Laptop equipment for road warriors

Test with moBlog

2008-09-09T15:44:00.001+08:00

Hello, testing with moblog and posting from my HTC Touch Pro.edit: Let's see if this thing can edit posts as well.

Is it that much effort to design a nice GUI?

2008-08-20T19:09:00.003+08:00

Come on China, we know you can cough out some impressive PMPs, but is it that hard to make a pretty GUI? Recently I read up on the Ainol V3000 and found out it comes with a 800x480 WVGA display, which is pretty much a first for a flash player. Eventually, I found a place selling it, but after watching the video of it in action, I was pretty much disgusted.

This is what sets major players like Samsung, Sony, iRiver, Archos and Cowon apart from those players. While none of them have been able to produced an equivalent player, their interface is still better looking than Ainol's pitiful looking interface. As much as I like the specifications of the player, and how it would really be handy to carry around, the interface is something I probably can't live with.

Hopefully someday one of those companies will produce an opensource PMP so they can let others do the work for them, and produce a pretty interface like HTC's TouchFlo or something similar.

STM Medium Phantom Review (Plus some pictures of small version)

2008-08-11T23:06:00.003+08:00

The small version, and comes only in red. Hopefully STM will introduce more colors.

Medium! Only available in black.

Both bags side by side. There is a very slight difference, about 3-4cm difference between both bags.

The interior. The laptop section is designed to completely hide your laptop.

Very spacious design. The top is a little narrow, but the bottom is extremely spacious.

The frontal compartment for all your gadgets.

Overall, I think this is a pretty nice bag. If you want something versatile and allows easy access to your stuff in the bag, this will be a good choice. I picked the medium mainly because of the small difference in size, which can be found on STM's website.

Just got a Panasonic TZ3!

2008-08-09T20:59:00.005+08:00

Are you a photographer? If you are, a small portable camera is always a must to carry around. There are always situations where your phone can't handle the situation, or you just need something with more reach.

A DSLR is just too big to carry around daily specially if you have tons of junk in your small bag, plus it's not very convenient for any candid/impromptu shots that you might find interesting. Most compact cameras do not have much reach, being very limited at 3x zoom, which is not really my style of photography. Thankfully Panasonic's TZ range of compact ultrazooms answered my call for a compact zoom camera with good reach, so when a good price came up for one of this, I grabbed it without too much hesitation. 7.2MP, 28-280mm equivalent, and an image stabilizing component, it's a very good camera! It does have its compromises due to the range (eg. slow lens due to dimensions), but after using it, it's not as bad as I thought. It's an excellent performer during the day, and decent for night shoots or group indoor shots.

If you're ever in need of a compact ultrazoom camera, look no further than a TZ series from Panasonic.

Is it time to redefine the UMPC category?

2008-07-29T12:34:00.000+08:00

Lately, with the emerging popularity of the eeePC and its equivalents, is it time to merge the subnotebook category with the UMPC category? According the wikipedia, the UMPC category belongs to really small tablet form portables, like the Q1 and the ever popular Everun from Raondigital.

For some strange reason, with the introduction of the eeePC from ASUS, reviewers identified it as a UMPC. The eeePC for one does not have a tablet function or a touchscreen (Without any heavy modification), so should it not be in the sub notebook category? When manufacturers start to introduce touchscreen sub notebooks into the mainstream market, will it still be called a subnotebook? Kohjinsha was the first to introduce such subnotebooks, but wait, should it be called a UMPC since it comes with a touchscreen?

How about the new ASUS eeePC 1000h? The 10" screen, the 1.45kg weight, should it even be called a UMPC or a subnotebook? 9" screens are already pushing it, but what about the Sony famous TZ series with their 11.1" screens? It's lighter than the 1000h! For the convenience of all, perhaps it's time we should redefine the UMPC category.

Logitech VX Nano Tiny Review

2008-07-28T21:18:00.000+08:00

A good mouse is essential for work and play, and for road warriors, size is very important as well. It cannot be too big, nor can it be too small for comfort. If for some reason you have totally ignored all the other Logitech VX Nano reviews on the web and do not own one, please reconsider your decision.

It's nice and small. The package comes with a small pouch, receiver, and 2xAAA batteries.

Yes, the receiver is TINY.

No seriously, it really IS tiny.

Top view of the mouse.

Because of its size, it might not be for everyone so try it at your store before committing. For me it's the right size, and I can use it very comfortably. The only problem with this mouse is the lack of a proper middle click. You can click on the wheel, but it doesn't feel natural. That aside, this mouse's battery life is very good, and the software from Logitech tells you the % of battery life left on your mouse, so you'll know when you need to keep a spare set of batteries with you.

Tucano Cobra Horizontal Limit Small (For 13.3" Macbooks)

2008-07-28T20:40:00.000+08:00

A nice simple bag, nothing flashy, just the basics.

Don't be fooled, because the interior is very spacious. Designed for a 13.3" MacBook. I managed to squeeze in an umbrella, some folders for documents, my power adapter, and my mouse into that space.

This is the strap for the sling. It's easy to adjust and clings firmly.

Probably my favourite part of the bag. Easy to access gadget area with all your essential tiny gadgets, plus the ever useful compartment specially made for your mp3 player. Fits my Samsung YP-P2 nicely.

Zipper area for your other things that are just a wee bit bigger.

What can I say? I like the simplicity of the bag design, plus the well design accessory compartment. My only nitpick is the lack of a cellphone pouch on the sling itself. Other than that, the solid color, sturdy sling, makes this bag an excellent choice for daily commuting.

Rant about the usage of "ultraportables"

2008-07-28T20:21:00.000+08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraportable

This is the definition of an Ultraportable laptop. Lately, I've seen manufacturers name all their 12" laptops an "ultraportable", when it is in no way portable with its hefty weight, eg. more than 2kg. I believe the term should be reserved for any laptop smaller or equal to 13.3" and most importantly the laptop must weigh 1.5kg or less.

