(no subject)

[sebastienne]

Hello, and welcome to today's episode of "You Make Emma's Decisions For Her"!

Today's show is about computers.

Emma's laptop has been undead for over six months now. While it had survived the premature death of its battery, falls from shelves, and even a pint of water poured through the keyboard, it was unable to long endure the scourge of Microsoft, and was dead to XP by September 2007. Reborn into Kubuntu, it was never quite the same; its CD drive never mounted again, and its power supply began to periodically overheat.

And so, in March 2007, Emma decided to think about replacing her laptop.

Option 1

Straight-up replacement. Something cheap and Microsofty, like the Acer 2920z - 12.1" screen, Vista, £449.

Option 2

A beautiful, beautiful Macbook. I've heard nothing but praise, for these babies; and bought from the uni network I get it cheaper, and with a super-great 3-year warranty. Apple are notoriously good at customer service, and this essentially means a *guaranteed* laptop for three years. Won't be more than £700.

Option 3

As I'm clearly willing to spend £700 (do I have £700? let's consider this point later, eh..), why compromise? I need portability for uni in London, and for net surfing in any room of the home; I also want a decent screen for watching films, maybe even a good enough graphics card to play games. These two sets of wants are pretty incompatible; why not get a random Vista desktop (<£400) and a pretty little eeepc (<£300)? Cheaper than a macbook and much more functionality!

Sure, I'll have to shell out for a computer desk next year, and desktops are much harder to move house with, and I'm sick of Microsfot, and I'm lusting after a Macbook..

Your call, lazyweb! Make my decisions for me, or at least give me advice.

Off to watch Colour of Magic now! Yes, the whole David Jason thing is a bit of a travesty (do you know who does a great Rincewind? Rob Morgan.), but as the cast list also includes Sean Astin, Nigel Planer, Tim Curry, and Jeremy Irons as Vetinari, I'm going to give the thing a chance.

Comments

[jacinthsong.livejournal.com]

David Jason is actually really good. I say this as someone who didn't like him in Hogfather, but he's much much better. Other things not so great, but I enjoyed the first half, anyway...

2) is winning over 3) because I hate Vista so much, unless you plan to install something on the desktop that isn't COMPLETELY FUCKING SHIT. *cough*

[jacinthsong.livejournal.com]

PS it's 2008 now, much as I hate to admit it ;)

[shimgray.livejournal.com]

Option 3 is basically what I have now - a £500 desktop with nice big flatscreen (purchased last year, so you can probably pick up something equivalent for £100 less) - and an eee, which I have not bought yet but have almost decided I will.

Vista is really easy to partition and install a decent OS on the other half, plus discspace comes by the barrowload now, so you can trivially (read: one afternoon and a bit of patience) have a functioning Ubuntu or the like install on half the drive; just boot back into Vista whenever you want it for gaming.

(I boot my vista install less than once a month now. It's amazing how you wean yourself off)

[half-of-monty.livejournal.com]

I'm actually wishing I didn't posess a desktop. Arse and a half to move with, (tendency to break in small increments), and our laptop (cost ~430) is actually a better computer. What do you gain in the desktop that you wouldn't in a cheap laptop? Cheap laptop + eee sounds a good combo to me. Or maybe I'm going a bit mad.

I suppse cheap laptops also have a tendency to break in small increments, if you manage not to get it stolen for long enough for it to be old! (Which we didn't).

[sugar-and-space.livejournal.com]

Desktop costs less for same spec than a laptop. Also, laptop repairable by increments. Though, again, amen to the moving point.

[chrisvenus]

RE computer I don't like Acers. I bought one myself and this one at least had a shoddy build quality and numerous random issues that I attributed to the laptop (my wireless access kept blinking and other computers didn't have the problem but I couldn't swear it was the actual computer and not something else).

I don't have any other suggestions though. On the other hand if you are lusting after a Macbook then that seems like a no-brainer to me. Assuming you have actually had a go on MacOS and are happy to be using that (personally I didn't get on with it but that is likely because I am so familiar with windows).

And yes, Rob does do a good rincewind. So does David Jason, however. I don't think he's great but its certainly not a travesty. I'd always pictured him younger too for some reason that I can't put my finger on. I suspect the terrified bloke fleeing for his life at every chance doesn't really match with the old man look. Still good though. :)

I'd have said Sean Astin as Twoflower was more of a travesty given that I always saw him as a japanese tourist rather than american-esque...

