Andrew Harrison » Ye Olde Archived Posts

Well, the Dream Is Over

Andrew Harrison — Fri, 19 May 2006 04:27:00 +0000

So,

My iBook died today.

It fell off the bed and snapped a hinge. I’ve pulled it apart using the handy guide at PBFixIt.com, but it seems that the metal bezel that houses the screen has snapped where the hinge joins it, meaning the screen can’t support itself when open, and can’t close properly.

I bought the iBook about 4 months ago for AUD$200, which was a ridiculously low price. It started having logic board problems the other day, but it only occured once [flickering screen etc].

Good news is I can probably get most of the $200 back by selling off the RAM and the charger, maybe the Airport card and the battery as well. I’ll keep the hard drive and buy an enclosure for it so I can still use it.

Even better news is I can now start saving for my MacBook. I was intending on waiting until Leopard is released, but that was all assuming I had a working iBook at the same time. I guess I’ll have to speed up those plans.

I can get the 2GHz model with 2GB RAM and 80GB HDD, which should suffice, for $2200 after student discount. Maybe a birthday present can help pay off what I don’t have already?

I really would have liked to keep the iBook for my sister, but I guess that isn’t happening anymore either. I also would have liked to have a computer to go overseas with. Oh well.

cheers

I Don’t Even Eat the Stuff!

Andrew Harrison — Wed, 17 May 2006 07:24:00 +0000

UPDATE: I can’t decide whether to put the updates at the top or the bottom.

So,

Ze Frank’s latest the show poses a challenge to viewers in the form of an Earth Sandwich.

The concept is bascially putting a piece of bread on the ground in one part of the world, then figuring out the opposite side of the world and putting another piece of bread there.

Ze has even provided a handy Google Maps tool to figure out where the opposite is.

My friend Ben [of the Ubu bet] and I are emailing Bread companies and the like to get sponsorship for this endeavour. It has so far been sent to about 8 different bread/food companies, including the sourdough society of Australia, a community based around bakers.

The letter I have sent is below, and I will update here as we get replies back.

Dear Sir/Madam I would like to refer you to the Tuesday, May 16th Episode of “The Show” by Ze Frank, which can be found at http://www.zefrank.com/theshow. You will notice that during the show, Ze issues a challenge to his viewers in the form of an “Earth Sandwich”, a feat which is performed by placing one piece of bread on one end of the earth, and another on the opposite end. The opposite end of the original bread placement is determined by a small utility based on Google Maps that inverts one location. Due to the large percentage of Earth’s coverage being Water, there are few pairs of locations that are able to create the “Earth Sandwich”. After extensive research using the Google Maps utility, I have come to the conclusion that the most logical placement of the bread for the sandwich is in Wellington or Auckland, New Zealand, and Madrid, Spain. Unfortunately, I do not have the money to buy a ticket to Sydney, let alone New Zealand or Spain. It is for this reason that I am contacting you. I am wondering if you would be interested in sponsoring me and a friend to travel to Spain and New Zealand to create the “Earth Sandwich”. In return for the sponsorship, we would be more than happy to use your brand of bread for the sandwich [the type of bread would be your choice] as well as wearing any branded merchandise you would like us to whilst creating the sandwich. We intend to capture the entire event on camera and edit it to create a mini documentary of it. If you are interested, please be in contact with me through the email address supplied. Thanking you in advance, Andrew Harrison

cheers

UPDATE: I went with the bottom UPDATE: I emailed Ze to tell him of our plan, he just emailed back “awesome”.

The Best Machines on the Market

Andrew Harrison — Wed, 17 May 2006 01:58:00 +0000

So,

Since first released their Intel range of computers [starting with the iMac and MacBook Pro in January, the Mac minis added in March, and yesterday's addition of the MacBooks] I have said they are the best computers on the market at the moment.

All Apple products carry a premium price. Be it the iPod or the iMac, all the way down to the Mini-VGA/DVI – VGA/DVI adapters [$35], you pay a little bit more than competitors for a picture of an apple on the case instead of a Dell/HP logo.

In my opinion, this premium is almost always worth it. It’s typically around 10-20%, but unless you have a specific reason NOT to buy an Apple, it’s worth paying.

Interestingly enough, the release of the MacBooks yesterday seems to have thrown a spanner in the works with the whole premium thing. I configured a MacBook to the specs I would want to buy it with [1GB RAM/80GB HDD], and with my education discount, it came to around $2100. It costs around $2400 retail.

