Posted by Nafisa on Nov 2, 2009 in
digitallife,
gadget You might think twice about buying the metallic pink Sony Vaio netbook, especially if you prefer regular (non-girly) gadgets. The very feminine Vaio W Series is Sony’s attempt at breaking into the netbook market. Thankfully, the netbook is also available in brown and white.
Carrying the device around is no hassle, as it’s lightweight at 1.19kg. With dimensions of 179.6mm x 32.4mm x 267.8mm, it could easily fit into a big handbag. The netbook has a smooth finish, with rounded edges, giving it a stylish look.
It comes standard with Windows XP, wireless, webcam and microphone and VGA Out. What we really liked about it is the crisp 10.1-inch LED-backlit screen with a 1 366 x 768 resolution. This netbook, unfortunately, does not support high definition playback. We were disappointed by the quality of the sound from the built-in speakers, located beneath the keypad. A set of portable speakers or earphones on hand will make listening to audio more bearable. Read more…
Tags: digitallife, netbook, sony, sony vaio
Posted by Nafisa on Aug 18, 2009 in
gadget I’ve been using my Asus EEE pc since March this year and I’m happy with its performance. I wanted this particular brand of netbook because it was Asus who introduced us to the netbook (something along the lines of surely they know what they’re talking about). Since then, other brands have jumped on the bandwagon and came out with their versions too. I’m not disputing other brands; they saw the Asus EEE pc as a ‘prototype’ and fixed its ‘bugs’ by bringing out their versions.
I currently have the Sony Vaio netbook on test (a review of it will appear in the next Digital Life magazine). I thought I’d do a post squaring off both these netbooks before Vaio gets collected. Read more…
Tags: asus eee, netbook, sony vaio
Posted by Nafisa on Aug 3, 2009 in
gadget I decided to take some pictures with my N97 but it’s not something I haven’t done before. I’ve taken random pictures, some of which can be found on nafisa.posterous.com.
I received a Sony Vaio netbook to review today – in hot pink and for someone who hates pink gadgets – I’m finding this one surprisingly likeable. I’m glad that the keyboard isn’t like the last Lenovo I played with (the Ctrl and Fn keys appear left to right, respectively) – exactly how I like it.
I know I’m not the world’s best photographer, this was just a test on the N97 camera. It’s very difficult to take pictures of products and this is the best I came up with (pics taken at night):
After connecting and hopping onto the wireless, what did I do? Download Google Chrome, Picasa and Google Talk 
The review of the Sony Vaio netbook will appear in the next edition of Digital Life. It’s currently not available for sale, so I don’t have any prices.
Tags: hot pink, netbook, sony, vaio
Posted by Nafisa on Apr 20, 2009 in
consumer,
mobile You might wonder why the comparison. These two products are hardly in the same category. But I think one might just put the other out of business. Given the state of the current economy, I don’t see consumers rushing out to buy laptops or notebooks. There have been reports that the netbook market is soaring and sales will grow by 65% this year. At the same time Nokia’s earnings have dropped in the first quarter of this year to €122 million, compared to last years €1.2 billion, during the same period.
Statistics aside, smart phones are now being created to give you the ultimate browsing experience. That’s what the touch-screen Nokia N97 promises. You can customize the phone’s home screen with widgets, watch high-quality movies, browse ‘real’ web pages etc. But what about the price tag that comes with a high-end phone like this? I’m not talking about business men and women who need these devices or the super rich. I’m talking about middle class working citizens who save up, look what the market has to offer, make comparisons and then decide what to go with.
Put yourself in this scenario – would you spend ± 6k on a cellphone and browse the web on a 3.5″ screen or spend about ± 4k and browse the internet on a 9″ screen, with full qwerty keyboard (98%)? It’s not a difficult decision.
The current mobile market is very competitive. It’s not like a few years ago where you knew exactly what phone you were getting. Now all phones offer the same features – so what do you go for?
I’ve reached a point where I don’t go for the phone that has all the coolest features. I’m not big on a GPS merged into a phone. (I think the two devices should remain separate). You can’t put everything onto a cell/smart phone. What happens if you get a call while your phone is taking you to your next destination of if you are recording an interview and your phone starts ringing? What about battery life?
I think if the average consumer is opting for a netbook, chances are he won’t be spending ± 6k on a smartphone.
Oh, I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to get my hands on the Nokia N97. Perhaps Nokia will let me play with one
Tags: mobile, netbook, nokia, smartphone
Posted by Nafisa on Apr 16, 2009 in
internet,
mobile If you have a laptop or netbook that is WiFi enabled and you find yourself an in a situation where you need to connect to the internet (eg if you’re on the road – and not the driver) or you are in a coffee shop that doesn’t offer (free) WiFi (then why are you there?), you might want to try this simple solution:
Converting your cellphone into a WLAN.
I came across this particular software called JoikuSpot that does exactly that. Visit www.joiku.com from your phone and follow instructions to download the application. You need to select your phone model and add your cellphone number in international format. An sms will be sent with the download link. Configure settings accordingly.
If you visit the website from a web browser, you will notice that there is a light version (free) and a premium version (€15). I am referring to the free version.
This is just an emergency solution, not a permanent one. Can you imagine what your phone bill would be like? I would suggest that you keep a Virgin mobile SIM card in your wallet for a situation like this as they charge 50c/MB out of bundle – which is 75% cheaper than Vodacom’s (prepaid) offering.
Tags: cellular, internet, mobile, netbook, wireless
