10 posts tagged “new delhi”

I had never heard of Intopic until I bought one of its keyboards in Mongkok in Hong Kong. It turns out it’s a Taiwanese firm with a full line of keyboards and mice, as well as other products.
   So far, so good. I need a keyboard around 39 cm wide (this is 8 mm beyond that): any wider, I find that I develop RSI problems because of reaching for the mouse. This one is about one column of keys wider than what I generally like, but these days, in Hong Kong, it’s the narrowest multimedia keyboard money can buy.

   My old one was a Genius keyboard, which always presented a few problems. The first was that it was very easy for things to get between the keys and to mess up its operation. The L key never worked properly from scratch and needed cleaning. The full stop or period key was inexplicably narrower than the rest. But I loved that keyboard because it spoiled me: direct buttons to calculator, browser controls, volume, etc. It was also under that 39 cm limit. It was a pity that it wasn’t that well made: a slightly longer thumbnail soon put a dent in the space bar, and I had to take it apart on numerous occasions to clean it so its keys would continue working. It never stood a chance when some Glaceau Vitamin Water flew out of its bottle on opening.
   Basically, it was the least robust keyboard I have ever owned, dying in about three years. It’s meant to be laptop-style, but if I had a keyboard like that on a laptop, I would be very upset.
   Beautiful to look at, and not bad to use; plus the keys sounded nice when you pressed them. With hindsight, however, it was not the best ownership experience, regardless of the very low price I paid.
   The new one isn’t trouble-free, but quality-wise, it seems to beat the Genius hands-down. For starters, I paid a low HK$98 (plus HK$10 for a USB–PS2 adapter, which, I might add, needed a quick fix from me due to a piece of metal inside being flimsy). The keys feel a tad too soft, not in the materials, but in the springing action beneath them. There is an illogical addition of the backslash key to the left of the space bar, where I expect Alt to be. (It is unnecessary: there is another backslash key beneath the backspace one.) And the extra column of keys to the right of backspace and enter is a bit annoying: this is where Intopic has relocated home, page up, page down and end to, but this seems to be a common design now among narrower Chinese keyboards.
   The good news is that the keys have stood up to constant use better than the Genius; I finally have the luxury of a normal-sized full stop; the build quality is less flimsy than the Genius’s; and it turns out, according to the Intopic brochure inside the box, that this KBD-10 model is the narrowest it makes (39·8 cm). I have fewer hot keys, sadly, and only a couple are for browsing, but since narrow keyboards with these additional keys are hard to come by these days, I am not complaining. My brain is slowly rewiring itself to the new Alt key, and the fact that the home key is in a slightly more logical place than on the Genius (between Control and the Windows start menu keys).
   Genius still makes a multimedia keyboard which would have been the logical replacement to my old KB-19e, but I am happy to have the Intopic instead. Originally I had some doubts but the better quality, even in its first week, speaks for itself. I was lucky, in that case, that the computer mall in Mongkok didn’t have anyone importing the Genius brand.
   The only other one that could have been a contender in Hong Kong was a Logitech keyboard, which was also available here from Dick Smith Electronics at a mere NZ$30. However, there were no hot keys and I noticed the one in stock at Noel Leeming had Arial on the keys: a no-no for someone who detests the look of that typeface family. I was going to show you the picture of that one, but the Logitech website is not loading: not a good sign. (The one at left is from the Dick Smith site.)
   A hunt around the computer malls of New Delhi resulted in nothing suitable: either there were the laptop-style ones with no numeric keypad (since I write in French and German, I need the keypad for a PC) or ultra-wide ones which I could get anywhere else in the world.
   So, the keyboard search was successful: here’s to a reliable Intopic-owning experience. And as the first week has revealed fewer problems than the Genius, I hope the company gets to export its wares more widely.

