Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Samsung Series 5 ULTRA NP530U4E S01PH Intel Core i5 3337UM
Samsung has an attractive new Ultrabook like offering. I say Ultrabook like since it comes with an SSD cache drive and is just 0.77 inches thin. On the other hand, weighing in a a hair over four pounds, it is a bit heavier than a true Ultrabook. Still, all-in-all the Samsung Series 5 ULTRA NP530U4E provides a portable package which packs a punch.
This 14-inch laptops has a Intel Core i5-3337UM processor mated to a AMD Radeon HD8750M graphics card. As expected this laptop runs on Windows 8. The 14-inch HD (1366 x 768) display, is not touch capable though. The rest of the specifications are what you would expect at this price range, with 4 GB of RAM, a 500 GB hard drive and a 24 GB SSD cache drive.
Priced at Php41,990, this laptop is reasonably priced for what it offers. The SSD cache drive is what pushes the price up. If you are not to keen on instant wake from sleep (which is what the SSD cache drive is for), there are a couple of Intel Core i7s with discrete graphics, available at this price range.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Samsung Series 7 NP740U3E S01PH Touch Ultrabook
Intel has mandated that all Ultrabooks with the next generation Haswell processors be touchscreen devices. While Haswell is still a few months away, several manufacturers are already releasing touchscreen Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks. The latest Samsung Series 7 released in the Philippines is one such model.
The new Samsung Series 7 NP740U3E-S01PH ushers in the era of next generation Ultrabooks with a 13.3-inch, Full HD touch panel. Thats a sharp 1920 x 1080p display. Powering the device is a Intel Core i7-3537UM processor with a AMD Radeon 8570M graphics and 1 GB of dedicated video RAM. The device has 4 GB of system RAM and storage via a 128 GB SSD. Battery life is a good 7+ hours. All this is encased in a 0.74-inch thick shell which which weighs in at about 3.6 pounds.
The Samsung Series 7 NP740U3E-S01PH will set you back all of Php69,900. This is a good choice for those who want a high end touch Ultrabook. The price puts it in direct competition with the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display. It also makes it much more expensive their my current favorite portable, the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3D.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Personal computer Protection
Your computer could be at dangers to lots of harms like computer viruses, worms as well as other malicious ware. The user, at the very same time, may well be prone to risks that happen to be as unsafe for the pc as it could be to the user. Scams are as rampant inside the net as theyre on the streets. Someone may well be at risks of scams from random strangers on the outdoors globe as a great deal as someone could be at danger to finding scammed from unsecure and unknown web sites that are scattered all over the world wide web. The web is usually a wide venue for communication and data sharing which tends to make it also an extremely good place for deceptive advertising and marketing and marketing.
Scams in other words are fraud. The net Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a joint venture with the FBI as well as the National White Collar Crime Center within the US whose purpose will be to serve as a central hub to acquire, develop, and refer criminal complaints about occurrences of cyber-crime which requires but not restricted to on the web scams. In 2007, the agency has identified that 44.9% of customer complaints had been associated to online auction fraud, though 19% concerned non-delivered merchandise, and 4.9% were check frauds. About 70% from the victims had been scammed through on the web web pages though 30% with the victims were affected by way of email.
These horrifying facts therefore establish that the even the internet is not a secure location. Customers can avoid software scams using the help of legitimate computer programs that help guard you from accessing hazardous or suspicious web sites which are scattered throughout the net. You could generally get good software companies by way of authentic web sites from good software companies that develop such softwares.
Scams in other words are fraud. The net Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a joint venture with the FBI as well as the National White Collar Crime Center within the US whose purpose will be to serve as a central hub to acquire, develop, and refer criminal complaints about occurrences of cyber-crime which requires but not restricted to on the web scams. In 2007, the agency has identified that 44.9% of customer complaints had been associated to online auction fraud, though 19% concerned non-delivered merchandise, and 4.9% were check frauds. About 70% from the victims had been scammed through on the web web pages though 30% with the victims were affected by way of email.
These horrifying facts therefore establish that the even the internet is not a secure location. Customers can avoid software scams using the help of legitimate computer programs that help guard you from accessing hazardous or suspicious web sites which are scattered throughout the net. You could generally get good software companies by way of authentic web sites from good software companies that develop such softwares.
Globe Tattoo Black LTE
Globe is launching its Tattoo Black, Globe LTE mobile broadband service. Globe is offering two plans:
- Tattoo Black Plan 1799 - Plan 1799 comes with free USB dongle and runs at speeds of up to 28 Mbps with a 12 GB cap.
- Tattoo Black Elite 2499 - Plan 2499 comes with free USB dongle and runs at speeds of up to 42 Mbps with a 15 GB cap.
Yugatech has confirmed both Plans are unlimited.
You have the option to upgrade the device to a SuperStick for a minimum additional charge of only P150 a month. The SuperStick is a WiFi capable USB modem which will allow you to share the connection with up to 5 users.
Coverage for now is limited to Makati City.
Smart Communications launched its own LTE Service last month, which is priced at Php3,500 a month for 10 GB of 42 Mbps connectivity. Smart does over wider coverage areas for now covering Makati City and several other locations in Metro Manila. Still, it looks like Smart may have to rework its offering.
Updated on September 30, 2012.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8 0 shows up in GLBenchmark scores has WXGA screen and runs Android 4 2 2
The third generation of Samsung Galaxy Tab lineup only has one official member so far (the Tab 3 7.0), but the rumor mill is adamant that there are 8″ and 10.1″ versions on the way. And the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 may have just shown up in GLBenchmark scores.
The device listed as Samsung SM-T311 runs Android 4.2.2 on a 1.5GHz processor with Mali-400 GPU. It’s an Exynos chipset most likely, though it’s not really clear if it’s a dual-core like the Tab 3 7.0 or a quad-core like the Galaxy Note 8.0.
The resolution of the screen is 1280 x 800, same as the Note 8.0, giving the 8″ screen a pixel density of 189ppi.
According to rumors, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 will be a slender device measuring 209.6 x 112.1 x 6.95mm and weighing 330g. Other rumored specs include a 3MP camera on the back, a 1.3MP camera on the front and a 4,500mAh battery.
According to the leaked timeline, the Wi-Fi only Tab 3 8.0 will launch with 16GB of built-in storage in White in early June, with the 3G version (again in White) coming in mid-June. There should be a 10″ Tab 3 that at about the same time too.
Source | Via (in Dutch)
LG Optimus G Battery Life
The LG Optimus G was recently released in the Philippines. With a 4.7-inch 720p display it should be more power efficient than the latest 5-inch 1080p Androids. Is there merit to getting what it now a transitional model between last years flagships and todays cutting edge Android phones?
