Howlsthunder - ProductWiki

Howlsthunder commented on Wacom Intuos4

Howlsthunder — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:44:56 -0400

October 21, 2010 at 7:44 pm

"I have used each generation of the Intuos line of Wacom tablets and this one is quickly becoming my favorite so far. I own an Intuos1 and recently borrowed an Intuos3 for about two years for work until my boss bought a medium sized Intuos4 for me to use. I've been using it constantly for the past two weeks. WHAT I LIKE: -- The new side buttons and scroll wheel are my favorite interface so far. I didn't like having two sets of buttons/touch strips on either side of the tablet as on the Intuos3 because I'd constantly bump the set on the same side as my dominant hand. I ended up turning that side off and never used them. Now everything is all on one side and its easy to switch it to left-handedness if you need to. No more accidentally hitting buttons. --- The scroll wheel is an improvement over the touch strips. Pressing the center button toggles between 4 preset functions (Auto Scroll/Zoom, Cycle Layers, Brush Size, Canvas Rotation) and I'm finding it to be handier than my usual hotkeys. --- If you use the scroll wheel button a semi-transparent menu pops up to show you what you just set the wheel to do without you having to look at the tablet. --- The side buttons are fully programmable and the little OLED screens show what's programmed where so you can see, even in the dark. I haven't maximized useage of these yet, though because I tend to use hotkeys for EVERYTHING so I end up with one hand on the keyboard anyhow. --- The new topsheet is super durable. I had to stop using my old Intuos1 for a long time because the topsheet got all scratched up and was ruining nibs left and right. (They no longer make Intuos1 or 2 topsheets so I improvised with a sheet of acetate). -- I like the profile of this tablet - thinner and lighter than any version yet and it looks GOOD. --- You can TELL there are twice the levels of pressure sensitivity on these! Its crazy! Digital painters should really appreciate this. WHAT I DON'T LIKE -- The heavy texture of the new topsheet wears out nibs FAST. I tend to use a light hand with my Wacom tablets anyhow because I never wanted to have to buy more nibs (in 10 years I've swapped out 3 nibs!) and in two weeks, with an average of about 4 hours of use a day the first nib is already showing signs of wear. --- The mouse is not quite there. Better than the Intuos3 mouse (smaller size, better button placement) but I wish it had a scroll ball like the Apple Mighty Mouse - I really like being able to scroll horizontally. OVERALL I am pleased with this tablet. Wacom makes solid products that last a very long time (my 10 year old Intuos1 still works perfectly - its just not fancy). We bought this one refurbished at a savings of $100, which I recommend. Its hard to go wrong with a Wacom product."

Howlsthunder sent a message to Yale

Howlsthunder — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:28:28 -0400

October 21, 2010 at 7:28 pm

"Dang! I started out with BR tags and switched to P before I asked you what to do. I can't seem to find a way to edit my post - has that function also been temporarily removed? I look forward to the new changes! Thank you so much for your help. :)"

"Hey Yale, I have been away from the site for awhile and I'm afraid I'm flummoxed by the comment function on items. I can't seem to get space between paragraphs anymore. Does HTML work in comments? If so, which code do I use to create paragraph space? Thanks! :)"

