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6 Responses to “PIKOM PC Fair 2010 Is Back”

1. alan on April 2nd, 2010 at 9:58 am

   Pikom PC fair now twice a year

   THE Pikom PC Fair 2010 is to follow a new format. The popular three-day consumer information and communications technology (ICT) fair will now be held twice a year — instead of three.

   This new format will also see the fair being held in more cities. For example, the first edition of the fair this year is scheduled to be held in 22 locations, including four in Sarawak — Bintulu, Kuching, Miri and Sibu — and three in Sabah — Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau. The fair, organised in five major legs, will start April 2 and end seven weeks later. The first leg of the fair will be held April 2-4 at Persada Johor International Convention Centre (Johor Baru), Batu Pahat Mall, Dewan 2010 Kangar and Village Mall, Sungai Petani. The second leg continues in the following week at four locations.

   The fair at KB Mall, Kota Baru and Terengganu Trade Centre, Kuala Terengganu will be held April 8-10 while the fair at Penang International Sports Arena and Melaka International Trade Centre will kick off on April 9-11. The third leg of the fair will be from April 16-18 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Berjaya Megamall (Kuantan), Dewan Perbandaran Taiping and Dewan Tunku Ibrahim Ismail, Kluang. After a week’s break, the fair continues from April 30 to May 2. It is scheduled to be held at five locations: Stadium Indera Mulia Ipoh, Dewan Jubli Intan Muar, Permata Car Park in Kuching, Sibu Trade & Exhibition Centre and Dewan Masyarakat Sandakan. The last leg of the fair is scheduled from May 7-9 and will be held at Dewan Merdeka Seri Manjung in Perak, Dewan Suarah, Bintulu, Miri Indoor Stadium, 1 Borneo LG Car Park Exhibition Hall in Kota Kinabalu and Dewan Masyarakat Tawau. This revision reflects an ambitious tone from Pikom Services Sdn Bhd, the organisers of the fair, in terms of logistics and co-ordination.

   It is also the first time the fair is being held at so many locations. Feedback from consumer ICT principals, distributors and visitors to the fair last year triggered this revision. Concentrating the fair to a twice-a-year event instead of three is said to be a prudent measure in light of the current economy.

   It is also expected to increase the number of quality visitors who prefer to shop at the fair. For updates and more news about the fair, visit pcfair.com.my

   fr:nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20100328222727/Article/index_html

2. alan on April 16th, 2010 at 8:05 pm

   The Pikom PC Fair 2010: Broadband promotions

   ROZANA SANI has the lowdown on the various broadband packages available on the PC Fair

   INTERNET broadband access is important these days. Whether we’re at home, in the office or at a cafe, we constantly have to go online to check on various things. So, getting a broadband package is important.

   Consistent speed is what DiGi offers through its Likely Average Speed (LAS) that provides a steady speed of 700Kbps download/ 200Kbps upload.

   DiGi’s broadband package starts at RM58 monthly with its Discover plan that has a usage volume of 3GB. For average and heavy users, they can opt for Explore 10GB or Explore 16GB. Both packages come with a free modem.

   For on-the-go customers, DiGi is offering the Prepaid Internet starter pack at RM25. You can reload the value as and when, with no commitment required.

   In conjunction with Pikom PC Fair 2010, DiGi is giving its Broadband subscribers free Personal Accident (PA) Insurance for 12 months, and free, unlimited song downloads for 12 months.

   If you’re a footie fan, you’ll probably want to get Celcom’s exclusive Limited Edition World of Football 2010 USB Modem Pack, available at PC Fair.

   The collector’s item comprises a Celcom Broadband Limited Edition USB Modem, 1GB Soccer boot thumbdrive keychain, and a mini football. It is yours upon registration of Celcom Broadband monthly plans — either the RM68 Broadband Basic plan or the RM98 Broadband Advance plan. A 12-month contract and registration fee of RM100 applies.

