Movies Watched in 2015

Posted on January 2, 2016 by Cam

44 movies total, 22 in theaters. An admittedly weak effort for 2015. I really hope I can step up my movie watching game in 2016.

Minions 7/10 – Adorably strange.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens 9/10 – There was a lot of hype around this movie and, really, I felt like it lived up to most of it. I could have done without one particular gut wrenching scene (you might say it left a hole in me) but its impact is very effective.

Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 2 7/10 – A good wrap-up to the series.

Peanuts 7/10 – Essentially they have taken the best moments from various Peanuts movies and cobbled them together into this feature length production. For me it was a walk down nostalgia lane. They animation remains very faithful to the animated classics.

Tomorrow Land 7.5/10 – Certainly a little preachy, but justifiably so. There are some great “save the world” monologues in this one.

Spectre: 7.5/10 – Somehow James Bond seems to get less and less refined and more brutal. There’s a lot to like in this movie, but not a lot to love.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials: 6.5/10 – Not nearly as good as the first movie. I’m going to have to go ahead and admit that I didn’t follow the reasoning behind a lot of the plot. Good action and pleasant visuals though.

Pixels 8/10 – I don’t care what any of the critics said. This movie was a ton of fun. It induced nostalgia in the same way as “Wreck it Ralph.” Is it silly? Absolutely. But the visuals are fun, the comedy is mostly on point and I love the premise. A win, as far as I’m concerned.

San Andreas 6.5/10 – After a car crash scene in the beginning of the movie I had super low hopes for the film’s CGI. But I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the movie’s visuals. The plot holes in this thing are a 9.5 on the Richter Scale though. A fun disaster film when you’re feeling mindless.

Crimson Peak 7/10 – A good effort by Mr. Del Toro. The movie starts off really well and the viewer even gets told exactly what to expect but it’s really a clever misdirection. Ultimately that leaves the ending twist a bit disappointing. But there’s there’s a lot to like here and the acting is exceptional.

The Martian 7.5/10 – It has been so long since I’ve seen a movie (a month and a half!). I’m kind of shocked. Hopefully I can make up for some lost time. This movie was an interesting one to start with since I had just finished the book. I wonder what I would have thought of it as a “Martian virgin.” Regardless- it’s a solid space adventure / survival story and it’s visually and technically entertaining (although you really miss a ton of interesting scientific details if you haven’t read the book). A good romp on Mars.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation 7.5/10 – Tom Cruise has still got it.

AntMan 7/10 – Much funnier and lighter than I had anticipated. I enjoyed the visuals (reminded me a little of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids). I do think, in some ways, this movie illustrates how ridiculous the Marvel universe is getting.

The DUFF 6.5/10 – And then I asked myself… “Am I the DUFF?”

Paddington 7/10 – A bear that talks? Great family film- good message about love.

Inside Out 7.5/10 – Cute. Explains a lot.

St. Terminator Genysis 7.5/10 –

St. Vincent 6/10 – Ah Bill… why’d you do it. Why was there a good person in you.

Jurassic World 6/10 – I wanted to suspend my disbelief but the problems with the plot kept dragging me out of my chair and beating me senseless. Watching Alphamale Starlord ride his motorcycle next to his Raptor pack was amazing.

Jupiter Ascending 6/10 – There’s quite a bit to enjoy here, but I think there were some bad casting choices that end up hurting the movie. Heaven help me but I love Sean Bean in everything.

Mad Max: Fury Road 9/10 – What a rush! It was everything I never knew that I needed a movie to be. The movie is so in-your-face that it’s just mind blowing.

Avengers: Age of Ultron: 8/10 – I had a lot of people tell me that I reminded them of “the sarcastic robot.” Perfect. My plan is working.

Ex Machina: 8.5/10 – The robots will kill us all one day. You could almost call this movie a horror film. I think it’s thought-provoking and, for the most part, very well done. I think they made a mistake with the ending, but that’s because I like ambiguity more than definiteness.

Big Eyes: 7/10 – Very enjoyable story. Tim Burton pulls off the creepiness in just the right way.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2: 7/10 – Really refreshing to see a movie that didn’t need foul language, poop jokes or over the top sexuality to make it fun. Make no mistake though- this is low brow-humor but it’s guilt free. Rooting for the hapless underdog with a heart of gold is always a good time.

Into the Woods: 5.5/10 – Yeesh. This was bad enough that I’m going to go see the original play in attempt at closure. Hollywood musicals can be okay, and while I really like the story a lot of this production was a miss for me.

