OK.
I was on the fence.
I loved the hardware, but I was torn over the UI.
What a difference a few days make. I still miss Synergy, cards, and the overall intuitive nature of WebOS, but HTC's Sense along with Android are growing on me every day.
Leap has now become second nature, and while it may not be as intuitive as WebOS's cards, there is no functionality missing.
As I was sitting at the hotel bar last night, I struck up a conversation with a Pre owner. We swapped phones and played around for a few minutes. The end result is that Sense/Android is for the most part a wash with WebOS. I still have to say that I miss swipe to delete though.
The lack of a physical keyboard was a worry of mine, but I've made the transition pretty well. Adding Swype as an app has certainly not hurt. Find it here. It has allowed me to type faster than I ever thought possible from a mobile platform.
I was also able to get a 4g connection while I was at the hotel outside of Boston. All I can say is "Wow". I was able to watch YouTube effortlessly. It loaded without buffering, streamed flawlessly, and was a high quality crisp picture.
Overall, I'm giving it an A-. It's a powerful, customizable platform that compromises in very few (if any) areas.
I'd like to see some better apps, but who wouldn't? It's truly a viable competitor to the 4th gen iphone, and offers more to the open source crowd (I am root).
I'll be pulling down the SDK soon and playing around to see what all of the buzz is about.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
EVO 4G
Alright.
I waited for it for months.
I've had it for a weekend.
I'm up in the air.
While this is the most hyped phone that I've ever seen (maybe even deservedly so), there are still some areas where this android uberphone falls short.
Hits:
1. Hardware - This phone is so ridiculously spec'd, I'm not even going to go into it. Spec check here.
2. Screen - relatively speaking, this is a great screen. Like going from CRT to LCD. I hope the rumors of screen glass separation aren't true.
3. HTC's "leap" feature. I can think of a few things that I miss on an Android phone coming from WebOS on a Pre, but "leap" is pretty cool.
4. Android - This OS is young but hungry. It's got fantastic potential to be a serious rival to the control freaks in Cuppertino.
5. Google Apps - Shopper, Sky, Maps, Voice.... nuff said.
Misses:
1. Battery life - If this were a car - think of it like a Ferrari 430 Scuderia. Gorgeous, but thirsty.
2. Android - Missing some of the polish of Apple's OS and WebOS.
3. Some HTC and/or Android apps - Definitely some crapware. LinkeIN is a prime example. Yes it's a beta. But users can't even log in to the beta on the EVO.
4. Flash lite - not even going to comment. At some point Android will offer full flash support. Just not yet :-(
OK, the hardware is great. I mean please, my phone has a kickstand. Does yours?
And Android is a great jumping point for a phone OS. Their app store is much richer that the measly 2500 or so apps on WebOS. And the Google apps have much better integration (like Google Voice).
But there is just no mistaking that the Android UI is not as polished as some others like iphone and WebOS. That's why I'm on the fence. I miss things like Synergy, swipe to delete, video trimming, the cards, and WebOS notifications.
I also miss a few apps like LinkedIN (the beta sucks on Android - at least for the EVO), FlightTracker (free), and PocketMirror for Outlook.
Yes - FlightTracker is paid, PocketMirror could easily be replaced by Mark Sync (or HTC sync if you don't mine not getting task and to-do lists), and there is a LinkedIn app in progress.
I miss that the messaging app doesn't offer the option to message from within your IM accounts like webOS. But Meebo handles that pretty well.
Basically the difference between my Pre and the EVO is UI polish. There's no dout that hardware wise, the EVO is twice the phone that the Pre is. And while the app store doesn't quite match the quantity and overall quality associated with the Apple app store, there's no reason that this relatively new OS couldn't catch up.
I know I keep harping on webOS, but they were pretty polished out of the gate as far as the user experience was concerned. HTC skinned Android with Sense, so they also need to shoulder some of this burden, but Google does as well. I have zero doubt that Android will get there with the polish, and that at some point they will tighten the reigns on the app submissions, bringing up the overall quality of the apps for the platform.
Sprint and HTC have put together a great looking and sexy piece of hardware, now Sprint really needs to get that 4G network rolled out to more that the 23 current markets so that I can video chat with my friends!
Disclaimer:
On a phone this beastly, a weekend is by no means enough time to get acquainted with all of the functionality. I've been following @androidtips and @androidapostle on twitter to help familiarize myself with all Android has to offer. As I get further in, I will post and update with more info. If you would like to follow me, follow @shmilsky.
I waited for it for months.
I've had it for a weekend.
I'm up in the air.
While this is the most hyped phone that I've ever seen (maybe even deservedly so), there are still some areas where this android uberphone falls short.
