My Ordeal with Dell

Dell XPS M1530 - Purchased January 2009
Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 2.1 GHz
4 GB DDR2 SDRAM
500GB Western Digital HDD
15.4 inch screen
Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT
2 year limited warranty
$1226


September 2^nd: Unable to boot into operating system.  Called Dell, spent half an hour with tech support to get the error message that told them that my hard drive had failed.  During the half hour phone call, the tech rep asked me a couple times if I was still on the line: geez, who had more patience here, him or me? Since I’ve read that Dell is willing to change the motherboard and heatsink if customer complains about the heat, I nonchalantly mentioned that my machine “feels hot to the touch” when I use it.  The tech didn’t say another word and automatically sent me a motherboard and heatsink.

September 7^{th -} FIRST REPAIR: Replace motherboard, heatsink, and hard drive.  Obtained Dell’s media remote that was stuck in its bay inside the machine.  Got a stripped screw replaced with a good one. I had to wait over the Labor Day weekend to get my laptop fixed.  Otherwise it was in operable.  Performed low level format on old hard drive and RMA’d the thing.

Service performed: Laptop repaired, could boot into Windows.  Formatted over the factory image and proceeded to install Windows 7 with the software I usually used.  Found that instead of having a Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT, the motherboard they shipped me was a Nvidia GeFroce 8400M GS.  Fine.  I could live with that.

September 11^th: Laptop unable to boot past the BIOS loading screen, showed nothing but a white cursor.  After a few tries, figured out that the time and date were set to the factory default.  Suspected dead CMOS battery, machine would boot up fine as long as time and date were configured properly.  Called Dell to get a new motherboard.  Tech representative had a stronger Indian accent than the first guy did.  Decided to ship out a motherboard and hard drive. Laptop operable in the meantime.  Made a disk image with the free Acronis that Western Digital provides online.

September 14^{th -} SECOND REPAIR: Laptop serviced again by the same field tech, very nice guy but had a strong case of the yellow fever.  Laptop operable and loaded with previously made image.

Service performed: Replace motherboard and hard drive.  Need to low level format second hard drive (first shipped one) and RMA the thing.

Verdict: Machine operable.  GPU temps at 80C max on SC2 with medium settings, 65C max on lightweight tasks.  Dell's customer support is decent, but should have higher standards for their machines.  Latest BIOS update is not on Dell's FTP server, Dell field tech gave me a service technician's copy of the CD.

Back to the Cutting Board

Here at Gotlactose Development, it is quite the norm for the blog to change drastically in a short amount of time then see long periods of neglect.  Before you is another layout change to the blog, hopefully followed by more periodic blog updates.

iPad Follow Up

After getting my hands on Apple's newest mobile device, I have some opinions of my own.

Apple was right in that they already have a market of consumers who know how to use the iPad.  Once I picked it up, I knew right away how to manipulate it.  However, I'm also the same kind of guy who can learn how to use most foreign electronic devices in a short period of time.  But it definitely felt familiar, yet somewhat new.


User Input:
Yes, obviously the screen is much bigger, but it was no longer my thumbs that did most of the input.  On the iPhone and iPod Touch, one could hold the device in one hand and use the thumb on the same hand, or hold it with one hand and use the forefinger of the other hand.  With the iPad and its size, using it with thumbs is impractical: the reach they have relative to the entire device's size makes the experience awkward and difficult.  I ended up using my forefinger the whole time.  Typing on landscape mode wasn't as awkward as I had thought: within a few minutes, I was typing as fast I would on my iPod Touch.  Yet I was using my full hand on a somewhat smaller sized touch keyboard rather than two thumbs on a tiny screen.  But hands down (no pun intended), typing on portrait mode was horrible.  The keyboard was much too small to try to use your whole hand with the QWERTY set up we've all learned in typing class, yet it was not small enough to use with simply two thumbs from either side of the device, as most people do with their iPhones.

Verdict: It's decent on landscape, but I can definitely see why Apple decided to market a keyboard for the iPad.  The iPad keyboard could definitely use some more ergonomic work.


