Two fantastic applications that I downloaded today. They are called WhatsApp and LiveProfile. Totally a step over the regular SMS. So is it finally goodbye to SMS?
If you are familiar with the Blackberry messenger, these applications simply replicate what the Blackberry messenger does. Of course you need any form of packet data transfer (GPRS, EDGE, 3G, WiFi etc.) to use them. As soon as you install the application, it imports your address list from your contacts and searches for contacts who also have a WhatsApp or LiveProfile account. It is just that simple. Now all you need to do is text your contacts in a regular way. You are making use of your dataplan here so there is no extra expense. There is a feature to form groups, etc to broadcast messages to multiple recipients.
These apps are designed for the iOS, Android, Blackberry and Symbian platforms and hence are available on the respective Application depots. Unfortunately the iOS version is not free but costs $0.99 but the rest are available for free.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
This was a disappointment... I'm making a note here...
Respected Bioware Team,
Firstly, I'm a huge fan of your games. I loved KOTOR, Mass Effect 1 and 2 and am avariciously waiting for Mass Effect 3. I was never a fan of Dragon Age. I heard a lot about the game but I never really got the time to play it. It was after I saw the trailer of Dragon Age 2 that I geared up for Dragon Age. Purchased it the very next day and hoped to finish it before the launch of Dragon Age 2.
The trailer for Dragon Age 2 is mind blowing. I get goosebumps almost every time I watch it. I play Dragon Age on the PC as I am a bigger fan of tactical combat rather than button mashing. I downloaded the PS3 demo a couple of days after its release and I must say I was mostly disappointed. I downloaded the PC demo just to see the difference. The PC demo had me disappointed even more.
There is no doubt that I'm going to choose the PC version for purchase as I am going to stick to my fighting style and leverage the bonus from my older saved games. But I must tell you guys I was disappointed with the demo for a few reasons. I chose the rogue for the first time and one very disappointing flaw that I noticed was when I activate the evade power, the character jumps backwards based on which direction he is facing. Now in case the player is facing away from the enemy and hits the evade button, he actually jumps towards the enemy. Shouldn't the functionality of an evade be to try to dodge the area of threat?
Next, in the PS3 version, there were noticeable pauses when the game switches between the cut-scene and the gameplay. This ruins the experience of the game. What's worse is that the pause is not only in the video, but in the audio as well. This could be alleviated by making use of background ambience.
Speaking of background ambience, there was quite a lot of it during character dialogue. I could actually hear studio background noises during some of the dialogue of characters which was quite a shock when considering the game is created by one of the best companies in the video game industry.
Another major disappointment to me was the lack of the isometric camera. Why would you take it away? I used to enjoy playing DAO in this mode the most during battles which aided a lot in micro management.
There are several others which were not as severe as these. The change in look of the darkspawn is interesting. I like the look of the new characters. The overall feel of the game is a lot different this time around. I have a feeling apart from story references, the original dragon age fans will be a little disappointed with this new UI makeover. The gameplay on the PC was a little choppy but that could just be my system.
Being a huge dragon age fan, I really hope these flaws are less prominent in the full version of the game. I really don't feel it is my place to give advice to the true champions of RPG on how to improve games but these were just a few things I wanted to take off my chest. We, the Dragon Age fan community have a lot of expectations from this game. Please Bioware don't let us down...
Yours Truly,
Shaveen
Firstly, I'm a huge fan of your games. I loved KOTOR, Mass Effect 1 and 2 and am avariciously waiting for Mass Effect 3. I was never a fan of Dragon Age. I heard a lot about the game but I never really got the time to play it. It was after I saw the trailer of Dragon Age 2 that I geared up for Dragon Age. Purchased it the very next day and hoped to finish it before the launch of Dragon Age 2.
The trailer for Dragon Age 2 is mind blowing. I get goosebumps almost every time I watch it. I play Dragon Age on the PC as I am a bigger fan of tactical combat rather than button mashing. I downloaded the PS3 demo a couple of days after its release and I must say I was mostly disappointed. I downloaded the PC demo just to see the difference. The PC demo had me disappointed even more.
