This years PC Show 2012 starts from 7 to 10 June. As usual, the event will occupy level 1, 3, 4 and 6 of Suntec Singapore. The PC Show opening hours from 12 noon to 9 pm daily. Avoid the first hour of the show or else you’ll have to queue to get in.

PC Show 2012
7-10 June 2012
12 to 9pm
Suntec Singapore

Consumers flock to this IT and electronics fair to hunt for the best bargain laptops such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Toshiba, etc. and related computer hardwares and accessories.

Major camera brands such as Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony have promoted their latest compact cameras and DSLRs in previous shows and it is expected they will be present in this year’s event too. There were many new models released over the past 6 months and competitions are hotting up.

Besides computer hardware and digital cameras, the PC Show has become the “battleground” for Singtel, Starhub and M1 to gain market share for broadband subscribers. As observed over the recent years, the freebies are getting more attractive e.g. MacBook Pro for a 2-year subscription plan. Indeed, it is the best time to sign up for a new plan or recontract your broadband during the PC Show. Only the three telcos are allowed to carry Apple products i.e. iPhone and iPad at the show. These booths are not only attractions to Apple fans but also people looking for the latest Android phones from Samsung, HTC and etc.

To find out more information on The PC Show 2012, please visit http://www.pcshow2012.com

It was shocking news when I read the local paper report that Apple products cannot be sold at the IT Show 2012! Apple Australia that oversees Singapore market decided that it was damaging to Apple’s image when its products were sold at IT fairs.

It seems to be pure arrogance that motivates the ban on Apple resellers. Apple stands to lose millions of dollar of sale during the 4-day IT Show 2012.

However, I think Apple is trying to hurt their resellers so as to bolster its own online store sales in Singapore. Or Apple is about to open own store in Singapore. It’s a lose-lose for Apple, Apple resellers and more importantly Apple fans in Singapore.

What do you think?

Please comment below.

I have been using the Galaxy S2 for about 2 months now. After spending about 2 years with the iPhone 3GS, I renewed my Singtel contract in July and got the Samsung Galaxy SII. To be very very honest, I don’t miss the iPhone!

I love the iPhone 3GS. That’s why I didn’t upgrade to a iPhone 4 when it was launched last year. I wanted a phone with better reception and longer battery life.

Better Reception & Longer Battery Life

Samsung Galaxy S2 gives me better reception and longer battery life. My phone calls didn’t get drop as often when going into the lift. And I don’t have to recharge the Galaxy S2 every 8 to 10 hours. I can use the Galaxy S2 for up to 2 days with recharging.

The Samsung interface for Andriod is ok. I got used to it within 2 days. Apple iOS is still superior in this aspect. Apple iPhone OS is a lot more intuitive.

Great Phone Camera

I like the quality of the photo taken by the Galaxy S2 8MP camera. It gives sharp picture in bright outdoor and usable photos in low-light enviroment. You can also adjust the exposure to compensate for extreme lighting condition. In addition, the camera app has built-in editor for you to crop your images.

Email App

I don’t like the email app. It is slow and not intuitive to use. So I do not download to read email messages unless I think it’s urgent and important. I rather access my email on my MacBook.

Bluetooth Connectivity

Many iPhone users complain about the limitation of sharing files over Bluetooth**. One reason I switch to an Andriod phone is because I wanted to try out first hand the advantage of using Bluetooth to transfer file. Honestly, after 2 months, I still don’t see myself using this Bluetooth transfer frequently – I only transferred via Bluetooth 3 times so far.

Why?

Because I used Dropbox. I find it more convenient to transfer files via Dropbox App between my Galaxy S2, iPad and MacBook.

**iPhone 3GS Bluetooth Not Working

I have been searching high and low for a TextEdit word count script and I found NanoCount that actually does I needed. However, I am used to using the right mouse button to find out the number of words in a text file. (You are right. I was a Windows user.)

Then I discovered Automator which comes with Mac OS X.

TextEdit Word Count: My First Automator Script

I have little programming background and I find the Automator extremely easy to learn. However, I am totally alien to AppleScript and so I decided to google around for similar scripts to use in Automator. Here’s the 2 web pages where I used part of the codes in my TextEdit WordCount script.

• AppleScript Word Count Service
• Simple word and character count for TextEdit Apps

Automator Example: TextEdit WordCount Service

First, open Automator in the Applications folder. Select Services.

Click at the option box “any application” to display the pull-down menu. Select Finder

Select Others.

In the Application folder, choose TextEdit.

On the second column of the Automator window, search for the action “Run AppleScript” by entering “run applescript” in the search box.

Double click at “Run AppleScript” or drag and drop this action into the workflow area.

Copy and paste the following codes into the AppleScript widows:

set word_count to count words of (input as string)
display alert "Words: " & word_count


Then, compile the codes by clicking at the hammer icon.

