Using my Nintendo DS as my personal organizer

So here I am playing along with my Nintendo DS, trying to see what else I can do aside from playing games on it. I know there's a lot more to it than just games, and I would like to have the chance to shut my critics up with regards to my choice of the Nintendo DS over the Sony PSP. I guess I've heard it all: better graphics, playing movies, playing music, browsing via wi-fi and the approval of the masses. I've grown numb about it too, since not only are they misinformed [you CAN play music, videos and browse using Wi-Fi with the DS, you just need to download and install the applications for them] they apparently missed the appeal of the nintendo DS, and the main reason why I got it.

I got the Nintendo DS for games, not much else. I have my iPod for playing music, and if I really need to watch videos, I'll watch it on my computer. But still I feel compelled to find something unique that I can do with my Nintendo DS that I can really use regularly.

Enter DSOrganize.

I found this software from www.dragonminded.com and followed the instructions to install it. It was nifty, it provided my Nintendo DS a calendar, a scribble pad, and a planner. It makes good use of the touch screen interface that the bottom screen of the DS provides. It is something that I can use occasionally since I carry around my Nintendo DS pretty often anyway.

Answering inquiries regarding the Asus EEE PC

I read some feedback and inquiries after I posted my EEE PC review, and since Blogger is having some problems adding my comment, I might as well post another entry to answer the questions.

Reader Ed mentioned that just like me, he's been following the EEE trail ever since it was first revealed that Asus was working on an affordable ultraportable computer. He seems to have backed off because portability is not a top priority for his job. I certainly do understand the sentiment, as the EEE PC should be considered mainly for its portability, and not much else. Regarding his note though that he's going to try and impress his wife on how cool Linux is. Well, Linux certainly looks almost like Windows these days with all the graphical enhancements that has been added, so now is as good a time as any to impress the wife regarding how neat Linux is.

An anonymous reader asked if I have attempted to use a USB hard drive and checked the performance. I have used an external USB hard drive and it seems to work fine. I'm not sure though if it is a good idea to do so since if left in a not-so-well ventilated area, it tends to get pretty warm. That seems to be a drawback I initially missed with it, though its not a serious concern.

Asus EEE PC 701 Review

I waited since August to actually get my hands on this affordable ultraportable computer. Asus experienced a lot of delays in trying to officially release it to the world. People were dreaming of the day it would be available in the market just to be able to try it out.

So, here I was, standing around, and waiting for the store to provide me with my purchase. It was a very cloudy day, threatening to rain, and I am still amped. This day would be something else and I'd be able to see how it finally stacks up.

The Asus EEE PC. A very affordable laptop computer. I got mine for 17,999Php [around $249, based on other forums]. I was with a friend who tagged along with me. We took the cab going back to Cubao to meet up with another pal to do the testing and review. As luck would have it, it did rain hard and the traffic was very heavy. I decided to open up the box and use the system already.

At first, I noticed how light the laptop is. Some people on the Internet took it that it was made of cheap materials and kept on ranting on how "plasticky" the build was. I would admit that the white finish was a bit boring to look at, but there's more to it than it looks. The LCD display is small, as expected, but it is quite bright.

The bootup time was relatively quick. It took me a couple of minutes to supply the system with my information and login details, but afterwards, it booted up fine. I attempted to restart it and it loaded up in less than 30 seconds. That's got to be good.

I am currently using the system with its original OS, a preinstalled Asus-modified Xandro Linux distro. At first glance, I was trying to find where the desktop was, only to find out that it didn't have one. The main "desktop" the system has the menu where the programs are available. The programs are separated on each tab [Internet, Work, Play] and it was nice. The first thing I did was to see how much free space it still had out of the box. I opened up the disk utility and found that of the 4 gigabytes [or rather, 4,000,000,000 bytes, I just remembered the Seagate settlement case], I only had 1300+ MB free available in the system. That's fine I thought, I never really intended to store my stuff here. That's what my flash drives are for.

