Observations from Hong Kong

XPS 14z is a sleek, 14″ Dell in a 13″ frame

Allan — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:12:46 +0000

The first thing you will say about this laptop is that it is not a 14″ laptop. Indeed the frame more resembles a 13″ and only upon closer look, and likely comparing with other 13″ laptops, will you realize where the magic (illusion) is coming from – the Shrinuken display. It reminds me of the new generation of Samsung LED TV monitors that are about an inch thick and close-to-the-end display panels.

The Dell XPS 14z ships standard with Core i5 but you can also order a Core i7 equipped laptop with a base memory of 4GB that you can upgrade to 8G. The test unit handed to me came with a Nvidia GeForce GT 525M graphics card for gaming and multimedia apps. I was pleasantly surprised that the XPS 14z stayed cool while editing a video or watching a DVD.

At a suggested retail price in Hong Kong of HK$9,999 (you can get it for HK$8,580 with 8GB DDR3 RAM in the States – don’t ask me why), this is one of the sleekest laptops I’ve seen in the market (except for the slew of super skinny ultrabooks coming in 2012). It comes in brushed aluminum frame that feels cool to the touch. Another feature that drew a bit of curiosity on my part and for which I had to adjust my typing sense a little bit is the keyboard. Dell termed it isolation-style keyboard, what is odd is the curved design of the keys – giving it a futuristic look and feel. The keyboard is flanked on both sides by speakers, making this an ideal multimedia and gaming platform. Most laptops have their speaker hidden on the side or underneath the chassis forcing you to strain your ears to listen to the sound. Not so with the XPS 14z.

Dell must must have learned something from the Thinkpad series as it claims this unit has a spill-resistant keyboard in addition to being backlit. I was reluctant to try it in the demo unit (I didn’t want the agency to get into trouble for this nor was I willing to pay for a demo unit at sticker price).

The XPS 14z comes with the standard features of a Core i laptop: 802.11n, Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth 3.0. There is also a 7-in-1 memory card reader. I thought it disappointing to only have a 1.3MP webcam despite the label of 720p. Thankfully it comes with a HDMI and Mini DisplayPort connections for hooking up a television, monitor or projector.

WHAT I LIKE

One of them best features of the XPS 14z is its build quality from the use of a super thin aluminum lid to a stylish isolation-style keyboard.

You may think I am being cynical (or picky) but I do love a large trackpad especially when you are dealing with a device that supports multi-touch. The XPS 14z comes with a very large touchpad reminiscent of the Macbook Pros and MacAir. although Dell added two dedicated buttons at the base of the trackpad – definitely better than the Mac design from this end. The pad itself supports multi-touch gestures.

To keep laptops slim most manufacturers skip the DVD drive. Its nice of Dell to give the XPS 14z a slot-loading optical drive despite its almost slim form factor. What I find weird about the XPS 14z is the fact that is the fact that it has a thickness of 22.86mm on paper but everytime I look at it, I swear its thicker than the 13″ Macbook Pro’s 24.13mm.

While we are comparing the MBP to the XPS 14z, I am happy that Dell chose to use a 7200 rpm HDD compared to Apple’s default choice of 5400 rpm drives. I also have to remind myself that the XPS 14z comes in at 1.98kg which is lighter than the 13″ MacBook Pro 2.04kg.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE

Most LCD screens suffer from a limited viewing angle and the XPS 14z is no exception. In fact I found the 45 degree vertical viewing angle to be quite narrowing and disappointing for a machine as solidly built as the XPS 14z. Dell didn’t design this machine for use on your lap.

Despite efforts to keep the packaging of the 14z as slim as possible (in fact a 14″ laptop in a 13″ body), I still found the XPS 14z to be quite heavy at 1.98 kg. This makes holding this laptop with one hand not advisable.

One of the things I found surprising and disappointing was Dell’s choice of handicapping the XPS 14z with just two USB ports, one of them being a USB 3.0.

ONE MORE THING

There is little not to like about the Dell XPS 14z. Its interesting how Dell managed to increase the screen size to 14 with its choice of Shrinuken display technology (giving it the cool edge-to-edge glass of the display is a classy touch).

Would I buy this laptop? Not really sure. I like the power of this unit but my decision is being weighed down by the perception that this is heavier, thicker, bigger than it should be. Plus there is Dell’s reputation for having laptops with inferior battery life. Reviewers give the XPS 14z at least four-hour battery life. If Dell were to give this XPS 14z 6 hours I would definitely consider it seriously. Afterall, who can say no to a slick brushed metal design?

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BlackBerry Bold 9900 fighting with style

Allan — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 15:39:34 +0000

I will be the first to admit that Research In Motion is having problems… from reliability of service, to aging technology, and a loyal customer base that is starting to question the extent of its loyalty. But this is not what I’m here to talk about.

My first encounter with the BlackBerry Bold was with the 9700. Back then I was unimpressed. I found the 9700 to be too big in my palm and too heavy in my pocket. I also found it clunky when it came to Web surfing but then again all BlackBerry devices including my favorite, the BlackBerry 9800 Torch, appeared to be designed with zero intention to surf the Web. Its saving grace is the same as with all BlackBerry devices, including the Bold and Torch, its single-minded focus on messaging.

So it is that this time around I am reviewing the new BlackBerry 9900. The spec says its not much small than the original 9700 but for my money it is a slick, solid device that feels good in the palm of my hand.

OBSERVATIONS

The 9900 is taller than the original 9700 but not as wide making it a better fit for small hands like mine. I like the stainless steel band that wraps around the 9900. The carbon-fiber-lace back cover reminds me of one of the newer Montblanc pens. This phone exudes quality and a solid high-end product.

