Author Archive for Salmanmunir

Shophive Laptop Buyer’s Guide

Published by Salmanmunir on October 9, 2007 in Guides and Laptops. 1 Comment

Thinking of buying a laptop? We know that this can be a tough decision to make. Selecting between the stylish Vaio, Business ready HP, durable Dells, Industry standard IBM and Apple - the Laptop from the heavens - we try to help you make the right decision.

There are numerous resources available on the web making our decision easier. We think the following 3 resources are most helpful.

CNET Laptop Buyers Guide

Geek.com Buyers Guide

Laptop Mag Buyers Guide

Few observations which we think must be shared with all consumers and laptop enthusiasts.

Speed:
It doesn’t make sense if you are on road with your new machine and its not able to crunch numbers as you desire. A good combination of processor speed & RAM will make it a perfect fit. Don’t go for the latest, just released processor, do your research on your requirements.

Memory:
With ever increasing memory demand by applications and Microsoft new Vista OS, memory greater than 1 gig should be your starting point. Make sure Laptop has the capability to intake RAM according to your need.

Graphics:
If you are a gaming freak or a 3D artist, then definitely a dedicated Graphic Card is must. Otherwise, shared memory on board graphics can serve pretty well for movie playback, decent games and photoshop trickery.

Screen Size:
Screen size directly corresponds to weight and features such as Drives, Ports etc. Select a size which best suites your need.

Size & Weight:
Size does matter. No doubt the desktop replacement do look stunning but they are a load to carry. Laptops should be Light, friendly and carry-able.

Inputs & Outputs:
It depends and standards change. Today S-Video is required, tomorrow you would be asking for DVI Output. Buy a laptop, which is compatible with your current devices or the ones you intend to buy. With the ease of Video Recording, making Home movies is on the rise requiring a Firewire input. The more USB 2.0 you’ll have the better they would serve you on the road. Otherwise USB extenders and port converters would be your first buy.

Data Backups and Media
We have Super drives, Multi layer capable drives and then CD drives. Select the one which you require.

Warranty, Warranty, Warranty!
Most consumers are unable to distinguish this important fact about Laptops. The market is filled with Grey / smuggled items, which carry an “International Warranty” with them. These devices are as good as there Channel brothers, but are without proper support and warranty. We advice our consumers to select products which are covered by Local Warranties and have local support.

…So what about those Mac’s
Please read our post on the topic Switch to Mac

Please visit our laptop section for our current product listing.

Iphone 101’s

Published by Salmanmunir on September 29, 2007 in Apple Inc. and Mobiles. 12 Comments

Apple Iphone

Apples revolutionary Iphone has reached the Land of Pure and its making quite some waves among consumers. Gadget freaks and naive users both are mesmerized by this tech beauty. We at Shophive are happy to fulfill are customers dream by getting our hands on the devices.

There are a lot speculation about what works and what not. To answer the ever growing queries, we’ll use this platform to update as we get our info on the subject. Before getting into small details, Apple Iphone is really a revolution in terms of device. The inclusion of mini Mac OS X developed specially for Iphone will allow Apple to roll out updates at any given rate they want. The hardware of the current Iphone is comparable to any top bread phone out there, its just Apple has not pushed in some buttons, yet! We strongly suggest to download and read Apple Iphone official Manual (9.5MB PDF).

Is the Iphone Unlocked?
Yes, these phones are unlocked and will work on all leading networks of the country.

Can I UPDATE my Iphone?
If your phone is unlocked, please don’t, i repeat DON’T update your phone. There are updates coming from the unlocking people and we’ll keep you posted.

Will GPRS work?
We have tested the units on Warid and Mobilink ourselves. Haven’t heard complaints about other networks either.

Will Iphone work on my office/home Wifi?
Works like a charm. Please make sure if your network is protected, have the right information e.g., WEP code, MAC address available with you.

Can I transfer files from Bluetooth with my PC or Phone?
No, Iphone’s bluetooth currently only supports Mono headsets and car hands-free kits. Maybe, in future Apple will release an update as the hardware is capable of handling both Stereo and file transfer function.

Can I transfer my contacts from my SIM to Iphone?
No! The best method is to sync your computer Mac or PC with your current phones contact. In PC it works well with Outlook 2003/2007.

Can I store files such as Excel, PDF etc. on Iphone?
No! Currently you can view Excel, PDF, Word files on your Iphone which come as attachment in email but can’t save them on Iphone. There are some hacks available for Mac only environment but are neither user friendly nor a true file store function.

