So it wasn't until I started my first postdoc that I really started getting kitted out with some new tech. Through my PhD I had my Dell Inspiron laptop, which did the job I needed it to do - write papers, remote logins to work mainframes, a few games, and of course writing for rpgs. It basically relegated my desktop pc to the rubbish tip.
But it was when I moved to Leamington for my first postdoc that I was able to afford getting something new. It was around about a year before the move that everyone was getting iPhones. I was of course jealous. Being able to access the net like that was very cool. As was the ability to tether laptops using them.
Now my first mobile phone at uni was a horrible Motorola. Yuck. it did the job, but really it was shit. The V2288. Back when displays were monochrome. My next phone was the a Sony Ericsson T610, a classic really. Hell it had a colour screen and a colour camera (not that the resolution was any good). Now after that I stuck with Sony Ericsson. The W810i was even better. A better camera and also a slot in memory card and a of course it was a Walkman phone. It replaced my crappy little mp3 player (a little stick thing that needed ultra compression to fit music on). That was then followed by the C902, which was basically an even better Cybershot camera phone.
But these were all still dumb phones.
My first smartphone was the Sony Ericsson X10. It was the first Android phone the SE put out, and it was pretty great. I wanted something non Apple so I was more free to do what I wanted. It looked good, but there were a few glitches. It did eventually get upgrades all the way from 1.6 to 2.3 version of Android, plus it acted as a great way to read ebooks and pdfs.
Now roll on another 2 or so years and I now have a nice new Sony Xperia S. Which of course is a major step up, both in terms of power and what I can use it for. Kindle books and comics are a staple of my use of the phone.
Now of course it isn't the only Android I have.
One device I wanted more than any was a tablet for reading pdfs for work and for rpgs. But of course I didn't want an iPad. But Asus came to the rescue. For months and months I followed the news on the Transformer. I saved up for it and preordered it and well, damn that morning it arrived - it was a piece of beauty. The metallic frame was ice cold from where it had been stored, and the chocolate bronze looked like it was made by Gou'ld. I also got it with the dock. So yeah the full deal. My god, it has been a game changer. I have only had it for about a year, and in that time Asus has brought out 3 other models and has the Padfone coming out soon. But still, just having this device to write blogs, take notes, read pdfs, read comics, watch tv, remote into my computers from anywhere in the world. It is awesome. Worth every penny.
Now onto the Xbox 360. This console I got on one basis. Assassin's Creed 2. did I say I am totally obssessed with Venice and Italy? So of course I love the Xbox 360. The media centre is OK and then it also has a number of games I love: Devil May Cry 4, Batman Arkham Asylum and City, Bioshock and a few others. Of course Assassin's Creed 3 is on my list. Now the other cool features of the Xbox are the channels and if I was in the UK I could use it to get certain TV channels.
On a final note I have my current laptop, one I got through work as it is a graphics machine when I need it to be. It also is a pretty good gaming laptop. Add in a decent graphics card that allows it to out put to HDMI and you have a raelly useful bit of kit.
So finally on the really geeky stuff by the point I am now a well versed programmer in a few languages, a UNIX user and I super computer user.
Computers really have influenced and changed my life, and are a constant factor in it. Can I really cut my self off. To a degree yes. But I like being connected and having my devices network to my benefit.[[posterous-content:pid___0]]nerd
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