Samsung NP350U2B-A08IN Price

• Operating system: Windows 7 Home Basic
• 12.5″ inch Anti-Reflective HD LED (1366 x 768) Pixels Display Screen
• Intel Core i3-2330M Processor 2.20 GHz with 3MB Cache
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• Upto 4GB DDR3 RAM
• 500GB SATA 5400 RPM Hard Disk
• Web Camera: 1.3 megapixel HD Webcam
• Card Reader: 4-in-1 (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC) Multi Card Reader
• Sound System: Inbuilt 2 Stereo Speaker @ 1.5 watts, HD Audio with SRS
• Sound Effect
• Ports: VGA, HDMI, 2xUSB2.0, Headphone-Out, Microphone-In, Internal
• MIC, RJ-45, DC-In
• Bluetooth v3.0 High Speed
• Wireless Wi-Fi 802.11(b/g/n)
• 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
• Kensington Lock Slot
• 60 Watt AC Adapter
• 6 Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
• Dimension: 298.9 x 197.8 x 26.0 mm
• Weight: 1.4 kg

Samsung NP350U2B-A08IN Price: Rs. 34,490 /- INR

Lenovo Ideapad Z470, Z370, Z570 Price

Lenovo Ideapad Z470, Z370, Z570 are multimedia laptops with stylish design, now updated with faster and better Intel Sandy Bridge Processors (I3/i5/i7) and dedicated Nvidia Graphics @ competitive price in India.

Lenovo Ideapad Z370, Z570, Z470 Laptop Features:

• Cool futuristic ID design with a transparent cover
• New attractive fuchsia, sky blue and dark brown colors
• Minimalist look
• Accutype chiclet keyboard
• Hairline and metallic effect panel
• Dolby Advanced Audio
• Featuring OneKey Theater II System

Lenovo Ideapad Z570: 15.6” inch High-Performance Notebook
Lenovo Ideapad Z470: 14.0: inch Multimedia Laptop with Widescreen
Lenovo Ideapad Z370: 13.3” inch Portable Lightweight Laptop

Lenovo Ideapad Z570, Z470, Z370 Laptop Technical Specifications:

• Intel Core i3-2310M Processor
• Intel Core i5-2410M Processor
• Intel Core i5-2520M Processor
• Lenovo Z370: Nvidia Geforce 410M Graphics with 1GB Memory
• Lenovo Z570/Z470: Nvidia Geforce 525M, 2GB GFX
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium OS
• 15.6”/14.0”/13.3” inch (1366×768 pixels) 16:9 Wide Display
• 4GB DR3 RAM
• 500GB Hard Disk
• DVD/Blu-Ray Drive
• SRS Premium Sound
• 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
• 3 USB 2.0, RJ-45, VGA, HDMI Ports
• 5-in-1 Memory Card Reader
• 2 Megapixel Webcam
• 6 Cell Battery

Lenovo IdeaPad Z-Series Laptop Price in India: Starts from 40k Indian Rupee (INR) will be available in May 2011

• Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 Price
• Lenovo IdeaPad Z470 Price
• Lenovo IdeaPad Z370 Price

Short Review about Reliance Netconnect+ Prepaid USB Internet Device

What’s included in the Package? The whole package of Reliance Netconnect+ High Speed USB Internet Device includes the following components:

• 1 High Speed USB Data MODEM
• 1 Dialer CD: Includes MODEM Installation Software and Soft copy of User/Quick Start Guide
• 1 Quick Start Guide (Hard/Print Copy)
• 1 USB Extension Cable
• Warranty Card

The build quality of products is robust and the USB Stick carries 1 Year National Warranty. Also the device is capable of supporting Micro SD Card

Setting Up TATA Photon Plus Prepaid for your Laptop/Desktop

As soon as you plug in the USB Device in your Laptop/Desktop, Autorun will be executed and you can install the MODEM Drivers within minutes. The interface window of Reliance Netconnect+ is very User Friendly, showing Network Strength and Buttons viz. Activation, Connect, Connection Logs, Settings and Help (Click to Enlarge):

