Reviewed: HP W2207h HD Monitor

Although I consider myself an Apple FanBoy (Seriously though this blog is proof that I am) I have issues with paying $899 for an Apple monitor, mind you, the monitor is probably worth that (correction, it’s worth $699 with Apple taking $200 in profit). So late last year I started Searching for a monitor under $300 to use with my MacBook that had HDMI inputs (for My PS3). After bouncing between different brands and screen sizes I decided, mainly because it had everything I wanted and was on sale at Best Buy, on a 22″ HP Monitor known as the W2207h, I’d never select a computer this way, (I realize I was starting to sound like a Microsoft Laptop Hunter) but monitors are cheaper to replace and don’t have to do any actual computing. So anyways, now for the review.

Pros

• Inexpensive.
• Black rim around screen matches a Unibody MacBook or iMac.
• Includes all Necessary cables, even HDMI, (Which I was disappointed didn’t come with my PS3).
• Screen is bright, (It is standard LCD so a cinema display blows it away, but what did you expect).
• Two USB ports on the side.
• Full 1080i.

Cons

• Although it looks really solid I am afraid the construction feels flimsy.
• Lacks DVI, (Only has HDMI and VGA).
• Menu for tweaking the settings is very ugly and hard to work with.
• The input ports are hard to reach and sometimes require holding the monitor upside down.

Summary: This Monitor would be spectacular in the PC universe, but to a Mac Geeks high standards it is simply average. — After Living with this Monitor I am glad to have it and if the need for two big monitors enters my life I would by another.

Video Quality: ☆☆☆

Build Quality: ☆☆

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆

iPhone Nano? NO!

I hate to say this but do you really think the iPhone nano is ever gonna come, think about it, the apps wouldn’t resize very well. the whole thing would be inconsistent and not very Apple-Ish. If apple is going to make something small and cheap I’d much rather it be a netbook.

~Trainboy19

A Challenge

I Challenge anyone who reads this, which seems to be around three people, to find a more populous menu bar! If you find one I will post it on the site. 

Email the Trainboy19 team at trainboy19@gmail.com

 

“The Apple Blog”

I have applied to write for the nice folks over at theappleblog.com. So lets hope you will be able to see me over there too in the near future.

The Modern Geek

 

Many, many moons ago(The 70’s) Geeks were the ones slaving over hot soldering irons in garages, building the computer revolution from chips and circuits. Now the geeks are blogging, web designing, and toiling away in Photoshop. We are coding and blogging our way to the next great revolution. We are in the midst of the social media revolution, knowledge and opinions are shared with a double click, and as for the geeks, we created it all. Sure, my guinea pig could write a blog, but its not the the writing, it is what we write.We can share software, music, memories and we can Tweet our daily lives. The cynics say the geeks, the teens, and the gamers, are detached, but this is not at all true, we our a huge interconnected community and anyone with a computer can join the fun. If we weren’t interested in other people’s thoughts and daily lives why would we have blogs, Facebook,Youtube, and Twitter? I ask you this.

 

~Trainboy19

What’s in my Dock

Everyone who is new to mac asks me this so I thought I would just show you here you go.

Dot-Bomb

Ha, I saw this and thought it was really funny. Please visit joyoftech.com for more hilarity. 

 

The Airport Card: Its all You’ll Ever Need

The beloved AirPort card, a Mac user’s gateway to the wireless world, and with Sharing in Mac OSX it can be accessed by others as well.

 

I love my beautiful iMac Intel (First edition, white) and I also love to gripe about my underpowered Linksys Router so I love the post that will follow.

My Macbook is my workhorse computer, my older iMac just can’t go everywhere and so just didn’t work for me as someone who has to have a computer everywhere, so I use the MacBook and other family members use the iMac. So, one day, after losing my Linksys WiFi signal yet again I decided I would just finish my work at the iMac which has a super-fast Ethernet connection. As I finished my task I went to check on the iMacs prefs because I wanted to share my iMac’s iPhoto library, while in sharing I discovered the most wonderful little option, sharing your ethernet connection over the air as if your computer was a router. I configured this and was able to access my iMac’s powerful AirPort card to host my WiFi network. It is really cool and if you have AirPort to spare you should check out the how to here.

The Awesome and Inexpensive MacBook Setup

 

With Apple’s recent price drop on the White MacBook it now looks pretty enticing, in this article we list how to build an awesome mac setup with our little polycarbonate friend as your digital hub.

• Step one: Acquire the MacBook–$999 (www.store.apple.com)
• Step two: Get a sweet external display, to save some money I recommend going off brand with something like the Dell 22.”–$198 (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Displays/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-5205)
• Get some nice external speakers I recommend the JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers–$49.95 (http://store.apple.com/us/product/TB998LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA0MA&mco=MjM4NTI3Mg)
• Remember, for the display you will need a Mini-DVI to VGA Adapter–$19.00 (apple.com)
• Get an external keyboard and mouse go with Apple this time and get a Mighty Mouse and Aluminum Keyboard–$49.99 Mouse–$49.99 (apple.com) 
• LapTuk, a nice little aluminum display stand and MacBook holder–$39.99 (macessity.com)

Incipio iPhone Case Reviewed

Welcome to the Trainboy19 take on the Incipo softshell case for iPhone.

Pros: The case is not that bulky and the iPhone retains it’s slick shape. It comes with a little stand for watching vids. You get two cases in the package a black one and a white one. You can put on a lite piece of plastic on the back witch makes it much sturdier.

Cons: If the white cases gets dirty you can wipe off because liquid justs spreads the stain.

PS: Strangely you can’t get these at Apple, only at an AT&T store or online.

Visit Incipio Cases at www.myincipio.com