Popmonkeys.com – Asus Eee PC, Canon, Computers, Gadgets

The next phase. While attempting to write and review stuff, life has a nasty habit of getting in the way. It’s not easy to blog and keep a 9 to 5. Well, it’s actually more like a 7 to 6. So, I’m changing life a little bit to allow more time to focus on the fun part of life and less on the 9 to 5. It’s going to be a busy 3 weeks. However, there is a long list of new products that I will be getting to review and use.

For now, I’ve been using the 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS more lately. Many people are questioning this lens and whether it’s a good buy. It is. First of all, it’s very compact. I travel a lot, so packing light is essential. Second, it’s doesn’t include a tripod collar. Yes, that’s true. FYI, it’s doesn’t need one. It’s light enough to hand hold and has IS to take care of any jitters. Third, it’s sharp, really sharp. And finally, 300mm on a 1.6 crop sensor means I’m getting 480mm of focal length.

More to come.

Chief Monkey

It’s been such a long time since I posted anything, and there is so much to talk about.  Lately, the computers are staying the same, but the camera is getting some much needed upgrade.

Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 L IS USM

My latest purchase is the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM.  I travel with my camera a lot.  I care about image quality but wanted something compact.  The new L-series 70-300mm was perfect.  The AF is very quick and locks the instant you press down on the shutter button.  As with any L lens, the build quality is just solid.

I’ll post some sample pics and a full review later.

In keeping with gadgets and technology, I’ve forgotten how pleasant it is when something is simple. Technology is supposed to make our lives simpler, but it seems to do the opposite most of the time.

Virgin Mobile recently announced a prepaid unlimited data plan that takes advantage of the Sprint 3G network. The only downside is that you have to make the initial investment of $150 for the Mifi 2200 card. You can connect up to 5 devices to the Mifi card with wifi. The battery life of the Mifi card is claimed to last 4.5 hours with one connected device. Packaged with the Mifi card is a micro USB charger and cable.

Set up was a breeze. You have the option of paying by credit card or purchasing Virgin Mobile Top Up cards. It’s basically a prepaid card that you can purchase at major retail outlets. $40 will give you unlimited data for a month. After the month is up, you can add more funds to activate another month or activate it whenever you like. You can stop and start service whenever you like.

On a recent business trip, I found out that the card will not charge via USB cable. It has to be connected to a wall charger. Lucky for me, the hotel loaned me a charger for the duration of my stay. It also heats up when in use.

There is no credit check, no credit card required, no activation fee, monthly bills, or costly accidental overages. That’s a big plus in my book. The speed will vary depending on how close you are to the Sprint cell towers.

Never have I been delighted by the simplicity of signing up for the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go. It’s really easy. It works, and the fine print is kept to a minimum. You could spend $80 and purchase the USB modem instead. However, you can only connect one computer to it at a time.

Since the announcement of the new unlimited plan, the Mifi 2200 card are hard to find because of its popularity. Major retailers such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart are having trouble keeping it in stock.

I highly recommend this product and service.

If I could only bring two things with me when I travel, it would be the iPod touch and Audio-Technica’s ATH-ANC3 QuietPoint Active Noise-Canceling In-Ear Headphones.

The Audio Technica ATH-ANC3 ear buds does a great job at canceling 80% of the ambient noise around you. As for the other 20%, whatever you’re listening to should take care of that. I brought these along with my trip to China. They dramatically cut down the engine noise on the plane while producing great sound quality. Best of all, it’s not that expensive.

The Details:

The unit comes with a carrying case, 0.5 meter extension cable, airplane audio adapter, and different size ear cups. The airplane adapter comes in handy for viewing in-flight movies without having to use the sucky supplied headphones. The unit is powered by one AAA battery and is good for about 40 hours of use. The control/battery unit has an on/off switch and a monitor button. When pressed and held down, the monitor button will bypass the noise cancellation if you need to. That is a nice feature for me when I needed to talk to a flight attendant.

The Form Factor:

They’re ear buds. You don’t have to carry these ginormous headphones to get get great audio quality. I used to carry around a set of Sennheiser HD280. They were big, clunky, and took up too much room. I love how the Audio Technica were so easy to pack and carry.

The Price:

Believe it or not, these are about $60. They are well worth the money for what they do and how well they pack. Of course, here’s an Amazon.com product link.

Yes, Popmonkeys.com has been left alone for a while.  In my absence, there has been a lot of new gadgets that have hit the market.  The iPad is making the tablet segment cool.  It’s effectively squeezing out the small netbooks.  However, I still think there’s a market for the 12 inch netbooks.

