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Use Windows XP Pro's Network Diagnostics tool
for comprehensive troubleshooting

Note from Karl Dallas: I ran the Network Diagnostics Tool and it appears to have hung when it was 35% through its work. This has happened several times. I'm leaving it and will report further when/if it actually finishes.

TechRepublic: Outlook 2003: New features create new support issues:
Deb Shinder
The release of Office 2003 means that it's time for tech support personnel to gear up for the questions and problems that will come with it. The more features a program has to offer, the more that can go wrong. Let's take a look at some of the new features that are most likely to result in support calls from users, including RPC over HTTP connections, the cached Exchange mode, and issues arising from the new Information Rights Management (IRM)."

[05 November 2003]

The Adobe 'Photos' Report

With Christmas around the corner, and digital cameras and accessories high on the gift wish list this year, it is indicated that the nation’s photo lovers and keen photographers will have rung up a bill of at least *£1 billion on the popular pastime of photography and related imaging products as we see in the New Year. With so much money invested, it’s no wonder then that taking photos seems to be one of the most popular activities in the UK universally shared by all ages, genders and backgrounds.

A new survey launched today by Adobe, experts in the photo and creative services software industry, has peered into the viewfinders of the nation’s keen photographers to reveal what happens to the photo once the shutter has been clicked.

The Nation’s Photo Habits Revealed


Money for Nothing

Despite the huge popularity of photography around the nation, it seems that once the shutter has clicked our enthusiasm for our photos may have already waned. For those still operating by film, the survey indicates that our anticipation turns to frustration when the results of our efforts are revealed, as on average, the survey found that even before people get their photos home nearly 10 (9.8) shots from a 24-exposure film are so bad we’ll wish we didn’t have to pay for them.


Digital Age is Dawning

Timely then that the move to digital cameras is gathering pace in the UK as it looks likely to save the nation a fortune in unwanted photographic print costs. Our survey revealed that just over half (56%) of those surveyed now own a digital camera. With this in mind, it was a surprise to find that just one in twenty (6%) of these people could claim to have organised their photos digitally, perhaps reflecting a reluctance to embrace the technological world too quickly in the transition from traditional film to memory card. Whilst the majority of digital camera users were content to use the software that arrived with their camera purchase, more than one in 10 (13%) would like to have extra software to help them get organised with their photo collections.


Photo Chaos - The Male Female Divide?

But digital age aside, there is clearly still a mountain of bad photographs lurking amongst the good as over a third (37%) of the people interviewed happily admitted that they never throw a photo away, no matter how badly taken or unflattering it might be and so the stack of prints just keeps getting higher and higher. This could explain why more than half of the survey sample (51%) described their photo collections as ‘disorganised’ while a quarter (25%) admit their photos are in complete chaos! For many of us finding a special picture involves rooting through boxes (22%), drawers (15%) or cupboards (7%) where envelopes of prints have been stashed away. Amongst our sample there were also people who sheepishly admitted to using biscuit tins, carrier bags, plastic food containers and even rucksacks as handy storage spots for their precious collection! Only four out of 10 (40%) can smugly say they have their precious snaps organised in photo albums. Interestingly, the surv
ey showed that more men (20%) than women (13%) claim to have their photo collections organised. However, in reality the survey clearly reveals the opposite as women (43%) were actually more organised than men (36%), when asked if their photos were kept in a photo album.



The Ex-Files

Although two thirds (63%) of people said they were willing to throw out pictures that were bad or unflattering, it seems the end of a relationship with a partner or spouse proves to be a catalyst for a clear out with one in twenty (5%) admitting to having thrown away pictures of their ex. Many also admitted to sneakily taking out unflattering pictures of themselves whilst leaving similar shots of friends and family in the pile for later embarrassment!


Sorry, am I boring you?

So, with so many photographs including the good, the bad and the ugly, being passed around before they are shoved in a box under the bed, it may not come as too much of a surprise to hear that we are often a nation of photo-bores. Nearly three quarter’s (68%) of respondents said that they have been bored silly by other people’s snaps either occasionally (53%) or frequently (15%) and what’s more two out of five (40%) sheepishly admitted to knowingly boring others with their photos.