There is no doubt that I'm going to choose the PC version for purchase as I am going to stick to my fighting style and leverage the bonus from my older saved games. But I must tell you guys I was disappointed with the demo for a few reasons. I chose the rogue for the first time and one very disappointing flaw that I noticed was when I activate the evade power, the character jumps backwards based on which direction he is facing. Now in case the player is facing away from the enemy and hits the evade button, he actually jumps towards the enemy. Shouldn't the functionality of an evade be to try to dodge the area of threat?
Next, in the PS3 version, there were noticeable pauses when the game switches between the cut-scene and the gameplay. This ruins the experience of the game. What's worse is that the pause is not only in the video, but in the audio as well. This could be alleviated by making use of background ambience.
Speaking of background ambience, there was quite a lot of it during character dialogue. I could actually hear studio background noises during some of the dialogue of characters which was quite a shock when considering the game is created by one of the best companies in the video game industry.
Another major disappointment to me was the lack of the isometric camera. Why would you take it away? I used to enjoy playing DAO in this mode the most during battles which aided a lot in micro management.
There are several others which were not as severe as these. The change in look of the darkspawn is interesting. I like the look of the new characters. The overall feel of the game is a lot different this time around. I have a feeling apart from story references, the original dragon age fans will be a little disappointed with this new UI makeover. The gameplay on the PC was a little choppy but that could just be my system.
Being a huge dragon age fan, I really hope these flaws are less prominent in the full version of the game. I really don't feel it is my place to give advice to the true champions of RPG on how to improve games but these were just a few things I wanted to take off my chest. We, the Dragon Age fan community have a lot of expectations from this game. Please Bioware don't let us down...
Yours Truly,
Shaveen
Saturday, January 22, 2011
iPad vs its only true competitor
Ever since the release of the iPad by leading innovators Apple Computer Inc, developers all over the world have made note of the immense potential of the device. It is not uncommon to find almost any electronic manufacturer that you can point a finger at, creating a tablet of their own and claiming "advanced" features. Some don't even bother to really create anything new but still expect their devices to sell in the highly competitive market.
First off, I would like to mention that I am an Apple fanboy but I will try my best not to be biased. I have a hands on experience with the iPad and all Apple devices and I am aware of the technology used in the Adam as well. I would also like to mention that this is a diplomatic review and I am only presenting my thoughts on both the devices. The decision on what is better is totally subjective to the reader. Now without further ado let's get started...
Let's get technical... In which terms, the Notion Ink Adam is far ahead of the iPad. The nVidia Tegra processor and faster CPU gives the Adam an edge over the iPad. They have also integrated a swivel 3.2 MP camera to the tablet which is a very good touch. The most notable feature of the Adam is the display which can switch between a high end HD back lit display to a low power consumption, display which is similar to e ink technology. Now with all this integrated, the device is provided at a much cheaper price. How is all this possible??
One of the thoughts that rarely enters a person's mind when talking about a device that is newly introduced into the market is the cost for Research. That is what separates the innovator from the rest of the manufacturers. There is always a huge cost invested in researching when getting a device totally new into the market. The iPad was introduced more than a year back. The time at which it was being developed, the relative costs of its components would have been much higher and to integrate a camera and several other features into the box would have simply made the device cost a whole lot more. The is a reason why people buy Apple products. It is because they know the way Apple cares for its customers. You will notice this from the time you purchase an Apple product and as long as you use it. Apple uses the highest quality materials for all its products with no compromise. The build of every product is solid. I cannot yet comment on the build quality, customer service, etc of Notion as all this is yet to be seen. Only time will tell. But two of the major reasons for the cheaper price are time and research costs.
This is with regard to the iPad. The iPad 2 is going to be announced very shortly and I feel it will give a healthy competition to the Notion. Only time will tell which will be the true winner.
Notion has to truly be commended for the extremely impressive step of theirs. Hope their product is a huge success. Apple will always give a healthy competition and make things interesting :)
Another factor that I would mention from the end user's point of view is their application. The iPad does whatever it claims. It was a very bad move from Apple to ignore Flash support for the iPad. But that's not the end of the world. If you truly want flash, wifi broadcast, and all the fantastic features that are disabled on the iPad, it is very much possible to have all these with a simple jailbreak. It might not be very user friendly to get it enabled but once it is done, everything should be good to go from then on...
