Review: 27-inch Apple iMac

That's right, the screen is a gigantic 27 inches. It dwarfs the other iMac variant, which is 21-and-a-half inches. It's a beauty.

All you need to do is take a look at the seamless edge to edge glass that seems to never end. Beyond the looks the moment it's turned on what strikes you the most are the vibrant images. The screen lives up to its size and packs in a great performance.

It backs up the great viewing experience with support for any format movies, except Blu-ray discs. We will have to wait for that.

You may almost miss the built-in camera. Together with a good microphone, it sets you up well for a chat with your friends.

The Magic Mouse is smooth and seamless. Single piece and it's feather touch. It recognises when you tap a finger to click and when you roll your finger to scroll. No track ball or the scrolling ball.

The intelligent mouse finds its match in the keyboard. It's clean, no strings attached. Absolutely wireless, compact and a pleasure to type on those pebble buttons.

Tech specs

Processor and memory
- 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (21.5-inch or 27-inch model)
- 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM

Storage
- 500GB, 1TB, or optional
- 2TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard drive

Graphics and video support
- ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR3 memory and 16-lane
- PCI Express support (27-inch models)

Display
- 2560x1440 resolution
- 1000:1 contrast ratio
- 16:9 aspect ratio
- LED backlighting

Other features
- Slot-loading SuperDrive
- Built-in stereo speakers
- SD Card slot
- Connectivity ports
- Built-in iSight camera
- Built-in microphone

Price: Rs 1,06,990

Is this Apple bite worth a lakh? Maybe not, if you compare it with other all-in-ones. Yet, in its category it is a beautiful buy.

Review: Chrome OS gives a peek into the computing future

What if nearly everything you usually keep on your computer photos, documents, music and software was stored online? Your machine would be speedier and perhaps less vital because you could simply use another machine to recoup your digital life should you lose your laptop.

This premise somewhat scary, yet liberating is behind Google Inc.'s upcoming Chrome OS, which will make notebook computers more like netbooks than most actual netbooks.

The software powering Chrome OS, which is based on the search giant's eponymously named browser, serves mainly as a tool for connecting your computer to the Web. That's where nearly everything you use is housed and linked to your Google username and password. It's a concept known as cloud computing.

A peek at the upcoming operating system and its vision of cloud computing shows a promising idea that could make computing faster and more convenient. But it still needs a lot of work.

Google expects the first computers powered by Chrome OS to be released this summer, and initially they'll be made by Acer Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

For now, though, Google is operating a pilot for some individuals and companies to test an unbranded laptop that runs Chrome OS. The company lent The Associated Press one of these machines, which aren't going to be sold to the public.

The laptop itself, called the Cr-48, doesn't really deserve to be critiqued, because it is a stripped-down machine that is chiefly a frame for Google's OS oeuvre. The shell is entirely matte black plastic, without a hint of branding. It has a webcam, a screen that is about 12 inches diagonally and a full-sized keyboard with a search key in place of the caps lock key.

The machine also has 16 gigabytes of flash memory for storing files, if you feel absolutely compelled to download something. Downloads are obviously discouraged, though; my music collection alone would nearly fill this allotment.

Moving on to the main event, Chrome OS brings a few clear benefits: Starting up the notebook takes just seconds roughly 13 of them, according to my stopwatch and waking the closed notebook from "sleep" mode is as quick as opening it up (almost too quick, as the notebook couldn't regain its wireless service quite as fast). By contrast, my Windows machine at work takes more than two minutes to boot up.

After you sign in with your Google account, the same username and password you would use to access Gmail, you can pull up a home page showing all the apps you've installed from the Chrome Web Store. Assuming you're connected to the Web, you can just start using apps and surfing the Web right away.

There were plenty of free and paid Web apps and browser extensions available when I tested the notebook. Some are only for the Chrome OS; others also work with Google's Chrome Web browser for other computers.

I installed a range of the free ones, some of which seemed to be just links to existing Web pages. The apps I snagged included Web-based office suite Google Docs, the chatting service Google Talk, Aviary's Advanced Image Editor and balloon-popping puzzle game Poppit.

As with smart phones and tablets such as Apple Inc.'s iPad, publications are also making Chrome apps. USA Today, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are among them.

On my work computer, it can take ages to open up applications that are stored on my hard drive. With the Cr-48, I could immediately start editing a Google Docs spreadsheet or tweak the colors in a photo using Aviary because the programs are all running online. I only needed a strong Internet connection.

Surfing the Web was a pretty normal experience, with most websites loading speedily, though the Cr-48 was not that good at displaying Flash videos.

But I felt constrained because I had to use the lone browser that comes with the system and the Web-based apps I obtained. Apps loaded slowly when my Internet connection wasn't stellar. This wouldn't be a problem with programs stored on a regular computer's hard drive.

