AB's Reflections

Category: Gadgets

  • Installing n8n on Raspberry Pi 3B

    Installing n8n on Raspberry Pi 3B

    I recently decided to set up n8n on my Raspberry Pi 3B to automate my social media workflow, thanks to n8n’s availability for self hosted setups.

    The Pi was already running Pi-hole 24/7 as my network’s DNS server, so I wanted a solution that wouldn’t interfere with it. Here’s what I learned after trying the standard approach and eventually succeeding with Docker.

    The Failed Attempt: Direct Install

    I started with a guide designed for newer Raspberry Pis (Pi 4/5), following instructions from various tutorials that suggested a direct npm installation. The process seemed straightforward:

    bash

    # The approach that DIDN'T work on Pi 3B
npm install n8n -g
n8n start

    What went wrong: The installation would start, but then freeze the entire Pi. The limited 1GB RAM on the Pi 3B couldn’t handle the build process. I had to force restart the Pi multiple times. Even the uninstall and update commands wouldn’t work properly, leaving me to manually remove the n8n folder.

    The Solution: Docker Installation

    After the npm failures, I switched to Docker following instructions provided by Claude. This approach uses pre-built images, completely bypassing the resource-intensive build process. Here’s the complete setup that worked perfectly.

    Step 1: Install Docker

    bash

    # Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh

# Add your user to docker group (avoids needing sudo)
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Log out and back in for group changes to take effect

    Verify Docker is installed:

    bash

    docker --version

    Step 2: Install Docker Compose

    bash

    sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y docker-compose

    Step 3: Create n8n Directory and Configuration

    bash

    # Create directory for n8n
mkdir -p ~/n8n
cd ~/n8n

# Create docker-compose.yml
cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
version: '3.3'

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    container_name: n8n
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false
    volumes:
      - ./data:/home/node/.n8n
EOF

    Note on version: I initially used version: '3.8' but got an error about unsupported version. The older docker-compose on Pi 3B required version: '3.3'.

    Step 4: Fix Permissions (Critical!)

    bash

    # Create data directory and set proper permissions
mkdir -p ~/n8n/data
sudo chown -R 1000:1000 ./data

    This step is crucial. n8n runs as user ID 1000 inside the container and needs write access to save workflows, credentials, and configuration files.

    Step 5: Start n8n

    bash

    docker-compose up -d

    Check if it’s running:

    bash

    docker-compose ps
docker-compose logs -f n8n

    The startup takes 30-60 seconds on a Pi 3B. Once you see logs indicating n8n is running, you can access it at http://[your-pi-ip]:5678 from any device on your network.

    Press Ctrl+C to exit the logs view (this doesn’t stop n8n, just stops viewing the logs).

    Key Configuration Choices

    Why N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false?

    By default, n8n requires HTTPS for secure cookies. Since we’re running locally without SSL, this setting allows access from other devices on your network. This is perfectly safe for a home network setup.

    Why restart: unless-stopped?

    This ensures n8n automatically starts when your Pi reboots. Docker is configured to start on boot by default, and it will automatically restart any containers marked with this policy.

    Coexisting with Pi-hole

    The beauty of this setup is that n8n and Pi-hole run completely independently:

    • Pi-hole typically runs on port 53 (DNS) and 80/443 (web interface)
    • n8n runs on port 5678
    • Both use Docker’s default network, with no conflicts
    • Combined RAM usage is manageable on the Pi 3B

    Managing n8n

    Here are the essential commands (run from ~/n8n directory):

    bash

    # Stop n8n
docker-compose stop

# Start n8n
docker-compose start

# Restart n8n (useful after config changes)
docker-compose restart

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f n8n

# Update n8n to latest version
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d

# Complete removal
docker-compose down
rm -rf ~/n8n

    Handling OAuth Credentials

    One challenge I encountered was setting up OAuth credentials (Google, LinkedIn, etc.) when accessing the local n8n from my MacBook. Many OAuth providers require the redirect URL to be either HTTPS or localhost.

    Solution: SSH Tunnel

    bash

    # On your Mac/laptop, create an SSH tunnel
ssh -L 5678:localhost:5678 pi@[your-pi-ip]

# Then access n8n at http://localhost:5678 in your browser

    This makes your browser think n8n is running locally, which satisfies OAuth requirements. Once credentials are saved, you can close the tunnel and access n8n normally via the Pi’s IP address. You only need the tunnel when initially setting up OAuth credentials.

