Steinway & Sons Pianos and Audio System - Real or Recorded?

“The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils.” William Shakespeare. Moved was the operative word, and Steven Ambrose was seriously moved, at the launch of the new Johannesburg Showroom of Steinway and Sons Pianos, locally represented by Pianoforte. A mix of customers, Journalists and Interested parties gathered at the design Quarter for the opening of the new shop, and were well entertained by live piano music, and moving sounds from the Steinway Lyngdorf music system. Play on......

A Steinway & Sons piano is recognised universally as the world’s finest instrument. But for many years, South Africans wishing to audition a new Steinway had to travel abroad. That is, until recently, when Deon van Vuuren, a local Steinway owner, founded Pianoforte (Pty) Ltd and secured the sole rights to import the Steinway & Sons family of pianos. The imported range comprises Steinway, and the Steinway designed and engineered mid-level Boston and entry-level Essex uprights and grand pianos. Pianoforte offers prospective owners a choice of over 100 styles and finishes to select from.

“Steinway pianos are, and always will be, the finest piano the world has ever known,” explains van Vuuren. “Independent surveys show that Steinway pianos are used in 98 per cent of all concerts and recordings. Forbes magazine lists Steinway pianos in its top ten ‘great investments’. Steinway instruments have also been the preferred instrument of the world’s leading composers and pianists, as attested by the names appearing on the Steinway & Sons Artists Roster.”

What makes a Steinway & Sons piano so special?

The secret lies in Steinway & Sons’ uncompromising selection of materials, notably the timbers, production methods and principles of construction. Since 1853, Steinway & Sons has revolutionized piano making with its 115 patents which affect virtually every one of the 12,000 parts which go into each piano. There is the legendary Steinway action, for example, that is effortless, noiseless and instantly responsive. There is also the Steinway pin-block which is specially designed to keep the instrument in tune longer. Steinway also invented the Duplex Scale on the principle of enabling the freely oscillating parts of the string, directly in front and behind the segment of the string actually struck, to also resound. The outcome is a unique timbre, an exceptional dynamic range and fullness of overtones – one of the marvels forming the inimitable Steinway tone.
The basic principles of construction developed by Steinway are virtually unaltered and still apply to the modern manufacture of upright and grand pianos all over the world. However, greatly innovative, Steinway has always been a pioneer in exploring and establishing more efficient production methods and continues to register new patents. This is why one often hears “the best Steinway is a new Steinway” from performing concert pianists.

How is a Steinway & Sons piano constructed?

Each and every Steinway is both an original and a work of art. It takes, for example, a year to build a Steinway grand, and more than 80 per cent of the piano is still handcrafted. Every Steinway-designed piano has unique, proprietary “secrets” that make it far superior to competitors’ pianos.
Only materials and components offering optimal transmission and reproduction of sound are used; wood is processed under tension, and nothing but wooden connectors join the individual parts. In this way, sound can ripen and grow to the full. As a result, the Steinway and its unmistakable tonal characteristics retain unparalleled excellence for decades.

This is also of particular importance for South Africans: when the pianos are shipped abroad, they are able to adapt to different climates because the wooden connectors ensure that all the parts expand or contract at the same ratio, thereby never affecting the sound adversely. This is also the reason why a Steinway piano can retain its unmistakable tonal characteristics for decades.

Why does every Steinway sound unique?

No two Steinways are alike. The Voicer’s paramount task is to discover and create the tonal individuality of each instrument. The expansive, almost unlimited range of expression offered by a Steinway enhances the broad spectrum of musical composition. A Steinway not only so perfectly embodies the tonal ideals of classical music, but also those of jazz, rock, musicals and pop music.


STEINWAY & SONS AND PETER LYNGDORF LAUNCH THE WORLD’S FINEST FULLY-INTEGRATED DIGITAL SOUND SYSTEM IN SOUTH AFRICA

Steinway Lyngdorf has launched the Model D Music System, the world’s finest fully-integrated digital sound system, in South Africa. The system is a collaboration between Steinway & Sons, creators of the world’s finest pianos, and Peter Lyngdorf, Europe’s pre-eminent developer and manufacturer of high performance digital sound systems.

Announced in New York earlier in May 2007, the collaboration sets a new high for the audio industry through the introduction of a new, ultra-prestigious category for discerning consumers worldwide. The Model D Music System is developed primarily for the home as well as for prestigious commercial properties.

Created by a team of international designers, technicians and engineers led by Peter Lyngdorf, the Steinway & Sons Model D Music System has taken more than two years to develop and delivers an outstanding reproduction of music akin to a live symphony orchestra in concert.

Each Model D Music System includes twin speakers, which are painstakingly crafted through more than 170 hours of precision machining, and the entire system takes approximately seven weeks to assemble. The system has distinctive luxury design details, including the Steinway & Sons lacquering found on the world’s best pianos.

At the time of installation, a Steinway Lyngdorf service specialist will visit the user’s location to utilise the RoomPerfect™ technology and “voice” the Model D System. This is done by mapping the acoustics of the given environment using a microphone. After the measurements have been uploaded, the system calculates a room correction that is applied to ensure perfect tonal balance and acoustics in any part of the listening space.

