Byline: Rob Pegoraro
The Washington Post's Rob Pegoraro fielded your personal tech questions and discussed a recent column on the Google Earth service and his review of the wireless-enabled Sony Vaio T350 laptop .
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Rob Pegoraro: Welcome back, everyone. Over the last two weeks, I've reviewed Google Earth, a nifty new mapping program, and Sony's Vaio T350 laptop, which I found not quite so nifty. We've got a bunch of questions already on those two topics, and probably quite a few on others, so let's started...
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Alexandria, VA: Hey Rob,
I love Google Earth already, but was wondering if Google plans to add their simple-minded UI design to it anytime soon? If so, that would totally rock!
Rob Pegoraro: I agree, although I would call most of Google's interfaces simple, not "simple-minded." There's a real difference between making a product as simple as possible and making it too simple for its own good (Microsoft's MSN software comes to mind as an example of the latter).
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Fairfax, Va.: Rob:
The latest laptops are interesting, but beyond my current needs. I am more curious about how to buy a low-end laptop, or one that has fallen off the radar screen.
My wife is interested in getting a portable DVD player, which can cost up to $300 for one with a 10-inch screen. It seems to me that it is possible to get a laptop (with DVD player and larger screen) for not much more. A local store is selling one for $549, and if I could find it, the model just previous to that one in the ad should go for less.
So, my question: How can I find a new older-generation laptop in the 300-500 buck range? Should I fear refurbished or used machines? It seems their batteries could be unreliable. I would love to let my family see the DVDs, but still be able to use the laptop for other things.
Rob Pegoraro: Good question. What you're talking about is definitely possible, but any laptop that cheap will probably weigh more than twice as much as any portable DVD player. Your safest bet would be to buy a refurbished or closeout model direct from the manufacturer, which means you get the same warranty coverage as with a new model.
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Paris, France: Is there any chance to get Google Earth for Mac?
Rob Pegoraro: Yes. Google says it's developing a Mac version, and I think we will see such a thing before too long. First, the company has a fine record of making its earlier products Mac-compatible. Second, Google Earth itself looks a great deal like a Linux application converted to Windows (check out the dialog box to save a file), and Linux apps are generally easy to rewrite to run on Mac OS X.
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HAMILTON, BERMUDA: Google Maps appears to use a variety of images patched together for the Satellite view. But some map blocks are darker and fuzzier than others, or shaded in colors. Some are even dark enough to obscure all details. Is this an evolving database and can we expect more detail and more complete coverage in future? Will we be able some day to specify GPS coordinates in a search field?
Rob Pegoraro: Yes, Google Maps (and Google Earth) cobble together different sets of overhead imagery. The idea is to get coverage of the whole world at the same level of resolution, but--well, it's a big world.
The paid version of Google Earth ($20) does offer support for GPS devices, but I didn't try that.
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Quantico, VA: When is the Washington Post site going to start publishing additional information about news stories as KML data. For example, the DC sniper story could have been easier to visualize if there had been a KML File.
Rob Pegoraro: I can't answer that, but it's an interesting idea. ("KML" is the type of file that Google Earth outputs when you want to share a place mark with other people.)
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Southwest: Hi Rob - I'm wondering if you or any of the chatters have any experience with portable DVD players. I'm taking young kids on an airplane shortly and the ability to watch movies seems like a good idea. Have you tested any players? Any brands you like or don't like? Thanks in advance!
Rob Pegoraro: Lemme share this one with the crowd, as I don't own one of these things myself--all my movie-watching while traveling is done on laptops.
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Fredericksburg, Va: Hi Rob,
I get anywhere from 10 to 20 Spam emails a day. I can access my email in two ways - through the WEB connection with my cable company and through Outlook Express. From a security standpoint, am I more secure accessing email through the WEB connection than through Outlook Express which will download emails onto my computer?
Rob Pegoraro: Yes, a Web-mail connection is more secure--provided you're using a secure browser. There are plenty of attacks that target vulnerabilities in Web browsers. (I.e., Firefox would be much safer than an old version of Internet Explorer.)
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Tenleytown, DC: Rob, Does anyone make an HD Radio converter for new GM cars ( Cadillac SRX )? The article did not get into detail re: aftermarket conversions.
washingtonpost.com: Read the related article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/08/AR2005070800288.html -- With HD Sound, the Future Is Becoming a Lot Less Fuzzy (Post, July 10).
Rob Pegoraro: I was glad to see Marc Fisher's story in Sunday's paper (FWIW, I http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7340-2004Jun26.html -- reviewed -- HD Radio last summer). I believe there are kits to add HD Radio capability, but I don't know if they can connect to a car's original head unit, or if you have to replace the entire car stereo.
This is one of HD Radio's biggest shortfalls--how hard it is to get the hardware. I'm continually amazed at how many home-theater receivers, devices that sell for well north of $1,000, don't include HD Radio. (That would be all but one or two models from Yamaha, last I checked.) I can see this not being included on $200 entry-level models, but shouldn't it be a standard feature at some price level?
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RE: Google Earth: Any idea when they took the pictures that make this up? And how often they will update these for new roads and developments?
Rob Pegoraro: From what I could see, most of the photos seem to be at least a year or two old. For instance, in Boston you can see that the Central Artery is still intact and the Zakim Bridge is not yet open, and in downtown D.C. the Gallery Place project next to the MCI Center hasn't even started construction.
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Detroit, MI: Rob: I have a Verizon wireless card and it really does transfer data fast. However, my new laptop (Dell Latitude X1) does not have a pcmcia slot so I can't use my card. Verizon doesn't support web access over my Motorola V710 phone so using the bluetooth is out. Do you know of any USB to PCMCIA adapters out there? Do you have any other suggestions?
Rob Pegoraro: You can use a V710 as a Bluetooth modem, or at least you could--I got the one I tested last fall to work that way with a Mac. (Don't ask me how I did that; it was not remotely obvious until I found a helpful page on somebody's blog.)
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Fairfax, Va.: I am a verizon DSL customer and I have received numerous offers from verizon to upgrade to their fiber optic FiOS service. We are not heavy internet users, mostly the standard stuff like reading the post on-line, but a little more speed is always nice. Are there any downsides to going to the 5 Mbps FiOS service. Are there any advantages? Will we really be able to see a difference?
Thanks
washingtonpost.com: See this May 8 Post piece on FiOS: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/07/AR2005050700178.html -- FiOS Speeds Up Web, Phone and TV Access
Rob Pegoraro: The major downside is that you give up the option of reverting to DSL, and therefore of using any broadband provider besides Verizon and (in your case) Cox.
If you're not using the speed your connection offers now, why pay more for extra speed you still won't be using?
Note: I reserve the right to change my mind on this if Verizon offers some competitive pricing on the TV service it plans to start providing over FiOS at some point in the allegedly near future.
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PC Mover: Rob - is software like PC Mover the recommended way to migrate to a new computer? I personally prefer to start from scratch and only add/tweak things as I need to, and not transfer everything over indiscriminately. But I might be mistaken in that. Thank you for your help in advance.
Rob Pegoraro: If you're reasonably well versed in Windows, it's not that hard to move over your own files. From your question, I'm thinking that description would apply to you, so I'd say you don't need a data-migration utility.
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