Sorry Paul.. :(
But its the truth.
iMac vs. Dell
So this is what its like….
So after many months of avoiding the it I have finally put myself on a budget. This is a good thing but at the same time its hard to break free of my bad habits.
I am on a mission to get rid of all my credit card debt by the end of the year (I hope sooner). I don’t have to much more to pay off but its still a big chunk of cash to me.
I am also trying to simplify my life and organize it. Work has become my first priority and I have starting to dedicate more time to my second job at Apple. I have to say that i am pretty happy at Apple. It is the first retail job I can firmly say I enjoy. It can become very stressful and super busy but in all the chaos I find the silver lining when I make a customers eyes light up and show them how easy it is to get what they need done.
I have also come to respect and admire Apple as a company. I have to say that without a doubt the first thing on there minds it the happiness of there customers and there employees. It amazes me to what extreme they go to make sure they do right by both. Though I may not agree with some of there marketing tactics I can tell that as a company they are growing and learning and making sure they don’t make the same mistakes twice.
Does that make me an Apple fanboy? I doubt it, but it does make me look up to them and hopefully others will follow in there footsteps.
Demolition Time!
This weekend I moved out of my apartment on a temporary bases so that I could have my bathroom and closet remodeled. I’m currently staying at my fathers house. He is on vacation with my sister and stepmother so I have the house all to myself.
I do miss my apartment. I don’t have my computer so I’m using my dads. He only has DSL so the Internet is much slower then what I’m used to. He has no cable or FiOS so I don’t bother watching any TV.
It’s like I’ve gone back in time. I’ve worked pretty hard to get place set up nice with Wireless Internet (FiOS), FiOS TV with an LCD HDTV, my computer with Windows Vista, and my Slim PS2 (even though I’m still working to get an Xbox 360).
So I have to say I’ve spoiled myself quite a bit and now that I’m staying at my dads I’m going thru withdraw. I just hope everything goes smooth so I can be back in my apartment ASAP.
Above is a picture I took of them starting the demo. As you may notice (or not) they torn down the wall that separated the bathroom/closet from the main bedroom. Also in this picture they have started to tear down the ceiling in the bathroom. This picture is already out dated since the last time both the bathroom and closet floors were gone (only the exposed support beams showing and dirt) and everything was taken out of the bathroom including the walls so it only looked like a frame.
I just want to go home… 
Taking a bite out of the Big Apple
If you don’t know already I currently work at a media company in Tampa, FL. A while back I was a bit bored so I started to apply some retail stores to fill up my weekend and hopefully my pockets.
I applied at all the places I would like to work such as Best Buy, EB Games, CompUSA, Circuit City (I used to work there), and The Apple Store. Well nothing really came of it I think it was due to the fact that I was over qualified and not many people where hiring at the moment. So I forgot about it and continued on.
Well last week out of the blue I was contacted by The Apple Store and they asked me to come in to an interview. This was pretty exciting I admire there retail strategy and have always wanted an opportunity to learn more about Apple and their products.
So a week has passed and after the interview and a very deep background check they called me and offered me a part-time position as a Mac Specialist. I’m pretty happy and cant wait to learn more about Apple’s product line.
The crazy thing is even though I know a ton about Apple and there products because I read so much tech new, blogs, etc (I even have a copy of the Apple Human User Interface Guidelines) I don’t even own a Mac. I did use a Mac all through collage and I have had three different iPods (Shuffle G1, iPod Photo 60GB, and Shuffle G2). But I think my experience with computers, design, and the fact that I am up-to-date with everything having to do with tech really helped me get this job.
I really look forward to learning more and seeing what I can bring to the team. So wish me luck!
BTW this has no impact on how I view Microsoft and there products. My opinions are based on my experiences and not on hype. I still love Microsoft and there products (most of them) and I STILL WANT AN XBOX 360. 
I’m a Mac and I’m a PC.. wait… no… I’m Both!
VMware Fusion Beta is now available for download. I have to say this is one of the bad ass piece of software. With there new Fusion feature you can run windows programs directly on your Mac desktop. No more opening a window running Windows and then opening up your program with in the limited space of the window.
