Tag Archives: commentary

Naoko’s take on the Surface

19/06/2012 – 11:58

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Category: Commentary

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Writer’s note: OMG THE PUNS. The bad puns. *holds face in hands*

This morning Microsoft announced the launch of their own tablet, the Microsoft Surface. In terms of specs I’ll let Edrei talk to you about it (Update by Edrei: Didn’t talk about the specs, but I did talk about something Surface related), but I just wanted to latch onto one line pointed out by Mashable:

The first of its kind, Surface is designed to work as both tablet and PC and comes in a version running Windows RT as well as a version running Windows 8 Pro.

My initial reaction?

NO NO NO NO NO MICROSOFT DON’T DO THIS!

Hysterics aside, I really think this is one of the fastest ways to kill a tablet. One of the reasons why the iPad and the Kindle and other tablets have succeeded is because they divorced user expectations about what tablets are; aka not a laptop replacement. Tablets have been turned into a media consumption device, and the UIs have been created to match that.

I believe that it will be the UI that will be the killer on the Surface. Also I apologise for that pun, it was completely unintended. That said, the PC and the tablet are two completely devices with two completely different user interface. You can’t expect a tablet to behave the same way a PC does; it’s not a screen which uses a finger instead of a mouse to navigate, unless Microsoft intends to make the tablet a reiteration of the very first few Mac computers which did not have right click.

I can understand that perhaps Microsoft wants to push the limits of the hardware, as they say in the article, but I can’t help thinking that this is perhaps the most wrong way to go. Microsoft may be right in wanting to push the limits of hardware and software, but honestly speaking? I expect the Surface to go the way of many an Android tablet that’s not a Galaxy: Niche.

Only On The Surface

19/06/2012 – 11:56

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So the biggest news today was the fact, Microsoft’s big mysterious reveal turned out to be a tablet that everyone has been whispering rumours about for the past week. While it may not have been the answer to the question about life, the universe and everything, The Microsoft Surface is still a pretty neat looking tablet.

I won’t go through all the details of it here because practically all the major tech blogs have pretty described it to the best of its abilities. However, I will give you this, the Surface is as Microsoft always was in the tech world, a blend between the best of both worlds. Whereas, I’ve always described Windows as a middle ground between Apple’s walled garden OS and Linux’s open source systems. Microsoft’s own tablet offering is a blend between the A tablet’s consumption simplicity and a laptop’s practical functionality.

However, whether or not this blend of both worlds works depends not on the hardware specs or Microsoft’s ability to create a flawless product, but on whether or not people will get past Microsoft’s age old stigma of being an old school evil corporation.

Truth be told, Microsoft generally makes good products. Ignoring the fact that it’s operating system seems to revolve around a good/bad cycle every release. It’s hardware is pretty decent. The Zune HD was one of the best MP3 players I have ever own. It’s mice served me well past being clicked into oblivion. The problem has always been that the company seems to make the worst marketing decisions in how they want to sell their products.

Aside from the Xbox which is a runaway success, they hardly popularise their peripherals, especially to the gaming community which serve a significant niche of die hard Windows users. The Zune was significantly tied to their Zune Marketplace, which for some inexplicable reason was only in the US, making it hard to obtain music as easily as iTunes. Plus, it wasn’t sold locally in stores either making importing the Zune much more expensive than the competitors, despite the fact that it was really good to use.

Then there is of course, Microsoft’s image as a company that was involve in antitrust suits because they tried to strongarm the competition. For a world that moves on so quickly in its innovations, this stigma just seems to stick in the minds of people for a very long time. Still, it’s long enough for Apple to show up and take the stage as the darling company that isn’t an evil corporation. An image that has lingered today not just in the fans of Apple and the haters of Microsoft, but in the casual users that just want to look use tech in their daily livess.

For the future of Microsoft’s products to really succeed, they need to do more than just look like an old man trying to dance with the latest hip-hop beat. They need to completely rewire people’s perception that the company isn’t staffed with old codgers. That despite their past, their innovations do have a point. Microsoft needs to show the world that they and not just their products are in fact, quite cool.

So while the Surface looks to be one hell of a product, one that I am willing to shelve out money for if their marketing doesn’t completely ruin it for us all, as long as they don’t keep making the same mistakes over and over again like a high price point or limited localised availability; it is easy for Microsoft to create non-paid word of mouth kudos from its users, something they seem to struggle with very much with their Windows Phone.

Time will tell on how well Microsoft changes its image. I for one will a least still buy their products for as long as I have a reason to keep buying them, since as a geek, I’m more interested in practicality of the offering and the principles of tech and that a company upholds at present rather than something that happened before I hit puberty. To think that some people still call Microsoft a company run by old men not with the times.

Where I Stand On This Geekery Thing

12/06/2012 – 12:28

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Category: Commentary Geek Life

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I got asked a pretty good question yesterday and to be honest, I get asked this question a lot especially from a lot of my peers who consider themselves non-geek.

Just what in the world is a geek?

Now there are many definitions of what a geek is. A quick look at the dictionary will pull out two main things. One is that a geek is a socially inept person. The other is a person with an eccentric obsession for a particular subject or matter. I’m inclined to accept them both with the former definition being a more archaic form that has since been apparently relegated to “Being a Nerd”.

Though more accurately, I consider geeks as people with a passion for the things that they do, so much so that they are able to use their unique knowledge and skills as a socialising asset rather than a hindrance. This is why despite the stereotype that geeks only seem to concentrate on tech alone, you can have geeks in all areas and expertise.

Do you love watching movies? Are you able to correlate the inspiration that old genres give to their new counterparts? Do you finish watching a movie and feel like discussing with someone about the varying depths (or lack of) of emotion in it? You just might be a movie geek.

