buying a new mp3 player

i’m buying a new mp3 player prior to the coming summer break; i’m planning to travel a lot and my 2 years old creative zen v plus looks extremely outdated now. so i’m going to buy a brand new mp3 player and give the old one to my little sister.

after spending some time researching about the current mp3 players out there, i have finally shrank my options of choice to 2: the apple 8gb ipod touch or the new 16gb creative zen.

although the 16gb creative zen does not have the cool new touch screen interface and the wifi capabilities of the ipod touch, it is still a very solid mp3 player and a more-than-capable portable video player with support of countless audio and video format. it is cheaper and the media storage is significantly bigger (16gb against the ipod touch’s 8gb). the creative zen also support sync with windows media player (my main media player on my computer), and divx videos could be moved to the player and be played instantly without the use of additional codec converter; a very HUGE plus!

so what about the 8gb ipod touch? it’s a lot pricier (34960yen compared to the zen’s cheap price tag of 18663yen) but it definitely has the most features with support for additional widgets (if you use hacking software to install 3rd party utilities), the cool touch screen user interface, wifi capabilities, internet surfing etc.

without a doubt, the apple ipod touch is the COOLEST portable audio player out there, but like all other apple products, it suffers from freedom of compatibility and flexibility in moving media files from the computer into the player. it has limited format support, and everything must go through the clunky apple itunes software. the touch screen is a cool feature, but i predict its coolness wears thin quicker than expected.

although at this point, i prefer the more practical creative zen, the coolness of the ipod touch cannot be forgotten. so i’m in a dilemma; should i get the cool and trendy ipod touch, or the more practical and highly cost-effective creative zen?Apple ipod touch

Positive points:
* the touch screen user interface is extremely cool
*the design is more slick
*its an apple product, a branding power that you could use to brag to your friends
* support of additional widget through hacking that could further increase its functions

Negative Points:
*a lot more pricier
* limited support of audio and video format
* strictly dictatorship-style of apple bonding the player with the clunky itunes
* lower storage capacityCreative Zen

Positive points
* a lot more cheaper
* great compatibility with various audio/video format + ease of use in synching
* greater storage capacity
* expandable media storage with the sd card slot
* highly cost effective

Negative points
* not as cool as the ipod touch
* no wifi support
* no widget support
* you cannot brag as much as you could with the ipod touch

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

after setting my priorities straight, i have finally decided to go with the creative zen. i’m also getting the sony headphone with noise canceling technology; and the price of both plus the skin pack is still cheaper than buying a 8gb ipod touch alone. practicality, ease of use and cost-effectiveness wins against trendy coolness.

uwaa banyok kijo la pulok

- my presentation for the thesis-translation is next week. i’m scratching my head trying to decide on which portion of the thesis that are going to the chopping block department, because it’s humanly impossible to present each and everything in 10 minutes. some parts of the stupid thesis must go into the digital dustbin and never be spoken of during presentation day.

- i’m making powerpoint slides for the presentation like crazy! my head is burning.

- today is the due date for the ロボット工学 (robotic engineering) assignment.

- tomorrow is the due date for the 制御工学 (system engineering) assignment.

- the day after tomorrow is the due date for the 環境科学 (environmental science) assignment.

- the day after the day after tomorrow is the due date for me to find the guy who invented the idea of assignments in universities. At first I would extend my hand for a friendly handshake, then when he turns his back on me, I’ll bash his head with a crowbar after i slit his throat. Then I’ll go to his house carrying his decapitated head so that he could see me abusing her 16 years old daughter with an oven-heated banana and 3 sticks of japanese cucumber (キュウリ-kyuri). I’ll sell his young wife as a sex slave to rich pak arabs. Or maybe as sweatshop slaves in China, making nike shoes in poor working environment. I am an opportunist, so I’ll sell his 4 and 10 years old sons to american christian priests, or micheal jackson; the highest bidder wins.

- inappropriately sick jokes aside, you can see i’m pretty busy this week. Next week i got several seminars to attend to, and also the 固体力学 (solid-mass mechanics?) assignment to be delivered.

- although i thought it was over-rated, i bought the 2008 akiyama rina calender. got it yesterday. now i know that i’m so easily deceived by women with beautiful skin plus a nice set of buns. damn it! i remember talking to Tazz about the importance of the quality of cost-effectiveness when considering a product to purchase. this shows that i’m a hypocrite. what a shame. 1300yen down the drain. but i still think oshirina has nice skin complexion and her momo fruit is just juicy to look at.

- i better get back to the powerpoint slides. time is gold. and i’m pissing blood.

- i’m sleeping in the research lab for 7 days straight, starting from today. its inevitable.

mgs4 : ps3

mgs4 鋼-HAGANE-

finally, after being thrown back and forth by the idea of having another gaming console, i have decided to go on and place an order for a Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots Playstation 3 Premium Pack (Gunmetal Gray Colour 鋼-HAGANE-) on Amazon.co.jp for 51800yen.

shit.

it’s going to be good.

can’t wait for 12th june.

Here’s a full list of the bundle’s contents:
・MGS4 Special Edition software (Metal Gear Online starter pack/2-layer blu-ray disc)
・PlayStation 3 MGS4 original color model “Hagane” (40 GB model) x 1
・Wireless controller (DUALSHOCK®3 “Hagane”)
・MGS4 original color model “Hagane” x 1
・Special video blu-ray disc x 1
・Power cable x 1, AV cable x 1, USB cable x 1

thank you my sponsors, for making me a filthy rich scum!

playstation3: to buy or not to buy

decisions, decisions.

the fourth and latest instalment of my favourite gaming series, metal gear solid, is coming out this june. i’m so excited and extremely hyped about the game because i really like the series; been a keen fan from the first game.

the problem is, it’s only on the sony playstation 3.

i, don’t have a playstation 3.

so i have to buy a playstation 3.

but.

other than metal gear solid 4: guns of the patriots, there is no other ps3 exclusive game that 1. i knew of 2. i want to play 3. is already or coming out in the near future that i’m interested in ; so i’m kinda in a dilemma now. is the ps3 going to be a good investment?

of course it doubles as a decent blu-ray player, and they have just started the blu-ray movie rental service at the local rental shop; which is a very tempting selling point.

console wars sucks, man.

decisions, decisions.

if i were to buy a ps3, i’d surely go all out and buy the special edition, mgs4 premium package. it got everything that a mgs fan would be drooling to get his/her hands on.

arr i wanna play mgs4 !!!