The LG Optimus G comes with a non-user replaceable 2100 mAh battery.
I will compare it to the two leaders, the Samsung Galaxy S III and the Apple iPhone 5 and the soon to be released 1080p Sony Xperia Z.
Talk Time
Sony Xperia Z - 16 hours and 3 minutes
LG Optimus G - 15 hours and 30 minutes
Samsung Galaxy S III - 10 hours and 15 minutes
Apple iPhone 5 - 8 hours and 42 minutes
The quad core Qualcomm S 4 processor on the Sony and LG seems to be very efficient in low powered tasks.
Video Playback
Apple iPhone 5 - 10 hours and 12 minutes
Samsung Galaxy S III - 9 hours and 27 minutes
LG Optimus G - 7 hours and 30 minutesSony Xperia Z - 5 hours and 39 minutes
The Apple iPhone with the smallest and lowest resolution displays tops this test. Samsungs Super AMOLED technology is also very efficient in video playback tests. The lower pixel density and smaller display of the LG Optimus G give it the edge over the Xperia Z.
Web Browsing
Apple iPhone 5 - 9 hours and 56 minutes
Sony Xperia Z - 6 hours and 37 minutes
Samsung Galaxy S III - 6 hours and 27 minutes
Samsung Galaxy S III - 6 hours and 27 minutes
LG Optimus G - 5 hours and 15 minutes
The Apple iPhone with the smallest and lowest resolution displays tops this test again. There are a lot of merits to a smaller screen. Samsungs Super AMOLED technology is not efficient in web browsing tests which predominantly use white or light colored backgrounds, but does well enough in this test. The LG Optimus G is a rather disappointing in this test, with a smaller screen and lower resolution than the Sony Xperia Z. The Xperia Zs battery is 10% larger, but the difference does not explain the result.
Standby (with 1 hour of calls, video playback and web browsing per day)
Apple iPhone 5 - 51 hours
Samsung Galaxy S III - 50 hours
Sony Xperia Z - 48 hours
LG Optimus G - 45 hours
Source: GSM Arena
Samsung Galaxy S III - 50 hours
Sony Xperia Z - 48 hours
LG Optimus G - 45 hours
Source: GSM Arena
Smart LTE High speed 10GB of data for Php3 500 Will you bite
Smart Communications with be launching its new LTE Broadband service on August 25, 2012. The deal is 10 GBs of data at a blistering 42 Mbps for Php3,500 a month.
Talking about this with a few friends last night, it seemed that no one is happy with the 10 GB data cap. I think this is in part because people do not know how much data they download per day. On my typical day, I consume 100 MB of data or less. Given the occasional download of a Android ROM (90-450 MB), a Linux Distribution (500-700MB) and software updates for my Mac, I could probably hit 5 GB on some months. Still, that is a whole lost less than 10 GB. Unless you spend most of your internet time, streaming HD video or downloading movies, it is pretty hard to consume 10 GB a month.Of couse with a 42 Mbps connection, I am likely to use more, since things which I are not too much fun to do on my 1 Mbps connection, might become more enjoyable at 42 Mbps.
Still, I have no issue with a 10 GB cap. It will be like the 1.5 GB cap on our smartphones on Smart Data Plan 2000, where Smart can reduce our speeds if we exceed the. In 18 months, as far as I can tell I never exceeded the cap. With the three the Smartphones on Data Plan 2000, none of them went past 1 GB last month, one phone nearly used 1 GB, with the other two using 704 MB and 416 MB, respectively.
I do have some issue with the cost. One of the three Data Plan 2000 phones is for my personal use. I pay Php1,200 a month for the data aspect of the plan. I also maintain a 1 Mbps Globe DSL connection at home, shared among four personal computers at the cost of Php999 a month. Lastly, when I need to use a laptop on the road, I use a SmartBro USB modem, and spend Php400 to 800 on that a month. Basically, a unlimited smartphone data plan, a residential DSL connection and a prepaid mobile internet connection all comes out to Php2,519 to Php2,919 a month.
The Php3,500 monthly fee for a mobile broadband connection is more than I am willing to pay. The new LTE plan wont replace my smarthphone data plan and our residential DSL.
Still, I will wait till the 25th and hope there are other options there are. I am not sure if Smart will offer a prepaid LTE plan. I could replace my four year old USB modem with a new faster unit.
Update: Was talking to Abe Olandres on Twitter. Looks like Smart LTE offer will be postpaid only. Here is Yugatechs articles on the Smarts offering
Update: Was talking to Abe Olandres on Twitter. Looks like Smart LTE offer will be postpaid only. Here is Yugatechs articles on the Smarts offering
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Lenovo IdeaPad S206 A Bit Underpowered
I am very fond of Lenovo laptops. IBM Thinkpads were know for their keyboards, and after acquiring IBM, Lenovo continued this tradition. So I look at each new Lenovo offering with a bit of interest. The latest new offering is the Lenovo IdeaPad S206, which is a 11.6-inch laptop. An 11.6-inch laptop is the smallest size which I find comfortable, as the 11.6-inch form factor allows for full sized keyboards. The best netbooks, with their 10.1-inch displays have keyboard which are 89% to 94% of the size of a full sized keyboard.
The display of the Lenovo IdeaPad S206 is priced at Php17,990. It has a HD display, the typical 1366 x 768 you find in most of todays laptops. A 0.3 MP webcam is fixed on the top of the lid. For storage you have a 320 GB hard drive and a 2-in-1 card reader. For ports you had a HDMI port, a USB 2.0 port, and a USB 3.0 port. Nothing missing here. As an operating system, you get Windows 7 Home Basic, which is a pleasant surprise. A lot of laptops at this price come with Windows 7 Starter. Unfortunately, I have no word on the battery used.
But there is an area of concern. This laptop is powered by an AMD C-60 APU with a dual core 1.3 GHz processor. Performance is pretty meager. CPU Mark benchmarks give it a score of 557 points, which is at the same level as the higher end Atom netbook processors.
This is substantially slower than the performance of AMD E-450 based systems, which we have been recommending for the past year for those looking for a low cost portable.
Making the AMD C-60 seem even more anemic, is the fact that the AMD E-450 has been phased out by the newer AMD E2-1800 which is a tad bit faster.
When you look at the Lenovo S206 as against the Asus X401U, with its faster APU E2-1800 and larger 500 GB hard drive, for Php18,990 the Asus looks like a better deal. But the Asus X401U does have a larger 14-inch display so it is not really a direct competitor.
