Jake Ludington’s Digital Lifestyle

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In my ongoing commitment to post about each of the HP HDX Dragon giveaways, here are three more just underway.

From the self-described pundit barely old enough to legally buy alcohol, Robert McLaws, comes the challenge of saying something nice about Windows Vista in 5 minutes or less. Apparently beating the Vista version of solitaire on video doesn’t count, but you do get points for Innovative uses of Windows Vista (one of my copies is currently a doorstop, does that count?), Presentation Creativity, Effort, and Making a Difference (I use Vista every day to send email to people who are having problems with Vista, but I don’t think that’s what Robert means). Full details are here.

WindowsConnected.com has a more complicated giveaway. Like the hybrid of the Ars Technica and Gadgeteer giveaways mentioned previously, you’ve got to make something or do something related to WindowsConnected and then provde them with proof you’ve done it. If you build a WindowsConnected-branded computer to monitor global warming via Windows Vista, you might get two entries in one with WIndowsConnected and WindowsNow. WindowsConnected giveaway details are here.

Geeks to Go has something much simpler - all you have to do is print the Geeks to Go logo. I’ll bet if you tattoo their logo on your person, you’re a guaranteed winner, although I have no influence in their giveaway so don’t consider that a recommended strategy. Official details are here.

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Ian Dixon, author of Using Microsoft Windows Vista Media Center, writes some of the best stuff on home media center computing. He’s just annouced his 31 Days of the Dragon giveaway, but he’s being a bit sneaky. The computer and accessories pack is the same $5k+ bundle as each of the 30 other giveaways, you’ll just have to work a bit to find out how to get it.

Digital Home Thoughts makes their giveaway much more clear. Subscribe to their YouTube channel and comment on their YouTube video (embedded below), in order to enter. Even if you don’t win, it’s worth subscribing for some great content on numerous tech topics. Full details of the giveaway are here.

If you’re keeping score, AbsoluteVista announced their winner, who entered a great short story to win.

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Gadgeteer Giveaway Entrys
Originally uploaded by thegadgeteer

The Gadgeteer has my favorite contest so far in the 31 Days of the Dragon. To enter, you have to take a picture of something with the-gadgeteer.com plastered on it. No photoshopping allowed - you must do a real project. While Julie isn’t expecting anyone to break out the John Deere Green and paint the local water tower (although you never know), this is a fun way to get creative and have a real shot at getting your hands on one of the 31 HP HDX Dragon computers being given away. Read the full details of The Gadgeteer giveaway to make sure your entry qualifies.

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BostonPocketPC is today’s HP HDX Dragon featured contest. To get entered into their giveaway, you just need to drop them an email telling about all the gear you carry regularly, along with a photo of your gear bag and stuff. I love when sites accept submissions of this type because there’s something interesting about comparing the junk in my bag to the stuff other people carry around on a daily basis. It frequently gives me ideas for paring down my own gear. The contest starts today, 2008 May 7 with all entries required by Saturday May 10th 2008 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time US.

Full details of the BostonPocketPC giveaway are here.

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You’ll have to dig around on Barbara Bowman’s Digitalmediaphile blog in order to make a sucessful entry in her HP HDX Dragon giveaway. In addition to knowing a few details about the HDX Dragon being given away, you also need to dig up info on the type of digital SLR camera Barbara uses, locate a hidden blog post, find the model of the first HP Pavilion entertainment PC she blogged about, and locate details on a problem laptop she wrote about in a past post. Assuming you’re up to the challenge of a little surfing and searching, official details on the Digitalmediaphile HP HDX Dragon giveaway are here.

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I got sidetracked in posting details about the HP HDX Dragon giveaway starting on May 3, so here’s a double Dragon update.

ArsTechnica.com has a fairly complex modding contest for those interested in getting their hands on that particular Dragon. You have to create something original that’s tied to the Ars brand in order to win. Or as they put it:

Create something that involves Ars Technica. It could be an Unreal Tournmant level or skin, an Ars Technica theme for the PS3 (or the web), a house in the Sims that’s based on our forums, with a funny-looking Peter Bright of course. If you’ve ever wanted to model Jacqui Cheng’s house, complete with 50 iPods under glass, you can do so. You can use any game, and create a level, skin, or anything else your heart desires. Points will be given for originality and ties to Ars, and will be judged by a panel of experts. Namely, us.

That’s potentially hard work to complete by the May 10 deadline, but a $5k computing package is certainly worth some effort. All the details are here.

