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Miscellaneous Purchasing Advice/Recommendations
- Thread starter Black Hole
- Start date
prpr
Well-Known Member
Not 75p then. It's either absurdly high (say £1.25 or more) or absurdly low (say 50p).
OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
You would think 75p or a little more... 65p!
I wanted 100 envelopes, so I bought 4x25 rather than 2x50 (of course). But then the Tesco computers say "we're not selling many of item code XXX, so we can't get a good deal on their supply - the sales price will have to go up". And then, independently (because that's what happens when you take control away from human beans and give it to computers), "we're selling loads of item code YYY, we can hammer the supplier on price". So the supplier, who is supplying both, puts the supply price of 50-pack envelopes up to compensate for his hit on the 25-pack. It works for me, I just buy the 25-pack, but it's stoopid.
I wanted 100 envelopes, so I bought 4x25 rather than 2x50 (of course). But then the Tesco computers say "we're not selling many of item code XXX, so we can't get a good deal on their supply - the sales price will have to go up". And then, independently (because that's what happens when you take control away from human beans and give it to computers), "we're selling loads of item code YYY, we can hammer the supplier on price". So the supplier, who is supplying both, puts the supply price of 50-pack envelopes up to compensate for his hit on the 25-pack. It works for me, I just buy the 25-pack, but it's stoopid.
kevindickinson
Active Member
£0.65 or £0.50 if your happy to accept Manila instead of white.
That Tesco Value
Sent from here using a computing device.
OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
Savers currently have an offer for a blister pack of 36 Duracell AAs for £8.99. That is 25p per battery, and with a shelf life of 10 years if you have any use for them (eg remote control handsets) it's worth stocking up at that price.
OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
New problem:
An elderly friend's PC has problems, looks like the graphics card is shot. The PC is a relic of her (deceased) husband and has content she is attached to (photos in particular), but she only really uses it for occasional email and printing things from email (inc photos). Internet is broadband in a Virgin TV & phone package, so even though it' hardly used at least it's not costing much.
The PC itself is very old and under-powered, it was running WinXP until there were compatibility issues and then I installed Lubuntu to speed it up (for what it was being used for). The existing printer is (unfortunately) almost new, the previous one (which I also procured) developed problems which might have been cured by replacing the cartridges but there was also a risk it wouldn't so it was more cost-effective to buy another printer.
I have advised that an iPad is the way to go. I could fix the PC, but with the iPad there are no software maintenance issues (as long as you decline the iOS update prompts!), instant turn-on, use on the lap watching TV instead of going upstairs to turn on the PC and wait for it to boot (hence more use). She doesn't do "productivity" stuff that makes my PC more indispensable than my iPad.
Unless you want to give out copies of photos, the iPad makes a great photo album so there is no real need to print from it. The existing printer can still be used stand-alone as a photocopier.
The network needs upgrading from a direct wire between the cable modem and the PC to WiFi. I could suggest she asks Virgin to send a WiFi modem/router, but it may be less trouble to supply a separate WiFi router with a WAN connection - and that router could also have a NAS function with a USB-connected hard drive for off-iPad storage.
If printing is required (beyond what could be supplied by sending e-photos to Tesco), an AirPrint capable printer will be needed - but can a router provide this function with a USB-connected printer?
The router/WiFi/NAS/print-server is the nub of the matter. I'm not sure how well an iPad integrates with network storage (presumably you need an app; the iPad is willing to import photos from USB but refuses to export!). I extract photos by email or Dropbox (no, I never got into iTunes, and in this case there is no PC to run iTunes on).
Possibly the NAS would be better as a stand-alone unit rather than a drive connected to a NAS function of the router.
The floor is open for discussion.
An elderly friend's PC has problems, looks like the graphics card is shot. The PC is a relic of her (deceased) husband and has content she is attached to (photos in particular), but she only really uses it for occasional email and printing things from email (inc photos). Internet is broadband in a Virgin TV & phone package, so even though it' hardly used at least it's not costing much.
The PC itself is very old and under-powered, it was running WinXP until there were compatibility issues and then I installed Lubuntu to speed it up (for what it was being used for). The existing printer is (unfortunately) almost new, the previous one (which I also procured) developed problems which might have been cured by replacing the cartridges but there was also a risk it wouldn't so it was more cost-effective to buy another printer.
I have advised that an iPad is the way to go. I could fix the PC, but with the iPad there are no software maintenance issues (as long as you decline the iOS update prompts!), instant turn-on, use on the lap watching TV instead of going upstairs to turn on the PC and wait for it to boot (hence more use). She doesn't do "productivity" stuff that makes my PC more indispensable than my iPad.
