errata

errata
Originally uploaded by subodh_chettri

A book publisher never accepts it to be their fault. The blame is on the machine and calls it an 'errata'. For this display the excuse would be "A 'V' with a U shaped Body".AM 11:44 11 March 2008

Eee pc with my touch.

eeepc
Originally uploaded by subodh_chettri

Call it an Wee pc with a Midas's touch. The ultimate machine to serve my purpose.

Eee PC, The extension of your productivity.

The ASUS Eee PC is a subnotebook computer launched by ASUS and Intel. EeePC became popular because of it's cheap price and it's light weight. It runs on Linux-based operating system. At present the Eee PC comes in three different models 2G, 4Gand 8G all having a 900 MHz Intel Celeron-M. The main difference between these models being the battery back-up, RAM size, presence of web cam and storage media size. Configuration details of various flavours of EeePC is given here.

The loading of the Operating System ( Linux ) was pretty fast, approximately 15 seconds. All the application are grouped into tabs( Internet, Work,Learn, Play, Settings and Favourite ). Much of the detail is hidden from the user. I din't work around much on the factoru fitted OS. To be sincere, I could not configure wireless connectivity to connect to RMIT University Subnet. Asus should add other authentication methods, in my case I missed wap2.

The screen is impressive for this price. It does not eat the whole space on the lid. The screen is bracketed by 2 speakers on the either sides. It is bright and readable. In fact, I got over with an e book on it. My only complaint would be its resolution. The wide screen resolution of 800 by 480 is pleasant while you read. It fails to provide other standard resolution without a scroll screen. This is sometimes a real pain when a window ( none resizable) fails to fit in the screen. Other resolution should be an option without the ‘scroll screen’.

The Keys on the keyboard are pretty cramped up. A look at it would make you feel uncomfortable. Don’t be mistaken by it’s size. I am getting used to it. As a matter of fact I am typing this review on a 4G EeePC. The keys, at the edges of the keyboard turns out to be a bit small. Not to spacey for my pinky to punch it. According to me there are few keys oddly located like the right ‘SHIFT’ key. The Ctrl key is missing on the right hand side; a very important one for people like me who relies on short cut keys. It’s quite an interesting thing to know that there is hardly any LED or on screen indicators to show if the scroll lock, caps lock and num lock are enabled or disabled. But it did not take me much to get used to it.

The touch pad if used by thumb to point rather then index finger is pretty comfortable. It’s a bit unresponsive in terms of clicks and scroll on the surface. This annoyance can be reduced with a bit of a tweak with the Synaptics touch pad configuration tool located on the system tray (on windows xp installed ones :P).

The Eee PC comes with a single bay for RAM. If you are thinking of expanding it, your preinstalled RAM goes for a waste ( auction it at ebay). It is a 200 pin SO-DIMM DDR2 slot. The slot is as same as the one found in laptops. The RAM is expandable upto 2GB. But the factory installed OS Xandros support only 1 GB. Microsft Windows ® can support 2GB on it.

The speaker’s output is fair enough. I would not use it for listening music. It is located on the either side of the screen. The Speakers should have been placed at the sides of the palm rest rather next to the screen giving more space for the screen.

MMC SD drive is located on the right hand side of the sub-notebook making the media size dynamic. It support a range of memory card. After doing my home work, I have found that solid state hard disk is the best options. An SDHC of 8GB size would make a better option if you need more space.

The microphone is located right under the touch pad. This seems to be pretty weird location. It was pretty sensitive to all audible sound around me. According to me the location of the microphone under the laptop makes it more bass sensitive rather then treble.

To sum it all, it is an exceptional machine with a weight of 0.92 KG. The best thing that tempted me to buy it is its portability. It comes in handy when you are out the whole day. I use mine to read e books and remotely connect to other machine through puTTY. Though the EeePC came along with customized Xandros OS, I din’t use it for an hour or so. I had to change the OS to Windows XP as I extensively use MS Office and a lot of .Net Framework. EeePC comes with a good collection of application required for daily use. Eee PC is an wise choice for student ( in fact anyone) on low budget.

Note: This being is my first review on a product. I have tried my level best to keep it simple and give all the data I came across and what I felt about the product.

Stonned Hudson's Coffee at King St.

