Tag Archives: review

Thoughts on Brother MFC490cw

Posted on by
Reply

I recently picked up a Brother MFC490cw for a good price. I’ve been in the market for a printer with networking capabilities for a couple of weeks now. My existing HP 2600N is nearly out of color toners but has a brand new black toner. I checked out the price for the color toners and figured it’s cheaper to get a new machine rather than purchasing new color toners. I also wouldn’t mind a wireless networking option.

So what I was mainly looking for was networking capabilities. I found the MFC490cw to have what I needed plus more. Here’s my initial impression of the machine after a day of use.

LIKES:

  • Draft quality copies are fast.
  • Both wire and wireless networking capabilities.
  • Scanning capabilities over the network and it works on both Windows and OS X.
  • Low cost cartridges (4 total – black, magenta, yellow, cyan).
  • Good price for an all-in-one with networking features.
  • Small form factor for an all-in-one.
  • Once the machine is set up on the network, installation of the printer on your computer is easy.
  • Memory card reader can read SDHC.
  • USB direct print available.
  • USB port is hidden inside, underneath the scanner – it’s a good design idea so that the USB cable doesn’t stick out as much and is cleaner.

DISLIKES:

  • After a copy session, there’s a lag for about 5 seconds where you can operate the machine.
  • Photo quality isn’t all that great.
  • If the 4×6 paper isn’t positioned properly on the paper tray, even if you select 4×6 paper size on the machine’s interface, it will still use the 8×11 paper (this is using the memory card reader and direct print features).
  • A little noisy for an inkjet.
  • The flatbed scanner seems like it’ll break easy.
  • On board interface was a little confusing while trying to have it recognize my WPA enabled network.

OTHER THOUGHTS:

  • For PC users, you can send a fax using your computer to create the document. This will save you from printing the document then faxing it. I wish they had it available for OS X but then again, I hardly fax things but still a cool feature to have.
  • I printed a photo using Kodak paper. It didn’t come out to well.  The Kodak paper sucks. I got the same results on other printers using the Kodak paper and I got the same crappy results. Lesson: Do not buy/use Kodak paper.
  • I had somewhat of a hard time setting up the machine on the network. I am using an Apple router, WPA/WPA2 security, MAC address filtering, and for the printer I assigned it its own IP address. It still wouldn’t pick up the SSID and I have it broadcasting. I finally turned it off and waited a few minutes. I ran the network setup again and this time it found it and I was good to go. I guess power cycling it did the trick.

Even with a good amount of dislikes for the first 24 hours, I still think it’s a decent machine for the price. Brother did not short change OS X users with features. Only thing it didn’t have was the PC fax capability that is available for Windows users. I’ve already seen generic ink cartridges for this machine and since I won’t be printing much photos on here it looks like it’s the route I will take when replace the ink.

Here’s an image I printed out using Kodak photo paper and scanned via wireless network (600×600 dpi and 24 bit color).

Check out Abby’s hair, there’s so much distortion. It seems like it can’t handle black properly. I printed another copy on Brother paper BP71 and the results were better but still cannot compare to what I normally get with my Canon i900D printer. I didn’t expect Brother to be my photo printer replacement anyway. Again, still a good deal for what I paid for and what I’ll be using it for. So if you can get this printer under $90, it’s a good deal for low to medium amount of jobs.

HP dv9999us Review

Posted on by
3

I’ve been looking for a new laptop for a couple of months now. My MacBook Pro is nearly 3 years old, still has the original Core Duo cpu, and it over heats so much it just freezes. I had Apple look at and they replaced a heat sink but it seemed like it didn’t help. They also replaced the battery and power adapter plug – still didn’t help. They finally said that the temperature is normal and they can’t do anything else. My co-worker’s newer MacBook Pro doesn’t heat up as bad. Anyways…

I started looking at the netbooks. They are very light-weight, ultra portable, no CD/DVD-rom drives. I thought it would be perfect for what I need. I can still carry my MBP and have a netbook too. I waited and waited. Then I saw an ad at Office Depot for a laptop. It was a total opposite of what a netbook is but for the price I had to take a look. I ended up buying the HP dv9999us. Here are the specs:

