Hian's Corner

Photography

2010-06-24T03:16:00.006+08:00

Just a couple months back, me and my friend were talking about how digital camera has changed the way we take photos. Rewind my memory back to 15 years ago, we used to go out to do photo shooting, in film, using SLR camera. During that time, photo shooting was not as convenient as today consider we have to buy films, and the cost to develop in photo lab. Not to mention results can only be seen after photo is developed, the whole photo session can be ruined by small mistakes.

We put down our camera after we finished college to pursue our career. During the last few years, although we did snap some pictures, we were only using "point-and-shoot" camera as it's more affordable. Until recently, the local market is flooded with DSLR camera and so the price has dropped to a more consumer-friendly level. So we think it's a good time to pick our camera again.

After been looking and researched around, I finally picked my unit a couple weeks ago - Nikon D5000. I won't go into its performance and details as there are a lot on the Internet. However, a good review can be found here.

I have setup a new blog for my photography journey, and hope that I can really enjoy it from now on...

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An Olympus OM2 with Tamron SP lens given by an uncle when I was studying overseas.

My new toy - Nikon D5000.

PC to HDTV via HDMI cable

2010-05-29T18:54:00.008+08:00

If you have tried to connect your PC to your HDTV via HDMI cable before, you will most likely have experienced problems like overscan, desktop off screen, extreme high bright/contrast pictures, and the wording font is just unreadable. I have been struggling trying to find a solution, thinking that there must be a way to overcome this problem instead of just connect through the D-Sub cable.

So after been checking the net and playing with the TV menu, I realised that it's just a pretty simple setting...DUH! Perhaps TV manufacturers should put it down on the printed menu. Anyway, since I'm using Samsung LCD and Plasma TV, and NVIDIA GPU, so I'm not sure about other brands TV but I guess the menu should be more or less the same.

At the back of the TV (LCD and Plasma), you will find a HDMI port (either HDMI 1 or HDMI 2) labelled as DVI. Connect your PC to this port using either DVI-HDMI or HDMI-HDMI cable. Then, go to the TV menu, and go to Edit Name under Input menu. From there, you choose either PC or DVI PC depends on what is showed on the TV menu. Now go to change the screen resolution or screen size from your PC or the GPU setting menu...and VOILA! Everything is now crystal sharp like a real PC monitor! As simple as that. Now not only we can watching movies, we can also surf the Internet without having to torture our eyes.

Cheers!

Anti-Virus for Windows Home Server

2010-03-01T01:00:00.002+08:00

Most of you may probably have known, while some antivirus software are free for personal use, server based programs normally will ask for a premium. Same goes to Windows Home Server. Since it’s based on Windows Server 2003, PC version mostly won’t be compatible. For an example, I am using Avast Home on my PC, but it won’t install on the server. Fortunately, there are always good people out there, especially those who write open source program, which means it’s free (they only ask users for some donation to support their hard work).

So, after searching here and there, I came across this WHSClamAV. Based on ClamAV, and implemented on Windows Home Server by the guy Al West. Write up is available at MSWHS.com.

Technorati Tags: WHS,WHS ANti-Virus

Aspire easyStore H340 Mod #1

2010-02-28T20:23:00.002+08:00

Bought the Home Server yesterday, and I did the first mod today (really speechless about my pairs of itchy hands…). Anyway, I noticed that the system runs quite hot. With the stock 120mm fan running at 900+rpm, CPU idle at 60c+, while System temp is at around 50c+ (non air-cond room).

The stock fan (from AVC, Taiwan) was attached to a pair of nice metal bracket with rubber type feet, to reduce vibration I suppose, although you can hardly feel any when it’s only spinning below 1k rpm. Anyway, the fan was sitting more towards the top side to blow directly on the 4 HDD bays. It’d be better if it can blow those heatsinks on the mobo too.

I replaced the stock 120mm with a Cooler Master 140mm unit. The 140mm wouldn’t fit on the bracket. So forget about mounting it onto the bracket, I used cable tie to hold it, slightly tilted so that it can blow on the heatsinks too. Fan speed is around 1050rpm. The result, everything is cooler inside this small casing now. CPU is max at 52c under 80% usage, while System is staying at 40c. The screen shot below was taken when the server was idling.

In conclusion:

		Before	After
CPU Temp	Idle	60c+	48c+
	Load	70c+	52c+
System Temp	Idle	50c+	38c+
	Load	60c+	40c+

It’s quite a good improvement consider the fan cost only RM29.

Next mod: larger heatsink, if I can find a suitable one in the local market, or perhaps a larger PC casing.

* Note: My Q6600 @ 3.3GHz / 1.424V is idle at around 36c under a CM V8. So…gonna try to reduce another 12c on the server…

Technorati Tags: Acer Aspire,easyStore H340,Windows Home Server,Mod

Aspire easyStore H340

2010-02-28T04:22:00.006+08:00

After a long searched and countless time of frustration to get this Windows Home Server, I finally have it! From LHS (Karamunsing), at RM1299 (around USD382). The shop owner was quite surprise to see there is actually someone who’s interested in this product. According to him, Acer asked him if he would like to sell such product, so he tried it out by ordered 1 unit…and it’s quite a coincidence that I dropped by his shop after he had it on the shelves for few days.

Anyway, if you’d like to know the spec:

Intel Atom 230 processor (1.6GHz / 512K Cache / 533MHz HSB)
Intel 945GC Express Chipset
Gigabit Ethernet
2GB DDR2 Memory
256MB flash ROM
1TB 7200RPM HDD
Genuine Windows Home Server OS

So, does it worth the money? What if you DIY (estimated cost):

RM200 – Intel Atom & the mobo
RM130 – 2GB RAM
RM300 – 1TB HDD
RM340 – WHS OS
RM100 – for the small and pretty casing
RM240 – for the 4 hot swap HDD bays

That will add up to RM1310. Won’t differ much if you DIY one unit. Unless you are planning to run FreeNas, then you can save that OS cost for another 1TB of HDD. Anyway, the unit comes without keyboard/mouse and video out port. So just plug in the power cord, connect the RJ45 to your Switch or Router, everything else is setup through the neat GUI web interface from network client PC.

Things suppose to work out flawlessly (at least it was when I was setting up the 120-day trial last time), but sometimes we just have to expect the unexpected. I am not sure if the retailer’s staffs have been messing with the machine (although the shop owner did tell me it’s not yet configured), or is it Acer people who tried it out before they pushed it to their dealer. The unit is pre-configured, with a password…when the password is only suppose to be created by the user when he runs it for the 1st time after he bought it (it’s like when you take home a branded PC fresh out from the box, everything suppose to be fresh, no password, no user name and stuff).

