Monthly Archives: December 2007

Only 12 more hours to get your laptop….

You can still Get 1 Give 1 through December 31st, 2007, they extended the date. I don’t know what availability is going to be after that, but you’ll have to take your chances after that…

As of JANUARY 1, 2008 they still have the G1G1 order form on-line.

200Laptop The only way to get one is to donate one, so you actually get one for yourself and a tax deductible laptop that is donated to a developing nation. The Get 1 Give 1 (G1G1) program ends today (December 31st, 2007) so order now.

This is nifty little machine (and a good cause) I’ve mentioned the XO laptop before and I’ve been talking more about it more in depth over at the XO Experiment.

Gloom & Doom

It’s such an extra blah/yucky day outside. It looks more like the end of the world instead of the end of the year.

A Fine Frenzy – Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) – EP

Aff-Live-ItunesSo on Thursday the 4 track A Fine Frenzy – Live Session EP came out exclusively at the iTunes store. Of course I purchased it, can’t pass something like that up from A Fine Frenzy. It’s a great EP with 4 tracks – Almost Lover, Borrowed Time, Last of Days, and The Minnow & the Trout. They don’t sound very “live” to me but that’s okay with me, they’re more like different versions of the songs. And for $3.49 you can hardly go wrong…

Visacalc changed my life…

Visacalc, I think it’s one of those products that changed the world. I’m certain that it changed mine…

For those that don’t remember it – Visacalc was the first really popular spreadsheet program (maybe the first), it was before Lotus 123 and Microsoft Excel (it was probably be fore the was a Microsoft). It ran on Apple and Atari home computers (probably TRS-80 computers too). There were some other spreadsheets out there (anyone?) but I’d say that Visacalc was one of the first easily accessible ones. It put really powerful calculations into the hand of anyone allowing them to do a variety of “what if?” scenarios. I’d say that what 99% of what the average people does with spreadsheets these days do not exceed the capabilities of Visacalc from almost 30 years ago (other than graphing).

How did VIsacalc change my life? Jack Parish, the owner of The Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop (a hobby and toy shop two blocks and five houses from my house), was shown Visacalc. I think he bought a computer that day and shortly their-after starting carrying the Atari 800 and 400 computers at his store. He knew they were the things to come, he didn’t know all the details but he knew…

So some of us kids started hanging out at the store more and we probably sold as many computers as the sales people. A few months later Jack offered me a job, they were going to start giving away training as his value added benefit to shopping at the store. I was going selling computers and teaching computer classes, teaching classes to kids and adults. My one condition was that I get a computer ASAP, they took a chunk out of my check every week until it was paid off, I got an Atari 800 with a cassette(!) tape drive. Continue reading

Saving Charlie – A “Heroes” Novel

I just saw the Heroes novel Saving Charlie at the bookstore. It looked pretty neat, but then Time Travel usually is. It’s the story of Hiro when he travels to the past to save Charlie (“Memory Retention Girl”), the waitress from the diner in Season One. It’s looked really good, but the parts that dealt with him and his fathers issues seemed like they’d get old fast.

I think that the story creates some alternate timelines and undesirable futures as he alters things to save her. I’m thinking since it is a mainstream TV show adaption, it might not get too complicated which might make it an easy enjoyable read. I just couldn’t convince myself to cough up $24 for it, even when I had a few gift cards I could have used….

Merry Christmas Everyone!!! I’m off to watch Dr. Who…

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday today! I’d like a little more snow outside but other than that, it’s perfect. Lots of fun gifts and I think Mom liked everything I got her. More on some of the gifts later…

On a side note: One of my favorite things about Christmas (the last few years) is the Doctor Who Christmas Special! This year’s episode it titled “Voyage Of The Damned” (Starring Kylie Minogue) and takes place on the Titanic. So I’m hoping I can “tune in” to that tonight!

If you’re a Dr. Who fan you might be interested in this odd little Dr. Who 7 minute special, it takes place in the middle of the last 30 seconds of the season finale. Right after Martha walks out the door of the Tardis and right before the Titanic crashes in through the Tardis. A little mishap lets the Doctor meet one of his former selves (the 5th Doctor played by Peter Davison). It was part of a BBC “Children in Need” Special. If you don’t watch Dr. Who this clip will not be entertaining at all.

Stupid Rain!

The stupid rain washed away all my Christmassy snow :(

So I was thrilled to get my XO laptop

XoboxBut I just haven’t had time to play with it. I’ve been working, shopping or sick (something hit me yesterday in the middle of the night, but I’m way better now) and there just hasn’t been the time.

It’s funny this morning I got my e-mail notice that it was shipping with my tracking number and everything (don’t forget, I got my laptop this past Wednesday). It also included my T-Mobile activation info, which I sadly cannot get to work.

MyxoopenThe laptop is way cool, it’s nice and tiny, feels durable and has great reception. It could be a little snappier speed-wise, but if every kid in the world had one of these things it be interesting to see where we are in another 10-20 years. Heck, if every adult had one (and learned to use it) it’d be interesting to see where we’d be.

I can’t wait to see what I can eventually make this do…