Oh, HECK.

I have a MacBook that I've inherited from my daughter. She prefers an old PowerBook G4 for its size and shape. Go figure. I want to use the MacBook has my new HECK (Home Entertainment Center Kiosk).

First off, I put the iTunes music library on it. That works. Although I have to rebuild all my playlists and comments.

Now I want to hook it up for video. I went to Circuit City, Best Buy, Radio Shack, and Office Depot looking for an adapter to take it from the MacBook to the HDTV. At each store I asked for a mini-DVI to HDMI (or VGA) adapter. I learned that one qualification for working at an electronics/computer store in this century is the ability to maintain an air of superiority while under the influence of powerful sedatives. Also the applicant should lack any understanding of simple technical terms like "adapter."

If you want to meet a salesperson in one of these stores, the best bet is to stand in front of a large expensive television. If you wait for help in the "Cables and Adapters" section, your body will be found weeks later – probably by the helpful janitorial staff.

Fortunately, I have a blog. So here I am, asking you – my loyal readers – what the hell should I buy? DVI - HDMI or DVI - VGA? My TV will take either one, and has the plugs available. Which would provide the best display, the quickest response, the most compatibility with all the video software, the most job offers, the least offense to visiting space aliens deciding whether I need rectal probing? You don't want to piss them off after all.

Thanks.

Not much happened today in tech news. I read somewhere that Microsoft is officially acknowledging that Vista sucks. They probably didn't use that terminology precisely, but that seems to be the gist of their recent decisions re: providing XP downgrades (upgrades) for business users.

Dear Steve,

Please open an Apple Store in the Tri-Cities (that's Kennewick, Pasco, Richland) in Washington. Please. Soon. I cannot purchase anything locally. The pain is nearly unbearable. The hired hands at the local electronics stores all seem to have severe head injuries, psychomotor impairment, and troubled home lives. Nice people, but not exactly the guru on the mountaintop I'm usually looking for when it's time to tweak my computer systems, if you get my drift.

I hope wifey-poo didn't throw away the crossword I was working on.