[WriteLog] Operating system--followup

[gbaron]

There is no need to spend the extra 100 for XP Pro. There is no real
difference for what you are going to do. Save you r money and buy XP-Home.
As for phone home, you can turn that off.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: writelog-admin@contesting.com
> [mailto:writelog-admin@contesting.com]On Behalf Of W0UN--John Brosnahan
> Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 11:18 AM
> To: writelog@contesting.com
> Subject: [WriteLog] Operating system--followup
>
>
>
> With lots of replies--both on the reflector and direct to me--it is
> clear that there is very good user support for Writelog.   But then
> that has been obvious just reading the mail for the past month or
> so.  Seems that everyone is very helpful.  Thanks.
>
> The one other thing that is obvious is that Writelog works well
> under a number of Windows versions--which is a credit to Wayne
> and his programming skills.
>
> I am aware of the "issues" with XP and lack of direct control of the
> parallel port--in fact I downloaded UserPort some time back--although
> I have not yet played with it.  And I have been planning on buying
> the keyer to sort out the timing issues--CW is VERY important to me!
>
> As I mentioned, I run a mix of operating systems here.  NT 4.0 on
> one older CAD system, 2000 pro on a dual-Pentium running Pro/Engineer,
> XP home on a few machines, including this HP notebook, and 98SE
> on a number of older systems.  (And one old dog still running Me until
> I get a chance to back it up and upgrade.)
>
> My philosophy has been that hardware is cheap (compared to big towers)
> so I have tended to have separate platforms for different functions.  And
> the shack is separated from the house--so there will be dedicated ham
> computers (would be very upset if a logging program messed up my
> household accounting program--or, even worse, my business accounting--
> so they are on dedicated systems).
>
> The one OS that I have NOT used is XP pro.  And IF there is any winner
> in the OS race for Writelog it appears that it would be XP -- specifically
> XP pro.
>
> My problem with XP and XP pro is that they "phone home" to MS.  It is
> not an issue as far as licensing goes--I don't mind buying a
> license.  I just
> resent the invasion of privacy that phoning home involves.   I
> don't really
> know what all they are telling MS and I feel that the information on my
> computer is mine--even if the OS is only licensed from MS.
>
> By far and away my first choice for OS would be Linux--but none of the
> logging program authors have chosen to make that leap.  Which is
> really too bad.  Hint--I would pay MORE for the logging program if the
> OS was free!  Even DOUBLE the price!
>
> So now it comes down to Win XP pro, which I have to buy, or Win 2000 pro,
> which I have a never-installed version available.  So it comes
> down to XP pro
> being the best but being somewhat morally repugnant to me and Win 2000 pro
> which would not involve spending any more money, but which may ultimately
> be a dead end.
>
> I just want to get the most functionality and ease of use from
> Writelog, but
> most important I want to get the most stability out of the
> program.  Having
> to spend time in the heat of battle rebooting the system is even
> less helpful
> that falling asleep at the key.   No Qs are made in either
> case--but sleeping
> gets you some rest--rebooting causes undue stress and the need
> for more rest!
>
> I have seen a bit of discussion on the steps needed to reboot during a
> contest and that is pretty scary.  36 hours into the contest and
> you expect
> me to recall all of that?  So some sort of script or bat file is
> clearly the
> answer.
>
> Historically I have always gotten the logging program going again
> just before
> the start of the contest.  And combining that with last minute antenna
> repairs or upgrades puts one at a big disadvantage.  (Yes, I know of
> Dave Leeson's rule about never adding anything the week before the
> contest--but that is when I do EVERYTHING.)  Having a dedicated computer
> for contest logging (or possibly shared between contest and
> regular logging)
> reduces the stress level needed to get the system back up and running
> just before the contest.
>
> And maybe having a dedicated logging computer that never accesses the
> internet would reduce my anxiety about sharing my files/data with MS--so
> MAYBE XP pro is the right way.  But 2000 pro is still in the
> race--and there
> would be NO race if/when Writelog comes out for Linux!
>
> Thanks for all of the input.  Guess it would be nice to see a FAQ
> about this
> at some point--nice for new or potential users.  Discussing the
> pros and cons
> of each operating system when used with Writelog.  Actually just a table
> with the various OSes listed and the pros and cons for each.
>
> 73--John   W0UN
>
> BTW   There ARE a couple of motherboards out there that still have a token
> ISA slot.  I am tempted to go that route since I still have a
> couple of K1EA's
> voice keyer boards--and, who knows, some guest op may insist on CT.
>
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