This is Not A Review but a record of anticipation...

For a camera that has been seeing good discussion even before it is out in the market. Better yet, it has even won an award even before any production began.

Yes the x100 from Fujifilm is the camera to beat and something of a Leica that is not a Leica.

One thing about a good car is that it should transport you from point A to B with 100% safety and in comfort. The issue is that most cars out there will and do provide such assurances while we drive.

So it is the same with cameras. All can take photos but somehow, certain things like controls, color rendition and the ability to do things quickly will allow a photographer to get the shot it wants. There are also subtle stuff such as the psychological effect on one's belief if the tool being used is deemed to be of great value and quality and that's why people have brands.

If I were to put a Lumix and a Leica together where essentially some models are the same, somehow the Leica would garner more positive vibes. Still, I am pretty sure that Leica has done something that the Lumix has not done well. So even if the model/product is the same, the innards has changed....or was it the brand effect?

Anyways, now that Fujifilm has come out with something that Leica has failed to produced after so many years of digital photography that can appeal to the middle class masses. Of course, one won't expect a Lamborghini to produce a Honda Jazz type of car but at least something that the masses can hope to get. If Leica has no such ambitions, it won't have to come out with the LuX-5 or the X-1 for that matter.

In any case, Leica has missed it. As all good photographer would know, a viewfinder is not a luxury but actually a necessity, more so when a digital camera sensor is not really sensitive to light and thus will create image shake. Leica, and so do the other brands has failed to provide a credible view finder (even if it is a hole in a camera) for its mass appeal cameras.

Mass appeal cameras need not be a point and shoot camera but it should be offer something that helps a noobie and one who wants nothing to do with photography, to adopt a good photography habits. Hence I would say now that the LCD on the camera's back is the greatest impediment to good photography since people use the LCD to frame their shots, introducing camera shake for the stupidest of reasons. Therefore, a potential winner such as the Olympus PEN has missed it amongst those who know how to shoot a camera.

I would also argue it this way: just before the mass introduction to digital photography, does camera shake feature badly in point and shoot film cameras? I guess it should be much lower than modern digital cameras. All because of one thing: view finder.

Put it this way. Forcing a user to use the viewfinder will ensure that one would not need IS, and it ensures that ISO need not to be so high and perhaps a lens that do not need F2 to get good photography at night. All the above will make a camera cheaper and easier to make.

So...the no. 1 reason why x100 will get cult status is because it has a viewfinder, and a very good one at that.

Secondly, the use of prime lens at F2 maximum is also letting light into the camera much easier than those super zooms. So what if one cannot change to 18-50mm lens? It is just an x3 lens that can be easily solved with some steps forward or back to frame the picture. Zoom just make people lazy for no reason.

Thirdly, the use of a big sensor from a DSLR = Bigger area for light capture = higher incidences of light capture = higher shutter speed.

So all the three above just makes it a photographer's idea of heaven.

And of course, getting rid of all those superfluous buttons and knobs and auto modes and focusing on the three main stuff Aperture, shutter and EV just makes us focus on what to change to take what we want.

IS fujifilm perfect? Not yet.

Judging from Ricoh GRDIII, the F2 lens can be even faster at F1.8 and the other glaring mistake, the inability to change ISO quickly through a knob on its own just isn't that forgiveable, especially when ISO settings is one of the de facto Manual photography settings we need to take note of.

I guess it is better for me to write then to do a video. My voice over microphone is alway so 'girlie' (yucks). And I would really want to put in some effort to edit this thing but I am trying to explain why certain should be looked into. So 1 min on things that needed to be improved? A lot but is not a bad phone.

So here it goes...

x10 hangs in the middle of the night...

The X10 hangs in the middle of the night. So if I do have a call coming in, nothing will go through.

Another thing about wireless. Was at Vivocity Mall last evening and somehow the x10 just couldn't connect even though the connection was strong. Sensing that there is some app is not functioning well, I decided to reboot the phone. That does the trick.

