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3. And We’re Back In The Room

See you in a few days after I’ve finished playing with my beauty below.

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If you want to know about the new MacBooks, you can go to Engadget, MacRumors, Ars Technica or any other tech site that reports on Apple news. If you want the specs and more detailed information, you can go to the Apple website or store for that. They both looks pretty cool and they both are pretty expensive, which is a shame. I had plans on getting a MacBook before, and I still would like a MacBook now. They also announced a 24 inch Cinema Display. The thing that makes this product so special is that it was made for MacBook, Pro and Air. It has 3 cables on it, MagSafe for power, USB for data and Mini DisplayLink for graphics. I think this is a great solution for connecting your notebook to a monitor. It is similar to some kind of docking solution, except with cables. The monitor has power USB ports for those desk items like keyboard, mouse, external drives etc.

The new MacBook is made out of Aluminium instead of plastic. The case looks really nice, much nicer than the previous one in my opinion. The screen is glass and features a LED backlit monitor. It would have been nice if it was capable of 1440×900 instead of just 1280×800. It also has a backlit keyboard on the high end model which is something that I would love because I do type in the dark and have difficulty seeing the in that setting. They have also ditched the Intel integrated graphics with a nVidia GeForce 9400M which is a much better graphics option. I also noticed that it uses DDR3 RAM instead of the DDR2 that most other notebook computers use.

I do love the new MacBook over the old one. The only problem is the increase in price point. The old custom configuration I had would have cost me $2500 with AppleCare and an Educational Discount. My new custom configuration is going to cost me $3000 with AppleCare and Educational Discount. I’m starting to wonder if a $3000 notebook computer is a smart thing to do. Should I just give it a skip and go with a cheaper Windows PC? I really want this MacBook but I’m not sure if I could do it for $3000. Only time will tell if and when I own this beauty…

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To sum up everything in a paragraph, new version of iTunes, 8.0. Adds grid album art view and Genius which makes playlists from songs similar to the one chosen. New iPod Nano, old slim design, accelerometer and Genius plus also a gimmicky (useless) feature, shake to shuffle. New iPod Touch, same as old one, slight design changes, Nike+ built in, volume on side. 2.1 software for iPhone/iPod Touch, fixes the bugs in 2.0 and adds Genius. The only things that interest me is the iTunes 8.0 update and the 2.1 software.

I installed iTunes straight away and I have noticed that it works better than 7.7 did in Vista. It still isn’t perfect but I guess the only way to make iTunes work perfectly is to get a Mac. As you know, I prefer to play my music by album so the album art grid view is great for me. It allows me to select an album to play pretty quickly. I also had a quick play with genius. I was happy with the selection it made, although it could probably have made better choices here and there, but I’m sure it’s playlist selections will get better as time goes on. I think Genius is a great way to find similar songs that go together in your library in a quick and easy way. It also allows to rediscover some of the music that has been buried in your library for a while. I think it is great alternative over Party Shuffle in iTunes and definitely the shuffle mode.

I have yet to upgrade my iPhone to 2.1 but I am really looking forward to being able to. Genius on it is going to be great, although I am a bit worried about how well it would work with only one third of my music collection on it. In saying that, it has most of the songs, well albums, I enjoy listening to anyway. Also the bug fixes to the keyboard lag, random app crashes and long sync/backup time will be greatly appreciated. I’m just waiting for QuickPwn for Windows to get released and I’m on the bandwagon. I need the unofficial third party apps as much as I need the official ones, that is why I haven’t gone through with the upgrade already.

So the event was prety dull. I think it would have been more exciting if the products hadn’t been rumored in such great detail beforehand. It kind of ruined the anticipation of the announcements. Although I wasn’t expecting any new computers (MacBook please!) to be announced, that will be the thing I am looking forward to the most. I think I am turning towards the Apple side!

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So, what has happened to me since I have been away. Well first I got sick and had a week off school. I got sick on the Saturday, which was a week before the school Formal. I went to the doctors and he gave me medication to take but I wasn’t getting any better so I returned to the doctor on Wednesday who though it could potentially be appendicitis and sent me to the emergency department to get test taken. This was a scary thought as I hate hospitals and the thought of having surgery.

When I got there, I waited for a bit and then later got check out, where the stuck a thing in my arm, took some blood and then put me on a drip. I waited for about 3 or 4 hours before the results came back, which showed nothing so I got let go. I had KFC for dinner at 8:30pm which was getting late but I only ate half a burger because I really didn’t feel like eating.

After that I started feeling better but I took the next day of resting, and then on the Friday, although I would have preferred another days rest, and could have used it, I needed to go to school to pick up my Formal ticket for the next day. I already had payed $90 or however much it cost and already had a suit hired for the event.

So the next day, I went to the school Formal. This is a big deal for a lot of people, but for me, it was just meh. I thought I had better go because this would be my only opportunity to ever go to one so I needed to see what it was all about. It is really weird seeing everyone dressed formally. I am not used to seeing people like this. And the event, it was average, but nothing I would have missed if I didn’t go. Oh, also I have to mention how crappy the food was, I wish I had eaten beforehand. There was also an afterparty, but I don’t think I’ll go into that.

