Orangeman Burns - Sriram Sridharan's Blog

The year 2010 has a lot of surprises in store for use, gadget-wise. Some of them will be expected, but others will not be. Let us look at what 2010 has in store for us.

5. Solid State Drives
Solid State Drives have been available for industrial and military consumption since the mid 90s but the high cost/GB has kept it from being adopted by the general public. The SDDs offers better performance, is more efficient and is more silent compared to the Hard Drives [HDDs] that the modern computers have. In a couple of years, SSDs will be standard equipment for anyone buying a desktop or a laptop. Most of the modern Operating Systems like Windows 7 and some Linux distros have support for SSD commands like the TRIM function. By the Fall of 2009, the SSDs have almost reached the $2/GB barrier in the international markets. While the SSDs are yet to take off in India, they will when the market reaches maturity in the US and Europe.

4. Google Chrome OS:
The Chrome OS is Google’s maiden attempt at developing an Operating System primarily intended for cloud computing. While this is not Google’s first attempt for developing an OS [They developed the Android OS for mobile phones], this is the first serious attempt any developer has made towards an OS built exclusively for cloud computing. In cloud computing, the data and the applications are not stored on your hard drive. They are stored on specialized servers called the “Cloud”. While the Chrome OS is based off Linux and will run on Google recommended and approved hardware, it should be hacked to support other hardware soon. The Chrome OS is designed to run on netbooks and other portable computing devices. Google has promised a sub-10 second startup time and this should blow the other netbook OS’es out of the water.

3. Project Natal:
Project Natal is the internal name for Microsoft’s new Xbox system where the gamers would use their hands, gestures and spoken words to play instead of using the controller. Think of it like a controller-less Wii, just with better games. The system was launched in 2009 and is expected to ship out as an add-on to the existing XBox 360s. The system consists of a camera, depth sensor and a mic. The inputs taken from these sources control the game play. The new controller is capable to tracking 4 persons at 48 points for movement and can identify individual fingers. This makes Microsoft’s Xbox 360 a viable contender to the Play Station since Sony introduced the EyeToy.

2. Apple iPhone 4G:
Apple’s new iPhone is rumored to launch in summer 2010 with a host of hardware and software improvements. The phone is reported to have a 5 Megapixel camera with AF, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor under clocked to 800MHz and a front facing camera for video conferencing. The phone may operate on the Verizon’s 4G LTE network in the US which means India will never see the 4G soon. But with Apple’s uber-secretive policies, we will only know more about the phone a few weeks from the launch date.

1. Google Nexus One:
The Nexus One has been Google’s worst kept secret after their employees twittered away the details of the phone when it was given away to a select few. The phone is unlocked and heralds Google’s entry into the mobile phone market. The phone is 3G equipped with HSDPA/HSUPA support and WiFi. The phone comes with a 3.7 inch OLED touch screen and runs the soon-to-be-released Android 2.1 . It does not support multi-touch out of the box like other Android phones and Google has fully customized the Android OS for the Nexus One. It also comes with a 5 Megapixel camera with support for geo-tagging. The phone is also equipped with two mics- one in the front and one in the rear. The one in the front is for the user’s voice and the one in the rear is to cancel out the background noise. The phone will be sold unlocked and has an expected release date in the 5th of January. It will be priced at around $500 for the unlocked version and $180 for the subsidized version through a 2 year contract with T-Mobile.

Reactions:

Labels: 2010, buy, chrome os, chromium, gadget, google phone, india, iphone 4g, netbook, nexus one, price, project natal, release, releases, sridharan, sriram, sriraminhell, ssd, top, xbox

It's now officially Fall, the time when people start planning their purchases for the new school year and the holidays. I'm sure that the first thing on the mind of most people all over the world is a laptop. With the huge publicity surrounding Windows 7, corporate and home users alike have been putting off their computing purchases until the OS’s release. I personally know of atleast 15 people who plan to trash their aging laptops and desktops and get brand new ones after Windows 7’s release. HP is one of the very few companies that have mastered the magic of balancing features with value. HP’s site is replete with laptops, desktops, accessories, peripheral devices and many other gadgets and gizmos, that promises to cater to everyone’s whim and fancy. Let me share with you some of the gadgets I’d love to be able to buy from HP.

