Southwest Virginia Blogs

I recently wrote a post, "Attack of the all in one machines & customer service," about my purchase of a HP C6180 AIO, printer, scanner, copier, and fax.  The past weekend I had a chance to install it and try most of the features.

As is often the case, it turned out not nearly as easy as one might expect.  There were a couple of interesting challenges, one that was HP's fault and one that was likely mine.

The good news, as is often the case in technology, is that I kept working on it until I got everything working.

First off  I actually read the instructions and followed them.  The HP 6180 can be set up wireless on a 802.x network or wired as part of a standard network.  I just to hook it to my newly installed Ethernet network.   

The network has a cable modem hooked to a router with four ports.  One of the ports feeds an Airport Express.  I am running OS X version 10.4.8 on all the Macs.  The first system I attempted to install the software on was my dual G5 which I admit to neglecting by not upgrading it to at one gig of ram.  The first thing I notice is that didn't get very far in the installation before I was presented with was a drop down menu that would only let me select C7100 as the model for my printer.  Obviously that was not a good sign, but I went ahead an installed the software.  Of course when I tried to set up the printer, the HP software couldn't find the printer.  Being the clever Apple guy that I am, I used Bonjour to get the printing working.  Unfortunately when I went to use the scanner, it wouldn't initialize.

At this point I decided to backtract.  I un-installed the software that I had just finished installing and went to HP's website and downloaded the latest software for the 6100 series.  When I started installing I was presented with the correct choice of printer in the pull down menu.  The picture above is a scan of the disk that was in the box.  Unfortunately it appears that the wrong software is on the cd-rom even though the label is right.

Next I tried to install the software on my laptop wirelessly. It never could find the printer so I grabbed an Ethernet connection and the software installed correctly.  I went back to having my laptop on our wireless network and couldn't print.  It took me a while, but I eventually figured out that my Airport Express was distributing IP addresses so I ran Airport Admin and turned off the IP address feature.

So far I really pleased with the quality of the text.  I also have a Brother 5250DN laser on the network for quality printing but I'm not sure I need it.  The text coming out of the HP is much better than indicated in all of the reviews that I read.  Of course it's pretty hard to beat a laser for being really professional.

The photo printer also works well on the HP.  My wife is pleased with that.  Mixed color and text also looks very sharp.  The scanner works well and can scan directly to iPhoto.  I think my dual G5 might get an upgrade to 2 gigs on ram since the HP apps seem to be memory sensitive.  They work well on my MacBook that has 1 gig of ram but not on the dual G5.  I need another connector before I can test the fax, but I have little doubt that it will work.

Technology continues to get better, but there always seems to be a few glitches which require remembering stuff that I would just as soon forget.  My nightmare is one of these days I'll wake up and not be able to do this stuff.

As soon as I can "borrow" my Windows laptop back from my daughter I see how everything works with Windows and Linux.  I did install the Parallels software and Windows XP on my MacBook but I believe it needs to get upgraded to 2 gigs of ram to be really functional, and I need my genuine Windows serial number off the bottom of my Dell laptop to validate the software.

This stuff is never easy.  By the way, I don't see lots of people using the Parallels solution on a regular basis unless they're sophisticated software users.

I recently wrote a post, "Attack of the all in one machines & customer service," about my purchase of a HP C6180 AIO, printer, scanner, copier, and fax.  The past weekend I had a chance to install it and try most of the features.

As is often the case, it turned out not nearly as easy as one might expect.  There were a couple of interesting challenges, one that was HP's fault and one that was likely mine.

The good news, as is often the case in technology, is that I kept working on it until I got everything working.

First off  I actually read the instructions and followed them.  The HP 6180 can be set up wireless on a 802.x network or wired as part of a standard network.  I just to hook it to my newly installed Ethernet network.   

The network has a cable modem hooked to a router with four ports.  One of the ports feeds an Airport Express.  I am running OS X version 10.4.8 on all the Macs.  The first system I attempted to install the software on was my dual G5 which I admit to neglecting by not upgrading it to at one gig of ram.  The first thing I notice is that didn't get very far in the installation before I was presented with was a drop down menu that would only let me select C7100 as the model for my printer.  Obviously that was not a good sign, but I went ahead an installed the software.  Of course when I tried to set up the printer, the HP software couldn't find the printer.  Being the clever Apple guy that I am, I used Bonjour to get the printing working.  Unfortunately when I went to use the scanner, it wouldn't initialize.

At this point I decided to backtract.  I un-installed the software that I had just finished installing and went to HP's website and downloaded the latest software for the 6100 series.  When I started installing I was presented with the correct choice of printer in the pull down menu.  The picture above is a scan of the disk that was in the box.  Unfortunately it appears that the wrong software is on the cd-rom even though the label is right.

Next I tried to install the software on my laptop wirelessly. It never could find the printer so I grabbed an Ethernet connection and the software installed correctly.  I went back to having my laptop on our wireless network and couldn't print.  It took me a while, but I eventually figured out that my Airport Express was distributing IP addresses so I ran Airport Admin and turned off the IP address feature.

