5 reasons that Dell is a nightmare thanks to Google, Windows and Himself

In my many years of living (almost 30 years), I have gotten myself 2 laptops in my life. The 1st laptop was nightmarish at 1st (It was a COMPAQ CQ35). Oh gosh, how can I remember this? Because it was an amazing laptop running on Duo Core on Windows 7. The nightmare part was mainly because of Windows 7. One day, the OS just gave me blue screen because of the bluetooth software faulty. All my photos during that period were lost. Eventually, it redeemed itself being able to run ANSYS, HYSYS, MATLAB, SUPERPRO, AUTOCAD. Oh yes, those big names and not forget to mention that it helped me through my 3 years of undergraduate life and numerous tedious projects/ assignments/ final year project !

Then, before coming to UK, I decided to upgrade myself, well, which I thought to be. Eventually, it was more like frustrating marriage. For only RM 2200, the purchase was an amazing deal with all the free gifts and free Windows 8.

The specifications were quite good and just typical: Model Inspiron 15 3000 Series

1. Windows 8.1
2. Intel i5
3. Nice keyboard but no backlight
4. 4 Gb RAM 
5. 750 GB hardisk
6. 64-bits system

Let me talk about the gifts (the reasons I fallen prey) Hahaha, just too greedy for those goods:

1. Typical free kits (clenaing kits, cooler pad, USD ports, headphones, etc)
2. Power bank !!!!!!!!!
3. A nice external speaker
4. 8 Gb pendrive
5. RM 50 Jusco voucher
6. Dell wireless mouse worth RM 50

Yes, I love those gifts and I am happily using them now, especially the wireless mouse! Very nice to use! The main reason Dell Inspiron 15 is a nightmare mainly because of Windows 8.1 . I shall elaborate in details:

1. The extremely slow response in Windows 8.1 -  I found out the the Disk Usage was 100% even though I just opened a facebook. Eventually, I found the solution as follow (here). 
2. The google chrome decided to slow down as well - I found out that it was mainly because of Google Chrome default setting made it behaved as such
3. The keypad didn't response properly. I need to download the Dell Software solution to get this sort out.
4. Windows freezes whenever there is an Windows Compulsory Update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (This makes me mad when I need to use the PC urgently) And, it takes forever to update the softwares like 15 - 30 mins (>_<)
5. Dell's face recognition login is utterly an nightmare. It took me 12 times to completely remove from my PC. Yes, freaking 12 times!

Overall user experience (4/10) mainly due to 3rd parties compatibility. Anyhow, to solve those issues, it took quite a while. Thus, it is so exhausting to do checking programming, typing prompt language, rebooting non-stop. . . Perhaps, next time, I should change OS and PC. You can have a very good hardware but regardless how good it is, software eventually provides the user experience. Dell, I gotta to say that you have no choice but to use Windows 8.1, but that shitty Face Recognition please don't make it a necessity in your suits! Oh by way, this post also reminds me don't use own name for branding. Hahaha, when people complain, it will be the brand, not the person (^^)

10 Things I wish knew or did before 25

This is finally an official post from me in 2015. Yes, almost a quarter of the year 2015 gone by!  This month also marks my 6th month in Nottingham, United Kingdom. These few months I felt less accomplished ever not because I did not work hard or so, is just that life has begun to give a huge toll on me recently.  Yes, I have passed the 25-year-old line. This means I am a young adult in Europe countries and more significantly I am reached another stage of life. My friends have been sharing some post on 25 things we should do/ know before 25. It is very intriguing to see what other 25-year-old going through. And, here is my version of top 10: 

1. You are bound to be hurt no matter how good are you! 

This is extremely true. Some people like you and some people just despise for no apparent reason. Even though you are at your very best personally and professionally, some PEOPLE just like to torture you with their own agenda. Oh yes, so my advice is "don't give a f*** what they think, just be yourself and keep on kicking a**. We control our emotion, not others!

2. Friends come and go, family and true friends stay

We just need a small group of genuine friends. They will be there whenever you need moral support. My advice is don't friend with others just because you are lonely. You should give time to those who really want to connect with you. Because by the age of 25, your so-called big group friend will just dissolve anyway. So, give time to true friends and family! We are actually on the way to be parted from our family as they can't be at our side forever. Treasure the time talking with your family and pets. 

3. Travel more when you are young

So far, I am lucky to be able to travel in different countries. Don't join the typical tour! Plan your own trip even though it will be hard and frustrating sometimes. I have more concrete memory of my own trip instead of those agency tour. 

4. Don't worry! No matter how experience/ old you are, you will still be cheated!

From my personal experience, people will tend to hide some important facts. I have met people who told you everything is well-arranged. But, the situation is not what it seems. Then, those people will just keep on pretending those promises were not made. Oh well, take this as a lesson! This is the process of growing up and moulding to be part of society. People lie, that's it!

5. Don't compare yourself to your peers

There will only be one Steve Jobs, Bill Gates in that era. There will only be one Mark Zuckerberg in new era. Yes, just be happy ! The criteria to be successful is never clear. As long as you are contented and happy, that counts!

6. Education is not everything. To be successful, you need more than grades

Kindergarten, Primary school, Secondary school and University are just a phase in life. They constitute major part of our lives, but not everything. We can excel in University, but, we can still be left behind in life if we are not improving. Darn, I am still in my Ph.D course (contradicting statement). You can have a perfect score in every exam. But this will not bring you far if you lack of those essential social skills. What I believe (friend please don't kill me for this) is that usually the most successful bunch of friends are those whose academic results are just average (2nd upper, 2nd lower). You can score 100 marks in math, but you can't solve an actual engineering question. What is the use? 

7. Everybody fails something

I failed my additional math before this! I failed my Chinese essay examination. Excruciating as they seemed, I pull it through! Failure makes one stronger!

8. Save money,  invest as early as possible and learn those financial part

If I knew (if ) that Kuala Lumpur housing would rise 200% in 2015 as compared to 2009, I would have told my dad to buy as many properties as possible. But we can't predict our future. What we can do is to save up and one day when it is affordable, we would readily pay for the downpayment. Another point is that invest ASAP from public mutual to stocks. What we earn will never to able to follow the rise of living cost. That's why we must learn to save and invest the money wisely. When I am talking about financial, I mean your income, tax and expenditure. We just have to keep balance of those in life! 

9. Find time to consider you like and realise it

I thought I like one thing. But, after some time, I find that it was just a misconception from public/ friends/ family. You will never know unless you try it. But, never ever rush into things even though we have a lifetime to amend our mistakes!!!!!!!!! I wish that I took my language classes seriously, if not, I will be fluent in Japanese and Spanish now. 

10. Life will always be a learning curve

24 years ago, I learnt to talk and walk

20 years ago, I learnt to write

15 years ago, I learnt to make friends and be silly

10 years ago, I learnt to memorise for my test

8 years ago, I learnt to make my own decision in education

3 years ago, I learnt to earn for a living 

1 year ago, I learn to adapt a brand new environment  

If you ever come across my blog, these 10 things are some personal experiences from me! If you are in your 20, treasure every day and every moment because I just lost my 6 years of youth in a flash! hahahaha, I just can't believe it because it was like a couple months ago when Kelly Clarkson won American Idol 13 years ago! 

Life is a journey, so simple, yet so complicated. Along the way, people come and go. We can't always have everything we want in life. But, it is no harm trying!  One last note: be yourself and happy because life is too short!