I’m discovering that having a media player can essentially replace a HTPC, Home Theater PC.  More on that later.

Comment spam has been taking over this blog.  I haven’t published any comments because it’s all spam.  It’s bad.

That’s all the updates for now.  I look forward to posting more.

Due to an overwhelming amount of comment spam, I am forced to turn off comments for now.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

Chief Monkey

Do you own a Nokia E71?  Has the battery been acting up lately?  Does it barely make it through the day before you need to plug it in?

My E71 has been going through that.  The battery barely lasts a day.  Changing the battery will result in the same problem.  I toyed with the idea of sending the phone to Nokia for them to take a look.  However, that didn’t quite sit well with me because they’ll always send it back with another issue.

Recently, I went out of the country for 3 weeks and didn’t need my phone.  I just let it sit at home so that the battery could complete discharge.  When I got home, I plugged it in and charged the battery overnight.  Now, the phone will go about 4-5 days, depending on usage, per charge.

On my recent three week trip, I chose the Lowepro Versapack 200AW because it combines a camera bag and a backpack.  Like it’s name, it’s pretty versatile.  The backpack is split into two sections.  The bottom section is a dedicated for your DSLR.  There was plenty of space for my Canon EOS 50D with the 28-135mm lens.  However, if you have a lens that’s a bit larger, say the Canon 70-200mm, it’s going to be a tight fit.  You can access your camera from the side, which is very handy to swing the pack around and pull out your camera.  There is enough room to store a point and shoot camera and a small lens on the other side.

The top section of the pack offers a nice space to carry random things while you’re out and about.  I mostly carried sunscreen, a bottle of water, my iPod, and my BlackRapid strap.  The pack is designed not to be protruding like most camera backpacks.  it’s pretty slim and curved to contour your back.  There’s even a nice deep security pocket to store travel documents.

The negatives.

I wished the backpack came with side pockets to store water bottles on the outside.  Sure, you can buy add Lowepro’s SlipLock accessories, but that cost extra.  The top section has to be zipped up all the time or else the contents will spill out.  The shape of the opening of the top section also makes it a little difficult to zip up.

Overall, I would recommend this product because it’s the combination of both worlds.  You can pick this up at Amazon for about $100.  Click here to view the product page.

I love it when a gadget does more than just one thing.  This is especially nice and important when traveling.  When I’m traveling, I’m looking to pack light while getting all my needs met.  For me, I’m turned to the Apple iPod Touch for my upcoming trip to China.  When people hear iPod, they think music player.  Yes, the it can do that, but it can do a lot more.

I needed something that can surf the web and do emails without the bulk of a laptop.  Sure, I could bring my netbook, but that’s 4 pounds of extra weight in my backpack.  In addition, the iPod also takes notes, keeps time in multiple time zones, tracks my itinerary, and more.  Oh yes, it also plays music and video for the long plane ride.

I’m not an Apple fan, but I have to admit it when they make a good product.  I wished it had a camera.  There are rumors that the next iPod Touch will have a camera.

I call it the Swiss Army Knife of gadgets.

You can pick his up at Amazon.com for about $270 + Free Shipping.

It’s been a while since I posted anything.  There’s been a lot of changes in my life that has forced me to put popmonkeys off for a while.  Well, I’m back.  And like my life, this blog is going to change a little bit.  It’s now going to be a foodie site.  No no…I’m kidding.  Not only am I going to talking about hardware, netbooks, computers, digital cameras and more, I’m going to share tips for living/managing your digital life.  Yes.  You have a digital life if you use the internet.

So stay tuned.

Chief Monkey

I considered buying a 12 inch netbook but decided against that.

I chose the Asus UL80Vt because it offers performance in a thin and light package.  This laptop gave me the best of both worlds.  It’s very good on battery life when in the right settings.  However, it has the hardware to handle some gaming if I wanted.

The switchable graphic option was the main reason why I got this laptop.  I don’t need a discrete graphic card all the time.  The overclocked CPU is the same.  The system will overclock the CPU to 1.73 GHz when you need more power but will operate at 1.3 GHz to extend battery life.  Asus does over the same package in a 13.3″  (UL30Vt) and a 15″ model (UL50Vt), but I wanted a DVD drive for movies on the go.