To figure out how that fares in the market compared to similar machines, i headed on over to Dell.com.au and had a look around.

After much futzing around, trying to figure out which of their Inspiron, Latitude or Precision lines a 2Ghz Core Duo with 1GB RAM and 80GB HDD fits into, I finally found that the Inspiron 640M fit most of the bill.

It has a base starting price of $1599, which is substantially cheaper than the MacBook. I went into the customise page, and configured it with equal specs where possible.

The screen size is a slightly larger 14.1″ compared to the MB’s 13″, but the resolution of both screens is exactly the same, meaning it’s an entirely moot point. [and frankly, after having used a 15" and a 12" laptop for similar purposes, I much prefer the smaller end of the laptop screen size choices]

The rest of the specs fit almost exactly. The processor in the Dell is a 1.83GHz Core Duo, as opposed to the MB’s 2Ghz. Dell offers an upgrade for $450.

After all was said and done, and I had two equally comparable, the Dell was $2065. Compared to the education discount price of the MacBook at $2118, the difference comes down to a matter of $60.

In my opinion, buying a computer that can run both OS X and Windows, and comes bundled with all the iLife suite applications, as well as all the other fantastic things that OS X comes with, is definitely worth it. Not to mention the fact that Apple’s machines just look so damn good!

In fact, after you add Dell’s “How-To Helpdesk” Support option, which would equate it to the Apple support option, the difference comes down to $20. You know what, for an Apple over a Dell, i’ll skip a haircut. Or maybe I’ll just win poker for once.

cheers

Word for the Moment

Andrew Harrison — Fri, 12 May 2006 16:06:35 +0000

So,

the word for the moment is MANUMIT:

man·u·mit (măn’yə-mĭt’) tr.v., -mit·ted, -mit·ting, -mits. To free from slavery or bondage; emancipate.

Like how the Jews were manumitted from slavery in Egypt.

cheers

7:35 De La Manana

Andrew Harrison — Fri, 12 May 2006 14:26:00 +0000

So,

I was looking through the “other” folder on my video drive, and found this wonderful short movie from a few years ago.

It’s called 7:35 de la manana [7:35 in the morning]. It’s spanish with subtitles, and is fantastic.

cheers

XP Bundled Software That Apple Forgot to Mention in Their New “iLife” Ad From the Get a Mac Campaign

Andrew Harrison — Fri, 12 May 2006 02:29:00 +0000

So,

Apple’s new Get a Mac ads are great. They take the piss out of PCs very nicely.

Of particular note is their iLife ad, which explains that all new Macs come with iLife built in, and how great it is to have such awesome lifestyle software bundled.

The “PC” then goes on to note that PCs also have great software that comes bundled with Windows XP. Apps like Caluclator and Clock.

Here’s a list of software they didn’t mention [straight from the "accessories" folder of WinXP]:

Paint

Notepad

Tour Windows

Sound Recorder

Magnifier

HyperTerminal

Character Map

hours of fun, eh?

cheers

Do You File a Bowl Sized Cup Under Bowl or Cup?

Andrew Harrison — Thu, 11 May 2006 07:11:00 +0000

The offending crockery.

Wii!

Andrew Harrison — Tue, 09 May 2006 00:07:01 +0000

So,

Nintendo’s new gaming system, will be big.

there’s been a lot of buzz about it over the past year or so, and it’s picked even more in the last few weeks for two reasons – the release of it’s launch name “wii” [pronounced "we" and previously code named Revolution]; and the E3 conference is on this week – and it’s going to be huge.

Nintendo released a teaser of their new controller system some 8 or so months ago. The controller showed people on their couches in their living rooms. The people then got up, and holding a little remote control style device, started swinging it like a sword, throwing it like a fishing rod, using it like a tennis racket, pointing it like a gun etc. The device was the new controller for the Wii, which will quickly become the benchmark for a new wave of innovative gaming.

And that’s just what this controller is. Innovative. Whilst Sony and Microsoft, makers of the Playstation and Xbox, shove more RAM, better graphics cards, hard drives into their machines, Nintendo have gone against the curve and tried to redefine it. Don’t get me wrong: upping the specs and adding great multiplayer support is wonderful, and it’s sure to sell lots of units.

