Site Migration Of thelaptopdude to roguedomination.com

Greetings, friends!

I would like to invite everyone to visit me at my new blog home: laptopdude1.com :



See you there!

lopezvito :)

Smart 3G Part 2

So I tried my Smart 3G Connection again, via Bluetooth on my N71. Used it on peak hours. Came out with a good run! Was able to do some decent surfing and blogging :) Here's the rating, 198 download and 254 upload, sweet! :

Blogspot vs Wordpress

Wow....I have been trying Wordpress for the past couple of days....and only one word comes to mind when using it, or shall I say ATTEMPTING to use it.....FRUSTRATION!

Dang! This is hard to use. Hard to navigate. Hard to use. Hard to manipulate. Hard to customize. For a beginner, this is forgettable....on the verge of unbearable!

Whereas blogspot, man, it's a joy to use. It is literally for EVERYONE. You can set up your blog in 5 mins!

I know the benefits of Wordpress are much better -- better earning potential (since it ties into your domain), better css and database backend, better many stuff according to experts, yada-yada-yada....but heck all I want to do is blog. And I can't even get a decent blog started since I can't get it to work! Darn you WP! Darn!

Smart 3.5G via Bluetooth on a Nokia E71

I tried surfing the net on my laptop using a Nokia E71, that was connected to Smart's 3.5G mobile internet, using bluetooth to bridge it. It didn't quite come out as fast as I'd hope for. I only got 59 download and 265 upload. Later, I'll try it via cable connection and see how it goes.

Acer K10 DLP Projector

This little gadget is by far the most popular gizmo we have with clients! Over 2 months have passed since we bought this mini projector and we still get raves from our clients.



The bottomline is, this thing is SMALL. Tiny! Fits in any bag. Even with my laptop bag filled to the brim, this thing can still manage to cram its way into any space or nook. Bringing this to any meeting is a joy. The only problem is -- it only packs 100 lumens. For it to be effective, one has to turn off most lights in a conference room. And you talk of projectors, brightness and resolution is a must. In those regards, it kinda fails. But this is still way too cool not to like.

Other stuff:

It weighs in at just 0.55 kg / 1.21 lbs. It's definitely among the smallest and lightest projectors in the market today, making it the ideal mobile partner for instant projection anywhere. Tag it together with a netbook and you'll be the coolest road warrior out there.

The K10 utilizes revolutionary LED technology that emits brightness of up to 100 ANSI Lumens for clear and detailed images up to 60 inches diagonal. Now don't let this fool you. It's weak. It's not even fun to watch youtube vids here.

But, what's cool is, lamp replacement is almost unnecessary as LED life lasts up to 20,000 hours (at least that's what they claim) — that means optimum reliability and great savings. Other cool features include: Acer SmartFormat technology, ensuring support for both 4:3 displays and widescreens; 2000:1 contrast ratio presenting detailed text and visuals; auto keystone correction, quick signal detection, and quick start. Whew! That was a lot for such a tiny thing. And it only costs P22,700 retail.




Faiye from Rogue Digital with the mini marvel.

Gateway LT3102i

A friend of mine recently got this. In fact, he showed it to me during a telco event we attended over the weekend.

It's got bigger screen for a netbook, 11.6", lightweight, nightsky black (glossy) and as Gateway claims, it is optimized for internet access, wireless communications and core computing activities, which are the staples of any netbook. But it does look very premium, glossy lid with a silver plate strip showing of the brand name, exquisite really. And the bigger screen really helps a lot. It also uses vista home, which gave me pause, since vista tends to be very grueling on netbook processors, especially atom. And my friend who owns this, Maynard, says, based on his experience, this AMD processor is slower than the atoms which he handled before.

But the keyboard on this baby is one of the best I've seen on any laptop. Huge keys that are snuggled up closer than chiclet keyboards.

The battery protrudes at the back. At first I found it aesthetically odd, but after handling it...makes it easier for a person to hold it with one hand and "present" to a client or other people with ease.

This costs P26,900 retail.