Is there any difference between 4gb and 8gb?
Except for storage capacity, there is no difference.

What comes in the box?
The revolutionary Iphone itself. Data Transfer cable. Cradle. A quick user guide. Cleaning cloth. NO CD.

You need to download the latest Itunes from Apple for free to use, connect and do about anything with Iphone. Currently, the connectivity with the PC or MAC is wired.

Lastly!
Keep on visiting Apple Iphone site to get latest tips & tricks on Iphone.

Switch ?

Published by Salmanmunir on September 29, 2007 in Apple Inc.. 3 Comments

Apple Inc

Apple Laptops and Desktops once considered a creative industry pc of choice is gradually becoming a mainstream usage item. While selecting their next Laptop buy, the most common question from consumers we get to answer is about Switching to Apple environment. In this post we would list down key points to address the “Switch” concern. Apple has done a tremendous job in putting up Switch support sites.

Get a Mac - The popular Switch to Mac adds homepage.
Switch 101 - Almost all your concerns answered by Apple Inc.

Difference between a regular Laptop (Acer, HP etc.) and Apple Macbooks & Macbook Pro?
The Latest Macbooks and Pro’s have the same architecture as like their siblings from Sony & HP etc. In fact, Intel usually announces its latest chips with Apple and leaving others to follow.

Can I run Windows on Macbook?
Yes! There are multiple solutions available to run Windows on Macs. Initially, it might be a real requirement, but with usage it wouldn’t be of that much importance.

Boot Camp - Apple Inc solution. You will be able to run Windows by switching and selecting which OS to run on start-up. This is the best solution as it gives you a complete Windows machine under your control. Current Mac OS X Tiger requires a reboot. New Mac OS X version Leopard will have added features. See the Site for further details.

Then, we have Virtualization products in the market namely, Parallels, Fusion etc. which allow you to install a virtual copy of Windows to run within the Mac OS X environment, giving you the ability to run windows softwares side-by-side. Another option is Crossover, which allows you to directly install softwares which are tested by the authors of Crossover.

What about my Excel, Powerpoint & word files?
Microsoft has its very own Office 2004 version available for Mac environment, with an update Office 2008 arriving in Jan ‘08. It would be interesting to note here that Microsoft Office started off on Macs. You can do about everything in Office 2004 for Mac OS X as you would do on Windows environment. Updates regularly come out of Redmond. Apple has its own competitive products in productivity area namely Keynote, Numbers and Pages in its Iwork ‘08 suite. Third party and Open source apps are also available.

Will I be able to work with Windows PC’s on the network?
Without any issue. Usually Macs, will pick up most of the shared printers for which drivers were written in the Mac environment. We have used some HP’s. For Domain based Windows environment, the administrator might need to install Services for Macs available with the server OS.

Wifi & Bluetooth?
Absolutely! Actually its so simple to get them up and running on Mac OS X, it really kills the pain you have to go through Windows XP and Vista environment.

My Data, will I be able to move it to Macbook?
Without a sweat! Mac OS X can read all windows files. For some specific files like WMV you might need to install programs like Windows Media Player or VNC Player. A good starting point will be to look at Apple Downloads.

USB and Firewire have native support in Mac OS X, hence your portable media can be attached and used easily.

Will I be able to use my custom developed Apps like Accounting, GL, CRM etc. on Mac’s?
Not under Mac OS X if the apps were developed for Microsoft only. You can use them in Wndows as discussed above.

Hence!
…. the list goes on. The following are some more:

Pro’s:

  • 0 viruses till date. No need to install memory hogs still with no protection
  • Unix under control. Mac OS X is the most amazingly simple, yet one of the most powerful Unix system available.
  • Graphics. The most amazing GUI and easy to use environment
  • Design. Stunning detail in design. Its one of the best Hardware/software combo in the market
  • Work! You actually work not worrying about DLL’s, blue screen of death and those annoying Windows alerts

Con’s:

  • Though these are by no means Cons, but some users might find them on the downside.
  • No Modem in both Macbook and Macbook pro’s
  • No native memory card reader. Though it can be added through Express 34 card
  • No Finger print reader, if that is the security of your choice

Concusion:

I have been a windows user since forever and have used various IBM, Sony, HP, Fujitsu Siemens laptops during the coure of time. Recently, a virus attack disrupted my working pattern immensely allowing me to think about other safe options and Macbook & Mac OS X are the best combination I have came across. I’m very happy with my decision and besides an initial Switch time, I haven’t yet faced any obstacle in my work pattern.

Please visit Apple section on Shophive.com for more details of the products available.