* Posts by Valan Chan

20 publicly visible posts • joined 8 Jul 2007

Steve Jobs finds part-time work

Valan Chan

Normally takes months... he did wait months

Saying that it normally takes months and then telling us he only had to wait months is wasting our tie reading it.

Fanbois will abandon iPhone for Palm, says Wikisugardaddy

Valan Chan

SO?

How many people still have a Edge iPhone?

Wasn't there an upgrade deal?

As I remember people were not sure 2 yrs ago if the iPhone would be a success.

Great marketing but little to do with reality.

Valan

Ballmer's big regret at 10: Losing the interwebs

Valan Chan

Buying innovation

The problem with Microsoft is that they cannot see the uses of innovation even when they buy it in. They have never created for a reason and the last 10 years was all about creativity to solve certain reasons. The success of games, the Wii or myspace, facebook, twitter, et al. These enabled people to use the technology to keep people in social contact.

Apple MacBook

Valan Chan

Games? Heat?

Nice mini review but what about a real-life test with games.

What about the heat? Are the edges as sharp as previous Mac Books?

How does the new Mac Books feel generally when using iPhoto, Safari or Quick View?

The basic tech numbers are ok but sometimes we can't relate their impact on everyday usage.

Confirmed: HTC's big-screen Touch HD smartphone

Valan Chan
Paris Hilton

480x800 grumble!

"don’t be fooled into thinking you’ll be able to watch full HD-quality video on it."

Damn, only DVD resolution ;)

Would anyone be capable to discern the resolution difference at 3.8" size? Especially when the quality of picture at HD sizes are poor at best.

I hope screen resolutions on such devices does not become a pizzing contest.

The quality is much more important than the resolution size.

Paris, cos she'd think this was a bummer too.

Jobs in 'Apple not perfect' shock

Valan Chan

Isn't this the norm?

Most software is released crap and fix over several months. it started with shareware utilities then games and now it is the big apps and OS.

Is Apple readying a MacBook redesign?

Valan Chan

iPodtouch screen on the touchpad?

no!

What for?

Hackintosh maker gets legal greeting from Apple

Valan Chan

Blame Apple don't blame us (HW vendor)

Dear valued customer,

Our sincerest condolences for your continued problems concerning the smooth running of your machine.

Your problem, namely (insert problem) is due to the nature of Mac OSX. While we adhere to and strive to keep up with new developments in the hardware field Apple refuses to do likewise with OSX. As you agreed when purchasing your Slackintosh 5004 computer we, Sloppy Inc, are only responsible for the hardware and Apple are responsible for the OS. As you know, they offer no support to users such as yourself who choose to buy non Apple hardware. In fact they don't even recognise you as a user of their product. Please feel free to write to them to change this.

If you do experience any fault in your hardware please feel free to consult us as to your cover status in our repair and replacement policy.

Best of luck

Sales

Sloppy Inc

Cometh the hour, cometh the iPhone SDK

Valan Chan

When more choice is less functions

In some cases less choice is freeing and more choice can be restrictive.

I am a Nokia user in Hong Kong and I can only use the phone and camera functions of my 3G phone. That is because I can choose which functions I wish to purchase. So I need to buy another 3 packages in order to use my phone as Nokia intended. I would buy them except I know only a few people are able to use the multimedia functions of their 3G phones, and so it really isn't worth it.

I will buy an iPhone, 3G or not, as I know Apple will ensure that it can be used by each purchaser as Apple intended.

Apple's iPhone numbers do not add up

Valan Chan

Their in the rest of the world!

In Hong Kong their are two kids(13ish) in my class alone who have iPhones. My cousin has another. I have seen about 20 shops selling them, within a few shopping centres.

My guess is that although iPhones may not be so readily available in other parts of the world, I do not think they are that hard to get hold of.

1.3M is not so big if you remember that the world is larger than North America and a few countries in Europe.

The OLPC XO laptop

Valan Chan

Thank goodness it is useless

I am sure that one of the main objectives was to create a useful educational tool that was useless outside the prime educational field. From the comments here I think they have succeeded. Those who buy it off of eBay will hopefully find a useless toy and those that would steal it find that it is not worth repeating the action.

Maybe as a tool its sole use is as an aid to create content and as an aid to communication in a very specific manner. Like a tape measure it is useless doing anything else.

As a teacher I would agree that these are just as important. The kids will always make up their own stuff.

Intel walks out of OLPC project

Valan Chan

This OLPC is given by ...

Rather than get bad press by fostering their own products why not give the kids a load of OLPCs.

