I've recently got my hands on a 32GB Microsoft Surface RT, bundled with the much hyped Touch Cover. I haven't used it for long enough to write a detailed review, but enough people were asking me about it so I've decided to write a preliminary review.
Let's start off with the price (Canadian). This package is priced at $599 plus HST (or PST/GST, depending on your province). In Ontario, that puts the grand total at $676.87. Without the Type Cover, the Surface RT is $519 ($586.47 with HST). This is $19 more expensive than the current (4th generation) iPad (entry model: 16 GB WiFi) and $90 more expensive than Google's Nexus 10 tablet.
The iPad was never a contender for me. I'll admit that it's a great device, I will never be more than a toy to me. I've owned tablets before (Viewsonic G Tablet and BlackBerry PlayBook), but found that their main purpose was collecting dust. If I needed to read something on the go (or on the crapper - we all do it), my smartphone was always my first choice. I didn't need to find it; it was always in my pocket. If I was travelling, my laptop was my computing device of choice for both productivity and entertainment. So, I sold my tablets.
If I was getting a tablet again, it was going to have to replace the laptop and the laptop was to be sold to offset the cost of the tablet.
I need cheaper hobbies.
I was going to wait until the Surface PRO (and third party Core i3/i5 tablets) were released but I decided to try the RT first (I got a pretty good deal on a slightly used one). I know that the RT has no legacy app support, but that doesn't matter all that much to me at the moment. If you want to run your old Windows programs, then move along - this device isn't for you. Also, you have to ask yourself just how much you'd miss these programs. The cheapest Windows 8 (not RT) tablets are about $600 and come with fairly crappy Intel Atom processors. Sure, it'll run your old programs, but you may be tempted to smash it to bits in the process.
The design of the tablet is great. The magnesium alloy chassis and the screen are really top-notch. The tablet has even more of a premium feel than a PlayBook. While some have knocked the screen resolution, I'll say that the screen looks great and is quite responsive. Who cares how many pixels there are? Isn't the overall picture (no pun intended) more important. The built-in kickstand is also great. I've been able to use the tablet to watch a video while cooking. You don't need to hunt down a quality stand for this thing - it's built in.
The sound quality of the internal speakers is good, albeit quiet. In all but the quietest environments, you'll be reaching for your headphones or external speakers. I have a Bluetooth speaker set up in my living room and the sound is great. I will warn you that Bluetooth is severely crippled in Windows RT/8. You need to re-pair your device every damn time. This is not exactly a small issue. UPDATE (01/22): This issue does not apply to Bluetooth HID devices such as keyboards and mice.
It may be a bit early to comment on the battery life, but so far I'm happy. With casual use, I had to recharge it after three days. The Surface comes with a proprietary magnetic charger, which isn't good news if you're the kind of person that loses chargers or wants extra ones for various locations. I'm not so it doesn't affect me. The charger is very portable and more similar to cellular chargers so it won't be taking too much space in your bag.
The touch cover is a very unique thing. It has a magnetic connector that snaps into the bottom of the tablet. It's very easy to put on and remove. With the cover attached and opened (and kickstand extended), the tablet taken on a familiar laptop form. It looks great. The on-screen keyboard disappears. There is even a trackpad that you can use in this mode, but I find that I still just use my fingers on the screen for all but the finest of clicking tasks. If you fold the cover around the back of the tablet, the keys are deactivated so you don't have to worry about accidental key presses while using the Surface as a tablet.
That being said, I hate this cover. If you're a fast typist, the cover is a nightmare. There is audible feedback with each key press, but the response isn't nearly as precise as I'd like. It is better than the on-screen keyboard, but it doesn't suffice when creating long documents. I'd recommend getting the more expensive Type Cover for more serious productivity. UPDATE (01/22): I've recently purchased a cheap Bluetooth keyboard and it makes text input a breeze. While I'd still prefer the Type Cover, I can live with my $25 keyboard over a $139 Touch Cover.
