Posts tagged Reviews
Windows 8–An Early Impressions Review
Sep 14th
As many of you may or may not know, last night marked the official release for the Windows 8 Developer Preview build. This is, of course, free for all to download and test.
After having a chance to play around with it a bit, I have some first impressions to share, in hopes that Microsoft will take notice and make some quality of life changes for us.
I tested both 32-bit and 64-bit builds of Windows 8 under VirtualBox. I was unable to successfully get the 32-bit version to work. 64-bit installed without any issues, however that’s not to say it runs without issues.
While I can appreciate the simplicity of Microsofts “Metro” style desktop, I am sure it will be great on tablets, which is something we know Microsoft is betting on. It is not, however, intuitive on a desktop system.
The old start menu is completely gone, instead bringing up the Metro desktop, even if you switch to the old Windows desktop. You switch between sets of tiles by (ugh) dragging a horizontal scrollbar on the bottom of the screen. The start button is hidden until you mouse over it. The start button here only provides contextual options and settings.
The included Twitter client, Tweet@rama, is certainly well designed. With vertical scrolling, and its two pane view, it feels natural to use. I am a fan of this one.
A stocks app is also included by default, although as of the time of this writing, it only tracks the Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and MSFT markets. I could find no way to add my own stocks to track, which is a deal breaker for most of us (I need to track my IBM stock!).
As mentioned, the new start menu is hidden until moused over in the far bottom left corner, and even then, is a shell of its former self. I certainly hope for an option to revert to the old start menu behavior. I could not find this option myself, but I only spent 5 minutes looking for it.
You can still access your old control panel if you want, but for non-power-users, you get a new, simpler interface that provides quick access to common settings.
It’s nice to have an RSS reader built in, which is another default app I am sure tablet users will appreciate, but there is no clear defined way to add your own feeds aside of the defaults provided here. I hope that option makes it way into the final build, or I can see this RSS app being rarely, if ever, used by anyone, especially on a desktop.
The built-in weather app is certainly nice, although with no options for location settings. I’m beginning to understand that the developer preview is basically void of any real settings, and is more or less just a preview of things to come (obviously) with basic functionality. The clouds in the background here are animated, so I look forward to seeing this when it’s done.
The new star button is a dark grey, and stands out from the taskbar very noticeably. I hope this is something that doesn’t stick around. Contrast is nice to have, but I hope to find an option for changing this later, but I would hope when you’re on the old Windows desktop that you can get your old start menu back.
Oh, that dreaded Office ribbon. It’s definitely in Windows 8, and I am proud to announce that you CAN hide it.
Final Notes
I know that a final release for Windows 8 is a long ways off, but I have some notes that I hope Microsoft will listen to.
- Give people the option of using their old Windows desktop, please. If this functionality is not included, most people will not upgrade. I don’t know of any enterprise clients who would.
- Provide infinite customization options. If you’re going to try and make a prettier desktop environment, let people tweak it any way they want. Not everybody likes the same thing.
- Horizontal scrolling may be second nature on a tablet, but it’s AWFUL on a desktop, especially when it doesn’t work with the scroll wheel on the mouse. Provide an option for vertical scrolling, or the Metro desktop will never be a part of my desktop.
- Turn the Explorer ribbon off by default. Some power users MIGHT want this, but most people will not. It’s horrible by design, and will confuse non-tech-savvy users.
- Give me back my old start menu! It’s been a cornerstone of Windows for years, don’t change a good thing now.
I also have additional concerns regarding Microsofts plans to get into the tablet market. I understand that most (if not all) Windows 8 tablets will run under an ARM processor. While this is fine and dandy for battery life, I know there will be software compatibility issues, since most of us use x86 software. Here’s the important part: If I can’t run my desktop apps on my tablet, I won’t get the tablet, especially if the tablet costs more than an iPad or Android tablet with similar functionality. If it doesn’t run all Windows apps, it isn’t Windows!
