CAMPUS Gets IT!
The college campus has seen many changes over the years. Now it is being transformed by an armada of notebooks, mobile phonesand all-round connectivity.
| The Sony Ericsson K660i |
| The Motorola A810 |
| The Asus Eee PC Seashell 1008HA |
Armed for campus
Life as a student today needs a lot of hardware, especially those that help keep you connected to fellow students, lecturers and loved ones. The gadgets likely to complement your campus life are the mobile phone, netbook or notebook, and related peripherals. Siti Syameen Md Khalili writes.
Online plus mobility
The mobile phone is perhaps the gadget every student can rely on for fast voice contact, Internet access and a bit of entertainment on the go. As many use it for Web access, the mobile phone (and a prepaid account) paves the way for enjoying cool music and video downloads. Here are three Internetready models at attractive prices.
- Sony Ericsson K660i (RM739) This 3G-enabled device allows video calls, audio and video streaming, Internet access, multimedia messaging and e-mail on the go. With features such as a two-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, Java games and a Memory Stick Micro slot onboard, it will serve your college days well. Web surfing can be done through its Access NetFront browser that supports WAP on the 62,144-colour, 240-by-320-pixel display.
At 104 millimetres by 47mm by 15mm and weighing only 95 grams, the phone can be easily carried around. It comes with extensive personal information management (PIM) features, including an organiser, alarm clock, calculator, calendar, flight mode, notes, phone book, stopwatch, tasks and timer to keep you on your toes.
- Motorola A810 (RM499) Motorola offers some of the more affordable, quality EDGE-enabled touch phones that should suit students on a shoestring budget. With EDGE connectivity, you can still get onto the Internet to search for information using the pre-loaded browser while at the same time enjoy the convenience of navigating Web pages using the 2.2-inch 320-by-240-pixel touch-screen.
The phone’s two-megapixel camera comes with image-editing tools while data transfer is possible through the Bluetooth and mini- USB interface or removeable Micro Secure Digital card. Another cool feature onboard this Motorola is the Longman Dictionary software, which comes in handy as you work on projects and term papers.
The phone also offers music and video support, multimedia messaging, voice recording, long battery life and handwriting recognition interface.
- Samsung Star S5233 (RM999) Another EDGE-capable phone, the Star S5233 comes with a three-inch screen and TouchWiz user interface that give better viewing and handling of Web pages and documents which you can access through the device’s preloaded software (RSS Reader and Document Viewer included). Add a virtual Qwerty keyboard, handwriting recognition and built-in accelerometer, the model is built for work and play.
In terms of multimedia, the phone offers extensive video and audio support, FM radio, a 3.2-megapixel camera with Smile and Auto Panorama modes, Bluetooth and USB 2.0 connectivity, and games.
At 104mm by 53mm by 12mm, this compact unit has 50 megabytes (MB) of internal memory expandable through its Micro Secure Digital High Capacity (microSDHC) slot.
Connected, minus the weight
The netbook offers a convenient and comfortable way to enjoy Internet-related activities, including e-mail, forum, information search, social networking and e-banking.
You can also load the machine with productivity software for work and download MP3 files and videos for a bit of entertainment. Here are three options.
• Asus Eee PC Seashell 1008HA (RM1,999) Stylish and scratch-resistant, this rugged netbook offers a 10-inch LED-backlit WSVGA display, nearstandard- sized keyboard, multitouch trackpad, long battery life and 160 gigabytes (GB) of storage.
Connectivity options include WLAN 802.11b/g/n at 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR while interface options include mini-VGA, USB 2.0, RJ-45, audio jack and MultiMedia Card (MMC)/SDHC card reader slot.
Among other features are built-in 1.3-megapixel camera, Digital Array Microphone, high-definition audio codec and speakers.
Powered by an Intel Atom N280 chip and Windows XP Home or GNU Linux operating system, the netbook is ready for any personal or group work.
• Fujitsu M2010 Mini-Notebook (RM1,699) Powered by an Intel Atom T N280 (1.66GHz, 512MB L2 cache, 533 megahertz/MHz) and Intel 945 GSE chipset, the M2010 offers mobility and connectivity tools for students.
It comes with ThinkFree Mobile Office Suite for writing documents, spreadsheets and slides so you can churn out project papers and presentations even if you don’t have a mainstream office productivity suite onboard.
Other features include a 10.1-inch WSVGA screen with backlight LED Glare technology for working indoors or outdoors, 1GB DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive, Fast Ethernet 100/10Mbps, WLAN 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, a 1.3-megapixel Webcam, digital microphone and stereo speakers. The model also has Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 3D Accelerator, RealTek ALC269 HD audio codec and a four-in-one card slot for SD/SDHC, Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro and MMC.
• NEC Versa N1200 (RM1,799) Weighing about 1.1 kilograms, this netbook features a 10.1-inch WSXGA with Super Shine View technology, multi-touch trackpad, 160GB Serial ATA hard disk, 1GB DDR2 533MHz memory, Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 and a 1.3-megapixel Webcam with Digital Array Microphone.
