Author: Nitish Kumar

I love to write and raising voice, sharing thought and heated debate is a kind of passion for me. Jobwise I am just another Computer professional handling Infra and designing solutions for a big Indian Media house but I love to write, sketch, photography and a lot more.

Buying a Laptop: things to look for – A Layman perspective

Wait, confusions, going through reviews and conversations … finally all these leaded to the decision of buying one: Dell XPS 1530. Yes, finally the day came, when I really went for the deal 9th December 2008. I am here to discuss things around it for you all, might still be in earlier stages of making a big purchase. J

Before buying a Laptop, what you keep in your mind, keeping the fixed configurations (something you can’t change later on) as higher as possible and even then tight in budget as you can.

Processor & Motherboard: One was sure to choose a decent Core 2 Duo Processor (2.0 GHz, 2.1 GHz, 2.2 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 2.5 GHz or 2.6 GHz) at least and also to watch out that how much L2 Cache (1 MB, 2MB, 3MB, 6 MB, 12MB) it has or how much FSB it offeres (800 or 1066 or 1366). The processor chosen also alter the specification of motherboard significantly, which is a thing most of the vendor don’t disclose to customer that which one they are using for which configuration.

RAM: The next thing what come in someone’s mind is RAM. Various technologies like DDR2, SDRAM etc and then frequencies over which they operate. The obvious line is “Go for as much higher RAM as possible”, but for me, now days its not of that worth thought because of much cheaper prices and high RAM requirement of Vista and most of the leading softwares. For me, I find 3 GB DDR2 RAM as sufficient nice choice as no 32 Bit OS is making full use of 4 GB RAM. Frequencies available are 667 MHz, 800 MHz, 1066 MHz and 1366 MHz and so are the prices in same order.

Hard Disk & Partition size: Again as I say, prices are as much cheaper now days that you wont mind spending a few bucks more for doubling the Hard Disk space. Choices available range from 120 GB-500 GB and for a Laptop, I find 250 GB or 320 GB a better catch. The next thing to think about in the same reference is the speed of the drive. Yeah now days all the drives are SATA, but RPM speed still matters and this is one of the reason of performance differences between desktop and Laptop. Unfortunately, if you want a performance 7200 RPM drive, then you might be spending 3k more and that too not available with all the brands. Fortunately Dell and IBM ThinkPad are one of the few offering the same with consumer range.

As about partition size, then most of the time, you get Laptop with one partition only or two partitions, out of which, the second one is only for recovery purposes. Everyone wishes to get a partition only for OS and the rest of the space for the other usages. I wish if the vendors make it a practice to make OS partition separate of 40-60 GBs and rest space unaltered.

Graphics Card: There was a time, if you were talking about a graphics card then people were just reverting back that no no.. that’s useless expense as I don’t play games. One of the reasons was higher prices of Graphics card and exclusion of PCI Express Slots from all the older Motherboards. Thanks to Vista in this way that it made people realize that Graphics Cards are going to be necessity very soon. Choosing which graphics card is not a big question as nVidia sure leads from the front, but the question is to choose which one and of how much capacity?

As DirectX 10 has been released and lots of games and softwares are not really going to support any card of lesser capability, but still it might go optional for people, who want to use Laptop for Office purposes only. But for the people, who want to invest for a higher and durable configuration and interested in gaming, I should say that any 128 MB Graphics card or anything lesser than nVidia 8600 GT is a big No No. You need at least 256 MB Graphics Card with DDR3 RAM or if your budget allows, then go for higher. Many games are recommending 512 MB dedicated Graphics card only now days (e.g. Far Cry 2).

Sound: This is now days most neglected side of the Laptop from most of the vendors. Keeping a full fledged and rocking speaker along with other high configuration components and then keeping the size, weight and form factor limited to as low as possible is really a tough task. I really never seen a good laptop with a sound like 2000 Watt, so neither I expect much from a laptop in this regard, nor should anyone else. What we could do is to see whether a decent headphone is shipped with the package or not and where is the placing of Headphone jack and how many jacks are here.

