The Battle of The Business Class Notebooks

     Alright, here we are again, still covered in snow. However, I did promise some laptop insight and I'm not one to back out of a computer discussion. 

     In the first corner, weighing in at 5.17lbs, we have a Dell Latitude E6500. Very sharp.  Some key notes that I would like to point out is that the Latitude boasts a hard shell (aluminum bi-product) and has a rather luxurious feel.  Sleek body lines and very solid but lightweight at the same time.  Sort of like a Mercedes. Intel Core 2 Duo with a T-8500 and 4 GB of ram (space for 8) gives enough muscle to get by and things like the backlight keyboard and the mysterious blue halo on the ac adapter make for a very cosmetically appealing and hard working machine.

     Our second contender is also one of Dell's biggest rivals.  The HP Probook 6455b.  Having been revamped in the past couple of years, this has also proved to be a very satisfying machine.; While there are multiple hardware options for this machine, the one I am currently using has an AMD Phenom II N620 @ 2.8ghz with 4 GB of ram also. While it doesn't have the same sleekness that the Dell has, it does feel surprisingly sturdy but elegant at the same time. The Probook also uses an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 onboard graphics card.  This has also proved to be very nice.  

     All in all, it's a trade off. Both machines come bundled with more than enough of that famous, cumbersome, proprietary software that we all know and love.  The Dell has a backlight keyboard sure, but the Probook has HP quick launch buttons which I actually use quite often.  It's nice to bring up MS Outlook or Firefox by just running your finger over the led.  There was one other issue that the HP seems to address, for me at least.  The Dell uses a rather standard keyboard but HP wanted to do something different.  On the Probook, the keys on the keyboard are almost flat and totally inset into the pc. It makes for a very comfortable typing experience.  

     So, yes, they are both business class computers. Yes they are both very nice, but for me, I think I will leave my Dell at home for fun and keep the HP in business.

Happy hacking,

Paul

Why has technology forsaken me?

Hello everyone and thank you for coming,

     I'm here to share a rather sad story for anyone that will listen (although judging from the immeasurable amount of comments that my blog receives, I may very well be talking to myself, lol).  In the off chance that there is someone out there in cyberspace, let us begin.  For anyone that knows me outside of my penguin suit, you are well aware that I take knowledge and technology very seriously.  I am a lifelong fan of all things that involve learning and expanding one's intelligence.  I myself am drawing near to the close of my second try in college. I'm much older and wiser now than the last time and I have to say that overall, I have had a great experience.  I have amassed a great deal of knowledge regarding information technology, security and networking not only from standard teaching methods but in the interaction with instructors and fellow students, with whom I have also shared many lessons of life.  This is not to say that I have recently had a bad experience but an experience none the less.

   If you know anything about my academic career you would know that I am very much involved with the company, Cisco Systems.  My degree is actually a supplement to an educational program that the company itself oversees.  Because I have been in direct contact with Cisco ideas, theories, and news for the better part of the last two years, I naturally gravitated towards the recent headlines regarding the network giant, for a paper that I was instructed to write.

    Yes, I am referring to my last blog post regarding Mr. John Chambers.  John is currently the standing C.E.O. of the corporation.  As I wrote my paper, it dawned on me that anyone that would read my blog here would love an article like that.  Money, drama and Cisco!  After all, John Chambers is like the Bruce Wayne of Networking Technology, right? Was it a foolish decision to post my academic endeavor on the internet for all to see?  Hardly.  That very thing is the freedom of speech which so many of us utilize to spread worthwhile ideas.  So then, what is all of the fuss about?

      Out of respect for my school as well as my instructors, I will not go into any details other than the fact that our English Department utilizes a web based tool to check student assignments for plagiarism.  Even across the web, I can hear the wheels squeaking and slowly starting to roll in everyone's mind.

1) Yes, my school thinks that I plagiarized an essay that was found, rather easily on the internet.

2) Yes, I DO feel like a moron.  I plagiarized myself, wouldn't you?

3) No, I don't feel like I did anything wrong, and....

4) Yes, maybe I should have told my professor that I was going to use my spectacular paper as a blog AND as an assignment before I submitted the document to him.

5) Yes, I am glad that my blog showed up so easily in a search engine (normally a very exciting thing!)

    Like everyone knows, hindsight is 20/20 and rest assured I will not shoot myself twice in the same foot. Now, I may use the same gun, but surely not the same foot. Hopefully, this matter will be resolved quickly as I would hate for a poor decision to tarnish my educational reputation, but only time will tell.  I just wanted anyone reading this to know that all works presented on this blog, unless otherwise noted, are the sole property of NetLock IT Systems, c/o Paul G**far. (I have to remain pseudonymous to some extent; it's the internet for crying out loud).  That being said, no works published here may be copied, referenced, sold, or used in other way without the express written permission of the author.  If for some ridiculous reason, you do want to reference something I have said while on my virtual soapbox, feel free to leave a comment here and I will be in touch.

