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I think it’s about time I shared my computer experiences with you. Much to my surprise, as I think about it, I have actually been in contact with computers for over 10 years. Considering the poor state in which our economy was in in the early 1990s and late 1980s, that’s a surprise.

My first experience with a computer, in terms of a system, was the Nintendo NES version. My mother picked one up for the princely sum of IR£24.00 in Dublin in about 1992 or 1993. At the time, it was worth a fortune. With it came a copy of Super Mario Bros. which got great use in our house. It was magical at the time, and it’s still in the house somewhere and does actually work.

Second on the list of computing giants to come my way was a Commodore C64 (first released in 1986) which I got for Christmas of 1995. This was huge - as it was the first computer-looking system. It came with a game, Terminator 2 - a cartridge-based game with an option of saving games to a cassette module attached to the Commodore. I only ever recall playing with the game about 10 times in all and was far more interested in what the Commodore could do from a programming point of view. At the time, programming was a word I’d never heard of and I was in it for the thrill of getting the blue screen to do something other than appoint “Ready”. I re-wrote all of the programs in the booklet that came with the system, changing them in places where I understood what was happening. My favourite program was the Balloon one, where a hot-air balloon, drawn by sprites, would traverse the screen from top left to bottom right until the loop was stopped. I later figured out how to change the background and frame colours of the screen view and dipped my toe into graphic design a little by manipulating characters to create shapes. This was truly a great system, and while I did get it 10 years or so after it was first released, I made great use of it - and attribute it to my detriment in sport! I went on to use it in 1999/2000 as a crude method of displaying Title Credits on a video made as part of a Transition Year project. It was rather clever actually, displaying the designed screen on the monitor, video taping it and editing back onto the master tape. Considering I was only 16 at the time and the school’s entire computer system of 9 computers ran on Windows 95, it ws some achievement.

After the Commodore, we won a Playstation (First Gen) in a local supermarket draw. Sadly, Sony being Sony, the console came with only a Demo Disc, but none the less it soon out popularised the Nintendo. As more and more people got Playstations around the area, I managed to trade games with them. But this is where I began to lose all interest in gaming. At the time, the Playstation would do nothing else but play music CDs and games. I saw this (as I later realised) as a primitive use of the system. After all, if I could make a balloon appear on a Commodore, the Playstation should be able to do anything. But in traditional Sony style, the system was proprietary and could only do as much as Sony let it. So it is at this point I just lost all interest in Gaming. That was in 1997.

By 1998 a family friend gave us a computer which he was throwing out. This was as I saw it, a waste. I proceeded to tinker with it and found it had an ancient version of MS Works on it. I learned (bear in mind I had no clue how to use a computer or any instructions) to use the product and the underlying MS-DOS, which I thought was more powerful. I found a QBasic system for running games on it and manipulated one of the games, a Snake game (now more commonly known as the Nokia Snake game) so as the colours were different. In my tinkering with the system, I managed to wipe the harddrive of everything - my first experience with the Format command. The spec of the system eluded me, but I do know it had a 5.5″ Hard Drive of about 300MB and a 5.5″ FDD also. RAM wise, I would assume it had 8MB or RAM. I still have the HDD at home and the FDD but sadly the rest of the system did meet a fiery death when I burned the CPU in 1999.

In 1999, during my Junior Certificate exams, my long campaign of persuading my mother to buy a computer (spanning about 5 years) finally paid off - and Dell became the first computer company to have us as customers. Back then, a revolution in computer was happening, with the Pentium III being released. We ordered a Dell Dimension XPS T450 with CD-ROM drive and 450MHz Pentium III processor and the princely amount of 64MB RAM. It cost, and I’ll always remember this, IR£ 1,245.09 including VAT and delivery, and arrived during my History exam (the reason I left early and got a D!). It was a magnificent machine (at the time) running Windows 98 (First Edition). Within 2 days I had my parents convinced we needed to go on the Internet, and in that day of June 1999, our house connected to the World Wide Web for the first time, with Indigo (now owned by Eircom) being the ISP of choice. After a short time, I opened up my first website, on GeoCities. This was 2000 and I was now online about 6 months, learning about TCP/IP and such things as FTP and GIFs.

