A bit of business before I get down to my 52 week project. My Macbook suffered its first (and hopefully only) malfunction last week - the graphics card started playing up. So I took it into the nice people at the Apple store and they checked it out, only to find no problem. Typical it works when you don't want it too.
I returned home, and for a while, maybe a day, it worked fine then started playing up again. This time I managed to get screen-shots to show them, just in case. So I took it back showed them the issues and they said they would take it in for repair - parts and labour cost was to be £350!!! After a little gulp to myself, he then added "which of course we will waiver as you have had no problems before, looked after your mac" and "its a nice thing to do". I paused with baited breathe, did my ears deceive me!??!
Now I am a huge advocate of Apple, but really this takes customer service to a whole new level. They did indeed fix the problem by replacing the part and did it within 4 days - now THAT'S service, oh, and they smiled about it too :)
What else have I been up to in the past week? Well, we had a HUGE snowstorm, more on that later, and I had my second brain scan, which was fun. The first part of this scan involved seeing how you react emotionally to movie scenes such as Forest Gump, Dead Poets, Blair Witch and American History X amongst others. Then a series of questions needed to be completed, boring!!! But the cool thing was, seeing how you brain waves were affected by tension and relaxation (gritting your teeth or closing your eyes) - very cool!!
Only problem is you looked a little weird, this is how I think I looked, I might be wrong, there was no mirror.
On with the 52...
...as I mentioned before there had been a snowstorm. Now when I say this you may think it snowed a little? A faint frosting perchance? NO! IT REALLY SNOWED! In fact I had never seen snow like this in the UK before. But this did give me the perfect opportunity to play my WINTER card for my 52. Everywhere was covered in several inches of snow. Trains had stopped running, the country had ground to a complete stop, it was that bad!
So armed with my camera I set off the get some wintry shots.
The problem I soon found was few places were accessible. My bottom of my jeans had frozen and became like cardboard - you could quite literally knock on them. But I persevered and managed to go for a stupidly long walk along the coastline towards Peacehaven. I took several shots along the way and got what I hoped would be the winner for the week. On the way back the sun had gone down and the temperature had plummeted. So rather than walk back, I made my way for one of the few running buses. After about 40 minutes one pulled up, I jumped on frozen, the driver obviously in good spirits then refused to take my £20, saying "it wasn't allowed" and told me to get off the bus - if only Apple ran buses!?!
So I decided I would walk back after all, but it was bitter cold and my toes were numb (well I think they were, I couldn't feel them). Along came another bus and this time the driver had no issues whatsoever!? hmmm, some people! Chosen image for the week can be seen HERE Week 47 - WINTER
As Windows releases its version 7 the folks at Apple are already creating their mocking ads - worth checking out, below's one I particularly liked
They are not happy stopping there, they have also just released a brand new 27" iMac, which looks amazing - twice as sharp twice as fast!! Not only that but they have a fantastic new mouse with their touchpad technology built in or rather on it and also the wireless aluminium keyboard. I wont bore you with the details, if you want to know the specs of this fantastic machine head HERE
Now that's a present Santa would keep for himself :)
Apple have just hit 1,000,000,000 downloads for their App store!!! Most of the products they have available are free or very cheap and extremely useful, if you have an iTouch or iPhone I suggest you go see what they have.
Although they have made a few mistakes (shaking baby app?!?!, personally I think the person who made this is sick and at fault not Apple) but on the whole they are doing very well indeed.
I must say that Apple has come a really long way from it's old days. I think now almost every household has some apple product: iPod, iPhone, iTouch or a Mac (if not a varient on them). Apple stores are opening all over the globe, still none in Madrid as yet though :(
I would like the see the Apple TV moved forwarded more and have more availability of programs, but apart from that I'm more than happy with my Apple gadgets. Apple have shown a profit where most companies this year suffered and Apple are still leading the way in technology and environmental awareness - Hurrah for them!
There has been no news on Steve Job's health and when he is likely to return to the helm.
Im currently driving myself crazy trying to get my hands on an iBook. You know the ones, the white laptops that were SO infamous at making Mac standout. I have been bidding for what feels like a lifetime on ebay only to have the things snatched from my grasp on several occasions now.
As it is simply to replace my tired old heavy PC laptop and will be used mainly for work i dont want to spend a great deal, having said that I also don't want something that will need more spent on it to make it workable.
My aim is to pay around 240€ and have a spec something like this - G4 model, 12 - 14" screen, 1.33 ghz, 1 gig ram and about 60 gig HD; which I think is about standard and a good price, especially considering the iBook is no longer going to be supported by Apple.
Well on with my search - if you happen to have one you want to offload, do drop me a line... ...but dont wait too long, I wont!
Below you will see where my interest in computers started way back in 1986! My first computer was a Spectrum 128k (well I say mine it was actually Punch's but we shared it).
I think we kept the stores afloat in joystick sales as we broke that many. The games took like 5 minutes to load (it felt like a lifetime) and the games were on cassette tape (which made copying very easy - my first line into pirating). The graphics were okay and a step up from the likes of pong.
I then moved onto the Amiga - now things REALLY got interesting. The machine for me was a dream and I soon started looking into what could be done with this baby, and A LOT was possible! I started a group called THE LOST BOYS and worked with many groups on the scene back then such as FAIRLIGHT, ULTIMA, TRADERS DREAMS, and many others. I actually got published in a Amiga Magazine but it wasn't glamorous, it was for a disk I compiled in which when inserted you simply pressed any one of the 'F' keys to install a different virus onto someone's computer - the magazine thought I was some kind of anarchist!?!?