Howlsthunder updated their about me

Howlsthunder — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:12:56 -0400

October 21, 2010 at 7:12 pm

Howlsthunder updated 4 products

Howlsthunder — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:28:04 -0400

1. updated Shaun White Skateboarding - October 21, 2010 at 6:28 pm

chose Fallout: New Vegas over Shaun White Skateboarding

2. updated - October 21, 2010 at 6:28 pm

added a competitor:
added a competitor:
new pro/con: Though a stand-alone game there are plenty of factions and references from the first two games to amuse long-time fans.
new pro/con: The Workbench idea has expanded and has more depth: you can now create new ammo, modify existing weapons, scavenge & cook your own food.
new pro/con: In addition to Karma is Reputation which is how each community/faction sees you. Wearing the wrong clothes or helping one group may make another dislike or attack you.
new pro/con: New "Hardcore Mode" adds new feel of more realistic survival: you must keep hydrated, rested, and fed; ammo has weight, crippled limbs require a doc; stimpaks heal over time, etc.
new pro/con: New Companion Wheel makes interacting with and commanding Companions a breeze & does away with lengthy dialogue trees.
new pro/con: Stats and Skill set are MUCH better balanced than any version of Fallout to date; everything is more useful, especially in Hardcore Mode.
new pro/con: Lack of character back story makes it harder to get into and care about what happens.
agreed: "self-contained storyline means you don't have to have experience with Fallout 3 to understand what's going on"
agreed: "beautifully crafted new locations situated in and around Las Vegas"
agreed: "twice the weapons as in Fallout 3"
disagreed: "pretty much identical to Fallout 3 in terms of overall gameplay and interaction - doesn't feel like a new game"
tapped as "have it"
disagreed: "Actions in Fallout 3 do not affect plot of New Vegas"

3. updated Tony Hawk: SHRED - October 21, 2010 at 6:27 pm

chose Fallout: New Vegas over Tony Hawk: SHRED

4. updated Wacom Intuos4 - October 21, 2010 at 6:11 pm

new pro/con: A completely wireless version of the tablet is available at extra cost.
new pro/con: New textured surface wears down stylus nibs faster.
agreed: "Increased performance and lifespan"
tapped as "love it"

Howlsthunder commented on Wacom Intuos4

Howlsthunder — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:09:33 -0400

October 21, 2010 at 6:09 pm

"I have used each generation of the Intuos line of Wacom tablets and this one is quickly becoming my favorite so far. I own an Intuos1 and recently borrowed an Intuos3 for about two years for work until my boss bought a medium sized Intuos4 for me to use. I've been using it constantly for the past two weeks WHAT I LIKE: . The new side buttons and scroll wheel are my favorite interface so far. I didn't like having two sets of buttons/touch strips on either side of the tablet as on the Intuos3 because I'd constantly bump the set on the same side as my dominant hand. I ended up turning that side off and never used them. Now everything is all on one side and its easy to switch it to left-handedness if you need to. No more accidentally hitting buttons. . The scroll wheel is an improvement over the touch strips. Pressing the center button toggles between 4 preset functions (Auto Scroll/Zoom, Cycle Layers, Brush Size, Canvas Rotation) and I'm finding it to be handier than my usual hotkeys. . If you use the scroll wheel button a semi-transparent menu pops up to show you what you just set the wheel to do without you having to look at the tablet. . The side buttons are fully programmable and the little OLED screens show what's programmed where so you can see, even in the dark. I haven't maximized useage of these yet, though because I tend to use hotkeys for EVERYTHING so I end up with one hand on the keyboard anyhow. . The new topsheet is super durable. I had to stop using my old Intuos1 for a long time because the topsheet got all scratched up and was ruining nibs left and right. (They no longer make Intuos1 or 2 topsheets so I improvised with a sheet of acetate). . I like the profile of this tablet - thinner and lighter than any version yet and it looks GOOD. . You can TELL there are twice the levels of pressure sensitivity on these! Its crazy! Digital painters should really appreciate this. WHAT I DON'T LIKE . The heavy texture of the new topsheet wears out nibs FAST. I tend to use a light hand with my Wacom tablets anyhow because I never wanted to have to buy more nibs (in 10 years I've swapped out 3 nibs!) and in two weeks, with an average of about 4 hours of use a day the first nib is already showing signs of wear. . The mouse is not quite there. Better than the Intuos3 mouse (smaller size, better button placement) but I wish it had a scroll ball like the Apple Mighty Mouse - I really like being able to scroll horizontally. OVERALL I am pleased with this tablet. Wacom makes solid products that last a very long time (my 10 year old Intuos1 still works perfectly - its just not fancy). We bought this one refurbished at a savings of $100, which I recommend. Its hard to go wrong with a Wacom product."

