The WSJ’s Grid 10 Review

One of the biggest names in technolgy is Walt Mossberg, the Wall Street Journal’s technology guru. In a recent review of the Grid 10, he toyed around with the new device and its radical new software system.

I found the Grid 10 to be a mixed bag, and I can only comfortably recommend it for people who either are looking for a bargain or who enjoy using cutting-edge, but unproven, designs. The Grid software is clever and innovative in many ways, but rough around the edges and hobbled by glitches.

source: Fusion Garage

He seemed to think that its main benefit is its low price (a Wifi Grid 10 with 16 gig of flash memory was marked on sale for $299, compared with the $499 of the equivalent Apple iPad 2. The other innovation is that it uses its own operating system, Grid OS, which runs on top of the Google-designed Android system. This adds a whole bunch of cool new apps and also helps filter out some of the junk that has cluttered the Android App ecosphere.

But Mr Mossberg found that battery life was poor and the system was  bit buggy and needed numerous software fixes. He also thought the browser was slow and that the camera wasn’t great.

In summary he concludes that:

The Grid 10 is packed with interesting design ideas and is priced attractively. But it needs work, and anyone buying it is betting it’ll get better.

Engadget’s Grid 10 Review

Engadget, a tech blog, has a great in depth review that is filled with pictures and detailed descriptionsl. You can find it here, and I highly recommend you take a look. I summarize the main points below, but one of the things they really liked is the Grid OS, which gives each icon its own little box, and a screen that scrolls like the map in a role playing game.

The key points that they liked in it are:

• a high resolution display for a 10 inch tablet
• the Grid OS file mangement

What they didn’t like

• battery performance
• poor viewing angles
• slow processing speed

In short, they don’t go out of their way to recommend it either:

If you’re going to go out of your way to bypass an established option like Honeycomb and do your own thing, your own thing had better be damned good. The Grid10 isn’t even pretty good. It’s borderline pretty bad. Software performance is sluggish, battery life is atrocious and we’re left with a device that simply fails to beat the best of the Android tablets — never mind the rest.

The PC Advisor review

Britain’s PC advisor has also written up a Grid 10 review and theirs was a bit more positive, especially on the price, which will be £259 in the UK when it launches on October 24th.

Fusion Garage is clearly expecting big things of the Grid-10. This is its second tablet. The first, the JooJoo Internet Tablet, had some clever touchscreen navigation ideas, but they weren’t sufficiently well implemented, especially by comparison with the Apple iPad, which launched soon after.

He not only radically transformed computing, mobile phones and other gadgets, he also changed our expectations of what could be achieved and why we should not settle for anything less than perfect.

He was an inspiration to many, me included, and it was with real sadness that I read about his passing this morning. The world will be a poorer and less interesting place without him. I also wish his family and colleagues well in this difficult time.

Steve Jobs: Who changed the world for the better Photo:Apple.com

Some background

We recently moved house in north London got a new broadband connection installed (we used Zen – because it gets great reviews) but I was really frustrated by two things. The first was, as I mentioned, every time the phone rang or I made an outgoing call, the broadband dropped out. I spent some time on the web looking for a fix but most of the solutions didn’t really help much. I changed all the filters, unplugged the phones on the extensions and tried changing phones. None of these helped.

What’s the answer?

Okay, I won’t keep you hanging. The answer is really, really simple. I found a new I-plate in a store and installed it (I’ll tell you more how later) and the problem was instantly solved. Even better my broadband speed has almost doubled over the week since I made the change from 3.6 meg/second to, at the latest check, 6.8meg. BT (of British Telecom for those of you older than about 30) reckons that on average people get a 1.5m increase in speed from the new faceplate, so I’m pretty happy with my result. It also puts me pretty close to the theoretical limit of what I should expect from my connection. Even though it is an “up to 20meg” connection, the distance of my house to the nearest exchange (or whatever) means that I should get a maximum of about 7 meg.

What is the BT I-Plate?

BT phone connections come into a master socket in the house. This is usually close to the front door and is the point at which BT’s network terminates. Any faults on their side of the master socket are their problem. Any faults that occur on your side of the master socket are your problem.