There are five metal buttons – one on the top and four on the right side. The slightly recessed top button is the lock/unlock button. The mute button (middle) is flanked by a volume up button (top) and volume down button (lower). The buttom-most key is the camera shutter button.

On the right side there’s a volume up button up top, a mute key in the middle and a volume down button — all made out of metal, I might add. Below that you’ll find the camera shutter key.

The micro-USB charging/sync port is just below the 3.5mm headset jack on the left side of the phone.

I did a little research and apparently RIM has a charging dock for its BlackBerry phones and the two charging contacts at the bottom of the phone are just for that purpose. I’ve never seen the charging dock though.

The 9900 comes with a 2 MP, 1600×1200 pixels rear-facing camera with a tiny LED flash. Like its predecessor, the 9900 doesn’t have a front-facing camera so forget about video conferencing service on this device.

The 9900 comes with a 1.2GHz processor, 768MB of RAM, 8GB internal memory, and support for microSD cards up to 32GB. This is my first review of a BB device running on OS7. To be honest I am not overly amazed at the new GUI but, admittedly, the enhancements are everywhere.

WHAT I LIKE

I don’t know how RIM managed to shave off 4mm from the previous model. It made it easier to grip the device. RIM chose to stay close to its heritage of great typing experience with the 9900. It feels very comfortable thumb typing on this device – with one hand or two.

Speaking of typing, the 9900 follows the design and layout of its predecessors, including sculpted keys making for easy text entry and chrome bars that divide the rows of buttons. The addition of a capacitative touchscreen makes for significant improvement in navigator to specific parts of the screen especially if you are typing a long email message and want to do some touch ups.

With a screen resolution of 640 x 480 pixels on a 2.8-inch display you get a pixel density of 285ppi. I remain an admirer of the the Bold series despite the small screen. The screen is bright with very respectable viewing angles, and I didn’t squint whilst typing a message outdoors.

One of the biggest enhancements that came as part of OS7 is the universal search which starts working the minute you start typing.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE

I am not sure what RIM chose not to have an autofocus function for its camera so forget about taking portrait shots with this phone. But then again, this is not really a camera so the photos are decent if you need to take a quick snap of something but not meant for quality archiving.

More serious problem is the touch-trackpad combo. You can use the touch function for instant navigation around the visible area of the screen and the trackpad to screen to areas not immediately visible. At times I often mistakenly try and use both and it gets annoying sometimes.

One of my favorites about early BBs is the battery life. Somehow you don’t get as much out of the BB9900 as you do with earlier versions. I am guessing it may have to do with the faster (and usually more power hungry) processor. I also suppose its all the added software features that come with the OS 7.0.

Its odd to put the mute button between the volume up and down button. The tendency, especially when you are not looking or in a hurry, is to either increase or decrease the volume, accidentally of course.

ONE MORE THING

The back plate hides the antenna for NFC-based (near field communications) applications. I’venot had a chance to use this feature so I won’t say more than this.

RIM continues to refine the first and foremost strength of all BB devices: messaging workflow. The menu system remains very intuitive with a laser-like focus on text or/and email messaging.

The best BlackBerry Bold ever? Perhaps it is. The core features of BlackBerry are still compelling, the keyboard will let you skip over keys rattling out messages, with a rock of the thumb here and a glancing prod there, in ways that only BlackBerry users understand.

The addition of a touchscreen does make a difference, but the overall experience isn’t a huge evolution from BB6. Whilst BB7 is familiar, there isn’t much here that really drives things forward into the competitive arena. The camera results are behind the rivals, the app offering still has holes in it and sometimes the touch response slopes off. It isn’t a multimedia timewaster in the way that the latest phone from Samsung or HTC is, it’s core offering is communication, in which it mostly excels, but it’s in the extras where it doesn’t make huge progress.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is a device that will appeal greatly to die hard BlackBerry fans, returning the Bold to a premium look and a size that makes a little more sense than the 9700 models. Business users will find themselves with a more interactive device and a better browsing experience, but outside of keyboard and email experience, consumers may find they get a lot more smartphone for their money elsewhere.

CONCLUSION

The experience you get with the BB9900 follows the tradition handed down from the very first BB so long ago. RIM continues to refine the performance of the OS and thus enhances the experience you get using this device. Make no mistake, this remains a BlackBerry and therefore it would be unfair to compare it to the new generation of Android, IOS or Windows smartphones. The BB remains a category all it’s own. If you ever own an IPhone or Android or Windows 6.5 device, you won’t like the BlackBerry unless all you really do, apart from making calls, is sending messages either through SMS or email. If you are doing a lot of emails, the BB9900 is the device you got to have. All these touch phones have typing accuracy close to that of a drunk.

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Bose QuietComfort 3 – great sound without the bulk but expensive

Allan — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:54:26 +0000

I recently did an inventory and discovered I’ve amassed a respectable hoard of headsets – wired and wireless – over the years. While I confess that I am no audiophile, I do use headsets to listen to music or audio books and watch movies either on my phone, iPad or computer. I use my headsets mostly to and from work or when I am traveling alone.

One of the few gripes I have living in Hong Kong is noise pollution. Whether it is on the elevators, escalators, trains, taxis or buses, Hong Kong is overflowing with noise – human and man-made. Most in-ear headsets can only muffle the noise a little. This is whether active noise canceling are a blessing to have. Most active noise canceling use active noise control where anti-noise signal is generated to cancel out ambient noise heard within the enclosed volume of the headphone.

During my search for a reasonably good headset with active noise canceling, I spoke to a number of retailers in the Wanchai Computer Shopping Mall. Whilst most shops sold active noise canceling headsets from Sony, Audio Technica and Philips, at least one retailer admitted that the Bose active noise canceling headsets were the best. So I went to the Bose showroom to listen for myself.

