When someone buys an inkjet printer (in my case the Epson R2880), you often get a sample pack of paper with the device. This is not just out of kindness, it is marketing. Papers are normally developed especially for the manufacturers inks and when you see the results, it is more than likely you will continue to buy their own brand papers. Unless you are in the graphic design industry, it is unlikely that you would even research any other papers, so I have done a little bit of that work for you.
Read MoreAsus announce Eee PC Seashell 1008HA
ASUS have today announced the UK launch of the new Eee PC™ Seashell netbook which presents a user-centric blend of timeless design and effortless mobility.
My quick take is that this little netbook oozes style. All those sleek lines, USB and video ports hidden away under neat little covers. It really does look stunning. A little pricier at £379 than the current crop, but you have to pay a little more for quality like this. We have a review model winging its way to the Geekanoids office, so check out the video review sometime in May.
Back to the official press release...
Nature has a way of creating elegance of out simplicity and ASUS has followed the same philosophy for its latest Eee PC™. Inspired by the sleek shape of the humble seashell, the Eee PC 1008HA Seashell combines a striking slimline design with the latest mobile technology.
The Seashell’s slender case is less than 1in at its thickest point and artfully curves to a razor-thin edge. This stunning low profile is made possible by a new ASUS motherboard that takes up very little space, and the integral lithium-polymer cell removes the need for an unsightly, bulbous battery. The incredibly small, amazingly smart Intel® Atom™ N280 processor provides an unmatched combination of performance and power-efficiency. Furthermore, despite weighing just 1.1kg, the Seashell lasts for up to six* hours away from a plug socket.
ASUS is also giving one away per week during the launch period; please visit www.asus.co.uk/seashell for further details of the competition.
For further information about the product, please visit www.asus.co.uk/eeepc/1008HA
Key Features
* 1” thickness and 1.1kg weight
* 10” LED-backlit WSVGA glare-type display (1024x600)
* Fast Intel Atom N280 processor
* Polymer battery offers up to 6 hours of battery life*
* SRS Surround Sound audio
* Ergonomically designed keyboard with Multi-touch touchpad
* 170GB Hybrid Storage (160GB Internal plus Eee Storage)
* 802.11 b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth 2.1
* Super Hybrid Engine for intelligent energy management
More great reviews forthcoming including Home Cinema
Over the next month or so expect to see a greater variety of reviews on the website. I do not know where I find the time to do all the videos! To add to the mix, I will be bringing you a full review of a superb home cinema projector. Bringing the big screen into your home need not break the bank. It is now very affordable, with some stunning results at under the £500 mark. I will take a look at setting up, connecting your DVD, Blu-Ray or games console and how to use it either every day, or for those special occasions. Imagine playing the likes of PES 2009 with massive on-screen players and awesome surround sound! Keep an eye on the website for the full review.
Epson Stylus Photo R2880 Printer Review coming soon
In the next month I will be bringing you a definitive review of the Epson Stylus Photo R2880 printer. This is a little different for me, as the R2880 is of great interest for more than one reason. My passion for photography will marry up to this product well, if it delivers on its promises.
It uses Epson UltraChrome K3 inks with vivid magenta, which should produce some stunning photo prints. Also on board are three blacks, a standard one, a light black and a light light black, so fine art prints should look really fantastic. Epson quotes "UltraChrome K3 ink has improved print permanence characteristics that provide lightfastness ratings of up to 108 years for color and over 200 years for black and white under rigorous industry accepted display conditions*. With its expanded color gamut and breakthrough 8-color system, no other ink set can reproduce the three dimensional lifelike quality and stunning photographic feel of Epson UltraChrome K3."
In addition to the printer review, I will also be testing some Epson papers, as well as third party offerings from Hahnemühle and hopefully Permajet. These will be very interesting to see just how much detail and accuracy I can get out of the R2880. Keep your eyes peeled for this review around mid-May.
Happy New Year to All
Happy New Year to all of my readers! I have some interesting announcements for you all too. You have probably noticed that there has not been many new postings over the Christmas period. Well, I took a well earned break and spent some time playing with my kids and their gadgets. It also gave me a chance to really get some hands-on use of some new bits of kit too. I have reviews of the Sony NWZ-S639 MP3 player coming up, where I look at just how well it integrates with the BBC iPlayer service and how you can get it working with Windows on the Mac.