Wild: 7/10 – Refreshing and inspiring.

Horrible Bosses 2: 6.5/10 – Fun at times. Captain Kirk is a funny villain.

Sabotage: 6/10 – Graphic in a needless way. A “whodunnit?” mystery with the answer as plain as day.

Furious 7 : 8/10 – This movie knows how ridiculous it is- that’s why it works so well. It’s over the top, visually assaulting and the stuff that every guy dreams about. Two and a half hours of crazy. RIP Paul.

The Judge : 7/10 – This is a touching movie about pride and redemption. Throw in some good acting and you have a solid way to kill time.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb : 6/10 – Cute but overly absurd.

Insurgent : 6/10 – Most of the movie is fairly plodding and the performances are unengaging (weak script writing for certain). Still the movie has it’s moment of interest toward the end.

BirdMan: 8/10 – The cinematic elements are clever, the acting is excellent and the story is thought provoking while being ambiguous. The decay of a man and the attempted reclamation of dignity.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: 6.5/10 – This is a cute movie with an uplifting (although somewhat unrealistic) message.

The Imitation Game: 8/10 – Exceptional. Embellished for the big screen but still an incredibly compelling story both emotionally and intellectually.

Kingsmen: 7/10 – Over the top. Almost campy. Absolutely the next level of James Bond.

Into the Storm: 6.9/10 – The special effects were top notch. The story was just a vehicle with no substance.

American Sniper: 7.5/10 – I thought Bradley Cooper did a great job as Chris Kyle. I definitely enjoyed the movie more than the book. No opinion on the politics here.

Taken 3: 6/10 – This whole thing feels pretty tired. I didn’t like the recasting of Stuart of his metamorphosis into a crime lord. Kind of a mess and disappointing given how fun the first one was.

Lucy:6.5/10 – The movie’s hook felt a little weak but as a whole it was okay.

Box Trolls: 5.9/10 – Someone had warned me that this was boring. There were some visual effects that I enjoyed, but the story was hard to get into.

Gone Girl: 6.9/10 – Clever at times and certainly disturbing. Nothing that rocked my world, though.

The Captive: 5/10 – Well, that wasn’t the best way to kick off the new year. What a bizarre movie. Implausible, uneventful and unfulfilling. It’s almost like someone thought cutting it up and placing out of chronological order could fix things. Uh… no.

2014 Movies
2013 Movies
2012 Movies
2011 Movies
2010 Movies

Goodbye World!

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Cam

When you set up a new blog using WordPress you are greeted with a sample post which says:

Hello world! Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

I suppose when you post your last entry it seems only fitting to write something such as:

Goodbye world! Thank you WordPress.com. This is my last post. I won’t edit or delete it but I’m done blogging!

Periodically I’ve mentioned something about how “busy” I am (okay, okay- I allude to it in every post). There’s no satisfactory way to delineate everything that’s going on in my life but I’ve achieved a level of mental preoccupation that necessitates some changes. Sadly I find myself with so little free time that I am choosing to say goodbye to some things that I really enjoy. Most of what occupies my time I have not chosen and so I feel saddened by this decision but I don’t see another choice.

We’ve had some bad times, we’ve had some good times but what’s important is that we have had some times. All the best to the Internet! I hope that one day I’ll be back.

Cam

Marble Run Fun

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Cam

The other day Gabe made me an awesome little cardboard house (below, left). He told me it was for marbles and proceeded to roll one inside. I asked him if we could build an even bigger marble run around the house and he eagerly agreed.

We created the runs using regular 8 x 11 sheets of paper. It’s pretty simple. Just cut the paper into fourths (long ways). Fold a section in half (you can use tape to keep the edges together) and then fold the edges up on both sides (make sure your run is wide enough to accommodate your marble).

Decide where you need turns and cut out triangles in your run. When the cut out sections are folded and taped together they will create the angles (adjust as needed by cutting out more or less triangles). Add runs as desired and tape your new run under your old runs. You can use the same sections of paper to create structural supports. Always make sure your marble runs angle down enough to maintain momentum.

Here’s what we ended up with:

Not too bad! Maybe one day we’ll build something a little more aggressive.

A Sushi Burrito!?

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Cam

When a coworker showed me his coupon for Chiba Sushi Burrito we laughed. I love sushi, but a “sushi burrito” seemed like a questionable idea. It seemed so odd that we agreed we’d have to go check it out (we’re adventurous like that). We rounded up several “victims” and headed over to Chiba.

