kikuism – Page 11 – Kikuyumoja

being around…

I just realized it’s only four (4) more weeks for me over here in Germany. Jessas! How time goes by these days….four more weeks of working on some papers and studying for an exam in hydromechanics. Four weeks left to vacate my current flat, to pack my stuff up again (relocation No.11), to give away half of the stuff that has been accumulating here and has never really been used (so why keep it?) and to repaint the flat. Four weeks that will get me away from here and back on the road again into UHURU – freedom and independance. A lovely, scary feeling!
And then?

GrÃ¶Ã?enÃ¤nderungSANY7345.JPG

Embu, Kenya. For at least 3 months until some time in January 2007. Doing an internship @ a state office on behalf of a German Agency. Will keep you updated on this as blogable content comes up – I am really dying to cover this on my blog as it involves some form of nation building, something with a meaning and hopefully a win-win situation for both sides involved: Kenya & Germany. For my partners at the office, and for me as a student.

The Tana river in Kenya has the biggest catchment area – and Kenya being a country of various landscapes, it will be particulary interesting to see how strategies for integrated water resource management can be implemented in reality and how to scale these complex and sometimes also confusing dimensions on a local level. Consequently, my approach on this isn’t the “mzungu coming to Aaaaafrika to change everything” attitude, but to listen and learn and help where I know an answer.

Now, for others wazungu that have come to Kenya (~you are prolly aware of the stereotyped pic), this might just be a single step on their career, but as for me – I really tried hard to convince the involved agency in placing me to Kenya (and not somwhere else) as I would like to take this opportunity to contribute something from me to the place where I grew up. And let me be honest – the “Kenyan part” in me of course asks why I should leave my comfy nest with 24/7/365 electricity, warm water and broadband inet for such a job. Well, why? Because I can. Because I was given this chance to learn more. And I think that’s reason enough.

Now, enough turgid words – let me go back to my papers and see how this adventure turns out…(yes, I am a bit scared :-)

(Ati, four weeks? Haiyaaaa…..*gulp*)

jua kalicious displaymoja

Well, talking about display protection foils in my previous post, I thought about trying some non-destructive methods on my own book – also with the intention to create something dead simple, low cost and easy-to-rebuild for anyone interested. After all, what I was looking for is a simple solution to an existing problem.

ATTENTION:
the following mod is VERY jua kali and is for demonstration purposes only!

I first tried to use a rather huge sticker I’ve found in one of my drawers (btw, THX DED!) to “mold” the frame…

Cutting and folding this one requires decent tools and lots of patience and the right adhesive on the sticker. So I skipped it and used normal fabric tape to make the frame in which the simple cover is supposed to glide around.

Obviously, this is just a demonstration to show you what I meant in my previous post. Something that protects the screen when the notebook is closed, and what is stored away – but not completely removed! – when the screen is in use.

I was looking for a stronger material/foil/paper that could be flexible enough to move around the edges of the screen and ended up using some pages from a brochure on water problems (~maji ni maisha).
Now, this is the sweet part of the whole idea: ADVERTISEMENT! Companies could print their ads on this and give it away for free + a detailed installation instruction.
Maybe instead of glueing this onto the display frame, it could just as well be some sort of silicone skin which would then be pulled over the display and add a protective and moveable shield (and yes, we’re not talking about BestSkinEver bubudius or 3M® Vikuiti display protection). Just a fast and simple add-on for the 2nd most important user-interface (next to the keyboard) on a computer: the display.

Or as Hash normally puts it with his Web 2.0 recommendations:
“It’s fast, it’s simple, it wins. Try it!” :-)

Displaylicious

What’s the difference between hardware manufacturers and hardware buyers?
The latter ones aren’t getting paid for having good ideas and will be shocked by the amount of time and energy it takes to get things into production. So what else can you do if you want to see good imagineering? Buy an Apple MacBook (the magnetic power cord – brilliant idea!), watch old MacGyver and/or blog about it…

When I received my new notebook, I found this plastic film/foil in between the keyboard and the display to protect the display from any scratches. Hmm….there are many many notebooks out there that have display problems – unless it’s a ThinkPad, there will almost always be some space left in between the display and the keyboard when you close it. Space where dust and other unwanted objects enter. Stuff that ruins your display in the long run. So, what to do against it?

