Chesterfield

What time are we meeting on Sunday at B&Q?

I would start with the IT guys at your place - if you know a freindly one, just ask them if they can help you "off the record". But again, if you are likely to get into any kind of trouble, Id start using a connection at home if you have one.

Hmm yes - it may be worth asking one of the freindly IT guys if they have blocked it for a reason - but even then, they may not take kindly to someone having personal software on a works laptop. It all depends on how freindly you are with the IT guys, and how much trouble you could find yourself in if the IT department found you circumnavigating their efforts.

If there is a tick on the box then it seems to be allowed - however, if you access the internet via the work connection, it may be that the internet proxy is blocking access further up the chain. i.e. The program is allowed to communicate through your firewall on your local PC - but the ports it uses to transmit data over may be blocked by your company's server. (the ports are: Port 3689 TCP & Port 5353 UDP) If that is the case then there may not be a lot that can be done. Other than changing the ports that Itunes uses. I dont know if that is possible, I have no experience of the software at all.

You could try the "cruise" sites. As its the 2.0 GTI, and not the more powerful 1.8T or 1.9TDI GTI models, ithas cheaper insurance, but still comes with the usual GTI refinements - so may appeal to the younger drivers who want a "GTI" - but not the added headache of higher insurance that comes with the "true" GTI models. Also - if you get on to www.uk-mkivs, the UK's largest Golf community, you may find some inetersted parties there. hope that helps

I think recent security updates from MS may have reverted the firewall to be always on. It may also be set from group policy on the works network (if you have one). So while ITunes may have opened the relevant ports and work initially, connecting to the compnay network could have shut them down again.. If you can disable the firewall while accessing Itunes, that may help. Here is a guide to disabling the xp firewall.... http://www.utmem.edu/helpdesk/sp2/sp2firewall.htm

About £270 for the console itself (thats for the version with hard disk and wireless controller) Then to play via wireless you need the adaptor, about £60. Then you need the games... So its still not cheap - but with a PS3 without any extras said to be around £425, its going to look attractive come christmas. I would reckon MS may drop the premier 350 to £229 or maybe even have daft £199 offers on it come Christmas time, just to cram it into as many homes as possible, cutting Sony off this time round. With the PS3 not even being on the shelves, and a price of £155 more for the PS3, and over £100 more than the US pays for the PS3 - I reckon Sony has stuffed the UK market for the PS3 well and truly - sure there wil be a few die hards and they will sell some units on the brand name, and the fact that some people despise everything Microsoft, but I think it will be a relative flop compared with the PS1 and PS2.

I rest my case. Im hoping to get one too maybe wait until Im back from hols though.

There are a lot of familes that cant afford an Xbox 360 now - and quite a lot of kids who come from less afluent families count for a fair proportion of gamers I reckon. Therefore they may only be able to justify a purchase like this for their children at Christmas - and last Christmas they were like rocking horse crap, and mega expensive. This year I reckon there will be special offers on, and with no PS3 to compete or "tempt" these kids to wait - Microsoft could clean up.

If only they made Cadburys bars that big! Looks good!

Excellent contribution there! Many thanks for this - Ill be adding them in!

Mrs Chesterfield is a member - but as I hog the laptop in the evenings, she doesnt get on here much.

I think this will hit sony hard in the European markets. People wanting a "next generation" console come christmas will simply make do with an xbox instead, and many will then not be able to justify a ps3 when it comes out in March.

I thought he was a great tv personality. Sure his style was never going to win any bbc documentary awards but his personality attracted many people that would have otherwise have not tuned in to a nature program. His work relocating crocs in Oz was very honourable, and he had bought land invarious countries to set aside as nature reserves and educational sites. Thre was certainly more to him than the "crikey" we all saw on telly. A really great bloke and certainly someone who made a difference in the world - he wil be sadly missed. By Steve - at least he went out doing something he enjoyed rather than being hit by a bus or something else that would belittle his character.

As long as the insurance are happy, and the dealers are hapy to release it - then I suppose its OK. Its very strange to be told that they wouldnt do it over the desk at the DVLA, thats generally all they do very strange. I always go direct to the DVLA office to sort any reg transfers over - as it removes any delay, and also they sometimes have a member of staff wandering round talking to people queuing up making sure that they have all the rights docs and have everything completed before they get to the front of the queue to be dissapointed and have to start again. Just dont go near the beginning of a month as you will be in a queue of loads of truckers sorting the tax, and you will be waiting ages...

It depends which number you have your insurance sorted under. We had a similar issue with ours. What they usually mean is that they have posted the stuff off to the DVLA to swicth the plates over and they wont have received the docs back in time. What we did was get the V5 from the dealer with our details completed as new owner, along with the retention certificate for the registration (V70?) and the current tax disc from the car we took the whole lot over to a DVLA office and sorted it at the counter. Obviously we had to drive over in another car, but we got all the documents sorted at the desk rather than waiting for them to be returned in the post. I dont beleive you need the V5 in your possesion when driving the car, but the changes do need to be logged at the DVLA - so you will need to take it to the DVLA office to get it changed, and they can issue with a correct tax disc over the counter - its just getting to the desk that may be an issue. The nearest one to me is Sheffield, so its not that far away. If the dealer has still got the documents on his desk, then you may be able to sort it (there is a chance that they have forgot to post them and are only getting round to it today - hence the call). If they have already sent off the docs in the post, then you are stuffed Im afraid, and you will have to wait. Also if your insurance is all set up under the cherished reg, then picking it up before the changes have gone through at the DVLA would not be a good idea - certainly temoting fate to have a bump while you are waiting for the V5, and then the insurance would no doubt wriggle out of any claim.

No problem - Ill delete it now.

Hi - just to let you know I have reset the password on this account for you now - Dont know what the problem was as everything looked ok. Check your PM's in H5 take two and hopefuly it will work. If it does, let us know and we can remove the extra account created. Thanks, Chris.

There are some good dealers! Ive had a pleasent experience at Gordon Lambs with my first service, and Im sure there are plenty of others that offer a decent service. It is just a shame that people always have to assume the service will be crap, and then be surprised when its good. It should be the other way around... People should be able to walk into a dealers expecting good service, and be dissapointed when its not. To be fair it is the same for any manufacturer, and it seems the various manufacturers are more interested in selling big numbers of cars, and out selling the other brands - quality of service seems to fall further and further down the priority list every year.

Sorry guys - cant make the 15th. Im away on holiday. Ill be sure to join up with the next one though!

Ive only done the horizontal bars, but Im starting to think that doing the vertical too gives a more "aggressive" look...

That looks awsome. A red nismo! I may go as far as saying that is probably the rarest combination on the roads. Very nice indeed! Not jealous at all....

Unfortnately its an ongoing thing, spammers are now going to measures such as registering spoof accounts on forums to try and push whatever products they wish. They use robots to work around the visual confirmation section of signup. There are some additions that can be made to try and prevent these. However for now, these accounts will be deleted. If any others are found, please feel free to notify and admin/mod and they can be removed. Thanks, Chris.

Ill look into it....

Yes - this can be added - I shall see if I can get it done over the weekend for us. Cheers, Chris.