Display:
Yes, the screen is much bigger, but so what?  To me, I don't know if the extra spacing between icons on the springboard was necessary.  And for some reason, I couldn't drag and move the icons on the demo device I was using.  Having only four columns of icons on each page of the springboard and dock is a definite waste of space.  I used a five icon dock hack with my jailbroken iPod Touch and I loved it, I'm sure the iPad can comfortably accommodate five or six columns per page.

There happened to be an episode of Battlestar Galatica on the iPad demo device and I promptly had the device play it.  I'm not sure if it's the file itself or the iPad, but the video quality did not look superb.


User Interface:
However, I will say that the UI does look refined.  It does retain the familiar iPhone feel, but the Calendar and Contacts apps have a nice iPad touch (awesome word choice there) to them.  Apple really made use of the extra space.

This brings me to the point of being able to use iPhone apps on the iPad.  Apple claimed that from day 1, the iPad would have access to the tens of thousands of apps that were originally written for the iPhone.  I used the Engadget app and right when I loaded it, I was disgusted with it.  The resolution was so poor, it felt the need to scale it back down to the iPhone size just to use it comfortably.


Physical Design:
I'm glad Apple decided to put a rotation lock on the device, the little toggle next to the up and down volume buttons.  The iPad did not feel too heavy in my hand, but unfortunately I did not get to experience what it would feel like to carry it because the demonstration device I used was tethered to the table.  However, as I was using it, for some strange reason, I felt that the device was too thick.  Yes, I realize it is a tablet and Apple is known for making the devices thin, but I would probably attribute my discomfort with the thickness as poor ergonomic design.  In terms of physical design, the iPad really is just a giant iPod Touch.


Price Point:
$499 for the 16GB, $599 for the 32GB and $699 for the 64 GB.  It's a bit absurd, but so was the iPhone's price when it first came out.  I realize that the iPad does not have the commitment subsidy that the iPhone does, which might actually justify its higher price, which is also why I think the data plans for the 3G models (add an additional $130 for 3G capabilities) is actually pretty fair.  $14.99 for 250 MB a month for $29.99/month for unlimited with no contracts.  This is essentially the iPhone plan without the voice or 250 MB a month option.  I feel that Apple should do the same data pricing plan with the iPhone because I would have seriously considered being a loyal iPhone customer if they had done this from the beginning.

Yet the iPad's price point is too high for it to be ubiquitous.  If there was an iPad in every living room, lounge, social area, then the world would seem much more futuristic.


So in conclusion, the iPad is a good device for reputable company's first attempt at a tablet computer, but it is in no way the pioneer or revolutionary icon of a new age of computing.  If someone were to give me one as a gift, I would kiss the ground they walk on for a week, but I would definitely not drop $499 from the base model. If the price was lowered to $300 for the 3G version, then I would consider it.


Dear Apple,

You may be able to revolutionize the computing industry with a large multi-touch tablet, but you have to redesign the casing that comes with it.

Signed,
Apple Mobile Device User
iPod Nano 1G, iPod Touch 1G, and soon iPhone 3GS or the newest model


Sent from my PC.

Post-iPad Release

Saturday, April 3, 2010 – Apple’s iPad Launch

The long anticipated release of Apple’s tablet computer, the iPad, finally reached the hands of the mainstream consumers.  Many friends of mine lined up for the iPad release at midnight and some even got a picture with Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple Inc, who was also waiting in line with the other customers.

Now that a week has passed and people from pundits to little kids have taken the device for a spin, their feedback has made their way to the Internet.  The main concern with the iPad is the kind of situations and locations that the iPad would be perfect for.  Of all the reviews I have read, a commonly agreed upon area to use the iPad comfortably is the couch, having the device propped up against one’s legs with the knees bent at an approximate 90 degree angle.  

Yet of all the reviews I have read, Gizmodo decided to post a review of an inevitable place that all gadgets end up: the bathroom.   Although people don’t like to talk to about it, they take their electronic devices with them into the bathroom and use them while they take care of their business.  In our attention deficient disordered society, simply sitting on the toilet isn’t stimulating enough, we have to be making phone calls, returning text messages, checking Facebook or Twitter.  Although engineering these electronic devices have come a long way, their mortal enemy remains to be water, a substance that is ubiquitous in a bathroom.  For that very concern, I have seen far too many friends drop their mobile devices into the toilet (hopefully an unused one) and it poses a huge risk for something as large and potentially slippery as the iPad.  Alas, the iPad and bathroom Internet surfing were not meant to be.