Thank you and God Bless,

Paul M. ****** (ha-ha thought I was going to spill the beans didn't ya!)

F.Y.I., while this is a technology blog, I understand that some may land here in a misguided search attempt for "Matlock" or something to that effect.  For anyone that doesn't know, I use a pen name "Xunil Urug".  I can hear some of you grumbling already. That's not my space name given to me on the 10th moon of Xyzop, and I don't like Star Trek or live in my mother's basement so let’s put that rumor to rest lol.  If you transpose the letters, it actually spells Linux Guru.  Linux is an operating system much like Windows or Mac OSX but better....ok, ok, you get the point.  I'll save that rant for next time.

-Paul

Microsoft Wireless Mobil Mouse 3500 w/ Intellipoint

Hey all,

After learning that I would be receiving a very nice laptop as part of my employment benefits (of course I'll be reviewing that when it's in my hands!), I decided to go and look for a wireless mouse. I've never really liked the "mobile mice" only because of the size of the mouse vs. the size of my hands. Well after selling this type of equipment at my previous employer and learning some of the actual benefits associated with them, I decided to dive in.

Naturally, being a bit of a nerd at heart, I am drawn to anything with a name branded like Microsoft, HP, or Dell. While it is not always the case, I've still been known to subconsciously associate a brand name item with some inherent level of quality.

After playing with a few different choices, i began to examine the financial aspect of the equipment and was very surprised by the $50.00 + price tag on some of these mice. Granted, some have Bluetooth, and some have fake diamonds (really? lol) and some even have cool looking graphics "tattooed" on them, but $79.99 for a mouse? Yeah right.

This retailer does carry a wide variety of wireless accessories and while there is a high range, there is also mids and lows and being that they are all Logitech and Microsoft products, lets give it a whirl.

The Microsoft Mobil Mouse line has a great feel, very ergonomic and at right around 15 bucks, it's a steal! Using a technology called BlueTrack, the limits of the old laser mouse are gone and here is the dawn of the any surface mouse. I've tried it on lace, on my pants leg, on a hard wooden table, a reflective surface, near and far, and it never missed a beat!! Its as responsive as any CAD mouse I've ever used and much more attractive and light. Boasting an 8 month battery life, this little guy only uses one AA.

Another great thing i think, is the fact that the wireless usb reciever (which by the way is the same size as my thumbnail) actually tucks into the mouse where it is safe inside of your laptop bag.

So lets review

Microsoft Wireless Mobil Mouse 3500 w/ Intellipoint Technology
1. Small, ergonomic and professional looking
2. Very responsive and able to work on "any" surface
3. Economy friendly
4. Very portable

I give this mouse a solid five stars.



Stay tuned. As previously mentioned, I should be receiving my custom built laptop in the coming week so more reviews are coming!!! Tell your friends and stay tuned!!

Google Chrome OS Beta

Well, here we are in the middle of February.  Snow up to the windows, sub zero temperatures.  Lucky for us, there may be something on the horizon that will bring a little warmth into our lives. 

While recently scouring through Craigslist's "computer" classifieds, I came across an interesting gentleman that was seeking payment for something he called a "Chrome Beta Netbook."  Apparently, like many other government sized companies, Google is looking for beta testers for it's new technology.  You see, someone at Google decided that we should take a(n) _________________ (insert your favorite smartphone platform here) and expand the screen to the size of a netbook.  What you end up with is a small portable computer, much like the little netbooks we all recognize now, minus the headaches of service packs, and ram upgrades etc, etc...  The Google Chrome operating system is actually like a small program that directly connects you to the internet.  Imagine for a second, a world without windows or walls.  There is no restriction of physical time or space.  This tiny little machine acts like a doorway rather than a workstation, allowing the user to go directly to the web where they can do proprietary things like Google Docs, Google Buzz, GMail, Google maps...you get the idea.  One feature I am very interested in however, is the use of these "smart applets."  Want to chat?  You are already connected.  Check your facebook?  It's right here ready to go. 

Now that is just some of the fun things.  Lets look at the commercial market now.  Mobile workers without the headache of burned hard drives and insufficient RAM.  With the Chromebook, there is just enough hardware to run a web browser.  This opens up amazing potential for web collaboration, meetings, correspondance, and even remote IT systems management.





Needless to say, I have already applied to be a Beta Tester so keep your fingers crossed and hopefully very soon, we will be doing a live review!

Thanks for reading,
Paul Netlock