The Model D Music System is the first of its kind to employ fully digital amplification with RoomPerfect™ adaptation technologies. As a completely integrated music system, all components were carefully selected and designed from the outset to complement each other perfectly.

The Model D Music System is available for demonstrations at Pianoforte’s new showroom in Sandton. The showroom is situated on the first floor of the Design Quarter in Fourways. The Steinway Lyngdorf Model D Music System costs approximately R1.2 million depending on ruling exchange rates.

Steven Ambrose

Nokia E 90 Communicator

Mobile Computer or Mobile phone? You decide.

The New Nokia E 90 Communicator has been recently released in South Africa. This phone has more memory, processing power, and features than the average laptop from a few years ago. Steven Ambrose lives with the E 90 and tries to decide what it really is, and what it means for all of us.

Nokia have been the number one mobile phone handset company for many years, and their phones have mostly been at the leading edge of cellular technology, so when Nokia released the new E range of mobiles, most companies in the mobile arena sat up and took notice. The E 90 is based on the Symbian 9.1 and 3rd edition S60 operating system. In simple terms this is a smart, very smart phone.

In order to explain what a smart phone is and does, I must digress just a little. The Symbian operating system has its roots many years ago as a PDA (Personal digital assistant, namely the Psion) operating system At the time this was a revolutionary device, that hoped to replace the diary as we knew it. The Psion was characterised by being extremely user friendly, and intuitive, and carved quite a niche for itself amongst the geek and business crowd. The latest iterations of the Symbian operating system, as used by Nokia and other phone manufactures, is light years ahead of that used in the original PDA’s. Nokia presents their phones as mobile computers and in all reality they are.

The Nokia E 90 has only one drawback, in my opinion, so we will get it out of the way before we really start. The E90 is big, very big, it won’t fit in a pocket, it is not for a handbag, and it cannot be ignored when on the desk. In short, if small and unobtrusive is your need, then this device is not for you.

That being said, the Nokia has everything else you can, and can’t imagine, in a mobile device. As specs mean very little in the real world, I am not going to enumerate the spec sheet in this review, you can find this info at http://www.nokia.co.za/.

The main feature of the phone, for me, is that when closed it is the quintessential Nokia. If you know and have used a recent and not so recent Nokia phone, then this phone is instantly easy to use and instantly recognisable. The phone has the following main features which I actually used, Wi-Fi, 3G HSDPA, Quad band, so it works in most of the world, a full web browser and a great e-mail client, 3.2 Mega Pixel camera, full QWERTY keyboard and not very useful GPS and mapping.

In order to help make clear what smart phones are and where they fit in I have included a small excerpt from a series of Insight articles authored by David Wood in 2005 for Symbian:-
“Smartphones in 2005 are roughly where the Internet was in 1995. In 1995, there were, worldwide, around 20-40 million users of the Internet. That's broadly the same number of users of smartphones there are in the world today. In 1995, people were debating the real value of Internet usage. Was it simply an indulgent plaything for highly technical users, or would it have lasting wider attraction? In 2005, there's a similar debate about smartphones. Will smartphones remain the preserve of a minority of users, or will they demonstrate mass-market appeal?

Personally, I have no doubt as to the answer. Smartphones are for all. Smartphones - the rapidly emerging new category of advanced computer-based programmable mobile phones - will appeal to all users of mobile phones worldwide. Smartphones are built from highly advanced technology, but they won't require a highly advanced understanding of technology in order to use them. You won't need to be a computer whiz kid or the neighbourhood geek to get real value from a smartphone. Nor will you need a huge income to afford one. Smartphones will help us all to keep in better touch with the friends and colleagues, and information and discussions, and buzz, that are important to us, and they are opening up new avenues for entertainment, education, and enterprise alike.

Smartphones increasingly use their computer-brains and network-connectivity to:

• Excel at all sorts of communication - instant messaging, email, video conferencing, and more.
• Help us to organise our to-do lists, ideas, calendars, contacts, expenses, and finances.
• Boost our effectiveness in our business life - connecting us smoothly into corporate data systems.
• Entertain us with huge libraries of first-rate music, mobile TV, social networking, and games.
• Guide us around the real world, with maps and location-based services, so we never get lost again.
• Subsume our keys, ID cards, tickets, and wallets - so we can leave these old-world items at home.
• Connect us into online information banks covering every topic under the sun.

In short, smartphones are rapidly becoming our preferred mobile gateway into the ever growing, ever more important digital universe.”

I have lived with this phone for a few weeks and can only say that it impresses me more and more, unlike some other so called smart phones that land up irritating more and more.

The question I get asked by most people who see the phone, and that is all people, (as I said you can’t hide this phone), is the E 90 worth it? The simple answer is yes and maybe. It is not for all of us and its cost and functionality, and most of all form factor make it fairly specific in its utility.
In order to make sense of all this and remembering that Gadget is.... a gadget magazine, I put the Nokia E 90 through the Gadget 5 point test and here are the results.

Is it ready to use ?