This system doesn't have an optical drive, which is fine. I don't really use my CD/DVD drive as much, but other people may be turned off by that. The keyboard was of course really small, and would take some time to get used to, but when I was typing, it felt firm. I'm happy though that there were expansion ports to provide me with options. There's a port for an external display, three USB ports for all sorts of devices and the standard headset and microphone port. I'm a happy camper.

I finally arrived in my destination and met up with a friend. We decided to grab a bite in Burger King, which provides customers with free Wireless internet. This provides us with a perfect opportunity to test out the wireless card of the system. Once we were provided with the network key and we have found a place to sit, we attempted to use the wireless internet connection. It was fairly easy to setup. The internet connection was nice and fast, though that may vary from hotspot to hotspot. The browsing experience was normal, though I had to scroll around some websites since it did not auto adjust or fit in the screen.

The preinstalled programs should handle most of the basic stuff I normally use my computer with: Internet browsing, chatting, documents, spreadsheets, and downloading from the net. It doesn't have any "household name" software like Microsoft Office or Yahoo! Messenger [the only exception to this might be Skype], but unless you are really choosy, the alternatives installed here should do just fine.

Before I went home, I tried to see how devices react when they are plugged in the USB ports. I tried three different USB devices and they were detected properly. I am impressed.

I'm thinking of trying to install Windows XP eventually since drivers are available in Asus' support website, but for now, I'd like to see how far I could go with this default setup. It seems to do the things I need from a portable computer nicely and that's what counts. Just don't expect it to perform like your home desktop computer.

How to Improve System Performance

As with all types of computer systems, the performance of a system would eventually break down. As much as we'd want to keep our computer running smoothly, it doesn't tend to be the case most of the time. The normal wear-and-tear of the system will eventually take its toll and slow the system down to a crawl. Surely, a Here's a few maintenance tips that can be done to keep your system in tip-top shape. Note that this is for Microsoft Windows systems.

1.) Minimize startup items: It must be taken into consideration that as we install more and more programs into the system, some of these items tend to be loaded by default into the startup group of the computer. This, in turn, makes the computer start up time considerably longer, as programs that you don't need to load necessarily at once are being preloaded. To prevent this, and only keep important programs running (e.g. antivirus, ISP software), you can do the System Configuration Utility.

To open this Windows utility, just click on Start -> Run -> msconfig. Go to the startup tab, and weed out the items you do not want to load at startup. Be careful with disabling items though, and if you are not sure as to what a certain program or listing does, just type in the startup item's name in Google, and most of the time, you'd get the information about it.

2.) Cleaning out the clutter: As with normal use, Windows keeps copies of the web pages you visit (e.g. cookies, temporary internet files), programs you load (Windows' prefetch folder), and some compressed old files. Overtime, if you don't keep an eye for it, the space consumed by these items would be huge. Now, you might think that this would not be an issue if you have a big hard drive, but it still is. To maintain this, we can use another Windows utility that takes care of these items. This utility is called Disk Cleanup.

To access Disk Cleanup, go to My Computer. You can have a shortcut of it in your desktop or if not, click on Start->My Computer. Once there, right click on your hard drive C: (by default it is named Local Disk C:) and select Properties. You should have the option to do the Disk Cleanup there [there is a button for the disk cleanup beside the pie chart which describes your current drive space situation]. It would be advisable to perform this once a month or so, to prevent items from accumulating.

3.) Say Bye-bye to Unused Programs: As much as it would be nice to keep all the programs we install, not all of these software are going to be used anyway. For example, you have Ulead's photo software. You were able to get a copy of Adobe Photoshop. Eventually one of those programs would be left out. Another example is with productivity suites. You might've heard of free software like OpenOffice.org or IBM's Lotus Suite and have installed both on your system to try them out. Then, you eventually get Microsoft Office and use it consistently, all those other programs would be unused and is set to grow molds [not literally] in your hard drive. Do yourself a favor, and lessen the clutter by removing all the unused programs in your system.

You can do this by going to the Control Panel (Start -> Control Panel), and selecting Add/Remove Programs. You should get a list of all the programs installed in your computer. Go through the list and remove all the programs you are not using. A word of precaution though, as with disabling startup items, if you are not familiar with the program you are trying to remove, google it first before proceeding. It never hurts to be careful.

