Curious Voyager - Live like you mean it!

UK Wins – Oh Yes

Alright I am sitting here at my desktop watching TV via the Microsoft Media Center and I had been looking for Monday Night Football (wife watching Dancing with the Stars) when I discover the Wonderful UK Wildcats playing Miami of Ohio in basketball and what a game it was. UK won but Miami gave them a run for their money. Being a UK grad it was a game to see. Now onto football but it won’t be the same.

Motorola Droid – I Have Gone Over To The Dark Side

And I am enjoying it way too much. As I have said in the past I enjoy my HP Mini but I have to admit there is a fascination with the Droid. I picked one up on Saturday (birthday present from my wife) and Scott at the Verizon store on Colerain in the Cincinnati area could not have been any better at showing me around the controls. It was a really great experience as Scott and Amy made the upgrade a very fun time. It is always great to be treated well. My experience in retail (a love of my life) has proved that it is not always easy to find great people that can treat the customer well – Verizon succeeded here.

Back to the Droid; the Droid does come with a small (very small) booklet however it is enough to get you started. There are web sites at both Verizon and at Motorola that are very helpful with their videos. You can also find a great deal of video’s on YouTube as well, just search for Motorola Droid.

Scott passed along some great insights and I left with my wife driving and me playing with the Droid. Down the highway we go and I am following on Google maps – so good. Amy added my Gmail account for me and now I find that reading it on the Droid is really easy – the screen is fantastic. As with everyone else I do think it is easier to use the on-screen keyboard than the Qwerty slide out. It is difficult to distinguish between the keys with a light touch. I find myself being slowed down and typing with one finger rather than thumbs however that is the only problem I have found.

I have downloaded the NY Times app and use that as well as AccuWeather, Places, and other app’s but I am just starting. I have surfed the web and was really pleased with the ability to zoom in and have had not trouble reading stories on the NY Times as well as CNN.

SO – Yes it is a neat phone and yes I am enjoying it. I have had a few days vacation to get to play with it and I know there is more to learn.

Smart Phone vs. My Mini

OK, after writing the last post I had more to think about with the Motorola Droid coming out and I went to Verizon this morning at 7:00 AM (store opens at 8:00) and I was only the second one in the parking lot and then I decided not to get the Droid.

Not sure why except that I cannot justify the expense when I can't convince myself that I "need" it and have trouble saying I "want" it. I think that maybe the "latest & greatest" is wearing off of me. New stuff is good if you can and want to use it and I really do like and use my mini and can't see reading email on a phone, at least not now.

So here I am at Starbucks having a Pike Place.

I am sure that one day my feelings will change but there are too many other things I would "like" to have and a smart phone was way down the list.

I wouldn't mind having longer battery life on the mini, now that is something of value. Maybe a new HD 25” monitor for the desktop or a KIndle (or Nook) e-book reader. So many things to choose from.

Netbook’s – Netbook’s – Netbook’s

I hear all this rhetoric about netbook's and I admit that I am quite confused. First Microsoft put's them down, then Michael Dell (Dell) and now I hear Dwight  Silverman (Huston Chronicle) on TWiT saying these are not worth much. I find these netbook's quite reasonable and perhaps better than a "Smart Phone".

I have been using an HP Mini since June (2009) and I am very happy with it. It is not impressive, no HD screen to show movies on, it does not handle Adobe Creative Suite CS4 very well and perhaps it could have a bigger hard drive but this is very good for me. During the week it is on 8 to 10 hours a day.

Spec's: HP Mini with Intel's 1.6 Ghz Atom Processor, 1 GB of RAM (I upgraded to 2 GB for $35), 80 GB hard drive, Wireless/Bluetooth/Verizon EVDO card as well as a built in web cam. Currently running XP however I will be upgrading it to Windows 7 in the next week or two. Cost: Initially $249 however I received a $50 mail-in rebate from Verizon (promotional available to everyone at the time) so initial cost is $199 plus $60/month for data line with 5 GB limit per month.

What do I do on the netbook? I check email and I surf the web - what do most people do on any computer? I can use Messenger (or AIM or Google Chat - whatever). I have installed Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote version 2007 and they work very well thank you.

I have connected with Mesh (Microsoft's Mesh) and have downloaded all the Live add-in tools which are very good. I use Live mail for my Hotmail and Google for Gmail. I have access to my Workspace at Home.Live.Com

I use IE8, Google Chrome and Firefox for browsers and I am running AVG 8.5 for my Anti-Virus. I have access to Google RSS Reader, Google Docs and Google Sites.

The keyboard is 85% of the normal keyboard however I can us e all my fingers (I am a keyboarder) so no big issue here. Truth is thumb keying is not my style and although I text message I would rather use this keyboard and hence will not be getting a smart phone anytime soon.

My thought's on the smart phone: - who needs it? I cannot easily surf and do the research that I want to do, typing with thumbs is slow and error prone, the screen is too small to see much or read. I think those that read books on the iPhone have much in common to those who watch movies on their notebook/laptop, they are too impressed with impressing. Know what I mean Vern? On the other hand perhaps they do jet joy out of it I just cannot see myself doing it.

I cannot justify a data line for a phone at $60 to $100 a month when I can do more (and easier) on my netbook and I pay the $60 Verizon wireless fee which is really very good. I don't download movies just an occasional update. If I do need to download something large I wait until I go home and use my wireless network at the house. I do not get near the 5 GB limit while traveling.

My ideal phone gives me the ability to talk with someone, text message when necessary (and not about breakfast), and have my GPS (or Navigator). Beyond that it needs to be light, fit in my pocket and have long battery life. I do not text message while driving nor feel that I have to answer every text message/email instantaneously.

One last point this post was created using OneNote and will (after reviewing) be copied to Windows Live Writer for posting to the blog and all done on my HP Mini while enjoying a Pike Place at Starbucks this fine lovely November morning.

Full Disclosure for the FCC: Neither Verizon, HP, Microsoft or Google have provided me with any equipment, cash or time free. I have not been asked to write as I have about the wonders of their products or services.

Now having said that I am available if you are listening - Google, HP, Microsoft, or Verizon .

Have a GREAT DAY!