Tesco Hudl Tablet - A Valuable Competitor of the Ipad Mini and Google Nexus 7 (2nd Generation)

I was intrigued by the move of Tesco to launch their Hudl Tablet for a mere £119. It shares many up to date specifications of a modern tablet eg: quadcore chipset, HD screen, 16GB of internal memory with the option of increasing the storage to 48GB in total by inserting a 32GB memory card, stereo speakers and two cameras (one in front of the tablet and another, at the back of the tablet).

I am of the opinion that Tesco might not be able to make a huge profit by selling the tablet at such a low price but this issue will be dealt with later. As for this article, I will begin by providing a review on the Hudl's hardware and also on the software before comparing it with the Ipad Mini and the second generation of the Nexus 7.

The chipset found in the Hudl is not a yesterday's item. The 1.6Ghz quadcore cpu coupled with 1GB of memory and featured a respectable Mali-400 gpu with 16GB of storage space is a direct competitor to the Amazon Kindle HD, the Apple Ipad Mini and also the Google Nexus 7 (2nd generation). Apart from that, the Hudl have a pair of loud speakers but the sound may be distorted if put on too loud. It comes with a primary 3MP digital camera for the back and a 2MP for video calling or video conferencing. I am also impressed with the weight of the device which comes in around 380g. The IPS HD screen is bright and I have no problem in using it under direct sunlight. It comes with bluetooth, GPS and external memory storage for up to 32GB. Consumers can choose up to four colours when ordering for the Hudl tablet. 

So far, I have no issues with the hardware of the Hudl although the quadcore Mali-400 gpu seems to be quite old right now. The same gpu was featured in many mobile devices including the Samsung Galaxy S2. Nevertheless, I could not complain due to the price of the tablet in question.

In relation to the software made for the Hudl, it comes with the Android 4.2. When you boot up the device, it will ask you to upgrade the firmware to 1.2. You would need to have a wifi connection to update the firmware though. The whole process would not take a long time. It took me around 10 minutes to download and install the new firmware. The tablet will then reboot after installing the new firmware.

In respect to the user-friendliness, I have to be critical in the sense that the response when you touch on the screen is not as quick as you would have imagined on a quadcore tablet. However, I would not hesitate to start returning the tablet to Tesco because it does the job. I always use it for browsing and do presentation which has no problem at all.

There is only one thing which annoyed me a lot which is the location of the charging port and the location of the camera. The charging port is smacked right in the middle of the tablet so it is really difficult to use it while you charge the tablet. Apart from that, the location of the front video camera is in the middle - landscape mode. I am so used to the front video camera being at the side when you put the tablet in landscape mode but that is just my preference.

In using the tablet, I have not encountered any forced reboot of the software due to severe lagging of the device. In fact, it is serving me quite nicely. Moreover, the device can take in an external memory card up to 32GB which is really convenient. You can store your videos and pictures on the memory card instead of inside the device. Best of all ,you have a stereo speakers at the back but it will be covered when you use a cover so you would have to increase the volume if you are using a cover.

In conclusion, despite many shortcomings, the Hudl tablet from Tesco is worth a try. The nearest rival, the Google Nexus 7, is almost £80 more. I am satisfied with the customer service offered by Tesco in relation to the device itself. Kudos to Tesco in this occasion.

Update:

30 May 2014 - Tesco has announced recently that the successor to the Tesco Hudl will be launched soon. I wonder how much improvements will the successor receive this time around.

Google Nexus 7 - A quick review

Google has recently launched the Google Nexus 7 with the cooperation of Asus. To me, the Nexus 7 is a far cry from the mighty new Apple Ipad or even the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. However, many people are finding smaller tablets like the Nexus 7 to be more comfortable to use simply because it is lighter on its weight and more pocket friendly. This is true due to the fact that the Nexus 7 comes in three flavours ie: 8GB (£159), 16GB (£199) and an upcoming 32GB in the very near future.

If you have just purchased the Nexus 7, you'd like the box as it is small and compact. It is actually very handy when you can easily put it in your bag and you will not feel that it is in your bag at all. It comes with all the necessary accessories but it could be better if it comes with a stereo headphone. However, let's start off with a review of its hardware.

The Nexus 7 is equipped with an Nvidia Tegra 3 chip which is quadcore and clocks in at 1.3Ghz. Supposedly it has a hidden fifth core but I do not have much to talk about the "Ninja Core" but you could have a look here. I find it interesting for Nvidia to have slapped five cores in a tiny cubicle cpu armed with an integrated gpu! That is just marvellous.

Apart from the chip itself, the slate is equipped with a HD screen with a support resolution of 1280x800 and it has 216ppi! That is not too bad though but lacked the necessary criteria to match the retina screen of the new Ipad. Even though the screen is not above 300ppi, the screen is bright and clear.

The Nexus 7 comes with a 4325mAh battery which last around three days with moderate use. To me, it is quite brilliant considering the fact that the new Ipad can last more than 10 hours but it is so much heavier! I think the Nexus 7 is sufficient for someone who wants comfort without sacrificing weight. Apart from that, it has all the 2012 specifications which includes 802.11n wifi, bluetooth, 1.3MP front camera for video calling and GPS. I have to mention that the GPS lock is pretty quick on the Nexus 7 running on Andriod 4.1. It locks much faster after upgrading to 4.1.1!

