Techno Cop

My POWERDOCS Folder

POWERDOCS is nothing more than a folder I created under the Documents folder which contains all of my current files except for pictures and music.

Why the need to setup another folder? Simply because of the tendency of some software to add new folders under your Documents folder.  Below is the current view of what is inside the Documents folder of my Macbook.

 

If you are like me, there are simply too many folders inside the Documents folder that it is oftentimes difficult to find exactly what I need, especially under stressful situations. With too many folders, it is also difficult to choose the proper container for a newly created or received file. 

The POWERDOCS concept really is very simple. You just put all the folders and files that you will probably use within the year inside your POWERDOCS folder. Here is a view of what's inside my POWERDOCS.

 

Every time I download a file or receive a file thru email, I always ask myself the question, "will I use this again within the year or so?" If the answer is yes, the file then goes into one of the folders in my POWERDOCS. Otherwise, it goes into one of the folders under Documents or even archived straight into my 100 gig Firelite external backup drive.

I never make separate folders according to file type (e.g. PowerPoint, Word, Excel, etc.). I also need not worry anymore if a file was created in Mac OS X or Windows XP, they all go inside POWERDOCS. I just let PARALLELS worry about that for me. I file according to current projects.  Here is how to make your own POWERDOCS folder:

• Click on Finder
• Then click Documents.
• Right Click inside the column where all your Documents files reside, choose new folder.
• Name that folder POWERDOCS
• Populate POWERDOCS folder by clicking and dragging your commonly used folders and files.
• Finally, click and drag your newly created POWERDOCS folder to the left Finder column.

If you want, you can even assign a custom trigger to automatically open your POWERDOCS folder. In my case, pressing CTRL-ALT-P automatically opens the folder. You need QUICKSILVER to be able to do this. You can learn about Quicksilver from Lifehacker.

The use of POWERDOCS is actually a best practice recommended by Michael Linenberger in his book "Seize the Work Day: Using the Tablet PC to Take Total Control of Your Work and Meeting Day."   

I have used as many filing systems as the number of years that I have been using a computer. Please believe me when I say that this POWERDOCS system really works. This filing system together with my Professional Desktop has done wonders to my productivity over the years.

100 Days as a Mac Switcher

It has been 110 days to be exact since I switched to the Mac from the old Tablet PC.  During this period, I have attended quite a number of meetings where I contented myself with just a pen and my pigpogPDA. In all of those meetings, the Mac book either stayed inside the gadget bag or was altogether left in the car.

Yesterday, I had to refer back to Michael Linenberger's book, "Seize the Work Day Using the Tablet PC," to validate what I have really been missing. Here is a list of the productive meeting related things I used to be able to do discreetly, on my Tablet PC, using the 'dry' periods present during most meetings:

• Create prioritize, and assign tasks from action items identified during the meeting right in my tablet PC based task management system (using MS Outlook)
• Set date driven reminders to follow up on deadlines discussed were set in the meeting
• Update the status of tasks in my task list indicating progress made in the meetings.
• Find notes, documents, files, and e-mails relevant to the meeting at hand, as needed to accomplish follow-up tasks right in the meeting
• Create or update key documents in my electronic binder (MS one note) to refer to the next time these meeting topics come up.
• If needed, convert portions of handwritten meeting notes to text for subsequent distribution
• Create, and if wireless is available, even send e-mails to staff to follow up on important action items from the meeting
• Create a brainstorm document of possible solutions for problems raised in the meeting, incorporating the best ideas from the meeting.  This is done using MindManager 7.
• With the optional wireless access, pull up the webpage for a product or company being discussed in the meeting, and communicate the research information to the meeting at the moment it's needed
• And if the meeting is really dead, the Tablet PC also allows you to spend time on non-meeting related e-mails and other work documents, and even research the web, while waiting for the meeting to come back to what topic is relevant to you.
• At the end of the meeting, ensure that all meeting related action items have all been processed (calendared, emailed, and accomplished) except for those that have been delegated and are now sitting in my Waiting For folder.

If you attend a lot of meetings like I do, the above will show how much productivity I am giving away by not having a Tablet PC. With the Tablet PC, I could practically process all of the meeting requirements right there and then. This means that as I exit the meeting doors, I am done with all of the action items and I can already move on to whatever is next on my plate.

