IT chat

[Glorian]

I recon you'd really like Heros and Generals then

It's free on steam and I have to admit it's one of my favourites!

(Though, with moving at the moment I haven't been able to get on my PC much to game.. )

 

Currently fallout 4 addict

And battlefront arrived the other day. Slave 1 Pew pew pew

 

level 22 addict on fall out 4, preparing to go to war against the institute with the steelbrotherhood

 

On my second play through

[MrWhippy]

LOL, guess ERP it will be at some point then, we can talk about how many extra resources the big ones need and how much of a problem they cause when people start putting their own spin on them and then the people that wrote them refuse to suppor them since they have been changed so much from the original, and how businesses have to change their processes to suit the software rather than the other way round. but yeah well up for a chat on the topic I take it your in IT as well then tsurgi-irjin?

As for games, I love proper strategy games cant seem to find any decent ones though these days, used to MMORPG alot but life started getting in the way, i used to play a lot of sports as well, as i say im pretty much FM these days, oh and i used to love the rainbow series and forza was quite good at both on the XBOX. im on steam, if anyone can find a good strategy game then let me know, also own a copy of Axis and Allies board game and I wont gointo the roleplaying i used to do no not that sort all you perv's

 

You and me are going to get on!

I am an Automotive Engineer technically, but while working with Triumph I found I had a bit of a passion for databases, ERPs and KBE.

Basically putting things in their right bloody boxes so that engineers aren't doing the same useless tasks, day after day, which only duplicates documentation and creates more problems all round!

Now that I'm out of Uni I'm getting really into SQL, C++ etc.. Quality Engineering too but I guess that all gets rolled into the same bundle in the end.

My cupboard with my current flatmate is FULL of games like axis and allies (Have you played their Japanese feudal one? So good!). Variants of Risk, Munchkin, WoW Monopoly and yes, me and friends meet on Skype to DnD once a week if we can

 

Yes i think we will get on quite well.

Im not an expert coder by any means but understand SQL, C based languages and can read most languages. if you need any help with them i am more than happy to take a look if i can help.

the skype idea sounds good.

Ive not seen the japanese fuedal one, ill have a look around for it.

Its good to know its not just me that likes good old fashioned RPG and board games.

Forgot to add be careful who you tell you have a passion for databases and data in its right place etc... a lot of people will not take it like us IT geeks. in a lot of places it roles into one in others they are all very seperate.

Also working at Triumph nice, sounds very interesting.

[Fozzie]

LOL send me a messag and add me, we talking xboxone i take it.... if you have GTAV or something you can join my mates and blow people up (normally each other)

 

Yep

I'm also looking for someone to run through co-op on Halo 5 with me. So far I've asked Ricky as I need someone to test something. The final boss fight with Chief is widely considered impossible on legendary mode unless you get lucky. As I didn't have 3 hours to burn, I did what any sane person would do. Found a way to access parts of the level you shouldn't, and then find a way to trigger the mission end.

I have GTA 5, although I stopped playing it when the heists came along as I play solo, but I couldn't unlock vehicles without doing the heists. The worst bit of course being you were sat for literally an hour waiting for people to join, just so they could muck it all up for you 3 minutes in.

I quite like blowing other people up... Or throwing cars at them with the bobcat helicopter... Or putting a sticky bomb on their own ride and leaving it there as an insurance policy if they try to attack me.

[Gin]

Have to admit for MMOs, gave EVE a go and just couldn't get my teeth in so I've got Guild wars 2 that I play with the same group of mates.. No monthly fees which is always a bonus!

And I'll try and get a picture up of the last Axis n Allies weekend we had.. the board takes over the entire living room table!

I managed to get Russia to do well in WW1 but crushed in WW2 I think..

[MrWhippy]

Have to admit for MMOs, gave EVE a go and just couldn't get my teeth in so I've got Guild wars 2 that I play with the same group of mates.. No monthly fees which is always a bonus!

And I'll try and get a picture up of the last Axis n Allies weekend we had.. the board takes over the entire living room table!

I managed to get Russia to do well in WW1 but crushed in WW2 I think..

 

Wow ive only seen the WWII version.

Russia are a tough nut to play, its basically defend like mad, it does depend on which way germany go though as well.

Pic would be good sounds huge.

As for MMO's WOW was the main one for me, i get bored of the repitive nature though.

