Review of the past few weeks

I haven’t written for a while due to school, netflix, tivo, and reptile conventions.  However, this does not mean that I have been neglecting my blogs.  I’ve kept up, of a fashion, but just haven’t quite felt as if anything that interesting has happened to require a post.

Okay, okay, the new ipod nano, I got it.

To recap the last few weeks:

Apple’s going to kick ass no matter what.
There’s a new nano, I hate it less, but at least no one can sue due to the lack of shinyness.  The only exception: 8GB in a few mm?  Props.
Sandisk is going to own like whoa at second place.
Creative is going to fall, although I don’t see how they could get any worse at this point.
Samsung…well…you still suck.
Dell and HP are whores, but we knew this long ago.
The PS3 will be expensive, but what isn’t?
Grandmothers across the country will be confused as to their grandchildrens’ requests to urinate for Christmas.
OMG of the thousands they’ve sold your laptop is defective?  Ya, welcome to technology, get over it.
If you own a laptop, you might want to donate some sperm because your laptop will most likely fry your manhood.
Speaking of which, of all the reports of blowing up batteries, how come everyone’s lucked out and not received fried genitalia?
If myspace was a bar, you’d….well, insert something vulgar about molasses.
Facebook is becoming big brother, again, we knew this long ago.
OMG people can readz your infoz onlinez!!!  Excuse me, but may I slap you upside the head for not understanding that which is reality?  Get over it.
Zune dropped like a bomb because it sucked, not that Apple somehow has the hand of death up its ass.  It sucked.  Get over it.

More updates soon, I promise!

Zune?

Microsoft has a new product to pull out of its ass, and one that will drop like a rock like the rest of its buddies.  Zune, the apparent name, seems original enough, even though the promo website (is it really official?) needs to be shot.

The only way I can see them beating the iPod is with accessories and price.  The Vision:M is doing well because you can get it crazy cheaper than the iPod 5G, plus it isn’t as picky abut video formats (.avi like whoa).  Right now you are kind of really boned if you want to integrate a non-ipod into your car.  Granted you can use an Aux port connection to connect anything with a headphone jack, but that is a sound only method leaving the controls to the device.  I’ve used this method on my previous car and liked it, but trying to poke at the ipod while going 80mph doesn’t exactly compute.

Engadget has a good run down of the specs so far.

Things that might help them along: 

-Microsoft with comp you the music you purchased from iTunes.  This, my friends, is how you get people to switch.  Seriously.  If they can pull it off the iPod might just be in trouble.
-There will be decent accessories available at the release date.  Good for Microsoft, great for retailers.
-in theory a Christmas release.  Thank god I won’t be in retail anymore in two weeks.  Thank god.

Things they better be able to pull off:

-Wifi.  I can only imagine this killing your battery life.  It would be nice to see music recommendations on the player and downloading them directly.  However, if they can’t pull off WPA I see this feature as completely useless.  P.S. Microsoft, I’m not buying a dedicated wifi stick just for your flipping player.
-Decent freaking battery life.  Samsung has been able to make neat looking players, usable, but with the worst average battery life I’ve seen. 
-The Zune version of playsforsure.  Hopefully existing users can easily switch over their purchased music or subscriptions over, else they’re going to lose the only people willing to not get an iPod and still pay for your crap.

Good luck Microsoft.

Windows annoyance finally useful?

I remember back in the days my gaming, when messing with the key controls I made the mistake of assigning somehting to the shift key.  Hit it 5 times in a row and bam, game gone and windows me begging me to start Sticky Keys.

Now, in the age that our technical engineering has gone beyond our physical engineering, keyboards are now becoming deal breakers.  MicroPCtalk has been playing with the new UX and discovered that an old useless feature is now useful.  Amazing.

BootCamp

Owning a Mac is a compromise between using something great and using something not fully supported.  Ironic, sort of, when you think that the iPod is what you get if you want to have access to the biggest selection of accessories. 

Before switching a buyer must make sure that all their nessisary programs are offered, or equal offerings are available, before they can make their purchase. I love my Mac Mini, but I will not give up having Windows in my work area.  There are a few programs for Windows that I’ve not been able to find suitable replacements for. Never before was I thinking about getting a Mac laptop, but now with Boot Camp (which is still in the much adored beta phase) I could have the Mac that I want to use on a daily basis, but still Windows when I need it.  I know there are programs which will allow me to do the virtual PC bits, but I never wanted to go that way. 

