Took advantage of the promotion from Maxis, and got the phone for RM1699. I was thinking so hard about this, knowing that I could not afford a smartphone like the iPhone.

I love it!

Why I Chose the Samsung Galaxy S over the iPhone 4

1. It’s an Android phone. The open source OS really appeals to me.
2. Both phones are evenly matched in terms of processing speed and features.
3. The Samsung Galaxy S is cheaper.
4. The iPhone 4 seems to have a lot of issues
5. The iPhone 4 will probably take half a year to arrive here, and cost 3K plus for phone and data plan

Features and Design

The exterior of the phone looks rather like an iPhone 3GS. You can check out Samsung Galaxy S or “vs iPhone 4″ reviews on YouTube to see the phone in action.

Like the iPhone, this Android phone has no physical buttons at the front except for the home button.

The 4 inch Super AMOLED screen is one of the best in the market today. Of course the screen resolution cannot compare to the iPhone Retina IPS display, but I can’t see any pixellation when I put the phone close to my eyes. So I don’t know if the retina display would have been an improvement (for me) or not.

The size of the phone is not too wide, it is slimmer than the iPhone 3GS and fits well in my jeans pocket.

Some online reviewers mentioned that the plastic back makes the phone look cheap, but you can’t really tell that it’s plastic until you touch it (and it doesn’t look cheap!)

The battery life is average. I was playing with the phone for four hours straight (not even watching movies) and it used up 50% of the battery. So I would say that the iPhone still wins in the battery life category.

The phone comes with 16GB of internal storage, but there is a Micro SD card slot that can handle 32GB cards so you have virtually limitless storage capacity.

You don’t have to take off the battery to swap the Micro SD card, which is quite convenient (but you still have to remove the back cover).

It has all the standard connectivity options like Bluetooth and Wifi, which you can turn off to conserve battery life. You can even connect wirelessly to Samsung TVs and play HD video from your phone!

The Software and Apps

Samsung’s Android UI is a bit different compared to HTC or Motorola, but I guess it’s pretty much standard (they’re all like the iPhone).

What I love about the Android OS is they allow you to change wallpapers, have live widgets (like clocks or a stock counter) on your home screen, change fonts.

You can even have live wallpapers! Live wallpapers are wallpapers that change whenever you tilt your phone or touch the screen.

I guess the trade off here is the increased battery usage.

Another thing I love is Swype! Swype is an input method where you slide your finger across keyboard characters instead of typing one by one (Poey Chin says it’s like the Zorro method). It’s surprisingly accurate (even if you miss a few characters) and amazingly fast.

As for the apps… well… let’s just say you need to search for the gems in the midst of the junk. I’m not sure if the Apple App Store has this problem, but there is a lot of low quality apps that don’t deserve to be listed. Even the ‘recommended apps’ don’t look appealing.

Oh, and we are not allowed to purchase apps in Malaysia, so we can only use the free apps (though I’m sure there’s some way to get around this).

But not to worry, there are 100,000 apps out there. In fact, just now when I was browsing the market, I downloaded more than 15 apps!

I have yet to try a lot of apps, so I can’t really comment on the quality of apps. But so far the coolest thing I’ve found is an app that allows you to scan in a barcode (via the camera) and connect to an online store to check reviews and compare prices.

I’m looking forward for the upgrade to Android 2.2, which promises faster performance, integration with Chrome and many other features.

The phone has GPS and Google Maps, but I have yet to test out this feature on the road.

The phone comes with an eBook reader that read ePub format books. I tried to get Kindle but I guess it’s not available in Malaysia either.

Data Usage

Since I’ve subscribed to Maxis 500MB data plan, I have to be very careful about my 3G data usage.

The first thing I did was to install an app (3G Watchdog) to monitor my 3G data and warn me if I exceed a certain quota.

The second thing I did was to setup my iMac to share it’s internet connection via Airport, so in essence I got a free WiFi hotspot at home.

But my advice to you is to turn off automatic and background updating tasks unless you are on WiFi. How I wish there was an app to automatically enable or disable those settings depending if there was WiFi available.

Camera and Video

The 5MP camera is comparable to some point and shoot compact digital cameras out there.

Special features include touch-to-zoom, smile detection, image stabilizer, exposure adjustment.