I just taped the foil on one side of the screen so that it doesn’t get lost and can be removed while in use, but is back in place when the machine is closed. Now, this solution looks pretty much jua kali and just serves to illustrate the function of such a protective foil. I would like to have such an extra cover for the screen that protects it while the machine isn’t in use, and is invisible when it’s on. The solution?

A “pull-up curtain”, as I call it. Some sort of small jalousie / blind that rolls up INSIDE and at the side of the display frame, and can be pulled out either from the side or top of the frame to protect the screen. Attachment could either be done by Velcro® or maybe a very thin magnetic piece of metal. Obviously, the magnetic cover should be located away from the hdd.

What do you think – would it be possible to create something like that? (=> I urgently *need* to get my hands on an empty display frame to try this out :-)

Talking about portable computers – compared to performance improvements, there hasn’t been as much improvements on the notebook designs and making them even more transportable. Cool ideas and well designed gimmicks are hard to find or limited to special machines (=> e.g. Apple MacBook). Why?

the notebook story, part 3

a.k.a. Installing WinXP according to HP’s logic…

HP shipped the notebook with the usual recovery DVD which contains a pre-installed WinXP environment. Upon insertion into the dvd drive, it tries to overwrite the whole harddisk with a single partition. Why? Because the notebook came shipped with a single partition. A full 80 GB partition (ok, ~74 once formatted).

Now, for those of us who have more specific needs and for example don’t keep the (dynamic) user files on the same partition, there are of course ways to partition the HDD and put those files that need to stay on the HDD for longer onto one of them. Just imagine this scenario where you would keep the needed drivers, applications and your own personal files (text, music, video, etc.) and settings on a different partition which is save and wouldn’t be affected once you’d have to reinstall Windows. And those of us who are forced to use this OS (~ the majority), know about the need to frequently reinstall Windows. I think the average user does that at least every year unless you never use your machine and/or never install any new software (of course, those who just want to have a stable system have their small selected choice of programms they are using and otherwise never change a running system).

Now, WinXP normally provides us with a menue where you can choose the partition and settings for a new installation. Not so with the recovery DVD! No menue during the Windows installation routine where you could select the partitioning process and then scale the HDD down to your desired choices. Is this the OEM Version that I bought? I DON’T WANT A SINGLE PARTITION.

And there are of course ways to single-out the installation files of the provided recovery DVD and e.g. make a small Isobuilder CD which only contains the WinXP installation files without any HP add-ons. But it should be easier than that….

So I wrote to HP, asking for a workaround and you know what they replied?

Thank you for contacting Hewlett-Packard’s Commercial Solutions Center.

A partition is a logical section of a hard disk on which Windows can write data. Every hard disk must be partitioned before it can be used. Often, a hard disk is set up as one big partition, but you can divide a hard disk into multiple partitions. When you partition a hard disk, you decide how much space to allocate to each partition.

For example, assume that your computer has an 80-GB hard disk. If you purchased your computer with Windows XP already installed, or if you installed Windows XP using the default choices during installation, the hard disk likely has a single partition that takes up all of the 80 GB on the disk. However, you could divide that same disk into multiple partitions—maybe a 40-GB partition to hold Windows and program files, a 20-GB partition to hold your documents, and another 20-GB partition for future use.

When you partition a hard disk, you do not have to use all of the space on the hard disk at once. For example, on the 80-GB hard disk, you could create a single 40-GB partition and leave the rest of the space unpartitioned. Unpartitioned space on a hard disk is called unallocated space.

