Microsoft vs. Apple. What ecosystem is best.

Buying into any ecosystem requires careful consideration of what you’re getting. Currently there are only two options worth noting, Microsoft and Apple. Google is working on their offerings but with Android such a mess you won’t be able to get anything out of them in a while.

Since I’m in South Africa, we have no such thing as any ‘Ecosystem’ to choose from. Buy a Windows Phone and you’ll get a half baked experience. Buy an iPhone or iPad and you will only get a few crappy apps and Podcasts in iTunes. Since it’s probably illegal to use US accounts locally I won’t tell anyone how to get one. This blog is purely as an example and comparison to the two options currently out there.

Zune (Windows Live) – Microsoft

With Microsoft you will need to pay a monthly fee to access certain features of your XBox, Zune Software or Windows Phone. At a mere $9 a month you’ll get free access to all the music on earth. You can download everything you can possibly imagine (way better than Piracy) and you can use it across devices as long as it remains within the Zune ecosystem or XBox. Which is pretty awesome.

You also get access (not in South Africa) to movies, series and other shows via the Zune software on your device. What is great about Microsoft’s offerings are that you can most likely use it with what you already have. Most people have an XBox which can become their main entertainment platform. Also you get access to the largest gaming selection on the planet, all available for download via the marketplace.

If you have a Windows Phone you can buy and store apps on your Zune software on your PC. And everything syncs via WiFi without any effort. If you have a Windows Media Center set up on your PC your XBox will automatically sync everything.

Kinect makes everything even more interactive with easy voice guided commands. Searching via Bing is quick. XBox now also comes with tonnes of Apps and Indie Games for free or a very small fee.

This is great if: You don’t want to buy a whole new setup at home. Great if you’re an avid gamer and love lots of music which is basically free for life.

Works on: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Phone, XBox 360

iTunes – Apple

Apple has in the last few years built one of the worlds largest online ecosystems. It is free to use and you get the biggest selection of Movies, music, Apps, Books, Documentaries, and now Courses right on your iDevice. You can view all your shows and music via the free to download iTunes software but it will not sync with any of your non Apple devices.

Buy an iPhone, iPod, iPad or Apple TV then the real magic starts. With Apple TV connected via WiFi you will be able to stream all your content saved on your PC (iTunes). Apple TV does not have local storage so you won’t be able to keep anything on it. It is simply a device to connect to so you can show content on your TV. Unlike the XBox you won’t have a great selection of games to keep you occupied when you’re downloading a new show.

If you’re ‘Lucky’ to have a US account in South Africa then everything on the iTunes store will be available to you. Unlike with say Zune which only allows Music to be streamed or downloaded.

Great if you: Love movies. If you already own any iDevice and want to expand your experience. Casual gamer.

Works on: MacBook, iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, PC

 

Verdict

Both services offer very appealing options. iTunes gives you everything on earth you just have to be willing to pay for it, and Zune gives you all you can have for free (music only) and other stuff too…which you have to pay for. Both are incredibly awesome ecosystems which requires little or no effort to set up. Basically it boils down to the user. What are you looking for. Zune will be great if you’re a music lover with a limited budget, iTunes are for people who love shows and series. Zune/XBox Live is great for hardcore gaming, iTunes for casual gamers.

If you already own a PC and an XBox and already forked out R50 for the XBox Live account then go Zune. iTunes will only add another remote to the heap and you’ll get frustrated. If you have an iPhone, and an iPad then why are you even wondering about it…go get that Apple TV and build an epic HT.

I feel sorry for those with all of these items. Can anyone say remote horror.

2012
01/25
CATEGORY
Opinion
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2012 – Another year of the iPad?

We all know how 2011 played out, when the iPad 2 was released it set a new standard in tablet technology. Until the Asus Transformer Prime was released. What does 2012 hold for us?

Windows 8 tablets should make their debut around the same time as the new iPad 3 jumps out of the closet. Windows 8 tablets should be the only real competitor to the iPad since Android lagged in gaining any real momentum. If I’m correct Windows should pass Android easily and head on to tackle the iPad at its own game.

2012 will be the year of the Quad core. The iPad 3 and any Windows 8 tablet will feature these processors (unless you want the Intel version) and 16Gb is officially dead. I expect Apple to cut the 16Gb version and go from 32Gb upwards with the next update. Full HD displays are in and anything smaller would be a waste of time. Consumers and I myself have become accustomed to the amazing clarity of the Retina Display, but don’t be fooled you won’t see a Retina Display on a iPad any time soon…only Full HD.