The restaurant is fairly nondescript and I couldn’t get a good sense of what kind of experience to expect. They offer a dozen or so burritos and I ordered one called the 49er. When it came out the amount of tuna was alarming but I’m the kind of guy who follows though (plus other people were making satisfied grunts). After my first bite I was a fan. It was delicious! It’s a little awkward to eat but that’s a price I’m willing to pay. The the amount of “sushi”” you get works out to be a great deal. I think everyone in our group enjoyed their burrito. I will absolutely go back and I can recommend Chiba if you’re in the mood for something a little different.

Movies Watched in 2014

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Cam

These are the movies that I have watched in 2014 (they have to be current movies from 2014 year or late 2013 watched in 2014 to make the list). Newest movies are at the the top. My goal last year was 50 movies, half in a theater. Final count: 37 movies, 21 in theaters. Not even close.

Unbroken 7/10 – I didn’t read Unbroken but I did enjoy the movie. I think it’s difficult to portray years worth of suffering in a two hour film and we, as viewers, tend to forget that the story is true which may compound that difficulty. Fran said she wished they had included the struggle and triumph of the post war chapter’s of the book.

The Hobbit 7/10– Weakest of the entries. Absolutely watchable, but extended far beyond what was necessary.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 7/10 – Quite entertaining. Solid visuals and a fun story. I had heard that Michael Bay planed to “rape our childhood memories” but this was not at all the case.

22 Jump Street 7/10 – Some solid and funny moments. Not as good as the original.

Million Dollar Arm 6/10 – Contrived but entertaining. Not a big sports fan so I’m sure that’s why I didn’t relate too well.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 8/10 – This was enjoyable. A little slower paced than it could have been (ergo two movies) but lots of things here to appreciate. Every time I think Jennifer Lawrence shouldn’t have been Katniss she changes my mind.

Need for Speed 7/10 – Okay, I admit it. Parts of this movie really lame. But in other ways it really delivered and stayed true to the roots of the game. I got what I wanted from it and sometimes that’s enough.

The Penguins of Madagascar 7/10 – This was a cute movie (and I suppose that makes sense given that whole plot of the movie revolves around Penguins being cute).

Expendables 3 6/10 – I’m pretty sure this is the same movie as number two… Good thing all the bad guys are so incompetent!

Maleficent 7/10 – I liked it better in some ways than Sleeping Beauty, but less in others (why did they have to make the fairies that dumb?). The altered back story is interesting and the movie has memorable moments.

A Million Ways to Die in the West 6/10 – Vulgar hit and miss humor. Seth needs to stick to cartoons and teddy bears.

Big Hero 6 7.5/10 – Another excellent effort from Disney (who needs Pixar?). I’ve loved robots since I was little so there’s an emotional element here that’s satisfying. It was a little hard to relate to the characters, but the story and visuals were excellent.

Interstellar 9/10 – For me Nolan is becoming what M. Night should have been.I loved the twists and turns this movie took. I guess I’ve always been a sucker for “Save the Earth” science fiction. No real disappointments for me on this one (with the possible exception of some questionable casting- but that’s not a big deal). It was a blast to be able to go see this in IMAX with the whole family.

John Wick 7/10 – I would say this movie succeeds at it’s goal. I think I’ll leave at that.

The Maze Runner 7.5/10 – I really enjoyed this movie. I liked the casting, pacing and the perpetual tension they created. I’m not a huge fan of creating more questions that you answer, but I guess that’s what sequels are for, right?

Hercules 6.9/10 – Watching a heavily buffed up Dwayne Johnson strut his stuff as amoral mercenary who uses the Herculean legends for personal gain is an interesting angle. He may not really be the son of Zeus but there is greatness in him after all. Fun to watch, but it’s a one trick pony.

Muppets: Most Wanted 6.5/10 – I really struggled though this movie. The songs and comedy just didn’t connect with me. I know the movie is supposed to be a little silly, but it may have been a little to silly for its own good.

Heaven is for Real 6.9/10 – Eh… it’s a nice enough feel-good movie but it didn’t resonate with me on a deep level.

Guardians of the Galaxy 9/10 – I had my expectations pretty high for this. I try not to do that, but with Marvel movies that’s been hard for me. To pluck five obscure comic book characters out of “thin air” and give them their own movie seems like risky business. But the writing, cinematography and acting made it work really well. I already want to watch this again.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 6.9/10 – Certainly okay to watch, but not particularly memorable. Good action / thriller filler.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 7.5/10 – This surprised me. I’m not a huge Planet of the Apes fan but this movie lays some thoughtful groundwork for what is to come (what already came). CG has come so far it’s amazing.