Powered by an Intel Atom chip with Windows XP Home Edition, the machine comes with 10/100 LAN, WLAN 802.11 b/g, USB and VGA connectivity.
Its design is enhanced with HDD Password function and a security cable slot.
Work smart in dorm and home
For students who need a better workstation, the notebook is your best bet. With features to handle high-end applications and multimedia-rich content, the notebook has replaced the desktop in many dorms and is light enough to carry home once school ends.
Here are three notebook options and related peripherals.
• Lenovo IdeaPad Y450 (From RM2,499) With an Intel processor inside, the IdeaPad Y450 combines a 16:9 format glossy widescreen, NVidia GFX graphics for gaming and smooth HD video playback, Dolby Home Theater surround sound and Lenovo OneKey Theater software.
The basic specifications are configurable with up to 500GB hard drive space and 4GB DDR3 memory.
Get onto the Internet through its wireless connectivity options such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
For added security and data protection, Lenovo’s VeriFace facial recognition technology combines Windows log-in and file encryption for logging onto the PC and for password-protected individual files.
There is also Lenovo OneKey Rescue System, which helps to recover data and restore critical system files after system failures, attacks by viruses and other mishaps.
• HP Pavilion dv2 (RM2,399) This entertainment notebook is powered by an AMD Athlon Neo processor and Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit).
At about 1.6kg, it packs in a 12.1-inch WXGA (1,280 by 800 pixels) LED display, DD2 SDRAM memory with support up to 4,096MB, a 320GB hard disk and integrated HP Webcam with microphone.
To keep the notebook light, it uses an external LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer support optical drive.
It also supports WLAN 802.11b/g connectivity and multimedia features, including the HP MediaSmart tool and ATI Radeon HD3410 with 512MB dedicated video memory.
To protect user data, HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection is built into the dv2 series.
• Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch) (RM4,499) The MacBook Pro employs 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache to power up. It features 2GB DDR3 SDRAM (expandable to 8GB) and a 160GB Serial ATA hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor.
It also integrates a 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1,280-by-800-pixel display, NVidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics, a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support optical drive, Mini DisplayPort for video output, AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR into a sleek package.
Built-in ports and slots include Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, FireWire 800 (FireWire 400-compatible) and SD slot.
Users also will enjoy using the iSight video camera, glass multitouch trackpad and illuminated keyboard.
• Canon MP145 (RM268) This all-in-one inkjet imaging device offers printing at 4,800 by 1,200 dots per inch (dpi) at 20 pages per minute for monochrome, 15ppm for colour and 60 seconds for a borderless fourby- six-inch photo.
Scans at 600 by 1,200dpi resolution are possible while colour documents can be copied in 53s.
At 443mm by 381mm by 181mm and weighing about 6.3kg, the machine may be a bit bulky. But it has ChromoLife100 technology that incorporates FINE printhead for sharp, long-lasting photos, a CIS flatbed scanner that allows multicropping, and Easy-Layout Print software, so it’s worth checking out.
• Microsoft SideWinder X6 (RM249) Some tasks need a more comfortable input tool to let you work in front of the computer longer. A full-sized keyboard is more ergonomic than the smaller keypads you get on ultra-slim notebooks or netbooks.
The SideWinder X6 comes with a switchable keypad that suits work and gaming purposes. It also has 30 programmable macro keys to store up to 90 options. And its Cruise Control feature allows you to continue an action without having to hold down the key(s) assigned to the action.
• Kingston DataTraveler 101 (RM38 for 4GB, RM65 for 8GB) When you don’t have a PC but have to rely on the college’s computer lab to get work done, a USB flash drive is most useful for storing a copy of your projects and term papers. You can save all your complete or ongoing projects and transfer them to any available computer for usage later.
The DataTraveler 101 comes in many capacities, but 4GB should be good enough for a start. An 8GB version will give you ample storage for text, photos, light applications and other files.
More than just price
By Rozana Sani
CHOOSING a computer can be a daunting task, given the many brands available.
According to Intel Malaysia’s marketing manager, sales and marketing Norhizam Kadir, buyers usually consider the price, specifications and brand, followed by design and trend factors.
“Price is one of the key considerations, more so for students. But computers have become more affordable now, even for the cash-strapped.”
After deciding on the price, Norhizam says buyers should be realistic of what they can get on a given budget. They should know what the computer will be used for.
Typically, computers are expected to perform day-to-day work applications such as word processing and presentations, and for Internet-related activities such as Web surfing, e-mailing and instant messaging.
Other things to take note:
• The processor is the heart of the computer. It determines the computing power of a PC.
In a laptop, the processor should be energy-efficient to conserve battery life yet deliver enough power for multi-tasking. For example, if you need to do design work, video editing or other highly threaded applications, you will need a system powered by Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core or Intel Core i7 processor.
• Finding the right battery means balancing weight and power.
Look for a minimum of four hours of battery life, more if you spend all day plugged in.
• Less weight means fewer features or more money. Two kilograms or less is easy to carry, but if you’re not going to take it everywhere, consider forking out a little more.
• Enough memory is important for a smooth and fast performance. The minimum should be two gigabytes, but 3GB to 4GB is better for running intense applications.
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