While a little hard to find, the 11.6-inch Acer TravelMate B133 is a much better deal with its Intel Celeron B877 processor which is priced at Php16,999 with Linux installed. The Intel Celeron B877 is the best processor in the budget class.
Making the AMD C-60 seem even more anemic, is the fact that the AMD E-450 has been phased out by the newer AMD E2-1800 which is a tad bit faster.
When you look at the Lenovo S206 as against the Asus X401U, with its faster APU E2-1800 and larger 500 GB hard drive, for Php18,990 the Asus looks like a better deal. But the Asus X401U does have a larger 14-inch display so it is not really a direct competitor.
While a little hard to find, the 11.6-inch Acer TravelMate B133 is a much better deal with its Intel Celeron B877 processor which is priced at Php16,999 with Linux installed. The Intel Celeron B877 is the best processor in the budget class.
Is Microsoft in Trouble
Once upon a time the personal computer was your sole point of access to the Internet. It was your gateway to the Web, email, instant messaging, VOIP and social networking. Today, the personal computer really serves as a secondary device for those tasks, with your smartphone or tablet being the center of your online life.
What does this mean for our old loyal PC. Some users will forego the buying a laptop or desktop altogether, and rely solely on their smartphones and tablets. Others will see their PCs as either a secondary or tertiary device. The younger generation of new consumers may never buy a PC. Consumers who still consider the PC important are likely to hold on to their existing PCs longer, and when they finally replace their laptop or desktop, they are likely to buy cheaper PCs as replacements. Once you start spending less time on a device, your willingness to spend a substantial sum on a replacement also get less.
With the technology world in a state of transition, Microsoft has launched Windows 8 and RT, which mimics the interface of their Windows Phone operating system. Microsoft is relying on familiarity with Windows and Microsoft Office, well, no these days Microsoft is just relying on dependence with Office to keep it consumers within its fold.
Microsoft was hoping that its nearly 90% dominance of the PC market would lead to people buying Windows Phone. But that strategy has not worked. Two years in, Windows Phone still holds a insignificant share of the market.
Now, it seems Microsoft is hoping that tighter integration between phone, tablet and PC operating systems will lead to significant sales of all three platforms. Microsoft’s OEM partners are hoping that Windows RT and Windows 8 will get back sales lost to Apple iPad, Google Android and Amazon Android tablets, either in the form of tablet, laptop or desktop sales.
I am not going to predict whether this strategy will work or not. A unified user interface is a good idea, even if there are plenty of comments that the Windows 8 user interface is not suited for a desktop. The problem really is, the integration is skin deep. Apps are not compatible across the mobile operating system (Phone and RT) and the desktop operating system (Windows 8).
The other problem is that Microsoft is in a chicken or egg situation. With few Windows Phones in the hands of users, and few offerings in the market, there will not be all that many people taking advantage of the unified interface. So whether Windows Phone will drive Windows RT and Windows 8 sales, or it is now the other way around, is not clear.
In the Christmas that just past, Amazon’s top selling laptop, was 11.6-inch Samsungs Series 5 550 Chromebook. Rather ominously, this is not a Windows 8 powered device, but rather one powered by Google’s Chrome operating system.
Priced at US$249 for the WiFi only version, and US$329 for a 3G version, this makes for a perfect tertiary device. It is inexpensive. It will also fills those gaps were the tablet it not necessarily well suited, like typing documents. The Chromebook is not going to be useful to people who play PC games, develop software (many of whom would run Linux in the first place), edit videos or run other resource demanding, mostly business related, software. It could be a good solution for everyone else.
So while Microsoft is counting on Windows 8 and RT, to turn the tide, it looks like a new competitor has made inroads in the battlefield, and again threatens to cannibalize Windows laptop sales.
The problem looks like while Microsoft is trying to wean people off their iPads and Android phones, and bring them back into the Microsoft fold, what the consumers and small business might really want is cheap laptops, to serve as tertiary devices to their iOS and Android devices. If this is the case, it would spell trouble for Microsoft, as well as their OEM partners. Instead of selling high priced laptops and desktops, the future may be one of premium priced smartphones flanked by lower cost tablets and laptops.
HP Pavilion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14 B164TU
While there are many touch enabled Windows laptops in the Philippines, the majority of them are fairly expensive. I do not have any data, but from what I see in the wild, and what smaller stores carry, it looks like laptops priced under Php30,000 are what most consumers are willing to pay for. At below Php30,000 you dont have all the many choices. At the 11-inch form factor you have two versions of the Asus Vivobook x202e. For 14-inch laptops you have a pair of Acers 14-inch V5-431Ps, and one of the Asus Vivobook S400 laptop comes in at just 30K.
Well, now there are six. HP now has a low cost touchscreen offering, the Pavillion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14. The HP Pavillion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14-B164TU is priced at Php25,990 but its specifications are not too impressive. Out of the box, it comes with a meager 2GB of RAM and it is powered by an older generation Sandy Bridge, Intel Core i3-2375M processor. It does comes with a pair of USB 3.0 port. The other specifications are what you expect, with a HD (768 x 1366) display, a 500 GB hard drive webcam, the usual wired and wireless connectivity options and weighing in a just under 4.5 pounds.
All-in-all it is priced well enough against the other touchscreen Windows 8 laptops.
HTC One X
The HTC One X was launched and acclaimed as the best smartphone ever built last May 2012. Unfortunately, it held that title for one short month, until the Samsung Galaxy S III came out and clobbered in sales.
So what do you do when you get Samsunged? Go back to the drawing boards and send something new up the production line. That is the HTC One X+.
The HTC One X+ looks like the HTC One X with a revised color scheme. Since the 1.5 GHz quad core processor on a Tegra 3 chipset fell a bit short of the 1.4 GHz quad core on the Samsung Galaxy S III, HTC upped the ante by putting instead a 1.7 GHz quad core unit on the One X+.
Another area where the HTC One X fell just a tad bit short of the Samsung Galaxy S III was battery life. HTC decided to replace the 1800 mAh unit on the One X with a larger 2100 mAh unit on the One X+. The One X+ is the same size as the One X, but tips the scales by just 5 grams more. The larger battery was crammed in by using a thinner Gorilla Glass 2 protected display.
You will also see minor tweaks the cameras and a 64 GB variant available. Not forgetting the software front, you have Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.
This will be released in South East Asia in November 2012.
So what do you do when you get Samsunged? Come back with vengeance.
Cherry Mobile W900 at Php5 999 One Day Third Anniversary Sale
Cherry Mobile is having a one day sale on August 15, 2012, where it will be offering the Cherry Mobile W900 for discounted price of Php5,999. The Cherry Mobile W900 is regularly priced at Php9,999. The reason for the sale is that this August 15 marks the third anniversary of the company.
