MSI X340 Slim: The best laptop you've never heard of

Netbooks have grabbed a big chunk of laptop sales over the past couple years because they are small and inexpensive. Unfortunately, they also have squished keyboards and screens that make them difficult to use.

On the other end of the spectrum are the sleek premium laptops such as the MacBook Air and the Dell Adamo. Like netbooks, these machines are extremely light and portable, but they are much thinner, have attractive designs and have full sized keyboards and big, bright 13″ screens. The problem is that they cost $1500-$2500 and that would break the budget of the average laptop buyer.

However, there’s an alternative that is as thin as the MacBook Air, has nearly all of the features of the Dell Adamo, and has a price tag that is closer to a netbook. It’s the MSI X340 Slim and here is TechRepublic look at it from an IT and business perspective.

Specifications

• Cost: $699
• Model number: MSI X340-021US Slim (Black)
• Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Business
• Processor: 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500
• RAM: 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 (1 SO-DIMM slot, 4GB maximum)
• Hard drive: 320GB SATA (5400rpm)
• Display: 13.4″ WXGA glossy LCD (1366×768 pixels) with LED backlight
• Graphics: Intel GMA 4500MHD (integrated)
• Video ports: VGA, HDMI
• Other ports: 3 USB, Mic, Headphones, RJ45
• Networking: Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000); 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi; Bluetooth V2.0EDR
• Webcam: 1.3 megapixels
• Card reader: SD/SDHC/MMC
• Dimensions: 13″(w)x8.8″(d)x0.78″(h)
• Weight: 3.0 lbs (1.4 kg)
• Battery: 4-cell Lithium-polymer (8-cell optional)
• MSI X340 Slim official product page
• Photo gallery: MSI X340 Slim

Who is it for?

This will appeal to users who want a slim, highly-portable Windows laptop for under $1000, and don’t like the small keyboards and irregular screens that you find on most netbooks.

What problems does it solve?

Ultra-slim laptops like the MacBook Air and the Dell Adamo are light, powerful, and attractive. However, you have to pay $1500-$2500 to get that combination of features. The MSI X340 delivers around 80% of the features and coolness for about $700.

Standout features

• Thin and light - The dimensions of the MSI X340 Slim are almost identical to the MacBook Air (12.8″(w)x8.9″(d)x0.76″(h) and 3.0 lbs), which awed the technology industry with its thinness and portability when it launched in January 2008. This notebook is a very light load in your briefcase or shoulder bag.
• Excellent LCD screen - The display on the MSI X340 is one of the most impressive features. It is clear, sharp, and bright, thanks to the LED backlighting. At 1366×768, it is much larger and much more standard than most of the netbook screens. It’s not as good as the amazing screen on the MacBook Air but it’s close.
• Comfortable keyboard - With large keys, well-marked function keys, and a decent tactile feel, the keyboard on the X340 is comfortable to use — far better than any netbook. It doesn’t have quite as nice of a feel as the Dell Adamo keyboard but I liked it better than the chiclet keyboard on the MacBook Air.
• Good battery life - Since the X340 has a low voltage Intel CPU and a power-saving LED backlight, it is a power-efficient system when running under a power-saving mode in Windows. I was able to get 3-4 hours of battery life, which is pretty impressive for a 4 cell battery. That said, since this is pitched as a power-sipping machine, I was actually hoping to get at least 5 hours for those long cross-country flights in the U.S.

What’s wrong?

• Durability - While the Dell Adamo and the MacBook Air both have solid metal bodies, the MSI X340 is made out of plastic. That definitely gives it a little cheaper look. The silver-painted plastic trim around the expansion ports looks especially cheap. Because it’s made out of plastic, I also don’t expect that this would be a very durable machine, so it if you or the user you’re deploying this machine for are hard on laptops or need a little bit more of a rugged system then the MSI X340 is probably not a good choice.
• Built-in mouse controls - I typically don’t like any of the trackpads you find on laptops, but as far as trackpads go. the one on the MSI X340 is not that great. It’s not very large, doesn’t have any special coating, and it only has one mouse button - you click on the left side for left click and the right side for right click. It’s not nearly as good as the large trackpad on the MacBook Air that also includes a great set of gestures to improve navigation. The one saving grace for the MSI X340 is that it also comes with a great little retractable USB mouse.
• Lack of disc player - Like the Adamo and the Air, there’s no disc drive built into the MSI X340. That can make it difficult to install software, play DVDs, or digitize any audio CDs. MSI offers an external DVD drive that you can purchase separately.

