Home Theater PC, Kind Of

While I generally plan what I am going to use my computers for, this time I didn't quite do that. When I bought my new notebook last year, I noticed that it had an S video port out on it, but that computer ended up in the basement, and never got moved to connect to the TV set.

I bought a new computer this year, the MSI VR420, simply because it was too good of a deal to pass on. It also had the S video out port, and I happened to have an S video cable handy. Also, with more shows online, and a DVR that fills the internal hard drive with 20 hours of HD video, I've been relying on the internet for some of the video content of my weekly shows. The tricky part is getting it onto the TV set.

While the S video cable can transmit the image, it is decidedly standard def only territory. While some shows look ok, the other day, one was off center in the 480 x 640 format. It was quite frustrating as both sides got cropped off (more like chopped off).

Ideally, the notebook would have an HDMI out slot, but it simply doesn't. Hey, for under $400, I can't expect everything.

Then I noticed that VGA out port on the notebook. I disconnected the cable from my desktop monitor and hooked up the notebook to the HDTV. I have to say that the picture quality was excellent. All solved, right?

Not so fast. While the video looked great, the audio was now the issue. While on S video I had sent the audio from the notebook to the TV via the headphone out jack. Somehow, on VGA out, the this method didn't work. I'm not sure why, as the notebook still had audio. Perhaps that HDTV doesn't accept an audio input when using the VGA as the input? That is my best guess, but all of this is not documented in the manual that would rather go on for pages about not putting electronics in a puddle, and other nonsense.

As of now, I have to choose between standard def video with TV audio, or HD video with notebook speaker audio. Too bad HDMI isn't built in. From a bird's eye view, it is intriguing to see how an extra computer ges put to use....

Jonas

Too Good To Pass On...

Gotta love back to school season, and all these deals. With my Averatec notebook running hot, I decided it was time to upgrade it. I wanted something small and portable, oh, and a really good deal.

The obvious choice was a netbook (like I ever do anything obvious...). After looking around, I decided to look at some up close and personal. I can tell you that while 10" is quite portable, it looked too small for anything serious, so I passed. They also seemed too expensive for Windows XP.

I was looking for something a little larger, but the standard 15.4" was simply too big. Besides, I already own that.

So, after looking at CULV's, and some really cheap gear, I settled on the MSI VR420. For $400, I figure I'm getting a dual core chip, (Pentium T2410), 2 gigs of RAM, and a 14" screen. As a 3rd machine, and for only a little more than a netbook (and less than some of the expensive ones), it was simply too good of a deal to pass up. While I've never ordered from TigerDirect, I decided to give them a try. Grab yours too before this one goes away...

Jonas

NudgeCast 2/5/09

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Tales of a recent trip with a notebook, and staying connected.

Download the mp3 here.

NudgeCast 8/4/08

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Thoughts on my new notebook, and another incredibly useful web site, this one for free magazines online.

Download the mp3 here.

A Really Good Deal

When folks ask me about a really good deal on a computer, I invariably tell them that the time to buy is August. This is the time of the year that retailers will do anything to get you into their store, and the great deals abound. I've waited too long in years past, and thought things would "drop a little more" and couldn't believe how the prices climbed come September. Anyway, this year I was ready.

I had seen some good deals. I had decided in advance that my notebook budget would be around $500 to $600 dollars which put me a little above bottom end. I wanted a 15" screen, and a greater than 200 gig hard drive. It had to be a dual core processor so anything Celeron was out, and I preferred Intel this time around. Oh, and it couldn't be a Dell for so many reasons.

I had found this notebook which seemed to fulfill my requirements. I had waited though as I didn't like the rebate that I invariably wouldn't get. I also didn't like that the chip was an Intel Pentium Dual Core, which sounds like a Pentium D. While I had a Pentium D processor in a work computer that performed quite well, it just didn't sound current. It really is a Core 2 Duo with half the cache, but the TechNudge faithful will understand that I didn't want a disabled chip.