  • AMD Turion-X2 64bit 2.0GHz
  • 4GB ram
  • 250GB hdd
  • 17″ WXGA 1440×900 BrightView LCD
  • USB 2.0 (4x)
  • Firewire 400 (1x)
  • S-Video out
  • Built-in web cam
  • Media remote control
  • 2 audio out headphone jacks and 1 input
  • 5-in-1 memory card reader
  • Express card slot

You can view the hardware specs here. So after about 2 weeks of use, here’s a list of likes and dislikes.

LIKES:

  • 4GB ram
  • 64 bit OS and CPU
  • numeric keypad is part of the keyboard
  • 17″ screen is great
  • Vista Home Premium 64bit has been impressively stable (so far)
  • memory card reader
  • has remote control for media software and can be stored in the extreme card slot
  • built-in webcam
  • after rebates the laptop costs only $490
  • physical on/off switch for WiFi
  • no incompatibilities so far being Vista and 64bit (programs that are 64bit are stored in the Program Files folder while the rest are stored in Program Files x86)
  • S-Video out support
  • light scribe DVDRW drive

DISLIKES:

  • media buttons on top of the keyboard are too senstive
  • video card is not all that good when it comes to games
  • right, Shift button is awkwardly positioned and size is smaller than usual – I sometimes press “/” key to the left of it
  • heavy 7.7lbs (but it is a 17″ laptop)
  • media software isn’t too responsive, too cluttered – OS X has a more intuitive interface
  • lots of pre-installed software (can be removed, but why are they there in the first place – doesn’t exists in any Apple computer)
  • took almost an hour to access the desktop during first boot – must be a Vista thing
  • no HDMI support, but no biggie
  • sometimes I hear buzzing sound when the laptop seems like it’s heating up – I’ve had this happen on several other laptops so it seems normal

Overall the laptop is great for the price. My views towards Vista have changed a little bit. It seems the 64 bit version runs a little more stable than the 32 bit version. I do miss my MacBook Pro and OS X but I don’t miss the overheating. I still have Apple desktops at home and at work so it’s not that bad.

A week spent with my iPhone 3G

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been over a week that I’ve had my iPhone 3G. I’ll share the bad experiences first.

  • Reception at the house hasn’t improved and 3G coverage in my area isn’t consistent. I find myself having to disable 3G more than half the time to get a decent signal. This was a big concern before I bought the phone because the extra $10 per phone, per month for the 3G access is a joke considering the coverage area.
  • On two occassions the phone has become unresponsive, once browsing the App Store and the other surfing with Safari. But unlike any Windows OS, it didn’t crash or require a restart. I just waited a few minutes and it became responsive again. You can even hold down the power button to restart it if you can’t wait that long.
  • There were a couple of downloaded Apps that crashed. Every time I used them it would try to load up and close. Reinstalling them should fix it.
  • It’s great that you can search for nearby locations with the Google map. But I wish there was a way to forward the information to another phone or email. While my friend and I were out, he wanted to know if there were any Korean BBQ restaurants nearby. No problem, I was able to get all the info I needed – directions and contact info. Well he doesn’t have an iPhone but want the info. There’s no way for me to send the info to him. He had to write it on a napkin. I hope Apple or someone adds this feature soon. Same with my contacts. I miss having the ability to forward vCards to other people via SMS.
  • I noticed this morning that my battery didn’t get fully charged even though I left it plugged in overnight. It only charged up to about 85%. I’m not sure if my battery is starting to act up in just a week’s worth of use. I hope it’s covered in the manufacturer’s warranty.
  • AT&T does not give you the option for phone insurance as they do with all their other phones. So if you lose it or it’s stolen, what are your options then?
  • Why can’t I edit my Google calendar via Safari?
  • You will get interference while playing music using an FM modulator

Now for the good stuff.

