Friday, May 6, 2011

YES 4G

What's up, this blog is kinda abandoned, mainly due to college ._. and I (Jeff) have nothing much to review on. But whatever, I'll review YES 4G which.. actually came out 6 months ago, but I just got my hands on it as I found that my college has given us free YES account. Sucks to only find out after 6 months, right?

Here's my setup :
1) Klang
2) Secluded kampung area.
3) At my garden, apparently inside the house is quite hard to get signal, probably because of the trees or building structure.

The dongle...
The dongle is just like the usual thumbdrive size. But the connector is able to turn 270°, Mainly, I think to suit your preference. Anyway, the packaging doesn't come with anything except the modem itself and some ... papers, guide book, do you want a picture of that as well? Hehe. Moving on...

Setting it up isn't hard, connect and install the software. If the dongle doesn't prompt you to install anything, you can download it from HERE.

And here's some speed test on SpeedTest.Net; pretty much satisfactory. Upload speed is low but remember, I'm in Klang ! Wait til I'm back in KL for college, then I'll update this post :)







Saturday, November 6, 2010

ROCCAT Pyra Wireless Reivew

ROCCAT Pyra Wireless Review


ROCCAT, a relatively new player into an industry where names like SteelSeries, Razer and Logitech have dominated the play field and have become household names to gamers everywhere. New as they are, they have made a name for themselves with superb products such as the Kone mouse and Kave headset. Today we'll be taking a look at one of their new product, targeted at mobile gamers - the Pyra Wireless.



The Pyra comes in 2 varieties, a wired one for the discerning gamer who does not wish to be interrupted by niggles such as low battery life and unresponsiveness during frag sessions and also a wireless one for those who wish not to deal with a messy gaming set up but it is just as powerful as its wired counterpart. For this review, I will be taking a look at the wireless variety.


What's in the box:
In the box in addition to the mouse came a small carry pouch for those on the go, a USB cable for recharging the mouse, 2 AAA batteries, the wireless receiver and of course the ROCCAT ID card with the driver disc and product catalogue packaged in a neat little card. The box was kind of big for the contents but still, what came included is pretty much good.


First Impressions:
I can't say I'm not impressed by the simple yet elegant styling and sharp lines which are typical of ROCCAT. It's like looking at a mini Kova minus the sloping rear after the hump and the loss of some lighting. Tech specs on this little rodent were pretty much impressive given its size. The fact that its wireless makes the 1000Hz polling rate impressive to boot!


Design:
In terms of design, I really can’t help but to mention ROCCAT’s sense of style. It is very sleek and very beautiful. Certainly appeals to those who love their cars (and mice) sharp and fast. I mentioned earlier it looks like a mini Kova but I have to point out some differences. Namely the Pyra is much shorter than a Kova. Because of the decrease in length the side is naturally shorter and you only find a single thumb button for the EasyShift function on both sides. ). The word ROCCAT which is moulded into the right button adds a nice touch to the overall aesthetics. If I have something to complain about it is the scroll wheel which is too stiff for my liking. The side panels are made of rubber giving it a good grip. At the rear of the mouse, rather than let it continue sloping downwards from the hump ROCCAT tapered it in a terrace form to save space. If you’re disappointed about the lack of LEDs on the mouse, fret not as there is a single blue LED on the top of the mouse which also functions as a battery indication (though after weeks of ownership I still don’t know if it gives any indication besides going completely when the battery is dead.


At the bottom the On/Off switch can be found, as well as the battery holder and wireless dongle slot with sync button. I don’t have much to say about the bottom of the mouse, except for the fact that the mouse feet are terribly small. The 5 small feet are not very convincing and I fear they may wear out faster than I would like them to. The wireless dongle is still tastefully done although it will be out of sight most of the time. Pictured here it is smaller than a 50 cent coin and much lighter.


The USB charging cable is also a looker. A nice angular design as well as sporting the ROCCAT brand and Pyra name. The connection jack with the mouse also serves as an extra glide foot for the mouse when connected.

