goddi

====================== Dave, Yes, I'd rather do any adjustments outside the camera. I still shoot JPGs. I did the update but I assume that I'd have to actually apply it through a camera menu...if I wanted to...for in- camera adjustments. Gary PS Yes, I just checked in my D7000. The Auto Distortion Control is 'off'.

==================== Hmmm.....I don't see that about 'only in Retouch Menu'. I see "Distortion control data are used to correct barrel and pincushion distortion during shooting and editing. They can be loaded into cameras that support distortion control." It seems to apply to all Nikon supported cameras in the same way. Well, I did the update and it all went well. If it helps, great. You never know..../> Gary PS You can check out some comments at DPReview: http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/07/19/nikon-updates-distortion-correction-data-for-DSLRs-adding-latest-lenses?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=generic

Greetings, Just noticed a Nikon update for Distortion Control Data is available. Here is the link: http://nikonimglib.com/dcdata/#os-windows There is also a link for Macintosh on the above site. Gary

========================= After 2 dropped calls with Toshiba tech, I tried a 3rd time. We finally figured that their website in incorrect. It is a 1920x1080 display. And, I discovered also that they made a mistake on the graphics card their web site says it comes with. Their web site says it is a 'integrated card graphics card'; but they said it actually comes with an NVidia card (2GB GDDR3 NVIDIA ® GeForce® GT 740M with Optimus). Good news. But can anyone tell me if a Touch Screen will degrade the quality of the viewing? Gary

Toshiba has finally come out with a 15.6" laptop (P50-ABT2N22) with the 4th generation processor (Haswell). I don't understand a couple things. They show the Video specs as follows: Video: Display* :15.6" FHD TruBrite® LED Backlit Display (1920 x 1080) Display Resolution: 16:9 aspect ratio, 1920x1200, Supports 1080p content I don't understand why there are two different aspect ratios. When I play a PTE show that was created with the 1920x1080 aspect ratio, will it have black bars at the bottom? Or will it be full screen? Also, I have a choice of a touch-screen or a non-touch screen. Would a touch-screen affect the quality of the show? Are is there no difference? Thanks... Gary

============================== Colin, Thanks for the info. I have been going around to the computer stores and trying out my PTE shows on various laptops just to see what happens. I have been surprised that many times the video clip portions of the slideshows will not play smoothly on many, but play very well on others. I can't tell what might be causing this but the salemen say it must be the video card. Though the worst was when I played a show on a Sony with 2 gb on the memory card. The show actually stopped playing during a video clip. So it pays to test PTE shows on the laptop before you buy it. But something else has me wondering. When I play PTE shows from a memory stick on my desktop PC, it starts practically immediately. When I play the same PTE shows on laptops, there is a very long pause before the show starts. It seems to happen on every laptop I have tested. Can you explain what is going on? Gary

=============================== This has been an interesting and educational event. It looks like they put a high-powered engine with a govenor on the throttle in the laptops. The TN and 6-bit screens are OK for gamers but not for working with images. I understand now why they don't want to publish these specs. :(/> Thanks. Gary

==================== Greetings, I don't have Win8 yet so I am not sure what you mean. Can you give more details on what you mean by 'apps do not work well...". Thanks... Gary

======================= Colin, I finally got some answers. I got a number for Toshiba's Customer Service Sales (whoever they are?) but I was told that the screen for the Qosmio X70 is a 6-bit TN. Each time I asked a question, he had to put me on hold and go ask someone. So I don't know what else to think. Perhaps all laptops are like this but it has become too much of a burden to dig into the detail. Not sure yet what I will do. It does seem to have a good graphics card, though. But it looks like it is a good laptop to output to an external monitor as mentioned, after doing all the detailed work on a desktop PC. Thanks for the info. Gary

===================== Colin, Thanks for the info. But I can not get any more specs on this laptop from anyone. Still trying but it just can not be found...yet. All I can find is that it is "1920x1080, FHD TruBrite TFT LED Backlit Display, 16:9, Supports 1080p content". When I look at my Nvidia info of my Samsung monitor, it shows that the Color Depth is 32-bit. Take a look at the attach screenshot. Are we talking about the same thing? Gary