Competitive products

• MacBook Air
• Dell Adamo
• ASUS N10 ultraportable
• HP EliteBook 6930p
• Lenovo ThinkPad T400S

Bottom line for business

If you really like the lightweight portability of the MacBook Air and the Dell Adamo but don’t want to pay a huge premium for it, or you like the small form factor of netbooks but don’t like the minimal keyboards and screens, then the MSI X340 Slim might be the product you’re looking for.

However, the X340 is made out of plastic, unlike the metal bodies you find on the Air and the Adamo, and that means it’s not going to be very durable. I wouldn’t recommend it for business users that need an industrial strength laptop and I wouldn’t plan for an X340 to last much more than two years.

Google Reinvents the Phone with Google Voice

When it comes to "cool tools", Google is the master inventor. Say what you want about Google, but they know what they're doing when it comes to giving the public what they want and need. Take the telephone for instance. An old invention that now has been given a new twist with " Google Voice" (G.V.) . Hold onto your chair as I'm about to tell you how to have a lot more fun with Ma Bell.

Google is giving you the ability to manage all your phones with one centralized number. At the time of this writing, it's only available to those in the U.S., and by invitation only. Upon registration, you'll be given your phone number that you connect to any existing phone number. When someone calls the Google Voice number, it rings the phone number that you specified. The option of selecting a word for your personalized number is also given.

Now, if all Google Voice did was send phone calls to your cell phone, that would be great all by itself, but the amount of extra tools and features are truly amazíng.

When a call is received you can answer it, send it directly to voice mail, listen in on the incoming call to decide what to do with it, or start recording the call upon answering. How's that for a few options?

After receiving a call you'd like to record, hit 4 on your phone to start recording. Different states have different laws when it comes to recording calls, so check your current federal and state laws before using this feature. Currently outbound calls cannot be recorded. Google does provide an automated verbal announcement when the recording starts and stops so the person you're speaking with knows they are being recorded. So much for incriminating yourself (LOL).

Say goodbye to voicemail as you know it. When a voicemail is recorded, you can check it by going to the Google Voice website and logging in, or calling your Google number. You can even be notified by email, or text message of new messages needing your attention. The ability to listen in on voice mails as they are being left is a very handy feature.

Voicemail messages can be shared with others via Email, even downloaded as MP3 files and embedded on a website or blog. Messages are also transcribed as text and housed on Google's site for later reading, or sent to you by email. When it comes to voice mail greetings, custom messages can be set for groups or certain individuals.

Google Voice is free for use within the U.S., but does give the ability to make low cost international calls to over 200 countries from your phone or Google's site. You'll first need to purchase credits through Google Checkout before making these calls. Rates vary per country.

Here are some other handy features:

• Phone spam filters which block calls and mark them as spam

• Conference Calling

• Temporary forwarding of calls to another number

• Access Google Voice from mobile browsers at http://google.com/voice/m

• Call Widgets - Easily add a "call me" widget to your blog or site with copy and paste code located under setup.

• Do not disturb option which sends all incoming calls directly to voicemail when you don't want to be bothered.

So what about when you call someone and want it to appear you are calling from your Google Voice phone number? No problem. The ability to make calls that will display your G.V. number on caller ID can be done in three different ways.

1) Hit call from within Google Voice website
2) From G.V. mobile site on your cell
3) By calling your G.V. number and logging into the system.

Google will call you at the number you specify and connect your outbound call. It doesn't get much better than that.