The Bose Quiet Comfort (QC) is a family of active noise canceling headsets. Bose’s implementation of noise cancelling technology involve the use of a pair of microphones on the outside of the headphone units. These sample the background noise and then uses this as a comparison with the audio from an audio source. A corrective signal is applied to the reproduced audio which cancels out sustained external noise like engine or track or road noise.

What I Like

The QC3 is a smaller version of the QC15 and QC2. Bose did not compromise on the comfort or noise-canceling capability of the series despite making the headset smaller. The headset ear pads are very soft and comfortable providing reasonably snug fit without the discomfort normally associated with many on-ear and over-the-ear headsets. The ear pads rotate 90 degrees allowing the headset to flatten and snug firmly on its case.

The cable is removable. One end is a 2.5mm stereo jack that plugs into the left earpiece. The other end is a standard 3.5mm stereo jack.

You buy Bose because the product has a strong legacy of very good sound reproduction and this comes out very well with the QC3. Audio quality is excellent with the QC3 producing rich bass. An audiophile, again I ain’t one, will probably notice some clippings of the top range of vocals as well as cymbals.

What I don’t Like

The QC3 uses a small Lithium rechargeable unit (the box comes with two units so you always have a spare) that slides into the top of the right earpiece. The battery pack can be charged by way of a separate, included in the kit, charger.

I mentioned that the cable is removable. For such an expensive headset the cable, for me, is a let down as it feels like a cheap implementation and I suspect this will be the first thing you need to replace over time.

The headset needs to be powered on in order to work. So if you happen to forget to bring the spare battery or by stroke of misfortune you run out of juice, you might as well pack the QC3 back in its case and read a book because these babies become nothing more than ear warmers.

One More Thing

I personally favor in-ear headsets because these are very small and easily fits into most pockets. When you use the QC3 you need a bag to put the case in whilst using the headset. That said the QC3 produce very good sound reproduction and is able to get rid of much of the ambient noise sufficiently enough to forget that you are in a noisy environment.

And as with all Bose products – these are not cheap buggers.

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Sennheiser MM450 – a headset for all occasions

Allan — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:56:29 +0000

I’ve collected a number of headsets over the years even back in the days when Infra Red and RF were the only game in town. Wired headsets offered reasonably good sound quality and usually had one big drawback – the cable. Whether it’s made of rubber or cotton or nylon, the cable tangles, takes time to stow away neatly or is a mess when trying to untangle for usage. Then there is the jack at the other end of the headset.

Over the years I’ve replaced my wired headsets because the cable on the jack end is broken. The worst offender for my money is Ultimate Ears. I can’t believe ey charge you Hk$200 (~US$25) to replace faulty cable even if the ear pieces are still in warranty. I was told several times that cables are not covered in the one year warranty. Consumer protection advocates please hear my plea.

Wireless headsets have their own problems. The earliest models were bulky or unreliable. Bluetooth was meant to correct the range, connectivity and fidelity problems but it’s not been my experience so far – at least not with stereo headsets designed to both listen to music and pick up the call when the phone rings. Sure the Plantronics headsets I’ve had the fortune of using were great for calls especially the Plantronics Discovery 975 with a carry case that also acts as a charger. But my experience with the Altec Lansing Backbeat 906 and the Jabra BT3030 hasnt been as rewarding. Then my wedding anniversary came and my wife got me the Sennheiser MM 450. This is not my first Sennheiser but I hope it would be my last. The MM 450 are over of the ear design and can be folded for neat tucking away for storing in it’s own zipped pouch. This is the first headset I’ve seen that is designed to be used either with or without wires, with or without noise cancellation. My Bose Quietcomfort 3 doesn’t work without switching on the noise cancellation which necessitates the need to have a standby battery nearby in case you run out of juice.

The entire headset construction feels very solid without feeling heavy (106g). The swivel joints on the cups allow for folding when you need to stow away the headset for traveling. The controls are all on the right cup so you don’t need to remember which controls are on which side of the headset. The MM 450 is a Bluetooth headset with a built-in mic so you can use it to listen to your favorite music and be able to answer incoming or outgoing calls as when the need arise. But there will be occasions, like when on airplane, that you aren’t allowed to use the wireless option. On these occasions the MM 450 is equipped with a 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable jack. The MM 450 offers reasonable sound isolation. I am inside TimeSquare shopping mall in Hong Kong listening to a Bette Midler album as I typed this blog review. I can hear a faint hint of noise within the mall but surprisingly I barely notice kids laughing and running near where I sit. Much of this is thanks to Sennheiser’s NoiseGard technology which sufficiently mutes my surrounding.

One additional feature of NoiseGard is the “talk through” feature which allows you to momentarily suspend noise cancellation, activate the mic so you can listen to everything around you, and suspend the music. This is great when you need to talk or listen to someone for a few short period before returning to listening to your favorite music. What I also found interesting is you can use NoiseGard even when you are not using the Bluetooth feature of the headset (I.e., using the cable to listen to music). “Talk Through” still works as long as you have battery.

Using the MM 450 with the supplied cable turns it into a standard headset meaning you lose the ability to make calls with the headset. NoiseGard and Talk Through still works though as long as you got battery. In the event that you eventually lose battery, the MM 450 becomes a normal wired headset. So whether you got juice or not this headset will work. Of course it’s best to keep an extra battery around. Speaking of battery, the MM 450 has a removable or user replaceable battery.

Three buttons control the MM 450. The center of the right ear cup has a blue light blinking every three seconds. Press it for a couple of seconds to turn on and off. Press it for 5 seconds if you want it to go into discover model. A nice welcome for me is that one it’s been paired with my phone or my iPad I don’t need to go into discover mode again in the future. The Jabra BT3030 requires you to set it to discover mode each time you power it up if you want to use it to make and receive calls. The center button is the power call answer/end and is surrounded by volume control and track skip buttons. All are very responsive, again very welcome change from experience with Jabra and Altec Lansing. At the bottom of the right cup are two additional buttons: one to activate NoiseGard; the other for Bluetooth.