If a Chrome OS-based laptop becomes my primary computer, a data plan would be a must.

I feel anxious just thinking about the possibility that I couldn't access my documents at any time, and I don't even keep anything that important on my own laptop.

I mostly used the notebook with Wi-Fi at home and at the office, though I also tried out its 3G network service, which is provide by Verizon Wireless.

So what happens if you don't have any Internet access? The Cr-48 is pretty useless.

I could still write in an already-open Google Docs document, add notes in Scratchpad and look at photos I'd downloaded. But I couldn't use apps that are not yet opened because they're all connected to the Web.

If you lose your connection while using an app, you may be able to view some information that has been temporarily stored in memory, as I could when browsing The New York Times' app. But you'll need to get online as soon as possible to really use the machine. Faced with this situation, I'd probably just search frantically for an Internet connection or simply put away my laptop.

In its current state, the Chrome OS is far from ready to take over as my main computer, even if I were using it on a more powerful machine than the Cr-48.

Sure, I spend most of my time on the Web already, but I'm not quite ready to rely on having Internet access to do almost anything with my computer.

I can imagine getting comfortable with that in the not-so-distant future, though, and I'm curious to see if Google can make it happen. 

Clues for the Next Portable PlayStation

Sony s gaming chief, Kazuo Hirai, expected by some analysts to be Sony s next president, gave hints on Wednesday to questions that have fascinated the blogosphere for months: Is there a new Sony hand-held gaming device in the works to succeed its PlayStation Portable? If so, what will it look like? Will there be a PlayStation Phone? And what will Sony do to make a splash in a portable gaming market that has been usurped by casual games played on the iPhone and Android devices?

Although Mr. Hirai was coy about the specifics, he said Sony had been thinking of a successor game since the day the PlayStation was released.

A new game, he suggested, may have both touch-screen controls and the more conventional buttons and analog sticks that control the current version.

And although he acknowledged the popularity of casual games on smartphones, he said Sony would continue to appeal to a different genre of fans, those who appreciate the generally deeper, more sophisticated game play of conventional console titles.
The games being played on Android and Apple platforms are fundamentally different from the world of immersive games that Sony Computer Entertainment, and PlayStation, aims for, Mr. Hirai said. The kinds of gamers who enjoy more intense games, he said, would remain Sony s fan base.

When Sony released its PlayStation Portable six years ago, it was the first serious challenge to Nintendo s dominance in hand-held gaming machines. But Nintendo held its own with its DS device, rushed to market a month before the PlayStation. The DS has since outsold the Sony device two to one, or 135 million units compared with 62 million units through September.

Now, the two companies are gearing up for Round 2. Nintendo said this year that it would release its 3DS hand-held console early next year; it lets players see images in 3D without wearing special glasses.

But both Nintendo and Sony are up against a perhaps even bigger rival: low-cost, casual games downloaded onto iPhones, iPod Touches and Android devices, which have grown explosively. One popular game, Angry Birds, has been downloaded 50 million times, its publisher Rovio said this month. In comparison, Sony s latest big title on the PSP, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, has sold three million copies since its release earlier this month.

So how will Sony wow gamers on the go?

New controls, for one thing, Mr. Hirai suggested, in a nod by Sony to the success of touch-pad-controlled games played on Nintendo s DS handheld and the iPhone.

Depending on the game, there are ones where you can play perfectly well with a touch panel, Mr. Hirai said. But you can definitely play immersive games better with physical buttons and pads. I think there could be games where you re able to use both in combination. 

Mr. Hirai said the fast rise of casual games could in fact be good for Sony s gaming business.

We re seeing people who never had an interest in games join the gaming population, he said. That means that the gaming industry pie is getting bigger. 

Mr. Hirai was cautious about the idea of a PlayStation-cum-phone, however, saying he did not want to confuse game fans over which device to buy.

The Wall Street Journal and others have reported that Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Sony and Ericsson, are developing a smartphone capable of playing simple, downloaded video game titles, including ones from Sony s first PlayStation. Speculation over the release of a PlayStation Phone heated up in October when the technology site, Engadget, released video clips of a prototype phone.

We don t want gamers to be asking, what s the difference between that and a PSP, Mr. Hirai said. We have to come up with a message that users will understand. It would have to be a product that keeps the PlayStation s strengths intact. 

Mr. Hirai also spoke about Sony s new music streaming service, Music Unlimited, a digital music service based on cloud technology that lets users access millions of songs saved on the Web instead of downloading tracks onto their computers like the Apple iTunes service. The service is available only through Internet-connected Sony products.

