I was particularly looking forward to this weekend. It was going to be a welcome break from the intensity of preparing for university examinations. While I did get up to many hours of Star Ocean on the 360 I also did some work on my laptop.
Earlier this month my friend Daniel lent me his copy of Windows 7 when we hung out at Sidetracked and had a wild night. Well, this weekend was the perfect opportunity to let the new operating system loose on my trusty laptop. It took me a couple hours to backup my data to my new portable harddrive due to the sheer volume of data I had stored on the machine, but after the task was done it was time to reformat and install Windows.
The installation procedure in its entirety was done very quickly. I’ve have assumed it was done within half an hour but I did it while playing Star Ocean so I didn’t really gauge time accurately at all (I didn’t check on the machine till about 5 hours had passed haha). Then did the usual thing of installing all my usual applications plugins etc and got Windows doing its work.
There’s been a big fuss over the new system being more resource efficient. Well from what I’ve experienced so far Windows 7 does appear to be less processor intensive than Vista but it seems it uses just as much RAM as its predecessor. However, what really brings home the “wow factor” is the user interface overhaul, particularly the new taskbar. The interface changes at first seem minor but they feel so natural and one can quickly become accustomed to them. Using Windows becomes more pleasurable than it ever has been.
Finally, a lot of people like to kick up a storm over Windows being inferior to other operating systems in terms of susceptibility to hackers, trojans and viruses. Its all a load of rubbish with people getting overexcited and buying in to the hype. Really, if you’re diligent enough to install an antivirus and run regular scans you’ll rarely face any virus problems at all. Windows’ inbuilt firewall and anti-spyware does a fairly decent job too. It’s just the naive and stupid that fall prey to malicious software and people.
Welcome 2010s
It feels like only yesteday when I was still a kid of only nine years eagerly awaiting the coming of the new millenium. Headlines across much mass media publicised the coming y2k bug leading to a society anxiously anticipated the computational equivelent of armageddon. Despite the missing arrival of such a phenomenon this past decade has been filled with an abundance of Earth-changing and culturally influential events.
During this last ten years Australia has been fortunate enough to host the Sydney Olympics, Melbourne Commonwealth Games and now partaking in a bid to host the World Cup. Humanity and our comfortable understanding of national security was shaken through the tragedy of 9/11 which sparked in some sense a renewed ‘holy war’. There has been natural phenomena potentially caused through our actions (misactions) to our home planet through Climate change, Hurrican Katrina, the Tsunami and more that I cannot recall as I type this. America now is under the leadership of someone not of caucasian descent, something unimaginable only so few decades or even years ago. Yes, this decade despite being projected as a decade of great trial to our species by the mass media, has also been one of education, reform and growth.
It has also been a decade of immense growth for me. Obviously depicted through my age now and then, however I have been able to experience so much. Entering and graduating secondary education and being able to enter tertiary study has been a blessing many on the other side of the timezone are not so fortunate to experience. There has been a time for my faith to be realised, studied and challenged. I also encountered the workforce and got my first (and sadly my current) job and even climbed up the ladder a little so to speak. In these past years I am so very greatful to have been able to make and share friendships with so many fantastic people, influencing me and my persona much more than they will ever realise. And for all of you, thank you.
I’d like to reduce the timescale as ten years is perhaps too grand a timespan for me to continuing thinking in. This year alone has been incredible, being able to engage in work and study and continuing forming strong cherished relationships. Its been a year of conquering body and mind to overcome obstacles that were too great in the past. Proudly I can share having been able to achieve the majority of ‘resolutions’ set out for 2009. Now I look forward to not only a new year but a new decade of moving further forward and enjoying what fate, destiny, God or whatever throws at me in life.
Goodbye to the awesome 2000s and hello 2010s!
Very very many thanks from the bottom of my heart to all who have helped shape me.