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Nokia N97
Originally uploaded by funfront

A beautiful mobile phone scheduled early 2009. The N97 will pack :

網友不滿PDA mobile手機的表現。例如HP iPAQ 612如此價錢,不要期望有很多軟件跟機或所謂優化。我個人反不大喜歡太多預載程式。我用過多部Windows CE / Mobile 的機,從無一部不需hard reset 的,除非不裝程式玩。不能全怪機本身,因太多新型號出籠,軟件商趕不上更新做測試,(包括微軟OS本身問題),所以有不兼容的情況。軟件也太多了,裝得愈多,當機機會愈高。

可以買那些加裝/優化了的機種,如HTC牌,價錢高些。不過以前也試過跟機來的程式也跑不順。所以現階段仍沒有「完美」的機。愈多功能愈易出問題,這是簡單的道理。

國際教育成就研究協會主辦的「第二屆國際資訊科技教育應用研究2006(SITES 2006)」--- 本港學生與電腦的比例，由1998年的23：1大幅改善至2006年的6：1，香港在亞洲地區更成為「人機比率」最佳的地方，在全球則位列第4。

研究選擇5個港人熟悉的國家及地區包括日本、台灣、新加坡、加拿大安大略省及芬蘭作重點比較，香港學校資訊科技的應用對學生學習成效未如理想...香港教師在實踐教學法上，不論數學或科學科目均集中傳統教學的取向，未能利用資訊科技帶領學生走出固有框框，加強與外界聯繫及自主學習。負責研究的港大教育應用資訊科技發展研究中心主任羅陸慧英舉例指：「例如科學科討論環保課題，香港老師只會用Powerpoint增加圖畫，但其實可以叫學生上網找出瀕臨絕種生物及生態危機，或透過新軟件研究酸雨的影響，從而提升全人發展。」

現時教育局的資訊科技及課程改革部門各自工作，卻沒有研究資訊科技如何配合或輔助新的教學法，令兩者未能接軌....建議當局應在第三期資訊科技策略中加強兩者的配合，並增撥資源為各學校主理資訊科技發展的校長或負責老師提供培訓。 (文匯報)

Hong Kong schools are among the best-equipped in the world for computers but are failing to use them effectively to help students learn independently, a study (SITEs 2006) shows. The number of students per computer rose from 22:1 to 5:1 in the eight years to 2006, giving the territory the fourth-highest level of provision in the world and the highest among six countries, regions and cities compared in the study.

Most teachers try to separate the information technology and the pedagogy. When they use IT, they tend to have the whole class looking at their screens and following what the teacher is doing on their screen, just like chalk and talk. They don't use IT as part of small-group teaching and fostering collaboration and student inquiry. 

It is very important that education faculties and teacher training institutes step up the amount of coverage they give to the use of IT within subject teaching across the board.... HK should seriously consider making skills in the use of IT in teaching a requirement of employment for all government-funded schools. (SCMP)

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I could foretell the similar results even several years ago. Two years ago in a HKU class I was the only one who raised his hand to express little hope on the success of the gov't (2004) IT plan. HK has dumped a lot of money into IT infrastruture, but IT is still largely used as a tool to supplement or enhance traditional way of teaching & learning. Just today's tools or programs for that end are more powerful and easier for teachers to use. With the coming of the new curriculum reform, it's imperative to transform learning with aid of IT. Some issues to tackle:

- IT leadership in schools (how senior management values IT)

- Collaboration between gov't educational officials

- Collaboration between schools & gov't (don't use top-down approach)

- Teacher's own vision

iPAQ 110 / 112

A personal review

iPAQ 110 / 112 (Trad.Chinese version) is a much neglected fast, slim and affordable pocket PC, amid the rising tide of PDA phones.

It is based on XScale PXA310 processor at 624Mhz, so it is faster with almost no delay even running several apps in background. It is power saving. Mine is 112 (Chinese ver.) I can play with it for 2 hours and still more than 70% battery remains. I am happy with it playing downloaded Youtube videos smoothly and I can grab many free music videos there. I enjoy much watching Karajan's concerts with my 3.5mm earphone on 3.5-inch landscape mode screen (using TCPMP). I've inserted a 2GB SD for programs and storage. It can be a MP3 player too. I installed GSplayer for music. I placed the iPAQ in my pocket & listen with earphone while on the road. The sound quality is good though my iRiver MP3 is better.

For connectivity, WIFI set up is easy and speed is good. I can login Facebook to meet friends, as well as ebanking. While WIFI is not available, I connect it to another smartphone (Dopod C720W) via bluetooth. I activate the Bluetooth PAN on the mobile. The iPAQ can surf the net via bluetooth (GPRS). I don't have HSDPA available.

There is a new "Windows Update" feature by which I can check online if there is any update. There is currently no update, as it returns.

I like reading ebooks on PDA. iPAQ 112 has a bright crispy screen for reading text. It renders PDF files faster but reading PDF on 3.5" screen is still not a happy experience. However, it is good for reading CHM files. I installed Fast CHM program and transferred a 74MB Photoshop CS Bible to SD. I can navigate different parts of the book smoothly (while older models or PDA phones lag). CHM is certainly more legible than PDF on this PPC.

