Yet Another Microsoft Blunder .. IE9

Browser Upgrade?

I’ve vented my frustration at Microsoft’s upgrades in the past and I should have know better but a couple of days ago I fell into the “Critical Update” bucket and before I realised what I’d done Windows 7 had launched itself into an upgrade of Internet Explorer from version 8 to to 9. I did think about halting it in mid installation, but rather stupidly thought I could simply uninstall it later if I don’t like. What a fool!.

Yes, good old Microsoft have done it again, F****d with the user interface yet again. Pardon for the expletives, but I am really that angry, one for me being so stupid to think it might actually be better, and two, for Microsoft for being so bloody arrogant and changing the interface we’ve gotten used to yet again. I still can’t get over the dreadful ribbon interface implementation in office 2007 and not having the choice.

Microsoft say it’s been designed with a ‘clean’ interface to let the web shine, duh!  Where have my bloody menu’s gone, why have they suddenly switched the favourites from the left to the right side, and putting the page tabs on the same line as the address bar is just plain ugly. What’s happen to those basic rules of a good GUI, that you keep things consistent for the user, not make every program look different. The tabs within the favourites folder still retain the nice rounded corners that reflect the Windows 7 look, yet the new page tabs next to the address bad are square and ugly and just don’t seem to fit. It makes you wonder just who at MS designs these; obviously a different bunch of Muppets from the last time..

Just Google and see how many hits you get of people trying to find out how to get their IE menu bar back and move the favourites folder back to the left side. And they have too, since you’ll not find it out from Microsoft or from within EI9. Sorry Microsoft but that’s diabolical. I had to download a registry patch to get my menu bar back.

However, the most frustrating thing so far of IE9 is when you down load a file. It has now copied the rather restrictive idea from Apple that everything is now downloaded to a ‘downloads’ folder by default. Gone is the standard download dialog box which has been a replaced by a more awkward-to-use notification bar which just doesn’t seem to fit with the normal windows GUI. Sorry MS but I want to specify where my files are saved at download time, not later. Sure you can ‘Save As’ to a folder of your choice, but that now takes several more mouse clicks, and then you don’t have the option to open up the folder or run the file when the download is completed, you’ll have to open up explorer and navigate to the file .. bonkers. If your download is an EXE file you have jump through several more hoops to be allowed to run it. Come on MS, why on earth make things more difficult?

No matter how many improvements may be built under the hood in the new IE9, altering the user interface without giving the user the option of retaining their old familiar interface is simply unforgivable.

Now if anybody knows where I can still get a copy of IE8 please, please. please, send me the link!

Update … Several days Later.

I have had a few more days to play around with EI9. The more I play with this incarnation of IE the more frustrating I find the interface changes. In IE8 there was a neat little drop down menu next to the home button, which when clicked presented the user with quick access to any of your home pages (tabs), and the ability to add, delete or modify your home pages easily. This is now gone. I really thought new versions were supposed to add MORE functionality not less, or have I missed something here? This function has now been moved to the home button on the Command bar toolbar, which by default is not displayed. The more I delve into this so called upgrade the more it seems like a downgrade to me. What on earth were MS thinking?

I’ve been a long time fan of MS IE browser, although I know many have migrated to Firefox. I guess it’s time to check out the competition.

Drilling Into Success by Robert Combden

Book Publication

Many of you who read my blog may not know but I’ve been employed within the oil industry most of my life. This has included a substantial amount of time working on drilling rigs both offshore and onshore. Many of my photographic opportunities then, have been in and around the drilling locations where I have worked in, and through time I’ve amassed a fair collection of industrial related photographs too.

One of these pictures has been used for a book cover that has just been published. The book is entitled Drilling Into Success which is by Robert Combden. Robert hails from North-eastern, Newfoundland and who like me, has spent most of his life working on drilling rigs. The book details his life as a rig hand and contains anecdotal tales and stories of his life within the oil patch and is written to bring a fuller understanding of the processes of drilling a well and what life is really like on an oil rig.