   Non-contractual Celcom Broadband plans with free Celcom Broadband USB Modem are also available — namely the Celcom Broadband Youth plan priced at RM50, the Broadband Basic plan and the Broadband Advance plan.

   There is also Celcom Broadband Prepaid Pack with preloaded credit of RM20. Customers can also choose to subscribe to either the Daily Unlimited Plan priced at RM6 for 24 hours or the Weekly Unlimited Plan at RM20 for seven days.

   If you’re keen on Wimax, P1 has The W1GGY Prepaid package, designed for those who need to be connected to the Internet while on the move. For RM199, users can enjoy up to speeds of 800Kbps with 4GB capacity. If more is needed, credit top-ups of RM20 and RM50 are available.

   The P1 Desktop plans come in two categories: Home and Business. Both categories have different user packages.

   For home users, there are Lite, Plus and Pro with different bandwidth speeds, contracts, and fair usage thresholds for each one. For the Business plans, it comes in Standard and Premium. Both offer unlimited capacity and high bandwidth speeds that are similar to the Home Plan’s Plus and Pro packages.

   The modems for the Desktop Plans are priced according to the length of the contract that customers signed up when they register with P1. For a 12-month contract, the Wi-Fi modem is priced at RM199 while the one without Wi-Fi goes for RM99. Modems are free for those who signed up for a 24-month contract.

   Finally, Maxis’ mobile broadband is offering something for everyone — with a special promotion for this month.

   For light users who use broadband to check e-mails, chat with friends and browse the Net, the 1.5GB package is ideal and affordable at the current promotional price of RM48 a month (usual price RM78 a month). The package now comes with a free modem if you sign up before April 30.

   The 3GB and 6GB packages would be suitable for people with heavier Internet activities such as browsing, blogging, communicating with friends through social networking sites, online shopping, watching videos, playing games, and lots more. There is special promotional price (with free modem) of RM68 and RM98 rather than the usual, RM108 and RM138 respectively.

   For occasional Internet users who do not want a monthly commitment, they can choose the daily broadband package at RM8, or weekly broadband at RM25. Just get a Hotlink card and dial *100# to buy the preferred package.

   fr:nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20100415165618/Article/index_html

3. alan on April 16th, 2010 at 8:06 pm

   The Pikom PC Fair 2010: Storage aplenty for mobile needs

   MORE people are choosing netbook over notebook or desktop as their main computing device because of mobility and affordability. However the netbook has some limitations, one of which is storage.

   “Storage is something every user especially netbook owners and download fans always need more of,” said H.C. Yeong, sales manager of Computer War Sdn Bhd.
   He said storage devices that are portable and slim are popular among users who value mobility in their lifestyle. “The 2.5-inch portable drives such as the Hitachi Simple Drive Mini and Western Digital Elements are two examples of products that fit the needs of such users, and we are offering them at a lower price at the PC Fair,” Yeong said.

   He added that the sweet spot in terms of capacity is 500GB, but generally 2.5-inch drives are available in 320GB, 640 GB and 1 terabyte options.

   “I would advise consumers to go for bigger capacities instead. For example, today a 2.5-inch storage device that offers 160GB is priced about RM170 to RM180.

   “A 500GB option is only about RM100 more, but you get more than double the capacity,” explained Yeong.

   Other products within the same category that will be offered include the Seagate Expansion, Samsung S2 and Imation Apollo.

   Yeong said those into entertainment can check out the higher capacity drives such as the 3.5-inch Western Digital Elements and 3.5-inch Samsung MyStory which comes in 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB options.

   “A good complement to these drives are the movie players, and we have models like Clamul Movie Box S6, which we normally sell at RM398 and Noontec Movie Home V8 (RM498) which also support Full HD playback,” said Yeong.

   Computer War also plans to promote Prolink TA-009 Netbook at a special price at PC Fair.

   “There are three model variations for the Prolink TA-009 Netbook. The top of the line model, Prolink TA-009 6C3G comes with a 6-cell battery and a built-in 3G SIM card slot that you can use with any telco’s SIM card. This way, there is no need to buy a separate USB 3G SIM card dongle to access Internet via 3G connection,” explained Yeong.

