Before going onto the food blogs, I want to show you my new laptop I just bought last week. Yes I bought the Macbook Air, the new version with SSD, and I must say it is really cool!

You may think that my comments on the Air must be good since I am like a loyal Apple fan, but while I love the designs from Apple, I can still think objectively. Let me show you some pros and cons on this machine, but first, let's take a look at the unboxing process!

Even the box is really thin, and then I can't wait to just open it!

This laptop is basically just a sheet of metal, it is so thin that it is really like a book, qualified to be called as a "notebook".

And let's check the thickness compared to my Octopus card...so thin!

So why thin then? How does it compare to other small netbooks which have smaller dimensions but thicker?

Thin is small
Let me tell you, the Air does not go into the direction of being small in two dimensions because they want to keep the full size screen and full size keyboard. I must say that it is a very good decision. There are so many netbooks out there and the first comment you would make when you see them is, "That is too small to read!" Then you try to use it, and you will be like, "I can't type properly!" See? But with the size and thickness of the Air, you won't say, "Hey, that's too big!" Instead, the thinness has already shown that it is more important than anything else. If it is thin, it is easy to be carried and placed in a bag, and that is a big big advantage. And the other netbooks? Still bulky in your bag, isn't it?

Impossible Space
And even more, it becomes an object to be desired. It is so thin that you cannot stop yourself from being amazed. When people see a small netbook like HP Mini, you won't be that amazed. Yes, it is small, but it is not in the wowing stage because everything in the world is getting smaller now when it comes to electronics. Phones are smaller and cameras are smaller. However, Macbook Air goes into another direction that you will be shocked when you see it. Why? Because no one believes all the chips can be stuffed into such a tight space! It is new and innovation!

Faster than you think
One must be reminded that this is not a netbook actually. It runs on Core 2 Duo chips (mine is 2.13GHz) and this one I got runs on SSD (solid state drive) too. It is definitely faster than other netbooks which use Atom usually. With SSD, I have never experienced such fast loading speed when I load up programs. It boots up faster than my previous Macbook Pro (2.5GHz) and iMac (2.4GHz), can you believe that?

Before I bought this, I expected this machine to be a little slow. Looking at the spec, it is probably the slowest in the Mac lineup (though I get the higher end of two Macbook Air options). Now, after using for more than a week, I must say this speed is more than enough for me. I don't just surf the net on it, but do web-design, coding, photo retouching and watching videos. Everything is smooth and very responsive, and the system animations are smooth too. I am very satisfied!

No Support and Ports?
Yes, the Air only has one USB and one LAN port. There is no drive and everything is based on a wireless concept. However, why not?

I agree with Steve Jobs that people seldom use their CD drives in their laptops. I only used my Macbook Pro's drive for less than 10 times in 15 months. When I am using my Air, I didn't have the need at all for a CD drive. There are assumptions though. First you must have a wireless network at your place. Second, you had a Mac already before the Air. If that's the case, you will have no problem with your Air. In reality, people who buy the Air won't be those who are looking for their first computer at all!

The only problem is the USB port. I believe that if there are two USB ports, it will be much better, but at this stage I am all fine because my Mighty Mouse connects my Air via Bluetooth. My USB port is then reserved for any flash drives.

Heat Problem
Some people are very concerned about the heating, but I have no problem with that so far. It does get quite hot when I am watching a lot of videos or installing something. The CPU heat diode once reaches 75 degree Celsius! However, after the update Apple provided several months ago, this problem was somehow alleviated, making the fan turn on when the inside is too hot. However, if you are using it for casual work, there should be no problem at all.

This computer is really made for those who need to carry a computer around. I won't go for a netbook if I need a laptop for my business, because it looks cheap. A netbook does not look professional to me compared to the Macbook Air. The Air is clean and stylish, and it gives a much better presentation too when you are meeting your clients with it. If you are only looking for something to surf the Internet on the street, of course you can get a netbook. However, while the netbook is small in size, a Macbook Air still fits better in a bag than a netbook.

I am very satisfied actually, and now the price has dropped a lot to a level that it makes sense, I think those who look for a easy-carry and professional laptop should seriously consider one.

Some weeks ago I was so into Macbook Air, and I was thinking seriously about getting one because I would like to have a light laptop for daily use in the office. Of course, as you may probably say, it is a laptop that isn't worth it. It is very light and thin but with no drive, and the configuration is not powerful too. Even more, I don't like that keyboard which is plastic and looks cheap.

So I made a plan. I am to save money for it. If I have the extra money saved, then I will buy it, and I can imagine this period of saving money would be more than 5 months. That is actually a plan to stop me because after that much time, I don't have the interest anymore.