The specifications of the Cherry Mobile W900 are as follows:
- Android 2.3
- 4-inch WVGA (480 x 800) display
- 1 GB of internal storage expandable via MicroSD card. 8 GB MicroSD card supplied.
- 512 MB of RAM
- 1.2 GHz Snapdragon processor
- Adreno 205 graphics
- Qualcomm chipset
- 5 MP primary camera with a LED flash
- Secondary camera
- 720p video capture
- HSDPA+ 21.1 Mbps connectivity
Source: Yugatech
Android Projected to Lead the Smartphone Market into 2017
If you are worried about moving to the Windows Phone platform or a worried keeping or trying a BlackBerry as the platform may die, there appears to be little to worry about. Canalys, a UK-based analysis company predicts that Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerrys OS will be alive and well in 2017.
By 2017, over 1.5 billion smartphones are projected to be sold, accounting for 73% of the total mobile market.
Android. In the next four years Android is expected to increase smartphone shipments from 470 million units per year, to over 1 billion units per year and maintain its 67% market share.
iOS. Apple phone sales will also increase, but it will not keep up with the overall growth rate of the market. So while Apple will sell more smartphones, its share in the market will go down from 19.5% today to 14.1% in 2017. The reason for this is most of the growth in the smartphone market is expected to come from not from a great increase in demand for mobile phones in general, but from smartphones continuing to eat into the sales of feature phones. Since Apple does not compete in the lower cost segments, its market share is projected to decrease.
Windows Phone. Windows Phone is now competing even against entry level Androids with low cost offerings from Nokia, Huawei and soon, ZTE. Because of this, the market share of Windows Phone is expected to increase from 2.4% today, to 12.7% in 2017. This will put it back at about the same level as Windows Mobile hit in its peak in 2007.
BlackBerry. BlackBerry is supposed to hold it current market share, its current 4.8% market share being projected to be 4.6% in 2017. At it peak, in 2009 BlackBerry held nearly 20% of the market.
Others. While there are many new mobile operating systems in the works like Ubuntu, Firefox OS, Sailfish and most notably Tizen, these operating systems are not expected to have any significant impact. Other smartphone operating systems now how 5.6% of the market. This is expected drop to 1.5% be 2017.
So it looks like iOS and BlackBerry will continue to hold niche markets, while in the long run it is Android and Windows Phone which will be contending for the top spot.
Source: Canalysis
Monday, July 15, 2013
Smart Communications iPhone 5 Wipeout Promo
Smart Communications is offering post paid subscribers discounts on their pre-termination fees for subscribers who want to avail of Apples iPhone 5. The size of the discount depends on the number of months remaining on the contract.
- 1-7 months remaining - up to a 75% discount
- 8-13 months remaining - up to a 50% discount
- 14-19 months remaining - up to a 25% discount
To find out if you are qualified, and how much your discounted pre-termination fee, you can text WIPEOUT to 2928.
You can get more details on Smarts iPhone 5 Wipeout promo at this link.
Symphony of the Origin
Its been over a decade since I called myself a gamer, but in the past four months I have been adventuring through one role playing game or another. Collectively, I have put about 90 hours in the past four months exploring dungeons in Symphony of Eternity (KEMCO), dueling to the death in Chaos Rings (Square Enix) and going on a quest to stop a robopocalypse in Eve of Genesis (KEMCO). Having just completed the third final battle in Eve of Genesis, and still considering Symphony of Eternity the Gold Standard of classic JRPGs, I could not resist picking up KEMCOs latest release, Symphony of the Origin.
Symphony of the Origin is KEMCOs first game made specifically for modern smartphones. Symphony or Eternity and Eve of Genesis were ports from handheld gaming platforms. While being excellent ports, Symphony of the Origin is a step up in terms of interface and graphics quality.
While the gameplay overcame the retro style graphics of Symphony or Eternity and Eve of Genesis, I dont think anyone will be disappointed with graphics of Symphony of the Origin. It is current looking enough, but not so heavy as to require state of the art hardware. This game runs smoothly on my circa 2010 HTC Desire HD.
Having gone through the early part of the game, I am very satisfied with my purchase. The gameplay follows the elements of Symphony or Eternity, mixing in the faster battle system of Eve and changes the system of mana points and upgrades.
According to feedback at Google Play, the game has about US$5 of optional in-app purchases. Two hours into the game I still have not encountered any.
Symphony of the Origin is only available for Android right now, but it is coming soon to iOS.
Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos S6802
Another dual sim phone has been launched in the Philippines, this time by Samsung in the form of the Galaxy Ace Duos. This Android powered phone has a 3.5-inch display and a decent enough 320 x 480 screen resolution. Available for a price of Php9,590, it generally has decent specifications for its price, with 3 GB of expandable storage and a very decent 5 MP autofocus camera with a led flash. The other specifications
There are two issues up front that prevents this phone from being a winner. The 1300 mAh battery is not a deal breaker, but at this price I would have expected a larger 1500 mAh battery. The second issue, it the operating system. This phone runs on Android 2.3, Gingerbread, which is now two generations behind the current version of Android, which is version 4.1, Jelly Bean.
For a little bit more, at Php10,990 you can get the dual SIM Lenovo P700 instead, which comes with a larger and sharper 4-inch display (480 x 800 pixel resolution), Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) out of the box, and which comes with a massive 2500 mAh battery.
Cingular USA–EDGE GPRS WAP Internet And MMS Manual Settings
Cingular USA–EDGE/GPRS/WAP/Internet and MMS manual settings (configuration) Manual Internet Settings:
- Operator: – Cingular
- GPRS APN: – isp.cingular
- Username: – ISPDA@CINGULARGPRS.COM
- Password: – CINGULAR1
- DNS: – 66.209.10.201, 66.209.10.202
June 2013 High End Smartphone Buyers Guide
If you are looking to buy a new smartphone this month for cash, with a unlimited budget, there are a lot of options. For those who dont want an Android, it might want to wait for the next generation iPhone or for the price of BlackBerry Z10 to drop.
As in the past months, LTE is must to make it on the elite list.
All prices posted are for units covered by a manufacturers warranty.
1. LG Optimus G (Php20,990) - Nexus 4 with LTE
A sharp price drop is making this phone look more and more interesting. The LG Optimus G is the phone on which the Google Nexus 4 was based. Basically, think of it as a Nexus 4 with double the storage and LTE.
