September has passed...

The month in which I promised to blog about food items has come to an end. But I've enjoyed creating reviews so much that I have decided to continue this hobby. So from now on, expect more food reviews on Random Talk. It will be the main theme of by blog but don't worry. I will still post rants and raves of whatever I find under the sun from time to time.

Final Fantasy 6 Hooray!!

Since I was a kid I've been a big fan of video games. I could play nonstop for more than five hours and not get tired. Ever since Sony has released it's new CD and DVD games console, I've been addicted to playing PlayStation. This radical switch to disk games with 3D graphics and realistic environments was such a mind-blowing experience. It was so overwhelming that I forgot how good the classic 2D games were. And I only realized this when I started playing the "Lost" Final Fantasy series revived on the GBA SP console.

Just 3 weeks ago I bought a Final Fantasy VI Advance for GBA. I was really choosing between Dawn of Souls (FF I & II) and FF Tactics Advance. Like any self-respecting gamer, I consult online reviews to help me make my decision. Tactics had poor feedback from consumers while the price of Dawn of Souls was too steep for my budget. I made a sudden decision and bought FF VI. It was cheaper by P150 but when I played it, it was worth more than what I paid for. The review I read on this game was right. The whole game is worth more than 50 hours of play time. And with the many twists on its plot and unlockable secrets, you will surely want to replay the game. I can say that FF VI Advance is one of the games that kept me from putting down my GBA SP. I'm not an authority when it comes to video games but I highly recommend this game to those who would like to get their money's worth. For a 2D game, FF IV really blew me away.

Now I wonder how the other Final Fantasy series would measure up? I sure would like to collect them all!

Still Curious About the Micro

I never really possessed a gameboy until the arrival of the SP. That old bulky unit that runs on AA batteries, plays limited games, gives pixelated resolution and black and white graphics seemed like a very costly commodity to maintain. Buying a unit for myself seemed like a real waste of money. But now, thanks to the advances in computer technology, Nintendo gave the aging console brand a new life. The GBA SP is a leap in innovation from it's predecessors. It has a rechargeable battery to extend game play and reduce costs in maintaining it. The LCD gave a clearer, more colorful and richer graphics. Nintendo also added shoulder buttons to add more functions and complexity in the games. What I like best is that the game cartridges are half the size of their old counterparts. The more compact the unit and parts are, the more portable they are. Nintendo even went further in making the GBA more compact when they released GBA Micro.

I'm pretty happy with my current SP. Although it satisfies my gaming needs, I'm still curious about the experience GBA Micro has to offer. I'm really intrigued about its size but I'm concerned about the screen size. Some say its not really a problem while others say the difference is significant. And compared to the clam shell design of the SP, the screen is relatively more vulnerable to damages and scratches since the Micro cannot fold up. I used to love the headphone jack of the Micro but since I turn off the sounds (to conserve battery) when I play, it's not anymore a concern. Price is not anymore an issue since they now have similar selling prices in the market. I guess the SP is still a better choice. With my big thumbs, I need a more durable unit and the bigger screen of the SP just might save me from more eye strains.

Going After Apple?

Apple is known for the sleek design and compact structure of its computers. This is evident not only in their Macbook laptops but also on their iMac desktops. The company created a one-stop desktop in which usual peripherals like LCD monitors, optical drives and web cameras are built into the entire unit. The only things sticking out are the keyboard and mouse. They wanted to make the desktop free of loose cables as much as possible and the experience as clean and compact as possible. The idea is really great for those who want to save space but the catch here is the really steep price for this innovative technology. An Apple iMac can cost as much as, or more than, a Macbook.

This type of all-in-one desktop became a luxury commodity until the arrival of the Intel Atom processor. Apple's competitors finally had the chance to answer the iMac with more affordable substitutes. Acer had the EZ1601, MSI with the Wind Top AE 1900 and Asus with the Eee Top. They are equipped with optical drives, card readers, web cameras and USB drives. As an added bonus, some of their monitors have a touch-screen feature, meaning they can be operated without a keyboard or mouse!

All of these all-in-one desktop contenders are a fraction of the regular selling price of the iMac. Thanks to the Intel Atom processor, costs are kept low and manufacturers are able to add more features to their products. Not only are they affordable, they also consume less electricity. All these features look very attractive but one question still remains. Are these systems up to the regular rigors of computer tasks?

The main difference between iMac and its competitors is the processor. While the others run on Intel Atom, iMac has Intel Core 2 Duo, which is obviously more superior in terms of performance. Atom is a processor known for its portability and not its performance. It is not recommended for heavy tasks like video editing, games and Photoshop. Could this difference compromise all of the features of these low-cost desktops? Maybe they are all just filled with unnecessary bells and whistles. Maybe they are only meant for light tasks.

I wonder why Asus, Acer and MSI used Atom as their processor of choice (aside from lowering costs). Maybe they haven't figured out a way to install a fan unit to cool the extreme heat generated by the dual core processors without destroying the compact design of the desktop.

The Smartest Investment Ever

During the sem break, the library administration closed the computer labs but they closed it down longer than usual. They didn't renovate the place. They did something better...

They replaced the old computers with flat-screen lcd monitors, brand new CPU's and installed the latest softwares! It's unbelievable. The desks became more spacious without the bulky CRT monitor. Every single key in the keyboard is functioning. They got rid of the non-responsive ball-mouse units. Best of all, the computers are running on a 2.33GHz Intel Core Duo processor with 2GB of RAM and they have a mind-blowing 80GB of disk space. Insane! Installed are the latest version of MS Office 2007 and an Antivirus (If I remember correctly, it's not Norton this time). It was a rare sight to see every computer in an entire lab working properly.

