A while back, I raved about my Inspiron 640m.

Today, I have a MAJOR complaint about Inspiron’s MediaDirect.

MediaDirect is another Dell exclusive feature. It allows the user to play a VCD without booting from the OS (Operating System).

Two days ago, I booted into MediaDirect and started playing a VCD. Midway, it froze. So I force-shut-down. After that, MediaDirect will not boot at all.

I had a chat with Dell Support and they said the only option is to reinstall MediaDirect. That in itself is not too bad. The really bad news is that to reinstall MediaDirect, I have to reinstall the OS too.

That’s ridiculous.

I thought the whole point about MediaDirect is its non-dependence on the OS. Now when MediaDirect is broken, to fix it requires reinstallation of the OS ??!!

Not cool at all.

If that’s the only solution, Dell should drop their ‘Easy as Dell’ tagline .

I raised a ticket with them and will provide updates when they update me.

Another school shooting incident.

And as usual, the presses are covering the shooter from all angles possible – history, motive, last days, profile …

In the Virginia Tech shooting, the shooter also sent his last word and testament to a news company and the news company published, aired them.

Shooters shoot because they want the world to hear them. They shoot as shockingly as possible because the more it shocks, the more press they get.

As long as the media continue to give them airtime, more will continue this avenue to air their views.

The media has a great role to stop this. Stop airing the shooters’ story. Instead, write stories of the people who were brave during the shooting, the professor who tried to block the door to save his students. Write about the lives that the shooter took, the lives of families that he destroyed, the dreams they had.

When the press publishes stories of how the shooter was disturbed, how he procures his guns, the press is in a way, publishing a ‘how-to’ manual for school shooting.

Don’t tell the shooters’ story. He does not deserve to be heard or remembered. His deeds, last or early days are not of no public interest.

The heroes and heroines’ stories will do much more to inspire us and to make us better.

Telekom Malaysia (or TMNet) is launching its most generous promotion ever to woo new customers. In its super duper deal it doles out a lot of discounts and free stuff to new customers.

Leaving a lot of existing customers like me wondering, ‘What about me ?’. I have been a TMNet customer for more than a year. I subscribe to broadband and later also subscribed to BBPhone. What’s TMNet doing for its customers ?

Management experts are always saying, ‘It’s more expensive to woo new customers than to keep your existing customers happy’. TMNet is certainly keeping me happy with all these discounts to new customers but none for us.

The government just announced a couple of new players for WiMax services. These new WiMax service providers will hopefully be able to provide better broadband services that TMNet and Jaring. They are the current broadband service providers in Malaysia and both not very impressive in their customer satisfaction department.

This is no doubt TMNet trying to launch a preemptive strike to lock down customers for 2 years before the WiMax service providers come to market.

Well, TMNet, while you are busy trying to get new customers and ignoring those of us existing customers, when the WiMax providers, we  will certainly leave you even if they give similar or even slightly better value services than you.

You have been treating us poorly thus far because there is little competition for you.

With competition, you are treating us even worse.

Thank the Government for WiMax and for competition and for giving us a choice.