   The Prolink TA-009 6C3G netbook sells for RM1,298, while other models, TA-009 6C2G and TA-009 3C2G are priced at RM998 and RM898 respectively.

   Yeong invites readers to visit the Computer War PC Fair booth to check out the special deals the company is offering for these models.

   Specially priced at the Computer War PC Fair booth are the Garmin nuvi Navigator GPS 205w and 255w, Lenovo B450 T6570 Notebook, MSI CR400 and CR420 Notebooks, Prolink 3.5G HSDPA modem and Samsung Slim External DVD Writer.

   For students and executives, Computer War also offers an innovative gadget that converts physical handwriting and drawings into digital softcopy — the iNote Mobile Note Taker at RM218.

   Everyday item such as the Sandisk Cruzer Micro, Sandisk Cruzer Blade, Kingmax BJ01 and Imation Nano USB flash drives will be also be available at Computer War’s booth

   fr:nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20100415170555/Article/index_html

4. alan on April 16th, 2010 at 8:08 pm

   The Pikom PC Fair 2010: Powerful notebooks from Acer

   TOP PC manufacturer Acer Sales & Services Sdn Bhd is showcasing several of its top range notebooks through participating dealers.

   The notebooks to be shown during PC Fair include the Aspire 5942G, 5741G, 4740 and 4740G models.

   The glossy sapphire blue Aspire 5942G notebook features the latest components and technology to bring you jaw-dropping entertainment and security features for complete peace of mind.

   Designed to please demanding users, the notebook is powered by Intel Core i7 processor with Intel TurboBoost technology, for a faster, smarter and adaptive performance.

   The Aspire 5942G comes with fantastic graphics – the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 with 1GB video memory. Generous storage of up to 640GB is provided for ultimate storage freedom.

   With cinematic 16:9 high-definition frameless display featuring the Acer CineBoost Color Engine and Dolby Home Theater audio enhancement, the Acer Aspire 5942G presents theater-caliber audio and visual quality. It also comes with Blu-ray Disc drive to showcase supreme high-definition movies.

   The Acer MediaTouch feature offers superior comfort and easy controls to savour your favourite music and videos. The multi-gesture touchpad allows you to zoom, scroll and navigate through your favourite applications with simple two-finger movements.

   The Aspire 5942G comes with enhanced network components like built-in Wi-Fi and Gigabit LAN for a smooth Internet cruising. The high-definition Web cam, Acer PureZone technology with two built-in stereo microphones, and the Acer Video Conference Manager software makes face-to-face chats more enjoyable.

   The notebook also incorporates the Acer Bio-Protection fingerprint solution to keep your computer safe and secure. The technology scans your fingerprint and saves it so only you will be able to access the system. You can also save time by accessing frequently-used password-protected programs and secured sites with just a swipe of your finger. Moreover, Acer Backup Manager and Acer eRecovery management makes the Aspire 5942G easier than ever to backup and restore critical information.

   Meanwhile, the Aspire 5741G, 4740 and 4740G notebooks are powered by Intel Core i5 and Core i3 processors with Mobile Intel HM55 Express Chipset for superior gaming, multitasking and entertainment experience.

   The Aspire 5741G comes with a 15.6-inch screen while the Aspire 4740 and 4740G sports a 14-inch screen with HD resolution (1366 by 768 pixels). The LED backlight panel helps to reproduce even better images and increases readability in low light conditions. It is mercury-free and reduces power consumption.

   The Acer Aspire 5741G/4740/4740G are equipped with a Dolby-optimised surround sound system with two built-in stereo speakers featuring Dolby Home Theater audio enhancement.