Right now, I have force restart the x10 more than the Hero.

Android 2.2 to support flash.

http://top10.com/mobilephones/news/2010/04/flash_integrated_into_android_2_2/

I know the x10 is going to get the 2.1 and so does the HTC Hero both of which I have in my possession. Honestly between waiting for the 2.1 and getting a flash 2.2, which is better?

Undeniably the 2.2. Why? Because of flash support. Maybe not so much for the Hero as the screen is small but the 4"screen of the x10 would do great with some flash support.

Perhaps SE has to go back to the drawing board and, God forbid, push back the June date release for the upgrade?

I know it would be a great boost for SE in terms of marketing if it can pull off a 2.2 upgrade instead of the 2.0 or 2.1....Flash support is not a small issue.

Today supposed to be the birth of HTC Hero 2.1

Guess what?

Now HTC is pushing back the ROM upgrade of the Hero to 2.1. Next time I would know not to buy a handset that promise to have OS upgrade in the future.

I just hope that SE don't go down the same way with the SEx10 1.6 as it has seriously damage the reputation and reliability of HTC

My Complaint to DBS

Saw the advertisement for mBanking app.

One very very telling mistake: What has happened to Android Phones support?

On the list are Windows Mobile, Symbian Phones (Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG) and of course iPhones. But there are users who are using Android based phones too (Nexus One, HTC Hero/Magic/Milestone/Dext).

The number for Android may be small now but the trend for Android phones is something one shouldn't dismiss so easily.

Here are some articles to prove my point

http://phandroid.com/2010/03/10/android-growing-ridiculously-faster-than-all-other-mobile-platforms-in-the-us/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10440857-266.html

Consider also who are the android users, the very people who are willing to try new stuff, who are vocal and who knows stuff inside out. In marketing research, these are the influencers, the very people who will help new products to be adopted fastest (Apple iPhones benefitted from such people too).

I guess DBS really don't treat Android users as customers? So why Android phones are not supported? Why such a half hearted launch of a new product?

My Feel About MW600

I got the MW600 last thursday and a week later, i guess it would be alright to have another accessment of the product

Pros
- Clarity of sound
- Good BT reach from phone to receiver. I say can go about 4m before breaking up
- Attached ear phones has good bass. Attribute to the type of ear phones being used (in-ear). Much better than the ones that comes with x10.
- Setting it up was good and allows multiple connections

Cons
- Allows multiple connections but unable to use two devices hooked to the MW600 concurrently (there are such BT devices around already)

- No holes for me to use a lanyard with. I have to find something to clip on too.

- totally dislike using the volume slide bar as volume control and also choosing items in the menu. It is seriously counter productive as I struggle to choose from one device to another. Reason? The thumb is on thevolume bar and the play button is accessed using the index finger. In the end I have to use TWO hands to change the item which I think a one hand operation should be the norm.

- The manual? Gosh, talk about scant information
- An experiment. Wear the earphones, plug it into the BT Device and let it dangle. Now pick it up using the right hand (I assume more than 90% of the world's population uses the right hand) so that you can read the device at the quickest time. Now try to read the words.

It is upside down.

Ergonomics just went for a holiday.

Starhub has enabled 100mbps service to all premium and ultimate users.

Sad to say, those who do not have the docsis 3.0 modem won't get to enjoy the speed.

And there is also no promotion to get those who has older modems to upgrade.

So right now my feedback is this: "Is starhub concerned with customer retention or not?"