    Performance Notes

    The Pi 3B handles n8n surprisingly well for automation workflows:

    • Startup time: 30-60 seconds after reboot
    • Workflow execution: Perfectly adequate for scheduled tasks
    • Web interface: Responsive enough for editing workflows
    • RAM usage: n8n + Pi-hole combined use ~45%, leaving headroom

    For workflows that need AI processing (like my LinkedIn post generator), I’m calling LM Studio running on my MacBook over the network. The Pi handles the orchestration, while the heavy AI work happens on more powerful hardware.

    Troubleshooting Tips

    If the container keeps restarting: Check permissions on the data folder. The error logs will show “EACCES: permission denied” if this is the issue.

    If you can’t access from other devices: Make sure you’ve set N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false in the environment variables and restarted the container.

    If Docker isn’t starting on boot: Enable it with sudo systemctl enable docker

    Final Thoughts

    The Docker approach transformed what seemed like an impossible task into a straightforward 10-minute setup. While the Pi 3B isn’t powerful enough to compile n8n from source, it’s more than capable of running the pre-built Docker image alongside Pi-hole.

    If you’re running a Pi 3B and want to add n8n to your home automation stack, skip the npm route entirely and go straight to Docker. Your Pi (and your sanity) will thank you.

    Complete Setup Script

    For reference, here’s the entire setup in one script:

    bash

    #!/bin/bash

# Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Install Docker Compose
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y docker-compose

# Create n8n directory
mkdir -p ~/n8n
cd ~/n8n

# Create docker-compose.yml
cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
version: '3.3'

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    container_name: n8n
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false
    volumes:
      - ./data:/home/node/.n8n
EOF

# Create and set permissions on data directory
mkdir -p data
sudo chown -R 1000:1000 ./data

# Start n8n
docker-compose up -d

echo "n8n is starting up. Access it at http://$(hostname -I | awk '{print $1}'):5678 in about 60 seconds."
echo "View logs with: docker-compose logs -f n8n"

    Save this as install-n8n.sh, make it executable with chmod +x install-n8n.sh, and run it with ./install-n8n.sh. Note that you’ll need to log out and back in after the script runs for Docker group permissions to take effect, then run docker-compose up -d from the ~/n8n directory.

  • The S-Pen update on the S25 Ultra – It’s the magnets

    The S-Pen update on the S25 Ultra – It’s the magnets

    Looks like the S-Pen is losing the air gestures and Bluetooth capabilities that allow it to act as a remote camera shutter on the latest Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. I suspect it is due to the requirement of magnets in the new Qi2 wireless charging feature that’s being added.

    The earlier editions of the Ultra series used to have stylus detection issues with magnet based accessories (like this reddit post notes), like cases which gave it MagSafe like capabilities. In fact I encountered this issue with my S23 when I tried a MagSafe equipped case with the S-Pen not working properly around the middle of the screen where the magnet is positioned on the back.

    Not much to be done I suppose as the new model trades off the advanced stylus capabilities in favour of faster charging.

  • Dubai Diaries: Running LLMs & Stable Diffusion locally on a gaming laptop

    Dubai Diaries: Running LLMs & Stable Diffusion locally on a gaming laptop

    I previously wrote about the second device that I got about coming to Dubai, but not much about the first one which was a gaming laptop. So here’s a bit about the laptop which also doubles as a local AI driver thanks to the Nvidia GPU (the RTX3060).

    Soon after getting it back in 2022, I tried running the Stable Diffusion models and it was quite a bit of an upgrade over my original attempt on a plain GPU-less Windows machine. The generation times came down to 10s or so, and has gotten even faster as the models and tools have been optimised over the last couple of years. There are quite a few projects available on GitHub if you want give it a try – AUTOMATIC1111 and easydiffusion are among the more popular options. Nvidia has also got a TensorRT extension to further improve performance.

    With that out of the way, I also discovered LM Studio which allows you to run LLMs locally with a chat like interface thrown in, and you can access a bunch of models like Meta’s LLama. The response times are of course not as fast as the freely available online options like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and the likes, but you effectively get unlimited access to the model.

    Here’s an example from a conversation I had with LLama regarding the coffee meme from Ace Attorney game series:

  • Dubai Diaries: Staying active via VR

    Dubai Diaries: Staying active via VR

    The second device (the first was of course the gaming laptop that has been doing double duty as a GenAI device) that I purchased in Dubai after relocating in 2022 was the Meta Quest 2 VR headset.