Other reviewers knocked this device for the lack of available apps. The only apps I absolutely need are for e-mail, calendar, note taking, an office suite, Netflix, and a torrent client. The built-in calendar and e-mail apps are fantastic. OneNote is a great note taking app that syncs to your SkyDrive account, so I'm able to access my notes on my Android smartphone or Windows 8 desktop PC. The Netflix app on this thing is the best Netflix app I've used to date. The only thing I'd like to see added is the ability to have the video played directly on my PS3 like the iOS/Android apps. But, as I usually watch Netflix on my Xbox 360, I don't care all that much. The Surface RT comes with a full Microsoft Office Home Suite which is better than any iOS/Android counterpart. No native torrent app for RT exists, but I'm sure something will become available in the near future. For now, I just use uTorrent's WebUI on my Surface RT to control what's being downloaded on my desktop.
My absolutely favourite feature on the Surface RT has to be the ability to join my Windows Home Group. I can browse and use any file on my PC while connected to my home network. Any photo, video or song is within reach. In theory, you can also send your Office documents to your network printer, but I haven't tested this out yet.
I haven't touched on the memory yet. Critics are quick to point out that the 32 GB model only has 16 GB of free memory. To me, this doesn't matter since you can add an SDHC/SDXC card or USB device if you need more storage. I have not tested out external video playback yet.
It's a bit too early to tell, but I think that I may stick with this tablet. I just may swap the Touch Cover for a Type Cover.
I would definitely recommend the Surface RT to anyone wanting a tablet to replace a netbook. For a laptop/ultrabook replacement, wait for the Surface PRO (to be released in January 2013, US pricing starts at US$899 without a cover)
Thursday 29 November 2012
Wednesday 28 November 2012
Game Review: Omega DLC (Mass Effect 3)
Yesterday (November 27), Bioware released the second single-player DLC pack for their blockbuster Mass Effect 3 game. I'll probably revisit the previous games and DLCs at a later date, but this is the first one to be released after I started this blog.
When Omega was first announced, it promised a return to the Omega station (from Mass Effect 2) and a story centred around Aria T'Loak. Aria (voiced by Carrie-Ann Moss of The Matrix Trilogy fame), the ruthless leader of Omega, was an instant fan favourite. Omega was a great setting, and its resemblance to Mars from the 1990 Total Recall film was awesome. I was really looking forward to this release.
Priced at a hefty 1200 MS points on Xbox Live, this is not a cheap release. Having only 80 points on my account, I had to purchase a 1000 point ($15) and a 500 point ($7.50) pack. Again, I'm left over with unnecessary points. Damn you Microsoft, get rid of this system already! Was this a worthwhile, purchase? Read on to find out.
As with other Mass Effect DLCs, the story starts with a private message. After meeting with Aria, you're informed that she wants you to help her retake the Omega station. Your crew, however, is not welcome. Given the importance of your crew throughout the series and the relationships that have developed (romantic or otherwise), I was not pleased with this decision. I know that this is about Aria and developing new relationships, but that (in my opinion) should be left for another game altogether.
For the most part, you're restricted to have only Aria as a team member. She's a capable biotic, and her Reave played well with my Vanguard for biotic combos. She also has a nice ability called Flare, which inflicts massive damage to multiple enemies. There is a massive cooldown after using Flare, so I didn't use it all that much. A Turian female (Nyreen) will also join your squad for a few missions. Unfortunately, she's a biotic too. She does have Overload, but if your Shepard is a biotic like mine, your team will be seriously disadvantaged. All of the enemies are Cerberus. Not only is there an abundance of shielded enemies, but on top of the Turrets and Atlases, you get Mechs thrown your way as well. From a combat perspective, your team sucks. If you're playing on story or normal modes, this doesn't matter, nut this made my hardcore playthrough a bit of a pain.
If you're a Paragon player like myself, Aria will inevitably get on your nerves. Fortunately, Nyreen will be there about half of the time to side with you.
The story is pretty solid, but it is way too short. It only provided me with a couple hours of playtime on hardcore, and that was with every dialog option and map "exploration". There is one part of the story that's supposed to be emotional, but as these characters are largely alien to us (no pun intended), it kind of fell flat.