  • Internet experience is unmatched by any existing mobile device (other than a laptop). I love how I can just surf the internet and check emails while I wait for my food to be served at a restaurant. Having the internet in my pocket I can get directions and contact info to any business – it’s such a time saver. I can check for movie times and ratings and view trailers.
  • Emails on this phone is great. I have my Gmail, Yahoo, and Exchange accounts. It’s interesting how Yahoo allows you to have iMap support on the iPhone yet you have to pay $20 annually for Pop3 for your computer.
  • You can capture screen shots by pushing the power button and the main menu button simultaneously. This feature also exists in the original iPhone and iPod touch. The only requirement is for it to be version 2.0.
  • On top of what I mentioned above, it’s also an iPod! I can listen to music without plugging in my headphones. It will play through the speakers.

So far, those are what stood out the first week of using it. w I have a pretty big list of dislikes, I will be keeping this phone past the 30 day trial. I can manage having the inconsistent signal at home, I’m hardly there anyway. I’ll share more things as they come along.

First thoughts on the iPhone 3G

Posted on by
Reply

After a couple of hours with an activated iPhone 3G, I’ll share some of my experiences. First, we were lucky to get to the store at the time we did. We nearly missed out on a 16GB model. We got to the store at around 7:30am. There were about 40-50 people in front of us. We got our turn at around 9:40am. We bought 2-3 16GB models that were left. Everyone who were unlucky not to get one were given the option to sign a service contract and reserve their iPhones. They will be called in a few days once they are avaiable.

The account setup at the store took about 25 minutes. It took another couple of hours after getting the iPhone before it was fully activated. The iTunes servers were overwhelmed with how many people activating their new iPhones at the same time. Finally got it activated after a couple of tries on iTunes. Now the fun can begin.

App Store: This is the place where you can download apps for you iPhone. There are lots of great apps. Some I downloaded and installed include eBay, Facebook, AIM, and Google Search. The App Store is easy to use. You can either install the apps on your iPhone or iTunes from your computer and sync it.

GPS: I tried this during lunch time. As we were driving, the dot that represents our current location on Google maps followed along. You can search for places and either get directions or contact info.

Emails: You can sync the existing accounts from you Mail or Outlook program or manually create them on the iPhone. It was easy to create my Gmail, Yahoo!, and Exchange email accounts. Unfortunately, if you wish to sync your Exchange calendars and contacts, it will overwrite your personal calendars and contacts. I’m not sure if the work around would be to get a Mobile Me account.

3G: It seems AT&T has done a pretty job with coverage. So far today I was able to use 3G most of the time. It’s considerably faster than the EDGE network. The iPhone will switch to wifi if it can access one. The problem I had so far with this is with networks that have security via web page. At work, one of our wifi networks uses a WPA security. On top of that password, you have to open up the browser to log in. If you forget this step, the iPhone will keep using the wifi over the EDGE/3G. So at one point I was wondering why I wasn’t able to access the internet when my wifi signal was full – until I realized that I didn’t log in thru the browser.

Camera: The 2MP camera is better than I thought. As long as you take pictures in a well lit place, you’ll be fine. I still haven’t figured out how to email more than 1 picture.

AT&T Network: I thought T-Mobile was bad. In metropolitan areas I don’t have any problems. But at home, I’m lucky to get 2 bars, very disappointing. I tried to call customer service and was surprise to find them closed. I guess I got used to T-Mobile being 24/7 schedule. On top of the hours of operation, AT&T customer support is closed on Sundays. I hope they can fix my signal issue at home.

Overall, I underestimated the phone. Though I have a long wish list of features, the easy interface, third party support for apps, compatibility with my Macs, and internet experience – I can live without my wish list – for now. I would recommend this phone. Just beware of the monthly price plans and the network coverage. If I find more new stuff, I’ll be glad to share.

(added 10 hours later after I wrote this post)
Battery Life: With 3G and wifi on, my phone’s battery drained about 40% on stand by. I didn’t use it for calls or anything else. It just sat in my bag. I woke this morning to find that I have to recharge it soon already.