I'm pretty sure that there are still other items that can be done to further improve performance. I might've missed a workaround or two, but this is the basic steps you can take to ensure your system performs nicely. But if all else fails, you could back up your files and do a complete Windows reinstallation. But that should always be the last resort. ^_^ V

After 2 World Series games, I still think the same

A few hours after I predicted that the World Series would not be as lopsided as most experts predicted, Josh Beckett shut down the potent Rockies offense and the Sox bats went to work for a 13-1 drubbing in Game 1 of the World Series. To make things worse for the Colorado Rockies, when they were able to limit the Red Sox bats in Game 2, they couldn't score themselves after the initial salvo.

I watched as Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling show Jeff Francis and Ubaldo Jimenez what it takes to be a top performer during October. From Dustin Pedroia's leadoff home run, to the "Pap-ajima" bullpen combination of the Boston Red Sox, everything seems to be swinging their way. Halfway through a sweep, I'm still confident that the Rockies can turn things around, and make a series out of it.

Game 3 would be shifting to Denver, where shaky starter Daisuke Matsuzaka would be starting for the Sox. The next two games would be the perfect opportunity for the Rockies to pounce, as Dice-K have had difficulty performing consistently in October during his first trip to the postseason. Whether it is fatigue, or just bad luck, it is prerogative for Todd Helton and company to get their bats going early and often. It also favors the Rockies that one of Boston's bats would have to sit out [whether its' David Ortiz, or possibly Kevin Youkilis is not yet confirmed].

Game 4 should be more of the same, Tim Wakefield was left off the Series roster due to injury, it provides the Rockies another crack at a pitcher who hasn't been active in awhile. Jon Lester may be backed up by a potent set of bats, but he's no Josh Beckett or Curt Schilling to be able to silence the Rockies bats.

I correctly predicted that with Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling, the Red Sox will win the Series, but the Rockies would be able to creak out a win or two with the other starters. I'd be in utter shock if this Series ends in a sweep.

2007 World Series: Boston Red Sox vs. Colorado Rockies

It's that time of the year again, when the baseball season is about to come to a conclusion. After two rounds of playoffs in each league. The top two teams from their respective groups come off to face each other to decide the best team for the year.

From the American League, coming off an astounding comeback from a 1-3 deficit, the Boston Red Sox. A team filled with powerful hitters (David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez), and two of the best postseason pitchers in history (Curt Schilling, and Josh Beckett). We must not forget the guys like Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Mike Lowell, as they drove in crucial runs during the improbable comeback against the Cleveland Indians.

From the National League, coming off from a record 8 days off since sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Colorado Rockies. A team of youngsters with a veteran leader Todd Helton. Matt Holliday? Troy Tulowitzki? Jeff Francis? Ubaldo Jimenez? Yorvit Torrealba? Not quite the big money-big marquee names that people are expecting to compete at this time of the year. The Rockies management have patiently built this team with young players and avoid overspending on free agents. This is the first ever appearance of the team in the World Series since joining the major leagues in 1993. The Rockies have strung together an amazing run of 21 wins in their last 22 games, including a 7-0 start in the playoffs.

From how it looks like, this is a series the Red Sox are to lose. They are heavy favorites, the household names facing off against the unknowns. Analysts are pointing to a lot of factors that are supposed to swing in favor of the boys of Boston.

The layoff that the Rockies got was similar to what the Detroit Tigers had last year. It resulted in a 4-1 drubbing by the St. Louis Cardinals after a ton of errors from the favored Detroit team. I personally think though, that there is one stark difference between the Tigers and this year's Rockies. The Rockies are coming in as the underdogs, as they have been throughout the season. This also happens to be one of the best infield defenses in the majors this season. I'm in the minority that don't believe it was the layoff that got the Tigers, it was the overconfidence. They were, after all, facing a St. Louis Cardinals team that only managed to win 83 wins for the whole season.

