Gshocker's Toys

Is the Pre Doomed?

Well I have a Palm Pre and have been using it for about a month and a half now and really like it but has it gotten enough main stream success to keep things going for Palm?

When the Pre was launched it got a decent amount of hype for a non Apple phone but I am not so sure that its problems can be overlooked given the competition that is out there. The biggest issues that I see are -

1) Build quality - I can overlook some issues with a first generation device but this one has more than its share already. The "Oreo" effect seems to be an issue that most people seem to have to some extent. I have also seen a screen break when the button is pushed too hard (layer under the screen that handles the touch).

2)Apps - I know the iPhone did not have apps for a year but that was then and this is now. The iPhone has gotten people to just expect these things and launching with an anemic app catalog is one of the big complaints I hear around the net. The lack of even homebrew IM apps is something that puzzles me. Hopefully the launch of the paid for apps will bring out the big boys but it can not come to soon for many.

3)Competition - There is of course the iPhone but you can not expect to compete with that right out of the gate. I see the biggest issue for Palm is that they may not have made the best use of their headstart over the big Android onslaught that is coming this holiday season. With the App catalog already full of good apps Android is launching on just about every carrier out there. This will make is hard for Palm with only a single carrier to drum up strong developer support.

In the end I hope Palm can pull it off. They have a very good OS in WebOS and I think the challenge in the marketplace will be good for all consumers. For now I am still torn between keeping my Pre and picking up an HTC Hero when that launches.

Back with an N97

It has been a while since I updated but FINALLY I am back. I tried wordpress while I was away and seem to be drawn back here for some reason. Well along the way I picked up a nice new Nokia N97 phone to play with.

This phone is the best Nokia N series device that I have ever used. I can see though that this will not be able to compete with the new Palm Pre or iPhone for customers in the US. With no subsidy the price tag is a bit high for most people who are looking for a smartphone. The user interface is just like S60.. ok it is S60 but they have not really changed on it since my N95. So here it is.. the good and the bad -

GOOD -
1. Camera - 5 megapixel goodness. Decent low light shooting and auto focus which is quite nice. Lots of options to keep you busy. Pretty impressive for a phone.

2. Keyboard - I have missed a physical keyboard. I can type pretty well on the iPhone but having keys is nice again. The big complaint of most is the space bar on the right hand side of the phone but honestly that took me all of 5 minutes to get used to.

3. Multi-Tasking - HEY APPLE.. push notifications are ok but that is not replacement for true multi-tasking. Running an IM is actually do-able on a phone like this. Order has been restored to my IM life away from a computer.

5 . Screen - sharp and clear. The screen is more sensative than the 5800 that I had been using. Almost like a capasative screen.

BAD .. yes there is bad.

1. Interface - while it is not a problem at all for me since I am used to S60 the interface is a bit dated. A new user would not have an easy time figuring out where everything is.. The newer more modern devices like the iPhone and Pre have a much more user friendly interface and this give a casual user a better experiance. For a power user the customazation that is available with S60 is amazing.

2. OVI Store - ok the concept is good but so far the execution seems a bit off. There isn't the clean interface and eaasy to use feel to this one. And well.. the apps are all crammed into random categories so as things get added it is going to get harder and harder to find things pretty quick. As this grows they really need to break things down to categories to make it easier to find what you want.

3. Price - There is not much that Nokia can do in the US about this. No carriers mean no price breaks. Granted for an unlocked phone with this feature set it is not terrible but not many users who are not Nokia fans will grab this one.

I have only had the phone for about a week now so I may have more comments as I use it more but for now at least for me it is a keeper.

Trying a new phone

I had been a Windows Mobile fan for some time but had moved away from then since I stopped using my HTC about a year back. The HTC Fuze got me interested again. I just started using one about 3 days back and so far it is quite nice. My biggest issue so far it the battery life. I will continue to play around with it and see how it works out.

This is being posted using the Windows Mobile client for my blog. Just a quick post as a test.

iPhone in stock. NO LINE?

Well I was just at the local Apple store here in San Diego and I was shocked to see no line outside. This was around 10am so the store had just opened for those not waiting to get an iPhone. I figured there must be none left but when I walked into the store they seemed to have stacks of iPhones in there. Looked to me like they had enough of each model so just about anyone could walk in and just grab one.

Could this be the end of the long lines? Has the demand finally slowed so that the long process of purchasing one is not causing lines anymore? I am curious to know if that is the case but not interested enough to go check later in the week to find out.

So if you were waiting to get an iPhone till the lines had slowed this may be the time.

iPhone Interface Wins?