Open the box, insert your SIM card, put in the battery, enter the PIN and off you go. I did not read the instructions, as Gadget Geeks are prone to do, yet found it simple to get up and running. The basic phone features are available on the front panel, and are exactly the same as most recent Nokia cell phones. Making and receiving calls, sending SMS’s and finding contacts are intuitive and easy to do. One other point, the E 90 switched on fast, unlike some Phones based on the rival Windows Mobile platform. The phone comes supplied with all the needed accessories such as good pair of headphones, stereo of course, travel charger and PC cable.

Is it easy to use ?

I have gone on at length that this is a mobile computer not a phone, yet the genius of this device is that before you begin to explore its computer persona, it is a Nokia mobile phone and behaves exactly as you would expect.

I am not going into this side of the phone as it has been explained and reviewed more times than I can Google, save to say Nokia have always been one of the leaders in mobile phone interfaces. Nokia phones are easy to use and very intuitive.

This brings us to the rest of the phone; flip it open for best effect and the outstanding widescreen display lights up. The keyboard can as well if you wish, which is a useful and thoughtful touch. A row of quick access buttons on top of the small, but easy to use keyboard, gives direct access to the main features of the phone.

This is however where the learning curve comes in, read the manual I implore. I did not and quickly became lost in the vast array of features and capabilities the E 90 has. Once you go through he basics it does become clear and the actual use of the features are intuitive, as expected from a Symbian based system. Once again I must point out that this phone takes some effort and involvement to get the most out of its capabilities. Like many computers you need to spend some time familiarising yourself with what can be achieved.

The included PC synchronisation software is a must for getting the most out of this phone, and again the software installed first time with little fuss, and setup of the synchronisation and linking the phone to my computer was simple with the help of the well designed Nokia software. This is also an area that most users struggle with. Nokia PC software is smooth, well thought out, and best of all easy to install and use. Once synchronised the E 90 had all my contacts, calendars, emails, pictures and anything else I may need on the road. For me this is the most useful features of the phone. No need to boot up my laptop when out at meetings in order to access you diary and notes, or even documents, as the E 90 has built in MS Office compatible readers and tools.

Does it deliver on its promise ?

The E 90 is such a capable device, and tries to cover so many bases, that this may well be its main downfall. Like the PVR in your home, that only your teenager fully understands and uses, the full capabilities of this device may never be used. The extensive feature set in itself can be a problem.

The phone is easy to use, promise delivered; the Smartphone functions once understood are intuitive and deliver on their promise. The communication features, such as Wi-Fi can get a bit irritating by continually asking for user input, as turning off the search functions reduces roaming ability and needs way to much fiddling to make it happen.

Mostly this device delivers and continues to deliver. The one area that I found poor was the GPS. And it was not the actual functioning of the GPS, but rather the thought that went into using the GPS.

You have to connect to the internet to download maps, and the basic device does not have navigation from the get go, you have to pay for the maps. In a device of this price and feature set, the local South African maps and navigation sets should be built in and ready to use. If you want more, such as Europe and the USA, it makes sense to buy them. I did not and, could not, use the GPS features due to this, and also found the sensitivity to satellites a bit low. My trusty Garmin just did the job far better. Perhaps Nokia’s recent purchase of Navteq, will give them the push to improve this in the future.

Is it innovative?

In the fast moving world of Mobile devices, the Nokia E 90 stands out. Its predecessor was available for a few years, unique in cell phone terms. This device combines so much functionality and utility that it will be a trusty and essential companion for many users for a long while. The Nokia E 90 is a trend setter in many ways, and indicates where we will be going in the future with mobile communication.

Is it Value for Money?

After having spent some time using this device, with its classy, sleek metal body, and tactile keypads and the outstanding screen, which by the way works in direct sunlight, value becomes a relative term. The phone is not cheap, but then a comparable laptop is not cheap, a Rolex is not cheap, neither is a Ferrari, and this device is at the top end of the Mobile food chain. The question I finally asked was it worth its high price tag, and the answer is a resounding yes. If you want the best and can use the features and functionality the Nokia E 90 offers, then it is one of the best smart phones I have used. Would I pay for one? Again yes I would, as giving up the review device will leave a large hole in my mobile communications, and reduce the efficiency of my working day.

In conclusion, the E 90 Communicator is a phone; it also is a computer, and so much more. I have briefly touched on its features; I did not mention its very good Music Player and expandable memory, there is just too much for one review.

Simply put I love this phone, more than that, I really use this phone and even better, I think the phone loves me.

Sigma by Tellumat, the sum of all communications?

The all-in-one Small Office-Home Office business telephony-and-broadband solution has just been launched in South Africa. Steven Ambrose takes it for an extended call, with our Gadget 5 point test, and sees if it delivers.



The Sigma is made by Ireland’s Lake Communications, Sigma has been designed largely with British Telecom in mind, which BT has used to spearhead its single-line broadband push against fierce competition in the United Kingdom.

“What’s been good for BT’s customers will be hugely enabling in South Africa’s vibrant small, medium and micro-enterprise market,” says Bennie Langenhoven, GM of Tellumat Telecoms. “We expect to see a lot of delighted faces when our customers hear where the Sigma’s all-in-one platform will take them.”

Part of this delight will come from the fact that the Sigma replaces a large amount of equipment in the average small office. In our case it replaced an answering machine, portable phone, ADSL Router, Wireless Wi-Fi gateway, Caller Line ID unit, VOIP adaptor and lots and lots of cables.

