Beyond Occident

As many of my loyal readers know, I have been looking over (or lusting over) laptops ever since I realized I would need a laptop for college. Infact, if you travel back in time I believe you’ll find some posts in which I compare possible laptops. In the beginning I had a rather vague budget. I stayed pretty much in the $1500 – $2000 range. After awhile, I realized this wouldn’t be possible so I have changed that to $1000 to $1500.

My requirements for a laptop were pretty basic. A fast dual core processor with at least 1 gb of RAM. I would need at least a 100 gb HDD. Graphics were never really important to me so I was just fine with integrated. Since I knew I would be travelling around with the thing in college, I wanted longish battery life and a small size. Screen size from 12.1 inches to 14.1 inches.

I started out with Windows machines. I believe I looked at the Asus and Dell models in the 14.1 inch range. Then the new HP dv2000t was released and I was in love. All the while, I contemplated Apple’s OS X and their handsome looking MacBook. Another laptop I considered was the HP tx1000 tablet.

I knew I would use this laptop throughout my college career so I wanted to test them out in store before I bought. I went to Best Buy to check out the dv2000t. I loved it. The screen was good, the design was sleek and the performance was great. But then I saw the tx1000. This was the new tablet pc released by HP, and I loved the small form factor and it’s media compabilities. The tx1000 was at the front of the Windows catagory.

When I visited the Apple Store, I could easily notice a difference from Best Buy. The laptops were in good shape and more importantly, you could actually try the laptop. You could load any programs, surf the web or burn disks. I fell in love with the MacBook’s look, keyboard, and operating system. Then I started noticing something. Nearly every podcaster or blogger that I visit used Macs. Robert Scoble, who once worked at Microsoft, switched over to the Mac. Major Nelson, the voice of Xbox Live, talked with numerous guests about how his next laptop would be an Apple. Countless podcasts harped on the fact that OS X was simply easier to use and just got stuff done.

So I made the jump. Two days ago, I ventured up to the Kenwood Apple store and bought a midline MacBook. Here are the specs:

2.16 gHz Core 2 Duo Processor
1 gb RAM
120 gb 5400 RPM HDD
Superdrive
iSight Webcam

$1200

I love it so far. While I’m still experimenting here and there, I feel like I know what I’m doing in the operating system. And I must say, I do notice a difference when I have to use my Windows computer. Macs just seem more user friendly. You still have the same level of customization as you do in Windows yet everything is just easier to do. One of my favorite parts has to be the startup and shut down times. They practically don’t exist.

So far, the only complaint I have is about heat. It seems to be the major problem with MacBooks and it seems that I have not been spared. The bottem left section is very hot to the touch. Most people just say live with it although at times it feels like it’s nearly to the point of burning. However, people have shown this before and it is just how Apple makes their computers. They are soundless and in order to achieve that heat is simply evaporated off the chassis. No fans required. I can stand the heat right now and I don’t think it will make me want to return the laptop.

Well, I think I’m going to make a review for NotebookReview so maybe you can see it there soon.

So long!

Graduation was this morning and I must say, I look damn good in graduation robes. The party afterwards was rockin’. We had 2 ultimate frisbee games and an intense wiffle ball game. I also got hired by FedEx and I begin on the 4th of June. Wohoo! I will be loading and/or unloading the trucks as they come onto the plant. It is only 3.5 hour shifts (of hard manual labor) so I’ll still have time to have fun this summer while growing some gigantic muscles.

In Louisville news, I got my room assignment and my roomy. My roomy is Luke and is my great Ultimate Frisbee partner. Many fun times are going to be had. I’m also going to be blogging for my orientation on the 8th and 9nth. Laptop incoming

I figured I’d have more to say but I don’t really have anything. So good night and here’s to another great 4 years!

It was 10 o’clock pm. I was bored. What is there to do? Xbox Live Arcade of course. I recently downloaded Aegis Wing (free!) and Uno, and I had yet to try them out online.

Aegis Wing is a free side scrolling shooter that some interns at Microsoft made. M$ decided to put it up for free (how kind of them). Hopefully this happens more often as it is very good. The single player is like any run of the mill shooter. You hold down the A-button while looking for powerups. The multiplayer however is a completely different beast. With four players, you can link ships together. One player moves while the others become turrents on one massive super ship. The powerups become more and more powerful as more players are added on. Watching the entire screen fill with missiles going in every direction is a simply beautiful sight.

I think I said this before but it needs repeating. Once you leave Halo 2, people you meet on Xbox Live are actually really nice. I got in a group that was a Rainbow Six: Vegas clan located in friendly Alabama. I learned important facts like when nursing homes open and how skilled are the Fragdolls. I earned some achievements, beat the game on normal, added some gamertags as friends, and went off to Uno.

Uno has been out on the arcade scene for a long time. It has kept its age on Live though because it’s.. well.. Uno. It’s extraordinarily popular and made it cool to play boardgames and card games over the arcade. I’ll be the first one to admit the fact that I have some mad skillz in real life Uno. I wasn’t sure how well these skillz would translate onto the Xbox. I need not worry. I played four games and won an incredible three of them. The n00bs could only watch as I made stunning comebacks and stole the game away. pwned joo, lol.

By the way, I’m going to stick with Evilbanana417 as my gamertag. I recently discovered the DRM on arcade content and I don’t feel like messing with it if I have to switch to a different console so I’ll just sacrifice. Game on!

I finally got around to updating my book section of my blog. You should probably go look at them right now. I think it’s a good mix of classic literature that you’d read in school and a healthy selection of the fantasy genre.

Whew.

I made it!

It has been about 44 days since I last posted on here. And it’s not because I didn’t feel like blogging. The final days of my high school career were a frenzy of chaos and deadlines. But don’t worry, it’s all over now. Summer is here, and I can finally get ready for college (UofL w00t!). Most of my obligations involve getting ready for my graduation party (next Sunday!) as I’m going to be mulching and painting tomorrow. I finally cleaned 2/3 of my upstairs “lair”. After that, I just have to wait with bated breath and hope Fedex hires me and look down the calender and watch orientation get ever closer.

Speaking of Orientation, I gots an email from Louisville asking for student bloggers. If I get my laptop by orientation, I could inform the world of all the fun I’m having. I’ll have to talk to pops about maybe getting that laptop early…

In gaming news, since I turned 18 I no longer have to have a child account for Xbox Live. Alas, for some idiotic reason they have no way to elevate someones account from child to adult. Therefore, in a few weeks, Evilbanana417 will be no more. Henceforth, Baleful Banana will be my primary gamertag. And I’m already rocking that gamerscore, as I netted around 25 points in Geometry Wars. Only a couple thousand more points till I reach the point of Evilbanana417. Sad days.

Anywho, that’s it for now. I gotta go get some rest before a hard hard day out in the sun