Luckily, whoever that fellow was, he set the password at the “Password Hint” too. So that makes things went smooth for a short moment, before I encountered another problem – unable to detect Windows Home Server. Reset server and software reinstallation didn’t help either. Crap!

After few times try and error, noticed that it’s due to this Acer H340 messed up with my D-Link NAS. It’s using my NAS IP. So, reconfigured both units IP and things finally worked out good. Reset password, download and run those updates, and now it’s backing up my home office PCs...

Technorati Tags: Acer Aspire,easyStore H340,Windows Home Server

Windows Home Server – Sad Case

2010-02-01T21:26:00.001+08:00

Time flies, and my WHS trial copy expired. During the past 120 days, I have been looking here and there trying to get an original copy of the program (or even together with the PC if I have to). However, no luck for us Malaysian. I emailed my enquiry to Microsoft USA, telling them about the case, hoping that they might be able to help me out but the representative redirect me to Microsoft Malaysia…WTF, can’t they read the damn mail properly?

Since hp is one of the Microsoft’s partners on this product, I contacted a friend who works in a hp retail outlet, who also has a few contacts working in Microsoft Malaysia. So she got an answer for me. Her friend introduced Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition, which costs RM2k+…DUH!!

Someone said that it possible to buy from Amazon and activate it from Malaysia. But looks like Amazon now doesn’t ship it out from the USA.

So, 3 choices:

1) Forget about the whole damn WHS thing;

2) Buy or download a pirate copy;

3) Use the trial version, the follow the AntiWPA group and see what crack they have.

I believe Microsoft is trying their best on anti piracy, but what is freakin’ wrong with selling WHS in Malaysia? If I still can’t get an original copy, then “Jack Sparrow” will be my only friend…

Computer Keyboard

2009-09-01T21:01:00.002+08:00

A good computer keyboard will improve your productivity, be it word processing, messaging, gaming, or whatever you can think of which need input from the keyboard. Besides, a good keyboard will add an elegant touch to your desk and your workstation too.

To some people, keyboard is simply just an input tool. To some, however, they collect it. I myself is not elite enough to, say, keyboard collector as things can get expensive when you are talking about branded stuff such as Logitech. It costs as low as around RM30 for a classic keyboard, and a good gaming unit can go up to few hundred RM. To me, however, I just can’t resist not to have a browse through the keyboard section whenever I go to computer shops although my current unit may still in good shape.

Anyway, I always think that an illuminated keyboard will be nice due to my office can get pretty dimmed in the afternoon, and I just don’t like to switch on the lights during day time. So when I saw the Logitech keyboard which has the illuminating feature in an IT shop few days ago, I can’t help but decided to bring it home.

The packaging is nice, and the keyboard layout is clean and neat, and like any other keyboard, you will need to get use to it when using it for the 1st time but it won’t take long.

The size of the keyboard is about the same as average keyboard but only at about a CM thick. Illumination can be adjusted with a key press and only the characters are illuminated, in white. So you can have just the right amount of light you need instead of the whole keyboard backlit in bright red or blue like those gaming keyboards which in my opinion, it’s a stress to the eyes.

Like all the multimedia keyboards out there, it comes with all the necessary media keys. Pair with the Logitech’s SetPoint software and those buttons will be customizable. A standard USB connector will ensure its compatibility with any kind of PCs out there.

I always like the laptop style keyboard, short key stroke, silence, and precise. And this illuminated keyboard is just what I have been looking for. So if you are looking for an elegant keyboard and have a little bit of budget, give it a try. Although it can’t consider cheap at RM299 for a wired keyboard.

Windows Home Server

2009-08-31T01:18:00.027+08:00

Wow...another 3 months has passed since my last post. Well, been buzy setting up my new home. Yea, finally moved in on the 4th last month. Anyway, back to the subject, I get to know this Windows Home Server thing few months back, although it's been on the market for quite some times. Looks good and promising, and is available through famous vendors like hp and acer. However, perhaps Microsoft thinks that people from 3rd world country like Malaysia will not need a server at home or it's simply trying to encourage software piracy, those pretty server is not available here although you can download the trial copy from their website and build your own server (more on that later). I have went to a couple of local hp retail outlets and most of the IT shops in Karamunsing, and none of them seems to know about it...

Anyway, since I have downloaded a trial copy few months back, so the only way to try it will be building my own server. Excuse of my PC appearance, it's only a temporary unit. It will have a new casing soon. Hardware used are:

Processor: C2D E4300

Mobo: Abit AW9D

RAM: OCZ 1066 2GB Kit

GPU: GeForce 7300GT

PSU: FSP Group Saga II 500W

HDD: WD SATA 500GB

Optical Drive: External

Installation was pretty simple although you might need to have your hardware drivers in hand due to the OS is based on Windows Server 2003. So newer hardware drivers will be missing, mine was LAN and GPU drivers, and those mobo chipset drivers.

Connect it to your switch/router, and it will detect all the client PCs automatically, and you then need to download and install a small program (from your newly setup server) onto all the client PCs so that they will be able to login to the server. The little program will put a share folder on all the client PCs too. Neat and simple. One good thing about it, you don't have to be an IT expert to run this thing.

Anyway, after installation and activation (key is available through Microsoft Connect) you will have 120-day evaluation period to play with it. To continue using the product after that, you either find a way to get the OEM installation disc (it's available in amazon.com, but they don't ship to Malaysia...duh!!), or, be "Matt Farrell". Well, I want to buy the original...but seems like Microsoft just doesn't wanna give a damn. So...

Ok, since it's working good. I went to buy a new casing for it, a CM690 (pretty good for air circulation and ventilation), together with a 1TB HDD to expand the storage. For a normal desktop PC, adding additional HDD means you will add another driver letter, or simply RAID it before you install the OS to make it a single large volume disk.

In Windows Home Server, however, a disk wizard will pop up to help you to decide. In case you just simply want to expand the storage space (for your data), it will automatically help you to merge those drives. So you won't have to remember all your data locations (eg. Picture in drive D, Video in drive E, and adult video in *cough* drive X...*cough*). Just go to drive D and all your files will be in there. As simple as that.

It's temporary sitting on top of my daily/gaming rig for better air circulation and easy for me to access. Naah, it won't fall down by itself, no earthquake anyway...*touch wood*. Oh yea, streaming media to PS3? Playing MKV files with PS3? No worries, just download and install this little program in your server and you will be able to enjoy your collection on your big screen in no time.