Standing up in a compact black and metal-grey case, the Sigma has a deceptively small form factor of 20cm (wide) by 19cm (high) by 8cm (deep). For its modest desk footprint, it packs the following features:

•ADSL modem
•Wi-Fi access point with WEP and WPA support for encrypted security
•Four-port network hub (allowing four PCs to be linked up and connected with the outside world via ADSL, or other broadband connection such as WIMAX)
•Mini-PBX (two standard Telkom exchange lines)
•DECT (cordless phone) base station with support for four handsets
•The Sigma can accept all GAP compatible phones, so you can connect your GAP compatible Siemens or Panasonic portable phones directly.
•Four wired telephone extensions, supporting old-school analogue or digital phones with LCD displays and hands free capabilities
•Built-in firewall
•Built-in voicemail
•Voice over IP support (two SIP 2.0 trunks which work with many VOIP Providers)
•Least-cost routing (international calls automatically redirect via your VOIP service provider), and
•Full remote management capability, via a Web interface
•It even has door-phone functionality, whereby a door mechanism can be wired to the Sigma to remotely lock or un-lock the front door or gate from any phone.

Is it ready to use?

The test unit arrived in a well marked and presented box, with printed and full electronic documentation on a disc. The instructions are clear and fairly simple. Getting the unit plugged in and basically working was simple, and all basic setup via the web interface was also relatively simple. Setting up the ADSL modem as well as the other more advanced options, such as VOIP, was a bit of a challenge, and it did take us a while to get all the functions working as advertised.

In short, the unit is not really ready to use out of the box. The Web interface lacks a set up Wizard, and requires a good working knowledge of routers, SIP and VOIP servers, as well as ADSL setup, and other fairly technical issues, in order to get the unit working optimally. We however recommend a competent installer, or expert. If you are not entirely comfortable with all the above jargon, you should leave it to an expert. Tellumat have a wide and established installer base in South Africa, so the setup issues may not be a problem.

Is it easy to use?

Once up and running with all features configured, the Sigma is really simple to use. The switchboard operates from the digital handset or portable phone with real ease, and makes your small office or home, really feel and sound professional. The feature phone supplied, allows access to most of the features of the switchboard, including retrieving and setting up the voicemail system, which I must note is really useful, as the system has a voicemail box for all incoming calls, and each extension also has its own voicemail. The large LCD screen and well marked buttons and controls on the feature phone are easy and intuitive to use.

After careful set up, the MWEB VOIP extension line, which we use at Gadget, worked exactly like a normal Telkom line, and we were able to route all overseas, as well as long distance and cellular calls, exclusively via this line. We were also able to route all local calls exclusively via the one Telkom line, which has a Telkom closer package with 1000 free call minutes, in order to maximise our savings.

Does it deliver on its promise?

The Sigma is a full featured switchboard, and with the other features mentioned above, worked exactly as advertised. Once properly set up and configured, the Sigma is indistinguishable from any switchboard you would find at a large company. The Sigma will make your small company feel big, and increase your efficiencies in the office.

Is it innovative?

The Sigma is a collection of mature and well represented technologies found in most small offices, and increasingly in up-market homes. Each of these technologies, such as ADSL routers, are not innovative in themselves, but what does make the Sigma stand out, is that it combines all of these technologies in a small, compact, and most of all affordable package.

The average user will be hard pressed to find all the above functionality in a single device and then keep all of them running seamlessly. Despite my reservations on ease of setup, setting up all the Sigmas functionality in separate and individual units, would be far more challenging.

Is it value for money?

On this front the Sigma is a real winner, the recommended retail price in South Africa is in the region of R6000-00, with one feature Phone and one DECT Portable Phone. In most cases this could include the installation and setup. If you had to buy each of the features in separate units, you could spend more, and get lots of setup and operating headaches into the bargain. After some research we could not presently find any unit in South Africa with the same features and functionality for close to this price.

In conclusion, we don’t often get a review item that really delivers and adds real value to the office, the Sigma is a really useful, and really simple, compact unit with externsive functionality that we are still exploring. If you need a full function switchboard, and have ADSL or any other broadband connection such as WIMAX or iBurst, this unit fits the bill. The Sigma integrates all your home, and small office communication needs, into one small box. The Sigma is truly the sum of all your communication needs in your small office and at home.

Steven Ambrose

Gumba Gumba shares your music in bed or on the go

In South Africa it’s called a Gumba Gumba, township lingo for the Boombox. The portable player with big sound has been around for a long time, starting with the cassette tape, and then including a CD player. Now Philips has reinvented the boom box for the digital age, with their AZ1330D.