[RantMachine]

Yes they do, although their fan base seems to be growing and getting more obsesive, this on the part of applie getting people to believe your not buying a PC/Phone but a way of life is genius

By definition a captive market is one where the consumer has little or no other choice. Apple once had a captive market in professional designers, photographers, cinematographers, etc, but as I said in my post their competitors can now offer just us much. More, if we compare things by price. As that transition has taken place they've remarketed themselves exceptionally well and done a great job of expanding the range of products and services they provide in order to become a consumer electronics powerhouse instead of a specialist niche brand, but the brand loyalty that they have achieved is a very different beast to a captive market. A captive market is something that in theory you have to do very little to maintain; they need your product and have no viable alternative, so you can count on their business and all you really have to do is convince them to buy your more expensive products instead of the cheaper ones. Brand loyalty requires work to generate, and continued work to maintain. That's what Apple have done so well, they drum up excitement and desirability like nobody else can, and as you noted, they sell a lifestyle as well as a product range.

[Gin]

Was a WoW nut myself a long while ago but I think around Wrath of the Lich king I lost it.. Tried again at Pandas but they'd just made it way to simplistic and kiddy..

WW1:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/133 ... s-wwi-1914

The Feudal Japan one / Ikusa:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/221/ikusa

Pics at the bottom of both those links..

Also got given Mass effect Risk a couple of years ago for my bday which is a good laugh

[RantMachine]

Also got given Mass effect Risk a couple of years ago for my bday which is a good laugh

I'm trying to come up with some rules for a Risk drinking game, should be a great laugh. Spirits themed by country or continent, of course

[MrWhippy]

Yes they do, although their fan base seems to be growing and getting more obsesive, this on the part of applie getting people to believe your not buying a PC/Phone but a way of life is genius

By definition a captive market is one where the consumer has little or no other choice. Apple once had a captive market in professional designers, photographers, cinematographers, etc, but as I said in my post their competitors can now offer just us much. More, if we compare things by price. As that transition has taken place they've remarketed themselves exceptionally well and done a great job of expanding the range of products and services they provide in order to become a consumer electronics powerhouse instead of a specialist niche brand, but the brand loyalty that they have achieved is a very different beast to a captive market. A captive market is something that in theory you have to do very little to maintain; they need your product and have no viable alternative, so you can count on their business and all you really have to do is convince them to buy your more expensive products instead of the cheaper ones. Brand loyalty requires work to generate, and continued work to maintain. That's what Apple have done so well, they drum up excitement and desirability like nobody else can, and as you noted, they sell a lifestyle as well as a product range.

 

Agreed, I think it will be interesting to see if they can continue following the passing of SJ, as when they kicked him out first time they lost their identity and he had to come back and right the ship.

[MrWhippy]

Was a WoW nut myself a long while ago but I think around Wrath of the Lich king I lost it.. Tried again at Pandas but they'd just made it way to simplistic and kiddy..

WW1:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/133 ... s-wwi-1914

The Feudal Japan one / Ikusa:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/221/ikusa

Pics at the bottom of both those links..

Also got given Mass effect Risk a couple of years ago for my bday which is a good laugh

 

Yeah i just got bored as it was so repetitive.

ooo those both look interesting, no point in getting them though as i say no one to play with and not masses of time.

mass effect risk will have to have a look for that as well, wow i must be getting really old dont know about any of the new stuff or at least out of touch.

cheers

[MrWhippy]

Also got given Mass effect Risk a couple of years ago for my bday which is a good laugh

I'm trying to come up with some rules for a Risk drinking game, should be a great laugh. Spirits themed by country or continent, of course

 

When I was in training for going to sea we used to play risk just about every night, never needed a game to go with Risk just played it and drank at the same time, it got interesting when you had a lot of people that played a lot playing the game they went on for hours and got more interesting the more alcohol was consumed.

[RantMachine]

Agreed, I think it will be interesting to see if they can continue following the passing of SJ, as when they kicked him out first time they lost their identity and he had to come back and right the ship.

 

Looks like they're doing well so far. I think that he had done enough already that they can just continue with bringing out updated models every year and a new product every five years or so and maintain a lot of their momentum - I think they've grown beyond the point where anyone can actually effectively assail their position. Maybe Google would have the sheer capital to make a go of it, but it would be a tough nut to crack because the way they generate their customer base is so wildly different. I think that if there is any change in apple it's that they won't enjoy the kind of exponential acceleration that they did under Jobs. Don't get me wrong, they'll probably keep going forward and keep going from strength to strength, but not at the sheer rate that they enjoyed in the past. Enough that people might get distracted very now and then by shiny toys released by other people, so long as the other parties are smart enough to try and fit around the Apple lifestyle instead of conflicting with it. Maybe something like a fully developed Google Glass, with the final price benefiting from a little bit of economy of scale, and maybe sold with a very narrow margin (or even at a slight loss, they can afford it after all) to encourage early adoption, could make them lose some of that momentum. Tough to say, but it's interesting stuff.