The camera does rather well in low light conditions. The following photo of baby Daryl taken at night, with yellow wall light and no flash (the phone doesn’t have LED flash).

The video camera can shoot in HD, and the audio capture is really loud and sharp.

There is a camera at the front of the phone, which allows me to make video calls.

Android Fanboy or Apple Fanboy?

I don’t really care if the Samsung Galaxy S is touted as the iPhone 4 killer, because I personally feel both phones have advantages and disadvantages.

I love Apple computers and would probably continue to buy iMacs and maybe an iPad. If given an iPhone, I would grab it immediately.

But I also love the Android ecosystem and all the cool things happening there.

So I would say that I’m neither an Android or an Apple fanboy. I just love things that work well. It doesn’t mean that I love or hate a company because I bought a product from a competitor.

Conclusion

I just love the phone so much, because it combines a phone, camera, eBook reader, personal organizer, portable gaming system and so much more.

I guess any modern smartphone would make me happy, but I don’t regret buying the Samsung Galaxy S.

If you remember, I bought a Proton Persona SE for the same reasons. Lots of value added features at a lower price.

I’m happy that I managed to buy something I really wanted (giving in to spending temptation again), but then again it was at a good price.

It is always a joy when I find Malaysian personal finance books. I mean, browse the personal finance section in the book store and all you can see are books written by overseas financial gurus.

Nothing wrong about reading books from overseas, but I always find it hard to apply some of the tips they write about in Malaysia.

I came across this new book, Tip-Tip Kewangan Untuk Rakyat Malaysia (Money Tips for Malaysians) because I subscribe to the author KC Lau’s blog.

Mr KC Lau is a veteran in the personal finance business since 2003, and is a leading personal finance blogger in Malaysia.

This book is the Bahasa Malaysia translation of his best selling book Top Money Tips for Malaysians.

Don’t worry, I don’t think you will have any problem reading the Bahasa Malaysia version because it is simple, clear and understandable.

What Is The Book About?

The delivers what it promises on the book title. It is a compilation of 24 personal finance management tips that are 100% applicable to us Malaysians.

The book is divided into four areas:

1. Tip Kewangan Bijak will educate you in the basic areas of personal finance. Discover how the wealthy may not think like you and me, and how they manage their cashflow.

2. Tip Menjana Wang gives you a guide to making more income and how to start investing.

3. Tip Menjimat Wang suggests tips to help you save money in major purchases such as car insurance, unit trusts and mortgages.

4. Tip Melindungi Wang contains tips on protecting our wealth.

Each “tip” is expanded and elaborated in a chapter of its own, so rest assured that each topic is covered in depth.

My Opinions On This Book

First of all, I love how the book is organised. There is a logical flow from changing our financial mindset, to generating more income, to saving more income, and then to protecting our wealth.

I’ve already mentioned how the tips are suited for Malaysian readers. Many (expensive) books we get from overseas authors give us tips we can’t use.

A lot of examples and references are provided to teach us the concepts. When KC Lau suggested we watch videos online instead of subscribing to Astro, he provided 1.5 pages of online video websites!

I think the book is a great value. Some of the money saving tips more than cover the price of the book.

I like how the tips are illustrated with funny comics.

My only wish is there could be even more tips included in the book. If you’re a fast reader like me, you’ll finish the book quickly because you won’t be able to put the book down. I guess I’ll have to wait for the next book to be published!

Why Would I Need This Book?

This book will be great for anyone who is starting to take interest in personal finance. The tips are simple to follow, you won’t need any degree in accounting to understand how to manage your own finance.

If you are like me, then you will love how the tips are applicable to Malaysians. There are tips that talk about EPF, income tax laws, unit trust charges, and insurance in our Malaysian setting.

Finally, this book will make a great gift for someone who is just starting to manage their personal finance.

Where Can I Find the Book?

You can buy the book for RM29.90 at all major bookstores, or you could buy Tip-Tip Kewangan Untuk Rakyat Malaysia online.

Finally, check out (and subscribe to) KC Lau’s website for more financial tips.

I visited the website and loved the rooms description, so we booked a room one week before and made our way there.

We arrived around 3pm on a Sunday, and found a parking spot in the covered car park.