A normal Nexus 7 user will find the Nexus 7 to be reliable and the Jelly Bean OS is remarkable. The menu speed is quick and video Skype calls are smooth without any lag. Best of all, it is £199 for the 16GB and not many 7" tablets will provide with you the flexibility and the superior hardware like the Nexus 7. Well, many people will disagree as they think that the Amazon Kindle Fire HD will do the same like the Nexus 7 but it is not. I will stick my money with the Nexus 7. I will not touch the Sony Tablets as it is just overpriced but the Blackberry Playbook 64GB might be a good purchase as it is priced at £130 at PC World and Currys. However, I have to mention that the performance of the Playbook does not even come close to the Nexus 7.

If I have to criticise the Nexus 7, it will be the lack of a back camera. While it is not too damaging not to have a back camera, I think that it will be useful for Google to include a back camera taking into account the size of the tablet is compact and light. It is a shame that Google did not include a back camera. In addition to that, Google should have included an external storage slot so that customers could add more memory via a memory card. However, taking into account that price of the tablet, I think consumers are quite happy with the Nexus 7 but it could be improved better as mentioned earlier. I am happy with the performance of the Nexus 7 as there were no crashes so far and video Skype on the Nexus 7 is smooth. It is a good buy nonetheless.

Solid State Drive

If you are feeling that your computer is running very slowly, you may want to try defragmenting your hard drive. If that does not resolve your problem, you may want to increase the computer's memory eg: from 4GB to 8GB or 16GB (only available for Quadcore CPUs. Please check the availability on the CPU manufacturer's website). The increase of memory or RAM (Random Access Memory) will append up temporary storage while the computer is switched on.

If that does not resolve the overall performance of your computer, you might need to change your graphics card (note: graphics card on a laptop is virtually non-replaceable unless it runs on Nvidia's MXM series).

Your next move should be looking at the performance of your computer's hard drive. This is truly important because the hard drive will store all of your data even if the computer is shut off so you need a fast and reliable hard drive without breaking your bank account to do so.

These days hard drive usually comes with either a solid state drive or a mechanical drive. If your computer comes with a mechanical drive, it will allow you to look at the rotation per minute ie: rpm. The theory is that the faster the platte inside the hard drive spins will ensure that data will be accessed much quicker. Usually you will see a typical desktop hard drive ie: 3.5" 7200rpm loaded with 32MB cache and a laptop hard drive may spin at 4200rpm loaded with 8MB cache.

However, one may find a better hard drive installed on their computer which will be great! These mechanical hard drives have one or two problems. Irate of all, they are noisy when the platte in the hard drive spins. If you have a hard drive which spins faster, it may create more noise in the end. With a fast spinning hard drive, it may cause the hard drive to produce more heat. This will be quite uncomfortable particularly if one is using a laptop on his/her lap.

There is an alternative to the mechanical drive which is solid state drive. There are many advantages in using a solid state drive as opposed to the disadvantages. First of all, all solid state drives use flash memory (just think of your USB flash drives) so it is really quiet. Apart from that, it does not produce as much heat as a mechanical hard drive because it does not have any moving parts. The only heat will be emitting will be from the NAND flash chips on the solid state hard drive itself.

Thirdly, it is lighter in weight as compared to a mechanical hard drive. This is quite important if you are thinking of shedding some weight in carrying your laptop around.

Above all, data access speed on the solid state drive is pretty quick. One good example is the 256GB Samsung 830 series solid state drive where the read speed is up to 500MB/s while the write speed is up to 400MB/s! This is much faster than a typical laptop hard drive (5200rpm; 8MB cache) which access data at a speed of 80MB/s in the real world!

However, a user will have to contemplate the disadvantages of buying a solid state drive. It is expensive to buy a solid state drive and it comes with a small capacity unlike the mechanical hard drive. Often than not, many power computer users will buy a solid state drive just to boot into the operating system (OS) while maintaining the mechanical hard drive for storage purposes. This idea prove to be quite popular.

In deciding which solid state drive to purchase, one would have to do some research. Often than not, one would have to read some reviews eg. PCworld, Techno Buffalo, Techradar and so on. Please try not to stick to one review but read as many reviews as you could before making a conclusion.

If you have decided to make a purchase for a specific solid state drive, you would have to do some research in getting the best price possible. One could achieve the purpose by searching online via eNay, Amazon and Bestbuy (In the UK it will be via carphonewarehouse.com).

Apart from that, don't just ignore small and independent online retailers. Personally, CCLonline and Lasky.com seems to be offering some good deals apart from ebuyer.com. The rule of thumb in buying anything online is that you will be protected under the Distance Selling Regulations throughout Europe.

Personally, it is submitted that the Samsung 830 series solid state drive is one of the best solid state drive in the market without breaking one's bank account. If one is interested in purchasing a 128GB version, the cheapest at this time of posting is Amazon UK (£77.99 including postage) while the 256GB version is being sold at £149.97 including postage. Please be aware that if one were to purchase from Amazon UK, the buyer will be entitled for free posting. Best of all, delivery will take place under three working days. I have similar good track record with other sellers which I have mentioned above.

At the end of the day, one should always do some research before making a decision to buy amy solid state drive. Given the price drop and the reliability of Samsung solid state drive as they use their own products to produce the solid state drive, the Samsung 830 series solid state drive is the most affordable in today's term when looking at the price/capacity/reliability/speed issue.

Have fun!

Update I:
Apart from the Samsung 830 series SSD, one could also try PNY SSD series which has similar specifications as the Samsung 830 Series and it cost almost the same too.

Update II (13/02/2013):
You could pick up a 512GB Lite-On SSD from ebay or Amazon for around £220 in the UK. The performance of the Lite-On SSD is comparable to the Samsung 840 Pro without breaking anyone's bank account.

HSPA+ Multiflow

If you were to read this page, you will find out that Nokia Siemens is gearing towards a new technology where it will allow a mobile device to be connected to two cell tower simultaneously. In doing so, it will cut down the potential drop calls especially when a mobile device is located close to the edge of a cell tower.

