Blogs

The obvious killer app or is it?

By Eric Bell on 5/24/2007 12:21 PM

What is the killer app of today and possibly tomorrow? Another spreadsheet, another wordprocessor or a new Wiki? No, the next killer app is the app that is simple to understand, simple to use and executed well. Its the app that provides immediate feedback. These may not be objective criteria but the formula works. The question for the company that comes up with this app is ...how to make money and supply this app? A simple app with immediate feedback that is my thesis. Not solving a particular problem like tax preparation software, word processors, spreadsheets. These apps are not particularly simple but they do provide immediate feedback. But 1 out of 2 isn't the point. Both are needed ...simple with immediate feedback Web browers were considered to be a killer app at one time and occassionally are trumpeted up to be the next killer app. The truth is they were and are and will always be just that, a killer app. The are simple to use if you use only the basic feature of navigating the world wide web....

Comments (0)

Notes out in the field

Restoring old Office menus to Office 2007

By Eric Bell on 5/20/2007 1:37 PM

People seem to like the new Office 2007 but don't like the Fluent interface, the ribbon bar, that has changed the menuing system. I found an add-in to the various office programs most notably Word and Excel that adds a menu bar with the old menuing system. Its from a Chinese company, AddInTools, whose web site allows you to download the add-ins apparently for free, yet will charge you $29.95 for the license which includes support.

This is a very simple idea, create an add-in module that installs a menu bar with menus and menu items that run the corresponding methods of the program. The average use could just about do this with the macro features of these programs but what AddInTools has done is a great service which is to do all of the work for you in the package which is a menu bar.

Comments (0)

Notes out in the field

Using VMWare to manage my notebook - Part 2

By Eric Bell on 5/14/2007 8:15 PM

More or less I now have my new 64 bit notebook using VMWare to create environments that I want. Working with the new version 6 WMWare shows the work VMWare has put into the latest release. Had I understood all of its features I could have saved myself time and hassle.

I created several time the base Vista VM each with a larged virtual disk because I ran out of space with each crop of application that I needed to install. First, a 14 GB disk was too small, then a 20 GB disk was too small and eventually I needed a 24 GB disk. Getting to 24 GB was the interesting part.

After several tries at creating a VM the right size, my last attempt was at 20 GB which I thought was surely enough only to find out that I ran out of room. How could this be I thought to myself, 20 GB for Vista, Visual Studio 2005, documentation and some tools. Worse, I didn't even have all the tools installed when I ran out of room. The thought of recreating the VM and installing all the apps from scratch was almost unthinkable....

Comments (1)

Notes out in the field

Driveway monitor from Radio Shack

By Eric Bell on 5/14/2007 7:00 PM

The wife wanted to know when people or cars come in the driveway and some research provided me with a few ideas. These products seemed the most sensible and suited to the endeavor:

http://www.autobarn.net/designtech-30078.html

http://www.autobarn.net/dakota-alert-dakwma-3000.html

While at Radio Shack I found a wireless motion sensor that can be used to monitor your driveway, doors, or other places for people or cars passing by. Called "The Reported wireless alert & security system", its an infra-red proximity detector meant for outdoor use that communicates with a small base station wirelessly.

I assembled the few parts making up the sensor in about 10 mins, mounted it on a tree at the mouth of my driveway about 3ft off the ground, tested it by waking by the sensor several times and overall find it to be a decent little device. I can even add up...

Comments (0)

Notes out in the field

Using VMWare to manage my notebook

By Eric Bell on 5/10/2007 4:20 PM

Recently, a short article came across my desk relating a story about a fellow who changes his laptop every few months and to overcome the hastle of reinstalling his apps and environment each time, he uses VMWare to house his environment and moves it to the new laptop. Great idea!

Well its not that easy to do as I am finding out. There are decisions to be made and trial and error to get the decisions right. My laptop is a AMD 64 dual core machine with 160GB drive. My requirements are to work with Office applications some of the time and development applications other times. Perhaps I will even want to run games some of the time of do other things. So my first question is do I run one VM (virutal machine) that takes up all of the drive space or do create serveral small VMs customized to a set of tasks?

What this fellow did apparently was the former, creating a large VM and installing every application he needed in one environment. I believe it to be easier but not what I can see I need. WinXP...

Comments (1)

Notes out in the field

Working with others on architecture projects

By Eric Bell on 5/9/2007 2:39 PM

From March 24th, 07 through today, I have been working with others at Fidelity to create a simple web site. My roles are architecture and technology, working with others to create an architecture that fits into the enterprise and technological, working with others to ensure that components and support staff create what is required.

Well let me tell you this is not nearly as easy as one would hope. There is no specific workflow in place that tells me what to do, nor do others believe that they have a role to fulfill necessarily without proding.

Comments (0)

Notes out in the field