Tag Archives: iPhone

Why I didn’t buy an iPad

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The iPad dropped a little over a week ago, I a huge Apple fan boy resisted and did not dive in head first and buy an iPad. The reasons are simple, but not overwhelming. The first reason revolves around the fact the iPad did not provide me any key feature that I didn’t already have with other electronic devices in my possession.

Unlike the iPod I didn’t have a big need to use it as a eReader for eBooks, or iBooks, whatever Apple had decided it should be called. I am not a big reader and to be honest still find actual paper books more appealing than an electronic version.

The other thing is I own a 24 inch iMac. At the time it was the biggest screen Apple offered. I like a big screen and prefer a larger screen versus a small 10 inch screen. As @PilotPete put it on a recent episode of the Mac Geek Gab, using the iPhone or iPad is like viewing the world through a straw.

This could not be any truer. I use my iPhone when I am away from home, but prefer to do my computing via a computer. Andy Ihnatko tweeted this weekend complaining about the iPad WordPress app crashing on him, losing 2 drafts. I thought writing a blog post would be nice via the iPad, but it doesn’t feel secure enough to risk losing  hard work without actually using a text editor to create the post.

Speaking applications, it would appear that many of the iPad versions of iPhone apps need to be repurchased for the new platform. This should not come as a big shock and I don’t mind paying the developers for the applications, but paying full price seams a bit much.

The applications that I tested at the local Best Buy Demo table, were however fantastic, but as I said before I can get the same out of my iMac, MacBook or even my iPhone. Of course if I were to buy one I would want the 3G version and I would likely wait for the second or even third revision before purchasing.

Believe me I wanted a new Apple toy, but in the end I could not see a need, but to all my fellow Apple fan boys and girls I hope you’re happy with your purchases, but for me there wasn’t enough there to buy an iPad.

My Apple Life

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In his editor’s note in the March 2010 edition of Macworld, Jason Snell penned a great quote

“ The entire point of Apple’s products is that they are not interchangeable with anybody else’s. Only one company makes Macs, iPhones, and iPods, and that’s Apple.”

That statement was never more truer then after last nights experience I had trying to hack my Apple TV with Boxee. The hack ended up rendering my Apple TV useless, leading me to  a factory restore (hold down the menu button and the minus button at the same time until it reboots). In the past I loved to tinker with computer related equipment and normally the Boxee hack would have proceed, that was until I purchased my first Mac back in 2006.

You see I have swallowed the Apple Kool-Aid and like a cold glass of Grape, with a little extra sugar, its fantastic. I own a iMac, a MacBook, a iPhone, a Apple TV and several iPods. I would eventually love to own an iPad.

The geek in me loves new gadgets and over the last few years my gadgets have centered around Apple. All my Apple devices work with each other without any issues and the software is top notch. I have run 3 versions of OS X as a Mac user. I enjoy the community of MacHeads as they are simply head and shoulders above the rest.

Back In January in an attempt to get back to my tinkering ways, I purchased an HTC Droid Eris. Though I thought it was a great phone for the price it just didn’t fit my Apple lifestyle, and as Jason stated, it just wasn’t “interchangeable” with Apple. Not only that the Android community was not up to the challenge like my fellow MacHeads. So I took the phone back to Verizon Wireless and purchased an iPhone, ending my 12 plus year relationship with Big Red.

As a side note I later came across an article in the March 2010 issue of MacLife that listed the 10 steps in which you could sync your Android phone with a Mac. Yes ten steps to match the one you complete with an iPhone and iTunes. Not this is not the 10 steps upon set up but rather the ten steps each time. Setting up an iPhone takes a few steps at first but after that is is simply one step. Best of all I don’t have to tell the iPhone to mount on my Mac like an Android phone.

When it comes to my Apple products its like what Steve Job’s says “it just works.” Yes they all just work and that is alright by me. Now that may not be for everyone. At times I wish Apple would do a little more, but I don’t complain. Typically search google and find the third party app that will do what I am looking for.

I also love my OS X software that I have purchased over the years, and iTunes had been the go to app for me since I first used it on the Windows side. I still work in a Windows environment during the day and its in an operating system (XP) that is nearly 10 years old. It is safe to say it is an operating system that has gone past its recommended shelf life. Like an old gallon of milk, it needs to be thrown away. After a week at work its nice to come home and work with my Apple gadgets and delve into my Mac Life.

The Mac lifestyle has been good to me and I for one am satisfied living in my Apple Lifestyle.

Verizon Wireless cell phone hell

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Greetings, the month of May has been very long. I am currently on vacation for a week. env2The weather has finally changed and changed again, and for good measure changed again. My biggest issue this month has been my cell phone provider. Since most if not all of my family uses the same carrier, my dreams of getting the prized iPhone are on hold once again (that may be a blessing). I took a chance earlier this month on the LG Voyager, but alas Verizon wants and arm and a leg for the features it provides, which are part of the basic package with AT&T and the iPhone. That may explain why Apple went with AT&T. Anyway bottom line I exchanged the Voyager for an LG enV2. It is nice phone and serves its purpose.

Meanwhile I got an LG enV for the wife and it has been a complete nightmare. The Verizon store first off is a worthless front for selling phones. After entering my name into the “queue” my wife and I waited for about 30 minutes to have our name called, then another 30 minutes to get the phone activated. On top of that they said they had to charge a $20 device activation fee. Funny after a week there still is no explanation for the necessity of this fee, considering I have never paid that fee in the past and I would say I am technically sound enough to activate a phone. Fast forward a week and the phone for the wife is failing to make or receive calls or text messages. I call customer service and the word is my area of the world is having issues and it is expected the phone will have the problems until Verizon fixes the issue. Meanwhile we have to charge the phone every night. Oh and my phone in the same area is making calls just fine and no text message issues. So we head back to the store and sure enough a 4th person tells me the service issue story , but blames Qwest slicing a fiber optic line in our area. I must back track and tell you it took a 30 minutes again to talk to someone. After another 30 minutes the wife gets the phone exchanged and all is well. Funny the new phone works fine in the area, but Verizon still reports the issue.  In an unrelated story, Big Foot was once again sited in the great Northwest.

In the end Verizon has failed to deliver this past week, their store issue is just plain stupid. verizonwirelessAs I sat waiting in the exchange “queue” during the most recent visit the other sales and tech queue lapped the exchange queue 4 times. People walking in after you in a sales and service store should not get help and leave before you even speak to someone. However, with all of this I still find the over the phone customer service decent enough to stay, well and the corporate discount might have something to do with it, oh and that whole every family member on Verizon thing. Verizon just know you are on warning, I am happy to pay full price elsewhere and bring the family to another carrier, I have done it once or twice before, so don’t test me.