Two Slashes

SkipTo’s undergone a small update to 0.1.0.19. New with this minor update are a bugfix or two, and a new feature in the means to temporarily disable SkipTo without closing the application. Simply use the shortcut “DISABLE” or the system tray icon to disable SkipTo, and re-enable it with the same system tray icon. Bah, you’ll get it. And if you don’t, I’m here to help.

The source code for this release has also been updated to current (finally!), so if you want to look at that, have at it.

Remember, you can e-mail any changes back to me (see the Contact page for my information) and I’ll include them in the next update! :)  I know I have the slowest of release schedules, but I guarantee it’ll make it in.

Click here to go to the SkipTo download page.

Of course, it’s no suprise that I’m not a bigtime gamer by any means. I mean, I consider it a success if I can scrape off more than a few kills in Unreal Tournament GOTY, and I almost never play console games (yes, I suck worse). But locking the ones who do play more than me into a system so contorted and dismembered it’s like staring at a beheaded corpse in a fun-house mirror isn’t any fun. Why?

Well, let me set the record straight first. I’m not a big fan of cheaters. People who need to hack and mod their way through a deathmatch against a bunch of n00bs are just asking for themselves to be kicked around a bit. I don’t care what game it is, it’s just not right. (At least in a multiplayer setting; if you find yourself on a really hard level in a single-player game, and you use the codes sparingly, you end up restoring just a little bit of the lustre you lost when you got frustrated, right?)

But I still don’t see too many reasons why everyone needs to lock these consoles down so tight. In a world where decent home theater PCs still cost more than several of the current-generation consoles together (alright, one and a half if we’re counting in only PS3’s), it makes sense to give everyone something to muck around with. I mean, Sony abused the DVD capabilities of the PS2 to shove one into every home (hey, if it’s the cheapest DVD player at its launch…)

Some companies have played it smart and quickly embraced homebrew, both to draw customers and increase their revenue, and to encourage growth and enhancement of their product.  Rather than shutter everyone out, Cisco/Linksys extended their popular WRT54G line to cater to homebrewers when they made the generic router cheaper to manufacture and run.  TiVo regularly monitors the homebrew community for their products, and sometimes adds popular third-party hacks as features in the default TiVo system.  It seems that in just about every multimedia sector, you can find someone who offers open-source and homebrew aficionados the chance to show off their talent and extend the boundaries of the devices they hack.  Of course, in many of these cases, warranties are voided, but it is worth noting that many people are willing to sacrifice the possible cost of a new unit for the enhancements they gain as a result.

But as much as this happens in other industries, there’s absolutely no movement in the console market.  Partially, I can understand them.  They don’t want cheaters taking the fun out of games, and they certainly don’t want pirates making their games into a laughingstock of bits and bytes.  But they take it too far.

As a matter of example, take any recent cell phone.  Not really a smartphone, just your average, everyday cell phone.  Now, note that the firmware probably includes Java.  That’s right.  The cell phone manufacturer implemented Java, and left a framework which could be used for homebrew development.  To be reasonable, most of the applications you’ll see for a cell phone were probably coded with the idea that there is payment to be made somewhere down the line.  But the point remains that there is a sizable toolkit implemented on the phone itself, no problems required.

With such a toolkit already provided, it makes for little reason for anyone to resort to “exploiting” the device simply to get something that isn’t supposed to be running, well, running.  Third-party games on platforms like the PSP and iPod (aka free development and a reason for people to buy your product) only work when people find exploits that enable them in the first place.  Not only does it add value, the consumers will be able to add more functionality as they see fit.  All in all, an easy way to increase profits, the functionality of your product, and get privileged to see free market research as to what people are looking for and buying because of.

Why haven’t the console manufacturers realized that they’re giving up FREE DEVELOPMENT simply because they want to be a bunch of tightwads?  Wake up people, and realize that there are people willing to improve your products, whether you like it or not.  Maybe it’s in your best interest to embrace it, rather than hinder it.

Of course, it’s that time of the year. All the graduated high school seniors are busy picking up things they think they’ll need at their college of choice.

Now, you’re probably wondering what I have to do with this. It’s simple…I’m the local geek, so everyone flocks to me for suggestions on PCs. And as usual, everyone wants the best machine available on the oh-so-great college-bound budget.

So I figured I’d take some of the real-world examples I’ve run into and throw them into a post full of suggestions. Take heed; most of these will probably pertain for at least a few years down the road.

