I'm not entirely sure how I ended up watching this program tonight, but it's a new game show on the Fox network. It's pretty dumb. I won't say that the contestants are dumb, since most of them are around 30 years old and thus haven't been in grade school in some time. However, I was able to successfully answer all but one question on my own. So, I dunno. Maybe the pressure of a studio audience adds to the problem of forgetting things.
The dumbest thing though is that when they're eliminated, they have to say, "I'm not smarter than a 5th grader." I don't know if most people would remember some of these things, since a lot of education at that level is based on memorization and continual reiteration. And you don't necessarily remember all of the details along the way, but rather use all of it as building blocks to get to the next point. Also, if you end up doing something that has nothing to do with a subject such as astronomy, are you really going to remember stuff that you learned 20 years ago? Probably not.
Anyway, it's a pretty dumb show and not something that I will be trying to catch the next time around.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
A Map of the World
During one of our numerous times waiting at the courthouse while on jury duty, I started a book. Yes, an actual book. Awhile back, I blogged about my addiction to crossword puzzles and how that addiction had taken over any spare time that I might have devoted to reading. No longer. This book, A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton, has me hooked. I started it two days ago and I'm already over half done, and had trouble putting it down tonight.
Aside from the characters and the story line, I've been very drawn by the setting. It takes place in a farming community, and the main characters run a farm. Throughout the book, there are various references to farm chores, some of which I have had first-hand knowledge of myself. It got me thinking a lot about my grandpa and grandma T. and our family's farm. It's a tough way of life, but very rewarding when it's good.
And then tonight, my grandparents actually called me. It was very out of the ordinary, actually. I usually communicate with them through my mom. She's kind of like our telephone - we all talk to her weekly, and she divies out the information to everyone. That might sound kind of funny, but it seems to be the way that our family works. Anyway, they called because my grandma sent off a birthday card for me today thinking that she needed to get it here by the 25th. It wasn't until after she'd slipped it in the mailbox that she realized that my birthday is March 25th and this is still February. So, they were calling to let me know that my card would be here early.
It was really nice to talk with them, and to know that they are always there for me. They were a big part of my upbringing, and were a huge support system for me in difficult times. They're also a big reason I was able to make it through college without having to quit and save up more money in the middle of my undergraduate degree. And they're the ones who lent me money to get a certificate to start my career as a technical writer after I'd decided that my jobs in teaching and software testing were close, but no cigar.
It's interesting, really. Although grandpa and grandma T. never went to college, they have always held education very highly and made sure that it was a possibility for my mom and uncle, and then for all of us grandchildren when we were struggling to keep our heads above water financially. None of us took out loans. We all worked and saved up for college, and then worked through college. Growing up, I never questioned whether I would have a higher education. I understood that it was expected, and indeed, required for all of us grandchildren.
So, I have a lot of love and respect for my grandparents, and reading this book has helped to remind me a bit of some of my own experiences growing up on a farm and being in a farming community. It's a completely different life than what I live now, and I probably over romanticize it in my mind now. We did have a lot of good times, and I will always look back fondly on my experiences there. But I still remember how much I hated picking rocks and weeds in the fields. By doing those things, though, I learned that on a farm you can't pick and choose the things that you want to do - if you want to succeed, you have to tend to it all. And I think that applies to a lot of things in life.
Aside from the characters and the story line, I've been very drawn by the setting. It takes place in a farming community, and the main characters run a farm. Throughout the book, there are various references to farm chores, some of which I have had first-hand knowledge of myself. It got me thinking a lot about my grandpa and grandma T. and our family's farm. It's a tough way of life, but very rewarding when it's good.
And then tonight, my grandparents actually called me. It was very out of the ordinary, actually. I usually communicate with them through my mom. She's kind of like our telephone - we all talk to her weekly, and she divies out the information to everyone. That might sound kind of funny, but it seems to be the way that our family works. Anyway, they called because my grandma sent off a birthday card for me today thinking that she needed to get it here by the 25th. It wasn't until after she'd slipped it in the mailbox that she realized that my birthday is March 25th and this is still February. So, they were calling to let me know that my card would be here early.
