Geek Cred

I'm lacking in this important department. Street Cred is something rappers want, Geek cred is something I want.

I haven't upgraded my computer in 5 years. I have an Athlon XP 1800 (1.5 GHz) with 512 MB RAM. Video cards now have this amount of memory. I just bought a new keyboard after using my previous one for 8 years. It was dirty (<-- understatement). My monitor is not even widescreen. I don't even bother with new computer games anymore because I know I can't run them.

My current dilemma is whether to buy a desktop or laptop. I've decided to get a laptop first to help with my constant moving around and then when Starcraft II comes out, to get a new desktop.

But here's where the geek cred comes in. I'm going to get a Mac laptop. Probably not a Macbook Air, as it's crippled is a few ways, even though it's undeniably sexy. I'm probably looking at the low end Macbook Pro. I have to experience the UI everyone keeps raving about. I have to play with Unix. I have to feel the sleek form factor. I have to see what a big difference integrated hardware/software can make. I have to virtualize ftw!!!

The bad thing about Apple is the insane pricing. Because there is such a big difference, I'll probably get my sister to buy it in the States with her Education discount (She's a teacher in the USA). That will result in a savings of $500-$550. I can't believe it's such a big difference and it only increases with the pricer models. Even with that discount, it's still going to be pricey, especially when compared to a PC. Now if I could only convince my family to become exclusive Mac users...

Comments

Comments are the currency of the Internet. That and page views. But for me, comments are much more important. I use it partly as a way for people to keep up with what's going on with me. Facebook also serves a similar purpose, but I think in a different manner (photos and status). Your commenting justifies my effort spent writing. I appreciate it. Even something like saying hello can make my day.

Anyway, I was nice to see people comment on my Super Mario Galaxy Review. The most surprising was that 4 girls commented and no guys! I guess Mario really has universal appeal.

But my dilemma is whether it's better for people to comment in my Facebook notes or on my actual blog. When people comment in Facebook there is the social networking aspect of it, where other people can easily see the comments and are exposed to it through the News Feed. There is also the potential to tag others in the notes, but I don't make use of this feature. On the other hand, if it's on my blog, it's for me to keep, since I have more control over my blog when compared to Facebook. If Facebook were to become unpopular, those Facebook comments will be gone. I think I slightly prefer comments on the blog itself, but it's close. Thoughts?

Super Mario Galaxy

I just "finished" Super Mario Galaxy today. (110/120 stars, so pretty close). The game critics have said they think it's the best game of all time, or at least one of the best of all time. Is it that good?

The best word to describe it is fun. Plain and simple, it's fun. There is just enough variety, just enough new things to discover, with no filler crap and well placed check points. It's not an addictive type of fun either. I never felt I had to keep playing to "progress" the story. Whoever "directed" the game did a splendid job of pacing.

The gameplay mechanic of planets makes the game really varied and therefore fun. Just watching Mario flying from planet to planet aided with a quick twirl of the wrist is a visceral joy. They added just the right amount of motion controls and except for a few dumb minigames (taking out the trash ftl), it adds to the experience. The controls include a second player option, which is a perfect way to include any person watching. (The link leads to a humourous story of shared gaming)

And of course there is the nostalgia factor. Who hasn't played Mario before? To add to it, they included a storybook which evocates feelings of lost childhood innocence. And then the music. The music is my favourite part of the game. The orchestral Mario music is....magical. I shit you not.

Despite all the positive comments, I don't think it's the best of all time, but I think it ranks very highly. There are a few flaws, the biggest one for me was that it was too easy. But that might be what made it so fun.

So if you want fun, play Super Mario Galaxy. Fun is guaranteed, but expect nothing more.

Portal

Portal has recently been getting a lot of accolades as one of the best games of the year. It would fit perfectly into my style too...short, inventive and fun. Unfortunately I don't have a system to play this on! My computer is shit for games and I don't own a PS3 or XBox360. I'm forced to be content with Portal: the Flash Version. It's not the same (I think).

But in the same vein, a creative, short and fun game is Cursor*10. It'll take just minutes to play so give it a try. You'll be playing with yourself....literally It reminds me of the episode "All Good Things" from Star Trek: TNG.

*spoilers ahead*
Check out Floor 16:



Beat my score, this was just my first try.

Now they could extend this type of gameplay to a FPS like Portal. Just imagine if the game starred Hiro from Hero and the game mechanic was that you can travel back and help yourself complete levels. Then you could work in the other heroes too, especially Peter. It'll sell millions. Make it so.

PS how long did you figure I could last before blogging about games?

Network Neutrality

Please I want some now.

Recently Bell decided to shape our traffic. This means that during "prime time" my torrent speed is reduced to a mere 30 KB/sec. Normally without shaping I get sustained peak of bandwidth in the 700 KB/sec range. I can download an hour TV show (eg Heroes) in 25 minutes at that rate. Now I have to leave my computer on overnight just to download one show.

But what really pisses me off is that it completely kills watching live basketball on the internet via p2p. I don't have cable, and the number one thing I miss is live sports. I even went to Chris/Keith's just to watch some ball (especially during playoffs - the Golden State/Dallas series last year was orgasmic for any true basketball fan). If you follow the links, you can have virtually league pass at your fingertips....if only Bell didn't shape traffic.

(The NBA should just provide Internet League Pass for free since it includes all the advertising anyway and they can only stand to gain revenue. There is a small issues with localalized advertising, but I'm sure something can be worked out. Really, they are just milking League Pass and blocking access to fans. But I digress, it's a rant for another time).

Then Bell decided to charge us more last month because they suddenly instituted a 60 GB download/upload limit and we went over. WTF!!! It really makes me want to change to something highly recommended like www.teksavvy.com.

Also, if politicians were to start talking seriously about network neutrality, I would actually pay attention to local politics and it would definitely sway my vote.

Speaking of voting, check out this hilarious video of Chris Bosh:

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, it's 2008! I rang in the New Year sick and not drinking, but still out partying. Fortunately, this year everyone made it past coat check (after a brief stopover in a cop car).

I plan on returning to blogging regularly and I figure I'd start in the new year. I don't have much to say yet, but I'm just starting to get back in the flow of thinking about topics and writing about them.

Also, on BiteMe, I'm posting food pics from my trip to Hong Kong. Check that out if you are in the hungry mood.