Pogue post on caution.
Quote:
"Next week: a letter from a reader who’s angry at Microsoft because he lost his entire 800-page novel when the PC crashed. (He’d been planning to hit Save when he got to the end.)"
Yep. Since I first started using computers, I've been compulsively hitting Save every couple of minutes.
I was once in a cafe with a friend of mine, he was writing an article for one of my sites. He'd been writing for an hour, when I asked if he'd saved it yet. Nope.
I also once hit the circuit breaker in a company I worked at, and the secretary lost three hours of work. (I should have warned, but I did not know the board covered the other building too.)
---
Another good Pogue post here.
Caller: Hey, can you help me? My computer has locked up, and no matter how many times I type eleven, it won’t unfreeze.
Agent: What do you mean, “type eleven?”
Caller: The message on my screen says, “Error Type 11!”
The safe thing to do in MS Word is make sure you have set the Options>Save>Save Autorecover info>xxx minutes, then the program saves your work automatically as often as you set it, e.g. every 2 minutes if you type a lot.
ReplyDeleteI guess you didn't follow Pogue's advice on waiting when it comes to this HD thing. Then again, you've got money to burn.
ReplyDeleteHaha. To a limited extent, sure. :)
ReplyDeleteThen again, I have to admit that it did not seem real to me that such an apparently lively format could just be *dead* half a year later. I was too young to have learned from the VHS/Betamax affair.
I lucked out. I bought a Blu-Ray player in December 2006.
ReplyDeleteI knew what I might be getting into. I had compared specs for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, and decided that Blu-Ray had more potential. (I also worried about Microsoft's role in HD-DVD, but that's just paranoia and experience.)
I wanted Blu-Ray to succeed, and I knew I couldn't influence the outcome of the format wars by sitting on the sidelines, so I cast my vote by buying a player and a number of discs. I understood that my entire investment might be made obsolete, and I accepted that risk.
I found that there was another reason to wait: the technology was not quite there, yet. These players are computers. The software -- both firmware and on discs -- was riddled with bugs. Firmware updates have greatly improved that situation, but those who aren't technically adventurous might want to wait another year or so before investing in a Blu-Ray player.
I think frankly the state of the technology is a little embarrassing. My HD-DVD player does not usually remember the place on the disk when it's rebooted, it takes an age to boot up, the remote control does not respond to presses half the time, etc. I mean at least they've been making remote controls for decades now!
ReplyDelete"the remote control does not respond to presses half the time, etc. I mean at least they've been making remote controls for decades now"
ReplyDeleteYou are right. I'll add to your comments that the remote is a standard building block, 99% chances they did not invent or design any hardware nor write any software specific to your receiver.
Yet, problems with remotes are fairly common, and it is surprising how easily people will accept this and blame it on flawed design. While it is true that some brands are better than others (Sony, for example, usually provide excellent and nearly indestructible remotes), the components used at both ends of the remote link are generally highly standardized and should be quite reliable.
Your problems may still be due to poor internal design, but here are a few things to look for:
- A faulty remote transmitter: from experience, I would say this is the most common problem. Units are assembled by untrained people who couldn't care less. The transmitter LEDs often end up out of alignment with the window in the casing, so 90%+ of the signal remains trapped inside the unit. Usually easy to fix, if you can figure out a way of opening the remote without breaking it. Many manufacturers will honor their warranty for this kind of problem.
- A crappy physical layout of the receiver. The receiver end of the remote control needs a small window with direct line of sight to the transmitter. Sometimes, that window is too close to the bottom of the unit, so the edge of the shelf (or some other object) ends up blocking reception. I also remember one case where the plastic protective film on the receiver (you know, that thing you're supposed to peel off but that some will leave in place) was almost opaque to IR radiation... had a good laugh with that one.
In other cases, the receiver sensor is located too far back inside the unit (and thus away from the small window), and ends up suffering from tunnel vision. Only remedy in this case is to be using the remote right in front of the unit, any angle makes operation erratic. No easy fix for this problem but, with fresh batteries in the remote, it is often more effective to aim over your shoulder at the wall facing the receiver, thus increasing the probability of the signal being seen (no joke). Signal weakens quickly with batteries aging, though.
- Sunlight interference: the sun produces lots of IR noise. If it is shining directly on the receiver, or sometimes even on a wall facing the unit, it is hard for the small battery-powered transmitter to compete. Try closing the shades during the day to see if it helps.
Using a (known-good!) universal remote can help you to find out which of the transmitter or receiver is faulty. Btw, I just hate cheap universal remotes that don't do half the job properly, so I use a Philips Pronto for my setup. That thing is a dream come true, if you have the patience to set it up.
Good luck!
That remote will usually work if I try again, only harder. So I suspect it's just the buttons are poorly designed, you have to press them a lot harder than necessary.
ReplyDeleteDavid Pogue could suck a golf ball through a garden hose.
ReplyDelete