Please install the Operating System using the CD shipped along with the Notebook. Please perform the steps provided in the below web link:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316941/EN-US/

Note: HP does not support more than One partition. (<= the vital information I needed to get)

=> Exactly: a copy & paste answer that explains what partitioning is all about…..HELLO? Hewlett-Packard? WTF is wrong with your customer service? Aren’t you human beings with a brain? Are you located in the USA where the typical user is assumed to be as stupid as the president of this great nation?
I gave you a very detailed question that would point out that you are not dealing with the average Joe User, but someone who KNOWS what partitioning is all about and needs an answer instead of basic knowledge that I could even google.
The provided DVD indirectly supports more than one partition because – and this is the solution to my problem – I initially thought that it sort of overwrites the HDD with an image file (~think of Northon Ghost images) without asking for partitions. But what it does instead is that it just runs this simple script in the beginning of the installation which formats the first partition on the drive. Bingo!

Now, all we need to do is use another programme (freeware tools, Partition Magic, another Windows version, Knoppix, Ubuntu, etc.) which just partitions the HDD. After the HDD is partitioned, the recovery DVD only concentrates on the first partition (=> yes, it does not support more than one partition, but it also ignores all other partitions – which is exactly what I wanted) and installs HP’s castrated OEM version of WinXP Pro.

I really wonder WHY they change these WinXP installation routines – I think it would be wiser to leave it the way it normally comes with WinXP then additionally explain partitioning procedures to the average user. After all, there are so many other unimportant details they are explaining and that don’t differ on most computers and lots of papers/manuals that come along with the notebooks. And while I agree that most problems are just software related and which btw explains why MS introduced this “Windows compatibility” programme with hardware driver tests etc., the manufacturers like HP should just concentrate on the hardware and explain it in full detail. If you open the manual, there’s about half of the explanations about “using software” instead of simple pictures that explain how to e.g. remove the MultiBay, how to upgrade memory, how to save battery runtime (by removing the battery as long as it has an external power supply) and/or how identify hardware issues and enable customers to deliver a detailed error report. I think they could greatly save on customer service if customers were given more detailed informations on how to solve hardware problems on their own (and yes, they DO have a dissassembly manual for download online).

But instead, what HP did was referring me to the MS-knowledge base which just provides answers for a normal WinXP installation, not for HP’s limited WinXP version….

the notebook story, part 2

I’ve eventually settled for a decent machine and managed to secure this (new!) notebook via Ebay (DE) – a HP nx8220 (PY522ET) with the following specs:

cpu & chipset: Pentium 750 M (1,86 GHz, Dothan) & Mobile Intel 915 PM Express Chipset (Sonoma)
hard disk drive: 80 GB (Fujitsu…well….at least they tried..) with shock adsorbers in form of a rubber frame (simple but effective)
random access memory: 2x 512 MB = 1024 MB
Gfx: ATI Mobility Radeon X600 with 128 MB RAM
display: 15,4″ Widescreen with 1280×800 (WXGA) with light sensor
connections: 3x USB, FireWire, Modem, Gb LAN, WLAN b/g, Bluetooth 1.2, IR, VGA, TV-out, speakers, line-out, headphones, mic (!), PCMCIA II, SmartCard reader (online banking)
media: DVD/CD Burner (no double-layer though), SD/MMS card reader (2in1 only),
weight & size: 2.8 kgs, 2.8 x 35.5 x 25.9 cm (1.1″ x 14.0″ x 10.2″)

I bought this notebook for the following reasons:

keyboard: the initial reason why I needed to settle for an HP notebook – they just have the best keyboard on their notebooks as the CTRL and FN keys aren’t swapped like on ThinkPad. For those die-hard ThinkPad users, the BIOS also allows to change the key settings. Every key is in it’s place and where I’m used to it from my desktop PC.
size: it’s comparatively thin and not too heavy with the power supply
quality: the hinges are made of steel – just like on ThinkPads (IBM/Lenovo) and the frame inside is made out of aluminium. Of all competitors, this one comes close to IBM quality.
display: no glare/shiny display that distracts me from concentrating on the screen’s content
battery runtime: 3-5 hrs are possible with this notebook – it even has a built-in light sensor that detects the surrounding light-sources and adjusts the brightness of the screen accordingly
cpu: I actually wanted to go for a new Intel Duo Core but soon figured that – although they are better – these new CPUs drain more energy from the battery. I think I’d have to wait another year until the system becomes optimized. A Pentium M machine should do as well. After all, it’s still faster than my desktop PC (AMD Athlon XP 2000+ @ 1.66 Ghz + 1024 MB RAM).
package: “Don’t overbuy technology”, as Steve put it. I think that’s true and while I really considered going for a used, light-weight IBM Z61t (2,0 GHz Pentium M, 1280×768, 80 GB HDD, 512 MB RAM) for just 900,- EUR or even a Duo Core machine for something like EUR 1200,-, I found this machine for even less. And it’s new – no old machine with an overcharged battery to deal with and a valid XP Prof licence (no free MSDNAA students licences available at my faculty any more). Ubuntu also runs on this machine, although I was thinking about putting it in a virtual environment only.
price: for something under EUR 900,- including shipping a reasonable price via Ebay as it still sells for something slightly above EUR 1.000,- (although out of production!).
etc: A well-documented, often sold machine for the business user – spare parts are available world-wide, a higher quality than low-end consumer notebooks (with even more multimedia functions). I might also change the display if the normal WXGA resolution doesn’t suffice in the long run – spare displays with WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) are available for something like EUR 150,-. Since it has been on the market for quite some time, I expect this machine to be trouble-free to some extent and being able to download matured drivers and BIOS software from HP’s website. Bluetooth functionality has been important to me as it’s this way that I connect my mobile to the computer and I am tired of carrying extra USB dongles around with me. Manuals are available for download, even those on “how to dismantle” everything – upgrading won’t be a problem (although one memory module is right under the keyboard – the other one at the bottom side) and the DVD Burner even comes in form of a MultiBay drive = can be removed anytime and even exchanged with a better model. Due to its good sales performance in the past year, this model is still highly appreciated on the market for 2nd hand notebooks – so even selling it by next year might return at least 60% of the investment.

The only (hardware) downside I’ve experienced so far is that the internal card-reader doesn’t like SONY’s Memory Stick Duo Pro, so I’ll have to stick to a Nokia mobile in future as the newer Nokias come with a (smaller) RS-MMS card (and Sony Ericsson mobiles with this Memory Stick). But since I am a fan of Nokia anyways, this shouldn’t be a problem.

I am happy that I eventually decided for a notebook and that it works the way it’s supposed to be. Good quality and transportability are important issues for me as well as a decent battery runtime. There’s no need for a fancy multimedia machine, if it only lasts for 2h maximum while without any external power supply. And if you’ve ever experienced a power failure, you’ll definetely appreciate a battery runtime of 4hrs. Now I am curious to see how it works under daily heavy use and if there are any temperature problems. There’s a BIOS setting that enables the fan to run at low speed right from the start – which seems to be good to keep temperatures down in the long run. Also, I am happy that I resisted from buying too new technology and instead went for this older machine. Buying something for such an amount is a lot of money for someone without a regular income and you never know – it might get stolen or even brake so I am happy I didn’t invest too much money. I know there are a lot of ppl that just buy laptops because they like to have their computer with them although they actually don’t need to do much on the machine – at least, nothing really important they couldn’t do in an internet café. I’ll need this machine for running GIS and CAD progs and use Excel for some hydrological data. The widescreen comes in handy for working with spreadsheet data as it allows to display even more columns. Another use will be picture editing, some webdesign related stuff and 2-3 games, so I think this machine will be used to reveal its full potential.
Installation: The notebook came preinstalled with a single partition (wth??!) and lots of bloatware such as Norton Antivirus and other consumer stuff. Fortunately, they left out any AOL add-on which would have been a reason to send this back to HP. Will have to make a clean WinXP setup and install my own progs.
What I really LIKE about this machine is the internal Bluetooth. It even supports a headset profile – meaning: I can talk to someone while using BT = the mobile can be somewhere else in the room and I’ll be using the BT connection to use the MIC and speakers of the notebook to communicate. A perfect technology when you’re in remote areas where there are only limited cellular networks / poor reception of the base signals. Put your mobile somewhere up on the window and use the notebook to phone. Simple as that! ==> It even transmitts MY VERY OWN ringtone from the mobile onto the speakers of the notebook. Ok, call me outdated, but this works MUCH better than any USB BT dongle. Cooooooooooooooool!