It was really nice to talk with them, and to know that they are always there for me. They were a big part of my upbringing, and were a huge support system for me in difficult times. They're also a big reason I was able to make it through college without having to quit and save up more money in the middle of my undergraduate degree. And they're the ones who lent me money to get a certificate to start my career as a technical writer after I'd decided that my jobs in teaching and software testing were close, but no cigar.
It's interesting, really. Although grandpa and grandma T. never went to college, they have always held education very highly and made sure that it was a possibility for my mom and uncle, and then for all of us grandchildren when we were struggling to keep our heads above water financially. None of us took out loans. We all worked and saved up for college, and then worked through college. Growing up, I never questioned whether I would have a higher education. I understood that it was expected, and indeed, required for all of us grandchildren.
So, I have a lot of love and respect for my grandparents, and reading this book has helped to remind me a bit of some of my own experiences growing up on a farm and being in a farming community. It's a completely different life than what I live now, and I probably over romanticize it in my mind now. We did have a lot of good times, and I will always look back fondly on my experiences there. But I still remember how much I hated picking rocks and weeds in the fields. By doing those things, though, I learned that on a farm you can't pick and choose the things that you want to do - if you want to succeed, you have to tend to it all. And I think that applies to a lot of things in life.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
My 29th birthday
I am turning 29 next month. It's a weird feeling. This next year will be the last year in my 20s. The funny thing is that I go back and forth about feeling my age. I may own a car, pay all my own expenses, and have a mortgage, but there are days where I still feel like a kid. For example, last week I was called for jury duty. So I stayed with my parents to be closer to the courthouse and I drove past my old high school to get there. The main part of the school is the same, but they've built outward a bit. I remember driving back and forth to school, picking up and dropping off friends, and going out to lunch with my best friend. In a way, driving that route made me feel like I was 16 again, with all of the pressures of being a teenager. Stuff like whether I was going to pass my AP tests to get credit for college classes, whether I had the cool clothes, and whether I'd grow up and marry my high school sweetheart even though my family couldn't stand him.
It's weird how those kinds of pressures seem so small to me now, but they were really no less difficult for me to navigate at the time than say the every day pressures of my job at this point in my life. We grow older, and the problems may change, but there are always problems to deal with.
When I look back at my life so far, I sometimes wonder how I've made it to this particular place in the world. Where I'm at now seems so different from what I'd planned. I wonder what my 16 year-old self would say looking at me today. Surely, I'd be disappointed by some things, because I think I've lost some of my idealism along the way. Things that I was so passionate about and debated fiercly have faded from a roaring fire to glowing embers. Occasionally, a strong breeze passes by to stoke the fire again, but the experiences of life and subsequent acceptance tame me again. It's not so much that I've changed my beliefs, but rather have come to see that everyone else is just as entrenched in their ways as I am in mine.
Of course, there would be another part of me that would be very proud that I made it through some really hard situations and ended up coming out a better, wiser, and more compassionate person. So maybe things would end up balancing out in my 16 year-old estimation.
And there are a ton of things that if I knew then what I know now, I'd have done a lot differently. Like not worrying about my weight or looks, because it was just a complete waste of time. I was healthy and pretty, and had no need to try and look just like every other girl at the school. Not worrying about having a boyfriend all the time to somehow validate who I was as a young woman. Not staying with someone who was unworthy of my love and respect. Not marrying someone so young. The list goes on and on.
But, you know, it's all of those things and more that got me to where I am today. So, no matter how often I wish I could go back and change one thing or another, I try and always remember that the ride is what got me here in the first place. And, I'm pretty happy overall now, so those lessons were well taken. I certainly have a long journey ahead of me, but I hope that in the end I'll look back at the main points and say that I did things my way and learned to be a better person because of it.