Can't I get away with doing all of the above using my current laptop, the Macbook?  The answer is a resounding NO because of the following:

Discretion.  Nothing is more distracting than, during a management style meeting, having a meeting participant typing away on the laptop.  In contrast, working with a Tablet PC in your lap appears no different from what you would be doing with a pen and notepad in your lap.

Communication Barriers.  Placing a laptop with a screen flipped up in front of you on a conference table creates a physical barrier between you and others in the room. While the tablet PC is just like a writing pad.

Personal Effectiveness.  Research shows that if you use both hands to accomplish a task, a much larger percentage of your brain becomes engaged in that operation.  Typing with both hands tends to totally engage your brain into typing activity and makes you visibly less tuned in to the meeting.  In contrast, writing with one hand during a meeting is second nature to most of us.  The brain stays mostly engage in the meeting activities.  We all can take notes and participate in a meeting at the same time.  This is exactly what the tablet PC can do.

Eye Contact.  It is much easier to maintain periodic and consistent eye contact with others in a meeting when using a tablet PC versus using a laptop.  This has a dramatic affect on the perception of others that you are personable and focused.  Lack of eye contact also limits your ability to read body language of others, something that I have always paid attention to.

Be that as it may, I am not about to disregard the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a Mac versus a tablet PC. Besides, I am still enjoying the positive experiences with my Macbook. However today, that digital ink enabled Modbook is becoming more and more irresistible.

 

Google Office

Fairly recently, in a blog entitled "Working Without Your Laptop," I talked about how one could leverage the power of web applications.  Specifically, I demonstrated how I have been using iGoogle (or Google Office) during the few times that I do not have my laptop with me. In this month's issue of MacWorld, the magazine did not only feature the power of Google Office but even highly recommended it.  Here is an image of page 61 of MacWorld's August issue:

 

And here is the text of the article's introduction:

Imagine being able to access all your important documents from any computer with an Internet connection-or never having to buy, install, or upgrade office software again.  You may already use a web-based e-mail service instead of an e-mail client, but the next programs to go online very well be your word processor and your spreadsheet program you can now get a lot done with only a humble browser.

The idea of behind web applications is simple: rather than running on your computer, a web application runs on a server-you interact with it through your browser.  These programs don't need to be updated and maintained on individual computers, and since your files are also stored on the server, you can access them from anywhere without schlepping a disk around.

Google is the biggest and best-known company that's generating buzz for a growing collection of web applications.  It includes a word processor called Doc's in a spreadsheet program cold spreadsheets along a calendar called Google calendar: and, of course, a web-based e-mail service Gmail.  The price for all these programs is a whopping $0.

Can these Web applications replace your $399 copy of Microsoft office?  If you have a slow or unreliable Internet connection, the answer is definitely no. But most people who do some word processing or spreadsheet work can benefit from Google's programs- either as a compliment to office or, in some cases, as a replacement.

I find this article to be a validation of what I have been blogging about all along - that web applications have matured enough to be extremely useful. A fully customized iGoogle virtual workspace (accessed through a bookmark in Firefox) is now the default homepage in all of my computers to include the recently installed Carputer.

But all of these powerful applications do not come without their downside. According to Mac world, your documents and spreadsheets may not be totally secured. They may be compromised in the event that Google outsources some of its maintenance requirements. That is precisely why highly confidential documents should stay in your physical hard drive and password-protected. However, the last time I checked, I do not have many of those. Of course, your mileage may vary.

If you haven't already done so, I suggest that you give Google Office its much-deserved spin. All you need is a Gmail account and a fairly fast Internet connection.  Besides, you'll never know when that laptop, full of all your favorite applications, will one day just say, "break time."

Bluetooth Keyboard and the Nokia N95

 

In my last blog, I wrote about how the Carputer has thus far impacted my productivity. BTW, my carputer at the moment is not only based on the Mac mini since, every time I am in the car, I also hook-up to the LCD monitor the NOKIA N95. Instead of buying a GPS module to install in the mini, I decided to just use the N95's powerful built-in GPS. Just a single push in the AV Source button of the LCD screen and I have selected the N95 as the source.

