New Site Location

So hopefully you aren’t just being made aware of this but I have moved my blog over to squarespace.  I am still “trying it out” and really enjoying it so far.  Not sure with the amount of money I have if I can really justify paying a monthly fee for it but as of right now I am loving it so it’s worth it.

NEW LOCATION

charlesian.com

My Hopes For The New MacTablet

We aren’t fully sure what the name of the product is even going to be yet.  Most people have accepted the name iSlate but I really have a hard time believing that is what apple will call it.  The evidence that Apple is dubbing this new tablet device the iSlate stems from a patent apple has on the name iSlate and also they own iSlate.com.  Even with that evidence I have a hard time believing the final product will be labeled the iSlate but really it doesn’t matter, I am just going to refer to it as the MacTablet.

For my schooling needs my place of education provides money to students for computers and I have a good chunk of money that I have yet to spend on anything.  I don’t really have enough money for the cheapest mac laptop but since I have a fairly new iMac on my desk I really don’t feel the need to run out and buy another computer at the moment.  What I am saying is I am sort of saving my money to see what this next announcement is from apple at the end of January.  I was coming up with some key features that I feel like this product must have for me to want to fork out the money to buy.  Here is a list of all the things I am hoping this new MacTablet will have(keep in mind I already want to buy this thing and am already overly excited and we haven’t even heard anything about it).

1. Not just an oversized iPhone

—-Now this “feature” is very vague but what I mean by it is, I already own an iPhone.  I don’t need another overpriced device that does the exact same thing but has a bigger screen.

2. More of a mini computer than kindle with color.

—-I don’t own a kindle but I really think they are interesting and I was certainly looking into purchasing one.  Being they were a bit too pricey for what they did I had a hard time putting down that kind of cash for a pretty simplistic device(not denigrating it, it is a killer device and if I had a better paying job I would for sure buy one).  Having a more expensive kindle that you can see pictures on and you have to charge every night really isn’t that compelling to me.  I am really hoping the new MacTablet DOES have some book integration like a kindle but I really don’t want it to be the main selling point.

2.5. I want a mini computer

—-Since I am purchasing this with school funds I kind of feel like I should only purchase something that will assist in my finishing of assignments.  There is a way to sign into my school on my iPhone and turn in assignments but it really is a pain and just isn’t quite there.  If I had a bigger screen and an actual desktop kind of thing to download my readings and was thinner and lighter than any book, now that is something very compelling to me.  Then being able to access my homework from anywhere, download my readings from anywhere, able to listen to my music or put on my video podcasts onto the device now we are really talking about a device that I can fully see fitting in my life.

3. I don’t like tablets….

—-I really haven’t played on too many but the ones I have played with really just reminded me how genius the guys at Xerox or whoever that came up with the mouse really were.  I feel like all the Tablet PCs that have come out in recent years were just tablets for tablets sake and touching the screen really isn’t a better UI that a keyboard and mouse.  What I am getting at is Apple really mastered the touchscreen with the iPhone.  It really makes sense when using your fingers on the screen and I’m sure that Apple can really make that happen again, but I am just worried its going to have all these confusing gestures that don’t really make things easier and it is just a tablet for tablets sake. Side Note: I’m sure that is not what apple is doing but hearing about the certain things Apple is working on really makes me a tiny bit skeptical.

4. Some sort of provider coverage (not a make or break for me)

—-I REALLY have no interest in another monthly subscription payment but if there was some extra $200-$300 and you get 2 years of coverage for free now that would be really interesting.  People complain about the AT&T coverage for their iPhones and to be honest I’ve had a few times were I’m bummed the call was dropped but it really isn’t some crazy blackout or anything I just call the person right back and its fine.  I think it would be fine whatever wireless provider Apple chooses because I honestly don’t need to be streaming constantly I just would like the ability to go to my favorite news sites and blogs and the ability to check my school work.  Just using it for that purpose really isn’t going to use up much bandwidth at all.  If maybe the provider can have a very small cap if they are worried about people streaming too much.  Not overcharge them but just not able to exceed the limit, now that would be a great business model(not screwing over your customers).

5.  A Word Processor

—-Being that I am buying this for school I’d like to be able to download my assignments and have the ability to do quick edits on the go with this small little device.  It wouldn’t by any means replace doing homework with my computer at my desk but being able to quickly add a comment to a post or upload a short question to my professor really would be a great thing.  I am quite comfortable typing on my iPhone and I know many people complain about it but I have written out long emails to people and really haven’t been too bothered by the non-tactile keyboard.  I would just like a bigger screen for doing major word processing like homework.

6. Digital Comics……and more.

—-Many people are talking about magazine subscriptions with this new MacTablet and I was thinking back to all the magazines I read and I’m not sure I’d really want to subscribe to any on a device like that when I could just go to the site for free and read majority of the content there anyways.  BUT it got me thinking about what I would totally subscribe to on this machine and it was so very clear, Digital Comics.  Every week I head on down to the Local Comic Shop and buy a few comic books read them and then put them in bags and for the most part don’t read them or touch them again.  I end up buying the big hardcovers of all the series I like and having those sit on the shelf.  I am worried once I am older I will just have these boxes and boxes of comic books that I don’t really need anymore but couldn’t force myself to throw away and the solution is clear digital comics.  I could store many many more on my computer, have an amazing catalog of issue covers and what happened in what series the possibilities really got me excited.  Then I wouldn’t have these hundreds of single issues all over the place and I am still going to buy the big Deluxe Edition Hardcovers anyways so this might cut down on price and have my comics with me where ever I go.  Thinking about some other things I might subscribe to on a color kindle like device perhaps some photography magazines would be interesting to look at on a nice 10 inch screen.  Or perhaps it will get me back into reading Macworld again, if it was provided straight to my device every month.  Just writing this I am getting more and more excited about the subscriptions to magazines….All these completely depend on the content providers agreeing on a deal with apple, which I’m not going to hold my breath on with the comics.

7. Multi Tasking

—-Pretty straight forward, just being able to have multiple apps open doing different things at one time.  Of course if it’s more like a computer and less like a big iPhone that is an obvious feature but just thought I would throw that one in there on my wishlist for the MacTablet.

That’s really most of what I want/need out of this new MacTablet for it to be an interesting device to me.  The main one that really is a make or break for me is the ability to do my school work.  If this is just a glorified kindle it will be a great cool device but I really am not in the market (right now) for a colored kindle.  Whatever it is it will be very cool to see what Apple anounces at the end of January so keep on the look out for the Apple event.

Cheers!

Ian

Iphone Games

All of my favorite games are well……Tower Defense games BUT close there after my favorite games are ones that have new and interesting ideas.  The games that are just remakes of console games such as Call of Duty or games like that that really aren’t meant to be played on a phone I really am not a fan of.  The games that I tend to lean towards are games such as this one “Sketch Nation Shooter.”  Now this game lets you draw your own Characters within the game.  Once you draw what you want your space ship to look like you can then draw the evil ships as well.  Here is a video that shows just how great this game is.  Enjoy.

Best. Christmas. Song. Ever.

Lord Of The Rings Music

Stumbled upon these “music videos” from LOTR and so I found my favorite scenes/songs from the series and posted them here.

“Gandalf Has Fallen”

“The Death Of Boromir”

“This Is A Dream”

“The March Of The Ents”

And my ALL TIME Favorite part of the entire series.

“The Breaking Of The Fellowship”