Crazy Lazy Days of Summer

I FINALLY sent a batch of stuff to Ryosuke Cohen for Brain Cell. I've received three of them and totally enjoy every inch of them. There are samples on Postmark Arts site for anyone who doesn't know what Brain Cells are.

Yesterday I received a package in the mail from Scott Thomas in Kentucky. In it was A Dark Matter Containment Vessel that he created. It's wonderful. There was also a piece of steel that was decorated (etched?) with one of his wonderful fairy-ish characters. I will post a photos tomorrow.

Today I am exhausted from shopping for a new computer for my office. The nearest Apple Store is 1-1/2 hours away but it's a genuine Apple Store and walking into it alway feels like going home. Because I just bought a Dual 2hz G5 little more than a month ago for my home studio I don't feel like I can spend a lot for a new office machine - I checked out a 20" G5 iMac that would be fine for most of the work I do, especially web design. I took a cd of a piece I am currently working on (for Jeroen) to see how the iMac would deal with it (It's a 200Mb file). It did a decent job opening it and running filters. Honestly though, I kept gravitating toward the G5s. But that would mean a new monitor too - my old Radius (circa 1999) just isn't worthy. The iMac of course includes the monitor so...we'll see what I (or the checkbook) decides.

It was interesting talking to the staff. Mary Beth was very helpful and we talked about the implications of the Intel processor deal. When I explained to her the kinds of things I do on the machine she said it was a pleasure to talk to someone who actually got the benefit of using a dual processor. She said most people who get the machine don't really need the extra processing power. But boy Photoshop CS2 LOVES all the help! She made a joke about trying to do some of the art I do on early Mac models. I thought on the drive home about all the Macs I have owned (some that I still own) since 1984. Here's the list I can remember:

Original Mac with 400k floppy drives. (Microsoft actually made software that fit on them: File and Excel...times change. That's 400 kilobytes, not Megs!)
Mac SE with a 20 Mg hard drive! (still have)
Original LaserWriter (300 dpi - Circa 1987?)
Mac Performa 405
Performa 620 w/15' monitor
Performa 6220 w/15' monitor (still have)
Performa 6400 w/15' monitor (it has a subwoofer! and a TV tuner!) (still have)
Power Computing Clone (great machine)
LaserWriter Select 360 (600 dpi)
Bondi iMac (233hz) I am now trying to sell now for $50
Grape iMac G3 (still have)
Lime iMac G3 (still have)
G4 Tower - the original 400hz - (still have)
Titanium G4 Laptop - also 400hz (I am typing on it now)
G4 Dual 1.25 Mirror Door (HATED IT am selling it)
20 inch Cinema Display (Love it!)
G5 Dual 2.0 LOVE IT LOVE IT

and in a day or two...

the new machine...

(Which means I probably won't be replacing my second generation iPod anytine soon)

So what kind of hardware do you use?