From then on, using computers became second nature. I wreaked havoc on every system I touched, from the NT4 system on the school server, to changing the shut-down screen on the Win95 computers. When I went to boarding school, I infiltrated the computer room group to go on to make a friend from whom I’d learn a great deal, and teach a great deal too - John Horan. He and I became the administrators for the college computers overseeing re-installations, sacrifice of systems and managing the Half Life tournaments (because of my dislike of games, John was the man for the games, although I have played my fair share of HL and CounterStrike). It was here that I first began tinkering with my first ‘client’ website - that of the College. This has grown from strength to strenght and I attribute much of my web success to Rockwell.

Since then, I’ve graduated to University, where in 2002, I was given funds to buy a Dell Inspiron 4150 notebook thanks to my parents. This is the machine I currently scrawl this anecdotal account of my computing history. It has seen upgrades from the 20GB HDD to an 80GB HDD and doubling its memory to 1GB. It still rivals some of the laptops that pass my desk for repairs and upgrades.

The Dimension XPS T450 is now a T550, with a processor upgrade in 2001. It now runs a licensed copy of Windows XP Home Edition which I purchased from Amazon.co.uk a week after the OS was first launched. It too had a memory upgrade since, now running at 192MB RAM, which considering it’s running XP is phenomenal. It too was the first computer I installed Linux on, back in 2001 - learning about the free OS that has me constantly considering switching to. It now runs a 20GB HDD with the original 8.4GB drive in there too, and a CD-RW drive also.

As for the others, the NES, PlayStation and Commodore all still survive, in working order, at home. I fear that soon the Inspiron 4150 will eventually be succeded but that is the nature of computing and me. But it has given me the best years of its life, and for that I am grateful.

diarmy

Well there’s something most people who know me will be surprise to hear or see me saying or writing! But it’s true, I actually am grateful for Microsoft. Why is this you ask? Well, I’ll tell you.

From the moment IBM approached a small company called Microsoft for an operating system for their new computers, Microsoft went to another company and got one off them, changed the name to MS-DOS and entered the history books. From my humble beginnings on a Commodore C64 in 1995 I was always fascinated with computers. (More on that some other time). In 1998 I first came into contact with MS-DOS and found it frustrating but beautiful. While I’m not now, or have I ever been, a programmer, MS-DOS is a great OS in terms of its potential. The inherent lack of development ability of the OS is what caused it to die - that and Apple’s new creation - the Graphical User Interface. MS quickly reacted (when I say quick I mean a few years) and released a Windows product that used icons and a human interface device (HID).

From then on, festering deposits of operating instructions for processors filled desktop hardrives through the era of 16MB memory boards to the GigaBit planet we live on today (TeraBits too - for history’s sake!). Driven by stiff competition and an insatiable greed to become world dominator in OS deployment (achieving 95% + at some point) Microsoft took to the skies, earning its CEO the title of the Richest Man in the World.

So thank you Microsoft, for whatever it is you did. Without you Apple would never have grown to the great company it is today (it’d probably be bigger!). Without you I wouldn’t have a Dell laptop. Without you I wouldn’t even bother writing this!

Linus Torvalds, Apple and Sun are all winners today because of the fallacy of Microsoft - their incapability to reinvent or invent for that matter. But it’s because of them that we appreciate the leaders such as Red Hat and Apple. They make great products. Have great systems. And, thanks to Microsoft, we have a basic standard to live up to, and surpass. And without companies like Apple, we’d all be still working off Windows 3.11 because without any competition, why would we ever need to progress to anything good?

diarmy

What is it about the State Broadcaster here in the Republic that they just cannot get anything right. From the constant recycling of dinosaurs like Mary Kingston (who I was delighted never to see again after a scarred childhood-long exposure to the annoying ugly Cork person) and that other dreg of the RTE basement, Fair City (or as it is colloquially refered to “Fair Shitty”). Time and time again, the tv ‘company’ keeps sifting through the ‘talent’ books throwing up undigested drivvle and mashing it with a kind of gone-off gravy and serving it on a bed of cheesy-peas with a nice glass of room-temperature milk. Mmmmmm… Nice!

