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Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook Review (Model: S3-391-32364G52A)

April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The Acer S3 is a super sleek ultrabook which is aimed at the budget user. Weighing just around 1.35 kg and being 18mm thick (at the thickest point) the Aspire S3 looks similar to the Apple MacBook Air in terms of styling. I purchased the above model for $420 ($499 – $79 Acer Rebate) in Australia (April, 2013). This particular model comes with a champagne color aluminum casing with high contrast black color island style keys with white letters. The champagne tint gives the notebook a very unique look and sets it apart from other ultrabooks that use traditional silver or chrome tints.

Acer_S3-391-32364G52A_UltraBook

My S3 is equipped with a 500 GB hard drive that also houses a 20GB SSD drive. The  SSD drive is not visible in Windows Device Manager as a separate drive. The SSD drive is used to speedup windows start-up, sleep/resume and shutdown times by caching important OS files. According to Acer the S3 can resume from sleep with in 1.5 seconds. Acer calls this feature as Instant On. When I tested this feature the timing was close but not consistent. I was able to resume in 2-5 seconds.

The S3 comes with a button less multi-gesture touchpad which is large and very responsive. If you are used to a touchpad with buttons then you might find the S3 touchpad awkward at first, but you’ll get used to it in no time. The 3 cell battery on the S3 is not removable and you will have to open the casing to access the battery.

Ports

Considering its size and thickness the S3 comes with a decent set of ports.

  1. Headphone jack on the left side
  2. A SD card slot on the right
  3. 2 USB ports, 1 full size HDMI port and power socket on the back.

Pros

  1. The S3 is remarkably cool, thanks to the rear fan design (on the side at the back of the computer) that sucks air from vents in the keyboard and pushes them out. This means you will not notice any heat during typing on the keyboard and surrounding areas. Due to this design Acer has requested that no keyboard cover should be placed on the S3 as it will affect the ventilation mechanism.
  2. Super light and super slim, highly portable machine
  3. Nice looks, I like to call it “Poor Mans MacBook Air”
  4. Full HD webcam
  5. Large and responsive touch pad
  6. The casing does not attract finger prints

Cons

  1. While Acer claims a battery life of up to 7 hours, in reality you will get only 3 – 4 hours of use doing tasks such as web surfing, using MS Office applications and watching some YouTube videos.
  2. The SD card slot does not have spring load and lock mechanism. This means almost half off the SD card will project out not allowing you to keep the card inside the computer during travel. You will have to remove the SD card before placing your laptop inside a sleeve or bag.
  3. The 1366 x 768 display has limited viewing angles and is very glossy showing lots of reflections. Therefore the S3 is not suitable for extended outdoor use.
  4. Small arrow (navigation) keys
  5. Fan is noisy, especially for an ultrabook

Verdict

For the price Acer S3 offers an amazing value for money to the budget user. While the battery life is not great, the ultra portability of the S3 makes its a good mobile computer.

Specs at a Glance

- Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
- 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i3-2367M processor (1.3/1.4GHz, 3MB L3 cache )
- 4GB DDR3 1066 Memory (non expandable)
- 500GB hard drive with 20GB SSD
- 13.3″ HD Widescreen CineCrystal™ LCD display with 1366 x 768 resolution
- Intel® HD Graphics 3000
- high-definition audio support with two stereo speakers
- webcam
- multi-gesture button less touchpad
- 802.11b/g/n WLAN – Bluetooth
- USB 3.0 Ports
- HDMI® – 2-in-1 card reader
- 3-cell battery
- 1-year limited warranty

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The debate on NBN

April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

This is how the debate on NBN looks to the average Australian :)

 nbn

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Two Tech Legends Pass Away in 2011

October 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

steve_jobs_time_magazine ken_losen_fortune_magazine

Left: Steve Jobs on the Cover of Time Magazine (Source: Time Magazine)

Right: Ken Olsen on the cover of Fortune Magazine in 1986 when he was named the “America’s Most Successful Entrepreneur”.

Two Tech Legends Pass Away in 2011

As the world mourned the death of Steve Jobs, a true tech visionary who was in the forefront of innovation delivering the right product to the right market and the right time, little did people know that another tech pioneer passed away earlier this year.

Ken Olsen, the founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) passed away in February, 2011. Ken Olsen was the Steve Jobs of the 60s and 70s. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates defined the technology landscape for Personal Computing while Ken Olsen was the man behind the mini computer revolution.

