I'm trying, I swear.
Really, I am. I even wrote a post about how unimpressed I was with the second generation iPhone on AT&T's 3G network. Look, it's not my fault, okay? I've been diagnosed with early adopter syndrome.
I was doing just fine, you see, until my friend dropped his stupid phone into the ocean. When it became clear he'd need a replacement, he asked me if I knew when the next iPhone release was going to be. And that's when I relapsed.
See, the thing is, it doesn't even matter to me that I could care less about 90% of the new applications on the phone. Nor am I really affected by the advent of the 3G network, because I spend most of my time in a free wireless cloud anyway. But none of that matters.
I have to have it. Oh yes, I will be in Union Square on July 11, I can guarantee you that much. I'm not asking for your sympathy. Just please understand that it's hard for me to say "no."
And if you really want to know the truth, the hardest part was when Sansserif casually asked me when I was going to get the new phone, as if it were a matter of course that I'd eventually buy it. I mean, when you put it like that--it just seems so obvious. I have to accept who I am.
Unfortunately, it is by its very nature a contagious condition. Don't worry. I will keep myself in isolation while I play with my new smart phone. If you need to reach me, you know my number. Or just send me an email, or post a comment to this blog for that matter because I'll be checking on the connection speeds pretty regularly. Just please remember that it's hands free in California after July 1, so if I'm driving you may just want to text me and I'll ping you back.
So if the first step to recovery really is admitting that you have a problem, then let me proclaim far and wide: My name is Youareyou. And I am an early adopter.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
My Kindle Feedback
For graduation I was ecstatic to receive the Amazon Kindle from a certain beloved friend. I've had it for about a month, so I'm finally ready to give my review. (Despite studying for the bar this summer, I've probably read my Kindle 5 days a week since I got it.)
Likes:
Wireless downloading. The e-books cost a few dollars less than the print versions. The Whispernet network is "free;" like a GPS navigator, you basically pay for it in the price of the device. Every book I've searched for, Amazon has available as an e-book. Getting a book immediately fulfills all my Gen-Y instant gratification needs. I'm reading a fantasy series by Robin Hobb at the moment, and it's delicious being able to download the next book instantly.
The scroll wheel selector. The scroll wheel controls the selector, which runs along a channel on the right side. It's a beautiful cluster of 4 giant, shiny silver pixels that bubble around in a circle when it's 'thinking.' I adore it.
Quality of the print. Brilliant. It gets clearer in bright light, which is fantastically eerie in this laptop-screen age. Personally I'm completely comfortable reading on my computer screen, but it's undeniably wonderful. I wish they would backlight it with a green glow for the darkness. Understandably, they were trying to make it as book-like as possible, but a backlight would be sweet.
Issues:
Buttons. Speaking of book-like, they erred with the page turning buttons. Like a real book, the Kindle has page turners (next page and previous page) along both edges of the device. I'm constantly bumping these buttons (which have a soft 'snick' type click) and accidentally turning the page. I'd like to see buttons that are inlaid, preferably with a sharp and definite click, and which don't extend the entire edge.
Relatedly, the space to actually hold the device while reading is very limited because of the page turners and keyboard. The page turners also contribute to a certain awkwardness in the device. It doesn't rest well in my hands because the edges are sharp and beveled, so that they press uncomfortably against the webbing between my thumb and pointer finger.
DRMS. The Kindle uses its own file format, which functions as a DRM system. The idea that such a system will last is laughable to me. That's what iTunes has, and it's gotten them into device/format wars and is easy to decode. E-books are in their infancy but I think that like MP3s, there will soon be a brisk market of free e-books. Until then the price will be high. It's like ringtones: absurdly priced now ($2.99 for a 30 second snippet of a song I already own?!), but when the markets mature they won't be able to charge that much.
You can also get subscriptions to blogs and newspapers, delivered automatically. That's nice, but I get those free online, so I don't feel a need to pay even 99 cents a month for them.
You can get a document sent to your Kindle in the Kindle format for 10 cents, which is ok, but really, I should be able to do that myself, for free. If Amazon were smart they'd launch a subscription model: pay X dollars a month to download X number of books, at varying levels.
What I love about the Kindle is the software, and most of what I dislike is about the physical aesthetics. Rather than make it a palatable crossover from a book, they should redesign it with the actual needs of a e-book reader in mind.
