So far so good. Ordered a case. It is ironically the same size as a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus which is also what I ran a script on it to spoof it’s self as so I could download more tablet apps on the Play Store.

It is not super fast like the Tegra 3 devices, but I think it is easily across my threshold for a device:

• Solidly built and nice finish
• HDMI out 1.4 version supports 3D and 2160P out
• 8GB of internal storage partitioned into 1GB system and 7GB virtual SD card for storage
• MicroSD card for additional 16GB
• IPS display, good viewing angles all around, 1024×600 at 7”
• Android 4.0.3
• 1GHZ single core ARM processor not odd or strange and uses the standard ARM GPU also for high compatibility
• USB in and out. By this it can a both use and be used other devices. Connect a keyboard and mouse and a monitor via HDMI and you have an emergency desktop
• In portrait I can hold it in one hand edge to edge
• 300g Vs ipad 600g+ Vs Advent Vega 750g
• 1GB of ram

Cons:

• Not super powerful, the GPU uses some PSP/PS2 era tricks for transparency that gives a grain to the image
• Small, some people want a larger device
• Need to do a wee hack to get more apps to support it
• Support, random ebay seller and luck of the market getting one
• No back facing camera
• Speaker grill is too small or speaker is too big, whole back vibrates at higher volumes. Mono speaker

Also I used my phone as an access point no problems with it

For £150 it is a nice wee device or gadget.

p.s. photo to follow.

woot I can has tablet

Now I was an Spechum and Amigan back in the day. I never got into the C64 or Atari ST. However without Jack you wouldn’t have Commodore and without them you wouldn’t have Amiga, Workbench and Enlightenment.

I really like Mr C Hill‘s comment on the Register Article:

“Whenever I see documentaries on the beginnings of home computers they invariably focus on Apple/Steve Jobs and Microsoft/Bill Gates. They usually ignore the likes of Tramiel/Commodore or at best make them out to be people who produced “games” machines of little relevance.

Yet as someone who was around at the time, Steve Jobs was a fringe figure selling hardware at eye watering prices to a tiny market and Bill Gates sold dull business software for use on equally expensive computers. It was the likes of Tramiel who ignited the publics interest in computers. Tramiel, Sinclair, Sugar, Curry were all people who bought computer to the masses. They produced hardware that was accessible and affordable.

Tramiel was a real power. At one stage Commodore were building 400,000 C64′s a month, selling 17 million in total. He then went to Atari and had a major feud with his former company. He also launched the ST and turned around Atari who had never really recovered from the early 80′s video game crash.

Granted he wasn’t an engineer, but he recognised the need and made the business decisions to get Commodore into the market and pushed for the development of machines like the C64 because he saw the need.

Yes the man had faults and was a hard nosed businessman but now isn’t the time. Apple, Microsoft et al all owe Tramiel and people like him a huge debt of gratitude for putting the foundations in place for their empires.”

p.s. when I say heavier I mean: Aurora 300g, ELF 350g, Archos 80 450g, iPad 600g and Vega 750g.

You can see clearly that whilst CS6 owes some likeness to Elements 9, it is a brand new interface.  You can clearly see the there is a Bruce Willis and Jerry Doyle look alike thing, but next to each other you can tell the apart quite easily. However I always thought Jerry did have his own unique charm and is not just a poor mans Bruce Willis. In PSE 9’s case it is Project Bin. A feature I will scream from the hills for in Photoshop CS6.

For a proper good look at the good stuff from CS6 Beta, checkout Bjango’s run down.

I have heard similar things elsewhere so he is telling the truth.

So I am  back on the hunt for my digital future, I need a new phone and tablet. The tablet has to be small, fast and use a good display technology.

Update: Aurora II on its way, along with the rumoured Asus/Google Nexus Pad…

Firstly Zoostorm seem to use standard PC parts, Asus motherboard inc original manual and driver disk, bog standard cheapy PC case, normal included 300watt PSU kind of what you would build yourself on a tight budget. Even the pre-installed version of Windows is very low on crapware or rather things I would have installed anyway:

• Windows Live Essentials (saved me installing it)
• Office 2010 trial (just needed us to punch in the code from the boxed copy he bought)
• Windows Security Essentials (another saved install)
• Adobe Reader (would have installed Nitro or Foxit, but really it does the job)
• Zuuteam online support (aside from some OEM logos in My Computer/properties this is the only branding I could see)
• ONLY CRAPPWARE I FOUND: Bing Toolbar, easy to disable

My sim free phone came with more crapware. Zoostorm even go one better, they sell OSless PCs, perfect if you have a corporate image or you want to use a Linux Distro and want to save the Windows tax.

The PC was cheap (£400), but the kettle socket on the PSU had too long central pin, meaning that the cable must not be nudged or the PC switches off. Other flaw is that if you open the ports panel on the front and flick it shut, it presses the DVD drive eject button.

Really though this is the least painful new PC setup I have done in years and the standard case bodes well. The 300w PSU won’t have the juice for a graphics card, but aside from that I was happily suprised.