Walking up to the lobby, we were greeted warmly and checked in promptly.

The studio room we stayed at costs RM250 a night. It had a comfy king sized bed which was clean, and had firm feather pillows. There is a ceiling fan above the bed.

The studio room came with a mini-pantry area, which was great because we needed to prepare milk for Rachel.

From the next photo, you can also see the 32 inch LCD TV and air conditioner.

Behind me was another 10 feet or so of space where the wardrobe is. The room was really huge!

Beside the bedroom (which can be partitioned off) there is a sofa / day bed.

Outside the room, you can see the PD marina. This is the view from the side windows.

This is the view from the front windows.

The hotel had a few facilities like a pool and a gym, but we didn’t make use of them.

You can walk over to the marina clubhouse and look at multi million dollar yachts.

Buffet breakfast is complimentary for room guests. The food is quite standard but still tasty. They served western and local food.

The menu is rotated so you don’t eat the same thing twice.

The hotel has a private beach, which is kind of deserted and relatively clean.

We visited a nearby ostrich farm, but I don’t recommend you visit it. There were sick-looking birds and nothing much to do (unless you paid more money for games or rides).

For our lunch and dinners, we went to eat at some of the restaurants nearby.

Two places we ate at, Kemang Seafood and Weng Yin Restaurant offered nice seafood without charging tourist prices. The prices are definitely cheaper than KL food prices.

We also had dinner at Sea View restaurant nearer to town. It was quite pricey (as in, KL restaurant pricing) but the view and atmosphere was amazing.

We really enjoyed our holiday at Avillion Admiral Cove. It was off-peak season, so the hotel service was great, and felt like we had the place exclusively to ourselves.

We’ll probably stay there again the next time we go to PD. We like the easy accessibility, close proximity of eating places, beautiful room, friendly staff and low density.

There’s nothing much to do in PD except eating and sea activities, but that’s okay if you like a quiet holiday.

The Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX lens is a fast, sharp and large aperture lens at an affordable cost. This is the perfect lens for beginner photographers. If you ever asked yourself what lens to buy for your Nikon DSLR, this is the answer for you.

Why I Bought This Nikon 35mm Prime Lens

I bought this lens for my Nikon D40 because I was feeling frustrated every time I took photos with my kit lens.

Photos were either blurred, out of focus, or used such high ISO settings that it ended up with a lot of grain and noise.

I’m sure it was mostly my fault, and I probably didn’t know how to use the right settings.

This is the perfect lens for beginner photographers. If you ever asked yourself what lens to buy for your Nikon DSLR, this is the answer for you.

I came across an online article about prime lenses. It certainly made sense. I was attracted to the idea of getting sharp images and fast shutter speed.

I researched some more, and found that Nikon had just released a prime lens early this year.

It was perfect.

Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G Features

The following are the main features of the prime lens (from the Nikon website):

1. DX-format, normal single-focal-length lens with 35mm focal length.
2. Large maximum aperture of f/1.8. A large aperture allows you to take photos with a shallow depth of field, which is great for portrait photography.
3. Silent Wave Motor for smooth, quiet auto focus. The auto focus is fast! The AF-S designation means that the lens is compatible with cameras without a built in auto focus motor, like my D40.
4. High-performance optical system with aspherical lens delivers superior reproduction capability. Does this enhance virility?
5. Compact, well-balanced design when attached to small SLRs.
6. Two focus modes available — M/A (manual-priority autofocus) and M (manual focus). I just love M/A because it allows you to adjust the auto-focus if you don’t like what the camera chooses.
7. Metal mount. I guess this means it is higher quality
8. Natural blur effect thanks to seven-blade rounded diaphragm. It is easy to get a good bokeh effect.

Price

The list price for this lens is RM899, but I got it for RM825. If you shop around, I’m sure you can even get it for less.

It comes with a lens pouch and a shallow (about an inch) lens hood.

Personal Experience

I’ve been telling everyone who would listen, that I have no regrets at all.

The photos that I’ve taken are really beautiful, and it renews my amateur interest in photography.

I just love how it is so easy to take photos with this lens.

The Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G lens allows me to take clear indoor photos without flash. The images can be captured with a faster shutter speed meaning less blurring. The camera can use lower ISO settings, which results in less noise.

