The Sweetest Office Suite--Free, Fast and Built for Windows

Sorry for the pun.

Openoffice.org is just too slow. Even for when I had a Athlon X2 3600+ with 2 gigs of RAM. Slow meaning it took ages for it to load. Imagine the molasses hell I went through using Openoffice on this netbook. I used it on WinXP and now with Win7 and for the last time I'll say it was slow.

I did try Abiword and Gnumeric for a week or 2. I don't need to replace Powerpoint, Access, Onenote or Outlook. Just a word processor and spreadsheet is enough for me. This is for home use after all--not for school or work.

Abiword was ok but it had to install vcredist_x86.exe--which I can't stand. No fluff for me please.

Gnumeric was ok too but when I saved a file I was confronted with a file dialog that looked like it came from Gnome. It's superficial yes but I'd like Windows to look like Windows.

Which leads me to Softmaker Office 2006. It's free and it works just like Word and Excel 2003. Just the way I like it.

And yes it's fast enough for me.

Webcam Woes

I just hit a snag with Win7 and my MSI Wind U100. The webcam doesn't work. It did with WinXP but not with Win7.

There is no driver available from the MSI website which says that the driver is included with Win7. I am able to install a driver through Windows Update but the driver doesn't work.

A quick Google search reveals that several other people have reported the issue like this thread in MS Answers.

So there you have it. If having a webcam is important to you, stay away from a Win7 and U100 combo.

While waiting for driver update, I will have to run Slax on a USB drive to use the webcam with Skype.

Apple iPad - I Don't See the Point

The best way to experience the web, email, photos, and video.

Really?

How can it be better for web browsing if it doesn't do Flash?

How can it be better for email without a real keyboard?

How can it be better for photos if it doesn't have camera?

How can it be better for video if it only plays .m4v, .mp4, and .mov?

Just how is this better than an iPod Touch, Kindle or a netbook?

Windows 7 Starter - Speed

I have no benchmarks to show but it seems to me that Win7 Starter is faster on my MSI Wind than the Win 7 RC.

Win7 Starter Review: Eye Candy

The most obvious drawback to Win7 Starter has to be the inability to change the theme. It's one of the first things I do on a fresh install.

After a few days stuck with the same wallpaper, sound scheme and window appearance, I've come to the conclusion it's not so bad. The 2 worst things about it really is it's a bit to bright and too loud. I'm used to very dark active window bars and taskbars. And I'm used to disabling windows sounds.

For the savings over Home Premium, these are things I can live without. I've lived without Aero for nearly a decade anyway.

Required iPod Knowledge

Itunes is fat and bloated. It should be part of The Biggest Loser and shed at least half its weight. Unfortunately for iPod users, it's a must have.

Install only what you need and follow this guide.

Extract three files from the iTunesSetup file, AppleApplicationSupport.msi, QuickTime.msi and iTunes.msi, and save them in a local folder. Open a command prompt window, navigate to that folder, and run the following commands:

* AppleApplicationSupport.msi /passive
* Quicktime.msi /passive
* iTunes.msi /passive

That's all you need for your Ipod Classic (Video), Nano, Shuffle and/or Mini.

Windows 7 Starter Review--Ep. 1

I just installed Win7 Starter on my MSI Wind. Why Starter and not Home Premium considering all the limitations?

1. Aero Glass, meaning you can only use the “Windows Basic” or other opaque themes. It also means you do not get Taskbar Previews or Aero Peek.
2. Personalization features for changing desktop backgrounds, window colors, or sound schemes.
3. The ability to switch between users without having to log off.
4. Multi-monitor support.
5. DVD playback.
6. Windows Media Center for watching recorded TV or other media.
7 Remote Media Streaming for streaming your music, videos, and recorded TV from your home computer.
8. Domain support for business customers.
9. XP Mode for those that want the ability to run older Windows XP programs on Windows 7.

1 & 2 are just eye candy which I could live without to save Php3000.

No one else uses my laptop so 3 doesn't matter. And if anyone had to borrow it, I'd just save and log off. No big deal.

4 also does not matter since I'm using a laptop.

