Disqus - Latest Comments for daferret

Re: Based On My Wife, I’ve Been Using Social Media Incorrectly

daferret — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:51:38 -0000

Experiences vary, I'd say. I'm a bit of an introvert. It's difficult for me to be open when meeting new people face to face and I tend to be a bit laconic. I've used social media sites to meet new folks. It mostly stems from back in the day, from BBS to IRC. Of course, I still only really communicate with a small fraction of the people I've "friended" and that's something I'll need to work on.

Like billhelm, I most often don't pay attention to sites like Twitter or Friendfeed during the weekends. I'd rather be gaming, reading or dealing with stuff I don't have time for during the week. I reckon that's helped me quite a bit.

btw, I'm sorry to see you deleted your FF account. You do what you gotta do, though, and I'll still be checking out your tweets!

Re: MacBook: What’s Up With The Black Hinge?

daferret — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 05:10:35 -0000

Yeah, it might be an acquired taste. I'm thinking the little black breaks things up; gives character. I suppose you should get one, Jason, and let it grow on you. :)

Unless you don't like glossy screens. hehe

Re: MacBook: What’s Up With The Black Hinge?

daferret — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:08:00 -0000

I assume it was for design cohesiveness with the black bezel and it was much more economical to keep the hinge as a singular black piece instead of two pieces (one black, one silver) and/or painting a portion of the black hinge silver. Two pieces would open a point of failure and having dual colors for the hinge would probably look tacky (as part of the back can show up when the MacBook is open).

The black bezel is nice but I'm wondering if it would have been better to have kept it silver which would keep the hinge silver as well. Then, would the keys be silver? Tough call all around, I guess.

Re: Apple’s New MacBooks: A Big Meh

daferret — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:20:39 -0000

The new line is tempting to me. Even going as far as "downgrading" from an MBP to a regular MacBook. I want to play with the models first and even then, however, not sure I'll go for it. Already made a gadget purchase recently.

I'm eyeing the 2.4Ghz MacBook. Pretty much all I use in my MBP is on it. I only use the Firewire (400 I think) for my external HD for Time Machine. I think it has a USB cable but if not, I have been thinking of getting Time Capsule anyway. I also use the Expresscard slot to read SD cards rather than connecting my digital camera via USB. So, technically I can sacrifice those two features and come out relatively on top (everything I use my MBP for in a smaller more portable, and awesome looking, package). Of course, I want to get a video camera eventually so that may also be a deciding factor.

I am a bit disappointed that there isn't an iTablet, though. :P

Re: Firefly: Our Mrs Reynolds

daferret — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:12:23 -0000

If a woman like that stood in front of me naked, darn straight "I'm gonna go to the special hell." I jumped on the Firefly bandwagon after it parked and am disappointed with myself for that because aside from usual likes of the action and concept, I really loved the witty dialogue.

Re: Still Eyeing NetBooks

daferret — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:50:47 -0000

Yes, I will probably be writing up my thoughts about the Eee PC at the end of the week. I'm going to be working on it throughout the week and see how I feel about it. Most of the things I did this past weekend was customize it. Didn't really put it in its place yet. :P

Re: Still Eyeing NetBooks

daferret — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:50:51 -0000

I think the main detractor of the MBA is the price. Well, it is for me. heheh I wouldn't go for the Eee PC 1000H either. If you'd like, try to compare the 901 model to the Aspire One. If you're going Linux, Amazon has one with a 20GB SSD. http://is.gd/2IDn

Since you're getting one soon-ish (if not already! :) ), I picked up an Eee PC 901 with XP. Wanted to give a week of testing before I said anything. You've test driven the Aspire so you know the keyboard. The default BIOS on the 901 has a quirk with the LCD brightness. Once you alter it, it doesn't go back to 100%, but updating it to the 1501 revision fixes it. Since I got the XP one, it's the 12GB I linked on your other post. The drive is actually two drives; a 4GB C: and an 8GB D:. I'm not sure about the Linux 20GB model. Aside from those, I really like it. Crazy portable, lightens my carry load to work. Isn't hard to work with for browsing net, writing email or IM'ing. I also get about 5 hours with it.