Howlsthunder updated Cabela's XPG Ultralight Tent

Howlsthunder — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:24:49 -0400

July 30, 2010 at 8:24 pm

tapped as "have used"
edited the description
edited the description
changed the report title from Cabela's XPGT Ultralight Tent to Cabela's XPG Ultralight Tent
edited the description
new pro/con: Poles clip-in rather than thread through sleeves
new pro/con: Has medium clip-in loft for holding small/light objects near the ceiling.
new pro/con: 2-person tent has plenty of room for 2 average people and small to med. sized packs
new pro/con: Doesn't ventilate very well despite all the mesh.
new pro/con: Vestibule is awkward; doesn't cover much area, doesn't reach the ground, and must be staked out/has no poles so is not free-standing
new pro/con: Rain fly does not reach completely to the ground
new pro/con: Only one door on all models means crawling over people to enter/exit
new pro/con: Easy to set up with only two color-coded poles that clip into place.
new pro/con: 2-person tent weighs 5lbs, 6oz. with all pieces.
new pro/con: Lightweight

Howlsthunder updated Vibram FiveFingers: KSO Trek

Howlsthunder — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:37:44 -0400

July 30, 2010 at 4:37 pm

disagreed: "Un-available in smaller / womens sizes"

Howlsthunder updated 5 products

Howlsthunder — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:55:03 -0400

1. updated Apple Macbook Pro - April 16, 2010 at 8:55 pm

agreed: "Better battery life because of LED and Penryn core "

2. updated flickr.com - April 16, 2010 at 8:31 pm

new pro/con: Now features user-tagging for identifying flickr users in images, with privacy settings considered.
new pro/con: Can tag images with searchable key words and global map location.

3. updated Transmission - April 16, 2010 at 8:06 pm

agreed: "earlier versions of Transmission did not strictly follow the BitTorrent specification - resulted in the client being banned from many private trackers "
agreed: "basic scheduling"
agreed: "Dock and Growl notifications (Mac OS X version)"
agreed: "downloads can be grouped"
tapped as "have it"
agreed: "downloading and seeding queues"
tapped as "love it"

4. updated Vuze - April 16, 2010 at 8:05 pm

chose Transmission over Vuze
added a competitor: Transmission
agreed: "Java based (slow, ram hungry, etc...) "
agreed: "High CPU load"

5. updated Kyser Quick Change Capo - April 16, 2010 at 7:56 pm

new pro/con: Padded to prevent scraping or wearing of paint or varnish.
new pro/con: Metal construction can clamp down harder and resist breaking, unlike plastic capos

Howlsthunder commented on 5 items

Howlsthunder — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:26:42 -0400

1. commented on Transmission - April 16, 2010 at 8:26 pm

"Agreed - I did some shopping around to replace Azureus/Vuse and Transmission won, hands-down. It ls small, uses very little resources, is simple, easy to use and navigate, and isn't bloated with rarely-used options. Small and efficient, I recommend it."

2. commented on Vuze edited a comment - April 16, 2010 at 8:04 pm

3. commented on Kyser Quick Change Capo - April 16, 2010 at 8:01 pm

"Wow, that's some crazy breakage! I'd never heard of them breaking either. I've had mine (a silver colored one) foreover 10 years and I use it daily and it's showing no sign of wear. I've used the bar kind that strap around the neck and a kind where the clamp levers are behind the neck but I prefer the Kyser Quick Change to these."

4. commented on Rock Band Drum Silencers edited a comment - April 16, 2010 at 7:48 pm

5. commented on CamelBak Bottle - April 16, 2010 at 7:45 pm

"I love my CamelBak waterbottle. It's very durable - I've dropped it on hard cement, rock, and metal and the bottle came away only slightly scuffed. I really like the nipple-straw format, which is less prone to leaking than standard water-bottle tops and doesn't require you to remove the lid as with regular Nalgene bottles. The built-in loop for clipping to your belt/backpack is very durable - the only thing I've broken on this bottle is the little plastic tab you use to lever the nipple up and out of its slot and that happened by falling 5 feet, full of water, and landing on the tab. My one complaint is that my bottle, now about two years old, has begun leaking around the screw-top edges. It was pretty leak-proof when I first bought it so I'm kind of bummed about this. I still really like the straw config, though, and so continue to use it."

