Mobility Site » Opinion

TabletPc2.com 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

ctitanic — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:20:41 +0000

Linda Epstein has published her Holiday Gift Guide for this Christmas. You may find many other guides but I’m sure that none of them will have the artistic touch that Linda gives to her. Check this picture:

This year’s list includes more than 100 products from over 35 vendors. Tablet PCs, Netbook’s, Laptops, All-In-One PCs, Entertainment, Accessories, iPhone, Digital Cameras, Storage Solutions and more…………

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Windows Mobile vs. Android OS – My Take

Chris Leckness — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:48:19 +0000

I was just reading a great read from James over at JKontheRun on the subject and thought it would be a good time for me to weigh in with my views on the debate. Gil also posted a revamp to his Mobile OS battle recently here and since I have been mixing it up with what I am using, I feel it’s time for me to speak up too.

I have been a avid, almost blind supporter of Windows Mobile since the days of the Pocket PC, so my views are a tad bias, but consider this, I am using an iPhone 3GS right now. Well I am using the iPhone until tonight when I get to my office to unbox the Motorola Droid from Verizon. I have used the T-Mobile G1, HTC Hero, and I am finishing up a review on the Samsung Moment right now. These are the only Android phones I have used so far and I have enjoyed them a little more each time. I can’t wait to check out the Droid for the next couple days. I will bounce this back and forth with the HTC HD2 as well.

James talks about Android and Windows Mobile based on the major areas that are most important to the bulk of smartphone users. He covers Multi-tasking, Available apps, User interface and Computer desktop integration. Of those things, only 3 are really important to me, the 4th being integration. I often overlook integration since I use Exchange 2007 and all the info I need synced is handled in a 2-3 minute setup for each new device I get.

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Google Chrome OS, all time connected

ctitanic — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:47:01 +0000

Recently I found a video, and honestly I do not remember where in the web, where Google explains What’s Google Chrome OS. To summarize, an all time connected to the cloud OS. A version of Android and I even hesitate to say this because it seems to me that Android does much more thanks to all the applications currently available for this OS. In the way the video explains it, sounds like we all expend 100% of our time in Internet. And probably that’s the case when you are at home, but if I take my day and analyze it, I expend 10 hours at work, around 2 hours at home no connected, around 4 hours at home connected and 8 hours sleeping. That means that I have 10 hours using a PC where I spend just a few minutes in Internet and only 4 hours per day where potentially I could be using Google Chrome for everything. I don’t know if you are getting me point. Google Chrome is not for everybody. I see it in my case like a really good option for a dual boot configuration. But no as my only one OS, unless it’s in a device which only use will be Internet.

Video after the break…

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iPhone vs. Android vs. WinMo vs. WebOS vs. BlackBerry – Fight!

Gil Bouhnick — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:24:05 +0000

Few months ago I wrote a provocative post comparing between different smartphones OS.

After getting hammered (pretty nicely I would say) by a lot of Google fans out there (but not only), furious about their little baby not winning the kindergarten contest, and after almost a year has passed, in which many have changed, I’ve decided to try again…

(Oh boy… here we go…)

So what’s different this year? A lot:
Two new significant releases of Android, one new version of iPhone OS, some updates to webOS, one Windows Mobile 6.5, and a lot of features, comparisons, social networks, app stores, devices and more.

(...) Read the rest of iPhone vs. Android vs. WinMo vs. WebOS vs. BlackBerry – Fight! (2,279 words)

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Windows Mobile 7 to OEMs Q1 and to us Q3, before delays are inserted of course…

Chris Leckness — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:15:35 +0000

Engadget Mobile says that we might not see Windows Mobile 7 until Q3…

According to ZDNet Taiwan, the mobile OS is now on track for a release to OEMs for testing (the so-called "Maldives" program) sometime in the first quarter of 2010, and will be launched publicly sometime in the third quarter of the year (or about a year after the release of Windows Mobile 6.5) — all of which more or less lines up with earlier rumors of a release to manufacturing in Spring 2010.

I hate to sound overly cynical here, but this is just plain unacceptable. This is one of the reasons I am really starting to look into other platforms. Lack of speedy updates. I have apologized for, supported, and been really faithful to Microsoft. I mean, it’s only natural when they produce the OS that I preferred since many of us migrated from Pocket PC to smartphones. I can understand the time it takes to go through all the corporate red tape in a super sized company like Microsoft, but given the importance of the Mobile space and them falling behind the pack in public appeal, they should definitely do something to speed up their process. Leave out groups that have to sign off on things, hire more people, what ever it takes.

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They’re called Ads not Facts

Keisha Barwise — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:01:00 +0000

Apple Insider is running an article this morning, calling out Verizon for misrepresenting AT&T’s data coverage in their “There’s a map for that” ad campaign.