PROLiNK PHS100 USB Wireless Modem

2009-05-23T23:44:00.001+08:00

The problem with Windows 7 is finally solved. I was unable to get it connected to the Internet after I installed Windows 7. The modem showed cannot find connection port, or failed to connect to the Internet. Changed to XP compatible mode didn’t help, neither it works after I upgraded the modem firmware.

Perhaps I don’t know how to use Google properly, I just couldn’t find any answer to the problem. No broadband means no life to me (freakin’ net addict I’m). So, after some tried and error, I finally made it to work - by creating a new Dial-up connection under Connections tab in Internet Options. Set the Phone number to *98# and leave everything else as default. That’s it! (Yup, it’s Celcom Wireless Broadband number. I’m using it when I’m away from home).

The PROLINK 3G Modem PC Manager will “work together” with the newly added Dial-up connection. Why is it that way? Why can’t it work by itself? That, I have absolutely no clue. Due to Windows 7 is still a RC version, maybe? But as long as I can get my netbook connected to the Internet when I need it while on the go, I’m a happy man.

Windows Live Writer - Error 403! Forbidden

2009-05-22T14:08:00.001+08:00

I started to use Windows Live Writer couple of weeks ago, it comes with Windows Live. One good thing about this writer is that it allows you to add various blog accounts, just like how you can add several email accounts in Windows Live Mail.

However, I encountered a problem when I was trying to publish a blog with photo attached to my blogger.com account. The server will return an Error 403. The problem could be due to Picasa Web Albums (blogger.com, Google, and Picasa are all linked) doesn’t automatically create a specific album to store the pictures during upload.

So, to overcome this problem, simple. Just login to the Picasa Web Albums with your Google ID and create an album titled “Windows Live Writer”, and voila! No more error 403 or whatsoever. Pictures attached in your new blog will automatically store in that album.

Happy Blogging!

Windows 7 on EeePC 1000H

2009-05-22T12:56:00.003+08:00

News on Windows 7 is going like a hot cake on the Internet now. Microsoft claims it’s build based on users suggestions and comments. I missed out the Beta released which they actually send out the installation disc. So I downloaded the current RC 32-bit version image file, size is around 2.3GB. It’s a Windows 7 Ultimate version. Product key will be issued from Microsoft website after the registration (Yea, you need to register yourself before the download). Burn the image file onto a DVD-R and you will have your own copy of installation disc.

As stated on the website, this is a RC release. So expect some troubleshooting. It’s for consumers to try out 1st hand before the final release, which should be available around end of this year.

Anyway, after some readings on reviews on the Internet of how people experience it with their old machines, as well as some notebook PC and netbook are actually come available with Windows 7 Beta pre-installed, I put it on my Asus EeePC 1000H, which I have had the memory ram upgraded to 2GB the 2nd day I bought it.

Since my EeePC comes with Windows XP Home, so upgrade installation is out of the question. Fresh installation is the only way, but it was a breeze anyway. Boot from the optical drive and just follow the on screen instruction. It takes about an hour to complete (didn’t actually time it). Once reboot into desktop, you get a fresh and clean look of Windows 7.

Picture shown above is my desktop in Windows 7. I have changed the wallpaper and have installed some programs to try out. I especially like how the taskbar look now, everything is icon-based. Items categorised more neatly than in Vista, menu looks excellent, date and time are shown together too, simply nice. Of course, to make it run more smoother under Atom, some visual effects such as animated controls and fade/slide menu will have to be compromised but have no worries it will affect your Windows 7 experience. Everything still looks good as it is.

Not sure if it’s because of the Ultimate version, compare to Vista Home Premium on my main PC, there are some extra settings to play with under Control Panel. Just in case something doesn’t work properly, the troubleshoot section is very easy to use too although it might not solve the problem (duh!!). It’s still a RC version…you’ve been warned. My Internet connection through office router was setup automatically and runs perfectly, but my Prolink wireless USB modem just doesn’t work although I’ve set it to XP SP2 compatible mode.

Just as most of the mobile users stated, battery/power management is one big improvement compare to the previous version. Users have stated that Vista has better power management than XP, and Windows 7 is more better than Vista. I’m not sure about Vista on EeePC but Windows 7 sure does it better than the Asus power management utility tool ran on XP before this. As of now after running for 3 hours, and countless times of PC restarting and programs launching/closing, I still have 45% of usage time. Previously, I’d be left with around 30-35% of usage time by now.

Overall, this is the best Windows ever. Just hope that it will be a “Woo~Waah” OS when it’s ready with no crash or BSOD...possible? Let’s keep our fingers crossed now.

TB Hard Drive

2009-05-21T02:59:00.002+08:00

Just not too long ago IT enthusiasts were excited and talking about the 1TB hard drive. It seems to be more than enough for our everyday digital storage usage, particularly at home for ripped DVD movies, digital photo and music storage. Not only most of us can’t fill it up after we stored all of our digital files (except those hardcore users or torrent freak), we can even do a full PC backup on top of that.

Then, manufacturer announced and released the 1.5TB hard drive, and 1TB unit price dropped to a more wallet-friendly RM338, to be exact (available in Karamunsing, I myself just bough a couple of that weeks ago).

Now, just recently, 2TB hard drive news pop up in all PC magazines. Although priced at RM12xx at the moment, it will go down soon or later. For those who don’t know, it’s around 2000GB (for easy calculation), or 2000000MB! If an average mp3 file sized at 4MB, how many songs can we fit in a 2TB drive? How about an average 700MB AVI files we ripped from a DVD movie? How many of those files can we fit into this hard drive? You do the maths. My sister, an average PC user, got a shocked when I told her how far a hard drive capacity has gone to now. She backup all her downloaded TV series on DVD-R then packed them nicely in shoes boxes (what a way..!). So, I suggested her to get a 1TB or 1.5TB hard drive to store all her downloads then share them across the home network.

For more advanced PC users, hobbyists, modders, or whatever name you like to call them, storage capacity can never be enough. Especially when we are talking about ripping our media to the highest possible quality. A MPEG2 DVD rip can go as large as 5GB, and 10 times or more for a BD movie. So, with a 2TB drive to store DVD rips at average 5GB per file, that’s about 400 movies. You say that’s a lot of movies? Not to a movie freak.

I’ll build a media server once my house is ready, to serve the living rooms and home theater room. Server storage capacity? Well, currently targeting at a 10-bay PC case…and hard drive manufacturers are planning to roll out 3TB drive soon.

Welcome to the Terabyte Era!