The morale of the Red Sox are also very high after pulling off another big comeback reminiscent of the 2004 season, when they beat rival New York Yankees from an 0-3 deficit. The Rockies are still high with their 21 of 22 games streak still waiting to be challenged [their only loss was to Brandon Webb and the Diamondbacks, who they've beaten in game 1 of the NLCS].

My prediction would be that the Red Sox would win in 6 games. I personally want the Rockies to win it all and finish off their Cinderella season, but realistically speaking, with Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling around, I don't think so.

Sansa Clip: Another alternative for the iPod

I'm just here at work, enjoying what is left of my lunch hour when I happened to bump into one article about a new Yahoo! Tech review for an MP3 player. It is called the Sansa Clip, and it comes in 1 and 2GB 'flavors'. It uses a scroll wheel control similar to that of the iPod. It looks nice and very lightweight, and it has its own FM tuner. It comes in cheaper than the iPod Shuffle, and it works with Windows Media Player 10 or 11.

Sounds nice, doesn't it? Just as a precaution, don't come running and buying this gadget just yet. Give it a few weeks [as with all newly released gadgets] so that people in your area could check it out and provide feedback, then you decide if you still want to buy it.

One drawback that has been noted in the Yahoo! Tech comments on the article is that it does not show in Media Player even when it is plugged in.

I haven't used this device myself, but this would be a pretty cool alternative to the very pricy iPod line of mp3 players.

October proves that Money Can't Buy Championships

I'm here in the office trying to test out Google Docs and see how it stacks up. I am fairly intrigued by this concept of being able to have the basic Microsoft Office functionality online and for free. The additional features are also peachy. ^_^

So, what can we talk about for now? Oh yeah, here's something that we can discuss about: The New York Yankees falling flat again, even after having the biggest payroll in all of baseball and they can't get past the American League Division Series. After the brilliant run, coming out of a 19-29 start to capture the Wild Card race and almost overtaking the Boston Red Sox for the AL East pennant, they fell with hardly a whimper to the superior pitching of the Cleveland Indians. Some things hardly changed in the series: the questions whether Roger Clemens can pitch in his condition were not as unfounded as many thought them to be: he only lasted for 2 2-3 innings. A-Rod sputtered through the first two games, and managed only 1 RBI total for the whole series. The feared Yankee bats fell silent.

People can point out that Joe Torre shouldn't have brought back Chien Ming Wang after his atrocious Game 1 start. I personally thought it was a bad move for Torre to start Wang again after his Game 1 outing and 3 days rest. It was similar to what the Cleveland Indians did in the 1997 World Series, sending out Orel Hershiser twice and the Florida Marlins feasted en route to their World Series win. But then again, we're talking about the Yankees' manager for over the past decade, and someone who brought four World Series titles in his first five years.

The Yankees organization isn't the only team who spent tons of money to produce results. The Chicago Cubs, with its history of futility, spent $300 million dollars on free agents and a new manager in Lou Piniella. They improved surely, they made it to the playoffs since the Sammy Sosa era, but promptly got eliminated after a 3-0 sweep. The New York Mets, the third highest in terms of payroll, collapsed late in the season and failed to qualify. Teams that qualified for this year are small market.

This is not to say that having loads of money to spend on top free agents would not help in building a contender. You need to have the budget to sign in the key pieces for your team. Players aren't coming in cheap these days as well, especially marquee names and pitchers. With a 162-game schedule, it also helps to have a stockpile of reliable players. It surely helps, and in the case of the Boston Red Sox, the no. 2 team in terms of expenses, it kept the team afloat during the course of the season.

Critics are saying that small market teams aren't being given a fair shake since the bigger market teams are hogging all the big time players. But as another October has proven, money just can't buy the championships.

Yet Another iAccessory comes out in the market

With the proliferation of iPod accessories in the market, another new concept comes around the corner. As if having all sorts of cases, necklaces, and arm bands made for Apple's MP3 player is not enough, nekFIT (www.nekfit.com) has come up with the idea of placing your iPod behind your neck to lessen the wire tangles.