In order to Setup your Reliance Netconnect Plus device with the Network, click on Settings Button and following interface will be displayed:

 

Here:
1. Phone will be #777
2. Username and Password will be the 10 Digit MDN Number (excluding Zero ’0′) printed at the back of Reliance Netconnect+ Package
3. Mode will be either Netconnect+ OR High Speed 1X OR Hybrid depending on your choice and the location where you are using the device. The description of all the MODES in Reliance Netconnect+ are as follows:

• Hybrid Mode: This is default mode of operation for Reliance Netconnect+ MODEM. In this mode, Modem will latch to Netconnect+ network, if you move to any location where Netconnect+ network is not present, modem will switch over automatically to High speed 1x network and will get back to Netconnect+ mode once you come back to Netconnect+ coverage area.
• Netconnect+: In this mode, modem will latch to Netconnect+ (High Speed Data) network. You will experience download speeds up to 3.1 Mbps and upload speeds up to 1.8 Mbps in this mode.
• High Speed 1x: In this mode, Modem will latch to High speed 1X network. In this mode, you will get download speed up to 153.6 kbps

4. You can set your own DNS like Google Public DNS OR OpenDNS. Although, this is completely optional and the device will continue to work flawlessly (depending on CDMA Network Performance at your Location) even if you don’t set this
In the settings page, you can also set your Static IP Address and also choose whether to connect the Device at Startup of your Operating System and Auto-Reconnection

System Requirements

Reliance Netconnect+ (plus) High Speed USB CDMA Network device:

• Is compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, Linux and MAC 10.5.X Operating Systems – Details for installing the MODEM in MAC and Linux is present in the Quick Start Guide
• Is fully Compatible with USB 2.0
• Requires minimum of 100 MB or above of Free Hard Disk Space
• Requires minimum of 128 MB or above of RAM

Price

The price of this device is bit high, though it’s a best bet for you, if you are a frequent traveler OR your office/home is located in an area where there’s NO Wire line Internet Providers. I got the whole package for Rs. 1300/- which doesn’t includes any type of FREE Data Transfer for NEW Buyers. I have to additionally recharge the Device with Rs. 330/- for getting 5 GB Data Transfer with validity of 1 Month.
You also need to submit your Photo, Address Proof and Photo ID Card like Driving License, PAN Card etc. at the time of buying and activating the device.
* Price/Free Data Transfer Offers may vary from one city to another

Connectivity and Speed

As soon as you click Connect, the device gets connected to the network almost instantly. Occasionally, it takes more than 15 Seconds to get connected to the Network. On an average, the device gets connected to the network in 5 Seconds.
The Download speed for the device is quite good and sometimes great. Check out following Speed Test Screenshots while Testing Download and Upload Speeds:

* The above Screenshots are taken when the device is using either Netconnect+ OR Hybrid Mode
Update
Tried using Reliance Netconnect+ during Late Night Hours and following is the result I got:

* The above Screenshot is taken when the device is using either Netconnect+ OR Hybrid Mode. Increase in speed can be attributed to less network congestion/traffic as compared to day/evening time
The Download and Upload Speed of Reliance Netconnect+ USB MODEM is quite decent for casual browsing/surfing the web. The connection is constant and doesn’t break at all. Though if you are travelling in a fast car/train, the connection may drop/break eventually and you have to reconnect the device. Tested this Device at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (Although as per Reliance Netconnect+ IP Address, my location is Bangalore, Karnataka and Chennai is the nearest Speedtest Point! But this can be ignored as I am testing from Bhopal using server hosted at Chennai – No doubt the device/network offers good speed)

Roaming

Roaming on Reliance Netconnect+ High Speed USB CDMA Device is absolutely FREE throughout India, provided that the city/location where you are going have either Netconnect+ OR High Speed 1X Network.
In case, you are not sure what type of Reliance CDMA Network is present in the city/location where you are going, switch to Hybrid Mode, so that the device automatically switches to the best available network for surfing/browsing OR refer THIS PAGE for Coverage Details

Reliance Netconnect+ (Plus) vs. TATA Photon+ (Plus)

