ianhulme.net
Web Design & Photography
(Cheshire, UK)

I’d like to wish all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

This weekend I decided to remove a removable hard drive caddy from my machine thats been playing up. Upon doing so and restarting my machine I was met by a message from Microsoft, Your PCs hardware has changed considerably, you will have to re-activate your copy of Windows XP.

So I clicked to activate over the internet as it was a legal copy of windows. To my surprise I was then told that the CD-Key used to activate windows had be used to many times and I would have to aquire another, in three days you computer will cease to work. Thanks Microsoft.

So for the first time I went to activate over the phone, I was pleased to see it was a toll-free 0800 number. Ten Minutes, two 36 number codes (one typed into phone, other given to me by operater to type into computer) and a little bit of explaining later, my computer was genuine again, no more threats of it shutting off in 3 days.

My advise if this ever happens to you is to make sure you have everything you need infront of you when making the call , especially the Windows Genuine Product sticker on your pc, and you should have a hassle free call.

I have been a loyal user of Microsoft Frontpage for a few years now, Mainly for it’s ease of use between graphical and html interfaces.

Microsoft is however retiring the Frontpage series to bring us Expression. Made up of four main applications (available separately) Expression Studio comprises of:

• Expression Web: a professional design tool to create modern, standards-based sites which deliver superior quality on the Web.
• Expression Blend: a professional design tool to create engaging, Web-connected, user experiences for Windows.
• Expression Design: a professional illustration and graphic design tool that lets you build compelling elements for both Web and desktop application user interfaces.
• Expression Media: a professional asset management tool to visually catalog and organize all your digital assets for effortless retrieval and presentation.

Click here to learn more

Republished in the late hours of last evening, www.thebagginman.org.

If you live in Cheshire, your have probably heard of the Baggin Man and his trips around the Cheshire Countryside.

A newspaper columnist, The Baggin Man has now published two short books – The Baggin Man Visits Vale Royal and The Baggin Man takes the Train.

Each book features superb watercolours of the area painted by Cheshire Life artist, Gordon Wilkinson and local heritage artist Bernice Barrett Brown.

And the story does not stop there. You can visit the Cheshire Best Kept Station Competition, another Baggin project. Here you can visit every railway station in Cheshire. Even check out the time of the next train!

The site demonstrates the power of internet marketing without considerable expense.

Christmas is upon us and some of you will be considering PCs as (somewhat expensive) gifts, or if your just upgrading.

Dell who you all know, does a lot of special offers, mostly in the form of “Double Memory” and “Free Delivery”.

I came across this as I was costing up some computers for myself, “Free XP Pro to Vista Business Upgrade” and also a free upgrade from Office 2003 to Office 2007, saving you quite a bit of money if you want Vista or Office, but can’t wait till their out in the new year.

Click here to proceed to Dell.

Fotalia sent me the following email this morning:-

Congratulations, one of your photographs has just been purchased on Fotolia.co.uk

Information on the photograph purchased is as follows:
Photo reference: 1671644
Photo Name: golf green
Go back to sale: 01/12/2006
Selling price: 3

I have now learnt that out of that 3 credit selling price I only get half, which is in the region of 85p - but the main thing is it was sold.

Click here to see the photo