OSNN offers a challenge that’s slightly easier. You need to know some OSNN history and you need to participate in their forums. 6 questions are part 1 of the OSNN challenge. Part 2 is the participation - you need to be active in their forums, with meaningful participation between now and May 11 in order to be considered. The rules are posted here.

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John Obeto from AbsoluteVista.com is the first of the 31 bloggers giving away one of the HP HDX Dragon computer bundles. You have until May 8 to participate in John’s giveaway, which simply requires you to write a short story about how the Dragon will change your computing experience. In John’s words:

Simple: I need a story.

Tell me how this elegant desktop-replacement system will enhance your entertainment options.

Inform the world how this fantastic and totally decked-out system will bring up your productivity, and mobile gaming.

Finally, reveal to all how HP and this game-changing device will make your world better!

While I like a well-written treatise as much as the other guy, please don’t write me a dissertation.

Be concise, be creative, be funny, can the sob stories, be funny!

More details at AbsoluteVista.com .

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HP is making 31 laptops available to be given away by 31 different blogs on 31 separate days. I’m one of the bloggers charged with the responsibility of giving away a laptop. So maybe laptop isn’t quite the right way to describe the HP HDX Dragon - it’s more like a replacement for your entire desktop. And it could be yours if you participate in any of the 31 giveaways happening in May. Here are the specs for each of the computers being given away:

Each participating website will have its own competition with its own prize, each a HP HDX Dragon Entertainment Notebook loaded with features and software.

The HP HDX Dragon comes with Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit) and is powered by an Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor X9000 (2.80GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB). Other features include 20.1″ diagonal WUXGA High-Definition HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen (1920×1200) 1080p, 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm), 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS, HP Imprint Finish (Dragon) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone, Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth, 500GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (250GB x 2), Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer, Integrated HP HDTV Hybrid TV Tuner and 4 Altec Lansing speakers with HP Triple Bass Reflex subwoofer, and 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery.

Productivity Software: Microsoft Office, Corel PaintShop Pro X2, Corel Painter Essentials, Corel Ulead Video Studio Plus 11.5, Symantec Norton Internet Security.

Games: Viva Piñata,Microsoft Flight Sim, Microsoft Flight Sim Expansion Pack, Gears of War.

Blu-ray movies: Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man’s Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean - At World’s End.

If you had to pay for one of these monsters, it would set you back more than $5k.

My problem - I have to figure out what the challenge is for the giveaway. Do I ask for links as I’ve done with an Xbox giveaway in the past? Maybe I should collect tips on a specific topic and draw randomly from everyone who submits a tip. I have to announce the lucky recipient of the Dragon on May 22, so I have a few days to decide. What would be the perfect challenge for people wanting a $5k computer for free?

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Why don’t we have a universal power supply for all laptop and notebook computers? Most of them are spec’d to the point where they are fairly similar, as evidenced by the iGo Power Supply that works with over 100 laptops. The only major difference between a Dell power supply and a Toshiba power supply is the connection in the back of the laptop. That’s stupid. The power supply connector on a laptop is not a feature!

I don’t pick my laptop based on which style of power supply I use. All I need to know is that my laptop power cord will connect to a standard grounded power outlet in the United States (and possibly work internationally as well). When I lose my power supply or the cord gets damaged, I should be able to walk into any electronics store and pickup a new one, or borrow one from some kind soul who has a fully charged battery. Instead I have to buy something like the iGo, which is universal, but also requires me to get a bunch of extra tips that don’t connect with anything I own.

Jason Dunn takes power connector issues a step further, outlining his own power woes. Jason dreams of a world where add-on power solutions are more universally compatible, which would be easy if we could get everyone to agree on making power cords standardized on laptops across the board. Jason’s right that getting individual brands to remain consistent throughout their product line is a good first step. But unifying the Dell, HP, Toshiba, or Lenovo product lines doesn’t go far enough - the power cord should be universal on the laptop side, just like it is on the side that connects to the wall.

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I don’t own a Kindle yet because they’re never in stock and I hate waiting lists. If you’re lucky enough to already have a Kindle, you can read my blog on the Kindle via their blog subscription service. At this point, I’ll likely hold out for whatever the v2 of the Kindle is, because I’m hopeful Amazon is improving on the existing design. Nobody gets a first generation device perfect and there are a number of features I’d like to see, including support for full color images, better audio integration, and some slight variation on the design. And if we can get the FAA to let us read Kindle devices during takeoff and landing, all the better.

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