Blackberry will continue to collapse and by the end of the year they would be sold. The Blackberry PlayBook was a mess from the start and what ever BBX was supposed to bring to the table failed before it even began. RIM is a perfect example of a company resting on its laurels when everything went great…and now they’re being taken by the Barbarians (not comparing anyone to a barbarian)

Again, Android on tablets is dead. You can fight it all you want but rest assured, by the end of the year more than half of the Android tablets that would have been released will be Windows 8. Microsoft did a good job at making sure Android is not free, and with a bit of incentive from their part building a Windows 8 tablet shouldn’t be any more expensive than building a Android version. And the consumer will benefit.

Laptops will get thinner and thinner. Netbooks are out, thick clunky inexpensive laptops are out. Apple proved to the world that you don’t have to sell cheap hardware to make a living…and that is not even possible. Gone will be the days where you could pick up a cheap laptop at R2999 with a AMD Fusion processor. These will become even more powerful and with added design flair. Consumers aren’t practical, they want pretty.

2012 might also be the year Bing makes a huge dent in Google. With Windows 8 killing Android, Bing making its way to every desktop and tablet (and Nokia handset) they will break the 30% total marketshare mark. Talking about Windows Phone, 2012 won’t see a significant jump in US marketshare expected to only climb to 10%. Internationally that could be a different story. But any gain is a win for Windows Phone.

Apple’s desktop marketshare will go up atleast another 2 – 5 percent and Windows 7 which already passed Windows XP will continue it’s astronomical climb to be the world most popular operating system. Windows 8 will have atleast 15% marketshare by the end of the year beating MacOSX by a few points. Linux, well Linux will remain at less than 1 percent.

In the case of the Living room? There are a few rumors that Apple is building a whole TV set with Apple TV built in. Here is what makes this all so incredibly stupid: The TV, in the traditional sense is just a display. Which it needs to remain because we all know there are always something new out there we want to plug into our TV, and before you know it Steve Jobs’ dream of one remote one TV becomes a mess again. The one set top box and one TV remains the best model. If all the content providers came together and offered all their services Paid or not via the internet the whole fight would be over. In my opinion Microsoft is doing a great job at making their XBox the center, with gaming and content all coming together in a unified and easy to use way. Microsoft won’t build a XTV and Apple will not build the imagined iTV. And that you can count on.

The iPhone 5 will launch this year and the rumour mill will start in full force listing features not even remotely possible. Basically the iPhone 5 will be the same size as the current iPhone, only thinner (about the size of the current 4th generation iPod Touch) and feature a Quad Core processor. Storage will remain the same and it might (might) feature NFC and 4G LTE connectivity. You can forget about Mini USB and External Storage.

Well there aren’t anything more interesting in store for us…unless we want to imagine a world where Telkom cuts the 384kbps lines from their offerings and pushes all its clients past 1Mb. We can only wish.

 

2012
01/04
CATEGORY
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Quickie: Some facts about the Asus EeePad Transformer Prime

Well it is finally here, the worlds first Quad Core Tablet running Android. Here are some quick facts about this amazing new tablet going up for order today:

  • It features the fastest mobile processor (ARM based) currently available. With 4 cores (Quad) and running at a speed of 1.2GHz this tablet is faster than the iPad 2 times 2.
  • It runs on 1Gb RAM, which is double that of the current generation iPad and even the iPhone 4S
  • The HD Super IPS display brings unrivalled display clarity and resolution to a tablet. Screen resolution tops out at 1280×800 and allows full HD playback
  • It is the thinnest tablet out there coming in at 8.3mm thick. (iPad 2 – 8.8mm, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.6mm)
  • With a battery life of 12 hours the Asus EeePad Prime destroys the iPads 10 hours and the Galaxy Tabs 8.9 hours.
  • It is upgradeable to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
  • With the optional keyboard dock you get an additional 6 hour battery life and USB 2.0 and SD Card Reader.
  • The camera is on par with the current iPhone 4S featuring F2.4 aperture and 8 Mega Pixel Resolution
  • Prices start at R4999 for the 32Gb and R5999 for the 64Gb

More information coming. You can pre-order your Asus EeePad Transformer Prime today here includes free international shipping.

2011
11/23
CATEGORY
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How safe is Windows 8? It’s a fortress

I was interested in how all the new security features Microsoft was touting would perform in the wild. So I used Windows 8 on my everyday personal laptop for 60 days with no Anti-Virus, or Anti Malware software installed. I was fully left in the hands of the built in protection of Windows 8.

Now before you dismiss this, every piece of software (with some exceptions) work on Windows 8. If it worked on Windows 7 it will most definitely work on the latest version including Drivers. So there are no reasons for Windows 7 viruses and malware not to function under Windows 8.

Our first tests revealed Windows 8 took 12 seconds to start up with a fresh install, and unless that changed by a jiffy we didn’t see any change in the initial start up time. We had a few software issues as was expected. Zune, Blackberry Desktop Software and Apple iTunes had a few problems running properly or installing at all. We weren’t too fazed about that. All drivers including the Synaptics TouchPad driver worked perfectly.

