New Windows XP install

Posted on August 27, 2007 by seanb724

A couple of months ago I decided to re-build the Windows XP Pro OS my Shuttle PC, as had been a long time, and I was having trouble sync-ing with my AppleTV. I kept a list of the things I had to do, especially the s/w that I use on an almost daily basis. I thought this list would come in handy the next time I install… I recently ordered an iMac, and I plan on installing Parallels with XP Home, mainly so I can run Quicken natively, but it’s also nice to have a windows box around to tinker with. So much of what is in the following list won’t be needed in that install, since I’ll have most of it native on OS X….
New XP SP2 build
—————-

1) Install all current drivers for the hardware that XP
did not have

Shuttle specific:
– graphics card (on MB)
– usb 2.0 host controller
– sound card

Other hardware
– Canon Scanner
– Logitech video cam
– Epson Printer

2) AVG Free anti-virus

3) Firefox for web browsing

a) Extensions

Fasterfox
Forecastfox Enhanced
TabMixPlus

b) PlugIns
flash

4) Thunderbird for email

a) Extensions

QuickQuote

5) Apple Software

a) AirPort utility for AirPort Extreme Base Station
b) Bonjour for printing to network printer
c) AirPort Disk Agent for access to network Air disk
d) iTunes for music
+ ilike sidebar to keep my stats up to date on ilike

6) Sharpcast for unlimited (paid) photo backup and cross
PC/platform photo sync’ing and sharing

7) Mozy Free for up to 2GB of free backup

8 ) EfaxPlus for fax viewing

9) trillian for instant messenging (aol, yahoo, msn, google, irc)

10) synergy for virtual keyboard and mouse sharing between two or
more computers

11) quicken for finances

12) Password Safe (pws.exe) for safe storage of all my passwords

13) skype

14) adobe reader

15) WinSCP
– and set up script to sync my internet server ( just
certain directories)

16) folderclone pro for backups

17) MS Office — tried to use google apps, but the track changes of
MS is a requirement… Maybe one of the open office packages
is compatible, but I did not have time to test…

18) GIMP — a free photoshop replacement that does all I need
and more

19) CutePDF, a free print to pdf driver

20 ) Picassa, for those things Sharpcast is not as good at… Such as direct email from the app.

Update: Forgot PUTTY and WinRAR…

Posted on August 13, 2007 by seanb724

“There’s a certain amount of humility that is attached to wonder, and a certain amount of pride attached to knowledge and I think the moment you say ‘we know beyond a shadow of a doubt this exists’, you can’t have faith that it exists. Faith is no longer possible. So faith is only possible when doubt is possible. Faith is only possible when humility and wonder is possible. And I feel like the musical world of humility and wonder is a much wider door to enter into than the narrow confines of epistemology and things like knowledge and these really narrow boxes. That’s kind of where our songs are… [those are] the worlds our songs are trying to explore.” – Jon Foreman (Switchfoot)

Note: Switchfoot has “come out of nowhere” to by the #1 played band for me on iTunes… Looking at the “date added” column, I 1st ripped a Switchfoot CD in July of 2006, so it’s only been a year and they passed long time favorites of mine like Dar Williams, U2, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, etc. Granted I have only been keeping iTunes stats since Febuary of 2004 or so, so it doesn’t include a lifetime of listening by any means…