Then I upgraded to the Amiga 600 and then onto the 1200 - where I stayed for a while, great piece of kit. Back then the World Wide Web wasn't really big at all, so we all used a B.B.S. (Bulletin Board System) where one computer would call another only and you could chat or pass across data etc, slow but effect none the less (very costly).
Then it was time to get a PC (as the Amiga scene was dying, shame) so I got a 386!!! Windows 3.1 before they had a nice Graphic User Interface it was horrid; even the Amiga's was better. I upgraded that to a 486 and then onto a Pentium tower unit instead of a desktop. At this point windows 95 had been produced and that then upgraded to 98, 2000 and XP: it really went from strength to strength, until Vista that is!
In the process of updating several computers and numerous formatting (sad fact), I acquired the Playstation! Boy what a console, I was never a console fan until this point there had been several out Nintendo being the most popular. Then the PS 2 was launched and again huge leaps had been taken and was a great time killer for me.
Then came the Xbox and again managed to blow me away great console - not so keen on the controller though. Never did get the Xbox 360!? I did get a Gamecube but again didn't really like it.
As I was travelling alot I decided it best to buy a laptop - at this point they too had come along way, so I bought a Packard Bell. It was okay for it needed to do. Sony released the PS3 which of course I had to get - which also meant upgrading the TV - but that was worth it - again great console, although I don't think they have exploited it to its maximum capability.
Then I had a dilemma - I used a MAC when I worked with Voluntary Action Leicester and at first hated it - but I came to REALLY prefer it over the PC. So when it came time to upgrade my current laptop what to buy!??! After a few months of fighting with myself I opted for the Macbook Pro and I am VERY happy with my choice. Excellent piece of kit easy and simple, nice operating system, great support for software (my first major concern) but all put to rest after getting and using it.
After having such a good experience with the Mac I decided that an iTouch was my next gadget to have - and if you don't own an iTouch or an iPhone I suggest you get one - (iPhone Nano soon to be released so maybe hold off on the iPhone). But essentially its a PC/MAC in the palm of your hand!!!!
Considering where we were about 20 years ago things certainly have come along way and continue to do so. This year for Christmas I am now the owner of a Wii and for the first time I can actually say its a Nintendo product I like, great concept, nice console the games are ok - but more innovation required im tired of seeing Mario and Sonic in ALL Nintendo games!!!
So here's to the future of computers and games! Below is just a few pictures of the past, enjoy ;)
Sorry different kind of Gizmo anyway I was bored (surprise surprise) so I went on the search for some weird and wonderful gadgets for my new toy and just look at what I stumbled upon! JUMBO EARPHONES - actually their speakers
and for all those lonely hearts out there, A TALKING MOUSE - sad
Made by MiniStatements, the "Mini Desk" looks good enough to drive. The entire desk is constructed from what looks like a real Mini with its top chopped off, interior gutted, and left door panel removed. It retails at a whopping $4,400!!!
This laser gadget projects a virtual keyboard on a table or other suitable material, and then interpret your finger movement and pass them on to your PDA or whatever you have it connected to.
You'll never miss a song even in the bathroom with Atech's "iLounge hybrid toilet paper dispenser/iPod dock". The iLounge supports all iPod models that have a dock connector and has an integrated USB slot for the Shuffle. Speakers are hidden in the dispensers arms with navigation buttons located conveniently on top for easy access.
New York Fashion week is in full swing and there is news of a new laptop! Yes, once again fashion and technology have merged. This year HP have teamed up with Vivienne Tam and designed a gorgeous Chinese Red laptop for you to feast your eyes on. It has a 10.2 inch screen and is decorated with peonies. It's all about fusing fashion and style with tech.
So I made the switch from PC to MAC and no I'm not regretting it. I have been a longtime supporter of the PC and love the many and diverse programs you can get for it. I have also had the pleasure of working with a Mac (back when I worked for Voluntary Action Leicester, as a grants officer), but that was their Mac not mine.
However with the wonderful Vista (said tongue in cheek) installed on the PC laptops I thought maybe its time to migrate and Mac's are very good computers. So I bought myself a new Macbook Pro and very nice it is, simple clean effective and everything I can do on my PC I can do on my Mac - this wasn't quite the case all those years ago, but the Mac has come along way indeed.
The style and format of its programs are wonderful too matching it sleek design and simple to use layout. Sadly I think like most that PC's rely too much now on the fact that they were the universal standard and as such people will follow - maybe like Christianity?? But the Mac being the new breed people are starting to move over and take it seriously I know a lot of professional web designers, Music Producers and Graphic Artists use it and swear by it, but now the average man is starting to move over too.
The one off putting thing could be the cost - but consider this - with a standard laptop you are generally buying the computer not Vista it just comes as standard, a hybrid product - with the Mac you are buying the wonderfully designed Mac computer and the software - their product! I think this is where Mac are leading the way - its theirs, not Sony or HP computers with OS X installed.
One other key thing boy are they fast!!! Honestly if you are considering changing your PC go MAC you wont go back!
If you need any more proof check out the very cleverly designed Mac adverts vs the VERY strange WTF style PC ones.