Hits:
1. Hardware - This phone is so ridiculously spec'd, I'm not even going to go into it. Spec check here.
2. Screen - relatively speaking, this is a great screen. Like going from CRT to LCD. I hope the rumors of screen glass separation aren't true.
3. HTC's "leap" feature. I can think of a few things that I miss on an Android phone coming from WebOS on a Pre, but "leap" is pretty cool.
4. Android - This OS is young but hungry. It's got fantastic potential to be a serious rival to the control freaks in Cuppertino.
5. Google Apps - Shopper, Sky, Maps, Voice.... nuff said.
Misses:
1. Battery life - If this were a car - think of it like a Ferrari 430 Scuderia. Gorgeous, but thirsty.
2. Android - Missing some of the polish of Apple's OS and WebOS.
3. Some HTC and/or Android apps - Definitely some crapware. LinkeIN is a prime example. Yes it's a beta. But users can't even log in to the beta on the EVO.
4. Flash lite - not even going to comment. At some point Android will offer full flash support. Just not yet :-(
OK, the hardware is great. I mean please, my phone has a kickstand. Does yours?
And Android is a great jumping point for a phone OS. Their app store is much richer that the measly 2500 or so apps on WebOS. And the Google apps have much better integration (like Google Voice).
But there is just no mistaking that the Android UI is not as polished as some others like iphone and WebOS. That's why I'm on the fence. I miss things like Synergy, swipe to delete, video trimming, the cards, and WebOS notifications.
I also miss a few apps like LinkedIN (the beta sucks on Android - at least for the EVO), FlightTracker (free), and PocketMirror for Outlook.
Yes - FlightTracker is paid, PocketMirror could easily be replaced by Mark Sync (or HTC sync if you don't mine not getting task and to-do lists), and there is a LinkedIn app in progress.
I miss that the messaging app doesn't offer the option to message from within your IM accounts like webOS. But Meebo handles that pretty well.
Basically the difference between my Pre and the EVO is UI polish. There's no dout that hardware wise, the EVO is twice the phone that the Pre is. And while the app store doesn't quite match the quantity and overall quality associated with the Apple app store, there's no reason that this relatively new OS couldn't catch up.
I know I keep harping on webOS, but they were pretty polished out of the gate as far as the user experience was concerned. HTC skinned Android with Sense, so they also need to shoulder some of this burden, but Google does as well. I have zero doubt that Android will get there with the polish, and that at some point they will tighten the reigns on the app submissions, bringing up the overall quality of the apps for the platform.
Sprint and HTC have put together a great looking and sexy piece of hardware, now Sprint really needs to get that 4G network rolled out to more that the 23 current markets so that I can video chat with my friends!
Disclaimer:
On a phone this beastly, a weekend is by no means enough time to get acquainted with all of the functionality. I've been following @androidtips and @androidapostle on twitter to help familiarize myself with all Android has to offer. As I get further in, I will post and update with more info. If you would like to follow me, follow @shmilsky.
Nook :(
Remember how much I said that I loved my new nook e-reader? I still do. What I do not love, however, is the crack that developed on the left page forward button after 45 days. This is a known "defect". And by defect I mean short-sightedness on behalf of the design team. The issue is that the plastic compound used for the bezel is too brittle. I read 6-7 books in 45 days. That's not really great. Check here to see some stories related to this.
The most frustrating part of this whole experience has been dealing with B&N's "trusted partner", Best Buy. I went to exchange the device and was told by several different managers at Best Buy that they would not accept the return, even though it was a known manufacturers defect. How this information was not communicated to Best Buy is beyond me. After dealing with horrible managers at the Best Buy stores in Far Rockaway (Jason), Baldwin (forgot name), 3 reps at B&N, and 4 reps at Best Buy corporate, my wife finally reached Dave at B&N. Dave is a supervisor in the Digital Support area.
I think I'm going to give Dave his own paragraph. he deserves it. Whereas every other conversation with B&N had yielded no results, Dave actually offered to call the Best Buy branch where my nook was purchased. He told us that he was surprised that they were unaware of the issue and that he would do what he could to straighten out the issue (way to go Dave..). After calling the Best Buy where my nook was purchased, Dave told us we were all set to go and return the nook for a replacement. We then spoke with Leon at Best Buy in Baldwin, who assured us that we would be taken care of. After confirming who the manager the following day would be, Leon called us back and told us that if we had any problems whatsoever, to come back to see him directly.
Dave at B&N and Leon at the Best Buy Baldwin, are in my customer service hall of fame. The issue is resolved and my wife is exchanging my nook.