   The graphics function is supported for the Aspire 5740G. As for the Aspire 4740, it is powered by Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD (Intel GMA HD), while the Aspire 4740G is supported by NVIDIA GeForce 310M.

   fr:nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20100415170047/Article/index_html

5. alan on April 16th, 2010 at 8:19 pm

   The Pikom PC Fair 2010: Top picks

   The Pikom PC Fair 2010 cash-and-carry event opens at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.

   CHOOI YEW TZEN picks 10 products that he feels are worth getting your hands on.

   1. Bold and beautiful

   Yes, it’s true. My shifting heart tugged at my wallet when I spied the new Edifier Esiena iF360. This beautiful and glossy all-in-one music player can pump out lots of great tones. It is pretty much darn compact the size of a table radio (29 by 14.5 by 23.7cm) and weighs as heavy as five large bottles of mineral water (4.7 kg). It has FM radio features, plays your CDs and even docks to your iPod or iPhone. Play tunes, videos and it will also recharge your iPod or iPhone. It has USB docks, slots to read SD cards, RCA input jacks and a composite video out jack, when you want to show off your video clips on your iPhone or on your new HD TV.

   Edifier Esiena iF360
   Price: RM1,299

   2. Small wonder

   Entry model? No way! The new Olympus Pen E-PL1 may be small but it has lots of stuff to rave about. Forget the technical gobbledygook on its glitzy brochures. Pick it up and try it hands on. It is compact, user-friendly and miles better than the rest of the pack. This is quite suprising since I already have a few digital cameras — none from Olympus. The E-PL1 deserves the attention. While the lens can be interchangeable (do you really want to?), this lovely piece of technology has a new and smarter way, called Live Guide, to help you take good shots while forgiving your sparse photographic techniques and a button that records movie clips in high definition.

   Olympus Pen E-PL1
   Price: RM2,499

   3. Revenge of the clone

   The HTC Smart is positioned as the entry-model among three new “touch” smartphones from HTC Corporation, with the other two being HTC Legend and HTC HD mini. After all, if it talks like a duck and swims like a duck, I tell you it is a duck. The same goes with HTC Smart, which looks and feel so much like the “other phone” that one is tempted to say “clone”. I’ve been eyeing HTC Smart, especially on HTC Malaysia Facebook (www.facebook.com/htcmalaysia), which is said to be out real soon. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Brew MP, an alternative mobile OS, packed in a colourful compact touch design.

   HTC Smart
   Price: RM799

   4. Lost, then found

   After two false starts, I was quite excited to get my hands on Garmin nüvi 1460. It has a glorious five-inch screen, large icons and fonts, and touch screen. You can scroll it with your finger. Its fast rerouting is also useful when you take a wrong turn. You’ll be tempted to get lost on purpose just to use it. Preloaded with Malaysia and Singapore maps, it also has enough battery to last. Fully charged, it lasts three to four hours on normal use – about the time it took to drive from Batang Kali to Melaka.

   Garmin nuvi 1460
   Price: RM1,210

   5. Smack, it’s an iMac!

   IF you haven’t checked it out, then make a beeline and caress the new iMac. Did I say caress? Packed as an all-in-one computer, the iMac has an admittedly cool looking design. While the larger 27-inch LED widescreen looks tempting, I would actually stick with the 21.5-inch size. Just how large do you need a screen for your emails, documents and stuff? Now here are two flavours for this size, with the lower end fitted with 500GB of hard disk and a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card and the higher end with 1TB of hard disk and an ultra fine ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics card with 256MB built-in memory. The neat wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse, which is a multi-touch mouse, comes standard. Now if only I could afford it…

   iMac
   Price: RM4,299 / RM5,299

   6. Finger-friendly good

   The Lenovo IdeaPad S30 3t netbook maybe thicker and heavier compared with its cousins in the netbook fraternity, there’s something about its solid hinges and thicker touchscreen that I find reassuring. It packs a six-cell battery — yes, it potrudes at the back – but that only means longer a use time. A netbook without power is a brick. The touchscreen is impressively responsive plus it sports Lenovo’s Natural Touch, a new fangled interface. You can flip the screen and the display automatically adjusts thanks to its built in accelerometer. A bit pricey but then again, this is a tablet netbook — tabook?