The first thing that ran across my mind, when the words HP and wish list were uttered, was HP’s flagship Touch Smart series tablet. The HP Touch Smart tx2z tablet one of the popular tablet computers that has regularly updated touch drivers. Most of the gadget freaks reading this article might remember the beta touch drivers that came out in time for the Windows 7 Beta and RC releases. This tablet is equipped with a 12.1” multi touch screen that has some really impressive specs under the hood. The eye catching pattern on the lid and the palm rest looks great and is trendy. HP also has some really good additional options for the tx2z in the form of battery, processor, memory, HDD upgrades.

Now that I have a state of the art lappie, the next gadget on my radar is a printer. Most modern printers need not be chained to PCs; you have printers that interact with your device via Bluetooth and WiFi. So the ideal printer for me would be a color all-in-one PC with WiFi like the HP Photosmart Plus all in one printer. This color inkjet comes along with a 2.39 inch touch screen that makes printing, scanning and copying really simple.

Ideally my wishlist would never conclude but these are the top gadgets that caught my attention. I’m sure I’ve got you salivating with all the great products that HP has to offer. If you’re planning on getting something from the HP online store , here’s a great offer. For a limited time, HP’s offering a stackable coupon for $30 off on orders $150 or greater at the HP Home Store. The coupon code you need to use is SV2132. Valid through 10/31 or while supplies last. Restrictions and exclusions apply.

Hold on! That’s not where the good news ends. I’m pleased to announce that there will be a contest, where all you gotta do is to leave a comment on this post telling everyone what HP laptop you like. The winner gets a $100 gift card from HP. Please do read the contest rules.

Reactions:

Labels: blog, buy, contest, coupon code, gift card, hp, laptop, online, sriram sridharan, sriraminhell, touchsmart, windows 7, wishlist

I've been watching the netbook market closely, what with the new models being introduced like it's CeBIT time. If this is the first time you've heard of the term netbook, let me fill you in on what that is. A netbook is an ultra portable notebook computer which is optimized for web based usage like browsing, emailing and running online apps. They are typically on the lower end of both the performance and price scales. With low specced models, it often surprises me when manufacturers try to cram in Windows Vista on a netbook. I have nothing against Windows Vista, I love it and use it daily on my PC; but a netbook shipping with Vista is akin to a 50cc scooter outfitted with an cast iron frame weighing 5000Lbs. The Samsung N120 netbook however bucks against this trend and offers Windows XP Home. I expect Samsung to upgrade the OS to the Windows 7 Starter edition when the OS is released on October 22nd.

The USP of this laptop is that it comes with a full size keyboard. I personally hate having to press 2-3 key combinations to use a number pad key. It is also coated in Samsung's trademark Silver Nano technology that provides anti bacterial protection. It's a frill yes, but it's nice know that it's there. The display is a 10.1" glossy led backlit screen. The LED backlit screen makes the display thinner compared to the traditionally used CCFL backlighting. The Samsung N120 works off a Intel 945GSE chipset and is coupled with an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor with a 512KB L2 cache. It comes bundled with a 1GB stick of DDR 2 RAM that makes it faster than my last desktop. It has integrated graphics, no biggie here, but it does have a SRS 3D sound effect feature that promises realistic surround sounds when coupled with the 2.1 speaker system that the N120 comes with. That's right. This netbook comes with a subwoofer! The speakers are rated at 1.5W each, which is quite decent for a netbook . There is a 1.3 Mp camera that lets you chat with your family and friends and lets you take snapshots. The primary storage is with a 160GB HDD which is quite a lot compared to what you'll see on the competition. Draft n support is missing on the wireless card though b/g support is present. The N120 also comes with a internal bluetooth module with EDR. If you're like me, you'll know how important is is to have BT on your laptop for transferring files, syncing and tethering your phone, headsets etc. The battery is a 6 Cell deal, which is huge compared to the 3 Cell batteries that the other netbooks ship with. This alone should get you 8-10 hours of mobile computing with the Samsung N120.