So, without further ado, I present my “two slashes”…

1. The biggest tip, and consequently numero uno, is to avoid overbuying. As a student, I understand that you’re going to want to use a machine for more than just research papers, but there are limits. Remember that this will have limited usefulness in the long run, and most machines have a lifespan of between three and five years. Yes, it’ll run longer, but by that time you’re going to be hard-pressed to be able to do anything with it. If you can get away with a slower CPU, less RAM, and ten GB less hard drive space, do it.
2. When in doubt, ask. No, not the salesperson. Someone with experience. Like me. Alright, maybe someone you know more personally (if you know anyone like that), but it’s always better to get a seasoned opinion.
3. AVOID APPLE. Yes, I just put a shotgun to the heads of countless Apple fanatics, and I’m probably going to be bludgeoned the next time I step outside. No, I don’t care. Reasoning: For the same price as the lowest build of MacBook, I can have a better-specced notebook machine for $799. Yeah, bigger screen, better hard drive, full burner, and everything. And, thanks to the power of OSx86, I could have my cake and eat it too. Apple’s customer support is alright (if you don’t mind waiting in lines at the Geek Bar at the local Apple Store), and you do have Parallels and Boot Camp at this point. But why not take the extra $200 and buy yourself a nice minifridge or something instead. If you want a white laptop that bad, there’s a $5 can of spray paint at the hardware store you can use. Just make sure to do it right.
4. It might be wise to spring for both a portable and desktop machine. Having the all-mighty notebook is nice…but if it breaks you’re going to be S.O.L. until you can get it replaced. If at all possible, it’s probably wisest for you to split the budget and do both a desktop and laptop setup. If you do it right, you can sync the two up filewise, so you don’t lose anything. And hell, if you’re trying to look for a gaming laptop, it will be a lot better to get the cheapest non-gaming, school-work-only laptop you can get and trick out a desktop instead. (Believe me, touchpad Unreal Tournament matches are not the best way to play.)
5. The frills usually aren’t worth it. I don’t care if you’re getting a free mousepad with every $300 you spend. I’ve heard several firsthand accounts of people getting talked into turning a sub-$1000 laptop into a $4000 cash cow. Follow along with the bullet below, and take advantage of everything you can to get what you need, but don’t spend a penny on useless extras like a photo printer or MP3 player dock for a player you don’t own unless it pertains to you or what you’ll be using with the PC.
6. SHOP AROUND. I can’t tell you how many times I myself have slapped myself for not doing this, but believe me, it’s worth the hassle. If you can hunt around and find a cheaper price, do it. Especially if you’ve got your mind set on a model, and the price is just a tad too high. Take advantage of price matching, free/reduced-cost shipping, and anything else that might help you get what you want for the cheapest price. Remember, you’re trying to save the money for other parts of your education, not get your wallet gouged. (I’d also say lie/cheat/steal here, but not only am I talking about things legitimately, it would be against my morals to encourage you to go around thieving. If you’re thinking it…get it out of your head.)
7. Built-in Wi-Fi (on a notebook) is a must. At this point, anything without a Wi-Fi card is a poor notebook indeed. There are just too many free hotspots available.
8. If you just can’t afford it new, go (gently) used. Inevitably, there’s going to be someone who just can’t afford the shiniest, even if it’s $200. In that case, turn to sites like eBay and Craigslist and see what people there can offer you. Remember to watch the cost though; if you aren’t paying attention, the used system is going to cost you more to purchase and maintain than something new. Work with the sellers, see what sacrifices the both of you can make. Some sellers will be more flexible than others, while others will be as rigid as the Sears Tower and not give you any leeway, so use your head.
9. Extended warranties are not always the best warranties. That’s how the majority of companies make money. And again, consider the average lifespan (3-5 years) and the progression of technology. If you’re clumsy to no end, sure, I’d recommend it simply because you might trip up the stairs while holding your laptop with one hand and a book in the other because you lost your balance. If you’re at least semi-protective of your belongings, you’ll be just fine.
10. Compare retail stores against well-known online stores. Yes, just because you got a deal at Best Buy means you got a deal at Best Buy. Check all of the competition and see what you can do. (Yes, this ties with #6.) A most-certainly-incomplete list of places to check:
    • Best Buy
    • Circuit City
    • Outpost/Fry’s Electronics
    • Staples
    • Office Depot
    • Office Max
    • TigerDirect
    • Newegg
    • Manufacturer’s websites (Dell, HP/Compaq, Toshiba, Apple, IBM/Lenovo, etc.)
    • Any Mom-and-Pop shops in your area
11. If after all this, you’re going to be using a system you already have, at least reformat it and reinstall the operating system.

I’d normally get into a discussion at this point about the best operating system for you (Windows, Linux, BSD, OS X, OS/2…), but that’s a no-brainer, as for most people it’s going to be Windows out of sheer compatibility and (to be greedy and personal) because I write software for it. If you’ve already gone too far and got something made by a company whose name and logo bear resemblance to fruit, go with Parallels and Boot Camp as I discussed back up there. If you’re an intrepid explorer, dual or triple boot Windows, OS X, and some flavor of Linux (I’m preferential to Ubuntu and Kubuntu myself.). Have fun with it, especially if you can find ways to use it to reduce your cost. I’ll add this though. Unless you’re buying new and it comes with it, there’s very little reason to get Windows Vista, and for your sake you’ll probably be better with Windows XP for the moment. This recommendation will probably change in about a year or two, but for the moment and with a look at the current outlook and available software, it’s the best (read: safest) option as far as I’m concerned.

