Starting Out With Firefox

Though I make a living writing about tech-related developments, I’m someone who doesn’t change habits easily. When I started my online career back in 2006, Firefox was my browser of choice. I was sold on Jayvee’s warnings that Internet Explorer 6 was full of security holes, and bunching everything into a group of tabs—instead of opening one window per page—seemed to make more sense.
As I began keeping tens of tabs open at the same however, Firefox would start slowing down tremendously. It did become irritating, but Firefox’s extensive options of add-ons—and the fact that I got so used to it—kept me loyal.

I did try out Google Chrome when it first came out, but some of my favorite websites wouldn’t load properly in the beta version. I did keep my Chrome install however, mainly to test some of my amateur web designs on different browsers, and log on to websites with my secondary user accounts.

Discovering Chrome

That’s why it took me this long—last week, nearly two years after the first stable Chrome release debuted—to consider an alternative browser. To be honest, those “speed tests”-slash-ads piqued my interest. Mozilla did take steps to address Firefox’s tendency to crash with a huge number of tabs open at the same time, but the overall speed of that browser was starting to get to me.

As a person I get easily distracted. I’ve always placed a premium on responsiveness, because I need to get things done as quickly as possible before some random thing grabs my attention. I decided to try using Chrome for most of my online activities for a day, to test Google’s promise that it was the fastest browser around.

And before I knew it, I spent the next day using Chrome. Then the day after that. Eventually I moved all my saved passwords to the Google app, and started using Firefox less. Now, the only reason why I use Firefox is because the client’s CMS only loads on that browser. Currently I do everything on Chrome, doing the necessary research, to procrastinating with the latest online meme.

What Google Chrome Lacks

In other words, I now swear by Google Chrome. However, there are two features on Firefox that sorely miss:

• A Scrolling Tab Bar. I don’t like how Chrome shrinks the tabs as the you load more of them on the same window. On Firefox, the tabs had a minimum width. They would start scrolling when their total width was too wide for the window, and browsing through them was a simple matter of scrolling the mousewheel over the tabs, or clicking on the arrows on either end of the bar. I’m not the only one with this issue. If you open enough tabs on the same Chrome window, they become too small to properly see the titles of the web pages.
• Lack of Keyboard Shortcuts. Specifically, through the right mouse button menu. To quickly copy a link on Firefox, all I had to do was right-click on it and press A (to select “Copy Link Location”). As far as I know, there’s no shortcut key to quickly select “Copy Link address” in Chrome. I still have to move my mouse over that menu item and click it, which slows things down somewhat. If anyone knows how to modify Chrome so I can just use the keyboard to copy a link’s address, I’m all ears.

On Firefox:

On Chrome:

Despite these issues however, I still enjoy Chrome’s speed. I’m not sure if Google’s browser is objectively faster, but what matters is my subjective impression of the application’s responsiveness. On this front, Chrome delivers. Yes Firefox, we had our times. But I discovered something better. I hope you understand.

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Note that the following images, taken at a full resolution of 2576 x 1936 pixels. Click on an image thumbnail to load a full-sized version scaled down to 800px width.

The first shot ever taken with my N900. Yes, that’s me in my pambahay.

At The Fort, near the McDo with the drive-thru:

At the Antec booth during the last COMPUTEX:

Yep, a PC repair store in BF Homes, Parañaque offers “repormatting”:

Some hardcore overclocking action from COMPUTEX. That’s Liquid Nitrogen being poured directly over a CPU, folks:

Taipei 101:

My officemate. Sorry ladies, he’s quite taken:

Meet Eeyore’s friend, Goofy!

The verdict? The N900 does pretty well under good lighting. The flash, while not the brightest I’ve seen on a pocket gadget, is still strong enough to light those night shots. The flash’s range is limited though, and on automatic images from the camera tends to create images with a lot of noise. Take pictures under the right conditions however, and you’ll have high-quality shots suitable for printing.

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With Flash: (no EXIF data available)

Without Flash: (no EXIF data available)

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With Flash: 30mm (35mm equivalent 46mm) 1/6s f/2.0 ISO 200

Without Flash: 30mm (35mm equivalent 46mm) 1/15s f/2.0 ISO 800

Lens Used: Samsung EX-S30NB – Lens – 30 mm – f/2.0 Pancake – Samsung NX

Note: To download the full images, please visit this album.

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In other words, the ST10-3t is an extremely portable computer with an easy-to-type on keyboard that also converts into a tablet. Flip the screen up, face it towards the back, then bring it down over the keyboard.

Flip, Swivel, Touch

The ST10-3t’s controls are laid out to accommodate this variable form factor. The power button is actually right beside the display, and so are buttons to rotate what appears on the screen, mute audio, and activate the Lenovo NaturalTouch media browser. Indicator lights you’d usually see around the keyboard or on the hinge are near the display too.

The touch-screen is basically a replacement for the mouse. Tap on what you want to click, double-tap for double-click. You can also drag objects around by sliding them across the screen with your finger. To right-click, you hold the tap and release once you see a circle appear.

A More Powerful iPad?