Here are the specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 1.3GHz (Factory overclocked to 1.73 GHZ in Turbo33 Mode)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
4GB DDR3 1066 MHz
14″ (1366×768) LED backlit screen
Intel GMA 4500MHD and Nvidia G210M 512MB DDR3 Graphics
500GB 5400RPM Hard drive
DVD RW drive
SD card reader
0.3 Web cam
802.11G/N Wifi
11.5 hours of battery life
2 Year warrenty with 1 year of Accidental Damage Warranty

You can pick this unit up for about $820 at Amazon with Free Shipping.  Amazon Product Page Link

There are so many things to consider when choosing a new laptop.  I mean, for geeks, buying a new computer is like buying a new car for most folks.  What do I want to do with the computer?  What kind of features do I want?  How fast?  Now compare that to a car.  Do I want a sedan or a SUV?  Sports package, luxury package, technology package, etc.?

It’s finally time for the Chief Monkey to buy a new laptop.  My 4 year old IBM T43 Thinkpad has served me well and finally gave out the other night.  I thought my Eee PC 1000H could support my mobile computing needs, but I find it a little challenging.  I aos consider getting the bigger Asus Eee PC 1201N netbook, but $500 is a lot to spend on a faster netbook.  So, a new laptop is in order.

The first thing you want to consider when buying a new laptop is budget.  How much do you want to spend?  Once you know your budget, you can figure out what kind of computer you can get.  The keyword here is compromise.

Once you set your budget, think about what you want to use this laptop for?  Will you need a fast processor for demanding tasks?  Do you need a dedicated graphic solution for games?  How about mobility?  Will you be traveling much with it?  Do you need something that is thin and light for easy packing?  Do you need a large battery to stay mobile for longer periods of time?

So for me, I want all that. I need something fast with a dedicated graphic solution in a thin and light package.  I don’t need the fastest laptop.  Just something with enough horsepower to handle anything I will throw at it.  No, I’m not going to render a whole 3-D movie on it.  Here’s the tricky part.  I need something that get’s good battery life too.  That’s like getting an extremely fuel efficient car with a lot of horsepower.  It’s a difficult balance.  With power, you sacrifice battery life and vice versa.

Fortunately, many of the laptop components are designed with light power consumption in mind.  Every component is to be as efficient as possible.  Look at the netbooks.  The Intel Atom CPU is so small and so efficient that you can squeeze out at least 6+ hours of battery life depending on how you use the netbook.  However, the Intel Atom CPU can’t handle a demanding task.  Intel is getting better at designing processing chips that are powerful while efficient at the same time.

To be continued…

Asus Eee PC Seashell 1201T

Up until now, the Intel Atom processor has ruled the netbook scene.  Sure, there are many different variations of the Atom, but the majority of the market share belongs to Intel.  Introducing the Eee PC 1201T.  It’s almost the same as the Asus Eee PC 1201N.  The major difference is the CPU.  The 1201T is powered by an AMD Congo MV40 processor running at 1.6GHz.  Sorry ION fans, the 1201T’s graphics are being handled by the ATI Radeon HD3200 chipset.

Here’s my biggest takeaway.  If I had a choice between the 1201N and the 1201T, I would still pick the 1201N.  Why?  Dual-core processor.  The 1201N is powered by the Atom N330, which is a dual core cpu running at the same 1.6GHz.  There’s nothing wrong with a single core Atom.  It’s just that I sometimes need a little more power to tackle some tougher jobs.

Specs:
AMD Congo MV40 CPU
12.1″ Screen (1366×768)
250GB Hard Drive
2GB DDR2 Memory (vary by sku)
Wifi G/n
ATI Graphics
6 Cell Battery, up to 6 battery life
Windows 7 Home Premium

Asus eee pc seashell 1201N

If I was in the market for a new netbook, I think I would pick the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1201N.  Yes, it’s a 12 inch model that deviates from the traditional 10 inch of screen real estate.  My biggest complaint about my Eee PC 1000H is the screen.  Some programs run on a resolution that is higher than the native 1024 by 600 pixels.  The screen is not long enough.

On the other side, the 10 inch model offers extreme mobility by not taking up too much space in my backpack.  In the end, I think I would pick functionality over form.  The Asus Eee PC 1201N offers so much than a what a regular netbook can.  Here are the
specs:

Intel Atom N330 Dual Core 1.6GHz
2GB DDR2 Memory (2x1GB), 3GB max
250 SATA (5400RPM) Hard Drive + 500 GB Net Storage
Nvidia ION Graphics
12.1 inch screen (1366×768)
HDMI, 3 USB, RJ-45, headphones, mic, SD card reader
wifi 802.11n, bluetooth
3.2 pounds
up to 5 hours of battery life
Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
Price:  $499

Now, for $500, I can get a laptop with better a processor, more memory, bigger hard drive, a dvd drive, better graphics, and better screen.  So on earth would I get a netbook instead?  Answer:  Weight and size.  The Eee PC 1201N is only 1.3 inches thick and weigh only 3.2 pounds with about 5 hours of battery life.  Sure a laptop has more power, but can it travel as well as the Eee?

