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By Greg, August 17, 2010 7:17 pm

Well… It’s been a few weeks since I moved on from iPhone, so I guess I should provide a little update as to how things are… progressing?

You might have seen the multiple updates to my previous post, in which I complained heartily regarding the poor media management capabilities of Android (and to all those “what can be easier than drag-and-drop?” fans out there… drag-and -drop sucks. There, I said it). You might have been disheartened by this, and thought that, well, maybe Android wasn’t as good as ‘they’ were making it out to be. Don’t be that way. I found a solution – a solution that DOESN’T involve playlists. Yep – Windows Media Player.

Continue reading 'Adroid vs iPhone follow-up'»

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By Greg, August 4, 2010 7:27 pm

Apple. for such an innocent word, it can be so divisive. The fanboys are extremely defensive of the company, almost to the extent that it’s like there’s an underlying belief that they can do no wrong, while the haters are the polar opposite – nothing that Apple says or does seems to have any element of truth to it. It’s amazing, really, that each ‘group’ is so extreme in their appraisal of Apple as a whole that there’s almost little variance. You either love them, hate them, or have little to no opinion… It’s so strange. (But hey, let’s be clear – I’m SURE there are people out there that don’t fit into my highly scientific and demonstrable definitions… This is just an generalised observation.)

And me? I guess at various stages I have fit into all of the above. At first, I hated Apple products and the hipsters that bought them. I had no interest in Macs or iPods. Then, in the early to mid-2000s when I decided I needed an MP3 player, I was convinced to get myself a 60GB iPod simply based on the fact that, at the time, there was no real competition. But while I loved my iPod, I wasn’t converted to ‘the club’ (or the cult, as some might prefer). I still hated Macs, and had nothing more than a passing interest in the iPhone when it was released.

And then I got one (a story in itself), and I was hooked. I also ended up getting myself an iPad recently – but I still have no interest in Macs (which is my personal beef – it’s not that I hate Macs, I just don’t want one).

Don’t get me wrong – I still believe that iPhone does certain things SO MUCH better than all other phones on the market. There is a reason the phone became so popular, and that’s because it really is a damn good phone. However, I found myself vehemently defending the phone to haters – even defending the obvious problems and omissions. Arguments such as “I just don’t NEED it” are common amongst iPhone users (fanboys?) – but how true is that statement, or is it just that iPhone is so easy to use, and Apple’s marketing is so pervasive, that you are almost brainwashed to feel this way?

Then came Android. Sure, it’s been around for a while, but Google is really making up on some lost ground now. Many tech nerds swear by Android, and most Apple haters do too (coincidence? probably not). But how can something really compare favourably to my wonderful iPhone?

So I decided to break out of my iMould and get myself an Android – in this case, a Samsung Galaxy S. My intention was to see whether iPhone really WAS so much better than the competition, to gauge whether or not I was simply a product of Apple’s marketing, and to see if the switch to Android was worth my time (and let’s face it – money). I did it so you don’t have to.

Continue reading 'How and why I switched from iPhone to Android… and is it a good idea? [UPDATED]'»

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By Greg, June 28, 2010 7:20 pm

It’s funny when you think about it. To date, 3D has always been a gimmick. A joke perpetuated by crappy theme park cinemas and their "3D extravaganzas". The funky red-and-blue glasses that come with the TV guide every couple of years or so in an attempt to drive sales.

The experience has always been poor. Unclear. Blurry. Lacking colour. Simply a money-making tool by way of being "different" and often targeted at kids.

And then suddenly – very much out of the blue – TV manufacturers started saying that the next generation of TVs would be 3D-capable. Every second movie claimed to be "in glorious 3D". Some were good; others, very bad.

Immediately, the people did cry out, and the response was to be expected. “Why? It’s just a gimmick – who would want a 3D TV anyway?” My own post a few months back said much the same – and it was all based on previous experience. But I think I’ve changed my mind… again.

Continue reading '3D cometh'»

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By Greg, June 5, 2010 4:53 pm

With the dawn of the tablet age upon us (I really hope SOMEONE coins a better name than “tablet”), which will hopefully result in some kind of digital boom, magazine companies are scrambling to keep their feet in a dying industry. And who’s to blame them? The Internet contains all the same information that can be found in their pages, and all for free… While there will always be a market for physical books and magazines, the market is shrinking in favour of digital distribution. As a result, magazine publishers need to do something more drastic than deep and well-written feature articles in order to win back readers… Thus – the future (it seems) is in digital magazines…

Following the release of iPad, a number of publishers have released magazines to the market – some critics consider them a little expensive compared to their physical counterparts, but overall it’s not that bad (for Aussies at least, where Wired mag usually costs $15/month). Subscription methods have been announced, but are yet to be released; however, the magazines themselves are promising. It’s WAY too early to make a call for the greatest digital mag ever, but I thought I’d grab a few, and do a little write-up on what’s good, and what’s bad – even though it’s still early in the game. Hopefully someone will read my post and refine their mag.