Looking at it though, it makes me cringe at the thought that if I run and jump around, my iPod would fall off. I also don't get the assurance that it would be easy to shuffle through my playlists while its in my back. It is currently available for all iPod Nano's [2nd and 3rd gen] and Shuffles.

It might just be me, but if this is something you might've been looking for, help yourself and go over to www.nekfit.com. Each nekFIT costs $34 [roughly 1700+ Php]. For me though, I'll be getting my iPod Nano from my pocket... just like the good majority of people.

Tech: TV Remote Control with 100+ buttons?

Of all the items around the house that I didn't expect to get a makeover is the remote control. It's plainly easy to see why. It does what it needs to do in its relatively simple interface. There's the numeric keypad where you type in the two (or sometimes three) digit channel code and there's the volume control, and a few more buttons to round up the basic features you would need out of your remote.

Then Art Lebedev came around with a novel concept.

The former is coming up with a 102-button remote, one for every channel that you might have. The estimated size at the moment is a rough 20 inches. Imagine having to browse through the dozens of buttons trying to find your channel. It does not include controls for volume and other features you normally use (mute, on/off, etc). It is still in the drawing board at the time being and no specific timetable IF this would be released.

From the looks of it, it should be just long enough to manually press the buttons on the TV itself. Haha.

Credit goes here.

Book: Twisted 7 by Jessica Zafra

After reading my cousin's copy of Twisted 5 and 6, finding both to be good reads, though a bit outdated, since it pertains to blog entries [or possibly column material] from five or six years ago. I got myself a copy of "The 500 People You Meet In Hell" thinking that it would take me awhile to read the whole book. But alas, it took me an hour and a half to finish the book. I felt a bit ripped off, since I expect actual reading material [and not much illustrations], especially from a book that Jessica Zafra has written. It was definitely full of irony, which she specializes, so it wasn't a complete loss.

I got Twisted 7 a week ago, and I figure to read it over the week during times of idle time. I'll post another entry once I'm finished going through it. Right now, I am just wondering as to why I bought a book which is in essence a collection of blog entries from years past? I got duped, methinks. But then again, there's not too many places where you can read irony and seeming cynicism and get to enjoy it as well.

She happens to have an online home, which I found at Wikipedia. You can go to www.jessicarulestheuniverse.com for regular updates on tennis, movies, and cats. And of course herself. Can't have a blog without talking about oneself every now and then.

Tech: IBM makes free alternative to Microsoft Office

IBM is set to make a new line of software to compete with Microsoft's stranglehold in the Office productivity field. Tentatively titled the IBM Lotus Symphony, it is set to be announced at a company event.


The link has now been made available for download at www.ibm.com/software/lotus/symphony. You would need a valid email address to register and download the program. I will download this later today and check in again with a review on this Office Suite and how it compares to Microsoft Office [ Office 2k3, since that is what I have with me].

Tech: Another Office Alternative you might like

Need to update your documents on the go but don't have Office in your current computer? Considering the price of a licensed copy of Microsoft Office, it can be understandable if you don't have it on all the computers that you use. There are definitely some alternatives that are free for download like the open source OpenOffice.org, or Suite602's line of office applications, but downloading them can be a bit tedious if your internet access isn't the fastest in the world. What do you do, then?

Google has created its' own line of applications that you can use for editing documents, spreadsheets and applications called Google Docs. Just like OpenOffice and Suite602, it is completely free. It allows you to do what you normally do with MS Office: create documents, edit them, add tables, and whatnot. Surely not all the features of Microsoft Office would be there, but it would suffice your needs.

An advantage that Google Docs has is that you can share it with others who you might be working with. You can allow them to make changes on the same document you are working with you real-time. Just as much, you can opt who would be able to view your documents. You have the option to keep a copy of the file you created/edited online. If you have a blog, Google Apps allows you to post it directly to it.

You just need to have a Google account to get started with it. Features are constantly being improved regularly. It never hurts to try! ^_^ V ... you can proceed to http://docs.google.com

Phoenix Mercury shocks Detroit to win WNBA title

A quick 20-9 run midway during the first quarter powered the Phoenix Mercury to their first ever WNBA title over the Detroit Shock.

