Super Ginormous

Month: April 2007

  • Unacceptable

    component-install-failed

    It’s 12:30am, and I’m giving up on trying to install CS3 for the night. I’m tired and frustrated. Updating software shouldn’t be this difficult, nor should it take as long as it does. Just installing the smallest app, Contribute CS3, takes over an hour because of all of the “Components” that need to be installed. This is complete and utter nonsense.

    When I upgraded from Photoshop 7 to Creative Suite I didn’t experience any problems. When I upgraded from CS to CS2, I experience no problems. Now, because I – like so many other people – decided I’d like to try out a Beta application from Adobe, I’m getting screwed out of hours upon hours of my time – because their software simply doesn’t work like it should.

    I expect more from Adobe, and frankly this situation is making me seriously reconsider upgrading the rest of the designers in our office.

    Tomorrow morning I’ll need to spend some time trying to make sure CS2 works like it should. I have a feeling it’s going to be a while before I waste any more time trying to install CS3.

  • CS3 Install Problems are Inexcusable

    UPDATE: Additional information on installing CS3 is now available (Thanks to Barry Hills at Adobe!). Please read through the article “Additional Information on Installing CS3” for help installing CS3 on your computer.

    I’ve added a post to the site with info on using Selective Startup Mode under Windows XP to get Creative Suite 3 Web Premium to install. Hopefully it will help some of you that are struggling with getting it on your system. Article: Installing CS3 Premium

    Never before have I had this much trouble installing an application that should just work. I’ve done everything from uninstalling the Photoshop CS3 Beta, running the CleanScript for Windows XP and each and every time I try to install Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium I get “component fail” errors.This is COMPLETELY unacceptable.

    I’ve wasted way too much time trying to install applications that shouldn’t have had ANY problems at all installing.

    I’ve learned a valuable lesson from this: never beta test software from Adobe again. Photoshop CS3 Beta was their first widespread beta test of an application, and it has completely screwed things up for me.

    Ugh… I am so disgusted right now.

  • Using Extensis Suitcase for Windows

    I’ve been pretty busy as of late, so I didn’t get around to writing this review because I didn’t fully make the switch from Extensis Suitcase 9.2 to Extensis Suitcase for Windows 11 until this morning. I’ve been delaying the switch for a couple of reasons:

    1. Upgrading to the new version didn’t replace Extensis Suitcase 9.2. This is bad, because it didn’t copy over all of the font sets I had created in 9.2. Recreating my font sets took time, and that’s something I haven’t had a lot of lately.
    2. A number of fonts I had loaded into 9.2 were being referenced in my C:\WINDOWS\FONTS\ directory. When I loaded the new application and copied fonts in for the first time, a number of the fonts wouldn’t activate because they were already in my system folder. I am not sure if Suitcase 9.2 did this… but it was a nuisance to go in and clean those fonts out of the system font folder.

    Now that I’ve got that out of the way… Suitcase 11 seems to be working pretty well. Auto-font activation works well with both Illustrator CS2 and Photoshop CS2. (I haven’t had a need to try out InDesign CS2…) I’ve got about 600 fonts activated currently and it appears to perform pretty well given it’s current load.

    I haven’t seen much in terms of difference between Suitcase 11 and Suitcase 9… other than the addition of the “Font Vault”. I’m not sure if that’s a compelling enough reason to get most people to upgrade.

  • Effercio 14.0.5

    Pushed a few minor updates live this morning:

    • Created a Links page that uses WordPress’ blogroll/links list functionality to handle the content. Now displays Friends, Other Stuff and Social Networks. You can view my last 10 Ma.gnolia bookmarks here as well.
    • Updated Archives page for better display.

  • The Web Design Survey 2007

    Designers, developers, project managers. Writers and editors. Information architects and usability specialists. People who make websites have been at it for more than a dozen years, yet almost nothing is known, statistically, about our profession. Who are we? Where do we live? What are our titles, our skills, our educational backgrounds? Where and with whom do we work? What do we earn? What do we value?