My Home Network

2009-05-18T16:09:00.003+08:00

Go to any IT or AV forum, you will find topics that are related to home network, for simply file sharing or multimedia streaming to every corner in the house, or even a more complicated ones. For my objectives, a simple one will do.

Anyway, the objectives of the setup are:

Have a central data storage or home server;
Media streaming to ground floor and 1st floor living room;
Media streaming to home theatre;
Media streaming to master bedroom;
And, Internet access from all the location mentioned above.

I never really look into a central storage before and thus all my data files are spread across my PC, laptop, and several external hard drives. All without a central network. It can become frustrated and tedious sometimes when you need to access a file and only realized that it’s stored somewhere else. Besides, it won’t be more troublesome when my fiancée wants to browse through some stock pictures from business supplier while I’m in the middle kicking some monster ass.

So, to make things simple and for me to have an uninterrupted-entertainment session in the future, I bought a network attached storage (NAS) at a local IT shop couple of weeks ago. It’s a D-Link DNS-323, not the top end product but able to server me my requirement. This little thing can do more than just storing files. Product review is available here, or you might want to check out the official site. I asked for a NAS product few years back in CPS, and it cost around RM1K that time. I will see how this thing goes 1st, and later I will try out the Windows Home Server.

Anyway, since I’m the one who will do the download and movie/music ripping, this device will be sitting in my home office connecting to the home network via my Belkin N+ modem router. So in order to play the media stored in this device from other location in the house, I guess the best way is to stream to the HTPC in every location mentioned above. That way, not only I can enjoy movie/music, I can even go online with the HTPC. Why make myself only able to surf the web in the office, right?

Ok, time to copy all my media files to the device now. Not really a lot at the moment, but for sure it’s not going to be a few minutes job.

Until then…..

All These While…

2009-05-15T02:27:00.001+08:00

Life has been busy, in everything, and I just realized that my last post was over a year ago…aaah, I’ve been lazy!

Time flies, and so does technology. Especially in IT industry, only the rich can lay hands on all the latest gadgets. So what did I get myself in the past 14 months? Not much I’d say…

After I got myself a new casing, as seen in the previous post, I spent quite some times on PC gaming, and was into home theater stuffs later in the year. Which also burn a big hole in my pocket!

After I had my home theater setup, I went back for some PC games again. Followed by a new Razer Tarantula gaming keyboard, review here, and a Microsoft Razer Habu gaming mouse. These toys weren’t cheap, but they will bring your PC gaming experience to a new level, if you know how to configure and utilize it. Why settle you gaming peripherals with a cheap one? 20 bucks keyboard and a RM10 chicken-brand mouse sure can do the job you might say, then might as well we just stick to the granny black and white TV set. Oh well, personal preference and hobby I’d say. Even if our gaming skill doesn’t get improve, at least those toys will shine up our table.

Can’t recall when it actually started, PC performance items have found their place in some IT shops in Karamunsing Complex. Although can’t compare with Lowyat in KL, at least local enthusiasts don’t have to order every single item from KL now.

My Gigabyte Chassis

2008-03-12T00:23:00.011+08:00

A new PC system definitely needs a new casing. Detailed info is available at the official site. I bought it at Karamunsing ACI Technology Sdn Bhd for RM600. Below are some pictures (sorry for the poor picture quality):

Big box! Almost as tall as the office table but fortunately doesn't weight as heavy!

Out from the box, you get a nicely printed installation guide and a piece of transparent acrylic side panel (just in-case you don't like the metal mesh piece).

The metal mesh side panel. Nice!

Two Gigabyte chassis blue led fans at the exhaust side. Silent fans, which also means low performance fans, in my opinion. Can barely feel the flow (replacement is coming soon, I guess).

Another silent fan at the lower front as intake. Enough to give your HDDs some cool breeze, and it comes with a filter too!

Time to serve (side panel is removed for picture session only)! Things that holded inside are: CPU: Core 2 Quad Q6600 (OC @ 3.3Ghz), Cooler: AC Freezer 7 Pro, Mobo: Asus P5K Deluxe, RAM: Kingston PC2-6400 1G x2, GPU: Asus 8800GTS 320MB, HDD: 250GB+320GB, PSU: SilverStone ST56F.

That's my current workstation and gaming machine (Only the CPU, Mobo, RAM, HDD, GPU, and Casing are new).

* UPDATE * 16th Mar 2008

Rear blue led exhaust fans are now replaced by CM red led units. Still a silent fan, but with just a little bit higher air flow.

CPU idle temperature now max at 38c during day time in my non air-cond room (Q6600 OC @ 3.3GHz with 1.42V). So, pretty good I'd say.

Nokia 6500 Slide

2008-02-24T16:53:00.007+08:00

Sometimes, a simple device can look extremely good if the designers know how. Here comes an example, my Nokia 6288 replacement - Nokia 6500 Slide.

What I especially like is the appearance and the solid feel when you hold it. Trust your eyes and hear me right, the silver part you see in the picture above is brushed metal finishing (how I wish it's totally covered in metal...)! Anyway, how many phones you see in the market come with metal body especially a mid-range product? This is one of the rare ones. Its weight might not be everyone's favourite but some people prefer a compact but solid-feel device. Yes, it does feel heavy, even as heavy as my Atom Life.

One of the strong points is the camera which feature: 3.2 megapixel with Carl Zeiss lens, dual flash, autofocus, and VGA-resolution video capture (640x480). Still picture resolution is max at 2048x1536. These type of capabilities have only been seen in high-end N-Series devices before, and consider this 6500 Slide is only Nokia's mid-range product, and it's not even a smartphone! How pity my Atom Life doesn't have such features when it's strong at connectivity - it would be excellent if it's able to capture high-res picture and upload it to blog site through a public Wi-Fi network (let's just wish and dream for a 100% perfect device...).

Anyway, a 256MB microSD is included in the standard sales package but in case you want to carry few hundred MP3s and video clips with you, you can always go for a higher capacity card. A Kingston 1GB microSD is available for around RM60 in town. Standard package in KK area is around RM1200+, which I reckon is a good alternative to other more expensive 3G phones on the market.

Nokia N95 8GB

2008-02-24T15:50:00.004+08:00

Not long after I bought my O2 Atom Life, my wife saw her friend carrying a N95 8GB. So she wanted one as well...(aaah, in girls' thinking, giving her what she wants is a way to show her how much you love her...). Since Valentine's Day was coming, so I gave her a surprise with that phone (although she was expecting it...DUH!).

