Unlikely to be hardware.

Post #303,010 by static 1/24/09 9:44:51 PM Reply	Unlikely to be hardware. I sorta look after a Windows XP Home machine at church. This by way of looking after the song lyrics in the projection software. It was lacking a major update a few weeks ago - specifically, SP3. Seing as so many people use it and it's not completely locked down, and other stuff gets installed from time to time, it needs to be up-to-date; so I let it install SP3. SP3 updates something in the USB subsystem that HID things now crash it hard. Flash drives are, apparantly, okay, but the USB mouse is not, and neither is the Targus presenter. :-/ Both produce a blue screen, requiring a hard reboot. Google wasn't helpful; neither was Windows TechNet. I wish I could have moved it to Linux a long time ago, but that is Difficult. The first problem was that OpenOffice is not enough of a replacement for PowerPoint (I was using a feature for all the songword files that PowerPoint has that OpenOffice does not). The second problem was that other software has been installed over time and we are kinda relying on it. ITunes springs to mind, but there are others. The third problem is that the senior paster did his own exploration of presenter software and chose one that is not available for Linux, nor even for Mac. In fact, due to the reliance on a number of Windows-isms, it is unlikely to be considered to be ported. :-/ He knows my complaint about that and had to admit to making that decision for good or ill. My solution is to do what I can do, and bat more difficult problems back to the ministry team to find (i.e pay) someone to solve. Like that USB problem. [rant off] Wade. "Ah -- I take it the doorbell doesn't work?"
Post #303,016 by boxley 1/25/09 9:47:21 AM Reply	how about a highyech solution? hymbooks :-)
Post #303,041 by static 1/26/09 1:27:16 AM Reply	Hymnbooks are so last century... :-) I know you're probably being facetious, but there is a huge variety of songs suitable for a congregation to sing that are contempary in musical style and many more being published every day. Hymnbooks and songbooks are published several orders of magnitude less often. Instead, the "standard" format for congregational singing is overhead masters, but many publishers also publish their lyrics electronically, too. In between are churches who type up the words for computer presentation. We're at that level. I was happy with PowerPoint. But there was a learning curve when a single service also needed to include other computer-generated content. For a church that has just one PC connected to one projector (that blanks) and no video switching equipment, it can be a challenge to get everything co-ordinated. Thus the market for media presenter software was born. I'm yet to be truly sold... Wade. "Ah -- I take it the doorbell doesn't work?"
Post #303,026 by Ashton 1/25/09 4:07:52 PM Reply	Which-all is Why.. My Ex-Pee Pro {ain't THAT a giggle !? 'Pro' -- yeah, like an Economist is called a 'Pro' !!} -equipped hP nb remains a backup, a rarely used box -- and when needed, it will do netstuff via Puppy or X or whatever distro-du-jour completely emasculates any effects of the effete Beastware residing, safely contained only on its little HD -- not free to gang-rape any memory chips. (Point du jour: I Need it to fscking USE the bloody USB port! not gum it to death. No bug-fix 'Pack 3' on it, no sirree. In case I ever again do boot it into the sucker.) As iMac is seen to be enroute to these parts for delivery on the morrow, I envision soon making available this fine Intel nb to those still in thralldom to Billy's Revenge upon stable civilizations everywhere. (Seems it's as crappy down under as up over -- equal opportunity kluge. Sorry; thought maybe the backwards coreolis force might ameliorate sloppy coding..? Oh Well.) I want a nb, next -- that responds to my requests as an Obama might (HAL was too depressed) -- obeys like a medieval Serf had-to: with all due diligence and competence at acceding to My Will. aka Make It So . OK maybe next century ... unless it's stone knives & bearskins again.
Post #303,069 by Steve Lowe 1/26/09 10:44:30 AM 1/26/09 10:45:28 AM Reply	Looked at OpenSong? http://www.opensong.org - it's quite capable, and available for lin/win/mac Edited by Steve Lowe Jan. 26, 2009, 10:45:28 AM EST Expand All History
Post #303,109 by static 1/26/09 9:23:56 PM Reply	I haven't, no. But I wasn't the one doing the looking. :-) Like I said, I was happy with PowerPoint for the lyrics and can manage switching amongst multiple programs for a coherent presentation. The senior paster wasn't and thought the latter was an unnecessary learning curve. :-/ And we've paid for MediaShout, now, too. Wade. "Ah -- I take it the doorbell doesn't work?"

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