Let’s face it: any user who multitasks ends up with a boatload of windows open at any given time, and there have yet to be really any effective ways to manage all the windows. This is becoming increasingly problematic as we find ways to have more and more windows up at any given time (I’m looking at you, Spaces), and so user interfaces have been forced to rethink how they display their data, to better encapsulate that data, so that everything related to a particular document STAYS with that document. Tabbed browsing was the start, but it’s totally logical that this design philosophy would (and should) enter other applications. Some of my favorite applications are ones that integrate data into the session window — a prime example is Scrivener. In Scrivener, the inspector is attached to the document window, rather than sitting in a separate “inspector pane/window”. From a design perspective, this makes it absolutely clear as to which document you are inspecting, which is particularly important if and when you have multiple documents open at once. The application is designed so that everything you need to do to the document can be done from one document window, with multiple files within it. You can even split the window to display attached research files or another page of writing at the same time, or if you decide you really NEED it to be in a separate window, that option is only a right-click away. That is GOOD DESIGN: it avoids juggling through multiple windows just to get your work done.

Detractors who might say it’s not “Mac-like” haven’t been paying attention. While there is, of course, the opportunity to get it wrong, and not make an effective interface, this is true regardless of whether you’re talking about a unified interface or a multi-window one. However, it’s pretty clear all the way down to the interface of the Finder, that we’re shifting towards a single-window-per-need design philosophy (if you don’t believe me, use the “Find…” option in OS X 10.5, or “Create Burn Folder”, or try out iChat with “Collect Chats into Single Window” turned on and tell me it’s not a better way to juggle a dozen conversations).

The key to note in what I’m saying is that it is PER DOCUMENT, or PER NEED. The places that I’ve seen single-window interfaces be successful is where elements that belong together are placed together. A window, in essence, becomes a method to encapsulate the data related to the task or project it was created for. As such, there are going to be times it DOESN’T make sense. Frankly, I’m just glad designers are realizing that there are times that it DOES.

Apple is adding a slightly tweaked version of Blojsom to Mac OS X 10.4 Server, so I took a look at that. It’s very pretty, and feature rich. It also requires programs my current web hosting provider doesn’t carry (namely, Tomcat). Additionally, some of the syntax is counter-intuitive, and I’m unhappy with the documentation.

Then, while looking into ecto, I noticed their current poll listed a slew of blogging solutions and communities that I’d never heard of. At last, hope for a system I like! I clicked through several, and came across Drupal, a content manager that I REALLY like the look of. The built in featureset is robust, it is under active development, it has an extensive and feature rich plugin library, and (important), it will run handily on my current web host. Worth noting in particular is the plugin that allows LiveJournal users to participate/comment without having to re-register. There is also basic migration support for importing MT entries into their system.

Now, I’ll admit it. It seems to even me that I make site revisions more often than I post content (ESPECIALLY true with the main site). It would be very silly of me to yet again gut and redo my site without even posting anything, for an untested content management system. So I’m showing some restraint, and instead installed it onto my home system, so I can experiment at leisure.

I will say this: so far, I like it. If I still like it in, uhh, whenever it is that I’ll officially have “free” time for a full site revision, woohoo! If not, oh well. I’ll let you know my take on it in either case. Likewise, I’d love to hear opinions Drupal or other Content Managers. The best way to learn is to ask, so I’m asking.

It feels really good to have a “clean” machine, and before I do TOO much more than, say, my schoolwork, I’m going to sit down and figure out a really good file organization system, to make sure it STAYS organized and clean.

The monitor I picked up (a LaCie ElectronBlue IV 22″, reconditioned) has two input ports and a nifty little button on the front for switching between the two, so I’m going to try running a single monitor setup with my Mac and PC for a while, and Mickey gets upgraded to my ElectronBlue III 19″. They’re both phenomenal monitors, and I think she’ll be happy with the larger screen and more precise color fidelity for her Photoshop work.

I still haven’t decorated in my office (we’re theoretically going to paint it, so I’ve been using that as an excuse), but I’ve taken a photograph of my current workstation:

Geek Bliss.