The early day computers, known as mainframes were only affordable for elite government agencies and departments. These machines which often occupied entire buildings operated in batch mode with very little user interaction. The user provided the instructions to the computer, the machine will process those instructions for hours and then provide the output.

Ken Olsen and DEC pioneered the mini computer. A computer that was much more smaller in size (compared to the mainframe) and one which provided true interactive computing. For 3 decades DEC systems (such as PDP series and VAX series) were use in nearly all industries. The DEC systems provided the much needed computing power for enterprises and for the academia in research and development.

Even in the the 1990s during the early days of the Internet, DEC Alpha servers were powering many popular websites such as Alta Vista, a popular search engine prior to Google’s inception..

Today many of us have taken the mini computer revolution for granted. But in fact the mini computer revolution is the one that paved the way to Personal Computing. It was the bridge between the Main Frame era and PC era. Like Steven Jobs, Ken Olsen was a great innovator of his time.

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Dyson Hot is Hot!

September 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Everyone knows the name Dyson. They are the leading brand for vacuum cleaners that do not lose suction. A couple of years back Dyson got into the cooling business with the introduction of Dyson fans. These high tech fans used a technology called Air Multiplier which amplifies air intake by up to 15 times to create a smooth, continuous and comfortable breeze.

Dyson_Hot_Fan_Heater  

Now Dyson has come up with a fan heater that uses the air multiplier technology. The heater is named Dyson Hot and has a design that is very similar to the Dyson fan. This electric fan heater is bladeless. Ceramic pebbles are used as the heating elements. One of the cool features of this device is that it does not burn dust. Many of you who have used a portable heater would know that dust burning smell is a quite common problem in most heaters. This is because the heater heats up to a very high temperature where dust will combust. In Dyson Hot the heating element does not get too hot. By increasing the surface area of the heating element Dyson engineers were able to create a heater than can quickly heat up a room without getting over heated.

Dyson Hot has accurate temperature measurements. The thermostat measures the air taken in by the heater. Once the air has reach the desired temperature the heater will stop it self. When the intake air gets cold the heater will turn on again.

Those who have used conventional fan heaters would know that getting an even temperature is often very hard. Usually there are hot spots. Some part of your rooms are too hot while some parts are cold. You do not have this problem with Dyson Hot. With Dyson Hot the hot air pushed by the heater is uniformly spread across the room giving you a nice comfortable warm feeling (thanks to the air multiplier technology!).

Finally the heater can be tilted vertically,  you can either position the heater down towards your feet or upwards.

Where to buy in Australia?

As of Sep 2011, Dyson Hot is still not available for sale.  When it becomes available for sale, you can buy it from Harvey Norman. It is expected that Dyson Hot will be available before next winter.

Where to by in Canada?

When it becomes available, Dyson Hot can be bought at Future Shop or Best Buy.

Where to by in the USA?

When it becomes available, Dyson Hot can be bought at Best Buy.

FAQ

Can Dyson Hot be used as a normal cooling fan?

Yes, when you turn the temperature down (below room temperature), Dyson Hot will work as a normal cooling fan. The heater light would turn from red to blue when the unit is used as a normal cooling fan.

Filed Under: Misc Tagged With: ,

Improve your mobile reception at home with Optus Home Zone

September 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Optus Home Zone Review

Are you sick and tired of poor mobile reception at your home? Each time when you receive a call do you have to run towards a window to get clear reception. If your answer is yes, then what you need is Optus Home Zone.

optus_home_zone

Optus Home Zone is a router like device that plugs into your broadband Internet connection. Once the device is plugged in, it will act as a mini cellular tower. When you use your mobile phone at home it will connect to the Home Zone device, instead of using the actual mobile network.

Any calls you make from your home, will be channeled via the Home Zone device. This means you are leveraging your broadband Internet connection for your call. Home Zone will give you 5 bars of mobile coverage. It can support up to 4 simultaneous users.

Ditch your Home Phone

As of Sep 2011, Optus Home Zone is available for $5 a month (for Optus customers with a $59 per month mobile contract). Over a 2 year contract the total cost would be $120. What makes Optus Home special is that as the primary user, any calls that you make via your Home Zone is credited back to your account (this includes most local and national calls, excluding some call types and calls to almost all Australian mobiles).

So what’s the catch?