Anyway, the N95 8GB, known as one of the Nokia's best phones ever built. No need me to do another detail introduction on its build-in features and functions as there are already lots of it in the Internet. Here is one of the officials - http://www.nseries.com/index.html#l=products,n95_8gb

Compare with the previous model, the 8GB version is significantly better in everyway. Even to my Atom Life in certain ways. Price is range from RM2799 to RM2999 for a Zitron set, while around RM2200 for an AP set. Consider affordable for a pocket-size "Multimedia Computer".

Atom Life

2008-02-16T22:49:00.006+08:00

Just realize that my last post was in July 2007...! Oh well, life's been quite busy. Anyway, thought that I will post something regarding my new gadget - Atom Life.

Ok, it may be not the latest high-tech gadget in the market but it's one of the heavyweight ones in the PDA phone family. Its 624MHz processor power and the 1GB Flash ROM are what attracted me and kept me thinking of it all the time. However, with only 64MB RAM to cope with the ROM, it's quite a disappointment. Imagine how many programs or software you can install with its 1GB ROM but you don't have much memory to run it. Thus, the performance will get sluggish after some usages and reboot (soft reset) will be the only solutuion.

Even though, I finally still bought it when I was in KL just before CNY. Standard box package plus a 2GB miniSD memory card and a screen protector, all for RM2199. I reckon it's a good deal since I saw it goes for around RM2899 in Karamunsing KK couple of months back. Some of the shops might still retain the WM5 which comes pre-installed from the factory but majority have upgraded to WM6 Pro. So don't forget to check that out with the sales person.

Anyway, first thing I realized after powered up the device was the weak signal strength. It showed only 1-2 bars while my ordinary Nokia was in full signal. Besides, ringtone volumn is ridiculously soft even though it's set to the max.

After searching through some Internet forums and the official O2 site, flashing the unit with the latest WM6 ROM was the solution. It's working good now although signal strength still can't compare with my Nokia. Other than that, it drains out the battery quite fast. Might be due to its fast processor. My own solution - I keep it connected to my PC everytime when I'm at my table.

If you like to customize your device, software/plug-in to go with it will be SPB and/or SBSH. They are one of the best, and best of all, they won't burn your pocket.

Overall, minus 1 for the weak signal strength, 1 for the pity 64MB RAM, and 1 for the camera (still 2MP while mid-range Nokia is already in 3.2MP with a Carl Zeiss lens) together with the poorly built stylus (my old Eten stylus is 10x more solid), I'll give it a 7/10 (GPS is not counted because I don't use it).

Until then.

Which Hi-Def device?

2007-07-20T15:39:00.000+08:00

Before, High Definition was the future. Then suddenly, it has become the present. Almost every home appliances retail shops have a few HD devices on shelves. So, to stay on the HD train, you have rushed to buy the biggest size product, which you can make your neighbours jealous when they peek at your living room through the window - a big screen HDTV (only if they not yet have one).

Now you have got your HD-ready TV setup nicely on the cabinet. What’s next? For sure not to pair it with some old school analogue media players. So, time to fill it with some Hi-Def contents, from films to gaming. Below are some decent devices which you would like to consider:

XBOX 360 with XBOX HD-DVD (Approx RM2100) www.xbox.com
Its well-known online service and still expanding selection of great games simply makes it one of the best consoles. With the optional HD-DVD drive, around USD200 (not sure if it’s available in KK market), you will be able to stuff your HDTV with Hi-Def movies. However, the XBOX 360 only comes with component and VGA outputs, so image signal will be converted to analogue before it goes to your TV but fortunate enough, it still look as sharp as those from Blu-Ray players. Moreover, Microsoft has announced that the unit will support 1080p contents through a software upgrade. You'll be able to enjoy your existing XBOX 360 games and DVD movies in 1080p resolution.

TOSHIBA HD-E1 (Approx RM1800) www.toshiba.co.uk
This is the first standalone HD-DVD player. Setting it up and running is pretty straight forward, according to some current users. However, the device loading time is pretty slow, takes about a minute to power up and starts playing a HD-DVD disc. Although Images quality is on par with XBOX 360 drive, some may be disappointed to find that its highest image setting through its HDMI port is at only 1080i, not 1080p.

SONY PS3 (Approx RM2100) http://asia.playstation.com
Some IT shops in Karamunsing still asking for more than RM2400. It may be a little bit pricey for a game console, but not when it comes with built-in Blu-Ray player. Images edges are sharp and details jump off the screen. Disc loads fast and the device is very quiet. Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio are supported through the HDMI output. However, it is lack of a bundled remote controller. You either buy one or use the wireless controller (now you can "play" movie. DUH!!). However, it includes a 60GB hard drive for video, photos, and music. Some people out there actually bought PS3 just for videos and photos viewing purpose because of its Hi-Def output. Oh yea, it also has a built-in Wi-Fi for easy internet access but of course you are not going to bring it to Coffee-Bean, are you?

PANASONIC DMP-BD10 (Approx RM4600) www.panasonic.com
The price will definitely hold back even most of the hardcore movie fanatics but Panasonic claims that it comes with picture enhancement technology and it is able to decode lossless audio internally. However, while this is one of the best standalone players around, it just isn’t worth it. Better get a PS3 if you are going for a Blu-Ray player, it can play games, at least.

Some of the device comparison information above are taken from T3 - The Gadget Magazine, July 2007, Issue 38.

Hard Disk Running Too Hot?

2007-05-25T12:48:00.000+08:00

A Google research study revealed something about the hard disk temperature. While a lot of PC users are trying to keep their hard disk as cool as possible, the study showed exactly the opposite. The rate of hard disk failure increases especially in low temperature, below 30c. Only disks which are older than 3 years behave as expected. However, failure rate only increased when temperature went to about 45c and above. So meaning to say, hard disk cooling systems for home user like us, are basically unnecessary. Research also showed that pleasant temperature should be around 40c.

This is one of the most extensive tests in the IT industry. Google collected and analysed about 100,000 hard disks, included PATA and SATA models capacity range from 80GB to 400GB which majority of home users purchase, from its own data processing centre over the period of nine months.

So now we all know how to take good care of our hard disks.

Asus EN8800GTS 320MB

2007-05-25T01:25:00.000+08:00

Just about a couple of weeks ago, I started to play "Rainbow Six: Vegas". With my E4300 running at 2.9GHz paired with further-overclocked 7300GT Sonic, the game play was lagged even though I have put the video setting to low and medium in 1024x768 res. So I started to think of a higher end GPU. After went through some forumers opinions and research, I finally put my order on an Asus EN8800GTS 320MB with my IT supplier. Some might ask why don't top up few hundred bucks and get a GTX. Well, my screen is only 22" and I'm not a full-time/hardcore gamer, nor I've that kind of budget at the moment. So...maybe next time.