A few interesting things to note about cars in India.
   The Hindustan Ambassador is still plentiful in number. Though outwardly identical to the Morris Oxford of the 1950s, it is regarded as India’s first national car, rather than the Tata Indica. Cab drivers and government types prefer Ambis, and the big shots have white Ambis with a light on the top of the leading edge of the roof.
   A few of my hosts and friends knew of the Premier Padmini when I brought up the topic, but young people did not. I only saw two in my time there, one in Indore and one in New Delhi. They tell me they are more plentiful in Bombay—the majority of Indians I met referred to their southern city by this name, not Mumbai.
   The Hindustan Contessa, Premier 118 NE and the Standard 2000 were flops, so there was no surprise that they were totally unseen during my time there.
   Maruti is the market leader, and there are 800s everywhere. Maruti is expanding its line-up: the Swift DZire (four-door Swift) and SX4 sedan being newer entrants, appealing to Indians who like the size. DZire is doing well, despite a silly name; in Indore, SX4 taxicabs regularly ferried me twice. The regular Swift hatchback is also sold there, but it’s still the 800 that pushes the Maruti–Suzuki name. I was saddened to see the demise of the Maruti symbol, however, on the latest models, in favour of the Suzuki S.
   From my brief time there, it’s fairly safe to say that very, very few Sipanis and Standard Heralds and Gazels have survived. I saw none.
   I saw only two Tata Indica Vistas, or V3s.
   It took till my second day to see a Tata Indigo Marina. The Tata cars are popular but regarded by the locals more as a car produced by a truck manufacturer and not as refined as Japanese brands—although many of the Japanese and Korean brands are actually made by Indians and have quality equal to, if not better than, what emerges from Japan and Korea.
   There are a lot of Tata Indicas and Indigos.
   There are numerous Mahindra Scorpios and Tata Safaris, as some Indians go for SUVs. Let’s hope this trend doesn’t last. We should be copying them with their subcompact cars, not the other way around.
   Hyundai is growing like crazy and the i20 is a big deal, though it was too soon after the launch to spot any on the roads. However, there are plenty of i10s, which are made in India for the world market.
   Honda is considered a premium make, and the City (Fit Aria) is a big seller. The latest model is advertised on billboards around Gurgaon, and I managed to see one of these. Civics are considered quite upscale, especially considering India receives the fancy Thai-made sedan. The Accord is very flash.
   Both Hyundai and Honda are arguably in a better position than Honda, which began its market assault on India with the Innova, a utility vehicle that some taxi drivers adopted. It has been harder for Toyota to establish a name for itself as a manufacturer of passenger cars. The Corolla Altis (E120) is gaining ground, but not as successfully as one might think.
   GM is very thin on the ground. Daewoos are rebadged as Chevrolets, and there are a few Matizes, Kaloses and Lacettis around, with other model names. Of earlier efforts, there are some four-door (booted) Opel Corsas about, but not many. Fiat also failed: I saw one Uno, and a handful of Palios. One expected better from this master of small cars.
   Of American brands, Ford is doing an incredible job and its Ikon and Fiesta models seem to have done very well, certainly better than Toyota. The Fiesta is more advanced than any compact that Ford sells in the US.
   As in Roma, there is a sense of rhythm to driving in India. Appearing chaotic at first glance, the road rules make some sense if you drive, or are driven, for long enough. I am actually game to give it a shot.

A few more shots from this fascinating country. You can tell I am really into India.

   This is probably the only country in the world that puts is tourist-marketing slogan on its bureaucratic forms. Already a tick for India as I filled out my second Indian form. It’s also far easier to follow than anything the US gives out to us foreigners.    Above is the first outside scene I had of India at ground level, exiting Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. I must have gone back via a different part because it looked nothing like this (image below). Or the pace of change was faster than even I have said.
   Even my Indian hosts said that they were not 100 per cent sure of where I could be met because things change so quickly at the airport.
   I was most fascinated by the Hindustan Ambassador taxicabs. I haven’t seen this shape of Morris Oxford (on which the Ambi is based) for years.    If you are wondering where all the bicycling Indians have gone, they are motorcycling. And all the old motorcyclists are on four wheels. The above is the motorcycle park at IGI.
   I saw very few of the family-on-a-bike situations that Ratan Tata spoke of when he launched the Nano, though I am sure they exist. In Indore, I did see a man and a woman on a bike—she was keeping their new PC from falling off while hanging on herself. In some ways, that was quite an encouraging sign.    This is what IGI looked like when I flew out, from the entrance to the departure gates. Totally modern and the equal of any airport in the western world.    This is not my last Christmas tree pic, but it shows again that the Indians got more into the mood of the season than I expected. With hindsight, it was only logical: Christmas is a big deal in Hong Kong, for instance, yet again it would not have as many Christians per capita as New Zealand.    Finally, this image illustrates that IGI is fairly typical. The flight departures’ board is not digital, but I quite enjoyed seeing the letters flip over in the traditional way. If it works and it generates less electricity, then I say keep it. Don’t go modern for modernity’s sake; only do it when there is a practical reason to do so.