Like the iPad, the ST10-3t is great for reading and light surfing away from the desk, when you don’t really feel like using the keyboard. That, coupled with a built-in webcam and a relatively roomy hard drive make this Lenovo offering a pretty versatile tablet PC.

Unfortunately, the test unit we tried out only had 1GB of RAM. Windows 7 (Starter Edition in this case) isn’t pretty demanding and has always proven responsive, but the low amount of RAM meant things move a little slow on the ST10-3t.

The lack of responsiveness is even more of a problem on this touch-screen device, because we’re all used to immediate feedback when we press something. It sometimes takes a few seconds for the ST10-3t to respond to commands given through the touch-screen. In other words, on paper the ST10-3t is more powerful and versatile than the iPad, since it runs a full-blown OS; the lack of on-board RAM in our review unit was a crutch though.

A Handy Gadget That Needs More Memory

In netbook form, the Lenovo ST10-3t is a great tool, perfect for typing out reports and getting work done. It lacks power for serious gaming, but that’s to be expected for diminutive PCs. The Intel Atom N470 provides enough power (while not consuming too much power), leading to around 4 hours of battery life from a single charge. However, future buyers should never use this Tablet PC unless it has 2GB of RAM installed.

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With Flash: 3.5mm 1/8s f/2.6 ISO 160

Without Flash: 3.5mm 1/8s f/2.6 ISO 160

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(The following times are in 24-hour format. 0000 to 1200 are midnight to 12 noon respectively; for times 1300 or above, subtract 1200 and slap on a “PM” to get the time. So 2235 = 2235 – 1200 + “PM” = 10:35 PM)

April 29, 2010

901: New charge. 97%

902: Answered text. 97%

913: Answered text. 96%

953: 94%

1033: Sent text. 94%

1057: 93%

1110: Sent text. 93%

1115: Sent text: 92%

1208: Wrote a note. 89%

1215: Recorded 1 minute video 88%

1229: 86%

1234: Sent text. 86%

1240: Activated Wi-Fi. Oops. 85%

1242: Going online via 3G. 85%

1250: Posted a plurk update, disconnected 3G. 83%

1255: Arggggh Wi-Fi drain! 81%

1318: Answered a one-minute call. 77%

1344: Answered a one minute call. 75%

1513: Sent text. 73%

1615: Sent text 72%

1727: Two texts. 70%

1802: Two more texts. 69%

1802: Activating 3G. Going online to blog pics and prices for new HTC phones. 69%

1813: Having trouble with 3G. Damn you Globe! 69%

1836: Got 3G working, and posted via MaStory. Used the camera to take 3 pics of the HTC phones. Going offline. 59%

1847: Whoops, forgot to turn off 3G. 55%

1911: A text, sent. 55%

1927: Another text sent. 53%

1940: Yet another text sent. 51%

2011: You guessed it, another text sent. 51%

2035: Took some notes for my interview with Rhian Ramos. 48%

2100: Answered a text. 46%

2219: Received a one-minute call. 39%

2227: Tried to send images to netbook via Bluetooth. Netbook crashed. Restarted and did transfer via USB. Phone got charged a bit, but battery is now 34%

2235: Answered a text. Battery seems to be draining quickly suddenly. 31%

2259: Took a while for Battery log to update. Two texts received and replied to. 35%

April 30, 2010

0012: A couple of texts. 35%

0023: 15 second call. 34%

0056: Sleeping time. 34%

0800: Alarm. 28%

1000: 28%

1002: Checking out songbird. Wi-Fi time! 28%

1007: Sent a text while waiting for getsongbird.com to load. Really loving the multi-tasking 28%

1008: Oh wait, I should download songbird to my desktop, then install the plugin for N900 music sync support. Going offline. 27%

1012: Text, received and answered. 26%

1025: Damn Wi-Fi drain. 20%

1203: Weird. Started music player. 21%

1224: Just ended a two minute call. 17%

1322: 16%

1330: Set an alarm for 1400. Closed music player. 16%

1539: I vaguely remember the alarm blaring at least 5 times before I forced myself from the bed. 13%

1651: 12%

1733: 11%

1830: Missed call. 11%

1843: Tried a callback. No answer. 9%

1852: 6-minute call. 7%

1855: 1-minute call. 6%

1944: 0%. No battery warnings yet.

2002: Battery warning 1

2023: 7 minute call and two battery warnings.

2024: Sent two texts.

2052: Battery warning 4. Two texts out.

2121: Battery warning 5.

2156: Battery warning 6, received and answered text.

2157: Battery warning 7.

2200: Received and answered text.

2227: Battery warning 8.

2228: Started music player.

2229: Battery warning 9.

2237: The Nokia N900 is dead. Long live the Nokia N900!

Notes

I used battery-graph to track battery life. The N900 doesn’t use battery bars.

Fully-charging the N900 takes around 3 hours.

There’s a bug that apparently drains the battery whenever you start the N900’s Wi-Fi, at least for a few hours after you deactivate it. Nokia’s hopefully working on a firmware update to fix this; in the meantime, you should set the Wi-Fi transmitter power to 10Mw.