So the timeframe was 60 days. The system remained powered on 90% of that time downloading and uploading files near constantly. Total bandwith transferred were around 135Gb thus there were a high volume of internet traffic. If this was Windows XP we would have had to format 6 times if left without any Anti-Virus.

Browser used was Internet Explorer 10. IE helps keep your system safe with Smartscreen Filter and other built in security features other browsers do not have so some credit needs to be given to the latest Beta build.

With that said, we did a quick scan of Windows 8 with Microsoft Security Essentials and found zero threats (includes Spyware, Malware, Virusses, Trojans, Worms and others). This for a system permanently exposed to the internet and for a OS that still needs to enter Beta it is exceptionally secure.

So what does Windows have under the hood. Well besides the usual Windows Defender software and Firewall, Microsoft announced that they will include built in Anti Virus and Anti Malware software in conjunction with Microsoft Secure Boot. Secure Boot works with the UEFI (BIOS) system to digitally sign and detect any changes in core System files. If such a detection was made Windows will automatically revert to the original files and delete the threat. So basically if you have a virus, restart your computer and it’s gone.

Now to get Microsoft to stop allowing people to install Toolbars

2011
11/21
CATEGORY
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What does Windows 8 need to be awesome.

Well everyone already tried the Developers Preview of Windows 8, which I personally believe is not what the final build will look like at all. But what does Windows 8 need to be great, from the current Build?

Firstly Windows 8 is blazingly fast, everything is smooth and works well. I have yet to encounter software of hardware incompatibility and my touchpad works perfectly with the new Start Screen, something a lot of people seems to be complaining about. Well lets start with the load up of a device. On a tablet or a PC with a SSD Drive this wouldn’t matter because you won’t see it, the device will load in 3 seconds from Post to Start. But on normal devices like Laptops and Desktops you’re stuck with a rather dull 12 seconds until you’re asked to log in. Microsoft should make the loading screen only circulating dots in the same position, because one moment you’re seeing ‘Windows Developer Preview’ and the next moment ‘Please Wait’. Consistency will make it look less ugly.

The log in display is ugly. Period. I get the whole clean Metro UI but give it some depth, add some form of dimension. Like with the coming Xbox Live Dashboard Update. This is where Metro can learn a lot even on the phone. Currently Windows Phone however awesome, blazingly fast and all that it is, it can get boring. Microsoft should stick to one ‘pretty’ interface like the one on the Xbox and use it across the board. Even now Metro looks too different on every platform.

The start menu would be a lot more inviting if Microsoft made it so. The Metro UI in Windows 8 is actually an improvement on the old classic start menu, and People who say it’s a nuisance are stuck in their old ways and they should actually give it a try before dismissing it altogether.

Things I would like added to the Metro Layer:

Currently Microsoft pins every installed program to the main Start Screen. I propose hubs, much like with Xbox Live. They should add several hubs to the main Start Display like Home, Social, Movies, Bing, Music, Marketplace, and All Programs. This would make navigating by voice easier too. Microsoft should also port the Xbox Live avatar to your Windows 8 desktop, which would make things even more interesting.

Multitasking is a chore in Windows 8 Metro. Even on Tablet computers you have to flick through tonnes of Open Apps to find the one you’re working on. I propose a button much like the charms that will open a hub that shows you all your open programs. This would be infinitely better to use than the current Side scrolling method. They can keep that as an option, but on desktops, Laptops and other devices it will become stale fast.

It is a given that everyone will use the Classic Desktop a lot, and currently some really annoying things are happening now a new layer showed up. When in the Desktop app when you click a link on anything you are taken straight into Metro. This is the worst thing that can happen. They should force IE10 to remain in Metro when in Metro, and in Classic mode when in Desktop. This will avoid confusion and the extra clicks to get back to the desktop.

Microsoft currently have a great ecosystem of devices and services that work extraordinarily well. However they don’t work that well together. I have an Xbox connected to my Home Network with a External Hard drive connected to it. There is No way I can access that hard drive from my PC. This is something quite unacceptable. Microsoft should allow users to easily transfer data to and from their Xbox from their PC. Another issues is that I can not stream any content displayed on my PC or Mobile device to my TV via WiFi through my Xbox. If Xbox want to replace the set top box and blow Airplay out of the water they would enable the user to Stream their Display to the TV. This would be useful in applications involving Windows 8 Tablets.

SkyDrive  should be better integrated into Windows 8, actually all social networks need better integration. In Classic mode I was quite disappointed to not see a hub in File Explorer that allowed the user to share certain files over social media with one click. They have integrated this into Windows Live Photo Manager but not Windows Explorer. Merge the two and you have a winner.

Actually Microsoft needs to fully merge Skype, Live Services and Facebook right into the core of the OS without the need to install some app. It would make Windows 8 quite amazing if your IM was running in the background, and you would get a notification when you have a message, much like in Windows Phone.