It's weird how those kinds of pressures seem so small to me now, but they were really no less difficult for me to navigate at the time than say the every day pressures of my job at this point in my life. We grow older, and the problems may change, but there are always problems to deal with.
When I look back at my life so far, I sometimes wonder how I've made it to this particular place in the world. Where I'm at now seems so different from what I'd planned. I wonder what my 16 year-old self would say looking at me today. Surely, I'd be disappointed by some things, because I think I've lost some of my idealism along the way. Things that I was so passionate about and debated fiercly have faded from a roaring fire to glowing embers. Occasionally, a strong breeze passes by to stoke the fire again, but the experiences of life and subsequent acceptance tame me again. It's not so much that I've changed my beliefs, but rather have come to see that everyone else is just as entrenched in their ways as I am in mine.
Of course, there would be another part of me that would be very proud that I made it through some really hard situations and ended up coming out a better, wiser, and more compassionate person. So maybe things would end up balancing out in my 16 year-old estimation.
And there are a ton of things that if I knew then what I know now, I'd have done a lot differently. Like not worrying about my weight or looks, because it was just a complete waste of time. I was healthy and pretty, and had no need to try and look just like every other girl at the school. Not worrying about having a boyfriend all the time to somehow validate who I was as a young woman. Not staying with someone who was unworthy of my love and respect. Not marrying someone so young. The list goes on and on.
But, you know, it's all of those things and more that got me to where I am today. So, no matter how often I wish I could go back and change one thing or another, I try and always remember that the ride is what got me here in the first place. And, I'm pretty happy overall now, so those lessons were well taken. I certainly have a long journey ahead of me, but I hope that in the end I'll look back at the main points and say that I did things my way and learned to be a better person because of it.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Teacher faces sentence of 40 years
This (Teacher’s porn conviction sparks tech debate) is completely stupid. Who hasn't gone to some random Web site and encountered a seedy popup at some point in their Web use? This poor woman. Here she is substitute teaching a class, and gets into one of those dumb popup hell scenarios. If anything, the school should be at fault for not having the appropriate software installed to combat such problems; or fault the kids who were surfing the Internet while she was out of the classroom. I'm sure what those kids saw wasn't anything that they wouldn't accidentally see otherwise in the course of their lives if their parents are too stupid to figure out that this obviously wasn't something done on purpose.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Diets and exercise suck
Me: it's been one week since I started to eat better and exercise; let's hop on the scale and see where we're at
Scale: you've gained 4 pounds
Me: 4 pounds???????
Scale: yep
Me: hmmm, that's not really the direction I was aiming for (sob...)
Scale: you've gained 4 pounds
Me: 4 pounds???????
Scale: yep
Me: hmmm, that's not really the direction I was aiming for (sob...)
Password hell
My life, like many people's lives, consists of what I call password hell. Password hell is where you're at when you do a lot of business online and have various account names and passwords scattered all over cyber land. The account name part isn't too difficult, as you can usually use your email address or at least the email name without the domain information. However, every system seems to have a slightly different idea about what they allow for passwords. Some systems require letters, numbers, and symbols. Other systems only allow the numbers and symbols. And others have specific requirements around how many characters you can have, or they assign your password for you in some random combination of things that you'll never remember. The list goes on.
Honestly, it's a wonder I can remember to put shoes on before I leave the house most days, so remembering all of these specials rules for the bazillion online accounts I have is mind boggling. This morning I tried to access an old 401K account, because I realized that they must not have my newest address as I have not received a quarterly statement for some time. After three attempts, I was locked out, which is better than having some hacker be able to access my account. So, I selected to have my password sent to me. It wasn't until I'd selected the "send me my password" option that I learned "send" was used in a postal sense, not an electronic sense. This is an example of poor UI text, but I digress. Considering that I have not been receiving statements, I'm 100% sure that the password documents won't be making it to me either. Now I have to wait for their business hours to start to try and fix the whole bloody mess. And based on previous experience, I'll go through automated phone hell trying to get to an actual person on the other end of the line.
