I honed in on the DV9000 series line, and went ahead building a custom high-grade entertainment laptop (aka the desktop killer) and ended up building up on the DV9500t model. Starting off with looks, they look pretty damn good. I really like the glossy black finish (the screen is glossy too) with a very nice script-like pattern that runs throughout the entire product. The dv9500t also offers few smaller changes, such as the addition of a fingerprint reader and a different Webcam from the other Pavilion models.

Here's a quick overview of what this beast looks like from the inside..

Like almost all desktop killers, the Pavilion dv9500t's keyboard is full size and includes a 10-key numeric keypad. The somewhat compact touch pad includes a scroll zone, and I can appreciate the touch pad on/off button, which is handy when you want to use an external mouse.

I'm still in the honeymoon period with this laptop, if I find anything I dont like.. believe me I'll come back and update this posting.. but for now I've been extremely impressed and I strongly suggest that HP be a candidate if you are in the market to buy a laptop.

Apparently his Wii came with a Wii Sports gme which simply was a choice between Bowling, Boxing, Golf and one other game we didnt bother playing with.. it was a great way to get newbies brought upto speed on how to use their innovative Wiimotes which are the primary controllers. A sensor bar is required to be placed, typically above the television, for it correctly sense your every wii-action. I was very skeptical when the wiimote was safety strapped to my wrist (apparently these things have flown out of peoples hands in the excitement of gameplay) and I started off with the boxing game..

I was breathing hard by the 4th round! This console is actually making my physically interact with it to play! I ended up getting knocked out but thats alright cause we quickly decided to check out the bowling game next... apparently even in Wiiland I still have spin action that foils my game.. how interesting that it was able to actuallly pick up speed and spin.. during the final golf game ,which I ended up liking the most, I actually thoroughly enjoyed standing infront of the television and driving away for a 300 yard stroke! Even though i did terrible with all the games, the interactivity the Wii requires is like no other console out there. I found it particularly amusing how between games there were 'safety' instructions and 'take a rest between gaming sessions'.. can't fault them on trying to keep their users alive.

The console does have internet enablement, comes with the Opera browser and the ability to message wiifriends.. I would not be surprised to see them at some point in the future try and link up all their devices (DS, DSLite, Wii) to allow for interaction between them.. Nintendo have managed to capture addiction and innovation in a box ... it's called the Wii!

Rocketfish have created a pretty nifty portable wireless laser notebook mouse called the twister. I'd like to emphasize the portable aspect because it is a bit smaller than the regular mouse and has a USB receiver stored inside the mouse with which you simply plug into the laptop and yer good to use the mouse! The mouse does require a couple of batteries but it is a pretty light device.

The tail end of the mouse even allows for a bend to make the mouse fit comfortably in your palm and then you can straighten it out to be more accomodating when packing it away. Well thought out, and you've got to lose the wireless aspect of it. Plugging it into my XP-based laptop showed no problems when it came to plug-n-play and I was using it immediately without any problems.

It did take me 5 minutes to realize that it does have a center sliding pad which acts as the scrolling wheel and there's a third button on the side of the compact mouse to which you can assign another function (i.e. shutdown the current application).

If you are looking for a decent mouse which has the basic functionality and perhaps a couple of additional features (i.e wireless, sliding scroll pad and a third side button) AND most importantly compact then this is the device for you! If you suffer from any form of carpel tunnel or even sore-wrist type action then this is not for you, the ergonomics of this mouse are for the non-IT addicts.