Pretty much everyone else at both Best Buy and B&N that we dealt with are in the hall of shame.
I should give an honorable mention to Shaddell in Far Rockaway. He was a ghetto Queen, but his customer service skills definitely warrant an honorable mention in the customer service hall of fame.
Epilogue:
The folks at B&N assured me that the issue has been resolved with the cracking. I'm guessing that a different compound is being used for the bezel. Maybe nook 2.0 will have actual buttons a la Kindle. The easiest way to avoid potential issue would be to use the swipe gesture for page turns.
Really, I'm just glad this was resolved. Overall, I love my nook, and next time will likely purchase the coverage plan for anything I get at Best Buy. One thing that I should note is that customers who purchased their nook directly through B&N have noted a much easier time getting this issue resolved.
The most frustrating part of this whole experience has been dealing with B&N's "trusted partner", Best Buy. I went to exchange the device and was told by several different managers at Best Buy that they would not accept the return, even though it was a known manufacturers defect. How this information was not communicated to Best Buy is beyond me. After dealing with horrible managers at the Best Buy stores in Far Rockaway (Jason), Baldwin (forgot name), 3 reps at B&N, and 4 reps at Best Buy corporate, my wife finally reached Dave at B&N. Dave is a supervisor in the Digital Support area.
I think I'm going to give Dave his own paragraph. he deserves it. Whereas every other conversation with B&N had yielded no results, Dave actually offered to call the Best Buy branch where my nook was purchased. He told us that he was surprised that they were unaware of the issue and that he would do what he could to straighten out the issue (way to go Dave..). After calling the Best Buy where my nook was purchased, Dave told us we were all set to go and return the nook for a replacement. We then spoke with Leon at Best Buy in Baldwin, who assured us that we would be taken care of. After confirming who the manager the following day would be, Leon called us back and told us that if we had any problems whatsoever, to come back to see him directly.
Dave at B&N and Leon at the Best Buy Baldwin, are in my customer service hall of fame. The issue is resolved and my wife is exchanging my nook.
Pretty much everyone else at both Best Buy and B&N that we dealt with are in the hall of shame.
I should give an honorable mention to Shaddell in Far Rockaway. He was a ghetto Queen, but his customer service skills definitely warrant an honorable mention in the customer service hall of fame.
Epilogue:
The folks at B&N assured me that the issue has been resolved with the cracking. I'm guessing that a different compound is being used for the bezel. Maybe nook 2.0 will have actual buttons a la Kindle. The easiest way to avoid potential issue would be to use the swipe gesture for page turns.
Really, I'm just glad this was resolved. Overall, I love my nook, and next time will likely purchase the coverage plan for anything I get at Best Buy. One thing that I should note is that customers who purchased their nook directly through B&N have noted a much easier time getting this issue resolved.
Monday, April 26, 2010
nook
OK.
Maybe you saw how sad I was over the bike. I decided that a little bit of retail therapy was in order. So I decided to combine this retail therapy with my love for gadgets and being green.
I read.A lot.
I can read a paperback cover to cover over the course of a domestic flight. Yes, I have done this. So I figured that I would look into e-readers.
Why not?
The idea of 1500 books in a form factor that is similar to a book is appealing. But few current offerings have some of the things that I am looking for.
Browser?
Spring Design's Alex or the ipad would both have browsers. While the ipad is beautiful, and the e-reader animation is stunning, the glare and backlighting don't do it for me. If it could truly replace my laptop, I might reconsider. And I'm generally a Windows kind of guy, so for me to say that is a credit to the ipad. But it can't replace my laptop, so scratch getting an ipad for now (maybe in the 2nd or 3rd generation).
So that leaves me with an e-reader.
Kindle? Nah. I've seen them, and they seem good, but I'm looking for a little bit more.
Spring Design Alex? Sounds great on paper with a robust browser, a decent form factor, with a secondary color screen on the bottom half. It's a shame that there was such a tough time getting one. With delayed delivery dates and the ordering site pulling aHoudini move, I really felt that it narrowed my choices to two.
Sony and Nook.
I had a chance to play with the Sony. It's not bad, it's just not for me.
Enter the nook. Browser? Check (to be fair, it's a beta and needs some work). A secondary touch screen? Check (yes it's small - the Alex' screen is much bigger). Open source OS? Double check!
I like the fact that the nook runs Android. It leaves a lot of room for growth, whether it's games or an app store. Adding google's touch based search feature (when development is done) would be nice. Hint Hint. The nook also supported more formats, at least at the time I did my research. *Update* - all tied up on this front.