Prime lenses do not zoom, so that means I have to walk around and reposition myself quite a bit when taking photos (but that’s ok).

I find myself free to concentrate on composing the photos, rather than worrying about the technical details.

Summary

The Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX lens is one of the best-value prime lenses for Nikon DX digital SLR cameras.

I love how easy it is to create wonderful portrait photographs.

This lens is a good buy for those of us with entry-level DSLR, because it does not cost too much compared to other lenses.

It may not be suitable for those of you with higher end, full frame cameras. I think you need to get 50mm prime lens instead.

Discussion

Would you get a prime lens? Why or why not?

Do you have an experience to share?

Do you have any photography tips for an amateur like me?

I would love to hear from you in the comments!

Technorati Tags: Nikon, Nikkor, Lens, 35mm, f/1.8, Review, Photography

The first thing that I notice is how web pages load so quickly. By web pages I mean the two or three sites I randomly surfed to.

Before I upgraded, it’s click, wait, then the page will load.

Now it’s click, wa… and the page is already loaded before I blink.

The next thing I note is the built in support for open video formats. I guess this means no more downloading various video players.

Taking a closer look at the release notes, I’m excited to read that the browser engine has allowed possibilities for new exciting plugins.

Just a short note for today. I’m off to work.

P/S: Don’t burp if you’re wearing a medical mask. The concentrated and confined smell of curry spice, garlic and rice will make you faint

I made reservations online which I think was a good deal because it came with F&B credit which we could use or use to offset the accommodation charges. It was an even better deal because we went during the off-peak season.

We got a standard room that faced the city and could hear all the sounds of the school next door. On one of the days they even had band practice.

I was so impressed that Poey Chin could name every instrument that was playing and could even tell me what they were supposed to play, and she could guess what the band was going to do based on the way the drummers played!

I never saw this side of her before ♥ ♥ ♥…

This is the standard (deluxe) room, which looks smaller than we are used to, but comfortable nevertheless. The room was clean and everything we needed was provided for.

Comfortable sheets on a king-sized bed. How we miss that king-sized bed now!

Advice for couples: get a king-sized bed else once you have 1 or 2 babies, daddy will have to sleep on the floor.

This is the other half of the room.

Rachel got used to the bed pretty quickly…

I always check out the bathroom and toilet when I go into the room. This will tell you how clean the hotel room is, and I also want to make sure everything is working.

Mini bar area. Hot water flask, milk powder, Twisties, milk bottle, pineapple tarts and watch not included.

Who would buy any of these…

Especially if there was a shopping mall next door?

Staying at the Equatorial Hotel was really convenient because it was within walking distance to two shopping malls (Mahkota Parade and Dataran Pahlawan), Melaka Raya commercial district, Jonker Walk and Melaka historical sites like A-Famosa and the Malacca Sultanate museum.

Whether we were on holiday or not, we still have to go chasing after Rachel when she plays with things she’s not supposed to.

I want to go swimming, I want to go swimming!

We went for a swim at the beautiful hotel pool. There were three or four sections to the pool. Some areas for swimming, some for just sitting and chatting, a wading pool and a little aquarium pool for you to do dolphin tricks (don’t ask).

One thing I noticed about the staff at the hotel, they are well trained to be friendly. Everyone (and I mean everyone) will smile and greet you when you pass them, even the cleaners who are busy cleaning!

To sum up my experience…

Cleanliness: clean and no smoker smell. Comfort: what you would expect for the price. Service: friendly, courteous and helpful. Price: not a budget hotel, but affordable if you get a good package. Food: buffet breakfast was well stocked, fresh and delicious. Facilities: the pool was ‘interesting’, the pool changing room looks nicer than our room’s bathroom. Location: excellent.

We finally did it.

After months (almost a year!) of agonizing, we went ahead and bought a Proton Persona Special Edition.

I know what you’re thinking. A Proton? Why spend your hard-earned money on a Proton?

Believe me, I’m one of the biggest Proton skeptics you will find.

But after looking at the features and specifications, I found it to be a great offer.

The price for the Proton Persona SE came up to RM 59,800.

What!? Why don’t you topup 20K and get a City or Vios instead?

The short answer is, I can’t afford to pay 80K for a car.

Anyway, the car was delivered some time in March. And what a wonderful surprise we got.