For all it is worth, if being a premium customer is being treated this way, I would be downgrading soon since

a) The local content is well served by 12mbps anyway
b) Facebook do not really need that high a bandwidth since it is primarily photos and texts
c) I am not a Youtube Junkie.
d) Games nowadays has tons of speed the the problem is always server side. And the server side has nothing to do with the product offering from starhub most of the time unless they have an exclusive deal (e.g. maplestory servers). What if you are not a maplestory gamer?
e) I won't be enjoying 100 mbps because of CSU/DSU issue

The Palm Bakery: I baked, he shot, I post

Some help here.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/3599271669_e0940129d9.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2462/3599245999_dc4dc85dcd.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/3600075914_cfe30e9435.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/3599261133_2ba20a9ed9.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3408/3599255829_3d4406cd93.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3599251025_62c4e6dfa5.jpg

Taken from:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wilzworkz/sets/72157619311991014/

Some After Thought Tests...

Right now since I am hooked back to my original set up, which is a WRT54G Linksys router using UTP cable to link both my desktop and CSU/DSU, I decided to go to speedtest.net to run 3 more instances of the same test

Time: 1.55am

Here goes:

Local
Download 19.46/23.38/27.53
Upload 0.76/0.59/0.62
Ping 26/24/27

Overseas
Download 4.47/3.97/3.43
Upload 0.59/0.59/0.58
Ping 209/208/208

Seems like with the router is not that much slower either.

Now I also tried Speedeasy (http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/) and selected San Francisco server (to be consistent with Speedtest.net test)

Download 5.24/5.31/4.196
Upload .576/.575/.557

Looks like pretty consistent to me so the speedtest.net is ok. My 12Mbps CSU/DSU is giving me 22 Mbps for local servers...wow!

Just made me wonder aloud. Did the Starhub technical team allowed max bandwidth to overseas server? If they do give as much access to the 12 Mbps service, then the new service in speed has a lot to prove.

Surprising Results from my Broadband Test

Here are my results done from 1230hrs to 0115 hrs SG-time.

Using Mozilla browser, I have visited the following websites like STOMP, CNA and Razor.tv and accessing the same clips within the same time frame. And to make it slightly more scientific, I have accessed speedtest.net to run 3 instances of the same test to make sure I have a good spread of readings.

Yes I did plan to do a peak versus non-peak hour comparison but what stopped me was that of the 2 services, i.e. the premium and the 'New Super Fast' service, I would guess that premium would have more customers than ultimate. So to make things 'fair-er', I decided on the sleeping hours of 12 to 1am where the line is much clearer for both services.

To make it as fair as possible, I reset the CSU/DSU and also disable my internet connection every time I hooked up to the CSU/DSU to ensure connections is 'fresh'. Not that it will matter lots, but at least all started from the same condition.

As expected, the video downloads from the local websites are pretty fast with fast downloading of web pages and most importantly the videos. I did try to see how much quicker but in the end, it is just a matter of seconds. Practically speaking, it is a short wait and the differences between the two is really negligible.

Since I can't differentiate the two in terms of the timing, then speedtest.net would be a good indicator of connection speed.

As mentioned before, there will be 3 instances of the same test but will be done on a local server from New Media and a San Francisco server hosted by Unwired.

Here are the results

The Super Fast Service (1st Test/2nd Test/3rd Test)

Local Server (New Media)
Download - 20.59/21.26/20.87 Mbps Avg: 20.9 Mbps
Ping - 32/29/31 ms Avg: 30.6
Upload - 0.73/0.72/0.70 Mbps Avg: 0.71

Overseas Server (Unwired)
Download - 1.22/1.75/1.03 Mbps Avg: 1.3
Ping - 238/233/237 ms Avg: 236
Upload - 0.52/0.52/0.53 Mbps Avg: 0.52

Ultimate Service (aka 12 Mbps service)

Local Server
Download - 23.35/23.4/20.34 Mbps Avg: 22.3
Ping - 28/25/26 ms Avg: 26.3
Upload - 1.10/1.10/1.10 Mbps Avg: 1.10

Overseas Server
Download - 3.74/2.82/2.79 Avg: 3.11
Ping - 204/206/205 Avg: 205
Upload - 0.61/0.62/0.61 Avg: 0.61

Conclusion:

a) Local content - given that the user experience is pretty fast for both services, there is really nothing to differentiate them. Perhaps the server allowing access to the content is being curtailed to a point that it is quite uniform between the two

b) Overseas content - given that most users would travel overseas for their content such as Facebook, this test is pretty significant. But what is the issue with Internet infrastructure is that all the data packets do travel around the world in different routes,through different routers and connections. So any comparison in timing is 'unfair' in the strictest of senses. However speedtest.net somehow give an acceptable results to make a fairly good decision.