Personally, I welcome this technology with open arms. I think it is not too late to introduce such technology because we need to be able to access to internet at broadband speed especially with the introduction of LTE in the near future.

At this moment in time, O2 UK has deployed 3G 900mhz and other mobile networks will have to follow them. With LTE, mobile network providers who run on the O2 UK network will benefit greatly as it has extended the coverage range of the cell network.

I will be waiting for such technology to be deployed by OEMs. At this moment, we have quadband GSM + Pentaband UTMS + LTE with A-GPS + GLONASS. I will be most delighted to see more technologies to be deployed soon.

Kudos to Nokia Siemens!

Apple Macbook Pro 15 and 17

By the time this article is posted, it would have been a brand new year which is 2012. Reflecting from the past one year, it has been a tremendous support for the Apple company. Not only they have released the Iphone 4S which is not really what consumers have expected (Consumers have thought that Apple will be releasing the upgraded Iphone with a larger screen); the Ipad 2 which runs on the same A5 cpu just like the Iphone 4S and not forgetting the Macbook Pro.

I have always against Apple's Macbook Pro until most of the normal 15" or 17" laptops gave me RSI. I could not understand why I was having RSI. Well, a quick trip to the doctor have suggested that it could be my long usage of my laptop throughout the years that have resulted in me having RSI. After careful analysing the situation, I found out the main problem and resolved the issue.

If you noticed, most of the 15"- 17" laptops have a height of around 1.5 inch when it is open. When you place both of your hands on the keyboard, it would have put greated pressure on your wrist to accomodate the height of the laptop. One of the solutions would be to get an external keyboard and an external mouse. By the way, this is the best solution for the moment. If you do so, you might come across another problem - space.

The problem starts with the external keyboard and mouse. Both of them would take up quite a lot of space on your desk unless you have a significant large desk to use, you might find yourself to be short of space. Moreover, it would also mean that the monitor on the laptop would be futher away from you and it will be quite difficult to see those fonts properly. The problem could be resolved if you increase the font size on the screen. However, in doing so, it would mean that you would not be able to see certain websites clearly on a single page. You would have to move the page constantly which is quite inconvenient.

Perhaps it would be best to get an external monitor for it as it will solve the problem of the font size being too big. In doing so, more money would have to be spent to buy a monitor. These days one would have to spend around £150 for a brand new 20" monitor at least. With that in mind, it would also mean that there will be less room space for the person to work on as the monitor would take up some extra space in addition to the external keyboard and mouse.

If we are not doing spend that amount of money, what can we do? Well, it is simple - Try to get a laptop which does not have a height of more than 1 inch for a typical 15" laptop. Where could you get one from then? Will it be from Dell, Asus, Sony, HP or Apple?

I have tried Dell and their XPS 14z is a good competitor but the potential to upgade the laptop internally is not very good at all. This is because one could upgrade the memory to 16GB unless the cpu is replaced by a quadcore Core i7 and the maximum hard drive capacity on the 14z would be 1TB (utilising 9.5mm hard drive in height). In order to change the cpu, it will cost money and same goes to changing the hard drive. From my previous experience with Dell, one could swap their laptop's cpu for a better cpu for a fee. The Dell 14z chasis is a good competitor, same goes to its bigger sibling, the XPS 15z. However, with the Dell 14z or 15z, a user will have to change the cpu in addition to adding more memory and changing the hard drive from 750GB to 1TB.

With Asus, you could actually choose the ZenBook UX31 but since it is an ultrabook, it does not come with good firepower. It runs on a dualcore Core i7, similar to the Dell XPS 14z and 15z and it runs on the integrated gpu, unlike the Dell laptops which I have mentioned above which uses a dedicated gpu from Nvidia (GT540M). The problem with the ZenBook UX31 is that it is difficult for users to upgrade the laptop unless the user follow the same route as mentioned above as in the given situation of the Dell laptops. This proves to be more expensive than the Dell as mentioned above. I like the ZenBook UX31 as it is silent when it is idle but quite noisy but bearable when the machine is being pushed to its limit. However, one has to bear in mind that the ZenBook UX31 only comes in one flavour - 13.3". The screen is crisp but lacked the firepower of the Dell XPS 14z and 15z under the same category.

One would ask: What about Sony? They have good S and E Series for consumers. Unfortunately, while the laptop height of the S series is more than 1 inch, the performance is on par with the Dell 14z and 15z but they cost more as compared to the Dell machines. One could argue that the Z series is a good competitor but the Z series cost lots more than the S series in nature and it has a 13.1" screen size.

With regards to HP machines, most of them have a height of more than an inch when you are referring to laptops of 15" and above. Well, HP laptops are of good build and they last for a long time. Most of the laptops which I have mentioned apart from Apple and Ultrabooks/Zenbooks will allow you to change the cpu in addition to the memory and hard drive. The problem is that HP laptops are also quite heavy.

I then come to the final part. I would like to spend some time writing about the Apple Macbook Pro 15 and 17 (MBP 15 and MBP 17 respectively) - starting from early 2011 onwards. While I am not bias towards the Macbook Pro 13 (MBP 13), I would like to stress on the MBP 15 and 17 because they are using quadcores and not dualcore as found in the MBP 13.

It is common knowledge that the MBP 15 and 17 are very expensive. Besides that, they are overpriced!!! If you were to take a closer look at the reasons as to why it is so expensive, you will come to a conclusion that pehaps the high price is justified.

