Dell gets its Inspiron with Mini 10

Inspiron Mini 10 netbook is now in stores across the UAE for AED1,299

Dell's new Inspiron Mini 10 netbook is now available in stores across the country for AED 1,299...but is it worth your time?

To be honest, most netbooks these days all tend to come with the same specs but what sets it apart is its usability, design and whether it's the right ‘fit' for all that you need.

The Inspiron Mini 10 has Intel's new speedy Pine Trail processor and comes with Windows 7 Starter Edition - all the latest and best. But surprisingly, it did let me down in the beginning when I found it took approximately ten minutes just to get it set up for first time use.  Still, once loaded, I forgot about that little hiccup and instead found myself admiring the Dell Dock application on the 10.1"display.

When you think of dock style panels, you invariably end up comparing it to the MacDaddy, but I honestly think this is a great addition to Windows 7. It's customisable so you can drag and drop your favourite programmes, and easily delete the ones you don't use as often.

The keyboard is comfortable to use but the trackpad can get annoying since Dell has embedded the right and left buttons directly into it, so you'll have to press down on the trackpad area for those functions.

The netbook comes in spunky colours and I love the fact that fingerprints aren't that obvious on the cover. The textured palm rest is also a nice touch but the netbook's design mainly stands out because the entire unit is sloped (the base being bigger than the front) with the screen not sitting behind the unit but instead having it fitted on top. It might look a little odd but actually comes in handy when holding the netbook (once open) with one hand. It's one of those things you don't think you need until you see it - and then it just makes SO much sense!

The battery life doesn't quite get to 10 hours but you can easily do nine with just basic applications running so it definitely earns its travel companion badge.

Overall though, the two standout features for me have to be the Dell Dock app and the Inspiron Mini 10 cover that still manages to retain its looks regardless of how many times I obsessively trace circles on it with my fingers....

Not loving HTC's HD2

 The big-screen HD2 is available in the UAE for AED 3,299

You expect a lot from a phone that starts up with the message ‘quietly brilliant'. Or atleast I did.

HTC's HD2 is a remarkable piece of hardware and the most obvious feature is its more than generous 4.3" screen with a row of useful little buttons at the bottom. That, coupled with capacitive touch technology, means that playing with multimedia on this beast is a pleasant experience. And the battery life isn't as bad considering what it packs in.

 The 5 megapixel camera took crisp photographs in natural light, but less than stellar ones at night, even with a flash.  There isn't even a dedicated camera button on this device. Or a lens cover.

The HD2 operates Windows Mobile 6.5 and HTC's Sense user interface with big icons and classy visuals reflects the best of it. Navigation isn't quite as easy as you'd expect, with different menus and options to sift through before you can find what you're looking for. There is a customisable homescreen option so it's not like you'll have to keep looking for preferred applications, but I just feel there's no need for it be so complicated.

In fact, none of it made Sense to me in the end. For example, I had issues with network connectivity as well as basic SMS on the device: I couldn't send or receive messages. I initially thought it could be blamed on my SIM but I tried using it on another phone and it seemed fine. I tried fiddling with the Message Setting options and had other colleagues try their luck as well, but I gave up in the end. Maybe the issue has a quick-fix but that's not the point - it just shouldn't happen.

 I'd blame it on the software to be honest because I really believe HTC tried with this one. Maybe a little too hard even. Yes, it's fast and big and perhaps one of the most ambitious hardware designs I've seen in a while. But it's just not good.

A Wii-like experience for AED 585?

iGame is available in the UAE for about AED 585 at major electronics stores

Well...not quite. The iGame Family is described as the "world's first TV Games Dock" that allows you to play motion-sensitive games as well as stream music, movies, podcasts and photos on TV using either your iPod or iPhone.

 iGame from UK-based Elonox comes with 10 free games including Firecracker, Sudoku, Tennis, Bowling, Trampoline, Table Tennis, Tanks and Darts (for ages 3+). They aren't going to keep hardcore gamers addicted but, like its name says, the iGame is really one for the family.

I had a six year old and 50+ year old try out the games, which were easy to pick up with helpful (irritating after you've seen the same message more than five times!) visual aids that demonstrated how to use the full motion-controlled wireless remote. 

Adults will probably end up feeling bored in about half an hour of playing since the games aren't exactly challenging, but the company says that additional games can be downloaded through their website with more titles expected later this year.

Comparisons to the Nintendo Wii are inevitable and if you're looking for quality gaming, the iGame isn't for you. 

