In my previous blog I wrote about why I am now seriously considering switching back to windows after almost two years of quite satisfying and productive experience with Apple’s OS X (both Tiger and Leopard). The dilemma was primarily a consequence of my amazing experience with the beta version of Windows 7.
Ever since I downloaded the beta version, I have already installed W7 in 3 computers:
HP 2710P Tablet PC. 1.2 ghz Core two Duo with 2 gig RAM.
Netbook. Asus EEE 1000H with 1.6 intel Atom proc and 2 gig RAM.
Desktop. The most recent addition to THQ, a $500 powerhouse sporting a Quad Core 2.4 ghz proc (Q6600) with 4 gig RAM.
Here are the Windows Experience Indexes for each:
HP 2710P
Asus EEE 1000H
Quad Core 2.4 4 Gig RAM
I have already said that Windows 7 turned the the 2 year old HP 2710P into a productivity gem. I can now also say that the same is true with the Netbook which used to run OS X (hackintosh). The only issue I encountered when installing W7 in the netbook was with the wifi. I had to to actually look for the original installer from Asus and installed from the CD the Ralink WLAN driver.
As happy as I may be with my two laptops running W7, I am blown away by the speed I am currently experiencing with my new $500 desktop. You add to that an absolutely flawless install of W7 (all drivers and applications working) and I was thinking why I ever even left Windows in the first place (Answer- a five letter word that starts with a V). This desktop easily beats in every department my sub-$2000 Dream Desktop (circa 2005).
Having all these extremely impressive experiences with this new product from Redmond, these had me thinking as to what I am really looking for in a computer. When you remove the eye candies, form factors and Veblenesque, I am actually looking for only 3 things:
1. It must work like a slave. It sits when I tell it to sit, it works when I tell it to work.
2. It must work with all of my must have applications. Right now, I mean Office 2007, Mindmanager 8.0, TextAloud, Photoshop CS (?), and Firefox.
3. It must provide me with a reasonable degree of immunity to the prevailing threats out of the box.
Let me leave you with this question, how does your present OS measure up in these 3 departments? Please share with me your thoughts.
At about the same time I was experiencing freezes on the HP2710P tablet pc with Vista Business, I decided to download the beta version of Windows 7 (build 7000). Let me say at the outset that the installation and the amazing experience I have had with Windows 7 had me seriously thinking if I should stay with Mac OS X. Of course, it is too early to say if I will do so, but one thing is for certain, switching back to Windows is now a possibility. Even with just the beta version (we all know that the final version will only be better), my experience has been superb to say the least. Most of the things that I like with theMac OS X, I can now see almost flawlessly implemented in Windows 7. W7 has practically turned the 2 year old HP2710P 1.2 ghz Core two Duo into a productivity gem.
The Install. After downloading the ISO image for the 32 bit version, I just followed the steps here in order to have a DVD disc of the beta OS. I then popped the DVD in an external DVD drive and after a restart, I just followed the onscreen instruction. It was defintely the best install experience of any windows OS. I was done in less than 30 minutes. All of the 2710Ps drivers seem to be built into the installer and everything from sound, wireless, and tablet functionality were all working fine. The only issue was with the fingerprint reader but it was handled very well by W7's ACTION CENTER (a notification appeared in the system tray).
Compatibility with my favorite applications. All of my must have applications are installed and are functioning without any issues. I have installed Office 2007, Mindmanager 8.0, Zoundry Raven, Sugarsync, Firefox 3.0.5, Photoshop CS3, and TextAloud. I also installed a trial version of Kaspsersky internet Security as it is one of the 3 being endorsed by W7's Action Center.
Tons of Keyboard shortcuts. One thing I love in the OS X is Quicksilver, a software that allows you to customize triggers to open a specific application or folder. The built-in W7 shortcuts coupled with Launchy is, IMHO, close enough to Quicksilver.
Attention Grabber no More. Using it for 2 days, I find that W7 allows me to work without any distractions which was common (read: everytime) in Vista. Applications would open in a snap, no slow downs, and except for those from Kaspersky, I hardly ever get any pop ups from the OS. However, I would need to give it more time before I say more.