Verizon’s ads clearly compare, their 3g coverage to AT&T’s 3g coverage, but several feel that the ads imply there is no data in the blank areas on AT&T’s map, when it is in fact covered by AT&T’s EDGE network. It should be noted, that AT&T’s EDGE tops out at about 0.23mbps, whereas 3g speeds range from a max of 1.2mbps on Verizon to 3.6mbps on AT&T. (Which is currently being upgraded to 7.2mbps.) I’m not sure it’s any consolation for users trying to browse on bandwidth hungry devices with big screens, in areas with no 3g coverage, that there is EDGE coverage at 6% of the speed of the 3g network.

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Natural Born Killers: Android, Apple and Windows Mobile

Zealot — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:42:43 +0000

Our esteemed editor in chief, Chris Leckness, just posted an excellent response to the spreading assumption that the Motorola Droid will someone be the nail in the coffin of Windows Mobile. Like him, I find that concept to be simplistic and silly and born out of marketing speak, not reality. You see, the mobile telephony market has simply become obsessed with “killers”.

These days, every new smartphone is here to “kill” some other smartphone. Whoever coined the term “iPhone Killer” really needs to be hurt badly with a microwave antenna. At first any phone with a large touchscreen was dubbed an iPhone Killer, then of course the Palm Pre was the first major contender to the iPhone’s throne, next the Moto Cliq, now the Motorola Droid, maybe the Xperia X10 in a couple weeks. The Droid has not only been dubbed an “iPhone Killer”, but a “Pre Killer” and yes, a “Windows Mobile Killer” as well…quite the natural born killer is the Droid.

Or is it? Are any handsets really dying at the hands of these ”killers”, or is it just macho marketing speak? Is the telephony world really so “red of tooth and claw”?

(...) Read the rest of Natural Born Killers: Android, Apple and Windows Mobile (658 words)

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I guess it’s official right? The Droid is here to finish off Windows Mobile.

Chris Leckness — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:34:08 +0000

Well, that’s what people are saying. An article over at Cnet questions Windows Mobile’s need in the mobile world in an article title, “First iPhone, now Droid. Who needs Windows?”. Businesses need Windows Mobile, lots of Windows Mobile faithful need Windows Mobile. There are tons of Windows Mobile users still out here. I think that many will give Microsoft another chance with WinMo 7. If it doesn’t produce something worthy of getting excited, I will buy the author’s opinion. He claims that the iPhone killing "Droid” won’t get that job done, but he thinks it will put a nail in Windows Mobile’s coffin…

So the Droid may not be the iPhone killer but rather the Windows Mobile slayer. Microsoft, of course, will always have the unassailable PC franchise. But, wait, isn’t Android coming to Netbooks next year? Maybe the real battle royal for Microsoft is yet to come.

I think the Droid looks really nice, but I think it’s going to take more than 10 nice Android phones to get the final nails into the coffin people. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited about what Google is doing with Android, and there is certainly nothing wrong with it now, but HTC and Samsung are still pushing out some hot WinMo phones that are drool worthy. Until that stops, Windows Mobile will still be a player. Maybe not the player it once was, but still top 4.

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It’s An Apple Thing

Zealot — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:39:40 +0000

A few days ago I reported that beta builds of the new Mac OS X 10.6.2 could no longer be installed on netbooks running Atom processors, effectively spiking the popular Hackintosh builds. Well, reports came out that a new beta build DID support Atom chips again, so bloggers reported that it must have all been a development error, no worries.

Well, in the newest beta build, Atom support is broken again as the video below using an MSi Wind, that most hackintoshable of netbooks, verifies. It looks like we will be seeing Atom support coming and going from OS X beta builds from now on. Some bloggers are asking, since the Atom situation is beginning to mirror the game Apple has been playing with the iPhone Dev Team and Palm, if Cupertino just enjoys this sort of cat and mouse thing?

Well, they sure don’t hate it….

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Winsupersite Review of WM 6.5 – part 1

Stephen Borders — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:08:23 +0000

Paul Thurrott over at Winsupersite has posted part one of his review of WM6.5 and has made some interesting comments on the improvements made to the Mobile OS and how to him they are not as bad as many claim, rather some are better than what the iPhone has to offer. What make this review interesting, is Paul is not a fan of Windows Mobile and has stated numerous times he thinks the iPhone is the best smartphone on the market. He also makes some revealing statements as regards the reasoning for the default today screen, which makes one think Microsoft is working toward tighter integration between its platforms.

(...) Read the rest of Winsupersite Review of WM 6.5 – part 1 (136 words)

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Bus Stop Convergence

Zealot — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:54:14 +0000

I have been staring at people on the bus a lot lately.

Well, staring more than usual, anyway. You see, I would say at least half of the people I share busses with have earphones on while they ride to or from work or school, and I can;t help myself. I am curious as to what the other end of those little cords are plugged into.