Snowpiercer 7/10 – I’m not completely sure what to make of this movie. The storytelling is compelling but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to get from it. If you try and think of the movie literally it doesn’t make sense, but as an allegory it’s entertaining.

Transformers: Age of Extinction 6.5/10 – This was a massive disappointment. Three hours of bad dialogue, impossible explosions, an incomprehensible plot mixed together with robots. I love robots. It’s too bad they made Optimus Prime into such a sissy. I swear everyone beats this guy up.

300: Rise of an Empire 6/10 – After the first 300 this movie was a total let down. Reminded me a lot of Sky Captain (i.e. everything looked CG). I just couldn’t bring myself to care what was going on.

Lone Survivor 7/10 – Harrowing and intense this movie inspires awe and gratitude.

Edge of Tomorrow 8/10 – I admit it. I like Tom Cruise. I have liked all his recent movies and I can’t figure out why he can’t seem to score a box office hit. Edge of Tomorrow is basically like a science fiction Groundhog Day and I really enjoyed it.

I, Frankenstein 5.5/10 – I like Aaron Eckert. He even makes a good Frankenstein. But this movie is difficult to enjoy when the plot retreats into a God vs. Satan end of the world vehicle. Between so-so CG, a mess of a plot and a monster who’d clearly rather be somewhere else this one is miss.

X-Men: Days of Future Past 8/10 –

Godzilla 7/10 –

Amazing Spider-Man 2 7/10 –

Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier 7.5/10 –

Divergent 7/10 – This was actually a lot better than I was expecting. Reading the book prepared me for the worst in some ways. While I liked the books ideas there were some serious plot issues that I feel like the movie actually addressed and corrected. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Saving Mr. Banks 7.5/10 – While not quite historically accurate this is a great story. I liked the acting, pacing and feeling of the movie.

The Lego Movie 7.5/10 – I might have gone in expecting too much. Visually stunning and plenty of action & dialogue to hold adult and kid interest.

RoboCop 7/10 – A surprisingly good update on the dated classic.

The Monuments Men 6/10 – I guess deep down I’m not a guy who’s into history and who think human life is more valuable than art.

Captain Phillips 8/10 – Love Tom Hanks (maybe not his accent in this) and he does a fantastic job. Good pacing, lots of tension and action.

2013 Movies
2012 Movies
2011 Movies
2010 Movies

2014 Razer Blade Review

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Cam

As I said my last Blade post, my initial experience with Razer was…perplexing. After navigating through an impossible checkout system I was informed that I’d actually failed to place an order. Nevertheless, and without further action, the Blade arrived and, being the inquisitive kind of guy that I am, I tried it out. Amidst falling in love with the quality, design and power I realized that the computer screen had a few dead pixels. Razer customer service was very responsive and the computer was quickly sent back to them via a 2-Day FedEx label they provided,

Turn around was quick. Monday was a holiday so my computer shipped from Razer on Tuesday and I had it back in my hands Thursday. They ended up shipping me a brand new laptop. In some ways it was too bad- I’d customized a lot of settings and had installed quite a few applications on my original unit. However, the new laptop they sent seems superior in a number of ways and there were zero dead pixels!

Razer’s initial presentation is exceptional.

Quickly I’ll go though the pros and cons of the 2014 Razer Blade:

Pros:

• The QHD+ touchscreen is gorgeous! I love not being able to actually see the pixels. I was a little worried about the glossy finish but I’m sold at this point. Not to mention gloss is much better suited to a touch screen. I don’t know that I’ll use the touchscreen but it’s nice to have it just in case.
• Amazing build quality and aesthetics. The laptop just feels… right.
• The keyboard is second to none- no sponginess and the illumination doesn’t really bleed out from between the keys. The trackpad is super responsive and also feels nice.
• The sound is excellent. The speaker placement is ideal and the quality and volume levels exceeded my expectations.
• No bloatware on board. That’s always a wonderful treat.
• The Razer is whisper quiet. Sure you can hear the fans when you play something demanding, but even at their top speed they aren’t bothersome.

Cons:
• A little surprised that there isn’t a network jack. And the omission of an SSD card reader is also perplexing. Yes, you can buy USB adapter for the missing items but I feel like they should have been integrated to begin with.
• Expensive. A lot of what you’re paying for is the compact design. For the same price you could get a much more powerful, albeit much larger, laptop.