Would I recommend Omega? Yes, but only to the most hardcore Mass Effect fans like myself. Unlike Leviathan (the previous single player DLC), it adds nothing to the overall experience of the epic game. At 1200 points, it's definitely not enough bang for your buck.
My rating: 6.5/10
When Omega was first announced, it promised a return to the Omega station (from Mass Effect 2) and a story centred around Aria T'Loak. Aria (voiced by Carrie-Ann Moss of The Matrix Trilogy fame), the ruthless leader of Omega, was an instant fan favourite. Omega was a great setting, and its resemblance to Mars from the 1990 Total Recall film was awesome. I was really looking forward to this release.
Priced at a hefty 1200 MS points on Xbox Live, this is not a cheap release. Having only 80 points on my account, I had to purchase a 1000 point ($15) and a 500 point ($7.50) pack. Again, I'm left over with unnecessary points. Damn you Microsoft, get rid of this system already! Was this a worthwhile, purchase? Read on to find out.
As with other Mass Effect DLCs, the story starts with a private message. After meeting with Aria, you're informed that she wants you to help her retake the Omega station. Your crew, however, is not welcome. Given the importance of your crew throughout the series and the relationships that have developed (romantic or otherwise), I was not pleased with this decision. I know that this is about Aria and developing new relationships, but that (in my opinion) should be left for another game altogether.
For the most part, you're restricted to have only Aria as a team member. She's a capable biotic, and her Reave played well with my Vanguard for biotic combos. She also has a nice ability called Flare, which inflicts massive damage to multiple enemies. There is a massive cooldown after using Flare, so I didn't use it all that much. A Turian female (Nyreen) will also join your squad for a few missions. Unfortunately, she's a biotic too. She does have Overload, but if your Shepard is a biotic like mine, your team will be seriously disadvantaged. All of the enemies are Cerberus. Not only is there an abundance of shielded enemies, but on top of the Turrets and Atlases, you get Mechs thrown your way as well. From a combat perspective, your team sucks. If you're playing on story or normal modes, this doesn't matter, nut this made my hardcore playthrough a bit of a pain.
If you're a Paragon player like myself, Aria will inevitably get on your nerves. Fortunately, Nyreen will be there about half of the time to side with you.
The story is pretty solid, but it is way too short. It only provided me with a couple hours of playtime on hardcore, and that was with every dialog option and map "exploration". There is one part of the story that's supposed to be emotional, but as these characters are largely alien to us (no pun intended), it kind of fell flat.
Would I recommend Omega? Yes, but only to the most hardcore Mass Effect fans like myself. Unlike Leviathan (the previous single player DLC), it adds nothing to the overall experience of the epic game. At 1200 points, it's definitely not enough bang for your buck.
My rating: 6.5/10
Prize Fight: Rogers vs. Ivan
First, allow me to introduce the fighters.
In the red corner, we have Rogers Wireless. Rogers is our telecommunications overlord here in Canada. Once upon a time (so the legend goes), they provided an excellent product at a fair price. I'm referring to their Rogers @Home unlimited high-speed Internet service circa 2000. They have always sucked when it came to cable TV (monopoly) and wireless (first GSM provider in Canada).
In the blue corner, we have Ivan (who will continue to refer to himself in the third person - for theatrical purposes, of course). Once upon a time, he was a Rogers customer and even crusader against the heathen known as Bell, but we'll save that for another story. Ivan has cut all ties with Rogers years go. This is most definitely a grudge match.
Being top dog sure has its perks. Rogers managed to snag the shiny new Nokia Lumia 920 with a nice exclusivity deal. Depending on your sources, the details of the deal are different, but let it be known that as of this post, the deal is still in place,
Now, since Ivan is a customer of Wind Mobile, he wasn't considering the Lumia 920. According to early reports, the Lumia 920 was not supposed to be capable with AWS (1700/2100) networks like Wind Mobile, Mobilicity, or T-Mobile south of the border.
