Recent Comments:
Lenovo's ThinkPad X200 reviewed: it's a winner {Engadget}
Jul 21st 2008 5:13PM ...totally agree with you. Don't forget that when someone sees a matte black magnesium lid, they just might be a government agent. This is the laptop that the government trusts (and I don't think that they trust a lot of people). It's truly the "I've grown up, gotten a job and did something with my life" laptop.
Lenovo's ThinkPad X200 reviewed: it's a winner {Engadget}
Jul 21st 2008 5:02PM I know what you're talking about... I don't think it's "oil" as much as your finger actually buffing the plastic to a shiny gloss.
I have a Thinkpad X40 that's around 4-5 years old and it's suprisingly gloss free. The lid is a magnesium alloy covered with a matte black finish and you can't even see a scratch (and I use this thing daily). My pet peeve on laptops is the palm rest area becoming worn. The Thinkpad actually looks fairly brand new after abusive use.
I also have a Dell x300 that's around the same age and when the light hits the keyboard just right, it blinds you. The gray palm rest area has worn to an ugly darker color that looks like a permanent stain. The screen has a permanent ghost circle in the middle from the Dell circle crushing the LCD without any sort of reinforcement and a hinge cracked.
Overall, I've owned HP, Dell, Toshiba and Thinkpad laptops. I'd only buy another Thinkpad. I'm looking into the SL300 right now, I'm a little scared because they cite using cheaper parts (plastic lid, etc.) to reduce the cost to the consumer. It's also geared towards small to medium business users. The X200 line is geared more towards large corporate environments where laptops tend to change many hands, mobile use is a priority and laptop abuse is common.
Lenovo's ThinkPad SL400 gets reviewed {Engadget}
Jul 16th 2008 7:50PM ...it's not plastic! ...it's the same design as the x300 and I believe that it's blackened magnesium. There's a close-up shot in the linked article.
Zune 2.5 update brings TV downloads, Zune Card sharing {Engadget}
May 6th 2008 4:50PM They used to have a specific point in the requirements that if you had a Mac, you could use Boot Camp to get compatibility. I checked and they've since removed it from the Zune page.
That said, you do have compatibility through booting up Windows. I'd assume that's why they don't spend their time developing software for Windows Mobile phones, Zunes and etc. since they can just avoid the mess by telling you to use the option that integrates better. It actually might make them look bad (or worse...depending on your opinion). Itunes was a mess for me in Windows...
For Microsoft, if you switch to a Mac and still buy Windows...everybody wins. If they cater to the small (but growing) percentage that switch to Macs then they're just enabling the converts.
Apple vs. NYC: What's really going on {Engadget}
Apr 3rd 2008 4:34PM Apple hates America! ...there, I said it!
Palm Centro hits the magical one million mark {Engadget}
Apr 1st 2008 8:44PM You're massively taking things out of context.
Centro was launched mid-October on Sprint. They just introduced an AT&T version and they're probably releasing versions on way more carriers, worldwide. It's VERY user friendly, has a great pricepoint and has become an affordable powerhouse of features.
iPhone was launched in June on a much larger carrier with a locked in contract to only offer it on that carrier and a huge user base anticipating the moment it hit stores.
That'd be like me saying, "in 2008, Microsoft expects to ship 20 million Windows Mobile units...you call the iPhone a competitor?".
HTC's Touch Dual makes US debut at CTIA {Engadget}
Apr 1st 2008 8:18PM @KnightRider: They're not bad devices once you start adding some customized interfaces to them. I'm finally happy with my Mogul (PPC-6800) after they unlocked Rev. A and GPS. I started playing around with the stuff on XDA and PPCGeeks. I bet it'd make you a LOT happier with your device if you found a custom ROM or personalized app that'd streamline the Tilt for you.
@PhilxBefore: You should check out the new version of HTC Home Customizer. It might get rid of some of that guilt. It's free and offers more functionality than the iPhone app launcher. ...and it's got over 100 different themes. Plus, you can use your own background since it's a home screen plugin and you can set the transparency.
FYI: change your password, edit your profile, add yourself an avatar {Engadget}
Mar 28th 2008 4:40AM test
Red Zune 80 now available... but only with Zune Originals engraving {Engadget}
Mar 21st 2008 12:39AM Ok...I generally don't read many long posts but, after you mentioned "black eye" and "hipster" in one sentence...I had to read on.
Just to add onto what you said... I think this is where the whole technology division went wrong: Somewhere along the lines, the superficial "hey, I'm cool too" generation took over. Of course, advertisers picked up on this and catered to their needs.
Hipsters and the like learned that actual artists were using Apple products because of superior CPU caches (at the time) for their work. Of course, they had to express their "me too" attitude and jump on the Mac bandwagon. Since then, Apple has started using Intel machines, used 3rd party manufacturing, employed "half-truth" and fashion marketting to exploit the impressionable market share and maximize profit. Some people became fanboys because they did not know any better.
This is just like the Starbucks phenomenon. For me, the best coffee is made by roasting your own beans then, grinding and brewing to your liking. Of course, the Starbucks fanboys will tell you that Starbucks is the best because it's the simplest user interface. ...but, it's about what's most convenient and tastes best to you.
Really... Enjoy what you enjoy. ...just understand that there's many sides to a story. Everyone's needs differ and if you enjoy what you use...more power to you! ...just give everyone else respect if you don't want your quality of life pissed all over.
Heat from GeForce 9800 GX2 causing system crashes? {Engadget}
Mar 19th 2008 6:50PM Not really... Let me explain it in simple terms so you can understand.
Engadget is reporting on something that "Jim's uncle's cousin's friend" said. Especially in building a system from the ground up, there are MANY variables. This could possibly be an issue and it could possibly not. Bit-Tech (which I do read daily), could have also had a different hardware or firmware version than the end user receives. If Engadget chooses to call out only PC related issues that may or may not exist, this causes these companies' stock values to drop. This is because the investors sell anticipating a problem with all current stock and anticipate a huge recall, slow sales, or massive profit drops due to fixing the issues at hand.
If Engadget were to report all things equally, investors would look at this as something to be aware of. If Engadget chooses to only cherry-pick PC related items, this causes a problem. Investors only catch this bad news in the poor market conditions that currently exist.
I hope your head doesn't hurt after that...