And its important that Microsoft keep to this metric: When in Desktop Mode open Classic Apps, when in Metro open Metro Apps!

Well that is my input into Windows 8. I’ll be adding more information as I continue using the OS.

2011
10/19
CATEGORY
Opinion
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The best thing since sliced bread. Siri.

We’ve all been part of the hype surrounding the next iPhone. Speculation were rampant, showing us images of a larger wedge shaped (?) phone that is not only thinner but blazingly fast too.

Unfortunately we didn’t get anything like we expected. What we did get is a phone pretty much the same as the older version. What makes the iPhone 4S so special then you may ask? Well her name is Siri. We can go on about how the iPhone is faster, but that is really not the biggest selling point since the iPhone 4 powered through anything you threw at it pretty well.

So who is this Siri. Apple purchased Nuancethe company responsible for this revolutionary technology last year. Since then they incorporated it into their Mobile platform iOS 5 which were released last week. So what makes Siri so different from any other voice recognition software? Well if you are familiar with the tech world, Microsoft released a updated version of their Voice command system with Mango (Windows Phone 7.5) which could read emails, and assist you to control basically every aspect of your phone with your voice.

But the draw back was you had to give the phone specific commands. Which means you would talk to your phone as if it was a computer. Siri changes that. Giving her natural commands, such as ‘Remind me to call my mom when I’m back in town’ would set a reminder on your phone to call your mother when the GPS detects you’re back in town (Which usually means home). Siri adapts to every command, and if she’s not sure then she’ll ask. Which in itself is pretty revolutionary.

Unfortunately for people living outside the US, the Siri experience would be met with unanswered questions and a message saying she can’t do anything outside of the US. Apple should fix this before launching worldwide since Siri is in every case the biggest selling point of their new iPhone. Nobody really wants to admit it but nobody cares about whether or not your phone has a Dual Core processor when doing things on a single core is just as blazingly fast.

Currently Siri is the best Voice command system available anywhere commercially from what I’ve seen. I can already see the possibilities with this software in combination with so many other applications. We all know Kinect and Xbox 360 from Microsoft will bring greater functionality in the coming Dashboard update. Apple can integrate this with their Desktop software, Apple TV and other products. Pretty soon you’ll be able to fire your PA because she was replaced by a computer.

The latter thought is a scary one, but that is the way the cookie crumbles. With mind blowing technology like this the possibilities are endless. One part where specific command driven systems work best are in the Living room. Kinect requires specific commands, which is best since your Kinect device would be on permanently, and if your living room is anything but as busy as mine you don’t want your TV to take every single word said as a command. On phones, Siri is the best way of doing things.

The iPhone 4S is currently available in the US. Expected date of Arrival in South Africa (Siri less) would be around Christmas. So if you want your phone, head on to your local SP and see if they have it on Pre-Order. If you would prefer a cash purchase, head on to www.aureustech.co.za and request the iPhone 4S.

2011
10/17
CATEGORY
Opinion
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Review: Windows 8 Developers Preview

Since September 14th almost 1 Million users around the world jumped onto the Windows 8 bandwagon when Microsoft released a Developers preview of their upcoming version of Microsoft Windows.

Although Windows was shown on the latest hardware with Touch Displays and SSD Drives, I was interested in how it would perform on standard hardware. So I grabbed a low end laptop and started testing this software. Specifications are as follows:

HP Compaq CQ62 Intel Celeron 2.1Ghz Processor (Single Core), 2Gb DDR3 Memory, 250Gb SATA 2 Notebook Drive, Intel Express 4500M Graphics, Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit (installed)

On Windows 7 this machine managed a 32 second boot time, 9 second shut down time. Average Memory usage (No programs open) was 901Mb and CPU usage was 0% on idle. Windows User Experience rating was at 3.3 and there were 74 Processes running in the background at all times.

Installation of Windows 8 was exceptionally fast, clocking in at just 15 minutes from start to finish (Clean install). On start up after installation you’re met with a green start menu and a bunch of tiles. Currently the Metro UI tile menu aren’t very useful. The App store is disabled and you can’t use Applications that were shown at Build like the new Mail App.

UPDATE: After using the new Metro UI my everyday tasks became faster. Although I still prefer to use Windows 8 in classic mode, using the new Enhanced start menu makes finding Applications quicker. Just start typing in the Start screen and the results are instant, all you need to do is press enter. Making use of the mouse absolut.

I ended up installing Office 2010 Professional. The Start screen automatically populated all those new apps on the main display, although they aren’t live and the icons aren’t very pretty. The only live tiles that were active were the Tweet@rama, Build, News, and Weather Apps. There are a few free games you could try out. One issue I came across in the Metro UI was that when you’re in an app, there are no way of closing the said app from within the Application. They all go into suspended mode in the background using up memory. One app (Tube Rider) didn’t suspend and you were stuck listening to the music in the background permanently until you closed the App in the Task Manager.

