Now I’ve bought a new 27″ iMac I’ve decided it’s time to sell my dual processor PowerMac G5. It’s still a really capable machine, especially since I’ve upgraded from the original 512MB of RAM to the maximum possible, 4GB.
Every now and then, when you try to open a media file, Windows Media Player does nothing for about 30 seconds and then comes up with this cryptic dialog box:
Luckily it’s easy to fix:
Just took apart this internal card reader from eBuyer to straighten out a bent Compact Flash pin, and low and behold, there’s a micousb slot hiding on the board under the USB port! Why haven’t they included a slot in the front panel to access it?! It always baffles me when manufacturers go to the trouble and expense of adding functionality and then disable or hide it. They’ve not beat me though, I’ll cut a slot in the panel to access it.
before mod-pagespeed
after mod-pagespeed
At Townend we tested mod-pagespeed, the new module from Google, and found an average 20% speed improvement across the sites we tested. As expected, there’s little performance gain on already heavily optimised code but the slightly scrappier code on this website produced the highest gain in speed of 33.6%.
Read our full review of mod-pagespeed here.
Update – since we wrote the review, the module has been causing random crashes so we have temporarily disabled it while we investigate further to avoid any downtime.
I’ve recently moved into a new office, and one of the problems I faced is how to keep my work files in backed up and in sync between work and home. Sometimes I need to do work from home, so the files need to be synchronised between the two.
Before I moved to this office, I ran a home server with NFS shares, and mapped the My Documents, Desktop, Favourites etc. folders in the registry on each computer to the respective shares on the folder. It was a bit of a hack but, apart from the occasional glitch it worked seamlessly. I wanted to maintain this level of simplicity. I didn’t want to have to think about having to save to a special folder, pressing sync, locked files, anything.
Initially I looked into setting up a FTP share on my server, then using something like Syncback Pro (great software by the way, I have a copy) to automatically sync new versions of files. However, past efforts have proven this to be buggy and slow, primarily due to the rubbish upload speed of ADSL. So some research narrowed down two options; Dropbox and Windows Live Sync. Microsoft seem to be pushing everyone towards the beta, so that’s why I chose it over the old version. Since the free version of Dropbox only allows 2GB of storage, I decided to try Windows Live Sync first.
Windows Live Sync differs from Dropbox in that it allows direct computer to computer to sync, without requiring the files be stored on their server. This is okay for me, since the home server is always on. After the rather lengthy install, you are prompted to enter a Windows Live ID to link your computers. No problem there, as I already had one. Next you choose the folders you want to sync, and this is where I hit the problem. I chose S:\Edward\Documents (the path on the server), hit next, and oh, that’s it. The problem is, the software tries to sync the exact same path on all computers. Obviously I don’t have an ‘S’ drive on my other computers, the folder I wanted to sync that one with is C:\Users\Edward\Documents on all computers but the server. Surely that would be allowed, I thought, but following much fiddling and research on the internet it turns out that’s not possible in the beta. I wasn’t about to try to older version that’s about to be replaced, plus it has its own limitations, so I uninstalled and decided to try Dropbox.
Now at first look Dropbox seems less than ideal for my requirements: All files have to be stored on their servers (using Amazon S3), which means there are limits to the amount of storage available. The absolute maximum available is 100GB for $20/month, which seems absolutely outrageous in the days of 1TB drives for £60. However, I was so fed up of Live Sync I decided to try the free 2GB version. The next pitfall is that you have to store files in the ‘Dropbox’ folder for them to be synced, or alternately use alias hacks to sync other folders. This meant I’d no longer be able to sync the desktop or indeed any folders other than Documents. The service is otherwise very good though, with fast and smart uploads that don’t upload the whole file again if you only changed the name. I needed a sync service so I decided to buy the 50GB service and pare down the synchronised files to only those that I needed. I rather foolishly fell for the yearly subscription discount, so I’m tied to it for a whole year now.
The benefit of cloud storage is that I get an off site backup, a nice web interface, plus the service offers access to previous versions of files should I make an unwanted modification.
So Dropbox ain’t perfect, but it seems to be the best on offer right now.
…and hopefully the last! After the debacle with UrgentVPS, I’ve now moved teamtownend.com to WizzVPS. While it’s too early to comment on the service, the support has been excellent so far. In fact, Layershift (WizzVPS’s parent company) found me on twitter when I was complaining bitterly about UrgentVPS.
So yeah, teamtownend.com has been up and down a lot in the last few days. Basically I’m learning:
a) My UrgentVPS container is incredibly unstable and something as simple as downloading an FTP folder can cause the entire server to go down for a few minutes
b) UrgentVPS support is terrible
c) Don’t move important websites to a new hosting company straight away, trial the service first on a less important website.
Oh well – now to find a reliable host to move to as soon as possible!
It’s been two months now since I replaced my dead MacBook Pro with a Sony VAIO Z, so was it the right choice? Well for a start it’s currently working, so that’s one up on the MacBook right there.
Before I start, I should note that the MacBook Pro was a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo 2008 refresh model (click for specs) costing £1300 when new, with a 4GB RAM and 7200 RPM hard drive upgrade. The VAIO Z is a custom build from the Sony Style Store, the VAIO Z V series missing the DVD drive and with a regular hard drive instead of the quad SSD of its more expensive X series brethren. On top of this model I added a £30 (since increased to £50) upgrade to from 2.4 GHz to 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5 processor and the £50 (since increased to £70) 1920×1080 pixel screen instead of the standard 1600×900. This brought the smaller VAIO to £1400, an increase of £100.
I’ll break the comparison between the two up into categories:
I opted for the £50 upgrade to the 1920×1080 (Full HD) display on the 13.1″ VAIO Z, and while the gamut is admittedly much better than the 15″ MacBook Pro (on par with or maybe even slightly better than my HP LP2475w monitor you see it with to the left), the full HD resolution is just too much for a 13.1″ screen. By comparison, the 2 inches larger MacBook Pro only had a 1440×900 screen, and that felt a high pixel density at the time! The DPI settings in Windows 7 do alleviate the problem somewhat, but setting a higher DPI comes with its own toll – incompatibility with some software, Dreamweaver CS4 to call one out. As you can see from the screenshot, for most of Dreamweaver’s interface, the DPI settings have no effect (they should make UI elements and text bigger) but in the properties bar at the bottom the larger size causes some of the options to be cut off the screen. Other programs have smaller issues such as pixellated icons and UI elements.
The 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5-520M processor in the VAIO definitely is a slight boost over the 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo of the MacBook, but that’s to be expected, two years have passed since the MacBook was brought out. To be honest, it’s difficult to compare performance as the MacBook was running Snow Leopard and the VAIO of course is running Windows 7, so the operating system probably has more of an influence on perceived performance than the processor.
The slightly quicker 7200 RPM drive in the MacBook helped the snappiness no end, so I’m quite sure an upgrade from the 5400 RPM drive to an SSD would help the VAIO no end.
Both laptops were fitted with 4GB RAM, which never seemed enough in the MacBook and seems to be even more of a burden on Windows 7. With Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and Firefox open, the machine slows to a crawl.
The VAIO Z has a clever little switch to swap between the Intel integrated graphics (okay for web browsing) and the onboard NVIDIA GT 330M 1GB graphics, and an ‘Auto’ position that switches to the integrated graphics when on battery power. It’s with some trepidation that I bought another laptop with NVIDIA graphics, since it’s their fault my MacBook died, but whatever. They’ve probably fixed that issue now. I’m not a gaming person, so I’ve not given the NVIDIA chip a massive workout, but for some reason Photoshop CS4 seems to lag on the VAIO. Even with nothing else open (to eliminate RAM as the cause), simple stuff like scrolling around an image or zooming has a pretty nasty delay. The same actions used to be buttery smooth on the MacBook, and aren’t nearly so bad on my desktop. Odd. Another pretty huge problem is that with the graphics switch to auto, the computer holds off switching the graphics if anything is using it that could be affected by the swap. Sometimes this cutoff comes into action with no apparent reason, refusing to switch graphics, and sometimes the cutoff fails to work, causing the computer to crash and bluescreen, or at the least, force close whatever program was using the graphics. I’m getting a bit fed up of Photoshop crashing and losing all my work just because I unplugged the laptop, so now the switch is pretty much permanently set to NVIDIA only mode. Great idea, and the battery life is a bit better when using the integrated graphics, but the implementation within the OS is my no means seamless.
The major selling point (and the reason it was so dear compared to its competitors) of the VAIO is its weight. at a claimed 1.3 kilos instead of the 2.6 of the MacBook, it’s much more pleasant to carry around in a bag. Slipped in a satchel, you barely notice it’s there (unless you also throw in the bulky power supply and its three pin lead). By comparison, the carrying the MacBook around lead to some pretty stiff shoulders.
The chicklet keyboard on the VAIO is ace – very sturdy with well spaced and positioned keys. The feel is very similar to an Apple desktop keyboard. The trackpad, however, is not. It’s a bit too small, the clicking buttons are too close, making your thumb cramp, and the actual pointing action – terrible. The cursor jumps around seemingly at random. Multitouch zooming via pinch exists, but only in some software (not Creative Suite) and with a very jerky motion. It’s hard to be kind about the MacBook’s keyboard and trackpad since they only worked intermittently after about a year (the ribbon cable wouldn’t stay in its connector), but when they worked, the trackpad was a pleasure. Pinching and scrolling around Photoshop documents was better than a mouse, and I should imagine it to be even better in newer MacBooks due to their larger glass trackpads.
The carbon fibre lid on the VAIO is fairly sturdy considering its thickness, and impressively thin, and the thick aluminium block that forms the chassis gives no flex. It’s a shame about the plastic shell underneath the aluminium block which forms the base, as this is very cheap feeling compared the the full metal shell of the MacBook. It’s full of holes, vents and stickers like a cheap laptop, and seems really out of place on something costing £1400. The wireless switch on the bottom front is a stupid addition – you bump it to off every time you move the laptop, then have to wait for it to reconnect. Why would you even need to turn off the wireless anyway?
I’ve got a bit of a love-hate relationship with the VAIO Z. It could be so much better if these little niggles were sorted, and I’m still not sure it feels worth the £1400. I think it would benefit greatly from 8GB RAM and a SSD, so I’ll have to look into it when the prices for DDR3 come back down. I’m also planning to upgrade with Creative suite CS5 in the very near future, so hopefully that will sort many of the problems there. I don’t feel comfortable working on such a small screen, I much prefer my desktop with its gargantuan power and plenty of desktop space so I can’t help wondering if I could have made do with a cheaper laptop. I bought the VAIO online without ever having seen one, which was probably a big mistake, but with the MacBook dead, I needed a laptop – fast. That didn’t even work out so well – it took Sony nearly a month from ordering to build the custom laptop and get it to me. At least they kept me well informed as to the progress, and I never have to go to a pretentious Apple ‘Genius bar’ again.
In order to meet increasing performance demands we are in the process of moving teamtownend.com to a VPS server package. This should result in faster page load times for you, and for my clients. Hopefully the move should be completed with zero downtime thanks to this method of moving hosting.
Selling my faulty Macbook Pro now I’ve replaced it with a Sony VAIO Z. Here’s the lowdown in case you fancy getting it repaired for yourself:
At the time of writing the laptop will not boot, but instead the fans spin with no display output. I understand the issue to be the solder on the graphics processor that has failed, a company named Retronix in Scotland offered to repair it for around £80, but I don’t have time to wait for it, I need a laptop for work! The RAM has been upgraded from the standard 2GB to 4GB of 800MHZ Kingston memory.
Good points:
- Casing is in excellent condition for the two years of use, no dints, other than some very minor scuffs it’s perfect!
- Upgraded to 4GB RAM, it flies at Photoshop or pretty much anything!
- Battery was replaced just under 9 months ago, still offers the expected 5 hours of battery life
- This was the multi-touch model of the MacBook Pro, the last one made before the switch to the new unibody style
- I chose the LED backlit matte screen option, so it’s perfect for photo editing
- Just the one owner, me, who’s been very careful with the laptop, and it’s very rarely left the (non-smoking) house
- Comes in original box with power supply, install CDs and the original DVI-VGA adapter in unused condition
Known problems:
- You need to have a folded post-it note just under the battery, otherwise the keyboard can stop working occasionally. It’s not a big problem, just something to remember to replace should you remove the battery (this is a very common issue)
- There’s a tiny slightly lighter spot in the bottom corner of the screen, not really noticeable, but worth pointing out
- For a while now the fans have seemed to run a little faster than usual, this is probably because of the dodgy GPU solder
- Of course, the fact that it doesn’t always turn on! Though of course Retronix are offering to fix this, I can put the winning bidder in touch with them.
Please see here for the list of specs:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/stats/macbook-pro-core-2-duo-2.4-15-early-2008-penryn-specs.html
UPDATE: The MacBook has sold for £410.
Also selling a Sigma 18 – 200 mm lens, Canon fit:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260600018137