Additional accessories to look for: When one think about a Laptop means a mobile solution then connectivity becomes a big thing all of sudden. You need wireless connectivity at its full, you need Bluetooth, you need In-built Multi Card reader, you might need a Finger Print Scanner keeping further security in mind and most importantly the Inbuilt Web-cam at least you should ask for 2 MP Webcam, although in medium range most of the laptops are offering 1.3 MP Webcam.

With all these you should think about Firewire ports for adding high capacity storage, HDMI ports and as many connectivity options as much possible. USB port also seems to be mandatorily as many as possible.

Optional components: Optional components might be Bluetooth or USB Mouse, TV Tuner, Modem, Data Cards etc. Obviously, it depends on individual’s choice and pocket. For me TV Tuner seems to be a burden.

Other things, which often get unnoticed: This is a part related to service, warranty and in the same reference, choice of the vendor. Many Brands I discussed over net, with colleagues, with mates, with strangers, under forums and I found these brands as major player in Market:

Dell, HP\ Compaq Presario, Sony Vio, IBM, Lenovo and Toshiba

*Dell (My final Choice): I will discuss my chosen configuration later on, but Dell was always the leading one to provide the best technology at first. The only catch is the payment option as paying the cash before getting hands over the real thing going to be crucial with most of the customers in India. Even then they are decent enough, if one is desperate for good deals. They cater a pretty good range starting from just 35k to 85k or higher to meet most of the needs of variety of customers. I find the marketing and sales side also the same level aggressive in pricing and support.

HP: They have their high end Laptops and I guess are targeting Business range most of the time, for the consumer range they have taken over Compaq, which is sure a winner over prices and easy availability. Marketing and sales is this much aggressive that not only local dealers go for recommending their products, but if they know that the buyer has the potential to give them business further then they could follow it in person or via calls continuously and could give you a series of deals. I am not sure that was it better, if I have given a decent thought to this option as well, because one of my colleagues in Dubai bought a similar configuration as mine along with 512 MB nVidea 9600 Card and processor\RAM at 1066 MHz frequency. It was any from HP Pavilion series and the price was only Rs. 53,000/- INR as per rates there.
Now, I will be wondering that whether I made a mistake, although most of the reviews and benchmarks supporting my decision to go with Dell XPS. A good choice, if you don’t want to stress yourself much and not of very much techie to make full use of some higher configuration.

HP Compaq Presario: I should say a cheaper option for consumers in deed. You could get a decent 2GB RAM and 2GHz Core 2 Duo configuration just in Rs. 35,000/- INR and if you just want a good working one with Dual Core then one of my friend just bought it in Rs. 32,000/- INR. I really don’t give weight to Acer, so I could say that its most popular, easiest and cheapest option. Offers are like Music player and Data Cards and the local dealers also make it attractive through offering 4Gb Pen Drives, Mouse, Headphones etc. A good choice for people, who just want a Laptop.

IBM\Lenovo: It’s another brand after HP covering all the ranges in decent manner. You could get a Core 2 Duo configuration just in Rs. 36,000/- and it still work better than any Compaq one. If you leave Leanovo series, then in next ThinkPad\ IdeaPads are here, which comprises of decent high frequency processors, which even Dell is not offering. Prices might be there, but they worth it. Although I didn’t stressed myself much otherwise, I was able to give more insight over this brand, which is another attractive option, I guess.

Sony Vio: I could say earlier what I heard about this brand was only this much that it’s too costly for someone’s budget. I really never given a thought to it, neither tried to know how much rates are there for which configuration, but recently I visited a few Benchmark scores and got to know it performs good enough. But even then will admit that it was never an option to me, so I don’t know much about it right now.

Rest in next review that after these many thoughts how I went through Dell, what were proceedings and how everything went.

Fashion; you never know that from where lines get crossed

Sometimes expectations force you to take on complicated projects. After watching the movie, I knew that writing a review over such fine grained piece of work would be tougher as one needs to get it readable means compact in size, but the details it touches… Anyway….

The well advertised and well announced movie, which was awaited from long. Fashion world; I really unable to find many names, when I think of films fine graining realities of Fashion world in this much closer ways.

