It just so happens that we have some under-used space in the house and I’ve been thinking of moving my office from my bedroom and down here to get more space. Easily said and done! Spent a few hard-working hours yesterday carrying down desk and everything and here’s the result. I couldn’t be more pleased.
A couple of weeks ago now, I decided that it was time to upgrade my MacBook Pro to a newer model with much more power seeing as the Creative Suite had been running increasingly sluggish on my old one. Since my MacBook Pro is my primary work machine, it is important that it is powerful enough to do what I need it to do while being light enough for travel.
I ended up opting for the 15″ MacBook Pro with a 750 GB normal hard drive and 4 GB memory from Apple, which I will be bumping to 8 GB myself shortly. The machine has the 2,2 GHz i7 processor and sports a full 1GB VRAM as well, which will be great for heavy-lifting in Photoshop. To top it off, I chose the high-res screen (1680×1050) although in glossy, since I have become used to it and quite like it.
So far I have pretty much just gotten set up on it, installing new apps and moving files over to it. There are a couple of things that strike me with this one, compared to my previous MacBook Pro.
1. The extra real-estate is nice!
Sure, it is normally the case when you get a new screen, but it seems that the high-res version now available is just perfect. It might be close to the small-side, but I find that it works very well, providing that extra resolution that you need when doing graphics design.
2. More Dampened Keyboard
I seem to notice that the keyboard has been slightly more dampened on the new model, compared to my old. The trackpad is the same way too, much quieter when you click physically. Nothing to complain about here. I am always for quieter keystrokes.
3. The Battery Makes Such A Difference
The new machine promises a 7h battery life in Apple’s better battery test. I cannot begin to say how much of a difference this makes. I have been suffering with, at best times, a two-hour battery life on the old model, while always on the best graphics card (switching required a login). The upgrade is almost worth it for the battery time alone, especially when traveling.
Right now, I am very happy with the performance of this machine and I am very happy that I decided to get it. Once I get settled in and upgrade the RAM, I’ll let you know how it runs with the Adobe Creative Suite.
When looking through Lanyrd, the great conference directory, I like to browse the Call for Speakers section to see which conferences are coming up that are looking for speakers. Constantly I come across these calls that provides no information for the prospective speaker. There are a few things you always should know before submitting a call:
First of all, it is of vital importance whether you are going to get paid or not, or even get your travel costs reimbursed. Normally, conference websites just provide a form to fill in your proposed idea and ask you why you should be selected. You might think that these are the events that will pay the speaker, or at the very least reimburse the travel costs. Perhaps that might sometimes be true, but more often than not, it couldn’t be further from the truth.
It would seem as though many organizers do not value the time it takes to put a solid idea forward. When entering it, you should at least have been able to easily see what the terms are.
So please conference organizers, start providing the adequate information when putting out speaker calls. Presenters and speakers have a right to know whether your event wants free speakers or whether there is any sort of reimbursement.
Apple just announced that they are holding an event on March 2nd where, if the rumors have it correct (and they should), they will announce the new iPad 2. I know what you are thinking, you would like to see it early. My good friend Albin Thorén just send me a link to an iPad 2 Walkthrough video on YouTube which is hilarious! Honestly it is one of the best spoofs I have seen in a long while.
Where shall I begin? This year has been filled, no tightly packed with events for me and it is for the first time since doing these recaps, that I can look back at the past year with full and utter joy.
January and February may have been good, it’s just that I don’t remember much from these two months. They were for me spent waiting on what was to come in March and what has made this year so incredible long and good.
Finally I must say, March came around and filled with so much fun and excitement that I don’t know where to start. My 18th birthday was first up (March 11) which of course means that I am now able to do a whole lot of things that I couldn’t before. One being to start my own business, for which a registration was sent at 6 a.m in the morning when I woke up before I even left bed. Can you tell I was ecstatic about this?
Following my birthday, I had a trip plan. For me this was big from all possible aspects. First of all, the trip was to Photoshop World. I don’t know if I have ever had a week with so much fun as I did then. Being able to meet up with everyone I have gotten to know over the past years was just so much fun. Right now I am struggling to find words to describe it, just as I did earlier this year.
As two added bonuses to the trip, it was my first trip that I did on my very own without friends or family and also my first time in the USA. Talk about excitement and fun.
I would have been rather happy with these events alone, heck who wouldn’t? Still, there is one more event in April that I am also very proud to look back on. I got my drivers license proudly on the first attempt and yes, I still have it. 
All kidding aside, I am truly proud of myself for everything I achieved in the beginning of the year.
Looking back now, this year has been incredible for me. With that start and then working hard both in school and with work, I now sit with a business doing a healthy first year at the same time as I have one semester left at school before graduating this summer. With this year as a base with everything that has been going on, I can only imagine that 2011 is going to be even better.