Month: July 2006

I have a Palm handheld but I require some kind of mobile Internet access. I instantly ordered a HP IPAQ hx2000 which seems to be a very cool stuff. The product comes with all the required software, manuals and a getting started guide. It ships with Microsoft Pocket PC Operating System which ultimately contains pocket versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and also Internet Explorer and Messenger. The product instantly connects to the Internet.

I used a DLINK wireless router and a high speed broadband connection and I was able to connect to the Internet very easily. The whole browsing experience was very smooth. Moreover, the product comes with a free 128 MB SD card which you can use to increase the amount of RAM on the IPAQ

PROS – Small Size, Good applications
CONS – Too heavy, Weak Battery

I purchased PALM handheld m130 for my personal use. I found that it contains good number of applications. Moreover, the CD which ships with the device contains additional third party softwares which you can install on the handheld. The device syncs very well with PC. The product comes with the required manuals and driver CD’s to help you get start with it.

A big disadvantage with this product is that its battery life doesn’t exist too longer even after a full charge. It has to be charged every 30 minutes or so. I also resetted the device several times. You cannot connect to the Internet using the handheld and I feel that if you invest certain amount of cash then you can buy a good pocket PC with all features. But the handheld will be useful if you plan to use it for short term and hobby purposes.

PRONS – Compact samll sharp lens, fits on monitors top
CONS – None

I found that logitech web camera is an excellent product for home users. They cab use the camera along with Yahoo and MSN messengers.It can also be used with NewMeeting software of Microsoft. The product is USB compatible and it will stand firm on monitors top. The camera doesn’t captures those snaps surrounded with dark light.

You should ensure the availability of adequate lighting on your room. The product comes with driver CD’s and manuals. I didn’t found any drawbacks with this product. But I found that the pictures are little dark even they are captured with good lighting.

Printing is an essential task in our day today computing life and a good printer is a must. I’ve had tested several other printers before checking HP Printer. I must say that HP DeskJet 3325 prints with perfection. I purchased the printer 2 years back along with my new PC and I am still using it without changing the catridge.

However, catridge life depends upon how often you undertakes printing activity. The printer ships with a driver CD and manuals and it works smoothly with Windows XP Professional. I faced occassional paper jamming problems but I resolved them easily by contacting HP live support and performing the task as per their directions.

PROS: Leight Weight

CONS: No USB Port Available

Canon Scanner is a great way to capture paper images. The product ships with the required driver CD’s and manuals. The CD comes with cool applications for scanning pictures. The scanner connects to a parallel port.

One of the main disadvantages of this scanner is that it takes too much time to scan a picture. It also consumes lot of system resources thereby making the PC slower. The PC becomes slow during the scanning process. The scanned pictures can be easily reshaped according to your needs. Overall, canon scanner is a perfect way to digitize your pictures.

PROS – Easy to use, Message Archive feature, Photo Embedding
CONS – None Noted

If you are looking for a messaging software then look no further and download Yahoo messenger. It is simple to use. The download process is little tricky as you have to connect to the net for about 20-30 minutes in order to properly install the software. Once you have downloaded the product you can use it by using a yahoo login and password. Your current yahoo e-mail username and password will be sufficient. I found that the signup time will take not les than 5 seconds during morning time and 20 seconds during evening.

An interesting feature of Yahoo Messenger is that you can store the messages by activating its message archive feature. This is not enabled by default. I think it will be due to privacy reasons. I instantly enabled this feature as I don’t have to copy down important points during a chat conversation.

I can just access them at another day when required. Another interesting feature to note is that the product ships with around 100 cool emotions. You can also add audibles and IM Environments to your conversation. Overall, Yahoo Messenger is an excellent messaging system developed for hobbyists and customers.

PROS – Ability to voice chat, Messenger Enabled
CONS – No much features for messenger, less emoticons

This product is really cool becuase of its ability to simultaneously chat and phone over Internet. You can speak with your friends, customers using a shype ID. The installation process took less than 5 minutes.

After installation you have to signup for a ID. It is rather a simple process. I very much liked its phone feature as I could speak with my friends without a phone call. Also the cost involved with Internet Telephony is comparitively less than traditional phone. The voice was very smooth using a cable broadband connectivity and was without any interruptions. I hope developers will add more features in the future versions of this wonderful product.

PROS – Catches and Fixes all viruses Instantly, Automatic Update of Definitions via web

CONS – Expires after one year of use (even in paid version)

Norton AntiVirus is an excellent virus removal tool. The package ships with a CD and a manual. The installation process will take less than 5-10 minute on a Pentium 4 system. You can easily update the virus definitions with a single click of a button. One problem which I noticed is that the update process is little slower than other antivirus systems.

The main disadvantage of this product is that it expires after 1 year of installation even if you purchase it by paying cash. I had paid for it and now it expired and hence I cannot use it again. You have to pay a yearly subscription fees which I feel is of not much worth when there are free antivirus packages available on the market.

PROS – Easy to use, Beautiful Skins

CONS – Too small Controls and buttons

WinAmp is a music player software. It is free and comes in different flavours. The product can be easily downloaded and installed within 5 minutes. One of the interesting point to note is that a set of songs from a  particular folder can be added to the playlist and the songs will be automatically played one by one.

WinAmp should be invisible on the taskbar and should appear as an icon on the right side when minimized as done in other softwares. I hope this will be implementd in the next version of WinAmp.

I would prefer a software which minimizes to the TskBar upon clicking the Minimize button.

PROS – Light weight, Easy to use

CONS – Annoying Popups

I would highly recommend WinZip if you ask me for a file compression software. It’s lightweight and easy to use. I downloaded the software within 5 minutes using a broadband connection and completed the installation within another 2 minutes.

The usage of this product is self explanatory although it comes with help files. The product also shows a Tip at the beginning of the product loading is a useful feature. You need to right click a folder and chhose add to zip. That’s it. You can attach the compresses ZIP files through email but the only point to note is that your receipient require a stable internet connection to download the file. Otherwise, they can’t be able to open or extract the files. 

I found that the product gives disturbing popups at the end of the trial period. Even though its interface is pretty good and nice, I am still searching for a new ZIP tool. I hope I will get it soon.