    Picking it up towards the end of the year has its advantages as the apps and games are usually discounted due to the Christmas sales. In fact I got Beat Saber as a freebie with my purchase. This was the game that sent me down the Meta VR App store rabbit hole where I found a bunch of sports games like:

    There are also games for boxing, fishing, shooting, Star Wars (becoming Darth Vader’s apprentice) among others. They are a big departure from the typical computer, mobile or console gaming as they require you to move around and give you a decent workout.

    I also picked up some accessories like the hard case to store & transport the device in a safer manner, along with the head strap replacement. The head strap in particular is a big upgrade and almost necessary if you want to use the headset for even a moderate amount of time.

    Most have been around for several years now and have gotten a boost in terms of features & quality thanks to the renewed focus on AR & VR with the launch of the Apple Vision Pro and the Meta Quest 3 over the last year or so.

    Here’s my experience with some of these apps that have helped me stay more active, especially during the Dubai summers when it gets pretty difficult for outdoor activities. One thing to note is that most of these apps/games require some dedicated space – typically 6″ x 6″ – to play safely, though some can be played standing in one place.

    iB Cricket

    This game has been developed by a team from India, and you can see that they have done their share of partnerships with some of the mainstream cricket events over the years. It is mainly a batting simulator where you can play as a bunch of teams at varying difficulties and it also has multiplayer options & leagues if you like to compete against other players.

    They sell a bat accessory that can be used with the Quest 2 controller to give you an easier and more authentic experience. This was in fact something that I picked up during one of my India trips and it really makes the gameplay much better.

    VZFit

    This year, I also picked up a subscription to the VZFit app which can be used with an indoor bike to stay fit. By default they have a fitness experience that you can perform using just the controllers, but the virtual biking is what piqued my interest. The app allows you to bike around different locations in Google Maps using the Streetview images in an immersive form.

    Here’s a sample from one of my rides along the Colorado river:

    There are a bunch of user curated locations that can be quite scenic. Some even come with voiceover to direct your attention to places of interest. They also have regular challenges and leaderboards if you like to compete, and integration with a bunch of online radio stations to keep you entertained. You also have a trainer who can accompany you on a bike and guide you with the workout.

    You mainly need to connect a compatible bluetooth cadence sensor to your Quest headset so that it can detect the bike activity. As for the stationary bike, you can get your own or use one in the gym. I got the Joroto X2 spin bike which seems to be pretty good value. A battery powered clip-on fan can also be pretty handy to keep you cool and also simulate a breeze when you are virtually biking.

    Beat Saber

    Beat Saber is possibly one of the most well known VR games. After all, it’s not every day that you get to dual-wield something akin to light sabers and chop things up with a sound track to match.

    It is basically a virtual rhythm game that has been around for several years where you wield a pair of glowing sabers to cut through approaching blocks which are in sync with a song’s beats and notes. This can give you a really good workout as it also involves ducking and dodging in addition to the hand movements.

    Eleven Table Tennis

    Given the size of the Quest controllers and in hand feel similar to a TT bat, table tennis feels like a natural fit. This was one of the first sports games that I picked up on the Quest, and I have seen this game evolve within a few months of my purchase. Currently it has a host of options ranging from practice to multiplayer with different levels of difficulty.

    The multiplayer part is also pretty interesting and immersive as it can use your Meta avatar for the in game player. It also has voice chat so you can talk to your opponent. The in game Physics is also very realistic due to which you sometimes forget that there is no actual table in front of you.

    Vader Immortal Series

    This is a 3 episode game on the Quest, and doesn’t actually need you to move around as much as the other sports games that I have mentioned. However, if you are a Star Wars fan, this is pretty much a must try game as it gives you your fill of light saber fighting sequences starting a training involving with those mini floating droids and leading up to enemy fights standing beside Darth Vader.

    If you loved the Jedi Knight series on the computer or one of the recent Star Wars games involving Jedi, then this is pretty much a no brainer to try out. Oh, and you do get to use the force push/pull powers as well.