Unless you want to give out copies of photos, the iPad makes a great photo album so there is no real need to print from it. The existing printer can still be used stand-alone as a photocopier.
The network needs upgrading from a direct wire between the cable modem and the PC to WiFi. I could suggest she asks Virgin to send a WiFi modem/router, but it may be less trouble to supply a separate WiFi router with a WAN connection - and that router could also have a NAS function with a USB-connected hard drive for off-iPad storage.
If printing is required (beyond what could be supplied by sending e-photos to Tesco), an AirPrint capable printer will be needed - but can a router provide this function with a USB-connected printer?
The router/WiFi/NAS/print-server is the nub of the matter. I'm not sure how well an iPad integrates with network storage (presumably you need an app; the iPad is willing to import photos from USB but refuses to export!). I extract photos by email or Dropbox (no, I never got into iTunes, and in this case there is no PC to run iTunes on).
Possibly the NAS would be better as a stand-alone unit rather than a drive connected to a NAS function of the router.
The floor is open for discussion.
OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
That sounds useful. Once I have an ecosystem figured out and running, it should be useful more widely for non-PC situations (including myself, for when the PC isn't on). Maybe the FileExplorer app can use the HDR-FOX (with samba or nfs-utils) as a NAS!
OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
What about this one?:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/remote-media-manager-free/id981869721?mt=8
There's a free one and a £2.99 one, dunno what the difference is (maybe the free one has adverts). Let's see...
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/remote-media-manager-free/id981869721?mt=8
There's a free one and a £2.99 one, dunno what the difference is (maybe the free one has adverts). Let's see...
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OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
It works! When I set up an HDR as an SMB drive, the free version warned me that I could only have 2 such services without an upgrade, and then proceeded to offer the upgrade for free - so what's not to like?
I have been able to play TS video from the HDR (albeit with the wrong aspect ratio - hmm), and copy a photo from the iPad to the HDR.
That's one piece of the jigsaw, anyway.
(FWIW: I can play video perfectly well using VLC for iOS and connecting to the HDR by VLC's FTP remote access capability.)
I have been able to play TS video from the HDR (albeit with the wrong aspect ratio - hmm), and copy a photo from the iPad to the HDR.
That's one piece of the jigsaw, anyway.
(FWIW: I can play video perfectly well using VLC for iOS and connecting to the HDR by VLC's FTP remote access capability.)
OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
I've discovered this to add AirPrint (and network printing) capability to any USB printer, but it's still cheaper to just buy an AirPrint printer:
StarTech AirPrint Wireless-N Network Print Server
There's a Lantronix xPrintServer device which looks even more useful (it sits on the Ethernet and provides AirPrint to a USB-connected printer or several network printers), but that's £150!
StarTech AirPrint Wireless-N Network Print Server
There's a Lantronix xPrintServer device which looks even more useful (it sits on the Ethernet and provides AirPrint to a USB-connected printer or several network printers), but that's £150!
MikeSh
Well-Known Member
From your 'customer's' point of view, why would she need off-iPad storage? If it's just for backup can't that be handled in iTunes? Or failing that something like Dropbox. Cloud stores like that can usually be used for sharing as well which can be better than e-mailing MBs of photos to family and friends.
Giving her NAS devices seems a bit OTT given the running costs (OK, not much for a USB stick, but when I tried that a while back the stick was permanently hot, so there was a cost).
Giving her NAS devices seems a bit OTT given the running costs (OK, not much for a USB stick, but when I tried that a while back the stick was permanently hot, so there was a cost).
OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
I have considered that, but I think a NAS is a better option:
- It is a physical entity, so it is easy to understand where the legacy stuff has been put and easy to understand what has to be backed up;
- If you run out of storage on the iPad, you will also be pushing the limit of what cloud storage is available without subscription;
- It can be left turned off for most of the time, and only turned on when required - saving energy and operating hours.
OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
Not too late at all; I can have a look at that one too. Ironic that it was being updated exactly at that moment!
OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
I've been playing with the free versions of RManager and File Manager.
RManager seems to transfer across the network faster than File Manager (subject to objective confirmation), and it displays a thumbnail and "file name" as well as stats when reaching into the camera roll. However, it does not manage its cache/buffer very well: in the process of copying photos/videos to network storage, it buffers each file first - but then fails to release that storage once the upload has completed and starts the next one... until the transfer crashes because the iPad has run out of storage.