Battery life depends on what feature you are using: Bluetooth only is 10 hours; Bluetooth with NoiseGard is 8 hours; and NoiseGard only is 20 hours. Just remember when you run out of battery, you can still use the MM 450 like an ordinary headset. How is that for versatility?

WHAT I DON’T LIKE
I’m going to change the usual style of my review and start with what I don’t like about the MM 450 cause I want to get it out of the way of this review. It is damn expensive. The suggested retail price in Hong Kong is HK$3,860 (US$472 ) which is criminal in my mind considering you can get the same model on Amazon for US$351 (suggested retail price is US$589.95. Granted that this is still not the most expensive headset out there Beats by Dr Dre and other brands are ripping off Hong Kong consumers which in turn is fueling the counterfeit market. If headsets weren’t so damn expensive why would people buy knockoffs?

The only other thing I don’t like about the MM 450 is the way the earpieces cut off the circulation around my ears. My ears turn red after about an hour of using these headsets and there is no way to adjust the tension with which the earpieces clamp themselves around my ear.

WHAT I LIKE
Where do I begin? Aesthetically there is nothing special about the MM 450. The padding used for the on ear cups is very soft reminiscent of fine soft leather (not really sure what it’s made off). There are no visible wires anywhere even between the ear cups. If you prefer complete sound isolation, the MM 550 comes with larger cups that really seal your ears behind a large foamed dome. For my needs the MM 450 offer just enough sound isolation with the portability I desire.

Sound reproduction on the MM 450 was very good and there is no discernable difference in sound quality via Bluetooth or using the cable. Most important is that for the periods I’ve use the MM 450 I’ve not had a single drop in connection. This is a welcome change from my experience with the Jabra BT3030 and the Altec Lansing Backbeat 906. People I’ve spoken to using the MM 450 report good reception although I noticed from my end they sound a little muffled. The mic is on the right ear cup.

I love MM 450 for its versatility. I even tried connecting the MM 450 to two devices – my iPad (first generation) and my Samsung GS II. It actually worked. I listened to the music on my iPad while the MM 450 allowed me to take calls from the SGS II.

Conclusion
This is one of those few devices I bought that fulfils its promises. I love it.

What’s in the Box
MM 450 headset, audio cable with in-flight adapter (3.5mm double mono adapter), USB cable, wall charging adapter, carrying case

Specifications
Wireless technology: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR; supports A2DP, HSP, HFP, AVCPR profiles
Range: Up to 33 feet (10m)
Noise cancelling: Up to 90 percent
Noise cancelling technology: NoiseGard 2.0 (with TalkThrough)
Microphone pick-up pattern: Omni-directional
Frequency response (headphones): 15 – 22,000 Hz
Frequency response (microphone): 100 – 10,000 Hz
Sound pressure level (SPL): 107dB (at 1mW, 1kHz)
Ear coupling: On-the-ear
Transducer principle: Sealed (closed)
Total harmonic distortion (THD): <0.1 percent
Listening time: Up to 10 hours (8 hours with NoiseGard)
Talk time: Up to 20 hours
Standby time: Up to 200 hours
Charging time: Approximately 3 hours
Weight: 106g (without pouch)

Compatibility
Optimized for MP3, iPod, iPhone (iPod and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries), and portable media players. Also great with in-flight entertainment systems.

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: Sennheiser MM 450 with pouchSennheiser MM 450 close-up of controlsSennheiser MM 450 close-up of controls in useSennheiser MM 450 batterySennheiser MM 450 with battery in holder

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HDS makes another play for NAS with BlueArc buy

Allan — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:05:26 +0000

I just read Steve Duplessie’s take on the HDS acquisition of Bluearc. If I had a dollar for every time I read about HDS buying a NAS appliance, I’d still be poor. They tried it a few times with some small OEMs over the years and in most cases the problem was part technology and part a sales issue.

Let’s face it… HDS is used to selling humongosaur-like systems to the very large enterprises who can afford to buy big iron. Much of HDS’ traditional hardware (manufactured by parent Hitachi) is designed around block-based storage (yes, agree with Steve on this).

Unfortunately for HDS, and lucky for NAS-behemoth NetApp, there are still customers out there, even the big ones, who need file storage because companies still store a lot of information in the form of files – probably a lot more than you feel comfortable with. I have a 1.5TB redundant NAS appliance at home serving the four members of my family. Yes, applications like ERP, CRM and SCM have limited use for NAS systems and will run a lot faster if the database is running off a powerful SAN engine. But for 100% of employees in any company, they will need to store their files in the network somewhere – and a NAS is a perfect place for that.

So back to HDS… why does HDS need a NAS solution? Likely because customers are hinting they need it. But more importantly lacking a NAS solution gives competitors like NetApp a window to get in and slowly eat through the HDS armor that surrounds Mr Enterprise customer.

Will this ever work for HDS? I think the bigger challenge for HDS is understanding the technology and being able to sell it convincingly. From history, this is where the rubber meets the road. This is where all those countless NAS technologies that HDS tried to sell got buried. The good news is HDS has had a few years of history selling BlueArc. Now its just a matter of getting the sales people (in Asia) to get moving.

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The most powerful 11 inch laptop in the world

Allan — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:03:12 +0000

I never intended this to be a gaming review as I haven’t been a regular gamer since after I graduated from college and started working to pay the bills. But I am an avid movie watcher and I do a lot of photo and video editing. So my criteria for a laptop, since I also like to take my work wherever I go, is one that is light and powerful enough for photo and video editing. I’ve experimented with business and multimedia laptops and in all the years I’ve always, always, been disappointed. I’ve tried my hands on Apple, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo (formerly IBM), Sony and Toshiba, and hand in heart I can say in all honesty I can get my work done but I have time spare to watch TV, eat a meal or snack, and in a few cases take a shower (too much info?).

