[GerbilSoft]

2. A Toshiba laptop. (I wanted this last year, but I never got it. I have to decide on a model I want though, since new models have come out since last year.

2. A Toshiba laptop.

Toshiba laptop.

Toshiba laptop.

Why?! Toshiba laptops are AWFUL! My Satellite 5105 broke down several times, and now the video card's dead and Toshiba won't even sell me a new one. At the very least, go with Dell. Dell at least provides service manuals and will sell you parts even after the warranty expires.

My preferred laptop brand is IBM / Lenovo. I have a ThinkPad T60p. The only problem with ThinkPads is that they're expensive. :(

[Crowbar]

Gerbil, since you're good at this sort of thing (though any and all advice from anyone is welcome):

What's a good brand of monitor to get? Samsungs seem to be popular and getting all the best reviews, for sort of reasonable prices. Should I go with one of them?

[edit]Looking at this one specifically (I work (well, study) in animation so size is a priority).

[P.P.A.]

Either an Xbox 360 Elite or a DVD and HDD recorder.
Or a 360 and a cheap DVD recorder. :(

[Pokemonmaster888]

Well, I didn't know that about Toshiba laptops. Thanks for the information Gerbilsoft. I'll research other brands then, and maybe I'll look into Dell laptops.

[General Throatstomper]

Figuring that I would otherwise be unable to buy it, I bought "The Alphabet of Manliness" today.

However, there's a hard-to-find book I'm interested in, "L'Étranger" by Albert Camus...it's written in French, and the bookstore around here only has some watered-down English translation. For good measure replace "The Alphabet of Manliness" with"L'Étranger" on my list.

[Crowbar]

Figuring that I would otherwise be unable to buy it, I bought "The Alphabet of Manliness" today.

However, there's a hard-to-find book I'm interested in, "L'Étranger" by Albert Camus...it's written in French, and the bookstore around here only has some watered-down English translation. For good measure replace "The Alphabet of Manliness" with"L'Étranger" on my list.

You legend! One of my favourite books!

I really don't think there's any reason to shun the English translation if you can't easily get (and read, though I assume you can) the French version, though. I haven't read the French, but, honestly, the translation I've read is just a very good book so it can't be bad. Don't make the assumption that it's "watered-down".

There are three translated versions, by Gilbert (earliest), Ward (most recent, translates title as "The Stranger"), and Laredo (the one I've read, Ward's translation seems pretty similar, though, titled "The Outsider"). Which one's available to you (I'm guessing Ward)?

[Groudon]

Will be hoping for Rock Band as well.  Played it earlier today and it's pretty good (though I'll srsly need to practice with the drums and I didn't make an idiot out of myself trying to do the vocals).

[General Throatstomper]

You legend! One of my favourite books!

I really don't think there's any reason to shun the English translation if you can't easily get (and read, though I assume you can) the French version, though. I haven't read the French, but, honestly, the translation I've read is just a very good book so it can't be bad. Don't make the assumption that it's "watered-down".

There are three translated versions, by Gilbert (earliest), Ward (most recent, translates title as "The Stranger"), and Laredo (the one I've read, Ward's translation seems pretty similar, though, titled "The Outsider"). Which one's available to you (I'm guessing Ward)?

I prefer reading books in the language they were originally written in. I feel something is lost by translation, no matter how solid the effort and how skilled the translator is, and there's bound to be a high degree of repetition and awkward phrasing by nature due to the lack of words from one language to the next. I'm sure the story is more or less intact, but prose takes a hit because some things just can't be transcribed. Look at, say, Shakespeare; one of his lines in English will be in iambic pentameter, but in Italian will break verse and won't flow so well. Maybe this isn't a valid comparison because meter is rhythmic, and the diction between two languages is rarely comparable, but small things like this just detract from a piece of work. And I won't get the book for a solid 2 weeks anyways-why not pull out for the version I'd like more? Worst case scenario, they don't have the french version and I'll read one of the translations. The bookstore had Ward's translation; I'll have to look into which translations are most accurate in the event I am unable to get the original.