Microsoft and Intel could be big winners in future.

I'm sure the kids do not care what CPU is inside the thing but they will remember those who gave it to them.

BBC.com begins commercial push

Valan Chan
Thumb Up

Overseas BBC License fee

Here in Hong Kong the TV is awful. If the BBC had something similiar to iTunes or a subscription service for the cost of the license fee, I would gladly pay it.

Apple reminds customers who's boss

Valan Chan

What's the fuss?

Although I can understand that Apples behaviour is unheard of in the mobile phone business, and seems ridiculous, I do think that it was needed in order to give us a decent smart phone.

Before the iPhone was released people were saying that it would not be supported since the carriers are so used to dictating the features and functions on phones made by Nokia, Palm, Blackberry, Sony Ericsson and Motorola.

Maybe that is why these smartphones are so underused.

People bitch about Apple when they should be bitching to their own carriers for not offering to carry the iPhone.

Total world Wii sales close in on Xbox 360 tally

Valan Chan

PS3 and 360 are all about software

To Mark,

" 'At the moment Sony and to a lesser extent Microsoft have games coming out soon that will be console sellers'

I think you mean this the other way around i.e. Microsoft have most of the system sellers on the horizon, most of the Sony system sellers are due next year.

As for the Wii. Hardware sales are great but what about the software sales? Do people buy the Wii and then just play Wii Sports? I suspect this is what a lot of people do, whereas the 360 and PS3 I'm sure have a higher attach rate."

I do mean Sony and to a lesser extent Microsoft because some of the system sellers have been released on the 360 whereas the PS3 is still waiting.

I agree that 360 and PS3 are more dependent on software sales since the respective companies loose money on hardware sales and therefore market share is much more crucial to them. The Wii is not really a hardware competitor for Sony or Microsoft but a software competitor. If each Wii owner just played Wii Sport I think S&M would be happy with the numbers. However software publishers are now more likely to spend time on Wii products than PS3 or 360 simply because of the market share.

Maybe S&M should look at Apples strategy and allow free downloads of GT and halo3. Like the Pepsi offer of free songs needing an iTunes/iPod they should give away some free software so that people need hardware to play it on. Increase the market share attract more software and then sell more games.

Cheers

Valan

Valan Chan

Price, control system or both?

If it is about market share then I think Sony should have given an initial price cut and then increase the price as the software delivers a sustained demand.

At the moment Sony and to a lesser extent Microsoft have games coming out soon that will be console sellers but how many people are waiting until the inevitable price cut, I know I am! If it was $300 for the first 6 months I would have one by now. Yes Sony would lose money but gain market share with people buying software and B-R disks now.

Once games like GTA, GTHD, MGS et al get released there will be a real reason to pay a high price.

There will be those that wait for better hardware, firmware and software before purchasing. If these are delivered later than the console release date then early adopters should get a discount and the added value should be worth the a price hike.

Thanks

Valan

Valan Chan

Market share is king?

If it is about market share then I think Sony should have given an initial price cut and then increase the price as the software delivers a sustained demand.

At the moment Sony and to a lesser extent Microsoft have games coming out soon that will be console sellers but how many people are waiting until the inevitable price cut, I know I am! If it was $300 for the first 6 months I would have one by now. Yes Sony would lose money but gain market share with people buying software and B-R disks now.

Once games like GTA, GTHD, MGS et al get released there will be a real reason to pay a high price.

There will be those that wait for better hardware, firmware and software before purchasing. If these are delivered later than the console release date then early adopters should get a discount and the added value should be worth the a price hike.

Thanks

Valan

PC buyers: 'Vista Capable' machines weren't Vista capable

Valan Chan

Silly M$

They should have printed one sticker with all Vista versions on it and the dealer ticks the suitable version.

Any mistake would be down to the dealer.

Valan

When 'God Machines' go back to their maker

Valan Chan

So what?

Of course, like most electronic gadgets the iPhone fill a need that doesn't exist. Why is that a surprise?

It was the media who generated all the hype of the iPhone, all be it with a little push from Apple. If you look at the media spend by Apple it is very little compared to the coverage the media chose to devote to it.It seems that now the media is fighting the monster it created and now some seem amazed that people actually listened and want to buy it.

A much more interesting article about the iPhone would have been how Apple managed to sucker the media into such a frenzy!

University boffins squeeze 500GB onto a DVD

Valan Chan

New medium

Rather than a 5" spinning disc that can get easily scratched or snapped I wish they would go for a smaller fatter medium.

There was talk about a great way of moving the laser beam using vibrating crystals. What happened to that?