My name is Chris and I currently live in Meadville, Pennsylvania. I am on my way to an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems at Penn State Erie: The Behrend College. I am very interested in IT, business, technology, computer programming, journalism, productivity, and music.
Technology
Technology is a passion of mine. I have been interested in computers and technology since I was in 5th grade and since then have become comfortable with many types of hardware and software. I started, of course, using Windows and Microsoft products at a young age. Once I became somewhat bored of the normalcies in Windows I learned how to use different types of Linux distros.
Since then I have been extremely interested with gadgets, operating systems, open source software, programming, and web technology. I am not a huge fan of social networking and that whole jazz, but I do understand how it can be used efficiently and how we as a society can gain from it’s use.
I am excited to keep up with technology by reading blogs and sites such as Engadget, CNET, Reddit, ZDNet, Hacker News, and Google Technology News. I feel that keeping up with technology news and IT information is essential for me to perform well as an IT professional in the industry.
Personal Tech
As of right now I own a “homemade” desktop PC that dual boots Windows Vista Business and Ubuntu 8.04 (Linux). The PC has a 2.13Ghz Core 2 Duo processor, MSI motherboard, nVidia 7800GTX graphics, and 4GB of Corsair RAM. I love to use this computer when I’m at home; it is extremely fast and I can accomplish layouts, graphic manipulation, and 3D work without a hitch.
In the next couple of years I may build a low cost server using Linux to better my understanding of server technology and how to keep it running on a continual basis while troubleshooting common problems.
For mobile use I have a Dell Latitude 131L that is entirely too slow. The Dell has since been replaced with my shiny new 13″ MacBook Pro. I run OS X Snow Leopard and run Windows XP Pro in a virtual machine with VirtualBox (mostly for use with Visual Studio).
I was a BlackBerry user for a couple of years and have actually changed some of the applications on the phone. I consider myself a BlackBerry power user and understand the “nuts and bolts” of the BlackBerry OS. I recently upgraded to a Palm Pre and downgraded to the Sprint Network (don’t get me started). I love the phone and the potential “hackability” of it.
Personal
When I’m not at work or doing school work I enjoy reading, watching movies, playing with my dog, and relaxing with my girlfriend. I also like to travel whenever I get a chance. Recently my girlfriend and I went to Saint Augustine, Florida for about a week and a half. We plan on going somewhere this summer as well (anywhere but here and hopefully somewhere warm).
Hopefully, after I complete my education at Behrend, my girlfriend and I will move to a warmer climate probably down south somewhere. We would like to take advantage of the warm weather and nice beaches. You can view more pictures at my Flickr.
