Half-mast

The flags are at half-mast again today. I listen to NPR daily, follow a multitude of blogs, and just visited npr.org. No major tragedies as far as the eye can see. Maybe the nation is mourning because Texas State Fair's "Big Tex" was destroyed by a blaze. Or are we mourning because it's such a boring day?

Now I wonder if there's a national clearinghouse for flag owners to call in every morning and see whether to lower that flag that day. There must be, as they're always in sync. Or are the flagpoles motorized these days and synchronized by radio waves? Maybe WWVB, the NIST time signal radio station out in Ft. Collins that synchronizes everyone's atomic clocks, embeds a "flag is at half-mast today" bit into its transmissions.

I want to own a giant flag just so I never lower it.

Book review: "Windows 8: Out of the Box" by Mike Halsey; O'Reilly Media

My background
My first version of Windows was 3.1 at my middle school. I remember launching Accelerated Reader from Program Manager. I remember mainstream programs that would launch as a full-screen DOS windows. I also remember playing video games by shutting down Windows into MS-DOS mode, and launching the game from there. (It allowed the game to run faster, you understand.)

I didn't have a mentor to explain how to use a computer. I was the first in my family to use a computer, and I had no friends to consult. My first guide was Windows for Dummies by Andy Rathbone. That's right—we didn't need to specify the version number back then. At the time there weren't many versions to choose from. This book taught me to go from DOS to Windows and back, explained Program Manager, discussed what wallpapers are, and even listed some fun shareware like a pair of eyes following your cursor. I couldn't have asked for a better guide.

It may well be that Mike Halsey's Windows 8: Out of the Box will serve the same role to some 11-year-old. I asked my inner 11-year-old to see how it stacks up for a Windows newbie.

Exploring Windows 8

There is a new style of program in Windows 8... called an App.

In the first chapter, the book does a good job of both explaining the differences from previous versions of Windows and of not assuming any previous knowledge of Windows. We learn how to start Windows, navigate around, start apps, and shut down. The author takes the time to name each new component, such as the Charms menu, as well as to discuss how to navigate in the way convenient to you, whether you prefer the mouse, the keyboard, or touch.

Chapters 2, 3, 5, 6, and 10 go into functionality that casual users will want. The author starts with email and the Internet, proceeds to file sharing, and discusses how to watch and listen to videos and music, viewing and editing photos and videos, and setting up protection against malware and age-inappropriate content. These sections give a nice tour of the Metro-style Apps that come with Windows 8, as well as new control panel functionality.

Chapters 4 and 9 go into the specifics of App, desktop application, and how to find, use, and organize both.

A missing piece
The one area that I feel should've been discussed but wasn't is how to shop for Windows 8 hardware devices. With brand-new desktop PCs and tablets running a mix of Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 RT, millions of consumers will soon need to decide what device to buy, and the decision is more difficult than ever. Even if you're set on a Windows device, you now have to consider these factors: what form-factor you want, where you plan to use it (such as home vs. work), what applications you want to run, whether you want touch functionality on a desktop PC, what screen resolution you need (since today's Windows tablets have a lower resolution than desktop monitors), and so on.

I strongly recommend researching this before committing to any brand-new Windows device.

Timeless advice

Criminals will try and trick you into installing malware/viruses; do not click/touch things casually.

Writing a book for a newbie carries with it some responsibility. After a while the newbie knows enough to be dangerous and puts down his books. A book like this is the best place to educate casual users about pitfalls of computing and the Internet. Mike Halsey does this admirably.

In Chapters 10, 11, and 12, the author discusses the tools that Windows provides to help protect you from data loss (through backups), malware, phishing, age-inappropriate content, and weak passwords (through picture passwords). More importantly, Mr. Halsey teaches common-sense ways to compute safely, such as to be wary of attachments and to keep backups. Many books skip these sections because heeding this advice is a chore; it's work. But it's also an investment, and it's so important that it belongs nowhere like it does in a person's first computing book.

One criticism I have is that the author doesn't justify creating a separate account for each person beyond that it separates files and Internet favorites. This sounds more like an organizational convenience than a true security benefit. Similarly, there is no discussion on account privileges, such as administrator vs. regular user. Maybe the author deemed it too advanced for people starting out with Windows. The rule of "separate accounts means separate files" is a big simplification, but in the absence of understanding file permissions, it works.