Do you happen to love working in a science related field? Do you get excited every time there is a new breakthrough discovery that’s published before the media gets wind of it? Do you enjoy forecasting the possible future endeavours that a certain discovery might bring for its field? Then you might just be a science geek.

Is your job just a stepping stone to you owning more gadgets? Are you regularly disappointed when that breathtakingly awesome concept gadget at an expo doesn’t make it to the market? Are you able to form intelligent opinions on why the tech industry should play a greater role in political lawmaking? Then congratulations you just might be a tech geek.

So you see, all these are just examples how a geek might appear to be. They love what they do and do it very well, regardless of whether or not they code, take photos, involve themselves in music and so on. Yet, despite all this, there is still one defining factor that makes a geek. Something that unites every one of us eccentrically passionate individuals of our fields.

A true geek never stops exploring, learning and most importantly creating.

While it may be limited to our particular expertise, it should not be said that we don’t have an immense yearning for what we like. That is part and parcel of the passion and love we have for what we do. Sure, it may seem unnaturally unhealthy to people who don’t share the same passion, but how often do we find ourselves forgiving towards people who do the things we don’t understand or pay any interest to?

Regardless of which, a geek should be able to (or at least learn to) understand how one can dedicate themselves to something so immensely. It is that ability to take what we know and push the boundaries of what we excel in that makes us who we are as geeks. Love movies or music? Why not experiment with making one of your own? Love science? Why not build your own basement lab for you to conduct experiments in? Love tech? Why not build a smart house from leftover gadgets and cheaply sourced electronics?

The key in all this is about taking a more constructive role in our passions. If the geek will inherit the Earth, then by all means let’s start making the inheritance a worthwhile feat. Forget all the superficial images that anyone who plays consoles or watches “geek” shows are geeks. It is in the action of using our knowledge for a greater purpose that defines us geeks.

So while the world may judge us differently, just remember, there is no shame in having passion for the things you do, but with greater knowledge comes to responsibility to use it. Make sure that it’s for a worthwhile purpose and everything should fall into place.

Gadgets Are About Purpose

11/06/2012 – 16:15

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A couple of months ago, I wrote a post on Google+ wondering whether or not I should wait for the rumoured generation of Windows 8 powered laptops to arrive in touchcreen. I think by the end of it, I concluded that I, despite my enthusiasm for all things tech did not see a use for it.

Granted, ever since owning a tablet, much less a smartphone I have become more comfortable with touchscreen, even going as far as to catch myself swiping my netbook screen a few times in the absent minded thought that it would move the elements on the screen. However at the end of the day, it would serve little purpose from what I originally want to use my laptop for, which is mostly desktop function based work. This in turn is related to a question I have always been asked a lot among my non-tech inclined peers, on what sort of laptop should they buy. My answer to them is pretty much the same as the answer I gave myself regarding touch screen laptops.

“What are you using it for?”

It is easy, I admit, to get lost in the sea of gimmicky form functions. I often accuse Apple fans of being sold onto their devices on the basis of an over-hyped marketing gimmick such as with Siri or Retina Display. Then I realised that even among the more hands on geeks that we too get lost in the hype that a device holds. I know Naoko has her love for the Asus Padfone-ception? Me? I’m easily accused of being hyped up with every new graphic chipset and what it can do if I ever can afford the cash to stuff it into my gaming rig. It’s just the way it is. It’s part of being a tech geek.

Of course, when it boils down to it, the thing that we have to remember is that when money is especially called into question, fulfilling our desire for tech should only fulfil one question. The purpose we are buying it anyway. If you have money to burn then of course, you have the right to blow it on whatever you want, but as every day geeks, few of us have the money to get all the things we want, especially if we don’t want to go into debt trying to obtain them.

Personally, I think that for most people, a work-capable laptop and a smartphone should suffice for everyone. The laptop allows them to have the freedom do all the work related typing they want and still be able to have the freedom to install whatever program that need for whatever tasks they have to do. The smartphone works perfectly as an all-round consumption device, which is perfect for checking anything on the go, but relegating the heady duty stuff to their laptop.

If you are a hard core gamer like myself though, or even someone who works with graphics design, I would recommend spending just enough for a work capable ultra-portable laptop only if you see yourself needing it; because most of the money will obviously go into building your gaming rig or workstation which, if obviously powerful enough to run the latest games or render the some crazy animation, should be able do anything else with it as a primary system. The laptop would only serve as a secondary device, with all the heavy duty stuff being done on the main rig.

Of course with tablets, it’s a hard thing to say but its function is pretty obvious when you have had the chance to use it. It is purely for people that want to consume information. Things like movies, music, books, web articles, as long as you’re not in the habit of constantly typing on it, works perfectly well on a tablet. Personally, I would say that it is still a pretty exotic device given the kind of things I do around tech, but if all you do around the internet is watch, listen and read, but not contribute. It’s not a bad choice to go on by itself.

Of course in the end, everyone has their own style of using tech as it is. Some may find it better to use a desktop and a tablet. Some with a laptop and a tablet. Some people may like to type better on a tablet than with physical keys (for reasons that still baffle me). Some may even find it easy to get away with a dumbphone, leaving all their information consumption to other devices. Regardless of your preference in using tech, as long as you know what you’re using it for and why you’re using it, it’s always easy to make a pretty informed choice regarding the things you want to buy. While it doesn’t always stop us from salivating over the latest and greatest things that are out there, it’s a good way of putting priorities ahead of your own desires.

Just remember, while it pays to have money, you don’t have to be rich to be a geek. You just have to know what you’re in for, the rest of which always works itself out in due time.