Wednesday, March 9, 2005

Bleh: Windows Rebuild -- 11:52 am CST, Update by The Master

I spent yesterday evening rebuilding Eeyore's Windows XP installation from scratch, since it had gotten the infamous crud-up-slow-to-death disease. Learned that a PC run in a kitchen can collect a TON (literally) of cruft inside the case. The dust brontosauruses were very impressive. I also learned that you should back up your DRM license database BEFORE you reformat the drive. Thankfully the vendor was good enough to unlock her collection so I could re-aquire the licenses for her mp3's. Apple's DRM method is so much easier--just hit play on a tune, then iTunes asks for your iTunes account info, and bingo you're good to go on up to 5 PCs or Macs.

Tonight's entertainment is going to consist of dishes, hardware cleanup, Mythbusters, and a Quakeworld install. That's right, TM is going to reinstall the original Quakeworld server someplace around here. I feel the need to play some Ziggurat Vertigo :-) Then it will be time to re-exercise my UT2004 skillz.

A.T. Hun comments: Example #245 why DRM is evil.

The Master comments: I agree, but if that's what it takes to be able to get legal copies of single tracks of music for our mp3 players, at a reasonable price, then I guess we get to suck it up. I'm extremely sick of paying $15+ for a disc that I want one track off of. Thankfully, Apple's method is only mildly intrusive. Unlike Microsoft's demonic possession version.

News for 03/09/2005

The Haus is powered by:

All original information on this website is copyright © TheHaus.Net, 1999-2005. The use of original images, text, and/or code from this website without expressed written consent is prohibited. The authors of this site cannot be held responsible for any damage, real or imagined, which comes from the use of information presented on this site. All trademarks used are the properties of their respective owners. This site is not to be used as a floatation device (but if you try, I want a video tape of it).