A while ago my trusty and somewhat dated bedside clock radio went up in smoke. This started me searching for a more up to date replacement. When I went looking, I could find some really good but very expensive alternatives. Much to my amazement, there were no simple, well-priced units of reasonable quality out there. A Tivoli unit was considered as the sound was great, but no alarm and the high price decided me against it. And then, along came Philips with a new range of units, from sleek mini hi-fi to Boombox style units, all with alarm clocks, radios and, best of all, a dock for my iPod. The unit I favor is the AZ1330D. More and more most of us are storing their music on our computers and using some type of iPod or MP 3 player for when we are on the move. So, simply put, all my favorite music is on my iPod and, being able to dock the iPod and listen when I want, where I want, is really useful. The Philips unit has a built-in iPod dock, with adaptors for all iPods, both current and older, as well as a digital AM and FM radio, along with a CD player for those of us who still buy CDs. One useful feature: the CD player will play MP3s as well as Microsoft’s proprietary WMA format. So it’s a universal player if ever there was one. All of this is a sleek and fairly compact unit. How does it fare on the Gadget 5-question User Test? Let’s take it for a run:

Is it ready to use?

The unit is well packaged with simple instructions. Plug it into the wall, select radio and you are ready to go. To insert the iPod, you need to find the correct adaptor from among the box of adaptors supplied. The instructions are clear but, like most men, I fiddled with the gadgetry until I found one that fitted my iPod.

Is it easy to use?

Once plugged in, use is really simple, as all controls are large and well marked. Operation is intuitive and simple, and the supplied remote works well. The unit uses 6 D cells to keep it portable, and again these are easy to install. The manual is a little dense but well numbered and logical, for those who read those things.

Does it deliver on its promise?

Gumba Gumba oh yes. Loud and clear, the Philips sounds good. It’s not audiophile quality, but really decent. It has bass boost for those that want big bass, and a relatively clear and honest sound. It does not play extremely loud without distorting, but is more than good enough for most of us. The radio performs well on FM, with good discrimination between close stations. On AM, for those who want it, it’s fine with little interference. The CD player and iPod dock operate as expected and make the unit really versatile.

Is it innovative?

The world is full of multipurpose iPod docks with radios and other features. A portable radio, CD, and dock is nothing really new. However, Philips has put together a high quality, logically set up, and well-specced unit that I enjoyed using. In short, not innovative, but a good example of blending new digital technology with useful features.

Is it value for money?

The street price is in the region of R1000. At this price, taking into account the features and the options, as well as the decent build and sound quality, I would say that this Philips unit is very good value for money. It sounds nearly as good as the expensive iPod dock’s out there and has some useful features that most don’t offer, such as the built-in CD player.
My search for a replacement bedroom radio alarm and music player has just ended. The Philips will replace my old smoking radio alarm, which will now retire after 20 some years of good service, and yes it was also a Philips.

Steven Ambrose

Microsoft Windows Vista: Our View

Microsoft’s latest operating system taken though its paces. I will try to respond to the numerous media articles ridiculing Microsoft’s latest operating system Windows Vista.
In this article I will try to respond to the numerous media articles which ridiculed Microsoft’s latest operating system Windows Vista.

The problem I find most of the time is that it is not the operating systems fault. It’s the user. In some cases even the journalists that have reviewed Vista and have hated it.
Vista is Microsoft’s most advanced and easy to use operating system to date. It is miles ahead of Windows XP in most respects and dare I say it, better than Macs OSX. (Yes I do have a Mac so it’s a fair comparison).

I have been using Vista since January and have had no problems; it runs beautifully, doesn’t hang, communicates with all my hardware seamlessly and does whatever I ask of it and more.
But what happens if Vista does give you a problem? I connected it to a LCD TV and it did not work, but then Vista searched for a solution to the problem... and found it. I have an NVIDIA graphics card (NVIDIA has been criticised for not releasing compatible drivers for Vista).

As one article stated 'A simple task, such as backing up data to DVD and CD, is still a laborious process.' Backing up on Vista is hardly rocket science. Let me show you how.
1. Click the ‘Start’ button.
2. Click 'All Programs'
3. Click 'Accessories'
4. Click 'System Tools'
5. Click 'Backup Status and Configuration'
Wow! 5 clicks!
Or alternatively just click the Start button then type 'backup' in the search.
Vista gives you the option of backing up your ENTIRE operating system (from personal files to your desktop wallpaper) onto DVD and CD but also onto a network drive.

Microsoft’s new search function has come in for scorn from Mac owners, as they say Microsoft pinched it from Mac OSX, but who really cares, it works as advertised, and in some respects is better that spotlight from Mac OSX.

The graphical user interface which was stated to be ‘superfluous’ and ‘over the top’ on more than one review. It’s hardly excessive and actually quite attractive. There is one small caveat, Vista does need lots of memory, 1 Gig is perfect for Aero, and 512 Meg works well if Aero is disabled. Memory is now very reasonably priced, with most new computers having at least 1 Gig of Ram.

The design element that has come under the most criticism is the translucent Aero theme. My colleagues and I believe The ‘Aero’ skin is neat and stylish and you don’t get tired of it quickly, but if you do, then you can change the colour and transparency of your windows. If you don’t like the new translucent windows change the theme, or in fact disble it completely. You have the option of Default (a light milky blue), Graphite, Blue, Teal, Red, Orange, Pink and Frost. You can also mix these colours to make your own personally coloured themes. This time it takes a whole three clicks. 1. (On the desktop) Right click
2. ‘Personalise’
3. ‘Windows Colour and Appearance’.