 

The carputer for the past week or so has been running flawlessly and the CoreDuoTemp shows its temperature ranging only from 145-155 degrees Fahrenheit. The Carnetix power supply is working wonderfully as it puts the carputer into hibernation (not sleep) when I turn off the ignition: it brings it back to its previous state 15 seconds after I turn the ignition on.

If there is one problem I experienced with the carputer, it has to be the lack of input device. Of course I could always carry in the car the white Apple Wireless Keyboard. But that is simply too big and cumbersome for my taste. Besides, I seldom need to input text even when browsing since I have saved all my bookmarks both in Firefox and in iGoogle. But still, it is always nice to have some kind of an input device when you might need it. That is what that keyboard is for in the above images.

Again, I found in my pile of junk this old Think-Outside-Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard. It is fairly small at just about twice the size of the N95 when folded. Using the keyboard with the Mac mini is a no brainer since it is easily identified. Now, it would be nice if it will sync as well with the N95. Boy, that will make sending SMS simply awesome.

I went to the Think-Outside website and attempted to look for the driver. The site says that they are still working on the N95 but a driver is already available for the N92 which is the one I downloaded from here. I downloaded the sis file to the PC (XP under Parallels) and decided to give it a try. I then installed the driver using Nokia's PC Suite onto the N95 without a hitch. And now for the moment of truth, will the keyboard be recognized by the N95?

 

And whadaya know, it works. It even triggers some of the N95's applications like SMS, calendar, and notepad by using the Stowaway's default keystroke combinations as defined in the manual. But it shines even more for text input alone; typing urls in the browser, typing SMS, and even in Notepad. However, it will not work with the Mac mini and the N95 both at the same time. You will need to re-enable it in the mini after using in the N95, and vice versa. This is good enough for now.

Checking my Amazon records online, it shows that I bought the keyboard in January 2006 for $90.99. I was using it of-and-on with the LE1600 back then. The Stowaway has now gone down in price since and is now selling for just $85.99.

My friend Allan and I tried to install an HP All-in-one printer the other day- HP 2600. This will solve once and for all the last remaining requirement for this project which is to send/receive fax. We tried for a couple of hours but gave up after having problems with the printer-modem interface. We can print alright using Bluetooth, but we keep getting an error message when trying to send and receive fax. Allan promised to find a solution by this week.

With the addition of the Stowaway keyboard and printer, we now have a fully functional "mobile office."

I am quite confident that our client will be all smiles when we demo our "mobile office" to him. I can't wait till we finally install it in his Ford E150.

 

 

My Email Workflow

In early 2004, my organization issued me a first generation Blackberry that I ditched six months later. Yesterday, I scrounged for it from my pile of junk, found it, and still couldn't determine its model number. It is one of those with monochrome LCDs. Anyway, I used that blackberry for what turned out to be the most miserable 6 months of my life.

It's as if I do not receive enough SMS and phone calls as it is.  You add to that the tons of email notifications and you have a sure fire formula for chaos. Using the Blackberry, I have tried all sorts of methods to minimize my incoming email. The best method was to create a rule that you only receive emails from selected contacts. And, you use those rules in tandem with the SPAM filters available in most any email service provider. Still and all, push email made my life miserable due to the distractions that I got. Despite the fact that 95% of them are either trash, nice to know, or can wait till the next day, the few seconds it takes for you to read each one already cost you precious moments away from your current task.

And so, in the middle of 2004 I totally ditched my blackberry and swore that I will never again deal with anything that has push email. I have had smartphones with push email capability since; I just did not bother activating this service.

 

My Old Twice a Day Workflow

After the Blackberry, I developed the practice of checking my email only twice a day. I check my email once before lunch then again after 5 pm. Each time I check my email, I insure that I totally empty my INBOX. Here is how I do it:

1. I let my fav email client, MS OUTLOOK, receive all my emails after manually clicking SEND/RECEIVE. Take note that I have turned off automatic download since this will only add to your distractions while working on your computer.
2. I have set rules for certain emails to go directly to their designated folders. I have the following folders configured: FAMILY, BIZ/WORK, RECEIPTS, REFERENCE, Waiting FOR, and Project folders I am currently working on. Adding folders is a cinch and could be done by right clicking on the OUTLOOK INBOX folder. To create rules that will define where certain emails should go, just click on TOOLS and then RULES & ALERTS.