The News, or SIX ONE as they refer to it (still having the monotony of a politically correct angelus at whatever time RTE thinks is 6:00pm) is a shambles - and as the era of 24hr newscasting comes full circle, with almost every major network in the world dedicating a 24/7 news channel to its broadcast services, RTE still chugs along with its mediocrity, and its benign coverage of some of the country’s most newsworthy stories.

So what’s wrong with the news? Well, for a start, it seems to be impossible for the production team to actually transmit a show from start to finish without mucking something up. Be it the wrong correspondant’s name coming up on screen, looking into the wrong camera, hearing the editor on a voice-over, having slow ‘live’ connections or generally anything to do with the basics of broadcasting. But that’s not the biggest problem. I’ll get to that in a minute. A major contributor to the dismal news transmissions, is the horrifyingly brutal graphics and jingle - not to mention the faux-panels behind the news desk. The combination of the Verdana Capitals text and shoddy alignment of navy on white (or vice-versa for some differentiation) does not work. Neither does the stupid green thing down beside every ‘image’ of a news headline.

The pain of the broadcast however is not in the crassness of the graphics, the ear-splitting intro music or the annoying way they seem to never get it right - it’s the presenters. ALL OF THEM! With possible a few minor exceptions. Brian ‘Dobbo’ Dobson is by far the worst. Interviewing has never been worse on Irish television, save for the old goat - Pat Kenny. Dobbo seems to expel this Dublin 4 air of mal-sophistication on every utterance. This disgusting sight is evident in everything he does, from the raw coverage of the death of Pope John Paul II to his seemingly unending anchor position on the weekday 6pm news. He frightens me. Colm Murray is another old horse that won quite a few hurdles, but needs to be put out to stud. Ann Doyle and the ‘other’ one, need to leave too. There was a time when news anchors were looked upon as leaders in their communities - someone to be trusted. But those days are gone. Now, even Eamon Holmes is on Sky News! If that’s not a sign of the times, nothing is.

The national ‘correspondants’ don’t escape slating either. Fergal Bowers is one in particular that needs replacement, as is that annoying ‘Business’ correspondant with the posh accent and stiff upper lip. George Lee is about the only one worth saving, him and the ‘Education’ girl. The rest, while they may actually be good journalists (insert proof here), they’re not presentable and to be quite honest are completely depressing - Charlie Bird being the top of the list.

Maybe it’s all down to the fact that they have a seemingly inaleiable urge to SHOUT INTO MICROPHONES. Maybe its the drap camera-work and poor editing. Maybe it’s the coffee. Or maybe it’s because they all know that no matter how crap the news is presented, the cheque will be lodged every Friday. That nice security blanket that Government workers get to live with. Whereas in the real world, people have to think of such minor things as audience figures. RTE though seems not to have a care in the world. Even the one good thing they’ve managed to glue bits together to make - The Afternoon Show - has its flaws, mainly the overtly feminine topics and boring guests. At least the presenters are good - and even if Bláthnaid is recycled, she’s still a hell of a presenter and a great looking woman to boot!

So, as we head into the run up to Christmas, lets all ask Santa for something different this year. Lets all ask him (or her - who knows!) to get RTE out of this mess. Lose the ridiculous newscasters and boring correspondants. Bring in Aengus MacGrianna and the bit of Gaeilge. Let John Finnerty tell a story (he’s actually useful!) and let someone other than Colm Murray do the sports. Maybe even let someone actually produce and edit the bloody thing. Change the jingle and the awful graphics. Rip out the fake desk and give the kids some laptops (instead of the rather cheap looking CRT monitors set into the desk). Show the news room behind a screen - do a 24hr channel. DO SOMETHING!

