Easy Bake. Flop-a-palooza. Woosh. Pop. I don't skulk.

Angel ,'Shells'


Buffistechnology 2: You Made Her So She Growls?  

Got a question about technology? Ask it here. Discussion of hardware, software, TiVos, multi-region DVDs, Windows, Macs, LINUX, hand-helds, iPods, anything tech related. Better than any helpdesk!


DXMachina - Oct 17, 2005 8:08:29 am PDT #5165 of 10003
You always do this. We get tipsy, and you take advantage of my love of the scientific method.

Are there cables out there that allow you to run two computers to the same monitor? What about two computers to the same printer?

Printers are easy, and there's a couple of ways to do it. If you don't want to network anything, you can pick up a little A-B switch box. You connect cables from the computer to the box, and a cable from the box to the printer, and you're done. The box is usually switched manually, but there are some that will sense which computer wants to print, and send the job on to the printer.

If you have a home network, it's even easier. Just attach the printer to one of the computers, and set the computer up so that the printer is shared with the network.

For monitors, you can use a KVM switch, which is similar to the printer switch, except it has inputs for keyboards, monitors,and mice (KVM). By coincidence, I'll be setting one of these up here this evening.


Dana - Oct 17, 2005 9:49:47 am PDT #5166 of 10003
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.

I am back with another pesky question.

Anyone out there running Open Office who'd be willing to convert an .sxw file into...anything I can view?


tommyrot - Oct 17, 2005 9:56:28 am PDT #5167 of 10003
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.

Dana, if you can wait until this evening I could do it then.


Dana - Oct 17, 2005 9:57:56 am PDT #5168 of 10003
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.

Thanks, Tom. If no one else pops up, I'll send it on to you.


amych - Oct 17, 2005 10:02:24 am PDT #5169 of 10003
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?

Dana, I wouldn't be able to do it until evening either, so I'll let tommyrot do the honors, but I did want to suggest that you contact the person who sent it to you -- OpenOffice can export files in Word format, and anyone who uses it is probably used to having to do so.


Dana - Oct 17, 2005 10:05:59 am PDT #5170 of 10003
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.

anyone who uses it is probably used to having to do so.

Unless it's my mom. But yes, we will be having a talk about how to do that. I'm just trying to minimize the stress on her at the moment.


amych - Oct 17, 2005 10:07:54 am PDT #5171 of 10003
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?

Yes -- for neworleanean moms there can be an exception.


tommyrot - Oct 17, 2005 10:13:01 am PDT #5172 of 10003
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.

Thanks, Tom. If no one else pops up, I'll send it on to you.

OK. Profile addy is good.


Betsy HP - Oct 17, 2005 11:10:45 am PDT #5173 of 10003
If I only had a brain...

Apple Customer Service is teh BEST.

I went to the Apple store with my hyperclean iPod Mini and my sad story. The person agreed that it was probably beyond hope. I explained that my son really loved Minis, and now they were discontinued. She went into the back of the store, found a couple of open-box Minis (opened and returned), gave me the open-box discount, and then gave me the recycled iPod discount.

Rock on.


evil jimi - Oct 18, 2005 2:33:35 am PDT #5174 of 10003
Lurching from one disaster to the next.

Xerox printer codes track documents ... [link]