Rogers was the first to release this once mythical device on October 30. We're calling it mythical, because almost nobody saw it until November 13. Rogers Plus store employees had absolutely no idea when they would get any stock, and a lot of them didn't even know what a Lumia 920 was. Well played, Rogers.
But, we've already stated that Ivan wasn't interested in the Lumia 920, so what gives? Well, upon the initial launch, www.mobilesyrup.com (our source for all things wireless) reported that the elusive device is indeed AWS compatible and unlocked to boot! Ivan was excited. He was not only going to be able to get his hands on a shiny new Windows Phone 8 device, but it was going to be a flagship device with a PureView camera!
So Ivan diligently monitored web reports. He phoned the corporate stores. He searched www.kijiji.ca. The search wasn't limited just to London, but expanded to include Woodstock, Brantford, Hamilton, Burlington, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph. But, he wasn't destined to acquaint himself with the initial release. He knew that the second batch of the devices would most definitely be locked, but was hoping that they would still be AWS capable. His trusty unlocking site (www.cellunlocker.net) had already advertised the ability to unlock this device.
When Ivan phoned a Rogers store on November 13, he was overjoyed. They had received a shipment! Our protagonist "got his ass down to the store" (as the people would say) and purchased a device outright. At $599 ($676.87 after taxes), it was not a small purchase. Rogers' US counterpart, AT&T (also reportedly evil, but we have no firsthand experience with this), is selling these at $449.99 (plus applicable taxes) AND they come with a FREE wireless charging pad (the cheapest of which retail for $50). But, as the AT&T version isn't AWS capable, Ivan was not interested. We've only included that bit of information to show how Rogers is somehow even more greedy than AT&T.
When Ivan got home with his new Lumia 920, he immediately popped in his SIM card and was greeted with the network restriction message. It was an unwelcome, but an expected sight. He jotted down the device IMEI number and placed his unlocking order for $15. After a few hours, he received the dreaded "unable to unlock" e-mail. Ivan then proceeded to place order after order on other sites, but nobody was able to provide him with an unlock code. He now had two choices: return the device for a refund or pay Rogers $50 (plus tax) to unlock the phone. He had read reports online that people were getting a prepaid SIM card ($10) from Rogers and putting a $50 credit on the account that was then used to pay the unlocking fee.
Being skeptical of Internet anecdotes, Ivan phoned Rogers to confirm if he was indeed able to do this. He wasn't pleased with the ridiculously high unlocking fee but it was now his only possible solution. The polite Rogers employee told Ivan that he can indeed obtain the unlocking code. He had two options: prepaid (as already mentioned), or to have an existing customer put the phone on their account and request the code. The latter was cheaper (no SIM card purchase) and easier (no trip to the store). Fortunately (for Ivan), his parents are still in Rogers' death grip (euphemistically referred to as a "contract"). He then phoned his father, who was willing to do this, providing of course that Rogers doesn't use this opportunity to extend the death grip by another three years.
If that infernal employee hadn't neglected to mention one tiny (but important) detail, the phone would have simply been returned and would have to be purchased at a later date, once third party unlocking was available. But not, that detail was omitted. Apparently, you have to have the device "active" for 30 days before Rogers will take your $50. So, if one purchases a phone for $676.87, it appears that Rogers still doesn't acknowledge that person's ownership of said phone. Instead, Ivan's father had to talk to several employees about unlocking (it's apparently not Rogers' policy to give too much information to any one given employee - knowledge IS power), before accepting the 30 day thing as final.
Now, dear reader, it should be noted that the only things wasted by Ivan were time and nerves. Ivan returned the phone and got a full refund. Had Ivan not had someone with a Rogers account and went the prepaid way, he would have been out $60 ($50 if the SIM card was refundable, but prepaid credits are non-refundable). That would have really been the kicker. After Ivan shared his experience on Rogers' Facebook page, a "helpful" employee informed him that those were simply Rogers' policies and to go #$&% himself. Well, he didn't really say the latter. He apologized, but the sentiment was the same.
Ivan's Windows Phone odyssey doesn't end here. There's a wonderful new chapter in press - Ivan vs. Nokia/T-Mobile. Stay tuned!