So what happened here is that local content is pretty straightforward as it is fast and usable. What surprises me is that my 12Mbps service with an older CSU/DSU is able to show results of average 22.3 Mbps data throughput rate from a local server. That is nearly twice what the older CSU/DSU is capable of! It is really weird. Has my hardware upgraded itself? Or is the test site gone berserk?

My 12 Mbps service has consistently beaten the 'Faster' service for both local and overseas server and even the download speed from overseas server is 3 times faster.

Now I really have to question what in the world is going on? I may have enjoyed a faster speed than what was advertised (great!) but are the people paying higher speed packages really getting their monies' worth?

Judging by the throughput rate of the local server, I would harbour the guess that in the effort to outdo competitors by increasing the download speed, the connection speed is way way above what the servers can 'serve' out. So any increase in speed is really not necessary unless the server that one is accessing can support the speed nearer to the services one has subscribed to. Otherwise it is really not maximising the online time (sorry for the pun)

Ok, let's just say speedtest.net is 'spoiled' and using my nonscientific method of measuring video downloads, the difference is really minute. So I would take any of these 2 services for local content. What's left is to choose the cheaper of the 2.

Rright now I guess I just stick with my old CSU/DSU.

The High Speed Internet Bandwagon

So I have received the highspeed CSU/DSU (the equivalent of Modem, or modulator/demodulator, for the cable connection from starhub. It really harks back the time when I have experienced the Docsis 1.0 CSU/DSU from SCV (now Starhub) for the trial. The quantum leap from 55k Modem to Cable is really mind blowing (when square floppy disc was in the rage then, you can imagine how young I am). So would the jump from an 'ok' speed to 'high' speed be that significant?

Was thinking how to plan the test as I have an internet connection being shared amongst the family members wirelessly without them being inconvenienced but still have a good test.

So the test period for 2 weekends is actually not that helpful for one who is working full time since the only time where most people are not at home is during the working hours.

The wireless router is another issue. WRT54G is rated at 54mbps at the best data throughput rate. Wireless being wireless, there will be issues with regards to transmission strength with our thick HDB walls and doors being the usual suspects halting the connection from laptop to router.

Router as it is known is a smart switch. But no matter how smart it is, it has to route and that will include some latency time, no matter how small or fast it is.

Hence wireless out, router out and direct connection is in. But would the splitter affect the test as well? Gosh. there are just many unknowns and I do not want to lay wires throughout the house.

Therefore I opt for this test sequence instead.

Using my netbook as the standard machine to access the internet, I would make a direct connection with the same UTP cable from Netbook to the 2 CSU/DSU(C/D) but these two C/D will share the same connection using a splitter. To make sure full access to the co-ax is enabled, the untested C/D will be switched off.

The timing would be fixed also: 10am-11am (non peak period) and 10pm-11pm (peak period)

The tests will be in the done side by side, each time switching on/off the UTP connection on the netbook itself.

When connection is switched on, the following will be done.

a) Local video streaming sites from CNA, Asiaone, STOMP, razor.tv, OMY. Will time each download by pressing play and see when the download bar has become full.
b) Do a speedtest via www.speedtest.net to both local and international test servers.
c) Play my game, COD instead of Maplestory using my desktop. The reason is that Maplestory is not 3D intensive and although it is Massive Multiplayer Online game, the throughput rate is more significant for full 3D game effect in a multiplayer setting where connection speed lies between being killed or being alive.