I was pleasantly surprised to find an even better deal at OfficeMax. While it's not my favorite store, with no rebate, for only a little more I could have it all. Yes, even the Core 2 Duo that I think is the current state of the art in notebooks, or at least for what the mortals can afford. I also liked that the 5750 chip runs at an honest 2 GHz clock speed which sounds much better than 1.73 GHz for whatever reason. The 250 GB hard drive with a 5400 rpm spindle speed was also a deal clincher, not to mention the 3 gigs of RAM which is even more than my desktop currently. While the "no returns" policy was quite onerous, I still took the plunge and brought it home.

At any rate, it's up and running, and I'm pleased with the purchase. This is the first Vista product, and aside from the networking issues, it's a pleasant operating system that has been quite stable so far. I'll have more to say about all of this, but I wanted to mention this while the sale was still on. It is available in OfficeMax stores, and also online at the same price. While it may not be for everybody, for a general purpose notebook, it's a lot of hardware for not too much dough. In other words, a really good deal.

Jonas

NudgeCast 7/30/08

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On new Optimum HD channels, notebook buying, and another new search engine.

Download the mp3 here.

NudgeCast 7/2/08

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Notebook advice and Amazon shipping.

Download the mp3 here.

Dell, What the Hell?

It started like any typical service call. Dial the number, get the pre recorded messages, and eventually talk to a real live person! Unfortunately it went down hill from there. I was informed by the young man on the other end I would have to ship my new (2 months old) Dell Latitude D531 to the “Rapid Response Depot.” That my not sound so bad, but all I needed was a hard drive. In the past, Dell would ship me the part and I would replace it myself. That made them happy because they didn’t have to pay a tech to come out, and it made me happy because I didn’t have to let some Bozo touch my system.

I made the call on a Sunday night, so I expected the box to ship the laptop to arrive on Tuesday. Wrong! It showed up Thursday, and because of prior commitments I couldn’t have it picked up until the following Monday. One week of productivity gone. Did I mention I bought this for my business? I received a voice mail telling me the laptop arrived at the depot the following day. This is great! I’ll have the repaired system back on Wednesday or Thursday so I can reload the OS. Wrong again! I get a notice from DHL on Thursday telling me they tried to deliver the laptop but no one was available to sign for it. There was also a mystery package left by DHL. What’s this? A hard drive? Why would they send a hard drive when they just replaced the drive at the depot?

Having received no messages from Dell I could only assume some one had mad a mistake. Then on Friday I received the laptop. The box looked as if it had been used to beat some one over the head. It had a big hole that had been taped closed prior to shipping. It still had the brown sealing tape that Dell sends with it to the customer for return. Now I’m all for recycling, but this is ridiculous! It wasn’t even the same box I sent it out in. I know because that box looked like it had set in some water, the bottom corrugations were beginning to separate. I opened the box hoping for the best. I found a nice note from the REPAIR depot that the laptop needed the hard drive replaced (what a revelation!) and it was out of stock!

Now I know what the hard drive was for. I was happy to see the laptop seemed no worse from the trip, but they didn’t even put the laptop in the plastic bag Dell had included with the original box.


I replaced the drive and started loading the OS. Then I called Dell to find out what the deal was. I spoke with another nice young man that explained to me the first young man I spoke with nearly two weeks before was mistaken, that because I am a certified Dell repair Tech, they could have sent the hard drive in the first place!

I hope some one from Dell reads this. It should serve as notice that they still have a long way to go to get their customer service back to what I remember from years gone by. There is no excuse for a vendor to not have the proper information or parts available to them. I don’t care who signs their pay check. When I call the 800 number listed on Dells support site, I am talking to Dell. When I send my device to the depot using the shipping label provided by Dell, I’m sending it to Dell. The manner in which this was handled was very unprofessional. I think I can speak with authority, I have an award from Unisys on my shelf that reads “Unisys Global Network Services Exceptional Service Award, In Grateful Appreciation For Your Contribution And Support Of The Alliance With Dell Computer”

Rapcomp

Notebook Trends, 2008

Already, early in 2008, I'm noticing that the emphasis is not on traditional notebooks, and on a new category. They're not quite subnotebooks, but their weight seems to be in that amount.

