The BlackBerry Bold; not so Smart, but a good Phone

In the evolution of “smart phones,” there was a time when the BlackBerry could have been considered the smartest phone around.  Times have changed, but BlackBerry, not so very much.  Well, that’s not entirely true; my first BlackBerry, you remember it, that odd shaped phone that was kind of wide and squatty, was tough as nails, fit the hand well, and I could type like no tomorrow.

So, some things have changed.  RIM has bought into style over function, and who knows, this has probably sold more phones. Of course some work has gone to function, like the track ball.  Unfortunately the track ball also made the phone somewhat fragile.  We have gone through them so fast at work, at least they always look new, which makes purchasing a service contract a necessity.  We have also noticed that the Curves likes to lockup while taking it out of the holster when receiving an email or phone call.

Recently I just replaced the Curve with the Bold 9700.  So far I’ve found the touch pad, in place of the track ball a great improvement.  I just hope it will hold up and last longer than the track ball; time will tell.  The newer Bold is also smaller and I believe its the same size (or darn close) as the Curve.  I was looking forward to having larger keys like on the original Bold, but oh well.

The Bold has the potential to be a good work phone for making calls, reading and sending basic emails, text, etc., but thats about it.  The screen is really too small to do much internet surfing or reading Google News, but if your in a tight, it will work.  It does have tethering capabilities, however you lose your phone function while doing so.

If this new Bold will be tough as nails, like their originals, it will be a much appreciated step forward.  I just wish they would make a few functional upgrades and not worry so much about style.  I know in my work, if the BlackBerry would tether wirelessly and/or double as a hub for say three or four laptops while still maintaining phone functionality, we would dump all our air cards in a heartbeat.  A wide selection of apps wouldn’t hurt either.

The fact is that BlackBerry is an excellent foundation for a phone of the future.  It would also dominate the business market, leaving the Iphone in the dust.  I just hope they are not using the Palm playbook on how to go from first to last.  

RIM, it really wouldn’t take too much to make BlackBerry an outstanding “Smart Phone” again!

Microsoft Office, Iwork, or Google Docs; Which one do you use?

Microsoft used to be king in the office documents area.  As king, they could charge a premium for their office product.  They even worked out a deal and moved into the Mac market with Microsoft Office for Mac.  Microsoft has worked hard at being and keeping the title of king.  The only good thing, in my opinion, that has come out of this is compatibility.  Everyone else that has created office software has made theirs compatible with the king.

This has allowed people to save money on less expensive software options.  Inter Google Docs! Free is a very good price, if it works; and work is does.  I have been testing Google Docs for a couple of weeks now and have moved documents back and forth from Office XP, 2003, 2007, Iwork09, and Open Office.  All have worked well. It helps to save as a word document in Iwork!  There are times when you had whistles and bells in one format that doesn't always translate well in the other programs.  So keep it simple if you're sending your document out to a wide audience via electronic means (which seems to be the norm these days).

NOTE: Open Office is another free office program that allows you to down load the software on your PC for free.

The benefit of Google Docs is that its online and available on any computer as long as you have internet access.  This also allows for multiple people to collaborate on projects especially utilizing Google Wave. And did I mention its free!  Of course if you need more space than what Google provides for free, then you can always buy more space from Google for a very low price!

Microsoft is starting to feel the heat, as their office prices seem to be coming down. I do believe that as some of these new contenders take a bite out of the market, we will see Microsoft adding more options while also lowering their price.

Give Google Docs a try. I'm betting you will feel right at home.

From PC to Mac

With the natural transition of hand-me-downs, it was time to replace the kids' computer.  The Dell desktop that they were using had been a faithful device since 2000.  A couple of years ago I upgraded the memory and operating system, but with the recent crash of the hard drive, it was time to move on.  We ended up sharing my laptop, Dell Inspiron circa 2005, for a couple of months.  As they had practically taken it over, I decided to hand it down to them and buy a new laptop.

After reading reviews from Consumer Report, Cnet, and others, I decided to do something I'd been wanting to do for some time; I bought a Mac; more specifically I purchased a 13" Mac Book Pro.  I'd looked and read about Macs for years but had been held back by the price.  Upon comparing the PC to Mac, I found that we really weren't talking about that much difference in price. I decided it was time to make the investment.  Before the purchase, I spent some time on the Apple web site and then in the Apple store.  Both places convinced me I would get a good bang for my buck and the transition should not be too difficult.

That was approximately six months ago, and I've never looked back! The transition to Mac, I'm happy to report, has been very easy. Basically I ended up putting my documents on a couple of DVDs and then loaded them into documents, photos, etc. on the new Mac.  It worked, no issues what so ever.