  • Laptop abruptly falling asleep? Check your watch strap

    Laptop abruptly falling asleep? Check your watch strap

    I exchanged my Lenovo ThinkPad X260 work laptop for the newer T14 model last Wednesday, and spent the first half of the day setting up the new model. When I started using it in the second half of the day, I had 3 instances when it went off into hibernate mode without any warning, while I was working. In fact, the first couple of times it happened during the same call. The only silver lining was that the new machine was quite fast & didn’t take long to start after hibernating.

    The battery levels were full, and disabling auto sleep didn’t seem to make any difference. I didn’t seem to be triggering any special gesture on the trackpad or fingerprint reader either. Google results didn’t have much beyond the usual check for defects/battery/OS issues. The only tell tale sign was that I was using the keyboard when this happened.

    It was on the 3rd instance that I suspected that my magnetic watch strap was engaging the lid closure detection magnets built into the palm rest. A quick tapping around the suspected area confirmed my suspicion – it was my magnetic leather watch strap that was triggering the hibernation as the laptop thought that the lid was closed. Don’t think there is a solution other than using non-magnetic straps when working directly on the laptop.

    I do use a laptop stand with external keyboard & mouse when working from home, so magnetic straps should be fine. However, no special watch straps when in office it seems 😦

  • iOS to Android P2: The Watch migration

    Being deeply entrenched in the Apple ecosystem definitely has its advantages as the devices typically work well together, be it the iPhone to Apple Watch or with the HomePod & iPads. Getting out is another matter, of course. When I ditched my dead iPhone 11 Pro & switched to the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE last year, I also got an iPhone SE as a backup phone which continued to pair with my Apple Watch. This setup was ok from the fitness tracking point of view, but for me, notifications on the wrist is the USP of smartwatches.

    Design & Features

    So, after a month of trying to avoid another gadget purchase, I opted to get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 which is one of the few models with Wear OS 3. While it did have pretty much all a sensors & hardware features as my Apple Watch Series 5 like always on display, sleep tracking, ECG etc. (plus a few more like blood pressure monitoring, SpO2 & body composition analyzer), the ECG & BP sensors are not active in India yet. Haptics are much better on the Apple Watch through. However, you get pretty much similar hardware, but at half the price.

    The display on the Galaxy Watch is round, which does take some getting used to when swiping around, but feels more natural to me as majority of my old school watches were round. The controls are somewhat different with 2 buttons on the side, and a touch bezel which can be used for quick scrolling similar to the Apple Watch’s crown. The Classic version of the Galaxy Watch does have a hardware dial instead of the touch bezel, but the price & weight go up significantly.

    On the strap front, the Galaxy Watch uses standard 22 mm bands, so the costs are significantly lower. My preference is for the Milanese loop bands & magnetic leather bands for formal occasions, & velcro ones for regular home use. The Apple Watch has a bunch of 3rd party options, but those are 2-3x costlier than the standard watch varieties (Apple’s own straps can cost as much as other smartwatches themselves). Also, while the mechanism for securing & removing bands on Apple watches is quite novel & convenient, 3rd party options can be a bit finicky and don’t work as smooth.

    Apps & Notifications

    Notifications themselves are quite decently managed, though you do need to use the touch bezel to scroll through them quickly when they pile up in the notification centre. You also get a good number of options to act on the notifications unlike on the Apple Watch. However, you may need to scroll quite a bit to get to them as the notifications can take up a good deal of vertical space along with the response options.

    Complications & watch faces are also handled very differently with complication support varying from face to face. Wear OS also supports full screen widgets which feel more like complications.

    There’s also a bunch of standalone apps & phone app counterparts (sometimes broken into multiple apps), similar to the Apple Watch. There’s also a browser if you want. That said, the app situation is probably better on the Apple side, but it’s pretty much stagnated at this point with some of the initial developers like Uber even discontinuing support for the Watch apps.

    Health & Fitness tracking

    While the watches may have parity in terms of hardware sensors, the biggest difference comes in the way fitness data is handled between the watches. Apple has the Health app as a central hub which can share necessary sensor data with multiple other apps. On the Galaxy Watch, and possibly on Wear OS/Android, there is no such standardised central hub due to which most of the data beyond basic step counts is locked within Samsung’s health app, or whichever app (say Google Fit) you use to get the reading, be it getting a heart rate reading, logging your weight or recording a workout. In fact, some of the advanced sensor features do not seem to be supported on other apps.

    The situation will of course be similar on other platforms which may not even have support for 3rd party apps. For me, this is a reasonable tradeoff and I am using Samsung’s Health app to track the vitals for the time being.