Let's begin with the chasis itself. It is made up of a single piece of aluminium which is strong. This would make the keyboard keys firmly placed on the chasis. The problem with that a user will have to use more energy to type on the keyboard. The keys are not spongy and no heptic feedback at all. I have always maintain that if you are a keen Apple macbook pro user, you are doing some exercise on your fingers.

While the keyboard is backlit, just like many other laptops e.g. Dell 14z and 15z, the trackpad is rather too flat. it does not provide a user with the option to disable trackpad usage, unlike on certain laptops in the market. You do not have the option to ask Apple to install a Blu-ray player on the MBP 15 and 17, neither do you have a dedicated eject button on the Superdrive itself. You need to rely on the keyboard to do so.

Another problem with the MBP 15 and 17 is that it has limited usb ports. On the MBP 15 you only have 2 usb ports while you have an additional usb port on the MBP 17. This is not acceptable! Well, Apple argued that they have provided a thunderbolt port and a firwire 800 port to suppliment the lack of usb ports. Whilst it is a bold idea to include a thunderbolt port, Apple should have released more accessories to accomodate the use of such a port! As far as this article goes, you can connect a thunderbolt enabled Apple 27" display on the port, Lacie's Big Small External hard drive on it or Pegasus NAS storage with it.

When you think about the accessories which I have mentioned, each of them is expensive!!! The Apple 27" display would set you back for £899, Lacie's 1TB thunderbolt enabled hard drive will set you back for £399 while the 2TB version will cost you one hundred pounds more. Pegasus NAS storage is the ultimate which cost around £2500. You need to ask yourself - Do you actually need them?

Personally, I feel that Apple and other companies should produce a more competitive priced products for the people to use them. Not many people can afford to buy the accesories which I have mentioned above! If that is the case, the company would not be able to make lots of profit so why wouldn't they release some cheaper products to utilise the thunderbolt port then? I am also quite disappointed with Apple as their firewire 800 is not running properly on my 2TB external hard drive even though I have made some enquiries about it. Apple could not help me, Microsoft could not help me. The manufacturer of the external hard drive mentioned that it is something which they are dealing about it and point the finger at Microsoft. Oh no...

Apart from that, the screen quality on the Apple MBP is commendable! Unfortunately it cost quite a lot to choose an anti-glare screen. I like the aluminium body with the ventilation holes in the middle. This will allow users to buy a protective cover for the MBP, unlike many laptops in the market. Above that, the machine is quite quiet unless a user play games at medium settings and above. Generally, both fans will not produce a lot of noise if you surf the internet or use Microsoft Office Suite. It is the quietest 15" and 17" laptop which I have ever seen.

Newer MBP is easier to upgrade the hardware. You need to bear in mind that the cpu is not upgradable as it is soldered onto the motherboard. You can, however, upgrade the memory from 8GB to 16GB with 2x8GB. In doing so, you need to update your MBP before doing so. Please be informed that you can only upgrade your MBP to 16GB if you are using a quadcore Core i7 cpu. This will mean that the MBP 13 will not be able to support more than 8GB of memory, unlike its bigger siblings.

I have also noticed that if you start charging the MBP, the left corner will be quite hot. I am hoping that Apple will release a 15.6" MBP instead but I don't think they will ever do so. The battery on the MBP is adequate for a good 6 hours on a single charge if you are running it on the Mac OS as it will use the integrated gpu on the Core i7 cpu instead of the dedicated AMD gpu when it is not running on a programme which is graphic intensive. In doing so, it will save energy. If you run Windows on the MBP, you will see that a single charge will last you around 3 hours as the integrated gpu will be disabled. Until now, I still can't find a solution to enable the integrated gpu on the Core i7 cpu.

Above all, since the height of the MBP is quite short at 0.95 inch, it will be helpful for any RSI patients out there although it comes at a price. The upcoming Ivy Bridge cpu will be released around April 2012 which is three more months to go and so I believe that it will be good to just wait for a few more months if you are thinking of buying a MBP. Best of all, you could actually think of getting one on Black Friday which is towards the end of the year.

Thundebolt

Apple may have dominated with its thunderbolt technology. Nevertheless, Intel is fighting back to ensure that the once dominant Apple will have to share their technology with other OEM.

Ever sinced Thunderbolt technology became a household name under Apple, it revolutionalise everything we see. A quick demo will see that read and write speed will take you up to around 500mbps and a transfer rate of up to 10Gbps. With thunderbolt technoloy, Apple has ensured that its customers will be able to daisy chain thunderbolt up to six devices. This is pretty nice considering the fact that you could be using a Macbook Pro and then connect a 27" Apple display via thunderbolt and then to a Lacie thunderbolt enabled external hard drive.

If I am not mistaken, the 27" Apple display with thunderbolt technology will set you back for a cool £899 while a 1TB Lacie External Hard drive with Thunderbolt technology will set you back for £399. Oh well, one would be asking whether it is justified to spend so much money on a new technology.

Recently, Sony has released its Z Series 13.3" laptop which featured Intel's light peak technology. Such technology is similar to Apple's Thunderbolt technology where an external powerpack containing an AMD HD 6650M gpu with blue-ray player attached onto the main unit of the Z Series laptop. With the Powerpack, you are looking at forking out £2700 for a 1.18kg 13.3" laptop (minus the powerpack) and without an external sheet battery.

I don't think people should be investing in Thunderbolt technology as of now because the technology will be much easier for a person's pocket in the coming year as Intel is about to release Thunderbolt technology across its motherboard beginning of 2012. I am very excited to see new products being launched in support of thunderbolt!

Apple Mighty Mouse

If you are one of those people who would like to purchase a bluetooth mouse and have thought about using the Apple Mighty Mouse, think again.

