Nintendo Wii Launch! T minus five hours and counting...

Ok, so I'm still not so excited about the name, but the Nintendo Wii launches tonite at midnight! Given that people have already been waiting in lines outside for *days*, and the fact that the weather isn't that pleasant anyway, I've decided to wake up at 3am (ugh!) and try to snatch one from Amazon when they go on sale at midnite, *west coast time*. Why should you care, you ask? Well if I get one, I'll bring it--and the new Zelda game (which has become my primary reason for living)--to the lab for people to try out.


[update: apparently Amazon sold out in less than a minute. So fast, in fact, that most of the people trying to get one weren't even aware they'd even been made available, and they stayed up for hours waiting for Amazon to put them online. Oh well. In the meantime, I'll be doing my best to get one of these things, but it seems unlikely before Christmas. Unless one of our many generous lab users wants to donate one to the lab. Hey, we're a non-profit, so it's tax-deductable, after all... If you want to see the happy faces of the lucky people who did manage to snag a Wii, here's Engadget's coverage of the launch.]

New Book: Switching to the Mac

We've noticed that most of the users of the Digital Media Lab are using Macintosh computers for the first time. If you're new to Macs, too, then we've got just the book for you.

Switching to the Mac, Tiger Edition, by David Pogue.
2nd Revised Edition, October 2005. ISBN 0596006608

Editorial Review from Amazon.com:

"Covering the latest in Mac OS X v.10.4 "Tiger," Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition explains the hundreds of innovative new features to the Mac OS and how you can understand and make the very most of each."

"Whether you're a novice or a power user, Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition, teaches you how to smoothly and seamlessly replace (or supplement) your Windows machine--in a refreshingly funny and down-to-earth style--with a mighty Mac."