ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Tuesday 3 September 2013

KEEPING ABREAST OF CHANGE. (03/09/13)

Yesterday I ordered a new IPS monitor. What I here you ask is IPS. I’m no geek but can tell you it is about £50.00p on a 23” monitor. My new monitor arrived today. Very posh it is, it’s also a good job I have a laptop as the instructions are on a CD. A CD for the less computer savvy folk is a round shiny disc that one hangs on string to frighten birds away from your fruit bushes.

I enjoy getting parcels. DPD are great. I log on and am told when my parcel arrives in Edinburgh from Huddersfield. It gets even more entertaining after it leaves Edinburgh as I can track it in real time as it wanders it’s way to Kinross.

image    I had to have a word with Joe the driver. He was three minutes late but as he said fifty seven minutes early if you take the time slot into account. Not daft are these drivers.

Today was haircut day for the dogs.

_MG_1415    Before.

_MG_1426    And After…… Alf is on the left and Moll is on the right. They need four trims a year….High maintenance dogs; it is almost impossible to achieve optimum hair length for the winter months. Too short and they are cold, too long and they drag clods of snow into the van.

I’m now going to work out how to connect the new monitor to the lap top.

The staff at PC Specialists are great. when I ordered the new laptop in January, I did my best not to appear a Muppet and then got confused building a machine for me, you do it online. Great they are when, in desperation you phone, all they ask is what software you are running, what you do on the software, you tell them and they suggest cheaper alternatives. I’m thrilled to bits with the laptop. When I looked at monitors I wanted another 17” inch one as the only time I’ve used two screens it was a pain having the same resolution and at different sizes. The smallest I could get is twenty three inches. HO HUM! I do need more space now. I just hope it improves my editing. It cost just over a hundred pounds plus another six pounds for a gold plated HVI or summat cable. That was another six pounds the same as the delivery charge give or take a penny or two. They looked up the build specification on the laptop and knew I needed a different cable. Saved me ages plumbing it in , installing drivers only to find it doesn’t work.

IPS…….In Plane Switching…..I looked it up and am none the wiser. It still uses a polarised screen but with switching in planes. Samsung have a posher one yet  but they only put it on top end monitors which cost the best part of a grand, maybe more. I was hoping for a forty quid solution from Amazon or Ebay. Such is life.

CD….Stands for Compact Disk. In living memory they used to come in a hard plastic case and shrink wrapped. Nowadays they come with the cables all jumbled up in a posh bin bag.

Keeping abreast of change is almost a full time job.

Have fun.

32 comments:

  1. With all your gizzmos and gadgets, i think your home must be like GCHQ on wheels Great reading about your day again.



    peter

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    1. Peter, it's an old man thing. Midmarsh John wires up hedgehog houses or spends ages restoring old CD drives to act as macro focus stackers.
      It's just what old men do.
      If you ever get bored buy an Aduino start up kit. They are really frustratingly funny, it beats beating your tail.

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  2. Haven't got a clue, I thought cd's were frisbee's for dogs!

    p.s. us logisitics drivers have an answer for everything lol, DPD is quite a good firm so you shouldn't ever receive damaged goods either.

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    1. Douglas...you would being a sight dog man.

      I really rate the delivery men. It may be different if you work for them but for service and bang on time DPD are better than Fed-Ex. I really like knowing the truckies name and how many parcels he's got. Joe even remembered that there was a big Horse truck when he came last time. I said. " Yes no bother just drive out. Only a farrier and a vet here today". It's a normal day at the mad house.

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  3. Really enjoyable read today about tech stuff. Pups look happy after their grooming. You didn't get bows and nail paint?

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    1. Carol, I'm awful busy being idle. They like going for a hair cut with Kirsten. Can't wait to get out. Makes me feel both sad and proud. Sad they don't miss me and proud they are sociable.

      Have I bought the right screen Carol? It's only for a 3D Muppet to play with. Be fine!

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    2. I think you have taken good advice. I amazed at the service you were given. And I love the delivery tracker.