Speed is awesome. At least when compared to Vista and XP. ZDNet actually made a comparison here.
Lots of Eyecandy. From Aero that is no longer a memory hog, to a powerful Windows Media Center, W7 simply has so much to offer in the geek department. Click here for more.
The experience thus far has been great that I also installed W7 in the netbook. I will write about that experience as soon as I finish installing my favorite applications.
Let me just end this blog with this statement for now:
As someone who performs almost every computing task on a Mac (for the past one and a half years) and tells anyone who will listen that the average consumer should be using a Mac instead of a Windows machine because of security and stability, I'm starting to prep myself for the single moment that I thought would never come: I'll be using a Windows 7 machine as my main computer and telling anyone who will listen that, believe it or not, using the latest Microsoft operating system is truly worth it - once again.
UPDATE: I have now installed W7 in two other computers here.
Although I often refer to my collection above as my digital arsenal (since most of the items are in digital camouflage), this blog however is about the digital gadgets that I have used in 2008. You can scroll down this page to see what I am really talking about.
It’s a new year and I have reflected on all the gadgets that I have used during 2008. A lot more gadgets passed through my hands in 2008, but I have only written reviews on those that I have found to work best for me. I’d like to share some of my favorites with you. These are the gadgets that I have used and will continue to use in 2009:
Nokia E71. One of the longest staying cellphones in the TechnoCop HQ (THQ). I just love its full qwerty keyboard in such a slim package.
Iphone 3G in a Moleskine. It is one of the best selling phones in 2008. I only use it for voice calls and mostly for listening to music &audiobooks, and also for reading-ebooks.
Instant Power cellphone charger. The 'PowerCartridge' is a zinc-air battery which connects to your cellphone via a 'SmartCord' connector. The battery will charge your cellphone 3 times and is perfect for vacation, travel and emergency, or anywhere there is no power source available.
Battery Geek power supply for the Macbook. It gives me additional 2-3 hours of computer time when on the road.
Fujitsu Scansnap S510M. This scanner works like a miracle in OS X. I will blog about how fast I digitized an entire book with it.
My DIY Computer Desk. My desk is tethered to the MacPro, scanner, and the Canon iP90v portable printer. For someone who works as hard as I do, I deserve some luxury.
The above may seem like a wish list from Amazon, but they have collectively made 2008 an extremely productive year for me. With all these gadgets working flawlessly as they have in 2008, I think 2009 will be the year where I will be less distracted by new gadgets. Needless to say, I have all that I need for much of my anticipated activities for this new year. Also, the ‘wallet’ will have a lot to be thankful for. So, Bring them on….
In my previous post, I detailed my SOHO setup. I have tried practically every setup there is and could not find a more efficient, and comfy, setup that what I have. Below is the other side of the THQ where I do most of my non-computer work. The Canon iP90v is connected via Bluetooth to the Mac Pro at the other side.
On top of my desk is the HP 2710p in tablet mode where I do most of my note-taking. The ergonomic chair is by Margolis.
Now that the new macbooks are out in the market, it is quite obvious that Cupertino will not be turning out any netbook version anytime soon. According to Steve Jobs, the iPhone is as close as they will ever get to a netbook except for the price.
In a teleconference last October 21, Jobs practically categorized the netbook as junk,
"There are some customers which we chose not to serve," he added. "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that. But we can continue to deliver greater and greater value to those customers that we choose to serve. And there's a lot of them."
As a satisfied Apple customer for the past one and a half years, I am not one to question the logic behind this "business strategy." However, I totally disagree with categorizing the $500 netbooks as junk. In a recent blog, I wrote about how much I am loving the Asus eee 1000H with OS X installed (via hackintosh) that it has become my everyday mobile device. Yesterday, a friend asked me to get him an exact same machine.
I decided this time to get a black Asus eee 1000H with OSX Leopard installed from my friend SHINRAI. I even airbrushed an Apple logo just for kicks. As I have said before, everything works fine with the Netbook OSX except for the ethernet. All of the software that I have installed on my Macbook 13" and the MacBook Pro 17" are running without any issues in the eee PC. You can see the size comparison between the MacBook Pro and the Netbook OSX in the pictures below:
And here is a pic beside the HP 2710p Tablet PC with a 12" screen;
Junk or no junk, the Netbook OSX will reside permanently in my gadget bag.