File Manager seems to handle this better (I have not tested it so extensively), but comes with its own problems: the view it offers of the camera roll is limited to thumbnails only, so it is tricky to be sure what one is selecting for transfer. Viewing any particular image file to check what it is clears the tick list. I have read (but not confirmed) that it can't transfer image files from network storage into the into camera roll (RManager can't either, but will transfer into an album).
In summary, I prefer some things about RManager, but from a practicality point of view a I might have to put up with File Manager (unless I can find another app which combines the best features of both).
In fact, it is SO much quicker to transfer by USB cable (using Syncios rather than iTunes), and file names etc are preserved, the only inconveniences being that it has to be tethered by cable and operated from the PC end, but the fact is that 3GB of data was transferred in just a few minutes instead of hours!
I have split off a longer discussion of pros and cons re image archiving to a separate topic HERE (click).
RManager seems to transfer across the network faster than File Manager (subject to objective confirmation), and it displays a thumbnail and "file name" as well as stats when reaching into the camera roll. However, it does not manage its cache/buffer very well: in the process of copying photos/videos to network storage, it buffers each file first - but then fails to release that storage once the upload has completed and starts the next one... until the transfer crashes because the iPad has run out of storage.
File Manager seems to handle this better (I have not tested it so extensively), but comes with its own problems: the view it offers of the camera roll is limited to thumbnails only, so it is tricky to be sure what one is selecting for transfer. Viewing any particular image file to check what it is clears the tick list. I have read (but not confirmed) that it can't transfer image files from network storage into the into camera roll (RManager can't either, but will transfer into an album).
In summary, I prefer some things about RManager, but from a practicality point of view a I might have to put up with File Manager (unless I can find another app which combines the best features of both).
In fact, it is SO much quicker to transfer by USB cable (using Syncios rather than iTunes), and file names etc are preserved, the only inconveniences being that it has to be tethered by cable and operated from the PC end, but the fact is that 3GB of data was transferred in just a few minutes instead of hours!
I have split off a longer discussion of pros and cons re image archiving to a separate topic HERE (click).
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OP
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
Based on my "preferred" status for File Manager (see link in post above), I decided to upgrade to the £3.99 version (the free version only allows for one network storage device to be registered at a time, and does not officially support a NAS - although calling the HDRs Windows works - if you want to stick with "free" then RManager is better). Regrettably, upgrading File Manager did not afford a detailed view of the camera roll like RManager - something I will mention in review and hope to get improved.
Neither RManager nor File Manager (upgraded) are particularly good at playing the Humax TS files: RManager is stuttery (StDef) on my Gen3 iPad, and has the wrong aspect ratio (I'm guessing 4:3 instead of 16:9). File Manager plays smoothly but again with the wrong aspect ratio and with sound completely out of sync. However, it also offers to play the file in VLC and passes a URL to the VLC app (which plays it fine). I have not yet managed to get VLC to access the HDRs by SMB or DLNA, although I have no problem using VLC to play recordings through FTP. File Manager claims to play anything you can throw at it, so I will mention this in review and hope to see it improved.
As an extreme test, I have now set File Manager copying several gigabytes of video from my iPad camera roll to an HDR. If I did that with RManager it would use up all the free iPad storage and bomb out.
Update: 3.5GB transferred via WiFi in about 1.5 hours, with a random failure on one file out of ten. Calculating in my head, I make that 750kB/s or 1.5Mbps - which I guess is not bad considering iPad -> WiFi -> Router -> HomePlug -> mains wiring -> HomePlug -> Ethernet -> HDR-FOX. At least File Manager didn't just bomb out after a couple of files.
Neither RManager nor File Manager (upgraded) are particularly good at playing the Humax TS files: RManager is stuttery (StDef) on my Gen3 iPad, and has the wrong aspect ratio (I'm guessing 4:3 instead of 16:9). File Manager plays smoothly but again with the wrong aspect ratio and with sound completely out of sync. However, it also offers to play the file in VLC and passes a URL to the VLC app (which plays it fine). I have not yet managed to get VLC to access the HDRs by SMB or DLNA, although I have no problem using VLC to play recordings through FTP. File Manager claims to play anything you can throw at it, so I will mention this in review and hope to see it improved.
As an extreme test, I have now set File Manager copying several gigabytes of video from my iPad camera roll to an HDR. If I did that with RManager it would use up all the free iPad storage and bomb out.
Update: 3.5GB transferred via WiFi in about 1.5 hours, with a random failure on one file out of ten. Calculating in my head, I make that 750kB/s or 1.5Mbps - which I guess is not bad considering iPad -> WiFi -> Router -> HomePlug -> mains wiring -> HomePlug -> Ethernet -> HDR-FOX. At least File Manager didn't just bomb out after a couple of files.
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