So that takes care of WHERE the iPad should and should not be used.  But who is Apple’s latest and (hotly contested) greatest intended for?  I can tell you right now, diehard tech enthusiasts do not like the iPad for its lack of features and poor design.  If these diehard tech enthusiasts, who are the type of people who would still use computers and gadgets even if they weren’t cool in mainstream culture, don’t like the iPad, who is expected to love it?

How about the expansion of the computing market?  The current hurdle in computing is the learning curve.  Sure, for you to be reading this, using a computer may be second nature to you, as is riding a bike or driving a car.  But to explain the concepts of computing to the uninitiated seems like a daunting task for the teacher and a vague and arbitrary subject for the pupil.  How do you explain the concept of “windows” in which programs run in, that you can have multiple iterations of these “windows” to run the same program, but you can’t have multiple programs run in the same window?

In comes the Apple iPad.  Its aim is to simplify computing and ease the learning curve for those uninterested in learning how to interact with a computer.  The main target audience: children and the elderly.  A two year old has little difficulty learning how to manipulate the Apple iPad because she knows that she can just TOUCH what she wants and move it.  Try to have her use a mouse on a computer and it may be difficult for her to grasp the concept of moving the mouse and having to click a certain button in order to manipulate the computer.

And now, WHY?  Why should people care about the Apple iPad?  As I was outside enjoying lunch with a friend yesterday, I sat next to a group of girls who were talking about the iPad.  One girl believed that the iPad and tablet computing in general will completely replace the laptop within five years. 

While I may not completely agree with the timing or the statement itself, tablet computing is slowly making its way into the consumer marketplace.  Take the laptop, for example.  It was somewhere between 2000 and 2010 that the price and functionality of laptops had finally hit an equilibrium that was acceptable by consumers.  Prior to the ubiquity of laptops, desktops were all the rage.  Prior to desktops, people simply didn’t have computers.  Following the trend, it seems as if tablet computing will do the same to laptops.  The only question is when. 

Facebook Hiatus and De-Toxing

Detoxification is a process in which the body rids itself of undesired substances, used as a treatment for substance abuse patients. After being bestowed upon the title of "most likely to be on Facebok" by a large group of my peers, I impulsively decided to go on a Facebook hiatus for a pre-determined amount of time. And to be honest, it has been hard.

Part of my addiction to Facebook is caused by how easily accessible I made it. I have the Facebook mobile app for the iPod Touch (read: NOT the "iTouch"), which allows me to check Facebook anywhere I can get Wifi on my iPod Touch. I set up my laptop so that if I hold down the shift button, press the escape button, and type "fb" (short for "Facebook"), my laptop will automatically open a new tab in Google Chrome and access Facebook. As most of you reading this from Facebook may already know, any chance I had in front of a computer or in a Wifi zone, I would check Facebook and post interesting articles that I come across my subscribed RSS feeds.

The first step to resolving a problem is to admit it. Yes, I was addicted to Facebook. But it was not an unhealthy obsession: I will always like to be kept in the loop about EVERYTHING, part of the reason why I post so many articles on Facebook. I believe information should be freely passed between people and knowing is most of the battle (contrary to what this T-shirt claims) of life.

So I decided to test my self-discipline and stop going to Facebook.com. I adjusted my email notifications so that they would still collect in my Gmail, but I would not be notified of new notifications unless I wanted to look at them. Therefore, when my hiatus is over, I can keep track of what I missed out on. Meanwhile, I have still been accessing my Twitter, Formspring, instant messaging, and obviously my blog. Some have argued that this defeats the purpose of my hiatus.

My answer to these naysayers is no. No, I am not disrupting my Facebook hiatus by accessing these other websites. The purpose of my Facebook hiatus is not to distance myself from distractions, but instead to test my self discipline, to test that if I want something done, I can see it through.

See you on Facebook after 11AM on the 17th. Don't forget that there's daylight savings time this weekend, so my hiatus is actually only 211 hours. Good luck for those on the quarter system and have their final examinations.

Catch you on the flip side.