[the-whybird.livejournal.com]

I'd have said Sean Astin as Twoflower was more of a travesty given that I always saw him as a japanese tourist rather than american-esque...

While Twoflower was technically Japanese in the books, he's a tourist first and Japanese second.

And there's not a way I can think of that Twoflower could be made Japanese in the TV version without it being an unpleasant racial stereotype (whereas here, he's just a stereotypical tourist)

[chrisvenus]

Did you find it an unpleasant racial stereotype in the book out of interest?

Personally I think casting Masi Oka (hiro from Heroes) would have been awesome and I'm not sure why japanese tourist is any more of a horrible racial stereotype than american tourist.

And still not watched the second half. Damn recording failed to change channel on monday. :( Should be re-recording on Sunday though. :)

[the-whybird.livejournal.com]

Did you find it an unpleasant racial stereotype in the book out of interest?

Not at all, but TV and the written word are very different things. I really don't think it would have translated without being offensive.

Personally I think casting Masi Oka (hiro from Heroes) would have been awesome and I'm not sure why japanese tourist is any more of a horrible racial stereotype than american tourist.

Posted this in reply to Emma's, but: no, it isn't (although "American" isn't a race); he doesn't come across as American in the TV adaptation, just Tourist.

[sebastienne.livejournal.com]

Or, it could be said, that he's a more acceptable racial slur as an American, than as a Japanese tourist?

[the-whybird.livejournal.com]

Well, he's not really any racial slur at all. "Tourist" isn't based on race or ethnicity. You can be a dumb British tourist, a dumb American tourist or a dumb Japanese tourist: the jokes about you not speaking the language and not getting the local culture work just the same.

For the record I don't think that "American" is a race. "Caucasian" is a race, but that includes the British, the Germans, and a bunch of other people, each of whom have their own individualised stereotypes. All of which have various shades of acceptability from entirely-acceptable to please-get-out-of-my-house depending on the particular stereotype and the context in which it's used.

Also, from having watched the first episode (and as I said before) in the TV series he's not really Japanese or American, he's a tourist. Which neatly cuts aside this whole knotty issue anyway, really.

[chrisvenus]

From a quick glance at a dictionary you are using the word "race" in an anthopolgical sense. I think it can be happily applied to people of a given country, etc.

I'm still of the opinion that he could have been japanese as in the book and still come actoss equally unracist but all that is is an opinion and I really have no better argument than "that's what I think" so I'll not bother commenting further than this on the subject.

[sugar-and-space.livejournal.com]

I've actually got no great problem with vista... it may have taken a few days to remove the 'features' from it, but it's actually got the same level of functionality as XP, which i really wasn't expecting!

Personally, i'd go for 3 because it means you've got a back-up if one of them goes wrong. Straight up replacement is... well, it's just /dull/, so sod that! As for 2... hmmm... never used a macbook, heard great things though... They are damned expensive, so i guess it depends on how much you've got to play with.

Worth considering an Eee and a 2nd hand desktop?

[castophrenia.livejournal.com]

God Macbooks are beautiful, have been using them recently at school and <3. Acers have been notoriously unreliable for me, though Vista has so far not proved too much of a pain in the arse.

Rob has complained almost endlessly about David Jason as Rincewind, he will be pleased that you approve. :) And OK, not sure how I missed hearing that Jeremy Irons was Vetinari. I missed the first broadcast yesterday for I was on a train, but dear god musssst watch now.

How are you? xx

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Macbook Macbook Macbook. Shiny shiny Macbook.

...okay, I can be coherent too. Um. My Macbook is pretty much my favourite thing at the moment. It just works. It's a "real" laptop as well as being small enough to cart around - not quite on the eeepc level, but only one step up - and Mac OSX suits me well. It just works. It doesn't have any of Vista's annoying bits, and it gives me great peace of mind to know I have it for three years.

[ohmypersephone.livejournal.com]

Macbooks are AMAZING! I adore mine...

[ohmypersephone.livejournal.com]

PS: Of all weird TimCurry-related facts - there's a clip of youtube from the (admittedly ridiculously cheesy) musical-movie Annie of him, Bernadette Peters, and Carol Burnett (camp fantasy) doing the number "Easy Street."