The three products I'm thinking about are the OLPC, the Asus Eee, and the latest is the MacBook Air. They all have svelte lines, and promise stronger battery running times than traditional notebook computers. They also all feature portability that trumps traditional notebook offerings. However, I wouldn't buy any of them.

Of the three, the most intriguing, at least to me, is the Asus. Maybe it's just that it's the bargain for what you get (Don't get me started on the silly OLPC's pricing, they could include a $20 donation, but $200 is ridiculous. Recall that this started as the $100 laptop.). Anyway, if I was looking for a very basic computer, that only could surf the web, and do some basic word processing, than the Asus Eee would fit the bill at an affordable price. In my mind, it makes it like my Palm, but with a larger screen and keyboard.

However, these machines sacrifice too much utility to be useful as real computers. As soon as the optical drive gets ditched, than it means that I'll jump through hoops to load any new software onto the machine. It also means that I can't watch a movie on it, or listen to a CD- both key components to a multimedia experience. So really, is email and word processing that core of an application that I can justify a machine just for that? In addition, the processors and RAM are generally underpowered.

Most users will be better off with a more traditional notebook. In fact, most use their notebook as a desktop replacement, and with space at a premium, I can't blame them. By way of comparison, that same $400 that you'd spend on the Asus can buy an Acer Aspire AS4315-2963. Sure, its got a Celeron processor, and only 512 megs of RAM, but the 14" screen, the 80 gig hard drive, the built in WiFi, Ethernet port, and that it runs Windows more than make up for it in my mind. I'm not touting it as the end all of notebooks, but it is a real computer, for not much dough.

I'll leave you with this buying advice: "keep it real."

Jonas

On Mac Book Air

There are certain things that are constant in life: death, taxes, Bill getting the latest CPU, Steve Jobs putting on his January Apple show, and me criticizing something. Today it's the Mac Book Air intro that's got me wondering if Jobs is the best snake oil salesman ever.

Before you jump to the comments and blindly defend Apple, hear me out. I saw one look at it, and I'll agree that it has an intriguing design. However, when I saw the tech specs, I just couldn't believe what they're trying to sell for so much dough. To make my point, I'm going to compare it to my three year old notebook.

My regular readers will recall that my notebook is an Averatec 3250HX, purchased for less than $1000, back in 2005. I'll also agree that it was no barnstormer, and most computers are ready to be a doorstop after three years. Anyway, here goes.

The new MacBook Air has a Core 2 Duo processor standard, it's the ULV one, with a clock speed of 1.6 GHz. My Averatec shares the 1.6 GHz clock speed, but the single core of an Athlon XP 2200+ won't keep up with the C2D.
Winner: Apple

All right, my Averatec took a beating on the processsor, but there's more than just that. How about storage? Both notebooks feature an 80 gig hard drive with a 4200 spindle speed. The Mac is a 1.8" one, while my Averatec is a more standard 2.5". And don't even get me started on the optional 64 gig flash hard drive for a mere grand!
Winner: Tie

In the RAM department, the Mac with its 2 gigs clearly has my Averatec's 512 mb beat, and I'll give it to them. However, just recall that you can't upgrade the Mac.
Winner: Apple

Form Factor: Ok, the Apple clearly wins this one too with the "thin is in."
Winner: Apple

Optical Drive: Ok, the Apple doesn't have one, and my Averatec has a LiteOn DVDRW in it. Finally, a clear win for Averatec.
Winner: Averatec

In the ports department, I'm also disappointed in the Apple with only one USB port, and no audio connections except for a mic. I'll stop complaining about my three USB ports being crowded, and my on board audio.
Winner: Averatec