The only program I purchased for the Mac was Iwork09. I had debated purchasing Microsoft Office for Mac, but decided to save a few dollars.  (In the next post I'll talk about some options that might save you some money regardless of PC or Mac.) For 99 percent of the time, I'm happy with Iwork09, but there are some times when work and home intermix and things might have been easier with Office (and thats just really with the work coming in, as I have the ability in Iwork to save in word format for documents going out).

In conclusion, I'm glad I made the leap to Mac.  The change was even easier than I thought it would be.  If I were to be asked whats the basic different between the two, I would have to say that Mac is more of a common sense approach to freedom computing, while PC tries to do more and doesn't let you off the path.
In the words of mothers everywhere, "try it, you just might like it."
QCM2CXAPTXBV

Which is more important in the purchase; processor, memory or hard drive?

Regardless if you are looking for a laptop or desktop, one of the fist choices you will be confronted with will be what processor to choose.  Go to Dell and the first real decision you will have to make is what processor do you want to for your computer.  You should note that 9 times out of 10, the “recommended” one will be an upgrade from the base price the site first showed you.

I’m a basic type of guy, but this is one area you should always spend the money!  There will be many choices along the way to configuring or selecting your new laptop or desktop. Few of the decisions will impact your short and long term satisfaction of  purchase more than the processor selection.

The processor, for the most of us, is one part of the computer that your are stuck with after the purchase.  There is no inexpensive way to upgrade the processor after purchase.  Thats not the same case for memory (RAM) or hard drives.  You will be much better served to splurge on the processor even if that means you will have to go with minimums in every other selection.

Memory and storage are cheap when you buy the computer and guess what, they are cheap when you want to upgrade your computer down the road.  Not to mention the fact that most users can make these upgrades themselves.  Sure changing an internal hard drive isn’t the easiest thing to do; so buy an external one.  Many, if not most, external hard drives are “plug and play” so to speak. Meaning just plug it into the USB port and the computer will walk you thru the setup.  Its no more complicated than a thumb drive.

So when picking out that new computer, spend an extra minute looking at the processor and spend the money there instead of 6 GB of RAM or that 500 GB hard drive.  You’ll be glad you did! 

Laptop or Desktop ?

For many of us, the after Christmas sale and/or new year is the time to get that good deal on a new computer. Obviously the first decisions to make is do I buy a laptop or desktop. This decision has to be made even before you decide whether your a “PC” or a “Mac;” because lets face it, at the end of the day both systems do the same thing, just in a different way. I make that statement based on using both systems on a daily basis (Can you tell which system I used to type this?).

This decision used to be easier than it probably is today. Today we are in a market full of choices and options that will come with either selection. So basically you can get the exact same features regardless if you go with the desktop or the laptop (just not at the exact same cost).

The decision comes down to three questions: 1)Are you going to be computing in a single or multiple locations? 2) What are you going to use it for? 3) What can you afford?
Without a doubt, if you are on a limited budget, as I am, you will have to make some sacrifices if you decide to go with a laptop. The good news is that if you make the right choices when picking processors, memory, etc., you might not notice those sacrifices that much. (In my next post I’ll talk about choosing the processor and memory) The bad news is that a year or two from now, if you chose the laptop, your updating/upgrading choices will be somewhat limited.

Today we have become more of a mobile society with our computing. The advent of WiFi has enabled us with the opportunity to take computers into more places without being tethered to the network cord or phone line. From the classroom to the local coffee shop, WiFi is available and in most cases free!

I know for my family, WiFi has allowed us the freedom to type at the kitchen table or on the couch, bedroom, back porch, etc. My wife loves the fact that we were able to get rid of the “hideous” looking desktop and hide the printer from view. I’ve even installed a wireless system at my aunt’s house, where she now enjoys utilizing her laptop while sitting in her recliner, watching tv.

Of course if your purchase is based on the need to program, data entry, and/or accounting type activities, a single location may work best for you. If that’s the case, getting a good desktop with a nice big flat panel screen might be just the ticket (most bang for your buck as well). This might also be the case if your a big time gamer; especially on a limited budget. As mentioned earlier, the desktop will also provide more upgrade/update options down the road.

Whatever your final decision, the new computer will be an exciting purchase and will come with options you never dreamed of just a few years ago. Take your time, shop around, and get a good deal. There are good deals to be had. Take a look at: www.frys.com , www.newegg.com , www.apple.com , www.macmall.com , www.dell.com , www.overstock.com , www.bestbuy.com , and www.walmart.com . For a little extra bang for our buck, Apple and Dell do sell refurbished, scratch/dent, and returns at a couple of hundred off the regular price with as new warranties. Oh yea they also offer some education pricing, which most families will qualify for one way or another. Have fun and happy computing!