One of the more irritating articles stated that Vista was nothing new from Microsoft, ‘pretty much the same interface and underlying technology...’ Seriously people, do your homework. The interface is completely different, as is the undelying technology, and as I previously stated and much easier to use, especially for first time computer users.

The Microsoft help system, has been significantly upgraded to the point that it actually helps you. But most importantly Vista is incredibly user friendly with very few glitches. What some journalists are doing is expecting Vista to act like XP, which it doesn’t, for a simple reason. It’s not! In fact Vista works on a completely different platform to any other Windows operating system. In reality (Mac users will like this) Vista’s basic platform is closer to the Mac OS platform than Microsoft’s Windows XP platform. Hence the ‘underlying technology’ could not be more different.

Love it or hate it, Vista is here to stay. Vista is the latest’s and greatest operating system by Microsoft who dominate today’s market. There has been plenty premature criticism of Vista, after all operating systems are just that, operating systems. Microsoft has gone to enormous lengths to ensure a vast majority of hardware operates with Vista. Vista has its issues but so do all other operating systems.

In my opinion Vista is a big step forward in security and ease of use for the user. I also believe that is the best, most well rounded operating system to date and will only get better as it matures.

In summary Vista is a major step forward, give it the required hardware, and Windows Vista will reward you with a solid, stable and smooth performance. The basic function of any operating system is to enable you to use your computor to communicate, function at work, and generally perform your day to day computer needs, and this is where Vista does work, and works well.

Brendon Ambrose

Excelling at Excel? Easier said than done

The Plain & Simple guide to the new Excel highlights just how far dull old spreadsheet programs have evolved into a dazzling multimedia experience – if you know what you’re doing in the first place. ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK finds his way through both the program and its guide…

Book review

Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Plain & Simple

by Curtis D Frye

Publisher: Microsoft Press 2007)

Paperback: 288 pages

Supplied by Intersoft

I remember the revelation, 15 years ago or so, when I first used Lotus 1-2-3, the granddaddy of Windows-based spreadsheets, to add up a column of numbers. You clicked on a function and, voila, it did the work for you. I highlighted a list of names, clicked a few buttons and, voila, it all went alphabetical. I foolishly imagined that I would never have to toil through lists and numbers again: 1-2-3 would do it all for me.

Of course, a painful awakening followed. Whether I was using 1-2-3 or WordPerfect’s Quattro Pro, or Microsoft’s Excel, I found myself always sticking to the very basics, ever the amateur, and calling on the kindness of spreadsheet whiz kids whenever I needed something more advanced. Eventually I braved the world of charts and graphs, but was never quite happy with the outcome. It all looked so, well, amateur.

Then came Excel 2007, which did pretty much what all its predecessors did. But with such style! Suddenly my graphs were things of beauty, and charts looked as if a graphic artist had taken me by the hand. Amateur no more, I delved deeper, expecting the mysteries of Excel to emerge before my eyes. Alas, it was not to be.

And then a book crossed my desk that looked every bit as good as the new Excel. Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Plain & Simple is exactly what its name implies: an easy to understand guide to the basics of Excel, and a promise of the magic potion that turns it into one of the most powerful software tools ever devised for the ordinary computer user.

However, despite the title of the book, the good stuff doesn’t come easy. The first five chapters, covering 78 pages, deal with the cosmetics of Excel. In other words, how to look good, before you do good. That’s the part that you tend to pick up as you go along, but some of the short cuts are both handy and scenic.

Then comes the serious stuff: formulas and functions. This is where you expect to be allowed into the engine room of Excel, where they mix the magic potions and reveal the incantations that produce astonishing results from little effort. And suddenly, it is just like working with the new Excel itself. It gives you a good handle on the stuff that you tend to pick up along the way, as well as the odd magic formula that would have escaped you had you been relying on intuition until now. But, just as you think it is getting to the heart of the matter, the book moves onto Formatting. In other words, back to making it all look good. Then it’s Printing, and then it’s Customising. Then it’s Sorting, and then it’s Filtering. This may be Plain & Simple, but it sure is Basic as well. The book even contains a major heading error, with every page of the Sorting and Filtering chapter headed Summarizing Data Visually Using Charts – which is in fact the title and topic of the following chapter.

Talking of which, the next chapter, together with the one that follows, on using graphics in worksheets, finally delivers the magic, and will be the highlight of the book for spreadsheet first-timers. Even the reasonably experienced amateur will appreciate the simple process that leads to more effective and attractive spreadsheets. However, don’t expect to become an expert on the basis of this book alone.

Samsung i600 Smartphone

Finally a smart phone that isn’t stupid. Samsung designed the i600 to take on the big boys like the Sony Ericsson M600i and the Blackberry’s, Funny how they ended up calling it the i600 Blackjack.

When the first smart phones were released they where big, slow and difficult to use. The i600 has certainly avoided all those issues. It is a very fast and relatively stylish messaging mobile, with all the features you could ever need.

Is it easy to use?

The i600 runs on Windows Mobile 5 which is not always the easiest or most intuitive phone operating system. In this case Samsung has taken the liberty of changing it slightly to better suit its customers and its phone. And we must report that they have done a wonderful job. Unlike the standard Microsoft Mobile 5 it is easy to use, intuitive doesn’t freeze and is quite honestly a pleasure to use.

