Ranting Kenya

There’s no question that the iPhone hype is as high as any product in the last decade. Everybody knows what it is, even if they’re not Apple fanboys, gadget aficionados, and mobile phone connoisseurs. And everybody knows the product is from Apple and AT&T.

So while Apple’s reputation continues to skyrocket to the stratosphere, the universal sore spot on the product is AT&T’s Edge network necessity. It’s the one thing that is truly holding the phone back.

But Apple’s not taking any heat for that, it’s solely on AT&T’s shoulders. So in the long run, will AT&T’s reputation will be hurt by iPhone exclusivity, or will it not matter? No doubt they will make a ton of money, but everyone is going to loathe network service. Will everyone forgive and forget, or will all the subscribers bail on AT&T as soon as a real 3G version is available? I think so.

I’ve made the plunge. Finally.

I’ve heard a lot about Twitter, I’ve decided to finally try it. It was Wired that convinced me. I figure if they can find some value in it, then I guess I’ll give it a shot. You can see it on my right hand side column.

I’m still holding out on Facebook though.

I saw the data rates for the iPhone posted today. I did a quick search of the three major wireless carriers to see what their plans are like. I took the basic, most inexpensive plan available for each. Here’s the comparison:

I’ve read a number of posts on various blogs making light of the actual people that are currently lined up for the iPhone at the NYC Apple store. By “making light of” I mean suggesting that these people are not the “ideal” iPhone customers that Apple wanted lining up first. I disagree.No, the first man in line is not like Justin Long in the Mac commercials. He’s not young, he doesn’t dress the same, he doesn’t look particularly creative, he doesn’t have a Pixar shirt on either.

But he is completely different (sound like the old “Think Different” Mac ads). Someone you’d expect to find in that line would be working on a Mac laptop, listening to their iPod, holding a picture of Steve Jobs, maybe even a life size cardboard cutout of him. He’s not doing any of those. He just wants an iPhone.

If this doesn’t signal the end to wireless devices as we know it, I don’t know what does. Repeatedly I’ve heard analysts (maybe even Apple, I can’t remember) say that the iPhone will sell out day one to all the early adopters and Apple fanboys. This guy doesn’t appear to be either. The iPhone clearly has a wider appeal.

What makes the guy sitting first the ideal Apple customer isn’t just that he has money to buy an iPhone, but because he’s different from the people expected to buy it. A new demographic for Apple to sink their teeth into. The Mac computer has picked up steam since the iPod, perhaps it’s about the accelerate further with new people getting exposed to the “Mac” religion for the first time.

Seriously, I didn’t see an iPod on that guy in line. I can hardly believe it.

I was checking out the new Dell lineup (on the Dell Canada website) of Inspiron laptops and desktops this morning when I noticed something interesting. When you upgrade either machine from it’s default OS of Vista Home Premium to Vista Ultimate, the upgrade prices are different.

Here’s a screenshot of the laptop (Insprion 1720):

And of the desktop (Inspiron 530):

You can click on either image to see a more complete screenshot.

Can anyone explain the $200 to $170 discrepancy? Does this mean that Dell is asking you to pay more for the same OS on a desktop computer instead of a laptop?

First, everyone goto the iPhone guided tour and watch the 20 minute video demoing the iPhone.

Now let me state that up until now, I haven’t been super jazzed about the iPhone. I felt it was a superior phone (assuming the keypad and network are good, and the battery lasts long enough, and the interface is as snappy as the video portrays), but I haven’t really gotten excited about it. That’s probably good since it won’t come to Canada for a while yet anyway.