If you are an Apple fan like me, you would like to own an iPad because you would like to keep all your Apple devices in sync. One more very important feature to consider is the kind of apps that you get for the device. There are thousands of apps coming out on the App Store and Google Market(although... not so much) daily so you would want to base your decision on that. Also, the Adam supports the Chrome OS, Windows, Android. You may want to choose the Adam if you are more comfortable with these operating systems. There are so many tablet devices out there in the market with different screen sizes and resolutions. It is beyond me how a developer decides what resolutions and configurations to keep in mind when designing software for these devices.
For a user who is not an Apple fanatic, I would suggest the Adam for all practical purposes. For what Notion claims, it should be a more versatile device and should perform better because of its hardware.
First off, I would like to mention that I am an Apple fanboy but I will try my best not to be biased. I have a hands on experience with the iPad and all Apple devices and I am aware of the technology used in the Adam as well. I would also like to mention that this is a diplomatic review and I am only presenting my thoughts on both the devices. The decision on what is better is totally subjective to the reader. Now without further ado let's get started...
Let's get technical... In which terms, the Notion Ink Adam is far ahead of the iPad. The nVidia Tegra processor and faster CPU gives the Adam an edge over the iPad. They have also integrated a swivel 3.2 MP camera to the tablet which is a very good touch. The most notable feature of the Adam is the display which can switch between a high end HD back lit display to a low power consumption, display which is similar to e ink technology. Now with all this integrated, the device is provided at a much cheaper price. How is all this possible??
One of the thoughts that rarely enters a person's mind when talking about a device that is newly introduced into the market is the cost for Research. That is what separates the innovator from the rest of the manufacturers. There is always a huge cost invested in researching when getting a device totally new into the market. The iPad was introduced more than a year back. The time at which it was being developed, the relative costs of its components would have been much higher and to integrate a camera and several other features into the box would have simply made the device cost a whole lot more. The is a reason why people buy Apple products. It is because they know the way Apple cares for its customers. You will notice this from the time you purchase an Apple product and as long as you use it. Apple uses the highest quality materials for all its products with no compromise. The build of every product is solid. I cannot yet comment on the build quality, customer service, etc of Notion as all this is yet to be seen. Only time will tell. But two of the major reasons for the cheaper price are time and research costs.
This is with regard to the iPad. The iPad 2 is going to be announced very shortly and I feel it will give a healthy competition to the Notion. Only time will tell which will be the true winner.
Notion has to truly be commended for the extremely impressive step of theirs. Hope their product is a huge success. Apple will always give a healthy competition and make things interesting :)
Another factor that I would mention from the end user's point of view is their application. The iPad does whatever it claims. It was a very bad move from Apple to ignore Flash support for the iPad. But that's not the end of the world. If you truly want flash, wifi broadcast, and all the fantastic features that are disabled on the iPad, it is very much possible to have all these with a simple jailbreak. It might not be very user friendly to get it enabled but once it is done, everything should be good to go from then on...
If you are an Apple fan like me, you would like to own an iPad because you would like to keep all your Apple devices in sync. One more very important feature to consider is the kind of apps that you get for the device. There are thousands of apps coming out on the App Store and Google Market(although... not so much) daily so you would want to base your decision on that. Also, the Adam supports the Chrome OS, Windows, Android. You may want to choose the Adam if you are more comfortable with these operating systems. There are so many tablet devices out there in the market with different screen sizes and resolutions. It is beyond me how a developer decides what resolutions and configurations to keep in mind when designing software for these devices.
For a user who is not an Apple fanatic, I would suggest the Adam for all practical purposes. For what Notion claims, it should be a more versatile device and should perform better because of its hardware.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Upgrading your Gaming Rig
Ahoy to all the gamers out there. When it's time to upgrade your system to play the latest games, the first thing that comes to your mind is upgrading your graphics card. Many who are familiar with the graphic card manufacturers are in doubt whether to go for an ATi card or an nVidia card. Apart from making this decision, several other problems arise like "Which card is going to give the best bang for the buck". However, keeping these questions aside, there are several other factors that one must keep in mind when purchasing a graphics card. That is what I am going to discuss in this short post.
Firstly, I shall talk about the most important thing to keep in mind when you upgrade to a new graphics card and that is if your current system is compatible with it in the first place. Most graphics cards out today require a 16X PCI-e (known as PCI express) so you need to make sure that your motherboard has this slot. You can check your motherboard box, manual or website for these details. To look at, it is a dark brown slot which is slightly thinner and longer than the white PCI slots on your motherboard.