After an unnoticed debut with “Trishakti”, Chandni Bar, Satta, Page 3, Corporate and now Fashion, Madhur Bhadarkar now seems to be settled in big ranks and only after Fashion some people like me will be waiting for his next projects for sure. He really amazed me with his fine graining and also leaving some things over the viewer’s notice only, kind of a unique presentation.I could claim that this remarkably mature film is Madhur’s most accomplished work till now, even if Page 3 was a fine grained attempt, but it was somewhat on a lesser larger scale. He seemed to be Brand Ambassador of new age Realistic Cinematography.

Title: Fashion
Release Date: 14th November 2008
Banner: Bhandarkar Entertainment, UTV Motion Pictures.
Presenter: UTV Motion Pictures
Producer: Ronnie Screwwala
Director: Madhur Bhandarkar
Cast: Arjan Baweja, Kangna Ranaut, Kittu Gidwani, Priyanka Chopra, Mugdha Godse, Arbaaz Khan, Harsh Chaaya, Sameer Soni, Ashwin Mushran, Suchitra Pillai, Raj Babbar, Kiran Juneja
Guest Appearances: Madhur Bhandarkar, Manish Malhotra, Karan Johar, Konkana Sen Sharma, Ranvir Shaury and many more…
Production Design: Nitin Chandrakant Desai
Music Director: Salim Marchant, Sulaiman
Lyrics: Sandeep Nath & Irfan Siddique
Story Writer: Ajay Monga
Edited by: Deven Murdeshwar
Cinematography: Mahesh Limaye
Screen Play: Madhur Bhandarkar, Anuradha Tiwari, Ajay Monga
Dialogues: Niranjan Iyengar
Costume Stylist: Rita Dhody
Publicity Designer: Marching Ants

First let’s discuss what one think of Fashion world while standing outside this mysterious world, just by watching a few occasional Fashion shows on FTV. We wonder that how come…

  1. How come all the model seems to be so overly stone faced and under extremely hyper makeup without any reason? Do they feel any emotion? Do they live in this world?
  2. How much attitude they seem to carry, aren’t they seem to selling cloths to aliens only?
  3. How much true the often rumors of exploitation of models and stealing of so much acclaimed designs? Wardrobe malfunctions, Casting couches?
  4. What about Fashion’s high society wild life showcasing Gay relations and drugs all around?

These were the initial question before watching the movie and it gives attentions to all these in one way or another. Still lots of things remained untouched, but one project can’t address everything, still many things left about Fashion world. Even then in the way, this movie satisfies critics, no one stands parallel to it.

This movie is about a girl named Meghna (Priyanka Chopra), who after winning a local beauty contest extends her dreams, to the biggest sky of Fashion World. The girl had a dream and at the same the determination to make it reality, she makes it, but with what she passes through tells many things to the people dreaming for entering into the practical world.

Meghna with her acquaintance Rohit (Ashwin Mushran) starts to interact with pieces of the real world. She comes to meet a few later on closer friends like Janet (Mugdha Godse) and Rahul (Harsh Chhaaya) and Manav Bhasin (Arjan Baweja) in next few happenings and in dramatic ways with just a flip of eyes finds her in front of big names like Anisha Roy (Kittu Gidwani) owner of biggest Profile Agency for Fashion World and Abhijeet Sareen (Arbaaz Khan) acclaimed Big Daddy of Fashion World, owner of biggest company Panache for fashion world.

Once her dream Sonali Nagpal (Kangna Ranaut), soon finds herself replaced by Meghna; not only because of being a new face, but many little things adding into it. Meghna starts running, slowly missing the real world around in her pace. Everything seems to happen logically, in her practical winning eyes till she comes feel that she committed just a few mistakes.

Meghna becomes an overnight success and is everywhere – right from being the showstopper at the biggest fashion shows in town to fashion magazine covers to print ads to TV commercials. The overnight success spoils Meghna and the budding love relationship between her and Manav also comes to an abrupt end. Meghna never gets to know that when she went alike Sonali; the same arrogance, the same freaking and the same fate. Her feet stops only when she finds herself naked in bed with an stranger Black Man for a night stand in overdose of Drug. The ignition of the plot (Sonali Nagpal) seems is taken from the incident of Geetanjali Nagpal; an Ex-Model turned Drug Addict and then found begging on New Delhi streets. I think people should check out following links for the same story

Meghna still finds herself under a shelter due to support of her family, where she come back after that night leaving everything behind. One year passes and after giving all thoughts, she comes back. Comes back to find her all left friends, comes back to tell herself that the mistakes could be altered, comes back to know that is the same fate name of Fashion?