So in a way I already ditch the idea of buying it. Instead, I bought something today which was much cheaper, but not very cheap compared to other computer accessories. It is the new Wacom Intuos 4 tablet, and I want it to mark the milestone! I want it to make it draw more and it is time that the construction of Angelworld 9 starts! Okay, let's do some unboxing pictures, here you go!

The box is all black, and I think they are making this product packaging more and more like that of Apple, haha

Even the instruction on the inner side of the cover looks like that of Apple. And wow, the tablet! Oops, I forgot the shot of the final outlook, so I use one image from the official site for the time being! The third image is the manual package.

The tablet is perfect, and it now has the function keys on the side of the tablet with a new ring, which allows you to scroll, switch layers, change brush sizes and rotate canvas! The keys have a nice OLED screen to it, which shows the functions of the keys, aren't they slick?

The pen is of course any great creation. It is now capable of sensing over 2048 levels of pressure, meaning much more delicate and precise controls over the tablet from the user. The pen also comes with a set of 8 customizable pen tips, being held of a case which also acts as a pen stand. That is just awesome!

And my whole setting is completed now, and I am ready to go for more design stuff! Of course, I think I should try the brushing first, and it is so nice! See my strokes done in Photoshop, it is really like a pen!

And now this is the setup...

I also set up the Mac Mini (finally after moving in this current apartment, which was last August thing!) next to my bed, and I can watch DVD with it

Yeah!

Okay, I am being a bit...silly now because I am going to follow what some crazy fans who document their unboxing of Apple stuff. The reason why I am doing this is that...you guys want to see! Take a look now!

So that's the box case, and I am getting the laptop out and you will see the documentations.

It is pure design jewel...

Overview...

So what's next? I don't know, but definitely it is about to work very hard soon since I have a lot of work to do this Easter Holiday! It is when the 4GB RAM come to use!

My new toy, and probably a celebration gift for my being featured, came a bit earlier than I expected. It arrived today with a small box, and I just want to share some pictures of the unpacking, and the comments of my first hands-on experience.

Inside the pack was something cool. Okay, I guess it is only the iPod which is cool because what is left are only a pack of cables including the poor earphones (that's not news, as you know), and some menus which are so short that you think they are just ads.

Then I sync-ed the device, because I was forced to. Now, the stunning part is here, because the animation and the interface is really great! The slider is a nice idea because it is a very intuitive design!

The first thing I did was to synchronize all the songs and iCal info. The Coverflow interface is totally awesome, especially when I am so used to the one in iTunes already. The sound quality is different and probably because my previous iPod (4th gen) is really some years ago.

The other functions work so fast, but as a designer, again, I admire the details and visual effects more. The bouncing effect, drag effect and the shadowing are all very well done. It is easy and intuitive, and beautiful at the same time. It is really a masterpiece.

Of course, another thing that makes me want to buy this is the ability to surf the web. Safari, though not the best browser I used (I love Firefox!), works fine and effectively here in this little gadget. The graphics all show up sharp and clear, although the loading speed is not really fast. It must not be the network because my laptop opens the same website much faster at the same time when I loaded the site on the iPod. 

You see? The graphics are well rendered, same as the other interfaces. I must say that it is a truly well-designed piece of hardware, with an interface that fits the way human works. One may hate Apple for being too flamboyant sometimes, but talking in the designer point of view, Apple is a true winner. When you use the iPod touch or iPhone interface, there is no matching competitor. It is purely an eye candy yet it is functional and works perfectly well. As you may know, I am a graphical design and also an interface design, and I admire Apple that they can rethink about our complex user behaviour and make something simple. That is what I call a good design.

Okay, I am just being crazy. The title is in Italian, which means "Sight of an apple." Vista is Italian, and I was just thinking what apple was in Italian.

Anyway, after using the new Mac for a month, I have a lot of comments, both good and bad. I have tried quite many things that I didn't before, because even I have my Mac Mini, there are some programmes which cannot be installed at all on it. Now I finally have a chance the test them, including the useful Boot Camp.

Okay, please note that I am using HDR again for these photos (all because I am addicted, okay?), and I have heavily retouched them, adding grains and pin-hole camera effects. No particular reason but the fact that I haven't used Photoshop for a long time and I need some exercise to keep myself familiarized.

There is no denying about the intuitiveness of Mac OS X. The coming Leopard is going to beat its competitor Vista to the ground again. I must say that working on Mac is very easy and comfortable. Why? Because the Exposé is very useful! When I was using Mac Mini, it was not really fast even equipped with an ATI graphic card (9200), and I wouldn't have many windows on the desktop as a result. Now on the new machine I actually work a lot with different applications, and when you have tons of windows (usually 10-15, from big to small to message boxes) the Exposé function is proved to be very useful.