Holiday Electronic Nirvana with 5th gen. Ipod Nano

Well here’s hoping you enjoyed and/or survived the holidays as much was we did. Santa was right on track with a few new Ipod updates and upgrades. The 5th generation Nano was a welcome upgrade to my son’s 3rd generation predecessor. Now if we can find a pair of ear buds that will last and work as long as the old Nano did, we will be in business.

The previous ear buds have had a life expectancy of anywhere from two weeks to a month. We usually start out with the buds that come with the ipod, but once those are gone, the Walmart specials for usually 10 dollars are temporary solutions. Right now I’m betting the new internal speaker will get more use because of it.

Speaking of new upgrades for the nano, the video camera, for which most of the hype has been about, has definitely received the most attention. The surprising part has been not so much for regular video recording (indoors does require every light on in the house at a bare minimum), but for the technicolor type effects that can be applied ( I believe this effect is called Thermal) or the search and destroy feature (Cyborg). My son has also found that utilizing these features does not take near as much light to have a pretty neat result. He has used these features to show his friends that his sister is not human, just like he had always expected.

The great thing about the new Nano was the fact he was able to master all the new features the first day, but boredom has not followed! He also did it without any upgrade/replacement issues. This is a big deal regardless of age or experience, as I’ve seen many programs and electronic devices that have left even the best IT experts scratching their heads on initial startup.

All things considered Santa got a great deal on this new Ipod considering he just paid $130.00, and that included a $50.00, Itunes card! Santa thought the store made a mistake with the price; turned out it was one of those unadvertised specials.

Blackberry vs. Iphone

During a recent weekend getaway with the family, I took the opportunity to do some smart phone testing in real life scenarios. We were in downtown San Antonio, Texas, me with my Blackberry Curve and My wife with her 3G Iphone.

I should point out two background facts: 1)I have been a Blackberry user since 2004 and my wife has utilized the Iphone since October 2009 and 2) I tend to embrace technology and my wife tends to avoid it at nearly all cost. That being said, the test was simple. all we had to do was navigate downtown on foot and by vehicle. We had to visit the Alamo, Fuddruckers (yes I’m addicted to Fuds, you should try it), Alamodome, and the Riverwalk. In addition we needed to identify and locate some additional eating places, including local favorites and tourist attractions. At the end of the day, we had to make it back to the hotel.

To keep things balanced and fair, the test would focus more on accuracy and detail and less on speed of the devices. This was also not a competition between people but solely the devices.

On a side note, TomTom got us to the hotel without any problems! I’ve used several different brands of GPS devices over the years and I love the way TomTom tells you not only the direction, but what lane to stay in as well. Cross country that's not an issue, but going thru a major metropolitan area is another story and I find this function a major benefit.

Back to the smart phone test. Okay we are at the hotel and its time to eat lunch at Fuddruckers! Phones to the ready and we are off. Within seconds Iphone has our location flashing and Fudds marked. Whoops, the Blackberry server not available at this time. Wasn’t expecting that. I took out the battery and restated just in case. Server still not available. The Iphone whens by default! Sorry Blackberry, but no do overs in the real world.

The next stop was the Alamo. Lucky for me, the Alamo was just a couple of blocks from Fudds. Both devices came up with the correct information and location. I have to admit that the Iphone screen makes for easier navigation then the Curve. Both devices allow for input on the mode of travel, allowing us to select the walking option.

From the Alamo we walked to the Alamodome to watch a some high school championship football. Both devices found the Alamodome, however the Blackberry did not recognize the pedestrian overpass and had us walking along some major traffic and the interstate. Two thumbs up for the Iphone as it had the most direct route.

Okay time to head back to the hotel for the night. Once again the Blackberry had us walking a tenth of a mile more and sticking to the major traffic ways. For the next day, I can confirm similar results. Both devices provided what we ask of them. Routes were almost identical.

The Blackberry offered some nice street views via Google Maps, but buy the end of the day, our trust went with the Iphone. The Iphone just seemed to be more intuitive of what we were wanting and needing. The screen provided for a wider area of view and also as an additional benefit provided more detail of the area. For this test, speed was not a factor considered, however if it had been, the Iphone would have easily won hands down. The only thing that could have tilted the scale in the other direction was battery life. The Iphone did survive until we made it back to the hotel the first night, but just barely! My wife had to charge it immediately upon return. The Blackberry on the other hand was good to go and went without a charge until the next night. Had our feet not given out first, this ending could have been different.

As we go along, there seems to be that perfect app for the Iphone that makes life a little easier. As a result, in our family, I see the Iphone being used for more and the Blackberry’s use being narrowed to the basic function of company emails! Just a year ago, I would have never seen that coming.