From my personal experience with using the device, it is fast and compatible with OS X Lion particularly with the new gestures which comes together with the new OS. The latest Mighty Mouse is fast and accurate but a big letdown would be towards its shape and sizes. The mouse is just too flat!

The new Mighty Mouse is basically unsuitable for many people with big hands like me. If you were to use the Mighty Mouse for a long period of time, you will surely experience wrist pains. Moreover, £59 is not a cheap amount for a device which will injure parts of your body.

Avoid it if you have a big hand but if you have a relatively small hand or medium sized hand, go for it by all means as it is very useful. As for me, I would opt out for a Microsoft Mouse 5000 which uses bluetooth technology too. It serves the purpose as the pointing device is fast and accurate. Besides, I will not have problems with it being too flat.

Apple Ipad2

I know that Apple is going to release their third generation Ipad in the very near future. However, I could not wait to get my hands dirty in using one of their latest Ipad2 floating around. Sometimes, I am just curious in looking through the internet and I could find people selling a base model - 16GB wifi + 3G for around £100 on top of the £499 retail price! That is just crazy though!

When you do telephone Apple, they will inform you that it will take around 1-2 weeks for your SIM FREE Ipad2 to arrive from China. The easiest for you to get around the shortage is to go to one of those mobile phone stores and take up a 24 months contract. Well, what is so good about the Ipad2?

At this very moment, the Ipad2, similar to the Ipad1, is basically an enlarged Ipod Touch. It is good in the sense that you could just port over all your favourite apps which you have purchased for your Ipad1 or from you Iphone to the Ipad2. It works beautifully although there are certain apps which is specifically made for the Ipad and it will not work properly if you have an Iphone.

The Ipad2 is significantly lighter than the original Ipad and is slightly faster than the original Ipad. I can't justify the need for a dualcore but gamers will find it useful. After all, Apple has downclock the 1Ghz A5 to 900Mhz. I would not know if you ask me what was the reason for the downclock. It goes the same to Nokia's N8. The ARM chip is capable of running at 772mhz but Nokia has downclock it to 680mhz.

The Ipad2 has facetime and performs just like the latest Apple Ipod but it is 9.7" instead of 3.5". The increased in screen size is justifiable and much better than the Ipod Touch. It is a shame hat it does not contain a radio chip which will allow users to make or receive calls/text, so unlike the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The battery life on the Ipad2 is remarkable. It last through one day with moderate usage and with skype working at the background before the need to recharge. Mind you, I have been on skype for around 2 hours before I stop. I think the Ipad2 is a powerhouse when it comes to durability. The battery is just as good as the original Ipad.

There is only one thing which I don't quite like about the Ipad2. Being Apple, they are still using 0.7MP in this age as their primary digital camera and 0.3MP for video calls/facetime. That is just crazy! It is also really expensive unless you take up a wifi+3G on contract...

Will it be justifiable to have the Ipad2 instead of the original Ipad? Well, if you don't mind the weight, I would think it will be best for you to stick with the original Ipad.

Tablets - End of the Road for Netbooks?

These days, it is impossible to ignore the importance of tablet PCs. Do you know why? Well, it is light to carry and you do not need to remove it when you are going through security checks in the airport! Besides, a tablet PC would usually hold more than a day's juice for anyone to be "connected" while on the go. How nice, isn't it?

Wrong.

If you were to take a look at today's tablet PCs, you would find that more and more companies are getting on the bandwagon to release compatible products (in this case, tablet PCs) which are more compatitive in its functions, not necessary in its price though. You would need to understand that tablet PC was not made popular until Apple released their Apple Ipad recently which caught the world by surprise. In fact, the Ipad concept is not new. If you Google around, you will know that there are numerous products which are similar to the Ipad but it was not made pupular.

The next thing you need to ask yourself is why Apple is so successful in marketing their Ipad? One thing for sure though - they are restrictive in allowing software developers in getting vital information about their Mac OS. Besides that, they are receiving tons of royalties when it comes to high developer fees for selling their apps on the Apple Store. If that is not bad enough, Apple does not share their technologies, not unless it is necessary. The Apple brand itself is a niche and I have to say that the Ipad is a wonderful product but short of the necessary add-ons like front facing camera like the upcoming Samsung Tablet with radio capabilities so that it will allow users to make and receive calls and text messages, just like a normal mobile phone. The question to ask yourself is whether you will be willing to fork out around £699 for a proper tablet PC with radio capabilities? Think about the price of the product when you consider that an average full time staff at a supermarket would only earn around £1400 after deductions in a month.

At this moment, I have nothing to compare the Apple Ipad with except for the HP Mini 110 which I am using at the moment. I can see why people would like to use the Ipad - It is light, 1Ghz cpu power and the apps are backward compatible with most of the Iphone/Ipod apps. Fantastic, don't you think so? It is more like flexibility when it comes to cross platform. Wonderful.

What about the netbooks then? Surely it is much better than a tablet, no?

Netbooks have come a long way. It started off with 7" running on a Celeron cpu. Later on Intel mass produced their first generation Atom cpu - N2xx series, then followed by the N4xx series (N450,N470) and  by the N4x5 series (e.g. N455) which features DDR3 memory controller. Presently, Intel is slowly releasing their first generation of dual core Atom for netbooks (e.g. D525). Don't get me wrong as prior to the release of the D5xx series dual core Atom cpus, Asus have managed to release the Asus 1201N which comes with a desktop dual core Atom (D330).

