thoughts on ASUS's Eee PC

just in the last month, ASUS has released its eagerly awaited Eee pc. the Eee pc is basically a super compact laptop made mainly for websurfing/chatting. it has a 7" lcd and weighs in at around 2lbs. it has either a 2gb, 4gb or 8gb ssd harddrive and various memory flavors (4 different models total) and the best part being that the pricing on it is very reasonable; starting around $245 for the basic model to the top end model at $425. all models include wifi, usb ports, and the ssd. also, it comes with a preinstalled linux variant os; xp can be installed but you'd really want to do this if you have the 8gb version.

to me, i get to finally say ITS ABOUT TIME the small, mobile computing niche saw a device w/a realistic pricepoint. i really want to love the UMPC format but who really is looking to spend over $1,000 on an ultraportable laptop that only has 7" screen and will probably only used for web surfing?

however, to me i see this device as being a fun, ongoing project. i'd really like to see if one can get OS X Tiger to run on it; since it does run an Intel processor vs a VIA or non-OSX86 compatible processor. i have not purchased the Eee pc yet but now have decided to wait for the black version and hopefully will be getting the 8GB version in the next month or so.

i'm very curious to see how XP runs on it, 1gb memory and an 8GB ssd should be pretty speedy. the Dell D430 i have runs XP pretty nicely, boot up time is around 19 seconds from start to desktop (it also has a 30gb SSD).

plus, streaming is where its at for music even though a nice ole USB flash drive or HDD would work just fine too. :) yes, harddrive space is not a limiter here, rather memory limited to 1gb may prove to be a downfall found out topend model does allow upgrade to 2gb but voids warranty in process, worth it imo.  also, top end 8GB model will not be available in USA; so it looks like i'll have to ebay it or import it, boo!!  whats up with that ASUS?

but then again, it is only a $425 ultra portable.. :) anyone have one yet? let me know if its what you expected or not.

rock band or guitar hero 3?

so.. after 2 versions of the game, i finally got my hands on Guitar Hero 3 for the XBOX360... and i must say.. its pretty fun! i can see why so many people are addicted to it..

at first, i was a bit slow and bad but after a few easy songs, i was jamming Rockstar like.. :)

Guitar Hero 3 just released on Oct 28th for almost every console out there. however later this Nov, around the 23rd Rock Band will be released.  Rock Band was created by the prev. developers that did the original GH.

Both games are music beat-based. Guitar Hero 3 builds on the original franchise by going w/just guitars for instruments. Rock Band is basically what its name says; a band. if you get the full band bundle, you get a drum set, a guitar, and a mic.

The Guitar Hero 3 w/wireless controller (PS3/X360) goes for about $100-110.

The Rock Band bundle will go for around $159 for the complete setup.

Now, one must ask themselves; which one do you go for? Honestly, can you justify buying both setups? You could end up spending over $300 (if you get a 2nd wireless guitar for guitar hero 3; Rock Bands guitars are not cross compatible w/GH3, but GH3 will work w/rock band just no special moves buttons).

Honestly, i think i am going to wait until Rock Band is released or even try it out in a store before hand. Spending over $100 for a game is a lot of money! Thats more than my cell phone bill.

So, whose waiting for Rock Band? Or did you get GH3 already? Or perhaps are getting both?

I'll be waiting.. but may break down and go GH3.. we'll see how Rock Band feels.. :)

Apple's Leopard already hacked for PC!

i love it.. as a windows user/pc user, i love how the other side claims that its product/os is nearly unhackable but yet only less than a day after being released; Leopard has been hacked and patched to work on an Intel/AMD based pc hardware. 