I also plan to get iWork, and it’ll be coming with iLife ’05 built in. I also picked up a 250gb external FireWire and FireWire800 drive for backup and archiving (you lose all your data ONCE and you’re a die-hard archivist for life), and a LaCie ElectronBlue IV 22″ monitor (factory reconditioned… $300 off retail that way, which is why I decided to splurge on the larger monitor).

Total cost: more than we have, and let’s leave it at that. That said, my trust pitched in just under $1.7k, which helps a lot, and the hope is that I’ll have a job soon (two separate prospects have shown up on my doorstep around the same time… an internship locally, writing content for a MMORPG which could potentially turn into a full time job, and the other is a full time job writing content for a MMORPG… in Australia. Strangely, the Australia one is more concrete, since I’ve actually already made it onto their shortlist. I know I was talking about moving out of the country, but I honestly wasn’t expecting so soon, and am now kind of squeamish now that there’s even a potential real prospect.)

Anyway, as the title says, this is just a geekpost. I’ll post more real stuff later. Thanks so much to all of you who’ve commented recently, and I hope to get back to all of you in one way or another soon.

Umm, I can’t really talk about what I’ve been learning, quite yet… they made it clear at the beginning of the conference that this information is Confidential, and pointed out that we signed a general NDA when we signed up for the seminar.

10:20AM: I’m in the general overview seminar currently, and there is some great stuff being discussed. I’m really really looking forward to getting ahold of Mac OS X 10.4, and wish I could get ahold of the money to pick up the development kit while I’m here. To be able to get a jump start on using some of these new technologies would be wonderful.

12:48PM: Just got done with the Core Data session. Can’t talk about the specifics, but let me just say that there was a point during the demo that everyone literally gasped and “ooo”ed. Argh, hope they have a giveaway or something by the end of this for a copy of Tiger. That’d be swell.

6:54PM: What a day. Lots of really interesting information, which has left me both wanting 10.4 asap and wanting to develop for 10.4 asap. Developing Widgets, using some new core functionality, all sorts of great stuff, for pretty much every app idea I’ve had of late. Had some interesting conversations with some of the other attendees (hello to any of you who happen to check out the website and see this).

Final Prognosis: simultaneously a fun, productive, and FRUSTRATING day. Fun because it was a good seminar, productive because I learned a lot, and FRUSTRATING because I can’t afford the 10.4 pre-release so I can get cracking on developing for it.

Been a LONG day, heading home to my sweetie and pup. Hopefully to eat, then write. Or vice versa.

A little background: I am a computer user by hobby and (so to speak) by trade. I do graphics work (3d and 2d), I write, I program, I design, I research, all on my computer. This is in addition to blogging, MUDding, chatting (IRC and otherwise), and web browsing in general. When all said and done, I AVERAGE 12 hours a day on my computer, daily, with the range going from 4 hour to 20 hours at a time. I make myself available 24 hours a day for the systems I help administer (the MUD, for instance), as well, so my computer is running (albeit idle) pretty much all the time.

Suffice it to say, my computers see a LOT of use. I travel with it regularly to a variety of locations (whether across the country or down the street to the local coffee shop). As such, despite keeping it in padded protected carrying cases, it sees some physical abuse in addition to just processor cycles. All of which… well it takes its toll. I’m documenting the abuse my current computer has received in the past two years as an example of exactly why I’m needing a new computer now: basically, I honestly don’t believe it will last even until I graduate next year.

So, let’s walk through my computer:

This is the screen hinge on the left side of the computer. As you can see, the screen casing has started to separate. This is the most recent damage to the machine.

Next:

The left edge of the computer. As you can see, the paint is chipping or already gone, or discolored. You can also see where the screen casing is separating from the frame.

The left-side underside of the computer. There is clear discoloration of the case, as well as a variety of scratches and abrasions, as well as a few minor dings that aren’t as visible in the picture.

The bottom front right corner. More discoloration, you can also see where the paint has started to rub off.

The bottom rear right corner. Largely untouched (different type of metal, as you can see… internally, that is where the processor is: the different casing is for heat dissipation). If you look at the rear edge, however, you can see some discoloration and lost paint.

The first case/frame damage that I know of. This showed up after an airline flight. I still don’t know how it managed to pinch the casing out like that. At first it was a more significant pinch, but I took off the case and tried to flatten it back out a bit.