One criticism is that the cpu on the Asus 1201N draws significantly more power than traditional Atom cpus for netbooks. At the time of writing this article, Asus have quietly released their 1215N which feature a dual core Atom (D525) with 2GB DDR3 memory and an integrated Nvidia Ion 2 GPU. What a perfect combination! The damage from getting the Asus 1215N is that it will cost the consumer £400 if you want to buy one for yourself. On the other hand, it has a proper keyboard and you can load quite a lot of things on it (it comes with a 250GB hard drive) but it does not have an optical drive. Basically, it is just like a laptop without a DVD-RW writer. I don't mind not having a DVD-RW writer these days as I do have a laptop with me. It is old but it is still working perfectly on 8GB of system memory.

If you noticed, there are people who question the survival of netbooks. They do say that with the release of more tablets, the era of netbooks will finally come to an end. I think not. Tablets will only play a small role and I don't think I will get myself a tablet because it does not serve any purpose to me unless you are talking about following what people do in the drama series like "NCIS". In the movie, the Apple Ipad is being used extensively.

I have to say that netbooks are still surviving and it will remain strong. I might want to get myself a better netbook next time around. Perhaps it is good to give away my present netbook and take the opportunity to get a dual core netbook like the Asus 1215N!

USB 3.0

I am quite happy with the fact that manufacturers are releasing new hardware to support usb 3.0. However, there are still many laptops using the existing usb 2.0 standard and there's no word out to say that OEMs are going to release usb 3.0 hardware. One good example will be Dell. Dell is still using usb 2.0 across their Studio and Latitude range of laptops. When are they going to release usb 3.0 as a standard platform across their laptop range?

Apple Ipad

No doubt that Apple has launched its newest gadget in the market. Yes, you're correct and it is the Apple Ipad. No matter how Steve Jobs described his new toy, it is, erm, an enlarged Ipod. So, what is the big fuss over an oversized Ipod then?

It was mentioned that it uses an upgraded cpu, namely the 1Ghz Apple A4 with either 16GB/32GB/64GB memory onboard. It features a 9.7" screen and you can use it for storing music, videos and surfing the internet. The Apple Ipad could not be a laptop or even a nettop replacement simply because Apple has failed to include any usb connection which comes with it (it's optional). Another problem with the Ipad is that it does not support multitasking! You cannot run more than one application at one time. Don't you think that it sounds familier with the Iphone and the Ipod family? With the sales of the Ipod decreasing, I'm sure that those marketing people at Apple would have to launch a new product to counteract the dwindling sales of the Ipod.

Save some money folks... Stay with your existing Iphone/Macbook. The Ipad is such a waste of money.

MicroSD/MicroSDHC

Microsd (SD= Secure Digital) cards are becoming more popular as the day goes by, don't you think so? Think about it. Even Sony Ericsson has stopped using their proprietary M2 memory cards and went all out to support microsd cards in their latest Sony Ericsson Satio mobile phone. I think more SE mobile phones supporting microsd will be released by Sony Ericsson.

Having said that, there are so many brands and capacity of microsd cards available in the market right now. Being the smallest memory cards available in the market right now, it is important to choose wisely. MicroSD cards will support a capacity for up to 2GB. Anything above 2GB will be identified as MicroSDHC (HC=High Capacity). Presently, the largest capacity for MicroSDHC will be 32GB. Newer gadgets especially new mobile phones will be able to support MicroSDHC although the newer mobile phones will still be able to support lower capacity MicroSD cards.

There are mainly three type of speed ratings on any microSD/MicroSDHC card. It goes by Class 2,4 and 6. Basically Class 2 will give you a theoritical 2MB/s access speed (or more commonly known as 13x), Class 4 will give you 4MB/s access speed (or more commonly known as 26x) and Class 6 will give you 6MB/s access speed (or more commonly known as 40x).

Non MicroSDHC cards were based on the old SD 1.x specification. MicroSDHC cards, however, are based on the newer SDHC 2.0 specifications. It is vital that you understand the maximum capacity which your mobile phone or gadgets can take. Never buy a higher capacity memory card if your device could not support. It will be a waste of resources.

There are many manufacturer who are offering MicroSD/MicroSDHC cards for sale. A typical household name will be Scandisk, PNY and Toshiba. They are reliable cards to use. A typical reliable card will offer 5 years limited warranty. Make sure that you hold on to your receipts after you have received your goods. You never know what's going to happen to your card in the future (just in case it breaks down).

Good luck in searching for a good memory card! By the way, I have a picture of a Toshiba 16GB MicroSD card which I have purchased lately for my Nokia E72. I got it for around £32 on ebay. It is a bargain! I have looked elsewhere and they are selling a tyical 16GB Scandisk MicroSD card for £45!

$130 Keyboard

Have you heard of Das Keyboard? Don't be confused with its looks because it is a German engineered mechanical keyboard with gold switches. Porsh? Well, it is apparently so. It comes with a 2 metre cable and 2 usb 2.0 ports. Sounds cool?

It is not yet in sale but if you want, you can have a look here.

Core i7 for Laptops

Recently Intel as announced their upcoming Quadcore CPU, the Core i7 for laptops. It was meant for OEMs to introduce the mobile quadcore to consumers at a much later time. However, by looking at this website, it seems that Dell has started selling Intel's latest offering - The mobile Quadcore. This is the 'consumer' version of the quadcore for mobile computing because we already had the extreme quadcore for laptops under the 65nm Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Quad Extreme which uses 95w to 150w depending on the cpu itself. Such power hungry chip requires special cooling materials and fan. It was also mentioned that the Core 2 Quad under Kentsfield was a slap of two cpus in one. Quadcore mobile computing was still at its infant stage as it was still very power hungry for a quadcore mobile computing.

