Christmas Decade

This Christmas marks ten years of Mac ownership! Time has flown since I unwrapped the Performa 5200 and took those first tentative steps into new media authoring and WarCraft!

CPU
*CPU: PowerPC 603
*CPU Speed: 75 MHz
*Bus Speed: 37.5 MHz
*Data Path: 64 bit
*ROM: 4 MB
*RAM Type: 72 pin SIMM
*Minimum RAM Speed: 80 ns
*Onboard RAM: 0 MB
*RAM slots: 2
*Maximum RAM: 64 MB
*Level 1 Cache: 8 kB data, 8 kB instruction
*Level 2 Cache: 256 kB
*Expansion Slots: 1 LC PDS, comm, video i/o, TV

Video
*Monitor: 15" CRT (built-in)
*VRAM: 1 MB
*Max Resolution: 832x624

Storage
*Hard Drive: 500 MB
*ATA Bus: IDE
*Floppy Drive: 1.4 MB SuperDrive
*Optical Drive: 4x CD-ROM

Input/Output
*ADB: 1
*Serial: 2
*SCSI: DB-25
*Audio Out: stereo 16 bit mini
*Audio In: mono 16 bit mini
*Speaker: stereo
*Microphone: mono

Miscellaneous
*Codename: Trailblazer, Bongo, Rebound, Transformer
*Gestalt ID: 41
*Power: 125 Watts
*Dimensions: 17.5" H x 15.1" W x 16" D
*Weight: 47 lbs.
*Minimum OS: 7.5.1
*Maximum OS: 9.1
*Introduced: April 1995
*Terminated: April 1996

Here's to another decade of delights.

The Ilearth Stone

Another month inexorably draws to a close. September sees the release of PSP, Autumn/Fall and the, inescapable, commercial conveyor belt transporting consumers toward the holidays.

Holiday 1996. Following a visit to the Reuters stand at Earls Court, I took the opportunity to visit London's Oxford Street and made a bee line for HMV! In the games section eye catching WarCraft II: Tides of Darkness point-of-sale tempted me into a purchase. Games publisher Blizzard bought me wholesale!

In the spring of 2004, whilst beta testing the Mac client of World of WarCraft, I alluded to the forthcoming release of Diablo II and StarCraft Mac OS X installers and updated patches. Now that these are robust and freely available to consumers, both games are eagerly anticipated from eBay (brand new). The last time I played these signature Blizzard titles was on my iMac DV SE in 2000. Retrospective reviews to follow.

LEGO is a world class toy brand. But, an overemphasis on film franchises has diluted the company's unique selling point - creativity and imagination. In a bid to recapture the minds of children and adults alike, LEGO has launched Digital Designer for Mac and PC. As a lifelong LEGO (second only to Star Wars toys) lover, it's a smart move.

Feel the love! Google has released Gmail Notifier for Mac OS X. A neat application, that resides in the menu bar. Most (if not all) users may already have POP3 setup in their prefered mail client, but I like advanced warning. Expect Google Talk sooner rather than later.

Hidden Hawaii

What a most splendid haunted house theme park ride Lost is! The signature scene, something screaming in the jungle, was on a emotional par with the T-Rex attack from JP - nerve shattering... The 'live' jet engine on the beach... The derelict cockpit - where were the Raptors and Dilophosaurus? And isn't there an aura of Spielberg meets Chris Carter about it all?

After reading that Channel 4 has cut the UK episodes (intense scenes et al) and the cynical R2 two-part box set release (£27.99 each) due to a lucrative deal with Disney's Buena Vista. I've already ordered the R1 complete box set from CD-WOW @ £31.99 (no import duties). Hopefully to be savored post real life trauma or in the very midst of next month! If you're interested here are the delicious details:

*7 Discs
*Never-before-seen, extended uncut version of the original pilot
*Exclusive, in-depth behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the show
*Backstage with Drive Shaft all-access pass behind the music
*The art of Matthew Fox featurette
*'Before They Were Lost' original casting tapes
*Blooper reel
*Rare deleted scenes
*Multiple filmmaker audio commentaries

David LaChapelle's Lost promos have met with mixed critical reaction. The conventional US trailers pander to the needs of the lowest common denominator. As an artist (myself) accessibility has its place, but sometimes it's desirable to challenge the viewer too! Wouldn't you agree?



Sony Online Entertainment now offers Mac gamers a 'free' (credit card details required) trial of EverQuest. Having played both EverQuest and Blizzard's World of WarCraft, there's no prize for guessing which one I prefer!

Although the key pads are an acquired taste, I adore Sony Ericsson mobile phones. My trusty T-310 still elicits coos of delight from avid admirers! The new W800i Walkman™ model could be a suitable future successor.

You've got Gmail

Thanks to a charitable forum poster (not telling where), I'm the proud owner of a Gmail account now! Considering that eBay is still witnessing bids between US$60 and US$120 for invites, to say that I'm delighted is an understatement.