But the thing that really interests me is to see what happens if they do lose momentum. I'm predicting some kind of attempt to trade on Jobs' image a lot more, raise him as some kind of messiah of the Apple fanboys

I'd love to see that happen. Hell, I'd even be tempted to go for a job in their marketing team...

Brb, gotta go wash my mouth with soap .

[MrWhippy]

Agreed, I think it will be interesting to see if they can continue following the passing of SJ, as when they kicked him out first time they lost their identity and he had to come back and right the ship.

 

Looks like they're doing well so far. I think that he had done enough already that they can just continue with bringing out updated models every year and a new product every five years or so and maintain a lot of their momentum - I think they've grown beyond the point where anyone can actually effectively assail their position. Maybe Google would have the sheer capital to make a go of it, but it would be a tough nut to crack because the way they generate their customer base is so wildly different. I think that if there is any change in apple it's that they won't enjoy the kind of exponential acceleration that they did under Jobs. Don't get me wrong, they'll probably keep going forward and keep going from strength to strength, but not at the sheer rate that they enjoyed in the past. Enough that people might get distracted very now and then by shiny toys released by other people, so long as the other parties are smart enough to try and fit around the Apple lifestyle instead of conflicting with it. Maybe something like a fully developed Google Glass, with the final price benefiting from a little bit of economy of scale, and maybe sold with a very narrow margin (or even at a slight loss, they can afford it after all) to encourage early adoption, could make them lose some of that momentum. Tough to say, but it's interesting stuff.

But the thing that really interests me is to see what happens if they do lose momentum. I'm predicting some kind of attempt to trade on Jobs' image a lot more, raise him as some kind of messiah of the Apple fanboys

I'd love to see that happen. Hell, I'd even be tempted to go for a job in their marketing team...

Again, agree with the points you are making.

Last time though i think it took around 5 years before we even started to see the issues, I cant remember how long ago he passed but we could be getting to that point soon. it will be intesting to see as i think one of the things that their market really like is the early adoption of new technology not just the i got the new version that will be what hits them hardest i think.

it will be very interesting to watch though.

I would use something stronger than soap after that

Brb, gotta go wash my mouth with soap .

[MrWhippy]

Just found these anyone want me to set up a private game.

http://triplea.sourceforge.net/mywiki/TripleA

http://atwar-game.com/home/

[Joeman]

My macbook pro retina is the only apple device I allow in the house. Nothing wrong with macbook pros for serious IT work.

 

Im curious have you installed windows on it then?

Or are you working on a none windows network?

Or maybe i should ask what are you calling serious IT work?

These are serious questions by the way im curious?

 

Running windows in parallels for visual studio (C# development) and Excel vba and addon development. I have office for Mac installed too but its crap. SQL server also running on windows.

I do a lot of python development, I use PyCharm IDE from JetBrains but I run that Mac. Also have mysql and mamp running on Mac.

Macs instant boot time, compact size, SSD, i7 processor, long battery, with retina screen and backlit keyboard, make it a great portable development machine. They are sturdy, well built machines. Ive not found a windows laptop that feels as well built.

I never network it to corporate networks, the places I work don't allow that.

[MrWhippy]

My macbook pro retina is the only apple device I allow in the house. Nothing wrong with macbook pros for serious IT work.

 

Im curious have you installed windows on it then?

Or are you working on a none windows network?

Or maybe i should ask what are you calling serious IT work?

These are serious questions by the way im curious?

 

Running windows in parallels for visual studio (C# development) and Excel vba and addon development. I have office for Mac installed too but its crap. SQL server also running on windows.

I do a lot of python development, I use PyCharm IDE from JetBrains but I run that Mac. Also have mysql and mamp running on Mac.

Macs instant boot time, compact size, SSD, i7 processor, long battery, with retina screen and backlit keyboard, make it a great portable development machine. They are sturdy, well built machines. Ive not found a windows laptop that feels as well built.

I never network it to corporate networks, the places I work don't allow that.