Your move, Redmond.
Boge 510 Cartomizers Review
May 18th
Have you been thinking about trying cartomizers lately with your electronic cigarette? Maybe you already do, but you’ve been looking for a better solution?
Maybe you should give Boge 510 cartomizers a try.
I’ve been pretty lucky in getting good parts this time around, and the Boge 510 is no exception to this rule.
These cartomizers are available in low resistance (1.9-2.1ohms), standard (2.9-3.1ohms), and high. They are available from Pure Smoker for $1.50 each, come empty, and are re-fillable.
I ordered the Boge 510 because I was put off by the expense of regular atomizers, especially given the track record I have of burning them out. That’s not to say I haven’t burned out a carto or two, but it’s a much rarer occasion.
Low Resistance Boge 510 Cartomizer
Let me just start by saying… WOW.
I’ve tried a multitude of electronic cigarette products, but this was the first method I tried that really stuck.
Low resistance is not necessarily the best for all flavors, since it can have a tendency to burn some flavors, but if you use lighter colored juices, I recommend you give it a go. Just remember that LR atomizers should not be used on anything higher than 3.7v. If you’re using anything stronger, I recommend you try…
Standard Resistance Boge 510 Cartomizer
Standard resistance, for me, is a different animal. Many people start here and move on to LR, I went the opposite route.
I find that vapor production drops off a bit between LR and SR, but the SR Boge 510 is still quite nice, and really brought a sweetness out of my Firecracker flavor that I had never seen before. If you want more flavor without as much risk of burning, go with SR.
Of course, I still prefer the LR Boge 510 myself since it vapes like a king.
Use-ability
I find the cartomizers to be more convenient for me, and provide a few hours between refills. Filling them is rather simple, particularly when using the condom method or the taryn spin.
Reliability
Most retailers will tell you that cartomizers are disposable, one-time-use things. Most retailers would be right. Unless they are talking about the Boge 510 of course.
These cost me about $1.50 each, and I haven’t lost one yet due to a failure. I’ve had a couple get slightly harder to pull on after about a month of use, but still usable, especially after cleaning by soaking in alcohol.
Maintenance is a snap, and these things last. If you use a thin, light colored e-liquid, always keep the filler wet, and never burn them, they will likely last you for several months each.
MadVapes / TopVapor Top Banana e-Liquid Review
Apr 25th
Today, I finally received my 30ml bottle of MadVapes Top Banana e-liquid in the mail. I’ve been very excited to try this flavor, since it had some pretty good reviews on their web site, but most particularly, I worried because this was the cheapest source of e-liquid I have been able to find yet. There may still be cheaper, but this is pretty cheap.
I paid $8.29 for a 30ml bottle of 35mg strength (holy mother of God!) liquid. You can also buy 60ml for $14.99, which beats the $35 I paid elsewhere for that amount. So, needless to say, I was a bit skeptical.
I used a Joye Ego XL battery with Boge 510 cartomizers for daily vaping, so for the purpose of this review, that is what I sampled this liquid in. I will be trying it in my Ego-T tank system once it arrives in the mail.
I decided to open a fresh cartomizer for this one, since I didn’t want any lingering flavors from my other Boge 510 carto’s to taint the banana.
My first reaction to this flavor was that it was extremely harsh. It seemed to burn my throat pretty badly, and had a SERIOUS throat hit. I was not sure if I was going to like it at all. I decided to set it down for about 20 minutes and let it settle some more. The flavor WAS good, but harsh.
After waiting 20 minutes, I came back to it to give it another shot. I put my zip tip on the carto and gave it a good vape. I was blown away.
Just based on the sheer fact that I paid under $10 for this bottle of e-liquid, I can say it was totally worth it, and probably more.
This flavor balanced out nicely to be VERY smooth, even at my 36mg nicotine level. The throat hit is very noticeable, not not at all too harsh. You feel it in your lungs, but just enough to know it is there, and it feels more like a real cigarette. It does not hurt at all. It also seems to dry my mouth out less than my PureSmoker Firecracker Cinnamon, which to date has been my favorite.