Learning from her mistakes, getting her old friends back as she were true from her once in front of them, she again come to face the world. Trembles once, but relations again come to give her chance to win and when she reaches the edge of making it, she found herself losing Sonali, now days under her guardianship. The message was clear… not everyone gets chances to come back.

This was the story, which was so fine grained that you didn’t found many even if you try for the flaws. Yes, it has its share of flaws like being too lengthy almost 3 hours (2 hours and 50 mins precisely) and missing details from others side than the “showstopper” herself, but for me, it was justified for a critic point of view and thanks to Madhur, he didn’t compromised.

What I really got amazed about was the look and attitude engraved by Kangna. She really looked like a super model, somewhere Priyanka was way behind her, even after her till now best emotional appearance on her credits, somewhere Kangna leaves other behind by stone faced presence and perfection on stage like I myself went on googling that if she hails from Fashion world and I admire her most as she was not. But for me, she proving herself as a find for film industries.

Second fact that was troubling me was “Are all designers and people involved backstage in Fashion Industry seems to be Gay?” Madhur admits here

Really feeling so so much about this movie, but it’s been just a little late and many good things has been said about this movie, so better to watch the movie with full attention than just reading the review. Although for insights of characters, you may check out review on Wikipedia

The scenes I loved from the movie are plenty, but the meaningful to me were the following:

  1. The first fashion show pictured in this movie, probably the most authentic and impressing one.
  2. When Kangna doesn’t turn back after wardrobe malfunction and we still confused that it was coincidence or …
  3. When Meghna answers to Abhijeet in front of his wife Avantika (Suchitra Pillai).
  4. When Meghna woke up from bed and gets herself naked with a stranger.
  5. When Meghna finds Manav moved on in his life.
  6. When under tears Meghna still finds her way to walk on Ramp finally with full confidence with straight eyes in front of all cameras.

Do you need any reasons to watch the movie? Are you still confused and waiting for others approvals and opinions? Don’t think even once, it’s the Show Stopper… go for it.

Rubaru; what if life doesn’t give chance to make things back to right …

What’s point in writing a review over movie after this much long after its release? Sure, in place of answers, I have lots questions in my mind. Why such movies, ideas don’t get big banners? Why people don’t get ways to publicize such sensitive matters? Don’t we have means to get limelight to such intellectual creations?

Ru Ba Ru; have you heard about this movie? For most of the chances, you haven’t heard of the same. Even if heard then just heard about a dozen kisses, the lead pair share in this movie, but the people trying to make out a publicity from negative side, come to forget the fact that it’s a capable movie, dammn it, really really capable. But now I really think that do we have the market and people to get it in that ways? Yes! There might be so much of intellectual audience, but what is the way to send them the message that there is some movie out here of their taste? I really missed this movie and just was watching it to pass my time as from all recent releases, this one was probably the only one, I didn’t watched in very first week and it was a tremendous experience.

Title: Ru Ba Ru
Directed by: Arjun Bali
Produced by: Percept Picture Company
Music: Satyadev Burman, Sameeruddin and Strings
Lyrics: Aditya Narayan, Shuja Haider, Soumik Sen and Arjun Bali
Starring: Randeep Huda and Shahana Goswami..

This movie was special to me otherwise, I haven’t came to write a review over it. I found it intellectual enough like Strangers, Cheeni Cum or more closely Mumbai Salsa, but unfortunately all of them shared a way lesser exposure and when left the theaters, one never came to know. Obviously, Cheeni Cum was better out of it due to Amitabh himself. But …

This was a movie for relations, where we see girls preferring the soul of relation itself, while guys prefer perfecting the things in practical ways, which often land in wrong ways to make the relation go uncomfortable. Boys side finds it lesser practical to flip the eyes from ground realities and wants to settle down the troubles one by one and then moving towards enjoying life, while girls get it in the way that if relations are sticking together firmly, then everything could get a way out to be good.