Next thing you need to look out for is your power supply. When you decide to buy a card, check out its Specifications on the website. It would mention the amount of power your card would require and a list of recommended power supplies. Generally this is not an issue if you are going for an entry-level graphics card which would require very less power. Mid-range and high-end cards would require one or two extra 6-pin power cables in order to support it. Remember if you do not have a power supply that can support your card you need to think about purchasing that even before you think of buying a card. Having adequate power is very important when you have a high end machine. Good power supply manufacturers (like Corsair, Zalman, Coolermaster,etc.) have certified power supplies with advanced load management functions, etc which is crucial when the graphics cards draw a lot of power.
Alright, now you have an idea about your power supply as well. Next thing to consider? Will your card fit into your cabinet in the first place?? High end cards are usually mammoth in size. Sometimes everything in your system seems to be fine except that your card does not fit into your cabinet. Make sure you check the dimensions of your card in the Specifications section on the website.
One more important factor to consider is cooling. High-end cards usually generate a lot of heat when playing games with maximum details and resolutions. Basically anything that "pushes" the card to its limits. Sometimes even when you are not playing games or watching movies (known as idling), your card could still be generating a significant amount of heat. The only way you can circumvent this is by having a cabinet that cools well. Two of the best gaming cabinet manufacturers I have come across are CoolerMaster and ThermalTake. Some of the gaming cabinets cost almost as much as a mid-range graphics card and could seem daunting at first but there is always a reason behind that price tag. Cooling is very important when it comes to the durability of your system. Remember its not just your card that is in question here but all the components of your computer as well.
There might be some other additional requirements that need to be looked out for to make sure that your system is compatible, but the ones mentioned above are the most relevant ones and the ones which people tend to forget.
Great! Now that we know our system is compatible with our card, let's have a look at what we should look for in the card itself and also answer the famous question "ATi or nVidia?".
I will not get into too many details on each and every parameter that needs to be considered when buying a card. You don't need to think that hard and lose hair. My intention is to clear out certain myths that people have. One of the most common ones is that if a graphics card has a greater memory, then it is a faster card. WRONG! That's not how it works. The most important factor is the Engine clock. The higher the engine clock, the better. The other thing you need to check is if it supports the latest technologies. Sometimes the latest technologies make the card more expensive in the beginning. A card having a high engine clock but supporting older technologies could cost the same as a card with a lower engine clock but which supports the latest technologies. This is when you make a decision between performance and quality respectively. I have come across this website which frequently reviews graphic cards and posts their fps (frames per second) online. http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
This could very well be a good reference point when selecting a card based on performance.
Lastly, I would like to just cover my views on the two most eminent graphic card manufacturers ie. ATi and nVidia. I have dealt with several graphic cards since many years and I what I mention here is only my perspective on the two manufacturers so opinions may differ. People are generally inclined towards nVidia because of the sheer support they have from various games. There are more number of games that endorse the nVidia logo than the ATi logo. What I am trying to convey here is that in reality, nVidia and ATi are both equally good. When you play games, you don't see much of a difference in image quality between the two cards. The reason you would want to pick up an nVidia card anyway is because of the support for PhysX, which ATi does not support. PhysX, initially owned by Aegia and later bought by nVidia, is a physics engine which uses a separate processor for performing calculations related to physics within a game. This could include the way a flag flutters, a wall is destroyed, the way a ball bounces off a wall, etc. When you don't have a PhysX engine, these calculations are performed by the CPU instead of the dedicated processor. What all this means is that if you have an nVidia card, it takes a little load off your CPU when you play games which include several physics calculations. Earlier, there was another reason to consider nVidia and that was the stereoscopic 3D support. But now glasses are available for ATi cards as well and so that is not a factor. Now a reason to consider ATi cards over nVidia cards is that ATi cards work at much lower temperatures than nVidia cards. I have confirmed this online and I have also experienced it myself. My earlier card, the nVidia GeForce 8800 Ultra used to idle at around 70 degrees C whereas my new card, the ATi 5750 HD idles at just 45 degrees C and is also a better performer. The maximum temperature reached by this card is around 55 degrees C as compared to 95 degrees C for the nVidia card. But this does not mean all cards heat up to this level. The room temperature at which you operate the card and the cooling system for your cabinet play vital roles in determining the actual idling an max temperatures but if you stay in a place where room temperatures could go above 35 degrees C, I would suggest you get a card which idles at lower temperatures. Also another thing is that ATi cards are generally cheaper than nVidia cards for the same performance.