In the red corner, we have Rogers Wireless. Rogers is our telecommunications overlord here in Canada. Once upon a time (so the legend goes), they provided an excellent product at a fair price. I'm referring to their Rogers @Home unlimited high-speed Internet service circa 2000. They have always sucked when it came to cable TV (monopoly) and wireless (first GSM provider in Canada).
In the blue corner, we have Ivan (who will continue to refer to himself in the third person - for theatrical purposes, of course). Once upon a time, he was a Rogers customer and even crusader against the heathen known as Bell, but we'll save that for another story. Ivan has cut all ties with Rogers years go. This is most definitely a grudge match.
Being top dog sure has its perks. Rogers managed to snag the shiny new Nokia Lumia 920 with a nice exclusivity deal. Depending on your sources, the details of the deal are different, but let it be known that as of this post, the deal is still in place,
Now, since Ivan is a customer of Wind Mobile, he wasn't considering the Lumia 920. According to early reports, the Lumia 920 was not supposed to be capable with AWS (1700/2100) networks like Wind Mobile, Mobilicity, or T-Mobile south of the border.
Rogers was the first to release this once mythical device on October 30. We're calling it mythical, because almost nobody saw it until November 13. Rogers Plus store employees had absolutely no idea when they would get any stock, and a lot of them didn't even know what a Lumia 920 was. Well played, Rogers.
But, we've already stated that Ivan wasn't interested in the Lumia 920, so what gives? Well, upon the initial launch, www.mobilesyrup.com (our source for all things wireless) reported that the elusive device is indeed AWS compatible and unlocked to boot! Ivan was excited. He was not only going to be able to get his hands on a shiny new Windows Phone 8 device, but it was going to be a flagship device with a PureView camera!
So Ivan diligently monitored web reports. He phoned the corporate stores. He searched www.kijiji.ca. The search wasn't limited just to London, but expanded to include Woodstock, Brantford, Hamilton, Burlington, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph. But, he wasn't destined to acquaint himself with the initial release. He knew that the second batch of the devices would most definitely be locked, but was hoping that they would still be AWS capable. His trusty unlocking site (www.cellunlocker.net) had already advertised the ability to unlock this device.
When Ivan phoned a Rogers store on November 13, he was overjoyed. They had received a shipment! Our protagonist "got his ass down to the store" (as the people would say) and purchased a device outright. At $599 ($676.87 after taxes), it was not a small purchase. Rogers' US counterpart, AT&T (also reportedly evil, but we have no firsthand experience with this), is selling these at $449.99 (plus applicable taxes) AND they come with a FREE wireless charging pad (the cheapest of which retail for $50). But, as the AT&T version isn't AWS capable, Ivan was not interested. We've only included that bit of information to show how Rogers is somehow even more greedy than AT&T.
When Ivan got home with his new Lumia 920, he immediately popped in his SIM card and was greeted with the network restriction message. It was an unwelcome, but an expected sight. He jotted down the device IMEI number and placed his unlocking order for $15. After a few hours, he received the dreaded "unable to unlock" e-mail. Ivan then proceeded to place order after order on other sites, but nobody was able to provide him with an unlock code. He now had two choices: return the device for a refund or pay Rogers $50 (plus tax) to unlock the phone. He had read reports online that people were getting a prepaid SIM card ($10) from Rogers and putting a $50 credit on the account that was then used to pay the unlocking fee.
Being skeptical of Internet anecdotes, Ivan phoned Rogers to confirm if he was indeed able to do this. He wasn't pleased with the ridiculously high unlocking fee but it was now his only possible solution. The polite Rogers employee told Ivan that he can indeed obtain the unlocking code. He had two options: prepaid (as already mentioned), or to have an existing customer put the phone on their account and request the code. The latter was cheaper (no SIM card purchase) and easier (no trip to the store). Fortunately (for Ivan), his parents are still in Rogers' death grip (euphemistically referred to as a "contract"). He then phoned his father, who was willing to do this, providing of course that Rogers doesn't use this opportunity to extend the death grip by another three years.