Now the thing about the master socket is that the connection you have on the front of it, is not actually the real master socket but is an extension socket. Weird? I know.

You undo two screws on the faceplace and will find another socket inside. From the faceplate you then have the wiring for all the extensions in your house.

What the faceplate does is it puts a connection directly into the master socket and has a Broadband (ADSL) line filter right there. In effect, what it is doing is filtering your signal for audio (telephone) and digital (broadband) right at the source. It has two sockets on its faceplate, one for a telephone and one for a broadband connection.

How do you install the BT Faceplate?

There are two ways you can install it. The simple way takes about 2 minutes and could be done by a preschooler with a screwdriver. The more advanced way will take about 5 minutes more but needs a bit more effort and knowledge.

Start with the simple. You just unscrew the old faceplate, pull it off and disconnect any extension socket wired that are connected to it and then insert and screw in the new one with the new (longer) screws provided.

This gives you a single phone and data connection. This is what I did since we have cordless phones in the house in any case so don’t need any additional hardwired sockets.

The slightly more advanced version involves wiring the extension sockets into the new faceplate. It comes with a simple circuit guide showing you which terminals to wire it into and you use a simple tool to insert them.

Where do you I get a BT I-Plate

I bought my in store at Maplin (see Maplin.co.uk) for £18. What I didn’t realise is that I could have gotten one for about half the price on Amazon. BT broadband customers can get them for free or you can buy them directly from BT for about £8.

They call it a broadband accelerator and you can find it here.

Hope this helps.

Now that we have our super size and yet lightweight laptop we usually want to do what a laptop is designed to do and that is travel with it whether it is from bedroom to living room or from home to office. Or some people even travel to other countries for work or play with their laptop in tow and for that kind of travel you want to be sure that your laptop is going to be in good working condition when you arrive.

There are a variety of laptop bags to choose from but when looking at them you have to make sure that they say for 17 inch because many of them are designed for the smaller and more common sizes of laptop. With due diligence you will be able to find a good 17 inch laptop bag that suits your needs. Your local office supply store has a huge selection and each line of store carries something just a little bit different so if you like to shop you can have a blast find the right bag with a design that suits you whether it be very professional and business like or more trendy with zebra stripes.

The laptop bags of all sizes have a variety of pockets to store all the accessories that are needed to make your laptop function. And if you’ve never traveled with your laptop you will find that it needs just a bit more accessories than they show on the television commercials. For example you will want to be sure to have your charger, if you have an external hard drive, if you have an additional fan for your laptop all of those things you will want to take with you for you are going further than the next room. So when shopping for laptop bags be sure that it’s not only big enough for your laptop but all of the essentials that you will need to make it worthwhile to take your laptop with you because if you can’t charge it while you’re gone then it just becomes a rather large book weight.

If you already have a great messenger bag or briefcase that you absolutely love to travel with and it already has the additional room needed for your laptop and accessories then all you will need to look at getting to protect your laptop is a laptop sleeve. Again these are carried almost everywhere and you will need to ensure that you get one that is the right size for your laptop and even though it may look like your laptop won’t fit the sleeve is supposed to be snug to your laptop so with a little gentle pressure you will the sleeve keeps your laptop snug and tight and will protect it from scratches, dings and a reasonable amount of bumping around. A sleeve that is going to go inside your other bag or case you can really have a good time with colors and designs or if your bag is already colorful then wow people when you pull out a very traditional looking sleeve.

If you can’t find the laptop bag that is just right for you then don’t write off a great messenger bag. Any type of bag or briefcase can be beefed up with foam padding cut to cradle your laptop. So if grandma’s antique carpetbag speaks to you as no other bag does and it makes a statement about you then add some foam padding from the local fabric store, its very economical and you can have the old and the new together.

A good laptop bags doesn’t only have to be functional but it can be fun just as your computer can be full of surprises and reflects who you are and what you do the bag you carry it in can be fun and full of surprises to or conservative. The key is getting a bag that fits our laptop and suits your needs with basic transportation such as a sleeve or something with a lot more room for all the necessary accessories there is the right bag for any need and any size of laptop.