 It looks like  Apple is getting lots of new converts now that the 3G and GPS are built into the phone. This was something that had kept some people away (along with the price) because so many other phones in the same range offer both of these. Now that Apple is offering this as well what is going to keep people using the iPhone?

It must be the interface. The so simple to use interface that has just about everyone talking about how great the phone is and how easy it is to surf the web, get email and do basic tasks. I have even talked to friends who were hard core power users of other more advances system who have given those up for the ease of use that the Apple iPhone offers them. Is this the magic that Apple has discovered?

I have popped my SIM carb back in my iPhone after using my N95 for a few months. I am torn between the advanced features that the N95 offers vs. the extreme ease of use that the iphone offers. One thing that I think will be hard to give up is the SlingPlayer that I use on the N95.. This is something that I do not see happening on the iPhone for some time if ever. Also the great camera and ability to make good quality video with the Nokia. 

In the end I think the day to day use on the iPhone is simple and quite easy and will continue to make power users drool. Many may even give up some features that they have come to expect for the simple to use interface and simple small apps that the iPhone offers up.

iPhone App Lovin?

I have been trying out a few of the iPhone apps in the last few weeks and some are pretty cool and some are basically useless. There are lots of good ideas out there but many of the restrictions that Apple has paced on the official apps keep the best away.. Well Gizmodo has a great article about this so rather than rambling on on my own I figure I would just post it here.

Renting Cell Service in Japan

Well as I prepare for my trip to Japan one of the things I am getting set for is cell phone service over there. There are lots of companies that offer rental phones in Japan and most can be booked ahead and picked up at the airport when you land. If you are lucky enough to have an unlocked phone with WCDMA 2100 then you are in luck and will only have to rent a SIM card to get your phone working in Japan.

Softbank offers SIM card rental at very good rates in Japan. I have never used this personally but my wife has used the service twice now and had a good experience both times. Basically we take our SIM unlocked cell phone that we use over in the U.S. and pop in the Softbank SIM and we are off and running. The service costs 105 yen per day which is about $1 at the current exchange rate. Services are -

• All incoming calls are FREE.
• FREE itemized call statement.
• Use your own 3G WCDMA handset (GSM phones will not work in Japan.)
• Use a local Japanese number.
• SMS available within SoftBank network.
• Text messaging (*3 Int’l SMS, Int’l S!Mail) available to overseas phones.
• SIM rental telephone number allocation in advance is available upon request.

If you are looking to have phone service in Japan this is a good solution. Just check the 3G band that you phone has. Standard for AT&T is not the 2100 but some of their phones offer that band.

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Tags: Japan, Cell Phone, SIM card

iPhone 3G.. Will it fly off the shelf?

Well unless you have been living under a rock you heard that the 3G iPhone was announced today for the July 11th release. The major plus with this phone is really the 3G connectivity and the build in GPS. Are these things that should have been in the original iPhone? of course they are.. I would go over all the interesting things that are out there but that info is all over the internet already.. I want to ask some questions about things that were not mentioned..

1. Where is the MMS ? This is something that was missing from the orginal iPhone and still seems to be MIA in this version. Getting that SMS message with that crazy unclickable link with that long code to retrieve the MMS is not my idea of a solution.

2. Tasks? Where is my task list (to do list). I know that many phones do not come with this but to compete with Windows Mobile it seems that this is something that you need to have. On phone with sync is going to be the best solution but will some third party have to develop this or will apple step up and make the app that so many people want.

3. Activation will be required in store. No more grabbing the phone and running home to activate it. In and out of the Apple store quick and easy. I don't know about all the Apple stores but the ones near me require appointments for just about anything that takes more than 5 seconds. Even buying a computer they put me on some sales waiting list.. All I wanted to do was give them money and I had to wait to talk to someone. With the activation being required will we see appointments needed to buy an iPhone from Apple? This will make for some long lines as we all know how long some of those activations can take.

4. Unlocking? I thought the government told providers they had to offer unlocking after the subscriber had been with them for X amount of time. Will this be available for the iPhone? The new 3G does have the 2100 bandwidth that Europe and most of asia use so this would let you use the phone in places like Japan if you could get it unlocked. Apple seems to have avoided this one with the first generation.

Well all in all the new phone looks cool and the features that they have added were ones that I thought should have been there in the first place. EDGE was just not up to the task and no matter how much they tried to convince you that it was going to be OK we all know that it wasn't.

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Tags: iPhone, 3G, Cell Phone, EDGE

Referb iPhone has a BONUS !

It looks like those referb iPhones that we love to buy come with a little bonus. It was discovered that the previous users data can be restored on a few of those. Certainly not something that you like to hear if you are one of the users who has had a phone go bad under warranty and had to turn it in. Head over here to find out more.

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Blackberry strikes again

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