The Samsung N120 is a great netbook with a very good battery life and a full keyboard. This alone should get the laptop/Desktop PC owners who are on the fence to the world of netbooks. While you're looking at its product page, you might also want to check out CNET's review here. I'd love to hear from you guys about the Samsung N120 netbook, your experiences with it, other reviews that you read, pros and cons, etc. Do feel free to leave a comment or email me. Cheers!

Reactions:

Labels: blog, buy, cheap, compare, deal, features, laptop, N series, n120, netbook, notebook, pc, price, review, samsung, sriram sridharan, sriraminhell

Hi there! Here's some news. My old workhorse of a PC has been working tirelessly for 5 years now and though I hate to say it, it's time to move over to a newer model . I decided to get a desktop from Dell. Dell's made a very good impression with me with it's relatively cheap prices, good support options and excellent customizability. I was looking for a desktop in the sub Rs. 40,000[~US $800] range. I'd probably get some swanky new Studio or XPS desktop in US for that kind of moola, but at Dell India I had to make do with the Inspiron desktop series. Inspiron's a series of Desktops and Notebooks aimed at the home usage segment. Don't get me wrong, Inspiron's a great series, but I did have a little more in mind. Nevertheless, I found two models available for me. The Inspiron 535 and Inspiron 545 series. I immediately discarded the slim versions[Inspiron 535s and the Inspiron 545s] since they had puny 200W PSUs. I opted for the Inspiron 545 series since it had the newer GM33 chipset compared to the older GM31 chipset on the Inspiron 535 series desktop.

Here's the configuration I opted for:

• Piano Black casing
• 3GB DDR2 RAM (2GB + 1GB) @ 800MHz
• Core 2 Duo 2.8GHz processor with 3 MB L2 cache
• 500GB SATA HDD with NCQ
• 18.5" Widescreen TFT Monitor
• Laser mouse
• 18 in 1 flash card reader
• Windows Vista Home Premium 32 bit with free upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit
• DVD+/-RW with Dual Layer Write Capabilities
• ATI Radeon HD 4350 512MB DDR2
• McAfee AntiVirus - 15 Months subscription

I bought a Logitech QuickCam Connect [640x480 video] and a Creative VOIP headset at a local electronics store nearby. Everything cost me about Rs. 39,000[~US $790] including taxes, shipping and freight insurance.

The Dell Inspiron 545 MT arrived within a week of my placing the order. I got a service tech at my home the next day for installation. He was quite knowledgeable, he helped us get the old PC out, clean it a bit. My dad has some reservations with Vista, having heard all the horror stories we all have. I don't think he was quite satisfied with my explanation that Vista is quite stable with SP2 installed, 3GB RAM and a discrete graphics card. The initial configuration was done in a few minutes and IE7 took less than a few seconds to start. I downloaded FireFox 3.5 (which was released the day before) and it literally zoomed. I then updated the OS to SP2 (shipped with SP1), installed VLC, K-Lite Mega Codec Pack, Media Player Classic and Revo Uninstaller. I removed Microsoft Works, Dell Dock and other bloatware with Revo. This is my first long term exposure with Vista and I love it. Everything's pretty fast, Aero's cool and UAC grows on you.

Let me sign off with a snap of the new Dell Inspiron 545 MT Desktop:


P.S. I'm sorry about the mess in the photo.

Reactions:

Labels: 545, blog, buy, chennai, coupon, delivery, dell india, desktop, discount, home, india, inspiron, laptop, online, pc, review, series, sriram sridharan, sriraminhell

Here are some options to help you bookmark and share this blog-

Bookmark this Blog: