The Size of Newspapers
Awkward things newspapers. The full size versions that are still here and there are so huge and ungainly that you risk punching someone in the face when you try open and read the things on crowded buses and trains. The so-called ‘tabloid’ format papers are a little better, but they are still difficult to handle. And if there is a bit of wind, then forget trying to have a quick flick through while you are hanging around at a bus stop.
Yep, I find newspapers a pain in the bottom to peruse, which is a shame, because they can be a very good read. So how about coming up with a new ‘magazine’ size paper? Something you could open anywhere without fear of injuring an innocent bystander, and something you can read easily without having to fold, twist, turn, bend and generally fiddle about with simply to read an article that trails from the top of one curtain sized page all the way down to its bottom. And if an article is ‘continued on page 9′, forget it, I’ll wait until I can find an area the size of a table tennis table before I’ll get round to reading it.
Can’t wait until portable digital newspapers come on the scene.
Will anyone ever come up with an alternative to Microsoft’s operating system?
Recently, I have been hearing more stories of woe in connection with Microsoft Vista. Only this time, they have not just been gripes about five-year old printers not working. Instead, Vista’s lock-down security seems to be stopping programs from running. Now, I do not know which programs are affected, but I do know that the problem is serious enough have more than a few people wishing that they had never had a Vista experience. Most of these unlucky people would willingly install Windows XP if they could.
I know that Windows XP caused problems initially, usually driver problems and often problems with the speed of the then memory hungry new operating system, but by and large, backwards program compatibility was acceptable. Not with Vista. In some respects, I suppose that it is just about impossible to ensure that a new generation OS like Vista can be expected to run programs that ran fine on Windows 95, et al. And one day Microsoft had to get round to ending its attempts, and probably hobbling its new creations, in the name of backwards program compatibility. It would seem as though, with Vista, this day has finally arrived. The trouble is that many people are perfectly happy with programs that are 5 to 6 years old, because they simply work. Such people, and myself included to an extent, just don’t see why they should have to shell out money to end up with something that really offers them very few advantages.
New Microsoft Office suites do not really add any desperately needed functionality, so it is likely that many users will look towards cheaper, or even free alternatives, such as OpenOffice. Although, I have to say that while OpenOffice’s Word equivalent does a good job, its Excel and PowerPoint alternatives are not yet up to scratch for those who need and exploit the full functionality of these applications. At least OpenOffice tries to remain compatible with MS Office, so that you can work with the rest of the MS dominated known world. What Microsoft needs is a true competitor. A competitor that can offer an operating system that is a viable, and more innovative alternative to Vista and the like.
About the only competitor, and really worthwhile alternative, to MS at the moment, is Apple, but to get the Apple OS, you have to buy an Apple computer. If only Apple could get its operating system installed on other makers’ computers. With the new Appletel computers it may even be possible to give users the alternative to install either the Mac or Vista OS at the time of purchase. It would be nice to have another alternative though, a totally new and original operating system that is innovative, intuitive and secure. And, in order to help users out with the arrival of future new operating systems, maybe the software producers could offer a special low cost transitionary program upgrade to registered users whenever a new version of an operating system comes onto the scene. This would make the change more bearable. Of course additional program upgrades that take place during the life of a particular OS could be priced at a more realistic level, and perhaps attempt to recoup some of the cost of the initial new operating system program upgrades.
I think the world is getting a wee bit tired of Windows, and a well crafted alternative would be snapped up. Linux, I hear you shout. Yes, I would reply, but not many serious software houses produce applications for this otherwise excellent system.
Will anything actually happen? Will we see a new OS in the next few years? I don’t really know, but I reckon the Chinese and the Indians are up to the job, and something may well emerge from on of these two countries. India, as I understand it, has been producing top quality IT experts, programmers and the like for some time now, so maybe some enterprising Indian will come up with a Microsoft beater. How about it, my ex-Paolo Sarpi, reader of this blog from India? Do you think this may happen?
I hope so.
Summer Hols 2007, part 3.
Sorry about the time it took me to get round to writing about this - I got carried away on other stuff.
Seeing as the weather had been holding up, towards the end of week one of our Tuscany 2007 holidays we decided to go for a day-long boat trip (35 Euros, with lunch, I think it was) along the coast near where we were staying. This trip also took in the two Mediterranean islands of Giglio and Giannutri.
Our boat, a smallish tourist craft called Ulisee, set off at 9 in the morning from Castiglione della Pescaia and sailed along the coast towards Talamone where it picked up another group of tourists. The weather was sunny and the sea was fine. After Talamone, which has a nice harbour, but otherwise does not look anything special, we sailed southwards down the cost before aiming for our first port of call, the charming Isola del Giglio. What a lovely place. A patchwork quilt of pastel coloured houses greets you as you enter the small harbour. Basically this island is quite a large hill sticking out of the Med. Although we did not move fast enough to go, there is another picturesque outpost upon the hill above the port. Regular buses and taxis will take you up there. You can actually take a car to the island, but the single track roads become congested very quickly, with ten cars constituting, coming from opposite directions, creating one almighty, if small scale, traffic jam.
The view from the town on top of Giglio on a clear day must be wonderful, I imagine.
Time past rather quickly in this idyllic, but touristy, little spot and we soon had to head back to the boat for a rather scummy, slightly spicy, seafood lunch. After filling our stomachs we left Giglio behind us. (I would have posted some photos, if it were not for the fact that my efforts just did not do the place justice - so go here for a few shots, or hunt around on Google)
I have already decided that I want to go back there. It would be a great place for a long weekend, and is, apparently, still a good place to go up until the end of October. Even the water remains welcomingly warm, we were told. By way of curiosity, we heard that a bunch of Italian comedians, Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo, have a villa on the island, which they share apparently.
Anyway, after lunch we headed off for our next stop, the much smaller, but equally charming Isola di Giannutri. It was worth the voyage, and the small natural harbour there was glorious. This little island, which was some kind of private resort back in Roman times, is virtually uninhabited, apart from the extended family who run the island’s one and only bar/restaurant. Said eatery is horribly expensive, it has to be said, and I nearly fell over when I was asked for around 15 Euros for two cans of pop and a coffee. Oh, well, I guess they have to make a living somehow.
As I said before, this little spot was popular in Roman times, and to attest to this fact, there are the remains of a villa, that, reputedly, was able to put up 1000 Romans. They must have had some pretty good parties there, I imagine, after having passed a day splashing around in the fabulous little bay, with its transparent water.
There is nowhere to stay on the island, and the only way to reach it is by boat, but it is definitely worth a day trip from Giglio. Great place for a picnic, I would say. As with Giglio, I’d love to head back there one day. And if I had a yacht or decent motor boat, I’d have it on my cruising agenda, most certainly. Here are some photos of Giannutri.
On the way back, after our, all too short stop over on Giglio - we almost missed the boat as a result of muggins here messing about taking photos of the girls who were posing by the villa’s pillars. Twerp that I am!
We made it to the boat in the nick of time, and sailed back towards Castiglione. On the way back, which is quite a long trip, we followed the coast once more and were shown some of the spectacular villas that the rich and almost tasteful have perched atop this area’s hilly coastline. We also went past the Santo Stefano port, which looked nice, before heading for home, after a tiring almost whistle-stop, but well worthwhile tour of the Med and a couple of its islands.
This trip was one of the highlights of our hols, I have to say. Good stuff!
Piedmont and Campania regional TV news in Lombardy! Something’s up.
About the only news worth watching on Italian TV is that of RAI 3. There is even a regional programme, the only one on Italian TV, that covers the events in the region of Italy in which you live. Usually. At the moment, our Internet and digital TV provider, Fastweb, appears to be having a little problem. This evening we’ve got Piedmont regional news, over the last few days, we have had Catania news. Great. What the heck has happened to the Lombardy edition of this programme? Heck knows. I don’t think I’ve played with any of the settings, and I was not aware that I could decide which regional news programme I could watch. All very odd. I really would like to know what is going on where I live.
Maybe this is a deliberate dis-information attempt by the Italian government, but I do not really think so.
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