The approaches are quite reasonable as boys know that they would be blamed if anything goes wrong as they were supposed to take care of everything being a tougher side, while girls know that everything has to be fine and it’s a small world of people, one always have to live for. May I won’t be coming with the right words to express the same….. coz of being a boy obviously But it’s not only this movie, many other movie of the same genre reminds me of this difference.

We often see pairs fighting in the same ways even if they loved each other as closely as they could. Rightly said once, when one is wrong in relations, then its easy to set it back, but when both are right, then it’s really …. We get to see an interesting statement in the middle of movie …

  • I don’t know. I do so much, but still she is never happy.
    > Do you love her?
  • Why won’t I love her? What else do you want?
    > You love her, but don’t know how to express it.
  • I will make everything right, when she will be back
    > what if you never got a chance to make everything fine?

The same conversation was what the movie is all about.

Everything is like we get to see, get to experience; forgetting dates, forgetting what’s important for the other one, girls thinking that they are giving their extreme priority to the boys side, while boys thinking why can’t they cope up with the same, even after trying their permissible, practically best. Boys get irritated as they don’t want to get the tag all the time that they don’t care or don’t love the way other side do. They always learned to focus one thing at a time and probably, life is this much engaging that just being with it pace gives no time back to you.

So, is the story all about it? No, there was something else in it to make us realize it in some different way as well.

Nikhil woke up at a day with a bad dream, which ended in a highly tragic node of death of his girlfriend and live-in partner Tara. Somehow Nikhil realizes her that what if he loses everything before getting all the things, all the preparation right in place. The day moves and he get to see everything around him happening in more or less the same way, he got to see in dream. He gets scared and tries to make everything away from the fate, but things keep on moving in the same way and he keeps on changing the things from his side to make everything right from today itself, but was the fate easy enough to be pushed away? Watch the movie …. Learn the priorities.

About Nitish Kumar; For the people, who don’t know me

If finding some information about me then I am just a simple kid, always ready to catch new friends. So, obviously waiting for you. Don’t hesitate to contact me

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For Indian Idol V4, Introducing my another blog

I am introducing my another blog specially for Indian Idol

http://indianidolv4.wordpress.com

Check back the same for Indian Idol related updates.

Indian Idol 4; Curtain Raiser


As much higher the dream, as much higher the standard, that’s what being claimed with this version of Indian Idol. Where this one is going to stand?

Yes, we don’t see every winner from here making big sound all over, but sure we get some acclaimed names including the recent bubbly … my big eyes Monali making it by singing two rocking numbers for “Race”. If speaking from heart, then sure it might not at those technical granites, other reality shows touch, but it has its share of X-Factor, which others don’t. It’s Indian Idol and it means something even now.

Season 4 of Indian Idol is going to be premiering Friday, September 19, 2008
Indian Idol Season 4 registration began on April 1, 2008. The show proposes that auditions will take place in Calcutta, Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Gwalior and Lucknow, with the possibility of other cities being added in the future.


• Audition of Indian idol 4 in Ahmedabad: May 7 & 8th
• Audition of Indian idol 4 in Amritsar: May 9 & 10th
• Audition of Indian idol 4 in Bangalore: May 12 & 13th
• Audition of Indian idol 4 in Guwahati: May 13 & 14th
• Audition of Indian idol 4 in Kolkata: May 20th
• Audition of Indian idol 4 in Varanasi: May 16 & 17th
• Audition of Indian idol 4 in Delhi: 23 May

The final 100 contestants are slated to be chosen between June and July 2008, the final 30 by October 2008. A special “Wild Card” episode will take place on or about November 2008. The Grand Finale of season 4 is set to take place on or about February 2009 where the fourth Indian Idol will be selected by public vote and presented via a “Live” recorded performance. Promos for the fourth season appeared on Sony Entertainment Television mid summer of 2008 and featured past contestants of the series as well as recurring judges Annu Malik and Javed Akhtar. Indian Idol 4 will again be telecasted on Sony Entertainment Television. Promos appeared on Sony TV saying Indian Idol 4 is premiering once again for another season on September 19, 2008.

The panel of judges now includes The Fab Four Javed Akhtar, Anu Malik, Sonali Bendre and Kailash Kher.

