What? No DNG?
9th January 2008
Since Google's Picasa is now available for Linux, I decided to give it a spin. The availability of downloadable DEB packages made installation a piece of cake. It has been ported using WINE, which means that the look and feel is very much of the Windows world. The functionality is similar too, which means that it can seek out image files on your PC. However, it didn't find any DNG files for me, a surprise when DNG could become the standard raw camera format for digital imaging. In contrast, the lack of support for proprietary formats like Canon's CRW might be understandable. Because I like to review the raw image files before committing to editing them, Picasa will not suffice for this purpose, leading me to stick with what I already use.
A new laptop
7th January 2008
Having had it on my wish list for a few years, I finally succumbed to temptation and purchased a laptop in the PC World sale, a Toshiba Equium A200-1VO in fact. I reserved it on the web and popped into the nearest store a few hours later. However, while the reservation system worked, the collection did not go as smooth as I had hoped; it appears that the store where I went was not as well staffed as I would have liked, so I needed to wait before I was served. Finding the right part of the store was another issue. Nevertheless, service was efficient once the wait was over, and I left with the said laptop, a half-price copy of Norton 360 and a network cable.
The laptop comes with an Intel Pentium Dual-Core CPU, 2 GB of RAM and a 120 GB hard drive. The size of the hard drive may not set the world alight and neither, I suspect, will the Intel graphics adapter. Speaking of graphics, the glossy screen might not be to everyone's taste, but its 1280x800 maximum resolution is definitely respectable. Windows Vista Home Premium is the included operating system, and a 90-day trial of Norton Internet Security comes too; I'll wait for that to expire before adding in Norton 360. While I am not rushing to add software, the Home and Student version of Office 2007 has made its way on there.
As regards performance, the machine so far has done what I have asked of without any bother. Even so, battery life is far from extensive, with a maximum of ninety minutes. For long stints away from a power socket, an extra battery might be in order, and there is an offer show on the box in which the device came. That would add to the weight, though; at around 2.5 kg, it isn't something that I would go carrying on a weekend backpacking trip. Despite those limitations, it will get some enough use for me to see how things proceed from here.