It was a contrast of styles that dictated the series as Phoenix, the league's top offensive team, faced off against the defending champions Detroit Shock, the top defensive team in the league. The series was tight as the two teams split the first four games of the five-game playoff, with each team winning on the other's homecourt.

Phoenix's Cappie Pondexter scored 26 points and was named the MVP of the Finals series.

I personally would be the first to admit that my prediction for this series was off. I wrote about my playoff predictions in length here. I fully expected the Shock to be able to contain the Mercury's two top guns Taurasi and Pondexter, but they were quickly deflated by the fast start by Phoenix and never recovered in the clincher.

Record baseball sold for over $700,000

Matt Murphy, the 21-year-old who caught Barry Bonds' record breaking 756th career home run ball has sold it at an auction Saturday night.

The ball was sold for $752,467, a record for Barry Bonds-related memorabilia but was far short from the record price for a baseball. The record price paid for a baseball was the one that collector Todd McFarlane paid for a cool $3 million: Mark McGwire's 70th home run during the 1998 season.

credit goes to this news item.

A-Rod: Future Home Run King in the making?

Barry Bonds is the new home run king. After more than three decades of Hank Aaron holding the “holy grail” of all baseball records, Bonds, amid steroid scandals and all, passed Hammerin’ Hank when he hit his 756th career home run a month ago. He is currently padding his career total and has said that next season will be his last in the Major Leagues. With his current pace, Bonds might just hit somewhere close to 800 home runs before he retires.

Slowly but surely, creating havoc among Major League pitchers with his home runs, Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player in league history to reach 500 career home runs at 32 years old. At this time of writing, A-Rod currently has 52 home runs (HR) for the season and 516 for his career. Outside of his first two years in the majors (where he only played a total of 65 games), he has been hitting around .300 and has averaged roughly 40-50 home runs per year. He is poised to eventually set a record or two with his hitting. Would the home run record be within his sights before he hangs it all up?

Given that A-Rod started quite early, playing in the majors at the age of 19, if he plays for the next 10 years, he would retire having played for 23 seasons. Though it can be taken that he would not be as productive now as he would be at around age 38 onwards, he should still be able to produce decent numbers to help him reach the home run record [which from an estimate would be close to 800 homers].

Let’s see if I can show a computation of what CAN happen with A-Rod’s home run total:

Let us assume that A-Rod does not hit a home run for the rest of the 2007 season: He’ll finish the season with 52 HR with 516 for his running total.


For the next 5 seasons (until Rodriguez becomes 37): He could hit around 40-50 HRs per year, so lets estimate 45 HR/year -> 225 HRs total

After 5 more seasons (age 38-43): He would be hitting slightly lower HR totals, around 30 per year -> 150 HRs total.

All in all, I am estimating that he could hit around 375 HRs for the next 10 years, and with his 516 HRs already hit:

516 + 375 = 891 HRs.

My equation might be flawed, and I do admit, this is just a rough sketch of what MAY happen as long as Alex Rodriguez remains healthy, and he keeps on hitting home runs at the pace that he’s in right now.

Even Barry Bonds himself said in an interview that he is just “babysitting” the record until A-Rod catches up. I feel the same way.

Apple iPod Touch

Now, I know that this has been seen about a week already, along with the news that the iPhone's price would be going down by $200 (which apparently angered the people who fell in line when it was first released).

I personally just wanted the look of the iPhone and the non-phone features that it had when I first got wind of it. Now that the iPod Touch would be released, I'd be going to take this one instead of the iPhone, and save myself the hassle of having to unlock the iPhone [or be ripped off by people who do phone unlock services].

Hopefully it doesn't get overpriced when it reaches the shores of the Philippines.

Nokia announces battery recall

Nokia has announced a battery recall program regarding a specific battery model used in their mobile phones. The company has said that in very rare cases, the batteries might experience overheating by a short circuit while the phone is charging.

Around 46 million batteries are affected. These batteries were manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006. Around 100 incidents of overheating has been reported around the globe.

