Selling Brand New Laptop, asap.

So, a quick post from me today. More of a pleading, begging post, but let’s not get technical.

As you all know, I’ve been having a lot of trouble with Dell. They finally came through and sent me a brand new [upgraded!] laptop. But I’d already decided that I want a desktop now. So I have a new laptop sitting here, and no money. Solution: Sell laptop to pay for desktop. I’ve posted an ad on Gumtree and some posters up at Uni, but I’ve only had one expression of interest, someone who tried to trade me their iPhone for the laptop. Um, no thanks?

So I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask you [whoever that is], if you’re interested, or know someone who needs a new laptop, if you could tell them about mine? Here’s the ad:

I am selling a brand new, in the box, Studio 1747 laptop for $1,800.00.

This laptop is unwanted by me, but is completely up to date with technology.

The specs are:

- Intel Core i7-720QM [turbo up to 2.8GHz]

- 1TB Harddrive [2 x 500GB]

- 17.3″ Widescreen High Definition

- Internal 8x DVD +/-RW Combination Drive

- ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 1GB

- 4GB Dual-channel 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM

- Integrated JBL 2.1 with Subwoofer and SRS Audio

- Dell Wireless 1520 Mini-card

- 2MP Webcam

- Express Card Digital TV Tuner without Remote

- 6 Cell Primary Battery

Also includes Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition and Microsoft Works, plus 15 months of McAfee Security Center.

This laptop colour is Ruby Red, with Black U-Trim.

There is a full year’s warranty on the laptop that will be transferred to your name once purchased, including one year phone service plus next day on site repairs.

This laptop would make a wonderful desktop replacement, and a great gaming machine.

Price is negotiable, just contact me to make an offer!

Postage will be $45, or free local pickup.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

So if anyone of you could help me out, I’d be forever in your debt.

thegirlwithabow.

[Via http://thegirlwithabow.wordpress.com]

Dell Vostro V13 N1213002 33.8 cm (13.3 Zoll) Notebook (Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 1.4GHz, 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Intel Graphics X4500 MHD, DVD, Win 7 HP)

Dell N1213002 Notebooks Shop

Anwendungsbereich für mich:

Gemütliches Surfen vorm Fernseher, Excel und Word ab und zu, Foto, Film und Musikdatenbank,

und ich bin viel unterwegs (Mobilitätsanforderung sehr hoch).

POSITIV:

- Geniales Design, top Verarbeitung, sehr leicht !!!

- Ergonomisch (Aufklappen mit einer Hand möglich, weiter Öffnungswinkel des Monitors..)

- Fantastische Tastatur !!!

- KEIN Spiegeldisplay !

- KEINERLEI Flächen mit Klavierlack, auf denen man ständig Fettflecke sieht !!!!

NEUTRAL:

- Anwendung durch die Leistung auf z.B. Surfen und leichtes Office etwas begrenzt; dafür aber weit ausreichend

vor allem im Hinblick auf Gewicht und Größe !

- Ein bisschen mehr Akkulaufzeit wäre besser, aber es ist im gut ausreichenden Rahmen.

- Akku fest eingebaut: na und ? Ich persönlich habe in den letzten 15 Jahren noch keinen Akkudefekt erlebt…

NEGATIV:

- Kein Witz, das nervt aber wirklich: die “scharfen” Kanten vorne am Rand sowie an den

vorderen Ecken; diese merkt man häufig unschön beim Schreiben am Handballen.

- Display hell, könnte aber kontrastreicher sein.

Ist mir aber nur aufgefallen, im direkten Vergleich.

=> KAUFTIPP !!!

• Zielgruppe: Flaches, leichtes Design für den Einsatz unterwegs
• Besonderheiten: 1.3MP Kamera, 1 Lautsprecher, Bluetooth, 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, 5-in-1-Kartenlesegerät, 802.11g Wi-Fi-Standard
• Software (vorinstalliert): Win 7 Home Premium
• Herstellergarantie: 1 Jahr Abhol-Reparaturservice
• Lieferumfang: Notebook, Akku Netzteil

Gewöhnlich versandfertig in 1 bis 2 Monaten.