Howlsthunder updated 4 products

Howlsthunder — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:49:26 -0400

1. updated CamelBak Bottle - April 16, 2010 at 6:49 pm

agreed: "Difficult to clean"
agreed: "Has problems with Leaking"

2. updated Keen Targhee II Mid Boots - April 16, 2010 at 6:48 pm

tapped as "love it"

3. updated Samsung PN42B430 - April 16, 2010 at 6:16 pm

agreed: "PC input"
agreed: "not full high definition - 720p only"
agreed: "affordable price for a large screen TV"
agreed: "all the pros of plasma - better blacks than LCD, cheaper than LCD for the same size, great colour and contrast, fast refresh"

4. updated Apple iMac 27-inch 3rd-gen - April 16, 2010 at 6:15 pm

tapped as "have it"

Howlsthunder commented on Samsung PN42B430 edited a comment

Howlsthunder — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:44:36 -0400

April 16, 2010 at 6:44 pm

Howlsthunder commented on 2 items

Howlsthunder — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:10:00 -0400

1. commented on QuarkXPress - April 14, 2010 at 10:10 pm

"Quark XPress was the first design layout software I learned and I used it pretty solidly up until 2009, at which point the company I work for (with great urging from myself) switched to Adobe InDesign. (I started with QXP in the 90s and didn't touch ID until 2007. My primary comparisons here are between QXP 6.5 and IDcs4). QXP is a great program, don't get me wrong, and perhaps they've fixed some things since version 6.5. But my experience with it just got worse over the years as various graphics applications across the board were blossoming and QXP seemed to take its good time between updates, leaving loyal users in the dust with buggy problems that *might* be fixed in the next version. When they bother to put one out. First, what I love about QXP: . Its easy to learn and most of the hotkeys are very intuitive and easy to memorize . It takes up minimal desktop space and the palettes you DO use a lot are similarly compact and efficient. . QXP is all about precision with guides, object placements, type, etc. Very tight. . QXP is an industry standard, so professional designers can't go wrong using it. Now, the things that got to me in the end: . QXP crashed WAY more than any other software on my Mac . QXP is cumbersome and weak w. PDF creation . Some things, like table creation and object alignment, are basic and/or clunky . QXP is very slow in its upgrades & development, constantly a step or two behind the upstart InDesign . QXP is much more strict with what image file types it will allow to be Placed than ID . QXP sometimes has odd quirks that even Quark or press techs can figure out; in comparison we've yet to run into any quirks w. ID . In particular, QXP always had issues with files made in Illustrator. I really wish there were some middle ground between QXP and ID. Even after a couple years of using ID I still don't feel it is as svelte or intuitive as QXP in terms of the interface. But I really like that ID "gets along" with all other Adobe file types with no quirks in sight. Like I say, Quark has been updated once or twice since I switched but so far I'm not regretting it. We've sent all kinds of huge and complex files to press and have had no problems with ID. True, we didn't have TONS of issues with QXP but enough on the creation end of things that it has just been much less of a headache to use something that is fully compatible with PDFs, Photoshop, and Illustrator. It just makes sense since all three are Adobe products."