As for the flavor itself, the reviews on the web site are 100% on point: It tastes exactly like Runts banana flavored candy. So, the flavor itself is very synthetic tasting, but it’s supposed to be, and they nail it in that respect, because I LOVE the banana Runts. It is not too terribly sweet, and rather more of a mild undertone. It does not taste “thick” or “creamy” like many sweet flavors do.
Overall, I think I will be ordering more liquid from MadVapes. The price is on point, and it’s quality, American-made juice.
Vapor Production: 7.5/10
Throat Hit: 8.1/10
Flavor: 7.1/10
Overall: 7.5/10
Boost Mobile Blackberry Curve 8330 Review
Jun 20th
Recently I have decided that I wanted to get a better phone and service than what I’ve been using for a long time, and after doing some research and trying to avoid high rates and expensive phones with contracts, I decided to take a stab at the new offering from Boost Mobile, the Blackberry Curve 8330. I was quite excited to get this phone, as I was a fan of my old CrackBerry, and wanted to have a legit BlackBerry on the service, particularly since Boost offers unlimited 3G data with a $60 per month plan. This is my review of the Blackberry Curve 8330 for Boost Mobile after trying the phone out.
The Good
The phone is stylish, and smaller than my old smart phone, the Samsung Code. I chose the BlackBerry for the plethora of apps available, at least for the things I needed. Purchasing the phone is painless, save for the price, you just pay for it and take it home, where you activate it yourself. After the phone was activated, several apps I thought I would have to hunt down on my own started getting pushed to my phone, or rather direct links to them. All the basics were there, such as AIM, Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, etc. This made it pretty simple getting setup.
I liked that messages from all my apps and services were pushed into a consolidated inbox, which did simplify things. Unfortunately, this is where the good stopped.
The Bad
After activating my phone, and paying my first month of service, the phone was still not working. No calls, no text, no internet. I had to call Boost Mobile customer support and wait for about 20 minutes, just for a rep to walk me through a process on the phone that was simple enough that it should have been included in the directions, but it wasn’t. The apps being pushed to the device was a handy feature, but it lagged the phone badly, and made it impossible to do anything else.
Reception Quality
I’ve owned a Boost Mobile phone before, and was extremely impressed at the signal quality, and the voice quality. This was not the case with the BlackBerry, as it runs on the old Sprint CDMA network. I was barely able to get a signal in my house at all, most often having 1 bar or less of reception. The ironic thing of this is that I live within a mile of the Daytona International Speedway, which is Sprint sponsored, and has Sprint towers at that location. I didn’t drop a call, but it was just a matter of time.
Internet Connection
I am probably the most irate about this feature. A main feature advertised on this phone is the ability to use Sprints 3G network for internet. Not once did this feature work. Even in major metropolitan areas, with full signal, it took several minutes to download a file that was less than half a megabyte in size. The kicker? Sprint has total 3G coverage of the entire area I live, so there is no excuse for this not working for me.
Battery Performance
The battery on this device performs extremely poorly, not even able to make it through a single day of idle use with email and AIM only running in the background. This is piss poor given that this is advertised as having over a week of stand by time. My Metro PCS Samsung Code has a constant email connection, AIM, and Facebook constantly running at all times, and after a full day of heavy use, it is rare to even see one bar drop off my battery. Impressive for a phone that costs the same and runs on a smaller network. Sadly my “3G” connection was no faster than the edge connection on my Metro PCS phone.
The Ugly
Thankfully, Best Buy lived up to their word, and they accepted a return of the phone with no restocking fee, as promised, so I can not fault them here for anything. The worst part though, is when I call Boost Mobile to cancel my account and demand a refund because I did not receive the service as I was promised, and they refused. No way, no how, even though the phone was activated less than 48 hours previous to the cancellation, would they give even a partial refund.