She’s Got The Looks

The car is fitted with a sporty body kit, making it look really sleek and sexy. There were two colours, hazy blue and fiery red (I think). We chose blue but it looks more greyish.

Actually I think the car looks like an elongated version of the Gen2.

The car is about the same size as a Honda City. I kid you not because I have washed it (once) and it took a looong time to wipe it dry.

She’s Got the Space

One of the things you will not notice from the exterior, is the boot space. It has 440 litres of boot space, which is similar to what the Honda City and Vios have.

Look at how it can fit my baby stroller length-wise and all our luggage. Still some space for me to climb inside if necessary! I suppose if I ever play golf, it would fit my golf bag without any problem.

The interior of the car cabin is so spacious that it actually echoes when I talk. Of course it’s not the exagerrated echo but you can get the sense of space.

The height is really comfortable and there is plenty of leg room even in the back. For a relatively tall person like me, it feels comfortable. No more airplane-like seats during outstation travels!

Don’t believe me? Go to a showroom and check it out for yourselves la.

In this photo you can see how spacious it is inside. (Sorry about the angle, I was taking it while stopped at a parking lot, and it was too hot for me to go outside).

You can see baby Rachel’s Britax Royale car seat at the back (which costs RM1200 but it is sooo comfortable!)

She’s Got The Whole Package

The Persona SE comes fitted with synthetic leather seats (as you can see from the previous photo).

It comes with free window tinting.

It comes with ABS and air bags for driver and front passenger.

It’s a 1.6 litre automatic transmission.

It comes with digital odometer (can calculates your fuel consumption for you!)

It comes with GPS (not very user friendly, and not very reliable).

You can open the boot by remote control.

It has radio controls on the steering wheel.

It has cup holders and plenty of storage compartments.

It has electric adjusting side mirrors.

It has a set of low lights on the front bumper.

The thing that really inked the deal for me was auto cruise control. Yes! No more tired feet after driving long distance!

She Glides Like an Angel

Driving the car is by far the most pleasant surprise. I’ve driven a Honda City and I can tell you that the Persona SE feels the same, if not better.

The acceleration is smooth and responsive. It achieves highway speed without straining. You won’t realize that you’re driving at 90 or 100. It hardly reaches 3500 RPMs (unless you floor it).

My only complain is the pickup when the car is loaded with passengers and luggage. On the highway I found that I can’t get from 100 to 120/130 fast enough during overtaking. End up I have some angry BMW / Mercedes tail gating me when I try to overtake.

Maybe I’m just too used to the pickup of a manual transmission car.

It’s also quiet (compared to my previous car). Poey Chin can actually hear my low mumbly voice! It sure is nice not talking like we’re riding in a bus.

She’s Got Some Quirks

The only problem we’ve had was an alarm system warning after driving in a heavy rain. Somehow water got into the electrical wiring. It was fixed after drying the wiring off with compressed air.

Other than that, I haven’t encountered any other problems. Proton really takes their QC seriously. They inspected every component of the car and put a ‘Pass’ sticker on it. I spent a few days finding and removing all the stickers!

The rear of the car is also quite high, making it difficult to judge the distance behind you when parking. Care also must be taken when changing lanes as I notice a bigger blind spot.

I’m Happy

I’m really happy with my purchase. It has all the features of a City or Vios at an affordable price. The driving experience is something you will never expect in a Proton. It actually gives me confidence in the car.

In terms of quality (which was Proton’s weakness) I can definitely see and feel the improvement. No more ‘Milo tin’ feel on the body. Even the doors close with a satisfying ‘whumph’ instead of ‘clank’.

I have nothing but praises for Proton for a job well done. It is a good buy because you get so much value for your money.

You won’t find the same space, the improved quality, and the same features for any car priced at RM 60000.

Introduction

I have been using my Apple iMac 20″ 2.66 GHz for a month now, and I am writing this review for the benefit of those of you who are thinking of getting an Apple iMac. Some of the opinions here may even help those of you who are thinking of getting other Apple products like the Mac Book or the Mac Mini.

So far I do not have any regrets buying this computer. Read my review below.

Technical

The Apple iMac is built on the Intel platform, which means that the insides are similar to a Windows PC.