I'm sure I'll be playing DVDs only on my DVD player. The only movies I'll be watching on a PC are downloaded from torrents and are played with MPC. If I do have to play a DVD on my PC I'm pretty sure MPC or VLC will be able to handle it. (I'll confirm this later.)

Next is the lack of Windows Media Center. Again I use MPC to watch my media and recorded TV is not one of them. Just torrents of TV series.

Remote media streaming is another feature I'm not interested in. And so is domain support.

Lastly Win XP mode might be useful for old apps. But I doubt if I'll ever use an app that so old, it's not supported by Win7.

The biggest disadvantages for previous Windows Starter versions were hardware restrictions and a 3-application limit. I'm sure the 3-app limit has been lifted by MS and no hardware restrictions are listed in the Windows Team blog or the Win7 Starter page.

So far so good. The installation went without a hitch, much like the Win7 RC which I used for about 2 months.

Stand by for Episode 2.

Up Dharma Down - The World Is Our Playground - Lyrics

you are my sunshine
and my occassional rain
we become divine
after every pain
so please, won't you
sit this through
because everyday
will find reasons to stay
if words are too few
to keep horizons in view
will you go
or stay and grow
standing on the edge
between crazy and sense
remember what i said
nothing has to end

Top 25 Videogame Consoles of All Time - Ep. 2

IGN's list just turned turned into a joke. The Xbox360 is higher on the list than the PS1 and N64? Give me one Xbox360 game that can compare to the impact and status of Mario64, Zelda - Ocarina of Time, GT1 & 2, MGS, FF7.

There are great games on the 360 but so far none of them is legendary. The only legendary thing about the 360 so far is the RROD--the first time a console had such massive failure rates.

Microsoft is leading the industry only now on its second Xbox. Sony stole the show from Nintendo and Sega on their first try. While the PS2 delivered the death blow to Sega's hardware business, it was the Ps1 who incapacitated it.

While I love the DC, Sonic Adventure and Shenmue, they should not be ahead of the N64.

My prediction for the top 5, if IGN still has any sense in them will be. (I just realized there are no handhelds in the list.)
5. Genesis
4. SNES
3. Atari 2600
2. PS2
1. NES

Up Dharma Down Album Art

Here are Fragmented and Bipolar

Top 25 Videogame Consoles of All Time

IGN is currently counting down their list of top 25 consoles of all time. I'll list my own top 5.

5, Atari 2600 - There were consoles that were first. But this was the first to make it big. Some of its games are still played on mobile phones today: Pacman, Pong, Breakout.

4. PS1 - This is the first console for company that had little to no videogame influence. And they made it big--enough to have 3rd generation of this console.

3. PS2 - Market domination, longevity and a long, long list of great games make this my favorite console of all time.

2. Gameboy - This console started the handheld market. And it ran it for what seemed like an eternity.

1. NES - I wouldn't be gaming today if not for the NES. A lot of games wouldn't be here today if not for the NES. A lot of NES games are still fun to play even today.

- Note -
Why no SNES or Genesis? Just one reason--they didn't dominate the market during their time because of each other.

Daily Hatred

One of the things I hate most about my job is having to deal on a daily basis people I detest, loathe and hate. I do not exaggerate. I regularly pray to the Lord God that these people get mugged or hit by a bus.

The worst part of it is I not only have to deal with these people, I also have to mind their feelings. I don't care if they get families gets murdered in the middle of the night. I care much less about their feelings.

Today's hatred is focused on... I'll call her Fangs. This person is the most narrow-minded and juvenile 50-year-old I will ever meet. Two unique and possible deaths I have for her--death by lung cancer and/or death by tooth decay.

MSI Wind Review Ep. 3 - The OC Strikes Back

Well surprise, surprise. The Wind when OC'ed by 24% is comparable to a much more expensive HP DV2 and an MSI X-Slim, with 7-Zip at least. Above are my benchmark results compared with Techreport's results.

MSI Wind Review Ep. 2

More thoughts on the Wind. The CTRL key placement issue now less of an issue. I found this modified BIOS that switches the CTRL and Fn. When I touch type, it works like a charm. On the rare occassion I look at the keyboard when I press CTRL, I wonder why it doesn't work, then I remember the switch.