[chiasmata]

I love my Macbook. It's great, and I waved it at Iona and she bought one too. Yes. I'd definitely recommend it.

Seriously, though: mine's now just over 18 months old, and in the last two months, I've had the hard drive crash on me, the power cable die, the button on the touchpad stop responding, and the casing (where the top edge of the lid meets the bit where you rest your wrists) crack. Apple have replaced the whole lot with no trouble at all, and as you say, their customer service is amazing - but it's something to bear in mind :)

[neoanjou.livejournal.com]

Yes - I've had some bits of the casing crack too - what did you do to have your's replaced? Talk to them direct or take it to an Apple store?

[chiasmata]

Neither - I took it to an Apple Authorised Repair Centre for something else entirely (the dead hard drive) and they spotted the masking tape holding the cracked bit together :) Apparently it's a known flaw in the design, and they repair it for nothing.

[neoanjou.livejournal.com]

You've heard the woe's of my computer in past times - Plato (laptop) was an Acer, and I didn't like him much (although he did survive Apple Juice). They also forgot to charge me when I had him repaired outside of warranty so I suppose that's a point in their favour. I then got a Dell desktop which is still going strong (Socrates) and also have a MacBook (who is as yet unnamed).

But... Mac's are gorgeous, run linux programs (good for scientists, probably not so important for others) and *just work*! My Uni description of getting a complicated encrypted wireless network to work take up half a page of advice for windows, but only a few lines for Macs... Also I think the screen is really nice for watching DVD's on.

If you haven't used a Mac much then I suggest when you are next in London (or indeed Birmingham) calling up the apple store and asking about a demonstration - they have people there who will do that and I believe you can even book an appointment. Plus you might get to drool over some cute emo techie boy/girl.

[ktroo85.livejournal.com]

Didn't mind David Jason too much as Rincewind (but agree Rob was better). Really didn't like Jeremy Irons as Vetinari (Ventinari should NOT have a slight lisp) This worries me as apparently they are doing Going Postal next and are keeping Jeremy Irons. Part of me was actually wanting Stephen Briggs as he does the part better (especially as they had made Jeremy Irons up to look like Briggs)actually Rob does a better Ventinari too.

Only other minor things that bugged me was Twoflower is supposed to be a Japanese tourist not american (Agatean Empire and Bes Pelargic is the Orient) and a tiny part of me wanted Ysabell to appear in Death's domain.

But I loved Tim Curry and the Librarian.

Ah yes as for laptop I'm not much use, but have recently aquired a new Dell which I am very happy with.

[ktroo85.livejournal.com]

oh yes forgot only annoying thing with Macbook when I borrowed my friends while waiting for new laptop to arrive was you couldn't use the BBC iplayer on it (this is how I get my torchwood fix)

[neoanjou.livejournal.com]

You can't download, but you can stream - and a download version of iPlayer for Mac is *supposed* to be available by the end of 2008.

[chrisvenus]

Yes, I commented at the time that Briggs was better and that they'd made him look like briggs. Not heard that they were doing Going Postal next but glad they are keeping going. I'd love to see one with the watch in it properly too. Or Vimes at least playing a main part. I'm sure over time though it looks like we'll be getting a fair few. and just over a year between them seems like a not bad turnaround comparatively. :)

[chrisvenus]

I should clarify that the comment was a RL comment, not a LJ one in case it sounds like I'm trying to say "already said that" or anything. And my housemate was useless and didn't appreciate it.

[ktroo85.livejournal.com]

That's okay, I commented on it while watching and my mother just rolled her eyes at me. Going Postal being the next one is something I read on the sky one forum apparently Pratchett announced it at the colour of magic premiere. Should be interesting as it will be the first one adapted for TV where a Briggs stage adaptation already exists. (hmm on a side note, wonder how annoyed Briggs is that he is not involved in the films, especially now he has the rights to adapt all books for the stage while they are being written so the stage version can debut at the same time as the novel. We think this is why Vetinari plays such a big part in Making Money as Briggs persuaded Pratchett to write a better part for him - also the guy who wants to be Vetinari could be a sly dig at Briggs who desparately wants to be Pratchett)

[chrisvenus]

Not acctually read making money yet. Does Vetinari play a big part in a bad way or just in a different way? I've heard its not one of the stronger books...