   

3. Once OUTLOOK is done downloading, I start with the INBOX folder and work my way down to the last folder. Those that are unimportant are instantly deleted. I also make it a point to reply to all messages, but I limit my replies to a maximum of two sentences only.
4. Those needing longer replies are either flagged for later processing (mostly in the evening of the same day) or delegated to someone in my staff with bcc to my WAITING FOR email address (this is another email address I created to store all emails needing follow-up).
5. Those needing comments from head office are forwarded to the person concerned with bcc again to my WAITING FOR email address. I created this email address to remind me of all sent emails with pending replies. These emails are automatically moved inside my WAITING FOR folder during download.
6. I do the same thing at night except this time, I insure that all flagged items are replied to.

I actually picked-up the use of the WAITING FOR email system from one of my favorite bloggers, Michael Hyatt. If you want a detailed step by step on how to set it up, just visit his site here.

Using this system, I have managed to keep my emails under control and my INBOX always empty. I only have to check my WAITING FOR folder to remind me of pending emails that need to be followed up.  This system not only minimized my daily distractions but also allowed me to be more productive. All in all, this twice a day system requires me to devote about an hour to an hour and half a day for email stuff.

 

My Current Once A Day Workflow

With the coming of my new Mac Mini Carputer and with the use of iGoogle, I can now get away with 'working' on my emails only once a day. I now only do serious email work at night. I still use most of the steps described above except that I now also do some very minor email processing while on the road. With an always on broadband connection in the car, I could easily do some minor email processing (mostly deleting unimportant stuff) while stuck in traffic or at the parking lot. This is done from the main page of my iGoogle homepage without logging in to every email account. That way, when I finally start working on my emails at night, all that's left are those that require more action (i.e. replies, transfer to other folders, delegate, etc). With the addition of the carputer, I find myself devoting only 30 minutes per day on emails. The time saved I now use for blogging here.

I believe 30 minutes per day for email is good enough for most. But not for TIM FERRIS, the twenty nine year old author of the bestseller "4 Hour Work Week." In his book, FERRIS described how he gets away with checking his email only once a week. FERRIS uses an email notification system advising all his contacts of this practice and requesting that he be notified by phone for urgent emails.

Recently, in a meeting at the Department of Foreign Affairs, someone was bragging about his brand new Blackberry. He was asking everyone to email him directly since he now has a 24/7 access to his email. He even went to the extent of asking me to ditch my smartphone and get a blackberry instead. I just politely smiled at him, looked the other way, then said to myself - A blackberry huh? Yah, right. Not even if you give me this Ultimate Blackberry accessory for free.

If you are wondering why a Mac switcher insists on living in MS OUTLOOK, you can read about it here.

Mac Mini Carputer

After almost a month of delay, the Mac mini based carputer is finally up and running. To the first time visitors of this blog, you can read about the background of this project from here and here.

Standing by the doorsteps of our favorite auto shop, ALLAN JARLOS, his assistant ERIC, and I waited eagerly for it to open. The first major decision of the day is where to install the 2nd carputer. Do we install it in the Subaru STI as originally planned or in the Ford Escape? Allan prevailed and we decided to install in the Escape being the everyday vehicle, but not without the STI getting its own sound system upgrade. Here is a pic of the STI getting its factory stereo and speaker system changed.

The store opened at exactly 9 am and after some discussion with the owner on what we needed done, the actual installation started at about 930. The most difficult part of the install really is how to get the LCD in dash.  Everything else went smoothly since the manual provided by carnetix is fairly straightforward. Five and a half hours later, we were all happy campers. If you just want to see the carputer at work, simply click the below video and spare yourself from one of my longest blogs ever.

If you are still here, then you might really be interested to have a carputer of your own. Then, read on.

Below is the image of the Ford Escape before the installation. Yes, that's a Garmin gps sitting by the air vents.