I find the form factor a little bit more elegant on the nook. I didn't like the keyboard on the Kindle. However, as a Pre owner, it was a form factor that I was comfortable with. And the touchscreen keyboard on the nook is easy for me to fat-finger with my sausage like hands. With a little bit of practice, I was able to enter my WPA passkey with no problems.
While we are talking about passkeys, I was unable to connect to the wi-fi hotspot on the train. I know that this requires some combination of using the browser and UI, but I just haven't mastered it yet. *Update* - I managed to connect on the train, however I am now unable to connect in the hotel lobby. B&N needs to work on that for the next release.
Speaking of the UI, it definitely takes some getting used to. I think that it makes sense, but then again, I think putting olive oil and sea salt on ice cream makes sense. The UI certainly isn't intuitive. Then again, I am by no means a UI design expert.
Once getting wi-fi up and initially connecting to my laptop, I was able to sync my adobe digital editions library with the nook straight away. I was also able to go to my public library website and pull down a few e-books and audio books to take for my trip this week. The audio books required the Overdrive Media console.
I've already ripped through the first book that I downloaded last night. reading on the e-ink display is eerily reminiscent of paperbacks. And swiping across the bottom screen turns the page. No, it's not like reading a real book. Nor is it as beautiful as the page turning animation of the ipad. A lot has been made of the sluggish performance of the nook. I installed the update for 1.3, and most issues seem to be resolved. Plus they added sodoku. Here's a link to all of the things included in release 1.3.
Given the wi-fi connectivity, free 3G, and performance improvements, I'll give the nook a B+/A-. Room for improvement, but a very solid offering.
Maybe you saw how sad I was over the bike. I decided that a little bit of retail therapy was in order. So I decided to combine this retail therapy with my love for gadgets and being green.
I read.A lot.
I can read a paperback cover to cover over the course of a domestic flight. Yes, I have done this. So I figured that I would look into e-readers.
Why not?
The idea of 1500 books in a form factor that is similar to a book is appealing. But few current offerings have some of the things that I am looking for.
Browser?
Spring Design's Alex or the ipad would both have browsers. While the ipad is beautiful, and the e-reader animation is stunning, the glare and backlighting don't do it for me. If it could truly replace my laptop, I might reconsider. And I'm generally a Windows kind of guy, so for me to say that is a credit to the ipad. But it can't replace my laptop, so scratch getting an ipad for now (maybe in the 2nd or 3rd generation).
So that leaves me with an e-reader.
Kindle? Nah. I've seen them, and they seem good, but I'm looking for a little bit more.
Spring Design Alex? Sounds great on paper with a robust browser, a decent form factor, with a secondary color screen on the bottom half. It's a shame that there was such a tough time getting one. With delayed delivery dates and the ordering site pulling aHoudini move, I really felt that it narrowed my choices to two.
Sony and Nook.
I had a chance to play with the Sony. It's not bad, it's just not for me.
Enter the nook. Browser? Check (to be fair, it's a beta and needs some work). A secondary touch screen? Check (yes it's small - the Alex' screen is much bigger). Open source OS? Double check!
I like the fact that the nook runs Android. It leaves a lot of room for growth, whether it's games or an app store. Adding google's touch based search feature (when development is done) would be nice. Hint Hint. The nook also supported more formats, at least at the time I did my research. *Update* - all tied up on this front.
I find the form factor a little bit more elegant on the nook. I didn't like the keyboard on the Kindle. However, as a Pre owner, it was a form factor that I was comfortable with. And the touchscreen keyboard on the nook is easy for me to fat-finger with my sausage like hands. With a little bit of practice, I was able to enter my WPA passkey with no problems.
While we are talking about passkeys, I was unable to connect to the wi-fi hotspot on the train. I know that this requires some combination of using the browser and UI, but I just haven't mastered it yet. *Update* - I managed to connect on the train, however I am now unable to connect in the hotel lobby. B&N needs to work on that for the next release.
Speaking of the UI, it definitely takes some getting used to. I think that it makes sense, but then again, I think putting olive oil and sea salt on ice cream makes sense. The UI certainly isn't intuitive. Then again, I am by no means a UI design expert.
Once getting wi-fi up and initially connecting to my laptop, I was able to sync my adobe digital editions library with the nook straight away. I was also able to go to my public library website and pull down a few e-books and audio books to take for my trip this week. The audio books required the Overdrive Media console.
I've already ripped through the first book that I downloaded last night. reading on the e-ink display is eerily reminiscent of paperbacks. And swiping across the bottom screen turns the page. No, it's not like reading a real book. Nor is it as beautiful as the page turning animation of the ipad. A lot has been made of the sluggish performance of the nook. I installed the update for 1.3, and most issues seem to be resolved. Plus they added sodoku. Here's a link to all of the things included in release 1.3.