Here's the complete specs:

AMD Athlon™ 64 single-core processor L1101
(1.20GHz, 512KB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB, 13W)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic SP1
11.6" HD WXGA Ultrabright™ TFT LCD2, 1366 x 768 resolution
high brightness (200-nit)
AMD M690E chipset
2GB 667MHz DDR2 ram
250GB 5400rpm SATA4 hard drive
Nightsky black body
Multi-in-one media card reader5, SD Card, mini SD, microSD, MMC
RS-MMC, MS, MS Pro, MS Duo, MS Pro Duo, xD
ATI Radeon™ X1270 graphics with up to 1024MB of HyperMemory™
(384MB of dedicated system memory, up to 640MB of shared system memory)3
Optimized Dolby® Headphone technology6
High-definition audio support
Two built-in stereo speakers, MS Sound compatible
Built-in digital microphone
10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet 802.11b/g Wi-Fi Certified® wireless LAN7
Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
Gateway EZ Pad™ touchpad pointing device
310K pixel integrated webcam
3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA
1 headphone/speaker/line-out jack
1 microphone-in jack
1 RJ-45 LAN
1 AC adapter connector
Dimensions: 26.4mm H x 286.0mm W x 203.0mm D
Weight: 1.44kg with 6-cell battery
Battery: 57.7W 5200mAh 6-cell lithium-ion battery pack
Warranty: 1-year parts and labor limited warranty8
Software: Gateway Recovery Management

Thanks for sharing this Mayn:

Vaio W Netbook

I had a chance to handle the Vaio W Netbook 1st hand a week ago. This is Sony's entry into the already very crowded netbook market. Nothing much was added to the generic netbook specs -- Intel 1.66ghz Atom Processor, Windows XP Home, 10.1" Screen, 2.6lbs weight, 1gb ram, 160gb hard drive, bluetooth and wifi b-g-n, and the kicker...the price tag, a whopping P39k retail! Ouch! I guess here what you really buy is the brand name. Slap on a Sony Vaio on the lid and you seemingly get a premium machine.

But to be totally candid, the looks and specs do not warrant the high price tag. It's aesthetically good, don't get me wrong. The Keyboard is excellent, chiclet form and no flex whatsoever. The build is pretty solid. It's just way too expensive! It's hard to look this way when you have gorgeous eee's and lenovo's out there at almost hallf the price, packing similar specs.

Here are some more pics:


Nice looking but nothing spectacular.


Good build quality.


Very nice chiclet keyboard.

SmartBro Bfree Day (Part 2)

This is the second post I have of this event. Had to get more of our pics organized.


Bro Plug-Its Galore. There were thousands of these for the Bro community out there! After all the event was all about Bro and the Peeps that these products served.



There were droves of people waiting to get their hands on the special skinned Plug-Its. Students from different universities wanted to get their school colors, which were emblazoned on the dongles. Very cool indeed!


The Bloggers also had their own loot-bags with Plug-its as well.


There lots of booths, giving it a real school-fair-like atmosphere.



There was a Graffiti Wall where peeps could express themselves.


There was even a massage booth, seriously! :)



They had a stage where bands could blare out Bro-style! The girl host was cute too :)


The Bloggers also spent time with the SmartBro Marketing Team, led by Ms. Annie Naval, Head of Marketing for Smart.


There were also bouncers in the venue to keep the event happy. Our friend Paolo of Rogue Digital tried first hand how efficient these guys were. Ouch!

This was definitely an event to remember! We look forward to more events from Bro! More schools, more peeps, more fun!

Logitech Nano Laser Wireless Mouse

Logitech Nano Laser Mouse

I'd have to say this is the best mouse I have ever handled! Its physical form fits perfectly in your hand. The receiver head is tiny. Uses 2AA Batteries....and batts last forever! Has a button underneath to switch off and prevent from accidental presses while in the bag causing undesired battery drain. And best of all, works on ANY surface with its laser sensor at the bottom. As seen in this post, I was using it on an aluminum surface (highly reflective), but it worked seamlessly, no probs whatsoever! Here in the Philippines, this costs around P2,200 retail.

More pics:


Small Footprint with Tiny Receiver Head


Power Button Underneath


Works on ANY Surface!

Lumix FZ28

OK, so this ain't no laptop....hehehe....but every laptop-dude should have a digicam, right? And my latest digicam-lust is this -- the Lumix FZ28. Been wanting this for over a year now. My friends tell me that the Powershot SX10 is much better, but that things is HUGE. This lumix is far more compact. And if you read through all the reviews, the FZ28 holds it's own against the sx10.