Robert’s book is available in Chapters, Coles and Indigo stores in Edmonton, Alberta, and Costo, Chapters and Coles in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

As for the picture, well it’s quite an old one, being of late 2004 vintage and around the start of my rekindled interest in serious photography. It was taken with a Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2, which some may remember as an 8 megapixel, fixed lens, bridge camera. It had a 7 times optical zoom  lens with the equivalent of a 28-200mm focal length, an electronic viewfinder and a fold-out rear 1.8-inch rear LCD screen. 8 megapixels was a pretty formidable specification back then, but these days you can get that on a phone. Never-the-less I got achieved some pleasing images with the A2 at the time, although the files were pretty noisy by today's standards. It wasn't long however, before I was smitten by the lure of a Canon 20D and even that seems somewhat old fashioned now.

Apple Announces the iPad 2

New Product

Yesterday Apple announced the imminent arrival of the new iPad 2, scheduled to commence selling at 5.00pm on the 11th March in US Apple stores. A successor to the much hailed original iPad which, when released in April 2010, brought about a paradigm shift in the world of portable computing. Pad devices seem the de rigueur device at present, with seemingly almost every computer manufacturer and then some releasing iPad clones, albeit most running Google’s free and much heralded Android operating system.
It’s is with no doubt then, that the industry must have waited for yesterdays announcement with bated breath to see how far Apple has moved the goal posts. Well, if you listen hard, you can probably hear the Apple iPad competitors let out a huge sigh of relief, as the shift is not that far.

New Specifications

The new iPad is 33% thinner, 15% lighter, comes in a white version as well as the previous black, and has front and rear cameras for Apples FaceTime face to face video calling. Apart from being thinner, It’s the same dimensions however and features the same 9.7-inch LED display and bezel. It does feature a much faster, dual core A5 processor providing Apple say, 9 times faster graphics, and enhanced video processing but still allowing 10 hours battery time. Rather disappointingly it does not come with any increased RAM capacity, with the choice remaining at 16gb, 32gb and 64gb as before. Sadly their are no change to the ports either, still no USB connection or SD card slot. although it does appear the Screen Rotation lock button may be re-enabled after all the fuss when it’s functionality was changed to a mute switch as part of the iOS 4.2 software upgrade.  Apple plan to release a rather nifty Smart Cover which attaches magnetically, wakes up your iPad when opened and even folds back to make a stand; it does however, cost $39, so you can guess it will be near £39 for us Brits. The price of the iPad 2 in the US will remain the same as the original iPad so hopefully the same will hold true when the iPad 2 goes on sale within the UK.

For Photographers

If you’d thought the iPad has no use for the budding photographer, then you’d be wrong. It makes an ideal back-up device in the field and is an ideal RAW file viewer, which clearly put devices like the now defunct Epson P-4000 Multimedia storage view and all alike to some considerable shame. If you’re in any doubt of this please read Doug Chimney's excellent article on The iPad for Photographers here. Doug uses his on all his workshops.
There are already many good photography Apps for the iPad, such as the Photographers Ephemeris, Golden Hour, and several Depth of Field calculators, and some great eBooks from Craft&Vision. However, the vast majority of so-called photography Apps currently available for download , have to be said, tend to be on the gimmicky side. Apple had pre-announced that they would be developing a high-end photography App for the iPad 2 and with the much faster graphics processor on-board this does give significant scope now for developers. Sadly, all Apple announced yesterday was an enhanced version of the fun, comic App, Photo Booth, so hopefully that wasn’t it and we can look forward to seeing some high-end RAW file processors making their way onto the iPad 2 in the near future.

Upgrade or Not?

I love my iPad. It’s a terrific little device, and one I use more than ever for internet browsing and reading, as well as music, movies and videos. It’s great for travel especially if you spend as much time on long haul flights as I do. I have all my PDF camera manuals and many photography eBooks on mine. I also use it for business and note taking.
Will I upgrade. I doubt it. FaceTime may be a big thing for many, but has no appeal for me, and it remains to be seen how good the camera is. More processing power is always welcome, but until I see some Apps using that, then I think many may wait. What I really was hankering after didn’t happen, increased RAM options, and the ability to add memory via an SD or micro SD card. I guess I’ll just have to see what the iPad 3 will bring?

Online Resources

• Apple iPad 2 Technical Specifications
• Apple iPad 2 unveiled by Steve Jobs
• First looks video from Rory Cellan-Jones at the BBC