A wise man once said, “Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”
— Legion (TV Series)
The Switch
Because I believe in being on time and topical I’ve decided to now post a mini, rambling review of the Nintendo Switch. I held off on this new console because when “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” came out it also available for the Nintendo Wii-U, which I already owned.
However, after a promotion at work, I decided that was an excuse enough to finally dive in and I’m very glad that I did. I love the versatility of the console. The number of ways that you can use it that suit your needs.
I primarily bought the Switch as a portable console. Originally I had been looking at getting the “New” Nintendo 2DXL as an upgrade on my older 3DS (I never really used the 3D features) but the cost was $199 (Canadian). However, everything I read and looking at the very few new games coming out did not make it seem like a great investment. The Switch in Canada was $399 and seemed like a much better deal, to me.
The specifications for the Switch are adequate for what it can do but like the Wii-U mind-boggling in that they didn’t bump them up at least a little more.
- NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor
- 32 GB of internal storage
- Expand storage space using microSDHC or microSDXC cards up to 2TB
- Approximately 2.5 – 6.5 hours battery life
One of the few negative points that struck a lot of people right away was, 32GB of internal memory? In this day and age? Yes, I know you can expand it but even so, 32GB is an insultingly low amount of memory to include with the base console at the price of $399. Thankfully the microSD cards are not very expensive and I recommend getting a 256GB card.
One thing I recommend is checking out some of the possibly lesser known titles on the Switch. Ittle Dew+ is one of them and if you were a fan of the original Zelda style of gameplay you are in for a treat here. It has a cute look to it but, given my lack of gaming ability, I have found it to be rather challenging at points.
I recommend checking this channel on YouTube as he often has great reviews of Nintendo Switch games.
Hopefully, they put out a second Zelda game (as I believe there have been usually 2 per console, or so) and I can experience it on this console. Given the limited power (it’s not much more powerful than the Wii-U) I do not see as long of a life for it as with the Xbox One or PS4 unfortunately.
Mistake
“‘Mistakes’ is the word you’re too embarrassed to use. You ought not to be. You’re a product of a trillion of them. Evolution forged the entirety of sentient life on this planet using one tool – the mistake.”
– Dr. Robert Ford “Westworld”
More Downtown
Coaching Part 1
Twenty-one years
I started out in technical support back in 1997 and I am here today because of the time that others took to help me along the way. Over the past year, I have been working hard to step up my efforts to hopefully do the same for others. Thanks to a program at work I really got to dive into what it means to coach someone in the workplace. Sometimes for technical people, it’s easier to just do it for someone when they ask for help. Yet, while it may be easier and faster it provides no benefit to the other person.
So that being said, this might be a rambling mess, but, I’ll do my best.
So how do you start? You listen. One thing I think that many of us are guilty of sometimes in conversation is that we are just waiting for the other person to stop talking so we can. It is an amazing thing that when you’re describing your problem to someone, seeking their help, that it’s obvious there really paying attention.
Next? Don’t do it for them, don’t give them the full answer. They are not going to learn anything if you give them the full answer. Instead, trust in that you’re working with clever, intelligent people who just need a pointer.
Going back to someone listening. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve come up with the solution myself just having someone listen to me. Three quarters through my rambling I often suddenly stop and go, “Wait a minute, I think I figured it out.” I thank them for their time and they often wonder what it is they did. Verbalizing your problem is an amazing way to find a solution.
That’s all for now. More rambling later.
Kindness
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
— Mr. Rogers
The Transit Cube
At my office, there is the legend of the Transit Cube. Said to have been built by a master QA architect a long time ago.