So I thought about disabling the Metro UI completely but that ended up disabling the Ribbon UI in Windows Explorer as well. So I’m stuck with the Metro UI until further notice. Its not that the new layout is horrible, its just not Mouse and Keyboard friendly. For instance, navigating the Main Start screen becomes a pain because it does not support Horizontal scrolling via the TouchPad. For a touch enhanced OS Microsoft should seriously consider adding that feature.

UPDATE: I installed the Synaptics Windows 7 driver and it enabled the full scroll feature of the TouchPad. The UI as mentioned became useful, after I dumped my old ways of being too dependant on a mouse for everything. One issue that I have with it is the management of the apps within metro. Yes using multiple apps in Desktop view is an oxymoron but managing Apps while exclusively in Metro becomes tiresome. They should enable a Shortcut or button to peek at all open apps while in Metro.

The Metro UI is amazing on Touch only displays and I can see Microsoft killing Android with this Operating System, but they have to add the option to remove it entirely for Desktop users, because it can become annoying.

In Windows 8 the Desktop is just a basic App that won’t run unless you as for it to. This saves a lot of System resources. Windows 8 manages to start up within 12 seconds (Cold boot) and Shut down is around 13 seconds. Total Memory usage was at 736Mb and CPU at 0 – 1% idle. Total processes running was at around 17 all in all, and the Windows User Experience dropped to 3.1, most likely due to Hardware Updates.

The system feels more responsive, Microsoft has seriously improved overall system performance. The entire operating system feels exceptionally stable and All Windows 7 drivers work on Windows 8. Zune Music failed to install due to a .Net update that needs to be installed.

Windows Explorer have been greatly improved, featuring the new Ribbon (brought over from Office 2010. Its a great addition but it takes some getting used to. I can imagine most people will collapse this new menu which takes up a lot of screen real estate. One nice thing about the new Metro UI start screen is that if you require to run a Program that you can’t find in the menu, just start typing what you need and a Search Display will come up and your Application will appear. This is very nice if you need to run something quickly.

Customization needs to be enhanced in the Metro UI, because that green gets ugly real quickly. You can however change your Lock Screen, and desktop background, and the normal Windows Personalization features you can expect, but Microsoft needs to add an option to change the background colour in the Start Screen.

Multi-tasking is as to be expected by Windows. The Standard Desktop and Metro UI work amazingly together. I opened IE10 in the Metro Layout because it uses the entire screen free from borders, and when I need to access my desktop I just hover to the left bezel with the mouse pointer and click, the desktop slides in and I can continue there. When I’m done I just hover to the left of the screen and click and my IE10 session slides in again.

This is extremely easy and fast and makes the entire experience of Multitasking a breeze. Microsoft is on to something amazing since they decided to keep the Standard Desktop available as an App. This makes Windows 8 the best mobile OS available, besting Android and iOS hands down. As someone who used every mobile OS out there Windows 8 just breaks every limitation that other options impose on you and makes even more possible.

Most of the Desktop features haven’t changed at all. Notifications however have been given the Metro UI paint job. Clicking on the Wireless icon will get you he Green Sidebar within metro, with available networks. Time and Sound haven’t changed at all. The Metro UI control panel however user friendly is a bit of a pain for power users. Microsoft have made Windows 8 easier for the leek and made it a bit more work for power users. Opening Control Panel (Classic) needs 3 + Clicks, where the new version is just one click away.

ISO and VHD support is built in natively, and I installed Office and Some of my other applications using ISO files. Mounting them was as easy as double clicking the item. There was talk of native PDF support but this was not the fact in the Preview. Office document support is also not built in. Microsoft should at least offer users of Windows 8 a built in PDF and Office document support, which would make the lives of most basic users very easy. Office 2010 Starter would most likely be included in 90% of Tablets and PC’s with Windows 8.

UPDATE: Microsoft Word documents are natively supported in Wordpad

The Developer Preview is a basic version of Windows 8, a lot of the features we’ve seen at Build aren’t even included. A Metro Media Player (Zune), Xbox Live, and Metro Mail Client. Windows 8 is still far from being complete and we finally saw what Microsoft is planning with their new OS. It is amazing and I cannot wait to experience the final product. This OS makes you want to touch your screen because it makes doing things via touch so much easier.

I will continually update this blog post while digging further into the OS. I’m not really interested in the Metro UI, I want to look into the rest of the OS.

What I would like to see in Future Updates:

1. Being able to customize the Metro UI to different themes, other than doing a registry hack.

2. Being able to close Metro Apps from within the app. I know pressing the Start button puts them to sleep, but if Windows are going to run on Tablets they need to have a possibility to close apps because they consume valuable Memory

3. A Easy to use File System pop up. I would like if they changed the Windows Explorer button in the Desktop view to a button which opens a Scrolling Side bar like with the Networking app, or like the old Start Menu. This would make finding files quick. Also they should add a Search panel inside the Desktop app so you can quickly find something without having to go into Metro.