Safari 1.2.1 (and newer) is officially supported and plays well with Google's latest poster child. There are glitches, but these will (probably) be fixed soon. The interface is one of the best web-application interfaces I've seen so far - alongside stablemate Blogger - and unquestionably the best web-mail interface bar none.

During the coming days and weeks I'll post my experiences of this most coveted of email services and may send the odd invite too (no requests or bids please). Time to download the patched World of Warcraft Beta patch!

I, Robot

Appears that the former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a fellow fan of iPods! In an interview with Wired, Will Smith told the magazine that the iPod is the gadget of the century. "I have every model. My CD collection from my entire life is on them. I probably have 52,000 songs." High praise indeed.

Found the following blog, concerning OS X 10.4 Tiger application Automator, an interesting read. Incidentally, OS X 10.3.5 is now seeding to developers and promises to be the most substantive update to Panther since its initial release last year! No idea what 'substantive' equates to, but here's hoping...

Back to Photoshop and downloading the latest patch for the World of Warcraft beta test.

Disturbing Behaviour

I’m an iTunes Music Store addict! So far I’ve downloaded several exclusive albums and soundtrack theme singles, which were effortlessly burnt to CD and DVD (regular backups are strongly recommended because if you lose music due to hardware failure you will have to buy the songs again).

Although the launch range is limited (at present) iTMS is a palpable threat to traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ stores. The Adshel’s appearing around London bus shelters are the personification of urban cool. Further coverage as I try to kick the ‘digital crack’ habit!

The latest patch for World of Warcraft has been released necessitating a fresh 2GB download and installation. This enables open warfare against the Horde and Alliance (Player vs. Player). Begun the Clone wars have...

The Edge

On Wednesday IMG posted my review for Worms 3D (ported by Zonic). This has received quite passionate feedback! I awarded the game a respectable rating of 8.0 out of 10! The review process is entirely subjective, but for a game to garner 10 out of 10 would necessitate a "landmark" release. Invariably, there are few titles that deserve such a prestigious accolade. However, for whatever it's worth (not much and not definitive) what follows is my top ten list:

*Super Castlevania IV
*Dark Forces
*Doom
*Halo
*Quake 3
*Resident Evil: Code Veronica
*Return To Castle Wolfenstein
*Soul Calibur
*Warcraft 3
*World of Warcraft (based on the breathtaking beta)

Mac Users with a curiosity in OS X development may find the following of interest!

Jurassic Park

My exploits in World of Warcraft continue! Meglos (a Darkspear Troll warrior) has ventured out into the Echo Isles off the shores of Durothar. The game designers appear to have taken inspiration from the Jurassic Park movie franchise; the lush jungle Islands are overrun with reptiles that are clearly Raptors and equally as vicious! Suffice to say that Meglos was maimed during a savage undergrowth battle! I'll need reinforcements to complete this Quest!

In the next few weeks a new Mac OS X WoW beta will be released! This will run exclusively on 10.3.4 and above! Therefore 10.2 users will have to upgrade.

BBC reports that the Buffy animated series is (almost) go! For seven seasons Buffy served-up arguably the most consistent genre show in television history. Fox's decision to continue the franchise, now that the first spin-off, Angel, has ceased production, is an intelligent move.

The Fast And The Furious

Apple released OS X 10.3.4 and updated OpenGL to include "vertex buffer objects" or VBO for short. How does this translate into the world of gaming? I'll let Brad Oliver explain!

Watched E! Entertainment Special chronicling the success of teen idols. And it occurred to me how more often (then not) teen shows like Party Of Five and My So-Called Life outclassed the acting and scripts of so-called 'adult' dramas! Eloquence, timbre and pronunciation are a staple of these shows!

Time to play World of Warcraft...

Sleepy Hollow

Bournemouth University's Alumni Association would like to include me in Under the spotlight - focus on careers in the media - for an upcoming edition of The Talbot magazine. This is flattering news.

World of Warcraft shenanigans continue. DarkRyder met her untimely death courtesy of Shelob's spawn who had infested Night's Hollow! However, she's now resurrected as an Undead Warrior and achieved catharsis!

Revisited MacMAME this morning and played Namco coin-op shooters Burning Force, Dragon Spirit and Dragon Saber. The latter has a soundtrack on a par with the best in Japanese animation and evoked memories of Battle of the Planets, which was centred around the weekly adventures of Mark, Jason, Princess, Keyop and Tiny. It would be inexcusable not to mention 7-Zark-7 and 1-Rover-1! Camp fun for all the family!

My application to become a Figleaves affiliate has been accepted.

Express Yourself

Pepsi has announced an iPod promotion in Australia alongside sponsorship of pop sensation Delta Goodrem! Presumably there'll be a similar Pepsi promo in Europe when iTunes Music Store is released?

