Zoho CRM User Experience & Interaction Design Blog

One of my friend purchased a new HP/Compaq v3000  (v3424TU) series laptop (Rs.35K) . The laptop comes with Vista Home Basic pre-installed. Soon he found that he cannot run IIS in Vista Home Basic and so he decided to install XP.

After starting the XP installation, he found that XP will not install in his laptop because XP could not detec the harddrive. After a long search in google, we found that HP boards use a different type of native SATA bus which is different from the generic SATA standards. XP with SP2 doesnt have drivers that support native SATA (but XP has drivers that support generic SATA). So XP cannot detect this laptop’s hard drive.

The only solution he had is to upgrade his OS to Vista Home Premium by paying Rs.9K or Install Ubuntu / Debian Linux.

In some forums people have posted that flashing the BIOS may help to unlock the SATA option. But thats a risky option, so we decided not to try that.

Lessons Learned:
1. The word “pre-installed” means the OS is installed, but you wont get a OS CD/DVD. In case of crash or OS re-install you have to purchase a OS.
2. HP and Microsoft may have some ’secret’ agreement to push Vista. Because the v3000’s BIOS doesnt have any option to turn off the native SATA support. Thus leaving no option to install any other OS than Vista.
3. Before buying a laptop that comes with Vista pre-installed or says “Vista Compatible”.. make sure XP or Linux can be installed or not.
4. Looks like HP / Compaq does not provide any driver CDs. Locating the drivers in HPs website is one big head-ache.
5. When purchasing HP/Compaq laptops or Desktops, ensure if you will get a OS CD as well as Driver CD.

Conclusion:
My friend said that this would be his first and last HP/Compaq purchase.

For every business, Invoicing is an integral part of the system. Zoho CRM 2.0 is now focusing on upgrading the current invoicing module. Plans to increase the interaction-level, introduce customizable layout are under evaluation. Apart from these , there are other enhancements decided to be implemented.

- Dharma

Vinod offered me his new Logan for a test drive. It is a Logan GLX 1.4 Petrol version. It has front power windows, AC and Power Steering.

Looks - External
Certainly Logan is not a head-turner, but it has got decent looks. Vinod told me that this is DACIA LOGAN originally. Renault bought Dacia some time ago, and Mahindra is selling the same Dacia Logan as Mahindra Renault Logan in India. The finish is pretty decent and looks a little big and wide than any other car in its class. No sexy curves, but a mere utilitarian boxy cuts. Features tyres similar to Ford Ikon.

Looks - Internal
The interiors are pretty decent and BIG. Imagine it is as big .. that you may wonder if you are driving an SUV (okay thats exaggerating). A off-beige color interior mated with same color dashboard and black round AC vents similar to Fiesta and Aveo. The interiors look plasticky and okay. The leg space is great and good. But the non-adjustable steering offers a INDICA style driving dis-comfort. The front seats are decent with generic thigh support. The rear seats are wide and 3 persons can sit comfortably, with ample leg-room and excellent head-room. The upholstery is good matching the interiors.

Engine & Performance
Logan 1.4 Petrol is powered by DACIA engine and not a renault engine. So do not expect miracles in this model. The engine is revvy, but not that peppy. On the velachery highway, we were able to cruise comfortably and during the course, I didnt notice any power lag. This means, one would not find any noticeable performance drop in city driving. The car is pretty decent for city driving. The AC is above average and does not slow down the car’s performance. The gear shift is smooth but long throws made me feel like.. driving an Alto. Anyway given the value it offered, I dont mind the gear throws.

Comfort
Logan can take good amount of shocks from bad roads. The body noise is barely audible and Mahindra has done a good job. The suspensions are sturdy and offer you a comfortable ride. The steering is not upto the mark. Swift scores a lot better in terms of steering ergonomics.

Overall & Conclusion
Mahindra Renault Logan is a all-rounder sedan for India. Logan GLX 1.4 costs Rs.5.3Lakhs on road (Chennai). The car is focused on the budget-conscious buyer offering ample space and decent performance. If Mahindra plays the cards well, this could become a class on its own, like 800 and Ambassador. Rating - 3.9/5 stars

- Rajesh Sundaram

Addendum:
Vinod has posted his review in his blog. You can read it here