k r i s a n d r o

This is a proper review of the HP 2133 Mini-Note (HP Mini) and not like the last rubbish review I did. And this is definitely a review based on my true opinions of the product, even though I did win it from the Ping Awards II. Be warned though! I am only a half-past six geek and I am better at talking about himbotic stuffs like how many idiots there are in the MRT every morning. So please bear with me if this review is not up to your expectations.

I managed to squeeze some time out of my schedule to collect the HP Mini last thursday and if not for the crowded bus ride, I would have whipped it out in excitement to play with it. It was only till I reached the office when both my colleagues, Claudia and Andy unboxed the HP Mini for me and they would have been mistaken to be having orgasms from all the “OOoooooooo(s)” and the “Ahhhhhhhhhhh(s)” when they saw it. Both of them own laptops and their immediate reactions was coming from the fact that it is so small!

HP Mini VS My Hand

I know it is a bad way to compare the size of the HP Mini to something since my hand is rather large. But I just want to remind you people on what they say about guys with large hands…

WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!

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And you know what? The people at HP gave me the top of the line model from the HP Mini series!

1.6G Processor!!! 2G of Ram!!!!

But…….

Windows Vista Business?

The bane of all new PCs and laptops – the Windows Vista. It is akin to buying a brand new Lamborghini and fitting it with one tonne of parts. Chio (Beautiful) but useless as it is S.L.O.W. Not to mention that it is buggy. 7 Days with it and it crashed 5 times so far. If only it came with WIndows XP pre-installed!

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The other thing that one will notice immediately apart from its size is the built!

Great finish

Upon looking at it closely and handling it, I found it to be very sturdy and a little heavy for it’s size. I am not one who can determine what material a product is made of with a knock or a bite and so a quick google search reveals that the HP Mini is made of aluminum all round and the internal structure is protected by a magnesium alloy. The surface of the LCD is also made scratch resistant which means that if my girl decides to damage the HP Mini because I spend too much time on it, the HP Mini should be relatively safe.

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The HP Mini looks moderately pleasing from the outside but I think the finish on the inside makes it one of the most aesthetically pleasing UMPC I’ve seen. I did say ‘one of’ right? The Mac fanbois look to be ready to slit my throats with their Macbook Air.

Gorgeous ain’t she?

The cool power button

People are quite used to seeing people whip out notebooks in public places but not this one. The size and the built turns heads whenever I take the HP Mini out. OKAY FINE! It could have been due to the kaypoh (nosy) nature of Singaporeans but… but it really turns more heads than usual!

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Nicely sized for laptops

Extends all the way to the edges for easy cleaning

The keyboard is 92% full sized and it is comfortable enough to type on for long durations without feeling the need to strangle someone to loosen the stiff muscles.

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Speakers on the LCD face

Most laptops I have seen have their speakers on the face of the keyboard or around the sides of the base. The HP Mini has the speakers right where the sound should emit from. The front! I think this works well especially to the audiophiles as it makes more sense to have the sound propagating from where you are seeing the image from. The power of the speakers is also good. I haven’t had the chance to increase the volume beyond half of what the HP Mini can offer.

One problem which might be only particular to my unit is that the covers of the speaker (the one that my finger is pointing at on the pic above) keeps popping out by a couple of millimeters. It could be an issue of bad assembly but I am not sure. Not a big problem, but I keep pushing it in so that it can stay flushed with my screen. I don’t have OCD. Really.

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One of my last gripes of the HP Mini is of the touchpad.

HP Mini’s Touchpad

The left and right click buttons are unconventionally located on the sides of the touchpad instead of the bottom and it takes some getting used to. My lack of experience with a laptop might prove to be a bonus in this as I should be able to be accustomed to this faster than people who are so used to the conventional placements. The touchpad seems to be over sensitive at times and undersized while the “I-don’t-know-what-is-the-proper-name” scroll thingy that you see on the right side is super laggy. And when it does detect that I am trying to scroll, it becomes overly responsive as well.

Special Button

I took sometime to figure out what that button is. Once activated, it actually disables the touchpad and the purpose of it is to actually prevent users from accidentally activating the touchpad when you are typing for long hours. Not a problem for me so far as my hands don’t seem to have the problem of touching the touchpad when typing.

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One final and biggest problem I have with the HP Mini is that the batteries don’t last very long. I use the HP Mini a lot on the go or when I am in my room and even when I am doing my ‘business’ (Ewwwwww! I know!). And I use it mainly for surfing which means the wifi is constantly on. Such usage brings the life of the Mini to about 1 hr 20 mins to 1 hr 30 mins or even lesser sometimes. I wished HP had provided me with the 6-cell battery instead which can theoretically bring the battery life to twice the amount which makes it in the acceptable range for a mobile computer.