Nobody looks after you food-wise better than Chef Adil Khan of Shanti Home. My first made-in-India Indian breakfast was this, a masala omelette. This was cooked up when I said I was in a rush and had about 15 minutes. Well, they made it in five and delivered it, room service:

I could get used to this food.
   Or a side of fruit, when in less of a rush: Is it any wonder that when I got to Indore and was given the choice of western or Indian, I chose Indian each time?

Some more shots of New Delhi, including governmental buildings (spot the white Hindustan Ambassadors outside—these are the vehicles of the bigwigs here, and no one seems to remember the design was an old Morris Oxford’s) and some of the colonial architecture from when the Britishers (as they are known) occupied the place.
   I was ferried around in the back of a Toyota Corolla (don’t laugh), but the Japanese, rightly, have a reputation for good-quality cars. However, I see Ford doing quite well in India: its Fiesta model is actually more advanced than any compact car the company sells in the US.

   While New Delhi was a real mix between old and modern, Gurgaon, south of the capital, looks like something out of Metropolis. Here are some shots as I was ferried in:

Since India has been extremely kind to me—the people here are amazing—I owe it to this nation to bust a few stereotypes.
   First, the food. It is excellent and in two days I have had no problems with my tummy. ‘Delhi belly’ is a cruel stereotype that I was given by some friends prior to my departure, though I knew instinctively it was cobblers. The same rule applies here as everywhere else: if you are careful about what you stick in your mouth, you are fine. People do know that in rural areas things can be tougher. Nevertheless, I can make this conclusion: Indian food is fab and way better than expat Indian restaurants.
   Secondly, this is certainly not a backward country, and anyone who has read books such as The World Is Flat would know that. Here I am, surfing on wifi, and at speeds and with connectivity better than what I might find in other parts of the world, and that includes New Zealand. There is a rich–poor gap and that does mean some poverty but that also generates invention. I saw booksellers yesterday with used books alongside new ones; we should be copying some of the recycling efforts that Indians undertake every day.
   If your impression of an Indian car park is old colonial hand-me-downs, think again: the Daewoo Lacetti (Chevrolet Optra) is newer than what many countries sell, including Australia and New Zealand:

Waking up to these views at the beautiful Shanti Home in New Delhi is a very amazing experience for Christmas week.

I guess I do feel it’s more Christmassy than I expected here. However, some people are just treating it as a secular day off. But then again, it is New Delhi.

At the Central Cottage Industries’ Emporium in a fabulous city among some of the best friends I have made in ages. Have a great Christmas, where ever you are.

[Cross-posted] I would say that the new Tata Nano, the Rs. 1 lakh ($2,500) car revealed by Tata Motors at the New Delhi Auto Expo a few hours ago, exceeds the expectations of those who were predicting something that looked more motorcycle than automobile.
   As we led up to today’s unveiling of the revolutionary small car—aimed to get families out from motorcyles and in to a safer automobile—I had heard all manner of predictions, many of them negative, about the vehicle.
   Yet Tata has come up with a “people’s car” designed to mobilize the masses in India in the same vein as the Volkswagen, Fiat nuova 500 and the BMC Mini.
   It possesses a certain chic with a contemporary one-box design that could have come from an Italian design house. While the Nano won’t make it to too many western export markets due to the perceived lack of safety features, it will start a new trend among cheap transportation, especially in an era of high oil prices. I don’t think it’ll take too long for the Red Chinese to copy it and I speculate that Tata may well plan on creating a slightly plusher, airbag-standard version for export.
   However, as far as Tata is concerned, the Nano meets the requirements of its main market and is safe.
   The car is available in standard and deluxe models. The most noticeable feature of the latter is its colour-keyed bumpers and wheel trims.
   Said chairman Ratan N. Tata, ‘I observed families riding on two-wheelers—the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby. It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family. Tata Motors’ engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realize this goal. Today, we indeed have a People’s Car, which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel-efficient and low on emissions. We are happy to present the People’s Car to India and we hope it brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to many families who need personal mobility.’
   What I would really love to see is a version not powered by fossil fuels—a wish I have had for the car since 2006.
   From a branding perspective, the car represents just how well organized Tata is. The Nano was the chairman’s baby, pushed through by a charismatic leader and its importance stressed by top management. It could well build Indian industry even more than the multi-billion-dollar Tata corporation can imagine. This, and its acquisition of Land Rover and Jaguar, may make Tata the most talked-about Asian automaker in 2008.
   Plus, I love the name. Just as Mini was about as small as people could get in everyday speech in the 1950s, Nano is such a common term in the 2000s that the model name makes perfect sense.