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.

Chief Monkey

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 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.

So stay tuned.

Chief Monkey

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

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