Carry a 2kg laptop with documents, a foldable umbrella and a water bottle, and you'll know how heavy it is. Taking out that 500g of weight will save your shoulder and bag from pain if you have to move around a lot. When I am getting a 12" laptop, the first thing in my mind would be the weight. Why get a 12" laptop that weighs as much as a 14"? If I have to tolerate that 1.9kg, I might as well have a bigger screen, at least that much is justified. Anyway, it just doesn't sound right when a 12" weighing 2.1kg is in the same "ultraportable" range as a 12" laptop weighing 1.3kg.

Slimplug Review

2008-07-17T15:59:00.001+08:00

I'm sure a lot of you hate that stupid 3 pin plug of yours, sticking out and damaging your precious bag, and always have trouble squeezing it into your slim laptop bag. With this you never have to worry again!

The packaging, shipped from UK.

Yeah, it's really slim. Push that button the side and the pins will stick out. Push it again, and it will fall back.

I got this piece from a place through a very special deal, but otherwise would never consider it due to their crazy ridiculous price. I cannot reveal the price I got it at, but if you were to purchase it from SlimPlug directly, it would cost you around SGD$36 with shipping for this cable.

If you are the type who will pay any amount for convenience, this is the perfect equipment for you. Finally able to squeeze my power adapter into those slim laptop bags from Tuscano!

Axio Laptop Sling Bag Review

2008-07-17T15:51:00.000+08:00

Well, I was very fortunate that two of my items came today. So here's a double review of two items. First one, the Axio Laptop Sling Bag. Not sold in Singapore, but there is a distributor in Malaysia, but they carry all except this sling bag.

Woo! Package is here!

The back of the bag after stripping the package.

Front side. With a zipper, compartment long enough for a typical magazine.

The laptop flap inside. It can fit up to a 15" laptop, so you can imagine how my little laptop is lying inside there.

Nice, red, soft and luxurious interior for you to stick your books and stuff. Two flaps for huge stuff. Not shown is a zipper at the top to stick your misc stuff like flashdrives, etc.

The other side? Tons of space for your pens, and two little slots.

Double protection. The sling is connected via two velcro strips plus this buckle. No worries about your bag suddenly falling apart.

This is what the back looks like. It's one of those airy types, so there is circulation and you don't feel so warm.

What do I think of it so far? It's a very nice and functional bag, with a front pocket for MP3 players, many zippers, very spacious and the well padded shoulder strap is a godsend. I managed to squeeze in a lot of things without the bag looking too puffy as well, so you can tell the material ensures the bag stays in shape. The price after some discounts plus shipping for two of this (Me and my friend) was around 130SGD each. Please do not ask me for price as I already TYPED IT HERE.

Thank you Rushfactor for shipping it here so quickly!

Samsung UM10 8mm Ultraslim Mouse Review

2008-07-17T15:45:00.001+08:00

I've been looking for a nice mouse that's functional and thin so that it's easier to store in my bag, and while looking around randomly today thinking whether to hoot the Memorex Laser mouse (Which is quite big but got retractable cable), I saw the Samsung mouse in a locked away shelf.

PICTURESSSSS

Yes, the packaging is reallt small.

Shot of the mouse after taking out of box. SO SMALL! And retractable cord FTW!

SO THIN.

A small and THICK pouch to protect your mouse with.

Functionality
Don't be fooled by the size. There's a total of 5 functions on that mouse itself, or you can say it's like having 5 buttons. The button in the middle simulates the left click for those curious. As for the other buttons? It's all on the wheel itself. Clicking the right side on the wheel itself triggers the right click of a mouse. Left side of wheel is the middle click, while the top and bottom is back/forward on your favourite browser.

Ergonomics
Sorry people, if you want ergonomics, this thing has absolutely none. It's good for your normal office day to day use, and the wheel is really handy to work with. If you want to game with this, forget it. I tried using it for about 2 hours and didn't feel any strain on my hands, so that's a good thing. It takes a while to get used to.

Final Word
So is it worth the price? It's up to you to decide if you want something small and light. To me, it's a really good investment because it goes into my bag without causing an unsightly bulge, so no complaints here.

Fred Perry Daypack Review

2008-07-17T15:21:00.000+08:00

I like slim stuff. Specially since I'm not very tall and not very bulky looking, so I to carry bags suitable for me. I couldn't find any suitable backpack for a long time because most of them are too huge or very ugly looking. So what do I finally see at the Fred Perry store in Cineleisure? A nice day pack!

This is all I carry everyday for my lifestyle. Laptop, a few folders with documents, lecture notes for courses, adapter, miscellaneous gadgets, and a DS. It all fits in very nicely.

This is what I like most about my bag. At the bottom, there is a small zip to stash away items you otherwise wouldn't know how to pack.

In my case, it's my storage department for my laptop charger and the Singtel USB dongle.

The insides is red and very smooth.

So how do I like it? It's a very nice backpack. It does not have a dedicated laptop compartment so make sure you have a proper case to keep it. There's one zipper for small items in the main compartment, and one on the exterior, plus another 2 at the side.

There are another 2 side pouches for you to store your water bottle or other things, so you do not have to worry about finding space for a bottle of water. The RRP at Fred Perry Cineleisure is 159. Overall, I like it. It feels smooth, looks good and doesn't have the "bloat" effect.

FIRST POST!

2008-07-17T15:17:00.000+08:00

Welcome to my site, I'll be moving most of my reviews from the old HWZ forums to this blog. It will be a lot easier for me to maintain and update since everything will be on one site. If you like my reviews, check back often!