Below is how it looked during the LCD installation. Note that the white cable at the bottom is actually the Mac cable that connects directly to the Carnetix P1900 power supply. This Mac cable allows me to keep the standard Mac mini AC power adapter for when I need to use the Mac mini at the home office.

And below is the pic of the Mac mini carputer fully installed. I have highlighted the Canetix P1900 which we temporarily installed exposed. The reason being is that we may decide to upgrade the Carnetix software to the 2.8 version should we experience some issues as described in the Carnetix forum. So far, we have not experienced any. BTW, the mini is stored inside the compartment directly in the foreground.

If you have reached this far, perhaps, you really need to have your own carputer. So, I have listed below a summary of what you will need.

Project Summary Mac Mini Carputer

Hardware/Labor Cost
1.66Ghz/512/60GB Intel Mac Mini	$599
7″ Lilliput 629GL-10NP Touch Screen	$195.95
Crucial 2 sticks 1 gig ram (2 gig total)	$80
Carnetix CNX-P1900 DC-DC Power Regulator ver. 2.2	$99
MacPac Power Cable Kit	$24.99
Cable (3.5mm to RCA)	$7.99
Griffin Powermate (Volume Controller)	$15.87
Miscellaneous Wiring, Switches, Fuse Box, Fuse, Female Cigarette Adapter, Mounting equipment, etc	$10
Labor (installation in Ford Escape)	$25
Shipping (USA to the Philippines via Johnny Air)	$110
Software
AMP (Front End)	free
DisplayConfigX (To get OS X to properly work at the Lilliput's native resolution of 800×480)	free
Touchkit (Lilliput touch screen interface)	free
Time Spent
RAM upgrading	30 min
Software installation and in house testing	120 min
Installation of carnetix Y auxiliary power cable	15 min
In-car installation	330 min
TOTAL PROJECT COST
Total amount spent	$1,166.85
Total time spent	8.25 hours

Like I said, the manuals provided are all easy to comprehend and even come complete with images and wiring diagrams. In fact, we just gave the diagrams to the storeowner and allowed his boys to have their way with everything. We just lend a little hand in setting up the required jumpers in the Carnetix which again were clearly explained in the manual.

Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind before starting your carputer project:

• Absolutely no soldering was involved in this project.
• I used the existing amplifier and speaker system of the Escape for this project. I just used the 3.5mm to RCA cable to connect the Mac mini to the amplifier.
• Do your RAM upgrade and Carnetix Y cable installation at the same time. That way, you will only have to open the Mac mini once. Methodshop offers a very good instruction on how to open the Mac mini.
• The AMP is a free download that mimics the MAC OS X's front row. The AMP works very well with most any touch screen interface. It is even more powerful than front row since it is fully customizable.
• The DisplayConfigX is required for the Mac mini to recognize the LCD touch screen's available resolutions. Just install it and use all the default settings.
• The Touchkit comes with the LCD and is helpful in calibrating the touch screen panel. I actually calibrated mine using the 25 point calibration with an old Cross Executive Stylus. Having done that, it still works with finger touch.
• I had some issues with the Powermate USB controller. You need to use the Ver2.0.0 driver for it to work.
• I did not bother attaching any AM/FM radio module to the carputer. The cell phone could easily handle this for me.
• I have several Bluetooth headsets in the car and did not find any need to install the Bluetooth Phone Elite into the carputer.
• Instead of buying a separate GPS module, we opted to just attach the N95 to the Lilliput LCD and use its powerful Navigation system. The Lilliput is capable of handling the Mac mini, the N95, and a rear view camera all at the same time. There is an AV button in the LCD panel that allows you to switch sources.
• The factory Styrofoam packaging of the mini was glued together to serve as cushion. And it proves to be good enough. We drove around town with the carputer playing Barry White and did not experience any problems whatsoever.

Mac Mini or Nokia N95?