Regular readers of this blog know that I am a Tablet PC evangelist. I simply cannot emphasize enough the productivity boost that I get when using a tablet PC. I find that I cannot live without my MS OneNote on a Tablet PC. Especially in meetings, I find that it is a productivity boost to be able to write something knowing that I could almost instantaneously email my handwritten notes for sharing with members of my team or to my Virtual Secretary to convert to text.
In fact, when I became a hybrid (Any OS – Mac OS X, Linux, XP/Vista) PC user last year, I still find myself looking for alternatives to digital inking. One of those alternatives is the pigpog PDA which I carry with me every time that I do not have with me a Tablet PC.
As much as I love OneNote on a Tablet PC, there are times when you would like to just be able to take notes and draw pictures in a notebook and have those notes show up in my OneNote notebook.
For the past six months that I have been using the Capturx PenX, I can say that I have finally found my solution. With this setup together with the docking cradle that comes with the PenX, I could sync all handwritten notes to any of my computers and find them synchronized with my OneNote notebooks as digital ink.
With the PenX, I can now travel with just about any laptop and still have the power and convenience of digital ink.
The Capturx Penx kit (PenX, software, 1 journal and cradle) will set you back $349.00. This does not include the MS OneNote software which I have installed in all of my computers. Extra journals, refills and other accessories are also available from the AdapX website.
Below is the wallpaper now residing in my OQO 02 courtesy of DeviantArt. If you click on the image you can read the message which sums up everything about what a lot of users think about Vista, myself included.
Readers of this blog know that Vista is to blame for my switching to Mac OS X last March 2007. I bought the OQO with Vista installed thinking that factory installed Vista would be immune from the lock ups and other distractions I experienced before the switch. Well, could I be more wrong? The problems I encountered in the OQO were in fact more serious given the considerably slow processor and memory of the OQO (1.5 GHz VIA with 1 gig RAM) designed primarily for ultra mobile devices.
To cut through the chase, the OQO 02 is now very responsive after applying several suggested Vista tweaks. Let me say that the OQO 02 is now my everyday mobile companion with the Macbook waiting at home always ready for more serious work.
The following were implemented in Vista courtesy of Marcuscake.com:
Optimize your page file size. Windows XP sizes the page file to about 1.5X the amount of actual physical memory by default. While this is good for systems with smaller amounts of memory (under 512MB) it is unlikely that a typical XP desktop system will ever need 1.5 X 512MB or more of virtual memory. As a simplified guideline. If you have less than 512MB of memory, leave the page file at its default size. If you have 512MB or more, change the ratio to 1:1 page file size to physical memory size.
Edit the registry and disable SuperFetch entirely by changing EnableSuperfetch to 0 (from the default of 3).
Adjust Visual Effects in Windows Vista: right click on My Computer and select "performance options" and then "Visual effects". Turn off as many of the Visual options as you can. I turned all of mine off.
Prioritize important processes: you can use Task Manager to set MS Outlook to high and Firefox to "above normal".
There was a time when I like to party naked and work without any anti-virus or firewall. But I now use Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0. A virus scan is scheduled to run every day from 12am-3am.
Having done all of the above, the OQO 02 now literally looks and feels like the old reliable Windows XP Tablet PC machine. The above tweaks have in fact turned the OQO 02 'from a dog to a star.' Hell, come to think of it, Vista really is nothing more than XP with all the bells and whistles. With the OQO now behaving like the old reliable XP machines that I own, I second the opinion of James Kendrick, the master of all mobile devices, in his blog "JK opinion- Vista will never run well on mobile devices."
The whole Vista mobile experience is very unstable and that is unsettling to anyone who needs to get their work done, and get it done now. I don't care how pretty the OS is or how much new sophisticated stuff is going on under the hood if it makes my performance unpredictable. That is such a big step backwards that you have to wonder how it can be fixed in the short term. I fear it can't. Say what you will about Windows XP the one thing it is on mobile devices is stable. Rock-solid stable. Can anyone say that about Vista on mobile PCs? I have a very bad feeling about the immediate future of mobile computing on the Vista platform. And that hits me where I live.