A subscription gives a user access to a catalog of about six million songs, which can be streamed on Sony s Internet-connected devices, like the PlayStation 3, personal computers and Bravia TVs, Mr. Hirai said. Sony introduced Music Unlimited in Britain and Ireland on Wednesday and will bring the service to a few other European countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States next year.

Music Unlimited, part of Sony s Qriosity platform, which will eventually stream music, games, e-books and video-on-demand, is part of an effort by the company to better marry its consumer electronics business with content. But crucially, Music Unlimited is not yet available on Sony s portable devices such as its Walkman digital music player or cellphones. Mr. Hirai said Sony planned to integrate its mobile devices eventually.

Dell unveils Android tablet, smartphone

US computer giant Dell has announced plans to launch a new touchscreen tablet computer and a smartphone powered by Google's Android software.

Dell unveiled the new phone, the Venue, and the tablet, the Streak 7, at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, which draws tens of thousands of buyers and sellers from around the globe to Las Vegas.

Dell launched a smartphone late last year with Microsoft, using the US software giant's Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system, but it opted for Google's free Android platform for the latest device.

Dell said the new Streak 7 tablet has a seven-inch (17.8-centimeter) screen, slightly larger than the display on the first Streak the company released last year.

Dell said the Streak 7 is designed for the faster Internet speeds of US wireless carrier T-Mobile's 4G network.

"With its dual-core processor, seven-inch multi-touch screen and dual cameras, the new Dell Streak 7 tablet takes full advantage of the unrivaled power of T-Mobile's 4G network," said John Thode, vice president of Dell's Mobility Product Group.

The Streak 7, which Dell said will be available in the coming weeks, is one of dozens of touchscreen tablet computers being launched at CES as electronics manufacturers seek to match Apple's success with its iPad.

Nokia C5-03

This is a global GSM phone, it can be used with AT&T's 3G and T-Mobile USA's 2G network.

Introduction:

Nokia has had a tough time coming up with a hugely successful high-end device and instead has taken the path to cheaper and more affordable smartphones for the masses. The Nokia C5-03 finds its place at this exact spot as it fits in the mid-range segment of Symbian smartphones. The phone is a close copy of the Nokia C6-01 spec-wise and promises a full connectivity package with 3G on board and free navigation and maps by Ovi. On the negative side, however, the Nokia C5-03 saves on both capacitive screen in favor of resistive and on Symbian^3 in favor of the now officially ancient Symbian^1 aka Symbian S60 5th edition.

The Nokia C5-03 comes with a 2GB microSD card, but you can use cards with up to 16GB of memory. Included in the retail package is also a charger, user guides and one of the shortest microUSB cables we have seen so far.


Design:

The Nokia C5-03 is light on your pocket. And we mean it light as light in money, and light as 93-gram light in weight, which puts it somewhere in the top of our list of flyweight smartphones. The phone comes in a variety of color combinations with black or white choices for the body, which can be then paired with different colors for the bottom part. The variety of looks comes bundled witheco-friendly materials – 80 per cent of the body is recyclable, while half of the packaging is made from recyclable materials.

The Nokia C5-03 comes in a variety of color combinations

You can compare the Nokia C5-03 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

One thing you might not notice in the beginning is that around the edges, where the screen meets the casing, seems to be a minimal distance, just enough to collect all sorts of garbage. Apart from this issue, the phone feels a bit like a toy, but still with no moving parts and good build quality for a mid-range device.

And speaking of affordable handsets, the screen is where budget played big and Nokia went with resistive technology. This undeniably ruins some of the fun of the otherwise pretty 3.2-inch screen, which boasts a resolution of 360x640 pixels. We pumped up the brightness to its highest level, but that still did not help much in direct sunlight where legibility suffered seriously. 

The sides of the Nokia C5-03

On the back you will see a glossy plastic cover, which is a fingerprint magnet and you will find yourself wiping it out every now and then. What really defines the phone is the bottom part which stands out with its color and three physical buttons. We appreciate that Nokia sticks with physical keys, which give a solid phone feel to the device, something we have been missing even on high-end handsets.

Just behind the plastic back cover lies a 1000 mAh battery, which promises up to 11.5 hours of talk time. 

Back

Interface and Functionality:

With Symbian 9.4 S60 5th Edition on board, let's talk about memories, not the OS. There really isn't much new that can be said about the aging platform. The very familiar Symbian^1 is still rich in features and not very touch-friendly. On the positive side, it does have kinetic scrolling and great phone functionality. However the lack of portrait QWERTY and the 3.2-inch screen may make texting hard for some. For a deeper review of the familiar interface take a look at our Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Review.

The Symbian 9.4 S60 5th Edition on board

Camera and Multimedia:

One thing you might not like about this phone is the fixed-focus camera, which also lacks flash. What we expect from the camera of a budget phone, however, is to complement the overall experience and produce some decent images that you can share on Facebook or the like.

