Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category

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Thank God for AppleCare

April 8th, 2011 by Manda | 3 Comments | Filed in Technology

My trip to the Apple store in Beijing to get my MacBook repaired taught me several things. First, like everything in Beijing/China, the Apple store was HUGE. Second, those working at the Genius bar do not speak English, but they were very helpful and patient with my garbled Mandarin (how the hell do you say words like “trackpad” in Mandarin??). Third, the best thing anyone can do if they have an Apple product is to have AppleCare.

My issue with my MacBook was the trackpad. Or, well, the clicky part of the trackpad. Sometimes I could click on things, and other times I couldn’t. When I took my MacBook in to get it fixed, I was terrified of how long it would take to fix and how much it would cost. My Genius was just the nicest guy; he was incredibly patient and took the time to tell me what the name of each component of my computer whenever I asked. He explained that the housing kit, top case with keyboard, and the display bezel needed to be replaced. That, combined with the hardware repair cost, amounted to 1270RMB. Or should I say would have – because I have AppleCare, it really amounted to free!

I know it’s common sense to purchase insurance or warranty of some kind when it comes to laptops and computers, but in this case, having AppleCare really was a lifesaver. I’m studying abroad and am obviously on a budget, so it’s not like I have thousands of spare RMB I can pull out of thin air. Plus, the turnaround to get my MacBook fixed was only one day. Now that’s genius!

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It’s That Time of Year Again

April 5th, 2011 by Manda | 5 Comments | Filed in Life, School, Technology, Travel, Work

It’s that time of year again… The time where the end of the spring semester sends my stress levels skyrocketing and I am perpetually almost at breaking point.

This year, I’m freaking out over final exams, final papers, making a summer travel itinerary (and organizing everything that comes with a self-planned trip in southeast Asia), trying to coordinate a summer internship, preparing for my summer employment opportunity, figuring out if I have places to live… The list goes on. And to top it all off, my beloved MacBook gave out on me, so I am currently computerless.

Till my computer gets fixed (I have a Genius Bar appointment tomorrow and I’m hoping it’s not a big issue, so it should be fixed soon) I’m going to be scarce. I’m relying on my roommate’s spare netbook and my iTouch for my computer/Internet fix, but neither are ideal for blogging, unfortunately!

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Kindle 3G + WiFi Review

February 5th, 2011 by Manda | 7 Comments | Filed in Reviews, Technology

Tagline: Amazon’s revolutionary wireless reading device – now with 3G.

Summary: The latest Kindle offers the following new and/or improved feature compared to previous Kindle generations: high-contrast pearl e-ink screen; ability to read off Kindle in bright sunlight; new and improved fonts; sleeker design; more lightweight; longer battery life; double the storage; ability to download books in 60 seconds; free 3G wireless (within the United States); built-in WiFi; faster page turns; enhanced PDF reader; and experimental web browser.

5 Words/Phrases: Extremely convenient to have all my books in one device; absolutely no eye strain even if reading off Kindle for hours on end thanks to pearl e-ink technology; 3G and Wi-Fi enables me to download books anywhere in the world (extremely convenient when traveling, for obvious reasons!); keyboard and page turn buttons are easy to use; can highlight and annotate text fairly easily

Most Impressed By: Well, pretty much everything. The Kindle delivers on every single thing it claims. I travel a lot, particularly as a study abroad student, and it’s a relief to be able to have all my books in one light, compact device that has a month-long battery life (with wireless turned off). The fact that I can download English books in China through 3G or Wi-Fi is no small feat, either; bookstores that do carry English language books tend to be very expensive, especially compared to e-book prices. I am a fast reader and like to read books in one sitting (I finished each of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium books in one sitting, respectively) so the fact that my eyes feel no strain from staring at the screen for hours on end is a huge plus. The experimental features – web browser, mp3 player, and text-to-speech – are pretty good too, especially considering they are still experimental.

Aside from the ability to read books on the Kindle, I also really enjoy the PDF reader. I am reading my friend’s dissertation on my Kindle, which is much more convenient than printing off 80+ pages to read or reading them on a computer screen. Additionally, seeing as Kindle allows you to highlight and mark up text, I’ve been annotating the dissertation just like I would if it were on paper.

Least Impressed By: …nothing. Honestly, nothing. Perhaps the price could drop a little, but for all the Kindle offers and seeing the price of competing devices, I think the Kindle is reasonably priced.

Comments: Can’t say anything about other e-readers, like the Nook, as the most I’ve ever played around with one was with the display model in a bookstore. But you definitely can’t go wrong with the Kindle.

Overall Rating: 10/10

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