UX

Implemenation Model, Mental Model and Why Dropbox Rocks

Posted on by Atanasio Segovia / 0 Comment

Dropbox is an awesome app. According to the website “Dropbox is the easiest way to store, sync, and, share files online. There’s no complicated interface to learn.”

Simply install dropbox and a shiny new dropbox will be waiting for you on your desktop. It works on Windows, Mac, and even Linux.

Want to know how Dropbox works?

Imagine a box on all of your computers. You can drop stuff into the box and access it from all your computers, it’s almost magical.

What about the implementation model and mental model?

The implementation model is how the software actually works while the metal model reflects how the person thinks the software works and can be used. Sandwiched between the implementation model and mental model is the represented model, this is how designers choose to represent the working of the program users. A good designer will strive to match the represented model to the mental model of the users. This may mean pushing back on engineers.

Back to Dropbox

When a file is dropped into dropbox it is moved NOT copied. How cool is that! Moving files is the same behavior that users expect when dragging a file from one folder to another in the same computer. Copying is something that users expect when moving files into an external device like a USB drive.

Dropbox does an awesome job of matching the represented model the mental model of the users: Drop stuff into a box and store, sync, and share files online.

Uncategorized

Eee PC 1005HAB Recovery from USB Flash Drive

Posted on by Atanasio Segovia / 7 Comments

So you want to restore a Eee PC 1005 HAB to factory default but don’t have an external DVD-Drive. Well, if you have 2 hours of spare time and a “can do” attitude read on. There is even some videos included in this how-to.

First Things First

Here is checklist of things that you will need on before moving forward.

  • 1005HA XP Support DVD
  • A 4GB USB Flash drive or bigger
  • 7-Zip (download and install)
  • PetoUSB
  • 120 free minutes

This was done using a 32-bit version of Windows Vista but should work in XP as well. Continue at your own risk, the steps outlined below worked for me.

Preparing the USB Drive with the EEPC 1005HAB Recovery Data

The following steps will prepare the USB drive with all necessary recovery files.

1. Download and install 7-Zip

2. Create a folder on your desktop called “WINPE”

3. Insert the 1005HA XP Support DVD into the DVD drive

4. Click on the Windows Vista Menu -> computer -> right click on the DVD drive and select “open”

5. Right click on the WINPE.ISO file -> 7 zip -> Extract files -> Select the “WINPE” folder on the desktop-> Click OK

6. Click on the “WINPE” folder in the desktop -> i386 folder -> SYSTEM32 folder -> double click “WINPESHL.INI”

7. Change

“[launchApp]
AppPath=x:\EPCRecover.exe

to

[launchApp]
AppPath=x:\GHOST32.EXE

and save

8. Connect the USB Flash drive to your computer

BACK UP YOUR DATA!

The next steps will destroy all data in the USB Flash drive.

8. Download and Extract PetoUSB to the Desktop

9. Double Click on the new PetoUSB folder on the desktop -> right click on “PeToUSB” and select “Run as administrator”

Select the flash drive in the new window, check “Enable Disk Format”, select the WINPE folder on the desktop, and check “Enable file copy”. Click on “start”. This will take about 20 minutes, good time to get coffee or water, read news or the Word.

10. Click on the Windows Vista Menu -> computer -> right click on the DVD drive and select “open” -> Recovery  folder -> copy “EEPC-ENG.gho” to the USB Flash Drive. This is going to take a while. Feel free to take another break perhaps update your twitter status or what not.

11.  Reformatting your USB Drive

PetoUSB formatted the USB drive to FAT and we need it to be NTFS.  Here is how to do it:

windows command prompt -> convert x:/fs:ntfs

where x is your flash drive letter

Recovery process for the Eee PC 1005HAB

1. Insert the Flash drive into the Eee PC 1005HAB netbook

2.  Disable the BootBooster by holding the F2 key on boot and entering the BIOS setup utility -> Boot tab -> Boot Booster -> Disable -> F10 to save and exit (this will restart the netbook) -> Press the ESC key while booting -> select the USB Flash Drive from the menu option

The recovery system will start at this point followed by Symantec Ghost

3.  Once Ghost starts -> click on “OK” -> local -> Disk -> From Image (last option) -> Browse for “EEPC-ENG.gho”

4.  Select the destination, typically it is the first one (Drive 1)


5. Done! Well, almost now you have to way for the recovery system to finish. Be sure to run windows updates upon completion.

Linux/Uncategorized

Running Microsoft Office 2007 on Fedora 10.

Posted on by Atanasio Segovia / 0 Comment

This guide walks through installing Microsoft Office 2007 on Fedora Core 9 using wine and a few commands. It is now simple enough to get MS Office 2007 in Linux by following a few steps.

Requirements

  • Internet connection
  • Fedora Core10
  • Microsoft Office 2007 (no need for a DVD, the files in a folder should suffice).

Step 1: Installing wine

starting from the gnome panel:

  1. Click on Applications -> System tools ->  terminal
  2. In the terminal type “su –“ and enter root’s password when prompted
  3. Type “yum install wine”
  4. Type “yes” when prompted
  5. This will install multiple packages
  6. Type “exit” on the terminal to exit from root’s account

Step 2: Installing  Microsoft Office 2007 on Fedora Core10

From a terminal:

  1. Type “cd /media/MSOFFICE2007” where MSOFFICE2007 is the location of your MS Office DVD or directory containing the office files.
  2. Type “wine setup.exe” and go through the setup process.

Last configuration steps to get MS Office 2007 working on Linux

No overrides are needed to install Office 2007 in 1.1.3 or later see here

  1. Type “winecfg” as regular user in the terminal
  2. Click on the “Libraries” tab

Add the following overrides

  1. Riched20 (native)
  2. Usp10 (native,builtin)

Microsoft Office 2007 applications should be available through the gnome-panel under wine -> Programs -> Microsoft Office

That’s all it takes to install MSO 2007 in Fedora Core.