I'm thinking of writing over the keys with correction fluid. Not the most elegant solution I know.

Also the latest BIOS has overclocking support. Pretty nifty. I don't think other netbooks have the option. I won't be using the feature for now but it's good to know that if I change my mind, it's there.

MSI Wind U100 Review

I downgraded from a 15-inch Compaq powered by T2370 and 2 gigs of RAM running Windows Vista, to a MSI Wind—Atom N270 and 1 gig of ram. Why? Because portability and size are more important to me right now. Besides the Compaq was only used for netbook tasks. The most performance I needed from it was when I ripped CDs.

I settled on the Wind because of several favorable reviews online. It supposedly had the 2^nd best keyboard next to the HP Mini, standard netbook innards and a fair price.

It's been 3 days and I like it so far. I initially installed the Windows 7 RC on it but replaced it with XP after a day. The performance felt sluggish, much like how my previous laptop performed with Vista and only a gig of ram. The Atom, the 1 gig and Win7 just didn't do it for me.

XP is a much better experience. Using the Wind as a netbook doesn't feel like running a gimped CPU. The last time I used XP was with an Athlon64 3000+ with 2gb ram. The Wind seemed just as fast.

Besides the upgraded portability, the screen quality is also an upgrade from the Compaq. It has better viewing angles and is much brighter and it's matte surface has less glare than the Compaq's glossy screen.

Just 2 things I didn't see mentioned in all the reviews I read. One is the annoying placement of the left CTRL key. Its placement has been switched with an Fn key. And 2 is the HD noise—it sounds more audible than my previous laptop. The cause might simply be the quieter fan of the Wind which doesn't mask the HD noise. The loudness is comparable to the HD noise of my 120gb iPod Classic, if not slightly louder.

So do I recommend the Wind? Yep. Just remember you're using a netbook and not a laptop.

Here are some of the reviews I looked before I bought my Wind:

Techreport

HardOCP

LaptopMag

Album Art - Barbie's Cradle

Here are the album covers for all 3 Barbie's Cradle albums: the self-titled debut, Music from the Buffet Table and Playing in the Fields.

OPM Album Art - Bamboo

It's tough to find high res, high quality album art for OPM albums. Here's me sharing what I have. First up: Bamboo - As the Music Plays; and Bamboo - Light Peace Love.

Great Idea

Here's a blog with a great idea. I do hope it catches on and most of the music torrents off of Isohunt follow this standard.

Compaq C762NR Review Ep. 3

Here comes another bench. This time it's 7-Zip and comparisons are based on Xbitlabs.

This time the T2370 pulls ahead of the E2140. I think it's safe to say both are evenly matched. The E2140 pulls ahead sometimes because of its higher FSB while the T2370 wins a few where clock speed matters.

My Recommended Builds - March 2009

One of my friends is buying a new PC for gaming and video editing and asked what I would buy. Here's my recommendation.

Intel Q8200 Php7,600.00
MSI P43 Neo-F Php3,900.00
Powercolor 4830 Php5,300.00
Western Digital Caviar Green 640gb Php3,300.00
Kingston 2gb Php1,200.00
Liteon DVD writer Php1,500.00
Corsair 400CX PSU Php2,600.00
Antec 300 case Php3,200.00
Total Php28,600.00

Also an officemate asked me for a budget gaming build. Here's what I'm recommending. I have an AMD CPU there because the guy is obtuse and would not have an Intel CPU not for all the sensible reasons in the world. The only reason one should have an AMD CPU is if they must have integrated graphics only.

Athlon X2 5000+ Php2,900.00
Asus M2N-MX/SE Plus or Asus M2N-VM/DVI or MSI K9N6PGM2-V Php2,500.00
Powercolor 4830 Php5,300.00
Western Digital 160gb Php1,800.00
Kingston 2gb Php1,200.00
Liteon DVDwriter Php1,500.00
Generic case w/ PSU Php1,500.00
Total Php16,700.00

*The recommendations are mostly ripped off from TechReport. Prices are from PCHub.