MotoRazr V3i Review

I recently bought a MotoRazr V3i, and thought that the lack of good reviews was rather appalling. So I've decided to write one myself, trying to be as painfully detailed as possible. Also, this is going to be a work in progress, which means that I'll be posting to this article every now and then( maybe for a month or so), with whatever new info that I've gathered or noticed. I'm also considering linking to this blog in a place like mouthshut.com for more people to avail of.

The MotoRazr V3i is the new, improved avatar of the MotoRazr V3. The changes include a 1.2 Megapixel camera instead of the VGA camera, and a 256 MB TransFlash Ram included along with a 12MB phone memory. I've noticed that there are a lot of reviews on the V3, so I'll not waste too much effort in comparing these two models. However, the V3i is currently only available in Silver-Black color,instead of the 3 or 5 shades of the V3.

The phone is a treat from the word go. The container box itself is a marvel of packaging, with two panels that slide open much like a futuristic phone. In one panel, you've got the phone itself, and in the other bigger panel, you've got the accessories, which include a data cable, a charger, a stereophonic earpiece(unfortunately not wireless :-( ). Also included is a 256 MB flash RAM, the size of which is slightly smaller than the fingernail on your little pinky. Really amazing how much they've miniaturized the RAM. Considering that the 512 MB add-on is also the same size, the mind boggles. :-O They've also thoughtfully provided a RAM adapter to allow reading the flashdisk in a card-reader.

Oh, did I mention that they're also giving a very sleek pouch with a belt clip along with all this. One phone tools CD, and a CD containing the Itunes software, also comes pre-packaged. The manual is also quite descriptive.

Now, coming to the phone... Phew!

Specs From Motorola India Website ( Check out the 360° View )

The phone is really sleek, and weighs just 97 grams. It has 2 lcd screens,one in the front with 64k colors, and the main screen is 262k colors. The quality of the screens is very good. The key-pad is made of a single sheet of metal, which gives it a very futuristic look.

The phone took around 3 hours for the initial charge.

The menu system is a tad non-intutive. The Photo/Video mode can be activated using one button, by either using the menu to activate the video capture mode, or the smart key on the upper left corner of the screen to activate the photo mode.

The image quality at 1.23 MPx is pretty good, though definitely not as good as a dedicated digital camera. However the image size is 960 x 1280, and not the other way round. This means that you get a taller picture as opposed to a more horizontally bigger picture, unless you tilt the camera. Though this is a bit of a bother, I just use acdsee to flip the photo, once I upload the photo to my PC. However, this could be more of a problem with video capture. But then, in a video capture, it doesn't matter as much. One great feature is that while in video/picture mode, if you close the flap, then you can take a picture of yourself too, by looking in the front screen. This is a neat feature, and along with the picture timer, can come in handy when you want to include yourself in a group photo. One thing to note is that just after you take a photo, you must keep the phone steady for a second or so, as there is a lag between the click sound and the actual
photo being taken. This is common with all cell phones.

However, I noticed that the photo picture quality is a bit softer, which means you get a slightly less defined look as compared to the pictures from a Nokia 3230. Also, the phone seems to compress the image much more (typical photo 200 KB as compared to around 350 KB for the Nokia 3230. Though this saves space, I'd rather have a bulkier but sharper picture.). The video on the other hand is considerably less blocky, and looks better even in full-screen mode than videos shot with the Nokia 3230 model.

The phone comes with only one port, which acts as both a data port as well as a port for the charger. One great feature is that if you connect your V3i to your computer via USB, the phone automatically gets charged while you're copying files. You can even charge it completely this way. Really handy feature. One minus point is that because of this feature, you can't play music through your earphones while charging it. Sigh....

One more great feature is that if you have Win XP, you can just hook your phone up, and XP'll automatically show the phone memory stick as a USB drive. No extra drivers, or tools suite is necessary. These are included along with the phone, presumably for Win9x and maybe some more features.

The speakerphone has excellent clarity, and the reception is very good. However, I was confused as to why they've mounted the speaker on the bottom rear end of the phone. But later my cousin "Devil Boy" demonstrated how by cupping the bottom hand on the speaker, you can get a much more powerful volume level even while speaking in traffic. So, it's a feature, not a bug. This is even effective while listening to mp3s. One small minus is that if you don't use the leather pouch(included), then the chance of the speaker getting muted due to touching the inner pocket is higher. However, since I don't like carrying the phone near my family jewels, I compulsorily use the leather pouch. I also position the phone so that the back of the phone faces outward, to minimize the absorption of cell-radiation.