2. commented on Adobe InDesign - April 14, 2010 at 9:36 pm

"My review is primarily from the point of view of a switcher, going from Quark XPress to InDesign. If you are a graphic designer, you should know why you need high-end layout software like InDesign, so this review is based on the assumption that you already know what you are doing. ;) I went to school for graphic design and at the time InDesign did not exist. Quark XPress was pretty much industry standard so that's what we learned and that's what I used as a working professional up until 2009. Most of the reasons I like InDesign are due to its NOT being XPress, though it took two years of using ID on the side to decide to switched, since I was so comfortable with QXP. XPress crashed a lot. XPress was cumbersome with making PDFs. XPress was not cross-application friendly, seeming to downright HATE anything made by Illustrator. Still, it was hotkey-friendly and intuitive and hardly took up any room on the desktop and it worked fine. When it worked (version 6 and variants were very buggy in our office). After the umpteenth time of having to call up Quark to have them grant us access to our own copy of Quark (something you had to do anytime you reinstalled it), we switched over to InDesign and haven't looked back since. The first thing I love about InDesign is its compatibility with other Adobe products and file formats. You can place just about anything into an InDesign file, for better or worse - even PSD and AI files. You can also copy and paste vectors directly from Illustrator and they will still be editable in InDesign, though I'd only do this with simple vectors. And, because it is Adobe, creating PDFs (and interactive ones, too) is a snap and way more flexible than the PDF options in XPress. InDesign handles transparencies much better and even has a transparency gradient tool (though who knows, perhaps XPress finally has one now, too). Effects like drop shadows are simple to apply and are handled similarly as in Photoshop. Tables are WAY easier to build and manage in InDesign. Holy cow, I can't even tell you. The alignment features are MUCH more detailed, intuitive, and user-friendly as well. ID Prints much better and more accurate proofs to our in-house desk jets than QXP ever did. There are a lot of other little things, too, that are nitty gritty but make some layout processes smoother. Like setting tabs, or multiple justifications within a single sentence (that was SUCH a pain in QXP - very buggy). And ID just does things you'd think would be a basic function than QXP doesn't have or just takes a few versions to implement. And I won't even GO into the difficulties of dealing with Quark over the phone. As nebulous as the worldwide call centers are for Adobe, at least you don't have to call them once or twice a year to keep your software activated. Sheesh. Overall, ID has been a lot more stable than QXP and hasn't given us any problems. It has taken me awhile to re-learn how to do everything (ID does all the same stuff as QXP, just with totally different menus, hotkeys, etc) but I'm finding it to be an overall positive experience."

Howlsthunder updated 2 products

Howlsthunder — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:42:05 -0400

1. updated QuarkXPress - April 14, 2010 at 9:42 pm

agreed: "Too expensive"

2. updated Adobe Illustrator - April 14, 2010 at 8:54 pm

agreed: "As with most vector drawing programs, has a very steep learning curve"

Howlsthunder updated 5 products

Howlsthunder — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:10:08 -0400

1. updated Aerobie Pro Ring - April 14, 2010 at 8:10 pm

agreed: "Because of how far it flies, you need a pretty big area to play "

2. updated Vibram FiveFingers Performa - April 14, 2010 at 8:07 pm

new pro/con: Expensive for a shoe you cannot wear outdoors.

3. updated Vibram FiveFingers: KSO Trek - April 14, 2010 at 8:02 pm

new pro/con: Women's sizes available later in 2010

4. updated Nintendo Wii - April 14, 2010 at 7:16 pm

disagreed: "Expensive, especially when you consider Wiimote accessories"
agreed: "Graphics are last-gen."
agreed: "Many games are built around the wiimote as a gimmick."

5. updated iTunes - April 14, 2010 at 7:13 pm

agreed: "No options to add codecs for other media formats. (like flac and ape)"

Howlsthunder commented on 4 items

Howlsthunder — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:07:39 -0400

1. commented on Vibram FiveFingers MOC - April 14, 2010 at 8:07 pm

"These would probably look nicer to wear around the office than my cherry-red and black Sprints. :P"

2. commented on Vibram FiveFingers: KSO Trek - April 14, 2010 at 8:06 pm

"I am eager to try a pair of these. I wear my KSOs everywhere, both indoors and out, and the one thing I don't like is how they have NO traction in slick mud. Great traction on just about everything else. It looks like the tread in the design of the Treks will take care of this problem and the leather uppers, though a shame to get them dirty, will withstand much greater wear and tear. And ladies like me - do not fear! Vibrams announced on their Facebook feed that womens sizes and colors can be expected later this year."