Speaking of audio, did Apple really expect us to buy into mono sound? That's so AM, 1970's that I've got to give it to the Averatec again.
Winner: Averatec

On the battery, the Apple claims five hours, and my Averatec new was under three hours, so I'll give it to the Apple. However, deduct some points for a battery that can't be replaced in the MacBook Air.
Winner: Apple

In the wireless networking, both have wireless built in. The MacBook Air features N, and my Averatec b/g so it must be better, right? Unfortunately, the N is really draft N, so don't count on it.
Winner: Tie

In the screen department, the Apple is 13+", and my Averatec is 12". I'll give to Apple, but it's hardly a bloodbath here either.
Winner: Apple

The conclusion is that the Apple Mac Book Pro is clearly a better product than my 3 year old notebook. However, for something costing twice as much, with three years of technology advancement built into it, I was expecting a bloodbath. However, it's not objectively. Unless you need the super slim lines, look elsewhere for a better deal. As for me, I'll hang on to my Averatec a while longer.

Jonas

Notebook Tune Up

Lately, my notebook has been running slowly. I mean seriously slow, like it's taking over five minutes just to boot slow, and I wasn't sure why.

I take a look at it, and I decide to clean it up. I take some things out of the boot sequence. Rerun the antivirus scan and come up empty. I also run two antipyware scans (which come up with the usual cookies, and nothing else. I even do a rootkit scan, and come up empty.

At this point, I'm a tad bit confused. Clearly, there is some junk that I need to decrapify, but the toolbox is lacking the right tool. I toyed with the idea of a new laptop with the Black Friday deals coming next. However, aside from the processor, the new notebook won't be specced out any better than what I currently have (at least in the sub-$500 price range I could go for), and aside from this issue, my Averatec runs pretty trouble free. Also, it runs Win XP Home, and until I hear better things about Vista, I'm not jumping into that ocean.

I even tried playing with Linux. Oldster has been talking about Linux Puppy, which is a stripped down version, and loves older machines. For whatever reason, the notebook wouldn't load the disc and use the OS as a live disc. Maybe my boot sequence is off, or maybe it's something else; I'm still not sure on this one and while it was worth a shot, it wasn't worth devoting weeks to.

So, what to do. Well, instead of some OS surgery, I went for the nuclear strike. I grabbed the system discs, and reloaded the entire Windows XP which took around 40 minutes. Of course, I'm still regrabbing drivers, and other software. It's a shame that this is the only solution, but now the notebook is as fast as when new.

What's the moral here? Before ditching the current hardware, try an operating system reload. The performance boost just might surprise you, and extend the life of the computer for a while longer, which suits me just fine.

--Jonas

Going, Going, Gone

Is It Really Gone?

Buying a notebook computer a few years ago was a daunting process. From someone who likes to build a computer to exacting specifications, it was difficult to find something affordable that had the right parts. When it was all said and done, I ended up purchasing an Averatec. They are kind of a no name, generic computer company that rebrand their notebook line for other companies, and also sell under their own name. They are sold discounted at retailers like Circuit City and Staples.

How did I end up with this brand, and the purchase of a 3250HX? One of the things I really liked about this brand was that there was a vibrant community around these notebooks. There was an extensive community that met in a forum, known as the Unofficial Averatec Forums. Even the Wikipedia article on Averatec mentions this busy community.

It was neat once in a while to go and check out what users were doing with their notebooks. Topics ranged from processor upgrades, to beta wireless drivers, the power trio and optical drive replacements. While my notebook has done well in the longevity department, the time I did develop an issue, I turned first to these forums, and I got good advice that facilitated a fix to the problem. Rather than run by the company, in a spirit of honesty and openness users got good advice from those more experienced.

I'm bringing this up because sometime over the summer, these forums went offline. Apparently, they are blaming a hard drive failure. It's a little hard to swallow that this entire community could run off of one hard drive. I was wondering if my next notebook purchase would be an Averatec, and without the community, the answer would likely be no.

