Windows sucks

Ok nothing new here but man I do hate it. Last week, I have started to notice that our power would go down for a split second and come back up. Clearly after 3 times, I should have known that it wasn’t right. I know we have some serious power load issues but I didn’t think much of it. The last time it happened, of course, my brand new home computer wouldn’t boot anymore. Infamous blue screen of death like they call it. After hours trying different things, I brought it to work. With the help of our IT guy, I was able to boot WinXP from a CD (BartPE rulez!) and get access to my HD. It took a whole day to get it to work because of course I have 2 SATA HDs mounted in RAID 0 meaning that you need to provide the drivers at boot time since WinXP is so dumb it doesn’t have the drivers built-in (even SP2!). Of course when you boot from a CD, the only choice is the floppy drive for that. Now who in the world still uses a floppy drive these days! It took me a few hours to get a hold of a floppy disk. Of course, BartPE didn’t have the driver for my LAN controller (Marvell) so John the IT guy, had to recreate a BartPE with my configuration (Nvidia RAID driver + Marvell driver built-in).

After an entire day backuping my data onto a temporary network drive (even with Gigabit transfert speed it took a while), I could then reformat/reinstall WinXP. I still don’t know at this point why the hell WinXP started to freak out in the first place.

A day later to copy back the data onto the disk.

A few hours spent understanding why suddenly the machine wouldn’t power down. Turns out you need to install the ASUS APCI drivers + the latest nForce4 drivers + the latest nVidia GeForce drivers. And magic it worked. Go figure.

Back home with brand new machine, last step install the logitech drivers for my wireless keyboard/mouse bluetooth combo.

Now that’s the ultimate piece of shit I have ever had to deal with. I think I hate Logitech even more than Microsoft.

First install: use drivers that came on the CD with the hardware, choose to opt to keep the WinXP bluetooth drivers and not install the logitech ones. BIG Mistake. Reboot, of course mouse and keepboard are not recognized. HOW DO I ENTER MY WINDOWS PASSWORD TO LOG IN! Yes you need an extra good old PS2 keyboard + mouse (USB works) to do that. Great thinking logitech.

Second try: Desinstall, download latest logitech drivers, reinstall. This time, use the Logitech drivers. Same thing. BT devices not recognized (needed to reboot twice already at this point). Fuck.

Third try: Desinstall, switch back to original drivers (CD), reinstall with Logitech BT drivers. Same thing. Fuck.

4rh try: Desinstall. DUH, it doesn’t desinstall the BT drivers! Meaning I am still using the BT drivers from the latest software I downloaded (which should be better you don’t think?). Reinstall old software with BT drivers. BINGO, it works.

Morality: If you buy logitech, just use the drivers that came with it, don’t update with new ones. At least hope the ones you got on the CD have been tested with your hardware. Good luck if you lose the CD. Maybe it’s intentionally done that way so you constantly have to buy their new products. Nevertheless, this is the last logitech product I buy. (I have to say the logitech camera I have has worked fine so far though).

One thing for sure, next week I am buying a Hardware backup system AND a UPS!

I might even switch to Mac OS X.

DRM Watch: Marlin Group Releases First Spec

Finally, we made it. We finally released to the world what I have been working on for a year. There’s a very good article that explains the concept @ DRM Watch. They did a very good job at describing the technology. I am not sure they understood it completely though.
I know it’s DRM but it’s a serious contender to the other ‘Axis’ of Evil (MS & Apple) and in that sense this is good for the consumer. Hope you agree.

Einstein

Alex, to answer your comment, I meant that I was not born a genius like Einstein did. Even Einstein wrote it so:

Have fun there.

The Hardest Lessons for Startups to Learn

Ever since Nick told me about Paul Graham, I have been reading everything about him. I mostly agree with everything he says. I especially like the last paragraph of his latest essay about The Hardest Lessons for Startups to Learn:
“So no, there’s nothing particularly grand about making money. That’s not what makes startups worth the trouble. What’s important about startups is the speed. By compressing the dull but necessary task of making a living into the smallest possible time, you show respect for life, and there is something grand about that.”

Earlier in the essay, I read something that really resonated with me:
“I now have enough experience with startups to be able to say what the most important quality is in a startup founder, and it’s not what you might think. The most important quality in a startup founder is determination. Not intelligence– determination. [Investors] like the idea of inhabiting a world ruled by intelligence. ”

It is so true.

Working at Intertrust made me realize that I am not as smart as I thought I was. And I am glad because it’s ok. I didn’t go to the best school and I don’t have a P.H.D. (though I do have a Master). Additionnally I’d say I really know little about Computer Science, for something that I do for a living. But the thing is: I learn and practice everyday. I was not born with the gift of Intelligence but I practiced everyday to try to become the best. It requires determination. That’s why I was able to start TuneTo and why I will be able to start something else again.

Commitment is the key to success in this world.

DRM and CA to grow to US$4.7 billion by 2010

According to this research firm, DRM is here to stay. Sorry nick!

Thank You for Smoking (2005)

Tonite, we went to see a great movie. Very fun and insightful about the power of argumentation. The best part of the movie for me was when the main actor/lobbyist said:

“If we’re arguing about something, I don’t have to prove that I am right, I just have to prove that you’re wrong, then that makes me right”.

Then I realize that is what politicians do. Amazingly so simple yet so powerful.