For enthusiast gamers, there are several other aspects like SLi and Crossfire, which I will not be covering in this post. Hope my post helped you if you are planning on getting a new graphics card and if not, I hope you enjoyed reading it :)
Firstly, I shall talk about the most important thing to keep in mind when you upgrade to a new graphics card and that is if your current system is compatible with it in the first place. Most graphics cards out today require a 16X PCI-e (known as PCI express) so you need to make sure that your motherboard has this slot. You can check your motherboard box, manual or website for these details. To look at, it is a dark brown slot which is slightly thinner and longer than the white PCI slots on your motherboard.
Next thing you need to look out for is your power supply. When you decide to buy a card, check out its Specifications on the website. It would mention the amount of power your card would require and a list of recommended power supplies. Generally this is not an issue if you are going for an entry-level graphics card which would require very less power. Mid-range and high-end cards would require one or two extra 6-pin power cables in order to support it. Remember if you do not have a power supply that can support your card you need to think about purchasing that even before you think of buying a card. Having adequate power is very important when you have a high end machine. Good power supply manufacturers (like Corsair, Zalman, Coolermaster,etc.) have certified power supplies with advanced load management functions, etc which is crucial when the graphics cards draw a lot of power.
Alright, now you have an idea about your power supply as well. Next thing to consider? Will your card fit into your cabinet in the first place?? High end cards are usually mammoth in size. Sometimes everything in your system seems to be fine except that your card does not fit into your cabinet. Make sure you check the dimensions of your card in the Specifications section on the website.
One more important factor to consider is cooling. High-end cards usually generate a lot of heat when playing games with maximum details and resolutions. Basically anything that "pushes" the card to its limits. Sometimes even when you are not playing games or watching movies (known as idling), your card could still be generating a significant amount of heat. The only way you can circumvent this is by having a cabinet that cools well. Two of the best gaming cabinet manufacturers I have come across are CoolerMaster and ThermalTake. Some of the gaming cabinets cost almost as much as a mid-range graphics card and could seem daunting at first but there is always a reason behind that price tag. Cooling is very important when it comes to the durability of your system. Remember its not just your card that is in question here but all the components of your computer as well.
There might be some other additional requirements that need to be looked out for to make sure that your system is compatible, but the ones mentioned above are the most relevant ones and the ones which people tend to forget.
Great! Now that we know our system is compatible with our card, let's have a look at what we should look for in the card itself and also answer the famous question "ATi or nVidia?".
I will not get into too many details on each and every parameter that needs to be considered when buying a card. You don't need to think that hard and lose hair. My intention is to clear out certain myths that people have. One of the most common ones is that if a graphics card has a greater memory, then it is a faster card. WRONG! That's not how it works. The most important factor is the Engine clock. The higher the engine clock, the better. The other thing you need to check is if it supports the latest technologies. Sometimes the latest technologies make the card more expensive in the beginning. A card having a high engine clock but supporting older technologies could cost the same as a card with a lower engine clock but which supports the latest technologies. This is when you make a decision between performance and quality respectively. I have come across this website which frequently reviews graphic cards and posts their fps (frames per second) online. http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
This could very well be a good reference point when selecting a card based on performance.
