Facebook this week released its much anticipated re-design, which seeks to create a more streamlined user experience.

One of the major noticeable changes to everyone's favourite social network is the dismissal of the toolbar at the bottom, which had bookmarks for favourite applications. This has been swapped for a minimalistic tab at the bottom right for Facebook Chat.

Notifications are at the top, next to the Facebook logo, and a major move toward the streamlined sees the discarding of the user's name in the top right, which had a duplicate link to their profile under the tab "Profile" in the previous design.

Personally, I quite like this new design. It's less cluttered, more informative - I can access my friend's social feeds in a more simplistic manner, and all my applications and pages are listed in an accessible way to the left.

The unnecessary clutter of tabs for "Home, Profile, Friends etc." are now replaced with more Web 2.0-esque icons, which I'm liking too.

Now we're not all alike, and a few people are already disliking the new design. But this same uproar was heard of last time Facebook introduced a new design, and I guess only time will tell how Facebook's millions of users take to the new look.

The Big Question:
Do YOU like the new design? Take our quick poll below. We'd like to know how this new design fares with the rest of us. You can access the results once you've voted, but the poll will close next week Tuesday at 11:59AM. I'll release the full analysis then.

Do you like the new Facebook design?

With the dust settling on Apple's announcement of the iPad, as well as the publicising of the of the internal specs, I thought it would be worthwhile to take a look a just what Apple is offering us. The iPad is powered by Apple's new A4 system on a chip, a chip that according to Steve Jobs, is made specifically for the iPad. It promises a more snappy interface, fluid video playback and all in all, an improved user experience.

The iPad is slightly smaller than an A4 sheet, and weighs in at 1.5 lbs (1.6 if you include the OPTIONAL built-in 3G). The multitouch LED screen has a resolution of 1024x768, and with a 9.7" diagonal, resulting in a pixel density of 132 ppi (pixels per inch). The 16GB model will cost $499, 32GB $599, and the 64GB version will set you back $699 (R3 700, R4 500 and R5 200 respectively - subject to change with conversion rates). The optional 3G modem will cost a further $130 (R980) on top of the base price. A pretty steep price, regardless of which model you choose.

The specs that Apple have given the iPad have the potential to make it a really powerful and versatile machine. However, that potential lays it foundations in one factor alone: the ability to multitask. That, unfortunately, is something the iPad cannot do.

Combining this with the fact that there are no Flash capabilities in the Safari browser, nor cellular features; and you end up with yet another failed iteration of the iPod.

With all that said and done though, I wanted to take a different approach with this one. I wanted to compare this iPad with a similarly specced Windows Tablet PC. The Tablet in question is the HP TC1100. A simple comparison of basic specs and features should be enough to show the product that has better value. Here it goes:

It seems that the HP TC 1100 out-specs the iPad very slightly, but even more so when you look at the hard drive capacities and the fact that the tablet has USB ports, the iPad has none. What is frightening though, is not the lack of expansion ports, it's the age difference between the two products. The HP tablet was released way back in 2003. That's an age and a half in technology-years! I find it hard to believe that a product as old as the TC1100 can outrun the iPad. Sure, it doesn't have the multi-touch ability, nor does it have a very long battery life (about 2hrs compared with the iPad's 10hrs); but what it can do is play Flash, replace/recharge the battery and most importantly, multitask.

Apple has given us a product that was supposed to revolutionise the way we use touch-computers. And yet, with all its bells and whistles, I'm still going to feel something missing when looking blankly at that screen while listening to music because I can't access my favourite Facebook games, or many of my favourite sites don't work. I expected Apple to pull out all the stops with this one, but I’ve had to stop myself pulling my hair out in frustration. Let’s hope HP, Toshiba or the other leading tablet brands can come up with a better solution.

The launch of the Apple iPad has caused much jubilation, yet at the same time dismay in the tech world. The dismay comes from the fact that the rumours had really psyched people up to anticipate a remarkable, perfect device.

But, of course, we don’t live in a perfect world. And Apple loves to fall just short of delivering the full goods, probably partly as an excuse to lengthen the product excitement with slowly releasing the excluded features well after the initial product launch (iPhone, anyone?)

