Unless the reviews are really bad I am going to be investing in a Dell E Series Slim mini notebook.

They come in both 8.9″ and 12″ form factors.

I am used to a 12″ laptop so just to mix it up I will go with the smaller 8.9″ (watch me flip/flop on that nearer the time).

I think Dell are right when they pitch the device as the “30 min web experience.”

I don’t expect this to me my primary machine but when I am out and about I just need all my data and a machine capable of establishing VPN connections for remote technical support.

I wonder if Dell will offer any mobile data options for this. If not a USB Dongle it is.

I am currently in a transitional period with my own technology I always like to investigate ways of improving productivity and I think I can squeeze some more by centralising everything on a powerful desktop PC and use a Dell E Slim as my mobile extension to it.

That’s why the mobile comm’s of the Dell E slim are interesting to me. I can just VPN back to base if I need to.

Note the video is not in English, but you get the idea of what multi-touch is and how it might apply to you as a laptop user.

Multi-touch allows you to do multi directional input with your fingers.

I cant see a reason that in a few years time this wont be a standard part of a laptop track pad.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch

From Alienware

I love the “Do Not Touch” sign

From NEC

This year I am going back to a dual monitor setup. I have decided to go Widescreen on the main monitor and 4:3 of the monitor off to the right. I utilise two computers in daily use and will more or less have one monitor per computer.

I will still have the option of dragging the content between them. For example if I am working on a Widescreen spreadsheet I would dock that onto the Widescreen monitor but my Outlook email might be better off on a 4:3 screen.

Productivity is very important to me and dual monitors do help.

I was a bit under whelmed by the announcement but now having seen it I am really impressed.

Now things are going to get interesting in the mobile space.

The iPhone is a walled garden you are locked into this, locked into that.

Windows Mobile is a more open platform allowing 3rd party developers to create applications but as I previously said they need to innovate and quickly.

Android is an open platform with some heavyweight support. Frustrated hardware manufactures are sick of Microsoft’s stranglehold of their hardware, in some respects holding them back.

Thanks to http://www.coolsmartphone.com for the link. Check out their site for peer reviews of Windows Mobile Phones.

If you have one of the 2007 VYE’s please drop a note in the comments.

I want to know from a real user how practical a 7″ Laptop can be and what kind of things this device is good for.

I am looking for a niche product to push and the VYE’s are on my shortlist.

Link: http://www.vyepc.com/

If I ever meet the people who designed this wonderful piece of kit I will gladly shake their hands. They seem to have thought of everything.

First of all with any good gadget it needs to solve a problem. My problem is I love my video iPod but I cant stand the screen anymore, it is far too small.

I subscribe to about 5 hours a week of Video Podcasts, I use these to keep up with what’s going on in technology and watch these when I find time.

So that’s a lot of content for such a small screen.

Everyone knows that Apple will eventually release a wide screen iPod but even that is going to have a really small screen (if the iPhone is anything to go by).

So Philips have dropped onto the market the DCP750. A 7″ Widescreen combo part Portable DVD player and part dock for your video iPod to output iPod’s video to the inbuilt display.

I decided to take the plunge as it has just come out in Europe. it retails for less than 135 pounds.

Now sometimes you take a gamble with consumer electronics but on paper this sounded like just what I needed. I read a few reviews and went for it.

First things first – This thing is Amazing

DVD Playback

This can be made multi-region with a quick visit to the preferences screen.

The picture quality is really good, the best I have seen on a low cost portable DVD player.

The sound is equally good and to my ears one of the players best features. Some small speaker systems can sound tinny, not this one the sound is rich and clear. It also has twin 3.5″ headphone jacks. As well as Video out via 3.5cm Jack to RCA (Red, White and Yellow).

The design of the form factor means you can turn this into a tablet style player or hinge the screen either from the front or back to achieve almost any combination of viewing angle.

The remote control has nice buttons and feels like a quality product, small but heavy enough to not feel cheap.

Now to connect an Video iPod you just drop it in, configure the iPod for video out and press play and your iPod video content plays on the large 7″ Widescreen display.

The quality of the video is dependant on the quality of the source clip in my case video podcasts. As you would image some are better than others, but generally the image quality and audio are fine.

So this gadget has solved my initial problem of small iPod video, with a bonus of being a really superb portable DVD player.

So this device can be used as follows.

1) Portable DVD Player / 2) Video iPod Playback  3) Audio Docking station for iPod Music via the superb speakers.

All of which it does really well.

In addition to the above it also has the ability to read SD/MMC memory and play back video or pictures. I haven’t tried this yet.

My only criticisms are

The battery is not user replaceable and seems to run for less than the quoted 2.5 hours, I clock mine currently at 2 hours, but it is new and hopefully this should improve. It will play longer when playing back iPod video content as the dvd drive is not spinning.

Link: to Product PDF

http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/d/dcp750_37/dcp750_37_pss_aen.pdf

Amazon.co.uk Link:

Philips DCP750 7″ Portable DVD iPod Video Docking Entertainment System

I eventually got to see the entire Apple iPhone keynote speech (it’s worth watching)

In fact this is a keynote worth watching for a few reasons

1) It is inspirational to any one who runs their own business to see someone innovate and succeed while doing it.

2) Steve Jobs is in a class of him own presenting wise. I watched Bill Gates at CES a week ago talking utter rubbish about the connected entertainment experience.

Back to Apple

Thoughts on the iPhone

You don’t really get the wow factor unless you see it being used. The pictures just don’t do it justice.

The user interface and interaction with the device looks years ahead of anything on the market and on any device. Yes I said it any device, it’s so fluid.

Once Apple put a device capable of computing in consumers hands I am sure a lot of consumers are going to seriously start thinking about getting an Apple Mac (computer). The rational being if they can do this with a smart phone Apple Mac’s must be pretty special (they are).

So for now we have to wait for 6 months to see how it all pans out.

I have a few negative issues.

You are locked into a two year phone contract. (a lot can happen in two years in technology). The chances are iPhone might have moved on to its 2nd generation (like the ipods have. iPod are in their 5th generation at this point).

The iPhone feels like a consumer product and not a business product.

On the positive side.

This is going to force Microsoft, Nokia, Sony Ericsson etc to develop products that can compete with the iPhone which is only good for all of us.

A Few iPhone Links

http://www.trustedreviews.com/Apple-Launches-iPhone

http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/TheRealAppleiPhone/#

Keynote Link: http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/j47d52oo/event/

Apple just announced at their keynote address the iPhone.

Lets see if some of that iPod magic can rub off. However the mobile phone market of today (2007) isnt going to be as easy to crack as the mp3 player market of circa 2001.

It does look nice. Looking forward to seeing what it can do.

Once thing a form factor like this has against it is that you have to hold it next to your head to make a call. The larger the device the more of an idiot you look.

My Orange SPV M2000 is very similar in size and that was a bit too large.

Link: http://www.apple.com/iphone

This is a good idea particularly in this age when you start collecting valuable personal data. For example your digital music collection, your family photo’s, your camcorder video. In terms of data it soon adds up.

For the tech savvy we use what is called N.A.S (Network Attached Storage). Basically N.A.S is a hard disk you can connect to a network.

Microsoft’s Home Server is similar but smarter. It has no keyboard, mouse or monitor. You just plug it into your home network.

This product was only announced on 8th January so there is no real hands on experience just the launch details.

It can store, backup and stream your digital content. Reading between the lines It will offer this digital content via the internet as well.

Link: http://www.microsoft.com/ces/

Its 17.2 lbs.

Link: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/laptops/