 

Features	Mac Mini Carputer	Nokia N95 Carputer
Cost	$1,166.85	$1,055.00
Time to install	8.25 hours	5.5 hours (LCD and speakers)
Degree of difficulty	Moderate	EASY
Connectivity	Wi-Fi  (HSDPA modem optional)	Wi-Fi and 3.5G built-in
Power	Car battery via Carnetix	Cigarette lighter adapter
Music (Stereo)	iTunes	Real player
Music Capacity	20gig space remaining	2 gig Micro SD
GPS	Option (module)	Built-in
Keyboard support	Any USB or Bluetooth	Hard to get Nokia wireless only
Printing	Any Mac or XP compatible	Limited options
Office	MS Office 2007	Quick office
Browser	Firefox/Safari/Explorer	Nokia WEB
PIM	Outlook or Entourage	Nokia
Touch Screen  Interface	Yes	None
Multi-tasking	Yes	Very minimal

The Verdict. For our purpose which is to setup a full blown mobile office, the Mac Mini based Carputer is our hands down choice. We need a setup that is versatile enough to handle the various tasks (email, send/receive fax, minor image editing and printing, etc) that our client needs to put it through. Besides, the touch screen capability of this setup just makes it more user friendly than the N95 version.

  But if all you need in a carputer is to listen to mp3's, check email, and browse the internet, we highly recommend going the way of the N95. It is not only cheaper but  a lot simpler to implement.

The choice is yours.

 

Working Without Your Laptop

I recently blogged about What's in my Bag to identify the must have items that I need to carry each day. These are the essentials that need to be readily accessible in order to stay productive. But what if Murphy comes knocking at my doors one day and I loose Sammy- my gadget bag? Let's make that even more exciting and ask - what if I lose my gadget bag in the middle of a road trip?

To a certain extent, this already happened to me when in a recent one day road trip; I decided to leave all my gears behind. You add to that an unanticipated phone call from the boss asking that I email him a copy of a file. No problem you say, just connect the Samsung i600 smartphone to the internet (via GPRS/3G) and download away. But I never really liked browsing, much more working, using the cramped screen of any cellphone.

Here is what I did:

• I went to the nearest internet café in Tagaytay (C'mon, you would have done the same and plotted all the 'need to know' for any trip).
• Signed into my Google account which automatically takes me to my iGoogle homepage.  
• Clicked the link to Mediamax- my online file storage of choice, located the file and emailed it to my Gmail account.  
• Using Google Documents, I typed a cover letter for the file using a Template I have saved previously complete with our letterhead and logo. If I had to, I could have even used Google Spreadsheets to bill my boss for this overtime task.  
• From the iGoogle homepage, I clicked on MAIL and began typing a short notification regarding the attached files. I then just attached my cover letter which I created in Google documents, the Mediamax file, and then hit send.  

Online applications have matured enough to allow one to work in any computer regardless of the OS. We have actually experienced this in my organization when in 2006; I introduced the Wiki (I'll talk about this in my next blog). I even installed Suse Linux into an old Fujitsu P2110 then and was using that for a while sans the traditional software.

In the above example, however, I demonstrated the utility of the present day virtual workspace. I just leveraged the power of iGoogle which I have fully customized using several widgets provided as add-on. I have the following widgets installed every time I open my iGoogle workspace:

Gmail (where I forward all my other emails except for yahoo)
Yahoo mail
Better bookmarks (populated with all my favorite bookmarks to include my online storage Mediamax)
Google Notebook which I use for my to do list.
Thesaurus Search
Wikipedia
Currency Converter
Weather
Date and time
GCal (Google calendar)
Interesting Photo of the Day
A couple of must read RSS news feeds
From iGoogle's own control panel I can access Google Documents, blog search, maps, etc.

From this single webpage of iGoogle, I have everything I need without having to memorize any URL or needing any special software. Click the image below to see a hi-res version.

 
In the not too remote possibility that I actually lose Sammy, except for being a burden to my wallet, I have 2 complete images of the macbook's hard drive stored in 2 separate locations. And I know that whoever finds it would have several sleepless nights before giving up in trying to decode my laptop's password.

As ubiquitous as the computer may be, it is still an annoyance to go searching for an internet café to get some work done. That is why I carry my Sammy, with the macbook among others, wherever I go. But if I really have to, I know I can survive even without my laptop because of the power of iGoogle's virtual workspace.

If you are interested in setting up your own virtual workspace, I highly recommend reading Web Worker Daily.

