Printers, laptops, airPads, Karateka and Frog Congee
It’s been a bit quiet on this blog this week. I wonder why that was?
Oh… right. There was this:
While I was busy dealing with the fun and games of having no reliable mobile phone signal (thanks Vodafone!), an awful lot of content was being generated. First, at CNET.com.au, a slight departure from the norm for me, with a photo gallery/story covering the event I was in Hong Kong for:
HP unveils printer apps and cloud printing: “HP has unveiled its latest range of printers in Hong Kong which now enable you to print from anywhere in the world. Its printer line-up starts at AU$129 and each one comes with its own email address. We check out the flashy launch and ask the tricky questions.”
Perhaps there’s a career ahead of me as a travel journalist/photo journalist. Perhaps not. Just in case, some more regular, review-centric content for CNET:
HP Compaq Presario CQ42-136TU: “The Presario CQ42 is an inexpensive entry-level system. There are no surprises here, either nice or nasty, and those seeking a basic office workhorse-type system will find it perfectly suitable.”
HP Compaq Presario CQ62-116TU: “The Presario CQ62 is a decent but unexciting laptop that doesn’t stand out enough to make it a must-buy system.”
MSI Wind12 U230: “The U230 offers more processing grunt than a comparable netbook, but fails in the crucial power stakes.”
Bush Walker BPR07DAB: “We can’t fault the Bush Walker’s simplicity or portability, but it’s still a DAB+ radio that is only of interest to those who spend a lot of time outdoors.”
The trip also afforded me the ability to do some genuine road warrior (or is it air warrior?) testing for MacTheMag:
MacTheBlog: AirPad: “One of the big claims of the iPad is that it’s portable. Perhaps not as portable as the iPhone, unless you’ve got particularly large pants, but still portable. I decided to put that to the test this week by using it (or attempting to use it) on an international economy flight from Sydney to Hong Kong. That’s right — I’m a sucker for punishment.”
And then with my strictly retro hat on, not one but two Vintage Tech columns for PC Authority:
Vintage Tech: Looking back at Karateka: “Karateka offered up smooth animation and simple yet evocative storytelling years before anyone though it possible. We look back at this classic game.”
Vintage Tech: Looking back at MiniDisc: “More durable than a cassette or CD, Sony’s audio format never really took off in the way the company would have liked. We look back at MiniDisc.”
That’s a lot of content, even by my relatively prolific standards. Clearly, I should travel more — it’s good for my productivity, albeit poor for my sleep patterns…
The joys of freelancing, part one: Be your own boss! (but not)
One of the benefits of freelancing, so they say, is that you become your own boss. Nobody peeking over your shoulder, and endless days of getting up late, working in pyjamas and being hand-fed peeled grapes by dusky island maidens.
The reality, naturally enough, is slightly different. Grapes go substantially up in price. The dusky island maidens complain that it’s been rather cold of late. You have to twist your neck into impossible positions in order to peek over your own shoulder. You get up even earlier, because although the commute is awesome, the pressure to produce work can actually be a lot higher, what with the lack of holidays, sick pay and the simple fact that you’ve swapped one boss for many, many bosses.
I’ve been busy today keeping my many, many bosses happy with plenty of content.
First up, at CNET, a Tablet PC review:
HP TouchSmart tm2: “As an upgrade option for existing tablet users, the tm2 shines. As an entirely new proposition, however, we’re not quite as convinced.”
Then at PC Authority, this week’s handheld Vintage tech column:
Vintage Tech: Looking back at the Palm Pilot: “Palm Pilot PDAs pretty much defined the PDA and set the scene for the smartphones we use today.”
Then at Geekspeak, musings on the joys of networking. There aren’t many.
Geekspeak: Can Networking be made easy? “Most routers can be utter torture just to get up and running.”
And finally at MacTheBlog, a musings on the state of iPad eBooks. iebooks? No, that’d be Microsoft, surely?
MacTheBlog: A Little Light Reading: “Apparently — if Apple is to be believed — “Reading is a joy on iPad”.
I’d love to say after all that lot that I’m taking time off tomorrow to feel old and worn out. Those who know why, know why. But I’m not, what with having all these bosses to keep happy all at once. Back to the treadmill I go!
Pontificating On Pomegranates
No, wait, Alluding to Apples. Predictable, really.
Earlier in the week I forgot to plug my latest column at MacTheMag, which looks at the wild and wacky world of printing:
MacTheBlog: The Perils Of Printing: “Perhaps somebody at HP has a sense of humour.”
And today, the Apple-led pondering continues as part of my guest run at Hydrapinion:
Hydrapinion: Are Macs hot enough for Steam? “The potential for Steam to allow developers access to the wallets of Mac games buyers is immense…”
Speakers, printers, laptops and… Bob.
I’ve got to resist the temptation to drop a Blackadder quote in here. Somehow.
This week’s Vintage Tech column at PC Authority covers one of Microsoft’s least successful products:
Vintage Tech: Looking back at Microsoft Bob: “Managed by Bill Gates’ wife, intended to make Windows simple enough for anybody. So why aren’t we all Bobbing along now?”