Actually there is no catch. But the only thing you have to keep in mind is that the calls you make via Home Zone will be using your Internet bandwidth. If your are on a very low data usage plan (for example, 2 GB per month) then Home Zone will consume all of your data allowance. An average user would require approximately 1 GB of data allowance. Lets say you have 4 people in your household then you are talking 4 GB per month.

With Optus Home Zone you can call virtually any phone number. But, to use Optus Home Zone you have to use a mobile that is subscribed to the Optus network. For example, if a family member has a Telstra mobile then they will not be able to make calls via Optus Home Zone.

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Samsung Galaxy Note

September 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

Is it a tablet or a mobile phone? or Is it both or none? These are the questions that you would ask yourself when you see the Samsung Galaxy Note. The device has been unveiled by Samsung at the IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany.

The Galaxy Note has a 5.3 inch screen, which is large, to classify the device as a mobile phone, at the same time, the screen is small to be classified as a tablet. The display is an HD AMOLED screen that supports a whopping 1280 * 800 resolution.

galaxy_note_1

The ultra slim Galaxy Note comes with a stylus that allows you to use this device a a drawing tablet or note pad. With the stylus you can draw and write with pin point accuracy (thanks to the high resolution screen).

The Galaxy Note is equipped with a 8 mega pixel rear camera for taking pictures and recording HD videos. The rear camera has a built in LED flash. The front camera, which is used for video chats, has a resolution of 2 mega pixels.

Where to buy in Australia?

The pricing details for the Galaxy Note is not yet available. It is also unclear when this product will become available in Australia.

Where to buy in Canada?

Same as above.

galaxy_note_2 galaxy_note_3

Full Specifications of Samsung Galaxy Note

Dimensions: 146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65 mm
Weight: 178g

Processor Specs
1.4GHz Dual Core Processor

Network Support
HSPA+ up to 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900
4G LTE

Display Screen
5.3” WXGA (1280 x 800) display
High Definition Super AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode)

Camera
Rear Camera : 8 mega pixel with LED Flash
Front Camera : 2 mega pixel

Operating System
Android™ 2.3(aka Gingerbread)

Video
Supports 1080p Full HD video, both during recording and playback

Sensors
Accelerometer, Digital compass, Proximity,Barometer,Light

Stylus
+ S Pen (Advanced Smart Pen)

Connectivity

Bluetooth
USB 2.0
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct

Storage
16GB Internal memory and additional micro SD slot (up to 32GB)

Battery
Standard battery, Li-on 2,500 mAh

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Where to Buy HP TouchPad?

August 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Unless you are from another planet, by now, you would have realized it is almost impossible to buy the discontinued HP TouchPad from any major store or retailers around the world. But it is still possible that some stock of these units might resurface in the near future.

The following are some tips to increase your chances of securing a TouchPad.

  1. Subscribe to the HP TouchPad Stock Alert (for US customers).
  2. Go to the Facebook page called “HP TouchPad Hunt” and follow the discussions. As of writing this page has over thirty thousand members!
  3. Follow your country’s HP Facebook page for any stock updates.
    1. http://www.facebook.com/HPCanada
    2. http://www.facebook.com/HPAustralia
  4. If you live in Canada, it is worthwhile to view the RFD Forum discussion on TouchPad sales. This forum is hosted by Red Flag Deals (RFD), the largest bargain buying community in Canada.
  5. Look for TouchPad deals from Third Party Amazon Sellers.
  6. Look for reasonably priced TouchPads at GumTree (GumTree Australia, GumTree UK) or Kijiji (popular in Canada).
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Fuji Xerox DocuPrint M205b Multifunction Mono Laser Printer Review

August 27, 2011 By 1 Comment

Multifunction Mono Laser Printer for Under $100

The Fuji Xerox DocuPrint M205B printer is a multifunction mono laser printer that is inexpensive and can be bought for under $100 at major Australian Computer Retailers such as Officeworks and Harvey Norman. This printer is intended for the small business market segment, but it can be used as a personal printer for study or home office use.

Fuji_Xerox_DocuPrint_M205b

The overall build quality of this printer is pretty solid. The printer comes in an off white color with a dark grey control panel that hosts a back lit LCD screen. While the machine is quiet heavy weighing at nearly 9 kg it does not take much desk space and has a reasonably sized footprint.

The Fuji Xerox M205b takes in a USB stick. In addition to printing, this device can support scanning and copying. The printer can operate in standalone mode without the need to be attached to a computer.