The Aspire One is also good but I didn't like the mouse button layout and my Best Buy didn't have the color I wanted. >_>

Re: Drooling Over A Cheap Subnotebook

daferret — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:18:19 -0000

I love my MBP but I'm not sure I'd bring it with me on trips anymore. I couldn't use it on a plane ride and that's about the only negative for me. 'Course I could've gotten a regular Macbook. >_> Anyway, I just got this feed. The Asus Eee PC 901 is going for $499. I think I might go for it (impulse shopping! Argh!). http://is.gd/2now

Linux is pretty cool, and was a lot of fun back in the day to play with. :)

Re: Drooling Over A Cheap Subnotebook

daferret — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:55:43 -0000

Keep up with the times man, they're netbooks! :P All kidding aside, I've been tempted to get one too. Dell mini is kinda interesting but am leaning more towards an Eee PC. Getting either <= $500 really makes it hard to resist. But yes, if Apple releases a netbook around $500 I wouldn't think twice.

Re: iPhone Apps: The Market Should Decide “Limited Utility”

daferret — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:49:38 -0000

I agree, they should allow any app to be listed. If people want to spend money on them, that's their own fault. Since they're starting to ban apps, it's a wonder if iPhone apps development will continue to flourish.

Re: Movie Notes: Resident Evil: Apocalypse

daferret — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:44:19 -0000

Adding in Jill Valentine and the Tyrant was a fan-nod and pretty much made the movie for me (being a fan). I still don't see any reason why the storylines of the first Resident Evil (which sorta was reflected in the first movie) and the second (only certain scenes were referenced in the second movie) couldn't have been adapted faithfully for cinema. Especially the first because it had intrigue, betrayal, romance, thrills, huge monsters and wonderfully bad, but humorous, B movie quality voice acting!

Re: Firefly: Serenity Pilot

daferret — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:11:35 -0000

Hottest (female) crew member... I like all three of them, actually. Kaylee has that sweet "innocent" aura. Inara has elegant beauty. And Zoe... it's hard not to like a woman who knows what she wants and has the gusto to get it.

I sure wish it had been revived. But, I guess sometimes we need these short bursts of creative excellence.

Re: Thoughts On A Touch Screen Mac

daferret — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:42:47 -0000

I must admit, if Apple releases a tablet laptop thing, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat. I've always wanted to use that type of technology. I could see myself using it as my "super-portable" device on trips for email, browsing, crazy psycho stuff and other cool things I can't think of right now. Of course, if I had to do anything "big", I'd always have my MBP or my gaming PC.

Re: http://www.webomatica.com/wordpress/2008/08/13/how-much-geek-cred-do-i-lose-by-not-owning-a-gaming-console/

daferret — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:23:52 -0000

You don't have to be a gamer to be a geek. Nor do you need a console to be a gamer. Wasn't the first game on a computer? >_>

Anyway, for me I'm a one console person (which so happens to be the PS3). But the Wii is pretty nifty. Everyone I know who has it, loves it. Even my Aunty and Uncle who I would never guess would play a video game. I also have a PSP and a DS (not to mention a gaming rig). But I love video games. A lot of it has to do with escapism and they tend to stoke my creativity.

Re: Movie Notes: The Dark Knight

daferret — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:06:54 -0000

Your mention of crime thriller mirrors my co-workers take on it. "The story was a gritty crime drama... with batman stuff in it." He enjoyed it immensely. So did I. A few of us will probably go and watch it again tonight. :)

Re: Will You Become A Cyborg?

daferret — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:53:47 -0000

A friend of mine has those Motorola BT headphones that makes him look like Lando's assistant dude. Kinda cool. Microsofts (from Neuromancer) sound pretty neat, but it would be scary to be infected with a computer virus. While I'd be a little leery of implants, I would so kill for a wearable computing device like what was in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

Re: My Favorite Free iPhone Apps

daferret — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:07:39 -0000

I love NetNewsWire. It references my Newsgator account so my read/unread feed status remains synced across the iPhone, my Mac and web. However, the only reason it's "better" than google reader is the post to blog feature on the Mac app. :/

I love BoxOffice, but I'll give that Movies one a try... wouldn't mind checking out trailers and such.