[F-Man]

Fullscreen version

Monumental fail. :(

http://www.widescreen.org/examples.shtml

[GerbilSoft]

Fullscreen version

Monumental fail. :(

http://www.widescreen.org/examples.shtml

Those examples are flawed. The non-wide images have the correct aspect ratio (4:3), but the wide images have a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Widescreen monitors are either 16:9 (TV) or 16:10 (PC). So even with a widescreen monitor, you'd still get black bars on the top and bottom when watching a widescreen movie.

What's a good brand of monitor to get? Samsungs seem to be popular and getting all the best reviews, for sort of reasonable prices. Should I go with one of them?

[edit]Looking at this one specifically (I work (well, study) in animation so size is a priority).

Not sure. I haven't gone monitor shopping in quite a while. I have a 19" CRT, and it still works great. :) (along with my laptop's 15" 1600x1200 LCD.)

[F-Man]

Fullscreen version

Monumental fail. :(

http://www.widescreen.org/examples.shtml

Those examples are flawed. The non-wide images have the correct aspect ratio (4:3), but the wide images have a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Widescreen monitors are either 16:9 (TV) or 16:10 (PC). So even with a widescreen monitor, you'd still get black bars on the top and bottom when watching a widescreen movie.

Double monumental fail. The pictures represent the correct aspect ratio of the movies. You're right that it doesn't match the aspect ratio of monitors (you can get away with it with a projector using constant height though), and there are also black bars on a wide screen for these movies. But completely wrong in thinking that this is not actually correct.

No black bars (which represent empty space, and do not hide anything) equals either stretched image, or cropped image on the sides. Which is the whole point of "full screen" DVDs being utter fail.

And contrary to what you said on IRC, most movies are still filmed at 2.35:1, only a handful are filmed at 16:9 (1.85:1 to be exact).

[Pokemonmaster888]

Hey, it doesn't really matter to me if fullscreen is not as good as widescreen. I want the fullscreen version. Most of my collection of DVD's are the fullscreen versions, so I want to continue that trend.

[eggFL]

Well thanks for the info F-Man. I wasn't really sure myself which one was better. This will come in handy if I ever buy DVD's.

[General Throatstomper]

We open gifts a day early in my house; lazy parents who don't want to wake up.

What I asked for
1)GH3 Wii (priority)
2)Contra 4
3)L'Estranger by Albert Camus
4)We by someone whose name I forget

What I actually got
1)Contra 4
2)A fake parrot that swears (says "Polly wants a fucking cracker" and such)
3)$125 USD worth of certificates to Walden Books/Borders
4)Sigmeund Freud action figure

And possibly some other nonsense with stockings. I didn't get GH3; the clerk at the games store told my parents how it sucked, the sound quality was bad, it was unplayable for the Wii because of a lack of dlc, etc. Obviously I'm not going to gripe about this to them because I received some very nice gifts; however, I'll still find this guy's name out and lodge a complaint. Assuming he's still around at the end of the season, which is a dubious prospect since there's such a high turnover rate at these stores. What an asshole.

I thought I was getting a laptop as a surprise gift because of a conversation I overheard between my parents discussing computers, and I heard my name mentioned; turns out this was for an accessory my sister was getting for hers.

Oh well.

[Groudon]

Got my 360 and was able to play Sonic06 as a result of it.  Working on getting Rock Band.

[GerbilSoft]

Got my 360 and was able to play Sonic06 as a result of it.

I would have preferred a lump of coal. >_>

[Selphos]

Different people have their opinions, k gerbil.

Just because Groudon got 06 doesn't mean he deserves to have his neck broken.

[Stefan]

-Overreaction to sarcasm detected-

[eggFL]

congrats Groudon

anyway, my nephew got Halo 3, I also got him Blue Dragon

[P.P.A.]