Bei Amazon erhältlich Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 18, 2010 07:30:07

My Links : Fujitsu Notebook Free Shopping Store Online Notebook Billiger Store

[Via http://notebookshopde.wordpress.com]

Back on the blog

Wow, is it really March 2010?? Time has been flying by, I’ve been busy working with the team on a set of REST based UI interfaces for the next generation of PowerEdge embedded management processors, and hope to be able to share more of that work soon. We are also working towards a more open source “appliance” like software stack for our development teams to use to base a number of emerging technology and opportunity areas on. This should yield some interesting developments in the next 24-months.

Of course we get to welcome the KACE team to Dell. Kace bring client side and OS management appliances into our growing customer solutions portfolio. Given their products are specifically focussed on client side management they are a great fit, I’ve not had any involvement with the team yet, but am looking forward to our first meeting to review our appliance development plans.

Riding in Bastrop State Park

I had the opportunity to cycle with Michael Dell prior to the 2010 Dell World Wide Executive meeting, and this was I think the only point I was smiling. Michael rode at a fair pace around the hilly 24-miles we did in Bastrop State Park, and it was the prelude to an exciting meeting where Michael and the team took us through the Dell Transformation, which will again give us the opportunity to focus around some key and core values.

The reason I jumped back on the blog though was that early this morning I got to go look at the latest additions to the PowerEdge 11g server line. The official web site is here and the press release with specific details, here. I was specifically impressed with the PowerEdge R310, which is a 1-socket, 1U server aimed at helping small and medium businesses grow and thrive. It includes Dell’s embedded Lifecycle Controller along with state-of-the-art serviceability and diagnostics with optional interactive LCD. Other features include:

• RAID configurations to help increase data reliability and/or increase I/O;
• Choices in operating systems for diverse computing workloads, including Microsoft Windows, Red Hat, Novell SUSE, VMware XenServer and Solaris
• Energy-optimized technologies, including lower wattage power supplies.

If vou found your way here for the first time via a search engine and want to know more about our embedded management and Systems Management strategy, here is a great starting point in PDF format.

Next up is building out on our Efficient Enterprise strategy, with more details on workload composition and automation.

[Via http://cathcam.wordpress.com]

New SharePoint development laptop and a bad Dell service experience

I’ve been using my MacBook Pro since 2008 and although it’s a pretty powerful machine I’ve been longing for something a bit more powerful, especially for running a SharePoint development environment in a Virtual Machine. I was using VMWare Fusion 3.0 which I found was very nice to use but due to Apple not letting me upgrade my laptop to 8GB of RAM and having to wait around for minutes each time I deployed a SharePoint solution, I started to search around for something that would be much faster.

I had a couple of criterion; it had to have a solid state drive, the biggest I could afford and it had to have at least 8GB RAM. I also wanted something that looked nice not just a grey plastic slab that looked as interesting as day out at Charlton (I’m looking at you Thinkpads).

After a few hours of searching I kept coming back to the Dell XPS Studio 16. It allowed me a high spec machine and it also looked the part with a very good RGBLED screen and nice backlit keyboard. The only problem was the price which came to around £2300 for the highest spec I could get:

Processor: Intel i7 820QM 8MB Cache 1.73Ghz with turbo up to 3.06Ghz

RAM: 8GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM

Storage: 256GB SSD

Graphics 1GB ATI Radeon 4670 HD

Screen: 16″ Truelife 1080p RGBLED

Anyway I bit the bullet and ordered. Much to my surprise I got a delivery date of 6 weeks! Obviously I couldn’t wait 6 weeks for my shiny new laptop so I complained but I was told that it’s shouldn’t take that long so I thought I would wait it out as I couldn’t find any other laptop that matched the Dell.

The next day I was looking at the Dell website again when I noticed that the processor that I had upgraded for the price of another £250-£300 was now included free in the price of the laptop. I felt cheated by this as I was already ordering a £2300 laptop at least they could do was give me the new price. I phoned Dell sales team and was told that I wouldn’t get the price of the processor refunded; this coupled with the 6 week delivery date prompted me to cancel the order with the lady on the phone.

I was annoyed with Dell so I decided to have another look around safe in the knowledge that my order was cancelled and the money was still in my bank. But a few days later after visiting the Dell order tracking site I noticed the order was still in progress so I sent an email to make sure the order was cancelled from which I had no reply. The next day I receive an email telling me my order had been shipped and the money taken from my account!

