Tagged: microsoft

Microsoft Office Ribbon sucks – Julie Larson-Green should design prison complexes instead of software UI

Nobody will ever get out of the maze.

The only ribbon you will ever need is a custom one. Right-click on the stupid ribbon and create a new tab. Drag and drop all the commands you want on that tab. Disable all other tabs.

Microsoft Word can export your custom toolbar settings to a file named as “Word Customizations.exportedUI” so make sure you do that for backup and for easy import to other Office installations.

SCREENSHOT-Microsoft-Word-the-only-ribbon-you-will-ever-need-ribbon-sucks

Bing News is a good alternative to Google News, as Yahoo News India fades … and still sports Firefox 16 on top banner!

Yahoo News India is on its death bed with the flag of Firefox 16 already spread across its soon-to-be carcass. After the Yahoo India team was fired, the Yahoo India news page was put on on fly-by-wire mode. Some content from third party websites had been connected to its CMS and that was it. Over time, even that has stopped working. The same outdated Times Now video from several days back is still on home page and it is all a big mess.

The alternative was Google News, which I don’t want. Then, I decided to check Bing News. They have got their act together, at least in terms of news in English. And, unlike Google, they don’t try to hide their RSS feed links.

Bing news is at
http://bing.com/news

Bing News seems to have matured. Yahoo News India is in its death throes.

Bing News seems to have matured. Yahoo News India is in its death throes.

Will other tech giants follow Microsoft with layoffs? Big Banks are running out of cash and gold!

One of the biggest impediments to cloud computing is the desktop – represented in large by Microsoft. Windows 8 was released with its desktop functionality maimed off.

Windows 8 usability issues and forced SkyDrive integration

I have enumerated the numerous usability issues in an older article. Apart from them, Windows 8 tries to sucker people into saving their files in SkyDrive, instead of their own hard disks.

Windows 8 refuses to run applications

The main purpose of an OS is to run applications. Windows 8 will not let you install YOUR software unless it was reviewed and certified by Microsoft app store junta. Is this really an OS? You need to get the Enterprise edition and or buy yourself sideloading keys to get the privilege to install your own application on your own hardware!

Forced migration to Azure (Microsoft Cloud) and cannibalizing on existing products like SQL Server

Microsoft wanted everyone to move their applications to Azure where they can bill their customers by the hour, by CPU cycles. And, many of them did. They will be extremely disappointed when Microsoft does what they are doing to SQL Server customers now – essentially doubling the price for non-SA customers. (Disturbing Problems with SQL Server 2014 http://devproconnections.com/sql-server-2014/disturbing-problems-sql-server-2014)

Subtle Scummy Licensing Changes to SQL Server 2014

A bigger issue, however, is the change in SQL Server 2014 licensing. Prior to SQL Server 2014, I liked to say that SQL Server came with a ‘buy one, get one free’ type of license. Whenever you purchased a production license for SQL Server, you’d also get an equal or lesser license to deploy on a standby server that could be used to only handle loads in the case of a disaster.

… The problem, however, is that with SQL Server 2014, this licensing benefit now applies to only those customers who purchase Software Assurance. Without software assurance, you get no failover or secondary license. Technically, customers without Software Assurance aren’t prohibited from setting up High Availability solutions, they just have to pay double.

I can see why Microsoft made this change—they’re trying to drive continuous revenue, instead of making one-off sales.

Microosft is forcing its own SQL Server customers to go to the cloud by price-gouging them. Today, SQL Server customers are really in a desperate situation because they can’t just turn over to Azure, which is still in its money-losing infancy.

Azure is Not the Answer


In my experience, though, Azure simply can’t deliver the kind of throughput and raw performance that $10,000 worth of hardware and a $7,000 license of Standard Edition can deliver over the space of a few years. Azure simply can’t pack the same wallop that dedicated hardware can, and Azure pricing definitely favors Microsoft instead of customers. Couple this with the fact that Microsoft isn’t showing developers any love, and it’s fair to say that there are some serious and disturbing problems with SQL Server 2014.

Tomorrow, Azure customers will get blackballed like SQL Server customers are getting today. Or, Microsoft will go bankrupt and take everyone’s data with it.

Okay, here is some comic relief: 12 Steps to download SQL Server Express 2014
http://www.istartedsomething.com/20140616/the-12-step-process-to-download-microsoft-sql-server-express-2014/

Snowden Impact

Unless USA scales back its global surveillance program and bundling of spyware in hardware, software and networking gear, confidence in American products and services is going to be low. How can anyone in Europe or Asia give software development contracts to American companies?

There are no numbers on what is the real impact on American software sales but there is no point in paying good money to buy American spyware or putting your data in American servers.