4. Metro Multitasking on a Desktop is horrible. They should change the way you can open an app that is suspended by hovering to the left side and a Sidebar will open with all the Apps visible as with the IE10 Metro Tabs.

5. The Application launcher screens, like for IE10 in Metro are nice to look at but ultimately a waste of time. Remove them and opening Apps would be quick.

6. The Weather App should get more options for international standards.

7. Websites pinned to the Start Menu should get better looking Tiles, perhaps like the Pinned sites enlarged icons spanned over the size of the tile.

If you have any questions regarding Windows 8, feel free to post them below in the comments section and I will answer them.

2011
09/16
CATEGORY
Reviews
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Windows PC vs. Apple Mac. The real battle.

If you’re on this planet you must have been a part of some kind of fight between Windows and Mac. Now since both are PC’s and both Operating systems have positive and negatives (Virusses are not a reason to hate one or the other anymore, since both have been exploited). We’re going to home in on the hardware, which in every case is where the majority of your money goes.

Apple Macbooks have been drool worthy laptops since the Unibody design came to light. Since then other manufacturers have quickly moved to build Aluminum based PC’s. Build quality as such is, admittedly higher on the MacBook range. However they are extremely difficult to upgrade or repair thanks to this, and unless you are willing to fork out thousands and wait (what feels like an eternity) for it to be repaired. PC’s since the dawn of time have always been easier and cheaper to repair or upgrade, because of their gigantic marketshare and the hoards of professionals specializing in these devices.

Since Apple does not have an entry level laptop to compare to a PC, we’re going to start at the R8999 level, which is the lowest price point for a Apple Macbook.

Apple Macbook Air vs. Asus U36 Notebook

The entry level starts at the Macbook Air range. These have since launch been the talk of the town for their extremely thin form factor and speed. However you will be surprised what your R8999 buys you. Both the Macbook Air and U36 are built out of Aluminum. The U36 also features a special coating on the surface to keep your device clean at all times. Lets look at their respective design specifications. The Macbook Air is a super thin 16mm, while the U36 comes in 3mm thicker at 19mm. Both have 13.3 inch displays and full sized chiclet keyboards.

The Macbook Air features the Intel Core i5 UM 1.6GHz series processor, and the U36 features a Core i5 480M 2.3GHz (Standard Voltage) processor. Now we can see where the extra thickness comes into play. The U36 features a processor nearly 5 times more powerful. The Macbook Air features an entry level 64Gb SSD Drive (not upgradeable) and the U36 features a 500Gb SATA2 Hard Drive.

Memory comes in at 2Gb for the Macbook Air and the U36 features 4Gb DDR3. Battery life is where the massive surpize will be. The Macbook Air can last for 7 – 8 hours from Fully Charged to Discharged. The U36 can last 9 – 10 hours. For a laptop that is nearly 5 times faster than the Macbook Air it is quite increadible that it outperforms in the Battery Life battle.

So which laptop wins in this fight? The Asus U36 Ultra Mobile Notebook of course.

 

 

Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus K53SC

Both of these laptops are the lowest of their respective price ranges. The Apple MacBook Pro 15.6 inch Core 7 Quad Core Notebook comes in at R18999 and the Asus K53SC comes in at R8999. That is not only a massive R10000 price difference but also for similar hardware.

The Apple MacBook Pro features a Core i7 2GHz Quad Core Processor, 4Gb DDR3 Memory, a 500Gb SATA Hard Drive and the well known Apple Unibody Aluminum Chassis. The keyboard is a standard Apple chiclet keyboard with no numeric keypad and a large glass TouchPad with Multi-Touch. It also features Intel Thunderbolt technology. Graphics is the ATi Radeon HD6000 512Mb Integrated Graphics.

The Asus K53SC features a Intel Core i7 2Ghz Quad Core Processor, 4Gb DDR3 Memory, a 500Gb SATA2 Hard Drive and a Aluminum Chassis. It features a full sized Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and a large Multitouch TouchPad. It has USB 3.0 Ports (Similar yet more powerful than the Intel Thunderbolt technology and only supported under Windows 7 and 8). Graphics is the Market leading Nvidia GT540M 1Gb (Up to 2Gb Shared) Integrated Graphics.

Both feature 15.6 inch Wide LED Displays. Battery life on the Apple MacBook Pro is around 7 – 8 hours according to Apple, and the Asus K53SC with its 6 Cell Standard Battery lasts between 6 – 7 hours under Windows Power Saver Mode.

Not only does the Apple MacBook Pro cost over R10000 more than the similar Windows 7 Laptop but the latter has a more powerful feature set. The MacBook Pro features software which brings down the price difference down to around R5000 under generous estimations.