If that infernal employee hadn't neglected to mention one tiny (but important) detail, the phone would have simply been returned and would have to be purchased at a later date, once third party unlocking was available. But not, that detail was omitted. Apparently, you have to have the device "active" for 30 days before Rogers will take your $50. So, if one purchases a phone for $676.87, it appears that Rogers still doesn't acknowledge that person's ownership of said phone. Instead, Ivan's father had to talk to several employees about unlocking (it's apparently not Rogers' policy to give too much information to any one given employee - knowledge IS power), before accepting the 30 day thing as final.
Now, dear reader, it should be noted that the only things wasted by Ivan were time and nerves. Ivan returned the phone and got a full refund. Had Ivan not had someone with a Rogers account and went the prepaid way, he would have been out $60 ($50 if the SIM card was refundable, but prepaid credits are non-refundable). That would have really been the kicker. After Ivan shared his experience on Rogers' Facebook page, a "helpful" employee informed him that those were simply Rogers' policies and to go #$&% himself. Well, he didn't really say the latter. He apologized, but the sentiment was the same.
Ivan's Windows Phone odyssey doesn't end here. There's a wonderful new chapter in press - Ivan vs. Nokia/T-Mobile. Stay tuned!
Monday 26 November 2012
Welcome to my... Lair? Yes, let's go with that...
Welcome *insert your own name here for a wonderfully personal experience*!
On the off chance that anyone will actually read this blog, let this "blurb" serve as its introduction.
So, why a blog? Why not, when we live in such a technologically "enlightened" society. Every other idiot has a blog, so why not this idiot? I'm finding that I need a place to vent, preferably without pissing off my Facebook friends. A few people have suggested blogging before, but my laziness has usually won out.
What will I write (read: rant) about? There isn't really an overarching theme. I guess that most of my posts will be centered around "first world problems": general tech rants and reviews, service providers, and such. You know, the stuff that really isn't that important in the grand scheme of things. Political issues may be raised as well, in my futile attempt to live up to my civic duties, but I won't eagerly approach the subject due to the sheer amount of idiocy that such a topic attracts.
In the interest of full disclosure, let me declare my allegiances:
Well, this turned out to be longer than I had originally anticipated. Until next time...
On the off chance that anyone will actually read this blog, let this "blurb" serve as its introduction.
So, why a blog? Why not, when we live in such a technologically "enlightened" society. Every other idiot has a blog, so why not this idiot? I'm finding that I need a place to vent, preferably without pissing off my Facebook friends. A few people have suggested blogging before, but my laziness has usually won out.
What will I write (read: rant) about? There isn't really an overarching theme. I guess that most of my posts will be centered around "first world problems": general tech rants and reviews, service providers, and such. You know, the stuff that really isn't that important in the grand scheme of things. Political issues may be raised as well, in my futile attempt to live up to my civic duties, but I won't eagerly approach the subject due to the sheer amount of idiocy that such a topic attracts.
In the interest of full disclosure, let me declare my allegiances:
- In the realm of personal computing, I prefer Microsoft to Apple and Linux. But, I'm not against them.
- I've always been quick to recommend Nokia to friends looking for new mobile phones, but have owned Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Motorola, Sony, and Siemens devices.
- I'm allergic to almost all mobile operators in Canada, especially Rogers.
- In terms of gaming, I prefer to game on consoles, specifically on the Xbox 360, though I own a Playstation 3 and other older generation consoles.
- I am socially liberal, while being fiscally conservative.
- I believe in "evil socialist schemes" such as universal health care, education, and access to basic human necessities (food, shelter, security, and information).
- I believe in freedom of (and freedom from) religion. Believe in whatever, but keep it within your religious group. The same applies to atheists.
- I believe in the Oxford comma.
- I believe in the free exchange of ideas. That being said, everyone is welcome to comment on my posts. The comments will be moderated. Differences of opinion will not be erased. However, hateful speech and overly vulgar comments will not be tolerated. Internet = public. Do try to behave in such a matter as you would out in the "real world".
Well, this turned out to be longer than I had originally anticipated. Until next time...
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