Keeping with the Mac goodness though, I have plenty of reviews lined up. The Kodak Zi6 HD handheld camcorder for starters, followed by a roundup of snazzy sleeves to keep your MacBook, MacBook Pro and iPod touch nice and cozy. Not only will they protect your kit from bumps and scratches, but also keep them nice and warm over the winter months (yes, the first snow of 2009 fell over Kent last night). I also have a couple of Broadband Router tests coming up, including a budget model from Buffalo Technology. So plenty to keep me busy and to keep you informed. Thanks for sticking with us, I hope you enjoy the Geekanoids website throughout 2009.
Toshiba Satellite X200 - thoughts on another PC
I always like to keep an open mind when it comes to my computing. A few years back, anything outside the Apple platform would not even be allowed in my house or office. I have been tempted on many occasions to take advantage of one of the free laptop offers that are available with mobile broadband contracts. Well, since the Geekanoids website has become so popular, I felt I owed it to my readers to let them know if the grass is greener on the Mac side or not. I didn't go and get one of the freebie offers, instead the guys (and gals) at Toshiba kindly loaned me a Satellite X200 laptop... not for a full on review, rather for a play with for a month and just let your readers know what you think of it, well here goes.
First of all, it is important that I let you know my general thoughts about Vista. It has improved a lot since the release of Service Pack 1. A lot of the previous problems have been fixed and it also seems to run a little smoother. That said, it is still so convoluted to use. So many clicks and confirmations to perform even the simplest task. Add to that the constant updates and start up time long enough to eat a three course meal (OK, probably only a cup of tea) and you can see where my Vista frustration comes from. Now I have vented my thoughts on the OS, I can concentrate on the X200.
When I first opened it, I was very impressed by the screen real estate. A resolution of 1440x900 on the 17-inch display may not sound like much, but it felt like the right combination. You also get a 2.4GHz Core2Duo processor, 4GB RAM (only 3GB accessible), a beefy 256MB NVidia 8700M GT graphics card, 250GB of hard drive space and a nice 1.3MP webcam above the gorgeous screen. The optical drive reads and writes CDs and DVDs and also plays HD-DVD's which is a nice touch. The trackpad also impressed me with its smooth tracking, though the multi-touch areas for scrolling and shortcuts was a bit annoying at times. Sometimes it behaved itself, other times it was a pig to get working.
The X200 is big though. You would not want to carry this overgrown laptop around. It is destined to be used in a home or office and not venture outside. It is even too big to use on your lap, so needs to be situated on a desk really. At the base there are large vented heatsinks and they throw out a lot of heat. The fans seem to be on all the time, so that warm air is pretty annoying. The screen, although impressive, is glossy and in comparison to the new MacBook and MacBook Pro range, it uses a different finish. I found it a lot more difficult to get the right angle to avoid reflections. Battery life was useless too, just over two hours and the unit started chirping at me. Performance was good though, the 2.4GHz processor and graphics card compbination delivered enough power to eat through my Photoshopping and satisfied on the gaming front too. I guess that with that power you should expect the heat issues.
So, I was impressed. The X200 is a nice bit of kit and for someone who is a Windows Vista user, this could be a good desktop replacement choice. It has a nice powerful processor and would serve you well as a work or multimedia machine. For me, I will stick with my MacBook Pro. Better power, nicer styling, not bulky and runs very cool without any annoying fan blurting out warm air all the time.
Stuff Live 2008 Exhibition Gallery
The Stuff Live 2008 exhibition took place a couple of days ago at London's ExCel. It was packed solid of really exciting stands, showing some of the gadgets and gizmos that will be under Christmas trees this December. There are too many great products to mention here, so check out the further articles that will appear on Geekanoids over the next day or so. Highlights of the show included some superb new netbooks from Asus, the Evoke and Avanti Flow internet/DAB/FM/wireless radios from Pure and the superb wireless multi-room music system from Sonos who were showing their added iPhone and iPod touch application for controlling your tunes. I also really liked the iOplay system, which brings together complete control of your iPod, iPhone (or other mobile phone) and TomTom for really smart in-car use. All of the photos were taken with the Ricoh GX200 digital camera and the gallery is sponsored by Clifton Cameras. More photos can be viewed by clicking the link just after the seventh photograph.
HP also announce the Compaq Mini 700 Netbook
In a double whammy of announcements, HP also released details of the Compaq Mini 700. Featuring a sleek casing adorned with the new ‘Unity’ checked design, the Compaq Mini 700 is an eye-catching digital companion at an affordable price. The Compaq Mini PC offers an entertaining mobile Internet experience with a built-in webcam(2) and microphone, WLAN(3) , Bluetooth and optional WWAN(4), extending your social networking(2) opportunities and taking video chat(2) and video conferencing(6) from the home to places like the park, pool or airport.
