I went to the Windows 7 tour event in Pondok Indah today. Since the first day is yesterday, I assume the representatives only came yesterday formally. But still, there’s a number of Microsoft Indonesia’s event crew on spot, I even met an acquaintance there. The stand looks interesting, at least better than Microsoft’s booth in Indocomtech 2009.

As expected, they had close cooperation with hardware partners like Acer and Gateway. The products shown are… well, the trend in Indonesia, notebook & netbook, and all-in-one PC (Gateway ZX series, although I like HP TouchSmart better). Anyone missed the day where they would showcase build up desktop PC and hung motherboards on the booth wall? I guess the visitors nowadays has been brainwashed to see those PC guts as too geeky to show.

But I do get the chance to play Virtual Earth using Surface interface (part of Windows 7 Touch Pack).

In the middle of the Gateway’s booth, there’s a small stand showcasing Windows Phone. They showed Samsung Omnia Pro, Sony Ericsson Xperia2 and Acer’s 3 units including one SnapDragon device.

The touch screen on both phone and PC is still unresponsive. But since I think even the iPhone’s display is not so responsive, I guess this is technology limitation.

Even so, on the other side, Windows Phone is never affordable (at least those that worth it). I avoid Standard device at all cost because of a simple reason. The popularity of touch screen devices made non-touch Windows Mobile into a marginal product not good enough for peoples that like to play with 3rd party applications. Developers want to ride the biggest bandwagon, touch screen devices. Non-HTC device is also not so worth it, because there’s not much ROM to be found in place like XDA Developers (yes, it’s shunned, but I’d rather pay for the OS than paying hardware tax just for software upgrade).

Anyway, the greatest story I heard today is that, they’re selling Windows 7 Ultimate at promo price of IDR 2.4M for 3 license key! Yup, gonna buy that. My desktop, my notebook. The other two, my dad’s notebook and my brother’s, which one should I install the 3rd ?

For us the common folks (come on, journalists are above common people, just see what happened if they died in incident or got held as hostages, all news make a bigger fuss of it), Windows 7 will have grand launching too. It’s stated on 6–8 of November 2009 in Pondok Indah (the other side of the capital for me). The fun event (read: with significant persons) would most likely be on 6th, the first day and also Friday, so the place wont be clogged with the other mall visitors.

Maybe if I’ve done most of my jobs, I’ll take a day off to come to the event.

The other launch in Indonesia would be on:

• Mall Kelapa Gading: 13–15 November 2009.
• Mall Taman Anggrek: 20–22 November 2009.
• Senayan City: 27–29 November 2009.

All’s held in mid-to-high market shopping centre, so it’s easy to assume this would just be like any other company’s event in Indonesia that’s not invite only (press event): it’s sales, not marketing. Start selling and start making money :D

I’ll still most likely go there anyway. The date is the same as Indocomtech, but that event has been disappointing these late years. They participants only focus on the better selling notebook, unlike how they used to have big booths that sell motherboards and graphic cards for example. Stage for companies like MSI, Asus, Acer, all’s filled with notebook only, no variation at all. I guess, that’s how they do things now, just focus on the strong and proven product that will most likely bring money and not making any efforts to help the weaker products.

ForumPonsel gathering today @ Pronto restaurant Pondok Indah Mall, Jakarta.
A short description, it’s a forum and community for gadget fans, especially mobile phones, in Indonesia.

I went there after going to screening of Aliens in the Attic. Tight schedule, but arrived there just on time. Actually, there’s another event I want to go to, a cosplay event in Kinokuniya. But the time is the same, and I’ve already paid for this event, so there I goes.

In short, it’s fun, really. Although I’m mostly a lurker there, I can still listen and engage a little with them one by one. Personally, I’m slow at registering name and face, so I still didn’t remember who I’m talking with.
In (weak) relation with that, I didn’t remember the person sitting next to me in the bus leaving, although I’m sitting next to the alley and he had to go through me to get out. Might just be too tired and sleepy, so it’s not anything horror.

That picture up there is part of the collection bought by members. As can be seen, most are Blackberry and Nokia devices, all unlocked of course (well, maybe not the BlackBerries). Someone even have the leaf-shaped Nokia device already discontinued for years.