Then I read about Alienware computers – machines built from the ground up for serious gamers. The distinctive “sci-fi” styling, reminding us that we are not alone, together with the flashing logo/ keyboard and what looks like front headlights of the batmobile, give Alienware machines an eerie look if left alone in the dark.

I got a chance to try out the smallest gaming laptop on the planet courtesy of Ogilvy PR in Hong Kong. I was surprised at the simplistic packaging the laptop came in. I was even more surprised at the heft (2 kg) this tiny 11.25″ x 9.19″ x 1.29″ came in with. The magnesium-alloy chassis looks and feels thicker making the business-standard Thinkpad look like a plastic toy in comparison. I actually thought that Alienware machines were built from slabs of steel.

What I Like
Honestly, I didn’t like the keyboard when I saw it on photos. I still didn’t like it when I looked at a unit at the Dell display store in Wanchai. But after spending some time typing and banging away, I just had to shut up. The individual keys hold a traditional shape that is slightly curved in the middle of each key. Key spacing is quite good and each key has the perfect amount of feedback with minimal side travel. Some nights I had to work with the lights out in the bedroom and the LED backlit with transparent key frame were a blessing. You have to be a Trekker to appreciate the futuristic font look of the key labels. More importantly, the support frame beneath the keyboard is rock solid.

For an 11 incher, the Alienware MX11 R3 doesn’t skimp on ports (My work laptop a Dell E4310 has one USB 2.0 and a USB/e-sata combo port). It comes with one USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports, FireWire, a 3-in-1 media card slot, Ethernet, standard audio jack, and two video out options: HDMI and DisplayPort.

What I Don’t Like
Apart from the hefty size-to-weight (pound for pound this is a heavy machine), it also gets reasonably hot underneath despite the backlit fan (very quiet) which tries to desperately cool down the machine. I don’t want to speculate what the laptop would feel like without the fan.

Some reviewers pounce on the glossy display which makes it very difficult to read the screen in the outdoors but you can correct this with one of those anti-glare screen protectors which most laptop owners do anyway to protect their investments. Of course you have to taper it a bit since the overall shape of the display is not exactly rectangular. A more serious problem might be the very narrow viewing sweet spot on the MX11. If you move your head just a little bit you won’t see an completely black screen during dark scenes in a game (also applies when video or photo editing!).

I know this is a gaming machine but why did Alienware decide to be stingy with the Synaptics touchpad? Yes the honeycomb textured surface makes for smooth, controlled finger movement and the buttons are responsive but it’s very small! Note to Alienware engineers – checkout the Macbook Air and learn!

One Other Thing
The MX11 comes pre-installed with Windows 7 Home 64-bit. But the truly important software is the Command Center. The clearly laid out and intuitive user interface allows the case illumination to be adjusted (AlienFX), as well as configuring the power options (AlienFusion), and the touchpad (AlienTouch).

Rumour has it that optical drives are on the way out. Apple appears to spearhead this drive with recent hardware releases missing optical drives. I actually thought the MX11 would have a slot loading drive. But it doesn’t. Do I need one? I actually rarely use the optical drive on my E4310 but it is handy on those occasions when I need to install software from disc, watch a DVD from a disc, or burn a DVD. But I can’t say I’ll be willing to pay extra for it.

The 15″ and 17″ siblings of the MX11 have twin vents on the front of the laptop which is part of the cooling system. I really don’t understand why Alienware technicians decided to forego this feature on the MX11. Maybe it’s an internal design constraint?

Did I mention that the battery is built-in? Laptop aficionados might scowl at this but compared to Apple, Dell understands that the battery is user replaceable. The MX11 has a single massive cover panel for the battery, hard drive, wireless cards and memory slots and uses eight standard Phillips screws for easy disassembly. Current Apple laptops are 100% non-user replaceable so that Apple can charge you a steep price for additional memory or to replace your battery or hard drive. How is that for customer friendly design? Alienware even designed the screws with retention clips so they don’t fall out when unscrewing. Something Steves and Co might want to think about if it truly cares what customers think. Fat chance!

Most reviews I’ve seen of the MX11 point to an odd approach taken with the Klipsch speakers. The downward-firing drivers located on the bottom front end means that the sound can be muffled if you put your laptop on a flat surface. Alienware engineers did include two small sound channels into the chassis to redirect sound forward through the two decorative LED panels on the front but for my money this is not good enough. Of course I shouldn’t complain since most other laptops use tiny speakers making it almost mandatory to keep a pair of headsets ready for those odd moments when you want to listen to music, watch a video or hold a conference call via Skype. MX11 designers included two headphone jacks!

Would I buy an MX11 as my permanent laptop? Pound for pound, the MX11 is true value for money. You get the power typically found in larger, heavier and more expensive machines, yes even against Apple, at a much lower price point. Bravo Dell for finally making Alienware the gaming machine for the masses.

TECH SPEC (At a Glance):
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-2617M 1.5GHz (2.6GHz w/Turbo Boost, 4MB Cache)
Operating: System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit Multi-Language (Traditional Chinese / English)
Display: 11.6″ (29.5cm) WLED HD (720p) display (WXGA 1366X768)
Graphics: Dual graphics with Intel HD Graphics 3000 and 2.0GB DDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
Memory: 8GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz (upgradeable to 16GB)
Hard Drive: 750GB 7500RPM (upgradeable to 256GB SSD)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, 375 Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet, integrated SIM card port
Camera: 2.0 Megapixel Camera with dual digital microphones
Battery: 8-cell
Price: HK$11,999 (USD1,548)

Other Review:
Compreviews: http://compreviews.about.com/od/PC-Gaming-Laptops/fr/Alienware-M11x-Spring-2011.htm
Notebook Check: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Alienware-M11x-R3-Gaming-Notebook.51236.0.html
Alienware Video Review

Filed under: The Review

Samsung Galaxy S2 – the good, the bad and the ugly

Allan — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 11:03:11 +0000

I’ve been using my Blackberry Torch for sometime now and although I am happy with it (most times) there were a few quirks that annoyed me on a regular basis. So with my mobile phone provider reminding me I had a chance to try out their 3G service (I’ve been on 2G for a good part of 12 years) I agreed to the change.