I wonder how long will it take for the students to wreck these new computer units?

New EEEPC units are here!

I went to SM Mega Mall last night and two laptop computers caught my attention. At first I wondered why this Asus EEEPC had a different webcam design on top of it's screen. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that it was the new EEE 900 series. I really didn't think that it would arrive here in Manila so soon... actually, I didn't think that it would arrive at all. This series has a 9-inch (8.9 to be exact) LCD, maximizing all the available space of the laptop. Unlike its 700 series counterparts, it doesn't have any speakers next to the display so I'm still wondering where the audio output hardware is. From what I know so far, it has 1GB RAM and the storage capacity can go from 12GB to 20GB. Awesome!

Decisions decisions...

I've been looking around for some new gadgets in Green Hills when this new computer caught my attention. It's Blue's answer to the Asus EEEPC - the DEEP BLUE H1 UMPC, another model of Mobile PC.

The laptop has a greater memory capacity, a faster processor speed and it has the features the EEEPC has. Here are the specs of each computer:

Deep Blue H1
Processor speed: 1.0Ghz
Hard disk: 40GB SSD
Memory: 1GB DDR2
Built in speaker, mic and web cam
Screen size 7" LCD
Weight: 1.2 Kgs
Selling price range: PHP16K-18.5K

Asus EEEPC
Processor speed: 900Mhz
Hard disk: 4GB Flash memory
Memory: 512Mb DDR2
Built in speaker, mic and web cam
Screen size 7" LCD
Weight: 0.92 Kgs
Selling price range: PHP16K-18.5K

At first glance it looks more powerful and a better deal than the EEEPC... or is it?

The H1 definitely wins by it's greater memory size but it's the processor which makes it questionable. The H1 runs on a VIA C7-M while the EEEPC runs on an Intel Celeron 900. The VIA brand is new to me so I've been reading though some forums to get some feedback from the users. Unfortunately some reviews contradict each other. Some say that the VIA is more energy efficient while others say that it consumes so much power that it can cause the system to overheat. Some even say that the VIA must clock in at an insane speed of 2.0Ghz just to match the speed of a 900Mhz Intel Processor (Whut?). Intel is seen in the industry as the "Rolls Royce" of processors so the memory of the EEEPC is sacrificed. This makes the VIA processor look like a weaker contender and less valuable. So which Mobile PC is more practical? I can't really say for now. If any of my readers have any opinion on this please shed some light on this topic. Feed backs are greatly appreciated. Thanks

Suffering from bad net connection

It's been a very long while since I last posted an entry here. I've got my DSL provider to thank for that. It's so strange that one Sunday afternoon, the Internet connection just went dead and it's been 2 weeks and counting. I'm using a public access computer here in my school that's why you're able to read this post. Don't you just hate it when the internet goes dead just when you need it the most? And the worst part is that our provider couldn't figure out what's wrong with our connection. I've forwarded dozens of complaints

Asus EEPC... WANT!

The progress of technology sure is fast. IT companies have been flooding the Philippine market with lots of low-cost computers. The image of laptops and PDA's as luxury items is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Just recently, I saw this awesome laptop in an Octagon Computer store. It's the Asus EEPC, a low-cost and portable computer. I want to call it a portable computer because it's smaller than your average laptop. Don't believe me? Here are some pictures.

Why now?!?!

I hate my internet connection! It keeps on disconnecting every 10 seconds. I'm lucky if I ever get to get to post this entry. It's been like this for the past three days and I couldn't get any work done. I know calling the help line is no use because they're just going to put me through a useless routine and trivial trouble shooting like they always do. And speaking of shooting, whoever is responsible for this incompetent internet service MUST PAY! Whoever is sleeping on the job must be shot! >:(

ebay blues

I've been trying to figure out how to trade online lately. I was surprised by the number of Filipinos who actually go online to shop. There are probably hundreds if not thousands of transactions completed everyday. But it turns out that even when selling or buying items locally, there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. For one thing, I need a means of acquiring payments. But it shouldn't be just any payment method. It must appeal to the preference of the buyers. The most common form so far is through Globe G-cash, which was recently banned by ebay international (But it's still acceptable in ebay.ph). Others prefer paying through Smart Money while some would rather pay through bank deposit. So for the past weeks, I've been going to banks and mobile centers trying to apply for these e-transaction services. I was just overwhelmed by the number of fees, annual rates and the strict terms and conditions.So much for trading in the Philippines. Selling on the international market is much worse. I need the verification of ebay USA by registering a Paypal account. And what exactly is Paypal? It's the preferred method of payment of international buyers. The closest Paypal service we have here in the Philippines is through debit and credit cards, which includes additional fees. Currently, Union bank is the only firm known to give full support to this service. Unfortunately the ADB (Average daily balance) to be able to open an account and apply for a debit card is pretty high (P10,000). And that initial deposit won't even earn any interest. The minimum balance is P25,000! That's even more than what I expect to generate in a month!

I guess there really is no escaping these fees and outrageous requirements. Probably it's better to look at it as investments than costs. As economists would say, "There is no such thing as a free lunch". Luckily I'm not an economics major so I don't have to hold on to this as my creed. Haha

Back Online!

Whew! It feels great to be back online after going through a week without an internet connection due to a busted phone line. Having no access felt like I was thrown back to the dark ages. Of course there was the option of accessing the net through public computers but there is always the possibility of bringing home a virus whenever I use my flask disk. That happened twice to me already and I can’t take anymore chances. Besides, I live in Manila. The odds of catching a virus (both biological and computer) through public computers are high :D