I phoned Dell who told me they were very sorry they don’t know why the laptop was sent out. In the end I decided to keep the laptop as I still couldn’t find anything else that matched it and I was excited now the laptop was on its way but annoyed at the same time that Dell took my money after I cancelled the order. So beware when dealing with Dell sales because I wouldn’t trust anything they say.

So the laptop arrives and I was very impressed, it was a big heavy lump of a machine compared to the MacBook Pro but still portable enough to carry around to work and back. The screen is very nice indeed and the speed is more than I expected it to be. Solid State Drives are definitely the way forward. I installed VMWare Workstation 7 and got to work setting up my development environment, 16 hours later I was ready to get working on it. The speed is phenomenal and in a different league to the MacBook Pro, I can even run Windows Server 2008 R2 in a virtual machine with full Aero enabled and it doesn’t even blink.

As a SharePoint development laptop I would definitely recommend it. There is only one issue in which you need to install a BIOS update and get Dell to send you a 130watt power supply to replace the rather feeble 90watt one that’s shipped. This is to remedy a CPU throttling issue with the machine (basically the power supply isn’t powerful enough to run the CPU and Graphics card at high intensity) the BIOS update fixes the throttling from the motherboard.

I ran the Windows Experience Index before I fixed the throttling issue so it may get a better result but it scored 6.7 initially.

I’m overall very impressed with this laptop and it outperforms anything I have every used. If you want a powerful machine and don’t mind spending a few bob then definitely take a look at this machine.

 

[Via http://leedale.wordpress.com]

Fortune: Apple Paling Dikagumi di Dunia

Inovasi, kesetian konsumen, dan margin besar membuat Apple kalahkan Google

Asih Kirana Wardani, Fortune PCWorld. CNET

NEW YORK. Apple Inc. memang lihai memesona pasar dengan produk-produknya. Gadget berpenampilan cantik dan berfitur canggih telah mengikat hati jutaan pelanggan setia. Lihat saja, para pecinta produk Apple rela mengantri panjang, bahkan sebelum toko dibuka, setiap kali Apple meluncurkan produk baru.

Dengan reputasi seperti itu, tak salah bila majalah Fortune menobatkan Apple sebagai perusahaan paling dikagumi di dunia saat ini. Itu berarti, Apple telah memboyong gelar ini selama tiga tahun berturut-turut. Apple hanya perlu bertahan dua tahun lagi di posisi ini untuk mengalahkan rekaor GE.

“Apa yang membuat Apple begitu dikagumi?, Produk, produk, produk” ungkap Fortune dalam situs resminya. “Ini adalah perusahaan yang mengubah cara kita melakukan segala sesuatu, mulai dari membeli music hingga mendesain produk-produk yang melibatkan dunia sekitar kita.”

Perusahaan yang digawangi Steve Jobs ini mengalahkan raksasa teknologi lainnya, yakni Google Inc. Google berada di urutan kedua dalam daftar 50 perusahaan yang paling dikagumi di dunia 2010, yang dirilis Fortune, Kamis (4/3).

Juara di kategori computer

Yang istimewa tahun ini Apple untuk pertama kalinya juga menempati posisi teratas dalam kategori computer. Sebelumnya, Apple hanya berada di tempat kedua.

“Rekam jejak inovasi dan kesetian konsumen Apple yang dahsyat berbuah rasa hormat yang besar di berbagai kalangan bisnis papan atas,” kata Fortune.

Pengelolaan brand ini benar-benar yang terbaik

CEO BMW Norbert Reithofer pun menyatakan kekagumannya pada Apple. “Seluruh dunia menahan napas sebelum iPad diumumkan. Pengelolaan brand ini benar-benar yang terbaik,” katanya.

Dalam menentukan daftar tersebut, Fortune bekerja sama dengan perusahaan konsultan manajemen Hay Group melakukan survei terhadap para pebisnis dan pemimpin perusahaan.

Menurut Fortune, salah satu penentu kemenangan Apple adalah keberhasilannya meraup margin tertingginya.

Berdasarkan survey tersebut, 10 teratas perusahaan paling dikagumi di dunia adalah Apple, Google, Bekshire Hathaway, Johnson & Johnson, Amazon.com, Procter & Gamble, Toyota Motor, Goldman Sachs Group, Wal-Mart Stores, dan Coca cola.

Dikatagori computer, HP, EMC, Xerox, Dell, Canon, Seagate, dan Western Digital secara berurutan berada di belakang Apple.

