This may say more about the age of my software than anything, but my PC doesn't seem to understand that what I am writing is known pretty much everywhere as a "blog". The Google blog program spell-check accepts it, but neither the (old) Microsoft Works nor the (new) Open Office programs seem to know what I'm trying to write. They both indicate a misspelling, and offer a variety of other words. Same with "online", which as far as I can tell is as acceptable as "on-line". Voice recognition is another area where problems like this crop up. The National Weather Service emergency broadcasts on weather radios can't understand the difference between a "mobile home" and "Mobile, Alabama". The solution there is easy: adopt the "Commercially Correct"* phrase "Manufactured Home" instead for the buildings. By the way, the Census Bureau figures for 2007 indicate 6.3% of American homes as "mobile homes". I couldn't locate the percentage of mobile homes in Alabama, though there are 2.1 Million "Housing Units" in the state. As recently as the mid 1990's, half of the "new housing starts" in the state were mobile homes. When you hear stories that include "new housing starts", do you picture a mobile home being assembled in a factory?
And getting back on track, there's a story in the Times this morning about the new Kindle reading device not being able to pronounce the name of the U.S. President.
[*this is the business lobby's answer to "politically correct". They also want their favorite things to sound more appealing.]
I'm a'gonna' give you some good-natured ribbing, here Tim!
ReplyDeleteWhat're doing using a TRS-80 (aka "Trash 80")?
If THAT'S your 'puter, boy howdy! (Only slightly more) seriously, though... my nearly 10-year-old Apple brand Macintosh laptop doesn't give me even one bit of problem. I run the latest OSX (10.4) designed for the Motorola RISC chips, while the very latest edition of OSX, 10.5, is designed for Intel's CISC chips, and dual-core processing.
But even in Apple's legacy OS (9.0, 8.4 and below) my machine (as would all Macs) would talk to me (speech synthesis), as well as had voice recognition capabilities, and a host of other really cool features (such as screen magnification to the extreme), designed primarily for those with physical limitations. Neither have I ever had need for anti-virus software, nor was scared when fear of "Y2K" made its rounds like the Angel of Death among the first-born of the heathen.
My dad bought his and mom's first computer just a few weeks ago. It's a really nice iMac, and already, they've been astounded at its speech synthesis and voice recognition capabilities, as well as other really cool things that we (the computer savvy) take for granted, such as live NOAA weather radar via the Internet, through widgets, etc. For the Mac, "Dashboard widgets combine web technologies, desktop scripting, and desktop rendering into a single package integrated with the core OS."
Now, on the problems you addressed you have with Mircosoft, er, Microsoft. I use a couple of different word processing programs, and though I have Word, Excel, etc. (the whole Office suite), I rarely use it. In my opinion, it's "bloat-ware" and is like using a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier to do bass fishing. Instead, I use Apple's "TextEdit" program which creates RTF (rich text files) files or append whatever extension I want to my document - including doc, etc. It's simple, quick & easy and does just about everything Gatesware does and much more simply. On occasion, I also use "Bean," a freeware WP program that's similarly as lean as TextEdit, which came bundled with CopyPaste Pro. Ever wanted to use snippets of text again and again, but didn't want to hunt-n-find the source every time? It's a copy-paste mini-app that uses your computer's native ability... instead of having only four or five things on the clipboard, you can have hundreds (if you so choose)! It's been around for a while for Mac users, and is available for the technologically challenged Windows washers.
Each of the WP apps have the ability to create custom dictionaries. That is, if they do spell checking there IS a database to which they refer. Word, for example, allows users to choose writing style (formal, business, casual, etc.) along with a dictionary to be used in each case. So, my 'prollys, 'cause, thing-a-ma-jigs, and doo-dads, are not cause for concern in casual style, and would only be highlighted for possible change using formal, research or business style composition.
Under Word's preferences, in the "Spelling and Grammar" section, my window displays a "Custom dictionary." So, words like hydrochlorothiazide (HcTZ), Methycillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, nosocomial, corticosteriod, antiretroviral, etc., would not be checked, while "Tim Lennox" might be.
This principle is the same for all WP apps that have a spelling feature. In other words, the app can be set to "learn" to ignore words that are properly spelled. Butt whine yew kin note spill, hit bee ha beg problemo.
Now THAT'S where spelling like a word sounds, can be useful! Mo-beel, instead of mobile. Or is it for the jazz masters, 'mo Beale!?
