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[Sappho]

Whoa... I just set up Thunderbird. Keep in mind that the last time I tried to use an email client that wasn't web-based, it took me ages to figure out what all the addresses are, where to input them, how to make the damn thing work. Actually, I think I eventually gave up on it because it was too complicated.

It asked me for my email address and password. Then it just... set it up. I clicked a button, and there's my inbox. It took less than a minute, no thinking required. I think... I think we live in the future, guys. I think magic exists.

If it's possible to do it through Gmail as well, I might use that when I'm in the office. Or maybe I'll just use that altogether, though I'd have to sober up and spend some time setting it up, have one browser for my personal email and another for my work... Anyway, good to know there are options.

Now to check out LibreOffice and see how it works. Even if I hate it, at least I can use it to convert their stupid .docx files into something that makes me a little less ragey.

EDIT: Hm... LibreOffice lacks one important feature, which OpenOffice also lacks. I cannot set the row height in the table properties. Say, for example, I want to make a table where every row is 3 cm. I can't do it. I have to manually click and drag the table borders and try to make it the size I want (it never comes out perfect this way). Word has a setting in the table properties where I can type in the row height, easy peasy. I've never understood why the Open programs never carry that over.

I suppose I won't be using tables too much for my new job, and if it comes up I can just convert the documents to .doc and use Word. Now, if I can just find a way to sneak this program on to the work computers, maybe I won't get too angry at my new job.

[Aklyon]

Perhaps look for a portable version of the software? If there is a decent one, you could run it off a reasonably-sized usb drive.

Also, I'd second Kadzar's suggestion of 'send yourself a test email'.

[Alastar]

EDIT: Hm... LibreOffice lacks one important feature, which OpenOffice also lacks. I cannot set the row height in the table properties. Say, for example, I want to make a table where every row is 3 cm. I can't do it. I have to manually click and drag the table borders and try to make it the size I want (it never comes out perfect this way). Word has a setting in the table properties where I can type in the row height, easy peasy. I've never understood why the Open programs never carry that over.

Maybe I misunderstand you, but in my version it works as I'd expect it to:
Select the rows you want to adjust, right click. Row -> Height -> uncheck "Fit to size", enter desired height.

[Sappho]

EDIT: Hm... LibreOffice lacks one important feature, which OpenOffice also lacks. I cannot set the row height in the table properties. Say, for example, I want to make a table where every row is 3 cm. I can't do it. I have to manually click and drag the table borders and try to make it the size I want (it never comes out perfect this way). Word has a setting in the table properties where I can type in the row height, easy peasy. I've never understood why the Open programs never carry that over.

Maybe I misunderstand you, but in my version it works as I'd expect it to:
Select the rows you want to adjust, right click. Row -> Height -> uncheck "Fit to size", enter desired height.

Aha! I've never formatted tables by right-clicking. I've always gone through the table properties menu. It never would have occurred to me to right-click the table and format it there. Thanks a lot! So in that case, it looks like this software should do everything I need it to. : )

[Arx]

Hopefully not too late, but LibreOffice usually kills images if I try to save as docx; .doc works fine though. It also has a tendency to mangle fancily formatted word documents hideously, although not all the time. Nonetheless, it's probably the best Word-alternative out there.

[Alastar]

Word documents are hideously mangled by default. A rather kind way of looking at it: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/02/19.html

[Aklyon]

Huh. I'd thought .rtf was just so Wordpad had a point over Notepad, not Office relevance.

[AndClayton]

Alright, my setup right now is I have a laptop hooked up to a tv via HDMI and I have the tv set up as the main display. Simple enough.

But...the TV also has a VGA hookup on it...

Is there any way possible I could get some dual monitor going with an actually computer monitor?

I guess the technical question would be is there any way a TV can /output/ a VGA signal, the same signal it's receiving from the HDMI from my laptop.

[Lord Shonus]

Just hook them up as different monitors and use "clone" or "duplicate" mode. There's no need (or possibility) to chain them together.

[AndClayton]

Oh, I should have mentioned that my laptop doesn't have a VGA plugin.

Is there possibly a device that could hook up via HDMI to my laptop, and from that device route it to VGA/HDMI inputs? Like, plug device into laptop, plug tv/monitor into said device.

Is that a thing? Is the technology there?

[Lord Shonus]

Yeah, that's pretty important information to have. You're SOL, I'm afraid.

[AndClayton]

Never mind, I totally just now noticed the my laptop indeed does have a VGA port! Dual monitoring it up, now haha.

Anybody have some suggestions for what to populate me secondary monitor with? I was going to use the "Widgets" that come with Windows 7, but they are pretty...ugly lol. Any cool informational displays for CPU/GPU temperature, ect. monitoring?

And is there a way to have my secondary display use a different wallpaper from the primary?

[Aklyon]

You're looking for Rainmeter, if you want a simple info monitor.

[Rolepgeek]

Anyone have advice for how to get rid of some adware? I've done everything I can think of or search for, and these bloody few remaining adware things just refuse to die. They seem practically invisible, other than the part where they're stupidly obnoxious.

Right now, it's interyield, adsdelivery1.com, and 'you might enjoy reading' that I can see.

[gimlet]

I usually have procexp (from microsoft sysinternals, the graph of cpu usage in Task Manager or the list of processes sorted by cpu usage, the graph/details of whatever resource I'm worried about in Resource Manager (currently disk access, bleh, SO slow, gives me something to look at while I wait), an IRC window, and a few ssh sessions to other machines.  Oh and lately a cmd box with a constant ping -t of google so I can see at a glance how awful my internet continues to be :p And a couple of Egg Timers that I can set to remind me of stuff (food cooking, time to leave to go somewhere, multiplayer game starting, whatever).

CPU temp I just use "Core Temp" and have it display in the System Tray.