   Lenovo IdeaPad S30 3t
   Price: RM1,899

   7. Pocket projector

   I looked at it and was surprised. The new lightweight projector, aptly called 3M MPro150 Pocket Projector, is about the size of a thick paperback (think Lord of the Rings) measuring 130mm by 60mm by 24mm and weighs about 160g — that’s about three large cups of tea! Apart from its main role as a projector, this ingenius device has 1GB of built-in memory, a microSD and USB slot, and a built-in MP3 player dishing out audibles on its mini stereo speakers.

   3M MPro 150 Pocket Projector
   Price: RM1,899

   8. Simply good for ears

   Different sets of earphones feel and sound miles apart. Take for example the new Creative Aurvana In-Ear2. Having owned (and discarded seven pair of earphones), the Aurvana In-Ear2 feels very comfortable, light plus its hypoallergenic and contoured eartips fits good, even when you run or shake your head. It has a clear sound reproduction mainly owing to its high purity oxygen free copper cable which reduces unwanted distortion.Within each earphone, is its nice acoustic grille equipped with Creative’s Precise Balanced Armature driver — which delivers tunes smoothly with a punchy bass note.

   Creative Aurvana In-Ear2
   Price: RM345

   9. One for the lap

   THE new Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700 is a laptop accessory on steroids. If you’re like me, using your notebook for long duration, the padded soft air-mesh fabric and gentle cool air rising from an accessory like the N700 is most welcomed. The N700 is fitted with two stereo speakers volume controls, a wide and quite comfy padded base, a surprisingly quiet fan and yes, thick enough to shield and protect your sensitive parts from the radiation being emitted by your heated notebook. The speakers are positioned on either side and powered via the umbilical cord i.e. a single USB cable. The main pad has an incline of about 10 degrees which gently slopes your notebook.

   Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700
   Price: RM299

   10. And on the starting line

   Canon EOS 550D. For its class, the 550D simply pulls away from the rest due to its nice balance of features and
   common sense pricing. It snaps at 18 megapixels and records full HD movie clips at up to 30 fps. Full manual control, lovely widescreen (3:2) LCD panel, easy-to-use buttons, you get the drift? Snapping pictures of a hyper active kid? Group photo over a dinner soiree? Your colleagues with a celebrity during a chance encounter at the airport? Yes, been there, done that. With the 550D, you are in command – even if you’ve never attended any formal training in digital photography. You will enjoy more control, even snapping split-second moments with ease and accuracy. The battery life is great. Leaving aside the tech bits, the 550D is a sensible digital SLR for the masses and my Top Pick.

   Canon EOS 550D
   Prices: RM2,799 (body only), RM3,113 (with EFs18-55IS), RM3,888 (with EFs18-135IS)

   fr:nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20100415164902/Article/index_html

6. alan on April 28th, 2010 at 10:59 am

   Pikom cuts PC Fair to twice a year

   PETALING JAYA: The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom) is holding two PC Fairs instead of the usual three, this year.

   The PC Fair this year will be held in Selangor, Johor, Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang and Malacca this month; and in the same states in August. The traditional PC Fair in December has been cancelled.

   Pikom chairman C.J. Ang said many consumers typically hold off their IT purchases until the cash-and-carry events, making it difficult for vendors at the PC Fairs to achieve consistent sales throughout the year.

   “The PC Fairs lead to spikes in sales over the year and troughs for the rest of the time. In between the events, there is very little sales done by our members. Our members prefer more consistent sales because some are listed on stock exchanges and are judged on their quarterly performance,” Ang said.

   He said Pikom members hope that the holding of one less PC Fair (each year) will help stabilise their sales volumes.

   “As far as we are concerned, the PC Fair generates additional demand. I would not be surprised if our members ask us to reinstate the event to three times a year after this,” said Ang

   fr:star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2010/4/13/technology/20100413125425&sec=technology