Strange Loops

Netbook Part Deux

Over the holidays, I got myself a Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2. Initially the plan was to make it into a Hackintosh but since I got the machine working well I've decided to not go that route. Right now, I'm very pleased dual booting Windows XP with the Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix. 

I was an early Netbook early adopter. I purchased an Asus EEE in Feb 2008. One of the first entries into the Netbook market. We were going to Maui for a week and the EEE seemed like a great travelling companion. The small form factor made it easy to pack and the low cost made the potential lost on the trip more acceptable.

However after the trip, I'm promptly sold it. The Asus EEE and Lenovo IdeaPad have roughly the same dimensions but the deal breaker for the Asus EEE was the tiny keyboard. There were fairly large speakers (in relation to the rest of the EEE) to the left and right of the keyboard. This made the keyboard even smaller than it had to be. The IdeaPad does not have the same issue. Though smallish, I'm fairly comfortable touch typing this entry on the IdeaPad's keyboard. 

By default, Windows XP is installed and required for any future servicing or restoring to factory condition. I'm more of a Mac and Linux person so I had to find tools/applications to make Windows acceptable and integrate with my other equipment. I'm pleased with what I've found and actually find the experience relatively painless.

1. Removed the antivirus program

I should not do this but after uninstalling the Norton antivirus program, the IdeaPad experienced a fairly nice performance boost. I don't use IE or Outlook so most infection vectors are closed off. I still have to be extra careful about what I install on this machine though.

2. Chrome and Firefox

I was impressed with my brief usage of Chrome in early 2009, it was fast and I liked its sandboxing architecture that made it resistant to attacks (see this). On the IdeaPad, it's my default browser. 

Firefox is also installed because they are too many useful Firefox add ons. I have to say the 3.6 version has been pretty good on my Mac. For day to day browsing, Safari used to be noticeably faster but I don't notice a difference anymore.

3. xmarks

xmarks is a bookmark synchronization tool. It synchronizes my bookmarks across my browsers on all my machines. When I had one machine, I never understood the use of xmarks. With multiple browsers and machines, I love having the ability to manage all my bookmarks from one central location.

4. Dropbox

I use dropbox for sharing and synchronizing files across my multiple machines. It also version files that you put into it (effectively serving as a backup). Any documents I'm working can be accessed from any of my machines.

5. Evernote

I use evernote for managing my notes across all my devices. 

6. Notepad++

notepad++ is a huge improvement over the regular notepad. Has a bunch of useful programming specific features (e.g. line numbering, syntax coloring) and does not have a problem with unix style line endings (where the regular notepad puts the entire file on a single line)

7. Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix

Used Wubi to install Ubuntu. Sometimes I just need access to Linux. No repartitioning of the hard drive is necessary. Wubi installs Ubuntu on the windows partition of the hard drive (at the cost of slower disk performance which doesn't really matter in this situation).

8. Python

It's what I use these days for small projects. In the past, I liked Strawberry Perl and I would used it again if the need arises.

You'll also want easy_install to get new libraries.

9. Git, Putty

I need access to my git repositories since that's where my code is. Used TortoiseGIT (and it's dependency msysgit) for that. Works great for my simple usage. No major complaints. 

putty is the only game on windows for ssh'ing into my remote hosts.

3 + 4 + 5 + 9 form a common theme, they are tools I use for managing information/code I collect.

10. miro, songbird

For listening to podcasts and other digital media. This is one area I need to work on more. Figuring out how to access the digital media stored on my other computers.

11. External mouse

I've never liked trackpads so an external mouse eases that frustration. Nothing complicated. Just got myself a cheap (< $20), wireless optical mouse. This one fits the bill pretty well.

My new IPad

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 that I picked up on my trip to Singapore at the beginning of December. This one is a wifi only version. There is a 3G option available (based on what the user manual tells me). I've regularly taken this handy little device to the coffee shop whenever I want to catch up on my RSS feeds. The 10 inch display and regular keyboard make web browsing easier than on the iPhone. It evens come with a cute little pink carrying case.

This IPad is not be confused with this. :)

Reflection

On my long run yesterday, I was able to reflect on the events from the last seven days. I was trying to understand what this experience would teach me. This has been a major wake up call. 

I thought through a lot but I kept coming back to 3 main ideas:

1. Life is too short to be anything but happy.

2. Someday might never come. 

3. What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived.

It's not clear how I'll use these ideas since my mind is still in a fog of sadness, anger and fatigue. Hopefully the next couple of days will help to make things clearer.

Numb

I'm numb tonight. I keep thinking about what has happened in the last day. I kept coming back to this quote spoken by one of my favorite fictional characters:

Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives, but I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment because they'll never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived. - Jean Luc Picard, Generations

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I know it's 10 days into the new year but I have not gotten around to posting on my blog yet. One of my resolutions for the new year is to post more consistently. Hopefully I hit that goal this year.

2010 is going to be the year of awesomeness! I can feel it.