(And for those of you who think I was paid to write this or something…I wasn’t. This is all straight from the horse’s mouth, prompted by the countless questions I’ve been asked, and written with no more bias than I usually have. )

So everyone’s up in arms about this entire Apple iPhone deal. I say big deal, it’s another flashy gadget. Everyone was the same way back when Handspring released the Treo (yes, I’m talking before their Palm/palmOne/Palm buyout/merger), or (to a lesser extent) when Danger released the Sidekick.

Gizmodo decided to take a survey or something and guess what the ideal demographic for iPhone users would be. To sum their findings up, the ideal iPhone target is a well-educated (read: college graduate) male around the age of 31, probably living in New York or California, and definitely interested in leaving T-Mobile. In an odd way, it makes sense, but I’m still saying that it’s bullsh*t for various reasons, all phone-related as opposed to user-related.

The first reason I can think of is that brandishing a very expensive, very hard-to-get phone is just like hanging a ‘Pickpocket Me’ sign over your back. Obviously, you’ve got at least a phone that’ll get the pickpocket several hundred bucks on eBay (potentially more than you paid, if it’s close to the launch date), and chances are if you’re brandishing one of those, you can afford a few other luxuries with the cash and credit cards stuffed into that just-won’t-shut wallet of yours. Or should I say, the pickpocket’s?

The next reason isn’t so much concerned with cost as it is for what you’re buying. We’re talking about a device that doesn’t just have a basic calculator, but has the means to do your taxes, calculate mortgage rates for all the top banks, and play Bono songs back to you all at the same time. While combining a few different devices is cool, a la the Swiss Army Knife, this borders ridiculous in the implementation. Let me explain.

Alright, take your basic desktop PC. Tower and monitor. Alright, now take that to laptop form. Suddenly, your data’s portable, right? Now, take that laptop, miniaturize or get rid of the keyboard altogether, and give the thing a small touchscreen, and now you’ve got a PDA. Three different machines, all accomplishing the same or similar thing: holding your data and allowing you to manipulate it or view it. These three stages sound good…but then everyone has to cram the PDA’s touchscreen into the laptop (tablet PC), cram desktop power into that same laptop (the monster-sized 20″ desktop-replacement laptops that have about 25 minutes of battery life and get hot enough to cook eggs on), and make that desktop PC wireless (Wi-Fi, Wireless USB, etc.).

So everything’s already a mess, right? Let’s stack the Origami project on top. Now you have a machine that’s not quite pocket-small (unless you’re wearing a pair of cargo pants), with a touchscreen and the full power of a desktop. Wait…sounds familiar right? Sounds just like my PDA, only instead of that basic OMAP processor, I’ve got a f**king Pentium 4 in my hand in something that vaguely resembles a Sega GameGear. Funny thing is, the iPhone doesn’t look that far off either. And it’s definitely more than it should be crammed into a not-so-one-handed package.

Also in line with that is the usability. You’re taking the keypad everyone is oh-so-used to, and replacing it with a touchscreen. Scrolling through the contacts? Touchscreen. Navigating menus? Touchscreen. And the icing on the cake: browsing the web…all by touch. The thing is so touch-oriented they had to add a proximity sensor so you don’t hang the blasted thing up with the side of your face while you’re talking up your wife/boss/multimillion-dollar client. And the very concept of the bare-skin touchscreen needs thought. Even my PDA screen gets pretty nasty, and that’s with a stylus involved. I can’t imagine what’s going to get all over it from someone’s finger when it swipes directly across the length of the screen.

Another point coming to mind is expandability. Unlike some current-generation video game console-makers (*cough* all of them *cough*), MP3 player makers (*ahem* Apple’s a good example, among others), and other various people I could go on to mention, you’ll notice that they’ve actually opened the thing up to limited third-party development. Oh yes, you’ll be able to expand with more official Apple apps as well, but those aren’t sandboxed up the way the third-party offerings are going to be. I smell a virus target in the making. How does a flock of f**king iPhones DDoSing your web server sound? I bet it happens sooner or later. And this also begs the question of why they’re using OS X as the basis for it either. It’s not your MacBook. It shouldn’t be running an OS that requires over 500 MB of storage space to be installed; for comparison my PDA has 32 MB for EVERYTHING, including user storage space (although admittedly there’s an SD card crammed into the thing too for various things).

I digress.  Once again, I’m not convinced that ANYONE needs this. If anything, it’s too far ahead, and would have been better off held a few years. I’m sticking with the cheapest phone that suits my needs, my (dying ) Palm Tungsten T2, and my Zen MicroPhoto.