Meanwhile I’m covering all sorts of product bases at CNET.com.au with laptops, printers and speaker reviews:
Dell Studio XPS 1647: “The inclusion of Core i5/Corei7 processors to Dell’s Studio XPS line adds performance where it matters, but battery life is still a concern.”
HP Officejet Pro 8000 (A809): “The Officejet Pro 8000 does indeed jet along nicely in draft mode printing, but best quality is another story altogether.”
Divoom Revo-3: “Think of a line of inexpensive but unexciting PC speakers. Congratulations, you just envisaged the Revo-3.”
As many tech references as I can Packard into one post
Oof. That’s bad, even by my anything-for-a-bad-pun-standards.
Oh well. Anything for the Hewlett of it…
(ducks incoming tomatoes)
But it’s in context, with two different Hewlett-Packard machines going under the review hammer* at CNET.com.au:
HP Mini 210: “HP’s Mini 210 combines style and battery life in a combination that makes it genuinely compelling.”
HP Pavilion MS214a: “It won’t thrill any Apple fans into not buying an iMac, but HP’s latest all-in-one is quietly powerful at an acceptable price point.”
And if you don’t like CNET.com.au’s layout, you can read the exact same thing at ZDNet.com.au instead:
HP Mini 210: “HP’s Mini 210 combines style and battery life in a combination that makes it genuinely compelling.”
*No Dr Horrible reference should be inferred from this. Eww. Stop thinking that. I’m ashsamed of you, I really am.
Well, I had two weeks of vacation time coming…
No. No I didn’t. I’ll be more or less working through the festive season, with only a couple of significant days off. Such is the life of a busy freelancer. Sure beats being an unemployed freelancer, though.
The subject line’s original song is brought up in one of my articles currently live, though, at MacTheBlog:
MacTheBlog: Chrome: Not So Shiny? “How many large balls of twine are there out there, anyway?”
And, reliable as always, I’ve got new reviews up at CNET.com.au. Today, it’s printer day! (Also Monkey Day, but that’s not strictly relevant to the subject of these reviews)
HP Photosmart Plus B209: “The Photosmart Plus has a great touchscreen interface, but average printing quality at best.”
Lexmark Platinum Pro905: “Lexmark’s latest printer comes with a platinum card style price point, but it’s too slow for all but the most patient print users.”
Too swelteringly hot for witty subject lines
While I swelter, be a good chap/chappette and head over to CNET.com.au for my latest review. And bring back some iced water when you’re done.
Compaq Q2009 LCD Monitor: “HP’s budget line 20-inch monitor doesn’t deliver any surprises, either nasty or nice. You just get what you pay for.”
Splutter…
Well, that holiday didn’t go off as planned.
While I was busy getting infected, ripped off, stressed and tired — if the mood hits me, I’ll do a more comprehensive writeup later — CNET.com.au was going into hyperdrive publishing articles of mine. Take your pick from the following:
Which broadband plan is right for me? “If you’re switching to broadband for the first time or contemplating changing your Internet Service Provider (ISP), the range of plans on offer can be quite staggering.”
NetComm 3G18Wn 3G USB 11n Wi-Fi Router: “The 3G18Wn provides good 802.11n performance, 3G USB modem compatibility and a great fall-back position for those using both wireless and wired internet connections.”
HP ProBook 4710s: “HP’s ProBook is all business, from its solid performance to its rather solid and stodgy style.”
NetComm NP201AV HomePlug: “NetComm’s redesigned its home plugs to make them somewhat easier to fit onto a plug socket — and significantly faster as well.”
<Insert chest pain here>
I’m really sick of being sick. This winter has been one long fight against colds, bugs, viruses and now this chest infection that doesn’t have the common decency to just go away, seemingly no matter how many antibiotics get pushed its way. Which is, in itself, and leaving aside the searing pain I feel each time I cough, a big worry…
That isn’t enough to stop me writing — the chickens demand pellets, after all, and I’m starting to wonder if I could get the kids hooked on them — as can be seen today at CNET.com.au:
HP Deskjet D4360 Colour Inkjet Printer: “We wouldn’t want to lug it around all day, but it’s certainly not going to snap your spine if you’re moving it from site to site…”
Sprouts, pinch of chili powder, jar of curry powder, hint of tabasco sauce – well, three bottles, actually. Not so much a hint, more a party political broadcast.
Mmm.. tasty. Today, the dentist plugged me full of drugs (not too bad), and then drilled holes in, well, my head. They used to call that Trepanation. I don’t think I was demon possessed when I went in, but I was definitely more cash-possessed. Oh well, time to turn out more words of wonderful prose, I suppose, before one goes broke.
And that’s as good a segue as you’ll get out of me when I’m in serious pain — the drugs having worn off by now — to some of my latest efforts. Such as the November issue of PC User Magazine, which features my reviews of Netcomm’s 200Mbps HomePlug and the HP Photosmart C5280. As well as, from the coverline, new DVD Burning Tricks. Not that I wrote that bit, but I wonder if anyone ever publishes “old” DVD burning tricks?
In the “strange things that turn up when one does a Google vanity search” department, one thing that’ll make my father proud (until he corrects me — it’s apparently a very good translation…) at CNET.FR, and another mention in Wikipedia, this time on the page dedicated to Ninja Gaiden (Xbox).
