HTC Pure Review: In The Mobile World, Being A PC Is Not Much Fun
The HTC Pure retails for $199.99 before a $50 dollar rebate from AT&T. Courtesty of AT&T
Recently, I got a hold of an AT&T HTC Pure -- a 3G phone powered by Windows mobile 6.5. The specs were promising: high-speed network, touch screen interface, 5 megapixel camera, apps, radio tuner and an on-screen keyboard.
Because full immersion is required for a proper evaluation, I did the unspeakable: I yanked the SIM card from my iPhone and inserted it into the Pure.
I was now a PC.
But I found out, quickly, that being a being a PC isn't that much fun.
The Pure has two major shortcomings that make it unwieldy, especially for a longtime iPhone user. First, the touch screen isn't terribly sensitive: scrolling and selecting are cumbersome and do not always yield the intended result. The touch screen performs better with the provided stylus, but pulling out the stylus is inconvenient if you are in a rush.
Second, the software is confusing. There are too many sub-folders and too many options. Superfluous steps are required to perform simple tasks. Thankfully, there is one feature buried deeply in the abyss of this OS, which improved my experience impressively: The Touch-FLO 3D interface built by HTC.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Much awaited WINDOW 7
So, Windows 7 is out and you're thinking about upgrading. How much are you going to pay?
That's a really good question. With its multiple editions (Home, Professional and Ultimate), multiple "versions" in some of those editions (there are student and OEM-system builder versions), separate upgrade and full-installation versions, cut-rate deals for multiple-PC licenses, ultra-cheap prices for students and half-price deals for some people who ordered the product in advance, figuring out the cost of upgrading to Windows 7 is more elusive than you might imagine.
For people who just buy a typical retail copy, the cost won't be hard to figure out: The home premium upgrade is running about $120, and the full edition runs about $200. But if you build your own computers, Microsoft carves about $10 off that price for its OEM-system builder package -- although that comes with additional license restrictions.
But wait! There's more!
If you ordered Windows 7 during the summer when Microsoft was offering a pre-ordering deal (like I did), you probably paid $50-60 for the home premium upgrade. If you're a qualifying college/university student, you might be able to get the same edition for as little as $29.99 (that's 25 percent of the retail price!)
And then there are people who can get it for free! If you purchased Windows Vista, or a PC that came with Vista after June 26, you're eligible for a free upgrade through Microsoft or the PC manufacturer.
To summarize: Looking at just the home premium version, you could pay approximately:
$200 for the full retail version
$120 for the upgrade version
$110 for the system builder-OEM version (which is more limited in flexibility than the retail editions)
$50 if you ordered during the summer pre-order window
$30 if you're an eligible student
Free if you purchased Vista or a Vista PC after June 26
Now, toss in the fact that there are three major Windows editions (although not every "edition" is available in every "version") and you've already got all sorts of different price points.
But wait! There's still more! Microsoft has yet still more iterations. There's a starter edition aimed at netbooks and emerging markets. There's an enterprise edition aimed at the workplace. There are editions that let you upgrade from, say, "starter" to "home premium."
In the end, most upgraders will probably stick with the most popular versions from the most popular retailers. But pricing a new version of Windows is getting oddly close in experience to pricing a new car with accessories.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
INTEL CENTRINO PROCESSOR
Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology
With new laptop PCs based on Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology for the home, or Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology for business, you'll experience a new breakthrough in mobile performance, enabled longer battery life, the future of wireless now with 802.11n standard, and more, right at your fingertips.‡ Delivering performance gains of up to 50%¹ enabled by a minimum 3MB Smart Cache and 1066MHz Front Side Bus, these laptops are equipped to handle everything from robust business to masterful multimedia and everything in between. And with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology, you'll make quick work of the toughest computing tasks like HD video encoding—up to 90% faster², so you can accomplish more without the wait.
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Features and benefits
Upgrade performance. Built on hafnium-based Intel® Core™ microarchitecture and next-generation Intel® Core™2 processor, new Intel Centrino 2 processor technology provides a minimum of 3MB smart cache and 1066 Front Side Bus, providing performance gains of up to 50 percent.‡
Empower multitasking. By upgrading to notebooks with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology your mobile workforce can make quick work of the toughest computing tasks such as 90 percent faster HD video encodingµ and integrated Intel® Turbo Boost so you have everything you need to run Microsoft Windows Vista with support for full Aero*.