That is where the Core i7 mobile computing steps in. It is a remarkable piece of technology. Intel has managed to scale down the power requirement for the new cpu. Rated at 45w, it's the best mobile quadcore so far from Intel. Yes, you will be getting a large 6MB of L3 cache (some comes with 8MB of L3 cache) with 2MB of L2 cache in total for each cpu and that is similar to AMD's X4 but it's more power efficient than AMD's X4 II til date. It's also faster than AMD's X4 II with turbo mode.

I think Intel has made a point over here. Over the years they have tried to fit a proper quadcore into a laptop and it seems that they have made it this time. However, the TDP is still quite high as compared to the Core 2 Duos especially the P range. I'm into the P range as it offers the same performace of the T range but at a lower TDP (10w lower to be exact). Now, the question is whether you need a quadcore for your everyday life...Hum... I think it is unecessary right now. Wait for Intel's offer of a quadcore cpu with in build GPU!!!

New Intel SSDs

I am so glad that Intel is going to launch their new 'Postville' SSDs with storage up to 320GB! It will feature a native NCQ (not surprising) but no price has been announced. I will be really happy to see it releasing. After all, current SSDs in the market is just not good enough for normal usage. The most that I could find is 128GB and it is really expensive at the moment. Perhaps, if Intel is smart, they could launch the 320GB SSD and lower the price so that it will benefit the consumer as a whole.

SSDs will really benefit the public. It is more robust and reliable than current ATA and SATA hard drives. It is also lighter than ATA and SATA hard drives. Way to go Intel!!!

More Memory, Please!!!

I am just thinking...Do you need more than 2GB of memory in your laptop/desktop? Well, I have to say that if you only have 1GB in your system (excluding Netbooks because most of them can only manager 1GB due to restrictions of vendors like Dell), you might want to reconsider adding another slick of 1GB into your desktop/laptop. It is proven that with an additional 1GB which will push your system to 2GB, will speed up your applications.

Well, it is true because with the extra memory, data does not need to wait for the temporary data to be flushed out from the 1GB but instead just store data on the extra 1GB of memory. That will speed up the application(s). That is why it is really important for you to install 2GB of memory on your desktops/laptops.

What if you already have 2GB instead in your system? Do you need more than 2GB of physical memory in your system? I have tried 2GB and then 4GB and then 8GB (quad channel) on my system. Guess what? You can't really see significant difference having installed 4GB or 8GB of memory in your systems. I think installing 4GB of memory will be sufficient unless you are a multi-tasking user like me. If you are, paired the 8GB with a quadcore CPU will really speed up your system.

When you have more than 4GB of memory, it is vital to know that you need 64 bit of OS to be able to recognise the additional memory and use them. Otherwise, it will be such a waste for you install the additional memory. At one time, I had 8GB running on Windows Professional XP 64bit with a decent Nvidia Gforce 9800 GTX+. I ran F.E.A.R. 2 on it and boy, it rocks!!! Just to let you know that with 8GB, you will need a better PSU. I think a 700w PSU will be sufficient. Although I know that my GForce 9800 GTX+ is not the fastest graphics card around town, it can still produce decent frame rates. I could run NFS Undercover in the highest settings and I still manage to get around 40fps. It is brilliant!

Well, 2,4 and 8GB of memory configurations are only useful if you are running on non Intel i7 CPUs. If you are running on the i7 CPU, it is wise that you are using 3,6 or 12GB memory configurations because the CPU is designed to run on triple channel. I have not been able to use any Intel i7 CPU until now. I might build myself an i7 system but I am just waiting for the price to come down. At this moment, I don't think it is justifiable for anyone to get the i7 as it is still very expensive. Moreover, better CPUs are releasing very soon. Well, stick with your current Core 2 Duos and it will be just fine, trust me. It will be much wiser for your pockets but...

Yes, with 8GB of memory is much better than 2GB. I am using a Compaq 2800 series laptop and Compaq said that it can only take 1GB of memory. What I did was to replace the 1.4Ghz p4-M to p4-M 2.2Ghz and upgraded the memory from 1GB to 2GB. It really make a vast difference!!!

Nvidia Gforce 250 GTS

Nvidia will be releasing the ever awaited mid range graphics card to consumers. Yes, it is non other than the Gfirce 250 GTS. Based on my research, the 250 GTS is nothing more than the Nvidia Gforce 9800 GTX+ which I am using anyway. One difference between those two cards is that the memory address will be different. On the GTS is 512 bit where else on the 9800 GTX+, it is 256 bit. In that case, if you already using a Gforce 9800 GTX+, why bother buying the 250 GTS then? I think it will be better for you to stick with your curreny 9800 GTX+ and save some money for the next best thing - SSD on your desktop!!!

Yes, both OCZ and Intel have begin shipping their high capacity and also high performce SSDs. I am pretty impressed! However, make known that at this point in time, there is no suggestion to install one of them on your rig because it is not affordable as compared to a laptop. Well, for those laptop lovers, here me out! You'll soon be enjoying the fruit of Intel and OCZ on SSDs. It will be great! Hum...I am still hanging on to my seven years old laptop...it can't even take SATA hard drive...Only IDE!!! The best that I can do with it is a 250GB IDE from WD. I am stuck with a 160GB at the moment and I think it is sufficient. What do you think?

Apple v PC

Have you ever wondered why there is such thing as Apple v PC? I think it has everything to do with Apple. Look at the original IBM PC. It was robust but it was slow. It is quite expensive too, at that time, back in the early 1980s. Steve Jobbs left the core business and came up with his own invention - Mac. It uses a different kind of operating system and it is an alternative to the IBM PC. IBM set the benchmark while other companies raced to build better IBM compatible PCs in terms of its cpu power and also the OS which runs the PCs.