Apple's iPhone and its Impact on the American Mainstream Smartphone Market

As my contract with AT&T is due to expire in the latter half of this year, I have the option to *upgrade* to a better phone with a good discount on the device in return for committing myself to two more years with AT&T. While I disprove of the two year commitment, high monthly fees, and discount on the device style of contracts, I am obliged to stick with AT&T because I have the main line of my family's AT&T family plan. Therefore, although Android phones are coming to AT&T, the best choice for a smartphone is the iPhone.

Speaking of Android and iPhones, it is interesting to see the commentary on Microsoft's Windows Phone 7. To this day, technology pundits still compare new smartphones and their operating systems with the iPhone, the giant in the smartphone industry. With every release of a new mobile operating system, there are some out there who claims it will be the "iPhone killer", meaning it will be the one who takes control of the market share from the current leader in a David vs. Goliath battle. Some are so adamant on finding and declaring iPhone killers that they have established informational web sites that educate people on iPhone alternatives.

In any situation where the rest of the competition are all attacking the same party, there has to be some merit to the defendant. The Apple iPhone, first released in the summer of 2007, has been refined many times in terms of software, hardware and network. First generation iPhones ran on AT&T's 2G EDGE network and only ran Apple's native applications. The second iteration of the product took advantage of AT&T's developed 3G network, allowing for faster data access speeds. (For the laymen unfamiliar with the cellular network terminology, simply remember that higher the number of G's a network is, the faster the data speeds will typically be i.e. 3G speeds > 2G speeds) In 2009, Apple only made minor upgrades to the device, those that were also found from the transition from its initial release to the second generation of the device, such as faster processor, better camera, and additional features in the operating system.

Even from the get go, the Apple iPhone, despite its lack of certain features desired by consumers, defined the new generation of consumer smartphones. Smartphones were by no means new to the cell phone industry, but they were primarily reserved for businesspeople because the costs associated with purchasing and maintaining the device and service was unjustifiable with the device's usage - until the iPhone came out. Apple redefined, or even pushed the frontier, for the consumer smartphone market. Again, Apple did not invent the consumer smartphone industry, but its product had new features that appealed to the mainstream cell phone customers. The intuitive operating system combined with an equally interactive input method, namely the touchscreen, allowed even the most technologically uninitiated to understand how to manipulate the device quickly. This instantly lowered the learning curve and lowered the technological barrier for adoption for most people.

However, the high sticker price was definitely still an issue for most people. Initially the device went for $499 at the cheapest option. Keep in mind that this is the subsidized price, meaning that AT&T has to pay Apple a share of the money they get from the monthly bills over the two years the iPhone customer would be committing to. The monthly plan attached to the iPhone, at least for the 3G service, comes with a certain number of minutes for voice calls and unlimited data. Text messaging will again be a separate fee. $69.99 per month would get an iPhone user, who has already paid a few hundreds of dollars for their device, voice calls and "unlimited data" access. What is intriguing and essentially puts the final nail in the coffin for me is that even if one chooses to pay the unsubsidized price for their iPhone, meaning it will cost an additional few hundred of dollars, they still pay the same monthly fees as those who paid the subsidized price.

Logically, the high monthly fee for the iPhone is only justified because AT&T has to recuperate their losses of having to pay Apple for the subsidized price by locking the customer into paying per month for at least 24 months. However, how is it justifiable to make those who don't want commitment and already paid for the iPhone in full, meaning they've settled their debt with Apple, to line AT&T's pockets with extra money that's not going to Apple?

Despite the flaw in the pricing logic, the iPhone has been immensely successful, as demonstrated in the aforementioned analysis of the "iPhone killer" concept. Apple keeps on perfecting their product with each new reiterations of their device while the rest of the market tries to play catch up. It has inspired the competition to either compete head on with a new mobile operating system, such as Google's Linux-based Android; refine their existing mobile operating system, like PalmOS and Windows Mobile; or avoid the smartphone industry entirely, which seems to be be Nokia's strategy. Nonetheless, the Apple iPhone probably has the strongest market share of the regular mainstream cellular phone consumer, which is why I'm opting for the device to, to be explain in a subsequent article.

For the full story and more like it, check out Gotlactose Development.

Comparison of Cars

I have access to four different cars and I've driven each of them enough to give a good analysis.