Lastly, I would like to just cover my views on the two most eminent graphic card manufacturers ie. ATi and nVidia. I have dealt with several graphic cards since many years and I what I mention here is only my perspective on the two manufacturers so opinions may differ. People are generally inclined towards nVidia because of the sheer support they have from various games. There are more number of games that endorse the nVidia logo than the ATi logo. What I am trying to convey here is that in reality, nVidia and ATi are both equally good. When you play games, you don't see much of a difference in image quality between the two cards. The reason you would want to pick up an nVidia card anyway is because of the support for PhysX, which ATi does not support. PhysX, initially owned by Aegia and later bought by nVidia, is a physics engine which uses a separate processor for performing calculations related to physics within a game. This could include the way a flag flutters, a wall is destroyed, the way a ball bounces off a wall, etc. When you don't have a PhysX engine, these calculations are performed by the CPU instead of the dedicated processor. What all this means is that if you have an nVidia card, it takes a little load off your CPU when you play games which include several physics calculations. Earlier, there was another reason to consider nVidia and that was the stereoscopic 3D support. But now glasses are available for ATi cards as well and so that is not a factor. Now a reason to consider ATi cards over nVidia cards is that ATi cards work at much lower temperatures than nVidia cards. I have confirmed this online and I have also experienced it myself. My earlier card, the nVidia GeForce 8800 Ultra used to idle at around 70 degrees C whereas my new card, the ATi 5750 HD idles at just 45 degrees C and is also a better performer. The maximum temperature reached by this card is around 55 degrees C as compared to 95 degrees C for the nVidia card. But this does not mean all cards heat up to this level. The room temperature at which you operate the card and the cooling system for your cabinet play vital roles in determining the actual idling an max temperatures but if you stay in a place where room temperatures could go above 35 degrees C, I would suggest you get a card which idles at lower temperatures. Also another thing is that ATi cards are generally cheaper than nVidia cards for the same performance.
For enthusiast gamers, there are several other aspects like SLi and Crossfire, which I will not be covering in this post. Hope my post helped you if you are planning on getting a new graphics card and if not, I hope you enjoyed reading it :)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
A Review on the MacBook Pro
Before I get to the review I would just like to mention that I am a hardcore windows user. I've been using windows as far back as I can remember. I only came to know about the existence of Mac about 7 or 8 years ago and heard that it has got a really good interface and is much more user friendly than windows. I had also heard ( what happened to be a big bummer for me!) that there were only a limited few and lousy games available for the Mac. So why even bother. At that time, more than work, a PC was a gaming machine for me. Plus, the plethora of applications available for windows. A Mac was nowhere near windows. I began to wonder... Why is it that people use a Mac? Is it just to show due rivalry towards Microsoft?
It was only about three years back that I got to look at a Mac and admire its sheer beauty in design. All Mac machines look so sleek and elegant. So I felt this could be at least one of the reasons why a user pics up a Mac. So that his machine stands out in the crowd. But does the look of a machine really matter that much? What about performance?
I learn a year later that Mac machines ( loaded with OS X operating systems ) are virus free and never hang up. Now this is a very hard claim. But this is so true at least 95% of the time. Please jump to the next paragraph if you do not need the technical reason for this!! It is not very easy to create a virus for the Mac because it is built on the Unix shell. Unix file access permissions and user control features allow access to only restricted system files to the end user and to actually manipulate system files you need to run as a superuser. No user is given superuser permission without a password and hence these files can only be manipulated after providing a password. The main reason for a machine to hang up is when the processor gets overheated or overloaded. In the case of a Mac, operating system was built in close coordination with the hardware so it is optimized for the processor and peripherals it works with. More often than not, in windows, the processor is not used to its full potential because it is built to suit many processors and chipsets. Building an operating system by keeping the hardware specifications in mind is like building an edifice with a perfect foundation. This is exactly what Apple has done and they have nailed it.
Now let me get to the actual review of the MacBook Pro. The specifications of my system are as follows:
Display: 13.3 inch
OS: Snow Leopard ( OS X 10.6.2 )
HDD: 250 GB SATA @ 5200RPM
GFX: nVidia 320 M 256MB GDDR3
RAM: 4 GB
CPU: 2.4 Ghz Core 2 Duo with 3MB L2 Cache
I was in a fix whether to just go for the MacBook or is it really worth the extra cash for the Pro. Let me tell you the main differences between the Pro and the regular MacBook.
ARCHITECTURE: The MacBook Pro comes with an Aluminum unibody finish whereas the MacBook comes with a polycarbonate unibody finish. The unibody is a revolutionary design by Apple where the entire body is made up of one single block of material. This technology makes the device very rigid and durable as there are no moving parts in the actual body except the lid.
This technology is patented by Apple and can only be found in the MacBook family. This goes up to such an extent that even the battery is no longer removable (but replaceable by Apple). This is not much of a concern because the new battery provides up to 10 hours of battery with normal usage and Apple claims that the battery can be recharged 1000 times before it needs to be replaced.