Honestly, it's a wonder I can remember to put shoes on before I leave the house most days, so remembering all of these specials rules for the bazillion online accounts I have is mind boggling. This morning I tried to access an old 401K account, because I realized that they must not have my newest address as I have not received a quarterly statement for some time. After three attempts, I was locked out, which is better than having some hacker be able to access my account. So, I selected to have my password sent to me. It wasn't until I'd selected the "send me my password" option that I learned "send" was used in a postal sense, not an electronic sense. This is an example of poor UI text, but I digress. Considering that I have not been receiving statements, I'm 100% sure that the password documents won't be making it to me either. Now I have to wait for their business hours to start to try and fix the whole bloody mess. And based on previous experience, I'll go through automated phone hell trying to get to an actual person on the other end of the line.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Grammy Awards
We're watching the Grammy Awards right now, and I'm still pissed off at Mary J. Blige for not thanking Bono during her award acceptance speech. She was singing his friggin' song ("One")! C'mon!
But, I'm am extremely happy that the Dixie Chicks won the song of the year award, among other awards, for "Not Ready to Make Nice". It's a great song, and perfect message for the flack that they received from all of the backward idiots who somehow thought that Natalie Maines's comment was un-American.
Ummm, the ability to talk out against our government is one of our greatest (and lately most endangered) rights as Americans. And some people were so offended that she said it "on foreign soil", as I believe that they were in London when she said that she was ashamed that president shrub was from Texas ("president shrub" being my way to refer to the president, not hers). Sometimes I wonder where people leave their common sense. Who cares where she said it? She could say it from the moon and it would make no difference. Should she have stopped in the middle of her statement said, "wait a minute; let's head back to the states so that I can put the president down"? The same laws that protect her freedom of speech, are the same laws that protected people who spoke out against what she said. So, what's the big deal? Just because you don't agree with what someone says, doesn't mean that they don't have the right to say it.
But, I'm am extremely happy that the Dixie Chicks won the song of the year award, among other awards, for "Not Ready to Make Nice". It's a great song, and perfect message for the flack that they received from all of the backward idiots who somehow thought that Natalie Maines's comment was un-American.
Ummm, the ability to talk out against our government is one of our greatest (and lately most endangered) rights as Americans. And some people were so offended that she said it "on foreign soil", as I believe that they were in London when she said that she was ashamed that president shrub was from Texas ("president shrub" being my way to refer to the president, not hers). Sometimes I wonder where people leave their common sense. Who cares where she said it? She could say it from the moon and it would make no difference. Should she have stopped in the middle of her statement said, "wait a minute; let's head back to the states so that I can put the president down"? The same laws that protect her freedom of speech, are the same laws that protected people who spoke out against what she said. So, what's the big deal? Just because you don't agree with what someone says, doesn't mean that they don't have the right to say it.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Bill Gates error message
I thought it was really funny the way that Bill Gates got up and left so abruptly from the Daily Show, so I found this clip extra hilarious:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ9sVVlmrK0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ9sVVlmrK0
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
The return of the Smashing Pumpkins
The new Smashing Pumpkins album, Zeitgeist, is scheduled for release on 07.07.07. When they called it quits several years ago, I literally cried. That may seem silly, but their music was such a big part of my life when I was growing up, that their end was suddenly the end of an era for me. So, needless to say, I'm quite excited about the new album and hope that they can channel their previous glory into an awesome comeback.
Got it!
My new computer came today, and it's totally awesome. If I'd felt better (I'm feeling under the weather), I'd have actually done more with it. As it is, I did the initial setup stuff, installed updates, and got it connected to my network so I play around with it.
It's really fast, and I love the display. I got the super-wide display option, so I can see a lot at one time even though it's only a 15-inch screen. The colors and resolution are really nice.