Not good but not really bad…
• The black aluminum case retains finger prints / smudges. I’m sure there’s a simple way to clear things, but I haven’t found it yet.
• The trackpad buttons are a little spongey. This is surprising given the quality of the actual trackpad. Interestingly I much prefer the buttons on my replacement Blade- they seem to have a much better feel and lack the “boink” noise of the others.
• You can’t change color on keyboard. It could be nice to alter the colors, but the green does look great.
• Some programs (i.e. Chrome) really don’t really support the higher resolution screen. That’s not a Blade issue, per se, but it is a consequence of the higher res screen.
• With the only vents on the bottom and using the case act as a heatsink the Blade can get hot when doing serious gaming. Under normal use the unit temp is comfortable. I was surprised at how much cooler my replacement Blade runs. The returned model got extremely hot to the touch under fairly light loads, but my new Blade has remained comfortable thus far no matter what I’m doing (excluding intensive benchmarking / gaming).

Performance on my games seems excellent. The Cloudgate 3D Mark results for the Razor Blade was about 15,600. For the sake of comparison the Cloudgate score on my Pulse 17 was in the 12,600. And if you’re interested: Maingear Pulse 17 laptop review.

I think Razer is really getting close. I would like to see the next Blade with the addition of an SSD reader, a network jack, customizable keyboard colors, 16GB ram, TB SSD and a 15″ screen in same chassis. Because… why not? But all things considered the 2014 Blade is a phenomenal computer with nearly everything going for it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a compact gaming computer.

UPDATE: I purchased a 2015 Razer Blade (same model but with an upgraded graphics chip), Here are a few 3DMARK test scores from the newer version of the Blade.

Razer Blade Laptop

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Cam

Update 5/23/2014

For whatever reason I ended up being sent a Blade Laptop (I was charged for it, don’t worry). Since I had the computer in my possession I decided to at least take it for a test spin. I’ll do a more in-depth review later but I’ll just say that the build quality is amazing, the machine is lightning fast and the screen is gorgeous. A definite keeper.

However, in addition to being gorgeous the screen also had several dead pixels. I almost didn’t care enough to do anything but I figured it would be a good chance to test out their customer service. I emailed them and explained the situation. They responded quickly offering to repair the laptop. I was given a postage paid return label and comprehensive return instructions.

A couple of days later Sean called me. He said he had the Blade but he couldn’t find any dead pixels. “Oh really?” I said incredulously. He asked if I’d pulled off the screen protector yet? “There was a screen protector?” Absolutely- he’d just pulled it off and anything that looked like a dead pixel came off with it. How embarrassing for me! That had never happened to anyone before. I apologized and felt like an idiot… Luckily he called me back and said he was looking at the wrong computer. He noted that mine had no screen protector and that he saw the dead pixels right away. New computer incoming. I’ll write up a review when it gets here.

________________________________________

Update 5/12/2014: Yesterday I got this email from Razer:

Hi Cam,

It looks like your order did not go through correctly. Please try placing another order. We highly recommend you clear your cache and try a using a different web browser.

The error you describe is normally caused by a mismatch of payment information. Please check the information you are entering including the billing address, phone number, and billing name are an exact match with what is on file with your payment provider.

Thank you for your time and support.
Best Regards,
Razer Order Support

So… I guess my ordering efforts (described below) were in vain. Hilariously the ticket they replied to was the one where I told them I had tried different browsers. I will definitely not be going through their checkout process again so it appears that I am not getting a Razer Blade. At least I’ll save some money.

________________________________________

Razer recently announced their all new Razer Blade gaming laptop. I had strongly considered the Blade earlier this year when I bought my Maingear Pulse 17 but ultimately decided against it because of the screen quality and resolution (1600 x 900).

While I have enjoyed the Pulse 17 immensely I’ve decided it’s simply too large to use the way I had intended. With the new upgraded QHD screen and and the Nvidia 870M I can’t resist the chance to check out Razer’s new system. Unfortunately it looks like the ship date is still three weeks away so I’ll have to be patient. I’ll post a quick review once the laptop comes!

As a quick aside, ordering from Razer’s website presented one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve ever had ordering a product online.Their estore perpetually rejected my emails, address info, password choices, credit card numbers to such an extent that I almost decided to skip the purchase altogether. I tried over a dozen times to submit my and finally succeeded after I created an account independent from the checkout process.

