Messages

Stick a message on the forum at www.macformat.co.uk and/or www.macassist.co.uk ? they're both good forums for Mac stuff.

What type of Mac is it? What's plugged in to it? Will it start up from CD if you insert the CD (or DVD, depending on what OS disk she has) and then hold "C" during the entire start-up process? If you can do the latter, access Disk Utility on the disk and then choose both Repair Disk and Repair Permissions (in the "First Aid" tab). If errors are found and fixed, repeat the tasks until the disk is clear of errors.

As for the whole OS X not hanging thing, it sort of depends which version she had. OS X 10.0 was a heap of shit. OS X 10.1 was bearable. OS X 10.2 was usable. 10.3 and 10.4 have, on the whole, been excellent and very stable. (I only tend to have system crashes when testing unstable alpha software for review, and even that's very, very rare.)

No, iPods can't play .wmv video files, or did you mean .wma files? Mind you, it can't play those, either, in the same way that most competing players can't play .mp4 files. I find the whole "overpriced" argument very odd regarding iPods, because unlike a lot of Apple kit, they're actually pretty good value for money, and they're extremely usable.

Here's what I'd suggest you do:

1. Decide what you actually want your player for. If you would actually use a sound recorder, an iPod won't be any good (well, unless you buy a Belkin add-on device); however, if you've no interest in using such a thing, the "extra" features on some brands are effectively worthless.

2. Go to a big hardware store that allows you to "try before you buy". The interface (both hardware and software) for some players is absolutely dire, and may be enough to put you off of certain ones. Don't buy blind?it's not a great idea with a piece of kit that costs so much.

As for vinyl recording, your best bet is to go for the "faff" route, recording each record into your PC and then manually adjusting "effects"  (to reduce hiss) and track splits?it may take longer, but you'll get a better result.

:: I find it weird when people talk about how easy to use iTunes
:: is. i found it to be very restrictive, and a bit of a beast,
:: and dumped it in favour of Anapod Explorer first chance I got.

It can be a bit of a resource hog on older machines, but I've always found it pretty straightforward, and since the mid 1990s, I've found few audio apps that do as much as iTunes as well as iTunes. What do you find restrictive about it? I'm just curious...

:: TBH I'd much sooner have the ability to move files onto a
:: deivce using the regular explorer than some propreitry
:: interface.

That seems to be the main thing people dislike about iTunes/iPods, but for the typical home user?someone's dad, for example?this is very unlikely to be a problem, especially when you take into account iTunes' synching features (plug in iPod, watch as it synchs the PC's library with that on the iPod, bugger off and let the iPod recharge, come back again?zero hassle).

Get an iPod for him?they're "dad proof", as is iTunes. The 20GB model is reasonable VFM, too.

It sort of reminds me of a Z-Knight (which were sort of humanoid Zoids).

It's also ?12.95 on dvd.co.uk. Any sci-fi fan not picking it up at these prices... well... clearly isn't a big sci-fi fan.

Buy it. Buy copies for all your friends, too. If the DVD sells very, very well indeed, there's still a teeny tiny little glimmer of hope that Serenity won't be the end of the Firefly universe on the screen.

:: Small Press Article - thought was a waste of time as like
::  a lot of small press titles themselves it won?t appeal
:: to many outside of people interested or producing
:: such titles.

I disagree: I knew sod-all about small press before reading that piece, and it's now made me interested in finding out more.

The second Rebellion offers e2000AD is the second the comic begins a terminal nosedive, because the thing would immediately be up for "trade" on bloody BitTorrent sites.

Unless things have changed, Nintendo bucks the trend regarding dead/stuck pixels, with a no-dead-pixel guarantee. For some reason, the DS Lite appears to be more susceptible to dead pixels than the el-chunky version. Therefore, do take it back and get a "perfect" model.

Other than that, enjoy!

GAME:
White DS Lite with Brain Training and Tetris DS and Screen Protector and Cloth??129.98

Black DS Lite with Metroid Prime, Sonic Rush and Screen Protector and Cloth??129.98

For games, check out http://www.movietyme.com

:: what else I should pick up games wise

I guess it depends what sort of thing you like playing. I highly recommend the criminally under-rated Zoo Keeper, which can now be picked up for a song (13 quid from movietyme.com). It's a fast, frenetic puzzler on a par with Tetris. The only problem is the appalling Quest mode (because it's blatantly unfair, and you need to top every high-score table to unlock "super hard mode" and get the real high scores); other than that, it's ace. (And the people saying it's no better than Flash-based Bejewelled efforts have clearly not played Zoo Keeper, or don't understand the concept of portable gaming.

Elsewhere, Mr Driller 2 has actually provided the bulk of my non-Mario Kart DS gaming time. It offers little over previous versions of the game, but it's fairly cheap in most places now and worth a look.

In terms of platform games, Kirby: Canvas Curse is a rather unique effort, which uses the stylus extensively (and intuitively). It's fun, and quite relaxing. And then, of course, there's the new Mario Bros. game, which has been receiving almost unanimously positive reviews.

:: not the type of game an over 17 year old
:: would likely get hooked on.

Well, apart from Meteos. Or Animal Crossing. Or the utterly fantastic Mario Kart DS. Or Zoo Keeper. Or Kirby... (and so on). Just because a game can appeal to all ages, that doesn't mean someone who's not a kid will shun it. In fact, it often means people of all ages will embrace it ? at least people who are sick of the Sony "gangsta motherf***er rap shooter" generic-o-games. Evidently, I (and a bunch of people I know) must be "17 again" or something.

From what I can tell ? at least in the UK ? the PSP is primarily targeted at people who think they want a cool gadget, but don't really know why. Literally no-one I know with a PSP is raving about the actual games (in fact, few mention them at all), but about all the additional features (despite, you know, rarely actually using any of them), and how "cool" the console looks (until the screen is covered in fingerprints, presumably). Crucially, everyone I know with a DS (including a fairly large number of ex-PSP owners) is raving about the actual games. Most of these people, it has to be said, are in their 30s...

Maybe there's a certain mindset of people who grew up with really great, innovative games in the 1970s and 1980s who see through the thin gloss of today's gaming market and actually appreciate innovation and new ideas when they see them, hence the success of the DS, and its ability to usually out-sell its "glossier" (but brain-dead) rival.

Yes, the new DS still has a GBA slot.