But for me, the one lethal feature of the iPad comes in the form of an expected inclusion: the e-Reader capabilities of this new iTool. Apple’s called it iBooks, and it even has its own online store — the iBookstore.

While reminiscent of the MacBook’s precursor (the iBook), this new feature is going to be the iPad’s killing point, the way I see it.

And its going to be just that, because the iPad has a wonderfully large screen in the 9” area, and that screen just happens to be in full colour too, something the main competitor, the Amazon Kindle, lacks.

iBooks also benefits from riding on a subset of the platform and ecosystem that has proven to be a tremendous success: I’m talking about the App Store. By building this new store on the basis of the App Store model, Apple is playing it safe. And by signing up some of the heavyweights in the print industry, they’re proving that this is certainly going to be a serious venture.

And let’s not forget what Apple has, that its competitors (i.e. Amazon) don't: the cool factor. Apple products are stereotypically cool; they’re beautifully designed, and work in a minimalist, yet functional way. Just take the iPad and put it next to a Kindle: immediately, you’ll be able to notice what the future looks like (i.e. iPad) and what it’s not going to be (i.e. current Kindle model). Even the iBookstore looks good: the whole “shelf” concept really mimics the real life, showing us that the iPad’s aim is to seamlessly integrate with our daily and current lifestyle. The animations are beautifully rendered, and the page-turning realness of the books in iBooks make you feel that you’re reading a real book, and not just bytes on a screen, as the Kindle does.

I think that Amazon, and its brethren, really need to tread carefully. Perhaps even take a few notes from the books of the fallen Walkman empire that was slain when the iPod was released all those years ago, least they want history to repeat itself. It seems like the iPad is here to stay, slay and write its way to the top of the desirable gadget lists.

Continuing from Part 1, we take a look at two laptops that were showcased in Las Vegas. Here they are:

Tablets/Laptops: Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid

Lenovo's sleek new notebook is reminiscent of the older clamshell iBooks, or even the Motorola PEBL - in a laptop form. The feature that defines this notebook is the ability to undock its 11.6" screen, making it a Qualcomm Snapdragon - powered tablet. When docked, contact pins at the base activate the Windows 7 OS, and when undocked, Lenovo's Skylight OS (Linux based) takes over the show. At the CES, the Lenovo reps handled the docking demo, which, raises the question on how delicate the process is...only time will tell.

The base of the IdeaPad can function alone as its own Core2 machine (independent of the tablet screen) with the connection of an external monitor, making this a true 2-device machine. Both the screen and base have their own WiFi antennas and batteries, while the tablet also packs 3G and Bluetooth antennas, as well as speakers and a webcam.

The keyboard is reported to be flat and with certain flex, far from the excellent raised keyboards Lenovo is known for. Lenovo has said that the keyboard will be updated before release.

With tablet PCs really making their way back into mainstream in 2009, the Ideapad looks to be a great move forward. If Lenovo can get this right, both in terms of pricing and performance, then the Ideapad will take the market by storm.

Gaming Laptops: Alienware M11x

Alienware laptops are beasts, in terms of power, price and size. At the CES however, Dell (Alienware's Parent company) announced the M11x. The notebook is on the borderline with larger netbooks, with a screen measuring 11.6". Other features include nVidia's new GT335M video card, and the selling price comes in at below $1000 (around R7600 or 720Eur).

According to Dell, the M11x achieve about 6hrs when using the lower-intensity graphics, and around 2hrs when it's hardcore gaming time. The laptop can connect to a range of monitors, boasting DisplayPort, HDMI and VGA ports. The M11x can connect to larger fullHD monitors, and Dell claims that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will run at more than 30fps in fullHD with settings at HIGH. With COD's intensive graphics, this really is something to be proud of.

The long battery life is achieved with Intel's Core 2 ULV - Ultra Low Voltage - processor (the U7300 to be exact). Compared with other Alienware machines, the M11x is very thin, in fact, overall dimensions aren't very far from the 12.1" EeePC.

Dell says that even though prices start at "below $1000", actual pricing will begin from as low as $799. At that price, the M11x can punch in well above its weight (no pun intended).

What do you think of the new gadgets from CES? Post a comment and let us know.