Given the wi-fi connectivity, free 3G, and performance improvements, I'll give the nook a B+/A-. Room for improvement, but a very solid offering.
Sadness disguised as a receipt
"Damn. I knew I should have done it sooner. "
This was the exact thought that ran through my mind when I received a call from the LBS that the order that I had placed for a Giant Defy Advanced 1 couldn't be completed.
Me:"Seriously?"
Bike shop Guy:"Yeah, there's 5, size small, between the East and West coasts. All spoken for."
"I can get you on a Roubaix Expert or Madone."
Me:"I'll be in on Sunday to test ride those two. Thanks"
The fact of the matter is that I wasn't going to go test ride anything. I had made up my mind that this was the bike that I had wanted for the past year and a half. After all, my road bike and two mountain bike were all Giant. Not that I'm a one brand kind of guy. Not that these other bikes aren't great bikes. But the Defy had gotten great reviews, looked great, and in general delivered on Giant's reputation of offering a terrific bang for your buck.
At roughly $3500 including taxes, bang for your buck is a relative term when talking about a bicycle. But you can hardly argue the specs. Full Ultegra 6700, Mavic Ksyrium elite hoops, and that gorgeous full carbon frame. The reviews had confirmed it over and over.
And to Giant's credit, they tried very hard to get me on a bike. I could get a frameset and swap out my current Ultegra 6600 out onto the frame. Too bad I'm looking to go from a triple on my current ride to a double on the new ride. They were willing to knock quite a bit off of the Defy 0. This was very tempting, but not realistic.
I ride enough to justify a nice mid-level bike. No more and no less. I know you're thinking that $3500 doesn't sound like a mid level bike, but if you shop around enough, you'll see what I mean. The Defy 0 goes for about $5800 with taxes. 6 grand. 6 Large.
That's a lot of lattes. And while I can afford it (and am truly lucky to have that luxury), I'd like to consider myself somewhat practical. I am what most serious bikers call a "lard ass". At right around 200lbs, I do not have a resting heart rate of 48. Shaving ounces does nothing for me. I do ride over 100 miles on a weekend all summer long, weather permitting. I also do 6-8 centuries a year. Along with some other reasons too boring to get into, this would have been a perfect ride.
If I could get one.
The moral of this cautionary tale? Don't wait.
Whether it's buying a bike or anything that you want to do, do it today, because the opportunity might not present itself again for a while.
This was the exact thought that ran through my mind when I received a call from the LBS that the order that I had placed for a Giant Defy Advanced 1 couldn't be completed.
Me:"Seriously?"
Bike shop Guy:"Yeah, there's 5, size small, between the East and West coasts. All spoken for."
"I can get you on a Roubaix Expert or Madone."
Me:"I'll be in on Sunday to test ride those two. Thanks"
The fact of the matter is that I wasn't going to go test ride anything. I had made up my mind that this was the bike that I had wanted for the past year and a half. After all, my road bike and two mountain bike were all Giant. Not that I'm a one brand kind of guy. Not that these other bikes aren't great bikes. But the Defy had gotten great reviews, looked great, and in general delivered on Giant's reputation of offering a terrific bang for your buck.
At roughly $3500 including taxes, bang for your buck is a relative term when talking about a bicycle. But you can hardly argue the specs. Full Ultegra 6700, Mavic Ksyrium elite hoops, and that gorgeous full carbon frame. The reviews had confirmed it over and over.
And to Giant's credit, they tried very hard to get me on a bike. I could get a frameset and swap out my current Ultegra 6600 out onto the frame. Too bad I'm looking to go from a triple on my current ride to a double on the new ride. They were willing to knock quite a bit off of the Defy 0. This was very tempting, but not realistic.
I ride enough to justify a nice mid-level bike. No more and no less. I know you're thinking that $3500 doesn't sound like a mid level bike, but if you shop around enough, you'll see what I mean. The Defy 0 goes for about $5800 with taxes. 6 grand. 6 Large.
That's a lot of lattes. And while I can afford it (and am truly lucky to have that luxury), I'd like to consider myself somewhat practical. I am what most serious bikers call a "lard ass". At right around 200lbs, I do not have a resting heart rate of 48. Shaving ounces does nothing for me. I do ride over 100 miles on a weekend all summer long, weather permitting. I also do 6-8 centuries a year. Along with some other reasons too boring to get into, this would have been a perfect ride.
If I could get one.
The moral of this cautionary tale? Don't wait.
Whether it's buying a bike or anything that you want to do, do it today, because the opportunity might not present itself again for a while.
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