AXIS Gathering with Koon Chee - Friday 03 Nov 2006

So when was the last AXIS gathering? That would be back in 2005 when Monica gave birth to Clara. But at that time, Koon Chee was in Hong Kong. If I am not wrong, the last gathering with Koon Chee was probably the one back in May 2004 at Danny and Monica's house.

However, everyone was plenty busy, so only Danny, Monica and myself could make it for this one. Koon Chee is in Singapore for a whole week to oversee a new project at Fedex (he was here since 28 October, and will tentatively be leaving Singapore on 7 November).


So what is new? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Photo 1

Photo 2


Oh right. Monica is having a second child soon. And I think Koon Chee's glasses are too outlandish (but then, who am I to comment on fashion?).

Koon Chee is staying at the Hotel Phoenix (next to Somerset MRT station on Orchard Road), so he suggested meeting at Kinokuniya Bookstore at Ngee Ann City at 7pm. After meeting up, we decided to dine at the Crystal Jade Kitchen (Cantonese cuisine) restaurant in Basement 2. Although the restaurant has been hyped to the hip on its exquisite food, I personally didn't find the dishes we tried particularly outstanding (and the dishes we chose were all "Chef Recommendations"). I have definitely eaten tastier Cantonese cooking in other restaurants

Restaurant review from the Sunday Times

The restaurant was very packed! With some reluctance, we decided to give up our table at 9 pm to the horde of customers queuing outside the restaurant (waiting for stragglers like us to leave) and made our way to the McDonalds one level up in Basement 1 where we continued our chit chat until 10:15pm. We left because the shopping centre was closing, and security guards everywhere were bringing down the shutters. Otherwise, I think we probably would have stayed longer.

Since we are all in the IT line, talk naturally drifted to Microsoft's Windows Vista. Danny mentioned that Ai Khim is working in a firm that do product packaging for Microsoft. I joked that we should ask Ai Khim to sneak out some of the new Vista packaging as they look very shiny and desirable.

Vista Shiny's Case


Anyway, I did a fun mockup for a software package. Too bad the software cannot duplicate Microsoft's "shiny" look:

VersaTrack Box

VersaTrack Box (Details)


If you wish to try Vista, you can get the Vista download from this site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx

Despite what it says on the website, it is my understanding that anyone and everyone can download and try the Vista RC1 (Release Candidate 1) for free. This evaluation version will expire at the end of May 2007 (you have only 7 months to try it).


I have tried Vista RC1 off and on over the past 2 weeks. Personally, Vista feels like a Windows update that is completely focused on "eye candy". It doesn't feel like a compelling upgrade from Windows XP, unlike the update from Windows 98 to Windows XP. When Windows XP was introduced, the rock solid stability of the XP version of Windows was astonishing! (As compared to the multitude of "blue screens of death" I got everyday when I was running Windows 98.)

My recommendation is: don't bother upgrading an existing copy of XP to Vista.
You should only get Vista when you buy your new PC (with Vista preinstalled).

I also told Danny that I am using a free program from Microsoft called Microsoft Virtual PC 2004. Virtual PC allows me to run multiple virtual sessions - with each session running a completely different Windows operating system - on my Windows XP notebook.

My Windows XP notebook running with a Window 2003 Server virtual session.


If you think Virtual PC is useful, you can download it for free from this Microsoft site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx

***

Anyway, enough of the IT talk. Hopefully, more of us will be able to make it for the next AXIS gathering.

Happy weekend!
NJ