What Samsung did is make the i600 a cell phone first then a PDA. This is what all other companies (with the exclusion of the Sony Ericsson) have failed to do. They make the mobile so smart and chock full of features that it is nearly impossible to operate. The Samsung like normal smart phones still has a million features, I have been using it for two weeks now and still don’t know what some of the features are. For example OBEX FTP, what is that? I think it is some sort of FTP Server type thing, but even if I find out what it really is what would I use it for?

The features which I did use constantly was the e mail function, the active sync, calendar, internet browser, alarm clock, notepad, Podcasts, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G HSDPA, and the RSS reader. So as you can see the i600 has all the features that you can ever possibly need.

The message centre handles e-mails with ease, and gets all of the correct settings from outlook using active sync. If you have a windows PC (especially using Vista) the i600 will synchronise all of your Outlook data quickly and easily. The Calendar sync function is especially useful as both your PC and Phone will be identical.

The most unique feature on the i600 is the Podcast downloader and player. This was a smart little feature which enables you to download and play Podcasts. Makes you wonder why nobody thought of this before.

Having Wi-Fi on the i600 was more useful than I thought it would be, instead of using the still relatively expensive 3G HSDPA, have a cup of coffee at Seattle and log on to their Wi-Fi and download and send your mail.

The camera on the Blackjack is not leading edge however, and maybe Sony Ericsson was right to leave it out on the M600i. I expected more that a 1.3 Mega pixel camera from Samsung what they. The picture quality is ok for e-mail or MMS but not for much else.

Does this mobile look good in your hand?

Yes, there is no doubting that this is a large mobile, but it is designed so well that it feels good to hold. The contours of the phone allow it to sit firmly in your hand and make it very easy to operate one handed. The Blackjack is also relatively thin at just 11.8mm so it does not bulge out of your pocket like many of the smart phones do.

On the Blackberry the QWERTY keyboard makes the mobile look very large and utilitarian but Samsung has designed the keyboard on the Blackjack to flow with the lines of the phone. This makes it look sleeker than its competition and quite frankly easier to use.

The i600 comes with two batteries, a normal battery with which you get two to three days of good use and an extended battery which will get you about five to six days of use. That is seriously impressive; most normal handsets don’t give you that amount of time.

Conclusion

The i600 Blackjack is the latest smart phone to hit the market and so far the best. It has all the features that you need and many that you may not immediately use. As this phone is Windows Mobile based it will connect to the office Exchange server or VPN and it makes this phone a good tool for the road warrior.

Samsung has done a great job with its own take on Microsoft Mobile 5, which does make the phone a pleasure to use. If you are looking for a messaging phone that has to tackle your most challenging business needs, then this is the best phone of this type that we have tested to date.

LGE launches Dual HD player in SA

A new Blu-ray disc and HD DVD player combination is to be introduced to the South African market in the third quarter of 2007.

LG Electronics will be launching the “Super Multi Blue” dual-format, high definition disc player in South Africa during the third quarter of 2007. The disc player blends the latest technologies, offering unprecedented flexibility to consumers who seek the convenience of both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD content.

The advanced dual-format high-definition disc player, (BH100) has already been launched in the US market and is the world’s first player with the capability to play both next-generation disc formats, addressing the challenge of the current format war. The player is ideally suited to LG’s expanded lineup of Full HD 1080p plasma and LCD HDTVs, delivering the best video possible in the highest display resolution format.

“We have developed the Super Multi Blue Player to end the confusion caused by the current competition between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. Customers are no longer forced to choose between the two formats,” said Charlie Kim, Product Manager, Digital Media, LGE South Africa. “As Full HD TV is already gaining significant ground, we are hoping that the Super Multi Blue Player will play the trigger role in expanding and advancing both Full HD TV and high-definition DVD market volume together.”

In addition to offering Full HD 1080p picture quality from high-definition discs, the player incorporates interactive functions based on BD-Java, which allows advanced menus and functions to be displayed over the video of Blu-ray discs. It is also capable of accessing and playing audio-video content from HD DVD discs in full HD resolution. Users will still be able to access LG’s software-based advanced menu for HD DVD. Regardless, the capability to play movies in both formats is a huge consumer benefit.

The introduction of the Super Multi Blue player will ultimately eliminate the end consumer confusion and hesitation in the high-definition disc marketplace. The LG unit supports various A/V formats, including MPEG-2, VC-1, H.264 video, MPEG1/2 audio, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+, DTS and DTS-HD audio, and includes multiple inputs/outputs such as HDMI out, component / composite video outputs, and optical / coaxial / discrete 5.1 channel audio outputs, among others.

The unit incorporates elegant backlit touch sensor buttons along with an ergonomic remote control that gives the user command of the next-generation home entertainment experience.

CES: Touching Technology

A week back in South Africa has just highlighted how overwhelming the CES show in Las Vegas is, and how technology is touching almost every aspect of our lives today, STEVEN AMBROSE Reports.

