Brian G

Originally posted by Douglas Hansen Oh heck Mike, you've got me acclimated to the darn things now. I'm learning to focus past all the other stuff. There you go Douglas, pay them no attention. Okay, I had my little fun. Looking at that almost gave me a headache.id="Script MT Bold"> Brian G.id="Script MT Bold">

This isn't my best subject, but I'm gonna take a shot just for the heck of it. I think the problem might be a potential "air curtain" effect, where fast moving air effectively blocks much slower moving air. Brian G. Stepping Out on a Limb [:-sick]

Well, in spite of reading the manual I'm having problems getting this thing going. I'm not a whiz with this stuff, so it could be me. Kurt, has yours ever made a long, steady, high-pitched whine? Brian G. It's Not My Day [:-boggled]

I though this should be moved out from under "USB Memory" in case someone comes looking for this topic later. The Maxtor has landed. It's not very big, rather unobtrusive really. I'm going to do something totally out-of-character for me and read the manual before I start plugging things and clicking away. I don't want to screw this up. Read tonight, install tomorrow. I confess, I almost feel better already. When this subject first came up, I hadn't thought about it much. The more I did, the more I realized what a horrible mess I would be in if my computer crashed, taking my entire business with it except for the paper files (whoopie). It also seems to me that with the viruses and other weird crap running around, and what I hope is another 20 - 25 years to go in this business, the odds are that at some point it will happen. I can't sit back and wait for that day to come, what if it's next week? Frankly, $150 one-time looks like a bargain to me, for the critical insurance it provides, and the ease with which it does it. Hit the button at the end of the day, and you're covered. I can do that. Brian G. Computer Boy Scout

Well, the plot thickens. I found a batch of customer reviews last night (rather than editorial ones) and they were much more varied and detailed. Some directly contradicted others on the exact same points, all agreed on a few things. All said: Forget about customer support, since Softscan took over Dragon, it's gone. Dump the microphone that comes with it (as Gerry noted), it sucks. You must also learn to position it properly, or it has problems picking-up the nuances of your speech patterns. The command mode (navigating the internet, etc. by voice command) still needs a lot of work. If you're upgrading from much earlier versions, you can't take any of your established work with you. Most agreed: It's a significant improvement over previous versions in most ways, particularly accuracy. If you stop and correct as you go, the new version "remembers" those and adapts to you. Over time, it gets very tight on your speech patterns (one southerner in there, no problems). As noted, you must practice with it to gain any real proficiency. Some said as little as a few hours to get rolling just fine, other said longer. It installed with few or no problems. There were notable exceptions here, which may have to do with the computer / software of the user. If you're in that group, the lack of support is murder. If you want to use recorders or hand-helds, you must use one of the models rated and approved by Dragon, or all bets are off. It may work with others, it may not. A Few Said: It crashes every 2 minutes, literally. Again, this seems to be related the system it's being installed on. Apparently you need a significant amount of ram and a fast processor to run this stuff. If you don't have those, figure in the cost of upgrading when you consider the software ($134 may become a lot more). That's all I can recall at the minute. I'm gonna dig some more and talk to my computer geek cousin before I decide anything. This is Brian G. reporting from the internet wasteland, TIJ Network. Back to you Mike...

I hate to be a killjoy gentlemen, but perhaps you should give new guests a chance to become accustomed to our...unusual...sense of humor before exercising it on them. It's just possible that they won't get the joke immediately, y'know. One might think such statements are in poor taste, if they didn't know better. Brian G. Wet Blanket

I have to agree with General Lee about the short railing, but if it were in my house I wouldn't install it. It would only pinch the access to the stairs, and my wife likes to move the furniture around occasionally. Brian G. Anybody Wanna Help Next Time? [:-irked]