Optimize Your Windows!
I know, this is one of the most common tutorials out there, but most of the others don't optimize your XP or Vista, they add too much in terms of feel which clutters up your process list. I can't have that, because this tutorial is for the less-powerful computers like my laptop.
[ HP-Compaq, 1GB /RAM, 1 Core(1.79GHz),
XP Professional /Native OS ]
...and if I can get this 2 year-old, $500 machine looking and performing great, today, it beats the hell out of spending $1500-$2000+ on a Mac Book.
First off—I know it's a hassle for most people to do—backup, format and reinstall your OS. You may proceed without formatting if your computer doesn't have any major problems with it. Optimization means running only what needs to be run. To do that, hit WindowsKey+R and type msconfig and hit Enter. The System Configuration Utility Window should pop up. Under the Startup-Tab, unselect anything that doesn't need to be running when you start up your computer. For example: Google Updater, iTunes Helper, HP Assistant etc... I have Trend Micro, but purposely did not put it on my laptop, because it just takes up too much process. So just don't go to sites that you know are harmful and DON'T USE INTERNET EXPLORER. Most intentionally harmful bugs, viruses, worms, trojan horse programs are written for Internet Explorer. Delete all links to the program, download the newest Firefox, set it default and you shouldn't get any viruses (if you aren't looking).
Now that you have a clean, protected system with a clean process-list, it's time to go for looks! You can do this step in both XP and Vista (a little different in Vista). Right-Click your Desktop and hit Properties. Your Display Properties Window should pop up. Under the Appearance-Tab select the Windows and buttons: drop-down. Select the Windows Classic Style. I know, very bland, right? I like a darker theme by preference, so hit the Advanced-Button in the lower right-hand corner of the window. You can do a lot in terms of customization; Here's what I made mine look like:
Now that it's all slick and dark-looking, transparency is the only thing missing. I use Glass2k to control window transparency. It's a tiny program that takes up very little process memory. Once you have it downloaded, run it and there should be an icon on your task-bar. Right-Click the icon and select Settings. Select your preferences and by default—when you have a window selected—hit Ctrl+Shift + 1 through 0 (number-line above the letters on your keyboard). 0 being no-transparency and 1 being most transparent. You can change this key-combination in the settings. Here's what mine looks like with transparency:
Now that everything's looking sharp, we need a dock to clean up the desktop. I use RocketDock because it's free and easy on the memory. If you're looking for another manageable way to unclutter your desktop, Stardock's Fences works great, as well!
Now restart your computer and, if you've done everything correctly, there should be very little running in your Task Manager. If you want to get rid of your Recycle Bin icon from your desktop and have it on your dock, instead, there's a program for that: TweakUI. Once you have it downloaded, it should be under Start, All Programs, Powertoys for Windows XP. Open the program and select the + Desktop group. It will show you which icons you have turned on, on your desktop. Simply check and uncheck to apply the desired changes. This program does a lot of advanced stuff, so have fun and be careful not to screw anything up too bad (It's a program straight from Microsoft). I can't wait until they make one for Vista, though you don't need it for getting rid of the recycle bin because you can just right-click and Delete it.
Yet, another cool thing you can do for the feel that keeps your windows simple and organized: AllSnap! I just found out about this program not too long ago and it really helps if you're anal about window location and sizes (I am). Once you have it downloaded, there will be a new icon on your task-bar. Right-click it and select Settings and set the window-snap-distance down to the very last pixel of your obsessive preference! This program will run at startup by default and it takes up almost no process memory like the others!
Click to enlarge:
Enjoy your optimized system!
What Happened!?
If you're wondering where the old design went, we're probably on the same page (no pun intended). I never felt completely comfortable with the old design and knew that it wouldn't have a long life-span anyway. So I made this new one! No fancy name, but I call it Green ; just thought it would be nice for spring.
What I am going to try to do with this design is make several skins for it. The goal is to have little buttons or a button list that will allow the site users to change the appearance. The only problem is CSS and HTML alone, cannot achieve this. I found an article about incorporating a simple Javascript that ties all of the CSS together and allows for user-selection. Hopefully these techniques will help me to further the site's development and make it a little more Web 2.0.
Wabuf Motion Beta
Wabuf Motion Beta has been up for a while now. Stroh and I have been trying different media players and different server settings tirelessly since the new year. We think this player (PHP Motion V2.0) is the one that will stick. It supports most Mpegs, Apple (Macintosh) codecs, compressed Flash video and even DivX.
So feel free to go join and test out our features! If you find anything significantly out of place, please tell us in the forum (instructions in the About section).
click the image to visit the beta
Updated Galleries!
The updates in the gallery features a number of new sketches from artist: Nicholas Begnaud. The other sketch page is my own from one of my sketchbooks a few years back. The photo page will be frequently updated along with another photo page for Christopher McDonagh. His photography page will feature photos taken from his Nikon D40. There is a perfectly good reason it's not up yet; there are hundreds upon hundreds of photos that this kid took. Thus, I'm leaving the dirty work up to him and I'll compile it before it shows up here. The Team Fortress 2 page is full of screenshots taken of the game. Many have yet to be put up and, likewise, weeded out.
These galleries can be found in the Art Section of the site.
A Splash of Dignity
New design... "no enter page!?" No, entrance pages are for ninnies. I dubbed the new design Splash of Dignity. The reason I chose this name is because I now realize that web design needs to be done with dignity.
As far as design goes, I have never gone beyond the barrier of presentational HTML. I have always gone for look over function and accessibility. My past designs yeilded nothing but dead ends, broken links and disgusting amounts of work.
Now that I've opened my eyes and learned proper CSS formatting, I can prowdly carry W3C's CSS and XHTML logos on my site (along with client's sites). The ease and simplicity far outweigh the time it took to learn and develop the skill. Having a W3C-approved page ensures that any page I design will be accessible to the largest audience possible. This means the disabled such as the many color blindnesses, ageing eyes, and even total blindness (for screen-reading programs) will not be left out.
Time Displacement
Time Displacement is a form of displacing time by pixels. The pixels can be arranged in any order as they are to be part of a gradient map. In the first test; a linear gradient is used. In the second test, I use a radial gradient...