    Read More and Take the Survey!

    i-took-the-2007-survey.gif

  • Basecamp + Quickbooks Integration

    We’ve been using Quickbooks Timer to keep track of time spent on projects for ages. It’s not bad, but it’s pretty unstable at times. We use Basecamp for project management. We’ve been using it for nearly two years now… The Time Tracking functionality is one aspect of Basecamp we haven’t ever taken advantage of… But that may change with the release of Chronopipe.

    Here are some of the features it promises:

    • Import Time from any Basecamp Project to any Customer and Job in QuickBooks
    • Match Users in Basecamp to Employees and Contractors in QuickBooks
    • Match To Do Item names in Basecamp to Service Items in QuickBooks
    • Specify a “catch all” Item for Time that doesn’t have a match.
    • Import with the same set of parameters more than once, without duplicating entries.

    I am definitely going to need to try it out. It could be a great addition to our team…

  • An Apple Retail Void

    Apple Retail Map*sigh* So many Apple retail stores, and yet, the nearest stores to the Augusta, Georgia area are at least two hours away. Apple now has over 170 retail locations globally, and a majority of those are in the continental United States. Augusta (specifically Columbia County) or even Columbia, SC would make prime locations for an Apple Store, and yet we’re not feelin’ the love.

    Don’t get me wrong, I know there are lots of other “Apple Retail voids” in the country… some much worse than in our area… but I think Apple’s missing a big opportunity in our area. Ours is filled, and I use that term loosely, by a dedicated Apple section in a CompUSA.

    • Columbia County is one of the fastest growing counties in the State of Georgia.
    • The 2005 population was 103,812 and growing quickly.
    • The median income for a household in the county is around $55,682, and the median income for a family is around $61,232.
    • More County facts: We have grown from 9,525 in 1950 to more than 100,000 in 2004. Rapid growth has transformed this county from a rural neighbor of Augusta to the major suburban county in the second largest metropolitan area in Georgia. There are many reasons for our rapid growth (65% during the ’80s and more this decade) – a growing and diversified job market, a premier school system, affordable land, open spaces lending an air of the countryside, and a stable, conservative county government. Columbia County is predominantly residential and includes a highly-skilled workforce. Household income levels rank third among Georgia’s 159 counties.

    Please, please, please, Apple… consider making a home here.

  • Ryan Clark Memorial Fund

    Kim mentioned this to me last night, and Stacey’s post reminded me that I wanted to put something about this on the site.

    Ryan Clark, one of the victims of Monday’s shootings, is a native of the Augusta, GA area. The elementary school where Ryan Clark’s mother works is collecting donations to assist her with traveling to Virginia and making arrangements for her son’s body. If you would like to make a contribution, you can send your donation to the following address:

    Ryan Clark Memorial Fund
    c/o Georgia Bank and Trust
    409 Fury’s Ferry Road
    Martinez, GA 30907

  • Things To Do

    I feel disconnected from the design and web community of Augusta. I don’t really have a desire to get involved in the local AdFed, but there isn’t anything else out there in this area. Perhaps this presents a good opportunity to fill a void?

    I’m thinking about contacting Adobe to start an Adobe User Group (AUG) for the Augusta, Georgia/Central Savannah River Area. Honestly, it doesn’t even have to be an AUG. It could be something more along the lines of what they are doing in Alabama. I know of a few local designers that read my blog from time to time… would any of you be interested in getting involved in something like this?

    I’m also going to start the process of getting certified in one or more Adobe applications. Considering I’m mostly self-taught in Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver, I think going for certification in one or more of those apps would help to solidify my knowledge of the applications…

  • CSS Support in Email

    You can view a newly updated “Guide to CSS Support in Email: 2007 Edition” over at the Campaign Monitor Blog. It’s a fantastic resource for anyone who has to send HTML emails…