Powerpedia

Virgin Mobile Mifi

You may remember that back in December I had purchased a Verizon MiFi. Other than the cost I was actually very pleased with it. I never really used it that much. It was a really nice to have and did come in handy, but I didn't NEED it. I was pleased and surprised to see virgin mobile announce mobile hotspot of their own with the pay-as-you-go price plan. The $20 a month for 200 meg plan was perfect for my occasional need for hotspot. Before my trip to Syracuse for the Fourth of July I ran out to Best Buy and got one. I wanted to try it out head-to-head with my Verizon one and see how the performance was. The reality was the Verizon hotspot was faster. It is very noticeably faster when I ran a benchmark. Of course for the price that speed difference wasn't really that much when you take into account the vast difference in cost. Well at least that was my opinion.

While I was away I bought 3G iPad. That made my needs for mobile hot spot decrease even more. The fate of my Verizon MiFi was field. Even though I bought the Virgin one in early July I didn't get rid of Verizon one until late August. Most of the month of July was playing around with both of them to be really sure that I wanted to get rid of the rising one. Once I was sure I wanted to get rid of it, I needed to wait until the billing cycle ended.

What I like best about the virgin hotspot is its flexibility. I don't actually need to keep paying for service every month. I can purchase service for month, and when that expires I can purchase service again when I need it. That means I can go up to a year between actually paying for month of service. That suits me since I don't always need a mobile Wi-Fi since I have my iPad 3G, but I have the option when I need it.

3G, iPad, MiFi, Verizon ireless, Virgin Mobile, WiFi

iPad 3G

When the iPad was announced I decided to stick with a MiFi and go with the Wi-Fi version. I already had a 3G hotspot (my MiFi with Verizon) and the Wi-Fi version was coming out much sooner than the 3G version. In practice using the MiFi wasn't that seamless. It was okay, and I was getting decent speed, but there were times when it didn't work or was just slow to work.

Because of the limitations I decided that maybe I could use the 3G version after all. I have a Wi-Fi version so I was in no rush however I started checking out the Apple stores in New York City to see if they have them in stock. For most of June they didn't. While I was in Syracuse I stumbled upon an Apple Store in the mall. I figured it didn't hurt to ask if they had a 3G version in stock, so I did. As it turned out they had exactly what I was looking for, the 64 gig 3G iPad. Since they have them in stock I figured what the heck. I went and bought one. I assumed, accurately that I could sell the Wi-Fi version for nearly as much as I paid for it. When I got back from Syracuse I posted it on eBay. I don't know the exact amount but I don't think I lost $50 on the transaction.

Besides being 3G there really isn't any major difference between Wi-Fi version. The problem I was trying to solve, a.k.a. easy turning on 3G when there is no Wi-Fi was fixed. Now all I have to do is wait for the new version of the OS with multitasking and all will be right with the world.

Mac, iPad, WiFi, 3G, Tablet

My Barely A Week With The Nexus One

Back in December I tried T-Mobile and the G1 out as a possible alternative for my iPhone.  The idea was that T-Mobile's no contract plans might work out for me and if I liked the Android OS enough I would get a newer Android phone to replace my iPhone 3GS.  That experiment ended badly due to the G1 being no where near the iPhone and T-Mobile service sucking as bad or worse than AT&T did where I use it.

I have been eying the Nexus One for a little while since they offer an AT&T version of it.  It is the latest in Android phones and it has some advantages over the iPhone in hardware.  That and it used the same network my iPhone did I was curious to see if I could make the switch to the Nexus One and Android.  I keep saying the iPhone is the best phone I ever had but I would love to get rid of it so I figured I would give it a try.

I bought the Nexus One off of Google's site.  It arrived the next day.  I give them props for that.  Unlike the G1, the Nexus One hardware was very nice.  Call quality was great, the screen was amazing and sharp.

I will cover in another post my switch from Zimbra (hosted at 01.com) to Google Apps.  I had to make this switch for this test to really work well, but I had been pondering this switch independently of the phone test for a while also.  The point is with a Gmail/Google Apps account setup the process of setting up my contacts, mail, and calendar on the new phone was totally painless.  The fact that Google Voice only works with an associated Gmail account and not Google Apps is a down side, but I survived.

I was all set to jump into the Android OS.  My original plan was to force myself to switch and use the Nexus One for a month.  By that point I will have either wanted to stick with it, or the new rumored iPhone would be out and or announced.  In reality I got only a few days (and not even using the phone for full days) before I threw in the towel.

