MultiTouch

Not the first time I mention this.

I’m now the proud owner of a Macbook Pro (as some of you might have followed in my twittering) , and although there isn’t a stellar difference from the old version of it the multi touch is…well…a nice touch.

So now that the technology Apple sought by acquiring Fingerworks (or their technology) is fully imbedded into the laptop’s trackpad, when are we getting all the power user features Fingerworks users were so keen on?

I do like the scroll and the back and forth gestures and the two finger right click, however, I want the copy, the move and all of that. Because it’s all application dependent now, and I’d really like to see it shine. (should I ask for a more efficient file manager for OS X, wile I’m at it? lol)

Apple knows best about usability, I would never argue with that, I have a feeling however that for newbie’s sake those features will never be enabled. Thus…will there be  a 3rd party developer picking up the ball? I’d appriciate it.

HS-900 Creative Headset

I’ve never been so impressed with a headset. And I love that they are raw and to the point. No flashy gimmicks, no strange

colors. just a very good set of headphones with a rather impressive microphone. The headset is very light and comfortable, the velvety ear mufflers are a bliss and the upper support is nicely padded, the exterior seems to me like it’s koskin. one thing that I usually complain about is the fact that over-the-head or over-the-ear headphones are never “glasses” friendly. they either produce unwanted noises in contact with the frames or they just press your ears uncomfortably agaist them, the HS-900 however are rather ok when it comes to that issue, they are not in-ear headphones, but not disappointing at all either. The mic isn’t very adjustable, but you don’t need it to be because it’s rather sensitve (-38dBV/Pa) so there’s no reason you’d want it any closer to your mouth (trust creative on this one).
The response to music is fine, just as any set of headphones in this price range should be with a frequency response of 20Hz~20kHz. They tend to distort in high-volumes when the music is too “bassy”, but in my opinion if you are listening to music that high, you really need to take better care of yourself. mind that this distortion was only noticeable when plugged to the stereo equipment, plugged in to the computer there wasn’t enough amplification to reach distortion. It’s natural EQ is comfortable and balanced, I’d ask for a bit more bass, but that’s just me.
There are “breathers” on the upper part of the speaker enclosures that let some sound bleed out to the environment, this is noticeable especially when listening to music rather loud, so it does not affect your game playing, as hardly you’ll be doing so at such high volumes. Gamming with this set is quite amazing. I played a bit of Desert Seige with it and it was very clear that the slightest whisper was heard by my team mates.

Skype is just skype, it works just fine, and again it’s rather comfortable. They are however rather big and if you have the mic set down to talk you’ll look like an air line controller, so mind that web cam.
If i was to complain about anything at all I’d complain about the fact that there isn’t a USB version. I hate the flackyness of jacks. (granted, they are much easier to fix later on, but sill, the option would be nice)

So, am I satisfied? very. Worth the buck? yes. Anything I’d change? the USB option would be nice and having he mic to be a bit more adjustable would be nice, I don’t need that feature, but I imagine a child would.

I’d recommend it to gamers especially or to someone like me who needs something for listening to music, gaming and does teleconferences on regular basis. Since this is total over kill for anyone using it for skype alone, I have to point out that Creative has some other models that seemed much more interesting to me if that’s your cup of tea. (HS-350 for over the head and HS-390 for over the ears, and with a much more attractive price tag)