The earpiece is stereo, and the audio clarity is really something. Itunes is bundled along with the phone, and can be used to play your entire song playlist, as sorted by you. This gives the phone the features of an iPod, and you can even download songs from the net. Also, if the mp3 is above a certain bitrate, then the phone might not be able to play it. To solve this problem, export it to the phone through Itunes. It'll automatically downsample it to 128 KBps, and the phone should be able to play it with no problems at all. Fingers Crossed ;-)

It also has a browser, and some java games. I've not played these as yet, so not much to report here. My cousin was playing a car game, which looked preeeettty good in 3D.

The video quality is pretty good, though again you can't expect much from a cellphone in this respect. One thing I'll say is that the video quality appears slightly clearer than the Nokia 3230 (my friend has one). I noticed that the on-screen video playback is also very clear compared to the 3230. The 3230 video quality is much blockier, and you don't get as good a grab as the V3i. I think that the 3230 phone captures the video pretty well, but when it saves it, it seems to compress it a tad too much, probably to save space. This is the case with the V3i too, but to a much lesser extent. After all, video size is not that important when you have 256 MB available. I wonder whether there could be any third party apps which allow you to store the raw/less compressed data to RAM. Must find out more about this.

The phone also comes bluetooth enabled, so you can connect wirelessly to your PC or other phones. However, if you don't have much use for this feature, turning it off in the phone settings can save quite a lot of battery power( It is disabled by default)

The phone I've bought has a 4x digital zoom, but the new advertisements specify the phone having 8x zoom. I don't know whether it is possible to upgrade the firmware to allow this to be changed to 8x in my phone. Damn! ;-)

The battery life seems a bit short, but then I'm comparing it to plain vanilla phones. I guess the 2 LCD screens must consume some power, and I guess they concentrated too much on the other stuff to worry about power Conservation! However, I must point out that other phones of this class also seem to have a shorter battery life. My friend has to recharge his 3230 every other day. So do I.

Update: Once I did a deep discharge/charge around 5-6 times, I've found that the battery life has gone up significantly. Even while playing quite a few mp3s on the phone, and playing games daily, the battery seems to hold up very well, and I only charge it every 2 days or so.

Tip: when you buy the phone, make sure to charge it uninterruptedly for 5-6 hours. After this initial charge, make sure that the battery is completely discharged, and only then re-charge it. Do this at least 5-6 times. The battery will hold the charge much better after this. This is not something specific to the Razr, rather all batteries have this initial response curve.

A good link for those who want to mod their phones, and extend it's capabilities is here


Review Summary
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Ratings: Out of Max 10
----------------------

Looks: 9 - definitely the best looking camera out there

Features: 8 - a 2 MP camera would get it 10

User Interface: 6.5 ( too many steps to get to common features, slightly non-intuitive menu)

Battery Life: 8

Price: 8 (for the entire package, 12000 isn't too bad, though naturally I'd prefer lower :-)

Accessories: 9 (just about everything one can require is already bundled in)

Clarity: 8 for speaker phone, 7 for the internal speaker. 9 for the earphones.

Speakerphone Audio clarity is very good, but normal volume levels are slightly lower. One can hack this setting to an incredible amount, but it's not for the average user.

Qualities to look for in a good guitar

This is a continuation of the earlier blog "Starting off on the right note". I felt that this deserved a blog of it's own.

Also, note that much of the blog only talks about affordable, indian/imported guitars. I know that there are super quality guitars out there, but these are not the topic of discussion. So here goes...

Qualities to look for

a) The strings should be just above the frets. This reduces the force needed to press down on the strings. Reduces sore fingers and increases comfort and pleasure in playing, though the natural volume of sound produced without a pickup decreases. Also, too low an "action" can cause buzzing/rattling of the strings when playing the higher frets. Go for an action which is comfortable.

b) The 'Pickup' ie. the electric jack for connecting to the amplifier should be preferably built-in.

c) The 'cutaway' at the base of the neck allows us to play 'Lead' guitarist i.e., the bottom half of the finger-board is easier to reach unlike the Jumbo model.

d)The fretboard should be straight without a bend. Just sight the entire length of the finger-board - it should be straight.
Another way to cross-check this is to press one string down onto the first fret,while pressing the string onto the last fret with the other hand. If the string touches all the frets in between the first and the last frets, the fretboard is straight. But DO check that the frets are also all at the SAME height, and not ADJUSTED in height, so as to make the strings touch all the frets.