Other Comments:
The Kindle has "experimental" features, such as the ability to listen to music (in a continuous playlist, like a Shuffle) and a clumsy sort of internet access. I think they should abandon these projects. The audio feature might be OK for audio books, but personally if I want music or an audio book I'll use my iPod. (Speaking of which, only MP3s can be added, not iTunes' AAC format, which has led me to flirt, for the very first time, with other music player possibilities. But that's another post unto itself.)
While it would be awesome to check my email, it's definitely not practical to write an email on the Kindle. If you want a computer in your pocket, use your smart phone, which is made for those purposes. The Kindle's scroll wheel is extraordinarily ill-suited to browsing the internet (you can only select a line of type, not an individual word or link).
I think Amazon would do better to stop trying to make the Kindle satisfy every need, and focus on what the Kindle really is: a good read.
Likes:
Wireless downloading. The e-books cost a few dollars less than the print versions. The Whispernet network is "free;" like a GPS navigator, you basically pay for it in the price of the device. Every book I've searched for, Amazon has available as an e-book. Getting a book immediately fulfills all my Gen-Y instant gratification needs. I'm reading a fantasy series by Robin Hobb at the moment, and it's delicious being able to download the next book instantly.
The scroll wheel selector. The scroll wheel controls the selector, which runs along a channel on the right side. It's a beautiful cluster of 4 giant, shiny silver pixels that bubble around in a circle when it's 'thinking.' I adore it.
Quality of the print. Brilliant. It gets clearer in bright light, which is fantastically eerie in this laptop-screen age. Personally I'm completely comfortable reading on my computer screen, but it's undeniably wonderful. I wish they would backlight it with a green glow for the darkness. Understandably, they were trying to make it as book-like as possible, but a backlight would be sweet.
Issues:
Buttons. Speaking of book-like, they erred with the page turning buttons. Like a real book, the Kindle has page turners (next page and previous page) along both edges of the device. I'm constantly bumping these buttons (which have a soft 'snick' type click) and accidentally turning the page. I'd like to see buttons that are inlaid, preferably with a sharp and definite click, and which don't extend the entire edge.
Relatedly, the space to actually hold the device while reading is very limited because of the page turners and keyboard. The page turners also contribute to a certain awkwardness in the device. It doesn't rest well in my hands because the edges are sharp and beveled, so that they press uncomfortably against the webbing between my thumb and pointer finger.
DRMS. The Kindle uses its own file format, which functions as a DRM system. The idea that such a system will last is laughable to me. That's what iTunes has, and it's gotten them into device/format wars and is easy to decode. E-books are in their infancy but I think that like MP3s, there will soon be a brisk market of free e-books. Until then the price will be high. It's like ringtones: absurdly priced now ($2.99 for a 30 second snippet of a song I already own?!), but when the markets mature they won't be able to charge that much.
You can also get subscriptions to blogs and newspapers, delivered automatically. That's nice, but I get those free online, so I don't feel a need to pay even 99 cents a month for them.
You can get a document sent to your Kindle in the Kindle format for 10 cents, which is ok, but really, I should be able to do that myself, for free. If Amazon were smart they'd launch a subscription model: pay X dollars a month to download X number of books, at varying levels.
What I love about the Kindle is the software, and most of what I dislike is about the physical aesthetics. Rather than make it a palatable crossover from a book, they should redesign it with the actual needs of a e-book reader in mind.
Other Comments:
The Kindle has "experimental" features, such as the ability to listen to music (in a continuous playlist, like a Shuffle) and a clumsy sort of internet access. I think they should abandon these projects. The audio feature might be OK for audio books, but personally if I want music or an audio book I'll use my iPod. (Speaking of which, only MP3s can be added, not iTunes' AAC format, which has led me to flirt, for the very first time, with other music player possibilities. But that's another post unto itself.)
While it would be awesome to check my email, it's definitely not practical to write an email on the Kindle. If you want a computer in your pocket, use your smart phone, which is made for those purposes. The Kindle's scroll wheel is extraordinarily ill-suited to browsing the internet (you can only select a line of type, not an individual word or link).
I think Amazon would do better to stop trying to make the Kindle satisfy every need, and focus on what the Kindle really is: a good read.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
A Slight Margin of Error
After once being wooed by both Microsoft and News Corp, it looked like Yahoo was going to be the big winner in a tale of two futures. But their algorithm for playing one bid off the other was apparently a bit flawed (they thought they could get $37 per share out of Microsoft's initial $33 offer).
