The gift you gave is gonna last forever...
Sunday football
Can I just say I have the coolest wife in the world? We were trying to figure out what we were going to do today and I suggested some things that would probably keep us out of the house like going to a movie or going to dinner, typical stuff like that. That's when she came back with, "But we'll miss the Bears game. And they're playing the Packers."
Score.
Then I was contemplating watching one of our Netflix rentals a bit later on after the Bears game is over (which they are winning quite handily at the moment). That's when she said, "Aren't the Colts playing the Giants? We can't miss the Manning Game."
Hand's off, guys. She's mine.
Christmas gift ideas
I need some advice from all of you. For a few months now, we've been talking about the possibility of buying a good digital SLR camera for me as an anniversary/birthday/Christmas gift. I've got one chosen out and I really want it (Sony Alpha DSLR-A100K because it works with all the lenses I already own for my Minolta Maxxum 400si). And Katie knows that I want it.
Today, though, she came up with the idea of buying a Mac Mini for our home that would be used both as a media center (by hooking it up to the TV) and as file backup for our iMac. For some time now, I've been debating buying an external harddrive that can be used to clone our entire iMac in case of some computing catastrophe. But, by making it a real computer instead of a harddrive, we are able to use it for something else as well; in this case, a media center.
It's not as though I don't have a digital camera already even if it is not a DSLR and I have my good ol' standard 35mm SLR to use for the high-quality photo ops. And backing up all our digital photos (five years worth) and MP3s (50 GB worth) would definitely be a good thing.
Have I already made the decision here? What do you all think?
Won't the "media" on your Mini take up all the space you're planning on using for backup? One way or another, you'll probably have to buy an external... whether it be for backup, or additional media storage.
Posted by: Dave2 | Sunday, 10 September 2006 at 05:50 PM
I'm going to sit in the middle of my floor and stare at my pc and the stupid camera for a little while and weep...
Posted by: Bec | Sunday, 10 September 2006 at 08:04 PM
Not sure about the camera vs. SLR. But I like the MacMini idea. I was just eying them at the store yesterday. I was thinking it made a lot more sense to get a mini and a big monitor more than getting the 24 inch iMac, at $1999.00 it's it bit to spend and not be able to use the monitor after the machine gets out of date.
So, back to the mini, it seems like a good idea and you've got the media machine by the TV.
On the backup side, you need to eventually backup to something permanent but it's nice to have a bunch of data before you start backing up so you can sort the backups by content and not just by date and to have it synced between the two would be nice :)
Posted by: Gary LaPointe | Sunday, 10 September 2006 at 09:40 PM
Hmm hmmm, Chicago hmm.
Make every hmmmm clear the hm to victory!
Hmmm Down, Chicago Hmmm.
Put hmm hm HMM with a hmmm so fearlesshmm!
We'll never forget the hmm you hmmmed the nation,
hmmm hmm T formation.
Hmm hmmm, Chicago Hmmms.
And hmm hmmmm know why you're hmmming the hmmmm.
You're the hmm hmm hmmm,
of Illihmm.
Chicago hmmm, hmmm Down!
Posted by: RW | Sunday, 10 September 2006 at 09:49 PM
I'd probably go with the mini. Then again I'd be awfully tempted by the camera. Of course, before I bought a digital SLR, I'd probably check with my stepbrother. He's a photojournalist and knows these kind of things. He's also a Mac fan. Heck. Maybe I'll just ask him what he would choose.
Posted by: Dagny | Monday, 11 September 2006 at 01:16 AM
All I know is if you get a Canon EOS D20, I will have to murder you to steal it. It's been my love forEVER and I still don't have one.
Unless you buy me one, too, of course...
Posted by: Chase | Monday, 11 September 2006 at 01:53 AM
Dave, yeah, but even though I call it a Media Center, the odds are that it would serve more as a machine backup than anything. I doubt I would keep many movies on there as we still prefer to just own the DVDs so we can watch them on either of our TVs or loan them to friends. For the most part, though, we've just fallen out of love with DVDs in general, so I'm pretty sure the media center would be file backup moreso than anything else. Of course, if that changes, we can always go back out and buy an external HD.
Bec, I keep telling you to go Mac.
Gary, that's a good point. The strange thing is that 99.9% of what would need to be backed up is media anyway (the music and photos) so having them on a media machine wouldn't be bad. We keep most files on USB thumbdrives anyway. The few that we keep, that is.
RW, go HMMMMMMM!!!
Dagny, ask and let me know.
Chase, I am not entirely familiar with that one. What makes it so special that you're willing to kill for it? You've never even spoken so strongly about human love and interaction. ;-)
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 11 September 2006 at 06:36 AM
I think I'd go with what'd get the most use, and that sounds like the Mac Mini. Like you said, you've got cameras to use, but you don't have the backup.
Posted by: Karl | Monday, 11 September 2006 at 08:33 AM
Yeah, I kinda figured I answered the question for myself. But that camera is just sooooo pretty.
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 11 September 2006 at 10:09 AM
Lens compatibility is a huge bonus, but be aware that they don't guarantee it. I was just reading up on that model in popular photography (aug issue I think).
I've been keeping an eye on DSLRs too... the prices are coming down, but I think they'll come down further. It's still a big investment though and my concern is that the latest models haven't been out long... it's impossible to gauge how they cope with wear and tear. It's not the sort of thing I'd want to replace after just 2 years, y'know?
Posted by: claire | Monday, 11 September 2006 at 01:57 PM
I see bank amnger soon - he will give me money to buy Mac - I have been practising my Jedi Mind Tricks... "These are not the droids you ar looking for..." "Give me money for a Mac"
Posted by: Bec | Monday, 11 September 2006 at 02:03 PM
Claire, I never knew it wasn't guaranteed. Wonder if I should take my lenses in to the local store and try them out just to make sure. Thanks for the tip.
Bec, if that works, I'm so trying it.
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 11 September 2006 at 02:15 PM
it seems like a good idea and you've got the media machine by the TV.
Posted by: Mac mini | Saturday, 14 April 2007 at 06:12 AM
It is a great idea. And one that I'm turning more and more people on to. How they make it so darn easy is beyond me. God bless Apple!
Posted by: kapgar | Saturday, 14 April 2007 at 07:43 PM