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In summary, apart from the big problem of the short battery life (*cough* 6-Cell Battery HP? *cough cough*) and the other small nuances, I love the HP Mini to death. It’s small and light for me to bring it almost anywhere (toilet not forbidding)! It’s not much of a workhorse because of it’s small screen and slow OS & processor but it definitely meets the need for blogging and surfing on the go (and while doing ‘business’).

Once again, a big thank you to Ping.sg for bringing in the sponsors, Waggener Edstrom and HP for the prize, and to the people who voted for me!

Before I end this, I shall leave you guys with my favourite website.

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WAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAH!!!!!!

 

I would love to write on all sorts of topics but I can hardly put words together in a proper paragraph in my drug infused state. So I have decided to present this entry in point form!

• I had fever last night.
• It might be due to the sun as I was out meeting customers in the hot weather.
• If it is due to the sun, I think I am bloody weak.
• I need to jog. My stomach is starting to creep over the edge of my shorts like a nicely baked muffin.
• No, you may not eat the muffin.
• It’s been 6 days with the HP Mini and I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it!
• I can use it in my room, on the bus, on the mrt and even when I lao sai (have diarrhoea).
• Only gripes about the product so far are the high power consumption rates and the slowwwww windows Vista.
• No, you may not have the HP Mini.
• I have been Plurking a lot lately.
• Plurk is addictive.
• Twitter is dead.
• You may have Twitter.

Big brother is a very popular reality TV series that is adopted in various countries like the US, Australia, Spain and the UK. I am watching Season 10 of the US series. The game is basically about bringing a group of people into a house and isolating them from the outside world. The house is fitted with cameras and microphones and is fully equipped with necessities for the contestants to live in for a period of 3 months or so. This show appeals to the voyeuristic nature of humans or in local terms, our ‘kaypoh-ness’.

Drama unfolds

The game is basically about human relations. Every week, games and ceremonies are conducted to decide on various aspects of the show. The contestants are referred to as ‘house guests’ and the first game each week will have the winner declared as the ‘Head of Household’ aka ‘HOH’. The HOH will be safe from eliminations for the week and has to nominate two house guests to be up on the chopping block to face eviction.

A midweek game called the ‘Power of Veto’ (POV) will then be played and the winner of this POV will get the chance to save either of the house guests that was previously nominated for eviction.

Finally, the last ceremony will be conducted whereby the rest of the house guests (excluding the HOH and the 2 nominated house guests) will vote to choose who will be the evicted member for the week. The evicted member has to leave the confines of the house and lose the opportunity to win the huge cash price.

Games Galore

At the very end of the season, 2 house guests will be left and the house guests that were already eliminated will vote to see who will win the Big Brother competition.

Some of the eye candy this season

April

Jessie

Angie

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Phew! So much for explaining what it is all about! I love the show because of the unity of different people. Pastors, religious people, different races, babes, hunks, old and young, parents, young adults, loud people, scheming ones, etc…

It is so similar to life for me is because of the fact that the good and pure ones don’t make it far in the competition. They are too honest and are either too open in who they support or behaves in such a neutral way that they are seen as two-headed snakes.

The overly scheming ones who try to hard to stir shit here and there also do not make it far as well. These kinds make alliances here and there and they bitch about individuals on whatever chance they get. Eventually, they get ratted out because if someone talks bad about another to you all the time, it’s no surprise if he/she does the same to you to another group of people.

The people with power like the HOH have it difficult as well. Just like people with power in real life, they have to face ridicule if they make bad decisions. If they act all high and almighty, they also face the danger of being targeted if they are no longer in power. The HOH also faces a problem if he/she goes against the general consensus of the house-guests.

The ones who are very strong physically, mentally and who can win the games are sometimes percieved to be threats and are also eliminated early in the game.

In short, the good ones don’t make it far. The good ones realize that they have to be bad to stand a chance. The scheming ones shouldn’t try too hard. The ones who are very good in what they do should sometimes hold back to prevent people from seeing them as a threat. Eventually, whether you win it or not still depends on how much people like you.

Doesn’t it sound so much like life?

Happy Birthday Brother~!

Yep! I have a brother. A REAL BLOOD BROTHER. Not friends or half strangers that go, “Yo Bro!”, everytime they see a person with a d**k.

His name is Benne and he is 24 today! I think my Mum has this thing for naming her kids the unconventional way. CHRIS-> KRIS and BENNY -> BENNE.

Anyway, Benne is taller than me, leaner, loves football, Jay Chou and Felicia Chin. He is also picking up the piano and is going to do better then me with my dusty guitar. But most importantly…

HE IS SINGLE!!!

All applications to be his gf can apply through me! I need to erm… make sure that you er… qualify you see.

Benne blogs at benishiryo.blogspot.com and he has this interesting comic of his charactor LittleMon! Read more about him and LittleMon at his blog!

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Actually the primary reason why I am plugging him that hard is because…

I got no money to buy him a present this year.

WAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAA~~!!!