thursday,september 4.2003
jayplay.11
BEGIN
gaming experience.
White PC Tech of Garden City outfits AdrenaLAN with their computers. The computer were custom-built for an optimal online gaming experience.
Eric Braem/Kansan
In anticipation of these parties, AdrenaLAN provides plenty of high-sugar and highly-caffeinated drinks, such as Red Bull and Bawls, to help people survive the long nights of intense game playing. There's also a huge stockpile of candy and chips to keep the energy flowing.
Aside from the sense of community, AdrenaLAN offers gamers the opportunity to play on a decent system without dropping a ton of cash. AdrenaLAN charges $4.50 an hour for nonmembers to play, or $20 for an all-day pass. It also sells memberships. Members receive discounts on hourly rates and all-day passes. On Mondays, Members play for $2.50 an hour and eat pizza for free. These prices are a bargain for gamers who would otherwise have to pay between $1,500 to $2,500 for a high-end computer gaming system.
REVIEW: THE FIRST TIMER
Are you not familiar with gaming but thinking of giving it a try? I would suggest it for anyone who has always been interested in games, but hasn't had the money to buy the equipment themselves. I've always enjoyed video games. I especially like to watch my friends play. I loved playing computer games such as Myst, Riven and Doom. It was always something I would do on a whim. It never became an obsession, but it was something fun and different to do
If you're into first-person shooter games, you can play 007 or Counter-Strike. Looking for a taste of your youth? Perhaps you desire something simpler such as Duck Hunt or Super Mario
Brothers. The familiar techy blip soundtracks will surely give you a sense of nostalgia. AdrenaLAN has everything: adventure games, sports games, fighting games and old-school Nintendo games everything to suit your gaming needs.
Kim Elisham
AdrenaLAN's atmosphere is completely laid back and friendly. The prices are cheap and it's a great way to have some brain stimulating fun. And consider this winter, too - when it's too cold to go anywhere, AdrenaLAN will keep those HDTV screens and computers warm for those bitter nights.
I want my MP3s
Why haven't portable MP3 players caught on? Maybe I just missed the boat. Or maybe other students, like me, think they are too expensive, that the iPod was the only model or maybe they are just not quite sure what they are.
It seems easy enough. A cable connects from your PC to the player. Then just click and drag your music onto the player's icon and the songs are saved in the player. Now you can take your music anywhere. It saves a lot of bulk. You don't have to carry your CD wallet around campus. The players are also lightweight and small. They won't take up anymore room in your backpack than your cell phone.
There are two kinds of players. One has its own hard drive that stores information and one uses a flash memory card.The difference is the amount of information that can be stored.
The iPod is a player that has a hard drive and can store 10 to 30 gigabytes of information depending on the model. That is about 2,500 to 7,500 songs. It is easy to use, too. The scroll menu operates very much like a normal computer so you can categorize your music by title, artist or genre. This model can also store other information besides MP3 files. At Best Buy, 2020 W31st St., the iPod sells for $300 to $500. "My best friend has a 30 GB one and he actually backed up a portion of his hard drive on his Ipod," says George Coleman, an electronics department full-timer at Best Buy. Coleman cautions that Apple does not recommend doing this.
Those with flash memory store less for less money. Most brands offer models that hold 64 to 256 megabytes, which is about two to eight hours of music. They are compact, lightweight models that are mostly designed for athletic use. Best Buy sells a number of brands for about $100 to $200.
If that is still too rich for your blood, you can also go with an MP3 CD player. It looks like a CD player but reads compressed files off of a recordable CD. You can fit 10 or more hours of music on them. Most models cost $80 to $150.
These portable jukeboxes save you a lot of time and hassle. Now you can carry the majority of your CD collection with you when you workout or go to school. The sleek or sporty design of most players make it an ideal accessory for any student.
Coleman suggests checking for a few key features before buying a MP3 player. The first is battery life. A model with a long battery life will hold more music. Second, make sure the player has skip protection. Last, make sure the software is compatible with your computer. All of this information should be located on the outside of the packaging. The selection is there. You just have to find one in your price range that meets your needs. Coleman recommends the Rio Sport, a portable player that has upgradeable memory for about $100.
LEGAL DOWNLOADS
It might not be just the expense holding people back from buying a MP3 player. Over the summer, music companies threatened to start prosecuting people for sharing files and started with the worst offenders. Fear not, there are many sites that charge you for their music if you want to download legally.
www.mp3grandcentral.net
Unlimited downloads are available for $23.99 for a two year subscription, $18.99 for a one year subscription, or $4.50 monthly. They boast that you will find any song that
you are looking for with no pop-up ads.
www.mp3.com
Unlimited downloads and access to full albums is offered for 12 months at $9.99 per month or 3 months at $14.99 per month.
www.apple.com/itunes/
All of the songs in their extensive selection are $.99. They allow you to preview before you buy and are supported by major record labels. The downside is that you need a Mac to use it.