Now you can have your Mac programs side by side with your windows programs as if there part of OSX. You have to see the video below to believe it.
Mac OSX and Windows in harmony.. Kind of weird but awesome none the less.
ZuneCorps.com T-Shirt Submission
Zune Corps is hosting a T-Shirt submission contest where you can win a new Pink Zune. Apparently they are trying to raise money to pay there server costs which is very understandable.
Of course one of the stipulations is that once submitted they own all rights to the design and such.. which is something that a designer like me hates. But I figured what the hell if I win I’ll get my name out there and a new Zune so something good has to come of it.
All work on this t-shirt is original. The Zunes on the T where all recreated (by me) from scratch in Photoshop.
I don’t know about you but I would buy this t-shirt.. even thought I maybe a bias. 
Let me know what you think.
LiveSide.net Wave 2 Logo
About a month or so ago I did a logo for LiveSide.net and they really liked it. They are looking to soon update there site to reflect the new logo and maybe even update the theme of the site to reflect the new look the the Windows Live products.
So I pulled out the old Photoshop and wanted to do an updated logo of the one that I did with them reflect the theme of the new Windows Live products and give it a more polished look.
I came up with 2 slightly different logo designs. One adds a glossy button look to the logo and the other shares the same them as Aero Glass on Vista.
Below you’ll see the new updated logos and the old logos so you can see the evolution of them. Click on the logos to enlarge them (so you can see more detail).
Original LiveSide Logo
My New Liveside Logo Wave 1 (1st attempt)
Updated LiveSide Logo Glossy Wave 2
Updated LiveSide Logo Glass Wave 2
Its not a huge difference but it’s a nice little update that makes it look more professional. You can look forward to seeing this on LiveSide.net sometime in the future.
Red Zune Coming Soon..
Apparently red is all the rage this summer. Engadget.com is reporting that come June 10th you’ll be able to pick up a red Zune exclusively at Target or Amazon.
I’m really digging the red I think its pretty bad ass.
The Proof is in the Pudding.. 1,000,000 + 1 Zunes sold!
In an interview with Microsoft’s Robbie Bach told that just over million Zunes have been sold. That’s great news, especially since Zune has only been on the market since November 2006. But still it is only 1% of the 100 million iPods sold. From what I read about a month ago Zune is holding as 2nd most popular MP3 player of course with the iPod being number 1.
So 1 million sold, growing in popularity, and with only one model to choose from. Well I have to say that’s pretty good. And you know what they say.. “The Proof is in the Pudding” so here you go.
This Saturday I decided to stop by Circuit City and just browse. I don’t know what it is when I walk into a tech store but I feel like a gitty school girl that just had the handsome jock of the football team slip his hand up her dress.
As I was there I saw a girl looking at the the Zune display and to my enjoyment she picked one up and was off to the register to buy it. Me being the random person I am decided to go up to her and do a mini interview.
So I approached her and said hello and told her my name. After that I told her I had noticed she had brought a Zune and asked if she would mind answering some questions for me. So I asked her the following questions and here are answers.
1. What made you decided to buy a Zune?
- Well I had an iPod Nano and didn’t like the fact that the screen was so small so I decided to return it. My boyfriend was the one that told me I should get a Zune instead.
2. Do you have a lot of music on your computer? Do you plan to purchase music from the Zune marketplace or sign up for a subscription?
-Yes, I have tons of music on my computer. I haven’t looking into the subscription but it sounds pretty cool.
3. What are some of the features you like about Zune?
- Well I like the big screen and the fact that I can watch videos on it, with the iPod Nano you can’t watch videos. Also its on Sale and its only $199 compared to the Nano which is $250.
4. Did you know you can share your music with other friends/people who have Zunes wirelessly?
-Yes! I did see something about that on the commercial I thought that was really neat.
5. Did you know you that you can now get the Zune in Pink?
-Yes, I did see that it comes in Pink but they didn’t have any here.
6. Can I take a picture with you of your Zune?
- (laughs) Sure!
So there you go! Another happy Zune customer! All I can say now is Welcome to the Social, girl I bothered at Circuit City. I hope to join you soon!
I should so be a Zune rep.