Daily Apps has the full guide to making your own patched dvd and installing over here:

http://dailyapps.net/2007/10/hack-attack-install-leopard-on-your-pc-in-3-easy-steps/

i plan to try the patch myself on my Tiger partition.  hopefully my network cards (one of the two hopefully) will be recognized and then i can try using Leopard as a main os for a week or two and give a write up on it.

just thought i'd let the uninformed informed! Go OSX86 Hackers and pc geeks!

my G5 logic board swap adventure...

well.. as i had previously blogged about, i've been working on a pals G5 tower just recently.  he had the logic board (ie motherboard for the windows hardware geeks) go bad and found out it would prob cost about $700 to get it replaced including labor.

so he went out and got a new board and then asked me to install it.  hell, i figured it couldn't be more than an hour long swap.  boy, was i wrong.  apple hardware is probably the worst designed for the DIYers in life.  i swear apple does this purposedly so they not only make money off of hardware but also off of service.

the hardest part of the swap was finding an appropriate tool to get to the screws on the heatsinks.  basically you need a 7-8" long screwdriver and torque wrench to get to them; however finding a place that makes this tool is next to impossible.  my pal decided to fabricate two specialized tools for the job.

after making the tools and of course tweaking them to fit; we had the heatsinks off and it was downhill from there! 

here's a great tip for anyone that messes with or takes apart hardware they are unfamiliar with; take photo of it as your doing it.  it will save you hours of troubleshooting and frustrations!  after i had the board swapped out and put back together, the G5 would boot but nothing would show for video.  after reading the service manual i found for the G5, realized the problem was the DIMM configuration; basically i had to move the four sticks to the 1/2 spots for each processor.  once i did that, bam! got the OS X boot screen and finally the desktop!

why apples are not oranges.. disassembling a Mac G5 Tower, arg!!

well, i apologize to my readers or followers for not updating in a few weeks.. been a busy geek lately and trying to catch the attention of a girl at the same time! i tell ya, a full time job indeed!

this last week, one of my mac pals called me and dropped off his G5 Mac.



basically he had it looked at and found out the motherboard/logic board went bad in it. the place he went to though wanted to charge him $700 to get a new board and to put it in. so he decided to go out and buy a new board (around $500) and asked me to remove and install the new one.





the removal was going great until i got to removing the two heatsinks for the processors. there are 4 screws that are nearly impossible to get to. to get to them, you really need a long (8inch or so) screwdriver w/a very narrow shaft to get to them. however, finding such a tool can be nearly impossible.

my pal decided to try out his welding skills and we have in turn gotten one of the two heatsinks off. we'll see if his second tool gets to the final screws.

this is my biggest gripe of apple products. they work great and have great warranties; but once that warranty is up and gone, your basically screwed and are better off getting a new mac if its a mainboard/logic board issue.

if my motherboard on my windows pc goes down, i can have a new board in in prob about 25mins if i have the part..

arggg!! i like oranges much better than apples when it comes to fixing.. hehe.. :P

i'll post a full dis-assemble pics later and also the order in which i did it and also a shot of the tools we made to get to the screws.

sony and its lack to support the multimedia functions of PS3

well, its been about 6 months now since i've had my ps3 and so far i'm not really regretting its purchase.  however, i have been VERY DISAPPOINTED with sony and its  lack of adding any functionality to the multimedia playback options of the PS3.  yes, they tout the PS3 as being more than a gaming machine but still leave us with a GIMPED media player and options.

help sites that aren't that helpful....

i admit it, i don't always have a solution for a problem and in turn need to use the power of the web and google to assist. 

for the most part, most 'howto' and 'help' web sites are pretty good.  however, every once in a while i'll run into one that REQUIRES you to register to view any of the responses.  an example, experts exchange (http://www.experts-exchange.com)  is a site that is like this.

i HATE these type of sites.  the most annoying part about these sites is that google seems to always put them at the top of most searches.  why would i want to join a site and in turn have to pay a fee to register to see a fix that was submitted by users? like most people, i just move on and find a more 'helpful' site that i can read the fix w/o having to register or pay.

this is why i applaud and love TechRX since you can read any of the recipes, without having to sign up or register or pay.

just a quick rant of mine i had to get off my chest, back to my research.

iPhone firmware updates break third-party software

hahah! again, this is why when the iPhone launched, i really wasn't too excited.  the iphone was the 'jesus' phone when first launched.  it was viewed as 'revolutionary' by the first, early adopters (who in turn also go screwed on a price drop only 3 months later, sure $100 voucher to the apple store but thats almost an insult since you HAVE to use the voucher at an apple store).

the hacking community started to really get involved in both unlocking the iphone's sim card and also allowing third-party code to run.  however the apple's latest 1.1.1 iphone firmware update appears to not only break/brick unlocked iPhones but also kills all the thirdparty apps that have been installed too.