Anyway, I'll probably end up rebuilding this machine from scratch, by installing Vista Ultimate and Office Ultimate (since it only came w/ Vista Home Premium and MS Works). That way it will get rid of all of the factory-installed crap that I don't want or need, and will allow me to configure everything the way that I want it. And, I'll get all of my files that I want on this machine copied over from my external drive. So, I have a little work ahead of me, but it will be worth it. Once all of that is done, I'll rebuild my old machine for work. Everything in due time.
It's really fast, and I love the display. I got the super-wide display option, so I can see a lot at one time even though it's only a 15-inch screen. The colors and resolution are really nice.
Anyway, I'll probably end up rebuilding this machine from scratch, by installing Vista Ultimate and Office Ultimate (since it only came w/ Vista Home Premium and MS Works). That way it will get rid of all of the factory-installed crap that I don't want or need, and will allow me to configure everything the way that I want it. And, I'll get all of my files that I want on this machine copied over from my external drive. So, I have a little work ahead of me, but it will be worth it. Once all of that is done, I'll rebuild my old machine for work. Everything in due time.
Super proposal
This is so cool! I actually know Rand and Geraldine, but had no idea that this was going on :) If you watched Veronica Mars last night, you saw Rand propose to Geraldine during an ad spot. If not, here's the article about everything he went through to do the proposal after losing an ad spot during the Superbowl:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17020518/
Congratulations!!!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17020518/
Congratulations!!!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Good explanation of the difference between Windows, Linux, and Macintosh
I found a link on a friend's blog about the changing graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in Microsoft Windows. As is typical, people started debating (through comments) about the supremacy of Mac, or Linux, or Windows. One of the comments, from the user "rapsod" (close to the bottom of the page), was very interesting, and I think very accurate (aside from a few grammatical and spelling issues). S/he basically points out that each have different levels of configurability and different purposes. Linux is great for people who know a lot about their computer, and who are willing or have the desire to muck around with a lot of things in the OS. Mac is great for people who don't want to tinker with much of anything having to do with their computer, but just want to get something done. And Windows is good for people who are in between; they want some control over their system, but can choose to go from knowing relatively little to customizing their OS using more complicated tools and processes.
He also points out that a lot of security problems arise from how people run their machines. I don't know much about Mac and Linux, but have used Windows for years. Most of the security exploits take advantage of the fact that people run their systems under adminstrator accounts, which of course has control over everything. People don't have to run as administrators for most things, but it's not always possible to run as a non-administrator account. MS has done some nice stuff with Vista, though, with a new feature called User Account Control (UAC), previously referred to as the Least-privileged User Account (LUA). I have to admit that when I first started using Vista, the prompts really ticked me off but over time I've come to appreciate them. It's a more in-your-face approach than before, for sure, but it's a heck of a lot better than a virus or other security problem. The article I linked to for UAC is a really good reference for more information about UAC in Vista.
In any case, I thought that the comment was good for remembering the purpose and target user of each OS. I know all kinds of people who prefer different systems for different reasons, but they all pretty much boil down to those points. No matter how much my overly techy friends love Linux, my mom is never going to switch from her Mac. They're just different kinds of users and they want different things out of their OS.
Me? I'm a Windows girl, hands down. I actually started on Macs, but got frustrated with the limitations in configuring them. I don't know what they're like now b/c once I switched, I was there to stay. Some people point to better fonts, design, layout, whatever, on Macs but I honestly can't tell much of a difference. Maybe to people who are really into that stuff, like some people are really into the subtle differences and flavors in wine, that makes a difference, but it doesn't to someone like me. When I use my mom's Mac to try and help her figure something out, I'm constantly looking for things that either don't exist on a Mac to configure or that she just has no idea where to find on her Mac so that I can configure it. Luckily, she rarely calls me because she knows it's usually futile to ask me for help on her computer.