It’s also recommended to deactivate 3G when you’re not surfing via mobile broadband. This very useful applet allows you to do so quickly.

More tips on increasing the N900’s battery life available here. It’s a must-read for N900 owners!

Verdict

I’m pretty sure the N900 would’ve fared better with a 1500mAh battery (which helped the N97 last pretty long). The N900 is literally a tiny computer, and such power demands well, power. Why couldn’t Nokia engineer space for a higher-capacity battery?

For busy N900 owners, I’d recommend the following setup to keep the internet tablet alive for those inevitable emergencies: Charge the N900 via the included USB cable when in front of a computer; those who drive to work should invest in a car charger.

The point is to charge the N900 when you can (it’s ok to charge li-ion batteries even when not completely drained, just don’t keep the charger plugged in overnight). Normal use won’t kill the gadget immediately, but for those upgrading from a phone (Nokia or otherwise) with a long battery life, the relatively short battery life of the N900 will surprise.

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Packed in a small box with just enough space for the phone itself, manuals, and useful accessories, the Elm is clearly a poster child for Sony Ericsson’s GreenHeart initiative. The packaging material (the box itself) is exactly enough to protect the items from the elements, and nothing more; no unnecessary foam or padding to be found here folks! The only paper you’ll find with the phone are the warranty, standards compliance details, and important information respectively. The actual manual is stored on the phone itself, accessible through the menu.

Turning the phone on for the first time reveals the need for a SIM; attempt to use the Elm without one only provides access to the Demo video and emergency calls (and in the Philippines, you still need a SIM to call for help). In other words, a SIM’s required if you want to use the Elm’s Wi-Fi or 5 megapixel camera, a requirement that seemingly dismisses the Elm’s versatility.

Lots of Features Under the Hood

Using a SIM unlocks the Elm’s full capabilities. Other than calls and text, this phone can go online via HSDPA, HSPA, or Wi-Fi; easily transfer files via Bluetooth; and capture decent photos with its camera. The Elm also doubles as a good media player, FM radio capability (use of earphones required), and video playback capability. Unfortunately, with no 3.5mm jack that supports standard earphones, users are limited to the Elm’s proprietary port, which is also used for charging and USB connections.

There are also other features packed into this light and compact phone: other than A-GPS, software for YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and some others are pre-installed. Standards like an organizer, and a phonebook limited only by the remaining space on the Elm’s 280 MB internal memory, are present. A microSD—yes, not Sony’s proprietary memory Stick—slot supports up to 8GB memory cards for those who need more space.

Personally however, the best feature of the Elm is its useful auto-complete function. It’s already easy to type out messages using the phone’s slightly concave numeric keypad. But as you see suggested words appear as you type, it’s a simple matter of pressing right to fill them out. This potentially saves the user from a lot of typing, but it does require getting used to in the start. Texts by the way are arranged as conversations, making it easy to track what was said previously.

Limited Web Browsing

It’s just too bad that the Elm doesn’t come with a better web browser. It will load any website, but more or less limit itself to showing only the text. Websites that use a lot of Javascript and Flash will not load properly. In other words, the browser limits you to the effective, but ultimately less useful, “mobile version” of websites. Sure, all those pre-installed apps designed for popular online services are pretty useful, but what if the user wanted to check out new services? This browser limitation is unfortunate, especially since the Elm can do HSPA and Wi-Fi.

Aside from this browser limitation however, the Elm performs admirably. Menu navigation was responsive, and the 1000mAh battery lasts surprisingly long. A whole day of keeping the music playing, some light surfing, and around a half-hour of calls left some juice for the next day. The battery finally died by noontime. The phone itself, while light, is also very well made. An almost-entirely plastic housing belies the phone’s solid feeling, and there were no loose items that would eventually come undone when exposed to daily wear-and-tear.

You get a lot for the Sony Ericsson Elm’s P10,990 official retail price, and the two available colors (black-silver and pink) suit any orientation. The Elm is also one of the cheapest phones with Wi-Fi built-in, and a lot of great pre-installed apps support the phone’s versatile connectivity. The only things preventing the Elm from achieving “must buy” status is its limited web browser, and the lack of a standard 3.5mm jack. Few other phones on the market however match the Sony Ericsson Elm’s combination of compactness, features, and capability.

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With Flash: 5.2mm 1/15s f/2.8 ISO 400

Without Flash: 5.2mm 1/15s f/2.8 ISO 800

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The app lets me manage multiple accounts on Wordpress (which powers Technograph), Blogger, and other popular blogging platforms. Typing on the N900’s keyboard is easy enough, but it won’t make keyboards obsolete any time soon.

At least MaStory lets me post pics I’ve taken with the N900’s camera. Resizing them to fit is a bit cumbersome though.

Other options like setting a post’s category or tag are also available, but they take a lot of tapping through multiple screens to use. The preview mode makes it possible to check out the post before it’s sent to your blog.

By far the best feature of MaStory is its offline mode, which lets the blogger write posts offline, updating their content once they access the internet.

MaStory is a very functional app. Some tweaks to the interface are needed to make it easier to use though.

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