1996 Honda Odyssey
1999 Toyota Corolla
2005 Honda Accord
2008 Toyota Camry

Of all four cars, I find that the Honda Accord is the most comfortable to drive. The moment I got behind the driver's wheel, I could feel how comfortable the entire driving experience was in the Accord. The steering wheel responded smoothly under my hands and the acceleration and brake performed just as well.

The Toyota Camry leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth after driving it. I can see that Toyota has put in effort at designing a good driving experience, but it doesn't handle as nicely as the Accord does. The one good design I like about the Camry is the transmission stick: instead of the shift lock button to prevent accidental gear shifting, there are horizontal and vertical wells to shift into gears, which makes for shifting gears while driving much easier.

The Honda Odyssey, despite its age, is still a good minivan to drive. The rate of acceleration is a far cry from the newer cars, but the car still handles well given its circumstances.

The Toyota Corolla was my very first car and I got my license with this baby. It has its merits and I love it for its maneuverability and compactness, but I will admit that it lacks in aesthetics and horsepower.

I'm no car guy, but I can definitely appreciate cars and their performance.

My Take on Apple's iPad

Apple's iPad product announcement on Wednesday sent shockwaves across the entire Internet and technology industry. People responded in great numbers to Apple's new device, either with praise or acridity. There have been a few points that have been raised about this device, some of which I will highlight.

I understand the sentiment of the consumers out there who were hoping for a particular feature on the Apple iPad, features such as a webcam, camera, multi-tasking abilities, Adobe flash support, and the totalitarian nature of the iPad operating system. While I cannot explain Apple's decision to not include a front or rear facing camera, the lack of the other features can be explained.

Apple's approach to its mobile devices and any technological device in general is that it wants to leave the user with a good aftertaste. The biggest complaints that the average layperson has about computers are that they are hard to understand and they are slow or become slower over time. Apple's intent with the Mac, Macbook, iPod Touch, iPhone, and now the iPad product lines is to give the layperson a product that will be reliable to use, fulfills their needs, has a really gentle learning curve, and performs at its best regardless of its age. And that's exactly what Apple is going to deliver with its iPad.

The lament over multi-tasking isn't without its flaws: you can listen to your music while checking your emails. You can get push notifications while you're surfing the web. However, Apple is the one deciding which applications can run together and which cannot, which is an understandable concern. Apple has the final say on how their products operate because they designed it a certain way and they want to ensure that the consumers use it as intended. People who jailbreak, or use a software to take advantage of exploits in the iPhone operating system to install non-Apple approved apps, may be able to circumnavigate what is perceived as Apple's tyranny over its devices, but their devices become unstable and performance is decreased. Therefore, Apple keeps a iron fist on the software that goes onto their products to protect their users.

But Americans are known for loving their freedom and liberty! Why should Apple be the only one to get a say on what goes on their products? After all, Windows users have such a great flexibility on what goes on their machines and there are no major problems with that. But Apple's response to that is users are protected from software instability, malware, and otherwise unwanted malices that Windows users experience (BSODs, viruses, pop ups, etc.). That is not to say that apps on the iPhone OS do not crash, but they are in general much more stable than their Windows counterparts.

I am usually not a fan of politics, but Apple's approach to the lockdown of their products is eerily similar to that of the People's Republic of China. With a growing middle class who enjoy individual economic prosperity, the average Chinese citizen does not worry too much about their limited political voice and opinion. As long as they are happy with their lives, the government is doing a good job in their book. The same can be said about the average Apple user: as long as the user experience is great, the software is responsive, and what needs to be done gets done efficiently, there is no reason for the Apple user to be unhappy with Apple's lockdown.

Apple's lockdown is also the reason why Apple mobile devices still do not have Flash support. Apple is unwilling to work with Adobe to get flash working on mobile Safari because it cites the instability, resource-intensiveness, and insecurity of flash. All of these claims are mostly true, but we don't notice this on a day to day basis with our computers because today's laptops and desktops are mammoths compared to the mobile devices that comfortably slip into our pant pockets. For a device with limited computing power, every hertz of processing power is sacred. The current argument for supporting Flash on mobile devices is that users do not get the true Internet experience without it because many websites depend on flash to work properly, such as Hulu, Disney, etc. However, this is a weak argument because HTML5, the updated standard for the most fundamental web coding language, supports rich media, which means flash can be ditched entirely in the future. Youtube, Viemo, and mobile Google Voice have updated their websites to support HTML5, so rich media content such as videos, music, and interactive websites can be done without relying on Flash or other plugins. I, for one, support Apple's decision to keep Flash off of their mobile devices because I see Flash as just a web coding crutch, just like frames and tables were crutches for good web page designs.