Sementara di kategori piranti lunak computer, Adobe, memimpin disusul oleh Oracle, Intuit, Symantec, dan Microsoft.

Bersumber dari Kontan Sabtu, 6 Maret 2010

[Via http://mobilecellphonereviews.wordpress.com]

Dell Openmanage Installation

 

A few weeks ago I had to install OpenManage on some of my newer dell server machines and since some of the settings have changed since I last used it I thought I would write up a list of the steps required for our teams wiki site and write up a blog posting of the the steps for anyone who hasn’t done it before.So belatedly here are the steps and cool new tricks some of my friends on twitter showed me.

Firstly the standard steps:

1. Download the tar file from the ftp site or the support site 
2. Copy the file using winscp(this is what i use at least) to /tmp/openmanage on the server
3. Log into the box either via winscp /via putty or onto the console directly and type in:

   cd /tmp/openmanage
   
   tar -zxvf OM_X.X.0_ManNode_A01.tar.gz (OM_6.2.0_ManNode_A00.tar currently)

4. Once the files have unpacked type in:
   
   cd linux/supportscripts/
   
   ./srvadmin-install.sh -x  (-x is for express install and installs everything but if you only want to install specific features the commands you can also use are -d -w -r –s )

   -d = Dell Agent
   
   -w = web interface
   
   -r = DRAC services
   
   -s = storage management

    
5. Once the files have unpacked and installed type:
   
   srvadmin-services.sh start
6. When the various component services have finished starting type in: 
   
   cd /tmp
   
   rm -rf Openmanage
7. To allow the Openmanage agent to function the following firewall commands need to be run, these open the firewall ports required: 
   
   esxcfg-firewall -o 1311,tcp,in,OpenManageRequest

 

While asking a few friends on twitter if the latest Openmanage worked well in their environments Arne Fokkema @afokkema of ict-freak-nl fame pointed to the automated scripting way of doing it written up by Scott Hanson @dellservergeek . As you may know if you’ve read some of my previous blog posting I’m trying to learn how to script more and more of my daily tasks to firstly build my powershell and scripting knowledge and skills as well as making my daily job easier. The script is really simple and is one I’m planning to test in my lab environment very soon. At the bottom of the script though was a comment by one of my powershell idols in Alan Renouf @alanrenouf. He had changed a few of the snmpd commands and so I got a hold of him via twitter and classic him he mailed me the script he spoke of. Only after this did I notice he wrote up a blog post about it,which is exactly what he sent me.

Thanks to all who replied to my twitter messages and hopefully I can get Alan/Scott’s scripts into my automated server deployments in the very near future.

Gregg Robertson

[Via http://thesaffageek.wordpress.com]

DELL E2009WFP 20" WIDESCREEN FLAT PANEL

DELL E2009WFP 20″ WIDESCREEN FLAT PANEL Review

DELL E2009WFP 20″ WIDESCREEN FLAT PANEL Feature

• 20″ WIDESCREEN LCD TFT FLAT PANEL MONITOR
• 1680 x 1050 MAX RESOLUTION
• TILT STAND w/CABLE MANGEMENT SYSTEM
• VGA & DVI-D INPUT
• POWER, VGA & DVI CABLE INCLUDED

DELL E2009WFP 20″ WIDESCREEN FLAT PANEL Overview

With its adjustable-angle 20″ screen, high image contrast and fast response time, the E2009W monitor can: Help increase productivity. Deliver an excellent multimedia experience. Provide comfortable viewing.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 06, 2010 23:25:03

[Via http://netebook.wordpress.com]

Poor Customer Service Dell.

My new computer had a hard drive failure and Dell replaced the drive for me last month.  They also included a image of my computer with what was shipped to me.  I just had to replace the drives and start up the system.

I was dealing with a woman at Dell, Rosemary, because I did not see my copy of Roxio Creator that was shipped when I got the machine.  I never had a disc for it.  She suggested that I recheck to make sure there was not a disc and if I did not have one to give her a call.  Actually this was probably the end of January.

Today was my 2nd phone call to her extension with no resolution to my problem.  Dell needs to tell this woman what customer service is.  I have called twice, left my information and have asked for a return call.

I’m tired of being  the nice guy now.

