Yeah, I watched a few Kato videos too
Andy, she's very talented!
Talent is in the eyes of the beholder.
I highly recommend Fusion 360 too, and it looks like you're picking it up quickly.
I'm still a rank amateur, but I managed to build a model of my house when I was designing my pergola.
This is from my thread from about a year ago...
I remember that image. It is pretty cool in my mind, but had no idea it was Fusion 360. It's a small large world.
I'm not feeling very quick, really having trouble understanding the difference between a component and a body. But I think I will be able to use it. I need a bigger screen and a mouse. It is not track pad friendly.
Your Fusion 360 files are all stored in the cloud, but they are cached locally so you can work on them if you're not internet connected.
That is important to me.
My view on storing things in the cloud is that it can be as secure, or more secure than keeping them on your own PC if you're careful (depending on your threat model).
My favourite definition of the cloud is "somebody else's computer". Keeping your files on somebody else's computer can be a good thing if that somebody else has a dedicated worldwide team of thousands of people making sure that computer doesn't break down, get viruses, get stolen, or get dropped off a kitchen table.
If what you're worried about is somebody hacking into your computer and stealing your secrets, then the cloud is probably better too. Unless you're a cyber security expert, your home PC is almost certainly an easier target for hackers than a cloud service that has lots of security experts looking after it.
Unless you're worried about the government getting your secrets, then you shouldn't put them on anybody's computer!
For the VAST majority of people and businesses, their data is safer in the cloud. Everybody's worried about hackers getting their data, or Microsoft/Amazon/Google using it for nefarious purposes, but the biggest problem most people have with computers is losing data because their PC got stolen, or they got crypto-malware, or their hard drive crashed, or their toddler put their laptop in the dishwasher.
I was being a bit facetious. I would be proud if someone stole my stuff and made money off of it. If you read my post carefully, it is internet interruptions and a slow connection that makes any cloud work tedious. One of the perks of living in the country, but at least I have DSL, even though I'm at he limit of distance from the last hub. The provider is our local phone company, an independent that gets signals from a dish that suffers when there is heavy weather.
I really don't care if anyone steals about any of my 0's and 1's. I'm retired and regaining my identity would give me a purpose in life.
Microsoft are definitely making it harder to buy anything outright (they obviously want everybody paying a monthly fee forever), but it's still possible. For now anyway, not sure what's going to happen when they release Office 19!
This article outlines how to find the full purchase options, and you can actually just buy Excel and Word individually if that's all you want...
http://download.cnet.com/blog/download-blog/microsoft-office-2016-buy-vs-subscribe/
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/d/Excel-2016/CFQ7TTC0K5F3
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/d/Word-2016/CFQ7TTC0K5D7
However, if you've still got your CD and licence key from the last full version you bought, you may be able to install that on your new PC. It will probably complain that the licence has already been activated, but just call Microsoft on the number that is displayed in the error that is displayed and tell them that your old PC died and you're installing it on the replacement and they will read out a big long activation code and you'll be good to go.
I've had only upgrades for years, and have installed an old version on a new computer in order to qualify for an upgrade. It might save me some time to call them and install what I have. Bob gave me permission to not go with the latest, and I thank him for that. You've given me some really good food for thought.
What do you think of buying a refurbished computer?
You mentioned that your 1TB HDD is 45% full. Do you back it up? And take the backups offsite occasionally?
Please tell me you have backups!
Remember 3-2-1 for backups...
3 copies of any file you care about
2 different types of media (Hard drive, USB key, CD/DVD, cloud)
1 copy offsite
I used to always take a backup to work. I screwed that up when I quit working. But my injet printer died (door is open, according to the computer, needs a switch replaced) and I bought a new one in 2013 while I was living through the week in Houston. Working 12-13 hours per day, flying Monday morning and Friday evening, I was tired and never unboxed it. It's still in the box I need to open it because a scanner would be nice, but I scan with my cell phone. I said all that to say this, all my printing is done on my LaserJet 4Si. Did you know cartridges for them are super cheap now? When I was Church Treasurer I ran several hundred sheets per month, now I'm down to around a hundred. So anything I need to print from the laptop goes on my thumb drive, and anything I need to email from the desk top goes on the thumbnail to this computer. That's my remote backup, in my pocket. It survives welding and plasma arc cutting in close proximity and has been through lots of airport scanners. It holds all my Quicken and Excel files easily. Photographs go on a 1T Passport.
And you should get a new PC or laptop, you won't regret it. Windows 10 is a bit of a learning curve, but it's hard to go back once you get used to it.
Or a new refurbishment? I switch between 7 and Vista
on my desk top easily but will 10 and Vista play well together through the thumb drive? Windows 7 always wants to clean it up, but I deny it the pleasure of keeping Vista from reading it.
I wish I was closer, I'd love to come over and help you out with your 'puter stuff.
Boy oh boy I wish you were closer. All my friends her can help with what's wron gwith a cow but aren't much on the magic boxes. Except JB, but he's busy.
I've got land for sale...
M.
(I love that term), if you do donate your old computers you know the hard drives can be read and someone may know what kind of bread you like...
But apparently there has not been much of any fallout from their breach, I keep watching the news for any reports.
