And they do it again

Heard Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Media Player 11 is out of Beta? Yes it is.
My reaction(s) to this piece of news item: Wow! Let's see what it offers! Has to be cool!

• So I do a "I'm Feeling Lucky" Google search for "Windows Media Player 11", from right within my favorite browser: Mozilla's Firefox (here).


• I reach Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Media Player 11 homepage and guess what... I am unable to find a download link!


• I find my way to the download link. Thank to the lord and the site designer, it is on the very next webpage I open


• I look at the screenshot and can't help saying: "Cool... Awesome".


• I start the download of the application and while the download completes, I decide to read the "System Requirements"


• I start reading the table from top to bottom, both the Minimal and Recommended configuration: Operating system, Processor, RAM, Free hard disk space, ... !!!
  There it says, recommended amount of "Free Hard Disk Space: 60 *ucking GBs!"
  
  I wonder, what on Mother Earth are they going to do with 60 GBs of hard disk space? and what comes to my mind for Microsoft(R) is:
  Oops! ...I Did It Again!

I did not install the application. What if it starts hogging my system, like the resident OS ;-)
Looks like I learned from my past experience.

To Install A Software (on Windows)

Update: Bought the book last weekend :)

I tried to give this post a title similar to "To Kill A Mocking". Just in case you didn't know, I do not have this book, neither have I ever read it so if you are planning to present me a gift in near future, now you know what to buy.

Anyway, coming back on track, this is yet another post dedicated to the most widely used operating system in the world today, Microsoft Windows XP (what a shame!). So here I was, reading the review of a software called "Paint.NET" at TechCrunch. The review, among so many other things, says that it is a good software for PaintShop users. What the review does not say is, it should be named "Pain.NET" for all the pain you go through in installing the software, thanks to the software's dependencies and more than that to Bill's Microsoft.

Step 1. You download the installer of the software, Pain.NET from the home page.
Step 2. You try to install it. It displays the most annoying thing in the world, a message box! A message box that says, "You need Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. Press OK to download it from Microsoft's website". You press OK.
Step 3. You download Microsoft Framework 2.0 installation binary from Microsoft.com
Step 4. You run Microsoft Framework 2.0 installation file hoping that in another few minutes, you'll be able to try out the "great tool", Paint.NET and what you encounter is another dialog box, which says "Setup has detected that you the following prerequisite programs are not installed: Microsoft Windows Installer 3.0"
Step 5. You shout a few swear words and proceed to download the Microsoft Windows Installer, again from Microsoft's website, but the ordeal is not over yet. You are asked to download another exe which validate your copy of Windows. WTF! Just let me download it and program it to not get installed if it detects my system is not running a genuine copy of Windows.
Step 6. You would be stupid to carry on beyond this point. Microsoft has already made a fool of you so many times in the past 10-15 minutes that you should show Windows a finger and go out to a friend's house, collect your (or his) favourite Linux distribution and install it on your fu'ed up box still running XP.
Step 7. If you still decide to stick to Windows for some reason beyond your control (like in my case, I am not allowed by my employer to run any non-Windows OS), you run that damn validation-key-producing software, get your copy of Windows validated, and install Microsoft Windows Installer 3.0 (like I did).

Still haven't been able to install Pain(t).NET since all other installations are going on. Paint.NET better be damn good!

In hindsight, I think I should not read and follow all the reviews as religiously as I do.

I have a new address!

This is where I will be: http://afterallwhocares.blogspot.com
Ciao!

Justice, at last!

Dunno how many of you read the news so forwarding a news item:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2191535.cms
http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/18/stories/2006101813540100.htm
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct182006/index20311320061017.asp

More than feeling good because the accused has finally been convicted, I am feeling bad for the girl.

Gross... Grosser... Grossest

Let's see who can stand these!
http://bouncy-bubbles.net/?page_id=75

WikiCharts: Top 100 Wikipedia articles

This tool shows the articles from the English Wikipedia that are viewed most.

The tool is available here.

This tool is still being tested. Some of the results may be false or misleading!

Thanks, No.

Do you get forwarded mails from people you are very close to and therefore are afraid of hurting them by telling them that you do not like getting forwarded mails or chain mails and even if they want to send you something like that, they should put your email address in BCC instead of TO/CC? At least I am.

Here's a solution to your problem: You can send a gentle reply to them containing the link to the website: Thanks, No. Nice, gentle and works!

Say good-bye to forwards!

The demotion of a ... planet !! (Updated)

I don't see the need to redefine the solar system - Siraj Ahsan, Dubai

People all over the world are discussing the topic of Pluto being demoted so passionately as if one of their close friends is being subdued and they must do something (which invariably means kill time discussing it with others) about it. Most of them have a few questions. I would like to answer some of them for everyone's benefit. And then some people may say, "Who are you to answer those questions?" to which I would say, "No one. But then, Who Cares?"

So the questions go like this:

1. Why are they doing it now? It does not make any sense!
2. Oh I am emotionally attached to seeing it as a planet. Why are you breaking my heart?
3. Why don't they realize that all the textbooks need to be changed?
   

And this is how I would like to answer them:

1. Why they are doing it now? Better late then never. Would you not go to a doctor if you realized that you had been suffering from AIDS for the last 2 months? Okay, bad example but the point still holds. If the top people researching in this area think it does not qualify to be a planet anymore, then there must be some good reason behind it. It is not politics, after all.
2. They are breaking your heart? Oh! I am so sorry for you honey. May be what you should do is to run to the closest shop selling a model of the now outdated solar system and at least preserve a model for yourself. This is science of planets, not the science of hearts!
   
3. I see. So you think it is better to teach the young lads wrong stuff than to update the stuff? Hmm, nice point that.

So, as you can see, I am all for updating the textbooks and anything that is needed as long as we have a good reason to back it up with, specially if it is related to Science or Finance.

(This link here echoes my feelings)

Update:
And now there's more to it. A few big names have also joined the "outcry" as BBC reports here. What is happening? I see some of the questions above coming true!

What you "mostly" see while running Windows

Also take a look at (this).

Setting up RSS feed for your blogger blog comments

This is a useful post for setting up RSS/Atom feeds for the comments posted on your blogger blog. BTW, you can subscribe to my blog's feeds here. Here goes the step-by-step procedure to set it up:

1. Open your main blog's Settings
   1. Go to Comments
   2. Set Comment Notification Address to something like: <YourGmailId>+<SomeStringABC>@gmail.com
   
   
2. Go to Dashboard and setup a new blog. You can call it whatever like. This blog will hold your comments! Wondering how? Keep reading.
   
   
3. Open your comment blog's Settings
   1. Go to Email
   2. Set Mail-to-Blogger Address to something like: <YourBloggerId>.<SomeStringXYZ>@blogger.com
   
   
4. Login to your Gmail account,
   1. Go to Filters
   2. Set up a new filter with the following values:
      • Mail sent to: <YourGmailId>+<SomeStringABC>@gmail.com
      • Forward to: <YourBloggerId>.<SomeStringXYZ>@blogger.com
      • Select: Delete it.
   
   
5. You're done mate! Your comments will now be available on your new blog. You can publicize the feed to it on your main blog for the convenience of yourself and your readers.

PS: I utilize this post to congratulate on of my close friends for getting "The Nod"! Your responsibilities have increased now ;)