The technical requirements to use this service are a computer with Win XP, Vista, Mac or Linux, Internet Explorer 6.0 or above, Firefox 3.0 or higher, Safari, Google Chrome and Flash 8.9. To request your invitation go to - https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/ .

So, if you thought using the phone was outdated, sign up with Google Voice and put some "FUN" back into an old relationship. This just might be the best thing old Ma Bell has seen in years.

Asus MS246H Monitor

If Asus is to be believed, its new line of ultra-slim monitors, called the Designo MS Series, was inspired by the binary state. Viewing the monitor from the sides leads credence to this, as it looks like a number "1" standing next to a smaller "0". Actually, it looks more like an "o" than a zero, but we get the point.

The monitor's profile measures a purported scant 16.5mm. Asus' Ergo-Fit Technology allows a user to adjust the tilt of the monitor supposedly with just one finger. Hmm, we're at least intrigued to see how this little feature actually works.

The screen is designed to sit at the user's eye level — unless, of course, the user has an extremely long or short torso — and by acting as a second screen, Asus says the monitors perfectly complement a laptop computer.

Once you get past its glossy black-front/white-back finish (the duality an extension of the binary concept perhaps?), there's some impressive tech specs inside. It hosts Full HD 1080p resolution, a 50,000:1 contrast ratio, and a 2ms response time.

In addition to this 23.6-inch widescreen model which will hit the market in September, a 23-inch model (AU$369) will be available in October and 21.5-inch model (price TBC) will be released in Australia in November.

How to back up Outlook Express items

Step 1: Copy message files to a backup folder

Step A: Locate the Store folder

1. Start Outlook Express.
2. Click Tools, and then click Options.
3. On the Maintenance tab, click Store Folder.
4. In the Store Location dialog box, copy the store location. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Put the mouse pointer at one end of the box under the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
   2. Press and hold the left mouse button, and then drag the mouse pointer across the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
   3. Press CTRL+C to copy the location.
5. Click Cancel, and then click Cancel again to close the dialog box.

Step B: Copy the contents of the Store folder

1. Click Start, click Run, press CTRL+V, and then click OK.
2. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
3. On the Edit menu, click Copy, and then close the window.

Step C: Create a backup folder

1. Right-click any empty area on your desktop, click New, and then click Folder.
2. Type Mail Backup for the folder name, and then press ENTER.

Step D: Paste the contents of the Store folder into the backup folder

1. Double-click the Mail Backup folder to open it.
2. Right-click inside the Mail Backup folder window, and then click Paste.

Step 2: Export the Address Book to a .csv file

Important Make sure that you follow this step if you use multiple identities in Outlook Express.

Microsoft Outlook Express 5.x and Microsoft Outlook Express 6.0 use a Windows Address Book (.wab) file to store Address Book data. The individual data for each identity is stored in a folder by user name within the .wab file that is used.

The only way to separate the Address Book data for different identities is to export the data to a .csv file while you are logged in as a specific identity. If the .wab file becomes dissociated from the user identities, the data can be exported only as one total. In this case, the data cannot be exported folder by folder.

There is another reason to export the .wab file to a .csv file. If the .wab file not exported to a .csv file, but the .wab file is shared with Microsoft Outlook, the addresses are stored in the personal folders (.pst) file in Outlook. When you export the file to a .csv file by using the File menu in Outlook Express, the correct contacts are exported. However, if the Address Book is shared with Outlook, you cannot use the File menu option to export from the Address Book. This option is unavailable.

To export the Address Book to a .csv file, follow these steps:

1. On the File menu, click Export, and then click Address Book.
2. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Export.
3. Click Browse.
4. Select the Mail Backup folder that you created.
5. In the File Name box, type address book backup, and then click Save.
6. Click Next.
7. Click to select the check boxes for the fields that you want to export, and then click Finish.
8. Click OK, and then click Close.

Step 3: Export the mail account to a file

1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the Mail tab, click the mail account that you want to export, and then click Export.
3. In the Save In box, select the Mail Backup folder, and then click Save.
4. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to export.
5. Click Close.

