Netbook Review - HP mini 210

Having taken the decision to try and forge a career as a writer, or at least make a few extra quid writing (current career earnings: $0.28 Canadian!) it quickly became apparent that a tiny IPhone and a desktop PC with an irritating habit of crashing spontaneously at inopportune moments simply wouldn’t cut it, entirely justifying the decision to buy a brand new netbook.

After several hours of largely tedious research in which I learned that most current generation Netbooks have 1Gb Ram, Windows 7 Starter, the same Intel Atom processor and 160Gb or 250Gb of disk space regardless of make, model, colour and price, I hit upon the HP Mini 210.

The purchasing experience was not without incident. Having purchased on a Sunday from Very.co.uk with a 10% discount code and 14 months interest free credit, I was contacted by their fraud department on the Tuesday having been flagged up as a potential miscreant due to a high value item being purchased on a new account. While this was eminently sensible, the fact that by flagging my account the order was cancelled, meaning I had to start again, was slightly more irritating. Reordering the netbook proved problematic as I could no longer use my discount code online so I rang Very.co.uk direct. After 40 minutes alternating between soul crushingly tedious hold music and 3 separate employees, one of whom was back in the fraud department as they had to vet me again, I finally got things sorted with the 10% still to be applied after the item is delivered; I am still not clear on why this is.

Fortunately the netbook arrived the next day, 2 days before it was scheduled to be delivered but not without having received another phone call from the fraud squad. I felt slightly sorry for poor woman whose computer had rang me automatically, only for her to see everything had been cleared already, cue a grovelling apology for inconveniencing me.

So to the netbook itself. Initial setup was relatively straightforward with only one slight issue. On first boot up the machine only managed a blank screen, forcing a visit to the bios. The problem was remedied very simply by setting the boot device properly, but for the less technically minded it would have been a problem as there were no instructions.

After a few straightforward screens requesting registration details and wireless keys the computer was ready to use. So far having surfed the net, checked Emails and written the preceding words, it has performed admirably, if considerably slower than a desktop PC or proper laptop. The keyboard is comfortable to type on; it is easy to mistype due to the short travel on the keys, but they feel sturdy enough. On the subject of build quality, the whole netbook seems solid and well put together for the most part. Again there was one slight fly in the ointment, the plastic outer cover on the underside of the netbook was not quite sited properly, exposing the innards of the machine. It easily pushed back on properly and hopefully it will stay attached for the lifetime of the netbook.

HP ship the netbook with a stripped down operating system, allowing you to quickly boot and access Email or surf the web, this can easily be disabled allowing a slower boot into the more useful and far less clunky Windows 7 Starter edition. Personally I chose the disable option immediately as the benefit of quickly getting online is negated by the fact that the basic OS is awful!

Overall I am relatively impressed with my first foray into the world of portable computing, however the HP mini 210 I received has not been without its minor teething problems, and the touchpad seems to provide the cursor with a mind of it’s own. Having sorted most of these out I am looking forward to many happy hours of netbooking.

10 O'Clock Live, might get better, currently disappointing

As i am using this blog to practise writing I feel I should experiment with different writing styles, as a result I will write this in the style of Charlie Brooker's inner soul, writhing with embarrasment and shame at seeking mainstream televisual approval by being associated with such low quality TV.  10 o clock live is great idea hamstrung by the inadequacies of modern television, it contains a veneer of naf pazaz where flashy graphics and overblown cuts from one presenter to another are used as a substitute for style, content and quality material. 

That is not to say that 10 o clock live is a lost cause, Charlie Brooker himself was excellent, cutting to the bone in his brief sections and narrating monologues dripping with cynicism, bile and insight.  Added to this, David Mitchell chaired 2 interviews, the first a nervy, shaky affair highlighting the live format and inexperience of the comedian and panel show guest, but the second allowed Mitchell's own brand of angry logic to flow in an interview where he took apart the coalition government's higher education policy.  While not particularly funny,it was a braver and more insightful interview than most these days.

Sadly the remaining presenters were less inspiring, Jimmy Carr looked out of place as a serious satirist, resorting to the kind of cheap gags that work well in his excellent stand up act and frequent panel show appearances, but here seemed weak and tiresome.  Lauren Laverne on the other hand was as vacuous and unexceptional as always, attempting to keep up with 3 genuine comedians she performed an embarrasing faux american showbiz review style sketch and added nothing else to the show.  There are plenty of excellent female comedians, so why Laverne got this particular gig is beyond me, presumably at some point she entered into a faustian pact with satan and one day will get her firey just deserts after years of inflicting herself on the British public.

With a little more Brooker and Mitchell, better writing from Carr and considerably less Lauren Laverne, allong with a realisation that the flashy graphics and over enthusiastic audience add nothing to the format, 10 o clock live may redeem itself.  TV needs a show like this, but serious changes need to be made if it is to survive beyond its initial run.

The BBC's quiet revolution

BBC Television in the naughties was defined by speed, in comedy, My Family and Two Pints of Lager were popular programs produced by gag factories whose output was prolific, but lacked subtlety. Drama series like Spooks and Hustle consisted of tense soundtracks, fast cuts and ever more outlandish story lines, held together by a slick style that hid the lack of real substance.