the iPhone is starting to look more and more like my older Danger Sidekick in regards to closing off of the phone's OS and third-party software. 

gizmodo.com even was pretty mad about this and they seem to be pretty hardcore apple fanboys too (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/iphone/iphone-revisted-verdict-dont-buy-302075.php) 

in my opinion, i still would not get an iphone or ever since i hate systems that are so closed.  now open up the iphone to hackers again and maybe i'd consider one but then i would have to worry that apple may send another update and break it again.  

so, any iphone users w/thoughts on their purchase? are you having buyer remorse after apple's lock-down?

my w810i, service cable and file system hacking.. :)

Well, i've been working off and on with my W810i (make that 2, long story w/the whole one not working an then buying a 2nd used one on ebay and then frankensteining the best parts from each into a 'new' W810i, mwaa) and trying to hack it.

the best site to for CID49 hacking is one of my hangout sites, http://se-nse.com . a few members over there were the first to get into the CID49 filesystem using free apps and a service cable. mad props to the original hackers! so, the last few weeks i've been doing a ton of reading and playing. i'm using my w810i w/the weird battery problem as my test machine and i purchased a totalmultiserver credit just in case (use it to flash the firmware if i mess it up bad).

the first few tries of mine were unsuccessful. i didn't have a service cable or the right firmwares or tools. also, trying to understand the whole process was very confusing w/the conflicting guides and all. so last week i received my 2in1 service cable (self-powered, usb) and finally figured out how to get it all working and fix my phone if i screw up.

Dell Latitude D430 Review (with 32GB SSD)

I love computers and gadgets, especially shiny new ones or ones that i don't have to pay for.

My work is currently evaluating a few newer Dell laptops to see which one we will be upgrading to early next year. One of the models that we had purchased for testing got pushed off of our list due to several quirks/downfalls and in turn ended up in my little geeky, gruby hands.

Today I will give a quick mini-review of a Dell Latitude D430. This review will be using Vista 64-Bit as the OS and part of the review.

AHHHHHH! W810i not repaired, says water damage??

man, sony has really been testing my loyalty the last few months.. first problems w/my W810i (i have yet to have a FULLY working W810i since i purchased it one back in July) and then a few PS3 problems..

anywho, i got my phone finally back from Sony Ericsson and first thing i notice is that action says: RUR-Returned Unrepaired.  Check the details and they state water corrosion as reason why phone was not repaired.

techrx swag! who wants some? :)

well, Q sent out a nice ole Tech RX swag package last week (thanks buddy!) and after receiving it realized that a few of the shirts and polos are just a bit too big for me.. (i'm a small man or boy or person.. hehe..)

so i figure i'd see if any of my loyal readers would be proud and interested in sporting their geek love for techrx.

i hope to randomly pick 2 people to send out a tech rx "Computers fear me" t-shirts (L and XL, i love this one); to get a chance to grab a hold of some swag, just leave a comment (be sure to fill in the email part on the comment form so i can email you for your addy).

i'll pick and post the two winners next friday! until then, comment away!! :)

btw, warhawk still rules!

PS3 firmware update v1.92 is live!

just got done watching a movie on the PS3 and got notified that an update was available, good ole 1.92.  hopefully this resolves the warhawk issues we've been having with my ps3 freezing on bad connects to servers and of course the stat tracking.

no update info was included on the update so... i guess we'll see if warhawk is good to go or not.

bitmapping feature in Music (not sure what that is, options include Off, Type1, Type2) seems to be the only UI change i can see.
Â

warhawk.. so much fun but...

well, i broke down on friday and got a new game for my PS3.  i was stuck between Lair or Warhawk.  Lair looked crazy cool and beautiful but warhawk seemed like a blast to play (played the beta a few times via a backdoor trick). 

after hearing about a few of the iffy reviews on Lair and its controls, i decided to go the warhawk route.

the game is a blast to play and looks very nice.  however there are a few issues that really need to be addressed.

quad booting my pc w/XP, MCE, Vista and OSX86

well, a few weeks back i did a full system rebuild from scratch and originally had planned to do a six os install but decided to cut back to just a quad booting system.  i realized that installing windows98se and windows 2000 was just a waste of partitions and space since i really have no need for them.