And I've seen in some multiply camera stores that this goes for as low as P19k! Gotta get myself one soon!

The CULV Class

Everyone likes tiny laptops. They, after all, represent what mobile computing is all about. And given that they are indeed small, they also use specific processors that should enable them to be cramped in a small chassis.

First there were netbooks that had celeron or via processors. They were respectable in speed and processing power, but unforgiving in battery life.

Then there was the Atom, Intel's foray into the netbook market. Normally at 1.6gig proc power, well you'd hardly refer to it as power, but it was very efficient. Never gets hot and the battery takes you into hours of mobile computing fun.

Now there is the CULV, Intel's Ultra Low-Voltage Core cpu, which gives you more power than an Atom, but still manages to extend the batt life of your machine. I can attest to it's power. I've been using an Acer Timeline 3810 for some time now, and it is way more powerful than any Atom machine, and lasts longer on a single charge than any of the netbooks I've owned.

Here's the skinny on CULV processors and the ultra-thin laptops that carry them:

CULV processors deliver a solid performance and long battery life in a sleek and thin form factor that mainstream lappies fail to provide.

Ultra-thins are the next netbooks. Apparently, more and more people are gravitating to ultra-thins more, simply because they offer bigger screens, bigger keyboards, better processing punch, while still maintaining mileage in battery life.

Ultra-thins are lappies with the perfect balance of performance and form, the new criteria for mobile computing. They typically measure in the 1-inch range and weigh-in at a remarkable 1 to 2 lbs. This make them a joy to carry around.

What makes the CULV processor unique is it consumes less power than that of any mainstream laptop out in the market. And those normally utilize either a dual core or core2duo cpu. And its tiny footprint is what allows it to be fitted in sleek designs which is the trademark of ultra-thins. Traditional laptop cpu's pull in a 25 to 35 thermal design point (or TDP). This is the amount of heat generated by the cpu. Your laptop compensates for this heat with corollary fans and other cooling components in order for it to run efficiently and obviously not burn you along the way :) CULVs on the other hand have a lover TDP of ...grab onto your seat.... just 10 watts! And these cpu's normally don't need the fans and cooling components mentioned previously. Removing these components now allows for the sleek and thin form factor that is the staple of ultra-thins.

Here's a benchmark sample from Intel of how typical CULV performs:

SmartBro Bfree! (Part One)

What a fun day for consumers of Bro! SmartBro just held a huge school-like fair at the Tent in Ortigas (Philippines) today, where they gave away thousands of Smartbro plug-its! So many peeps representing different schools came and braved the summer-like heat!

It was a real school fair -- there were booths, prizes, bands, a ferris wheel (!), and loads and loads of plug-its being GIVEN to students. Kudos to Smartbro! I hope we have more of these events to come and more schools get represented.

More pictures of the event: )

Lots of dongles given away!

My friend Faiye with guy on stilts...cool!

That's me on the tsubibo!

Bloggers galore!

Acer Timeline

When I first saw this lappie...wow, it was love at first site. I was never a fan of Acer. I always felt their designs were so clunky and boxy. But the Timeline is a cut above the rest. It's profile is sleek. The shell is very elegant. The brushed-metal-like lid prevents any messy fingerprints from sticking. The keyboard is fantastic...all that chiclet goodness makes your fingers slide through it. Even for non-touch-typists, this is a joy on the fingers.

And did I already tell you that it is THIN? At its thinnest point the Aspire Timeline is just 24mm thick (less than one inch), rising just 5 mm at its highest.

The brushed aluminium lid not only gives it a very executive feel, but it also keeps the weight down to a featherweight 1.6kg (3.5 lbs) for the 13.3” model and just 2.4kg (5.3 lbs) for the 15.6” one, making it both lighter and easier to carry around than anything comparable.

And this baby packs a wallop! Intel Core 2 Solo Processor, 3gb ddr3 ram, 320gb hd, state-of-the-art jet-cooling system....wow! Dont let the Core 2 SOLO tagging fool you...you may say it looks slow, but on the contrary, this thing is quite nimble. I tried XP on it. And it blew it away! Then I packed it with the gorgeous Windows 7, and the computing experience is a joy. Doesn't lag...doesn't stall....unless you use Photoshop or other graphic apps extensively. For the normal executive who just does a lot of document processing, this is more than enough.

