Vista SP2 on the way

no need to go into to many details – but this is the main new features.

 

• Windows Vista SP2 adds Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches.
• Windows Vista SP2 contains the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology.
• Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista.
• Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration.
• Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones. 

and a quote from Mike Nash:

As a part of the development and testing process, we're going to start by providing a small group of Technology Adoption Program customers with Windows Vista SP2 Beta for evaluation next Wednesday, October 29. The final release date for Windows Vista SP2 will be based on quality.

So release date is not set yet.

Netgear HDX101 Powerline Ethernet Review

I live in a building with lots of concrete walls. That is not funny when trying to get wireless coverage in all rooms. Plus due to the amounts of sunshine here – the windows are very isolating – and isolates WiFi quite well. The flat is rented as well – so drilling holes are not really an option.

So for a long time I had no Internet access in some of the rooms. But then a while ago I thought – hmm, living on 33. floor with nice terrace I might be able to cover my neighborhood with WiFi and get coverage in the other rooms – I went out to find a Powerline Ethernet adaptor. By luck I found some cheap 85Mbps based on HomePlug standard – and used them to put 1 AP in the workroom – and 1 Alcon outdoor access point outside. J But with 85 Mpbs you get maybe 5-12 mbps in real life. So the solution is not really great if you do big file transfers or backup.

So I researched a bit and found the 200 Mbps units – and found that Netgear HDX101 was available in Dubai. So based on my previous experience I bought 2 x 2 sets – and thought the exchange would be quick and painless.

But no..

The design and looks of the HDX101 is great – a lot better than the old 85 Mbps units. The LEDs are a bit bright though, so in a dark room it will light up the room quite a lot.

The software for managing security on the device was available in a Vista version – and download and installation was quick and painless. But it installs a windows pcap device driver! Remember to remove that again since it is not a happy thing to have your computer equipped with packet capture software.

So I installed the 3 devices. One at the main router, one on the terrace, on in the 3^rd WiFi free room. The Netgear software then came up and asked if I wanted to upgrade firmware. And that was the first problem. I off course said YES. The upgrade took ages – and failed after 8 minutes. ("Protocol Timeout Error") I tried that a few times – gave up and found my trusty Sony UX90s with Windows XP to do the upgrade. That helped a bit but with 2 of the units – the upgrade kept failing. Okay…

Then I started testing speed. My main router is in the living room so I was doing backup test while watching the news via my Motorola Digital Cable box. My computer was backing up over the Netgear units. Suddenly the Netgear unit my X61t was connected too disconnected and shut of power to the Ethernet port. I growled a bit and then re-set the HDX101 and tried again. This time it only took 30. seconds, then the X61t was disconnected again. I tried a few times – but with same result. I took the spare unit and started again. That seemed to work a bit better – but speed was not a lot better than my old 85 Mbps units.

Then I started noticing that my TV signal stopped – maybe 30 seconds to 2 minutes. That had never happened before. Then TV resumed, then TV stopped, then TV resumed. I then got a nagging feeling that the Netgear HDX101 was the culprit. So I turned off the HDX101 close to the TV box. And voila! TV signal got stable. I turned the HDX101 on again – and Voila! Stuttering TV signal. So some interference between my Motorola IP tv boks and the HDX101, makes my TV signal back.

So in short.. Do you want to buy 4 slightly used HDX101? My old 85 Mpbs units are back in place, and I have 4 units I can't use.

I think the HDX101 might be okay in some situations – but not for me. The advantages in speed was marginal compared to the 85 Mbps units. But the problem with noise is a big one. My 85 Mbps units have never given problems like that.

Pros: Speed and Vista "Compatible" software

Cons: Noise, PCAP driver for software to work, 1:4 defective from factory. They become VERY VERY hot.

Sneak Peak at the HTC Shift

As I'm writing here now – I'm sitting with a HTC Shift prototype. No not the final – but a late prototype. I had a chance to play with it for a while.

My initial impressions are that it is a really solid device. Much better than I anticipated. The screen tilt stuff works well and you can position the screen as you like. The screen supports is really only 800 x 480 but supports 1024 x 600 resolution – but at 1024x600 it can seem a bit "muddy to look at"

The current model only got a "limited" Windows Mobile 6 built in. No Mobile Office in it. Bit of a shame. But it does support e-mail. I don't know if you can install custom applications like Skype on it. But it is connected to the "pc" part so it will act as a modem in Vista for your Mobile Data Connection. But it does have parts of the HCT Touch (the phone) front screen interface with calendar, clock and weather + direct access to mail. It did not seem to enable the Vista Windows Mobile Sync interface to sync the Windows Mobile part. But one can hope that changes for the final version – so you don't have to double sync your outlook to get calendar and mail in to the Windows Mobile part.

Unfortunately Windows Mobile do only support 640 x 480 – so when in Windows Mobile mode the screen is "enlarged to fill the 600 pixel screen height – but leaves 16:9 equal empty bars at either side.

The mouse works well and the device seems quite snappy. It claims a Vista Performance index of 2.0 which is quite reasonable for such a small pc. But it does have a camera on the front for Skype J and other Web Chat systems. Nice.

But the keyboard is very very small. You can't touch type on it – but tactile feed is great and I do think you can get away with writing on it at a reasonable speed when you get used to it – but 2 finger typing seems best J But a lot better than my Sony UX-90s.

