Pameran I.T. Fair
A friend asked me why I am always going to IT fairs even when I have nothing in mind to purchase. I had wanted to buy cheap printer ink during the Fair but my printer couldn’t wait. Well, I do keep in view some stuff but I’m not in a spending mood right now so they will have to wait. Come to think of it, WHEN am I in a spending mood? Hahaha!
There are actually two things that I look out for each time I visit fairs: new technology and creative trade show displays. The previous PC show in Ipoh was three months ago so I was looking forward to see some new stuff.
Besides the usual promotions of credit card deals (non-IT) and high speed internet broadband, vendors for laptops, netbooks, computers and all-in-one printers, display units, speakers, digital cameras and video cameras, CCTV solutions, Blu-ray media players and GPS devices are all here.
Then there are MMO games, Point of Sale systems, anti-virus solutions, electronic dictionaries and computer training courses. So what are new?
Redcom brought an Alienware laptop. It’s a rare brand here in Ipoh but it’s a really cool gaming laptop. I love its illuminated brand name. How I wish I have that luxury to play games! If you are on my Facebook, you’ll think that all I ever do is play games, right? I swear it’s not true! Haha!!
Segatrad Enterprise showcased a mini tracker. It’s a GSM/GPRS/GPS tracker that communicates through mobile phone line. This isn’t new but the fact that it’s now easily available here in Ipoh means that a lot more people here can benefit from the technology. It’s especially useful to track the elderly, pets or vehicles. It is also a must-have for mountain trackers or adventurers. It’s currently selling at RM899. I believe it was sold at RM1799 just a few short months ago.
Focus Computer brought us Acer mobile phones. HHmmm I have read about Acer’s venture into the smartphone market but I haven’t had the opportunity to see Acer mobile phones in action yet. It’s too bad that there is no hands-on demonstration at this IT Fair too. All the phones are still in boxes. From the banners, I can see that Acer has two lines of phone models; Liquid E (Liquid E Ferrari Edition) and beTouch. Prices range from RM999 to RM1399 which is “normal”.
This Acer beTouch E400, which retails at RM999 still runs on Android 2.1 but like my Motorola Defy, it does not support video calling because it does not have a front camera.
I was looking out for tablets at this IT Fair (no, I still haven’t got my tablet yet and now that Apple has unveiled iPad 2, I am in no hurry to get one), and was quite surprised that only one vendor, ITC, brought tablets to the Fair. It’s called E Fren. Cute, eh? It’s touted to be Malaysia’s first tablet PC but the technology is Korean. Did anyone forget about CSL’s Spice Mi700 DroidPad?
There are two versions of E Fren; E Fren I and E Fren II. Obviously, E Fren I is the older model. It only runs on Android 1.5. (Hello??) It’s retailing at RM649 and students get a rebate of RM100. E Fren II, which runs on the newer Android 2.1, is retailing at RM899. Nope, no rebate for this! I like its display size of 7in but errrr I think I’ll pass!
So this wraps up my visit to Pameran I.T. Fair this morning.
Event: Pameran I.T. Fair
Venue: Stadium Indera Mulia, Ipoh, Perak
Date: 4th to 6th March, 2011
Time: 10am to 10pm
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