DESIGN: Some of the reasons I picked a MacBook Pro over the MacBook. Well, the MacBook Pro looks much better with its aluminum unibody. It has a much sleeker look than the MacBook and looks more majestic. The MacBook looks really cool no doubt but it would better suit a college student. The Pro looks Professional. But looks is not everything. Why just dish out the extra cash for a better finish? There are several extra features provided in the MacBook Pro, some of which are not even mentioned in the website. The Pro comes with a back-lit keyboard which adjusts its brightness based on the intensity of the light in the surroundings. This can also be changed manually. There are battery level indicator leds present to the left side of the device which, on the push of a button, displays the battery level of the device without the need to turn on the device or open the lid. The card reader is missing in a MacBook which is a big bummer for those who frequently transfer photos from memory cards.
SOUND: I have checked many reviews online and I found it very difficult to find a comment on the sound quality of a Mac.. Well from my experience I would say, this is the only place where the Mac falls back. The sound quality is not awful but it can be classified as average. For regular alerts or to watch videos on youtube, the sound quality is good enough but when watching a movie or listening to music, speakers or earphones are highly recommended. This is one area Apple seems to be neglecting for whatever reason.
PERFORMANCE: This is the area where the Mac simply excels. Here I am going to compare this to my experience with a windows laptop. Let me tell you why I feel the MacBook out performs every other laptop out there. You can forget about every other point mentioned above. The ultimate reason why you choose a laptop over a desktop is portability. When we say portability, we can take size, weight, durability and lifetime as metrics. The body of the MacBook Pro is made up of aluminum and is hence very light, durable and scratch proof. The boot up time is just supreme. From the push of the power button to a state where it is completely usable at optimum performance, it takes less than 30 seconds! But the best part of it is the sleep mode. When you close the lid of a Mac, it enters sleep mode which is indicated by a blinking while led near the lid. When you lift the lid, it wakes up to a fully operational state in less than 2 seconds!! Recovery from sleep mode or hibernation mode is never this quick on a windows machine. Moreover, very less battery is drained in sleep mode. If the device is to be used on a daily basis, there is hardly a need to shut down the machine. Oh and I forgot to mention. Shutting down takes less than 2 seconds as well. You can click on the shutdown button and the machine is switched off before you can even close the lid.
APPLICATIONS:
This is the area where the Mac falls back when compared to the PC in most cases. The Mac has its share of great proprietary software such as Garage Band, iPhoto, iMovie, etc but this is nowhere close to the huge library of applications available for the PC. With the Mac becoming more and more popular these days, the number of applications continue to rise. The only true place where a Mac lags behind the PC is in gaming. Macs may boast a powerful graphics card built into it and may claim it plays the latest demanding games. But the Mac is NOT a machine which should be chosen by the hardcore gamer for gaming.
There is so much more that can be said about the MacBook. Even though I have said so much, I still have a feeling I have only covered a few layers of the trifle. There is a lot more than meets the eye. Overall I just have to say its a very great product. I can confidently say that I have reduced the usage of the PC and use the Mac for almost all my daily computer activities except gaming of course ;)
Cheers!
It was only about three years back that I got to look at a Mac and admire its sheer beauty in design. All Mac machines look so sleek and elegant. So I felt this could be at least one of the reasons why a user pics up a Mac. So that his machine stands out in the crowd. But does the look of a machine really matter that much? What about performance?
I learn a year later that Mac machines ( loaded with OS X operating systems ) are virus free and never hang up. Now this is a very hard claim. But this is so true at least 95% of the time. Please jump to the next paragraph if you do not need the technical reason for this!! It is not very easy to create a virus for the Mac because it is built on the Unix shell. Unix file access permissions and user control features allow access to only restricted system files to the end user and to actually manipulate system files you need to run as a superuser. No user is given superuser permission without a password and hence these files can only be manipulated after providing a password. The main reason for a machine to hang up is when the processor gets overheated or overloaded. In the case of a Mac, operating system was built in close coordination with the hardware so it is optimized for the processor and peripherals it works with. More often than not, in windows, the processor is not used to its full potential because it is built to suit many processors and chipsets. Building an operating system by keeping the hardware specifications in mind is like building an edifice with a perfect foundation. This is exactly what Apple has done and they have nailed it.
