Thanks to my good friend Harold... a longtime Blogography supporter, former co-worker, and ruler of Las Vegas once I conquer the earth... I was tipped off that the local ShopKo had Nintendo Wii in stock. I didn't have my hopes up, because last time I heard they were available at Target, they sold out in the 15 minutes it took me to get there. But I decided to take a stab at it, and asked my mother to stop by when she was in Wenatchee and see if they had any left. Luckily, they had two, and one of them was going to be mine.
MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE!!
When I got home to hook it up, I had just over an hour before I had to get back to work. This was fine, because all I wanted to do was send a WiiMail to Avitable to let him know that I got my Wii on the same day he did... so he could feel MY Wii-ness.
So I unwrap everything, get everything set up, turn it on, configure the internet, and then.... wait.
Wait for 20 minutes while the Wii updates itself.
Then wait ANOTHER 20 minutes for it to perform ANOTHER update.
By the time I construct my "Mii" avatar and punched in Avitable's "friend code" I am running late for work and am starting to get pissed off. Then I find out that I can't send Avitable WiiMail after all, because he has to enter my "friend code" on his machine too. Shit!!
After I get back from work, I'm finally able to send my WiiMail and play around with my new Nintendo...
The first box is the Mii avatar for myself (The Chad created an avatar for Lil' Dave that I'm going to have to get him to WiiMail to me). The second box is a WiiMail with Avitable's Mii on it (it looks JUST LIKE HIM!). The third and fourth box show that Blogography renders perfectly on the Wii web browser... which is no surprise since it's built on the excellent Opera browser. The fifth box is Wii's Global Weather Channel. And the last box is the Wii Photo Channel displaying an image loaded directly off my camera's SD memory card.
Overall, the Wii is pretty sweet.
I am looking forward to the day I can sit down with my Wii and play games with fellow Wii bloggers over the internet... I'm sure it's not too far off. In the meanwhile, I'll have to play by myself. Right now my favorite game is "Elebits" where you tear apart your house searching for tiny electrical creatures that hide everywhere and in everything...
Images taken from the incredible IGN Wii site.
The game is a total riot, and showcases how truly unique a Wii is from your "typical" video game systems.
I just wish I was going to have time to play it.
Anyway, in addition to making cool Mii avatars, The Chad also makes memes. You can see my answers to his latest in an extended entry...
Hey, look... it's a Nerd/Geek Meme from The Chad!
- Did you not only sigh the biggest sigh of relief ever once you saw that Apple had introduced the iPhone, but you also thought it was the coolest f#@%ing phone ever? Oh yes. I want that phone bad enough to sell Avitable's Wii on eBay to get it.
- Do you ever miss a front page story on Digg.com? Not if I can help it.
- When you get bored, do you browse the upcoming stories on Digg.com? I rarely have time to get bored, but I do check my Digg feed all the time.
- When it comes to your personal web space...
- Do you have your own REAL website (not blogger/geocities/etc…)? I have several web sites of my own, and have created dozens of others for clients.
- Do you actually know how to edit the code for it? I would certainly hope so since I coded it in the first place.
- Have you ever installed a different OS on a portable/gaming device that it was not meant for? Me and an equally geeky friend got Linux running on an Xbox. Microsoft was selling the units so cheap, that it made a pretty powerful computer once you got Linux running on it (at the time, anyway).
- Do You have more than 1 monitor hooked up to your main computer? Yep. I've got a 30" as my main monitor, and then have a smaller 18" that I use for iTunes and my feed reader. That way I can access my music and glance at feeds without having to clutter my workspace.
- Is the only time you use your printer to print out Google Maps? Well, personally, yeah... that's about it (though most of the time I forget and have to have my MacBook open in the passenger seat). But, for my design work, I have to print out stuff all the time.
- If you dont already have a water cooled CPU, do you leave the side cover off to help keep the temps down? My MacPro is designed so beautifully that such tacky add-ons or case maiming is not required for cooling.
- Do you somewhat wish you were living in Taiwan just for the Technology (e.g. free wifi everywhere)? Well, I think Singapore currently has more wi-fi coverage than Taiwan (though Taiwan plans on blanketing the entire island with wi-fi hotspots this year), so not really (I do enjoy both Taiwan and Singapore, however). If I had to pick, I'd probably choose Tokyo so I had continuous access to Akihabara (Electronic Town)... they get new tech just as quickly (if not more so) and I speak some of the language.
