I don't think there is a 'best' result from the use of only hand work or only computer work. I have worked through both, and find that a merger of the two methods serves both my time schedule and the product. I prefer hand rendering, with a combination of AD markers, water color, and chalk pastel. But I like the precision of hard geometry to show as precision lines with reference to soft, hand-drawn elements that speak of living things. For that to show clearly, I like to use AutoCad for drafting lines, print that on mylar (nice for graphite, and fun to blend on), then print the final on vellum for rendering. The markers blend nicely on the vellum, and don't bleed. Vellum also allows for backcolor that comes through softly as a background to rendered elements. All that is to say that hand drawing-rendering and computer drafting really work together if I treat them as a hybrid single method, not distinguishing one from the other but blending the two. Because the color is hand rendered, I tend to think about the subtle properties of my plant choices while rendering them--visualizing the plant, its flowering characteristics and true mature size, its shadow at the time of day I am intending to represent, and its resolution with respect to the far background. These things are properties I can focus on because hand rendering does take longer and gives more time to reflect on the choices and their interaction with each other. I even find myself mentally wandering through the space I'm creating while finishing the drawings of them.

I've about HAD IT around here guys! I haven't posted since the NEW & OBNOXIOUS advertising showed up right in the middle of the list of threads---AND---it started showing up right along with the replies in each thread--as if it was another reply! I think I may have finally hit my NO MORE limit! To me the ad in the middle of the list of threads put an automatic STOP on looking down the threads, and, I at least, was finding myself looking ONLY at the half a dozen threads ABOVE the advertising and never making it past the ad to the threads below it. I had posted above, in my reply to MamaSylvia, that you could "easily" just glance down the list of threads to check the dates and such, and with the ad in the middle that is in NO way easy to do anymore. ENOUGH! There are already BIG FlAsHiNg ads ALL OVER the place---not to mention the obnoxious IN-TEXT ads that you need to either take the time to "disable" or you risk ACCIDENTALLY mousing over them and suddenly having a BIG obnoxious box pop up that blocks what you're trying to read! Advertising is one thing, but iV seems, EVERY TIME, to come up with the most OBNOXIOUS and INTRUSIVE stuff in existence! I said above that when something like this happens we all rant about it and then "get over it," but if the "new" ads don't Go Away, I don't think I'm gonna get over this one! Having that ad breaking up the "flow" of the threads is just TOO intrusive as far as I'm concerned! Many of you probably don't remember this, but right after iV took over there were banner ads that couldn't be described as anything but por_ography!!! They had the "P-word" image flashing all over the top of the site! It was only when people started opting out and they weren't getting their CLICKS anymore that that garbage went away! They can post all the Garbage Advertising they want, but if the site isn't getting enough hits it's not doing them any good! NOW, having just said all that, I just pulled up the main RMG page on a separate screen--and for "right now" the New Nasty seems to be gone! I suspect it must have had something to do with the "script loading" problems many of you seem to have been having. I googled that and, yes, there are rants all over GW about it! There's no way they can try to stick all this Obnoxious Garbage in a site with such Obsolete Software and expect it to keep working! They want to just keep milking $$$ out of all the goodwill there is around here between the Gardeners who have come to know and like each other---without spending a penny on updating the site! I'm not having the "script" problem, and from the info on the search page below it looks like it's browser dependent. I use Safari, and that somehow seems to evade it! There are suggestions on some of the linked threads about how to TRY to stop it---but in my opinion, WE should not be the ones that are trying to fix it! Hopefully, with the disappearance of the new Obnoxious Advertising, the script loading problem will be fixed for all browsers, but I am still just about up to the hilt here! Even took some time trying to figure out if I could somehow start a separate forum JUST for Rocky Mountain Gardeners! With my feeble knowledge of computers, I'm not sure that's even a pipe dream, but I am TOTALLY fed up with this place right now--and if the "new ads" come back I may be gone! Skybird Here is a link that might be useful: GW script loading problems

Hmm, FixMeStick - never heard of that one before. Of note : "Not a replacement for anti-virus software which protects PCs from infections, the FixMeStick is for removing infections that got past the anti-virus." About Norton . . . . there are various mentions on av-comparatives.org that Symantec had elected not to participate, although it's not stated as the general reason it's not included so it's a bit of a mystery. I think Aputernut's main point there was to remove any existing AV program before installing another. However, despite that it may work well for some users, it has a reputation in the IT fixit world as being (historically) heavy on resources, and very difficult to remove. It even requires a separate special tool to remove it completely. On the other hand, since a lot of people use it, it probably generates more complaints just by the raw numbers. Your mileage may vary. The problem is, once a program gets a reputation, many people may move away from it and continue to stick with their last impression of it. It's hard to keep up with every iteration of a program. Case in point . . . Internet Explorer, which really lagged for a very long time, but now has somewhat caught up with the competition. Nevertheless, it's left such a bad impression a lot of people won't touch it, myself included. This post was edited by kbarb on Sun, Oct 26, 14 at 11:55

I went through the exact same change last year...new computer windows 7 and Music Match didn't work. I also searched for a music program that would do what MM did, finally determined that the Windows media player already installed on the new computer was the best bet. Somehow I got all my music transferred to new computer and loaded into the media player. Sorry, but I don't remember how I did it....I did have to "correct" a lot of the titles in media player but now that it is done, I can play music on my computer and burn cd's in a flash. Granted it was a major learning curve to go from XP to Windows 7 and then to find that a lot of my favorite programs ie.Music Match didn't work with 7 and I had to learn a whole new way to do the things I used to do without even thinking about it. I am still in that curve but it is much better now. BTW I am 65, so I totally sympathize with you. I even asked here for help and someone referred me to the Windows 7 forum....lots of help there. Look down to the Music, Pictures, Video forum for info on the Media Player.. Good luck and be patient....you learned Music Match you can learn Media Player. Murphy Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.sevenforums.com/