Did you try Aurora Feint? http://aurorafeint.com/

Re: Movie Notes: Ghost World

daferret — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:25:46 -0000

I was a comic-nerd but didn't know this movie was based on a graphic novel. It did appeal to me in that weird, quirky way. Since I didn't read the graphic novel, I liked the relationship between Enid and Seymour. It accentuated Enid's personality. The relationship was foreign to her but she yearned for it, only to find it wasn't quite what she wanted. I didn't care for the ending, though.

Re: Blizzard Announces Diablo III

daferret — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:48:54 -0000

I never played Ultima or Everquest, but have played Final Fantasy XI and know what creates "commitment-paranoia"... oh how do I know. 30 minutes to get things in order and sit near quest zone (easily expanded to an hour+ if travel to zone is needed). 1 hour of looking for group in said quest zone. 3+ hours of grinding out exp; any less and it's an insult to the group. And I'm not even going into what you'd need to do during downtime to make money and crafting.

However, you'd be surprised with the latest MMOs, like WoW. Yes, there's commitment, but really only at the level cap (if you choose to raid or PvP full time). As you level from noob to boob you can easily spend 30 minutes and feel like you've accomplished something. Even in EVE, most of what I do is log on for a few minutes to start training a skill then log out. I'd spend some time playing in game to make money or explore, when I felt like it. Of course, the big downer is paying $15 a month for each subscription. Yet, find a group (like your Diablo posse) in any MMO that you can do stuff with and it makes it all the more worth it.

With that said, I <3 Diablo too. I can't wait for this and Starcraft 2 to come out.

Re: The New 3G iPhone Is A Scam? Please

daferret — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:34:35 -0000

Perhaps Steve Jobs should create a MacBell carrier? >_>

Re: The New 3G iPhone Is A Scam? Please

daferret — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:10:21 -0000

One of the big pros for me when I bought the 1.0 iPhone was that the plan was cheaper than what I was currently paying AT&T. I had an HTC 8525 and was paying $80 a month. With the iPhone, I began paying $60. I bumped that up recently to $70 for unlimited text messages to take advantage of many web services. With the launch of the 3G iPhone, I expect to go back to the $80 a month ('cause I still want unlimited messaging).

Moral of the story? The iPhone plan becomes just a standard data/voice plan instead of the steal it was back in the days of 1.0. I feel pretty certain that when Android equipped phones come out, people will still need to sign up for a 2 year contract and have to pay a cellular carrier $60 - $80 a month. And that's different from the iPhone, how?

For the record, I'm no longer leaning towards buying a 3G iPhone. I'm interested but might very well be content with my first gen or might even be tempted to get a HTC Touch Diamond.

Re: http://www.webomatica.com/wordpress/2008/06/20/movie-notes-into-the-wild/

daferret — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:17:59 -0000

Don't think a movie's been made from this, but The Final Frontiersman is a great read about one man finding himself in the Alaskan wilderness. Sort of similar to Into the Wild but the two individuals are different, to me.

http://www.amazon.com/Final-Frontiersman-Family...

Re: Movie Notes: Ronin

daferret — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 22:14:09 -0000

Sean Bean seems slightly typecast to characters with certain personality defects, no? :P

Re: Movie Notes: Resident Evil

daferret — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 22:10:02 -0000

I've been a fan of Resident Evil since its debut on the Playstation 1. Milla's hotness is pretty much the only thing that kept Resident Evil entertaining. I did take some enjoyment out of the second installment, however. If you put up a review about it, I'll express what I thought about the movie. I don't want to spoil it for ya. As for the third... well, no comment. heh

Re: Microsoft, Yahoo!, Facebook: It’s A Great Time To Be A Mac User

daferret — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:32:27 -0000

I can't quit Yahoo! completely as I'm beginning to use Upcoming.org now. If there's an alternative, I'll give it a shot. I'm also a little on the fence with Flickr, but since I'm not a shutterbug, I'm leaning more towards not needing it. Facebook, meh. As for MS, until all the PC games I want to play can be installed natively on the Mac, I still gotta use an MS PC. However, for over a year and a half now I've done everything else at home with my MBP and couldn't be happier... until I get to work and have to deal with MS stuff. >_>