Anyway, below are some pictures:

The packaging is nice, and the box is big. With the carrying handle on top of it, you sure can attract some envy eyes when carrying this baby out from the shop.

Inside the box you get a quick installation manual, some driver CDs, 3DMark06, cables, adapter, a nice black CD wallet, and of course - GAMES! WTCC & GHOST RECON:ADVANCED WARFIGHTER.

Not the biggest size GPU on the market but it's quite impressive (NO! That cigarette is not bundled with this toy!). Ghost Recon picture on the heat sink cover but too bad you won't be able to see it after attach to your mobo, unless you are using BTX casing with a top window panel.

Make sure you have nothing attached to the next PCI slot, it takes up two slot spaces. Hot air is push out through the rear vent, unlike some other brands design which just make the hot air circulate inside the PC case.

After installation and everything, I tried it out with 3DMark05 just to see how far it can go. I scored 5587 with my previous setup and this baby hit 13646, and 8370 on 3DMark06! On top of that, it runs a little bit hot. My overclocked 7300GT Sonic ran full load at around 63c and this toy idles at that reading. So make sure your PC case has good air flow system if you are going to have this in your rig.

Now I'm going to Mexico to spank some bad dude ass! Until then...

Internet Security Practices

2007-05-21T11:09:00.000+08:00

When I was in IT line last time, I actually have quite a number of customers coming in asking for help in "virus-fighting". I even get question like "my P4 quite powerful mah, why still can infected by virus leh?". So the fact is that there are actually people who think that a computer with powerful processor will not get infected by computer virus, and believe me, there are still PC users out there who don't know what is computer virus.

No matter how powerful your PC is, it's extremely vulnerable if you don't practice Internet security, especially when countless of computer virus attacks, malwares, computer hoaxes, and phishing scams are reported almost everyday. So, how do we actually practice Internet security?

Below are some points taken from hardwarezone.com:

Use an Internet security solution that combines antivirus, firewall, intrusion detection, and vulnerability management for maximum protection against malicious code and other threats.
Ensure that security patches are up-to-date and that they are applied to all vulnerable applications in a timely manner.
Ensure that passwords are a mix of letters and numbers. Do not use dictionary words. Change passwords often.
Never view, open, or execute any email attachment unless the attachment is expected and the purpose of the attachment is known.
Keep virus definitions updated regularly. By deploying the latest virus definitions, consumers can protect their computers against the latest viruses known to be spreading “in the wild.”
Check to see if your PC or Macintosh® system is vulnerable to threats by using Symantec Security Check at: http://security.symantec.com/.
All computer users need to know how to recognize computer hoaxes and phishing scams. Hoaxes typically include a bogus email warning to “send this to everyone you know” and/or improper technical jargon that is intended to frighten or mislead users. Phishing scams appear to come from a legitimate organization and entice users to enter credit card or other confidential information into forms on a Web site designed to look like that of the legitimate organization. You should never disclose confidential information without confirming that the request is legitimate.
Both spyware and adware can be automatically installed on a computer along with file-sharing programs, free downloads, and freeware and shareware versions of software, or by clicking on links and/or attachments in email messages, or via instant messaging clients. Therefore, you should be informed and selective about what you install on your computer.
Don’t just click those “Yes, I accept” buttons on end-user licensing agreements (EULAs). Some spyware and adware applications can be installed after you accept the EULA, or as a consequence of that acceptance. Read EULAs carefully to examine what they mean in terms of privacy. The agreement should clearly explain what the product is doing and provide a way to uninstall it.
Beware of programs that flash ads in the user interface. Many spyware programs track how users respond to these ads, and their presence is a red flag. When you see ads in a program’s user interface, you may be looking at a piece of spyware. Don’t click on ads that appear unexpectedly in your browser window. Instead, close the window immediately.

AC Freezer Pro 7

2007-05-08T12:25:00.000+08:00

Just when I have received my PSU yesterday, a postman honked at my gate this morning. My AC Freezer Pro 7 is finally here after 19 days of delivery, all the way from Performance-PCs.com.

Packaging.

Well protected.

Looks good.

Inside the box...

Compare with stock Intel unit.

Ready for action.

Since there are already a lot of product reviews available in the Internet, I'll not going into product detail. Anyway, I believe my home office is one of the most "computer-unfriendly" environments out there - high ambient temperature all day long. So how well does this unit perform? Let's see...

My rig stays in Coolermaster Centurion 531 case, with 120mm fan for both intake and exhaust. Intake fan speed at around 1260RPM, exhaust spins at around 1740RPM, and CPU fan at 2700RPM. Room temp at around 30c. With closed panel, CPU temperature reads at 47c, System temperature rises from 39c to 41c, PWM1 temp hits 48c from 40c, and PWM3 temp hits 45c from 39c.

I believe it's due the direction which the AC Freezer fan is blowing. Compare with Intel stock unit, Intel's unit is blowing down to the motherboard and thus able to bring down the surrounding temperature more effective, while AC Freezer fan is blowing straight to the exhaust side of the case with only little flow to the motherboard.

So my conclusion, not satisfactory at the moment but since have to wait for the thermal paste to run in, so I expect a slightly lower temp reading by then. Perhaps other people carried out the tests under a more cooler environment, and thus able to have lower temp reading. Maybe I should get an air-conditioning unit for my room.

My SilverStone ST56F PSU

2007-05-08T11:20:00.000+08:00

Most people, including myself, neglect the PSU when they upgrade their PC due to almost all new PC cases attached with one. Never before I will consider to spend few hundred bucks in an aftermarket PSU since all my past units have served me well under various operating conditions. However, not until recently when one of my friends told me that his unit, which came together with the PC case, blew up while he was busy spanking his enemies. Now I don't know what does he really mean but certainly, I won't want that to happen to my new rig especially when I have spent few thousand bucks to build it.

So after checking out users suggestions and opinions from a well known local IT forum and read some related articles from the Internet, I put my order for a SilverStone ST56F through modernopc.com (an IT vendor with excellent customer service). Anyway, This unit has received pretty good comments from majority of PC-enthusiasts. Total costs is RM385, including POS LAJU charges.

It's not the best PSU in the world but it sure is the best bang for buck item when talking about 560W Continuous. Go have a round in all the IT shops in Kota Kinabalu, I'm sure you can't find one that comes close to it.