The BL-5C batteries have been used with the following Nokia models:

Nokia 1100, Nokia 1100c, Nokia 1101, Nokia 1108, Nokia 1110, Nokia 1112, Nokia 1255, Nokia 1315, Nokia 1600, Nokia 2112, Nokia 2118, Nokia 2255, Nokia 2272, Nokia 2275, Nokia 2300, Nokia 2300c, Nokia 2310, Nokia 2355, Nokia 2600, Nokia 2610, Nokia 2610b, Nokia 2626, Nokia 3100, Nokia 3105, Nokia 3120, Nokia 3125, Nokia 6030, Nokia 6085, Nokia 6086, Nokia 6108, Nokia 6175i, Nokia 6178i, Nokia 6230, Nokia 6230i, Nokia 6270, Nokia 6600, Nokia 6620, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6631, Nokia 6670, Nokia 6680, Nokia 6681, Nokia 6682, Nokia 6820, Nokia 6822, Nokia 7610, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia N72, Nokia N91, Nokia E50, Nokia E60

and to the following accessories:

Nokia Wireless GPS Module LD-1W, Nokia Wireless GPS Module LD-3W

Nokia is encouraging everyone to check on their batteries online to see if the battery is part of the recall. The website provides instructions on how to check if the battery is part of the recall. Here's the link: Battery Recall

Review: Dell Inspiron 6400/E1505

Working for a call center which deals with Dell computers has a few perks of its' own. You get to learn the inside workings of the systems and you'd be afforded the opportunity to use the desktops and portable systems on a regular basis. One such system that I've been fortunate enough to use on a regular basis is the Inspiron 6400, or the E1505 as marketed in other US segments.

For this review, let me provide you with an overview of the specifications of the I6400 that I am using at work:

Dimensions: 356 x 266 x 39mm (WDH)
Weight: 2.85kg
Processor: 2Ghz Intel Core 2™ Duo T5250 processor
Memory: 2GB DDR2 RAM [2 1GB memory sticks]
Video Card: Intel Graphics Media [integrated video]
Display: 15.4 SXGA+ LCD display
Audio: integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
Connectivity options: Dell Wireless Card [802.11 a/b/g], 56K dial-up modem, 10/100 integrated NIC, Bluetooth
Storage: 80GB 5400RPM SATA HDD, SD/MMC/MS/PRO/xD media card reader
Battery: 56Whr Lithium Ion Battery [6 cells]
Optical Drive: 16X DVD +/- RW Drive
Expansion slot: Express Card
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate

First off, let me note that if you are looking for a computer that you could take places, then this might be a bit heavy for carrying around. Though, on second thought, with the features this system packs, it might be well worth it.

A part of the 80GB hard drive is allocated for Dell's idea of making OS Reinstallations easier: PC Restore. It consumed about 10GB of space for it alone. All in all, the system I have started out at around 60GB of space. I've received a handful of calls from customers complaining about this lack of notification from Dell, but I just inform them that in case the system needs to be reinstalled completely, it is much more convenient, compared to doing it using the CDs [PC Restore takes 10-15 minutes to restore the system to original configuration, compared to 1-2 hours performing the conventional reinstallation].

Everything seems to load up pretty quickly when needed. Startup takes about a minute to finish. It is pretty good for normal tasks, like opening documents, playing DVD movies, and music. It doesn't show signs of slowing down even when doing multiple tasks.

The display is good, but not great. Some sections of the screen seem to have a low backlight compared to others. It is hardly noticeable though, unless you watch movies on it regularly.

Another consideration is the battery life of the system. I'm using a 6-cell battery which provides roughly around 2-3 hours of regular use.

The keyboard feels fine, though it takes a bit of adjustment to get used to typing with it for prolonged periods of time. The touchpad is very responsive, and a nifty scrolling feature is added on the lower right corner of the pad. The only issue I encountered with it is that the touchpad buttons feel a bit unresponsive at times.

For all it's worth, I'd give the Inspiron 6400 an 8 out of 10. And with a new line of systems released late last month by Dell, the price on this system would be lower from what the market is currently pricing this one for.