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I am back from PIKOM PC Fair 2008 (II) held in KL. It was so crowded and I almost regretted goingthere… I only completed half of my PC Fair shopping list.

These are what I got: Apple iMac 24" 2.8GHz, WD My Book Studio (500GB) external hard drive, SONY DCR-SR65 40GB Handycam Camcorder. I missed the NAS, netbook, and webcam.

P1 W1Max Wimax speed test

One of the major attraction about PC Fair 2008 (II) is the P1 W1MAX wimax service. I tried the wimax connection at PC Fair, the Internet speed is quite impressive. Web pages loaded fast, no load waiting for YouTube videos.

The following is the screenshot of speed test result for P1 W1MAX:

It shows 2.66Mbps download speed and 536Kbps upload speed for P1 W1MAX wimax connection. That’s much faster than normal Streamyx broadband connection, although the upload speed is capped at 512K.

P1 W1MAX wimax service is not officially launched yet but is expected to launch in August 2008. More details such as subscription plans and prices will be revealed by then.

(Continued…)

So, it’s PIKOM PC Fair 2008 (II) today! Have you been there? I am going to Kuala Lumpur today to join the crowd. I plan to do some shopping at PC Fair such as Apple iMac, external hard drive, MSN Wind, WebCam, and Camcorder.

Apple iMac 24-inch 2.8GHz

It’s time to upgrade my Mac experience. My 3-year-old Apple 12-inch iBook G4 is working fine but I think it’s time to upgrade for a better Mac experience. I plan to get the Apple iMac 24″ 2.8GHz model (RM6,399/~USD 1965). I will have another 24″ monitor then!

Hopefully, I can get a good deal at PC Fair. Normally, there is no discount but you might get some freebies, perhaps an iPod?

External hard disk

If I buy an Apple iMac, then I should get an external hard disk too. The external hard disk is needed to activate Mac OS X Leopard’s Time Machine realtime backup feature. I would buy Western Digital’s My Book Studio Edition, which is a Mac-ready external hard disk. The price is around RM500 for a 500GB model. 1TB model is available.

Network Attached Storage (NAS)

There are several computers at my home but none has proper backup. In order to keep our data safe, I think NAS would be the ideal backup solution because ALL computers can backup to 1 NAS over the Local Area Network (LAN), consider the NAS has enough storage space.

To be specific, I need a NAS that support both Mac & Windows. RAID 1 (mirroring) support is better. Hot-swap is good to have. My budget for NAS is around RM1,500.

I did over 10 hours of online research…and found a few that look good: Netgear ReadyNAS Duo, LaCie 2big Network, and Buffalo Linkstation Pro Duo.

As well as network storage enclosure (does not come with hard disk): Synology Disk Station DS207+, Thecus N2100, and QNAP TS-209.

Generally, network storage enclosure has more and better features but they are also more expensive, considering that they come without hard disk. You have to buy the hard disks.

Do you have other NAS recommendations?

(Continued…)

PIKOM PC Fair 2008 (II) is coming in August 2008. It is the second PC Fair of the year. I missed the first PC Fair of the year in April because I was in Sabah.

Anyway, I am going to PIKOM PC Fair 2008 (II) in KL and shop!

When is PC Fair 2008 (II)?

Here is the dates and venues for PIKOM PC Fair 2008 (II):

• 1–3 August 2008

• KL Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur
• Persada Johor International Convention Centre, Johor Bahru, Johor
• Central Square, Sungai Petani, Kedah
• Dewan Sri Mentakab, Mentakab, Pahang

• Penang International Sports Arena, Penang
• Mahkota Parade Melaka, Melaka
• Sabah Trade Centre, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
• Dewan Tun Hj Mustapha, Lahad Datu, Sabah

• KB Mall, Kota Bharu, Kelantan
• Pusat Dagangan Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu
• Star Parade, Alor Star, Kedah

• Berjaya Megamall, Kuantan, Pahang

• Stadium Indera Mulia, Ipoh, Perak

All PC Fair exhibition start from 11:00am to 9:00pm

What to expect in PIKOM PC Fair 2008 (II)?

WiMax from Green Packet/P1 — Green Packet has 8 booths in the PC Fair at KL Convention Centre. They must be heavily promoting their WiMax service in Malaysia — P1 w1max. You might be able to surf with wimax connection there.

Netbook/Subnotebook — These small size laptops are so hot in 2008! I expect to see netbook from each notebook brands, such as Acer Aspire One, HP 2133 Mini-Note PC, ASUS Eee PC, and, hopefully, MSI Wind PC and Dell E.

The first edition of PIKOM PC Fair 2008 has started in April 2008 and held in 15 locations nationwide!

Here is the timetable for the PIKOM PC Fair 2008 (I):

• 4-6 April 2008 — Johor Bahru, Taiping, Sandakan, Tawau & Kuching
• 11-13 April 2008 — Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Kuantan, Kepala Batas & Muar
• 18-20 April 2008 — Penang, Melaka, Sibu, Miri & Manjung

Too bad, I can’t join PC Fair this time because I will be in Sabah with my friends. I was planning to get a slim camera that can put in my pocket. My elder brother wants to get a digital camcorders.
What do you plan to buy at PC Fair? I think you can get a good deal on LCD monitor, printers, camera and camcorders.
P.S. If you have published review of PC Fair 2008(I), please add your link in the comment.