Now let me get to the actual review of the MacBook Pro. The specifications of my system are as follows:
Display: 13.3 inch
OS: Snow Leopard ( OS X 10.6.2 )
HDD: 250 GB SATA @ 5200RPM
GFX: nVidia 320 M 256MB GDDR3
RAM: 4 GB
CPU: 2.4 Ghz Core 2 Duo with 3MB L2 Cache
I was in a fix whether to just go for the MacBook or is it really worth the extra cash for the Pro. Let me tell you the main differences between the Pro and the regular MacBook.
ARCHITECTURE: The MacBook Pro comes with an Aluminum unibody finish whereas the MacBook comes with a polycarbonate unibody finish. The unibody is a revolutionary design by Apple where the entire body is made up of one single block of material. This technology makes the device very rigid and durable as there are no moving parts in the actual body except the lid.
This technology is patented by Apple and can only be found in the MacBook family. This goes up to such an extent that even the battery is no longer removable (but replaceable by Apple). This is not much of a concern because the new battery provides up to 10 hours of battery with normal usage and Apple claims that the battery can be recharged 1000 times before it needs to be replaced.
DESIGN: Some of the reasons I picked a MacBook Pro over the MacBook. Well, the MacBook Pro looks much better with its aluminum unibody. It has a much sleeker look than the MacBook and looks more majestic. The MacBook looks really cool no doubt but it would better suit a college student. The Pro looks Professional. But looks is not everything. Why just dish out the extra cash for a better finish? There are several extra features provided in the MacBook Pro, some of which are not even mentioned in the website. The Pro comes with a back-lit keyboard which adjusts its brightness based on the intensity of the light in the surroundings. This can also be changed manually. There are battery level indicator leds present to the left side of the device which, on the push of a button, displays the battery level of the device without the need to turn on the device or open the lid. The card reader is missing in a MacBook which is a big bummer for those who frequently transfer photos from memory cards.
SOUND: I have checked many reviews online and I found it very difficult to find a comment on the sound quality of a Mac.. Well from my experience I would say, this is the only place where the Mac falls back. The sound quality is not awful but it can be classified as average. For regular alerts or to watch videos on youtube, the sound quality is good enough but when watching a movie or listening to music, speakers or earphones are highly recommended. This is one area Apple seems to be neglecting for whatever reason.
PERFORMANCE: This is the area where the Mac simply excels. Here I am going to compare this to my experience with a windows laptop. Let me tell you why I feel the MacBook out performs every other laptop out there. You can forget about every other point mentioned above. The ultimate reason why you choose a laptop over a desktop is portability. When we say portability, we can take size, weight, durability and lifetime as metrics. The body of the MacBook Pro is made up of aluminum and is hence very light, durable and scratch proof. The boot up time is just supreme. From the push of the power button to a state where it is completely usable at optimum performance, it takes less than 30 seconds! But the best part of it is the sleep mode. When you close the lid of a Mac, it enters sleep mode which is indicated by a blinking while led near the lid. When you lift the lid, it wakes up to a fully operational state in less than 2 seconds!! Recovery from sleep mode or hibernation mode is never this quick on a windows machine. Moreover, very less battery is drained in sleep mode. If the device is to be used on a daily basis, there is hardly a need to shut down the machine. Oh and I forgot to mention. Shutting down takes less than 2 seconds as well. You can click on the shutdown button and the machine is switched off before you can even close the lid.
APPLICATIONS:
This is the area where the Mac falls back when compared to the PC in most cases. The Mac has its share of great proprietary software such as Garage Band, iPhoto, iMovie, etc but this is nowhere close to the huge library of applications available for the PC. With the Mac becoming more and more popular these days, the number of applications continue to rise. The only true place where a Mac lags behind the PC is in gaming. Macs may boast a powerful graphics card built into it and may claim it plays the latest demanding games. But the Mac is NOT a machine which should be chosen by the hardcore gamer for gaming.
There is so much more that can be said about the MacBook. Even though I have said so much, I still have a feeling I have only covered a few layers of the trifle. There is a lot more than meets the eye. Overall I just have to say its a very great product. I can confidently say that I have reduced the usage of the PC and use the Mac for almost all my daily computer activities except gaming of course ;)
Cheers!
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