Which notebook wins under this price point? The Asus K53SC Performance Notebook.

Apple MacBook Pro 17.3 vs. HP DV7 Entertainment Notebook (17.3 inch)

This is the highest price point for a notebook under Apple. Both feature the latest Intel Core Processors. The MacBook Pro comes in at a R22999 price point and the HP DV7 comes in at R9999.

As always the Apple Macbook Pro features the legendary Apple Unibody design, Intel Core i7 Quad Core Processor, Standard Keyboard, Glass Multi-Touch Pad, ATi Radeon HD6000 512Mb Graphics, 4Gb DDR3 RAM, 750Gb SATA2 Hard Drive, Intel Thunderbolt Technology and a High Definition LED 17.3 inch Display.

The HP DV7 features a stylish Patterned Aluminum Body, Intel Core i7 Quad Core Processor, Full Sized Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, Glass Multi-Touch Pad, ATi Radeon H6230 1Gb DDR5 Graphics (Up to 3Gb), 6Gb DDR3 RAM, 750Gb SATA 2 Hard Drive and USB 3.0 Ports. And the display is a 17.3 inch High Definition LED. It also features the latest Intel Wireless Display technology which lets the user connect the laptop wirelessly to any supported (See Sony Bravia Internet Connected TV’s with WiFi) Display.

Battery Life on the Apple MacBook Pro is around 6 – 7 hours according to Apple, and the HP DV7 can last up to 10 hours on a single charge under power management. To be fair the included software in the Macbook Air should bring the price difference to R8000.

Which laptop wins this fight? Ultimately the HP DV7 Entertainment Notebook

 

So there we have it, Apple vs. Windows based PC’s in a fair fight. Although Windows based PC’s ultimately won, Apple MacBooks does have their respective advantages, as most people would claim, but stating that Photo Editing and Design software (which is included in the Macbook Range) run better on Apple OSX is false as benchmarks proved. Stating that Apple hardware can run both Windows and OSX and a PC cannot is also false because with enough time and a bit of help you can dual boot OSX on any Intel Based PC.

It comes down to personal taste and if you feel like spending the extra R8000 on a laptop. This is just a small indication that you can find a better, faster and of equal build quality from any other manufacturer.

 

 

2011
09/07
CATEGORY
Opinion
2 comments

Why you will love the HP TouchPad

I have had just short of a week with the HP TouchPad 32Gb Tablet, and so far I have been rather impressed with the speed and ease of use of this tablet. So here is my wrap up of what I loved and hated about this tablet.

When I opened the box, I was met with a brilliant 9.7 inch Tablet. The thing about tablets right now is that the majority of them feature 10.1 inch displays. The wide 10.1 inch display feels smaller against the HP TouchPad, and I’ve used numerous of them. The Apple iPad features the same size display as the TouchPad, which is actually the best form factor for a tablet. Period.

After waiting a while for the initial start up, I had to do the setup a few times because it couldn’t connect to my WiFi connection for some reason. It was simple enough, create an HP WebOS account, and you’re done. The main screen was clean, with a neat row of Applications at the bottom. Now first thing I tried to do was to add my Live Mail account so I could start checking email. They didn’t add a Windows Live option, and after searching the web numerous times to figure it out, I finally set my account under Microsoft Exchange. The Mail App is awesome, and it syncs all your contacts, calender appointments and emails right to the relevant apps on the TouchPad.

Facebook and Twitter setup was easy enough, just enter your email and voila. Facebook also syncs Event information to your TouchPad, as well as all your contacts. Skype links all your online contacts to their Facebook accounts and, just like on the Desktop version, gives you the option of Calling, Texting or IM’ing them right from the Contacts menu, without even opening an App.

Music Application is basically like any other music App. You add music, it sorts them by Album automatically and creating playlists is a breeze. The Sound on the TouchPad is probably the best in the industry, featuring ‘Beats Audio’, with a Dual Speaker configuration so music sounds absolutely amazing.

Pictures and Videos app syncs with your FaceBook account as well, so all your photos are easily accessible from within one App. Pretty much the same as with Windows Phone 7

I downloaded the TuneIN Radio App and the sound quality is also awesome. And the selection, including Local Radio, is extensive.

Now most paid Applications in the WebOS Application Catalog wont be available if you dont have a US Credit card, but it has a few Awesome Free Applications, such as a Full Version of Angry Birds, Robotek HD and a few hundred other options. I don’t really enjoy mobile games as they usually cost a huge amount of money but end up disappointing in game play and then you only play once.

Applications I would absolutely recommend is Amazon Kindle for WebOS, Angry Birds, and Box.net. Box.net links to your HP TouchPad QuickOffice HD App which brings you amazing document editing and with Box you get 50Gb free Cloud Storage.

