Geeky Stuff, in which I rec some stuff and need help with other stuff

[miss_s_b]

First, the success:

Mat's netbook is one of those ones with windows 7 starter, which means that (among many other things) you can't change your desktop wallpaper. Unless you download software. There are lots of software packages out there that offer advanced customisation options, but if you just want to change your desktop (and conserve resources) then Oceanis Change Desktop is the way to go.

My desktop is now this:



which is v cute, I think you'll agree (thanks to the fabulous Dirty Whoers for the image)

Second, the failures

Remember how I had to reset my phone to factory settings? Well, this involved a lot of software updating afterwards, which took up most of saturday morning. I have re-installed lots of things, and resubscribed to all my podcasts, and installed the latest versions of some things. And that's where the problem comes in...

Opera Mobile 10

... is fabulous. The rendering of images is gorgeous, the tabbed browsing and stuff is excellent, the UI is intuitive and pretty... But there is one problem. It won't save my bookmarks/history/start screen. I'm probably missing something very obvious, but I can't find anything in the settings to stop it from doing this, and my google-fu is failing me. Help?

Nokia email client

Again, it's very pretty, and the UI is brilliant, and it beats the google email app for Symbian into a cocked hat... except that after 2 days of use it has suddenly stopped working. When I check the status page, it says it is in offline mode, and nothing I can do can get it to go into online mode. Again google-fu is failing, in that I have found a couple of forum posts from people having the same problem, but no solution. Any ideas?

Please to be noting that funny suggestions like get a different phone or use different software will be met with short shrift. I love my phone, and both of those bits of software are ones that 1, I like and 2, are better than any of the other apps I have found that do the same thing, aside from the bugs I detail above. Anyone recommending that I get a bloody iPhone will be met with extreme violence once I have hunted them down.

---

My March sponsor is Mark Reckons.

Comments

[miss_s_b]

It's supposed to persuaude you to upgrade. It's a design feature. You can't switch users either.

[andrewhickey.info]

Dear God. Well, you know what that would persuade *me* to upgrade to, but I won't use your comments for OS evangelism...

[miss_s_b]

Me too, but it's Mat's netbook, not mine.

[matgb]

No need.

On my list of things to do (non-urgent) is to install a Linux distro onto a partition (the harddrive is massive).

But it's way below, for example, doing Mark's template for his new blog look, sorting out the local EARS database, learning how to do the borough wide EARS postal voter database, getting a variety of people elected (including Jennie, Nick, Hilary and myself), etc.

It's going to happen, but not anytime soon.

[andrewhickey.info]

Oh, absolutely. I know what OS one runs doesn't matter at all in the grand scheme of things.
Dunno if you saw, BTW, but I'll be coming up for at least one day towards the end of the campaign to help out up there...offered to Jennie, but will of course also help you since you're also standing. I'll try to drag Holly up to help too, but she's 'Lib Demmed out' since she started working in Chris Davies' office and doing DELGA stuff...

gaeriwitch@gmail.com

[(Anonymous)]

Can you post what distro you use when you install?

I plan on formatting my laptop to try out windows 7 on a partition. Currently I have ubuntu installed as the main OS but I have trouble with Skype and it's a bit frustrating. I'll be interested to know what distro you use and any problems you find with it.