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    3. Carol they are one of the best firms I have ever dealt with. if i ask for something the folk on the phone always say what are you wanting to do. I tell them and they tell me what I want. The delivery tracker is great. I 'm tempted to order stuff in bits just to watch it work.

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  4. Hi Adrian Haven't a clue what you are talking about. Now youare all wrong but you were on the right tract about the fruit!! CD = Currant Distractor!!! I have just arrived home (N.I.)and tired as have been travelling most of the day!

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    1. Margaret, This technology comes at a price. Bugger all cost ten years down the line. The serious price is that if you ignore it you are not in control or worse don't know where the controls are. I cannot run my laptop but I'd be for the funny farm if I didn't try.

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  5. Inspector Gadget:) If I had the time to figure out all the gadgets I would but I get so caught up with everything else. I let my other half figure it out:) Good luck!

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  6. I solve most electronic installations to my daughter or youngest son. Even though I love to read, when it comes to pages of small print, too overwhelming for this mature gal! I'm still not sure what your new gadget is, Adrian, but best wishes to you!

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  7. Hi Adrian, you should have gotten a CD with your new monitor. If you are running Win 8 a workable driver should be available. Good luck with your new monitor.

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    1. I have the CD Horst. I run Windows 7. I wouldn't run Windows 8. It will work fine.

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  8. Well, you got part of this right...the dogs and a good haircut.
    When it comes to hi tech, I don't think we have to know everything but we have to know basics so we can figure stuff out. Why don't they have a general course on the basics and then send us off?

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    1. Red, I know the basics but what was basic a few years ago is redundant today.

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  9. The pups look grand with their new look.

    As for keeping up with technology. I know all too well the challenges you've mentioned. I bet you meant a DVI cable to connect the new monitor to the laptop.

    Some folks take the next step of purchasing display calibration to ensure monitor is reproducing the colours correctly.

    Reference: http://spyder.datacolor.com/portfolio-view/spyder4elite/

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    1. Daniel, I have a Spyder but thank you for the link. I'll get on the job today.

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  10. The dogs look pleased with the smart new look Adrian?

    Hmmmm! Two monitors eh? Does this mean that from now on your work rate will double and we can look forward to seeing twice the amount of blog posts with double the amount of quality images and, dare I say it, double the amount of wit and humour?

    I can't wait...good luck!...[;o)

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  11. Trevor, it was getting too difficult to work on a 17" screen. I doubt that you will notice any difference.
    I'm heading off towards Darlington today.

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  12. Oh, I just cannot keep up with all these technological changes, it's so confusing. Your doggies are so cute. We have a chihuahua.

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    1. Welcome Francesca, I don't really have much choice. Modern software seems to demand modern hardware. Also people expect a more professional job from amateurs. You are judged against what the pros produce and if you are too far removed people ignore your art.

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  13. Reading this - I had no idea what you were talking about so like Alf and Moll in the second picture I shall just stick my tongue out at you and yell - "Effing Geek!"

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  14. Reading this - I had no idea what you were talking about so like Alf and Moll in the second picture I shall just stick my tongue out at you and yell - "Effing Geek!"

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  15. Reading this - I had no idea what you were talking about so like Alf and Moll in the second picture I shall just stick my tongue out at you and yell - "Effing Geek!"

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    1. YP, join the club....I rarely know what I'm talking about. Feel free to be abusive.

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  16. I like the pictures of the dogs more than the picture of the parcel status. Truthfully I like the pictures of the dogs a lot. I'm very glad you didn't allow the barber(?) to add ribbons and stuff. I hate that!

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  17. David, wash your mouth out with soap. Kirsten is a dog groomer. She is great.
    I make them a posh Christmas dinner and they sit at the table with a serviette tucked into their collars but ribbons are definitely a big no.
    I am a bit daft with them.

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  18. These dogs are adorable. You're fortunate to have them by your side.

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    1. Maria, they are sociable little souls. I am very lucky.

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