In fact, I’m tempted to Ustream my call to Dell this evening to get this resolved.  If you are on Twitter watch for  a Ustream blurb if I do. Should be interesting for Dell to be on the receiving end of this call being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

[Via http://ckahr.wordpress.com]

UC Davis Bookstore Grad Faire 2010

Author:

Mike Adams

03/01/2010

UC Davis Bookstore Grad Faire 2010

The time is coming yet again…grad time. Many will be leaving the hallowed confines that are known as UC Davis and venturing out amongst the free world to stake their claim. Before they do though, they really should head to the UC Davis Bookstore Grad Faire 2010 to see what kinds of goodies they can get before they call it quits.

So why is someone from the TechHub writing about a Grad Faire? Well…because we will be there! We will be showcasing Incase Laptop sleeves (still $29.99 for the moment…they will unfortunately be rising in price in the near future), Dell exclusive machines available only to those at UC Davis, and Adobe boxed software. What’s the big deal about Adobe Boxed software (besides the fact you save about 60% off retail)? If you come by the table during the Grad Faire, we will give you a coupon for 5% any Adobe Boxed product we have in stock (limited to one per customer, and limited to stock on hand). While there, make sure you run by all these companies and groups below.

Companies and Groups Featured at the Grad Faire:

• Apple Inc.
• Check out the deals you can get on a great Apple computer while you are still eligible to do so.
• European Grad Trip
• Let this be your year for adventure! Celebrate your college successes with an unforgettable voyage through eleven wondrous countries. Climb the Eiffel Tower, bask under the Grecian sun, sample the delicacies and specialties of Germany, England, and Switzerland – Europe, in all its splendor awaits.
• Marsh
• Life comes at you quickly. And tackling it without health insurance is risky. Stop by the Marsh table to learn more about how The Blue Shield of CA Health Plans can protect you with the right combination of coverage and cost available through the Cal Aggie Alumni Association.
• Liberty Mutual
• Liberty Mutual has partnered with the UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association to offer a Group Savings Plus discount on Auto, Home and Renters Insurance. Stop by our table to learn more.
• Princeton Review
• Visit the Princeton Review table to receive discounts on graduate school prep courses, as well as special gifts.
• Herff-Jones Class Rings
• Next to your diploma, your college ring is the ultimate symbol of academic achievement. Let Herff-Jones create a ring that’s uniquely you, reflecting the traditions of your university as well as your own personal style.
• CB Graduation Announcements
• Personalized graduation announcements are the perfect way to announce your academic accomplishment to family and friends. VIP Studios Photography Capture the memories of this important milestone. Set your grad portrait appointment at the fair and receive a 10% discount.
• University Frames
• Preserve your achievements with the finest quality diploma frames available. Stop by our table and enter to win a free diploma frame!
• Senior Class Challenge
• The 2010 Senior Class Challenge is one of our last chances as students to leave our mark on UC Davis. By making a gift today you will help enrich the lives of current and future students. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT. Even a small gift will make a big difference.
• Financial Advice
• Learn the top 10 financial tips for recent grads from financial advisor and UC Davis alumnus Michael Hartmeyer.
• Career Counseling
• Looking for a job right out of college? Let UC Davis Alumna Andrea Weiss, a Nationally Certified Counselor and Master Career Counselor, advise you on resumes, interviewing, job search techniques and the skills needed to launch a successful career.
• Community Service Opportunities
• Meet with representatives from the Peace Corps and Americorps
• Cal Aggie Alumni Association
• Stay to connected to campus and receive valuable member benefits including access to group insurance plans, discounts for grad prep courses and extensive career resources. Purchase a grad pack you’re instantly a member!
• Cap and Gown Rental
• Rent your gown at the fair or rent it online! Find out about how to get a FREE RENTAL and discounted diploma frame with purchase of a souvenir Grad Pack!
• Enter to win GREAT PRIZES!
• Hourly drawings for diploma frames, class rings, announcement and photography packages, and more!
• Refreshments!
• PIZZA, CUPCAKES, ICE CREAM will be on hand courtesy of Cupcakes and more from Davis Creamery…Udderly Delicious! Beverages provided by Vitaminwater. (While supplies last.)
• Have questions for your Dean’s Office about the ceremony? Representatives will be on hand with the answers from the colleges of Letters & Science, Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, Engineering, and Biological Sciences.

[Via http://ucdavistechtalk.wordpress.com]