As I have used both the devices (Read TATA Photon Plus Review), I will say TATA Photon+ is better than Reliance Netconnect+ when it comes to Speed and Connectivity. Following is the screenshot of both download and upload speeds offered by both Reliance Netconnect+ and Tata Photon+:

If Network of both TATA Photon+ (not Whiz) and Reliance Netconnect+ is available in your City/Location (See TATA Photon Coverage), I will highly recommend you to go with TATA Photon+. Although, it’s also recommend that you test both the device before buying any one of them, as speed and connectivity experiences varies from one location to another within same city!
In case, no TATA Photon+ Network is present in your City, Reliance Netconnect+ High Speed USB Internet Device is HIGHLY recommended over other providers like Vodafone, AirTel, Idea, MTS etc., when it comes to Speed, Connectivity, Reliabilty and Customer Support.
* Still experience may vary from person to person and from one location to another within same city

Conclusion

Overall, I will give Reliance Netconnect+ a score of 7.5/10, when it comes to Connectivity, Speed and Customer Support. The score will drop to 6/10, if Reliance Netconnect+ is compared with TATA Photon+ Network and Device (Not Whiz).
Note:

• In some cities you may be getting this device on a small monthly rent, it’s recommended not to rent such products, as it may results in unnecessary consequences. It’s better to buy the device and enjoy it whenever you want
• As soon as the device gets connected to the Internet, Reliance Netconnect Page will open in your default browser, which contains details like View and Pay Bill (for Postpaid Users of Reliance Netconnect+), Usage Details, Prepaid Balance, Trouble Shooting Information and Service Center Details

Tata Photon Review

Someday back I bought for myself a TATA Photon Plus High Speed USB Device for Mobile Internet, as connectivity matters when you are on the move.

Overall my experience with TATA Photon Plus is quite good and of course, TATA Photon Plus is way better than Reliance Net Connect, Idea Netsetter etc. when it comes to Connectivity, Speed and Customer Support.

My Short Review for TATA Photon Plus Prepaid

What’s included in the Package?
The whole package includes:

• TATA Photon Plus CDMA1X HSIA USB Stick, manufactured by HUAWEI
• Carrying Pouch
• Additional USB Extension Cable
• Quick Guide

The build quality of products is robust and the USB Stick carries 1 Year National Warranty. Also the device is capable of supporting Memory Card upto 4 GB
Setting Up TATA Photon Plus Prepaid for your Laptop/Desktop
As soon as you plug in the USB Device in your Laptop/Desktop, Autorun will be executed and you can install the MODEM Drivers within minutes. The interface window of TATA Photon Plus is quite User Friendly, showing Network Strength, Buttons for configuring TATA Photon Plus and accessing your account related details like Logs, Speedometer etc.:

The Settings for configuring TATA Photon Plus with the Network will be provided at the time of purchase by TATA Photon Plus Dealer. These settings can be accessed/changed by going to Settings >> Profile:

Price
The price of this device is bit high, though it’s a best bet for you if you are a frequent traveler. I got the whole package for Rs. 1800/- which also included 5 GB of Data Transfer for 1 Month. You also need to submit your Photo, Address Proof and Photo ID Card like Driving License, PAN Card etc. at the time of buying and activating the device.
Connectivity and Speed
As soon as you click Connect, the device gets connected to the network almost instantly. Occasionally, it takes more than 30 Seconds to get connected to the Network. On an average, the device gets connected to the network in 10 Seconds.
Regarding speed, I am getting Download Speed around 0.60 MB/s (sometimes more) during daytime and around 1.66 to 3.50 MB/s at night. Sometimes, the speed is reduced to 0.15 MB/s to 0.20 MB/s – I think this is due to network congestion, but is sufficient for casual surfing and browsing the web:

The connection is constant and doesn’t break at all. Though if you are travelling in a fast car/train, the connection may drop/break eventually. I used this device in Surat and New Delhi, and am very satisfied with the performance of the device and network.
Roaming
Roaming on TATA Photon Plus is absolutely Free, provided that they have Network Coverage in the city where you are going. Although, the device Automatically switch over to speeds up to 153.6 Kbps (Tata Photon Whiz Speeds) in non-Tata Photon Plus regions. Even you can recharge your TATA Photo Plus Prepaid when you are on the move
Conclusion
Overall, TATA Photon Plus Prepaid is 8/10 for me when it comes to Connectivity, Speed, Network Performance and Customer Support. Also, this internet device is highly recommended over other internet devices like Reliance, Idea, AirTel etc.
Note:

• In some cities you may be getting this device on a small monthly rent, it’s recommended not to rent such products, as it may results in unnecessary consequences. It’s better to buy the device and enjoy it whenever you want
• If you don’t want to recharge your device every month, then you can Stop Recharging your TATA Photon Plus device for 11 Months after a recent recharge. But after 11 Months, your Photon Number will expire and you have to go for another Photon Number which will cost you around 100 to 150 bucks – Please confirm this again by calling Customer Care
• No matter, which is your default browser, TATA Photon Plus will open it’s welcome page (powered by Yahoo!) in Internet Explorer, every time the device gets connected to the internet!
• You can also check Usage Details and balance for TATA Photon Plus Prepaid anytime you want. Check out THIS POST for details

Saver Or Investor - Which Is Best?

What's the difference between a Saver and an Investor and who is the most successful?
Taking a closer look at this question there is no doubt that there is a close relationship between being a successful investor and a good saver. While many successful investors may 'flaunt' their wealth, the most successful tend to be very astute and conscious of where every dollar is being spent and hence showing all the traits of a successful saver.
A person who is first and foremost just a saver can do very well for him/herself. They find a saving in everything they do and this will eventually create a significant difference to their wealth, irrespective of their income. Generally, savers will be conservative by nature and this will be reflected in their investment style with safe, bank deposits being a favourite.
An investor on the other hand, will seek to create wealth by investing their own funds (and often with borrowed funds) into a variety of assets in the hope of creating wealth. When it pays off, they can be extremely successful, when it fails, it can be disastrous.
It is not unusual to see investors becoming very successful only to fail miserably by overextending their positions with borrowed funds. This has been highlighted in the last few years with share and property markets collapsing sending many a successful investor broke.
How does an investor fail so badly? Debt is normally at the heart of any investor's disaster with greed not far behind. Here is step by step example of how it can fall apart for the investor. ($100 used for easy explanation)

1. Invest own funds of $100 in an asset (eg shares, property etc). This initially earns a good return Investor starts thinking, "This is easy, I can make more money if I had more money!"
2. Borrow $100 from the bank, now has $200 invested
3. Investor gets a little cocky and starts living the extravagant lifestyle
4. Asset drops in value - "Don't panic, things will come good, just hang in there", the investor says
5. Asset keeps dropping and now valued at less than 50% of the $200 invested
6. The bank wants its $100 back - quickly! The bank sells the asset and harasses the investor for the balance i.e. the bank wants all its $100 back.
7. The investor has to start selling other assets. The investor now has less than zero invested (negative equity) and often a lifestyle of a millionaire that can't be sustained - Game over.

The saver does not take as many risks as the investor and certainly has little interest for an extravagant lifestyle. Hence a more secure future awaits the saver, albeit with limited upside.
So, back to the question, which is best, a saver of an investor? A balance between the two is the logical way to go. By being an over-cautious saver, it can be hard to get ahead particularly in the current 'low' interest rate environment. Investors need to think like a conservative saver and make sure they can always survive a disappointing investment and therefore benefit from the investments that come good.