On the plus side most of the apps I used on my iPhone had equivalent apps on Android.  I would say the vast majority of the apps I used had some sort of replacement on the Android.  The caveat to that is most of them were the Android versions were no where near as good as the iPhone versions.  They either were functionally inferior or just visually looked bad.  The option of more types of apps still had me interested.  Like the ability to have a caller ID app run all the time, or a location based profile app run all the time both were great ideas and reasons why I wanted an Android for multi tasking.  But those advantages were short lived when most of the apps I was used to using weren't as good.  I have read others talk about this on Android and I can't understand how reviewers can say Android will beat iPhone until this is fixed.

One major downside that may have pushed me over the edge in not wanting to use this phone was its music player.  I bought a cheap app to sync my itunes playlists to the phone so i was happy about that, but there was no easy way to use the music player when the phone was locked.  With the iPhone when the phone is locked you only have to double tap the round button and you get music controls.  That is huge! If i wanted to get to the same controls on the Android phone when it was locked I had to hit the power button, swipe my finger to unlock and then either have a music widget on my home screen or swipe over to another home screen with the music widget on it.  That just bothered me to no end.  Then I realized the Android OS doesn't come with a video player.  Really?  And this is supposed to be a nice easily replacement for every day consumers?

The final straw for me was when I was editing an email and I couldn't use my finder to highlight or move the cursor.  I can with the iPhone (well you have to with the iphone since that is the only input), but with the Nexus One you need to use the trackball.  Why?  I don't want to use a trackball.  I don't for anything else, but you kinda have to with this function.  Little things like that bothered me with this phone.  I have read that people say Android is not as "polished" as the iPhone.  They are right.  It isn't.  I am a savy technical person (or I like to think so) and this stuff bothered me, so not sure what the average consumer would think.  I know several friends who are average consumers who love their Android phones.  My friend Dave just got a new Incredible.  I just don't get how they are happy, but then again they haven't used an iPhone.  I chalk it up to each person has their own tastes.

On the flip side Google Voice was fantastic on the Nexus One.  If anything that was one of the main reasons why I tried this experiment.  This plus couldn't make up for all the short comings.

Lastly the fact that shopping for apps is only possible on the phone was a problem for me.  It worked out ok, but I like to browse on the computer and then send stuff to my iPhone.  Minor issue but still why can't there be some sort of over the air sync?

In the end I got a few days out of the phone.  I am not worried.  It is in mind condition and will go up onto ebay in a few days.  Android may be popular and someone will be very happy with this phone, but I am happy drinking the cool aid and I am sticking with my iPhone 3GS.  Well until Apple announces something new this month!

Suprise, Yes I bought An iPad

Air that most of my friends will not be surprised to find out when I bought the iPad. I pre-ordered it the first chance I got. It arrived this Saturday. I actually should have just gone to the store and pre-ordered it for pickup. Instead I ordered it and had it shipped so I didn't have to deal with the store, but there was a lot of uncertainty on if the shipment would arrive on time.Next time I may just go to the store.

I wanted a tablet for some time, and I believe I written blog post about it. I was skeptical at first that the iPad would not suit my needs, however after reading more about it I think it will.

My first impressions are very positive. It seems nice and well built. The screen is fantastic. The dedicated iPad apps also pretty neat. I really do need a case that will allow me to stand up on angle but those won't be available for later in the month. Other than that the lack of other accessories available now I can't wait to give this a test drive. I opted for the 64 gig WiFi version. Since I have a Verizon MyFi I don't need to wait for the 3G version.

Mac

Freetalk Wireless

Last week I ordered a Skype Freetalk Wireless headset. It arrived today. Pairing was really easy, and the headset fit well. I am worried that after using it a lot it will feel a bit tight. I like (and don't like) that the charging is done from the dongle to the headset. I will see if that becomes an issue. I used it for one call today but wont really give it a true test until I am at work on Tuesday.

I have been looking for a good headset to use with my laptop when not at my desk at home. I hope this one works out, since my desk drawers at home are becoming a graveyard for wired and bluetooth headsets alike that haven't cut it. Seriously I think I have at least 2 wired skype headsets that suck and I don't use, and about 4 bluetooth headsets. I use 2 of those but not as much as I like and never with the computers since I have quirky issues.

A New Netbook

I bought a new netbook to replace my sold HP Mini 1000. I got an Acer 11.9" model. It is in a nice blue color. It is "technically" not even a netbook since it is runing a real Core Solo processor. This new one comes pre-installed with Windows 7. I am still not a huge fan of the screen size but it is better than the HP. I like this netbook, but the more i use any netbook makes me think I really wont be happy with any screen under 13". Does that mean I will be getting a Macbook Air in my future? Maybe, I have been thinking about it for over a year. The price is all that is stopping me. I really want a tablet though, so I shall see what comes out next year.

