Day Two

I received my new monitor henceforth labelled WXGA on Wednesday evening. Today marks the second day of use. It has been wonderful.

The newness has its ups and downs- don't think it is continously smooth sailing. I watched Smallville on the monitor and my experience improved ten-fold. Everything was bigger and I could sit farther behind and watch. This monitor is the proper face of my media centre. Even though it is exam time I am giving in to the temptation to install a game and see how it looks at the maximum screen resolution. The newest game I have is True Crime: New York. I don't even know much about the game- just about a somewhat corrupt cop- which is fine for me. I want to see how things look stretched out on a 1440 by 900 screen res.

One problem I have found so far is that the pictures look grainy. It could be that my digital camera sucks and I need to buy a new one. That option seems likely. It could also be that the screen is so wide it automatically stretches everything out- because the smaller pictures like thumnails or just 640 by 480 look decent. I would prefer to not blame my new monitor.
Another issue is that some programmes are not yet used to all the real estate. They will have to get used to it though because the wxga is here to stay.

I think it is time to up the ante for the media centre. Flow is arriving in May, World Cup is about June and I need to get things cracking. That is precisely the reason I am going to buy and install this TV Capture card. I think it is excellent. The obvious limitation is that it has a single tuner, but then again that isn't so bad. I still have a high speed internet connection, I can supplement any additional tuners wanted.
After getting the Capture Card I intend to get a remote. I will then tell the Flow people to freely enter my home and give me something to watch. I have never been much of a television person though so I don't expect too much magic from this experience. I guess I am tired of just not having cable. Most of my time will be spent recording shows- i mean really- Smallville ends in two or three weeks, Supernatural is wrapping up too. There isn't much going on these days.

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Update on the Car:

For all the Jamaicans who read my blog (the two of you- Hey MOM!) this car thing is tricky. Hands down the Cable and Wireless Cooperative Credit Union has the best deal. You need to deposit ten percent of the value of the vehicle, get about 18% and 5 years to pay. The vehicle needs to be under 5 years of age to get the maximum coverage. Regardless of the age you need to put 10% in your shares but you may have to secure an additional 20% in a fixed account that isn't going anywhere. The fees include 1% of the value of the vehicle, $10,000 one off cost, the cost of the loan application, first month downpayment. You also have separate costs like transfer charges, valuation charges, insurance- all of which they want to lend you (entrapment). If you get a sweet deal on a vehicle then joy to you because it makes everything affordable. Once the car is priced at less than $900,000 you will be looking at repayments under $25,000 per month.

Banks suck. If the vehicle is brand new you get 90% coverage, 20% and seven years to pay. If the vehicle is 2002 you get 60% coverage, four years at 20%. If you were buying a $900,000 2001 vehicle you would have to find 40% yourself, pay 20068.34 per month for three years. Credit Union wins.

The only problem I may have to reposition my priorities. Suppose I can move out of my little room and into a bigger room in my house but at my expense. Which would be wiser- buy the car and make car payments or save up, fix my room and then make car payments. I want a car because I don't like asking and being rejected. Essentially I want my own independence.

However, if I stopped going to school (which will happen atleast when summer ends) then why will I need a car? Probably to take my girl out on the weekends. If I had my little pad that looks okay but I don't have to pay rent for it wouldn't that be smarter to secure first. That way instead of going out it would be simpler to tell people to comce in.

Face it people, I am going to be living with my parents right until I am ready to get married- another three or four years. If I save my money now, as in really save each month, then I can easily retire at 30, probably even retire at 26.

Be wise.

Behold She Comes

THE MONITOR HAS LANDED!!

I am so ecstatic! I have been having a rough weekend riddled with mistakes and misinterpretations but yesterday I paused for a cause and just was dumbfounded. My monitor is here. All the badminded people who thought it wouldn't happen, the people who saw me drooling over her day in and day out thinking I am just a window shopper- HAAAA!

I have pictures! I mean when I saw the box I had to just snap three right away. I held it in my arms all the way home. I gently took her out of the car and rested her on my bed. Opening the package was probably the most erotic part. I slowly and carefully unfolded the clasps in the box and gently cut the tape holding it at the sides. I peeled it back ever so slightly so as to avoid tearing the box. It isn't that I am ever going to use the box again but I have respect for her nakedness and know that she wouldn't want to be shamefully stripped.
Then I removed each part, bit by bit until I held her and pulled her out of her casing. It was magical. The 19" just so huge. I could hardly believe how big she really was. I am used to 19", so don't get me wrong but a widescreen WXGA?? Wow.

After the fifteen minute process of physical installation I adjusted my screen resolution to 1440x900. Then I pressed auto on the monitor to let her choose what was best for me. Let me state one thing very boldly- No Dead Pixels. Big smile on my face for that. I was praying that my first LCD monitor wouldn't have any dead pixels and God heard and answered me.

Pictures look ten times better. My mother saw my desktop picture and actually said- that girl had a hat on all along? It was so amazing, everything is just so significantly improved. The screen is clear, I have a lot of clean real estate- though quite messy as my pics will indicate.

It is so wide. I am going to start practicing good habits with this baby. I am going to turn her off whenever I am not using her. I will try to keep her dust free but I think that is the greatest challenge.