I had a choice of iPhone 4 or any other phone and opted for an Android phone. I looked at the specs of available phones from HTC since I have a couple of old HTC phones lying around and instead opted for a Samsung Galaxy S2 (SGS2). Why? If I use the simple basis of technical specification, at the time of shopping for a new phone – 26 June 2011, the SGS2 was the most advanced phone in the market – whereas everyone was a single CPU device, the SGS2 was dual core. I hear rumors of the upcoming Nexus S3 phone will carry quadcore but who knows if the phone will come out in December 2011 or 2012? And while I am at times called the master of the waiting game, in this instance, I thought I’ve waited too long already. So move on.

Packaging

Firs thing first. The SGS2 in the box follows the minimalistic packaging of the iPhone (small box cramed with cable, charger, small manual and headset). Not surprisingly there was a tiny user’s guide with the bare essentials to powering up and using the phone. This is where the difference lies between an iPhone and everyone else in the smartphone market.

External Look and Feel

The SGS2 comes with everything standard to a 2011 smartphone: high-speed processor (1.2 GHz Dual Core Application Processor), decent in-built memory, long battery life, dual high resolution cameras with flash, touch screen, dual-purpose standard USB port. It can be argued that Samsung borrowed from the minimalistic design of generations of iPhone (although I’d say the current generation of iPhone (version 4) looks like it got its inspiration from the candy-bar phones of HTC. At115 grams, it is surprisingly light if you consider the size of this thing (125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5mm).

A friend of mine commented that the SGS2 feels plasticky. And while it is true that the back panel is a thin plastic, Samsung is not the only one doing this. HTC has a number of phones using concept. Should it bother you? How else do you keep the weight light. In my case it doesn’t although to protect against scratches, dent and shock (from dopping) I bought myelf a cheap plastic/rubber shell (HK$20) and a screen shield (HK$15). Now its protected and is still almost as slim as without the casing.

Screen

At 4.3 inch diagonal, this is one of the largest smartphones available as of writing. It may not have the pixel density that iPhone 4 carries (640×960-pixel screen), nonetheless, the choice of AMOLED lends credence to the user comments I’ve read elsewhere that the SGS2 has one of the best displays in the market today (even against the iPhone). Before I forget, the SGS2 comes with a 480×800-pixel screen. Again don’t be fooled by the numbers. Apple’s marketing of its 640×980-pixel screen as Retina display is just a creative play on the part of marketing.

If there is any concern I have for the screen is whether Samsung has solved the heat problem associated with backlighted AMOLED. I first encountered this on the Samsung i900. Back then when you are using the i900, the phone gets so hot in mintes that you can be forgiven to thinking it was radioactive (and heat is a form of radiation). Fast forward today, the SGS2 comes with a Samsung numerical designation: i9100. And true enough it still has a heat problem (though not as intense as the i900). Its not hot enough to cook an egg on the surface of the screen but if you happen to type a short message (or browse the Web for a couple of minutes), you will feel the heat from the screen easily.

Samsung – please solve this problem!

Bottons, holes and camera

The SGS2 comes with three physical buttons. Looking at it from the front, there is a rocker switch on the left which is for volume control. On the right is the power on/off/lock/unlock combo button. As the universal home buttom on the bottom middle part of the front panel. It comes with two mics (on the top right next to the 3.5 inch audio jack and on the bottom to the right of the micro USB port. It comes with two speakers – on the top front of the phone where you expect to press your ear when you are making a call; and on the bottom back panel. Speaking of back panel, there is an 8.0 megapixel camera next to an incredibly small but very bright flash). The front facing camera is a decent 2-megapixel camera (compared to the iPhone 4′s 0.3megapixel VGA standard).

Operating System

The SGS2 comes with Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread). Like all Android phones (except the Nexus), updates to the OS happen as and when the phone manufacturer decides to make the upgrade. This is by far (IMHO) the biggest let down. Doesn’t matter if you use Sony Ericsson, Samsung, HTC, etc. They are all the same – they won’t let users upgrade the phone OS until months or even a year or two has passed. I suspect part of the strategy is to force the customer to buy a new phone. Don’t you just love these people? For example I got this SGS2 on 26 June. Android 2.3.4 came out in May.

What does this dual core processor mean? For one thing, you can run several applications in the background experiencing any significant performance lags. On most other smartphones, the devices starts to choke after you power-up a couple of applications – say Web browsing, downloading, watching a movie and Facebook. The iPhone doesn’t suffer this because despite marketing claims it doesn’t really do multi-task1. Is this important?

User Interface

Traditionally iPhones were the equivalent of a dummies phone for cool people. And I mean this with all due respect. What I mean is you don’t need to read the manual to learn to use the device. You touch your way to learning how to use the device. The learning curve is when you start using more esoteric features like equalizers, screensavers, wallpaper, and the essentials of iTune (for my money, the single piece of software that locks you into Apple (period).

For Android, you need to be a smart person to use devices built on this platform. Making the Android platform even more complex is the way device manufacturers create user interfaces and add-on apps they claim are designed to make the experience of using the device more pleasurable (ton of bull IMHO).