What I got:

- Xbox 360 Premium
- Sonic 06
- The Orange Box
- Eternal Sonata
- 360 wired controller
- a book about physics
- a small clock
- a calendar book

Also I'm visiting ym other Grandmother today for more.

[Bilan]

Blue Dragon is cool

I received!

-Chocolate
-A Halo3 t-shirt >_>
-A random crude t-shirt <_<
-8 bottles of wine
-4 mini bottles of whiskey
-2 Jack Daniels shot glasses
-Doctor Who Seasons 1 +2 <3333
-New phone <3
-Stuff Ive forgotten about already :(

[Crowbar]

What I got.

- My 22" Samsung TFT monitor (how am I gonna get this back to Kingston? lol)
- Volumes 2 & 3 of Yotsuba&!
- Volume 2 of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
- "Grinning Cat" album by Susumu Yokota
- "Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate Devastation Technique" album by u-ziq
- A hat and scarf
- Stocking stuff (including a big chocolate star and some mint creams that I've been devouring).

[P.P.A.]

ok my grandmother also gave me UR MR GAY.

[Selphos]

I hereby rename this topic "What did YOU get for Christmas?!"

- A new computer, too lazy to name the make
- A 19" screen for said computer
- A new desk for said computer and Gamecube
- A bunch of popular DVDs (Pirates 3, Night at the Museum, etc)
- A new gaming chair with speakers
- GUITAR HERO III BITCHES

Sure, it's the PS2 version. But it's still GH3!

[P.P.A.]

Sonic 06 is actually quite good! This early version I have here might have its flaws, but if they're fixed until the release of the game, the Sonic series might finally have a good 3D game.
Wait, that game here is the final version? Not a beta?! Oh shit! :O :O :O

[Bilan]

Oh I forgot I got two Avril albums too.

But not Let Go yet :(

[Pokemonmaster888]

Wow, I got many Christmas presents this year, and I didn't even ask for most of them. Here is my list.

1. The 2007 Hess Truck Set, with some spare batteries.

2. A clad proof presidential set of four gold-plated coins. They were never touched by human hands, and are in a special glass case.

3. The Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock set for the Nintendo Wii.

4. A "How I Play Golf" book written by Tiger Woods.

5. A drawing book set, with everything you need to create art.

6. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, for the Nintendo Wii.

7. The Wii Zapper, which comes along with Link's Crossbow Training.

8. A lot of chocolate, candy, and related goodies that you can find in stockings.

9. Some SpongeBob Squarepants style Christmas ornaments.

10. A Saint Louis Rams fleece throw, which is a big blanket you can wrap yourself in. They are an American Football team.

11. The book Foundling, by D.M. Cornish.

12. The 2-Disc Widescreen edition of the James Bond movie, "Casino Royale".

13. The Fullscreen version of the movie "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

14. A lot of clothing.   

15. Two 24-set packs of Duracell AA batteries.

Well, that is it. I certainly got more than I did last year. This was a pretty good Christmas, in terms of presents. Now, to start enjoying my gifts! 

[Shadow Jacky]

I got what I wanted...minus socks and underwear.  also got some pajamas, a shirt, and money.  not much, but I'm happy.  dont really like getting a ton of stuff anywhere and rather get it myself.

[Stefan]

I got super mario galaxy, which is honestly, even though i've only played a few hours of it, one of hte best games i've ever played.

CDs. Can't go wrong with them.

Candy. whoo.

a little 2x2x2 rubik's cube

A few shirts. and a jammies thing. :D

New headphones~

and as a family, we got three copies of the same board game (apples to apples).

[magnum12]

What I got.
1. Contra 4
2. A Leman Russ Tank Squad
3. A Basilisk
4. 1 squad of Grey Knight Space Marines
5. Mass Effect.

I feel sorry for you Groudon. I'd start saving up for a therapist after that evil game is done tormenting you. *snicker*