customer service?? How much that costs??

its a strange experience today from a company that sells video conferencing equipments. to put it in a real short story, i wanted a solution that will be a one step higher version with skype. Where we can to multiple video and audio conferencing so that people can see each other without much dependency to hardware that costs fortune. This company came and gave a big brochure listing the name of almost every big company in india saying thats their client base ( who cares about client bases) then they said they are the best in this and there is nothing they cannot do.. (great!!!) while discussing things i spotted a solution which if installed in mine and my counterparts internationally can do what i wanted to do… (superb!! – then comes the bomb) then i wanted to see a demo of the same or atleast the equipment so that i can see how that would fit inside my office. There came the surprise. The total cost of the equipment is USD2599. But if i need a demo of this product then i need to pay USD299 because they cannot give demo free of cost. I told them i dont need demo in that case atleast show me the instrument so that i can see how that fits in my room. They said for showing the instrument it costs USD 199 (ridiculous) because they will not have stock of any instrument and they need to bring it from bangalore and that costs has to be borne by me.

I wonder how companies like this has such a big client lists. will these companies just buy based on looking at some pictures and brochures?? God save these companies.. i hope i have not named the company in this posts.. even if i have.. i dont care to look through again and delete the same..

Incase you are in chennai and if you want a video conferencing solution, call me before talking to companies, i would name this company… dont waste your time with them. As the saying goes more the clients any company has, the value of their new clients or existing clients are very less… god save these people!!!

got my first hand on the movie editing..

Great beginning… Much more expectation.. my new activity to start and groom into the visual editing section and the MFX has got a great beginning.. I did my first test project today “The usual Hello World ” . More to it the professional editing gets a real base, its fun more than what I expected, i hope this does not become more like a programming and coding.. Because as i see this goes more like a science than an art.

APP is absolutely stunning. I am not sure what the real movie industry uses, if they are using the same, then I think i am already climbing the first step towards that. I put some hand in the synth and created a bit of a looping audio for my test project, and it came out decently well. I still feel i have the rhythm and the sense of music running in me, which I learnt for almost 8 years of carnatic music in my childhood.

Great way to begin, and had great fun. Hope this continues and does not break in between.

Sathish Sampath

Apple iPad as it stands

The world was expecting a BIG note from apple on the iPad.. Every ear is tuned to the release and notes on what they are going to bring in next. Apple/Mac followers like me went further to see if there is any sneak news about Ipad all through the internet. News about a competition for IPAD, and also rumours and spy shots of Ipad in gadgets websites, and inturn apple writing back to them saying they would be taken to court etc.. gave a lots of expectation. Then the news reel that said apple taking cold shoulders with mcgraw hill for a leak.. (check the video in the below link)

http://www.intomobile.com/2010/01/28/apple-cold-shoulders-mcgraw-hill-for-ipad-leak.html

And then the usual mac style release of the product demo, about experience and their usual tactics of claiming that “this is going to be the most incredible experience in the world”.

Check this out, the IPAD demo

Finally this turns out to be a enlarged version of a ordinary (very ordinary) touch pad which can

1. do only one job at a time,
2. making people to get convinced that this is the best way to browse the net
3. lack of a full-blown, Flash-enabled browser
4. convincing that this is the mode where photogalleries would look the best
5. having the world in hand

Does this real selling point that Apple have?? There are few questions which comes to mind when I personally see this.

1. Does this have a real edge like other Apple’s products?
2. When we compare other touchpad’s and tablets in the market this is way behind. Should we then compare this at all? or does this belong to any other segment?
3. Where does this fit for our needs? If i already have a laptop, desktop, iphone, Where is this getting its place.. does this have real place for our needs?? or should I spend $499 or $699 just to get a real feel of photogallery and reading books?
4. Is there any urgency for Apple to release newer stuff as they feel little problem with their commanding space (at the moment – mobile industry) as Google is trying to eat it? so they need to get the worlds attention back to them again to do some cross selling?

To summarise the glamour factor is definitely created just like any other release. But functionally and technologically will they be able to match it and compete and answer all the critics queries? Lets wait to see how much sweet does this apple byte gives

Check other relevant posts – (Thanks to Sydney Morning Herald )

http://blogs.smh.com.au/digital-life/gadgetsonthego/2010/02/01/isitfairtoc.html

http://blogs.smh.com.au/digital-life/gadgetsonthego/2010/01/29/isthereroomf.html

Sathish Sampath