Good tech, bad tech — Free graph paper v Opera mini: One works, one fails

Today's been a wonderful day, demonstrating both the very best of internet-enabled technology and the worst.

First, the winner: Free graph paper from incompetech.com.

That's right: free.

Go here, follow the instructions geared to TechnoDolt™–level computer enthusiasts like me and before you can say Bob's your uncle you're printing out all manner of graph paper (above) that's as good as store–bought.

It's like having an engineering school bookstore in your computer.

Sensational.

I just love the domain name: incompetech.com.

Be still my TechnoDolt™ heart.

And their slogan: "Ugly website. Brilliant Content."

Utterly sublime.

And now the loser: the envelope, please.

It's Opera's new Opera mini application, designed to let you browse the internet on your cellphone without having to view degraded versions of websites.

Turns out Opera started offering it worldwide last month (up to that time only residents of some Nordic countries and Germany could download it) but chose not to announce the global launch until today to give itself time to prepare for the increased traffic on its servers.

I read about it in today's Wall Street Journal and got all excited, thinking I could view not only bookofjoe's text — as I can do now, as long I'm as I'm willing to hit "next" about five or ten times to read a single post — but the pictures as well on the 1" screen of my Nokia 6230.

Opera mini has a one–time cost of $2.99 and it's available to Cingular customers, of which I'm one, so I figured let's light this firecracker.

Well, after about 20 minutes of torture and frustration I gave up.

I was able to actually follow the instructions and get the download onto my phone but when I tried to use it nothing happened, just the usual circular rotation back to the previous screen and all.

Now I can't even find the thing on my phone.

So much for that.

The free graph paper is via the inaugural edition of Charles Platt's guest–edited Cool Tools, a smashing debut.