The purpose of this blog is not to do another extensive review of the OQO 02 since I feel that nothing can beat this great review by NEIL BALTHASER. In fact it was his review that finally made me decide to buy the OQO. Besides, I have had the OQO barely a week to do a detailed review.
My intention for writing this blog is just to highlight, based on my hands on experience, what I feel are the real strengths and weaknesses of the OQO. Here they are:
Digital Ink. Inking is my primary reason for buying the OQO. With it, I have gained back the productivity in meetings that I have sorely missed since I switched to the Macbook 4 months ago. This is by no means a Mac OS X vs. Windows issue but merely the lack of inking capability in the Mac. My blog here explains in great lengths what I have been missing before the OQO.
Factory Installed Vista. The problems I encountered when upgrading to Vista a few months back is another reason why I decided to switch to the Mac. Even then, I have friends running factory installed Vista who could swear that it is one, if not the, most stable OS they have ever used. I can say that with the few days with the OQO, the experience has been nothing short of superb. I will hold my final say about Vista after a month with the OQO.
iPhone-like Screen Rotation. Yes, by simply installing this application found in OQO talk, I can get the OQO to rotate every which way I want. I find this especially useful when inking in OneNote where I want the Touch scrollers to be out of the way. It is also useful for when I am plugged in and in laptop mode (wireless keyboard and mouse attached).
Speech recognition. With very minimal voice training, I am getting very good accuracy with Vista's built in voice recognition. Using Plantronics DSP 400 USB headset and the OQO's processor set at around 60% seem to give me some very good results. In fact, I am getting pretty much the same accuracy as when I am using Dragon Naturally Speaking 9. Well, almost but not really as accurate as DNS 9. I attribute this mainly to the extensive speech training I have undergone with DNS 9. My guess is that Vista's accuracy is going to improve over time. But even with this very minimal training, the results I have been getting are very impressive.
Battery life. With Bluetooth and wifi always on, processor speed set at 60%, and brightness level set at 1 bar, I managed to get 2 hours and 35 minutes and close to 5 hours from the standard and the extended batteries, respectively. Seven hours of juice is more than good enough for my daily computing needs. My standard practice is for the OQO to go on sleep every time I press the power button. I find that keeping the OQO in sleep mode for 8 hours straight only results to a 15 percent battery loss.
Working in bed or on the couch. I find that nothing could beat the OQO when doing this type of 'work or play.' Its ergonomics makes it very comfortable when used purely handheld. What makes it even more useful are the horizontal and vertical touch scrollers found at the bottom right corner of the OQO. These allow for easy scrolling just with the flick of my right thumb. Something that brings a smile to the face while browsing in bed. Yes, even while lying in bed. With the keyboard extended, I can rest the OQO on my chest and still do some very serious browsing. The scrollers make this activity especially enjoyable. Since I received the OQO, I now look forward to some last minute browsing just before day's end. This is something that I have not been able to do much of even with the old tablet PC's.
Laptop Replacement. The OQO is very usable with the Bluetooth keyboard and mouse paired up. During the rare times when I need to type up a report, I know that the OQO is extremely capable. In fact, this portion of the blog was typed at the confines of a Starbucks coffee shop. If not for the stares and the over the shoulder look that I keep getting, I would say that using the OQO in this configuration is very liberating indeed. I just set the OQO in its native resolution and move WORD 2007's magnification to 120%, and I have a fully configured 'laptop'. I find that leaving the OQO keyboard fully extended allows for a better angle when typing this way. However, when I need to be plugged in, I have no choice but to have the keyboard closed and the OQO turned upside down. That's because the power connector of the OQO is at the bottom. See the picture below.
Figure 1. Note that the OQO is upside down when plugged-in.
The Dreaded Fan noise. Yes, I have heard it myself quite a few times but only while multitasking at an extremely quiet environment and only for very short spurts. When I have the CPU running only at 60%, I don't think the fan is even running. This may be annoying to some especially if they are running at full CPU power. Provided however that you have made the slight adjustments in power, I do not even see this becoming an issue.