====================================== I have been trying to find more specs for the screen for the Toshiba Qosmio X70 laptop. It seems to be top secret information!! I have called Sales, Customer Service, Tech Support and Repair (though they would not even answer the phone). My desktop's Samsung monitor is 'True Color 32-bit'. Is this a comparable spec to what you are talking about? I put a question on a Toshiba Forum site so I will report back if I get any answer from them. This Toshiba laptop has "built-in HDMI® output feature to view your 4K Ultra HD digital content on the latest TVs". And it has "Resoluton+" that is supposed to improve the viewing of DVDs and videos from camcorders. So there is hope that it has a better laptop screen but without the detailed specs, there is no way to really know. But, this doesn't mean that the laptop's screen will show any more than 6 or 8 bit color depth (?). Gary

================================= Yes, that is right. But since both are independent (not integrated) graphics cards, I figure either would be pretty good. The 17" has a 3GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 770M w/ Nvidia Optimus. The 15" has a 2GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GT 740M w/ Nvidia Optimus. Gary

==================================== Speaking of specs, I am not sure how to evaluate the possible choices of hard drives. Some are available only in 'custom' built and some in prebuilt. I am not sure how each would affect using PTE, in creating or showing the slideshows. Since I don't have one to test, can someone give some idea how they rate? 1- 1.0TB (5400 RPM, Serial ATA) 2- 1.0TB (5400rpm); Hybrid 8G Serial ATA hard disk drive 3- 1.256TB: 256GB mSATA Solid State Drive (SSD) + 1TB (5400rpm) Hybrid HDD 4- 256GB Solid State Drive (Serial ATA, SSD) 5- 750GB HDD (5400rpm, Serial ATA) 6- 1.0TB: 500GB (7200rpm, Serial ATA) + 500GB (7200rpm, Serial ATA) I am leaning towards the #2, #3, or #6. The size and speed seem to be optimum but I really don't know how to decide. Choosing the specific Toshiba's (4th generation) model will determine which hard drive it will have but I am not sure of the pros and cons of the different possibilities (durability, speed, heat, noise???) Can anyone enlighten me on these choices??? Gary

================================ I took a closer look at the keyboard on the Toshiba since you mentioned it. The layout looks pretty similar to my Microsoft keyboard, only missing some duplicate keys that I never use anyway (attached). The keys are black. I've never seen a white keyboard...but this Toshiba has backlite keys. I guess this would help in low-light situations. Yes, I do take a memory stick and test out various laptops at the store. The problem with the Toshiba that I like is that no one has it in stock yet. And if I want to customize it, I am pretty sure a store would not do it. I would rather buy a laptop locally so I have someone to talk to face to face when there is a problem. It they do come out in stores, I guess I will have to go with the pre-built models. Gary

============================= Yea...I keep going back and forth between a 15" and 17". When I look at the 17", it does not look too big...but then the little added weight...I just don't know. I'd rather do a live demo because I'd rather see a live demo if someone else was presenting one. I can see recorded ones on YouTube. It just is not the same, especially for a small photo club like we have. Not having used a laptop before, makes it very difficult to decide what I really want....:(/>:(/>:(/> Who knows??? I'll just have to keep asking myself questions. Gary

=============================== Now that is a really good question. And I am constantly asking myself that same question. It's not that I really need one on a regular basis. What triggered my searching for one is that my photo club wants me to put on a demo of the PTE program next season. I don't want to just show the slideshows but I want to show how to actually create a slideshow using PTE. The only way is to have the program on a laptop and have everything set up to work properly. I don't want to take the chance using someone else's laptop. The worse thing is to have something fail during the presentation. And I figure if I am going to get one, get a good one. Also, I'd like one to have downstairs in my home so I can do research on the laptop without having to run upstairs to my desktop PC. Getting lazy...maybe. It is a matter of convenience, I guess. It has been impossible to find a laptop that I liked but I think this new Toshiba model can be configured to pretty much how I would like it. Gary