This is the front of the machine. The paint has almost completely chipped off (the slit in it is actually the cd drive).

This is the right front corner. More paint chipping. Notice a trend?

This is the computer screen. See that darkness in the bottom middle of the screen? That’s burn-in of some sort. I have a SUSPICION that it has something to do with the magnet under the keyboard (which helps keep the keyboard in place), but I don’t know for sure.

This is the top left corner. Please note where the paint has abraided off under where my palm rests when typing. (The rest is obvious: more discoloration and chipped paint.)

This is the front of the computer. The touchpad is still largely in good shape, however the latch mechanism is not so lucky. The paint is chipping around it, but the real issue is that the latch mechanism itself only works after 4 or 5 (or 10 or 15…) tries when closing it.

Top right corner. As you can see, the paint is almost completely gone from this side. I got tired of getting done writing, lifting up my hand/arm and coming away with flakes of paint, and finally scraped the paint off with my fingernail (yes, it was that soft).

Last one:

This is the left corner of the computer. As you can see, there is paint discoloration (if I tried, the paint would probably also scrape off, but since it’s off to the side and thus isn’t getting rubbed onto my clothes, I haven’t yet). What didn’t photograph well is the inside of the speakers: they’re choked with dust and grime.

Additionally, I’ve taken the computer apart and cleaned connections, fans, and vents, because the computer was starting to run HOT and LOUD (neither are suggestive of a computer in the height of health). This helped a bit, but is still just a stopgap solution. Also worth noting: I’m on my THIRD keyboard. (Well, the technicals: my first keyboard crapped out, the spacebar broke. I bought a replacement keyboard and used that until it started flipping out when used on anything less rigid than a table, and now I’m back to the original keyboard and just have gotten used to having to really SLAM the spacebar. It really should be replaced, but we don’t have the money right now).

Other things to note:
1) I am out of space on my hard drive. Larger, more memory intensive images have begun giving me out-of-scratch-disk errors, and this is AFTER aggressively cleaning my hard drive. I should be able to reduce it a bit more soon, by archiving the last of my photography and removing it from my hard drive.
2) The computer is running “hot” most of the time, now. I’ve done everything I can (reset the pram, reset the charger, cleaned the fans, cleaned the vents), but she’s just not handling things as well as she used to.
3) Could I switch to PC? Technically, yes, however there are a few issues with that: a) all my software is for Mac and would cost as much as a new Mac to switch to PC, and b) Windows is both klunky and a security risk, so why would I switch to it?

At the rate the computer has been exhibiting problems, I honestly don’t believe it will last through my current semester (just started, six month semester), if it continues to function as my primary computer. What I want to do is get a new computer (a desktop), offload all the files I can, and then really overhaul my laptop, get it back functioning happily again. However, I need that other computer FIRST, since (due to school and other commitments), I really can’t go without a computer for an extended period (such as when overhauling the laptop), especially since the overhaul will necessarily be piecemeal, picking up repair and replacement parts as I can afford them (new keyboard, new hard drive, replacement screen case, possibly a replacement screen, new paint). And by afford them, I mean when we’re out of debt and I’m working again.

The problem, of course, is money. While Mickey works full time (PLUS side jobs), and I work part-time and receive a school stipend, we accrued a lot of debt while living in Bellevue (rent was more than DOUBLE what we’re paying now), which we are still trying to pay off. Plus there is car work to be done: Mickey’s car is in for her 60,000 mile service as we speak, and turns out she needs brakework and an oil gasket replaced, meaning several hundred dollars. After that, I need new tires (I’ve been hydroplaning whenever it gets really wet, which is NOT a good way to be when we’re entering our rainy season), so that is also several hundred dollars. We have to finish licensing and innoculating our puppy, plus the day-to-day costs of an extra mouth to feed.

And then there’s my dental work… yes, that’s right, I STILL need that crown done. It was recommended I get the crown within the first year after the root canal, and given a maximum of two years to get it before the filling would have to be re-done before getting the crown. The crown will be $1300 (roughly), of which IN THEORY our health insurance will cover half of. We can’t get it done until December, though. In either case, it MUST be done before May, which will be the 2 year mark for when I got the root canal.

