It looks like a big Uncle looking after it’s little Nephew

Tags

Nintendo, PlayStation 3, Stereo, Wii

As a family man and videogamer I recently had to do something which appears to now be a law: I have bought a Wii.

This isn’t what got me writing, however. What got me writing was that due to the new console I needed a bit more space for it and the PS3. So I packed up my stereo  to be put in the attic and put the two consoles side by side proudly on display.

Then it kind of hit me. I just packed up my stereo. This wasn’t some cheap piece of equipment, you understand. Back when I bought it nearly 10 years ago it cost me a lot of money. It was a good one too (a Pioneer NS5, in case you’re wondering) that is still working as good now as it did back in the day.

So why did I box it up to put it in the attic?

Simple. I never used it. All my music now comes to me via my laptop or iPod. At least, when I’m not playing Drop 7 that is. I can’t remember when I last turned it on to listen to a CD. What’s the point of that when I have Playlists? Or Genius? If I do listen to a CD it goes into the PS3 so I can fire up the HD visuallisers.

I’ve always had a stereo. My Dad is a big music fan so he always had a big separates system. A stereo was always one of those things I had to have. And now I’m raising my son in a house with no stereo. Maybe I’ll keep it for him when he’s older but what’s the point? Surely by then CDs, let alone tapes, will be dead.

Should I feel so bad about putting it away? Probably not. We’re supposed to welcome convergence and I do. But sometimes, like with Nintendo, sometimes it’s hard to let go of the past.

Installing Windows 7 RC or Isn’t TV Rubbish at Two Thirty in The Morning

Tags

Laptop, Microsoft, Windows 7, Windows Vista

It’s well known that I love my Laptop but it is also well known that Windows Vista isn’t loved.

It’s been a while now since I got The Duchess and she’s starting to fray about the edges. Not to mention the busted Number 2 key.

So action was required and I decided to throw caution to the wind and install Windows 7 RC.

This seemingly easy decision had some issues.

Firstly, the cost of it is still unknown. What I didn’t want to do was to delete Vista willy nilly and not be able to reinstall it once Microsoft screwed the customer by charging through the nose for a new operating system that the last one should have been in the first place.

This being the 21st Centaury saying it was easy but technology put some hurdles in the way.

The main one was that my laptop didn’t come with any Recovery disks, it was all on a hidden partition hard drive. The issue here is that when I wipe the hard drive to install the new windows this might be lost. Answer: use the Vaio’s recovery program to burn recovery disks onto a couple of DVDs.

Naturally, the program didn’t work thanks to a random missing .dll file.

So, once all my data was backed up I would have to restore my laptop to it’s original settings, burn the disks and install the new Windows.

Which went like a dream until I tried to install Windows 7 and was told I had to download Vista Service Pack 1 and install that before I could proceed.

Which took TWO AND A HALF HOURS.

This would have all been avoided if I had burned the recovery disks as soon as I bought the laptop nearly 2 years ago.

But was it worth it? I have no idea because when I finished that and wrestled my iTunes library back into somekind of order it was half two in the morning and I had work the next day.

And if I heard the Windows booting up noise one more time I would have snapped the laptop in half and bought a Mac Book.

To be continued.

One week in: the iPod Touch

Tags

Apple, iPod Touch

So, it’s been a week with my first wholly owned Apple product (the Good Lady Wife had a 2nd Gen iPod Nano but I never used it that much) which means it’s tell for an update:

Awesome.

You want more?

Previously my mobile entertainment has been entirely around my PSP. Which was podcasts out and about and games when at home and plugged into a power socket.

Oh boy, have I’ve I seen a difference. The interface on the PSP, which admittedly came out before the iPhone/iPod Touch, is so antiquated. Using the Internet is a nightmare on the Sony device, connecting to wi-fi takes ages and it feels clunky. It felt clunky before I got my hands on my iPod.

The App store is amazing, syncing it is a dream, it’s amazing. And I can really understand why people love the iPhone so much, some of the Apps change the way you think about mobile devices.

Go buy one.

I am totally in the 21st Centuary

Tags

Apple, iPod Touch

Typing this on my new iPod Touch. Life is good.

Will get writing some reviews as well at some point.

The History of The Internet

Tags

History, Internet, Random Video

Don’t say I’m never informative.

I’ve got 99 problems but the INQ1 ain’t one of them. Ish.

Tags

INQ1, Mobile Phone

So I’ve got a new phone and a contract with 3. The phone I went for was an INQ1 which has been tagged as the Facebook phone, which is ironic becuase since getting it the thing I’ve accessed the most on it is Twitter.

But anyway, I like the phone. It’s got a nice sturdy feel, the screen is nice and, for the money, has got a lot of functionality.

There are only two problems:

1) The camera. It’s shit. Really bad. It’s 3.2mp but the pictures come out blurry and really dark if you’re inside. Natural sunlight pics aren’t too bad but inside, not good at all.

2) The calendar. It’s shit. Doesn’t work. Not great.

Other than that, good times.

Woah

Tags

Apple, iPod Nano, iTunes

That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it? I mean, iTunes is one of those things that really saved Apple and brought them back to relevance in a PC dominated world. Or is this a way for Apple to get out now while they’re still making money before competition for digital music gets too fierce?

Either way, those new iPod Nanos look well sweet.

Uh oh.

Tags

Laptop, The Duchess

A trifle worrying. Thankfully The Duchess isn’t in the model series affected so we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

That is, of course, on the assumption that the screen isn't going to break again.

They should have called it The Webminator

Tags

Chrome, Google, Internet

This looks interesting, at least in a Google-Trying-To-Take-Over-Everything-But-Look-Nice-About-It kind of way. They even roped in comic auteur Scott McCloud to promote it.

It’s probably been coming a while and I will try it to see how all the other Google bits and bobs fit into it. But I’ve already got Firefox and can’t get rid of Internet Explorer and I downloaded Safari as well and I quite liked the look of that social web browser so do I really need another one?

Major problem? Chrome. Not a great name.

What I really need is a bigger hard drive for my PS3. Those demos fill it up super quick.

Pardon?

Tags

Broadband, BT, Internet

Really?

Is that a fact is it?

Then would someone mind telling BT. Cheers.