@Steve: pole, no ThinkPad this time :-D

Goldlightan

What’s this?

GrÃ¶Ã?enÃ¤nderungSANY8287.JPG

hint #1 // hint #2 // hint #3 :-)

the notebook dilemma

I have been away from the blogosphere for a while as I am currently sitting for some exams – and spent a great time of the month looking for a decent, well-equipped and mobile notebook/laptop computer.

Remember my post on this Acer Aspire 5652 WLMi? Well, I’ve meanwhile managed to test it for longer and realized it’s actually of such a low quality – things like cheap plastic frames that bend when you hold the machine on one side, too much play between the screen and the bottom piece, and finally a weight slightly over 3kgs are just k.o.-criterias that remove Acer’s 5652 from my very own Top 10 notebook list. And this, although it has almost EVERYTHING you could ever want to have in a notebook in 2006 for a reasonable price (~ EUR 1150,-). But then, 3kgs and cheap materials aren’t good enough for mobile use. No wonder most distributors rate it as a so-called “desktop replacement”.

So I learned from that and realized I should narrow my search down to notebooks (I call them notebooks, but you’re right, they are actually laptops – as in ~ “computers that end up on your laps”…well, JFYIO..) which match the following criteria:

Intel® Pentium-M or – even better – Duo T2300/T2400 etc (1,6 – 2,0 GHz)
80 – 120 GB HDD @ 5400 upm
1024 MB DDR2 RAM @533 or 667 MHz
Gfx either Intel’s shared solution or an ATI X600/700 or even Nvidia GeForce 7600
WLAN a/b/g & BLUETOOTH 2.0 (yes, BT IS important), Firewire!!, USB min. 3x,
internal mic for use with Skype & Co. and good internal loudspeakers
PCMCIA/PC-Card or ExpressCard slot (btw, who uses ExpressCards??)
VGA out, DVI is optional
(Double Layer) 8x DVD Burner
Card-Reader that does at least SD and MMC (though, yes, this could also be achieved by using a PCMCIA Card Reader)
a decent keyboard <== one of the most important interfaces there is
weight below 2.7 kgs
battery runtime of at least 3h or even more
price: EUR 1200,- EUR (~US-$ 1.500) maximum

Now, with this list in mind, I came across a number of interesting notebooks whereby I of course always prefered the ones with the newer Duo Core CPUs and overall good perfomance for the price.
Currently, my list includes the following models

13.3″ & 14,1” TFT @ 1280×800

BenQ S73G
(T2400, 80GB, 512MB, ATI X1600, 2.3kgs, approx. 3.5h battery runtime, ~ EUR 1200,-)
=> the downsides?: no hooks for the display (why??), available as of August 2006
LENOVO (IBM) 3000 N100
(T2400, 100 GB, 1024MB, Gfx shared, Webcam, fingerprint reader, 2.5 kgs, ~ 3.3h, ~ EUR 1100,-)
=> my current favourite, BUT no disengageabooool touchpad + still need to see and feel this one in live action as it is said to be a bit bulky like those ThinkPad Z60m & Z60t….
HP nc 6400
(T2400, 80 GB, 512 MB, Gfx shared, ~ 2.0 kgs, 4-5h, ~ EUR 1.350)
=> the keyboard on HPs is just awesome. I love it! Even, this machine normally sells for EUR 2.xxx but there’s this one model they’ve put down to EUR 1.350 which is still a lot for a normal notebook (ok, it’s a business edition). I might follow this one as the keyboard alone is a great reason to go and get it. Plus the weight and size makes this one really mobile. The RAM can be upgraded and the harddisk is ok at 80 gigs although of course the bigger the better…
MacBook
(T2500, 60GB, 512MB, 2.3kgs, 4h, EUR 1200,-)
==> put a two-button touchpad on a MacBook and I’ll switch to the Mac (like I did when I was using Atari 1040STF back in the early 1990s)

Lenovo 3000 N100 series

Why no Dell 640m or even Latitude D620? Because the 640m/e1405 doesn’t come with an internal mic – a part which costs about EUR 0,30 during production and still isn’t included. WTF, Dell?? And the D620 does not have a Firewire port. In fact, I even called Dell Germany and asked them for some details but their sales staff apparently is just as incompetent as the hinge construction on the Dell C600 series I’ve been talking about earlier. Student’s discount on DELL laptops is 7% on the Latitude series, btw. Might check back on them, although I think their laptops actually fall into the desktop replacement category – even those small ones like the bulky 640m/e1405.

