bluegargantua

Hi,

So this is my first post on my brand new Apple MacBook Pro.

It's pretty nice. But I do have one question for the Mac people out there:

Where's the 2nd mouse button on the track pad?

heh
Tom

p.s. If I use a Mac, will it make me as pretty as the people who work in the store?

Hi,

So I'm in the market for a new laptop. Actually, I've been in the market for a new laptop for awhile, but thanks to my smart savings strategy (overpay on my taxes a bit so I always get a nice refund), I can now actually afford to get something that isn't a glorified Speak-n-Spell.

I am strongly considering getting a mac. I really like asciikitty's and it certainly fits my needs for a laptop. I am also considering getting a 15" or 17" -- mostly because the only thing I really don't like about her mac is the small screen size. This also means that I'm buying a pretty beefy machine. That's not a terrible thing since I tend to change laptops pretty infrequently so beefy now keeps it in the game that much longer.

But I still have a few questions. So for those of you who drink the Cupertino Kool-Aid regularly, I put forth the following:

1.) How likely is it that the current crop of MacBook pros will be replaced with a newer model in the near future? Like all laptop makers, Apple comes out with new versions on a regular basis and that's fine. I'd just hate to buy the current round just a few months before they replace it (and/or price drop the current round).

2.) How important is picking up an AppleCare package? Frankly, I doubt most laptops will blow up in the first 3 years of their existence which is why I never bother too much with extended warranty packages, but I've heard that dealing with Apple Repair can be a complete PITA and if you don't have AppleCare, they use the end with the Flange.

3.) Is there any software that I should buy right off the bat? Probably my biggest question in this regard is a decent word processing package, but is there any other "must-own" software that isn't free?

ETA -- 4.) Along those lines, are there any must-have accessories, peripherals that I should pick up to go with it?

I think that's it, but any other helpful advice you want to give will certainly be appreciated.

later
Tom

Google has a new toy:

It's a 3D modelling tool.

And it's a lot of fun to play with.

later
Tom

Wiki spam bots.

Grrr
Tom

p.s. New Lexicon game starting soon. Details shortly...once I clean up the mess...and lock stuff down...

p.p.s. GRRRRR

Hey,

So I'm reading up on how you can use nested sets to model a tree structure in SQL.

It's really neat. I don't think I'll get to apply it to this particular problem at work, but it was like "ooh! fun with math and SQL queries!". And I'm sure it'll be useful in the future.

hee
Tom

Hey,

So work is offering to pay for training on SQL Server.

I already know a fair amount of SQL Server stuff, but I need to get up to speed on better queries, advanced T-SQL, and overall SQL Server managment (triggers, views, DTS, etc.).

Can anyone recommend a really solid training program that covers SQL server? In the past, a lot of "training classes" have been little more than "here's how to use the wizard to do X" and I'm really looking for something that really comes to grips with SQL server and gives a better insight into the structure of SQL and SQL Server.

Thanks
Tom