The search for a new laptop is over. I’m now the owner of a beautiful new MacBook Pro.
When I first read a rumor about Apple converting the 13″ unibody MacBook into a Pro model, I was worried, assuming that meant the price point would be going up. Surprisingly, the price dropped! Within 7 hours of last week’s announcement mine was on order.
It should go without saying, but I love it! It was well worth the wait. This thing feels so solid and has some great features. The glossy screen actually doesn’t bother me, but I was already accustomed to a glossy iMac and Samsung TV. I’ve also quickly gotten used to the multi-touch trackpad. For the first day or two I kept wanting to use my thumb to click, but now I have the new gestures and click methods down. Also, the battery lasts a surprisingly long time on a single charge (Apple advertises 7 hours which seems to be quite accurate). It’s also supposed to have a longer life, which would be much appreciated. I know my iBook battery got pretty bad by the end.
I bought an Incase Neoprene sleeve for it (thanks to Devin for the review). This way I’m able to reuse my excellent Brenthaven bag that was intended for the 12″ iBook. I found that the 12″ section collapsed quite well after I removed some padding from inside the bag.
Now I just need to think of a name as good as iTramp…
Posted on June 19th, 2009 by brian
Filed under: Tech | No Comments »
And to think I was considering getting a non-Apple laptop as a replacement for my iBook…
After returning from vacation last week, I noticed that a portion of the screen on my iPhone was not responding to touch. It covered the whole width of the screen, but less then a quarter of the screen height. It made certain funcitons impossible, like starting apps that were in the second row of the home screen.
I tried a number of things in an attempt to resolve the problem (including reseting and restoring), but couldn’t fix it. It was obviously a hardware problem. As a last resort I asked Apple for help. Using their online support tool was super easy, and I was actually able to have them call me! This was perfect considering I was unable to dial the top row of numbers on the phone keypad.
The Apple Support Rep was awesome. He was extremely knowledgeable, and was even in the US. Right away he apologized for my problems and told me they were going to make it right. Even though my phone was 100 and some odd days out of warranty, they were going to replace it for me. The only catch was that I’d have to wait about 5-7 days until they got my phone and shipped me another. This wasn’t a great option for me, since my mobile is my only phone. It turns out that for only $29 Apple was willing to rush me a new phone, as long as I shipped mine to them afterward.
Within 2 days I had my new phone (potentially refurbished internals, but looked brand new). The packaging was awesome, nothing short of what I’d expect from a new Apple product. It even contained the packing tape needed to seal up my broken phone in the same box. I also got the special SIM card removal tool – a pseudo paperclip.
This experience was awesome, and definitely the best that I’ve had with a technology company. I’ve also had a great look at a refurbished Apple product and am very impressed. I’m now definitely leaning towards a Macbook for my new laptop. I may even get a refurbished one with AppleCare.
Thank you, Apple!
Posted on April 15th, 2009 by brian
Filed under: Tech | 1 Comment »
I’m a fan of Tim & Eric Awesome Show, but I understand that it can be hit or miss. My wife mostly finds the show annoying, however does find some sketches hilarious, like Brule’s Rules. So for anybody who would rather have a filtered list, I’ve selected some of my favorite segments, hopefully eliminating the annoying sketches for your viewing pleasure.
- Dr. Steve Brule, For Your Wine
- “Living” with Dr. Steve Brule
- Dr. Steve Brule’s Last Resort Fighting
- Cinco-FONE: Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3
- T’ird
- Griddleman (w/ Dr. Steve Brule)
- Cinco Napple
- Getting the Most Out of Your Child Clown Rental
- The Poop Tube (warning: filthy!)
- Cinco MIDI Organizer
- It’s Not Jackie Chan
UPDATE: Links fixed.
Posted on February 23rd, 2009 by brian
Filed under: Mass Media | 1 Comment »
Ever since I first heard about Getting Things Done, I’ve wanted to develop better time management skills. I tried to use GTD, but was never able to apply it to my work, possibly because it was too complex for me. Since then I have kept a few principles from GTD in my daily routine, but have been longing for a better alternative.
Thanks to the help of Lifehacker, I’ve finally found Autofocus, which I am extremely excited about. Its simplicity allowed me to start using it in 30 minutes, and I’ve been addicted to it since. The system seems to work with my tendency to procrastinate, rather than battling it the whole time. Because of this, it has made my work much more enjoyable.
I won’t go into the details of the system, but rather let you read through them if you are interested. If you’ve been interested in GTD, but just couldn’t get started, I highly recommend you try Autofocus!
So far I’ve only just started to use Autofocus at work, but if it continues to impress, I’ll definitely start using it at home as well.
Posted on February 19th, 2009 by brian
Filed under: Productivity | No Comments »
I’m sad to say that my first Mac, a 12″ iBook G4, is dead. I’ll never forget lap dances from the ol’ iTramp… It was definitely one of the best computers I have ever owned.
After taking a spill, the internal display no longer works, which some certified repair technicians tell me would probably cost one half to two thirds the price of a new MacBook. That rules out the repair option. I’m thinking about getting a cheap netbook (running Linux of course, no Windows) to satisy my couch web surfing needs. More research is needed on that matter.
Posted on January 14th, 2009 by brian
Filed under: Tech | 3 Comments »
The search for a new laptop is over. I’m now the owner of a beautiful new MacBook Pro.