If I’m now looking to purchase a Macbook as soon as they upgrade OS X again, I’m sure there are plenty of other people thinking that same way.  Boot camp is a step in the right direction for buyers wanting Macs but unable to give up their dependence on Windows (if I was a businessperson heavy into Excel or using Access, I wouldn’t give up Windows for anything).

Nano vs. Team Samsung

SuperSmash Brothers?  No!  CNet!  The battle:  Nano vs. Samsung’s new flash DAP.  I’ve not had the chance to play with the Samsung, so I’ll be mainly commenting on their iPod opinions.

Navi:

I agree with Justin, I love the fact that on the iPods the faster you go on the clickwheel the faster it goes down the list.  I only have 10GBs of music and without that I don’t know how I’d find anything in my artist list.  Somewhat like Jasmine said, I don’t like the click wheel on the nano, but mainly because it just doesn’t feel right. My opinion about the iPod navi:  I love it, but I would like Apple to get over themselves and give us some programmable buttons.  Upon using the Samsung navi, I refuse to even consider anything else about it.  Completely useless.

Look

The Nano, buttons and actual usage aside, hands down will always win in a looks battle. Ok, well, maybe.  While the brushed metal look is certainly appreciated, out of the box the Nano takes the prize for sleek.  On the plus side for the Samsung, the big screen beats the snot out of the Nano’s little peep hole.

Software

Ahh, the real question, when you get your baby home will your computer crap itself?  Will you be able to do everything you wanted to?  There are trees of questions to ask that limit your search for things, and iTunes/buying music VS. WMP/subscription/buying music is a big one. While I’d like to see a subscription service and more open compatibility for the iPod and/or iTunes and/or Fair Play DRM. 

Major minus points for Samsung for no Mac users, but being open to WMA subscription services seems to require some very odd firmware.

Pretty much any player you see will win over the iPods on the compatibility war, but not necessarily software.  Personally, I love iTunes (but could love it more with some tweaks), but when it comes to WMP I don’t even try. 

Sound + Etc.

I’m with Justin.  C’mon Apple, give us some love here.  Podcasts are neat, but why do you refuse to put the radio in?!  I’m thinking consumers can forgive that extra millimeter it would take to offer it, and–oh I don’t know–FIREWIRE!

Built in features/battery life/EQ:  ::gives Apple the finger::
Software features/GUI:  The extras are nice on the iPod, but I’m still unimpressed. 

Price 

Handsdown anything will beat an iPod for price.  When you get an iPod you aren’t getting it for the price.  They have a premium price, get over it.  There are many things in life that have a premium, that’s why they’re called luxury items.

Overall

There are certain deciding questions that take primacy over any feature or value concerns.  I’d still make the call that the Nano and the Samsung are equals, just for different people. 

Due to the navi issues on the Samsung I declare the Nano as winner by default.

Impressed? Not yet.

I have yet to really be impressed by a cell phone.  The RAZR got my attention because it was what I needed in a phone:  small yet fully featured.  I want something like the MDA/8125.  I have been impressed by their design concept, the basic physical build of the phones. However, I've yet to be truly impressed by an OS.  Palm is nice and simple, yet ugly and just not what I'm looking for.  Windows mobile?  Getting there, but kind of still under the "I want to throw this out of the window".

Once I'm impressed by a phone I'd think of switching to get it, but until then I'm content with my RAZR.

IE7: to angst or not to angst

I remember back in the day of watching The Screensavers on TechTV and one day during the opening newsbrief they said something like "Netscape released their new version [bla] today, but does anyone care?"

This new IE7 business that's freaking everyone out is completely unsurprising.  It's microsoft, if you had a business, you'd default to helping yourself, right? Did we honestly expect anything else?

However, it's not all angst at first sight.  If one should choose to run IE7 he or she has the choice of "[Searching] the Internet directly from the browser frame using [their] favorite search provider".  Actually, it could be kind of sweet to have a search tab in IE without having to install one of those stupid bar things.  While I'm not throwing bricks yet, and simply enjoying watching everyone else do it, I'm not hating it yet.

This brings me back to my original point though.  There's a new version of IE coming out:  does anyone care?  Why can't we simply pat them on their backs and move on with our lives?

I first started using FireFox on my Mac Mini when Safari was causing anal bleeding of the internet, and I ended up liking da 'Zilla.  Now FireFox may or may not be more secure than IE, but after living through the last election in a blue state, I can defend my usage by saying "I'll use what isn't IE."

To those of us who honestly know what we're doing, is the development of IE7 more of a sideshow act or something we're actually looking forward to?