When I was researching this article, I actually did find that the forum has been started anew. While just about all of the old content is lost, it's still nice to see that at least some of the old members have found it, and started anew. Hopefully over time, these forums will be as useful as the old were in supporting the Averatec notebooks. Also, the next time you consider which notebook brand to purchase, take into account where you will get support for it.

--Jonas

PS: I recommend to the new forum that they backup early and often to avoid the same fate!

NudgeCast 080707

In this week's NudgeCast, I offer some notebook buying advice, talk about a disturbing trend in digital cameras, and also comment on the latest trend over at PC Magazine.

Powered by Podbean.com

Or take a listen/download here.

--Jonas

A New Class of Portable ???

After Palm left us underwhelmed with their new Foleo device, I wasn't expecting much else in this category with all eyes on the iPhone. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Asus has decided to join the fray with a simplified twist on the laptop, and a reported price tag of around $200.

What does two Franklin's buy one today? The specs include a 7" screen, a mobile Intel CPU, 512 megs of RAM, with both 10/100 Ethernet and b/g WiFi connection options. There's no hard drive with CF cards performing this duty. With no mechanical hard drive and that small of a screen I was a little disappointed with the 3 hour run time, but it's still better than many notebooks out there today. To keep the price down, the operating system is Linux based, but it is Windows XP compatible.

I'm especially excited about the 0.89 kg weight (1.96 pounds to the nonmetric Americans). At that weight and price, I would definitely look into this as an able travel companion, if not for other uses. As long as it could surf the internet and word process, that's 90% of what I need to do on the road as well. I could also envision students. particularly younger ones getting a lot of use out a machine like this.

Between the Palm Foleo, and now this from Asus, is there a new class of device developing- a small notebook with a flash hard drive? Is this the next evolution of the notebook? I'm interested to see if others introduce any similar devices.

--Jonas

Sources:
Engadget
HardwareZone

Palm meets Linux

Over a year ago, I had heard that the Palm folks had plans to ditch their OS, and to integrate some type of mobile Linux into their portable machines. As their handhelds haven't been updated in a while, I was fully expecting some type of Linux based T/X to appear on the scene. However, today they announced the Foleo, a smartphone companion.

Details are sketchy, but just from the appearance, it looks like a subnotebook with a 10 inch screen. The idea is that users can read and respond to emails from their smartphones while away from the office. The Foleo can also access the internet via WiFi directly. It claims that it can handle email attachments, and play PowerPoint presentations making it well suited for business use. It has no hard drive, and uses Compact Flash cards for the system memory; the processor is a mystery but I wouldn't expect a dual core speed demon here. Setting one back for $499, at least it's not ridiculously overpriced for a 1st gen product. One advantage is that it is always on, with no boot time (Palm handhelds are like that until they crash...).

Hold on a second though. Even a youngster like me remembers that this has been tried before. Last year it was Intel's push for the Origami ultra portable computers, and that fizzled more than an Alka-Seltzer tab, which the engineers probably needed when they saw the sales figures. A few years before that it was the Windows CE OS to be used in both handheld and purpose built flash based notebook like devices. Neither device took off, and I don't expect the Foleo to fly too far either.

It's simply too hard to compete with a full fledged notebook at that price. Even for under $500 today, there are some no frills notebooks that will offer all of the flexibility that a real computer will supply. Then there is no concern of if it will be able to use an attachment, or be compatible- issues that will come with the Foleo. It's hard to beat the flexibility of a real notebook, and this Foleo reportedly can't even play flash video, like that from YouTube.

Palm needs to get back to what it does best- making a really good handheld. If it can't easily fit into my pocket, and I need to carry it in a separate bag, than I'd rather just bring my notebook along for the trip. Sure, one day the notebook may evolve, dumping its hard drive for flash memory, and becoming lighter and more reliable. As the Foleo is being positioned as a smartphone accessory, and most users have regular cell phones and not smartphones, I think they went for a niche that is just too narrow.