Kailash Kher perfectly replacing innocent and sweet talking Udit Narain, ready to hit back, high hitting Anu Malik from a safe distance. 😉

Sonali Bendre taking it from where Farah Khan or Alisha Chinai left. Smart and witty and invincible in X-factor. She is a rock star and proven attraction or who knows asset for this version of Indian Idol.

And the author of this article, who is writing over Indian Idol from second version of Indian Idol is again set to make marks. Hoping that my busy schedule will give me enough time to make it.

Saawariya: A cinematic poetry

Saawariya; Movie or dream sequence? Story or some poetry? Moving through sometimes simple and sometimes complex symbols, that’s what Saawaria is.

Its only the second attempt of Hindi Commercial Cinema after Gaj Gamini to use big screen canvas to emulate such a concept. I think its easy to loose track of what’s going on in such creations, but people who love classics and could notice minute details of language of symbolism, its going to be a tough treat to mind. Its like those Satyajeet Ray movies, I have been heard of but not got to see many times, because of being Hindi movies lover. I wont recommend the same for anyone, who just might be wishing to go and watch a movie for time-pass or to go because of Rani Mukharji or Salman Khan. You are suggested to go for the same, if you able to notice voice of silence, wants to watch a movie from a critic angle or hopelessly romantic up to the extent of some poet, probably, you might not have seen something similar ever, if have been fond of movies only and have not seen stages.

Director & Producer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Cost: Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Zohra Sehgal, Begum Para, Achla Sachdev

Lyrics: Sameer, Nusrat Badr.

Music: Monty Singh.

A well awaited movie because of the name of SLB and he really surprised me over his class of imagination and control over minute details. But on the other side, he misses to give the commercial touch to the movie and except dead hard movie lovers and critics like me, it will brought disappointment to viewers, as its all about the imagination and poetry in place of any visible storyline or theme.

Visibly, it’s a story of four nights, in which two lovers passes through loads of emotions and levels of romance in a poetic manner. From inside, it’s a simple story, we might have encountered here and there, where a boy meets someone, who is already in love, found her irresistible and wish to be with her even if in form of a sweet friend only. Lots of things, loads of emotions and always a hope that someday, she will be able to get his silent love and come to believe that she deserves for something more than she have in form her lost love. She is waiting for someone and he is waiting for her to melt, both walk and talk together for four nights and before glimpse of love might get its full glory, she turns back to her love.

“When we ask for rights, then we loose friend, and if we don’t then its turn of friendship to go.”

How could you touch a heart, who is not wishing to hear, even when love to be with you to share her things? How could you bear, when you come to propose her in clear words finally, after giving lots of symbols, but she misses and ask you back about her love? How could you hold yourself, when she shows extreme rights over you and even then never wishful to give any, which you might have asked? How could you make yourself stand like a true friend, when you know that you love her as your life?

Not able to get my questions? Then leave it… its not your idea of entertainment.

It’s a story of a happy go lucky innocent bar singer Ranbir. One silent bright and starry night, he spots a mysterious girl dressed in black, standing alone at a bridge. This chance encounter introduces him to Sakina, a shy and quiet, melancholic and enigmatic girl, who continues to intrigue him. Thus follows the beginning of a new friendship, where Raj with his most charming ways and an undying spirit tries to win Sakina’s heart. He is just unable to accept her haunting past and their friendship pulls him into a whirlwind of desire, madness and romance.

Initially, Raj thinks that’s (her past) a crafted story, but finally realizes its authenticity. But he kept on believing that someday, it will go a happy ending for him, but … It ends up on a distressing note, where Sakina chooses her love interest (Salman Khan) over her best soul-mate (Ranbir Kapoor).

Was the end right? I think yes, because that was the intention and origin of the story. Is hard to relate yourself, but if you close your eyes, then somewhere, you could feel the pain in smiles.

Coming over commercial angles, then I know that like Gajgamini, it may get the same fate over Box Office and even the high expectations from the same, will make it fall for big times. Even then I will rate it as far better attempt of create a poetry than Gajgamini, although miserably, we don’t have audience of that level, which could come to appreciate the movie.

Emotions, acting, direction all are marvelous and classic, although I was not impressed by choreography, don’t know why? It was like missing some hit.. don’t know what. Watch it at your own risk, only you could decide that you are going to like it or not.

For me, Raj will continue to wait.

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