The author's style
Mr. Halsey does not editorialize. Any long-time Windows user has strong opinions about how Windows should work, and I am sure the author is no exception. But he keeps it to himself. He goes with the flow. Sure, he could point out that many people consider it very limiting that Apps can be displayed only two at a time without overlap. He could argue that it's unfriendly that the only way to get Apps is through the Windows Store. He could make the point that the idea of Apps and applications coexisting will take some getting used to. Windows 8 can easily be turned into a punching bag—and has by many critics. While this would endear him to many readers, it's not what he wants his book to be.

The 11-year-old who learned computing through Windows for Dummies doesn't care how things used to be and how you think they should be. All that's important is how things are and how to take the most advantage of it.

My recommendation
Despite hungrily following blogs and news about, and reviews of, Windows 8, I learned quite a bit from Windows 8: Out of the Box. It was like sitting down with an expert and taking a guided tour, learning smoothly and quickly the terminology, keyboard shortcuts, and new, cool, and useful features.

For the price ($3 for ebook, $10 for paper book, $11 for both), I recommend this book without hesitation to anyone planning to use Windows 8 on your, your friend's, your school's, or your work's computer or tablet. It'll give you enough to become immediately productive without taking your valuable time discussing optional niceties like file permissions.

But do research what version of Windows 8 you want before buying it. You've been warned.

(Thanks to O'Reilly Media for providing me with a copy of the ebook for review.)

My pessimism on Microsoft

I fooled you, didn't I, with my frequent posts about how excited I am about Windows 8? I might give the impression that I stand in line for a new operating system release, have a collection of Windows Phones, one for each day of the week, and firmly believe that Microsoft can do no wrong. Well, the joke's on you. I believe Microsoft is in trouble. Others explain much more eloquently than me, so here are some pointers.

First is Casey Muratori's well-founded plea to Microsoft to open distribution of Windows apps. It's a great read both for business people and for software developers.

Second is Microsoft's pricing of the upcoming Slate tablet running Windows RT. "Microsoft Surface Pricing Goes Toe-to-Toe With Apple iPad". I believe this is a big mistake. This holiday season, would you spend the same amount of money on the latest (third generation) Apple iPad or the first-generation Microsoft Slate?

The iPad offers a gigantic collection of polished, curated, and well-known apps. It offers the integration with your other iOS devices that Mac owners have come to rely on. It offers the sexiness factor. Everybody who's anybody has one.

The Slate, meanwhile, is a first-generation device, undoubtedly with warts, with a miniscule collection of apps, and with few developers rushing to fill the app shelves. It offers integration with... your Windows 8 desktop, which neither you nor your friends have. Windows 8 or Windows RT are not sexy. Yet, anyway.

Of course, this dilemma assumes a $500 tablet is even anywhere on your horizon. There are plenty of cheaper yet quality Android-based tablets, including Google's Nexus 7 for a measly $200. And Apple is planning to release an iPad Mini priced starting at $250. Microsoft is entering the red-hot tablet market with a first-generation device, ecosystem, and demand—at the premium market leader's price point.

I would love for Microsoft to succeed in their endeavors. I appreciate and respect their technologies and innovation. But given my concerns, I am long-term pessimistic on Microsoft. With today's share price being $29.47, I bought a January put option on MSFT with the $30 strike price. This profits me if after the holiday season Microsoft's stock is below $28.37/share. (My pessimism is more long-term than January, but post-holiday season is a good checkpoint.)

romneytaxplan.com

This is not a political post. I don't know the details of Romney's Tax Plan nor do I really care to know those details. What I do care about is the awesomeness of http://www.romneytaxplan.com.

This site isn't on the fringe; it was paid for by the Democratic National Committee. It's as close to "Paid for by Barack Obama" as one can get.

Sure, you could argue that it's a strawman and that the issue is much more complex than the webpage makes it out to be. Education is important for the democratic process. At the same time, this is a step toward making politics more accessible. It's taking a complex idea and boiling it down to the very basics. Bam, in 3 seconds it conveys an important message. It's the new political comic. I hear brevity is the soul of wit. This is one of the wittiest political commentaries I've seen.