If you want to compare the performance of the iMac with a PC, I think you are going to get similar results because the computer architecture is the same.

The Apple iMac 2.66 GHz processor is quick enough to run any software you can throw at it. I have not had the luxury of running processor intensive applications (like Quake 3), but so far it handles everything I want to do without any delay.

My iMac came with 2GB RAM, but there was a free upgrade to 4GB RAM promotion. This is really sweet because I’ve maxed out my RAM, which will help to increase the usability of my computer for a couple of years.

For storage, the hard disk is a 320GB Serial ATA which gives me more than enough storage, since I’ve been used to living with a 20GB hard disk on my old laptop.

There is a Super DVD drive which supports reading and writing DVDs. The DVD drive is located at the right side of the monitor, which is really cool.

The usual networking options such as Bluetooth, Wi Fi and Ethernet are built in. There are five USB ports, three behind the screen and two under the keyboard.

You can read the complete technical specs at the Apple iMac website.

Design

The design is the big selling point for the Apple iMac. You don’t have a mess of cables that you find with many desktop computers.

The first thing you notice about the iMac is the screen. It is a 20 inch display that displays vibrant colours. Photographs really look amazing on the screen, and I can understand why graphic designers choose to use macs to do their work.

The picture above does not reflect how the colours look… probably I need to improve my photography skills!

The monitor sits on a metal base that allows you to swivel the monitor up and down. Some have reported viewing angle problems, but so far I don’t face the same issue. The brightness is also consistent in all areas of the screen.

The slim keyboard is really amazing. I like how slim it is, and I love how the keys are wide and spaced just right. I find that it is easier to type faster because I’m not hitting the wrong keys all the time.

Another thing I love about the iMac is how quiet it is. You won’t hear any noisy fans whirring, it just sits there, quiet as a mouse.

I am really impressed with the design of the computer. You can tell that Apple has put a lot of thought into every little detail.

I have not used the computer very long to tell you about the quality, but I suspect that the iMac does not fail in that area as well.

It even comes with a built in web cam!

Software

When it comes to software, the first thing I want to mention is the OS X operating system. I’ve been using Windows all this while, and I find OS X to be a fast and extremely stable operating system.

There are so many cool features like the dashboard and the dock. I understand that Windows Vista now has these cool features as well.

The interface looks and feels amazing.

The iMac comes with iLife pre-installed, which is a suite of applications like iPhoto, Garage Band, and iMovie which you can use to manage all your media.

I love the application called Front Row, which turns your iMac into a media centre. It will generate photo slide shows, or play music and movies with a remote control.

It’s a really cool feature that you must see for yourself.

Price

I bought the iMac 20″ 2.66 GHz for RM5,299.

This is quite expensive compared to other notebooks and dekstops. My estimation is it will cost about RM800 more than a Windows PC with equal hardware specifications.

The Mac Experience

Now comes the question which every Windows user (including myself) will ask. Should I move from Windows to a Mac?

I used to worry if I could still do everything I used to do in my Windows PC. The answer is, yes!

Honestly, most of my computing is done online. So installing Firefox actually met 80% of my needs.

I installed Open Office to read my Word and Excel documents, and Adium for instant messaging with my MSN contacts. There are open source programs for anything you might want to do.

Worse come to worse, you can use a feature called Boot Camp to install Windows XP on your iMac, and launch your Windows applications from there.

I have to warn you that it does take some getting used to. Some of the interface design seems to be the opposite between OS X and Windows XP! By default, the mouse does not have a right-click function. You have to change the settings yourself.

The control key is actually the command key, and so on. You have to figure out how to copy files, install applications, connect to the Internet and manage your documents.

But these are minor things. You can find out a lot of information on Google.

I love how easy it is to install applications. In most cases, you just drag a downloaded program to the Applications folder and you’re done. Removing applications is as simple as dragging the application to trash.

There is no registry and shared files for you to worry about.

Another plus point is the relatively low threat of virus infections and spyware. If you’re web-savvy, you don’t need to install any anti-virus application at all.

The iMac can read hard disks and USB drives that were formatted in Windows, but I think it cannot write to a hard disk formatted with NTFS.

The Bad Stuff

There are some downsides I found with the Mac. Perhaps I’m not familiar enough with the Mac system.