So far I really pleased with the quality of the text.  I also have a Brother 5250DN laser on the network for quality printing but I'm not sure I need it.  The text coming out of the HP is much better than indicated in all of the reviews that I read.  Of course it's pretty hard to beat a laser for being really professional.

The photo printer also works well on the HP.  My wife is pleased with that.  Mixed color and text also looks very sharp.  The scanner works well and can scan directly to iPhoto.  I think my dual G5 might get an upgrade to 2 gigs on ram since the HP apps seem to be memory sensitive.  They work well on my MacBook that has 1 gig of ram but not on the dual G5.  I need another connector before I can test the fax, but I have little doubt that it will work.

Technology continues to get better, but there always seems to be a few glitches which require remembering stuff that I would just as soon forget.  My nightmare is one of these days I'll wake up and not be able to do this stuff.

As soon as I can "borrow" my Windows laptop back from my daughter I see how everything works with Windows and Linux.  I did install the Parallels software and Windows XP on my MacBook but I believe it needs to get upgraded to 2 gigs of ram to be really functional, and I need my genuine Windows serial number off the bottom of my Dell laptop to validate the software.

This stuff is never easy.  By the way, I don't see lots of people using the Parallels solution on a regular basis unless they're sophisticated software users.

I will never understand this. Here is Webb's quote on what his plan is for Iraq.

"I can't sit here as a candidate . . . and give a specific formula." Link

How about Winning Jim? Sen Allen says there is only one option in Iraq. Victory.

Senator Warner praised Allen, saying ""For twenty-three of the twenty-eight years I've served in the Senate, George and I have been strong, working partners," Senator Warner said. "Virginians know that he is a strong and effective advocate for our military men and women."

Sen Warner and Sen Allen have voted together over 90% of the time. We cant risk having Jim Webb voting with his liberal friends Kerry, Kennedy, and Clinton. We need the man Sen Warner endorsed. I believe this why the Veterans of Foreign Wars endorsed Sen Allen. You can read more about this here .

Technorati : George Allen, Iraq, Jim Webb, Veterans

Living a life without trust would be a huge challenge.  I don't think even the most wired and connected individual can survive without trusting a few real people. 

Still finding a real person to trust is a lot harder now that families are scattered around the world.  I've never thought of trust as a national trend, but Sebastian Mallaby's article, "The Decline Of Trust," in today's  Washington Post makes some interesting points about the decline of trust in today society, in both business and government.

And the absence of trust can feed on itself. Leaders function under stifling oversight; this causes them to perform sluggishly, so trust continues to stagnate. But occasionally there is a chance to escape this trap: A shock causes trust to rise, leaders have a chance to lead and there's an opportunity to boost trust still further.

We've recently had a double opportunity. The boom of the 1990s boosted trust in business; the 2001 terrorist attacks boosted trust in government. But CEOs and politicians abused these gifts with scandals and incompetence. Such is the cost of corporate malfeasance and the Iraq war: Precious social capital is destroyed by leaders' avarice and hubris.

I often found it strange that my former employer, Apple Computer, would bring in high level management people from outside the company and trust their opinion far more than employees who had been working for the company.    I don't know if the  steadily declining trust that Apple showed it employees is mirrored at other companies, but I am sure that the lack of trust hindered productivity in Apple field teams.

Mallaby also talks about the Internet encouraging "acerbic negativity."  On the one hand Mallaby might be right if you let yourself listen to only certain parts of the Internet.

However, I would make the argument that new communication techniques arising from the Internet actually encourage building new webs of trust.  While there are parts of the Internet, like anncoulter.com, that I'll likely avoid, there are lots of other communities where I can find kindred spirits.

As someone who doesn't like large government, but believes that if we are going to have government it should be good government, there aren't any political parties locally where I really feel at home.  Yet through contact established from my Internet presences, I've met a number of people with similar beliefs.

Most of us who regularly post have communities of readers who have self selected to the point that  our audience cares about many of the same things that we do.  I trust  the opinions of many of my regular blog friends more than I do any politician.  I value their opinions as highly as I do some well known pundits.

So while Sebastian Mallaby might be right to indict part of the modern world, there are many on line communities where modern technologies are driving new levels of trust and cooperation.  Besides blogs, you cannot  discount the social changes happening through instant messaging and on line communities.

Technology hasn't created a virtual southern village yet, but I have a confidence in new ways of communicating that will bring us closer together rather than drive us farther apart. 

I don't believe we'll end up a nation of people listening only to their individual iPods or screaming at the rest of the world from our blogs.

Living a life without trust would be a huge challenge.  I don't think even the most wired and connected individual can survive without trusting a few real people. 

Still finding a real person to trust is a lot harder now that families are scattered around the world.  I've never thought of trust as a national trend, but Sebastian Mallaby's article, "The Decline Of Trust," in today's  Washington Post makes some interesting points about the decline of trust in today society, in both business and government.