The 5-megapixel snapper shoots at a maximum resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels and has a number of pre-defined shooting modes, including a manual one, where you get to choose ISO light sensitivity, exposure, sharpness, contrast and white balance. Unfortunately, we had to test the camera in cloudy weather, but dull colors still seemed to be an issue. We could also notice the poor dynamic range and the somewhat oversharpened images. And if you like shooting objects in macro mode (20 inches or closer), you should steer away from anything that has fixed-focus in its name. 

Outdoor samples shot with the Nokia C5-03

Strong	Medium	Low light
Indoor samples

Overall, we would rate the photos at just about average, nothing more than you would expect on a budget device, but good enough for the times when you don't have your camera.

The Nokia C5-03 follows the footsteps of its XpressMusic ancestors and delivers loud and rich, clear sound even at maximum volume. The music player comes with cover art for albums and has various equalizer settings. Radio is also featured, but it will require you to plug in your headphones, which work as an antenna.

The music player of the Nokia C5-03

Even though 3.2 inches is a bit on the small side in today's smartphone world, we could not help but watchsome videos to kill time on the Nokia C5-03. The vivid colors on the screen are a pleasure to behold, but the handset lacks DivX and XviD support out of the box. MPEG-4 is supported, but resolutions higher than the native 360 by 640 pixels are not tolerated and we would recommend you to stick to the native screen resolution or lower for video. 

Internet and Connectivity:

As we said, the Nokia C5-03 is packed with features for the price – quad-band GSM, tri-band 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity as well as free navigation and maps by Ovi are all on board. And while 3G should mean some fast speeds for a smartphone, do not expect to be blown away with extra-quick browsing. We lay the blame mostly on the dated browser as the 600MHz ARM 11 processor works good with other applications. 

The Nokia C5-03 doesn’t have multitouch support and browsing is handled by one-finger navigation and double taps to zoom in or out. The surfing experience is below average. Pages render just as on a desktop PC, which would be great if it wasn't for the lag combined with the very uncomfortable zoom controls that make surfing a much more time consuming experience than it should be. Flash videos are limited to YouTube. But at the end of the day, you can always switch to Opera Mobile for hassle-free browsing.

What makes the Nokia C5-03 stand out among other budget solutions is great and free navigation. The on-board A-GPS module finds the Nokia C5-03’s position quickly and accurately. Driving and walking directions as well as voice navigation on Ovi Maps 3.0 are equally good. Screen size is the biggest setback here, but if you find 3.2 inches enough, then you should be more than happy with what you get.

Web browser
Navigation on the Nokia C5-03

Software:

Save for the aging OS, software is one of Nokia's strong sides with the company's free navigation and mapping service. The phone comes with Quickoffice to let you view your documents on the go (including the latest 2007 Microsoft Office formats), but for editing you would have to go for a paid upgrade. Disappointingly, PDFs are not supported out of the box. Social networking is loosely present with poor apps far from the functionality you get on Android or iOS.

Facebook client
The Nokia C5-03 comes with Quickoffice

Performance:

Voice calling is clear and loud. Volume on theNokia C5-03  was very good and audibility was on par. We heard natural and clear voices on our end and on the other things were just as good, our callers heard us clearly and we sounded natural.

Battery life on the Nokia C5-03 is very good with quoted talk time of 11.5 hours and standby time of 25 days. In reality, we found we could get two days out of the battery with moderate use.


Conclusion:

We appreciate Nokia's attempt to deliver an affordable smartphone but the dated Symbian^1 stands in the way of enjoying the almost full connectivity package and the 600MHz of processing power. Because of that, we feel that low-end Android handsets, such as the HTC Wildfire and the LG Optimus One, also have connectivity covered well and could be your alternative.

There are plenty of setbacks that could break the deal for the C5-03: some of the apps like the gallery and the browser are just terribly slow, Symbian is stuffed with menus, which make you feel like you are in a maze, and finally the fixed focus camera does not impress.

Currently, the Nokia C5-03 is sold at a retail price of about $280, but the phone is still expected in many markets and with the wider launch we can expect its price to get somewhat lower. Nokia enters deeper into the budget and mid-range smartphone markets and with the C5-03 it has some good potential. The price is more affordable than on current low-end Androids for example and compensates for some of the issues. If you are in store for a balanced phone with good functionality and can live with a dated OS, you might find the Nokia C5-03 just right.

PROS

• Affordable price
• Connectivity well covered with 3G and Wi-Fi
• Free navigation
• Good battery life

CONS

• Symbian^1 is dated
• Camera lacks auto-focus
• Poor video recording
• Noticeable lag in some essential apps like the browser and the gallery