Tag Archives: Computers

Dec 30 2006
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Vista Fiji and Vienna

Engadget has just posted an article about a few rumored Vista updates, mainly Vista R2 (entitled Fiji). It will supposedly add WinFS (a new filesytem which works off of NTFS, the current Windows standard), more sidebar usability, and a lot more stuff as well.

More interesting to me is this Vienna idea, which is the codename of M$’s rumored OS overhaul, which will completely change Windows, from the ground up (including an “all application” compatibility break, meaning none of your current programs will work on it, something I think they should do with Internet Explorer to bring it up to par with other browsers I could mention). This would mean no more Start menu/orb, no menus, toolbars, nothing. We’re talking a complete redesign.

Change is good, but too much is really, really bad. For example, this puts old Windows veterans in the place of n00bs. The methods of emulating current-style windows to support all current windows applications (and as my friends are constantly pointing out to me, almost all of the games currently on the market) will be undoubtedly slow. Not a wise move, M$…

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Dec 19 2006
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Clearification Vista Ad Site

The Clearification site from M$ (which is an ad for Vista) is actually really funny. It’s very hippy-ish, and the guy seems like he was actually in the middle of smoking pot when he recorded the lines for it, but it really is funny. “Let’s just say it involved karate…and crying…”

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Nov 30 2006
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Windows Vista released to Businesses

Today Microsoft released the business version of its new OS, Windows Vista. This is the first major OS update from M$ since Windows XP came out, so it’s been pretty widely anticipated. Vista sports a new look for windows, called Aero, and a lot of other cool features. Nobody I know is planning on upgrading just yet, and not just because the home and ultimate editions won’t be released until January 30th. I only have one friend saving to buy Vista, but everyone else I know just doesn’t care.

And don’t look at me, I’m happy with OS X.

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Nov 18 2006
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PlayStation 3 Release

Today, Sony’s third generation video game console was released. And what a beast it is. I went to Best Buy to try it out, and got some pictures and a video.

Let me just say this. Wow. And I mean that totally sincerely. Wow. I expected it to be amazing (well, with a $500 core model and $600 full, it pretty much has to be), but this is ridiculous. The graphical quality is freakin’ amazing. It looks insanely photorealistic. The images it produces on the fly are like images pre-rendered by Pixar or something. I feel like I’m preaching here, but I really believe this stuff.

The new controller design (as in, redesigned l2/r2 buttons) is awesome. I really like the trigger-style buttons. They move much faster and more fluidly.

I took some photos of it at Best Buy, go to this gallery to check ’em out.

And here’s the video I took (pardon the quality, youtube ruins movies…):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb0Ua0TxjWQ]

(check out this photo for an idea of what the footage actually looked like)

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Nov 14 2006
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Life in general

Zune Release

Today Microsoft released the first version of its PMP (Portable Media Player), the Zune. Supposedly M$’s “iPod Killer,” the Zune costs $250 and comes in 3 “colors”: Black, White, and (get this) Brown. Those are some colors there, yup…I could make a whole freakin’ rainbow of Zunes. It comes equipped with WiFi, but (for some reason, most likely legal) you cannot use it to transmit music to it from your computer, and you cannot use it to buy music from M$’s online music store.

What can you use it for? Trading music from other Zunes (The 3/3 deal though: you can either listen to the song 3 times or keep it for 3 days before it deletes itself, whichever happens first), trade pictures from other Zunes, or synch it with your 360 (score keeping, friends’ statuses from Live, etc). It’s one of the largest wastes of money I’ve seen so far. Why bother making customers pay more for a Zune with WiFi, when the WiFi doesn’t even do anything useful yet? I would release a cheaper, smaller Zune (which maybe costs less than the iPod, its rival, and therefore sell more?) that has the same features as the iPod Video (plus the larger screen, more customization features, and sadly yes, larger color selection…), while they worked on developing that WiFi a bit more so it could do PC syncing and wireless music purchasing. But that’s most likely a problem with the RIAA, not M$. Stupid RIAA.

But for all the good things about the Zune, its software looks horrible. Check out Engadget’s review for more information on that front. I don’t plan on buying one any time soon ever.