Like the HTC smartphones using Android, Samsung wasn’t content to leave users with the official Gingerbread UI. Samsung preloads the TouchWiz 4.0 skin onto each SGS2. I’ve used Nexus some months back and I can tell you there isn’t really much of an improvement so I don’t know why users can’t disable this skin without rooting (jailbreaking on iPhones) the SGS2.

The SGS2 also comes with a few Samsung-specific software preloaded. Perhaps the most important you should remember is he Task Manager, a software which allows you to kill apps you don’t want hogging precious CPU power, memory and battery (since high CPU usage means high battery consumption).

The other app worth looking into is Polaris Office. Developed by Infraware (of Korea), its not as powerful as the original Microsoft Office Suite but it does Word, Excel and PowerPoint. So why complain?

Samsung must have also picked something from Microsoft Zune with the use of Hubs (or bundling of applications/services that do similar things). For example there is the Game Hub which a small gaming apps. More importantly (IMHO) is the Social Hub (which allows you to bring pull together all your favorite instant messaging apps, social networking services including faceboo, linkedin, twitter and plurk), and of course email. There is also the Samsung Apps Hub but with the abundance of software on the Google Apps Market, why even nother with Samsung Apps Hub. The one Hub I couldn’t find was the Music Hub. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if this was something the local mobile operator (in my case Three) would change.

The most loathed application in the Apple arsenal of products is iTunes. It is a slow clunker that hogs memory. Unfortunately it is the only way to connect your Apple mobile device (laptop, iPod, iPad, iPhone) is via iTunes. Samsung saw that Apple used iTunes to lock consumers to the company. Enter Kies – an application which mimics iTunes (all the way down to how irritating it is) with one exception – you can still load photos, music, videos and ebooks on the SGS2 without using Kies (they are not as maniacally obsessive as Apple). Samsung put one up Apple by also creating an app called Kies Air

As if admitting Kies is rubbish on the desktop, Samsung’s preloaded the S 2 with an app called Kies Air. This lets you explore your phone’s contents over a Wi-Fi connection. It’s very simple to use — when you open the app from the phone you’ll be given an IP address to visit. Type this out on your PC or Mac, and you’ll see an exploded view of your phone in your browser, from which you can upload or download media, stream music saved on the phone and even send text messages.

Camera

The SGS2 comes with an outward facing 8 Megapixel auto focus digital camera that shoots great outdoor picture but starts to wear down your patience when medium- to poorly lit scenes. It also shoots p1080. The video shots are decent but don’t expect the SGS2 to replace a standalone digital camera. Then again, this applies to all other devices. Its a great feature to have but don’t quit your day job (as it were).

Web Browsing

Yes loading a website is reasonably fast on the SGS2 but unless the website is designed for this formfactor, I’d stick to using a screen size of 7 inch or more for browsing websites.

Reading ebooks

I installed Amazon Kindle, Adobe Acrobat Reader and Moon+Reader (epubs and cbr). The Kindle worked as advertised as did the Acrobat Reader. My experience with Moon+Reader is a mix bag. It has all the features you’d expect from a decent ereader but some minor flaws not worth wasting my breathe on. I’d say ‘live with it until a better one comes.’

Battery

The bane of every portable device is battery life. So far Apple has done a decent job with living to its promise of longer battery life (of course it had to compromise on things like multi-tasking). I charge my SGS2 every day because I love watching videos on it and I keep my SNS accounts alive throughout most of the day and parts of the night. At least the battery is user replaceable so I don’t have to bring it to a service center to get a new battery.

Extended Memory

The SGS2 I got comes with 16GB of memory. I was surprised that the box didn’t include a complimentary micro-SD card. So I got myself a 16GB HS Kingston card for HK$185. The SGS2 does support 32GB but the price is still over HK$400 so I’d pass for now.

What I liked

This is really one of the slimmest mobile phones I’ve had the pleasure of using. The screen is big making the phone too big for my hand to comfortably hold. But it doesn’t feel like its going to break in my hand or slip (for that matter).

What I don’t like

I started this review with a story about smart devices for dummies using the iPhone as the benchmark of how to make a complicated device so simple to use, you literally don’t need a manual to use it. I haven’t read the SGS2;s 164 page manual and I am scared because I think it will only tell me half of the story.

For example, I was stumped for a week trying to understand why I can’t adjust the volume of phone calls when using the headset. Only after Googling did I find out about a workaround on this. Its not difficult to implement but then again it shouldn’t require me entering an odd set of numbers and special characters. How many more of these hidden tweaks do I have to discover?

Conclusion

Do I regret getting the SGS2? I have this tendency to lament spending money on something expensive. I could have waited for the Nexus 3 but with so much uncertainty about who is going to build it (rumor is LG and if that is true, I’d be concerned). I could have also opted for an iPhone4 but given that I really loathe using iTunes I think I am happy with the choice of Samsung Galaxy S2.

Photos

Other people’s review of the SGS2

I don’t suggest relying on one person’s opinion to make a decision. So here are a couple of other people’s review of the SGS2 to help you make an educated decision of your own. Good luck.

WJTech

TechRadar

Filed under: The Review

Men Are Just Happier People

Allan — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 04:11:34 +0000

Foreword: This is not my original but a friend sent over and I thought I’d share it with.

Men Are Just Happier People — What do you expect from such simple creatures?

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don’t have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you’re talking to them.
New shoes don’t cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough..
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes..
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes — one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can ‘do’ your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24th in 25 minutes.

EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it’s only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.

When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.

A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn’t need but it’s on sale.

BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.

The average number of items in the typical woman’s bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.

Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.

A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE

A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn’t.

A man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.

A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.

Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.

A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There’s no use in two people remembering the same thing!