e)The size of the guitar should be comfortable. No sense buying a jumbo guitar, if when playing it it feels more like something you have to strain to wrap your right arm around. Of course, a bigger guitar does give a warmer, more resonant sound due to it's bigger box.

f) Check that there are no cracks anywhere in the guitar. This is important.

g) Make sure that the tuning pegs all work smoothly, without any squeaks and don't wobble.

h) The frets should all be smooth and not have any sharp or uneven edges. This could nick your fingers as you play.

i) Reputed brands like Gibson(not Givson, a local brand) and Ovation might cost a lot, but should be worth it. Some of the cheaper chinese imports like GB&A were also recommended by the shopkeeper as being good. Victor recommended the Signature brand(Rs 2500 onwards) as a good enough buy.

j) Do go in for an acoustic pickup, as this will allow you to connect your guitar to not only an amplifier, but also to hook it up to the computer to do loads of stuff - From Tuning it with software to automated writing of compositions, and electric guitar effects.

k) last but not least, make sure that the guitar you are buying is not oversized, as it makes it that much more difficult to handle.

l)Check out the software at sourceforge for guitars.(http://sourceforge.com)

m)Buy a pitchpipe (E Note). Use this to tune your first string. Then do a "Relative Tuning" of the other strings. Or just hook it up to your PC's soundcard with the microphone and tune it with a freeware Win32 Tuner software called "Audio Phonic Guitar Tuner".

Recommended Books

Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar - Jamie Andreas (www.guitarprinciples.com)
I highly recommend this book. This is probably the closest you can get to the subject of Guitar Zen. Even if you can't buy the book,the articles on the website should give you a good idea of correct guitar practice principles. BTW, the author is a woman.

Complete Idiot's Guide to playing the Guitar ( A Good beginner book)

The Guitar Handbook - Ralph Denyer ( costs around 800 Rs in India - if ordered through Sifymall.com. Not very high on explanation, but is a matchless reference book)

Software
------------
Audio Phonic Guitar Tuner ( freeware)

Solfege - An ear training software (freeware)

Guitar Pro 4 (latest version Pro 5) - An excellent software, but not freeware. Costs 60$. But it's among the best out there. The 15 day evaluation version can be downloaded for free.


Costs
--------
Acoustic Guitar Rs. 2500 onwards
PitchPipe(Rs. 45), Soft Bag(Rs. 200) and strap(Rs. 100)
Extra set of good quality strings Rs. 95

You can try attending guitar lessons at your local YMCA, as they are quite reasonable.

Starting off on the Right Note

Characters in this blog:

Gullu ( my brother Gurudutt)
Ravi, K-Man - Unidentical twins who were not born in the same year :-)
Victor - Guitar instructor and a friend of a friend of a friend. My friend's friend is my friend and so on...
Sanjeev - Shop Owner of the Musical Palace, located on S.D. Road, opp. Taj Mahal hotel.

Well, guys after mulling over learning Guitar for quite a long time - Practised chords on a friend's Guitar in 1993 in Pune for a month or so... Got the callus and the hang of it just before we had to return to Hyderabad - Now 12 years later, Gullu and I went and bought one Finally!!.

When Gullu(my brother) was in Bangalore he'd gone to Higgin-Bothams book store with K-Man(a good friend who'll also keep popping up in my blogs). He bought a good introductory book called "Learn to Play on Guitar" by Don Morgan.

As luck would have it Gullu, Ravi and I had gone to play cricket on a Sunday at our Siddhartha Nagar park. . We found that the ground was occupied by Wedding Reception Tents.Instead of giving up and going back, we stuck around. Started playing near the Badminton courts. The going was good until Gullu finally swept a spinning delivery right into the Apartments beside the ground. We fled from the crime-scene before the war-cries started from our friendly neighbours :) . Running for cover toward the trees, we lay low till the danger passed. Since we didn't have the balls to go and get the ball, we were out of balls.So we just sat there in the shade, chatting merrily away.

Soon we heard some music coming from huge speakers near the Shamiana.
We were curious and sauntered around to the Red-tents where we met Vijay, one of our friends from the Weekend Cricket matches. He told us that the Reception was for a common friends' sisters marriage. Seeing that there were some guys with guitars, strumming songs like Hotel California etc, we hung around in the hope of approaching them.

