Kohjinsha SA Series: Ultra-Mobile, Ultra-Sexy

The very first time you lay your eyes on one of the new SA Series Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPC) from Japanese manufacturer Kohjinsha, it's guaranteed that you'll be very impressed with a notebook PC that's so small and compact, and yet very well-designed.

This hot little 'tablet' PC has been selling like hotcakes in Brunei for the past few weeks, and it's not surprising as it's very affordable, and quite feature-packed too.

Kohjinsha's UMPC runs a full Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition rather than the Tablet PC Edition, so you'll be able to run your favourite applications as you would on your desktop PC. The only difference might be that this time you can make full use of the 7" LED back-lit LCD Touch Screen and physically control your applications using a stylus. It will definitely make a quick sketch on Photoshop a breeze, especially when you can rotate the screen 180 degrees and lie it down flat with its back on the keyboard for a tablet effect. Not bad for a such an affordable mini-laptop.

Not content on using a stylus? The UMPC also has a touchpad, and even a 5-way directional joystick pointer. Still not satisfied? Simply plug in a mouse into one of the two USB ports available.

Weighing at only 990g, it's perfect for people on-the-go, especially with it's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, making it even easier for you to be connected.

Other features include a 3 in 1 Memory Stick/SD/MMC Memory Card Reader and a 15-pin VGA port.

The Kohjinsha SA Series UMPC, which comes in Black (40GB HDD) and White (100GB HDD), is available in Brunei at the QQeStore, with the absolute lowest price in Brunei guaranteed!* For more information on its current price, please click here.

Apple's new iMac: Thin, but powerful

Apple yesterday unveiled their new line of iMacs, to the delight of millions of Apple users all around the world.

The slimmer, modern-looking, iMacs feature gorgeous 20- or 24-inch glossy widescreen displays, encased in aluminium and glass enclosures, which Apple claims to be the most incredible desktop computer they've ever made.

The iMac boasts a new, ultra-thin aluminium keyboard, built-in iSight video cameras, and iLife '08, Apple's suite of digital lifestyle applications, making it arguably the ultimate digital lifestyle desktop computer for both consumers and professionals.

The new iMac continues Apple's signature all-in-one design, which integrates the whole CPU into the 'monitor' of the computer system, giving users a clutter-free desktop.

As slim as it is, the iMac also packs performance and power, featuring the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, up to 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM memory, and ATI's next generation of graphics with the ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB of GDDR3 memory. Users can now configure their iMacs to up to 1TB of internal storage to accommodate their growing library of digital photos, movies and music.



The slim new Apple iMac is now available in Brunei at the QQeStore, with the absolute lowest price in Brunei guaranteed!* For more information on its current price, please click here.

For more information on the iMac, please visit the Apple Website.

The iPhone has finally landed!

When the great guys at the QQeStore told us at lunch time today that they had an iPhone ready for us to review, we literally jumped out of our seats and didn't waste a single second.. We just had to be one of the first people in Brunei to touch, hold, and play with one of, if not THE most talked about gadget in history!

Yes folks, if you guys read the weekend paper last week, you might have noticed the ad that the QQeStore put out on the front page; they were ready to take pre-orders of Apple's iPhone.

If you read our previous posts on the iPhone, or if you're one of the millions who fell into the iPhone hype machine, you should know by now that Apple restricted the iPhone's use to within the US, and can only be used with an AT&T sim card. The iPhone which will be specifically made for the Asian market will only be released in 2008.

Without an AT&T sim card, the phone was useless, and you were'nt even able to use the iPod and Internet features of the phone. This restriction triggered hackers to start finding out how to unlock the iPhone.

In just a few weeks after the iPhone's release, the hackers managed to partially unlock the phone, making it possible to use all the other features, except making and receiving calls. It's only a matter of time before we get a 'hacked' iPhone with all the phone features accessible to anyone in the world too.

So what's the use of the iPhone without the phone capabilities you might ask? Quite alot actually, even enough to make us guys at Simpur drool with envy and want one for ourselves!

Even without the phone capabilities, the QQeStore already has a long list of enthusiastic buyers on the waiting list for the 'phone-less' iPhone. After playing with one for a considerable amount of time this afternoon, we could definitely see why it's touted as one of the best phones ever made.

What makes this phone different is the intuitive touch screen display. Crystal clear, very easy on the eyes, and believe us when we say that it works like a charm. The first time we did the 'slide to unlock' feature, it literally gave us goosebumps! The whole touch interface has a nice feel to it, and worked as smooth as it did in the Apple ads.

The video and music playback features worked perfectly, especially with the cool CoverFlow feature which lets you 'touch' and flick through your music and video collection. Turn the phone to its side and the display follows suit!

The phone's Internet browsing capabilities were the next thing we tested and we were definitely not disappointed. Connecting to the available Wi-Fi network was easy and simple. Typing the addresses on the virtual keyboard was also breeze and not as hard as expected. Once the page loaded, we were surprised at how good the Simpur site looked on such a small mobile device. Tap the screen twice to zoom in, tap it once to zoom out. Flick the screen up, down, left, and right to move to area you want to see. Turn the phone to its side again to see a widescreen view of the website. Simple.

We played with the other features of the phone and not a single thing disappointed us. Who would've thought that we'd enjoy browsing through photos on a small device? The phone's unique 'pinching' features let you zoom in and out of photos easily too.

It's quite surprising how we even forgot that the phone capabilities didn't work as we were just too amazed, and in awe with the other features.

All in all, this device has exceeded all our expectations of it, even without the ability to make or receive calls. If you have extra money in your pocket to spend on, then we suggest you get one right now because it will be the best gadget you'll own, and without doubt you'll be the envy of your friends and the rest of us gadget lovers in Brunei!

The Apple iPhone comes in 4GB or 8GB models, and is limitedly available online at the QQeStore, with the absolute lowest price in Brunei guaranteed!* For more information on its current price, please click here.

The Asian version has not been announced yet, but Apple promises that it will be available in 2008.