A Profile of the Asian Economy

With the world's two fastest growing economies and 60% of the world's population, Asia is emerging as arguably the most important market in world trade.
The Asian economy is already the largest continental economy in the world. The biggest players within Asia, according to GDP, are Japan, China, India and South Korea. China has largest economy of those and has emerged as the second largest in the world (when not including the EU) behind the US although it is anticipated that it will soon overtake and claim top spot. Japan, for a long time Asia's financial superpower is now second whilst India, in terms of purchasing power, can be considered the third largest.
The might of the Asian economies may seem like a fairly modern invention but for much of European antiquity and up until the 19th century countries such as China India were the prominent economic powers in the world. Much of their success then as now depended on their plentiful natural resources, the same resources which tempted European colonisation which in turn stunted Asian economic power until the 20th century.
Asia is a very diverse and disparate continent and as a result the key economic drivers differ substantially across it, to some extent relating to the geography of each locale. The emerging superpowers of China and India are, as are much of central Asia and the subcontinent, largely reliant in the industrial and manufacturing industries fuelled by their large workforces and extensive resources. The rise of both China and India has followed an easing in the socialist governance of the two countries which has unlocked the potential in the massive labour forces and natural resources that each country has.
In Japan and South Korea on the other hand, although industry still plays major role, the economies are more developed and varied and success is also particularly reliant on the financial and service sectors. Both countries experienced post war booms - Japan after the Second World War and South Korea after the Korean War - and are now home to some of the world's leading multinationals, particularly in the field of consumer electronics and motor vehicles. The success of each economy followed close cooperation between government, banks and business with heavy investment and enthusiastic research into high end technology.
The financial services are also integral to the economies of smaller but prosperous South East Asian states such as Hong Kong and Singapore (together with South Korea and Taiwan known as the Asian Tigers due to their rapid economic development in the second half of the 20th century). The two states are free trade ports which have grown their economies through the adoption of western capitalist principles, international trade and low taxation. They have two of the world's most important stock exchanges with the Hong Kong stock exchange the world 's six largest by market capitalisation.
The wealth of the Middle East states is mostly commodity based with oil in particular being key to their prosperity since the its discovery in Iran in 1908. The region is home to the biggest proportion of the world's known oil reserves and as a result relatively small Gulf States such as Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have been able to rival the larger economies of Turkey and Saudi Arabia and many of those economies now have the some of the highest GDPs per capita in the world (Qatar's, the highest, stands at 88,232 US$).
One of the biggest challenges facing modern Asian countries is the distribution of their wealth. In middle east despite being oil rich and having some of the highest GDPs per capita in Asia, much of the wealth remains in the hands of a minority in the upper echelons of society. Whereas, in the vast countries of India and China the size of their economies is largely based upon, but very much offset against, the size of their populations sharing as they do 2.5 billion people between them (over a third of the world's total). As a result their GDP per capita stands at only 3,417 and 7,518 respectively in comparison with the region's other large economies of Japan (32,817) and South Korea (30,200), whilst the other successful financial and trading nations in the South East are such as those of Hong Kong and Singapore.

Advantages of Consumer Car Loans

A consumer car loan is a loan that involves two parties, in this case, the purchaser and the lender. The lender purchases the car on behalf of the consumer in form of a loan, after which the consumer then gets to enjoy the car as he makes the necessary repayments within the designated dates. The loan is normally secured against the ca,r but at the end of repayment, the car fully belongs to the purchaser. The best thing about the consumer loan is the fact that you can do anything you want with the car, even selling it during the period of the loan so long as in the long-run you get to make all the repayments to the lender. In general, the car ownerships will fully rest with you.
You will get the ownership of the car as soon as you get to sign the agreement. The funds will then be accredited directly to the bank account of the car seller and the car will be released to you. This kind of financing is made available to private sales, dealers and car yards and is available to all. It is however expected that the repayments are made at intervals that are fixed and you can expect them to be debited directly from your personal bank account. This is a measure that is put in place but you can also make the choice of making the repayments on a weekly basis or monthly or even after a fortnight. You can have flexible repayment method depending on the lender that you choose to use.
The consumer car loans are available for individuals who want to purchase new vehicles, as well as used vehicles, and therefore, everybody is accommodated at the end of the day. You will also get to enjoy the tax benefits that come with the loan and even enjoy cash management when making the purchase of the car that you need. Below are some of the advantages that you will stand to gain when you choose to go for the consumer loan:
You will enjoy up to 100% of financing for the car. It is actually very possible to get this percent when looking for this kind of financing.
You will manage to make the repayments on dates that are pre-determined and regularly structured to suit your needs.
You will get full ownership of the vehicle as soon as you get to sign the agreement.
The finance length can also be custom tailored to suit any individual needs that you might have.