--Jonas

And Then There Was One!

Too Bad I'm Actually Surprised When a Company Does the Right Thing... So Far

Last week, I shared the tale of my notebook computer and its sizzling performance. as a rarity today, after my email to the company's support site, I actually received a response the next day about the overheating power supply issue. It instructed me to call an 800 number during business hours, and provided a ticket number to track the case.

After enjoying the three day Memorial Day holiday, I got in touch with them today. I gave them the ticket number, and they asked for the model number, and serial number of my notebook. I had previously registered the notebook when I had bought it. They then informed me that the notebook would be fixed, and I would only have to pay for the shipping of it to Texas. As the computer is over two years old, and technically out of warranty anyway, this seemed quite fair, and I headed off to the UPS store with the notebook encased in bubble wrap.

At the company's suggestion, I did insure the notebook for $750. I had paid over $800 for it at the time of purchase, but who knows what it is really worth now. The cash payout would significantly ameliorate my pain should my package take a wrong turn and end up in Albuquerque. The whole process should take about three weeks to complete reportedly.

Getting back to the title of my post, I'm down to one computer. I haven't had a sole computer since 1999. Since then, there has been at least two computers, and I maxed out at six at one point. I'm starting to feel like I'm working without a safety net at this point. At least when one 'puter crashes, I can use the other one to research the problem and get it up and running. I'm keeping my fingers crossed over the next few weeks that the computer bugaboos stay away.

So far, I'm pleased that Averatec has owned up to the problem, and are being reasonable about it. If all goes well, I'll still be able to recommend them for their affordable notebooks as I have done through the years. Stay tuned, we'll let you know how this one turns out as a lot could happen between here and the Lone Star state.

--Jonas

Sizzling Performance

Us TechNudgers are always big fans of getting the most performance out of the products that they buy. By the title of this article, you're probably thinking I'm going to be talking about overclocking my Athlon X2 5200+, or the latest quad core from Intel that I already have my eye on.

Unfortunately, this time I'm talking about cooking notebook parts. About two weeks ago, I noticed that my Averatec 3250HX had a burnt smell to it. It brought back fond memories of slot car racing tracks that would smell burnt when they were powered up. This scent of "burnt de electronica" is never a good thing when a notebook is involved.

This week, I again noticed the odor. The other new symptom is that the power input does not provide a steady stream of current into the notebook, and it keeps going onto battery power while plugged in. When I touched the corner where the wire enters the notebook, I got a blister from the heat. It certainly didn't run this hot when I first got it. When I went to remove the power cable, the plastic had started to melt, and it was just about fused onto the post. Ahhh, nothing quite like the smell of cooked plastic!

After powering down, I looked online for a potential answer. At first I was thinking that with notebooks so cheap these days, even for five Franklins I can find something acceptable. However, I also realized that my current Averatec is not even two and a half years old, and still fairly respectable (and doesn't have Vista!). One of the nice "features" of owning an Averatec is that there is a great online community that love to tinker with these laptops. I noticed a sticky on the 3200 series forum entitled: Loose Power Connector - Power Problems - Hot Power Connector - Battery Won't Charge. Sounds like it hit the nail on the head!

In this thread that goes on for no less than 25 pages, they talk about how the power connector was soldered wrong, and lots of folks have issues related to the power supply. Some have resoldered it themselves, and some have gotten the company to do this for the cost of shipping. As my soldering experience is limited to junior high school, I'd rather let the pros do it. So far I've emailed them, and I've received a response that I need to call them and speak to a tech. While it is out of warranty, clearly it is defective by design, and they should have recalled it to prevent an injury.

I'll keep y'all posted as this progresses. Hopefully this will work out in my favor. If not, Celeron M here we come as if I'm buying a new notebook every other year, it becomes (yet another, gosh!) disposable item.

--Jonas