Check in when the test is completed by the end of this weekend.

Untangle My Life....Simple...Bluetooth

Got some videos from Ripplevox and to be honest I am not ready to see some of the videos. Some are really lame, one is extreme disgusting and 2 that are really out of this world. If you are scared of mice, better not watch it.


Version Animals



This I got to say, really would get those people from SPCA that jitters and I am not really keen to see the cat doing what it is doing...although it is a trick of the eye...it is just plain disgusting. The mice version is better.

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

We are briefed!

I don't think I am cut out for this!

Joanna: Doing her Interview Thingie

Carry the torch! (By the way did not see Nicky carrying this torch at all!)

After growing up watching Indiana Jones, and viewing countless adventure/treasure hunting movie such as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider and Davinci Code...one thing is for sure, I miss Indy A LOT. I guess Mr Ford in his old creaky body should not reprise the role of the swash buckling role and should leave it to the younger generation.

That's where Nicky Cage comes in...slightly younger and a hairdo in the movie that is close to disastrous. Not exactly a hair style that one would sport if you are an adventurer. As you can see I am practically distracted by Nick's Character Mr B. J. Cage just because of his hair style.

But at least I can say that the whole movie is just one hell of a ride: car chase, problem solving, breaking in and squeezing through holes full of cobwebs...and of course solving the mandatory ancient traps that surrounds the treasure. It is so fast, you would never try to understand how one clue leads to another. And (spoiler alert) the whole movie has actually TWO book of secrets, one that has a clue and the other (named after this show) is held by the President.

Now this book of secrets, people would love to have it because for me, I would really want to know how many babes did Mr JFK really have other than Marilyn Monroe. Of course it would be nice to know who really killed him. As the show has gone forth, the characters really do not have much time to look through the book.

Anyway, like I said if you are looking for some thinking, guessing and solving movie like thrillers then this is one movie you should not have to watch. It is basically action all the way, not much brain juice is needed. Even if one do use the brain to trace the clues to the final solution, it just does not make sense at all!

So how is this movie? I guess the first movie is much better because it is up against Davinci Code and so the clue solving is much more 'intelligent'. As for the 2nd version, Nicky just act as though he is thinking really hard, which of course he isn't and it shows. The whole show is entertaining but not to the point that will prompt me to say that it is a must watch.

But the show stealer has to be Helen Mirren because she does a really good job in captivating me as an audience when she has to do a verbal sparring with Nicky's dad, helmed by Jon Voight (aka Jolie's dad...the lips cannot be mistaken). There's another good actor in Ed Harris who acted as the bad guy who acted good so that he can be bad...come again?

To sum it all up my wife says the darnest thing, "I don't understand the whole movie".

Gosh..when will the next Indy Movie be up?

Other than the show, there's this thing about doing some interview for MTV Asia and we have a blast doing it (although I did not do it, I have fun taking pictures of the interview). We did a review for MTV as well! Fun Fun Fun....

Samsung T10: Review Post 2

Although the post supposed to be on the T10, the main character here is the Samsung's Bluetooth headset SBH 500, an accessory for the T10.

Nothing out of the ordinary though and out of the box the headset is extremely comfortable but those who wear spectacles have to take it out first, put on the headset and then replace the spectacles. The SBH 500 out of the box.

Initial impressions of the Bluetooth headset is quite good. Pairing it off with my Nokia 6300, Dopod HTC U1000 and the Samsung T10 (more on that in the later posts) did not encounter any problems.

Sound wise, the SBH500 perform well with good base, mid and treble response. Calls made through it was clear and audible to the recipients despite being in a noisy and busy place.

What endears me to it was that it is not flashy (pun intended). I do have a Jabra BT headset as well but it likes to 'shout' its presence because it flashes a ring of blue light whenever it is on. Although I did not do the flashing, people kept staring at me thinking that I am wearing something that is obviously too 'bling bling' for me.