Consumer electronics used to refer to TV, Radio, Hi-Fi and other home technologies that the average person would use regularly. The CES which had its 40th anniversary show this year was held in Las Vegas from the 8th to the 11th of January, clearly showed that consumer electronics is far broader, far more encompassing and much more pervasive than any of us ever imagined.
The change has not exactly crept up on us, we have been hearing about convergence for many years, it started in fact right after the millennium bug was finally laid to rest. The reality is that there is no longer such a simple definition as Consumer Electronics, the line has totally blurred and the CES has become the premier technology show in America, if not the world. From the launch of Windows Vista, Microsoft’s latest operating system, to the smallest cellular phone and the largest LCD TV, this show had it all.

All the major electronics companies in the world today (aside from Apple, which does its own thing) and many who are active in South Africa were exhibiting. Some of these names included Sony, Samsung, Pioneer, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Nokia and IBM, who returned to the CES for the first time in many years, and many more, were all showing off their latest hardware and software, and launching their new products and concepts for 2007.

As the name Gadget implies, that is really what I went to see, and I just could not walk fast enough to see it all. The good news is that with a few exceptions, the Apple iPhone being one, we will see a large amount of all the new gadgets in South Africa this year, and we will do our best to get them for review, and report on how they perform.

Convergence is a much used but little understood term, and this CES really made it clear for me. There were two overriding trends that became very clear the more of the show I saw. The first of these trends was in simple terms the pervasive connectedness of all technologies via the internet.
"Anywhere, anytime, anyplace" was the motto, and the enabler was the internet. Using the internet or your connection to it, be that wired or wireless, you can now see, hear, read, download, review and in fact have access to any information anywhere. A good example of this was a Sony system whereby you could watch TV from your home system anywhere you could connect to the internet, as well as view any file on your home network. Microsoft and HP previewed the home server, which offers a similar service and a lot more besides. Simply put you could visit relatives across the globe and show them all the family pictures and videos stored on your PC at home, using your Laptop, their computer or your cell phone. Now that’s real convergence.

The second major trend, which in a way is only possible if you have pervasive connectedness, is that the PC in one form or another has finally invaded the home. Microsoft and again HP actually had set up an entire home with a living room, bedroom, study, and kitchen, all fully connected and showing a complete convergence of all the traditional home appliances. Fridges that ordered the groceries, counter tops that displayed recipes and recognised the ingredients you placed on them. There were even many items that until recently you only saw in the office. All of these were seamlessly connected and talking to each other all over the house. This was science fiction for most of us, but there it was for anybody to use and try out. This technology is already available in part in South Africa, but until we get reasonably priced, fast and pervasive internet connections we really can’t fully enjoy all these advances.

The most interesting thing for me was how all these technologies that were traditionally for the computer geek or your 10 year old nephew or son, have matured to the point that they are almost as easy to use as the average programmable microwave. After spending five days in gadget heaven, at the CES, and seeing all the huge TV’s and tiny gadgets, I look forward to an exciting and gadget filled 2007.

Steven Ambrose

Steven's CES Gadget Picks

Amongst the thousands of Gadgets at the CES, my picks for most interesting Gadgets of the show are :-


S-XGen Ultra Mobile Portable Computer.


Pricey mini-PCs are supposed to be the next big thing in computing, and Seamless Internet's new mini-PC "for serious business users" aims to be a leader. The 450 gram device purportedly has an 8-hour battery life and a fold-out keyboard meant to silence two key criticisms of these ultra small computers: power drain and "dumb thumb." Other features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and tri-band cellular technology plus an Intel PXA 270 Xscale 520 MHz processor, 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive, and Microsoft Windows CE 5.0.

HP TouchSmart IQ770 PC

Forget Post-It notes on the refrigerator. Hewlett-Packard is calling the TouchSmart the "perfect kitchen PC." Unveiled at CES, this desktop computer uses touch screen technology to help users manage schedules, TV, music, movies, photos and data. It also comes with Microsoft's new Vista operating system.









Nokia 6131 NFC
Goodbye cash, hello mobile payments. Unlike cell phone banking as we all know it is South Africa, when this Nokia phone launches later this year, users will be able to use it to buy coffee, exchange business cards, and collect data with a single push of a button. In essence instead of a swipe of your credit card, you just use your phone instead. That's because the 6131 NFC has a long-awaited technology called "near field communication," which allows two devices to transfer money or swap information. The 6131 NFC also has a built-in MP3 player and camera, among other standard features.








Sansa View

With mobile video the hot topic at CES, SanDisk chased headlines with its first portable video player. On top of its 4-inch colour screen, the Sansa View has 8GB of memory for storing up to 33 hours of video, 2,000 songs or thousands of photos. The device is also compatible with Microsoft's new Vista operating system. The picture quality was very good even compared to the iPod and other portable video players.





Sharp Aquos LCD TV

Sharp LCD TV’s are not well known in South Africa, but are the largest manufacturers of LCD panels in the world, débuted their 120HZ, or in Europe and South Africa 100HZ, LCD panels with sizes up to 65”. The 120 or 100HZ simply delivers crystal clarity, especially with fast motion, such as sport, and high contrast ratios that with HD, or high definition, delivered pictures that were simply breathtaking. The 65” panel is the largest commercially available LCD on the market. Expect to see more large and fast LCD’s this year.

Steven Ambrose