So what’s changed about my opinion of this device? A lot. Here are my thoughts as I watched the video:

1. I hope the screen looks that bright outside.
2. The UI gestures look really really good.
3. Are there only a handful of engineers in America (perhaps worldwide) that can make these “Apple-esque” products? Why is it that the Mac and iPod haven’t really been matched yet?
4. Following my previous point, why did the Motorola Rokr fall so far short of even just the music capability of the iPhone?
5. I hope the phone actually runs the internet that quickly.
6. Now that Apple’s released Safari for Windows, basically as a developer platform for the iPhone, will Safari’s standards compliance spill into more websites? Could the iPhone be the device that finally forces every designer and every company to be standards compliant? Will that carry to Microsoft and Internet Explorer (pretty pretty please)? Or conversely, will Microsoft get caught at a standstill (it’s starting to look that way)?
7. The iPhone touchscreen looks real nice. What’s Microsoft’s counter again (no PUN intended)? It’s a whole table? It’s functionality is based on a huge device recognition system that’s doesn’t exist yet? It costs ten thousand dollars?
   
8. Windows Mobile Smartphone 5 and 6 look pretty sad now. Forget the touchscreen functionality, OS X blows it out of the water.
9. The earphones have a mic built-in. Sweetness (maybe this is the standard, I’m not sure).
10. Looks like the iPhone can stay in my pocket while listening to music and answering calls. Nice! And I don’t have to rely on vibrate or a super loud ringer to realize that someone’s calling me while I’m on the bus.
11. I hope the iPhone camera takes photos that look that good.

Now I’m kinda looking forward to ending my current cell contract. Maybe I’ll catch the second revision of the iPhone. You know, the one that will work with EVDO, in Canada.

On a total sidenote: Why is there no Canadian traffic data available in realtime? Is no company planning on doing this in Canada?

Telus Corp. has entered the auction for Bell Canada Inc., making its move on the assumption it can convince competition regulators to allow it to retain the wireless operations of both companies if its bid is successful.

…Telus would instantly become the leading contender for Bell because
of the cost savings it could achieve by combining the two phone
companies.

Industry observers have estimated the companies could
save $800 million to $1 billion in annual costs by merging their
traditional wireline businesses.

Telus has long been seen by some
at the top levels of Bell Canada (the new name of the company formerly
known as BCE Inc.) as the preferred partner in any merger or
acquisition deal given the fit between the two operating companies.

…A Telus bid would be seen to have complications, as its wireless
business together with Bell’s would have more than a 60 per cent market
share across the country and leave Canada with just two wireless
service providers, along with Rogers Communications Inc. — at least,
until the impending auction of wireless spectrum by Ottawa.

Telus joins bidding for Bell

This is the exact opposite of what I actually want to happen. If anything, I’d like it if Bell and Telus were broken up, to spur competition. Right now you basically have no choice when it comes to wireless providers. You get Bell, Telus, and Rogers. Well Bell and Telus are practically the same already. All the data plans are highway robbery.

Well, what do you think? Now it’s a theme, edited from a theme, edited from a theme. Yeah, the code and CSS is getting a little lame. Maybe one day I’ll be popular enough to clean it up.

Previously I posted “Safari Now On Windows!” I apologize. That post title should have read “Safari, it’s on windows…”

I think perhaps I thought Apple would make it rock. Yes it is in beta. I know. Still, c’mon.

Basically I’ll use it to test web code, which to be honest is what it’s for obviously. Safari I suppose is a catchier name than “iPhone Web Application Code Testing Tool.”

So I was finally lucky enough this year to finally fork out the cash and get an LCD display for my desktop at home. I had been using a 19 inch CRT display for the last 6 or 7 years now. It weighed like a million pounds.

So I chose the Dell UltraSharp 2407FPW. I looked at the Apple Cinema Displays, and to be honest, would probably prefer one of those, but the cost was just too much when the Dell Ultrasharps still have good performance.

One of the main knocks against this display that you’ll see on the net in ever single message board is the “banding issue”. I can personally attest that the newer revisions do not suffer from this issue.

The colours look as good as my old display, and the wide aspect ratio makes things like Outlook look silly maximized. It’s awesome. Plus now I have a USB hub, and a media card reader. Let’s see your Apple display do that! I’m looking forward to trying out my Xbox 360 on it.

All in all, if budget is any concern at all, there’s really no point in getting anything else since this display performs famously.