Save the Automator Service.

Next, test out TextEdit Word Count service.

Open a text file using TextEdit, highlight the text which you want to word count. Click the right button on the mouse.

Singtel is giving away a “free” Apple MacBook worth $1,488 when you subscribe to 10Mbps Home Broadband for $85/mth. The catch is… you have to commit to a 24-month contract. The total cost for the MacBook and the fixed broadband is 24 x $85, $2,040. To me, it’s a installment plan to own a MacBook and you are paying for your free MacBook.

Singtel 10 Mbps Fixed Broadband at $23/mth

Effectively, you are paying $23 per month for the 10 Mbps home broadband, which is a good deal. Look at it this way. If you always wanted a MacBook but find it hard to justify for the higher price compared to a Acer or Dell then here’s a good excuse for you to get hold of a MacBook.

Why not pay $85 per month for a MacBook and faster 10Mbps broadband.

Am I stuck with 10Mbps when Next Gen NGN is ready?

Singtel 10Mbps will probably be fast enough until the Next Gen NBN becomes fully operational in 2013. But I expect some home users will be able to connect to Next Gen NBN by 2012 and prices of home broadband will spiral down as more players come on board to offer high-speed broadband.

If you are not current bounded by any fixed broadband contract, then go down to Suntec Singapore Level 6 Hall 601 to grab your free MacBook!

The price of MSI X340 has dropped to S$1,088 according to an ad in today’s Digital Life featuring on the Comex 2009 Singapore starting tomorrow, 10 to 13 September 2009. That’s more than 30% discount from the initial X340 launch price of S$1,599!

With such bargain price, not too far from a 11″ Netbook, the MSI X340 may be the best value ultra thin laptop for this year Comex 2009.

Why MSI X340 and not Netbook

Because the MSI X340 price is so cheap now!

We all know the biggest disadvantage with the Netbook is the screen size. And I could not really work on such small screen.

Now you can get the X340 with a decent 13.4″ screen at 1366×768 resolution that weights about 1.3kg. But, this ultra thin laptop doesn’t have long battery life. According to some reviews, it lasted about 2 hours.

Visit Corbell Booth at COMEX 2009 Singapore

P.S. At the COMEX 2009, you can trade in any Core Duo Notebook for an additional $200 cash rebate, then you pay only $888 for the MSI X340.

I finally managed to connect to iPhone internet tethering via Bluetooth on a MacBook Pro. It was pretty easy after performing the latest Software Update.

In fact, I wrote this post using iPhone internet tethering on Singtel network. Now, I don’t have to mess around with the USB cable when connect my notebook to the internet via my iPhone.

If you’ve read my earlier post on iPhone Bluetooth Not Working, I had no luck trying to connect the iPhone to my VAIO laptop via Bluetooth internet tethering.

However, with my new MacBook Pro, it was a breeze connecting the iPhone 3GS. It was so easy and fast to use iPhone internet tethering.

Yes, I could not wait until the COMEX 2009 to get hold of the MacBook Pro with Snow Leopard OS. Anyway, the current version of OS X Leopard 10.5.8 is good enough for me.

I think I am an Apple fan now!

iPhone Internet Tethering via Bluetooth on Windows Vista

If you have trouble with Windows Vista Bluetooth device driver, you might want to try upgrading your iTunes to the latest version.

According to this Apple forum thread some people were successfully paired their iPhone with WIndows Vista laptop and connected to internet tethering over the Personal Area Network via Bluetooth.

I just can’t wait for September 2009 to come. COMEX 2009 is on 10-13 September 2009 and hopefully Snow Leopard will be released by then. I have been delaying buying the MacBook because of the announcement of Snow Leopard last month. The 13″ MacBook Pro starting at S$1,988 is within the budget for my next laptop.

I have been a Windows user all my life but since I have to change my OS when I buy a new laptop and Vista sux, I might as well get a Mac with the latest OS X Snow Leopard.

Hopefully, there will be some good deals at the COMEX 2009 in Singapore. It is unlikely that Apple’s going to lower the price, however, give me free upgrade to more RAM or a bigger HDD for my new MacBook Pro.

[Updated 26 August 2009]

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard will be available from Friday 28 August 2009.

Upgrade price from OS X 10.5 Leopard is S$48.

Comex Singapore is coming to Suntec City. The IT show will be held from 28 to 31 Aug 2008.  However, I may be skipping this show because I have already spent too much money on too many gadgets e.g. mouse, fan, portable HDD, eee PC and etc. at the previous IT shows: IT Show 2008 in March and the PC Show 2008 in June.

New Notebook! Must Buy by Year-end

I really need to buy a new notebook for work. I am deciding between Dell XPS M1330, Sony Vaio laptops and the Apple MacBook. I hope to get the latest model powered by Intel Centrino 2.

Any suggestion?