Although Microsoft claims to be a cash-rich company, it has been in the market for commercial paper to fund cashflow operations. I have no idea why this is so. Google for example used to get most of its money from web search, done primarily on desktops. Much of that has moved to mobile but the click rate is even less on mobile. Its funding will be under pressure. When Steve Jobs was alive, Apple went on a building and hiring spree. They will see that demand for their products are going to taper out. Smartphone market is slowly getting saturated. Ipads are no longer that fancy. Everyone one has one. Many of these companies are riding on the availability of free cash from big banks, lent to them on the illusory value of their market capitalization. But even the Big Banks are going to be without cash in a few months.

By dumping paper gold, the Rothschild eased gold supply by forcing ETFs unload their physical gold stocks. Physical demand now catches up.

By dumping paper gold, the Rothschild eased gold supply by forcing ETFs unload their physical gold stocks. Physical demand now catches up.

In a desperate move to short gold, they embarked on a coordinated global publicity campaign that deemed that gold was out and was no longer a store of value. It worked for a while. Gold bears dumped their paper gold on after-market hours and depressed prices. But gold survived. Yessir, it did. Now, gold is slowly getting back. India raised duty and also made it very difficult to import gold. US forced Germany (behind the scenes) not to demand the return of German gold held in US gold vaults. US interest rates are at zero. Where else can it go? It can go negative, if it wants! Ha!

But, no, it was not going to last. Physical gold continued to flow from Western markets to Asia. Everyone on flights from Dubai to India is carrying gold. Gold mines and scrap dealers can’t supply enough of it. When the last bits of gold in the central bank reserves at New York and London get over, then there is no hope.

The Rothschilds found that gold was too hot to handle sometime ago and they quietly exited the London Gold Fixing Company years ago. Their proxies, the bullion banks carried on with it but they now want out. Or, else those banks will be bankrupt too.

US has been busting one country after another in order to get to their gold reserves – Iraq, Libya, Ukraine. Syria was targeted but did not make much headway. This regime-change business is slow and a lot of work. Now, what?

Lose the dollar, I always say. Lose the Euro too. Swiss Franc, the safe haven? Don’t you know that international bankers have bust that country too? Switzerland is one of the most indebted countries in the world. How else can they give every citizen a car and free money? When the crash comes, those secret bank account customers will want to clean up their stash. With many of them, mafia and drug-trafficking types, the ultra-efficient Swiss banker types will have to sleep under concrete beds.

BTW, Mini Microsoft is back (probably a troll dispatched from HR).
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7555958&postID=690685645671769103

If Google or Microsoft were a person, they would be in jail or in the sex offenders’ list!

Microsoft captcha follows Google's Recaptcha family trait of filthy talk.

Microsoft captcha follows Google’s Recaptcha family trait of filthy talk.

Google’s Recaptcha company is a G short of saying mooning.

Google is also anti-Jewish and neck-deep in spreading Jewish conspiracy theories.

Google had always been like this, even before they got this big.

See? They are all run by dirty bastards!
https://moralvolcano.wordpress.com/2003/12/03/is-google-sexy-or-horny/

Proprietary software means better quality, right? Wrong! Try Windows Update – IV

Windows Update should be renamed Windows Obstipate

Windows Update is the probably the worst part of the OS. The downloads tend to be huge and hog all bandwidth. This means you can’t let it download updates in the background. No, you can’t do the update when you are working. Either it stops you from shutting down or it prevents you from logging in upon restart. It seems to be deliberately designed to slow you down and get on your nerves. Just when you want to shut down and leave, that stupid piece of *@#$*&) has the temerity to say “Don’t shut down your computer.”

Ever wondered why bootup is taking so long? Even before showing you the login screen, Windows is downloading stuff from the Internet and installing them. I literally pull the plug on this one – by removing the LAN cable. Then, Windows sheepishly gets to the login screen without issue. You see, this software was written by a monkey and for a monkey. If you you try to use it, it will make a monkey out of you! It is not designed for human beings.

Microsoft Windows Update should ideally be renamed Windows Obstipate.

Microsoft Windows Update should ideally be renamed Windows Obstipate.

Proprietary software means better quality, right? Wrong! Try Visual Studio – III

 

I have been working with computers and IDEs since 1994. I started with Turbo C and FoxPro (that’s an IDE in my book) and moved on to Oracle SQL Forms (on SCO Unix). I also created Unix shell applications in vi and line editors. For my VCD player software, I used Visual Studio 6 (Visual Basic). Then, I switched to plain old text editors for my .com website (Classic ASP and VBScript). Then, at work, I have used Visual Studio 2005/2008/2010/2012/2013, Delphi, and Eclipse. At home, I am currently using MotoDev Studio (Eclipse), Eclipse for JavaScript and sometimes Visual Studio 6/2010/2008/2012/2013.