3. commented on Vibram FiveFingers KSO - April 14, 2010 at 8:00 pm

edited a comment
edited a comment

4. commented on Portal - April 14, 2010 at 7:27 pm

"Thought I'd update to say that this game is one of two reasons I went out and bought an XBox 360 (the other reason being Fallout 3, though Halflife2 is right up there). ;) Definitely a great deal when you buy "Portal" as part of "The Orange Box". I wasn't into first person shooters (FPSs) until I played "Portal". Valve does a great job keeping the game mechanics and controller functions pretty much identical across games, so it was an easy thing for me to get comfortable with getting around in "Portal" and then feel at home running around "Halflife 2". Makes it a great showcase game for when friends who aren't into gaming come over. ;) Also want to second Erik: this game is laugh-out-loud with the BEST videogame monologues I've ever heard, hands-down. I want to quote practically everything from this game. Lastly to address the shortness of length: news is out that we can expect a "Portal 2" out by 2011! It will be a full-length game. :)"

Howlsthunder commented on Fallout 3

Howlsthunder — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:00:09 -0400

April 14, 2010 at 7:00 pm

"I wanted to put in an update now that I've played Fallout 3 all the way through, thoroughly finishing all quests and collecting all collectable objects/rare weapons, etc. I also added the "Broken Steel" and "Point Lookout" expansions and completed those. I took a year-long break from F3 (playing "Oblivion") and came back to start a new melee character (having previously had an assassin/sniper-type character before). I couldn't say why, but I am still drawn to the monotonous wasteland more than the colorful flora and fauna of Oblivion. Above-ground, I still LOVE Fallout - I think that now the only thing I absolutely dread is the repetitiveness of the subway tunnels and the comparatively small variety of enemies. I think I am probably immune to the depression of the landscape and post-apocalyptic situation of the game, too, because I find it exciting and interesting. If such things get to you, then this game will probably be overwhelmingly monotonous. :\ But post-apocalyptic fans should be happy clams. I am also finding that increasing the difficulty and keeping to melee weapons and NOT stealing for income helps to slow down my leveling progress and make the game not so easy on my second time around, now that I know that halfway through the game I will suddenly be swimming in loot I shouldn't hoard everything at the start. A note about the expansions: the Game of the Year version comes with all the expansions. This may help to enrichen the gameworld overall, but I couldn't say personally. Though I do know that having the "Broken Steel" and "Point Lookout" expansions installed from the disc got rid of most of the weird 'stretched-out-pixel' bugs. Having "Broken Steel" expands the end of the main plot and raises the level cap to 30, which you'll attain easily, but it does bring some fun perks with it. "Broken Steel" also allows you to continue playing after the main quest is finished, though at that point it feels silly to keep going for no reason other than to, say, kill everyone in the game. It also adds some leveled-up enemies which NEVER get easy to kill. "Point Lookout" takes you a bit south to some swamplands for a nice change in terrain and scenery full of deranged and inbred-looking hillbillies and tribal-like people. There are a few mob fights, which livened things up a bit. It was a fun distraction, probably just short enough for the amount of content. In short, even after all the time I've sunk into Fallout 3, I still find it highly enjoyable. I'm not the most hardcore of gamers and Fallout doesn't rush me, which I like. I'm a post-apocalyptic survival theme nut, which the game has in spades, and enough freedom and depth to keep me immersed. I still like it better than "Oblivion" despite Oblivion's greater size and variety, but I am sure personal preference plays a huge part. I don't think the game is perfect, no, but I do think that despite its weaknesses, it appeals to most of my favorite gaming elements and mechanics an does them well enough to draw me in again and again, making it one of my top favorite games thus far. I think that people who don't like Fallout 3 have very valid and good points, so if you are on the fence about this game, rent or borrow it first and then get the GOTY version. :)"

Howlsthunder updated 2 products

Howlsthunder — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:19:40 -0400

1. updated Vibram FiveFingers KSO - March 29, 2010 at 8:19 pm

agreed: "Comfortable and natural feeling +7"

2. updated Vibram FiveFingers Bikila - March 29, 2010 at 8:18 pm

added a related product: Vibram FiveFingers Sprint
added a related product: Vibram FiveFingers KSO
tapped as "want it"

Howlsthunder updated World of Goo

Howlsthunder — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:46:36 -0400

March 17, 2010 at 9:46 pm

agreed: "game is not graphically intensive - does not require a dedicated video card, onboard should be fine"
agreed: "different types of goo have different abilities and physical properties - makes for interesting game play and strategies"