1) There is a learning curve, but thankfully there’s a lot of help freely available.

2) It’s difficult to organize my files. I am used to opening many folders and moving files between folders using cut and paste.

3) The mouse has side buttons where you can squeeze the mouse to trigger an action. I find that I accidentally squeeze the mouse too often.

4) You can setup different profiles, but for Firefox I have to install extensions and updates separately for each profile. Same goes for application settings. I wish there was a way to set some settings to apply for all profiles.

Summary

If you can afford it, then it is worth paying a bit more to get such a high quality computer.

It’s like buying a car. Pay a bit more and you will get a car where you will find driving more enjoyable and comfortable.

Go get one today!

Resources

Apple iMac Website

When to Buy a Mac (see if upgrades are planned to be released)

Last night I was at GSC Mid Valley to watch The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

I had free tickets because my boss kindly organized a movie night for the whole department.

So there were 30 of us in the cinema, most of us never having watched a movie together before. I was kind of enjoying myself, having the chance to sort of socialize with my colleagues. I say sort of, because I’m at my usual quiet self.

I have to warn you that this post contains spoilers, so continue reading only if you don’t intend to watch the movie.

In a nutshell, I was very disappointed with the movie. Read my Puppy Paws rating of this movie at the end of the post.

The movie starts off with the back story. A ruthless ancient Chinese emperor played by Jet Li conquers all of China, but he still wants to defeat his greatest enemy, mortality.

He sends his general on a quest to look for a witch (played by Dato Michelle Yeoh) who is rumoured to have the path to immortality. The general brings back the witch who reports that she does not have what she wants, and the emperor is filled with lust for her.

The movie shifts to a scene of the trusted general and the witch at some library, where they find an ancient magical spell book that contains the secret to immortality.

I don’t understand what happens next, because a time warp happens right there in the cinema.

I see two semi-naked people breathing heavily for half a second and the next thing I know they are bringing back the spell book to the emperor.

The emperor gives the witch any reward she wants, and she asks to be with the emperor’s general.

Needless to say, things go wrong. There is tripple crossing, and the emperor and his army are cursed. They all turn into terracotta warriors.

Two thousand years later, we come to the BIG DISAPOINTMENT of the movie.

Rachel Weisz wasn’t in the movie, they cast someone else for her role.

I tell you, I could have walked out of the movie right there and then. But I didn’t coz that would be weird… I was sitting next to boss!

I was like, what’s the point of watching the Mummy without Rachel Weisz?

The scene where they reveal this makes me feel so cheated. There’s someone who sounds like her, who looks like her, but is not her! She even says “I feel like I’m someone else”.

Ya, ya … that’s correct correct correct! You’re not Rachel Weisz!

So the rest of the movie was like blah blah blah.

Jet Li’s Dragon Emperor character was a mix of Darth Vader (same electronic filter voice, black suit and seems to have Force powers) and a Transformer (can change into various nasty beasts).

The climatic scene of the movie was the big battle between the terracota warriors and the undead vanquished souls of the opressed. Massive army battles are so overdone now. why is there a need to copy the LOTR movies?

I think I had a bit of Force powers myself… I was able to predict what happened next!

I will conclude this review with my patented Puppy Paws Rating system, which goes like this:

1 Paw = Bring a Game Boy with you
2 Paws = Go only if you got a free ticket from your boss
3 Paws = Okay to watch once. Forgettable.
4 Paws = Good script, acting, effects and cinematography. Add to your DVD collection.
5 Paws = The perfect movie. Start a blog about it!

The Mummy 3 gets a Puppy Paws Rating of…. 2/5!

The Good:

• CG effects
• It was free
• Brandon Fraser topless

The Bad:

• Predictable
• Sound Effects gave me a headache
• Brandon Fraser can beat up Jet Li? C’mon!

The Ugly:

• No Rachel Weisz
• No Rachel Weisz
• No Rachel Weisz
• No Rachel Weisz
• No Rachel Weisz
• No Rachel Weisz
• No Rachel Weisz
• No Rachel Weisz
• No Rachel Weisz!
  
• (not to mention the actress who was cast to replace Rachel Weisz)

Here’s hoping that The Mummy 4: Sith Lord Exar Kun will be much better!