All right. Start Visual Studio and create a new Windows Forms project. Note that how the damn thing creates the solution with the same name as your project. This will turn out to be a problem later.

New project dialog in Visual Studio.

New project dialog in Visual Studio.

Now, that you have a project and a solution. Try adding a different type of a project to the solution. Does the Visual Studio window title change to the name of your current project? No. Does Solution Explorer make the new project as the current default project? No. When you build and compile, your first project will be the one that runs first. The makers of Visual Studio are under the impression that the first project is a “loader” for other projects and runs it first. If you want to run the current project, you need to select it in Solution Explorer and set it as the “Startup” project. Double-clicking the current project makes no difference.

Visual Studio handles multiple projects in a solution rather poorly.

Visual Studio handles multiple projects in a solution rather poorly.

Visual Studio is moronic like this in many ways. In Eclipse, if you are about to use a new namespace, you just type the first few characters and press Ctrl+Space. Eclipse auto fills it or gives a menu of namespace options. After you select one, it also adds the import statement at the top of the class. Suppose you need to use the File class in Visual Studio, you need to add a reference to the System.IO AND move all the way to the top of the page to add a corresponding using statement. Doesn’t that look redundant? Sure, there is a way to add do this inline in Visual Studio but that feature came pretty late in the game. Even then it is still moronic. You need to use the mouse. You need to take a risk by guessing the class name and type it out first. You then need to wait for the those ugly squiggly lines to show up and then fiddle around that tiny arrow and lightning icons. It is totally counter-intuitive.

Using a new namespace in a project is convoluted in Visual Studio.

Using a new namespace in a project is convoluted in Visual Studio.

Why have project references AND using statements?

Have you ever created a basic MVC project in Visual Studio? God! It is like clicking on the “Sign Up for the Google+” link by mistake. Visual Studio does not just create an entire website but it also creates a whole new township for the support staff!

Proprietary software means better quality, right? Wrong! Try Microsoft Word – II

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word

People like to trash free and open source software. They like to mindlessly regurgitate statements that others with vested interests against free software have made. You will hear statements like, “You get what you paid for,” or “You can use free software if your time has no value.”

But, the same people use free and open software every day. All the big websites are running on Linux. None of them would dare to use Windows server. Even Apple, the bastion of proprietary software uses open source code derived from Unix. Mac OS has its origin in Next OS, which was Jobs version of BSD Unix when he left Apple. Check your iPod menu for the option named Legal. There you will find the license of FreeType font rendering engine. (Steve Jobs refused to let the FreeType project bypass his font patents and yet he used it in his own projects.)

For example, take Microsoft Word – the software which gets crappier with each new version. Let insert a new row in a table. Pretty common and routine? This should be simple, eh? No! Every time you need to insert a new row, you need to go through multiple levels of context menu options.

Every time you need to insert a new row in Microsoft Word, you have to through layers of context menu over and over again.

Every time you need to insert a new row in Microsoft Word, you have to through layers of context menu over and over again.

That crazy fool, Julie Larson Green, the woman who introduced that fat and ugly ribbon menu. I hate her. She is the one behind that stupid and useless Windows 8 operating system as well. “THIS FAT RIBBON THING DOES NOT HAVE AN OPTION TO INSERT ROWS WITH JUST A CLICK. THEN WHY IS IT THERE, TAKING SO MUCH SPACE?!” She says she introduced the Metro tile screen because she says she did not want to introduce another version of Windows with just the same interface! “Well, everyone eats through their mouth. You want to try an alternative route for a change?” The option to insert a row with a click is in the Layout menu. Did you miss it? Of course, you did. Because there is also a Page Layout menu, a Table Tools menu, and a Insert menu. None of them have it. The nondescript Layout menu is the one hiding it.

Good luck finding the button to insert a row on the ugly RIBBON MENU.

Good luck finding the button to insert a row on the ugly RIBBON MENU.

In Open Office, everything is pretty simple. There is no confusion. The moment you choose to insert a row, all the options are out there for your choosing.

BUG-REPORT-OpenOffice-Insert-row-in-table

If you choose to do it using the toolbar, there is still no confusion.

The Table toolbar in OpenOffice is unambiguous and simple.

The Table toolbar in OpenOffice is unambiguous and simple.

Just by letting something named as ribbon or charms, you are not empowering women. You are empowering idiots.

Recently, homos called and claimed the head of Brendan Eich, the inventor of Javascript and the founder of Mozilla, for the unpardonable crime of having an opinion. What do you do to this woman who does not even have a brain?

Next up: Visual Studio