Continue reading 'Early look at digital magazines'»

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By Greg, May 31, 2010 8:24 pm

I’m weak. I gave in. I was entirely sucked in to the hype, and I ended up in an Apple store on Saturday. I’m not a Mac fan by any stretch of the imagination – Apple’s arrogance and hatred of their competition has angried up the blood in times past – and while I do love my iPhone, I did mention that I would wait for a second or third generation before I forked out the cash for an iPad.

And yet here we are. iPad has been out for all of four days, and I have one easing about in my possession. What the…? How could I change my mind so suddenly? Those that know me well will be laughing to themselves as they prepare to call me a knob (and I’m bracing for backlash). But in defense of my predictability - it really all comes down to my initial experience at the Apple store. Continue reading 'Weak and powerless – I become Apple’s bitch'»

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By Greg, February 7, 2010 8:32 pm

In my previous post, I mentioned that the iPad hardware was fine, and wondered as to what people were really expecting from the iPad. Well, in his comment responding to said post, Mr Name of “Internet” clarified exactly what he was looking for, and it made sense. A lot of people were expecting some super mega-awesome tablet of sweet, sweet computing power, which admittedly would be cool. I had to consider why I wasn’t expecting this myself, considering I love my gadgets and my puty bits.

I came to realise it probably had a lot to do with the fact I have a tablet notebook at home, and have been soured on the PC-tablet as a result. Don’t get me wrong – I love it. However, I’ve also learned that – for a fully-fledged PC – touch just doesn’t cut the mustard. A PC needs a keyboard at the very least, and it doesn’t hurt to have a good sized HDD and a DVD drive. This is why netbooks work, as they are not only useful for a spot of portable internet, but also for some mobile computing, word processing, and the like. I found myself very rarely using the notebook as a tablet, as it just wasn’t as functional.

Continue reading 'Why I think the iPad hardware aint all that bad'»

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By Greg, January 31, 2010 3:33 pm

At an inauspicious event, little known start-up "Apple" announced a totally unexpected new device to add to their largely unknown set of devices. Few were there to witness. The Internets did not throb with information, and the world’s media did not report this event. The product appeared on the market several weeks later to critical acclaim, but flopped.

In the real world, however, the truth of the matter is much more interesting. Apple – being Apple – has created buzz of extreme proportions and the reactions of the good people of the Internet were… well, pretty much as expected, really.

Continue reading 'Weighing in on the iPad'»

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By Greg, January 9, 2010 7:35 pm

Reports out of CES from all of my favourite tech sites are noting an influx of 3D-capable TVs and PCs. It seems that most manufacturers consider 3D to be “the next big thing”. Sure – 3D has always been a popular attraction at theme parks for both adults and children alike, but it’s always seemed to me to be a bit of a gimmick. However, with all the major vendors jumping on board, perhaps it will be the new form of home entertainment. But will it be? Will it really? Huh? Yes… this post is full of questions.

Continue reading 'Keep those glasses away from me! [UPDATED!]'»

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By Greg, December 8, 2009 8:21 pm

My wife and I are both kind of tech geeks. Come evening time, and we both want to use the computer – for whatever reason. With a little baby, time on the puty is limited even more. As a result, I have little time to post here… Until now. This week, we splashed out on a new laptop.

To date, we’ve been using an 18.4” desktop replacement – an Acer 8930G. It’s an awesome system, but it’s heavy, and so not very portable. thus, we decided to get something more portable – but we also wanted something a little different. So we bought a tablet – HPs tx2-1316au, a multitouch Touchsmart unit. and it’s awesome.

Continue reading 'Tablet awesomeness'»

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By Greg, November 29, 2009 3:28 pm

Social networking has boomed in recent years – indeed, it is virtually the very definition of "Web 2.0" – yet not all social networking tools are as popular as others. Some of them, such as Facebook and Twitter, are quite common topics of conversation. However, they don’t receive the same attention for the same reasons – while "everyone" has a Facebook account and has tried at achieving the Bejeweled Blitz high score, society is divided on the usefulness of Twitter.

In fact, go ask someone what they think of Twitter. Invariably, they will tell you that they "don’t see the point" or "that’s what Facebook is for". Others will brush it off as a marketing tool, and still others will complain about it as a "way for nerds to talk about what they have for lunch". As a result of my own personal investigations, I’ve received all of these responses in the past week – and more. But why is that? Is Twitter really all that crap, or is it just misunderstood?

Before I take the hard line, I will add a little disclaimer to say that it is what it is – if it’s not something that sounds like it works for you, then it’s not going to be something you enjoy – much like anything else. However – I am firm in my assertion that Twitter is misunderstood.

Continue reading 'Twitter – misunderstood, or just crap?'»