With a 10.2-inch diagonal BrightView display and a large keyboard, you can comfortably access the web for information(2), communication and entertainment from anywhere. The ease of use and light weight of the Compaq Mini 700 make it an excellent choice for students or professionals looking for a second PC. This little wonder is available as of mid-December at an estimated starting price of £299 inc. VAT.
(1) Weight will vary by configuration. (2) Internet access required and sold separately. (3) Wireless access point and internet access required and sold separately. Availability of public wireless access points limited. (4) Broadband use requires separately purchased service contract. Check with service provider for coverage and availability in your area. (5) HP Mini Mobile Drive available with SSD configuration only. (6) Requires a separately purchased Internet service and VOIP service contracts. (7) Actual price may vary by country.
HP Announce Mini 1000 Netbook
HP today announced the HP Mini 1000 which has an exquisite onyx casing featuring a compact swirl design and a 10.2-inch widescreen display. At 25.2mm thin and weighing just 1.1kg(1), the sleek HP Mini 1000 melds striking form and function. With the Intel® Atom™ N270 processor, a choice of 8/16GB Solid State Drive (SSD), as well as a wealth of connectivity options including a built-in webcam(2), microphone, WLAN(3) and Bluetooth, the HP Mini 1000 is feature-rich as well as stylish. It will be available as of mid-February at an estimated starting price of £399 inc. VAT.
HP is debuting a new Mobile Internet Experience software and HP MediaStyle on the HP Mini 1000, which enable one-stop entertainment through a single interface that lets you easily watch video, view photos, listen to music and more. The all-you-need dashboard interface allows you to split your desktop into your favourite categories such as Internet applications, websites, video, music, email and other content at your fingertips. The web section can be customised with your four favourite websites. All dashboard applications are always on, minimising start-up time with immediate access to Internet browsing, email, online video and video chat. Local storage conveniently lets you take your content with you offline.
An optional USB-based HP Mini Mobile Drive(5) enables up to 8GB of additional storage capacity and allows you to transport and retrieve personal documents, pictures and audio/video files.
(1) Weight will vary by configuration. (2) Internet access required and sold separately. (3) Wireless access point and internet access required and sold separately. Availability of public wireless access points limited. (4) Broadband use requires separately purchased service contract. Check with service provider for coverage and availability in your area. (5) HP Mini Mobile Drive available with SSD configuration only. (6) Requires a separately purchased Internet service and VOIP service contracts. (7) Actual price may vary by country.
MacLiveExpo 2008 London - Academy Class
If you need to brush up on your skills in one of the many print & design, web, CAD or perhaps video pro application, then you need to get yourself down to the MacLiveExpo. The guys and gals from Academy Class are their in force, giving a massive 50% discount on courses booked at the show. With training facilities at London, Manchester, Devon, Glasgow and Leeds they have pretty much all of the UK covered. You can check out their website or give them a call on 0800 043 8889.
MacLiveExpo 2008 London - Planet Video
Planet Video Systems had a massive stand at the MacLiveExpo and it certainly got my attention. They handle the distribution of a large range of products, amongst which was the very cost effective editBOX 4, which is a four disk SATA2 hard disk box. It looked very well built and offers an innovative port-multiplier and multi-lane technology. I was also amazed at the tiny dvBOX Portable, a minute multi-interface external hard drive. This little wonder offers USB2, FireWire 400 & 800 and eSATA connectivity. It is BUS powered, or externally powered and comes in sizes up to 320GB with 7200RPM drives. Last, but by no means least, CineBags... these are the bags to have if you carry around a lot of gear. Multiple compartments for hard drives, laptops, cameras, lenses and they felt really well made. Expect to see reviews of some of these products real soon.
MacLiveExpo 2008 London - onOne Software
Of particular interest at the MacLiveExpo was the onOne Software stand, where they were giving video demonstrations of their superb software collection. They produce a range of plug-ins for Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and iPhoto, as well as products for Adobe Lightroom and Quark Xpress. Their Plug-in Suite 4 is a culimnation of all of the Photoshop plug-ins they produce, that enable you to manipulate your photo images with ease. FocalPoint, which is part of this bundle is of great interest to me. It gives the user the ability to create realistic depth of field in a photo, simply designating a sweet spot and tweaking the kind and intensity of blur. I am hoping to be able to bring you a series of reviews of onOne Software's products in due course.