Acer, netbook

Canceled Order

I canceled my order for an Archos 9 this week. The tablet is shipping much later than originally promised and I wasn't happy about that. I also read not so stellar reviews about it so I didn't want to spend $500+ on it. I am hopefully someone (Apple or anyone) will do the tablet right. Instead I am eyeing a larger netbook like laptop than I had. I want an 11" screen computer. Still searching for the right one.

Archos 9

The Android Experiment

A few weeks ago I purchased a used T-Mobile G1 on eBay. It was party to see check out the Android OS, as well as check out T-Mobile service near where I live and work.

Firstly the G1 I got was a bit more beat up than I would have liked, but for the price I paid I kinda knew what I was getting into. I found it harder than I originally expected to separate my experience with the Android OS with my feelings about the G1 hardware. I was not a fan of the G1 at all. It was big, heavy, and I could not stand the curved bottom of the phone, nor could I really use the keyboard because of that uncomfortable bulge at the bottom of the phone.

The Android OS on the other hand was OK. I looked for equivalent applications to what I typically use on my iPhone. I didn't do a complete search but looked for the top 5-10 apps that I use every day. I was able to find apps that performed the same functions. That was the good news. The bad news was that several of them were just not as polished as the iPhone equivalent. Maybe I am biased, but the iPhone apps just seem more polished than the Andriod counterparts. There were a few exceptions, but in general I wasn't too impressed with the Andriod apps. On the up side I was happy with some of the types of applications that I couldn't get on my iPhone. I loved the call blocking app especially since the T-Mobile number I got seemed to have a lot of people calling it. I also loved the Google Voice integration. For me as a Google Voice user it was perfect. I didn't even tell anyone I got a new #. I just routed calls to the G1 and then used Google Voice to make outbound calls. For me that was the best part of the Android OS. I really miss that functionality on the iPhone.

The second part of my experiment was how is the T-Mobile service. The short answer is it is just as poor as AT&T is where I use it most. I don't get any reliable signal inside my apartment with T-Mobile. By my window I get 3-4 bars but inside I only get 1-2 if any. Without a signal booster the service is useless in my apartment. If the Android phones supported T-Mobile's Wifi calling like some of the Blackberry's do that wouldn't be an issue, but right now it is a major show stopper. At work in mid town I got slightly better results. I sometimes got decent signal at my desk, but other times it was spotty. Not consistent enough for me.

The bottom line is as tempting as T-Mobile's no contract plans are, the service where I spend 75% of my work week (home and work) I had spotty service. That means if I want to stick with a GSM carrier I am stuck with AT&T. As much as I refuse to use Verizion I might need to consider. I may end up getting a Verizon Mifi anyway so that might be the trade off that keeps me with my iPhone an AT&T but more on that later.

I will keep my T-Mobile SIM until after my vacation but I don't see myself keeping it long term. As for the G1, I am going away at the end of the week so I wont have time to sell it before I go, but it will go up on eBay before Christmas. If a AT&T compatible 3G (85mhz & 1800mhz) Android phone comes out I may give it a try again but until then I am sticking with the iPhone. Like I tell anyone when they ask if i like it, the iPhone is the best phone I ever had, but I would love to be able to get rid of it!

AT&T, G1, iPhone 3GS, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Android

A New Sort of Tablet / Netbook

I just pre-ordered a new Archos 9 Tablet PC / Netbook. I want something like it, for quick web browsing and maybe using in meetings for notes. I am hoping this will be what I need. Will review when I get it.

Archos 9

T-Mobile Again

My frustration with AT&T has finally come to a head. I had another week of not really being able to use my iPhone at the office, so I finally broke down and went to the T-Mobile store. I signed up for an Even More Plus plan. I figured with no contract I had nothing to lose from trying it out. I am testing the service at home and work with an old Motorola Razr I have had since 2005. So far I am having signal issues in my apt, but I already knew that non-3g service would be spotty in my apt. Friends with T-Mobile have had problems there before.

To really test the system out I just bought a used G1 Android phone from Ebay. I will see if T-Mobile 3G is as good as their map says it is in my neighborhood. I also need to be happy with the G1's Android OS. I am skeptical about that, but hopeful I will like it enough to give up my iphone. There is a lot of "if's" but I am willing to give it a try since the iPhone may be nice and slick and a great all around device, but if it doesn't work half the time I try to use it I don't care how nice it is.

I really hope this works out. I really like the no contract concept even if the phones are more money (thanks ebay). I also like the fact that I can get unlimited voice for $50. I currently pay $59 for 900 minutes that I can't use since the phone doesn't work most of the places I need it to. I always liked T-Mobile. I only got rid of them when I gave up my own mobile to use the Partsearch issued one. After that I got AT&T because of phone selection and the iPhone.

3g, AT&T, ebay, G1, iPhone 3GS, T-Mobile, T-Mobile