And Linux? I played around with a friend's computer once and found it to be way too complex. I want to be able to customize my computer, but I don't want to have to configure everything. Plus, I find all of the open-source resources to be so limitless that it's hard to know what I actually need, what I want, and what's just fluff. I find some guidance to be helpful, so I just get overwhelmed by everything available in open-source land. How do you know if something is good or complete crap? And the people who are really in-the-know with regard to open-source software seem to me like people who are really in-the-know about underground indie rock bands or something. They all talk about software with obscure names that tell me little or nothing about what the thing is or does. The more obscure programs you can talk about, the more street cred you have. It's all just too much obscurity and complexity for my little pea brain.
In the end, I want something that looks polished and professional, that works, and that I can configure but not within an inch of its life. Windows gives me that ability, so I'm happy using it. There may be updates along the way, but I'd rather use software from a company that tracks issues and then puts out fixes for them than a company that didn't. It just seems to me that as we exist in a very complicated world, with ever changing technologies, it's just never going to be perfect. There will always be something else around the corner, whether that be bad or good. And we just need to figure out the best ways to learn and go on from there.
He also points out that a lot of security problems arise from how people run their machines. I don't know much about Mac and Linux, but have used Windows for years. Most of the security exploits take advantage of the fact that people run their systems under adminstrator accounts, which of course has control over everything. People don't have to run as administrators for most things, but it's not always possible to run as a non-administrator account. MS has done some nice stuff with Vista, though, with a new feature called User Account Control (UAC), previously referred to as the Least-privileged User Account (LUA). I have to admit that when I first started using Vista, the prompts really ticked me off but over time I've come to appreciate them. It's a more in-your-face approach than before, for sure, but it's a heck of a lot better than a virus or other security problem. The article I linked to for UAC is a really good reference for more information about UAC in Vista.
In any case, I thought that the comment was good for remembering the purpose and target user of each OS. I know all kinds of people who prefer different systems for different reasons, but they all pretty much boil down to those points. No matter how much my overly techy friends love Linux, my mom is never going to switch from her Mac. They're just different kinds of users and they want different things out of their OS.
Me? I'm a Windows girl, hands down. I actually started on Macs, but got frustrated with the limitations in configuring them. I don't know what they're like now b/c once I switched, I was there to stay. Some people point to better fonts, design, layout, whatever, on Macs but I honestly can't tell much of a difference. Maybe to people who are really into that stuff, like some people are really into the subtle differences and flavors in wine, that makes a difference, but it doesn't to someone like me. When I use my mom's Mac to try and help her figure something out, I'm constantly looking for things that either don't exist on a Mac to configure or that she just has no idea where to find on her Mac so that I can configure it. Luckily, she rarely calls me because she knows it's usually futile to ask me for help on her computer.
And Linux? I played around with a friend's computer once and found it to be way too complex. I want to be able to customize my computer, but I don't want to have to configure everything. Plus, I find all of the open-source resources to be so limitless that it's hard to know what I actually need, what I want, and what's just fluff. I find some guidance to be helpful, so I just get overwhelmed by everything available in open-source land. How do you know if something is good or complete crap? And the people who are really in-the-know with regard to open-source software seem to me like people who are really in-the-know about underground indie rock bands or something. They all talk about software with obscure names that tell me little or nothing about what the thing is or does. The more obscure programs you can talk about, the more street cred you have. It's all just too much obscurity and complexity for my little pea brain.
In the end, I want something that looks polished and professional, that works, and that I can configure but not within an inch of its life. Windows gives me that ability, so I'm happy using it. There may be updates along the way, but I'd rather use software from a company that tracks issues and then puts out fixes for them than a company that didn't. It just seems to me that as we exist in a very complicated world, with ever changing technologies, it's just never going to be perfect. There will always be something else around the corner, whether that be bad or good. And we just need to figure out the best ways to learn and go on from there.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
New computer specs
I've been asked for some specs on my new machine, so here they are:
Dell Inspiron E1505
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7200 (2.00GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB)
Display: 15.4 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen SXGA+ Display with TrueLife™
Memory: 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM
Video Card: 256MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory™
Hard Drive: 80GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
Network Card and Modem: Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
CD/DVD: 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Sound: Integrated Audio
Wireless Networking Cards: Dell Wireless 1390b/g (54Mbps)
Primary Battery 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
I didn't worry too much about the hard drive b/c I use an external drive anyway. And I have an external CD burner that's really fast so I didn't care about that either.