Hudson's Coffee at King St.
Originally uploaded by subodh_chettri

Hudson's Coffee at King St.
Originally uploaded by subodh_chettri

Hudson's Coffee at King St.
Originally uploaded by subodh_chettri

Hudson's Coffee at King St.
Originally uploaded by subodh_chettri

The glass pane was stoned by someone in the night.This made us to close store for the day. No work, no money for today. Was it because we sold bad coffee or was it because we had overthrown people out of the coffee business. AM 09:29 24 February 2008 24022008106

Me with my rubiks in the library

The usual unsualness

Tossed in reclusive corner of the library, I thought to my self "just another usual day". It was the usual corner. The usual corner with the sweet smell of books fused with the damp smell made fresh by sweet hum of the air conditioner. The usual corner with desks left with graffiti by people who found their presence wandering or felt unheard. The usual corner with a desk having tones of red. The usual corner with colourful chewing gum stuck to the desk to add missing hues to it. Fruity juice drained out of them and stuck with precision and aesthetic skill to the walls of the desk. Stare at it for a while and you could visualize too many things left by the marks of their teeth and thumb like a prehistoric animal left on the fossils. It was the usual corner lit with fluorescent lamps that enlightens you with the luminance of knowledge. The usual corner that secludes you from the world still giving you peeps through the blind slitted window.

How unusual is this feeling. I stared at my notes, but I looked through it. I had an unusual hum in my head. Not being able to concentrate, I started to mutter every word that I read. This is one of my mothers favourite technique, to keep the pendulum bob fixated. I tossed every word like a confident gambler flinging his playing card one at a time slowly on the table to announce his win. But the bid was lost. My mind was like a kite on a stormy Sky. I failed to keep it under control. I took a deep breath, hummed as I exhaled through my mouth. I rose from my adobe, my altar.

I walked though the walls of books. Books of different shapes and size neatly kept in rows like soldiers at librarians command. Books with thousand words waiting to be read through someone's lips. I looked at them and said to my self "Books that demand presence". Books that were numbered like prisoners in their numbered cell waiting for a visitor, a reader a browser or to be picked. Mute books with numbered pages like faces that express themselves. As I walked I noticed couple of me wandering in this desert of books deserted by people. People lost in books. People lost in thoughts. People lost in other people's thought. People lost in talks. I walked pretending not to notice them. I walked with confidence yet still having the jitter of a confused compass. I had to admit I was lost. I stopped and stood still at the entrance to the study and books section. I looked around like an owl trying to demonstrate his necks 360 degree turn. Every one was lost in their own ways and yet pretended not to be. I felt my pocket. "There it is" I murmured. I pulled out my music player ( She is known as frost bite). I plugged my ears to deafen the voice in my head. "Lost for words" was the right song. Swiftly passed by the self check out counters with people swiping those mute prisoners, I had left unheard. As I traversed I noticed the Librarian unoccupied at the desk. She was buzy with her tedium yet radiating a smile and waiting to serve. I conceived of how we tend to abuse technological advances. We tend to make ourselves islands. If John Donne was alive he would have not said "No man is an island". It is certainly more fun to exchange few words with her and get your books checked out rather then doing it at those self check outs. I exited through the emergency exit to the steel cold spiral steps.

I walked a couple of steps and sat on the steps that poked me with its roughness. I was sitting next to the sign that read "Emergency Exit. Do not obstruct." I took my cigarette out and lit it. I stood and walked a couple of steps up and a couple down. I swayed to the music like those trees to the wind. I was impregnated by an infinitesimal thought of "smoking kills". I felt cold hands of guilt touching me. Chill ran down my veins. I searched for the nearest bin. butted it with hatred , with smoke oozing out of my mouth. I walked hurried the place I was before. The desk that acts like a venus fly trap with shades of red that entices me. This is where I stop and get trapped with no signs of struggle. Soak me in your juice. I beg to be lost.

Factory produced trees.

Factory produced trees.
Originally uploaded by subodh_chettri

"Barcode generation." I was stunned to see a tree having a barcode. Where has technolgy lead us? Are we following the right path? Those are the few questions that bother me. The self check out counter at the mall and the library just makes each man an island. Total communication break down. Would never use it if not required.

Clicked:AM 10:17 08 February 2008 Trees With Barcode(RMIT CBD, Behind Building 10.)

A Friendly Adobe

A Friendly Adobe
Originally uploaded by subodh_chettri

"A friendly Adobe". Friendly? definetly. The surrounding is always enveloped with silence. The best partners that go hand in, you can find around.

AM 09:36 08 February 2008

Doorway to Haven

Doorway to Haven
Originally uploaded by subodh_chettri

Wondering!Why does the tag line sounds so familiar? Sure it is lifted or should I say inspired by Led Zeppelin's Classic hit "Stairway to heaven". Apt tag line "Doorway to haven", when I need a good sleep else no emotional attachment."Just a place to rest my head". This can't replace my room back home in the back of my head. I miss you!!

AM 09:35 08 February 2008