Tag Archives: software

Uninstalling Xobni – Outlook is fast again!

Now first of all, Xobni is a great tool. I have been using it for a couple of months now. Its installs an Outlook add-in that makes search pretty quick inside of outlook itself and definitely better than the built-in default Windows search. Plus it has added social networking features and integration with Linkedin/Facebook etc which helps pull in contact information. While I have been a fan of Xobni for a while, there have been rumblings of discontent recently.

The first issue was when I found that I needed to split up my PST files (getting too large) due to the huge mail volumes here at ISB. Apparently in between, Xobni disabled the ability to search multiple PST files when they introduced a separate premium version. While older users were still allowed this, I had to go and reinstall my OS (moving to 7 RC), so lost out on this ability.
I finally moved back to my old tested and tried free desktop search tool, Copernic. I enabled only email search for the tool. While I may not have it available as an add-in, its still pretty comprehensive and accurate enough.
The fun actually started once I uninstalled Xobni today. Outlook suddenly became much much more responsive. Folders opened like that! I just realised that my Outlook had become so slow over the past few months, but I had just gotten so used to it that I stopped noticing it!
So if you have it installed. Try removing it once and see the difference. Trust me, you dont want to go back to it, advantages or no advantages. Oh, and give Copernic a whirl. Its an excellent search engine for files/mail etc on the desktop. I find it better than windows and Google desktop search as well.

Now Playing: Call of Duty – Modern Warfare 2

With GPUs increasing in power with every generation, PC games are becoming more and more lifelike with each successive iteration. While the recession was not supposed to affect the gaming industry by much, PC game sales this year have been low, not because of the recession, but because there havent been many good games released this year. The only halfway decent ones this year were batman Arkham Asylum and Prototype.

Well, Call of Duty – Modern Warfare 2 is the latest game to join the pack, and will probably be the best selling game of the year (the just released Assassins Creed 2 is the only worthwhile challenger). Sequels generally rake in the big bucks in the games industry. The latest title in the CoD franchise was developed by the original game studio ‘infinity Ward’.
The story of the game (yes, it actually has one) is in fact halfway decent with some great direction. It shows how newer games are becoming more and more like movies, with proper titles, storylines etc, quite unlike older games which were just run and gun with some country’s uniforms and accents added for local color. The graphics as I mentioned for the latest generation CoD game are quite good so long as you have a graphics card which is relatively recent. My generation old 4850 was able to take the load pretty well. I guess th fact that I still play at 1440X900 helps 🙂
The storyline is workable, allowing you to play 2-3 different characters with some stunning visuals. The only fault I can find with the game is that the story is too short, actually feeling like a movie….. I would have loved to have gotten a longer game.
While the multi-player mode and a set of special times missions etc are there to give more value, I kind of prefer single player story oriented games (+ the fact that most ports here are blocked, so no online multiplayer), and the shorter storyline is my only complaint.
All in all, its an excellent game, and am actually thinking about playing it through once again just because of the nice visual effects and gameplay.
Gamespot has a great video and text review of the game up here.
PS: Next: Back to STALKER- Shadow of Chernobyl, an RPG (role playing game) + FPS (first person shooter) that I have been playing on and off for some time now. I will end up finishing it one day!
PS2: For those wondering how I manage to find time for games, you guessed it right, I get less sleep!

Windows Vista to Windows 7: What will be the Upgrade Cost?

Ok, so Windows 7 is on the horizon, and going by the previews, its definitely going to be much better than Windows Vista. I have read a couple of articles on the net discussing how much Microsoft should charge for the upgrade from Windows Vista to 7. From those who are hoping for a free upgrade, to those who say its not gonna happen, theres even a leaked best buy memo supposedly detailing upgrade costs for the same. I am NOT referring to the official upgrade program which says that anyone who buys a system/copy of Vista like 6 months before the launch gets a free upgrade. I am referring to older users of Vista (like me, for example :P) who are looking to move to Windows 7. If the memos to be believed, the average cost from an upgrade should be half of what Microsoft charged for users moving from Xp to Vista. While a free upgrade for users of the obscenely priced Windows Ultimate sounds really good (disclaimer at the bottom ;)), its probably just a pipe dream.
I am still hoping for some gesture from Microsoft towards Vista users though. Thats one thing that would really make 7 worth getting. Of course, the very fact that it would hit their revenue/profit estimates takes it to the ‘Dream On’ category. 🙂

PS:
1. I own a copy of Vista Ultimate and need that cheap upgrade option. 😛
2. Need to try out the 7 RC too. Downloaded it long back. Just havent got the time to play with it, yet….