Stay productive with the longest possible battery life. Notebooks with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology will keep you unwired longer with Intel® Intelligent Power Capability and Deep Power Down Technology built in.
Unleash multimedia. With up to 90 percent faster performance when compressing HD videosº and over 3X better 3D graphics performanceµ, you'll enjoy your HD entertainment experience at home or on the fly.
The future of wireless now. With integrated WiFi, you'll get up to 5X the speed when connecting wirelessly to your Wireless N home network and up to 5X better wireless performance for even faster Wireless N technology that's just around the corner.∇
With WiMAX rolling out in cities around the world, you’ll want to add optional WiMAX-enabled notebooks powered by Intel Centrino 2 processor technology.Φ Positioning you at the cutting edge of 4G wireless, these notebooks offer the fast, high-performance Internet experience you’ve come to require for your mobile workforce.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intel® vPro™ Technology
Notebook and desktop PCs with Intel® vPro™ technology enable IT to take advantage of hardware-assisted security and manageability capabilities that enhance their ability to maintain, manage, and protect their business PCs. And with the latest IT management consoles from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) with native Intel vPro technology support, IT can now take advantage of enhanced features to manage notebooks over a wired or corporate wireless network- or even outside the corporate firewall through a wired LAN connection.
PCs with Intel vPro technology integrate robust hardware-based security and enhanced maintenance and management capabilities that work seamlessly with ISV consoles.¹ Because these capabilities are built into the hardware, Intel vPro technology provides IT with the industry's first solution for OS-absent manageability and down-the-wire security even when the PC is off, the OS is unresponsive, or software agents are disabled.²
With new laptop PCs based on Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology for the home, or Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology for business, you'll experience a new breakthrough in mobile performance, enabled longer battery life, the future of wireless now with 802.11n standard, and more, right at your fingertips.‡ Delivering performance gains of up to 50%¹ enabled by a minimum 3MB Smart Cache and 1066MHz Front Side Bus, these laptops are equipped to handle everything from robust business to masterful multimedia and everything in between. And with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology, you'll make quick work of the toughest computing tasks like HD video encoding—up to 90% faster², so you can accomplish more without the wait.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Features and benefits
Upgrade performance. Built on hafnium-based Intel® Core™ microarchitecture and next-generation Intel® Core™2 processor, new Intel Centrino 2 processor technology provides a minimum of 3MB smart cache and 1066 Front Side Bus, providing performance gains of up to 50 percent.‡
Empower multitasking. By upgrading to notebooks with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology your mobile workforce can make quick work of the toughest computing tasks such as 90 percent faster HD video encodingµ and integrated Intel® Turbo Boost so you have everything you need to run Microsoft Windows Vista with support for full Aero*.
Stay productive with the longest possible battery life. Notebooks with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology will keep you unwired longer with Intel® Intelligent Power Capability and Deep Power Down Technology built in.
Unleash multimedia. With up to 90 percent faster performance when compressing HD videosº and over 3X better 3D graphics performanceµ, you'll enjoy your HD entertainment experience at home or on the fly.
The future of wireless now. With integrated WiFi, you'll get up to 5X the speed when connecting wirelessly to your Wireless N home network and up to 5X better wireless performance for even faster Wireless N technology that's just around the corner.∇
With WiMAX rolling out in cities around the world, you’ll want to add optional WiMAX-enabled notebooks powered by Intel Centrino 2 processor technology.Φ Positioning you at the cutting edge of 4G wireless, these notebooks offer the fast, high-performance Internet experience you’ve come to require for your mobile workforce.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intel® vPro™ Technology
Notebook and desktop PCs with Intel® vPro™ technology enable IT to take advantage of hardware-assisted security and manageability capabilities that enhance their ability to maintain, manage, and protect their business PCs. And with the latest IT management consoles from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) with native Intel vPro technology support, IT can now take advantage of enhanced features to manage notebooks over a wired or corporate wireless network- or even outside the corporate firewall through a wired LAN connection.
PCs with Intel vPro technology integrate robust hardware-based security and enhanced maintenance and management capabilities that work seamlessly with ISV consoles.¹ Because these capabilities are built into the hardware, Intel vPro technology provides IT with the industry's first solution for OS-absent manageability and down-the-wire security even when the PC is off, the OS is unresponsive, or software agents are disabled.²
Sunday, August 16, 2009
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