Oh and I should mention the Zune ad campaign, most of which sucks (“Welcome to the social” is not English, folks!), but this site has many of the TV ads and posters (or maybe they’re just concepts? I’m not sure) that are actually good. Watch the one with the robot and the two birds one, as they are the best.

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Nov 11 2006
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Space Cadet 3D Pinball Scores?

Since a new version of Boot Camp has been released, I want to update my drivers on my Windows Partition (for iSight support, mic use, headphone jack, etc…) and I’d like to not have to reinstall Windows.

But in case installing the new drivers without reinstalling windows corrupts my windows installation, I’m backing up my important stuff (Uru saved games, Gametap stuff, etc.). The only thing I haven’t done yet is Space Cadet 3D Pinball. I’ve gotten some pretty good scores on this computer, and I’d like to back them up, but I can’t find the file where they’re stored. Does anyone else know?

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Oct 31 2006
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Myst V on Intel Part Deux

Well I tried reinstalling Myst V on my Macbook Pro again, just for the hell of it. To my surprise, it actually worked. No patches, nothing, it just installed using Rosetta. This means, of course, that it is as slow as hell, and practically not worth playing. But still, it did install. Maybe it’s the 10.4.8 upgrade that did it. Who knows?

So yeah, if you haven’t tried to install Myst V since the jump to 10.4.8 from 4.7, try it now because I’m pretty sure it will work.

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Oct 28 2006
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My Mac

Today I cleaned my Macbook Pro’s screen for the first time, a suprisingly fun and enriching experience. I visited the Apple store and on impulse bought a pack of iKlear travel thingies for $15, and tried them out at home. I discovered that what I considered to be my normal screen was actually covered in dust, fingerprints, and little spots from flecks of hyper cousins and others drooling over my computer. I can honestly say that my screen is now brighter and shinier (which actually means something with a glossy screen). It was very fun to watch the dust and fingerprints magically disappear…

On a more depressing note, Apple recently released Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook Pros, meaning yes….my computer is outdated. Oh well, I am usually running at less than 20% of my Core Duo’s full capacity (thats 20% on each core, meaning actually 40%…), I don’t know what I’d do with a 64 bit version of my computer…still, the new airport card would be nice, as well as the bigger hard drive and faster superdrive…

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Oct 23 2006
Life in general

Happy Birthday, iPod!

Today, 5 years ago, the iPod was first introduced by Steve Jobs. It was meant to become (and did a very good job becoming) the market leader for portable music. It’s so strange to watch this video and listen to His Steveness say “iPod” instead of “The iPod,” and see what stone-age technology was available before the iPod. Funniest to watch, however, is the crowd’s stony silence as the iPod is announced. What a contrast to today, when a new product announcement by Apple is met with a huge applause. The iPod really was Apple’s modern ticket to ride, I guess.

Original iPod Announcement

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN0SVBCJqLs]

Also of intrest are the videos of the OS X announcement back in January 2000:

Part One

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko4V3G4NqII]

Part Two

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-fkYFV7rOY]

Part Three

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GkoAa5718Y]

Very cool Apple stuff.

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Oct 22 2006
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Power Cord Blues

The Magsafe power adapter for my Macbook Pro recently started breaking. By breaking, I mean the rubber split, the insulation was falling out, and the little copper wires were fraying. Obviously, this was very concerning, since exposed power cords are dangerous, and the fraying meant that charging my computer would be a lot harder than it was before.
magsafe? maghazard.
Day 2 of the damage. By today, day 5, the cord looked a lot worse than this.
Yes, that is Winnie the Pooh on that shelf. 😉

Well, I worked for a while with the incision in the cable, twisting it and pushing the electrical tape I put on it to get it to charge, but last night it just wouldn’t charge. Well, I went the night and until 4:00 today computerless, with my precious Uru disc stuck inside, and then finally went to the Apple store to get a new one. My computer is still covered by the warranty, and luckily they (after some persuasion) exchanged the adapter for a new one, free of charge. So now I have a brand new power adapter that works like a charm.

The only thing worrying me now is what I should do to prevent this from happening again. I know it wasn’t my fault that the cord stopped working, and the Apple Guy seemed to be of the opinion that it was bad wiring that caused it to break. Still, I don’t want it to break again. If it does, though…I’ll be ready.

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