Since there are already lots of detailed reviews on this item, so I'm not going to put up another one here. Anyway, below are some pictures:

Received from POS LAJU.

The box.

Inside the box.

Looks solid and beautiful.

Experience with Boulevard IT Superstore

2007-05-06T20:14:00.000+08:00

It's grateful to see that IT stores are booming tremendously in one of the local shopping complex - Karamunsing Complex. It's said that the owner wants to turn it into a KK-Lowyat, IT center in other word. One can imagine how tough a business will become when everyone is selling similiar items. However, there are always ways to stay ahead of competitors, and one of them is by providing better customer services possible, and of course, that will depends on the manager's capability in training his sales team.

My story:
Recently I was in the mood to "light up" the interior of my PC case, with some LED fans. so after searching around in Karamunsing, I found out that Boulevard IT Superstore has some units on shelves. No label stating its LED color, so I asked a salesgirl if she can test it out for me. She looked unconfident within a second, and seeked help from her colleague. Sounds good and helpful? Well, unfortunate enough, after the salesman opened up the box and looked at the fan, he told me that it's very hard and troublesome to test the fan because it needs to be connected to the PC power supply unit... Frankly, I was shocked to hear such reason coming out from an IT shop sales person, and this really turns my shopping mood off. Perhaps in his point of view, customer means a person who spends big money...not those who just wanna buy a shitty fan?

My opinion, IT shop manager/owner should only hire people who are keen in IT. Not some low-cost-school-leavers who just want to have fun and wait for payday. Nevertheless, Boulevard IT Superstore does provide a good variety range of products. However, customers better have basic IT knowledge if want to shop there as their sales person aren't very knowledgeable in what they are selling - they can even flipped through External IDE Closure boxes trying to look for information when I enquired if they have high-end PC power supply unit...

Internet connection

2007-05-02T11:56:00.000+08:00

Read an article in a PC mag regarding Internet connection in other countries, and realize that Malaysia's is still falling far far behind. Looking at our neighbour, Singapore, people are enjoying a higher speed connection since some times ago. Now I'm not sure about the charges, but I guess it will be an affordable one. For Hong Kong, they are running at 10M and for only HKD100+ per month (100HKD is around RM44)! I can only imagine and dream for that to come true in our country...

For ours, we have Jaring and TMNET since the 90's, and now we are only speeding at 512k up to 2mbps. Worst case is that our broadband connection is always down, not "always on" as stated by our ISP. Imagine how frustrated can it be when you are going to perform an urgent online banking transaction and you realize that the connection is down.

TMNET was promoting the RM77 1mbps connection in the recent PC Fair. The salesgirl asked me to sign up. So I asked her what for if my current connection is always down and my 512k can never hits the limit, and she told me that everything will be fine after I upgrade to 1mbps connection. Now that is a VERY RESPONSIBLE salesperson one would like to avoid as they only care about the sales commission, not providing solution! Malaysia TMNET is wasting money on such sales team and no wonder we can't be improved. One of my friends just signed up for the 1mbps package recently and it's down the day after, for whole day long. Malaysia is a boleh-land.

Perhaps our government should upgrade the service under the 9MP. I believe people don't mind to fork out a little bit extra for higher and stable Internet connection speed. If other Asia countries can do it, why can't we?

We don't brag if our results are higher, but we need to revise when we are falling far behind.

CoolerMaster Centurion 531

2007-04-26T17:59:00.000+08:00

Just when I thought that I'll be happy with my rig running in my white, clean and simple Asus case, I came across a CoolerMaster case this afternoon, the Centurion 531. Being a PC enthusiast, it quickly grabs my attention. After some inspections on the casing, I bought it for RM299, although there are a few very minor scratches on the front panel.

Not bad for that price on a branded stuff. It comes with a well printed installation guide, some fitting bits, and a 120mm CoolerMaster fan attached at the front side, but without a PSU, unfortunately.

Since there are already a lots of reviews on this case, so I'm not going to write another one. Anyway, time for me to do some studying on the casing now.

Until then...

C2D Overclocking

2007-04-23T00:54:00.000+08:00

Since the day I got my C2D equipped rig setup and running, I've been searching the Internet on how to overclock my toy. Results I found out are either too technical (for me), or too brief. So I just simply tried to push the FSB using Abit uGuru (comes with my motherboard - Abit AW9D), and of course, countless times of system crash and reboot, and the max I achieved was a merely 238 FSB (2.142GHz = 238 x 9), that's only 342MHz further.

Everything comes cleared when I found this C2D Overclocking Guide for Beginners. I'd say this is the most straight to the point guide I've ever seen. So after reading through it, I gave it a try on my system. The result, I achieved 300 FSB, that's 2.7GHz! I know there is nothing to brag on it, but for beginner, I think it's a pretty good result. Although CPU temperature reading still remain the same as stock, I won't go any further until I receive my Artic cooler.

Anyway, thanks again to "Clunk" for that guide.

Reactivate Vista, again...

2007-04-18T01:43:00.000+08:00

With all the beautiful graphics and features, Vista takes around half of the 1GB system memory everytime after loading. So to make the system runs even smoother, I went out and grabbed another 1GB module to make it 2GB in total. Slotted in the memory module, booted up the PC, and again, I need to activate it...

Perhaps the timeframe is too short since my last activation, I couldn't get it done online this time. So, I called up the support center again, and received lots of questions. Maybe they think that I was installing the OS to other PC...

Anyway, it's done successfully, of course. I asked the guy on the phone under what circumstances do I have to reactivate the OS license again, " After every hardware changes", he replied. "So to save all your trouble calling us up every time, better do all the upgrades at one go". That's his suggestion. ;)

Until then...

Primary Hard Drive Replacement

2007-04-16T22:38:00.000+08:00

Although this is not a new skill/knowledge, I believe there are people out there who still don't know how to replace their primary hard drive (that's your Drive C) without having to reinstall every single program, and I was one of them... So I would like to share what I learned in here.

I used a 40GB hard drive to start the Vista fun due to tight budget during that time. So, as usual, spaces filled up in no time (around half of it was allocated to Vista...). Just when I was about to go out and grab a new hard drive, I found one 80GB unit lying inside my junk PC in the storeroom...this will solve the problem temporary until I get a brand new SATA drive, with higher data volume, of course.

Anyway, since reinstalling all the programs and redo all the settings are not fun, so I search for program which is able to clone/backup the whole hard drive. Norton Ghost 10 is out of the list since it's not Vista compatible. Although it still can run, I don't feel like to take the risk.