=============================== I see that Toshiba just came out with the Toshiba Satellite P50-ABT2G22 Laptop. It is customizable and the 15.6" screen's resolution is 1920x1080. It tooks pretty good. It has the Haswell and i7. And the HDMI output has the '4K capability' (not sure if this will be useful but who knows...). Gary

================================ Dave, Yes, I am trying not to compromise. But almost every thing I look at has some deficient hardware in it. But...I just took a look at the Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p (59370005). It has 4th gen; 2.4GHz; 15.6" display; Nividia GT750M w/2Gb; 8 Gbs Ram; 1TB 5400+24Gb SSD; DVD drive; HDMI out. A bit heavy at 6 lbs. Hmmmm... The problem is I can't find it in any story around here to actually see it and test it out. But I guess there is hope. I'll have to keep checking around. Gary

Greetings, I am trying to decide on a laptop. Not having used one before on a regular basis, I have a lot of questions. But one configuration that can determine which set of models to zero in on is the screen size/resolution. I'd love to get the new Toshiba Qosmio X75. It has the Haswell 4th generation processor; i7; and can get SSD cache and large HDs and longer battery life (then the n non-Haswell models). But the problem is that it only comes as a 17". I did not have a problem with this size at first but most people are saying it is really too big and heavy to tote around. But I like it because the monitor is 1920x1080. Matches my desktop monitor. Having looked around at 15" models, their screens are more like 1366x768, for example. So my question is, what is the effect when viewing a PTE show created on a 1920x1080 monitor and played on a lower res screen. Since the aspect ratio is the same, I assume it will fit the screen the same. However, what about the quality of the viewing of the show? Thanks... Gary

============================ Tom, Thanks for the info. I finally got the real thing from Majorgeek's site. No added programs to avoid in the install! Not sure I like the program though. I have to fiddle with it more I guess. Gary

============================== Tom...and others, I tried to give this program a try. I could not get the Riot program to be downloaded. First, I got 'Image Converter'. Not the right program. Then I tried it again from other links on that page and got other programs. Still no luck. For anyone who wants to try it, be very very careful because are many many junk install program at this site that will be installed if you just say Yes to everything. Be sure to Decline and Not Accept and uncheck everything until you get to the program you are hoping to download. I never was able to get to Riot. Tom...if you can create a screenshot of the correct download link, I appreciate it if you can post it. I tried many of the links...but no luck. Getting all these junk programs you don't want is now typical of just about any of these downloads. You've got to be careful. Yesterday, I spend 5 hours getting these junk programs off of a friend's computer that was screwed up from them. Gary

=============================== One of the easiest programs is this one, called ImageResizer for Windows. Works in Windows7. I use it for quick and easy size reduction of images. http://imageresizer.codeplex.com/ For example, an original sized file of 3424K, using the 'large' choice, it gets reduced to 164K. Gary

===================== Igor, No delay in the install of 7.5.9. I think I had some delays in some previous versions, but I can't be precise. This one went on very quick and smoothly Gary

============================ Igor, Thanks for the asking. But I don't want to waste your time since I already went through the process manually to recreate the pte file from scratch. I was just wondering if there was any way to get a list of the filenames from an exe file, so in the future, if it happens again, there would be a way to produce the filenames in the proper sequence to more easily re-construct the pte file. Thanks again but I don't want you to use your valuable time with this since I already recreated the pte files. Sincerely, Gary

================================ Igor, It is hard to tell. The shows were created back in 2009 so I don't remember what version I used back then. But it must have been whatever the latest version was at that time. However, I went ahead and recreated the slide shows the hard way. I wrote down each file name, one-by-one, and remade the shows. But it would be nice if there was a way to do it more easily if it happens again. I was just very lucky that I still had the slide names in the text comments in the exe files to get the correct sequence of the slides. Gary