The Pen is a typical HTC "fold out" pen. Not the best really. And I hate not having an active touch screen like on my ThinkPad X60. But newest "rumour" is it will support multi touch for a lot of things. J Fx. Place 2 fingers on screen and move fingers closer together to zoom in – and move them apart to zoom out. Nice touch (no pun intended)

HTC Shift shipping and price

Price point will be the same as the HTC Advantage x7500. So in UAE Dirham – about 5.000. (US$1.362) Shipping is said to start no later than 4 weeks after Gitex. Nice and small christmas gift then :-) More info from Gitex during 8-12 of September. :-)

Will I get one.. Yes I ordered one FIRST in LINE... J It will replace my Sony UX-90 I guess.

more HTC Stuff:
HTC Shift to Launch at Gitex
HTC Advantage X7500 WM6 Official ROM Review

Over and out for today.

HTC SHIFT launch at Gitex in Dubai

The much awaited HTC Shift is rumoured to launch at the Gitex Computer Exhibition in Dubai that takes place from 8^th to 12^th of September 2007. I have heard from an inside source that the entire HTC Staff will have HTC Shifts to demo, and work with from Gitex and onwards (read – HAVE to work with! and they have to ditch their old notebooks for this one). Chippy confirmed Gitex as the launch date as well on the UMPC Portal

The HTC Shift is a portable Vista based UMPC with a built in Windows Mobile Computer. So it is a combination device, giving you the benefits of having a "Real" Computer when you need it and a Windows Mobile device for the quick and dirty stuff.

Battery life is said to be about 3 hours running Vista and 5 days of battery life if you only use the Windows Mobile part.

It is going to be interesting to see how HTC have made the integration between the two devices. It would be a killer if both "machines" have access to the same file system, so you don't need to copy/paste between them.

Well the Shift is on my wish list for Ramadan or Christmas J anyway. Gitex btw. got a big "Gitex Shopping Section" where you usually can buy the latest gadgets - so one can hope it will be available there.

The head does not know what the body is doing

Today I wanted to restore my user profile to my Samsung Q1 using Windows Easy Transfer. Quite a nice way to get same settings on all your new Vista PCs. (I got an X60 tablet, a Samsung Q1 and a Shuttle X100 2.33 GHz Dual Core) all running Vista.

But imagine my frustration when all I got on the Q1 was a message saying.. “Sorry you can’t do that… Windows Easy Transfer requires a minimum resolution of 800x600” Damn Microsoft – you guys should start talking together inside. Your OWN specifications for the “Origami” Machines lists 800x480 as minimum resolution – so why do your tools not work on your own g.d. specifications? And what could possibly be the reason for an 800x600 minimum requirement apart from bad screen design?

Another design flaw in Windows Easy Transfer is that you can only select to restore ALL settings from your old machine. My old Vista was running Office 2003 – so imagine so much crap being loaded into the registry..

Now I have to try to get the Q1 into a “virtual” state of running 1024x768 or 800x600 to restore. Bugger since the drivers are not really Vista “perfect..” Or alternativly connect to an external screen - which i don't have right at hand...

Well that was my sour grapes of the day.

Thanks again Microsoft….

The Windows Vista Power Hungry Monster

After upgrading to Windows Vista Premium on my ThinkPad X60t, I have noticed that my power does not last as long as before. Plus when resuming operations from standby or from a “cold” reboot, the system takes ages to be back to peak performance – wasting about 10% of my 100% battery power – just to get the system ready for operation.

I started wondering what could be wrong – was it a driver malfunction? Or just my slow 5400 rpm hard drive that took so much energy – since the hard drive seems to spin and spin and spin during boot.

Digging into Resource Manager in Windows I quickly discovered the first culprit. Windows Readyboost… After every standby it seems like the Readyboost Cache on my 2GB Ultra III SD card needs to be flushed and refilled (or at least checked for consistency) – It seems like the Readyboost architecture reads a lot from the hard drive even when resuming from an S3 sleep state. It keeps at it for 2-5 minutes at high read/write levels – invoking the Readyboost drive and the internal system disk.

Why it is needed from S3 standby state I don’t know, since it should be quite simple to have a “marker” telling vista if the device has been modified.
I do like the speed improvements in application startup from Readyboost, but now I’m starting to wonder if it is worth loosing a lot of power on. So I checked out my Readyboost device J and started debugging the rest of “where do my power go”.

So reboot – and back into Resource Manager.. And there was the next damn culprit. It seems like the Indexing service is another power-hungry bastard while running on batteries. Every single reboot on battery power, (and on ac power) starts the indexing service running full speed ahead – despite power settings being “balanced” or on “low power”. Indexing service simply eats away for 5-8 minutes at very high disk speeds. I have not tried to disable the indexing service yet - because I do love the search in Outlook 2007. But there are clearly improvments that can be done so this does not have to be done on EVERY boot or resume event.

So dear Microsoft, please give your engineers only notebooks and only allow them to boot on batteries for some time. Then I think we will get a solution to the 2 worst power draining items on a vista system. Of course there are plenty of other things that take additional power in Vista, but these two actually kills performance and especially boot performance.

I have pluged in my Readyboost SD card again, but am almost crying when the system has to resume or reboot - so now my X60t is labled "Mr. 90% power"