Quick specifications:
- Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
- 4.7-inch HD (768 x 1280) display
- 32 GB internal storage, not expandable
- 2 GB RAM
- 1.5 GHz quad core Qualcomm Krait processor
- Adreno 320 graphics
- 13 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
- 1.3 MP front camera
- LTE/HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 2100 mAh battery
The LG Optimus G put together the best of 2012 technology. It wont stand up to the best 2013 offerings, still priced at Php6K below the new 1080p quad core phones it is worth a look.
You can read more about the LG Optimus G at this link.
2. Nokia Lumia 920 (Php22,600) - The best Windows Phone 8 device in the local market
There are two really good reasons to buy this phone. First, it is the best Windows Phone 8 which means it is a good choice for heavy Facebook and Skype users. Second, it has an excellent video camera.
The 8MP primary camera has Carl Zeiss Optics and optical image stabilization, the first for a smartphone. A gyroscope is used to detect the motion of the phone and the whole optical assembly moves in the opposite direction to cancel out the movement. That happens 500 times a second. This really does wonder for HD video capture, especially for the action junkies. The still image quality is not really up to par with the Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4 and Note 2 camera, if you are an action junky, the video capture mode of the Lumia 920 will make you forget all that.
Quick specifications:
- Windows Phone 8
- 4.5-inch HD (768 x 1280) display
- 32 GB internal storage, not expandable
- 1 GB RAM
- 1.5 GHz dual core Qualcomm Krait processor
- Adreno 225 graphics
- 13 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
- 1.3 MP front camera
- LTE/HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 2000 mAh battery
The price of the Nokia Lumia 920 dropped recently, and at its new price, it is speced just right. If you cannot get a good price on it, I recommend you look at the other offerings.
We wrote more about the Nokia Lumia 920 in a previous post at this link.
3. Sony Xperia ZL C6503 LTE (Php26,850) - The most compact 5-inch Full HD phone in the market
The Sony Xperia ZL combines 2012 and 2013 technology. Basically, todays it sports todays cutting edge Full HD display tech, with last years quad core processor. It is also the most compact 5-inch smartphone in the world. By comparison, it is 5 mm shorter, and 0.5 mm narrower than the Samsung Galaxy S 4. While its more expensive sibling, the Sony Xperia Z may look more upscale with its glass case, this one feels better in the hand with its curved back.Quick specifications:
- Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
- 5-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) display
- 32 GB internal storage, not expandable
- 2 GB RAM
- 1.5 GHz quad core Qualcomm Krait processor
- Adreno 320 graphics
- 13 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
- 1.3 MP front camera
- LTE/HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 2370 mAh battery
4. Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9505 (Php29,990) - The best smartphone ever built
It is still made of plastic and it no longer has an FM radio. The software has been given so many features it is starting to feel gimmicky. Those are about the only bad things you can say about the Samsung Galaxy S 4. The Galaxy S 4 is basically a Galaxy S III with a larger, higher resolution display, in a smaller case. It is also faster, comes with LTE, and the camera and battery life have been improved. Basically, it improves on everything. In sum, it is the best smartphone in the world.
Quick specifications:
- Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
- 5-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) Super AMOLED display
- 16 GB internal storage, expandable via a MicroSD card
- 2 GB RAM
- 1.9 GHz quad core Qualcomm S600 processor
- Adreno 320 graphics
- 13 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
- 1.3 MP front camera
- LTE/HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 2600 mAh battery
Get over the plastic. The plastic case means this phone has been equipped with a user replaceable battery and is easy to repair. You are going to keep this phone in a plastic or leather case anyway.
5. HTC One (Php30,900) - The best looking smartphone ever built
If you cannot get over the plastic of the Samsung Galaxy S4, dont worry, there is the HTC One. The HTC has a smaller 4.7-inch screen, and the processor is clocked a bit slower. The battery is also a bit smaller, resulting in shorter battery life. But you do get a very premium looking handset built in aluminum. At the same time, you also get some pluses. It has optical image stabilization, like the Nokia Lumia 920. The 4 MP Ultrapixel camera is designed for better low light performance, in exchange for image quality in brighter conditions.
Quick specifications:
- Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
- 4.7-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) display
- 32 GB internal storage, not expandable
- 2 GB RAM
- 1.7 GHz quad core Qualcomm S600 processor
- Adreno 320 graphics
- 4 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
- 2.1 MP front camera
- LTE/HSPA+
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 2300 mAh battery
You can read more about the HTC One at this link.
Sony Xperia Z hits local retail shelves Php32 490
The Sony Xperia Z (C6603) has hit the shelves of retail stores this weekend. The suggested retail price is Php32,490. Street prices are as low as Php30,790 cash.
The Xperia Z is Sony 2013 flagship smartphone. It has a large 5-inch Full HD 1080p display and powerful Qualcomm S4 Pro quad-core Krait processor. It comes with 16 GB of internal storage, which is expandable via a microSD card. The phone has a 13 MP primary camera and a 2.2 MP front camera. For software, it comes with a Sony themed version of Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The phone supports LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600. This should make it compatible with Globe and Smarts LTE networks. Keeping all this running is a 2330 mAh battery.
This phone even has some pretty unique features being IP57 certified dust and water resistant smartphone and having a dedicated hardware camera button.
This is certainly the best Android smartphone available in the country, and hardware wise the best smartphone in the Philippines. Still, it might be a bit too little, a bit too late. Announced in January 2013, I think this phone made it here a bit to late to have a big impact. With the Samsung Galaxy S 4 slated to hit local shelves in a month or so at the same price range, with a more vibrant display, the newer Qualcomm processor and Android operating system, having what looks like the best camera on a Android phone ever, and a user replaceable battery, it is slated to become an also ran pretty soon.
Still, if you really dont like Samsungs plastic and the HTC One does not appeal to you, this glass cased phone might be the one for you.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Why Windows RT Failed
Windows RT is Windows for ARM devices other than smartphones. Rather than using the Windows Phone 8 operating system for tablets, Microsoft develop a new one. This gives Microsoft three operating systems. Windows Phone 8 which is designed for use with ARM processors and for use on smartphones. Windows 8 which is designed for use with x86 (Intel and AMD) processors and for use on desktops and hybrid devices. Windows RT which is designed for use with ARM processors and for use on tablets and hybrid devices. All three versions of Windows use a common interface, and porting applications from one to another is supposedly not too difficult.
The approach taken is different from Apple, which has a mobile operating for phones and tablets in iOS which is compatible with ARM processors, and a desktop operating system which is compatible with x86 processors. The approach is also different from Google, which has Android for phones and tablets, and Chrome OS for desktops. Android and Chrome are compatible with both ARM and x86 processors.