Finally, ask yourself this question - If I lose right this very moment my gadget bag, will I survive?

What's in my bag?

If have a dollar for every time I am asked this question…  Never mind, let's just get on with it and get this over with.

As a mobile warrior, I need a minimum set of gear with me all the time in order to maintain my current level of productivity. 

I am an avid follower of GTD and it has been my practice to immediately act on things that would take less than two minutes to accomplish. Things like giving an officemate a copy of a file, opening a letter envelope, replying to an SMS message, etc. are better done immediately than having them clutter my to do list. Items that require more than two minutes but less than an hour could be accomplished in the car, at a coffee shop, right inside the meeting room or even a corridor without necessarily going to my office desk or my Techno-cop command center.

Being able to accomplish all these things requires instant access to certain gadgets. The items I now carry in my grab bag "SAMMY" - Samsonite DLX Pro medium, allow me to do my daily tasks even when I'm out of the workplace. Here is what's inside my SAMMY:

 

From left to right, front to rear:

Shure E3C earphones
Nokia N95 5 megapixel camera phone
Samsung i600 Smartphone with extra battery
Apple wireless mighty mouse
Huawei HSDPA modem
St DuPont lighter
Transcend 4 gig USB flash drive
Mont Blanc sign pen
Cigar holder (at the end of a long day, nothing beats a good cigar and a Starbucks espresso)
Emerson CQB-7B - utility knife
Waterfield pouch (cables, SD cards, remotes, vitamins, etc)
Multi-card reader
Battery geek with Apple power adapter
Moleskine large ruled notebook- my PigpogPDA
Firelite 100 gig fire wire drive

I find myself carrying SAMMY wherever I go 95 percent of the time. For the very few times that carrying a backpack are not appropriate, SAMMY is left in the car. I just carry with me a pen, my pigpogPDA, and the Macbook inside a waterfield sleeve.

Father's Day Dilemma

With the tons of SMS, emails, telephone calls I have received for the past 24 hours reminding me to take the day off from the regular "house chore," I can't help but think of what I should get as a gift on this special day. If there is one thing I really miss on this day, my 82nd with the Mac OS X, I have to say it is digital ink. This blog will explain in detail why I miss it so much especially when going to meetings.

Searching the web for what is currently the best Tablet PC, all my favorite Tablet websites unanimously point to only one - the IBM X61 Tablet ThinkPad.  Having used an IBM X41 before, I am quite familiar with the build quality of Tablet PC's from Lenovo. Here is a pic of my old X41.

 

One thing I like aside from their sub 4 lbs weight is the slim and tactile keyboard that they come with. What makes the X61 even more enticing aside from being superfast is that it is currently on sale until June 18. A 2gig RAM 1.7 GHz model now cost only $1900+ when the price that I paid for the old X41 two years ago was already $2600.

It is now crunch time. Do I succumb to the mood of the day and reach for the wallet? Heck, I already know of someone who is willing to get my Macbook for the same price I got it for. Assuming that I get to sell the Macbook for $1600, this means that my cost for the new X61 Tablet would only be around $400. I wish it were that simple but there is more to the total cost of ownership (TCO) than just hardware cost.

I remember reading last year a blog by Winn Schwartau comparing in detail the TCO between a Mac and a PC. He even provided a downloadable Excel file to allow one to manipulate the numbers based on their own actual costs. So I searched for his blog, downloaded the files, and immediately started punching my numbers.

Here is what I got:

	PC	MAC
Total Hard Cost (Inclusive of software and upgrades)	$2,987	$2,510
Subscription Updates per year (AV, firewall, etc)	$320	$45
Reliability Cost (lost time in $ per year)	$348	$132
Total cost of ownership in 3 years	$4,991	$3,041

The numbers will definitely vary depending on the software that you plan to install and how much you value your time. Mine however shows that in a 3 year period, my TCO for the MAC is around $2,000.00 less than the X61. If you want to try it for yourself, you can download the PDF (Winn's Recommendations) and the Excel file from here.

The 2 thousand dollars difference may not be much to some especially if they value having digital ink capability (which I actually factored in as an added cost to the MAC for not having this much desired feature). But going through this exercise reminded me and even allowed me to quantify the amount of time I used to waste and will be wasting if I switch back to Windows.