    Closing

    You can also answer calls on the Galaxy watch in a pinch just like on the Apple Watch, and support is limited to phone calls as well. The speaker is also fairly loud which is good enough unless you are in a noisy environment. Battery life has been typically better on My Galaxy Watch than on the Apple Watch as I can also comfortably wear it to sleep and charge it towards the end of the next day.

    I am getting a very similar experience to the Apple Watch with my Galaxy Watch, and it serves my primary need of notifications on the wrist with few tradeoffs, but also a bunch of new features at half the price of the Apple Watch. Ultimately, I have been able to replace my iPhone 11 Pro & Apple Watch Series 5 combo at the a slightly lower cost than it would have taken me to get a 11 Pro replacement.

  • Getting rid of ads with Pi-hole

    Getting rid of ads with Pi-hole

    I’ve been using Pi-hole running on a Raspberry Pi 3B+ for the past 2 1/2 years, and it has really spoilt me to the extent that I have forgotten what ads on web pages and mobile apps look like (the limited travel in the last couple of years has also helped). It’s pretty effective in getting rid of the pop-up mobile ads and the in page banner ads on all devices connected to the wifi.

    The setup process is quite simple if you have your own router or at least change the DNS server on the home router:

    • First off, get hold of a Raspberry Pi (even the model Zero is powerful enough for the Pi-hole), and the necessary peripherals like a case, SD card, charger & LAN cable. There are many readymade kits with the OS preinstalled sold online including Amazon, which saves a good deal of time.
    • Initial setup is easier with a monitor & keyboard + mouse attached to the Pi. Once this is done you can connect it to your router using a LAN cable and access it through a Telnet client/mobile app like Putty on any of your devices in the home network.
    • Next, you need to install Pi-hole on the Pi (you can do it during the setup itself), and configure the router to use the Pi as your DNS server. If you are stuck without admin access to your router, then you may need to configure each device to use the Pi separately.
    • You can also install mobile apps to manage the Raspberry & Pi-hole quite easily through your phone. There are multiple apps available for both Android & iOS.

    Once everything is setup, you should have an ad free experience on your devices (not all ads can be blocked of course). I’ve found about 10-15% of the queries on my home network getting blocked, and this includes devices like Android & iPhones, iPads, Android TV, Amazon Echo, Homepods & Windows laptops of course.

  • Pebble Time: In hand and First impressions

    Pebble Time: In hand and First impressions

    I was one of the late backers of the Pebble Time smartwatch, and finally received it today. I backed it after the Apple watch event in early March and deciding that the first gen Apple watch was a bit too expensive for me. I also got lucky with the Pebble Kickstarter campaign and managed to switch my initial pledge of $169 to the early bird $159 when people had started backing out towards the end of the campaign.

    The shipment was delayed by nearly a month, but that’s not too bad by Kickstarter standards, and as I had opted for the expedited option with prepaid duties and taxes, I received my package within a week of dispatch. I did have to stay in regular touch with the DHL support, first for the KYC documents and then for the description letter to the customs team. There was also the currency goofup on the invoice with labels in EUR though the payments had been in USD. This was something many of the Indian backers who received their packages before me had observed on the campaign portal. Fortunately for me, the DHL team seems to have managed to sort out these issues with the customs to ensure that I received the package just a day later than their estimate.

    Anyway, coming to the Pebble Time, it is definitely quite lightweight and pretty comfortable to wear. The silicone strap seems quite comfortable as well and the material feels just like those silicone cupcake moulds and other similar kitchen accessories that one sees in stores. As for the display, it is fairly colourful, but a bit dim even with the backlight as many reviewers and users have observed. It is especially problematic in the current monsoon season with cloudy skies most of the time. That said, I’m sure app and watchface developers will start optimizing their products for the display in the coming months to improve readability. The double bezel is also on the thicker side by modern gadget standards, but haven’t found it to be very distracting so far. As for the coating on the steel frame, I suspect Pebble might be facing the same durability challenges as Apple did with the iPhone 5 black version, given the scratch reports from early users.

    I opted to pair the Pebble Time with my iPhone 5s instead of the Mi 4, and loaded a bunch of apps and watchfaces on it including the PebbUp watchfaces that I’d backed on Kickstarter. The notifications have been trickling in since the pairing as well and the vibration is fairly gentle. I’d already done some notification management on my iPhone, so haven’t been getting flooded thus far, and even cricket scores are showing up thanks to the ESPNCricinfo app alerts.

