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Comment Re:Outdated trains (Score 1) 237

The Tokyo system is very easy. Ticketing and payment are very straightforward. You can buy a 1-way ticket or have a declining balance card and just swipe, swipe, swipe. If you stick to JR trains (which is easily possible), routing is easy. The only points of confusion I experienced were with signs lacking English text.

What got me in Tokyo several times was Chuo/Sobu line. The train changes line name at certain stations. Also you really have to pay attention to the final destination of the train, getting on the same line with different final destination means you may skip some stops. I had figured that if it's going the same way, on the same line and I'm only about 4 stops away it would make the same stops. I was wrong. I had an easier time figuring out London's system.

Comment Re:Outdated trains (Score 2) 237

I've been to London, it ain't better than NYC. The gaps between the car and station are gigantic, hence "mind the gap" warnings. The escalators are super speedy and steep, and when it rains very slick. Try going from Heathrow with some luggage and you start notice that London Underground is a death trap.

Paris' subway is better but Paris is small that it probably only takes about 20 minutes for a train to make a round-trip through it's route. Relatively clean compare to London and NYC. Walkways still smell like urine though and it lacks escalators in many places. You're very likely to get pick-pocketed and with the articulated subway cars make it easier for them to escape from you if you notice.

Tokyo's metro system is amazing. Trains are on time, stations and cars are clean, but the system is confusing as NYC.

I haven't try Beijing's or Shanghai metro system yet.

Comment As one of the few Surface owners. (Score 4, Interesting) 294

As one of the few Surface owners, I can say on a general level the hardware is solid but the software makes me want to start straggling some UI designers.

Issues:
* on screen keyboard is overlay, so some applications you can't see what you're typing.
* some basic functions (ie. sleep timer) is on the Desktop interface, which makes no sense since MSFT is trying to push the Modern Interface. Plus, Desktop interface is a pain to use on a touchscreen
* "Home" button is capacitive touch and if you use it in portrait mode you'll hit it accidentally very very often
* factory reset takes 2 hours to complete. And then another hour or so to "update" the laptop. Makes me miss Apple's OTA updates.
* to close an Internet Explorer (in Modern), sometimes its swipe up, click on the tab's "x", which switches the active tab to another tab, click "x" on that tab again. Other times its single click on the tab's "x" you want to close. No very consistent
* on-screen keyboard pops always pop up when you want it, like when filling in text fields on a web page

Comment Surface RT is almost usable w/o keyboard (Score 1) 186

Almost. I have the Surface RT and somethings are very irritating.

* virtual keyboard is overlay on top of your current application instead of the more standard pushing application out of the way. This leads to situation where you can't see the text you're typing.

* there's a virtual numpad, but it's a weird mix of phone numpad and standard keyboard numpad. 1-9 use phone layout (1-3 top row...etc) but "0" and "." are on the bottom like a standard keyboard numpad.

* some very basic settings can't be accessed from the Modern interface (ie. screen timeout and sleep mode) and must be changed in the desktop mode. Desktop mode on the Surface RT is just not usable with touch interface.

Comment hmmm.....how about Open Square (Score 1) 470

how about a service that's completely open to tapping? Where all your posts, you know goes to all the authorities and everyone can see everything you do? So much data that it's all useless, lots of duckface photos and useless comments. You know like Facebook. Then you can secretly communicate in the open not with words but with wash-out filters and peace-signs photos.

Comment Here's a plan: (Score 1) 391

For $399, Surface RT + keyboard cover. That's all it takes for me to get a Surface RT. The keyboard is shown in the ads but not included in the package. I think iSuppli estimate the keyboard cover cost $20 to produce. I don't need a million apps, but I do need a keyboard a lot of the times.

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