Years ago, when I drove a truck for a living (I still retain a "full-blown" CDL - AMVPTX), on a few occasions, I hauled trailers (mobile homes, if you prefer) out of "the Woods," in Winston county, where those manufacturing facilities are more prevalent.
In that regard, I'd be curious to know the CB's definition of a "housing start." While many're started, it's their sales that matters.
And, perhaps you read about Clayton Homes' new i-House. Owned by Warren Buffett's firm Berkshire Hathaway since 2003, Clayton Homes is a Knoxville (actually Maryville) Tennessee manufactured homes supplier, which last year had 1/3 of that market. Their new product has little resemblance to a mobile home, and is highly energy efficient. An excerpt of the story share that the "Energy Star-rated design features heavy insulation, six-inch thick exterior walls, cement board and corrugated metal siding, energy efficient appliances, a tankless water heater, dual-flush toilets and lots of "low-e" glazed windows," with bamboo floors. And, they're hoping within 12-18 months, a 10% share of their present market will purchase the homes which are now being manufactured in California, Oregon, Tennessee and New Mexico. And at $100-130/sf fully furnished, they're well under the price of a stick-built house.
Kevin! I actually DID own a TSR80, but that was back in the early - mid 1980'!! (My second machine was a Radio Shack Model 100, save basic vintage) I took the picture an Alabama High School Driver's Ed classroom just a year or so ago!
ReplyDeleteAs for Apple: If they built the last machine on earth I would go without. They have SO allienated me with their obnoxious TV advertising that I have sworn I will NEVER buy their products. Since when does telling your potential customers that they are stupid work as a marketing strategy?
Regarding housing, I presume CB goes by permits of some kind? Taxes paid? Something like that.
Hope the Tennessee built homes come with tie-downs for the roof AND the building itself! (-:
Well, I dunno' if Apple's marketing is telling folks they're stoopid or not, but I can say this about their product - I've rarely had a moment's trouble with 'em!
ReplyDeleteAnd their OSX is built upon the kernel of "big iron" (the nickname sometimes given to UNIX systems, the rock-solid OS which runs the vast majority of American enterprise).
Secure? You betcha'! One way in, and the same way out.
Solid? Oh, yeah! The OS can be crashed while the apps still operate, without jeopardizing their operations.
And who wants to "plug and pray"? Or, hook up this, that and the other - or be concerned with finding the ".dll" or driver for _?_
Besides... for those whom actually "use" computers (not hard-core programmer folks), they prolly' don't know what a ".dll" is!
The ease and simplicity with which the Apple GUI and OS works is as trouble-free as it gets. And for the folks who still say (silly - that's putting it nicely) things like "Mac is good for graphics..." I kin only surpoze they'se not evur seen thuh Intarnetz.
It's ALL graphical!
Better an advertising campaign alienate than the actual product, eh? (Hello? Bill Gates? Will my Windows 2000/XP/Me etc., be compatible with your most "updated version of _?_" - your OWN product!
What a faux pas to have your premier product actually CRASH during it's World Premiere! (Recall the Rolling Stones song used to promote Windows 95 "If you start me up..."?)
Oh well... at least Jagger and the Stones got some royalties from Microsoft using their song.
There's a fellow I know (engineer type) in the Shoals whom uses SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) to construct houses. He worked on the Alaska Pipeline and had the idea for his product then. He's built several commercial and residential structures.
His houses will withstand earthquakes. When tested by Trentec (home to one of two tri-axial seismic simulators in the U.S.) on their quake simulation table, the table actually started to break, but NOT his two-story house! His product is certified by the International Code Council, won't rot or grow black mold, is termite proof, will withstand 200 mph winds (Hurricane Katrina was 175 mph), requires no special knowledge, experience or tools to construct, withstands repeated freeze/thaw cycles, provides enormous thermal and sonic insular abilities, exceeds "Green" construction building requirements, is approved by the Federation of American Scientists, and has a fire rating of zero by the National Fire Protection Association.
What is this "miracle" building material? Structural Insulated Panels made of fiber cement board with Extruded Polystyrene sandwiched in between. His firm and product's name is ThermaSAVE.
With costs approximately 16% cheaper than conventional stick-built construction, superior load-bearing compared to wood, quicker construction time, along with the other qualities previously mentioned, it's the building wave of the future, in the here and now.