Other than that, I have had assessments and have been doing other stuff (iPhone *cough*) as well as the usual. Still have a few things to get sorted out but by the holidays, my todo list should be clear. I still have to start that damn reading log so I can get the English credit I need for University. I did plan on finishing it this month, which is now over, so I doubt that will be happening. It’s a shame because I was hoping to have this of my plate for when the Fall TV shows start their new seasons. Despite my workload, I will be trying to keep this blog updated like I had before my break.

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Now that’s around 40 hours with no computer, no cellphone or iPod or anything of the sort. I am not going to have any technology for a long time. I can’t remember the last time I have been away from my computer for that long, but its probably been years. The longest I am usually away from the internet world is about 10 hours which isn’t that long but I am going to be away from it all for 40 hours and in 10 hours the internet moves pretty fast so I’m going to have a lot to catch up on being away from it for 4 times that.

Being away from the internet for so long is going to make it hard to come back with a huge pile of articles in my RSS reader, stories on Digg, Tweets to read, and other things to catch up on. This opportunity my help me by evaluating my internet usage and possibly help me make some cuts on unnecessary parts so I have more time to do other stuff and be more productive. As well as helping me through the experience of going away, it may also help me in my current life, online and offline. Maybe 40 hours away from it all will do me some good after all.

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Now onto my birthday… Every year for a few years now, Birthdays haven’t really meant much. They seem like normal days, only slightly different because I get a few gifts and people give you a different number to associate how long you have been alive. This year, I didn’t really get much in the terms of the gifts department. I did get gifts, but they weren’t anything special or anything worth talking about. Maybe that is one of the reasons I don’t care much about birthdays anymore, I don’t get cool toys like when I was little.

And in case you are wondering, no, there was no party. Parties do not appeal to me really. I did not have friends over and do stuff. There is really nothing to do, nor a reason to celebrate, in my opinion. Some would say I have a negative or bland view on birthdays, or celebration in general, and yes, you are probably right. Why don’t I care? Maybe because no one else does either.

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I turned up there and had a fair idea at the presentations I was going to see and the pamphlets I was going to take. I also went to a couple that I wasn’t going to but ended up going to because they were kinda relevant and a mate was going anyway and I needed something to do to pass the time. I went to the General Science presentation which covers the different courses for a Science degree. After that I went to the Applied Science presentation which has Software Engineering, although they didn’t say much about it. Then later on, I went to a Information Science presentation which talked a lot about IT. It was the most interesting presentation up to this point because the others were boring.

At the end of the presentation, I had 5 minutes to get over to the Polytechnic buildings to see a presentation for Information Technology. On my way there, I didn’t make a turn when I should have and I got completely lost. I had had to find my way back to on the right path. When I did finally figure out where the hell I was, I managed to find my way to the building. I was already 5 minutes late and I had difficulty finding the room in the reasonably large building. When I got to the room, there was a notice on the door saying there was a change. Different building, different room. After making my way to the correct room, I was 10 minutes late and I had missed quite a bit of the presentation. I was a little annoyed.

Anyway, after that fiasco, I made my way back to the University area and went to the Computer Science building for my last presentation before I go home. If you hadn’t guessed, the presentation was on Computer Science. It wasn’t that bad of a presentation. After seeing all of the presentations, I am still not 100% sure what I want to do next year but I am swaying towards doing Computer Science at Otago University. Now I just need to get that one pesky English credit and I should be well on my way of getting there.

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This year, I decided to save up my chocolates over the short 5 day Easter break and eat them afterwards. In the end, I think it was a great idea because it gave me something to look forward to after Easter. During Easter I was waiting to see what chocolates I get, and after easter I wait till I can finally eat my chocolaty treats. I normally eat the chocolates in order from worse tasting to best tasting. In all honesty, Cadbury chocolate all tastes good so for that it turns into eating the one with the least chocolate to the most. About a fortnight after Easter, I had eaten all my chocolate and was left with boxes in my closet.

Easter is normally during the term 1 holidays but this year, it was in the middle of the term which means we got a few random days off. We got 3 extra days which in total means a 5 day holiday. It was great to have a break during the middle of the term, the only problem was having to come back in such a short time to finish off the term. I can’t wait for the real holiday coming in a weeks time! I love chocolate!!!

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The typical resolutions are things like stop smoking and more exercise and be healthier and so on. Why should you wait till New Years to start this. If it is so important, why don’t you do it the moment you think of it. You have come to realise that smoking is probably not the best for your health so what do you do, keep doing it and wait for new years to start stopping. You get a headstart on doing something important to you and your life, and if you screw up, it’s not going to be a big deal. People are weak. “Oh I didn’t do this so my resolution is ruined. Oh well I’ll just go back and start again next year.” There are going to be people that are like that. If you need to make a change, do it now and not wait for a new year to come for you to start.

Playing devils advocate here, people do need a starting line, and New Years Day is a good place to start. New year means a new slate and a point to make changes for the rest of the year, it’s a good opportunity for people to make big lifestyle changes. Even though they have set a time for hen changes happen, at least they are trying to change for the best instead of shrugging it off or denying that they could make changes to be healthier and live healthier. There are a lot of people who just ignore and continue the bad, hectic lifestyles they currently live.

It would be hypocritical of my to make a new years resolution list because the things I would probably put on such a list would never be accomplished, I know that. Then again, I probably could be doing better but decided to ignore the fact that there is room for improvement for a better and more enjoyable life. My loss. I suppose I’ll just say that my first new years resolution was to not make any new years resolutions, so I am doing quite well for myself on that one.

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