February 2008 Archives

A topic arose recently in a course I am taking. The IDE Dr. Java, chosen by the instructor of the course, has a serious problem regarding Java SE 6 update 4. Since I have chosen not to curse my system with such a degrading piece of software, most of the problems I hear are just that- hearsay. Apparently Dr. Java cannot compile source code if the JDK is update 4. However, if update 3 is used then source files can be compiled. The question becomes, do you stick with the IDE or do you value the update of the JDK more?

Last week I sent in a service request to have my T43's keyboard replaced. I submitted it through their online form and like magic a new keyboard was sent out to me using DHL's next day service. I called in to make sure I was being sent a new keyboard as this was the first time I had asked for one in the three years I've owned my Thinkpad, but this was unnecessary as when I called in the keyboard had already shipped! Needless to say I was once again amazed.

The spring semester began last week at UMass Lowell and so far it's been good to finally be back at the university. Last semester I studied elsewhere and the semester before that I vacationed. Having acquired that all important calculus course from the last semester, plans have changed slightly. When I last wrote about education it was unknown whether the school I was at would offer computing courses this spring or if I had to split my course times between two schools. Now it's not even a question - I'm once again a full time student at UMass.