Cursor Drifting. On my second day, I experienced the dreaded cursor drifting where the cursor seems to have a mind of its own. I have experienced this before in other devices and have since found a cure. Go to Control Panel/Hardware and Sound/Mouse Properties/Pointer Options/ - and under Motion, uncheck Enhance pointer precision.
The weight, the weight. I really can't seem to get the smirk off of my face every time I grab the gadget bag with the OQO, the TUMI. My Sammy grab bag for the Macbook and all my gear weighs a hefty 13 lbs. The TUMI weighs a measly 5.5 lbs with everything I need for a day.
Desktop Replacement. Maybe, but that would be stretching the OQO to its limits. The OQO's 1.5 GHz VIA processor is a tad slower than that found in SONY UX. But browsing, downloading email, and typing in Word all the same time has never been a problem for me. Mobility and not multitasking is what the OQO is really designed for, IMHO.
The Verdict. The OQO Model 02 is not just a novelty gadget but an actual workhorse worthy to even be a laptop replacement. In fact, I find that I now bring it with me more often than the Macbook. However, as near perfect as the OQO 02 may be, it is not without problems. More in my next blog.
The world's smallest Windows Vista PC finally arrived yesterday at the Technocop Command Center. I opted not to take any unboxing pictures since these could easily be googled. What finally arrived are the following:
After the unboxing, I immediately plugged it in using its AC adapter and began the initialization process of the pre-installed Vista Business. After 20 minutes or so, Vista is ready to go. I then installed the following: MS OFFICE 2007 with OneNote, FIREFOX with Foxmarks Sync, MindManager7, FolderShare, and the trial version of Kaspersky Internet Security. The initial installation was done while using the following peripherals connected via Bluetooth: Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse and Stowaway Keyboard.
After installing all the software, connecting to the wifi was a no-brainer using the OQO's Wireless Assistant. A few minutes after some minor tweaking in FolderShare, Outlook and all the files in the Powerdocs folder of my Macbook are synchronized with the OQO. In about two hours after the unboxing, I have the OQO fully configured and with the standard battery fully charged.
I can't help but smile when I had to leave the house for a meeting and noted how light the gadget bag was. The items below are all that I brought with me to that meeting, all inside the Tumi bag.
For my initial impressions:
Size and weight. Did I say that I couldn't keep the smirk off my face due to the considerably lighter load than what I am used to carrying? The OQO is very comfortable to work with especially when held with 2 hands. The screen's native resolution is also very readable.
Keyboard. One reason why I bought the OQO is for the raves it has been receiving about its tactile keyboard. It may not be as fast as a full keyboard but it is extremely comfortable to use. If like me, you are used to using your thumbs when typing on your Smartphone, then you would love the OQO's keyboard.
Digital Ink. Owing to the small size of the 'writing surface,' it is not as comfortable to write on when compared to larger convertibles or slate. However, I find writing in landscape mode to be acceptable. It is definitely a good enough replacement for my pigpogPDA.
Processing Power. I haven't done any extensive work on it yet. But I do not foresee any problems multitasking for as long as I limit myself to 2 applications. Inking in OneNote while Outlook is downloading email does not cause any noticeable slow down. More on this on the days to come as I even intend to install Photoshop CS to see if it could cope.
Battery Life. More than 2 hours of continuous use with Wifi and Bluetooth on may not be acceptable to most any road warrior. But you add to that the rated 6 hours + battery life of the extended battery then I should be good to go. I haven't tested the extended battery yet since it would not charge the first time I tried using the optional battery charging adapter. A quick search of the web revealed that it has to be taken out of sleep mode first before the first charge. I had to attach it to the OQO during the first charging.
When I finally got home, I tried connecting the OQO to the Samsung 22" LCD using the supplied docking connector. No problem whatsoever.
In the next few days I will put the OQO through its paces and figure out where it would best fit in my mobile workflow. I will also see if it is comfortable enough to just carry the OQO inside one of the pockets of my 5.11 cargo pants. For those who might notice a slight bulge in my pants, I have this to say to them, "I have a thing in my pocket. But it's not just a thing, it's the OQO 02." Now where did I hear that?
