My New Toy: X360 Controller for Windows

It is my summer! And I am spending my free time playing Need for Speed Prostreet, learning some new programming skills, and prepare myself for the internship program at IBM Solution Delivery, Thailand which will start at 17th this month.

When I played Need for Speed Prostreet for the first time, I found that Microsoft Wireless Keyboard was not responsive enough for playing this kind of game.

So, I decided to buy a new toy :)

I bought it from Pantip, Thailand's biggest computer store [and software vendors' nightmare :P], at the price of 1500 THB which seems to be too expensive for a game controller. I bought the wired version because some people in the forum said that the wired version is more responsive than the wireless ones. The wireless version also costs around 1900 THB.

The design is exactly the same as XBOX360 version. It has two analog sticks, one D-pad and four buttons. Despite the fact that I am a SONY fanboy. I have to say that this design is great!

There are more things to note about the controller's package design. First, there was a green stick wrapped around the end of the USB cord to warn the users to install hardware driver before plug the controller into USB port. It is really a great package design technique which can prevent technical problems for most users.

Second, it has a part in its cord that is loosely connected. So when people walk over the cord and accidentally trapped by it. The cord is consequently taken apart. So, the damage is not done to the game console, or the USB port of the computer.

My brother seems happy playing with it too. Here is photo of my brother playing Need for Speed :)

Summer' resolution

Tired from taking many exams last week (being a Thai student in a Thai university is not that easy, you know?), I decided to spend my very first time of my summer sitting in front of my computer, playing PS2 games with my brother and help my sister to prepare for upcoming Triamudom suksa school entrance exam.

At summers or any long vacations, I always make resolutions. ... I will do these, I will do those, I will learn C#, I will prepare for MCPD, ... blah blah. But up until this day, only 30% of all my resolutions had been done. So I will not make too many resolutions this summer ;)

My resolution for this summer is that I will finish reading my two new books within this summer. They are ...

Practical Object-Oriented Design With UML by Mark Priestly - After reading first few chapters of this book, I am really impressed at how the writer described the software engineering process. Compared to other books in the same category, this book explains SE in more friendly way. I really like this kind of books.

This book focuses at the use of UML with software projects. It first briefly explains the popular methodologies used in SE world which are Unified Process and eXtreme programming. After that, there is a real-world case study (restaurant booking system) and a UML tutorials.

I found this book at my university's book shop, the price is incredibly low for an English text book in Thailand (around 500 THB or 12 USD).

Code Complete 2nd Edition by Steve McConnell - Have heard of this book many many times, I decided to buy a copy. As a MSDN Connection Gold member, I could buy this book from MS Press partner with 35% off or around 1300 THB (Actually, I could asked someone I know who has a platinum card to buy this for me at 40% off!).

The book focuses on the best practices for everything in building a software from coding level to software project management. Some also says that this is a book every serious programmers should have.

Hope I can finish these before my third year at the university begins.