15.0 & 15.4″ TFTs

Acer Aspire 5652
(T2300, 120 GB, 1024MB, Nvidia GeForce 7600, 2.9 kgs, approx 3.5h, EUR 1150,-)
=> as described above – a perfect machine for desktop use but too heavy and fragile

Asus A6J/T series
(similiar to the Acer Aspire 5xxx)
=> no disengageable touchpad, gets quite hot during use, quality is better than Acer but then also way too heavy for mobile use and the 14.1″ Asus notebooks only come with a cheap Core Solo CPU, some Asus notebooks come with a webcam, overall battery runtime mostly below 3h…

FSC Amilo Pi 1536
(T2300, 120 GB, 1024MB, ATI X1400, 3.1 Kgs, 2h, ~ EUR 1.000)
=> FSC Amilo M series used to be great on battery runtime (Mbuzimoja has one with 4.5h) but the current models only deliver 2hrs (which is nothing) and the 4-5 hrs models are either too expensive or too basic.

HP Pavilion 5xxx series
(same as above, lakini with AMD Turion CPUs & Co. , approx 3kgs, 3h)
=> too heavy (desktop replacements) but again, well equipped and with a perfect keyboard.

HP nx7400
(T2400, 100, 1024, only 2.5kgs, 4h, EUR 1100,-)
=> nice business notebook, was a great choice until I realized it doesn’t come with a card reader (well, I could live with that and install the PC Card reader) and other minority extras. Also, features a great keyboard and is very light despite it’s size. No extra security functions like fingerprint reader as featured on other HP & IBM business notebooks but uhhhm, well, is that really important?

HP nx8220
(Pentium M 750, 80GB, 1024 MB (@400MHz), ATI X600, 2.6 kgs, 4hrs, ~ EUR 1000,-)
=> Now this is the best deal for ppl who want a mobile notebook and can’t live with the Samsung X20. The series is out of production, though, so if you’re into this one – rush for it! HP also offers student’s discounts on them. What I like about these business notebooks is their slim line, weight, performance and various equipment they offer – like an extra battery that powers this notebook up to 10, 12 or even 16hrs. However, the CPU & technology is old so I wouldn’t want to spend much on this one. Something like EUR 900,- would be my maximum price on this.

Lenovo (IBM) Z60m
(Pentium M 760, 100 GB, 1024, ATI X600, 2,7 kgs, 4h, EUR 1200,- )
=> Again, an older CPU and 2.7kgs are a bit too much weight – but hey, it’s a ThinkPad! Despite of all the security benefits you get with a ThinkPad, it’s very durable aaaaannnd you can get spare parts in every corner of the world.
Despite it’s older technology it is – among other (better and older) ThinkPads a good choice for those ones who want to be on the safe side. However, some ppl complain about this machine being too bulky – and the Z60t version is said to have a poor lcd scren. The Z60m is also availble with a cheap Celeron CPU @ 1.5 GHz which sells for something like EUR 700,- — that’s like buying a Mercedes S600 with a 1.4 Hyundai motor.

Lenovo (IBM) Z61m
(T2500, 100GB, 1024MB, ATI X1400, 1680×1050 WSXGA+, 3.1kgs, up to 6h, EUR 1500,-)
=> there’s this student edition of the Z61m (successor to the Z60m series) that comes with just about everything in a perfect ThinkPad shell – but lacks Bluetooth. Also, the price is shocking + I wonder who told those IBM engineers to make use of ATI X1400 gfx cards? They are soooo battery consuming… =verdict: too heavy, too expensive.