Step 4: Export the newsgroup account to a file

1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the News tab, click the news account that you want to export, and then click Export.
3. In the Save In box, select the Mail Backup folder, and then click Save.
4. Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to export.
5. Click Close.

How to restore Outlook Express items

Note To restore items when you use multiple identities in Outlook Express, you may have to re-create the identities before you follow these steps. Repeat each step as needed for each identity.

Step 1: Import messages from the backup folder

1. On the File menu, point to Import, and then click Messages.
2. In the Select an e-mail program to import from box, click Microsoft Outlook Express 5 or Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and then click Next.
3. Click Import mail from an OE5 store directory or Import mail from an OE6 store directory, and then click OK.
4. Click Browse, and then click the Mail Backup folder.
5. Click OK, and then click Next.
6. Click All folders, click Next, and then click Finish.

Step 2: Import the Address Book file

1. On the File menu, click Import, and then click Other Address Book.
2. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Import.
3. Click Browse.
4. Select the Mail Backup folder, click the address book backup.csv file, and then click Open.
5. Click Next, and then click Finish.
6. Click OK, and then click Close.

Step 3: Import the mail account file

1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the Mail tab, click Import.
3. In the Look In box, select the Mail Backup folder.
4. Click the mail account that you want to import, and then click Open.
5. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to import.
6. Click Close.

Step 4: Import the newsgroup account file

1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the News tab, click Import.
3. In the Look In box, select the Mail Backup folder.
4. Click the news account that you want to import, and then click Open.
5. Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to import.
6. Click Close.

ASUS K70IO-A1 17-Inch Laptop

ASUS K70IO-A1 17-Inch Laptop is notebook sports a 17.3 inch High Definition display that provides a high contrast ratio and color saturation in a 16:9 aspect ratio. The NVIDIA Geforce GT120M graphics engine provides true-to-life visual clarity and stunning visual effects. Altec Lansing speakers are paired with SRS Premium Sound technology and virtual surround sound, providing high definition audio enjoyment. The ASUS K70IO features Asus’ exclusive IceCool design, consisting of cleverly designed and positioned heat vents which help keep the palm rests cooler than the human body.

The U20A notebook comes with the ASUS 360 service program which includes a 2 year warranty (global), one month zero bright dot guaranty, free two-way standard overnight shipping on warranty repairs and twenty-four hour technical support seven days a week. In addition the U20A comes with a FREE One Year Accidental Damage Warranty protecting the notebook from drops, fire, spills and surges. The package contains the notebook, carry bag, optical mouse, and 2 year warranty card. Key Features :-Intel Core Two Duo T4200 Processor 2.0GHz, 4 GB RAM, NVidia GT 120M Graphics Engine with 1 GB Video RAM.

Features

* Intel Core Two Duo T4200 Processor 2.0GHz
* 4 GB DDR2 800 RAM, 2 slots, 4 GB Max
* 250 GB SATA Hard Drive (5400 RPM), DVD SuperMulti Drive
* Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit) Operating System
* NVidia GT 120M 1 GB DDR2 Video RAM, 17.3 Inch HD+ LCD

Write Your Content for Humans NOT SEO

When writing content for your website, it’s important to write with your user in mind. SEO can only take you so far. It won’t sell your services for you.

I don’t mean to cast it in terms of sales copy vs. optimization. That’s not really a proper characterization either. Ideally, you want highly SEOd content that is well written and sells your services. It should be charged with user benefits and convert traffic. In other words, you want the sales message and SEO to compliment each other, not detract from each other. They are like a team and should work together. Otherwise, you have holes in your armor.

BenQ nScreen i91 and i221 All-in-one PCs

BenQ presents two new nScreen (Network Screen) all-in-one PCs, the nScreen i91 and nScreen i221. The i91 has a 18.5-inch widescreen display while the i221 gets a 21.5-inch Full HD display.