To Hobby or not to Hobby

Not surprisingly, being a nation of hobbyists, the survey revealed that along with family, friends and holidays, hobbies are a favourite photographic subject. Nearly 7 out of 10 people claimed to regularly take photos of their own hobby (35%) or other family member’s hobbies (31%). Most commonly photographed hobbies are sports people participate in (31%), hobbies involving the home and garden (21%), sports people like to watch (20%) and hobbies involving wildlife (15%). Many of those interviewed claimed they photograph their hobby for insurance purposes. Anglers however have an altogether different reason for taking snaps of their hobby. A common reason for taking photos given by those with fishing, as a hobby was that fellow anglers are disbelieving and a photography catalogue of what’s been caught prevents others from doubting their claims! Women are more embarrassed than men about showing people photographs of their hobby with four out of ten (40%)female respondents
claiming their hobbies make the most embarrassing snaps, compared to only three out of ten (30%) men.


Taking a Trip Down Memory Lane

Given the state of the nation’s photo collections, it is hardly surprising that almost half (48%) of the people surveyed peruse their old photos just once a year or less. Yet over half of us (58%) would love to take a trip down memory lane more often if our snaps were better organised. Surprisingly, the survey revealed that 20-somethings are more than twice (18%) as likely than 60-somethings (8%) to look through their photos on a monthly basis. A small minority (3%) never look back at their old memories and more than one in 10 (9%) need to improve their shutter skills as they claim they would look at their photo collection more often if they had better photos!


Consumer expert, Jan Walsh authored the report and says “Our survey shows that while people dearly treasure their photos, they aren’t making the most of them and are losing out on enjoying their memories purely because of a lack of organisation.”



Digital Dynamo or Hopeless Hoarder - What’s Your Type?

The in-depth Photo Report has identified five key photo types that reflect that nation’s photo habits. Reflecting the surge in popularity of the digital camera are the Digital Dynamos who seem to have not only got to grips with digital photography, but have also conquered the art of compiling their digital photo collection on their PC’s. This group, however, is still the minority. The survey also revealed traits of the Arty Arranger, who drapes photos around them as if they were in a gallery and the Meticulous Organiser who can always find the exact photo they want, when they want it. The balance of the nation’s snappers falls somewhere within the Happy Accumulators who have a photo of every occasion somewhere, but are too poorly disorganised to find them, and the Hopeless Hoarders who can’t throw away even the worst photos in their collection, never mind organise them properly, so instead they live with piles of photos in chaos!


Regional Differences

As a nation, our photo habits seem to be consistent but the survey did highlight a few exceptions across the regions. The survey found the Welsh to be the worst culprits when it comes to boring people with their holiday photos by a clear majority of six out of 10 (60%) compared to the national average of just four (40%). Even higher is the number of Welsh countrymen who are on the receiving end of photo-bores with over 8 out of 10 (84%) compared to the more tolerant folks in the North West who had the lowest number of complaints (56%) about being bored by others holiday photos. Indicating that their photography talents are not all they could be, the South East snappers seem to have the highest amount of photos not worth paying for (50% vs. national average of 41%). Six out of ten (60%) Scottish photo collections are poorly organised placing them just one step ahead of those surveyed in the West Midlands over a third (36%) of whom admitted their photo collections were in
chaos! The North West has the highest percentage of Hopeless Hoarders with nearly half (45%) of those surveyed claiming never to have thrown away a photograph.


Adobe in the Home

Adobe’s latest consumer-focused software product, Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0, is designed to help solve the nation’s photo chaos. The software allows users to find, fix, share and preserve their entire photo collection with just a few clicks, signalling an end to stuffed shoeboxes and cupboards across the nation! Priced at £39.99, Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 is a comprehensive first-step package for anyone who might want to enhance their photo imaging capabilities in the future, but first needs to get their photo collection in order. Simple and fun to use, even the less techno savvy amongst us can get to grips with a logical photo filing system and begin to clear those boxes out of the spare room!


Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 is available at PC World, Currys, John Lewis, Staples and Jessops stores throughout the UK.


Editors Notes

The Adobe Photo Report 2003 was carried out by the Consumer Analysis Group via a series of lengthy telephone interviews during October 2003 covering a sample of 500 people aged between 21 and 70 from England, Scotland and Wales.

*Data Source: According to GFK Marketing Services Ltd, Photo Panel Sept 02- August 03 imaging products excluding photo processing, but including digital, still and analogue cameras, still film, Binoculars and memory cards was worth £959.6m.