A few weeks ago right after debuting new iPods, Steve Jobs stated yet again that the stand alone MP3 player (or the stand alone ANYTHING really) was dead and would slowly disappear under pressure from converged, multi-purpose devices such as the (wait for the shocker…) iPhone, that it was soon to go the way of the Walkman and the pocket transistor radio, or worse….the 8-Track player (shudder).

Based on that statement from El Jobso, I decided to conduct my own aggressively and gleefully unscientific study of the question. After all, several months ago Julie laid down some very good reasons for keeping both a cell phone and an MP3 player, but are still they relevant? Have things already changed? Just what ARE all these people plugged into? Is the all-to-brief age of the MP3 player, seemingly just begun yesterday, as dead as disco?

(...) Read the rest of Bus Stop Convergence (679 words)

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Video Encoders (H264/VC1)

ctitanic — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:06:00 +0000

Windows Media Center 7 is my latest toy. I have been playing with it the last few weeks and one of the tasks that has consumed most of my time is the one that has given me most of my frustrations, encoding video. And what is the problem? Probably that the question you may have after reading my words. Well, I have been trying all this time to encode video using the mkv format and the h264 encoder. I have tested many tools and I have obtained the best results using Avidemux. But… for some reason 4 of every five DVDs that I’m trying to convert with this tool end with a crash. This issue has made me start using Nero Recode 2, a wonderful tool that never crash. The few things that I don’t like on it is that it save in mp4 format and even when it includes the subtitles in the file, there is not any way in 7MC to use them. English is not my first language so subtitles help me a lot when I do not understand a word. Using Avidemux I’m embedding the subtitle in the movie and on that way I can see them in 7MC. Anyway… I can’t say that I have not enjoyed all this quest to find the perfect encoder and VideoHelp.com has been one of the best source of information in this adventure. I have almost tested all the freeware mentioned in that page and most of them have crashed in W7 or the results have not been the best. What encoder are you using to play HQ movies in your Media Center? May be you want to share your experience with me.

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XP to W7 and Apple TV commercials

ctitanic — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:23:00 +0000

Lets start with one of the TV commercials released by Apple yesterday talking about the release of Windows 7.

YouTube – Apple’s "Get a Mac" ad: "PC News "

Pathetic. That’s the word that came to my mind after I saw the 3 commercials. The first one was talking about Microsoft promising a new OS without bugs and I have to say that that was the stupidest of all 3 because Snow Leopard has been the buggiest of all the releases of Mac OS X. How can Apple talk about bugs when they have not removed yet all the “fleas” from their own spotted animal?!.

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“The seductive angel of death for computing…”

Zealot — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:19:10 +0000

David Weinberger, at his always interesting JoHo the Blog wrote about the Motorola Droid today, noting it probably will not be as pretty or have as many apps as the iPhone, but he would be switching to it from his Blackberry 8830 as soon as possible,

His key reason why he would switch to the Droid after resisting the iPhone for all this time is a perfect and concise statement of everything I have always feared about the App Store and Apple in the silent depths of my soul but have never been able to express well enough to put into writing…

Most of all, though, there won’t be an AppStore. The AppStore is the seductive angel of death for computing. It enables Apple to keep quality up and, more important, to keep support costs down. But a computer that can’t be programmed except by its manufacturer (or with the permission of its manufacturer) isn’t a real computer. The success of the AppStore is a gloomy, scary harbinger. From controlling the apps that can go on its mobile phone, it’s a short step for Apple to decide to control the apps that can go on its rumored slate/netbook device. And since so much of the future of computing will occur on mobiles and netbooks, this portends a serious de-generation of computing, as predicted by Jonathan Zittrain in The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It.

YES…what he said.

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Verizon is getting low down in their ads

Chris Leckness — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:13:04 +0000

Whether you like it or not, Verizon seems to be sick of the iPhone and AT&T. So sick that they have been launching some low down, desperate attempts to degrade AT&T and now the iPhone. You’ve already seen their offensive attack on AT&T with the “There’s a map for that” ads that poke at AT&T’s less robust 3G network. Now, Engadget is reporting that Verizon is launching another campaign tonight during the baseball playoffs attacking the iPhone (or iDevice).

What the iDoesn’t, what does? That is the question. A comment over at Engadget answers this question. A new domain is pointing to Verizon Wireless’ website now. Not 100% sure it’s actually owned by Verizon, but it is… droiddoes.com. So it looks like Verizon is clinging onto Android to go after the iPhone. Didn’t Verizon claim to turn down Apple, then claim they were getting the iPhone in 2010?

I am not a fan of ad campaigns designed to shed bad light on their competitors, so these make me a little angry, but many like them. I think they are classless. Focus on what you do good and advertise that.

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