And the absence of trust can feed on itself. Leaders function under stifling oversight; this causes them to perform sluggishly, so trust continues to stagnate. But occasionally there is a chance to escape this trap: A shock causes trust to rise, leaders have a chance to lead and there's an opportunity to boost trust still further.

We've recently had a double opportunity. The boom of the 1990s boosted trust in business; the 2001 terrorist attacks boosted trust in government. But CEOs and politicians abused these gifts with scandals and incompetence. Such is the cost of corporate malfeasance and the Iraq war: Precious social capital is destroyed by leaders' avarice and hubris.

I often found it strange that my former employer, Apple Computer, would bring in high level management people from outside the company and trust their opinion far more than employees who had been working for the company.    I don't know if the  steadily declining trust that Apple showed it employees is mirrored at other companies, but I am sure that the lack of trust hindered productivity in Apple field teams.

Mallaby also talks about the Internet encouraging "acerbic negativity."  On the one hand Mallaby might be right if you let yourself listen to only certain parts of the Internet.

However, I would make the argument that new communication techniques arising from the Internet actually encourage building new webs of trust.  While there are parts of the Internet, like anncoulter.com, that I'll likely avoid, there are lots of other communities where I can find kindred spirits.

As someone who doesn't like large government, but believes that if we are going to have government it should be good government, there aren't any political parties locally where I really feel at home.  Yet through contact established from my Internet presences, I've met a number of people with similar beliefs.

Most of us who regularly post have communities of readers who have self selected to the point that  our audience cares about many of the same things that we do.  I trust  the opinions of many of my regular blog friends more than I do any politician.  I value their opinions as highly as I do some well known pundits.

So while Sebastian Mallaby might be right to indict part of the modern world, there are many on line communities where modern technologies are driving new levels of trust and cooperation.  Besides blogs, you cannot  discount the social changes happening through instant messaging and on line communities.

Technology hasn't created a virtual southern village yet, but I have a confidence in new ways of communicating that will bring us closer together rather than drive us farther apart. 

I don't believe we'll end up a nation of people listening only to their individual iPods or screaming at the rest of the world from our blogs.

Living a life without trust would be a huge challenge.  I don't think even the most wired and connected individual can survive without trusting a few real people. 

Still finding a real person to trust is a lot harder now that families are scattered around the world.  I've never thought of trust as a national trend, but Sebastian Mallaby's article, "The Decline Of Trust," in today's  Washington Post makes some interesting points about the decline of trust in today society, in both business and government.

And the absence of trust can feed on itself. Leaders function under stifling oversight; this causes them to perform sluggishly, so trust continues to stagnate. But occasionally there is a chance to escape this trap: A shock causes trust to rise, leaders have a chance to lead and there's an opportunity to boost trust still further.

We've recently had a double opportunity. The boom of the 1990s boosted trust in business; the 2001 terrorist attacks boosted trust in government. But CEOs and politicians abused these gifts with scandals and incompetence. Such is the cost of corporate malfeasance and the Iraq war: Precious social capital is destroyed by leaders' avarice and hubris.

I often found it strange that my former employer, Apple Computer, would bring in high level management people from outside the company and trust their opinion far more than employees who had been working for the company.    I don't know if the  steadily declining trust that Apple showed it employees is mirrored at other companies, but I am sure that the lack of trust hindered productivity in Apple field teams.

Mallaby also talks about the Internet encouraging "acerbic negativity."  On the one hand Mallaby might be right if you let yourself listen to only certain parts of the Internet.

However, I would make the argument that new communication techniques arising from the Internet actually encourage building new webs of trust.  While there are parts of the Internet, like anncoulter.com, that I'll likely avoid, there are lots of other communities where I can find kindred spirits.

As someone who doesn't like large government, but believes that if we are going to have government it should be good government, there aren't any political parties locally where I really feel at home.  Yet through contact established from my Internet presences, I've met a number of people with similar beliefs.

Most of us who regularly post have communities of readers who have self selected to the point that  our audience cares about many of the same things that we do.  I trust  the opinions of many of my regular blog friends more than I do any politician.  I value their opinions as highly as I do some well known pundits.

So while Sebastian Mallaby might be right to indict part of the modern world, there are many on line communities where modern technologies are driving new levels of trust and cooperation.  Besides blogs, you cannot  discount the social changes happening through instant messaging and on line communities.

Technology hasn't created a virtual southern village yet, but I have a confidence in new ways of communicating that will bring us closer together rather than drive us farther apart. 

I don't believe we'll end up a nation of people listening only to their individual iPods or screaming at the rest of the world from our blogs.

The Halloween Edition of the VBC is up at Monstrosity . Go on over to Trick or Treat!

I will be hosting next week. I will have a post about that later in the week

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Technorati : Virginia Blog Carnival

The Halloween Edition of the VBC is up at Monstrosity . Go on over to Trick or Treat!

I will be hosting next week. I will have a post about that later in the week

.

Technorati : Virginia Blog Carnival