So there is the predicament. A genuine need for a new computer, but no money to do it, and a list of other things that can’t be skipped already in the “queue” (so to speak). So, I’m left with two options: ask for money on here, which historically hasn’t proven all that effective, or approach the school trust about subsidizing a new computer, which means convincing the trustee (my aunt) that I do in fact have a real need for a new computer (she has stated her opposition to getting me a new computer in the past). (Those of you who are in the “know” about the trust may be wondering where I’d work the computer into the already overworked trust budget. Well, I only have one semester next year, which means I don’t have to divide the annual allocation into two parts. This means I have a LITTLE bit more money available next year.)

I finally got through it, and feel moderately comfortable with it, ready to take the next step, and actually try my hand at actual development. Never one for small bites, I decided to dive right into building a MUD server. From scratch. In Objective-C, which none of my friends know and thus can’t help with. Woo!

I decided to start with one step at a time, beginning with the network code. I found a fair amount of somewhat obfuscated (I say somewhat because I’m fairly confident that if I had a greater mastery of Obj-C, I would know what the hell it was talking about) information on using NSPort, NSConnection, NSSocketPort, NSStream, plus the Core Foundation variants of all of the above. All well and good, and WAY too complicated.

So, I’ve started looking into alternative methods. CocoaDev and MacDevCenter have proven extremely useful resources, with several leads on possible solutions. I may change my mind again, but after evaluating my options and reading comments on performance, I think I’m going to go with OmniNetworking, a part of the Omni Frameworks. It offers high level access to low level code (in other words, access to very fast core functionality without jumping through as many hoops to use it), with minimal loss in performance. It’s also completely free, and can be used in any type of application (open source, shareware, commercial), as long as I don’t claim I wrote it, and include a nod to them in acknowledgements (like in the About box). Pretty darn cool.

So, now comes the process of getting it up and running. Wish me luck: I’ll probably need it. :)

MT 3 is out, and has all the features they’ve been talking about having. That’s good. The bad? A SIX HUNDRED DOLLAR PRICE TAG. In the time between 2.6 and 3.0, they decided to “improve” their licensing structure by taking a page from UserLand and dropping a unmerited price tag onto software that is competing (and it’s honest to god competition) with FREE SOFTWARE.

They do offer a crippled free version, with the caveats that it can only have ONE weblog in the installation, and only ONE author. Further, there is a CPU restriction on that installation, so you can’t even install the free version on a dual processor for testing purposes (and you’re SOL if the server you’re hosted on happens to be multi-processor).

Suffice it to say, my “upgrade” will be taking a while longer. Like, however long it takes for me to go learn Flash and MySQL, which I’ll use to homebrew my own setup. I am VERY disappointed with their decision and apparent complete lack of market research in developing an effective pricing model.

I just also wanted to give a quick shout out that I’m finally in Orkut, so feel free to add me as a friend if you are a member or end up joining. It is yet another community service — a mechanism to keep in touch with friends, network with people, and find dates if so inclined. It’s actually pretty nifty, and allows you to join or create community user groups so people can join communities about their interests. I very quickly joined about 20, because they sounded interesting — we’ll see what comes of it.

I even found an old classmate of mine from High School, whom I haven’t heard from or about since graduation. He was a hell of a nice guy, though, and I’m glad to be getting back on each others’ radar a bit.

That’s all. Short post, huh?

Damn cliff notes.

So, I was reading through this week’s email, and noticed a new job posting for a game designer at a place called Cranky Pants Games. I looked at the job qualifications (which almost invariably say in large, unfriendly letters “INDUSTRY-RELATED DEGREE REQUIRED, 4+ YEARS REQUIRED”), and — lo and behold! — I actually fit the qualifications, with flying colors no less.

I sent off my resume about 5 minutes ago (took me some time to write the cover letter, as I don’t do the “form letter” thing), and I’m really, really nervous, hoping to God that I get it. So that’s what this little post is about: please pray for me if you believe in prayer, or just send me well wishes if you don’t, and hopefully this’ll work out. Considering how stressful and downright depressing the job hunt has been so far, I could really use all the help I can get.

Wish me luck!