The advantage of ARM was that it was the lower cost solution, and had good battery life. ARM processor also did not have the power to run a full desktop operating system. The death of Windows RT is due mainly to two factors:
1. Intel has closed the gap with ARM. Intel Atom processors can run the full Windows 8 operating system on a tablet, and give battery life more or less equivalent to other tablets. Basically, why run RT and when can run full Windows 8. With Intels new Haswell, the need for Windows RT will be even less.
2. Microsoft kept too tight a control of ARM. Microsoft imposed tight controls on the development and production of Windows RT devices. All Windows RT devices were designed in cooperation with Microsoft. All Windows RT devices were built to strict design and hardware specifications provided by Microsoft. Three participating ARM chip makers were only allowed to partner with up to two PC manufacturers to develop the first wave of Windows RT devices. Qualcomm partnered with Samsung and HP, Nvidia with Asus and Lenovo, and Texas Instruments with Toshiba. Additionally, Microsoft partnered with Nvidia to produce its own Windows RT tablet, known as Surface.
Acer and Sony did not participate, whether by decision of Microsoft or the OEMs, I do not know. HTC was not allowed to build a Windows RT tablet. Lower cost ARM component manufacturers were also left out.
The end result was only five Windows RT devices being released, with Toshiba canceling their offering before launch. Effectively, there are only four left with Samsung canceling their ATIV Tab after release.
Acer built a Windows 8 tablet, and so did Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung. These devices matched the prices and the features of the five magical Windows RT devices. Windows RT on ARM might actually have been able to provide lower cost Windows devices.
Windows RT already had the daunting task of trying to take out the Apple iPad. The end result was a situation where instead of Windows RT competing with the iPad and Android tablets, Windows RTs first competitor was Windows 8. Apple iPads and Android tablets, were at a different and lower price point all-together.
Basically, when you read about that booming tablet environment, most of it is being done be devices that cost less than Windows RT and Windows 8 tablets. For Windows 8 tablets, this is to be expected. They are premium products which will be the choice of those who need Windows XP/Vista/7 compatible software on a tablet.
Windows RT, needed mass acceptance to succeed. Without a large user base it would not be able to attract app developers. Without a large app ecosystem, it really has little hope of competing with the iPad.
In sum, Intel rendered Windows RT irrelevant with advancements in its processors. Microsoft rendered Windows RT irrelevant by creating a environment for its development which resulted in it coming into the market as a premium product.
Microsoft has the most operating systems, and many OEM partners, collectively they have not come out with a single product that can match the price of an Apple iPad 2. Never mind the iPad mini, Android and Kindle tablets sold cheaper than that. Instead Microsoft, leveraging MS Office, tried to go head-on with the Apple iPad Retina, and its 300,000 app ecosystem.
The scariest message Windows RT send Microsoft is that, "We can live without MS Office."
Samsung Galaxy Mega Its big and tall but falls short
Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy Mega yesterday at SM Aura in Taguig. The new Android phabet sports a 5.8-inch display is a case narrower than the original 5.3-inch Galaxy Note, and a bit wider than the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II. The mega is a bit slimmer than the Note and Note II, and a lot taller, making it look sleeker overall. But, it is really hard to get excited about Samsungs new offering.
The 5.8-inch display sports a qHD (540 x 960) resolution. Given the suggested retail price of Php18,900, I would expect a device at the price to support a HD (720 x 1280) display. Behind the display is a dual core 1.4 GHz processor with VideoCore IV graphics on a Broadcom chipset. The result is marginal performance. GSMArena ran the Antutu benchmark on the Galaxy Mega and got a score of 7338 points.
The Galaxy Mega does come with 1.5 GB of RAM, which is good for a phone at this price range, as well as 8 GB of internal storage. The camera is also a high point. It seems to take decent enough pictures and can capture 1080p video.
Quick specifications:
- Android 4.2
- 5.8-inch qHD (540 x 960) display
- Dual sim support
- 8 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
- 1.5 GB RAM
- 1.4 GHz dual core Broadcom processor
- VideoCore IV graphics
- 8 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
- 1.9 MP front camera
- HSPA
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 2600 mAh battery
All, in all, it seems like it is almost there. It may sell well as it really has no direct competition. But at Php18,900 I would expected a higher resolution display and a faster processor. This disappointment is something I have started to feel consistently with newer Samsung entry and mid-level releases. While the flagship Samsung Galaxy S and Note series still looks like good value for money despite the high prices, with its phone like the Galaxy Mega, you feel like you are now paying the Samsung Tax.
Samsungs flagships are competitively priced. But one you step back from the flagships, it looks like Samsung is expecting that you will be willing to pay a premium for its lower end offerings simply because it looks like a Galaxy S 4 and carries the Samsung badge.
Asus Vivobook S400CA CA006H 14 Inch Touch Screen Ultrabook
Looking for a 14-inch touchscreen notebook? The Asus Vivobook S400CA-CA006H is a 14-inch version of the 11.6-inch Vivobook x202e, upgraded to Ultrabook specifications. The touchscreen feature is designed to maximize the Windows 8 operating system on board.
The Asus Vivobook S400CA has a 14-inch HD display on a 0.8-inch chassis which weighs about 4 pounds. It is powered by an Intel Core i5 3317U processor and 4 GB of RAM. With a 500 GB hard drive back-up by a 24 GB SSD cache the Asus Vivobook S400CA qualifies to be classified as an Ultrabook.
The Asus Vivobook S400CA is priced at Php35,990. It does not have any direct competition in the Philippine market right now being a 14-inch touchscreen device.
When it comes to touchscreen PCs I kind of think they be kept in the 10.1 to 12.5-inch form factors. What do you all think?
LG on the move It is not All Samsung in the Android World
Every major Android smartphone, manufacturer, from HTC to ZTE, has released or officially announced their 2013 flagships, which comprise of 5-inch smartphones with 1080p displays (except the HTC One with a 4.7-inch 1080p display). The Samsung Galaxy S 4 appears to be the early favorite, and it does not look like the competition is offering anything that would derail Samsung ambitions of a having the best selling Android smartphone in 2013.
The fly in the ointment for Samsung could be LG. LG has already released a very interesting Phablet the LG Optimus G Pro which impressively places a 5.5-inch Full HD display in a package more compact that the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note II. Expected to hit the market in the second quarter of 2013, the more modern LG Optimus G Pro is expected to steal some sales from the Samsung Galaxy Note II. The LG Optimus Pro and might take some of the thunder out of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 as well.