I also do appreciate the simple 'on-off' button that is absent from most BT receivers.

Still there are 2 things I do not really like. I would very much appreciate that the play and phone buttons to be separated as it took me time to find the play button and accidentally click the phone button instead. The other thing I do not really like is the lack of a USB charger and bringing this headset for trips would mean an extra charger in my bag.

All in, the SBH 500 is still a very practical and user friendly headset.

Samsung T10: Review Post 1

Ripplevox passed me this MP3 player called the Samsung T10 and asked me to cough...i mean... blog about it. So here I am blogging this MP3 player like it will be my dream girlfriend, while i slowly undress it to my heart's content.

The T10 sounds like one of those killer robots in the Terminator shows that have Arnie says "I'll be back!" and "Hasta La Vista...(pause)...baby". Damn...it is not as sexy as T2000, the babe chick terminator that I am willing to let her 'kill me softly with her words'.

Ok...enough of those sexual innuendos. T10 no doubt has done something that most MP3 players do not have, the ability not to stick on to your like those sticky girlfriends like a wired earphones. There you got it: wireless and I am ready to divorce my wires away.

Drum roll please...the T10 in boxed glory~!!



Give it a good look around and for those who are lazy to hunt it down via Google, this is what it says behind the box

"Animation GUI
Video (WMV, MPEG4), Music(MP3, WMA, Ogg), Photo Slideshow(JPEG), FM Radio, Text Viewer, Voice Recording, Bluetooth 2.0"

First impression is that if I am not a IT geek, I would not have known Samsung T10 can help you divorce your wife...err...your wire. As a red-blooded guys go, we see the face, the 'love pillows' and then the shape...(dun act blur...guys do look as girls do). So the cover did not say anything about being wireless at the front and a good selling point has thus being muted.

Next is the opening ceremony.

Everything do look easy from the word get go and my confidence was up when I saw a tag to 'pull'.... and it did not work. After a frustrating minute or so I forgot that I need to treat this as woman of my dreams. There has got to be a way to make her come out from her shell and since she can't take one liners, then i have to push the right buttons.


And with the right buttons...everything just spills.



Introducing the Samsung T10 (clap clap clap)....at last it comes out.



Now to charge her up and see what joy and ecstasy she can bring me.

Shucks....have to bring her to buy some clothes tomorrow (not even an underwear in the box!).

Logitech MX Air

• S$ 279

• Available from major IT Retailers

User interface norm has been turning on its head since the arrival of the Wii controller. For those who loves the Wii controller and wish that it could be used along with the Windows XP Media Center Edition PC sitting in the living room, the Logitech MX Air is the perfect answer to the prayer.

The wireless MX Air comes in elegant black and silver that oozes style from every angle. The design would not look out of place in the Zen inspired living room with flush buttons, flowing design with no sharp edges; just like a smooth stone.

First and foremost the MX Air is a mouse for the common desktop. Armed with a laser tracking system, the feedback on mouse position is more precise and faster. Thus it performs really well for First Person Shooting (FPS) games that is reliant on precise aiming such as Battlefield 2142. The accompanied Logitech Setpoint software can also sense that a game is starting up and will configure the mouse for games so that users need not to change their mouse sensitivity level for games and work.

Scrolling through the web pages with the MX Air is also very different as it does not come with a scroll wheel. What replaces it is the cool touch sensitive scroll panel that can sense the touch of the finger and scroll the page effortlessly.

Unlike the Wii Controller that makes use of the sensor bar to sense its position relative to the TV screen, Logitech's Freespace technology allows users to just pick up the mouse and control the cursor on the screen without any other devices except for a USB plug to connect the mouse to the PC. A welcome relief for users whose TV console is filled to the brim.

What caught me by surprise is the relative ease of pointing the cursor, controlling volume and skipping tracks just by using hand gestures. For example, when lowering the volume, I just need to hold the volume key, wait for the volume bar to appear and then swing the mouse to the left. How about forwarding a track? Simple. Just hold the 'play' button, draw a clockwise circle in the air and the next music track is played.