TECH SPECS

Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-4702HQ Quad Core Processor with Hyper Threading 2.2GHz / 3.2GHz (Base/Turbo)
Chipset: Mobile Intel® PCHM 8 series chipset, HM87
Memory: 8GB onboard memory (DDR3L-1600MHz)
Graphics and Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 870M (3GB GDDR5 VRAM, Optimus™ Technology)
Display: 14.0″ QHD+ 16:9 Ratio, 3200×1800, with LED backlight, capacitive multi-touch
Storage: 512GB SSD (SATA M.2)
Power: Compact 150W Power Adapter
Built-in 70Wh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery
Webcam: Built-in HD webcam (2.0MP)
Additional Features
Razer™ Synapse 2.0 Enabled
Multi-point touchscreen interface
Built-in stereo speakers
Backlit anti-ghosting keyboardt
Communications: Intel® Wireless-AC 7260HMW (802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth® 4.0)
Size and Weight:
Width: 13.6” / 345mm
Depth: 9.3″ / 235mm
Height: 0.70″/ 17.8mm
Weight: 4.47lbs / 2.03kg
Operating System: Windows® 8.1 (64-Bit)

Maingear Pulse 17 Laptop Review

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Cam

Prior to ordering the Maingear Pulse 17 I tried to find an online review, but I could’t find anything. Despite the lack of firsthand user experiences I decided to take the plunge and I’m pleased to report that I was not disappointed.

The Pulse 17 is expensive- let’s get that right out there. But you get an extremely elegant (and thin) gaming laptop with enough power for even the most demanding games. 3D Mark’s Cloud Gate benchmark was 3057 on my old Vaio laptop and over 12,700 on the Pulse 17. Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag runs great in full 1080p and visually surpasses the Playstation 4 version.

At this point I’ve owned the Pulse 17 for long enough that other reviews are popping up now and I don’t think I’ll take the time to write anything comprehensive. Instead I’ll just link to the review that best sums up my feelings: Endgadget Maingear Pulse 17 Review.

Engadget ended up giving the laptop and 84 and I’m pretty mostly on the same page. But I do have several issues I’d point out to a potential buyer:

• Once area where really disagree with their assessment concerns the trackpad. I found it difficult to use- for some reason the location of my finger is perpetually a mystery to the pad (even after adjusting the sensitivity settings). I don’t like the integrated buttons either.

• While I appreciate a cool running laptop the fans on the Pulse 17 are perpetually blowing and fairly loud. Additionally I’m right handed so the right-side vent blows hot air onto hand as I mouse around in games.

• The keyboard is really spongey- when you press the keys you can actually see other keys dip down with the one you pressed. Not a fan of the font they used for the keys either. Still, it’s a passable keyboard and I like that the number pad is included.

• Another caveat – unrelated to the laptop – is Windows 8. Looking at stability testing and gaming benchmarks I opted or the 8 platform but almost immediately regretted my decision. This may sound silly, but I didn’t fully grasp that Microsoft had opted to remove the start menu. Ah! Luckily keyboard shortcuts have proven sufficient to overcome this obstacle. But still… Ah! The Pulse 17 doesn’t have a touch screen so that might be something else to consider if you choose Windows 8.

One thing I did that I doubt any other reviewer will do is subject my Pulse 17 to a drop test. Okay… I admit it wasn’t intentional. I was coming back from a business trip and the person unloading the rental car accidentally dropped my computer. It was a in a neoprene case and fell onto concrete from about three feet. “Graceful” is not a word I would use to describe the way this laptop falls. The impact caused significant structural damage (the corner of the case was bent, the frame holding the screen in popped out and the computer no longer sat flush on a table). Despite the drop after popping the screen back in the laptop seemed to be okay.

After visiting with Maingear and concluding that it would be “very expensive” to repair the cosmetic damage I oped to take the computer apart (all you have to to is remove all the screws on the bottom of the case and pop it off) and see if I could straighten things out. I was able to bend the casing mostly back into place and the computer sits nearly flat again. The only real issue left is some very minor dimpling on the far right of the screen where the impact occurred. Conclusion: For a laptop this big it’s surprisingly tough (also never let anyone else touch your computer…never ever).

Okay, enough with my sob story. The Maingear Pulse 17 certainly isn’t the world’s most powerful laptop (check out the offerings from Falcon Northwest) but it’s got to be one of the sexiest and most functional I’ve come across. I completely recommend the Pulse 17 as a replacement desktop and gaming computer.

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