Given its current price HK$2,3XX, it's a lot cheaper than high-end PDA phones (e.g. TyTn II costs about $5,900 & bulky). The difference is more than enough to buy another decent 3G mobile. The iPAQ 112 has the potential of becoming a multimedia portable player as well (with additional software). I also look forward to the coming of the 210 model (4" VGA screen) ...!

It hangs if I switch tasks too often; some programs may freeze it (e.g. task manager apps) probably due to compatibility or WM6 issues. That's quite common among ppc gadgets. Somehow program installations messed up things & I decided to hard reset it. I found the way to do it but not easy with 2 hands only.

While power on: 
1. press Win + OK + record buttons together 
2. while doing that, press reset hole and hold for 3-4 seconds 
3. release reset, then release buttons
4. the screen shows "CLEAN BOOT" and enters the iPAQ introduction screen....

Verdict

It depends on if you need a PPC nowadays given so many PDA phones out there. I suppose if you want speed, stability, power saver, smooth video, to try many programs, and don't mind carrying an extra mobile, iPAQ 110 is  perhaps the only affordable choice on market by the end of 2007.

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如果你只一個人做hard reset，將ipaq一邊頂住，然後一手3 手指按下3制，另一手插住reset button... or u need another hand.

現在時興PDA phone, 純pocket PC市場縮減。HP 也不賣IPAQ 112廣告; 它是被忽略了的好機器。速度快，不hang機。我玩弄了2小時，還有>70%電。 不要裝Collins CoBuild 1.0 dictionary 在中文版(112)上，因它會使某些介面變亂碼。我亦期待iPAQ 210誕生市場。

Another UMPC with dual OS - Windows Vista and Windows Mobile 6. Really want to try it.

Platform
- Mobile Notebook
- Microsoft Windows Vista Business
Processor/Chipset
- Qualcomm MSM 7200, 400 MHz
- Intel low power processor, 800 MHz
Memory
- ROM: 128MB
- RAM: 1GB DDR2 microDIMM for Vista
- HDD: 40GB with G sensor
LCD Module
- 7” 800*480
- Color TFT LCD with LED backlight
- Touch Screen
UMTS/HSDPA/GSM/EDGE Data Function
- Internal antenna
- UMTS/HSDPA (tri-band, 850/1900/2100 MHz) and GSM/GPRS/EDGE (quad-band, 850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
- HSDPA
- 3GPP Release 5 compliant
- UE category 5/6, QPSK, 3.6Mbps peak rate
- EGPRS Functionality
- EGPRS class B
- Multi-slot class 10
- PBCCH
GPS
- Internal GPS antenna
- Standalone GPS
Wireless LAN (manufacture option)
- WiFi 802.11b/g
Biometric Security
- Finger Print Reader
Digital Camera
- Color CMOS VGA Camera for Video Conference

Yesterday 忽然上不到網，打上去與support談了15分鐘都不能找到問題所在，Netvigator話今朝send人來看看，都未出現。昨天整天都唔掂，間中上網10數分鐘便斷，但modem燈長亮，連NOW TV都死亡。他們說無工程進行。
今早7:00am仍然上不到網，10am時又OK了。
12時了, 技術人員仍未到...我看是他們昨天在弄工程...浪費我的時間。

無錯，PCCW的人剛來電說近日在這一帶及商場更換儀器，說有email給了我(都無收到)，還讓我今天不要關ADSL Modem讓他觀測。，昨天phone support又話無工程，他們之間都無collaboration。

U1010 on docking station
Originally uploaded by funfront

今天收到美國寄來的U1010大電池及插座(made in Japan)，不重，帶去trip也可以。
If you use the big battery, the display panel cannot be placed flat. The light weight docking station has more ports for USB connection, RJ45 and monitor ports. But you have to connect it to AC power source if you want to use these ports. You can type with the docking or plug in external keyboard.

More pics here.

Kindle is in some way an innovation but not a reader necessity. Seems hot in the USA as Amazon is currently out of stock. It's expensive device (US$399) and you have to pay for the ebooks though without connection and monthly charges.

Unless you want to depend largely on this device to read, I see it as another cute gadget which will not remain unchanged for long.

I have watched its video intros; see my first impressions below:

1. Die-hard book lovers may not like it.
2. Expensive.
3. Readers may not be as comfortable as reading a book or newspaper (due to its size) though they may not need to bring with their heavy books (probably its main advantage, being convenient).
4. Proprietary format and hardware. Just white color?
5. Battery power for about 2 days, still need to bring the adapter while travelling.
6. Grayscale display, no color.
7. From the video, readers need to adjust their reading habit while using the interface and buttons.
8. Not sure how it well it handles Word doc and email format. (How about other file types?)
9. Unless I have no PDA/notebook, I cannot convince myself to buy it just for reading & I need to carry another gadget. My Fujitsu U1010/U810 can be used to read too.
10. Any free books (not free chapters) or can users download free titles?
11. Any interactive functions (e.g. give feedback/comment)? Browsing webpages? Or just pay $399 for plain reading?
12. Not working for me & Chinese anyway (I am in Hong Kong / China).

See: Video intro

Not everyone was thrilled by the Kindle, see PC Mag