After losing many daylight hours testing the World of Warcraft beta. DarkRyder has been joined by Human Warrior Mondas (named after the home planet of Doctor Who's calculating Cybermen). He resembles the new He-Man sculpt from The Four Horsemen! Fans of Blizzard's various franchises may be delighted to learn that Mac OS X installation patches for classic titles Diablo and Starcraft are to be released over the coming weeks. Feel the love!

Can't wait for Friday's release of The Day After Tomorrow! CGI geeks (and who isn't?) should see Terragen, a landscape generator that is heavily utilised in the movie!

Madonna begins her "Reinvention" World Tour tonight. Aroused by the success of Britney, Beyoncé and Kylie, Madonna is "dusting off" those old hits - Get Into The Groove to Vogue - and promises a show as spectacular and provocative as Blond Ambition '90 (I attended the infamous live BBC Radio One broadcast from Wembley Stadium in July, 1990).

The Sun and listening to Alanis Morissette's So-Called Chaos is so soaking up my time! BTW I watched The Corrs new video on MTV! It still "hurts" to look at Andrea!

State of Decay

After a mammoth 12 hour download (2GB). I successfully installed World of Warcraft (for Mac OS X) late last night! And created my Rogue class character - an Undead female member of the Horde race - who goes by the monicker of DarkRyder (the Winona connection is deliberate). The anaemic character creation UI is intuitive and promises future creative scope. DarkRyder uncannily resembles a painting featured in H.R. Giger's Necronomicon replete with actress Keira Knightley's visage!

I never subscribed to Sony's EverQuest (the Mac version is no longer officially supported and lacks parity with other platforms), so the MMORPG genre is an entirely unique and novel gaming experience. First impressions of World of Warcraft are overwhelming. The beta, now at phase 2, conjures up the magic of Sonic Team's award-winning RPG series Phantasy Star Online, but on an infinitely grander scale.

Completing quests in World of Warcraft is the easiest way to level up, get money, receive trade skill recipes/components, earn equipment, and more. DarkRyder's first quest, in the decayed Tirisfal Glades (introduced in Warcraft III), is to hunt down and kill zombies...

An invitation to Azeroth

Today I was added to the World of Warcraft beta test and can empathise with how Charlie felt when he discovered that elusive Golden Ticket, guaranteeing a tour of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, in his Grandpa's chocolate bar! I will post my experiences of this highly anticipated MMORPG in due course.

In what could be construed as an act of synchronicity. The Iconfactory has released a set of icons based on The Lord Of The Rings movie trilogy.

A swarm of Honey Bees invaded our WASP suburb, and our house was besieged by scouts! However, they were sedated on honey and easily encouraged to leave via the windows!

Buffy's first (and only to date) sequel series Angel ends after 5 seasons tonight! The series found its footing quickly despite alleged off-screen politics. And the 100th episode was no disappointment - comparing favourably with Buffy episode The Body! I'll leave the last word to Dido "White Flag..."

Seattle sans Frasier

I'll start this entry by bidding bon voyage to Frasier, Niles, Daphne, Martin and Roz! Tonight it's "Goodnight, Seattle" for the last time! Life without Frasier will be a little poorer. Michelle Branch articulates this sentiment best in her emotive ballad "Goodbye To You..."

Thanks to the ingenious invention that is sky+ (PVR), last evening I watched Sunday night's all-new episode of Alias, which guest starred Canadian director David Cronenberg (Rabid, The Dead Zone, The Fly and eXistenZ)! His cameo follows in the footsteps of silverscreen luminaries Quentin Tarantino, Ethan Hawke and Olivia d'Abo. Conscious was so good - a postmodern homage to the cinematic oeuvre of Cronenberg - that it commanded a repeat viewing!

Readers of the official Alias Magazine, published by Titan Magazines, can read my series comments in Issue #4's Dead Drop section. Look for Psychological Profile, which ties in with Frasier! On newsstands now!

The spring issue of The Talbot, Bournemouth University's Alumni Association magazine, arrived this morning. In the next edition they're focussing on careers in the media and are seeking contributions. So, it would be remiss of me not to respond to their clarion call!

As you may already know, I am a staff writer for Inside Mac Games (IMG). Currently I'm on the waiting list to join the beta test for Blizzard's upcoming World Of Warcraft - an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. In the meantime I've attempted (and failed) to download the latest patch (1.15) for The Frozen Throne! Blizzard is suffering from FTP overload! However, the game is one of my favourite (RTS) titles alongside Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds and Clone Campaigns expansion pack! So, I'll keep trying... A new Neutral Hero, the Goblin Tinker, has been added to the game and many more enhancements.

Browser company Opera has released version 7.50 of its popular flagship application. However, I was disappointed to note that several bugs made it into the GM! The smart money is still on Firefox and Safari 2!

As I write, iTunes 4.5 is playing Life For Rent on shuffle play! Dido's lyrics are replete with rich narratives, which transforms, via iPod, my personal space when traversing the urban landscape!