Documents can be printed directly from the USB stick, similarly documents can be scanned and stored directly into the USB stick.The scanner supports 1200x1200dpi resolution. The toner that comes with this printer can print up to 1000 pages (on average). The quality of the prints is pleasantly surprising. The printer does not have any Wi-Fi connectivity and only supports a simple USB cable connection to the computer.

Conclusion

Its is hard to find a multifunction laser printer for under $100 and the DocuPrint M205b provides the best value for money for those who are seeking a mono laser printer with good scanning and copying capabilities.

Specifications

Physical Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 35.8 x 19.7 x 20.8 cm
Weight: 8.9 kg
Type: Mono Laser
Connectivity: USB, USB2
Print Resolution (Black & White): 1200 x 1200 dpi
Print speed (Black & White): 24 ppm (Pages per Minute)

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My thoughts on the HP TouchPad Fire Sale

August 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

hp-touchpad_400x400

After Hewlett Packard’s announcement about the company getting out of the webOS based Smart Phone and Tablet business, Harvey Norman, the exclusive retailer for the HP TouchPad in Australia, had the device on sale for $98 & $148 (16GB and 32GB models respectively).

This deeply discounted sale started at 2PM on Monday, 22nd of August 2011. Within an hour, Harvey Norman sold all 6000 units they had in stock nationwide!

Here are some of my thoughts on this sale:

1. The price of $98 (or $148) was a real bargain! In the US and Canada the devices were cleared out for the same price. But one has to remember that the Australian price includes tax while the US and Canadian prices exclude tax.

2. Just think about it, a 16GB SD card sells for around $50, a simple 10 inch LCD picture frame could easily cost $80. The TouchPad could certainly do a lot more things than these devices and it was sold for just $98!

3. It is interesting to note that HP will be honoring all warranty claims for the TouchPad.

4. When the Optus My Tab was sold for $99 many people considered it a bargain. The HP TouchPad is certainly bigger and better than the My Tab in many aspects. The My Tab was an entry level tablet.

5. One of the main complaints that I saw on Internet was that there aren’t too many apps for the webOS platform. I do not think this is a big issue for an average budget user who is mainly interested in doing basic activities such as web browsing, social networking and watching movies etc.

6. The fact that Harvey Norman ran out of stock within the first hour indicates, there is a real demand for below $200 tablet devices. I believe a well built tablet, priced in the $200 price range would provide real competition for the iPad.

How to secure a HP tablet?

1. Check back with your local Harvey Norman store for any returns. Some people might have bought more than one unit out of initial excitement and may return them for a refund.

2. Wait for a week or two and many of these units might become available for sale on classified sites such as GumTree and CraigsList without any inflation in price.

Finally, I do not believe it is worth paying a higher price to secure this unit from someone else whose main purpose is to make some quick money.

 

Related Articles:

Harvey Norman urges HP to resurrect TouchPad

TouchPad fire sale hits Australia

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How to like a Facebook Page as a Page

July 11, 2011 By 1 Comment

In late 2010, Facebook introduced a new feature called Use Facebook as Page which essentially allowed one to interact with other Facebook users and pages using a page (instead of a profile).

For example, when you are using Facebook as Page whenever you comment on someone’s wall your page name will be referred in that comment instead of your actual profile name.This feature was welcomed by many users who are interested in promoting their page instead of their own profile.

Ideally one would expect that when the Use Facebook as Page option is turned on, every activity you do in Facebook will be shown as originating from your page. But this is not true. For example, when you are in the Use Facebook as Page mode and if you like another page by pressing the Like button, that action is associated to the user profile instead of the page. Confused? Let me clarify with the following example.

Example:

  1. Bob logs into Facebook
  2. Bob selects Use Facebook as Page option. Then he selects Bob’s Baby Care Page.
  3. Bob likes the Facebook page of Babies R Us.
  4. Now this action is recorded as Bob likes Babies R Us, instead of it being Bob’s Bay Care Page likes Babies R Us.

So the question is how can you make one page like another page?

The solution is simple. Instead of using the Like button on the top of your Facebook page, scroll down your Facebook page. On the bottom left hand side of the page you will see a link called Add to My Page’s Favorites. By clicking on this link you are saying that Bob’s Baby Care Page likes Babies R Us.

If you are still not clear on what to do, the screen shot below will be useful. Click on the screen shot to see a larger version.

use_Facebook_as_a_Page

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