Have Laptop Will Travel

Microsoft to release free, ad supported Microsoft Works suite

Originally posted on August 2, 2007 @ 9:28 pm

 The MS Office productivity suite may be the most useful software collection you may use, but it is also one of the most expensive pieces of commercial software in the market. So expensive, in fact, that some people, would rather get a pirated version of MS Office to install on top of their ORIGINAL operating system just to save money — a significant amount of it.

Microsoft does offer a more affordable productivity suite, Microsoft Works. Call it the little brother of the more feature laden MS Office. The smaller file imprint and very affordable price of Microsoft Works has led major computer manufacturers like Dell, Compaq and HP to preinstall this software suite in their computers.

However, Microsoft has just made the Works suite more affordable. The company announced that it will be releasing a free and ad-supported version of the software in the next few months. Microsoft Works SE 9 will not be distributed by Microsoft itself but by its OEM partners, which will also be responsible for the pilot deployment of this new free software.

The issue of deployment is confusing to say the least. Microsoft, in its media release, mentioned that this version of Works will be deployed to an “unspecified number of ‘developed’ countries”, which really could mean anything.

From the information given by Microsoft, I’m getting the feeling that this decision is not wholeheartedly supported by management. Is it because they are basically offering a Microsoft product for free? Come on Microsoft, you can do better than this!

The Asus Eee Specs

Originally posted on July 21, 2007 @ 8:13 am

I promised to give more details about the Asus Eee PC 701, the company’s new contender in the highly competitive ultraportable market.

Below are the base specs for the computer:

  • Display: 7″
  • Processor: Intel mobile CPU (Intel 910 chipset, 900MHz Dothan Pentium M)
  • Memory: 512MB RAM
  • OS: Linux (Asus customized flavor)
  • Storage: 8GB or 16GB flash hard drive
  • Webcam: 300K pixel video camera
  • Battery life: 3 hours using 4-cell battery
  • Weight: 2lbs
  • Dimensions: 8.9 in x 6.5 in x 0.82 in – 1.37 in (width x depth x thickness)
  • Ports: 3 USB ports, 1 VGA out, SD card reader, modem, Ethernet, headphone out, microphone in

As you can see, it is not a very powerful computer. It has very conservative power and RAM. But look at the additional features and you will be amazed. For such a small gadget, Asus has managed to cram in 3 USB ports, an SD reader, WiFi, and even a webcam. The Eee runs on a modified version of Linux and according to tests, the whole thing boots up at an astounding 15 seconds!

The features alone opens up many possibilities for its usage. Imagine using Skype, teleconferencing, surfing the internet (with Firefox), open and edit Word and Excel documents, view your photos and listen to music — all from a little gadget that can comfortably sit on your hand. The Asus Eee PC 701 brings mobile computing to a whole new level.

Facebook gets a Facelift

Originally posted on April 11, 2007 @ 9:54 am

Facebook gets a Facelift

As a student, I spend at least an hour a day on Facebook. The addictive feed of recent friends activity on the front page is updated every few minutes and I find myself checking back when I should be studying or working on other important things.

Last night Facebook rolled out a major update with the goal of making their service simpler, more flexible, and to make their network structure more relevant. Facebook’s blog summarizes the new features quite well:

1. A navigation and profile simplification—Ever feel like you couldn’t find what you were looking for on that long left menu? We’ve redistributed all these menu options into “Core Aspects” on the top menu, “Applications” on the left menu, Settings on the top right, and everything else at the footer of the page. As for the profile, we’ve added drop-down menus to the top of every user’s profile page, making it easier to get to the information you want to see. You can read more about the navigation changes here.

2. The introduction of “Inbox”—The former “My Messages” and “My Shares” pages have been redesigned to make the communication between you and your friends easier. Now you can send a group of your friends a message with or without a shared link, and easily track the ensuing conversation in one “thread” in your Inbox.

3. Network Pages—To make networks more relevant to their real-world counterparts, we’ve built out pages where network members, events, trends, and demographic info are displayed. Anything visible on a Network page is something that is already accessible to members of that network, and we’ve added additional “Publicize” options to groups and events that make it easy to distinguish what will and will not appear on your Network page. In addition, each page has a full version for members of the networks, and a public version—with certain kinds of information blocked—for people outside that network.

Personally, I could not be more happy with these changes. One of my biggest annoyances with Facebook was the amount of clicks that it took to get somewhere, now I can get to any page just a couple clicks. I am still undecided about the inbox share as I have not really used it yet; shares were a flop in past Facebook updates.

As for the network pages, they have already become a love-hate. New features called network statistics list things such as top movies and political view percentage. These are all very interesting but I myself with just one more thing to check every 10 minutes when I am four hours into a marketing assignment. Good job Facebook.

Asus releases new upgradeable notebook

Originally posted on July 31, 2007 @ 10:27 pm

I know I’ve talked about gaming notebooks yesterday but having read this new gaming notebook from Asus — I just have to write about it.

I am quite excited by the Asus C90 because of the company’s claim that it is upgradeable (Asus has even decided to market it as a “tailor made” notebook computer). The machine, which has a 15.4 inch widescreen monitor capable of displaying a resolution of 1680 x 1050 has a Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor. Asus said that this is of the desktop variety.

What is quite interesting about the C90 though is that the processor can actually be overclocked. This is the first time I’ve heard of an overclockable notebook computer. Asus said that the C90 can reach up to 2.93Ghz. What makes this feat even possible is the Turbo Gear technology that does the job of keeping the machine cool. It does this through fan control and thermal module technologies that are in place.

Asus has really made the notebook’s innards easily accessible. It is easy to swap the CPU, the graphics card, RAM, the hard disk and even the optical drive. This feature really drives home the fact that it has also entered the desktop replacement territory.

Other great features of the C90 include a built in 2 megapixel rotating CMOS camera with a face traking capability, a finger print scanner and a tv tuner.

Now who wouldn’t want to get one of these babies?

The Asus Eee brings ultraportables to the masses

Originally posted on July 20, 2007 @ 8:02 am

I’ve been using laptops for the last few years. For me, the one big benefit of using a laptop is that it has unshackled us from our desks. We can now work anywhere we want, communicate with coworkers and loved ones wherever we are and have a convenient and deep storage for the various files that are important to us.

I have to admit though that sometimes I wish I can just bring a notebook and pen with me for the simple reason that laptops are quite heavy. Yes, over the years laptops have continuously shaved off the unwanted poundage but they can still give you a good workout. Ultraportables are now quite fashionable for those who want svelte and ultra lightweight computers but what they lost in weight, they gain in currency. These are very expensive gadgets and only those with very deep pockets can really take advantage of them. People like me, who are not necessarily swimming in money, are left out of this exclusive club.

Thus, it is with great anticipation that I am looking forward to Asus‘ newest entry in the ultraportable market. The Asus Eee PC 701 is one of the newest entrants in the ultraportable market. But it’s trump card is its price. At just $200 for the entry level 4GB version, this 7-inch marvel can revolutionize the whole market by bringing the benefits of having a super compact computer within reach of everyone.

Tomorrow I’ll be talking more about the specs of the Asus Eee. I have to say that at this point I am already eager to get my hands on one.