After some time the host ( another player called Suresh) turned up. We shook hands, wished him and slowly expressed interest in being introduced to the Musical band. He introduced us to Victor and his group. We sat in the surrounding chairs, waiting to broach the topic, as they practised different songs. We slowly started asking questions and found that Victor is a Guitar instructor at YMCA Narayanguda. We knew we'd struck gold when he started explaining how to select a good guitar - the strings should not be too high from the fingerboard, etc... He suggested a shop and offered to help us out in selecting a good guitar.
great!! Just what we wanted.

Well, knowing us, it will come as no surprise to you that that would be about all that'd be accomplished for a very long time. Conceptually, we'd decided to buy a guitar. However, when it came to going to that shop and buying one, we were artfully postponing it.10 days passed, almost a month, the stars were not in line or so it seemed. Since the net is an ocean of info, the only activity on this front was the Downloaded pdfs for beginners. However, without a physical guitar to use those books,It seemed as if this idea was doomed to the day-dream section.

Recently we went for a walk, bored from watching DVDs (?!). As we walked around the Madhuranagar walking circuit. We were wondering why so many of the things that we thought of doing never actually happened. We decided that it is because we don't follow up on so many things that this happens.Snap decision!! We thought "why not finally Do some of the things we planned?". If not now then when?, if not today then never!. Gullu brought up the unwelcome idea of going to Sec'bad and buying the guitar. The mind revolted. Too many unknowns. First, the exact location of the shop. second, what guitar to buy. Though Victor had offered to come with us, we were hesitant to impose upon someone who, obviously in a flush of enthusiasm, had offered to help. Thirdly, Traffic! However, Gullu in his characteristic way mentally bent my arm and managed to brainwash me into action.So we sped to Sec'bad and decided to play it by the ear. :-)

Having got down at Clock Tower, we decided to ask for directions in YMCA. The logic being that since YMCA gives guitar lessons, we'd be able to find out quickly. Finally, found a sticker stuck on the wall, which gave the exact location of the shop. Paradise, Opp. Taj Mahal. Off we set!
Patny circle -> clock tower -> Central Book Store(erstwhile Gangarams, now under a new management) -> YMCA -> Taj Mahal, and finally New Music Palace.

We looked at the Different and beautiful guitars some blue, purple/violet, rich-brown, Jumbo, Cut Guitar, Oval hole, Electric Guitars. They were all lined up in rows of racks,hanging from the walls and in the shelves. Each looking as if it could well be the companion on the road to Melody. Feeling a bit lost and knowing too well the lack of info to go on,we called up Victor for suggestions.Victor asked us to wait 5 minutes as he was joining us, as he was visiting a friend, nearby.

Sanjeev explained about guitars, how they'd become cheaper due to removal of excise duties and bulk imports. A brand that he recommended was the chinese import GB&A which has guitars ranging from 3500 Rs. to 6000 Rs.
As he showed us the higher range guitars, we felt even more hopelessly lost. When Victor joined us, we breathed a collective sigh of relief. He immediately advised us to buy as good a guitar as we could afford, instead of buying a "training" guitar. The shopkeeper suggested a good one, a good copy of an Ovation guitar. Ovation is an american brand, known for its daring designs using non-conventional materials(fiber glass!).The Ovation Copy (Rs. 8500) was tempting especially as Victor said that he'd had his eye on that particular piece for some time. He was saving up for it and would grab it when he'd saved enough. That perked us up. If it was that good, maybe we should go in for it ourselves? Just about when we were sold on the Ovation copy,
the shopkeeper suggested that since we were capable of spending that kind of money, why not go in for the Original. He had an Ovation(Rs. 9600!) and he said that it was probably the best acoustic guitar piece that he had in his shop.

The original Ovation Series was costing 9600, and it looked good. It also had the lowest action (space between the frets and the strings), which means that playing it is just about as comfortable as it can get, because you don't have to press down very hard on the strings. It was also made of fiberglass, so quite resistant to moisture etc. It did not have a "pickup" attached, which means it is not hookable to an amplifier. However, the shop keeper said that that could always be attached later. However, the looks of the guitar would be spoilt, as the pickup would be stuck onto the front plate, near the sound-hole.

Looks wise though, it wasn't the greatest, being black in colour. Some of the guitars in the shop were so beautiful, with warm golden brown shades and everything ! But it seems that just because a guitar looks good, doesn't mean it plays good.