Bottom line? If you want to pay premium prices for a shitty phone with even shittier service, and the worst customer service experience on the planet, get this phone.
No, really, it’s horrible. Worst phone and service ever, with the exception of Sprint about 10 years ago, which is still technically the same thing, when text messages take up to a day to arrive. I can’t recommend this phone or Boost Mobile to anyone now, because I feel burned.
I’m hoping the new Sprint network is better. I have decided to wait another 10 days until Best Buy can get some more stock, and I am going to buy an HTC EVO 4G. I’ll have a contract, but it will be a working 4G phone that acts as a WiFi hotspot and runs Android.
Been burned by Boost Mobile? Want to know more? Leave a comment below.
Gateway LT2104u Netbook and Windows 7 Starter Edition – A Review by Apoc
Feb 17th
It’s not often I find myself writing reviews for products, but every now and then, something comes along that just screams for my attention.
This Valentines day, I was fortunate enough to have a loving gift of a netbook bestowed upon me by my beloved fiancee. In fact, I was even able to pick out my own, along with a RAM upgrade. Sweet deal!
My first impressions over the first couple of days were mixed. I never had to deal with it being really bad on speed because when we picked out our netbooks from Best Buy, we were smart enough to pick up 2GB of ram each, which was installed the second I opened this thing.
I picked this one out of the bunch at the store, because after spending an hour tinkering around with all the netbooks on display, this one was determined to have the best Windows Experience Index, which strangely enough, did not improve after doubling the ram. Oh well, yet I digress.
The speed is acceptable for a netbook, and works just fine most of the time. It tends to run cool most of the time, and the battery life is more than acceptable. It comes with 802.11n wifi, which makes surfing the net quite a pleasant experience, as should be expected from a NETbook. I only had one real gripe from the beginning… the complete lack of Windows XP.
Instead, all the new netbooks at Best Buy now come with Windows 7 Starter preinstalled. This is why I am writing this review. I must warn the general public, and speak my outrage. Listen carefully now.
Windows 7 starter SUCKS.
It is horrible. I can’t even call it an operating system. Seriously, Microsoft, fuck you.
Why on Gods green earth would you make it a limitation on Windows 7 starter that you CAN NOT change the wallpaper of all things? What the FUCK? Seriously? If I could give a grade lower than F for an operating system, this one would win it. I’m serious. It is that bad.
Unfortunately, things get worse from there. After spending roughly 14 hours trying to figure out how to get a Windows XP install onto a usb thumb drive and making it boot, I finally got Windows XP pro on this thing. Only problem was, it was missing the drivers for video and sound. That kind of tends to be a big deal, so I logged into the support site for Gateway computers to download new drivers, and what do you think I found? They only provided drivers for Windows 7. For a laptop that I knew for a fact ran XP up until about a month or so ago.
I contacted Gateway customer support via email, and 6 hours later, the only response I had was a support representative asking me where I acquired my windows xp disk from.
I was pretty upset at this point (no, fuck upset, I was raging) and responded to the rep that my source of windows xp was completely irrelevant to them sending me a link to download some drivers for the laptop I JUST bought from them. A couple hours later I heard back and they basically refused to provide me with drivers, even after I told them if I didn’t get them I was going to return the netbook for a refund.
I will not be buying from Gateway again. The worst part of the experience? The preinstalled recovery partition is corrupt and doesn’t work, so I’m pretty much on my own there.
I don’t recommend purchasing this netbook for anyone who isn’t very tech savvy, and very patient. It will drive them nuts. But I suppose if someone is willing to just accept the limitations of windows 7 starter, and just use it as-is, it’s a fine product.
Read between the lines: The hardware is good, but the operating system and the customer support are horrible.
So this one gets a big middle finger to both Microsoft (especially them) and Gateway. Learn the lesson. Don’t put such hefty restrictions on an already expensive product, and if somebody asks you for help with the $300+ product you just bought 2 days ago, GIVE IT TO THEM.