The battery is great! At full power, and on a single charge, it can go for around 4-5 hours. It is perfect for the road warrior.

The only chink in this exquisite armor is the sound (or the speakers). It's got a very canned effect to it. Oh it also doesn't have a dvd drive (at least for the 3810 model). But since it is so thin, it's a good exchange.

At P39,900, it isn't all that cheap, but still on the affordable side for its class. If you can spare the extra cash, I'd get this over a netbook, anyday.

More pics:


Thanks to Paolo of Rogue Digital for modeling his Timeline.


Sitting pretty on a table.


Look how THIN it is :)

The Laptop Binge!

In the past 5 months, I've gone through at least 7 laptops with my company, not including maybe 3 netbooks, which I won't even tackle here, since netbooks belong to a different segment.

Anyway, by no means am I an IT dude. In fact, I'm just the company's geek freak who enjoys fiddling with mobile gadgets :) And isn't the company so lucky that their GM has now become their resident IT, albeit self imposed.

So what I've done is ..... I've made it a point to handle all the computing requirements of my peeps just to know what the best merchandise is and if they are suitable to the different personnel I've got in the company -- Does this machine fit the needs of a tech-person, or does this one match an account-person, etc.

The 1st one I handled was a Lenovo Y430. 14incher, Core2Duo 2gig processor, 2gb ddr2 ram, 250gb hard drive, semi-glossy shell. Quite expensive when we first got this earlier this year, at P49k. Very fast machine, suitable for my design & development creative director. It's shell is a finger-print magnet though.

The 2nd unit was a Compaq CQ40. 14incher, dual core 2gg processor, 2gb ddr2 ram, 160gb hard drive, glossy shell. Nice bang for the buck, at P27k. Dual cores are fast enough, and is the cheaper and slower version to the core2duo. My accounts guys use this. Good performance. And it's keyboard is rock-solid, one of the best in any laptop.

The 3rd unit I drove was a Lenovo G230. This is a gorgeous piece of machinery. Very small. 12 incher, dual core 2gg processor, 2gb ddr2 ram, 250gb hard drive, glossy shell. It costs around P35k. My head of accounts uses this. Very easy to lug around to presentations with clients. Black outside and silver inside. Really premium looking. Oh, and it's got a silhoutted LENOVO imprint on its cover. Really elegant.

The 4th unit is an Acer Aspire 4736z. Nice looking laptop for an Acer. Best bang for the buck I'd say. 14incher, 2gg dual core processor, 2gb ddr3 ram, 250gb hard drive, glossy blue shell, super surround sound, chiclet keyboard. This lappie is a steal! Only costs P27,000! The sound and the keyboard on this machine is the best I've tried so far! My design peeps use this.

The 5th unit is an Acer Timeline. My first descriptor is.....WOW....this is the sexiest machine I've handled so far. Super thin at 1-inch! And the battery life is unmatched! I've already gone through a couple of back-to-back presentations w clients that lasted more than 5 hours, and the batt just kept on going. Amazing. This is a 13incher, with an Intel core2 solo 1.4gg processor. It sounds slow, but it isn't. Quite fast actually, despite being a single core machine. Runs on 3gbs of ddr3 ram. Has 320gb of hd space. Has a great chiclet keyboard. And has a gorgeous matt shell that is immune to fingerprints. And it's HD camera is the best I have ever seen on any laptop. I really love this lappie! It's a CEO's laptop. But it is quite expensive at P39,900.

The 2nd to the last one I handled was an Asus K50ij. Dark brown printed shell. Really elegant looking. 15.6 incher, dual core 2gg processor, 2gb ddr2 ram, 250gb hard drive, huge keyboard with calc pad. This thing is HUGE! Perfect for design and development peeps. The keyboard isn't so great though...too plasticky. But at P27k, quite a good bargain.

The last one I've handled, and the one I will be sticking with for now, is an Acer 4736z Core2Duo. I picked this to be my main machine since I discovered that I am a function over form type of individual. I prefer power over anything else, with regards to computing that is. So I'm going with this acer. At only P33,500, and running on a 2.2gg core2duo engine, with 4gb ddr3 ram, with a 14-inch screen, and 320gb hard drive, this is by far the best deal in town. This is a winner!