- If you cant get rid of a virus or fix a serious problem after a few hours, do you just say f#@% it and format the HD? Well, I don't have those problems on my Mac, but for my piece-of-shit Dell laptop, yes. I've reformatted that f#@%er so many times that I'm surprised there aren't grooves worn in the hard disk platter! F#@%ing Windows.
- Do you totally wish you could afford a really nice Mac? I couldn't afford it, but bought it anyway.
- Did you tell your Broadband ISP to take their Cable Modem and shove it and go buy your own (a real one!)? Heck yes. I wanted me an Apple Airport Extreme Base Station, baby! And now they've come out with a 802.11n version, and I want it even more.
- Every now and then, do attemp to hack your neighbors wifi connection just for fun? Not only have I attempted it, I've actually done it more than once when my DSL went down (they must be on cable) and I needed the internet for a minute. Borrowing internet is a lot different than hacking into somebody's data though, which is something I won't do.
- Do you keep spare hard drives around for testing out other OS’s or just for what-the-f#@%-ever? Absolutely. Macs make that kind of stuff easy, which is why I've got a few Linux distros laying around on spare drives.
- Can you install ATI Drivers into linux? I've never tried it. The distros I've used have all handled that stuff for me.
- Do you sometimes wish you could just change the channel and start browsing the web on your tv, being able to view it at a decent resolution with good picture quality? (I ask this asuming some of you with laptops have hooked it to the tv and gawked at the horrible image). Not really. I prefer having a screen close-up, and would rather turn off the televsion and just grab my MacBook for surfing.
I'm off to bed and dreaming of Wii...
Atom Entries Feed
will you add me as a wii friend?
i have no wii friends right now…
I think I adore you just a bit more today, with the geeky talk…!
Elebits is your favorite game so far? How about some Wii Bowling? I think that’s my favorite, followed by Golf.
The updates in the beginning are annoying. But once they’re done, you’re up and running pretty quickly. Did you know that some games use the weather function? Like Madden – the weather will reflect the actual current weather in that location! That’s awesome.
I’m glad you have Wii-ness to play with, too now!
Yay you for finally getting a Wii! Creating my Mii was probably one of the coolest things yet, haha!
I guess we know what you’ll be lovin on at night 😉
Tsss, No more Wii here on France…
God bless Nintendo…
So let’s continue playing at monkey island ^^
Does the Wii have a 5 o’clock shadow setting for your avatar? Your rosey cheeks are cute and all but… well, not exactly Dave-like.
You’re right about Avitable though. That’s an amazing likeness!
I too am waiting for the online competition. My tennis game is getting pretty good!
yay singapore! sorry. i’m getting all patriotic here. 🙂
Nic… if anybody wants to be a Wii-friend, just email me your Console Code and I’ll add you, then email you mine.
Sandra… That’s because nerdy geeks get all the chicks!
Avitable… Love golf. Bowling I want to like, but I can’t get it figured out… I am always hooking left, no matter how I toss, twist, or turn the Wiimote. Elebits is cream. I can’t stop playing… even though Zelda is waiting on the shelf! I wonder how long we have to wait for internet enabled play?
Hilly… Then send me your console code so I can see the Mii-you!
Sergio… Really? I thought all of Europe had Wii releases by now!
Jeff… No. It’s difficult to get a Mii looking exactly like me. To tell the truth, I’m not really fond of the Mii people. They look freaky! Tennis hurts my arm to play!
Rae… It’s understandable. I loved Singapore. The people at the Hard Rock were among the friendliest I have ever met, and I dearly wished I could have stayed in the country longer! Ironically, they were having a “Washington Wine Festival” at one of the big hotels while I was there… I traveled half-way around the world to find a piece of home waiting for me!
If your mom bought you both, you’d have a WiiWii. Heh.
Well, I got my Wii hooked to the wifi in my house, however, I’m not finding the Opera browser. Do I have to download it? And how do I find my friend code and do the MiiMail bit? I guess it’s time I really examine the instructions, eh?
The browser is from the Nintendo Shop Channel. Once you’re there, go to the Wii-Ware shop and download it. I got a WiiMail from Nintendo telling me about it too, and it had a direct link to the browser download.
For the friend code, you click on the little envelope in the bottom-right corner of the main menu to get to Wii Messaging. Once there, click on the notepad. You’ll then have the option to write a new Wiimail, a note to yourself, or open your address book. Once you click on your address book, click on the left-arrow (on the left side of the screen) to get to the cover of the address book. Your console code is written on the cover there. Email it to me, and I’ll email you mine. Then we can be Wiimates! Wii Buddiis? Wiipals? Whatever!
