something installed when my Bloglines is tied straight into my Firefox.

I just haven't seen a good replacement for Bloglines. What I want to know is, aside from podcasts what do other feed readers offer than Bloglines can't give?

I don't read that many sites on my feeds, only about 30+. I don't think I'm going to need all the extra features like AJAX interface and all that. I mean, what can AJAX do to make my feed reading any better than just automatically ticking off what I've already read?

Isn't the U810 expensive enough to take your liver out or something?

Well...it is a bit more 1337 to use longer characters for something that can be coded in one letter. Nevermind making things easier. It's like making pasta from scratch instead of buying ready made ones. It's cooler to take the long troublesome way. :P

Well, the point is if it works with what you have. I've always been utilitarian that way. I don't use something because I have to use it. I use something because I need to use it. With what I have, the iPod isn't so special and iTunes is a horrible piece of software bloat. Times like that, I like the alternatives.

I have played around with it at Myers and I can tell you, it's sweet. I'm going to buy myself one as soon as I have enough money and to make things sweeter, you can upgrade the RAM and storage space yourself.

Just be prepared, it's ridiculously small though and I don't like the fact it's using 800x480 res and the keyboard really needs some getting used to. But it's fast and responsive and really really light. It's going to be my link to the world away from my desktop.

Also remember, it's meant for a specific market that is web surfing and first time computer users. Unless you change the OS, you're not going to get much out of it aside from what it can give you.

Well you use Windows so I can recommend you a couple of good software to try out with your iPod. Winamp is one. Media Monkey is another. I personally haven't used Media Monkey but I hear its better than Winamp. I use Winamp to sync my players (I don't have or want an iPod but it should work the same way) because I've been using it all my life.

Try it out if you really get frustrated with iTunes.

"Because God made it so..."

No seriously, gravity and centripetal force. :)

Which was made by God...

Alright, enough with the God jokes. :)

I do use Facebook, but like so many others, I'm selective of my apps to prevent from looking like a a bomb went through my profile.

What I try to do is put in the ones that I think make the most sense to a profile which are Twitter, Flickr and Stumbleupon.

The rest, My Questions, Last.fm and Friends Collage are just things I put in just to spruce things up a bit.

Superwall was just because I got annoyed with everyone sending me messages and I wanted to see what's it about.

As for the rest of it, they can be permanently ignored, which I wish Facebook can have the option to do so.

I'd get myself a particle accelerator. Then I'd rent it out for all the scientists that want to use it, then use it to make myself even more money.

Still...it'll be cool to own a particle accelerator. You'll be the talk of parties.

So what we're all saying here is that none of us really need our extra computers.

It's all a geek thing?

IBM's costs a kidney and maybe part of a liver for me. Getting one of the new cheap ultraportables would be good for a poor uni student like me. Then again, since I'll be on the run a lot, it's a good idea to actually get and use one while in the lab.

Provided of course, I don't spill any biohazards on it.