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My thoughts on my Mini Mi
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I’ve had my HP Mini 1000 Mi Edition for a couple weeks now, and overall I’ve been very happy with it. The keyboard is the perfect compromise in size at 90%, and even the strange side buttons on the trackpad haven’t given me too much reason to complain. I have the 10.1″ version, but it’s small and light enough for me to carry comfortably all day (a huge different from my 15″ MacBook Pro, which I’m sure is the cause for all my back and shoulder pain!).
The big problem is the OS. Since I went with the Mi Edition, the netbook runs on MIE (Mobile Internet Experience), which is HP’s Ubuntu-based operating system. Admittedly, this was my first foray into Linux, and I’m not letting MIE taint my opinion of Linux whatsoever. Basically, there’s a lot that just doesn’t work right. The home screen, seen below, is supposed to have live bookmarks (and thumbnails) for my favorite websites. Even after adding them, the thumbnails just never loaded.
I wanted to add Boxee for Linux onto it, but adding third-party applications is very difficult. There is an application manager, but it’s locked-down to HP approved apps. There have been some stability issues as well, which I find interesting considering I’m rarely using multiple programs at once or doing anything “crash-worthy.”
At this point, I’m looking at a few different options for the OS: Ubuntu Netbook Remix and Windows 7 beta. I’ve heard great things about both, and I tried to install Windows 7 already and had some issues because I was trying to make a bootable USB on XP instead of Vista, which most of the directions seem geared to. Anyhow, I digress. Suggestions for what OS I should run are very welcome, or if you have tips on making the most out of MIE.
The kiwi above doesn’t come standard, by the way! It’s a GelaSkin called Jealousy, by artist Jen Lobo. GelaSkins are coming out with netbook skins very soon, so stay tuned!
UPDATE: GelaSkins for netbooks now available!
RiffTrax Live Online
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As you may have learned from previous updates, I’m a huge fan of the guys over at RiffTrax (see also MST3K). The big news this week from them is that Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett will be doing a live RiffTrax online this Thursday!
The short film they’ll be riffing on is called Self-Conscious Guy, and while I haven’t heard of it I can only assume that it will be hilarious. If you’ve never had the pleasure of listening to their commentary during a film, I suggest Casino Royale, The Matrix and 300 as good starters!
I’ve always wondered how much of their chatter is scripted vs. off the top of their heads, so it’ll be really interesting (and fun, of course) to watch them live!
New photoshoot with the Bui Brothers
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Last month I had a very fun photoshoot with Lan and Vu Bui, and they’ve posted their favorite shots on their blog! I’m really happy with the pictures — I think they show a side of me that the world doesn’t get to see very often. We’ve worked together before, but especially now with Carlie Renee helping me with the styling, hair and makeup, I think we really got some fantastic shots out of this session.
Thanks guys!!
Kanye West gets a “tweetposter”
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Kanye West is a little upset about being impersonated on Twitter. There have always been celebrity impostors on the site (and a growing number of real celebs actively using it), but Kanye seems to get a little more sensitive about this kind of thing: he’s much more hands-on with his audience than the average star, so it’s natural that he would take it a bit more personally when someone steps in on that territory.
As Twitter grows, I wonder how they’ll treat this kind of situation. Do they immediately turn over the false account, as may have been done for the also tech-saavy Al Gore? And how does a celeb (if they’re not the blogging sort, like Mr. West) prove that they’re the real deal? I guess we’ll find out shortly, depending on what Kanye decides to post in the coming days.
For additional reading about celebrities on Twitter, check out The Post-Geekdominant Twitterverse. Oh, and I’m still not convinced this is the real Luke Wilson… I mean really, a “guild run?” Does Luke Wilson play WoW? Hmmm… I guess anything is possible.