Today, Yahoo faced a 13 percent drop in share price over the news that Microsoft "unequivocally" wants nothing to do with the company. Ironically, Yahoo now finds itself paired up with an unlikely partner for ad revenue sharing--Google.
It may not be the dream deal they were hoping for, but at least it should help improve their algorithm.
Today, Yahoo faced a 13 percent drop in share price over the news that Microsoft "unequivocally" wants nothing to do with the company. Ironically, Yahoo now finds itself paired up with an unlikely partner for ad revenue sharing--Google.
It may not be the dream deal they were hoping for, but at least it should help improve their algorithm.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Mixed Messages
YouAreYou and I had an odd experience the other day. We were heading to dinner at rush hour to a place we'd never been, so we both checked directions on Google Maps. I looked it up on my laptop, while he searched on his iPhone. Both had the same destination and origin. We were given different directions!
YouAreYou: "Maybe they're trying to protect their trade secret algorithm by confusing us?"
Mine said to take Van Ness, while his said to take Divisadero. If you live in San Francisco, you'd probably do what we did: obviously, take Divis.
YouAreYou: "Maybe they're trying to protect their trade secret algorithm by confusing us?"
Mine said to take Van Ness, while his said to take Divisadero. If you live in San Francisco, you'd probably do what we did: obviously, take Divis.
Monday, June 9, 2008
It's all about the apps
The Mac Developer Conference is happening just a few miles away from me, and yet I'm not important enough to get my foot in the door (rumor has it that Al Gore's in attendance), so I must get my iPhone fix from MacRumors like everyone else. It's kind of like sipping a milkshake through a ten thousand foot straw...lots of anticipation, but not much substance.
I am still hoping that there's a big, tasty chunk of cookie dough or something (like the much anticipated 3G network) waiting at the end of the line, but here's all the news that has trickled in so far:
And now, the moment we've all been waiting for:
Yes, coming in at speeds 2.8 times faster than the EDGE network, the 3G is still slightly slower than a WiFi connection...but not much. The biggest development is in battery life (which had inhibited the introduction of 3G on the first iPhone release), which is a whopping 300 hours of standby and 5 hours of continual talk time.
Well, it turns out that my anticipation for something delicious was not in vain. Though I wasn't there to actually see the demo, the pictures on MacRumors tell me it was probably pretty cool. But ultimately, until they decide to unlock it and rid themselves of AT&T once and for all, there's nothing here to make me feel like my iPhone version 1.0 is approaching obsolescence.
It is, however, getting rather beat up after many months in my pocket. So while it may not be time to replace the phone, it's definitely time to get myself some gelaskins.
I am still hoping that there's a big, tasty chunk of cookie dough or something (like the much anticipated 3G network) waiting at the end of the line, but here's all the news that has trickled in so far:
-they're opening the doors for developers to create new apps and user interfaces
-Loopt, the location-aware social network, will be an integrated app that works with the phone's GPS
-an eBay integrated app will allow users to participate in auctions (and spend money we don't have)
-there will be lots of new games and a 3-D fantasy adventure app (for all that free time we don't have)
-lots of web 2.0 apps to synch calendars, mail, transfer docs, and do pretty much everything you would normally do through a .mac account (too bad I use Google for all that)
And now, the moment we've all been waiting for:
(drum roll)
11:32 am - Introducing the iPhone 3G.
Yes, coming in at speeds 2.8 times faster than the EDGE network, the 3G is still slightly slower than a WiFi connection...but not much. The biggest development is in battery life (which had inhibited the introduction of 3G on the first iPhone release), which is a whopping 300 hours of standby and 5 hours of continual talk time.
Well, it turns out that my anticipation for something delicious was not in vain. Though I wasn't there to actually see the demo, the pictures on MacRumors tell me it was probably pretty cool. But ultimately, until they decide to unlock it and rid themselves of AT&T once and for all, there's nothing here to make me feel like my iPhone version 1.0 is approaching obsolescence.
It is, however, getting rather beat up after many months in my pocket. So while it may not be time to replace the phone, it's definitely time to get myself some gelaskins.
Friday, June 6, 2008
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