One thing for sure, Steve Jobbs' bet paid off. Look at his fortunes now. We have the Ipods, Iphone and Mac PCs and laptops. Everyone seems to be more familier with it rather than IBM compatible PCs. Why? Is it because people are fed up with the way how Microsoft promotes its Windows systems (crashes all the time with BSOD) or is it due to the fact that Apple products are more appealing to customers?

I have to say that I have been an Apple fan for some time but I could not come up to become a true Apple fan. I like their gadgets but it is always a pain when you want to convert some files from the Apple Mac to a PC. One good example will be a raw file from Mac. You need to convert it to a PC version, otherwise it would not work in a PC at all!

No doubt that the Ipods and the Iphone are good innovative products. Look at it right now. We had the first generation of Iphone and now the 3G version. It is still selling well but people are getting tired of it. No matter what, more and more companies are coming out products to compete against the Iphone. Why? Why is the Iphone so special?

The goodness of the Iphone lies with its OS X. It is a beautifully crafted OS designed to wow everyone including FBI! If you watch NCIS, you would notice that the character 'McGee' is using a first generation of Iphone. The multimedia packed Iphone is second to none. I have been messing around with HTC phones including the latest Touch HD. Its TouchFlo 3D is not as smooth as you would get from getting an Iphone. It is similar with any Windows Mobile devices. The killer application is the Iphone! That is why companies are racing each other to come up with killer applications which could bring Apple's Iphone down to ground zero.

I DON'T THINK SO.

Perhaps they could topple Apple's Iphone OS X in the future but as for now, the Iphone's OS is still supreme. It is just like the European Court of Justice - It overrides all decisions of conflicting judges in a Member States' court. This is, undoubtly, the 'king' of consumer friendliness. To me, the Iphone is supreme, saved for its virtual keyboard. If there is a full size QWERTY keyboard, it will be much better. Perhaps I should be using one for now. The battery last for a few days, much better than my Nokia E90 which I had previously. The UI on the Iphone is a killer!!! I think I might trade in my Nokia E71 for the Iphone. Besides, it is only going to cost me £349.99 for a 16GB 3G Iphone. I will have to see about it. What makes me tick is the accelerometer on the Iphone. It is beautiful!

What about its Apple Mac range of laptops and PCs then? They are overpriced but...

On the laptop range - they are quiet and light and on the desktop range - they are compact and all-in-one design really pay off...

However, the problem with Mac laptops and PCs would be on the issue of overclocking. You would not be able to overclock as easy as on the laptops or on the desktops. However, it is now possible for you to use two OS - one Mac and one Windows on the Mac!!! Well, this is not news anymore as I have tried it on my Macbook before I sold it. It works beautifully!

Well, what can you say about it then? Apple or IBM compatible PCs or laptops?

It is up to you to decide... I might want to get myself an Iphone 3G prepaid with 8GB...Hum...What about paying £50 more for 16GB then? Tempting! I can easily unlock the 3G and use its applications. Oh well, I think I have to put this idea on hold. I am still very much in love with my good old Nokia E71.

New Apple Mini

Remember Firewire 800? It was removed in the macbook range, right? Well, what do we have here? It looks as if the upcoming new apple mini is going to have five usb ports with one firewire 800!!! I just could not wait to see it coming! Anyway, here is a video of the new Apple mini. I don't think it is a fake, though.

AMD is BACK with a Vengence!

I am so delighted to see that AMD has finally come up with a serious competitor CPU- The Phenom II X4. I am saying this is because with the Phenom II, it can achieve the same level of performance/watt as the Intel Q6600. As we know, the Q6600 is the idel CPU for most of the people who wants to have a taste on quadcore. No doubt that the AMD Phenom X4 is good but it is not as good as the Q6600. In fact, the original X4 could not be on par with the Q6600. I've build myself a Q6600 rig too, way back in March 2008. It is still running cool at around 36c in a normal room. If I were to run the cpu under stress, the temperature would hardly move up pass 43c. That is if you don't overclock.

Some people they will tend to overclock their cpu. Given the amount of flexibility which the Q6600 can take, one can easily overclock up to 3.0ghz without any problems. Well, the problem would start when you try to overclock past 3.6ghz. It is recommended that if you overlock your Q6600, it is best to have stable memory and a decent graphics card and a decent cooler. Besides that, you would need to tweak the BIOS at a stepping at a time. Never shoot up to 3.6ghz from stock speed of 2.4ghz. It will most probably crash your system. I did manage to overclock my rig to 3.0ghz without changing anything on the BIOS except for the voltage incrase to 1.4 and the PCI speed should be 100mhz. That is all I did. Well, I only overclock it for a few hours before going back to stock speed. I don't really like to overclock the cpu. It will be best if I buy a better cpu, rather than to push the mobo to the extreme. In overclocking, you will see that your cpu temperature will rise, so does the amount of dust in your rig.You've been warned!

Coming back to the AMD Phenom II X4, it was stated here that they will release a 3.6ghz version! That is absolutely wonderful! Although the Phenom II X4 is no match for the Intel i7 Core cpu, nevertheless, the Phenom II X4 is cheaper and is socket AM2 compatible (with updated BIOS will do just fine). Well, looking at the specifications of the new AMD Phenom II X4 cpu, I am prety impressed!!! I think the next rig which I am going to build will be based on the AMD cpu. I will have a look as I am still very much in love with my Q6600. It is quiet and very powerful. What can you say when you have 8GB of Geil DDR2-800 Quad channel Dragon series memory and a Nvidia 9800 GTX+ graphics card paired up with an Intel Q6600 and an Artic Cooling Freezer Pro 7 cpu cooler? It is a beast with immense cooling power! It is excellent! Couple with Windows 7 beta build 7000, it is a fantastic job though...