SO, send this to the women who have a sense of humor and who can handle it …. and to the men who will enjoy reading it.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Doing more with the Mac using Parallels

Allan — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 03:32:50 +0000

Someone once told me that you buy a Mac if you don’t know where the power on switch is. For years I’ve always wanted to own an Apple Mac computer but couldn’t because my company has standardized on the Windows platform so all our applications were wired for the Microsoft operating system. Then came the decision by Apple to get out of the PowerPC platform and joined the Intel X86 bandwagon. I was ecstatic as I now thought I could finally use the much desired Apple operating system on an x86 computer – my PC. Alas, I soon realise things were not as simple as it seemed. Yes there were a few geniuses out in the world that tried to hack the Mac OS to run on an Intel PC but to my dismay you can’t expect to reap the benefits of the Apple operating system when you hack it into your standard Intel PC hardware.

To test the waters I borrowed a friend’s Apple Macbook. He’d been using Boot Camp for some time and swears by it. He was going away for a couple of weeks and said he didn’t plan on bringing his workhorse for the ride.

I tried Boot Camp and quickly realized a few things: (1) I have to reboot to shift from one platform to another; (2) it’s not easy sharing data between the two platforms; and (3) Boot Camp, while easy to install, took up what limited space was available on the MacBook (250GB configuration). Sure they say Boot Camp is faster because it runs native on the Mac hardware but cutting 250GB storage capacity cripples my ability to have my favourite programs and data with me when I need it.

A friend of mine loaned me an evaluation copy of Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac. With the new PD6 I get around the single biggest complaint about running Windows on a virtual machine – which it doesn’t run as fast as Boot Camp.

With PD6, I can install Boot Camp inside a PD6 instance and get the same experience as if I were running Windows 7 in native mode. And because I was using Parallels I could run both Mac OSX and Windows 7 at the same time with no rebooting.

Best of all I can now check my Outlook email and run Microsoft Word and Power Point on the VM window and be able to quickly cut and paste data from Windows 7 apps to the Mac OS X apps. It was an awesome experience!

For those of who have been following my typical reviews, you will discover this to be a totally different approach. Its largely because I’m still fiddling with this platform. If you want more info on a more details review, watch the video below. I didn’t get to try all the features highlighted in the video.

One other thing I found quite interesting with PD6 is the available of an app for the iPad (I happen to own one) meaning I can boot Windows on the Macbook using the iPad. The caveat is the Macbook has to be powered up, I have the Macbook’s IP address, and it only works on Windows running inside Mac OS X.

How cool is that?

Filed under: The Review

Gourmet Burger Union (LKF) – not worth the visit

Allan — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:07:05 +0000

What defines a good burger? In my opinion – taken from years of munching burgers from certified fast food chains like McDonalds, In and Out, and Wendys to even high society burgers found at hotel restaurants like Felix at the Peninsula, and everything else in between – a burger is a piece of finely ground beef roasted over hot charcoal and served in toasted sesame seed bun preferably with a reasonable selection of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, some onions and a dressing of your choice – in my case thousand island or honey mustard. You can keep your pickle. The burger patty has to be done just enough so it retains its juiciest flavour without any hint of burnt meat – a common occurrence when the cook is paying attention to anything else but the patty itself. Mind you some people like their burgers burned to the point where half the meat resembles a roasted corpse after a fire engulf an entire shopping mall. The worst burgers are from the likes of McDonalds where you can never be sure if what you are eating is beef or something that resembles synthetic meat.

I took my daughter for a quick bite at Gourmet Burger Union (GBU) on 21 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong one hot Saturday noon. I bought a couple of coupons with me that I got from uBuyibuy. Each coupon was valued at HK$60 and says I can buy any food I want from the joint.

The menu was impressive (a.k.a. priced on the upmarket side). The service was questionable as the kitchen was tiny (I saw a frier, oven toaster, a small fridge and storage). For the prices they offer, you’d expect a comparable location like those of Outback restaurants. In fact their cheapest burger – the Kick Ass – was priced at HK$48. What was surprising is that their selection of drinks is expensive. I ordered a Pepsi (my mistake) and paid HK$20 for what is arguably a HK$3.80 can of drink of the local grocer.

As you come through the main door, you will see a sign welcoming you with an offer for a set burger meal – Kick Ass with fries and softdrink – for HK$58. I was told by the ‘host’ – Mariella – no set meals! I didn’t complain and proceeded to order.

A young dishevelled youth wearing a t-shirt toasted the buns, put together the burger, iceberg lettuce, tomato slice (it was pathetic slice – I love my tomatoes) and added thousand island dressing – without asking me what I wanted. Twelve minutes later the burger was served. I have to admit my daughter’s chocolate shake was good but I’d expect that for HK$38. It wasn’t ground-breaking but it was ok.

The Kick Ass burger itself was a dry beef patty with a hint of oil dripping on the side. Nothing special and again I’d take an Outback regular burger anytime. I’d get a large serving of fries, soup, vege salad and cold drink to go with the burger for about HK$80 (which was what I paid for my GBU burger and can of Pepsi). And none of these plastic cutlery. What more can I ask?

Would I recommend GBU? I’d say ‘hell yes stay away’ unless you are craving for just any burger and have money to burn. It’s a few notches better than Wendys but definitely a little lower than another burger joint – Monster Burger or Triple O. I’d say GBU is comparable to another gourmet burger joint – Shake ‘Em Buns (SEB). If you pit the two together, I’d give SEB a better rating than GBU only because the location is better plus they are very creative with the names of their burgers – although to be honest the names may be fantastic, for example ‘Debbie Does Dallas’, but the actual burgers leave much to be desired.

If you are truly craving for a nice burger meal while in Hong Kong, go for Triple O or Outback Steakhouse. You won’t be disappointed when your order arrives at your table.

Bona petite.

Filed under: The Review