Recently however there has been a quiet revolution taking place, where series are allowed to be more thoughtful, scenes are given space to breathe and the jokes are more subtle and engaging as a consequence.

The first time I noticed this was in the excellent second series of Reggie Perrin, Martin Clunes played the straight man amongst a cast of semi ludicrous imbeciles, allowing him to dispense ascerbic wit, without resorting to easy gags. This was followed by the excellent Coogan and Brydon vehicle "the trip" an incredibly brave effort featuring the two comic actors as grotesque versions of themselves. Largely improvised and centred around a series conversations over dinner, watching these two comedians at the top of their game as they tried to out impression each other was a delight.

Finally in the drama stakes I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the exploits of detective "Zen". Beautifully shot in Rome and featuring a multinational cast (mainly the women, all the Italian men seem to hail from Ireland or Yorkshire) Zen is the absolute antithesis of the slick high paced action drama of recent years, scenes are allowed to draw out and dialogue flows naturally with Zen, played by Rufus Sewell often umming and erring his way through interrogations and conversations. The action is richer for the slower shots in between the more pacey scenes.

While the likes of Lucas and Walliams will continue to produce over the top television, the BBC is a richer experience for the recent more thoughtful shows.

Or maybe I am getting old?

The Devil Wears Prada

Unlikely girl is hired for job, fails to fit in, fails to impress boss, tries harder, impresses boss, betrays boyfriend in the process, realises boss is a bitch, quits job, feels better, gets boyfriend back. The Devil Wears Prada is a writing by numbers affair pumped out by the Hollywood movie machine, the backdrop is the world of the high fashion magazine but the same tired story has been made many times before. Perhaps this accounts for the surprisingly enjoyable experience this film provided, all the mistakes have been made before and the well worn path this film treads is mostly charming in it's predictability. Meryl Streep puts in a laconic performance as bitch in chief and Anne Hathaway convinces as her naive assistant for the most part although never quite sells herself as a frumpy Ugly Betty alike at the beginning of the film!

While an instantly forgettable experience, The Devil Wears Prada is well presented, well acted and warmly delivered. By no means a classic, it is not an unpleasant way to spend an evening on the sofa with your partner

Richard Herring - my current favourite comedian

Comedy has gone through something of a resurgence in recent years, tv schedules are dominated by panel quizzes, stand up and sketch shows and the Edinburgh festival has developed from a fringe event to a hulking behemoth of mirth. Amidst all of this, one comedian has singularly failed to make a name for himself despite excellent tv shows in the 90s and regular radio efforts since. That man is Richard Herring, cursed to walk forever in the shadow of his more commercially successful former sidekick Stewart Lee. While I have no doubt that this state of affairs is a constant source of irritation to Mr Herring ( he certainly refers to it enough!) it is to the benefit of those of us who enjoy and respect his comedic output.

Making great use of the opportunity the Internet provides, Richard Herring produces a prolific amount of free to download material, the Collins and Herring podcast, the marvel that is AIOTM (aiotm) and a regularly updated website. Whether this is through a commendable altruistic streak or because he just wants to be back on TV (aside....he definitely just wants to be on TV), for fans of his intelligent, thoughtful and to be honest often fairly base sense of humour there is an endless supply of new material.

Recently he has been appearing more frequently on Tv and Radio in shows such as Celebrity Mastermind and Have I Got News For You, and while I am sure this makes Herring incredibly happy, it concerns me greatly. he deserves mainstream critical recognition, but this may be at the expense of the magnificent material he currently produces.

Richard Herring is currently on tour with "Christ on a bike", see www.richardherring.com for more details.

The A-Team Movie Review

Bang...Pow...Kersplode!!! Thats your 3 word review right there.  The A-Team is a riot of action, casual violence and comic quips that presses all the right buttons.  I am a huge fan of the original series and watched this film expecting to be disappointed, the actors and director have achieved a wondrous thing, updating the premise of the film to encompass the current conflict in Iraq, while keeping the sense of fun and irreverence of the original.  

With any film like this the key is casting, Hannibal, Face, Murdoch and B.A. are such iconic characters that any film hoping to recapture the magic succeeds or fails on how the fans reconcile the new guys with the old heroes.  Fortunately Liam Neeson is growing into his aging action hero role (following an excellent performance in "Taken") and makes an excellent Hannibal. Sharlto Copley plays Murdoch with just the right amount of crazy and Bradley Cooper charms as Face, The riskiest decision was casting UFC fighter Quinton Jackson as B.A., but a disaster of Dwayne "the rock" Johnsonian proportions is avoided and he does a good job of recreating Mr T's complex, but reassuringly violent character.
 

As with all Hollywood productions, the film has it's flaws, some of the set pieces are just too big and too crazy to be believable, and while I want outlandish plans and epic explosions, they have to be rooted in reality, this is not a superhero movie, and its very easy to break the fantasy that these guys are simply audacious, highly skilled soldiers by going too far...Step forward the flying tank scene...

All in all though The A Team is a great remake and a fantastic bit of nostalgia, I can't wait for the inevitable sequel