Windows Vista Ultimate Edition

OK so I haven't actually used Vista yet but I did find a pretty good looking review. Personally, I will probably get Vista for my desktop PC but I won't put it on my laptop. I will probably get a new laptop eventually which will probably be a Mac which I will dual boot Windows and the Mac OS. In case you are confused about the picture, Microsoft had a big Vista launch event where they had a crazy billboard add.


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Buffalo Technologies Drive Station Duo

The Buffalo Drive Station Duo is an external storage device made by Buffalo Technologies. It is available in 500 GB, 800 GB, 1.0 TB, and 1.5 TB versions. Most external storage devices are just big hard drives in a box with a USB or FireWire port on the back. However, the Dive Station Duo is different in the fact that it actually has two hard drives in a RAID configuration

What this does is allows you to use the Drive Station in two ways. The first option is to use both hard drives for maximum data storage capacity. The other option is to use the second drive to backup the data that is on the first drive. When you choose this option, you only get half the storage capacity because when something is written to the first disk, it is mirrored on the second disk. This would be a good option for people who need to store critical data that they cannot afford to lose.

The Drive Station does this with software that is included on a CD with the device. However, one problem with this product is that I could never get the software to work. When I installed it and started it for the first time, it said it was searching for devices and then stopped responding. I had it plugged in through USB and I am pretty sure that the software got confused and thought my USB printer was the Drive Station. The reason I think this is that when the software was searching, the printer displayed an error message on its small screen and the software froze.

After disconnecting the printer I started the software again. It searched for devices for one or two minutes. It probably would have been shorter had I been using FireWire but it was not that big of deal. After it searched a message box appeared saying that the drive appeared to be in use and that I should restart Windows. I thought that it might be saying this because I had quite a few applications running that could use the hard drive. I closed all of the applications and it still gave the same error.

I then just gave up on the software because I did not really want to use the back up mode anyways. Luckily for me, Windows recognizes it as two separate drives which is exactly what I needed it to do.

The only other problem that I have experienced so far is that the fan inside the case started to make a slight buzzing sound as if it were hitting something. This was not a big deal, just a faulty fan. I took the fan out and bought a replacement fan only to find out when I got home that I did not have the proper screws for the replacement. Being the lazy person I am, I opted not to go back to the store and just put the old fan back in. That was a few days ago and I have not had the buzzing sound since.....crazy.

Aside from those problems I really like this product. I like the fact that it is a RAID setup which gives you more flexibility as well as more storage capacity. I also like the fact that it has the option of using USB or FireWire. It also has an auto power feature which will automatically power on the device when it detects power from the USB or FireWire port indicating that the computer is on. Finally, the case is relatively stylish and high quality. I particularly like the numbered status lights on the front that are in a mirrored square.

Overall, I think that this would be a good choice for anyone who wants a large amount of extra storage for their computer.

Pros
RAID configuration
Auto Power
USB and FireWire
Nice Enclosure

Cons
Software not so great
Fan Started to make noise

final score:
8.0 out of 10

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/external-drives/drivestation/drivestation-duo/

Wish You Were Here's introduction

I am the starbucks kind of guy, i love coffee, i love art, and anything that is art. I will be reviewing things like books, Poetry, Art and the like. I wont be keeping on top of music because i spend most of that time reading books. I'm the kind of guy that sees the good and the bad in everything and i will write my reviews based on the assumption that you can make your own decisions. i'll hit the strengths and the weaknesses that i believe that the writer shows in the piece. The pieces i will review will be both new releases and old favorites, just for variation, and i will throw in some short stories that i find here and there. If anyone would like to point me in the direction of a piece they would like me to view and even posibly review you can reach me at violinromance47@yahoo.com.

W.o.W

Allright. Here it is. Zero's official review of World of Warcraft. To start... this game is amazing. Hands down my favorite MMO. I had never played an MMO before WoW and this one had me hooked instantly, even though it wasn't the type of game I was into or had enjoyed up to that point. The graphics are incredible... albeit not "realistic" but there is a depth and realism that just grabs you and sucks you in. You'll begin taking screenshots for the background on your monitor because the scenery is that beautiful. The visible distance on this game is uncanny, you are actually able to see so far into the distance that everything blurs and becomes fuzzy as it disappears from view. The gameplay is ever-evolving and literally is the most fun you can possibly have on a computer.

At the beginning of the game, you choose and build your own character, choosing from, Horde or Alliance, and then ultimately choosing your race and their physical characteristics. Races include Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Orcs, Trolls, and even Tauren (big, hairy, ugly cows). You enter the world to a flurry of short, introduction quests. As your levels grow, you begin to encounter "instances" or sub-worlds that are specific to you and your group. You gather up a group of your friends, or people around your level and venture into the "instance" to work as a group to accomplish a common goal, usually to defeat a certain high powered enemy. Most instances are 5 man instances, but they actually grow all the way up to 40 person instances, and more in depth instances are in the works by the good folks at Blizzard to be sure. Eventually you'll gain enough levels (all the way up to 60) to begin Person vs. Person combat. Taking on members of the opposite faction is the most rewarding and addicting aspect of this game. Believe me, there is nearly no joy that compares to crushing a nerd in another part of the country into cyber-dust. PvP as it is called, is literally worth all of the work it takes to get to level 60.

The goal of most players however, is to get gear and loot. Gear your player out with the right gear, and you will annihilate everyone in your path. Get to 60 with worthless gear and you will be mocked. It is entirely up to you. Gear comes on several levels... starting with Grey. Grey items are very common and essentially worthless. Green is next, and they are uncommon items, and generally good items to have. The next is Blue (rare), and they are often very good items... good stats, and good armor levels. Finally, well, not quite finally, but for 99.9% of anyone who touches the game, finally, we come to Purple (epic) items. Purple items are extremely good and generally, at level 60, there are several tiers of purple items, some better than others, but all very good. Lastly, there is Orange (Legendary) items. There are only about 4 of these anywhere in the game and they are... amazing, to say the least. They are absolutely stunning in power, and are almost unobtainable. A member of the opposite faction with one of these should be avoided at all costs. That's putting it lightly. They will smoke you and gloat over you in less than 10 seconds.

That being said, getting to level 60 is... a task to say the least. You will take 10+ IN GAME days to get to level 60. Let me clarify that... that is 240 hours actually at the computer screen, minimum, to get to level 60. This game is time-consuming like you have no idea, and will ultimately become your life if you're not careful. As a recovering addict myself, I feel it is my duty to warn each and every person who touches this game. My main character, that is the only one I got to level 60, had 68 DAYS played time when I quit. That is... PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS... 1632 hours played time. Played. Sitting at the computer. In less than a year. Let me also clarify that I had many other alternate characters, including one that was level 52 that had well over 10 days played time. I will tell you honestly, that I lost a lot because of my addiction to this game. I lost my girlfriend, my enrollment at my college, the respect of my friends and family, among other things. I won't say that this is entirely the games fault, because it's not, but the game does do an incredible job of hooking you and holding you there.

As I draw this, my first review, to a close, I will say this. If you can handle the addiction factor of this game, and have a serious amount of self-control, then I would highly recommend this game to you. If you have any sort of an addictive personality, I would probably avoid this game at all costs, even though you will enjoy it. Lastly, I come to my rating for this game, and I will say... despite all the downfalls to the game, on a general level of enjoyment and value, I rate this game a 9 out of 10.