Another thing that amazed me is the speed. The new iMac uses mobility CPU (T7700) and I have upgraded it to have 4GB RAM. It may not be the fastest compared to other self-assembled PCs, but the loading time of the system is like instant. Usually it takes just 15-20 seconds to start up and reach the desktop, and you can just use it unlike Windows in which you see all the "coming" icons in the system tray. Such efficiency fits my daily work because even if I just want to check one email or some notes in the computer, I do not need to wait at all! Making it sleep is the same, just one press of the power button and it is done! So good!

I am not bothered much by the slim keyboard which looks like the laptop types. Indeed, I am quite impressed by how responsive it is. The Mighty Mouse is good but that ball scrolling is a bit too sensitive.

The Spotlight function is just too good to describe. I can find what I need, from what I just read from the web to what I just downloaded, it can find them out. I can even use it to jump to one song when I am listening to music! That is VERY useful!

I have installed Windows Vista on the Mac too using Boot Camp. After some days of installation it starts to be unstable again, and this time I suspect that the problem may come from the newly installed Norton Antivirus 2007. It drags down the computer speed too. Still, compared to Mac OSX, the new Windows system is not a good one. Let alone the fact that its interface is a copy of Mac, Vista does not help with anyone's workflow. It stresses on entertainment functionality but it is not easy to use at all. It lacks the intuitiveness I just mentioned. Indeed, if it is not that I need to run some programmes which requires Windows, I will not save space for such a Microsoft product.

Even that I miss the quick menu selection (I always use the Alt+key way to access menus in Windows, but Mac does not have it), I am more and more adjusted to the new system. Before I was worried about one issue that Windows is more responsive when it comes to control, but now I am all accustomed. To me, buying and using Mac are not really about chasing brand names, but the appreciation on design consideration, in both visual and functional aspects, which are related to my current job, architecture.

Finally, the machine arrived. Due to some "technical" problem, I chose to bring it back home instead of waiting for it to be delivered. I realize that after all the slimming and trimming, the new iMac still weighs something.

The new computer is a 20" Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz aluminium iMac. Indeed, as an article in Macuser.com posted, the new Mac just boots up really fast without any hassle. Of course, while being amazed by the slim computer, I was also excited about the new keyboard. I don't know why some people hate such notebook-keyboard so much, since I feel it really comfortable to use. One does not need to press so hard to get each key typed, though it will be better if the keyboard can increase its tilting a bit for a better waist angle.

Out of the box
What can I say? One of the most successful parts in Apple's products is the package. It is always so neat and clean. You just want to bring it home!

Fast, just god damn fast
Maybe I haven't  had any major upgrades in my previously PC, but still the new iMac is just freaking fast. Just 10 seconds it already boots up the OS X, and it takes only 5 seconds to open Photoshop CS3. I can't believe it, that is like opening Preview!

And of course, I love the Front Row and the remote, as always. I think Windows Media Center is nice, but Front Row is a bit more intuitive.

Design does matter
There is no doubt about the designs of Apple's products. So far it captures the people's attention really well and easily. The slim iMac is completely a cool piece of design shit. It contains a lot that you are just excited about. My father couldn't believe that it was an all-in-one computer, and nor could I!

I have to say, the sound of this computer is really nice. Finally the sounds sound like more than just "sound". The old iMac has horrible speakers! The amplifier in this iMac really helps.

Slim to the bottom
The new keyboard is just some millimeter thick, and I like the new function keys too. Since I use Exposé and Dashboard a lot, their new keys at the top of the keyboard are really useful. And finally, I have the Mighty Mouse!

What can I say? It is a really good desktop computer, and I guess I invest in something really good this time! 

Finally I got a copy of Vue 5 Infinite, and I know you just don't know what this is. It is a program by E-ON software. It is a landscape generator but does more than just planting. With its Eco-System, you can assign a surface to plant trees. Yes, they will just grow infinite on that area like a grass safari or dense forest. With that you can also make structures like building cars on a highway. If you build your tree landscape with that, you can be sure that no tree looks the same. It sets variations on all objects so you get different results with just one click.

You can also import your things to render. It helps me a lot because I can design a house in AutoCAD and 3DS Max, then import it into Vue 5 with a hill of many trees. Then I can render it straight away with global illumination on. It can even have the power to render volumetric light.

Even crazier, if you render an animation, you can set the physics of how the trees swing. Wow, it is just real...

So this is my first attempt on the Eco-system, and it starts off really beauitfully...

Then I realize it can render the alpha channel and depth channel at the same time! Awesome!

Now I can only say that I will definitely try this with my new abstract art direction. Or perhaps start some landscape matt painting with this!