I really enjoyed Electronic Arts’ Mirrors Edge developed by Digital Illusions CE. It’s a first person platformer that has a very nice look and a unique gameplay.
While the PS3 version is cutting edge in many ways, a recently produced 2D flash version does a great job of duplicating the style of gameplay while being unique in it’s own right. What I like most is that the animation is very reminiscient of the original Karateka which I loved playing as a kid twenty-five years ago (ugh).
Give it a spin, it’s quite fun.
As I mentioned in a previous post, a few colleagues at work have several of the ever more popular netbooks. One of the guys has been opting to use his personal one and leaving his work one sitting largely idle. He was kind enough to let me take his Acer Aspire One for a spin. At the same time, I’ve been taking a look at the recently released Windows 7 beta. This post is a mini review of both.
First, the Apire One is certainly a cute system but it’s not without its faults. The screen is 8.9″ and 1024×600. It’s enough to get work done, but you don’t realize how spoiled you get with screen real estate until you don’t have it. The one I’m borrowing has a 6 cell battery (rather than the standard 3 cell) which gives it about 4-5 hours of use which is quite nice.
For the Acer itself, I really dislike the fact the trackpad buttons are on the left and right rather than below which makes it awkward to use. Also, due to the smaller form-factor, my palms hang off the side which causes the case edge to dig into them. Of course, if I wasn’t quite so lazy it wouldn’t be a problem.
I’m watching the upcoming 10″ Aspire which has a normal trackpad but with all the other features. I’ll be keeping my eye on it and may look to get one for myself. As solid-state disk (SSD) gets cheaper, the idea of a 64-128G flash drive instead of 2.5″ disk is attractive as the drive on the Apsire is just noisy enough to be noticeable (though not bothersome).
If you know me or have read this site, you know that I’m a Mac guy. I’ve used Macs since 1986 and while I have access to just about any type of system in use, if I’m trying to get something done, I use a Mac.
I do use Windows every day and have since Windows 3.1. Microsoft has done some good things and some bad things. I’ve been using Windows Vista for a bit now and have been underwhelmed but I do think it isn’t quite as bad as the general public perception.
Windows 7 was released as a public beta a few weeks ago and I first created a VM on my MacBook and most recently installed it on the Acer. I can honestly say, for Windows, it is a nice operating system. Netbooks are, by design, lower end systems. As operating systems evolve, they generally require more and more resources. Vista’s requirements have been a source of complaint and at least one lawsuit. Windows 7, as I’ve seen, is far more efficient and runs quite nicely on the little bugger. It’s taken some effort to find proper drivers for things like wireless, touchpad, and video, but even stock, the system was usable.
Having a system you can simply cary around makes keeping a computer handy easy. Of course, I personally hope that Apple jumps into the game, but I’m not holding my breath.
I picked up a Xtand by Just Mobile to use with my iPhone at work. I previously was using a modified Coke can made by a friend of mine but that wouldn’t allow me to stand the phone vertically while using the audio cable (which comes out the bottom).
This new stand is quite nice. Not only does it match the general Apple aesthetic, it swivels to allow the phone to be displayed both portrait and landscape. Now, I can use my phone as a little digital picture frame while I work.
The other plusses are the fact the rubber corners can be removed to allow my phone to sit nicely while still in its silicon case and the best (and unexpected) of all is the fact it resolve the GSM noise problem I have been trying to eliminate for months.
Since I am done with travels for a bit, I am now all set for spending far too much time at my desk. I guess that’s good?