For all its beauty in form and function, the MX Air is a fingerprint magnet that requires constant cleaning if one's hand is sweaty. And to maintain its pebble like form, it may not have the same comfort level as those ergonomically designed mouse. For someone that scroll pages quite frequently, the scroll panel may also see more wear and tear and thus tarnish the smooth facade.

At $279 the MX Air is an expensive mouse that may not appeal to most desktop bound PC users except for those who has hooked up a PC to the living room's Flat screen TV. It is really indispensable once you get the hang of it. A truly innovative product.

Samsung Ultra II 9.6 SGH-U300

Sleekness seems to be the order of the day for the latest iteration of Sumsung's line of slim phone. This time round the Ultra Edition II 9.6 clam shell phone is carrying the torch for no frills phone for the Korean chaebo.

As the model number suggest this thin, slim calling machine is just a mere 9.6 mm thick and it is easy to slot it into pockets and handbags. Size wise, the phone measured 100 by 51 mm is also easy to hold and more so when the phone is flipped up. Access to the buttons and keys is easy enough so no dramas there.

Samsung phone's brilliant 2.2" TFT-LCD makes reading and looking at text, graphics and pictures that much enjoyable thanks to its 262K colour screen. It also comes with a secondary OLED screen on the cover for a quick check whenever there's a call.

As mentioned, since this is a no frills phone, the SGH-U300 does not have 3G connectivity. This phone will be perfect for those who do not need to access the Internet frequently.

For such a thin phone, the Samsung is armed with a 3.2 mega pixel camera on the cover. The picture quality is quite good even for its lack of flash and lens thanks to the phone's good control of image noise.

The most talked about feature of the phone should be its cool metallic keypad. What distinguished it from other phones, most notably the Motorola Razr, is the seamless keypad that has no apparent demarcation for individual buttons as it is presented as one piece of metal sheet. That adds the cool factor to the phone.

That said, what irks most was the lack of sensitivity of the buttons as some strength has to be utilised when pressing the button for the phone to register the key press. The inability to feel individual keys also hinders fast SMS messaging.

There are also other kinks to its sleek armour no thanks to its non-changeable batteries, lack of and the lack of a memory slot to increase its meagre 70 megabyte built-in memory. The use of a proprietary data cum power cable did not endear itself to frequent business travellers either as power adaptor and data cable has to be brought along.

ACER: Windows Vista Did Nothing for the PC Industry

Ha! Never in the history of the PC industry has put so much hope into something that has taken so long to grow and yet did nothing for anything useful for the PC user.

Face it! HP/Dell/ACER + other brands of PC not mentioned here. The PC companies are starting to become white good producers. No amount of Operating System power can change the fact that the pinnacle of what PC can do has somehow shown in the windows XP...perhaps even, I dare do say, Windows 98 SE if not for FAT32.

Windows XP as I have said when Windows ME came along a long time ago that a consumer based OS that uses the NTFS would prove to be much more robust and the prediction is a dead ringer as I have experienced much lesser problems for the PC and 5 years later it is going strong.

Now back to Windows Vista. For all it is worth mentioning countless times, it is the numerous versions that kills the cash cow. Honestly why deprive so many consumers from getting the best of vista especially the hard disk encryption? Ultimate version is still the best but it costs a bomb...and the best is not necessary what people need. This is more acute when applied to a Singaporean mind: If I want to spend, might as well get the best.

Pity that the best is expensive and gives nothing more than 'better' security and eye candy; when comparing with the reliability of XP that works well with virtually anything thrown at it, it is really a no brainer to choose XP that is cheaper robust and has lesser problems when one get the service pack and the necessary FREE software to plug security holes.

All in all, the collective effort plus cost in putting up Windows XP is much much lower than using Vista. Need I say about the countless complains about Vista incompatibility issues?