In terms of build quality, the Pyra does need some TLC. I have read reports where it suffers from poor assembly. Indeed, if you hold the mouse a bit too hard you can hear squeaks coming from it as the gaps are compressed. It seems the multi pieced construction does have something to do with the gaps. Bad move here, ROCCAT. Provided one does not hold their mouse with an iron grip it should be totally fine.


Comfort:
For a tiny mouse, I was rather surprised when I first got a good hold on it. I was getting this mouse blind as ModernoPC did not have a demo unit of display and especially with mice; each user had a subjective feel of it. Thankfully this little rodent is rather pleasant to hold even after long periods. This is coming from a guy who is used to large mice such as the SteelSeries Ikari so it is rather surprising. The lack of a rear wasn’t much of a big deal as I could barely feel it was gone. Palm and claw gripping works fine on the Pyra although I would recommend semi claw gripping since it is so small. I would say that it feels like an in-between of the SteelSeries Kinzu and Razer Abyssus in terms of feel. Some might not like it due to its small size though. The fact that it is wireless also adds to the enjoyment to use. Freedom of wires opened up a totally new dimension to my mouse usage. I can now use it anywhere and not worry about annoying cables!


Software:
The ROCCAT configuration utility is pretty comprehensive for the tiny rodent. Options such as DPI, sensitivity to button macroing and profiling can be done here. Every button on the mouse can be programmed to do something with the EasyShift feature. As you can see, I already programmed the EasyShift buttons for my ease in FPS games. To use the EasyShift feature, you need to hold down the side thumb buttons first and then press the appropriate key which you yourself have programmed. In terms of DPI settings, a rather tight selection of 400, 800 and 1600 DPI are offered. Not something I'm impressed with I have to say. I would much liked to have the freedom to customize the DPI to my liking.

Performance:
So with that done, it’s time for the main course of the review which I know everyone wants to find out; just how well does this mouse game? I can safely answer that one in 2 words – PURE PLEASURE. The weight of the mouse felt just about right with the batteries inside giving it a weighty feel. Using a sniper rifle or just about any other gun in games was a breeze with its stable and accurate optical sensor. Some may find the max DPI of 1600 a limitation but personally I don’t have any qualms with it. It’s fast enough for me when playing FPS and I don’t think many people use DPI levels of more than 1600 anyway. For RTS games, that accuracy and speed is appreciated as well with unit selection smooth and fluid. The small feet also proved me wrong. They glided effortlessly over my QcK mousepad as well as my black notebook sleeve. It did however run into problems when used on a reflective surface or even a white A4 paper.

Some people may be concerned about the fact it is still a wireless mouse and the many negatives attached to being wireless. Well I didn’t find it to lag at all in frantic action neither did it become any less responsive up to the moment its battery runs out of juice. That said, I must comment on the mouse’s battery indication (or lack of one). The LED indicator doesn’t do a very good job so I have to estimate the time I used the mouse between charges. Every time when the juice runs dry, the mouse would simply stop responding altogether if not act erratically. A simple plug in to the USB cable will allow you to use it again. On average, I manage to squeeze roughly 6 hours of battery life out of the mouse before it dies. Another gripe I have with it is the sometimes erratic connection. On one occasion it took me several tries to successfully pair and use the mouse with the dongle. Rather bad if you ask me.

I also found it awkward at times when pressing the EasyShift button on the right side of the mouse. It took a bit of effort to depress it so it might skew my aim when I’m trying to use the macros. Nothing major but something that could have used some improvement. The scroll wheel is also a bit too stiff requiring too much (IMO) force to depress.

Other thoughts:
Unlike the hybrid mode implemented by Razer on the Mamba where the mouse can be used without the wireless dongle when connected with the USB cable, the Pyra only draws power from it. You still need the dongle in order to use the mouse. It’s not a deal breaker but I expected ROCCAT to at least consider letting people use their Pyra Wireless as a wired mouse once in a while.

Summary:
To be completely honest, I gotten the Pyra Wireless as a complement for my notebook and wasn't really expecting very much from it but a more that decent wireless mouse made from a reputed gaming peripheral company. I was wrong. Instead I found a mouse which was not only very capable as a mobile option but could also give more expensive mice a run for their money in terms of features if not performance.

