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.
Monday, April 26, 2010
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.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Gratitude
Yes, it's really been that long. I've been traveling quite a bit for work...18 months on a weekly basis to be exact. And while this hasn't really allowed me time to ride as much, I have had some time to reflect. Given the general state of affairs in the world today, I am grateful. What am I grateful for? I'm grateful for my bike. I know that seems like a trivial thing to say. But I'm grateful that something that I love to do as much as I love riding a bike allows me to make an impact in the world.
If you go to my website, sethmillman.com you can see information for two charities. While these are the two charities that I choose to support, there are many rides that support fantastic causes. The gratitude doesn't necessarily comes from a particular charity, it comes from the ride and the charity. There is something special about being with a group of people, together, doing something you love for a good cause, and leaving it all out on the road.
So while there is enough bad news these day to make even the sunniest of dispositions consider Prozac, I wake up every day and look at the weather. Every degree closer it gets to riding weather makes me that much happier. It doesn't matter how bad work is on a particular day, or how bad the news is, we're another day closer to ride season. And for that, I am truly grateful.
If you go to my website, sethmillman.com you can see information for two charities. While these are the two charities that I choose to support, there are many rides that support fantastic causes. The gratitude doesn't necessarily comes from a particular charity, it comes from the ride and the charity. There is something special about being with a group of people, together, doing something you love for a good cause, and leaving it all out on the road.
So while there is enough bad news these day to make even the sunniest of dispositions consider Prozac, I wake up every day and look at the weather. Every degree closer it gets to riding weather makes me that much happier. It doesn't matter how bad work is on a particular day, or how bad the news is, we're another day closer to ride season. And for that, I am truly grateful.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Kurt Kinetic
I set up my trainer lasdt week ant took it for a spin, pun definitely intended. Maybe I'm not used to trainers, but it seems like the claim of "realistic road feel" is bull$..t. That being said, the resistance was super consistant and did give a good workout. It came with a good beginners DVD and while I think that trainers can't compare to getting out and riding, I'm pretty happy. Set-up was a breeze, and other than the hideous shade of green, it's nice and sleek looking. It's also got a solid base. I have little experience with trainers, so my mechanics need work, but even with my fat ass wobbling around, the bike, the base, and the trainer were rock solid. Overall I'd give it a B. I'm really only taking points off for the crappy color and the fact that it doesn't feel like riding a bike on pavement. Like I said, I haven't ridden other trainers (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night), but given the research that I did I am very happy with it.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Finally my review
This summer, my bike seemed to suffer more mechanical issues than ever before. The cranks stripped out...in the middle of a ride. I'm sure TruVativ makes good products, most likely it was carelessness on a tune-up. So after having to call my girlfriend to come and get me, I invested in the trusty Shimano Ultegra numbers. After a trip to the LBS to get them installed (I can be a neanderthal with tools sometimes), I'm happy to say that these are "tons" better than the TV "Rolleur" model that they replaced. They're a ton stiffer, a bit lighter (I'm too fat for that to matter as much as the stiffness), and a bunch sexier looking. I'm also much happier with the BB and how much more easily they spin. Again, the TV's BB was just not as nice, but still perfectly adequate for the 4000-5000 miles they saw. That, in conjunction with the ultegra wheel set, an upgrade from the Giant's stock Xero set, made a big difference in the quality of the ride. The hoops were a lot lighter, stiffer (again I'm a big guy so I like sturdy stuff), and smoother rolling than the Xero models they replaced. I love them. I'll ride all of this through the winter, at which time it will get donated to my girlfriend as a starter bike. I just got my new trainer (Kurt Kinetic), so I'll review that as soon as I get enough time in on it. In the meantime, my goal for the winter is to pedal enough of my a$$ off to make purchasing a new Giant Defy Advanced a legitimate purchase. If I'm ever that 300lb guy jammed into sausage casing (I mean spandex)riding a 5k+ bike, someone do me a favor and put me out of my misery.
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