Sometime early in the third quarter of this year, LG should be releasing an update to its 4.7-inch LG Optimus G (the basis for the Google Nexus 4), with the more powerful Qualcomm S800 processor and 3 GB of RAM. This phone is also rumored to come with a 5.2-inch display with on-screen buttons.
iPad Hackers Show up AT T Security
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| AT&T Technology |
The FBI seized instant messages between Spitler and Auernheimer discussing everything from selling the list for spam, to manipulating AT&T stock. The hallmark of this criminal hacker subculture is malicious one-upmanship. And for hackers, Apple is a big prize because of its relatively secure operation system.
Two suspects have been charged with federal crimes for allegedly hacking AT&T’s website last year to obtain the personal data of more than 100,000 iPad owners. Andrew Auernheimer, 25, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was charged in Arkansas for the same crimes.
Last summer the two allegedly contacted Gawker to report that a hole in AT&T’s website allowed anyone to access data on iPad owners, including government and military officials, corporate CEOs and media executives who purchased iPads. The personal data included e-mail addresses and ICC-IDs – a unique identifier that’s used to authenticate the SIM card in a customer’s iPad to AT&T’s network.
“An information leak on AT&Ts network allows severe privacy violations to iPad 3G users,” Auernheimer, who goes by the hacking moniker Weev, wrote to one News Corp. director. “Your iPads unique network identifier was pulled straight out of AT&Ts database....
Both men are in the custody of federal authorities. Under US criminal procedures, prosecutors have 30 days to charge the men under a grand jury indictment unless the defendants agree to an extension. Spitler, 26, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in federal court in Newark, New Jersey. One member using the handle Nstyr wanted to “sell if [sic] for thousands to the biggest spammers.”
By. AT&T Technology
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Top Droid It is the Samsung Galaxy S4 Hands Down
While a lot of websites are having reviews and comparisons of what is the best Android smartphone between the Sony Xperia Z, the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S 4, it really is a moot point. The Samsung Galaxy S 4 is the best among the three, and it really is not much of a contest.
The Samsung Galaxy S 4 has been panned as not revolutionary or evolutionary enough by some. But, really all the criticism is really just because the phone is still made of plastic.
What would make the Galaxy S 4 revolutionary or evolutionary enough?
- The phone is faster than the previous generation Galaxy S III and much longer battery life than the Galaxy S III. It beats the Apple iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z and HTC One too.
- The Galaxy S4 has a larger and higher resolution screen, in a trimmer and thinner case. It is also a tad bit lighter than the Galaxy S III.
- The camera has more megapixels, but the more important part is that it actually improves on the 8MP camera, which was the equal of any other mobile phone camera in the market, save for Nokia dedicate Symbian Camera phones.
- And it keeps all those important small things, like expandable storage and a a user replaceable battery, the latter becoming really important when the phone is over a year old.
- The TouchWiz and Camera software has been given a lot of new features.
Basically, the Galaxy S4 improves on every aspect of performance and design as compared to the Galaxy S III.
Sony Xperia Z. The Sony Xperia Z has the older generation Qualcomm S4 chipset inside. The display on the Xperia Z is not as beautiful as the SuperAMOLED display on the Galaxy S4. Battery life on the Xperia Z is less. The camera is not as good as the the Galaxy S4. You cannot change the battery or expand the internal storage.
With its more premium looking glass finnish and dust and water resistant properties the Xperia Z will have its following. The Xperia Z is a great phone on its own, it just not look to good on a head-on comparison with a Galaxy S 4.
HTC One. The HTC One, this one has some serious problems out of the box. The move to a 4 MP Ultrapixel camera seems like a big mistake. Still image quality is horrible by todays standards, and it does not beat the Galaxy S4 in low light performance either. Four megapixels really is not enough. With optical image stabilization, it does take great Full HD video. Ultrapixel is looking like a big mistake.
The premium looking body on the HTC One looks like one of the most fragile smartphone designs and is rated by iFixit as nearly impossible to repair and gave it the lowest possible score in terms of repairability.
Repairability scores (10 highest and 1 lowest):
- BlackBerry Z10: 8
- Apple iPhone 5: 7
- Samsung Galaxy S III: 7
- HTC One: 1
Fragile plus not repairable. I love HTC designs and the HTC One looks the part, but in substance is the opposite of everything I like about HTCs industrial designs.
Forget all the comparison reviews. Short of something magical and new from LG or Motorola in 2013, the Galaxy S Series will take the Android smartphone crown, three years in a row.
Sony Xperia S to get De Facto Nexus Status
Jean-Baptiste Queru, Googles top Android Open-Source Tech Dude (well, actually Technical Lead of Googles Android Open Source Project) announced on Google Groups that the Sony Xperia S will be getting updates directly from Google.
Read More..
Quere said "For a new challenge, Id like to try to go one step further, and to target some hardware beyond the usual categories. Ive added a git project for the Sony LT26, i.e. Xperia S. This seems like a good target: its a powerful current GSM device, with an unlockable bootloader, from a manufacturer that has always been very friendly to AOSP."
The Sony Xperia S was an interesting device. It had a 4.3-inch 720p display in a market of Android flagship phones with larger 4.7 to 4.8-inch 720p displays. The only spoiler in the package, is that while its competitors came with new for 2012 chipsets, the Nvidia Tegra 3, Qualcomm S4 and Samsung Exynos Quad, the Xperia S came with a dual core Qualcomm S3 which we first saw in the HTC Sensation back in the first half of 2011. All-in-all, the Xperia S is like a sleek car with a mediocre engine under the hood. Still, Sony did a good job with the Qualcomm S3, squeezing out more performance from the chipset than any other OEM ever did.
All of a sudden, the Sony Xperia S looks a lot more interesting. Priced substantially lower than its competitors, being a "mid-sized" offering and now with updates direct from Googles AOSP team. Even more interesting, it looks like the Xperia S will become the platform for a Google Skunkworks project for the creation of the next iteration of Android.
"Contributions are strongly encouraged, and there should be more freedom than usual to submit experimental changes since that wont impact the devices that Google is most directly involved in," Quere said.
So, the somewhat boring Sony Xperia S, might now become transformed as the home of the latest cutting edge Android code.
The Apple iPad mini and iPad 4 are here
Just in time for Christmas. I received an email this morning with the cheerful message "iPad mini is here".
The Apple iPad mini is a 7.9-inch tablet which is priced as follows:
WiFi Only
16 GB - Php15,990
32 GB - Php20.990
64 GB - Php25.990
WiFi + Cellular
Read More..
The Apple iPad mini is a 7.9-inch tablet which is priced as follows:
WiFi Only
16 GB - Php15,990
32 GB - Php20.990
64 GB - Php25.990
WiFi + Cellular
16 GB - Php21,990
32 GB - Php26.990
64 GB - Php31.990
While browsing over at the Apple site contemplating a mini purchase, I notice the iPad 4 is now also being offered in the Philippines. The iPad 4 is a substantial upgrade of the iPad 3, with the main feature being the cooler running twice as powerful A6 chip being on board. The iPad 4 also comes with the new Thunderbolt port.