Software compatibility with Windows 8

One of my clients, a local private school, runs Windows XP on its PCs. I am planning an upgrade to either Windows 7 or Windows 8, with the latter being more likely.

I've installed the 90-day Windows 8 Enterprise Evaluation in VirtualBox to test compatibility with software that my client, a local private school, uses. I want to share the list with you in case you're considering upgrading and worry about compatibility. The list I tested should cover the majority of users.

Software that appears to work without any issues

• LibreOffice 3.6.2
• VLC player 2.0.3
• Firefox 16.0.1
• Thunderbird 16.0.1
• FileZilla 3.5.3
• Audacity 2.0.2
• Notepad++ 6.2
• Adobe Reader 10.1.4
• TortoiseHg 2.5.1
• Python 3.3.0
• Go programming language 1.0.3
• GIMP 2.8.2
• ImgBurn 2.5.7.0
• TortoiseSVN 1.7.10
• TortoiseGit 1.7.14
• Steam (downloaded today from steampowered.com)
• RenWeb 12.02.070
• SlickEdit 2012 17.0.2
• Adobe Flash Player 11.3
• Java Runtime Environment 7u7 (but see last discovery below)

Software with minor issues

•  Inkscape 0.48.3.1. The installer took much longer than normal, but the program itself appears to work fine.
• 7-Zip 9.20. I cannot create file associations to 7-Zip within the application. Selecting extensions and clicking Apply doesn't seem to create associations. (This is a problem also on Windows 7.) One way to open archives within 7-Zip is to open 7-Zip first, then to browse to the file within 7-Zip's built-in file browser. Also, there is no 7-Zip context menu, despite the option being checked.

Software that's incompatible

• Fortres Grand' Clean Slate 6.5 build 3319. The installer pops up two error messages: "Error retrieving StorageType" followed by "Error retrieving StorageInfo" and gives up.  I emailed Fortres Grand about it. This is most likely an easy fix that I expect to see in the next minor release.

Discoveries and surprises

•  Windows 8 does not permit Firefox to set itself as the default browser without the user confirming this choice within the operating system's Defaults window. On one hand it smells of Microsoft making it more difficult to switch away from Internet Explorer as the default browser, reminding me of the antitrust issues in the late '90s. On the other hand, it's nice that applications cannot willy-nilly change defaults without going through the proper channel and user interaction.
• The new Start menu (with live tiles) prominently displays stuff that's not relevant for me, such as Maps, SkyDrive, Weather, and other apps that came with Windows. Stuff I installed myself is off-screen, requiring me to scroll to the right to view it. The discovery: if you know what you want, just start typing. Just like in the Windows 7 start menu, all programs that match your substring will jump out. No scrolling needed. You can also remove the tiles you don't plan to use by right-clicking them, freeing up space for ones you will.
• For Java support inside a browser, install Java Runtime Environment 32-bit even if you're running on the 64-bit version of Windows. This is because both Firefox and Internet Explorer run as a 32-bit process, so they don't see the 64-bit Java. Windows 7 offered Internet Explorer in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions (selectable in the Start menu), but I don't see the same selection on Windows 8.

Law analysis of 99 Problems

Thanks to the blog Cheap Talk, I found a great research paper: Jay-Z's 99 Problems, Verse 2: A Close Reading with Fourth Amendment Guidance for Cops and Perps. At just 19 pages, it's a brief yet informative read for everyone concerned with personal rights, privacy, and due process.

Wolfram|Alpha now solves free-form questions

John has 3 cookies more than Bill. Bill has half as many cookies as John. How many cookies does John have?

Everyone remembers a time in school when they were solving these problems by the pageful. For me this was less than 20 years ago.

Today, Wolfram|Alpha has support for answering these questions! It's an incredible development. (If you know about Wolfram|Alpha, you know this is merely the icing on the cake.) How many technologies have to be perfected and integrated for Wolfram|Alpha to exist? Off the top of my head, I can think of natural language processing (NLP), computer algebra system (CAS), and chemical, physical, astronomical, and other databases.

To me, Wolfram|Alpha is one of the marvels of our time. Give it a try, and be amazed.