I think that I'll have a lot of fun playing around with pictures and videos on my new computer. I got some fun photo and video editing software (Microsoft Image Suite Plus), so it will be cool to see what that's like. My current computer, while pretty awesome about 3 years ago, is now slow and not so great at the multimedia stuff. So, I think it will be perfect for work programs like Office, and a few authoring tools. Once my new computer comes, I'll rebuild this one and just install XP and Office 2003 on it again. My new computer will have Vista Ultimate and Office Ultimate. Wheeee!
Dell Inspiron E1505
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7200 (2.00GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB)
Display: 15.4 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen SXGA+ Display with TrueLife™
Memory: 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM
Video Card: 256MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory™
Hard Drive: 80GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
Network Card and Modem: Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
CD/DVD: 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Sound: Integrated Audio
Wireless Networking Cards: Dell Wireless 1390b/g (54Mbps)
Primary Battery 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
I didn't worry too much about the hard drive b/c I use an external drive anyway. And I have an external CD burner that's really fast so I didn't care about that either.
I think that I'll have a lot of fun playing around with pictures and videos on my new computer. I got some fun photo and video editing software (Microsoft Image Suite Plus), so it will be cool to see what that's like. My current computer, while pretty awesome about 3 years ago, is now slow and not so great at the multimedia stuff. So, I think it will be perfect for work programs like Office, and a few authoring tools. Once my new computer comes, I'll rebuild this one and just install XP and Office 2003 on it again. My new computer will have Vista Ultimate and Office Ultimate. Wheeee!
Friday, February 02, 2007
Bill Gates puts the smack down on Apple
This is a great Newsweek article: Finally, Vista Makes Its Debut. Now What?
This is my favorite part, when Gates was asked about Apple's ads suggesting that you need surgery to upgrade:
"Well, certainly we've done a better job letting you upgrade on the hardware than our competitors have done. You can choose to buy a new machine, or you can choose to do an upgrade. And I don't know why [Apple is] acting like it’s superior. I don't even get it. What are they trying to say? Does honesty matter in these things, or if you're really cool, that means you get to be a lying person whenever you feel like it? There's not even the slightest shred of truth to it."
I'm glad that he took aim at those ads. I'm still bugged by the one where the PC is sick and the Apple says that it doesn't get viruses. Excuse me? A quick google search, and I beg to differ. Yes, it is rarer than on PCs, but that doesn't mean that Apple is somehow exempt from the world of exploits. Blech.
I don't hate Apple. I think that they have a place in the world, and I do love my iPod. Although, I about threw it out the window this morning after having yet another problem with iTunes and my iPod synchronizing. I just love unspecified errors...the mystery...the romance. Not.
Is there a Zune in my future?
This is my favorite part, when Gates was asked about Apple's ads suggesting that you need surgery to upgrade:
"Well, certainly we've done a better job letting you upgrade on the hardware than our competitors have done. You can choose to buy a new machine, or you can choose to do an upgrade. And I don't know why [Apple is] acting like it’s superior. I don't even get it. What are they trying to say? Does honesty matter in these things, or if you're really cool, that means you get to be a lying person whenever you feel like it? There's not even the slightest shred of truth to it."
I'm glad that he took aim at those ads. I'm still bugged by the one where the PC is sick and the Apple says that it doesn't get viruses. Excuse me? A quick google search, and I beg to differ. Yes, it is rarer than on PCs, but that doesn't mean that Apple is somehow exempt from the world of exploits. Blech.
I don't hate Apple. I think that they have a place in the world, and I do love my iPod. Although, I about threw it out the window this morning after having yet another problem with iTunes and my iPod synchronizing. I just love unspecified errors...the mystery...the romance. Not.
Is there a Zune in my future?
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