    I also did a full charge of the Pebble while installing the apps though it was well over 60% when I got it. It charged up pretty quick even from a laptop USB port. Also, no faulty cable.

    Some of the other things I’d like to test in the coming weeks are Android support and voice replies, fitness tracking (already installed some apps), usage at work (currently working from home with a broken arm) and of course the battery life. In the meantime, checkout the unboxing and initial setup photos below.

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  • HP Omen, Spectre x360 and Pavilion launch hands-on

    HP Omen, Spectre x360 and Pavilion launch hands-on

    HP had their launch event in Mumbai for the Omen, Spectre x360 and refreshed Pavilion series earlier this week, and I managed to get some hands-on time with the laptops. The new partnership with Bang & Olufsen for the speakers and sound system was one of the highlights of the launch, now that Beats is owned by Apple.

    HP Omen gaming laptop

    Possibly HP’s first real foray into gaming laptops, and almost certainly their first gaming laptop launched in India. The specifications are pretty top notch with a 256 GB PCIe based SSD, 8 GB RAM, a 15″ full HD IPS touchscreen display powered by an NVIDIA GeForce 960M & Core i7 quad core processor, customisable backlighting for the keyboard and B&O speakers of course.

    The touchpad felt quite spacious and seemed pretty responsive – not MacBook levels but definitely top notch in the Windows world. It also comes with a gaming mouse, which had additional buttons but didn’t seem to have adjustable weights though. The ports are also all positioned at the back of the laptop which is quite rare in laptops these days. The device weighs a little over 2 kgs and has a pretty slim profile as well which is definitely rare for a gaming machine. Of course this could lead to performance throttling especially in Indian conditions which only a full fledged review can verify.

    It is the priciest of the laptops launched at almost Rs 1.6L, but gaming laptops seem to be taking off in India given the Alienware and MSI laptops on offer online and in major electronics stores. However there seems to be only one configuration on offer at the moment.

    HP Spectre x360 convertible ultrabook

    Another premium device but in a very different form factor – a cross between a Lenovo Yoga and a MacBook. The all metal build for this convertible makes for a very attractive looking device that highlights the focus on design that HP has placed on their latest laptops. The specs are definitely high end for the form factor as HP has opted for a dual-core Core i7 CPU over the Core M in the Lenovo Yoga 3 and Asus ZenBook. This coupled with the 256 GB PCIe SSD and 8 GB RAM should ensure a fairly future proof machine. At 1.4 kg, it is a tad heavier than the Yoga 3 and ZenBook, but you get an all metal build in return that should be sturdier, and it is still significantly lighter than your typical ultrabook.

    The display is also high resolution and the hinge is quite smooth but firm ensuring that the device stays in the mode you opt for. HP has also not messed around with the keyboard like Lenovo and we get the full row of function keys atop the numbers row. The keys are backlit as well, but not your typical white on black. They’ve opted to go with a black on steel scheme, and it did seem to affect visibility a bit in some lighting situations.

    At the moment there seems to be only one configuration on offer for around Rs 1.3L which is well into the premium segment where MacBook Pros play. However, the configuration itself is very competitive and built to last a while with no major compromises. The Pro edition of Windows 8.1 that comes with the laptop also highlights it focus on the prosumer market.

    HP Pavilion refresh

    The Pavilion is of course HP’s budget range of laptops and while the specs are pretty good for the price – Core i3\i5\i7, 1 TB HDD, 4-8 GB RAM, full HD display and upto an NVIDIA GeForce 940M – they pale in comparison to the two flagships launched with them. HP emphasised on the fact that they upped the display on all models to full HD, albeit non-IPS.

    Doing a hands-on with the Core i5 & i7 models after playing around with the Omen and Spectre was probably not the best way to get acquainted with this series as the display paled in comparison with the flagships’ with poor viewing angles. At least the resolution has been increased and this should considerably improve the user experience. The trackpads were also a big letdown as they failed to register clicks reliably during my hands on and highlights the gap with premium devices.

    Overall, the devices were definitely quite competitive for their segment, starting around Rs 45K.

    The laptops come with Windows 8.1, and with Windows 10 launch around the corner, we can definitely expect these new devices to play an important role in the user adoption of the new OS.

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