crc-ict

This sounds exactly like what mine does when the credit package has run out. It still *seems* to work, but you can't actually download anything, except from Welcome to 3. Sadly, that also applies with the MasterCard SecureCode bit on the page when you try to top up the credit using the link once you've realised the credit is out! Doh!

Just to update on this, I've got an original Eee 2G Surf, running full-fat XP Pro with Office 2003 and a couple of other bits and bobs all on the 2gig HD. Shifted out My Docs and most profile folders to a 4Gb SDHC card to reduce write load on the SSD. I've just completed a hardware inventory at one school on it, using Excel with a USB barcode reader to collect the data, then Access to make a database - it handled it all perfectly with no problems at all. Performance was good. I think they're great - I would want to write War and Peace on the keyboard, but other than that, no quibbles at all.

Oh, but they are! If you do anything to it, and then it breaks, they won't touch it again! The situation in most West Sussex Primary schools is that the 'admin' server basically exists for SIMS and nothing else, and they are fairly 'precious' about it.

Gutted!

No you can't! Start+L on a machine which isn't on a domain will only take you to the welcome screen. It doesn't even lock my XP Pro machine here which isn't on a domain.

It could be said that that is your fault - you should set c: as first boot device in BIOS. I'm not sure I like the idea of kids being able to bring in bootable sticks and CDs and using them to either trash the system or get around security measures..

I got it too, although I won $300,000 from Yahoo. Similar theme though. Muppets.

Absolutely, that's what I was saying. They'll offer you the earth, it's actually getting it in practice that seems to be the issue. You may be OK if you have to claim the cash back - my problem was them actually 'remembering' to give me automatic bill credits they had promised. YMMV, but I'm getting the hell out of there once this contract is up - whatever they offer.

I think rental of things like testers etc. that you wouldn't want to buy is a good idea, but these days where most things can be got online with a 'next-day' delivery, I can't see it catching on for things like switches which you'd buy anyway. I certainly can't see heads and SMT going for it - too much like throwing money away.

Don't do it! In my experience, Carphone Warehouse will promise you the earth on an upgrade, but then not actually bother to do what they say. I was promised credits to make my line rental £5 a month, but they never did it, and now they won't give me the overpayment back - they'll only credit to the phone account! I'd go direct to O2 mate - much safer in my opinion!

Following on from the thread on dating sites the other week, I came across this little article from a blog on t'internet. Thought it might come in a useful info for some of us as we probably fit the 'geek' description quite well. Made me chuckle anyway!

Easy peasy. From Finder on the Mac, click Connect to Server on the Go menu. In the box that appears, type smb://// in the Address box and click Connect. You may be prompted for username and password. Will appear in Finder like CDs do. More here: Mac OS X 10.1 or later: How to Connect to Windows File Sharing (SMB) Chris

That is a good deal! I suppose it depends on the insurance company really. Maybe we should all pay more attention to the small print in the policies!

Don't expect like for like unless it's very new though. I know of several people who got really crappy laptops as insurance replacements for fairly decent machines. They don't realise that a laptop of a given high-end spec from a couple of years ago that is now entry-level spec is still of higher quality than a cheap on-paper equivalent today.

That's probably a good idea actually. We have a networked one which flashes a message on every computer in the suite when its low on ink and is a royal pain. Disabling bidirectional would prevent that I guess!

Well, this IT Worker has just joined the gym, so with luck he should be getting leaner. Just got to crack the Coca-Cola and crisps habit now!

You'd be OK then - certainly local to me, there are loads of teachers on those sites!

I have to endorse Simon's recommendation for Plentyoffish.com at the moment. It's free, and I've just got chatting to a nice-sounding local woman on there, and I've got quite a good feeling about it! I've been dabbling in the dating site game for a while - I'm far too much the stereotypical IT guy to have any luck in bars etc - but not had a great deal of success. I did meet a lady from another site last year, and she was everything she had told me, but we didn't exactly hit it off and didn't meet again - distance was a bit of a problem. I think that's the main drawback with those sites. Putting, say, 'within 50 miles' on a search seems OK, but when it actually comes to the reality of being quite a long way apart, you realise it is an issue. It's a drag making a long journey regularly, and then there's the logistics of not knowing each other's areas. I guess it's OK if theres a good selection of suitable ladies in the local area, but some sites I've seen give me about 3 or 4 results when searching for people meeting my criteria within a sensible distance. And given my worse than 2% response rate, I'm not paying £25 a month for odds like that! My tip is not to expect 'no thanks' replies, even when the site you use gives links for them. I've found very few women bother. And few women seem to respond to 'winks' either.

VLC Player is a good one to have about - it'll play just about anything!

How about: 'Great Balls of Fire' also for a cremation! Or... you know that song that goes 'Ooh, Ooh, the Israelites' that that used to use on the Vitalite spread advert? Well, our alternative version from school would work for a cremation too: "Ooh, Ooh, my ass is alight!'

Congratulations and good luck! You're not going to be fixing mobiles are you? I just had to change the screen in my Samsung U600 and it was a pain in the arse! Who in their right mind solders one of those plastic ribbon cables anyway?! Hopefully it won't be such annoying stuff for you!

The badged speedtouch I got with my O2-branded Be connection about three months ago just died! And it was utter c*ap while it was alive to be honest. Worked OK for a couple of months, then started to lose sync very frequently, and finally carked it over a weekend away, so I came back to a router with only one light on on it. Connection now working much better (as it happens) with a salvaged Netgear DG834GT

One thing I have to say - if you apply, don't expect to hear anything if you're not one of the lucky few to get interviews. I applied last time around, and didn't even get so much as an acknowledgement, let alone a thanks, but no thanks. Just to prepare people...

I'd agree about Acer - some of the recent ones we've had seem to break if you look at them in the wrong way! I don't know what they're making them of these days, but it ain't very strong!

If there is one of the mini-PCI wireless cards going, it would be very handy... Thanks!