The nScreen i91 is powered by an AMD Sempron210U processor, 1GB of RAM and 160GB ahard drive. The i221 should have similar configuration. Both all-in-one PCs have a 1.3 Megapixel webcam and multi-in-one card slot.

Zoho CRM Review 2

Zoho CRM Key Strengths

• Lowest TCO with a rich feature set at a competitive price
• Flexible deployment options (On-Demand as well as On-Premise CRM solution)
• Ease of usage with web-based user interface, and Total customizability
• Affordability

Zoho CRM Key Products

• Sales force Automation
• Marketing Automation
• Support Management
• Order Management
• Reporting & Analysis
• Workflow Management
• Outlook Edition
  
  

About Zoho CRM Software

Zoho CRM is a Customer Relationship Management solution for managing your customer relationships end-to-end (marketing activities to post-sales customer support) in a better way.

The business benefits of Zoho CRM solution are,
* Lowest total cost of ownership: rich feature set at competitive price.
* Flexible deployment options: We offer On-demand as well as On-premise CRM solution with same feature set. Choose the solution that best meets your IT needs.
* Easy to use: With the web-based user interface it is very easy to use. No additional software is required except Web browsers. Zoho CRM is fully functional in multiple Web browsers on various platforms.
* No data lockup: There is no danger of your data being held hostage. Hence, one can take ones' data off Zoho CRM if not satisfied with Zoho CRM using interactive data export utilities.

Zoho CRM is available in flexible deployment options, i.e., both On-demand and On-premise options. Select the best solution that meets your IT infrastructure requirements.

If you are planning to outsource your IT services subscribe to the Zoho CRM On-Demand CRM Edition. And if you already have dedicated IT infrastructure (Internet, Backup, Security, and other services etc.) deploy the On-Premise CRM Edition in your own LAN. On-Demand Edition and On-Premise editions contain the same feature set except On-Premise Edition is suitable for single/dedicated customer deployment, where as On-Demand CRM Edition is hosted at Zoho CRM - data center.

Zoho CRM Review

Interface

This can be the best CRM for first time users. The interface is quite simple and intuitive. Further, there's a Getting Started video to help out. The tabs at the top of the screen and the links offers access to different parts of the program.

Set up

The set up is hassle free. To begin with you need to import the contacts. It's easy to import contracts from different application like value (.csv), Excel (.xls) or vCard (.vcf) format.

Fields

There are few required fields and several non-required fields to keep track of as many details as possible. The unimportant fields can be disabled from the settings.

Tracking the leads

One of the core activities of a CRM software is tracking and managing the sales leads. the Zoho CRM offers a leads tab that makes it easy to review and update active leads. Even after creating a new lead you may return to that particular lead and update the pages information such as attachments, products and activity tracking. The user can also send mail directly from the application. Record of the sent email is automatically added to the lead page.

This CRM software can also handle multiple leads by aggregating the information in one place for easy management. When the lead turns to sale it is automatically removed from the leads list and an account detail is created.

Reports and Dashboard

Most of the reports and the dashboard can be customized and settings for the tabs can be easily changed.

Web features

Most of the CRM contains lots of irrelevant features that the web workers don't use. Zoho seems to be a good option with web workers. It's simple to learn and use, and is available for free for up to three users.

Facilities

Out of the box sfa, campaign management, lead generation, pipeline analysis, sales forecasting, sales quotas, help desk, customer support, etc

Customer support

Zoho CRm offers tools to manage customer trouble tickets. The wiki-based Help section includes several common questions concerning the customers.

Pros

The flexibility is always an added advantage for Zoho, especially the tab, field and customizations are pretty cool.

• It's integration with web forms is always a plus

• It offers effective workflows with instant alerts and messages

• The management of lead assignments is admirable

• The price is always affordable

Cons

• It encloses a large number of unimportant fields.

• There is no explanation of the security features.

Competitors

Salesforce.com without the large price tag can be a rival.

Conclusion

Overall Zoho CRM can be a solid package for the small sized companies. If you have something more exciting that lacking in my review, let me know.