In The News: MSI Launches a new UMPC

Posted by

1

Asus Eee PC: Competitors abounding

Well, it seems MSI has introduced their own equivalent of the ASUS Eee PC 900 series. Pricing looks good, features are decent.. and it is creating a bit of a buzz.

msiwind

But I have to agree with one comment: MSI’s build quality isn’t particularly good, even on the more expensive laptops they make. I have picked them up in the shop, and I don’t think they are particularly robust. Still, we’ll see. Read the Guardian story. Acer are also introducing one soon.

Consider this as an alternative to the ASUS Eee PC… it’s a positive review.

Your lightbulbs: Have you changed them yet?

Posted by

2

AmpoulesWe’ve been swapping out our existing bulbs at school for the new energy saving bulbs, and cutting our use of energy by 40%, but we completely forgot about the 9 spotlights we put up about five years ago. Each of them has been consuming about 50W and we’ve been burning them 8-10 hours a day! It was only a few days ago that we realized HOW much each of those spots can burn, 450 watts or the equivalent of nearly 1.5 classrooms. But we only burn the lights in the classrooms about 4-5 hours a day, so we’re basically using them for nearly 2 or 3 times the regular classroom use, just for spots!

After seeing the ads in a local newspaper, I started investigating LED spots (there don’t seem to be any other type for energy saving), the usage seems to be between 2~4 watts: a considerable saving on power consumption. Also, the lights are cool, not hot to touch. And with an expected lifespan of 30K hours, it should be a sensible replacement. Except I couldn’t find any in B&Q… I’m looking for this type: LED Lamp with GU10 twist lock fitting, intended to replace halogen reflector lamps. (Thanks, Wikipedia!)

It seems the technology is evolving but is somewhat expensive, cumbersome to produce, and prone to problems with not producing enough light. We bought two samples: one to replace a full-size traditional bulb. It was quite expensive (NT$495), and when installed it was relatively dim compared to traditional bulbs and even the new energy saving bulbs. Also the light color was quite cold (almost white/blue). It is ideal for garages, less seldom used hallways, but for livingroom light these LEDs have some way to go. But the wattage was a little over 2.5w compared to over 100w regular bulb, it’s quite a saving and it should last quite a while. We already have a place for it.

energy savings led bulb

At home we’ve reduced also our consumption of electricity for light from over 600 watts to a more respectable 325 watts. But we are using candle type bulbs, we can’t find anything in LED that resembles the shape, light color, or size that we need. I’ll keep looking. In the meantime, I was surprised at the different kinds of lighting that LEDs make possible. Click on the link in the image above, you’ll see some more unusual uses.

Are LEDs a good choice for InvestorBloggers? Perhaps: look at some of the companies producing or selling LED lights…

Notes from Computex 2008: Asus Eee PC 1000

Posted by

1

This is the new Asus Eee PC 1000 series..

The new 1000 is a serious contender for mobile pc of the year… it’s light, affordable, big enough for some serious work, and highly desirable.

From Wikipedia:

It features a new 10 inch screen and an 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU. The 1000 model ships with Linux and a 40GB SSD; the 1000H model ships with Windows XP Home and a 80 GB HD. Both the 1000 and the 1000H have 2 GB of DDR RAM. The 1000 has a rated battery life of 4.2-7.5 hours, while the 1000H is rated for 3.2-7 hours. It also offers a keyboard that is 92% the size of generic notebooks, aiming to make it more comfortable to type. Like the Eee PC 901, the new machines feature 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The prices are NT$18,988 (approx. US$625) for the 1000H and NT$19,988 (approx. US$658) for the 1000.

Though the price is creeping towards a lower end notebook, it’s still offering some interesting subtleties, including Linux, SSD, and a fairly decent screen. I would reckon that the 1000 model is probably more robust… and suitable for those who are ‘road warrior’ types!