Fortunately for me, I am tech savvy, and I did have the patience, and I finally did manage to track down windows xp drivers from, of all places, the hardware manufacturer’s web sites, Gateway, how hard would it have been to just send me there?
Note: I will be posting another article later explaining just HOW to get Windows XP on a thumb drive, get it installed on your netbook, and will provide the drivers needed for this one on my web site, just so all of you don’t have to spend hours hunting it all down too. Unfortunately, tools like PeToUSB did not work for me, and I expect many others to encounter the same problems.
UPDATE! Tutorial for installing Windows XP on this laptop
Ok, so this turned out to be a rather popular article, if the page hits and comments are any indication! Now for me to make good on my word and provide a step-by-step for everyone else to follow.
Step 1
You need a copy of Windows XP, and I recommend searching torrent sites for a Windows XP Black Edition release, since they are well put together and clean, and is what I used for this netbook. They are basically an n-Lite version prepackaged with some good freeware utilities.
Step 2
There is no need to mount the .iso using Daemon Tools or any other program. Simply use WinRar or any other compatible archiving program to extract the contents of the disc on to your drive.
Step 3
Download WinSetupFromUSB and install it.
Step 4
Run WinSetupFromUSB, and it should look like this:
Step 5
Under Windows 2000/XP/2003 Source, select the folder that your windows install cd (i386, etc) is located in. (The folder you extracted the .iso to)
Step 6
Select the target USB thumb drive. I picked up a PNY 4GB thumb drive from Wal-Mart for about $12, but anything with 2GB or better will work fine. Note: It may or may not be necessary to format the thumb drive as FAT using Windows prior to this. Usually, the RMPrepUSB button will format the thumb drive just fine.
Step 7
Click GO! This process can take a while, depending on your hardware. Do not interrupt it or remove the drive at any time during this process.
Step 8
Enter the BIOS of the netbook, and be sure it is set to boot from USB. Mine was already automatically set to this, so odds are good yours will be too.
Step 9
Insert the thumb drive into your netbook with it powered off, and turned it on. You should see a “press any key to boot from CD” option or something similar.
Step 10
Proceed as normal with XP installation. In some cases, you may not be able to install to the C:\ drive. This is OK and will not impact anything. Sometimes the default restore partition will insist on being the C:\ drive, just create a new partition, and format as NTFS, then install to the new partition.
Step 11
The first part of the XP install will finish, and the computer will reboot. There is no need to press any key on boot this time, but DO NOT REMOVE the thumb drive yet. If you do, you can cause serious problems. Instead you will be presented with a special menu provided by WinSetupFromUSB, providing about 5 or 6 options to pick from. Start at the top option, and press enter. These options are presented because of the variable “accidents” that can happen from this sort of hack. If the first one does not work, reboot again, and select the second, and so forth. The 3rd option worked great for me.
Step 12
Let XP finish it’s install, and then you just need to track down the drivers. Gateway, unfortunately, is no help at all in this department. Simply open device manager, and go to the vendor web sites for the hardware, and download the updates yourself. Windows update might be able to grab some for you too. I recommend grabbing the Intel On-board Video drivers first, since it will make things easier.
DON’T PANIC
Assuming you use this method on the Gateway LT2104u, using the Windows XP Black install, you will have wireless and LAN drivers, and pretty much all the stuff you will need to be able to get the other drivers off the internet. If I can track down where I backed mine up, I will zip them up and post them here for download later.
Step 13
Enjoy Windows XP on your new netbook! It runs much better than Windows 7 Starter does, and can probably run more apps.
Notes: This tutorial is not entirely specific to the Gateway LT2104u, and should work on most computers, as well as desktops. If this is too much for you, your other option is to buy a usb cd drive (I got a cd-r/w drive on ebay for $20 with shipping) and proceed to install Windows as normal.
I hope this helps!