And I do have another analogy. Imagine your car is the Operating System and windows XP is a everyday japanese sedan car that is light yet zippy and Vista is one of those continental cars that is sturdy but much heavier. So the engine is the processor. I guess I need not to go deeper into which scenario will give better mileage.

So I put my Core2Duo with 2GB RAM with my Windows XP. Yes the RAM would not be fully utilised that I myself would know well. But at least I am using an OS that will be running the computer at full speed with a lot of resources to spare. The same rig would no doubt cut the performance down. To me it is a no brainer.

Right now MS says they are coming with OS 7 or SEVEN. I wonder what is up their sleeves but if they are going to use AERO as the selling point again, it ain't going anywhere.

Let me tell you what is the selling point I want to see: Hassle free, crash free and junk free PC with easy parts installation with out the installation process. Sounds tough? Yes it is but the lesser the user has to be asked to install something the simpler. That would be the OS to look for....oh yeah...it already existed....in a MAC.

Better buck up...Apple is doing everything right at the moment.

iPAQ 512

Hewlett Packard's latest candidate to enter the smartphone market is the iPaq 512 that uses the new Windows Mobile version 6 operating system. The iPaq would definitely would not win any awards in outstanding visual design as it comes with the dreaded PC box grey and black accents. It really reminds me of my HP desktop sitting on the floor.

Fortunately it has very good build quality that is sturdy and yet everything fits nicely in the palm. Given its 107mm x 48.6mm x 16.3mm stature, it will not win slimming competition but at 102g it is light to carry about and fits snugly in one's palm.

The phone's screen, a two-inch micro-reflective TFT has just 176 x 220 pixels resolution, with LED backlight but is clear enough to read without squinting.

One compliment I must give is the well-designed microSD card cover: It fits neatly into the card slot and it is made of a rubber material that seems more durable and yet could be pried open with relative ease. This is one design aspect where most other phones have missed the mark badly.

The keypad and button have a nice tactile feel but HP could do better by maximising the space afforded to the keypad area by making the keys slightly bigger. It is always my opinion that using the keypad to access the Internet is not always as easy unless the site is designed for phone access so a better bet is always to go for phones that has a qwerty keyboard if online access is paramount to the user.

Setting the phone's Wi-Fi connection went along without much drama. And what sets this iPaq apart from the other Windows Mobile-based devices is its battery longevity — the battery survived four days with normal phone usage and a 30-minute dose of Wi-Fi connection over the weekend.

The 512 is armed with Texas Instrument's Omap 850 200Mhz processor that some might say is really lacking in terms of computing power especially when pairing with the latest Windows Mobile version 6operating system. What was surprising then was that the phone worked fine with minimum fuss except during the times when I had to restart the phone and update my music library.

As for making calls, there were no dropped calls and the phone was able to receive good signals in most places — even inside a lift! What bugs me was the numerous button punching I had to do in order to start writing an SMS note or replying to one.

That leads to what HP calls it “HP Voice Reply” feature. What it does is to record a voice reply to the SMS received. Useful for when you are driving, for instance, and for the person who’s not agile in texting.

The other less conspicuous feature would be the 512's ability to connect to the office's IP-PBX based phone system using the phone's VoIP — a cheaper way of making calls, which could save corporate phone charges.

Music playback is done via an A2DP Bluetooth support that allows stereo playback using bluetooth technology. The quality, while clear, is passable at best with barely discernable bass and slightly high treble setting. Something made worse because Windows Mobile's media player does not come with a sound equaliser feature which allows you to tweak these settings.
The inclusion of the 1.3-megapixel camera, USB 1.1 client, Office Mobile and the price tag of $699 would not do much to improve 512's appeal. Also, accessing the Internet using keypad is really tiring as it is not as intuitive as a full qwerty keyboard like a Blackberry. For those who are not fans of numeric keypad would be better served with a PDA, especially those that comes with a qwerty keyboard.