The Apple iPad 4 is priced as follows:
WiFi Only
16 GB - Php23,990
32 GB - Php28.990
64 GB - Php33.990
WiFi + Cellular
16 GB - Php29,990
32 GB - Php34.990
64 GB - Php39.990
Post PC World Auditing My Computing Time
I have been trying to figure out the proportion of activities I do on my two computers, a Android smartphone and a Mac OS X laptop. Traditionally, traditionally I used to use my smartphone mainly as a phone, personal organizer, and email, while my laptop did everything else.
In the past two years, things have change. The smartphone became much more capable and a unlimited and volume based data plans became available. Cloud storage became more substantial, and between Google Drive (work related files), Dropbox (personal files) and Box (pictures) all of my files are available on both of my devices. This has been a big equalizer. Before cloud storage, I would drag my laptop around just to have access to my files.
Breaking it down to what are “personal computer” activities it looks like this:
To-do list and updating my calendar - 100% on the smartphone. I did this on a phone, long before I had a laptop.
Reading email - 90% on the smartphone. Email gets pushed to my smartphone and I get a notification, so I tend to read it from there, even if my laptop is running.
Writing email - 80% on the smartphone. I send short emails and respond to most emails on my smartphone. I go to the laptop only when I plan to write a fairly long response, or if I happen to read the email while on using my laptop.
News and Social Networking (Twitter and Google+) - 90% on the smartphone. I check the news on my phone first thing in the morning. I only use my laptop to check Twitter or Google+ if I am doing something else and want to take a short break.
Web browsing - 75% on the laptop. I use both my devices to browse the web, but browsing the web on a 13.3-inch display is more fun, than doing it on 4.3-inches.
Blogging - 99.9% on the laptop. I have posted one blog posts on the smartphone using the Chrome browser, just to see if it could be done.
Photo editing - 50% on the smartphone. I dont edit pictures much When I share a picture on a social network, I edit it on my smartphone since that is the device I use for social networking. When I edit pictures for this blog, I blog on a laptop, so I edit pictures from the laptop.
Writing and editing documents, keeping notes and preparing spreadsheets - 95% on the laptop. While I have pretty good document editing software on my phone, I prefer to use my laptop for this job. I occasionally edit some documents on the smartphone. Pretty much 100% of the documents and spreadsheets I prepare are work related. When I prepare personal notes or record general information for future reference I do it on my mobile using Evernote.
Gaming - 100% on the smartphone. One caveat. I stopped playing computer games a long time ago. The smartphone basically got me back into gaming. Playing games on a smartphone is something I do to pass the time while waiting for a meeting or appointment. Off hand, I average only about 2 hours a week.
In terms of hours, I spend two hours on a smartphone per day, and between four to eight hours on a laptop. Thats a lot of time. I need to get a life.
Seriously, most of the time on the laptop is work related, and the next biggest time sink is blogging. On weekends, my smartphone use is about the same, but my time on my laptop is usually down to about two hours. When I am out of town on vacation, I do not bring my laptop with me anymore.
What is the point of this type of exercise, it is to assess my computing needs. The smartphone has truly become a Swiss Army Knife of computing. It can actually take care of all my computing needs, if I had no other device available.
The limitations of a smartphone are screen size and the virtual keyboard which makes the small screen even more cramp. Yes, even a 5.5-inch display would still be small, and I type much faster with a physical keyboard.
If I did not prepare documents for a living (but I am not a writer, I just write a lot), and I did not blog, I would have little need for a physical keyboard, and I could do with just a smartphone and tablet. I think this situation is true for a lot of people, and in that sense, we really are in a Post PC world. PC makers, will really need to get into the tablet game.
Me, I need a laptop, but really these days the cheapest laptops would do. I never paid a premium price for a personal computer for more power or storage. I did pay more for portability. Small 11 to 12 inch ultraportables and light 13-inch laptops used to be available only at a premium price awhile back. Now 11.6-inch laptops are available for cheap, and Sleekbooks or Slimbooks flood the market. Because of the availability of low cost portables, when it comes time to replace my laptop, I will spend about 40-50% of what I would have before. If the Chromebook becomes available locally, I would even spend less than that just 20% of what I used to spend on a laptop. I think my situation is true for a fair number, so not only do PC makers have to deal with competition from tablets, but also a consumer base willing to spend less on their next computer.
Tablets themselves arent all that expensive, so whether you choose a tablet or a laptop, you will be throwing less money at consumer electronics. With less revenue headed the way PC makers, I think we may see a lot of are old favorite brands fall be the wayside.
Just some random thought on a early Sunday morning.
Seriously, most of the time on the laptop is work related, and the next biggest time sink is blogging. On weekends, my smartphone use is about the same, but my time on my laptop is usually down to about two hours. When I am out of town on vacation, I do not bring my laptop with me anymore.
What is the point of this type of exercise, it is to assess my computing needs. The smartphone has truly become a Swiss Army Knife of computing. It can actually take care of all my computing needs, if I had no other device available.
The limitations of a smartphone are screen size and the virtual keyboard which makes the small screen even more cramp. Yes, even a 5.5-inch display would still be small, and I type much faster with a physical keyboard.
If I did not prepare documents for a living (but I am not a writer, I just write a lot), and I did not blog, I would have little need for a physical keyboard, and I could do with just a smartphone and tablet. I think this situation is true for a lot of people, and in that sense, we really are in a Post PC world. PC makers, will really need to get into the tablet game.
Me, I need a laptop, but really these days the cheapest laptops would do. I never paid a premium price for a personal computer for more power or storage. I did pay more for portability. Small 11 to 12 inch ultraportables and light 13-inch laptops used to be available only at a premium price awhile back. Now 11.6-inch laptops are available for cheap, and Sleekbooks or Slimbooks flood the market. Because of the availability of low cost portables, when it comes time to replace my laptop, I will spend about 40-50% of what I would have before. If the Chromebook becomes available locally, I would even spend less than that just 20% of what I used to spend on a laptop. I think my situation is true for a fair number, so not only do PC makers have to deal with competition from tablets, but also a consumer base willing to spend less on their next computer.
Tablets themselves arent all that expensive, so whether you choose a tablet or a laptop, you will be throwing less money at consumer electronics. With less revenue headed the way PC makers, I think we may see a lot of are old favorite brands fall be the wayside.
Just some random thought on a early Sunday morning.
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