 

Yeah i figured you would have to have windows on there somewhere, sounds like you are a busy little developer then.

the surface devices are good, but probably dont have the power or resolution that you want.

Its a changing world some places will let you use what ever device you like, as long as it meets the security requirements, must be a pain to get your work of the mac onto the servers then if your not on the network, unless they still let you use USB drives. I cant remember the last place that hadnt disabled them.

[soll]

steam... look for soll or snekie

[Joeman]

Its a changing world some places will let you use what ever device you like, as long as it meets the security requirements, must be a pain to get your work of the mac onto the servers then if your not on the network, unless they still let you use USB drives. I cant remember the last place that hadnt disabled them.

 

Currently contracting for a large American financial institution in the city of London. I have access to realtime trading data and other business sensitive data, so security is very tight. No USB access and no code allowed off work machines onto personal devices.

These days my macbook is for private development projects or for keeping my skills sharp. I get home from a long day in the office, fire up the macbook and work on my own stuff. I have a few projects on the go mostly hosted on Google cloud platform. Loads of the Google stuff has excellent examples for the Mac which is another strong case for macs.

I refuse to own an iPhone. Android all the way. Just got the new nexus 5x (had the 5 and 4 previously so I'm a big nexus fan) and downloaded the new version of android studio to have a play about - runs flawlessly on the Mac.

No self respecting IT person should own a locked down device like an iPhone IMO!

An no time for games - games take up valuable coding time!!

[Matt Strange]

That's what Apple have done so well, they drum up excitement and desirability like nobody else can, and as you noted, they sell a lifestyle as well as a product range.

I don't find apple very exciting nor do I desire the lifestyle that most of the owners appear to have i.e. diesel one series, fake tan, protein shakes and endless gym selfies with duck pouts.

[Guest]

I don't find apple very exciting nor do I desire the lifestyle that most of the owners appear to have i.e. diesel one series, fake tan, protein shakes and endless gym selfies with duck pouts.

 

I have none of that.. I dont even have a camera phone (I have a camera AND a £10 phone) but I do have a Mac Mini and it was certainly one of my better buying decisions.

[MrWhippy]

That's what Apple have done so well, they drum up excitement and desirability like nobody else can, and as you noted, they sell a lifestyle as well as a product range.

I don't find apple very exciting nor do I desire the lifestyle that most of the owners appear to have i.e. diesel one series, fake tan, protein shakes and endless gym selfies with duck pouts.

 

I didnt say it appealed to me, in fact some would say I am the opposite of a fanboy when apple are concerned

[Joeman]

I hate apple. They are the only tech company who feel the need to have a repair centre on every high Street.

OSX claims to be the world's most advanced operating system, but its basically just Linux, and invariably its simpler to perform a task in windows than it is on OSX. OSX is just not intuitive at all.

However, as i said before, I have yet to find a windows laptop that's as well constructed and ticks as many boxes as a macbook pro. Why can't other manufacturers make good laptops??

[MR_W]

Its a changing world some places will let you use what ever device you like, as long as it meets the security requirements, must be a pain to get your work of the mac onto the servers then if your not on the network, unless they still let you use USB drives. I cant remember the last place that hadnt disabled them.

 

Currently contracting for a large American financial institution in the city of London. I have access to realtime trading data and other business sensitive data, so security is very tight. No USB access and no code allowed off work machines onto personal devices.

These days my macbook is for private development projects or for keeping my skills sharp. I get home from a long day in the office, fire up the macbook and work on my own stuff. I have a few projects on the go mostly hosted on Google cloud platform. Loads of the Google stuff has excellent examples for the Mac which is another strong case for macs.

I refuse to own an iPhone. Android all the way. Just got the new nexus 5x (had the 5 and 4 previously so I'm a big nexus fan) and downloaded the new version of android studio to have a play about - runs flawlessly on the Mac.

No self respecting IT person should own a locked down device like an iPhone IMO!

An no time for games - games take up valuable coding time!!

 

How is the 5X holding up? Close to binning my HTC One M8.

[Joeman]

How is the 5X holding up? Close to binning my HTC One M8.

 

yeah its cool. fingerprint reader is very cool.

battery is not much better than the Nexus 5. No wireless charging, and needed to buy a load of USB-C cables to charge it.

only real complaint is that the volume has moved to the right side (used to be on the left on the Nexus5)

oh and dont buy the genuine case, the furry back give your fingers carpet burn!

[Fozzie]

steam... look for soll or snekie

 

Will add you on live this evening, was out all day yesterday so never had chance