so anyway since this is going to be my blog for all things related to microsoft/ windows (it will probably end up degenerating into my blog for posting random quizzes/ song lyrics/ photos of food/ crap like that), i might as well make an entry on the things that make my windows XP machine happy.

 

i don't have Microsoft Office, i use Open Office. MS Office isn't something i can't live without. i've, like, what.. made only one powerpoint slideshow (made that slideshow with Open Office 2.0) in years. i don't really type that many reports either here in animation graduate school. i also like how Open Office can export documents straight to PDF or slideshows into Flash slideshows.

 

these four though, you have to have them if you're using a windows box.

 

1. microsoft power toys for windows xp (my favorite is webcam timershot, the clear type tuner and tweak xp.. if i  had a computer in high school i would've most likely fallen in love with the power calculator . would have saved me from failing math.)

 

2. the royale theme for windows xp- okay i just got this like a month ago so i can't say that this is super indispensable or anything. 

 

i mean, i managed to live without it the past few years i've used XP. i just changed the super silly looking blue Luna theme to silver. but now with the royale theme i can use blue again! after all blue is one of my favorite colors.

 

3. Stickies for Windows- because i'm forgetful.

 

4. konfabulator widgets- i remember my lousy experiences trying to skin my computer a year or so ago with those dreadful Stardock things just to be able to have widgets.

 

oh yeah but now i can have happy, non-systems-resources-hogging, light-on-their-feet, widget-y goodness without the trouble of installing stupid ass Stardock skins with konfabulator!

 

---

1 minute later:

 

note: hmmm.. i checked out http://www.konfabulator.com to make sure i didn't misspell the link and it now magically redirects me to "widgets dot yahoo dot com". hmmm.. i mean i know that they're a Y! company now but i didn't think that their old website would disappear or anything and that they'd lose their name. i wonder if that'll happen to Flickr a few months from now.

 

---

for drawing i love Artrage and Microsoft Expression Acrylic. (even if i end up drawing in Photoshop because it's easier to animate the layers in After Effects or drawing in Flash, they're not my true loves okay.)

 

for recording my dumbass podcasts i love Audacity.

 

for my photos i love Picasa 2.

 

for wasting time on the net i love Sharpreader. hahaha..

 

yeah that's aobut it. i don't have any favorites for my music software or video editing. (i can barely edit video unlike my classmates and that's why you will never see me winning any major award for my animations.) or .. browsers.. (read item no.3 in this post to know what "alternative" browsers many Taiwanese use.. hint.. nope, not Firefox even if that's getting popular here too).