But at the end of the day, they are the same games we’ve been playing since the original playstation came out in 1996, with the same controllers. That’s a decade where all that’s advanced has been the graphics quality. And support for online playing. Compared to the decade before it, which was spearheaded by Nintendo’s release of the NES, well, you can see the advancements between the NES and the PS1 pretty clearly.

So, ten years on, Nintendo want to spearhead it again. And by all accounts, they have the spear already.

The new controller will obviously be the marketing point for the Wii. Assuming they have a good launch title to advertise with, they’ll take the market by storm, for the following reasons:

- Parents will buy it for their kids: This will happen for two reasons, one because the game titles that are released on Nintendo are usually more comical and happy than the shoot-everything-then- blow-up-everything-else titles released on other platforms. The second reason is that whole child obesity epidemic. If they can see that through a video game, their kids will be jumping and bouncing around the room having sword fights with each other, it’ll be an instant hit. - Non-Gamers might try it: Face it, no one really wants to be seen staring at a screen holding and tapping a plastic box. You look like a fool. Every ad that perpetuates a teenage being lazy [be it for laundry powder or some instant sauce] they are usually sitting in front of a tv playing a vide game. If the game gets you interacting with it on a more physical level, who wouldn’t, at the very least, want to try it out. - There’s no target market: The games are for everyone. More often than not, there are two demographics game makers go after: the hardcore gamers aged from around 15-25, and the younger kids aged 8-12 or thereabouts. Everyone else is just a bonus. Nintendo seem to have done away with the target market idea in their philosophy of the Wii, and are going for an “it’s for everyone” mantra, with an added side note about getting people that don’t play games to start. And I think it will work.

I’m pretty sure this is what gaming in the future will be. I’d bet money on the fact that Sony and Microsoft’s next consoles, which will come out around 2010, will utilise similar, if not even better forms of innovative, interactive [perhaps immersive is a better word] gaming systems.

I predict that the Wii will enjoy iPod style success when it’s launched. It’s going to redefine gaming the way the iPod/iTunes redefined music.

cheers

Update!

Andrew Harrison — Mon, 08 May 2006 09:39:08 +0000

So,

an update on things:

1. Seven Weeks More is the blog section of my site, andrew.harrison.org

2. Rather than being located at the old address of sevenweeksmore.blogspot.com, and using the standard, run of the mill template, I have moved it to andrew.harrison.org/7wm/7wm.html, and made a brand new template, completely integrating it with the rest of the site [it looks like the regular content pages]

3. andrew.harrison.org will also host my folio, once i get it up and running. at the moment, i am thinking of using simpleviewer or autoviewer by airtight to display the images. At the moment, the biggest problem is that i don’t have images to use. Also, the two viewers from airtight don’t allow linkings, which is not so good because i want to be able to link most items in the galleries to a pdf download. If only i knew how to write flash.

4. the tutelage and me pages are up, but not complete. they will be information about me, and information about my tutoring services.

5. the photos and contact page will be updated soon. the photos page will probably be the last thing i update on the site.

thats it for the moment

cheers

And WHAT a Conundrum!

Andrew Harrison — Mon, 08 May 2006 07:24:57 +0000

So, here’s the problem:

I’m going to have to buy a new computer soon. Soon is probably a year away.

I’ve already decided it’s going to be a mac. That was pretty much decided a while ago, but it was solidified and cemented in when Apple released Boot Camp.

Anyway, the conundrum is whether to buy a laptop or desktop. It’s going to be used for my graphic design work, including all the website design that i do. Because it can also boot windows, i can use Solidworks as well, which means that the one machine covers all my design disciplines. Hopefully Leopard [OSX 10.5] will be able to run windows programs inside OS X, as has been rumored so far.

A laptop would be great, because it means I can use OS X’s built in apache server to locally host websites i’ve designed, and then take them to clients when I need to, without having to worry about whether or not i’ll be able to access the internet whilst I’m there. [though with my recent airport express purchase, that might not be such a problem.]

I guess I would have to buy the 17″ MacBook Pro – I think it’s worth spending the extra money for the bigger screen and the faster processor.

But a new iMac is oh so tempting. For the same amount of money, I can get a fully decked iMac with all the bells and whistles. However, it would be stuck to my desk.

At the moment, I can wait a year to save the money, which means I might be able to pick up one of these computers at the end of their product cycle and pick it up for a bit cheaper.

BAH I don’t know what to do. But what a good problem to have

cheers