Actually, let Eddie Hobbs be News Anchor. Or, and this would be an improvement on Dobbo - Ron Burgundy!

diarmy

Google Earth. It’s a great tool for geographers, astonomy enthusiasts or the humble human who likes to mess around. CNN, a trusted television channel with global correspondants and balanced views. North Korea, a place lost in the flux of time and forbidden to change.

What have these three things got in common? Well, last weekend while indulging in a little ‘me’ time, CNN caught my attention. A news documentary titled “Undercover in the Secret State” was looking at the technology benefits in helping the outside world experience the hardship of the northern part of the Korean peninsula. For years people have taken their own lives into their hands (and consequently the lives of their families) by venturing outside to secretly film the secret state and risking death again by smuggling the footage to neighbouring countries.

Communist and Autocracy rule free there and the photographing or video taping of life events in North Korea is considered treason - punishible by death. Authorities inside Korea have been telling citizens of the paradise it is, spreading propaganda about the American way of life and western thinking.

As the report continued, I watched in shock at the complete ban on civil liberties taken for granted here. There, even the freedom of speech is supressed, let alone the freedom of movement. Famine has destroyed the country in recent years and the government’s unwillingness to accept food aid is killing its population.

Google Earth provided me with the tools to conduct a seemingly impossible task in the past - see what North Korea really looks like - from Space. The pictures speak for themselves really, and I emplore you, if you have the facility, to search for “Pyongyang” (the North Korean capitol). See if you can see the wonders of the city but notice the lack of people. The elderly, pregnant and poor are not allowed in Pyonyang which is one of the only places tourists are allowed see on the restricted bi-annual tours.

While America under the anti-christ George W. Bush makes clear it has a problem with North Korean nuclear armament (an estimated 25% of the country’s GDP is spent on the military) no consideration is being given to the suppression of the civil liberties of this state. I wish we could do something about this. But, and I fear I’m right - Who Cares?

diarmy

North Korea - Wikipedia
CNN Specials - North Korea

Christmas comes but once a year - maybe that’s why retail makes such a big deal about it. But why is it that our traditional Christmas values have been lost in a sea of red and gold, brands and packages?

Years ago, Christmas, for me as a child anyway, was a big occassion that allowed us to look forward to the ubiqutous White-Bearded man, Santa. There was a reference to the biblical shortcomings but the idea of presents and holidays usually took root more in our childish minds. The 8th of December was the landmark before which only some people would have seen a Christmas tree. Shops would display their wares close to the date and children would be filled with joy at the prospect of having new toys come Christmas day. This isn’t a rosy-reminisence of the past, it’s fact.

Today, Christmas is all around us - and to be honest, it’s not good. Everyone I know loathes the retailers this time of year, as mangey misrepresentations of Christmas trees, adorned with false snow and brandished with tacky tinsel fill shop windows, that from the outside amidst cold November days look wrong. Christmas today is all about sales - and like any good business people, retailers try to capitalize on the market. But I think this year it’s gone too far. 2 weeks BEFORE Hallowe’en here in Galway, one retailer actually began putting up Christmas decorations. Now while retailers may have to order up to a year in advance, stock for their Christmas selling period, foregoing Hallowe’en for Christmas is insane - aside from the almost 2 month gap in the timespan. Why is it that my trip to Dunnes Stores or Tesco is now incomplete without being reminded to have a great New Year!? January 1 2006 is still 6 weeks away.

Retail really has gone too far this time, and something needs to be done to control it. Whatever it is, it needs to be done, before our children’s children don’t celebrate Christmas at all. Familiarity Breeds Contempt and too much of something is NEVER a good thing!

diarmy