The verdict. I will stay with my current Macbook and PigpogPda combo. Part of the money saved from not giving in to the temptation will be used for a night out with the family.

Happy father's day!

Parallels 3.0- A Must Upgrade

One reason why I switched to Mac OS X was because of its ability to run windows XP virtually under the software Parallels. To say the least, I have been extremely satisfied with my old setup except for the following minor annoyances while running XP virtually under the old version:

1. Having to switch back and forth between XP and MAC OS X depending on which application I am currently working on. This is nothing too serious since all it takes is a simple press of OPTION+RETURN keys.
2. Maintaining separate My Documents folder for XP and OS X.
3. It may not be much, but it is still is a hassle to stop for a second to decide whether a certain task is better done in XP or OS X. Similarly, remembering when to use CTRL C (XP) and CMD C (MAC OS X) just gets on my nerve.
4. I have not been able to get QUICKSILVER to work with XP applications.

Well, that is now all gone as the guys from Parallels have done a tremendous job in rolling out Parallels 3.0. The above reasons alone are enough for me to immediately buy the upgrade. In a nutshell, I find the following features extremely useful:

Easy install. I did not bother backing up my working XP OS and files although the use of Transporter Parallels is highly recommended. In MAC OS X, I just removed the old version using AppZapper and double clicked on the 78.3 mb installer for the new version. The next thing I know is that a dialog box is asking if I want to convert my old VM OS (XP)and files to one that is compatible with Parallels 3.0. I hit CONVERT, and in a few seconds all my old XP settings, software, and files are where they used to be. I did this entire install in under 10 minutes. Awesome.

Smooth drag and drop. I can now drag and drop files from the Windows desktop to the Mac desktop, or vice versa. Before, this was something of a hit or miss thing. I can also right-click a document  anywhere (a Word file, JPEG, PDF or whatever); the Open With context menu (right click) now lists both Mac and Windows programs.

Improved coherence mode. The Coherence mode places the start menu and task bar together with the Mac OS X dock. No need to click OPTION+Return keys to access the Windows XP START menu. You can see it in action here.

Access XP files from MAC OS X. Yes, you can now do this even without firing up Parallels. A Mac program (installs with the upgrade and can be found in Mac OS X applications folder) called Parallels Explorer lets you manipulate the contents of your virtual Windows "hard drive". Take note, though, that you need to shutdown Parallels Explorer before you can fire up Parallels, and vice versa.

You can now set up shared folders in either direction. Or, do what I did and just maintain a single Document folder for both your Windows and MAC OS X files. Mine resides on the Mac side where clicking an XP file automatically opens it with the appropriate XP application.

Shared Networking. Windows XP "hides" behind the Mac's networking making it completely invisible to hacks, pings and bots on the web looking to infect you PC.

3-D graphics. The new version works with both DirectX and OpenGL 3D, underlying technologies that drive games like World of War Craft, Half-Life 2, and Unreal Tournament. This may be huge for PC gamers but I myself only play SIM City Deluxe 4 which already works in the old version of Parallels.

Transporter. This utility can bring over your entire world — programs, documents, settings, and all — from a real Windows PC, or from an old Mac running Microsoft Virtual PC, either over the network or using a FireWire cable.

USB 2. Parallels 3.0 does much better with high-speed connections to printers, scanners, flash drives, external hard drives, smartphones  and headsets. My speech recognition of choice, Dragon Naturally Speaking 9.0 still runs flawlessly.

Works with QUICKSILVER. Best of all, I can trigger my favorite XP apps using QUICKSILVER. CTRL+SHIFT+O  opens Outlook,  CTRL+SHIFT+N  opens OneNote, etc., swell.  With this capability, I have now ditched Office for Mac in favor of the feature rich MS Office 2007. Old files (xls, doc, etc.) created in Office for Mac now opens automatically with MS Office 2007 as default. 

This upgrade is highly recommended for those already running a virtual OS using the old version of Parallels. Parallels 3.0 is available for a 15 day trial period. After installing the trial and you decide to keep it, all you have to do is purchase an activation code for $79.99.