Finally bought a Signature series Topaz model guitar which cost us 2500/-. However, I found that the service of the shop was very lax, as the shop owner took one month to supply us the guitar. Even inspite of repeated phone calls as well as 3 personal visits regarding the status, he did not seem too concerned with promptness, and I'd recommend this shop only as a last resort.


P.S: This blog is actually an e-mail I intended to post to my friends, but the sheer length of it and also the fact that it seemed to belong to my blog, has turned it into this blog.

Watashiwa Nihongoga Wakarimas Soshte Hanasemas

Whew, that's a long title for a blog! It actually means "I can understand and speak Japanese".

My last blog was intended to be about what started me off on learning Japanese, but ended up being a painfully elaborate review of the Pimsleur Training Method.

Hoping to correct that mistake, I'm writing this. This blog is about why I chose to learn japanese, etc.

I've always been fascinated by japanese/chinese culture. As a child, I saw "36th Chamber of Shaolin" and I was hooked on Martial Arts. As I researched into martial arts, I discovered more insight into the asian outlook. I learned about acupuncture, chinese herbs, Yin-Yang, and so many other "foreign" concepts. But as I delved deeper, I found that most of these concepts were actually exactly the same as concepts which our Indian ancestors had discovered and mastered ages ago. In fact most of these concepts were transported to China along with Buddhism. Monks travelling to these countries, trained their disciples in exercises which would keep them fit and strong, to be able to face the rigors of meditation, as also for self-defence.

However to give due credit, one has to admire the chinese, who've managed to keep these concepts alive, and improve on them to such an extent, as to make them original. Most people in India have no idea what a rich scientific culture existed in Ancient India. To use the words of the father of the bride in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding": "Greeks had public baths when the rest of the (western) world was rubbing two rocks together to make a fire". Well, Indians had public baths and a superb city system when the Greeks were rubbing two ... :-)

I seem to be digressing... But since this is my article, I reserve this right. Anyway, where was I?... Ahh Yes, Japan.

Some chinese, facing persecution in their country, travelled to Japan, and set up a whole new culture there. However most of their root beliefs etc, can be traced to chinese origins.

I read a beautiful book on Japan and it's culture when I visited my Aunt's house in Pune. Slowly but surely, the desire to travel to foreign places has taken place in my heart. However, I feel it's not enough to just go to some place, and "do" all the popular sight-seeing places. I'd rather not do that. I want to "absorb" the local culture, it's cuisine, it's view-point on life etc. I'm sure that this is not possible in a few months, let alone days.

One barrier to real communication is Language. As a foreigner, you'll always be restricted to communication with only some people. But if you know their language, however amateurishly, it opens people's hearts. I mean, if some japanese guy/gal were to take the trouble to learn Hindi, I'm sure they'd get to see a lot more of our India. If someone's taken so much trouble to learn my language, the least I can do is be as nice to them as possible ( That's my opinion anyway)

In fact Barry Farber, the author of "How to Learn Any Language: Quickly, Easily, Inexpensively, Enjoyably and on Your Own" says exactly the same thing. Whichever country he's been to, he's found that knowing the native language has opened more doors for him than most people could imagine.

One of the best things about the internet is that it has exposed me to so many things, which I would never have learnt about, under ordinary circumstances. I came to know about the Pimsleur Language Training Method through Barry Farber's book(through the internet). I've also reviewed the Pimsleur Method in a separate article.

So, what are the things that one should "absorb" regarding a foreign culture? Let's assume it's the japanese culture we're talking about.

First of all, their food. Now what most people know about the japanese diet seems to put them off. Bland, barely cooked, even raw food might not appeal to most people.
But hey, I'm open to all new tastes. What I've also heard and even experienced is that spice is not everything. Some of the most delicious foods are really bland. Mushrooms are a prime example. They taste the best, lightly fried in butter with a pinch of salt. Pure Heaven! Even in the raw form, in salads, they taste heavenly.

I guess that since you're eating such food entirely on it's own, the really delicate "Umami" taste comes through.

In most Indian food, the spice IS the taste. what would Indian cooking be without garlic, ginger, pepper, chilly and salt? Life wouldn't be worth living... :-) Can you imagine eating boiled chicken? Without spice, chicken might be unpalatable.
However, this seems to be just a mindblock. I'm sure that the japanese love their food just as much as the indians do their own, and surely what a whole country loves dearly can be savoured just as much by any person, if only he keeps an open mind. Expect the unexpected. Relish new experiences.

