Online Translation

Online translators have a ways to go, as proved by the new Microsoft Live Translator at http://translator.live.com/Default.aspx

I ran a test, taking one English phrase, translating from it directly to a single language & then translating the results back to English. What I got back was always pretty far off the mark & often funny. I wound up sticking people & stores into cupboards. All the dishes never did get done. I wonder if this is how the teenage mind works?

Starting in English:
Put the groceries in the cupboard and then wash the dishes thoroughly.
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to Dutch:
Zet de kruidenierswinkels in de kast en was grondig dan de schotels.
Back to English:
And were thorough then the dishes put the grocers in the cupboard.
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to German:
Setzen Sie die Lebensmittelgeschäfte in den Schrank ein und waschen Sie dann die Teller gänzlich.
Back to English:
Insert the grocer's shops into the cabinet and wash you then the plates completely.
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To Arabic:
وضعت الدكّان بقالة في الخزانة وبعد ذلك غسلت الأطباق تماما.
Back to English:
The shop put grocer in the cupboard and after that washers of the dishes completely.
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To Japanese:
食料雑貨を食器棚に置き、次に皿を完全に洗浄しなさい。
Back To English:
Put the food miscellaneous goods on the china cabinet, next wash the plate completely.
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After 10 years of similar results, I didn't have my hopes set too high - a good thing!

Patches on a new PC?

I bought a new PC from Dell with XP SP2 loaded. I would've liked to get Office 2003 pre-installed as well, but that's impossible since they're so deeply in bed with Microsoft. Only the latest & 'greatest' for their customers, according to my corporate salesman. Office 2007 offered only. I should feel lucky I could get XP SP2 rather than Vista!

It took me half a day & a dozen reboots just to get the PC ready to personalize. Most of the time taken by patches! Out of the box, I think there were over 80 patches just for Windows XP SP2. Then I installed Office 2003 & the number jumped to over 100. I don't find that acceptable.

I thought I recalled Microsoft saying they would have XP SP3 out about the same time as Vista? I know they changed the date now to the first half of 2008. I guess we'll have over 200 pathes by that point - if we can even get it. Maybe by that time Vista will actually fit into a corporate network.

In the meantime, I have 18 PC's to roll out as quickly as possible. Thank you, Clonezilla!