Microsoft Windows 7 is now available in Saudi Arabia. The prices are (from Jarir Bookstore).
- Windows 7 Home Premium Full 469SR ($125).
- Windows 7 Professional Full 889SR ($237).
- Windows 7 Ultimate Full 949SR ($253). (thanks Zeyad).
These are full editions and not upgrades or OEM (system builder) versions. The full version of Windows 7 all allow you to choose between 32 and 64-bit, so you will get both in the same package.
Windows 7 OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) also known as System Builder is now available and can be found at computer hardware stores (Olaya computer market in Riyadh). OEM versions are available in 32 and 64-bit editions. So unlike the regular edition you need to choose when you buy it. The prices are:
- Windows 7 Home Premium OEM (32 or 64 bit): 460SR ($123).
- Windows 7 Professional OEM (32 or 64 bit): 565SR ($151).
- Windows 7 Ultimate OEM (32 or 64 bit): 765SR ($204).
Windows 7 Upgrade version is not available in Saudi Arabia at the moment.
Arabic version is not available until now, Jarir said maybe in 2 weeks. Also if it is like Windows Vista then you are forced to use one interface language (Arabic or English) with no ability to switch the interface language unless you have Windows 7 Ultimate. If this is true then it is an idiotic practice by Microsoft, they should support 2 languages in Saudi Arabia on all Windows editions.
Thanks @dubayan for the info.
Update: finally found the press release by Microsoft.
In a small event in Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, Microsoft Saudi Arabia has launched the company’s latest operating system: Windows 7. Microsoft Saudi Arabia’s “launch party” was a small press release attended by Samir Noaman, MS Saudi’s new CEO, Waiel Snosi, manager of MS Saudi sales and Sharif Morsi manager of Windows 7 marketing.
The launch event is very quiet compared to previous Windows operating system launches.
Microsoft Saudi Arabia is expected to launch a big Windows 7 advertisement campaign on October 28th in Saudi Arabia.
Via True Gaming.
Gitex Dubai 2009 just concluded. I didn’t get the chance to attend so I followed these sites that provided coverage of the event, hope you find them as informative as I did:
- Shufflegazine has done a great job at covering Gitex: day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5 and wrap up.
- The National: GITEX: The 5 things you can’t miss.
- ITP’s Gitex page.
- Gitex video coverage from tech-wd.
Here are the STC Afaq DSL Shamil modem passwords. Thanks to Aly in the comments of this post for posting these.
This will hopefully help frustrated users who can’t change the settings:
Sagem - F@st 1201 (Sagem Firmware) admin admin
Sagem - F@st 2404 (Sagem Firmware) admin admin
Sagem - F@st 2504 (Sky Firmware) admin sky
Sagem - F@st 2604 (JaWeb French Firmware) admin admin
Sagem - F@st 3102 (Sagem Firmware) user user
Sagem - FST 3202 (Livebox English Firmware) admin admin
Sagem - FST 3202 (Livebox French Firmware) admin admin
Check the comments provided kindly by Aly for more info.
Update: a friend forwarded this to me “We would like to inform you that the Internet service has been restored. According to the ISP, the problem was in the IGW which caused slowness in internet browsing”. IGW is managed by STC apparently.
Everyone (at least in Riyadh) is complaining about extremely slow Internet connection (twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4).
I noticed it as well, here is my speedtest.net results with STC’s server:
Of course it takes full advantage of my DSL bandwidth. It’s like running a speed test on a local Intranet.
However try a US based speedtest server and you get:
Very slow, it’s taking me an hour to upload 1MB via FTP! Do you have similar problems? Please share below.
Qanawati (my channels) is a new service from Saudi Arabia based company Remal IT. The service allows you to check your flight reservations status via SMS.
You can check for available flight reservations on the following airlines: Saudi Airlines, Nas air and Sama. You can also check for reservations on all airlines using IATA, check the status by flight number and check the arrival/departure activity in Saudi airports.
The service is charged by each individual SMS message. Currently only works with Mobily and Zain cell networks. STC is “coming soon”.
Via Saleh at Saudi Geeks.
Saudi Telecom Company has signed a deal with Alcatel-Lucent to upgrade their network so they can serve additional 2 million customers by 2010.
Under the agreement, Alcatel-Lucent will provide its packet optical transport solution for DSLAM traffic aggregation and Ethernet business services, along with its DSL and GPON /MSAN technology.
STC needs to work more on improving their infrastructure. Via Saudi Gazette.
Covering technology event and everything of interest to the Geeks of Saudi Arabia, SaudiGeeks website was launched with that goal in mind.
Best of luck to Jalammar and everyone else at SaudiGeeks.com, make sure to follow them on Twitter as well.
The Saudi Telecom Company (STC) is now taking pre-booking requests for their upcoming HTC Magic, a Google Android based phone.
The phone will be sold for 2,399SR ($631) and includes a free subscription to a 12-month data plan with a limit of 1 Gigabyte each (notice that STC‘s site called it Gega).
STC will hopefully open an Android app store and add Arabic language support when the HTC Magic is released. You can read more about the HTC Magic at HTC’s website. Via Maxer.
As you know, a tweetup is “n. A real world meeting between two or more people who know each other through the online Twitter service”. You are welcome to attend the sixth Riyadh Tweetup to be held Thursday October 1st 2009 at Second Cup Cafe after Isha prayer. The tweetup is still a male-only event. Registration here.
Follow @TweetupRiyadh on Twitter for updates. Also make sure to follow @SaudiTech for Saudi TechView updates.