For many geeks having to produce technical documentations or specs, Visio is a must-have piece of software that helps in creating consistent technical diagrams quickly.  I have been a Visio user since Visio 4.o (before Microsoft acquired the Visio company).  I have purchased every version of Visio since then. I’m also a big fan of Adobe Illustrator (on the Mac). However, Adobe Illustrator is often an overkill when trying to make simple technical diagrams in a few minutes.

So why am I writing this blog?  Because I have a few minutes waiting for Win-7 to remove Visio 2010 Beta from my VM. Yes, I’m removing it for now and re-installing Visio 2007 until MSFT releases the final version of Visio 2010.

So what are the issues with Visio 2010 and what are the recommendations to the MSFT office team:

• Save at diagram size does not work (flaky): I often need to use Latex (pdflatex) which today supports Latex diagrams in PDF format.  However, in order to work in Latex, the PDF file must be the same size as the actual figure (not the page size).  This feature is very flaky in Visio 2010 Beta.
• Save into EPS: Visio used to be able to save into the EPS format, but that was removed by MSFT since Visio 2007. I wish they would put it back again.
• Ribbons still confusing:  I still cannot find the commands I want using the damn ribbon thing. I often wish MSFT would just hire or steal some GUI/UI people from Apple or Adobe.  The Mac-OS interface is just beautiful and consistent. Even the Adobe CS team have strived to make all the user interfaces within Illustrator, Photoshop and Bridge (and even the acquired DreamWeaver) to be consistent across.
• Stop making Word into InDesign or Quark Xpress:  Microsoft Word is a word processing software, not a page layout software.  Looking at  Office 2010 Beta, it seems the MSFT Office team has added all these “features” that would pretty-up your documents. Isn’t PowerPoint pretty enough?

So there you go.  I’ll wait a few months after Office 2010 is released before I even think of installing it.

Rekan saya barusan saja menunjukan artikel mengenai Lenovo IdeaPad U1 yg baru. Konsepnya menarik sekali: layarnya bisa di cabut/lepas dari laptop dan dijadikan touch-screen PC.  Rupanya laptop ini memiliki 2 processor. Kalau sedang di dock pada laptop, maka CPU yg digunakan adalah Intel Core duo (Win-7 Premium). Kalau dicabut, layarnya ganti menggunakan processor Qualcomm Snapdragon dengan 16GB solid state drive, berbasis Linux Skylight.

Maybe this is the kind of innovation Apple needs to bring to the iPad….

Pak Budi Rahardjo asks the all important question about universities in Indonesia: should a university such as ITB be a “teaching university” or a “research university”. Like other things in life, the answer is not necessarily straightforward. However, one thing is clearly needed to become a research university: research funding.

So the first question should be: where can Indonesian universities and academics obtain research funding? Some options: Indonesian government, private corporations, NGOs, etc. etc. What is the history with regards to the performance of Indonesian institutions when it comes to delivering.

The second question: how can we break the apparent chicken-and-egg problem (i.e. boot-strap problem). In order to apply for research grants, an academic or researcher needs to show a good research/publication record. But in order to even begin doing research, he or she needs research money. There are simple solutions to this bootstrap problem, such as a university freeing a dosen/academic from teaching obligations for a probationary period (e.g. 1 or 2 years) in order for that dosen to prove their research work.

A third question: what is an objective measurement for research output by Indonesian academics? Is it papers in local conferences and so-called “seminars”? Or is it the usual number of papers in international conferences and journals (e.g. IEEE sponsored).

Finally, what is an objective way to dish out research grants/monies, one that is relatively free from cronyism, favoritism and “soft” corruption?

OK so since everyone is talking high-speed trains (Obama, Arnold the Governator, East Coast state govs, etc. etc) for various parts of the US, I guess Indonesia also wants a high-speed train. Which is fine, as long as the risks & gains are clear and understood by everyone.

Here are the details that I obtained from the reference above:

• Links Jakarta, Bandung, and Cirebon (220 mile length)
• Cost is  $3 Billion (private money)
• Proposed technology is “Hydrogen Hi-Speed Rail Super Highway” (H2RSH)
• Proponents says it can achieve $400 million annual profit & create 6 million jobs.

The above posting claims that the H2RSH solution using electric maglev vehicle is an untested technology.

Aside from the separate matter of the technology being untested (about which I’m unqualified to comment), I think there are some other issues and projects that merit prior consideration:

• Upgrading existing inter-city and interstate rail system.
• Develop metro rail system (inner city)  for the major cities in Indonesia.
• Cost to the public (aka public “bail-out money” if the project sinks)
• Geological instability of many parts of Java (i.e. earthquakes and floods).

Bear in mind that Indonesia did try its hand at developing an aeroplane industry (Nurtanio) in the 1980s and 1990s under Minister Habibie. Perhaps the younger bloggers and twitts today have not heard of Nurtanio….

Now that I’ve read through the specs, its very clear that the iPad is really a Giant iPod (a term I read in NY Times today).

Also, its seems there is disappointment everywhere.  People were expecting a tablet computer, where you could run MacOS-X with all the usual applications (eg. Adobe CS, etc). In fact, I told a colleague recently to hold-off buying a Tablet PC because the so called “Mac Tablet” was coming out real soon. Well, we’re both disappointed and my colleague is heading to BestBuy to get a HP Tablet.

Dear Steve,

Having been an ardent fan of Apple since 1981 (yes I bought an Apple II, and then bought the original Mac 512K in early 1984 & still have it), having bought several other Macs in the past two decades (G3, G4, three MBPs) and a couple of iPods, I think I am well qualified to say: its a Giant iPod.

So I guess I’ll just have to wait until a real Mac Tablet comes out.

[TH]