Sweet! My quiz has traveled!
Glad to hear you got yer wii. Elebits looks pretty cool, i’m just waiting for a Star Wars Light Saber game. That would rock.
And Wii Play which will be out in February (pool and ping pong!)
Yes Europe is released…
but all Wii are out-of-stock :((
Dude. Your Mom picked out your Wii. (laughs like Bevis and/or Butthead)
😉
(I’m just teasing you, Dave)
The Chad… Yes, but we nerdy/geeks are few and far between! I think EVERYBODY is waiting for a Star Wars lightsaber Wii game! The controller was born for it!
Sergio… Ah, then it is the same all around the world then. I still consider myself very lucky to have gotten mine, because they are quite scarce here. I had been trying for a month before I found it. 🙁
Diane… Well, I was at work and could go pick it up. She was already there, and managed to grab one. Lucky thing too… if she wasn’t, I would have never got my Wii!!
i love my wii! i’ve had it about 3 weeks now. so far my favorite games are the new zelda and ultimate alliance. red steel sucks. rayman raving rabbids has surprised me.
and i would love to have more wii friends 🙂 my mii doesn’t look exactly like me. hell, i tried though.
Totally unrelated to Wii…but good job on actually finding something in stock at Shopko. I love me some Shopko but they NEVER have anything in stock. Used to drive me batty when I lived in Pullman…then I’d brave the Lewiston Shopko only to end up at the BigK…and the BigK is just pure evil.
On a totally different note. I just had the most icy commute of my life. Can we have a little Dave bashing the hell out of a Seattle DOT truck. That would be fantastic. Because God forbid we actually de-ice, sand, gravel, or plow after a nice snow fall…because ICE RULES.
Oh and people who drive trucks need to learn how to properly weight them…jesus.
Okay I’m done now.
Have you checked out the new Johnny Rockets at South Center yet?
One “Oui” for the Dave’s Wii !!! Luckyman !!! The Mii Wii is pretty cool…
I tried a friend’s Wii last week… Great sensation… I tried the bowling… Cool !!!
Happy Game, Dave 🙂
My kids got a Wii for Christmas. Luckily, Santa took the time to set the thing up when he delivered it, so it was all ready for gaming Christmas morning. I had visions of the kids ripping the thing open and then waiting, as you did, for the entire set up process to get done. That would have been a mutiny.
Dave,
Totally unrelated to Wii. . .but good job on actually finding something in stock at Shopko. I love me some Shopko but they NEVER have anything in stock. Used to drive me batty when I lived in Pullman. . .then I’d brave the Lewiston Shopko only to end up at the BigK. . .and the BigK is just pure evil.
On a totally different note. I just had the most icy commute of my life. Can we have a little Dave bashing the hell out of a Seattle DOT truck. That would be fantastic. Because God forbid we actually de-ice, sand, gravel, or plow after a nice snow fall. . .because ICE RULES.
Oh and people who drive trucks need to learn how to properly weight them. . .jesus.
Okay I’m done now.
Have you checked out the new Johnny Rockets at South Center yet?
It was me “the anonymous” !!!
Aarrrgh… Zombies ate my brain too !!! 😀
…”Ruler of Vegas”…. ( love it ! ) All my friends and past Co-workers can stay in my little glitter-town free any time they wish…
Sandra–
I *heart* nerdy geeks too… such a weakness…
Well I guess I don’t have to worry about girls falling all over me as the hot nerd of the day… my VCR’s been blinking since 1983…
I just wanted to be what I think is the first person to leave a comment here using a Wii. Woo hoo!
There’s a 5 o’clock shadow. It’s in the same place as the makeup. I like Rock Star Dave. The glasses are solid. Man, they need a way to send others your official Wii game results and things. I am teh t3nn1s m4st3r.
I can NOT let Omar see this! 😉
I still haven’t been able to mess with the internet functions on my Wii. I’m keeping it downstairs until my brother can get his own and my computer I’ll be putting the wifi connector on is on the 3rd floor. Third floor to first floor is more than 30 feet so it sucks. I imagine my brother would have one by now if he drove because Gamestop and EB are getting them in weekly here. Oh well. I’ve been considering picking up Elebits. If you like it I probably will, so it’ll go onto my list o’ stuff I want. You should try out Rayman:Raving Rabbids. It’s just a ton of really weird mini games, but it amuses me to no end.