Storage Capabilities

As you look through laptop bags, consider how much storage each one has to offer. Some bags on the market are nothing more than laptop sleeves that protect the computer itself. Others are essentially suitcases for your notebooks that can house your software, mouse, webcam, or anything else you may need for your computer. Think about what you will likely need to carry with your laptop and look into bags that will accommodate that.

Material

The material of the bag will determine more than just the look of it. This will also determine how long you will be able to use the bag without issues. Look for this straps made out of leather if you want extreme durability. This may cost more than a bland cotton bag, but it will protect your investment in the end. Of course, you can always choose style over function, but at least take material into thought before you may a purchase.

Padding

You likely want a 17-inch laptop bag so you can protect your computer. Thus you may need to get something that has a fair amount of padding around it. This will help you ensure the safety of your computer when you have to travel, or in case the bag happens to be dropped. Thick padding can make the bag difficult to fit thins into, so be sure to look at this from all angles.

Straps

You need to consider whether or not you require adjustable straps in your life. These can be moved up and down so you can wear the computer around your waste or potentially hold it like a brief case. If you do not plan to change how you hold the bag, you can get straps that are durable but not adjustable. These are usually the only option for designer bags, if you are interested in that.

Size

You have to make sure that your bag will actually be able to hold your computer. Take some measurements of your laptop and compare them to the dimensions for the case. If the interior of the bag is not as large as the laptop, you will need to look for an upgrade. Otherwise, you will need to test it out when you get it to your home for confirmation of fitment.

Conclusion

If you just do not know what to buy, you can always browse online to see what is available for you. There are tons of styles and sizes to choose from, so rest assured that there is a 17-inch laptop bag out there for you. You have to go out and find it.

Laptop Trolleys:

A trolley gives you the most protection of any kind of laptop transporter. A trolley is defined by having wheels and a handle, which allows you to fully take the weight off yourself and just cart around your computer without strain. It is essentially equivalent to wheeled luggage. For business people, this can be an excellent solution, as sometimes, in certain industries, you might have a large 17” laptop and a number of reference books or files to carry around. You could not possibly carry all this around in your arms, it is just too heavy, so the only other alternative is a backpack. This may not suit your business aesthetic, however, and even a backpack can be a pain if you have to travel long distances. For a more elegant and relaxed look and experience, a high quality trolley for your laptop can be a great choice, giving your back a rest while retaining the appearance of any other wheeled luggage. It is a good idea to look for trolleys with a full metal frame, as these are much more sturdy than the cheaper versions which are essentially a bag with a handle tacked on afterward.

An especially tough make is the Pelican laptop case, which is waterproof and dustproof. You can get a Pelican laptop trolley with enough space for your clothes for a short business trip as well as a laptop. And none of the weight is on your shoulders.

Laptop Cases:

A laptop case is similar in appearance to a briefcase, and can be an excellent choice when you need to carry the laptop and not much else. Compared to a trolley a laptop case will not carry anywhere near so much, but most people do not need to carry large amounts of gear with them. Look for a waterproof laptop case, as these are vital if you get caught in wet weather on the way to or from work, especially since computers do not take kindly to water damage.

Laptop Bags and Sleeves:

These bags are much more casual than most of the cases and trolleys out there, and are intended for the casual person who just wants to look good when moving their laptop around. You can find a laptop bag with all the style of regular bags and purses and they can be as much an addition to your wardrobe as they are functional. A laptop sleeve is simply a thin line of padding with a zip that can protect your laptop from scratches – these are not usually designed to be carried solo, but are useful when you want to put your laptop in your current bag or backpack without damaging it.

Whether you need a laptop trolley, case, bag, or just a sleeve, always pay attention to the quality of the model you are buying. Although you might be tempted to get the very cheap versions, these can actually cost more long-term as they wear out and look shabby or even break. Stay away from the bottom of the barrel and you can be sure to have something that will last you for years.