Hardware-wise, I like the rounded dock that's small enough to sit on your bedside table, while the remote is also impressive - light, easy to handle but with an annoying in-built vibrating feature that makes sure your hands get a free massage with every focused movement.

Despite all my talk of its gaming prowess or lack thereof, I think it's important to look at the iGame as a whole. It was never meant to be a standalone game console, and the fact that it has media centre is a whole other chunky side of it. The quality and connectivity was seamless when I reviewed the product, and really made me want to download more videos on my iPod just so that I could watch it on my large flat TV screen. I think the best way to describe the iGame would be that it extends all the goodness of the iPod/íPhone so that it can do much more.

The best bit? It has a bargain price of AED 585 at the usual electronics stores like Jumbo, Jacky's, i2, CompuMe in the UAE.  It's a great choice if you've got younger kids and don't want to splurge on that AED 1,000+ Wii console for a motion-gaming experience...and the media extras means that everyone wins in the end!

Panasonic Lumix FP3 digital camera

 Panasonic's new Lumix camera costs AED 999 in the United Arab Emirates

Auto (IA) mode button. Panasonic's IA tech automatically selects settings that match the environment you're trying to capture. It's an all-in-one mode that combines image stabilisation, light sensitivity, face and scene detection and auto focus...and it really works. Even the most novice user will have no problem taking above average shots with IA on the FP3.

 But it's the camera's twenty five ‘scene' modes that had me clicking away for hours. There's one for pretty much every situation imaginable - party, food, candlelight, beach, sports... including one specifically for when you want to take aerial shots and one that best suits taking photos of your pet.

Film grain and transform are my favourites scene modes though. Once set on film grain, the camera captures a black and white image but with a traditional grainy twist. It really is quite gorgeous when taking portraits. The transform mode is fun, with you choosing to either ‘stretch' or ‘slim' photo subjects. The results aren't perfect since you have no control over just how much the image is stretched, but the transformation is more than evident.

The FP3 is also capable of HD movie recording, which I found to be good. I tried fast action shots, noticing the same sharp results when I kept the camera steady as well as when I moved the unit around quickly.

What I am not too thrilled about is the colour pickup - I've seen more intensity on cameras from competing brands. And the user interface is great if you're pushing 50 and need the clunky fonts and icons. I expect a classier UI on a camera like this.

Acer Aspire 523h netbook

 Acer Aspire 523h netbook will be available in the UAE before the end of February

A lot has been said about Intel's new chips for netbooks. Codenamed Pine Trail, the chips are designed to give netbooks a longer battery life and a better performance kick. While I can't claim to know how to really put a chip through its paces like a geek god(dess) I, like many other mainstream consumers, know it's an important factor in making your device perform fast and reliably.

 That's why I was excited to try out the Acer Aspire 523h netbook, which is one of the few to incorporate the new Intel Pine stuff.

The 10.1-inch netbook comes with 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and with the Windows 7 Starter OS. And the battery life is a plus. I had it running for a little over eight hours (with a minimal applications open) but you can expect to shorten that by a bit when playing videos and other heavy multimedia on it. Still, for a netbook, that's not too bad at all!

The keypad is generous though the Fn keys on top are much smaller than the main keys. I don't use them very often, so it doesn't seem like a big deal to me. Strangely enough, it's the trackpad that caught my attention. Its surface is raised with tiny beads so the grip is great and responds pretty well even when using two fingers for multi-gesture motions.

The experience made it difficult for me to go back to one with a smooth surface because my fingers are known to hyperactivity and tend to slip and slide, with the result that my cursor ends up hopping to all the wrong places and a simple right-click remains oh so elusive. It's the little details like these that make or break a product in my opinion.

Now on to the most obvious feature of this netbook- its shiny exterior (which isn't really that obvious from the pic above but take my word for it). The form factor is very Aspire like but the design almost makes me think of a Sony Vaio in terms of its style. It comes in three flashy colours - silver, blue and red. But I imagine it'd be a risk walking down the street with it since sun rays reflecting off it could be brutal. And if it ever is part of a crime scene, there'd be enough fingerprints collected on it to make a forensic expert do a happy dance. To be fair, Acer has helpfully added a nice little cloth to make sure the surface remains plush and fingerprint-free.

Now to the question, would I buy it? Yes, if I was looking for something that performs like it should, has a respectable battery life so I can comfortably get through the day with it, and looks stylish. And at AED 1,499 it's not as pricey as I thought it would've been considering that it comes with Intel's latest and Windows 7.