My New Year’s resolutions

Having joined Shopper last year as a relative novice when it comes to actually using computers, as opposed to reporting on news about them, I’ve begun a journey of computer enlightenment.

Sure, I could use Facebook, Word, Excel and the like, but if you’d given me a bunch of components and a PC case 12 months ago and told me to make it work, I would have told you to take a hike. But now, I’ve built a working PC, created a website, learnt the basics of HTML and become hooked on WWII shooter Call of Duty.

This year, I want to step it up a notch, so for 2009 I’ve set myself a list of objectives:

Try out Linux

I’ve never owned a PC that ran Ubuntu or any other open source operating system. Yes, I’m a Linux virgin. And the reason I’ve always relied on Windows is, quite frankly, because I’m lazy. Windows has come with every PC I’ve ever bought, and I’ve never wished to challenge myself to using an OS I’m not used to, even if it might make my life easier in the long run. But ’09 will be the year of Linux for me. Having said that, I don’t particularly mind Vista, and I’m eager to check out Windows 7. But I’ll be brave and switch to Ubuntu. For a little while, anyway.

Upgrade my own PC

With a little help from some of Shopper's other staff members, I managed to build my own PC last year. But, if I’m totally honest, my colleagues practically put the whole thing together for me, showing me how it was done as we went along. This year, however, I’m boldly going where I probably should have gone the first time around, and doing it myself. I hereby vow to completely upgrade my own PC this year! But probably towards the end of ‘09, because this PC should be good for a little while yet…

Buy a smartphone

We get to review a lot of handsets here at the Shopper Office. Barry de la Rosa, our handhelds expert, is always keen to show me the latest smartphone he’s got his mitts on – and I’ve been really impressed with a couple of them. The T-Mobile G1 has some very cool features, and I’m hoping Google Streetview and other new applications will be available soon. That would make it worthwhile splashing out on a phone that runs on Google’s operating system, Android. But for now, I’m still mesmerised by the iPhone.

I really do like it – even though I’m firmly of the opinion that Apple products are for conformists of the whole “Apple is a non-conformist brand” view, hence not non-conformist at all, if that makes sense. But I still think the iPhone 3G is a great gadget.

Create a ‘proper’ website

I’ve made a lot of lame excuses about why I haven’t created a decent website yet: I’ve been busy writing for other areas of the Shopper site, I’ve already made a Google Sites website (although I know that doesn’t really count), I’ve just been really, really busy. I’ve been meaning to do it, and never actually done it. Plus, HTML does my head in. This year, though, I’ll sit down, draw up a plan and get it sorted. Just as soon as I figure out what I want the website to be about.