Posts tagged ‘imac’

clears away cobwebs

Ahem. It was a peculiar feeling to wake up after a few days heavy skiing a week or two back, and suddenly realise that new iMacs had been released during the night and that I had completely forgotten about it. New Apple releases, debuts of favourite television shows, and the anticipation of a fancy meal at a quality restaurant are the only things these days that manage to simulate that childish enthusiasm which comes less and less easily these days.

After a few SMSes from Jackson and a few moments at the internet cafe, I realised that the lower of the two 24″ iMacs was the one for me. And now, one ski trip and one house-move later, I has myself one.

It’s only very nearly 3 years since I purchased my last one, so I felt somewhat extravagant after I lightened my credit card. However actually receiving the computer put all my misgivings aside. Big changes have happened since I last bought a Mac — intel processors, webcams, remote controls. The whole thing feels like a much more complete media centre, and certainly looks more like a widescreen television than the old iMacs. I was dubious about the keyboard, but it’s actually crisper and more pleasant to use than the previous model. And, of course, I can play Half-Life 2, Neverwinter Nights 2, and any number of other sequels on the… ick… the Windows partition of the iMac.

What’s that? Oh yes, I mentioned moving house, didn’t I. Yes, now I live with fellow atypicalreviewers Andy Cocker, Jackson Kearney and Matthew Cocker (in order of prolificacy of writing), for the first time since Marten Court. Strictly speaking, I’m in their garage, however the garage has been converted, painted and carpeted to be somewhat more appealing. The room is short on furniture, but big on lack of furniture.

It’s a bit cold though. Must buy heater.

So, the new iPods are out. As the rumour sites had been alternately predicting and denying, they play videos. The American iTunes Music Store has an arrangement with both ABC and Disney to offer such shows as Lost and Desperate Housewives as 320×240 movies for US$2 each.

So do I get one? To replace the struggling battery on my current iPod would cost me $100; the 30GB iPod is now $403 for a student and the 60GB is $538. And you can get them in black. Hmmm. I was kind of hoping that the iPod would have a widescreen, that would just be a very tall display normally, and then be turned on its side to watch TV. But that would have made it kind of a long iPod. The new ones are quite small, thinner than they’ve ever been before.

The idea of watching my innumerable TV DVDs re-encoded for iPod use on the train is appealing, but having black bars on an already teeny screen seems a waste. I also have a certain reluctance to get the ‘first generation’ of iPods with video.

Meanwhile my lovely iMac was superceded — the new ones come with built in webcams, a remote control (and software to show large-type menu options when using it) and a few smaller additions/subtractions. I’m vaguely jealous, but I’m also aware that this moment of supecession must come to all technology. Imagine how my iPod feels.

So… to iPod or not to iPod?

The total amount of RAM available to Grapefruit staff writers today was boosted by two gigabytes.

A last-minute decision to stop by Moorabbin’s swap meet divulged the extra memory to Andy and I, for about the same price we were going to get it from the shop. So, not that exciting, but Moorabbin is much closer than Monash and so we figure we saved at least two bucks in travel costs. It would have been more but we were in an LPG car.

Mmmm. Speedy iMac. Now I’ve got to use my new found speed to make a computer-ish picture for this blog.

I’m typing this through my iMac. Oh, the whiteness. Oh, the speediness. And suddenly I have an awesome TV in my bedroom, kind of.

I’d write more, but I’ve got settings to fiddle with.

Oh, and Revenge of the Sith was quite good.

I apologise for the steady stream of Doctor Who reviews, to all of you who don’t give a rat’s arse. I promise to have a Hitchhikers and a Star Wars review out at some point. That second one isn’t necessarily mine. Or maybe we’ll all do one. I don’t know.

Doctor Who premieres in Australia this weekend. It’s getting a good amount of publicity it seems.

I’m all anxious waiting for my iMac. 2-3 weeks, they said. Well it’s 2 weeks and one day and I can’t stand it. If it comes the day before my Optics assignment is due there’ll be hell to pay. I’d better do it in advance. Oooh yes I will.

Having been reading Darth Vader’s blog, I’m all hyped up for Revenge of the Sith. Not that I’ve got unrealistic expectations, mind you. The only things I’m looking forward to are:

• Darth Vader’s voice.
• Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine, the star of the show.
• The cool lightsaber fights.
• The tying into the old films.

Screw quality dialogue, good acting, any of that crap. Who needs them? I don’t. Well, I do, but for one day only I’m suppressing that part of my brain. Father’s Day gave me plenty to chew on while I’m watching Hayden Christiansen struggle through Lucas’ dire words.