Blackberry 8310 Curve Mini-Review

In a lot of ways the new Blackberry 8310 Curve (AT&T version) is very similar to the 8800. It supports media playback, GPS, and all the expected Blackberry features for email and PIM. Where the curve differs is in size, weight, and several interesting features pulled from the other popular consumer Blackberry, the Pearl. Having owned several Blackberries and numerous other cell phones my expectation with the 8310 was centered around the idea that the 8310 was the replacement for the very popular 8700c that served me well for far longer than I anticipated it would (still works even now, years later…). So how does the 8310 compare? Can it improve upon both the 8800 and the 8700c? The short answer is yes, and read on for more details on how I think the 8310 might just be one of the best Blackberries yet.

Technorati Tags: AT&T, blackberry, cell phone, Curve, PDA, 8310, RIM

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Over A Year Later And Windows Vista Is Still Not Worth It

It has been over one year since my first experience running Microsoft’s *supposed* next generation OS and boy have things not changed. You would think that Microsoft would have made major changes to Windows Vista in an attempt to reverse the downward spiral over the last year but so far no luck. Not surprisingly we saw over this last year two fantastic releases from Ubuntu and the release of Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard with nothing more than a few security patches from Microsoft. As Microsoft continues to waste time trying to force Windows Vista on a much more educated public these other alternatives have been doing nothing but chewing away at their long held lead in the desktop OS market. So has my opinion of Windows Vista changed? Like the OS itself my opinion has not budged so here are four more reasons why Microsoft Windows Vista is still just not worth it.

Technorati Tags: commentary, microsoft, Vista, Windows

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3 Things You Need To Do After You Upgrade To OSX 10.5 Leopard

Just got Leopard? Planning on doing an upgrade vs. a fresh install? Just finished your upgrade and want to know what you can do to make Leopard stop running like a dog? Look no further because I have three things your are going to need to do in order to get Leopard running smooth once you have completed your upgrade.

Technorati Tags: apple, mac, OSX

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OSX 10.5 Leopard First Impressions

Now that Leopard has hit the ground running lots of Mac owners are taking the plunge and installing this beast over the weekend with great anticipation. Apple touted over 300 new features that would make all Mac owner’s lives easier and entice even more folks to make the switch from Windows to the Mac. So far this weekend I have installed Leopard on three systems, all of them went smoothly for the most part but I did find several things about Leopard that I think everyone should know about before making the upgrade that I will detail in another post. Right now here are my first impressions with this latest OS from Apple.

Technorati Tags: apple, mac, macbook pro, OSX

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Can An OS Change The World?

With today’s release of Ubuntu 7.10 there are lots of folks writing about how this is going act as a catalyst to propel Linux onto the desktop as a real alternative to Microsoft Windows and how this is going to change the (computing) world. So these statements got me thinking about past OS releases and how they sometimes exceed or fail to meet our expectations with regards to how they enable us to be more productive. Carrying this thought further I began to wonder just how much impact on the world has each of theses releases made? What OS had the biggest impact? OSX? Linux? Windows? So read on for a trip down memory lane and a brief prediction of the future.

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5 Things I Hate About My Macbook Pro

As many long-time readers of this blog will already know I usually take cheap shots at Microsoft whenever I get the chance but this time around I have Apple in my sights with five things I can’t stand about my Macbook Pro. Don’t get me wrong, I would rather go back to DOS on an old Tandy luggable than buy something else (with Vista installed<gulp>) but there are several things about my Macbook Pro that really wind me up. So read on for just wee bit of Apple bashing to spice up your day.

It is no secret that the Macbook Pro is usually the gold standard for most laptop junkies but what many sometimes overlook are a whole bunch of annoyances that for some users can make the Macbook Pro a less-than worthy notebook. The gripes below are only those that really get under MY skin so feel free to add your own in the comments!

Technorati Tags: apple, mac, macbook pro

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iPhone Update 1.1.1 Bricks Thousands Of iPhones

As the outrage over the latest iPhone update sweeps across the net it is quickly becoming apparent that more than a handful of iPhones have been “bricked” (rendered useless) thanks to this update. Apple has yet to release any official word on how they are going to handle such a large number of very upset users. Many of those effected have blogs and are very outspoken in the Apple community so I won’t expect this to die down anytime soon.

If the download numbers from several of the 3rd party application sites are any indication (iToner, Install.App, etc) there could potentially be as many as 200,000 users who could be negatively effected by this update. WOW! That is a huge number of users and I would not be surprised to see some class action lawsuits over this. Of course Apple is outright denying help to those affected by this update stating that installing any 3rd party tools or applications violates the warranty. You can see the pain on one customer’s face in this video when he is told that he is completely SOL. Ouch!

Technorati Tags: apple, cell phones, DRM, gadgets, iphone, mac

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iPhone Update 1.1.1 Here Come The Lawsuits

I would have figured that Apple was smarter than this. The latest update for the iPhone (version 1.1.1) has been confirmed as breaking any ability to install 3rd party applications. According to sources the methods used are encryption key based and will be significantly harder to crack than any previous versions. So much so that it may be enough to completely deter any future development efforts for this platform making this perhaps the biggest mistake Apple has ever made. I almost cannot believe they would be this stupid. One of the most compelling features (till now) of the iPhone was the possibility of installing 3rd party applications since it essentially operates on a lightweight version of OSX. If there is no technical workaround found within a reasonable amount of time you can bet that we will be seeing some class action lawsuits filed to force Apple to do the right thing. Till they back off or someone figures out a fix I highly recommend NOT purchasing an iPhone. There are several new phones running Linux that will feature touch screens that are due out by the end of the year which are likely to replace the iPhone as the “phone to have” if Apple does not step up to the plate (after they wipe all the egg off their face). Since I have had my 8Gb model for over a month I guess I will have to eBay it or just never update (very likely) but the 4Gb my girlfriend purchased less than two weeks ago is going back tomorrow since she now cannot use AIM on it.

Thanks Apple, it is going to be a while before you are trusted with my money again.

UPDATE: As predicted there are more serious rumblings regarding possible class-action against Apple appearing on Slashdot.

Technorati Tags: apple, cell phones, DRM, gadgets, iphone

5 Things You Can Do With Your iPhone That *Will* Get You Into Trouble With Apple

So you broke down and got one. Maybe it was the recent price drop or that guy at the office several cubes down showing off his flashy new toy that got you into the Apple store, credit card in hand. No matter what the reason its now time to get down to the very serious business of putting this uber-techno gadget through it’s paces. When we are done with your phone it won’t look, work, or sound the same and there ain’t a darn thing Apple or anyone else is gonna do about it! So lets start with something simple and work on up to the good stuff.

UPDATE: Don’t bother with anything you see here if you plan on installing the latest iPhone update (version 1.1.1) since it will not work.

Technorati Tags: apple, cell phones, gadgets, how-to, iphone

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Don’t Call It A Comeback…

Yes, I know. It has been a while. A whole summer even. But like all good things (and some bad) its now time to get back into the game with all new rants…err I mean *interesting* content! Over the last few months a lot has changed in the technology industry; the very successful launch of the Apple iPhone has greatly reshaped the cell phone market, the popularization of virtualization technologies complete with the almost dot.com era VMware IPO has made many IT managers stand up and take notice, and the meteoric rise of an entire new broadcast medium in download-able TV shows and movies all are just begging for a post or two. Although it was great to have some time to pursue other interests over the summer I can’t wait to jump back into the fray again with new content and some fresh views on the latest in technology. As always, I will tell it like it is and get right down to what matters the most to folks who not only like technology but need to actually use it daily.

So light the fires and kick the tires….