And I'm not going to get onto how annoyed briggs is. I got the impression that he had a reasonably good realtionship with terry pratchett (just based on things like the stage rights) so if he had wanted to be involved I'm sure Terry could have put a word in... Still, don't know the guy personally so not going to worry too much. :)

One thing I was wondering is that they have a lot of big celebs in the TV stuff... I was wondering how many of them are discworld fans and asked if they could be in it. :)

[ktroo85.livejournal.com]

David Jason is certainly a Discworld fan, apparently when asked in an interview about ten years ago what his dream role would be he replied Rincewind (the interviewer was expecting him to say Lear or some other classical role) Not sure about the other big names, but I think a lot of the extras were discworld fans (i';m sure i've read that somewhere)

As for making money Vetinari appears in it far more than he normally does in ankh morpork books, possibly more than he does in the vimes books.

my problem with Briggs is the amount of money he makes out of discworld, his stage adaptations really aren't that good (they all need mucking about with before they are performable)and his latest discworld book is a collection of his favourite quotes from the books which sells for around £15. Also and this maybe just me but i find it slightly pretentious that his signature contains a scythe just like pratchetts.

[pozorvlak.livejournal.com]

Unless games are a dealbreaker, why do you want a Windows machine at all?

[necroad.livejournal.com]

Macbook plus bootcamp, perhaps?

[otterylexa.livejournal.com]

Clearly you really want to go with the macbook. However, desktop + eee is also a very workable solution. I am very pleased with mine.

[crouchinglynx.livejournal.com]

If you're sick enough of Microsoft that you'll go without the majority of games rather than pay the Windows Tax, then Zepto (http://uk.zepto.com) allow you to choose all the components, right down to eighty quid's worth of nicer hardware instead of Vista Home Premium. (Dell also do Windows-less systems, but with a lot fewer options, and my Dell laptop wore out too quickly for my liking.)

Regarding the eee - it's very nice, but as it's the first entry in a new market, it may be worth holding out for the competitors' products - or even for the proposed updated model that will include a screen that fills the panel.

I've used OSX often enough to find that I dislike it, but everyone I know who's got a Macbook seems very happy with it.

[boykitten.livejournal.com]

get a macbook!

dixon's have them starting at £549

vista is made of fail...

[vass]

I vote Macbook.

They're beautiful and good quality.

Although option 3 is also good - you could make it a dual-boot random desktop, so you're not stuck with Vista all the time. And Eees are really light and little (but not at all upgradable, if that matters.)

[innokenti.livejournal.com]

(but not at all upgradable, if that matters.)

Not quite true, though nearly. You can add more RAM and the capacity of the SSD can be compensated with a large SD card. The system can easily be modified to just have the card left in. Just bought myself an 8Gb SD and there is plenty of room for manouvre.



Side note: out of the box it has so far refused to not identify and connect to anything I throw at the USB ports. Its driver database must be pretty hefty.

[thekit.livejournal.com]

Have you ever seen this?

The installation of a 3G HSDPA modem inside an eeepc's spare slot.

http://jkkmobile.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-to-add-internal-3g-hsdpa-to-asus.html

I'd almost feel brave enough to try this.

(and of course there are T500 drivers for the 3.5G turbo card available from asus directly)
http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?pid=171976

[innokenti.livejournal.com]

As an owner of an EeePC myself - I recommend that.

Indeed, why not get /just/ the Eee, perhaps with any extra periphery you might need.

The Eee is a wonderful piece of technology that I can only recommend to people. It is also small and beautiful and soooo huggable.

If you have any questions - feel free to ask.

(And we all know that the Macs are horribly overpriced fashion accessories)

[osymandias.livejournal.com]

It's worth noting that Wine is now sufficiently good that there's a reasonably high chance of being able to play games under that, without touching Windows at all. Probably not the absolute latest ones, but I've just played through Neverwinter Nights 2 under wine without any problems...

I'm not fond of Macs, so I think option 3 is the best choice... especially if you could find a cheap laptop that doesn't make you pay for Windows. Although I would probably suggest ditching the stock install on the eee and replacing it with something like eeeXubuntu.

[frodomorris.livejournal.com]

Given that my userpic is a photo of me outside the Apple HQ in Cupertino, I will allow your Betazoid senses to direct you to my opinion.