Japanese films also have interested me. I have not really seen any modern japanese movies, but Akira Kurosawa's films are really rivetting. I'd seen most of his films some eight years ago, thanks to our national channel "Doordarshan". This film festival was in remembrance of his illustrious career in films. Some of the movies I like the most are "Shichinin No Samurai" and "Rhapsody in August"

Another japanese director worth mentioning is Hayao Miyazaki. Writer-Director-Producer of some of the most beautiful children's animation in the world. He single-handedly beats Walt Disney hollow. "Tonari No Totoro", Mimi Wo Sumaseba, Neko no Onegaishi, Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (whew!) are some of my favourite movies. Picture perfect art, simple and endearing story-lines, and some totally creative ideas are the hallmark of his movies.

Let's not forget the japanese beauties. What can I say? You know all about the asian beauty, which is at least skin-deep in perfection. Silky smooth skin, fine hair and beautiful eyes are a trademark. Now that's what you might get closer to, if you know the right words (in japanese of course) ;-)

Japan also boasts some really beautiful countryside. Though japan is not mineral/resource rich, it has some really beautiful scenery. Though I've only seen it in celluloid, I hope to see it in the flesh someday.

Their music is also captivating. Lilting and abstract, it can either uplift you or desolate you. One flute piece called Shakuhachi which is among my favourites is really calming and meditative in nature. In desolation one finds truth. Very much Zen.

I also find that their philosophy is very much similar to our own indian philosophy. Minimalism, simplicity, and a almost blind trust in fate. Western thought seems to be based upon changing the environment to suit the individual/society. But Asian philosophy seems to be about adapting oneself to the circumstance, and not the other way around. It's about being content with whatever one has, rather than running after more mirages of comfort/luxury. This is an ideal which the West will slowly realise, once they've run their ass off and still not found contentment.

All this and much more about Japan has captivated me and I hope to find out more about this country in the years to come.

Watch out for my upcoming article on China and another on Acupuncture/Six Energies.

Learning Japanese the Pimsleur Way

I've always been fascinated with learning new languages, especially foreign languages. The thought of new mysterious lands, opened up to me by the power of knowing the language, has always been a thought that has captivated me.

Recently, I started learning Japanese. I'm learning Japanese through the Paul Pimsleur Training Method, developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur. This is a really wonderful training program, which uses neuro-linguistic programming techniques to enhance the learning process. Though there are other training methods ( Michel Thomas, Linguaphone, Berlitz, Eurotalk, Rosetta Stone - one of the more popular ones), I've only used Pimsleur till now. You can visit their website by searching in google for pimsleur or going to this link

Dr. Pimsleur developed a new method (The Pimsleur Method) that is based on two key principles: the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory training that he called "Graduated Interval Recall."

Simply put, the "Principle of Anticipation" means that in the lesson, our tutor makes a comment or poses a question, and we have to understand what he is asking, and respond appropriately. This involves construction of the proper response, and actual vocalisation of this sentence.

"Graduated Interval Recall" means that when we learn a new word, it resides in our short-term memory. If we use the newly learnt word within a minute, it strengthens in our memory. If forced to recall the new word at optimally graduated intervals, the word shifts from short-term memory to long-term memory. Pimsleur Courses take advantage of this method of functioning of the human brain, to make learning easier and faster.

The actual course consists of three modules for the japanese language. However the price is really steep, at least for Indians, since each module costs $300, which puts the entire cost of the training course at $900 (excluding postage). That comes to around 41000 Rs ! #@@%**&. However, you can probably find a good deal on this course at amazon, or ebay. Where there is a will, there is always a way ;-)

You can think of these 3 modules as Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Each Module has 30 lessons, so the entire course consists of 90 lessons, each lesson being around 30 minutes. The idea is to complete only one lesson per day, which means that in an ideal world, one could complete the entire course in just 3 months.

However, I've found that I simply don't have the discipline required to do so. There seem to be gaps in my training, which usually span 10 lessons at a stretch. However, for a more determined/disciplined person, this should not really be a problem.

Each lesson is very easy to absorb, and introduces not more than 10-15 words max. The course is designed in such a way, that every lesson refreshes what you had learnt in the last lesson(Graduated Interval Recall). This ensures that as long as you managed to get 75-80% of the responses in a lesson correctly, you can move on to the next lesson.

On the whole, I'd say that the course is pure gold, the only minus point being that it costs likewise :-( I really wish they'd come out with an Indian version maybe costing around 5000 - 6000 Rs. This'd put it in the range of most middle class people.