MSI Megabook M660
(Barebone with T2400, 100 GB, 1024MB, 3kgs, 3h, EUR 1200,-)
=> MSI Computer Inc. sells great hardware but what about their notebooks? There you have it…plus, it’s too heavy and I just can’t trust those given battery runtimes. Even their 14.1″ & 12.1″ range isn’t that great although cheap.

Samsung X20 XVM 1730 V
(Pentium M 740, 80 GB, 1024 MB, 15″ 1400×1050 SXGA+ TFT, 2.4 kgs, 3-5h, EUR 1099,-)
=> a very basic, very thin and light notebook that’s perfect for mobile use + it comes with a brilliant screen at SXGA+ resolution but lacks any extra such as Bluetooth and it’s card reader doesn’t like the MMCard of my Nokia mobile. I had this machine in mind when I started my search for decent notebooks and I know of three people here that own it and are very happy with the machine. After all, with its weight and battery runtime it comes very close to the actual need of having a mobile computer that’s easy to carry and independent. Also, I like the disengageable touchpad (there’s this button right in between the two keys of the touchpad). Make this machine 200,- EURs cheaper and I’ll go for it.

Samsung X60 Chane
(T2300, 80GB, 1024MB, Gfx shared, 2.5kgs, 4-5h, 1500,- EUR)
=> One of the few Samsungs on the local market that comes with a Bluetooth module and still features Samsung’s beautiful industrial design. A nice notebook that costs a lot of money for the performance it offers. Would only go for this because of the weight and the battery runtime (indicated as 6hrs, but who trusts them…) but the price is a knock-out.

Samsung R series
(Pentium M 740, 80GB, 512 MB, etc., EUR 1000,-)
=> nice, but without Bluetooth and with limited extras.

Sony Vaio VGN-FE21M
(T2300, 100 GB, 1024MB, NvidiaGeforce 7600, 2.8 kgs, 3h, EUR 1400,-)
=> a nice, slim, despite it’s weight still portable notebook with a brilliant – the best – LCD display but no disengageable touchpad. And this, a missing function/key to disengage the touchpad on a SONY notebook is a clear no-go! Plus, it is said to become very hot and has some other flaws which it tries to overplay with its beautiful design and awesome lcd screen.

——

The bottom line? There’s no perfect notebook on the market as of yet, and I guess I’ll still have to wait for more and more Intel Duo Core notebooks becoming available which will lower the prices.
The problem, it seems to be, is that those new laptops with the Duo Core or AMD’s Turion CPU consume even more power than those older Pentium M CPUs we have seen on the market for something like 3 years.
Hence, what is needed is a powerful Duo Core laptop that is as power-saving as the Pentium M technology and delivers battery runtime of 4-5 hours. BECAUSE if it doesn’t – and currently most DuoCore laptops only deliver 3h (at the same price range) – it seems to be wiser to stick to Pentium M plattform at the moment.
Now, is that the progress we’ve been waiting for?

Also, I’ve put this up on my blog so that those die-hard Think Pad and HP users out there might convince me to settle for an older ThinkPad (I might have missed out) or even share their experience with the new Lenovo 3000 series & HP nx 7400 / nc6400 series. Thx!

@Mbuzimoja: You know I really envy you on this 4.5h perfomance of your old FSC Amilo M 7400…

p.s.: computers are SUCH a waste of time…

JKE’s lanyard

There’s always enough time for childish bubudiu.

A very close friend of mine told me that my previous lanyard (which holds my keys and a little LED light) actually looks a bit awful.

I got this one from a horse trade show about two years ago while working at the fair as a promoter. The green colour isn’t really THAT beautiful + me & horses???
==> Guess this one goes into the Ralph Lauren Polo & upturned collar category.

…so the World Cup came up and my friend thought about giving me this special lanyard which was supposed to clearly identify my position on the World Cup (hint, hint – Jamhuri Wear – are you listening? How about lanyards with the Kenyan flag?).

Then, as I was dying to personalize this stupid lanyard bubudiu-stuff, I found a cheap seller on Ebay who prints letters on a lanyard and ordered this one as well as another one which is yet to arrive. Si, I had troubles finding the right words for such a print, but at least I am not running around with someone else’s company logo any more…