Finally, here’s the group photo. This is one row, there’s another row to the left and right. According to the guest book, we probably have 50+ peoples in this gathering, and all’s happy! Of course, there’s also the mood maker who act as our MC.

The quiz session asked some forum related question with concert ticket (valid until this midnight). The session by person from the Indonesian Opera user group is race to open the forum’s mobile site. Another one is race to post a one word reply to the forum. The last event, door prize, give two unit of cell phone.

After that, more eat and talk and socializing among members. Anyway, fun event, will be waiting for the next year’s too.

For more pictures, check here: http://www.cariapaaja.com/forumponsel/

As plan goes, today I went to the comic event in Bina Nusantara university, international course. The event is divided into seminar, and exhibition. Well, I’m not really interested in the seminar, and I don’t get any request to write report of it from office either. So, I went straight to the exhibition in lobby, where some circle (amateur comic writer group) are selling their comics.

I arrived around 13.00. The journey is not all that pleasant, because during the trip on bus, we get the worst type of beggars, those who asked with demanding and intimidating tone. As I didn’t give any, he keep pushing his hat asking, and finally throw cursing words to me. I guess, luckily I’m wearing sunglasses because the sun is bright. If I didn’t keep refusing, maybe the woman sitting next to me would give them money too.

Back on the event. There are… 10 booths, plus one booth for the university creative design club who held the event. One other booth by group from Tarumanagara university is empty today. There’s also one booth selling Apple products.

That place is almost like the stereotype of university in the west that I heard of, every notebook is Apple branded (^_^;)

Nothing interesting. I actually hoped to meet with friends I know. Well, I met some, but they’re on the booth, not as visitor. There’s also someone that I’m not too comfortable being with for long time with.

More pictures in this album (with some unrelated pics).

Nothing more to do, I went to the shopping centre nearby, checking on electronic prices. I’m looking for Bluetooth GPS receiver. Well, the cheapest I found is Adapt branded, which is tagged around $85. I’m looking for Holux branded, about $65. But the Adapt brand has tracking feature built in though. I guess I’ll check for review of the device’s sensitivity first and decide next year.

Then, went to Kinokuniya to buy books. The list I bought are…

• Hoshiyomi no Yogensha (star-reader oracle) by Natsuna Kawase.
• Shingetsutan Tsukihime (moon princess) by Type Moon and Sasaki Shounen. 6 books.
• Dogs/Bullet&Carnage. 2 books, can’t find the first book.
• Kyouryuu no Haisha-san (dinosaur’s dentist) by Morio Masami.

All but the first are reading copy for work. It cost me almost $100, so if on Monday I didn’t get reimbursement for it, I think I’ll cry a river. That’s more than my year end bonus and more than half my monthly salary.

Today’s activity is going to Jakarta Historical Museum. I got info from friends in AnimeIndo. The event from information is cosplay event. But upon arriving and took notice that the event is Batavia Art Festival, IMO, those cosplayers are the main point that look so out of place and ridiculous in a way. It’s not that their performance are bad, but their performance had not much with the whole theme.

My favourite of the day is Museum Taman Prasasti. To reach there, it took an effort. I fell asleep in the bus, and missed a bus stop. Had to wait, and then go down from Monas, to the National Museum. From there, I remember the museum is just walking distance away. But, I took the wrong street.

So, after another long long walk, finally got to the place, half hour before closing. The place is beautiful IMO. There’s lot of tombstones, but nobody stays there anymore. Everyone are either claimed by their family, or relocated to Taman Kusir. There are Dutch, English, some Chinese, and a tomb for 30 Japanese soldiers died in a battle.

The place had lots of trees, and because of the more difficult access, not many visitors came, so I think I could took somewhere to seat and actually spend hours enjoying the place. Felt inspiring. Want to take Gi-chan there also, but other than her family that has almost no free time allocation for her, I wonder how she would react about staying long in an ex-cemetary ground, after all, she’s a lot more sensitive than me in that case. ^^;

Returning back to the town square, there’s the marching band and opening ceremony. The event will continue to the night, but I go back early. It’s the end of the month also, so I don’t have much money to spend. If not, I’m thinking of going to the cafe closeby actually.

But, seeing so many peoples gathering for festival in the town square somehow made me feel happy and light hearted. Hope next time there’s event like this, I’ll be having an at least decent camera already.