Paragon Drive Backup 8.5 Personal was what I used. It has a 30-day trial and it's Vista compatible. Here is the link - http://www.paragon-software.com/demo.htm. Installing and running the program is pretty straight forward:

Download and install it. Make sure your new hard drive is connected as "Slave" and formatted.

Run the program and a window will pop up asking Buy now or Buy later.

I chose "Buy Later"...

On the main screen, click on Copy the entire hard disk, and a wizard window will pop up.

Follow the on-screen wizard and everything will be done in a short while, although mine took about 36 minutes.

Here is a snapshot of the main screen, with the cloning option circled in red.

I swapped the hard drive and set it to "Master" immediately to test it out. Everything runs well and of course, Vista will need to be reactivated. However, just a few clicks on the mouse while the computer is connected to the Internet and it's done. As simple as 1-2-3.

Vista Sidebar...

2007-04-15T23:10:00.000+08:00

Been using Vista Home Premium for a couple of months now. Basically, I'm happy with its new interface, security features, and of course, the Sidebar. Previuosly I was using Samsung SyncMaster 753DFX. Yup, it's a few years old 17" CRT. With the Vista Sidebar showing at the screen side , any program window won't be able to show in full if I'm to put it side by side with the Sidebar.

Vista will definately love the additional pixels of a widescreen (perhaps it's created with widescreen in mind), and I'm glad that I just purchased a unit, as mentioned in my previous post, a 22" LCD (BenQ FP222W). One of the reasons that I bought this monitor is because I want to display the Sidebar side by side with most of the programs, if not all, which I run frequently. I do access to my Gadgets a lot when I'm doing my daily job on PC.

I've read quite some posts on the Internet that some people will simply ignore it or even turn of the Sidebar, saying that those Gadgets will take up system memory and slow down system loading speed. However, with my entry-level E4300 C2D paired up with a pair of Kingston 512, my rig has no problem with my 8 Gadgets at all.

I have tested some of the well-known branded PCs which loaded with Vista Home at several local IT stores before. My conclusion, most of them are slow, even it's a C2D system. It's most likely due to too many "unwanted" or "unnecessary" pre-loaded programs running at the background. I was once testing a "h" brand notebook PC, I nearly falling asleep while waiting for it to boot up. It's no wonder why some people complain on Vista's performance. Is it the PC problem, or is it Vista fault? Perhaps they think that branded means first-class. Anyway, Sidebar now display itself perfectly on the right side of my screen...but? Yeah! Can we widen the Sidebar? Or perhaps make it double-column or even triple-column? How about changing those Gadgets size? Unfortunately, no, at least not in the mean time...

My BenQ & dual monitor setup

2007-04-14T22:00:00.000+08:00

After setting up my new PC, I thought it would be nice if I can have a bigger monitor to accomplish the purpose of C2D - multitasking. A 17" CRT monitor just isn't big enough to fit all those opened program windows. Just couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine told me that monitor price is getting cheaper now, even a 19" LCD cost only 6xx on shelves. Since I'm a heavy PC user, LCD monitor will be my 1st choice, and perhaps a Wide-Screen LCD. After some surveys, I came across the BenQ 22" FP222W in one of the local IT stores, and they priced it net at RM1099. Searched for some reviews on this product on the Internet and commends are very good. Here is one of the reviews - http://reviews.cnet.com/BenQ_FP222W_flat_panel_display_TFT_22/4505-3174_7-32138201.html

Yesterday was the first day of Pikom IT Fair in town. Without much delay, I rushed to check out on monitors deal, and hoping for a better bargain on my wish product - BenQ FP222W (yea yea, I know it's not the best but it's a bang for bucks!). After searching around, saw it at one of the booths display shelves, asking for RM999! The demo unit was attached to an Acer PC. Perhaps a low end PC, the on screen graphic display was a big disappointment. Things looked like being pulled side way to fit the wider screen, a round shape object became an oval...so I asked the salesman if the display can do better than that. "Like that is normal, because it's a wide screen mah, so everything will look wider loh", that's his answer. Hahaha!! I bet he will be fired if his boss hear that. An IT sales person doesn't even know how to do the display setting properly.

Anyway, I'm sure that it's the setting problem. So cashed and carried it home (don't wanna wasting my time on teaching the salesman how to set it up properly), plugged it to my new C2D Vista machine and ran it. Vista then searched for the latest device driver from the Internet and installed it. Then set the Resolution to the highest under Display Settings and VOILA! Everything became crispy sharp!

After one whole night playing with my new LCD monitor, I think it will be even better if I hook up my previous 17" CRT monitor to make it a dual-display. So it was done this morning. Now I have a 17" CRT to display chat program, System Status, and dictionary, while I surf the Internet and using MS-Office program in my 22" LCD...

Luckily I have a 6ft wide office table...hahaa!

My 1st C2D PC

2007-04-14T21:48:00.000+08:00

I bought my P4 unit few years ago, and at that time, the sales person told me that it won’t be long before my unit obsolete, better I get a LGA775 otherwise I will be regretted. Well, just a LGA775 motherboard together with a Pentium-D CPU cost nearly RM2000 at that time. Luckily I was on a very tight budget…otherwise I will be regretted for burning a hole in my pocket. So I carried home my P4.

After few years of “abuse” and when PC games nowadays require a higher end system, that’s when I started to dream for a new PC again…until last year when I read about the new Intel Core 2 Duo thing in some PC magazines. I’m gonna get one of these things, I told myself.

So after few months of researches and window shopping in various IT stores, I finally picked up my new rig set: Abit AW9D motherboard; C2D E4300 CPU; a pair of Kingston 512MB RAM; a GeFORCE 7300GT graphic display card; ASUS PC case; and a 430W power supply unit, all for sub RM2000. Hooked up everything, power it up and my new rig hits a Windows Experience Index base score of 4.5. I know it's nothing compare to other's, but still, I’m happy with it.

Since my new system is up and running, I launched my favorite - C&C3 in a big hurry. This game has been chocking my previous PC, even with mostly Low setting. So this time I set to Medium due to my graphic card is still considered as an entry-level unit. Game is running smooth. Now, I can see why hardcore gamers are willing to spend big money in PC…hahaa! The gaming experience is totally different now. Wonder how it will look like if everything is set to High or Ultra-High…

My 1st time in Blogger.com

2007-04-14T16:38:00.000+08:00

After been using MSN Space for a few months, it's still unable to attach pictures to blog, which, it's a big turn off although it's still my favorite. Hopefully everything can be sorted out soon, but at the mean time, I will transfer parts of what I have from MSN My Space to here...