The device is extremely well designed, although slightly heavier than the Apple iPad. The back cover of the TouchPad is glossy and will scratch if you don’t have the TouchPad custom fit case. We highly recommend you get one of these as well.

The TouchPad, like every other tablet features a Front facing camera, a 1.2GHz (Overclockable to 1.4GHz) Processor, 1Gb RAM and a choice between the 16Gb or the 32Gb. The 32Gb offers decent storage at the price of just R2999.

Now is this tablet better than the iPad or the Galaxy Tab? No, its basically the same package, only you don’t have the option of as many apps as with the Android or iOS store. But that is not where the TouchPad exceeds. The TouchPad is great for email, multitasking, Communication, and of course Web browsing. This tablet plays Flash amazingly well.

Multitasking on the TouchPad is unlike I have seen on any other tablet, bar none. With WebOS and the Cards UI, switching between apps is seemless. There are no limits to what you can and cannot do on the TouchPad and that is why I recommend it to anyone who wants a tablet for productivity or just browsing the web.

You can grab your HP TouchPad from Aureus Tech. 16Gb – R2499, and the 32Gb – R2999 all inclusive. www.aureustech.co.za/products/tablets/hp

2011
09/01
CATEGORY
Reviews
6 comments

iPad 3 and iPhone 5, being reasonable

The world have gone mad with speculation on what the next iPhone and iPad will look like, lets look at what is truely possible and what we mightsee from Cupertino coming September/2012

Display Technology

Since Apple launched the iPhone 4 with the brilliant Retina Display which simply destroys any other display technology, everyone wished the iPad had the same display. Coming September and October the iPhone 5 will have a 4 inch Retina Display which will hit the nail on the head in terms of viewing pleasure. The current 3.7 inch display is nice already, but a 4.3 or 4.7 inch would make me drool.

The iPad 3 however will not have a Retina display for a while, due to manufacturing issues. Apple is working on building a Full HD display for the Apple iPad 3 which rules out a Retina Display. The other issue with a possible Retina Display is that the processor would not be able to handle such a high resolution without draining the battery and heating up. The iPhone’s display was small enough, and the processor powerful enough, but a display upwards of 3000×2000 resolution could be the death of the iPad.

Processor

The iPad 2 featured one of the most powerful low voltage processors in the market, which helped propell the iPad to stardom with it’s fluid performance. The iPad 3 will most likely feature a Quad Core A6 processor at 1.2GHz. This is the most logical option as other tablets due this year will feature Nvidia Quad Core Tegra 3 processors, which should give Apple strong competition.

The iPhone 5 however will only have a A5 processor, or if Apple is serious, a A6 Quad Core Processor which should place them right in front yet again in Smartphone terms.

Storage

16Gb is out, it is as dead as the HP TouchPad. Apple will increase the minimum storage options on both the iPad and iPhone, bringing it to 32Gb, 64Gb and 128Gb. They certainly have the know how.

iCloud

Okay, one thing I just can’t understand is the need for a ‘iCloud’ based iPhone. This is pure madness and will cripple networks and drive up phonebills like mad. The blogging comunity says this phone will have no local storage and all files/music/Apps will be streamed via iCloud to the phone, which would cut the price of this basic model so more people can afford one. If Apple want an Affordable phone they would dumb down the iPhone 4 and keep it at 16Gb and sell that at a discount. But a iPhone iCloud phone is pure myth. There are mention of a downgraded iPhone 4 which will feature Plastic instead of Gorilla Glass.

Battery Life

In pure Apple style the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 will have serious battery life cuts. In the quest for the thinnest lightest phone on the market Apple will cut the iPad 3′s battery life down to about 8 – 9 hours and the iPhone 5 should last around 5 – 6 hours on talk time. Lets be reasonable, batteries arent getting so much powerful and there are only so much space in a 4.7 inch 9mm thick device.

Camera

The iPhone 5 will have an increased Camera capacity of 8 Megapixel and will be capable of HD video recording just like the previous version. If Apple wants to they will bump up the spec to Full HD recording and give everyone else something to aspire to…but I hardly think that is likely. The iPad 3 will keep its cameras because who takes pictures with a 9.7 inch tablet?

4G LTE and NFC

Apple will finally throw its weight behind 4G LTE and force networks onto this standard. This is a very likely scenario. There will be no 3G only iPhone 5. Apple will also jump and add the NFC capability to its phones as Blackberry and Nokia already started jumping on this boat. It remains to be seen how useful such a technology would be.

The iPad 3 will also feature 4G LTE modems.

Release Date

The iPhone 5 is expected to be announced next Month, and then released for sale in October. International release dates may be December to January 2012.

The iPad 3 will not make its appearance this year, and will only drop by April 2012 due to manufacturing issues. And that is a wrap up of what you really can expect from the next iPhone and iPad. We can always dream though.

 

2011
08/19
CATEGORY
Opinion
TAGS



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