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All:
I am about to take a 5+ hour flight, and I was wondering what kind of cool things can keep me entertained on a flight that long. I will have my PPC, and normally I read books on it, but I am out of books that I really want to read.
I have Links, and the Amazing World game. Neither of which can keep my interest for long, but both great games.
So should I get a new game, or possibly look for a book?
What would my fellow users do?
Thx,
B
get a good book.
some of my suggestions:
Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burrows
The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathon Lehmen
American Dynasty by Kevin Phillips
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
The Moor's Last Sigh by Saalman Rushdie
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathin Lehman
* please excuse misspelled author names.
Depending on what type of memory card you have, you could convert some of your DVDs and watch them on the plane. Since the flight will probably have a movie anyway, One 2 hour movie might be enough to tide you over.
I wonder if 2 hours of Media Player would obliterate my battery? Doesn't matter I guess. . That's a pretty good idea. . .
Thanks for the book suggestions also. I have been reading lots of "reality-fiction" lately. Would any of these fit that genre?
Thanks,
B
How about taking along a copy of one of the following games:
Gilbert Goodmate (apparently quite a good RPG, but quite Storage card intensive)
Anthelion (A nice space shoot 'em up)
Brick Slider (debatabley good puzzle game)
Stuntman Evolution (A very nice free roaming game)
Warfare Incorporated (Excellent C&C type game, with multiplayer features)
Argentum (Another very nice C&C type game)
Boyan's Crystal (Bust a Groove type game)
To name just a few.
__________________ Afterism (n) - A concise, clever statement you don\'t think of until too late.
To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.
I always spend some time doing maintenance on my PPC. Clean out those contacts, move files you don't need to a folder to move to your PC later.
I also try to install a few shareware programs to play with. It is nice to have a few hours to get acquainted with the program so you can decide whether you need it or not.
If you don't have Achieve-It! It's a great program to use and is really nice to have an hour or two to set up where you can just think.
Of course make sure you have a backup of the system before the install of the programs and after the install. If you have to do a hard reset it is nice to be able to do what you need to to keep working.
I have taken quite a few cross country flights with my PPC. (AZ to NY) Here's my suggestions:
First, get a battery extender. One of those devices that takes a few AA batts and can power your PPC. When on the plane, use your battery extender from the get-go. It is better to use the external battery pack when you can (like being confined to a seat) than if you need to access your PDA in a taxi or on a bus. This way, the internal battery will always be charged.
Get extra memory cards. I have two 256MB CF cards that I use for "removable media" like movies, music, ebooks, etc.
Convert movies. Stop by my website for my guide on converting your DVDs to Windows Media Video (wmv) files. Using my method, you will get decent video that weighs in at 40MB per hour of video. That means 5 hours of video on a single CF card.
Music (wma/ogg/mp3). Definitely bring along music.
Music (MIDI). Yes, I said MIDI. This isn't the beeps and boops of 70's videogames, but rich wavetable synthesis MIDI music. Absolutely wonderful. Not only can you store a ton of MIDI music in a small space... approx. 400 MIDI songs in only 35MB of space, but the instrumental nature of MIDI makes it great for use when thinking or reading.
eBooks. They're okay, but I'd rather read a real paper book.
external keyboard. External keyboards are great for playing video games, or for typing reports, thoughts, etc. while on the plane.
Modem card. I have a 56K CF Modem card so that I can dial-up and check email and surf at my destination. In preparation for this, you may wish to sign up with one of the available free ISP services.
My iPAQ goes with me everywhere and has replaced my notebook on those long trips.
I have a few things that occupy my time with the old PPC when I'm stuck somewhere.
1. Snails-great game for real cheap and it's highly addictive.
2. A good e-book. Don't just go for the free classics you'll never finish. Suck it up and buy a current bestseller online somewhere. I also get PocketPC magazine in e format.
3. Videos. Yup, I have to stick with the crowd on this one. Its easy to convert and entertaining to watch.
Those are my thoughts man. Unless, of course, the flight has wi-fi on it.
Late,
__________________ A good way to threaten somebody is to light a stick of dynamite. Then you call the guy and hold the burning fuse up to the phone. \"Hear that?\" you say. \"That\'s dynamite, baby.\"
I like sneaking my WiFi on and steering the plane with the d-pad.
__________________ James Kendrick Microsoft MVP - Tablet PCwww.jkontherun.com Lockergnome contributor- Mobile Lifestyle...using mobile devices since they weighed 30 lbs.
sracer,
Lots of great ideas. Your MIDI idea caught my eye. can you give an example of this I might find online? Like you said, I think of Midi as beeps and boops
__________________ James Kendrick Microsoft MVP - Tablet PCwww.jkontherun.com Lockergnome contributor- Mobile Lifestyle...using mobile devices since they weighed 30 lbs.
sracer,
Lots of great ideas. Your MIDI idea caught my eye. can you give an example of this I might find online? Like you said, I think of Midi as beeps and boops
Brad, if you have PPC2002, then you can use PocketMIDI: http://www.vsoftsol.com/PocketMIDI/default.asp
(I used it on my 2k2 device and it sounds beautiful... it takes a bit to get set up and requires that you also download the wavetable samples... the site has directions... if you get stuck, feel free to ask.)
I you have a WM2003 device, then PocketMIDI won't work. You'll need the equally capable GSPlayer/MIDI (yes, it shares its heritage with GSPlayer mp3/ogg player).
You can download it and get more info at: http://www.ppx3k.com/index.php?op=downloads;library=172
billyevil did some fantastic detective work to get this running.
When installed and configured properly, you should hear rich sounding instrumental music... NOT 70's sounding videogame clankings.
Hey you could always spend the time researching news items and the like to post to PocketpcAddict .
__________________ Afterism (n) - A concise, clever statement you don\'t think of until too late.
To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.
Yeah, Brad will be paying $30 for unlimited Wifi on his flight. Or is it free in First Class?
__________________ James Kendrick Microsoft MVP - Tablet PCwww.jkontherun.com Lockergnome contributor- Mobile Lifestyle...using mobile devices since they weighed 30 lbs.
Thanks James! Unfortunately I don't have anywhere near the time to devote to it. I'm lucky if I get the time to crank out a new PPX UI every couple of weeks.
Sracer:
Thanks for the advice!
I have to ask though. . . I had some problems when I tried the DVD convert thing. My problems occurred with VFAPI.
For some reason, it would not let me open my file in VFAPI. It would say not a valid file or something. I tried many times before I had to give up and get on the plane.
Any ideas? Did I just get a bad version or something?
Thanks!
B
Or is it free in First Class?
Linear Mode