The good:
Great performance for a wireless mouse
EasyShift function is useful and easy to use
Compact and mobile

The bad:
Subpar build quality
Erratic synching
Poor battery indicator
Might be too small for some users

Rating:
Build: 7
Performance: 8
Value: 7
Overall: 7.3/10

Thursday, September 16, 2010

SteelSeries 6Gv2 Keyboard Review



user posted image
We all know what SteelSeries is about so I'm going to save you the fluff and other things that beat around the bush and go straight to the point.

The 6Gv2 is the second reiteration of the popular 6G mechanical keyboard made by SS. Truth to be told, it doesn't look like the original 6G at all but instead looks like a spitting image of the popular if expensive 7G.

First impressions:

This board features SS more or less trademarked no-nonsense look to it. Nothing too eye catching is present which can be a plus or minus point depending on the person. The white leds for the Num, Caps and Scroll locks are a nice aesthetic touch. And yes, it's heavy!

Design:

Design wise is where the board suffers from a lack of originality. I'm guessing SS was sticking to the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." mantra?

user posted image

While retaining the body of the 7G, there's nothing too different from it's big brother bar the lack of the USB ports, audio jacks and the unbraided and non-gold plated cable. It uses USB as a standard but a PS/2 adapter should you wish to use it. It's metal chassis gives it adequate substance and the rubber feet at each corner makes if difficult to push around when laid flat on a surface.

user posted image

As with the 7G, the underside of the board is shaped so that one can put the board on their laps though it's not recommended as one would have to sit with their legs quite close together in order to fit the grooves.

The left Windows key as you would usually see on most other keyboards has been replaced by a key with the SS logo on it. Pressing this key will allow you to access the SS media buttons assigned to the F1 to F6 keys.

Comfort:
However, the lack of an included wrist rest may be a problem to some as the bottom of the board to the top of the keys measures a good 2cm in height and can get tiring after typing a while with raised hands arching over the board. Personally I didn't feel fatigued using it since the overall height of the board felt lower compared to the 7G for whatever reason.

Performance:
Having tested the board for Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2), Defense of the Ancients (DotA), Call of Duty 4 (COD4) as well as O2Mania, I can safely say this board delivers when it has to. The anti-ghosting feature was very useful when playing O2Mania or similar games. In fact, the build was so solid that the keys did not jam on me even when I was banging the board in a moment of rage and let me continue playing as per normal after that.

Typing on it was a dream. The keys requiring just a slight amount of force to fully depress and register. The tactile feedback of the mechanical keys managed for faster typing on my side compared to using membrane keyboards but your mileage may vary.

Other thoughts:
While SS is a company that makes gaming peripherals and of course target their products at gamers in general, the 6Gv2 however can also serve well as a typist keyboards. It also makes a rather pleasant *click* when the keys are depressed. This board requires totally no drivers and everything (media keys included) works straight after plugging it in.

user posted image

Summary:
A superb mechanical board that features mechanical gold plated keys with anti-ghosting technology at a great price. Definitely something for those that want incredible key tactility, long lasting, simple keyboard that gets the job done. Typist and gamers who are in the market looking for a new keyboard should have a look at this awesome board before making a decision.

The good:

Mechanical keys
Anti ghosting
Great price
Solid build quality

The bad:
Lack of wrist rest may be an annoyance to some
May outlive the user

Rating:
Build: 8
Performance: 8
Value: 9
Overall: 8.3/10

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

SteelSeries 12 days of xmas bundle

http://shop.steelseries.com/us/index.php/12-days-of-xmas-bundle.html

Yes, you read right! From now til 6th January 2010, you can purchase the Siberia Full-size, Ikari Laser White and QcK bundle for just 99USD!

SteelSeries 12 days of xmas bundle

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Razer Deathadder double-click problem fix

I know some of you are using the Razer Deathadder gaming mouse and have experienced some problems with double clicking. So after much digging, I found you all a solution. This guide here explains it all.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Microsoft Sidewinder X3 promo

SRI Computers Sdn Bhd is selling the affordable X3 gaming mouse for just RM49 for this Christmas season! Get it now while stocks still last!