You can pre-order the Eee PC 1201N at amazon.  Click here

My hard drive was failing.  This gave me an excuse to get a new hard drive for a fresh install of Windows 7.  This also gave me an excuse to add more memory  too.

Windows 7 Ultimate Retail Box

Parts:

• Windows 7 Ultimate Retail
• Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB Hard Drive
• OCZ 2x 2GB DDR2 PC800 memory

The installation couldn’t have been easier.  I replaced my old hard drive, remove 2 wires and 4 screws.  I installed the memory.  I already had 2 Dimms in the system.  Adding 2 more will bring my total to 8GBs.

Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB Hard Drive

After closing everything up, I booted up the system and inserted the Windows 7 DVD.  I chose the 64 bit version because I wanted to take advantage of more memory.  It took my system about 30 minutes to complete the installation.  It found all the necessary drivers and installed them automatically.  That’s kind of nice.

So far, my experience with Windows 7 is pleasant.  There’s a few new things to learn.  The taskbar is a welcomed change.  It lets you dock shortcuts to programs you often use.  The 64 bit version of the operating system is a bit snappier than the 32 bit version.

The one annoying thing is that the Run Command was not enable by default.  To enable it, right click on the taskbar, Start Menu Tab, Customize…, and check the Run Command box located about 2/3 down on the list.

Asus still cares about the early adopters and posted a guide on how to upgrade your “old” Eee PC 1000H or 1000HE to the new Windows 7.  Upgrading to the new operating system is not as easy as formatting the hard drive and running the dvd from an external drive.  Asus is recommending that you upgrade the BIOS before upgrading to Windows 7.

Asus has posted a guide here:  http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?model=EEE+PC+1000H/XP&f_name=windows7_self_upgradeguide_1000h.zip&SLanguage=en-us

As for me, I won’t be install Windows 7 on my 1000H.  Why?  Because I’m doing just fine on XP.  I’ll leave Windows 7 for my desktop.

Asus Eee PC 1005HR

Since the launch of Microsoft Windows 7, there has been a steady stream of new netbooks from everyone.  The problem is that with every new model, there’s only a couple of minor changes.  The new Asus Eee PC 1005HR has the same internals as all the netbooks out there, except the screen.  The 1005HR has a 10.1 screen with the resolution of 1366×768.   That’s right.  This screen is capable of displaying hi-def video at 720P.

Other than that, there’s not that much difference from every other netbook out there.

The key to purchasing the right netbook is to know what you’ll be using it for and how much you want to spend.  Most people buy netbooks thinking it is a small and cheap laptop computer.  Yes it’s very mobile and the price is low compared to a regular laptop, but it also does less.  You can’t really play games on netbook or expect high performance from the Intel Atom N280 CPU.  It’s best to evaluate all the different brands of netbooks of out there and determine which will fit your needs.

Will I replace my 1000H for a newer model with a better screen?  Nope.  If anything, I’ll get a new full size laptop instead.

First off, I want one of these.  I also want to review one, badly.  The problem is that I can’t seem to buy one anywhere.  The Acer Aspire Revo R3610 is sold out.  It’s on back-order at newegg for over a month now.

So why am I so excited about this little desktop?  It’s a little desktop that packs enough power to do most, if not, all tasks.  Disclaimer, I’m not a gamer, but I’m sure the Nvidia ION graphic chip in the Revo can power most games.  Don’t expect killer frame rates though.

Asus Eee Box EB1501

But like all things on the market, the Revo R3610 has competition.  The Asus Eee Box EB1501 packs the same internals as the Revo R3610 and a DVD burner in a small little box.

At this point, I’ll get which ever one that is available first.

If you know a road warrior or are one, you need to consider adding the Belkin Mini Surge Protector to your road gear.  Most of my gadgets recharge with a usb plug.  I’m always trying to cut down on all the AC adapters I bring with me.  With the Belkin Mini Surge Protector, I can just carry it and a usb cable.

Ever waited at an airport while searching for more than one outlet?  It seems that I always need to charge my laptop and my phone at the same time.  Now I can.  Oh, the surge protection is nice too.  You can’t be too sure what kind of outlets you’ll encounter in the wild.

The Belkin Mini Surge Protector also makes a good present too.  At around $20, it cost you an arm and a leg to get your geek a present.

Amazon.com currently has the Belkin Mini Surge Protector for a little under $20.  Click here to go to the product page.