So in true Apple revolutionary product release tradition, I will wait to see how well the first generation operates then see how Apple updates its iPod Touch product line. If the iPad is significantly improved, specifically a webcam/camera and cheaper price points, I may contemplate getting the device. After all, as Jony Ive, the senior vice president of design for Apple, says that the iPad "exceeds your ability to understand how it works, it sort of becomes magical". It'll take me at least until the second generation of the iPad to try to understand how the magical device works and if it's worth my money.

For the full story and others like it, check out my blog.

Return to Blogger

I thought I could live without Google's presence in every facet of my life, so I exported my blog from Blogger to Wordpress.  But now I cannot come back to Blogger!  Therefore, I will experiment with Blogger for a while and see if I like it.  It seems much more open than Wordpress is, so I am more inclined to stick to Blogger this time around.

Fighting for Equality Beyond Civil Rights

Today is set aside to commemorate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a man whose passion and actions for civil rights in America shaped the nation to how it is today. His work set ripples throughout the country and inspired others to fight for equality of those of any ethnicity. Today, we are blessed to be living in a society where we are supposedly judged with absolute disregard to our ancestry.

But not all that has been fought for has been gained. You see, while Mr. King Jr. did fight for equal rights, he did not necessarily fight for equal respect. He was invigorated to fight for his people and I too share that passion. Yet the focus of my fight differs than that of Mr. King. Some may argue that my fight is trivial compared to that of Mr. King's, but I carry on the spirit of passion that embodies today's holiday.

I am of course talking about the yellowfever problem. No, not the disease caused by the yellow fever virus, but rather the trend that Asian women are marrying Caucasian men but the opposite is not happening. While there are people who believe this is just a nonsensical idea, I see it as a problem. The Asian male population is losing its Asian women to the Caucasian men, yet the equilibrium is not being balanced out with Asian men marrying Caucasian women. Therefore, the problem is that as more and more Asian women get engaged with Caucasian men, the Asian men are left with less and less women to marry because they're not necessarily getting the Caucasian women.

Don't believe me? Maybe some numbers will convince you. According to Wikipedia, there were a whopping 530,000 White husband and Asian wife marriages in 2006, while a mere 174,000 Asian husbands tied the knot with a White wife. That's a nearly FIVE TO ONE ratio. While it is arguable that the Asian population is much smaller than that of the White population and the ratio may be skewed because of that, the comparison I am making considers both genders of the Asian population, thereby making the disproportionate ratio between the two ethnic populations in general irrelevant.

All I'm asking for is to give the Asian man a chance. One may say that we Asian men should fight those stereotypes by not letting them get to us, but stereotypes are there for a reason. There may be more women in the world, but not when factors like the ramifications of the One Child Policy in China only make it harder for us Asian men to find a compatible mate.

Bottom line is, keep an open mind. Look for the right guy and not for the right ethnicity. You might say to yourself that you do not look at a man's race, but think of all the ex-boyfriends you have had and tell me that with a straight face.

Happy MLK day.

For the full story and others like it, check out my blog: http://gotlactose.wordpress.com/

All Ladies Are Welcome

I would like to rectify an early post I made about Taiwanese girls. The opinions and restrictions given in that post were, to reiterate myself to drive the point home, are the PARENTAL expectations. Whether or not I want to follow them or when I want to live up to their expectations is an entirely different issue.

The Adventurous Taste Buds of College Students

To start the new year, here's a sampling of what we've been mixing in our college dining halls:



Chicken and waffles OUTSIDE of Roscoe's?



This was a work in progress. Eventually it ended up with coffee, red tea, mint tea, pepsi, sierra mist, cranberry juice, orange juice, lemonade, apple juice, pasta sauce, syrup, and honey, otherwise affectionately named "DEATH IN A CUP!" iT WAS NAUSEATING TO EVEN SMELL, LET ALONE DRINK!1!11!1shiftone