Feb 8, 2010
This sandwhich tastes like paper
Apparently there was some paper between two slices of cheese that I didn’t notice. I thought it tasted funny. Chewy too…
Feb 7, 2010
Lap Dog
So pathetic…
Feb 6, 2010
Long Spaghetti
Looks like they forgot to cut a noodle
Feb 4, 2010
Cheap Man’s Dinner
Nuggets, Mac-n-cheese, and peas
Feb 3, 2010
Toilet or Shower?
The stall in the restroom at the bowling alley has a shower curtain as the door! Hahahaha!!
Feb 2, 2010
Final Goodbye to Joni
We went to happy hour after work one last time for Joni’s last day.
Jan 30, 2010
Lunch with Paige & Chris
My sister and bro in law were in Richardson to buy a car, so we met up for a [very late] lunch. Great food and great company!
Jan 28, 2010
iPad vs Kindle
Today’s picture of the day is a link to an article about Apple’s latest gadget they just launched. They compare Apple’s iPad to Amazon’s Kindle – something which I think is obsurd.
First of all, they have 2 completely different target audiences.
The Kindle is targeted at bookworms. Period. They aren’t looking for a bunch of shiney, fancy features. They want to read books. And the Kindle kills the iPad in every way. The Kindle uses eInk technology, which looks just like paper (seriously, it does). You can read it in sunlight without a glare, and tilting it at angles is still completely legible. Because it looks just like paper, you also don’t get any eye strain like you would on computer screen. This eInk technology also greatly reduces the amount of power needed to operate. It can be used for weeks without charging. You don’t need a WiFi network to purchase new books, either. You can access the Amazon store directly through their “Wispernet” service that runs on Sprint & AT&T’s networks, for no extra fee. I repeat: there is no monthly fee whatsoever for this device. You can buy new books any time, anywhere.
The iPad, on the other hand, is for Apple Fanboys. At least that’s the only people I can see buying one. I really just don’t get the point of this device. This device is partially an attempt to break into the eBook reader market, and that’s fine. I just don’t think this device is it. I’d rather use a Kindle. The iPad has glare and will cause some serious eye strain after a while. It also only holds a charge for 10 hours, so be prepared to plug it in at least once a day. The iPad has 2 networking options: WiFi & Cellular network. HOWEVER, that cell network is going to cost you an extra $130 for the iPad itself, plus a monthly fee for the mobile network! And how often are you in range of a free WiFi network? Oh yeah, it’s a lot heavier too. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the idea of holding heavy books.
Like I said, though, the iPad is only a partial attempt to break into the eBook market. The device has many more features. I don’t understand why you’d buy one, but it’s definitely pretty. Here’s my breakdown:
Web browsing: this looks awesome. I think it’s really cool. You’ve got a large device that you can hold in your hand and surf without having a big laptop or going and sitting down at a desk. I give Apple an A+ for web browsing.
Calendar: another well done application. It’s been redesigned so that it’s easier to use than the desktop version, without losing any of the features. Easy to read and much better than the desktop in my opinion. Another A+ for the calendar.
Email: This is where we begin our descent. It’s not even really Apple’s fault. It’s the nature of the device. Since the only keyboard on this device is a virtual one, it’s not exactly easy to type out a long email. I need tactile sensation to type efficiently, and I need a full size keyboard at that. The virtual keyboard is slightly smaller than a laptop keyboard, and I noticed in the keynote that a few of the keys (like “;”) have been moved to make room. Still, I’d say that only 25% of my emails are long enough to be a problem, and the software does include autocomplete/autocorrection, so it’s not really that bad. However, for the other 75%, why wouldn’t I just use my phone to compose an email? I do it all the time. It’s fine for short emails, and it’s a heck of a lot smaller of a device to carry around. I can wait until I get home to compose long emails. I’m just not that important. The iPad gets a B-.
Music: Why on earth would I carry a 1.5 pound, 9.5″x7.5″ device to listen to music when I already have an iPod (iPhone) that fits in my pocket!? Enough said: D
Photos: Boy are those photos gorgeous on an iPad. Huge, vibrant pictures. It’s simply stunning. WHY DO I WANT TO CARRY MY PHOTO ALBUM AROUND WITH ME? You can’t edit the photos on the device, and least not with any good software like Photoshop, so why am I carrying them around with me? It would be nice as a simple one-off where you’re talking to a friend about a vacation or your kids or something and want to show them a picture, but how often does that happen? Again, I can also use my phone for this – they just aren’t as bold and beautiful. So what? This grade is mixed: the iPad gets and A+ for execution and a C- for practicality. Overall: B
3rd Party Applications: The smartest thing they did was design it so that you can run your existing iPhone and iPod Touch applications on the iPad without having to make any changes. You can even make it go full-screen. It’s tough to judge this early just how new applications designed specifically for the iPad will be, but I’m guessing they’ll be pretty cool. They did a good job here, but there’s still one fatal flaw which is actually something shared with the iPhone and iPod Touch: applications cannot run in the background. If you leave an application, it’s done. Over and out. Next time you want in, the whole thing loads. The second mistake is that they are continuing with the iTunes store method of delivering applications. You can’t just find something that you like online and download it. Developers still have to go through the long and tedious application process with Apple to get it approved for use on the device. This is something that’s annoyed iPhone and iPod Touch users since the devices came out, and that’s why I’m giving it a C-
Keynote/Pages/Numbers: this is Apple’s office suite for presentations, documents, and spreadsheets. I return to the keyboard problem. There is no freaking way that I’m writing a document on this device. Ever. They put a lot of effort into getting all the features in such a small device, and they did it well, but there’s no way I’m using it. C
The iPad is clearly not a replacement for your phone (no voice plan + it’s huge and heavy), and it’s clearly not a replacement for your desktop/laptop. In fact, it’s not really a computer at all. It’s a giant iPod touch (it requires that you sync it with iTunes on your computer). So what do you do with the thing? Carry it with you when you’re “on the go”? Get a Kindle; read a book. Use it at home? Use your computer; it’s much more efficient. Take it with you to Starbucks? Seriously, how much time do you spend in coffee shops? Use it at the airport? WiFi ain’t free; while smaller, at least your phone can browse the web for no extra fee.
Overall, the iPad gets a B-.
But that’s just me :-)
Edit: my coworker just gave me a very good reason that someone might buy one. When you’ve got your kids in the car, you can just hand it to them and let them play games and watch movies instead of bugging you with “are we there yet” every 5 minutes.
Jan 27, 2010
Happy Hour
Happy Hour / Joni’s going away. We’ll miss her
Jan 25, 2010
SciFi night
Jason and Lindsey
Jan 24, 2010
For the pups
Pic of the day…for the pups:
Jan 23, 2010
Mudbugs
Some Mudbug fans traveled up to Allen for the game on Saturday.
Jan 22, 2010
Allen American Liberty?
There were 4 fans dressed up as the Statue of Liberty at tonight’s Allen Americans hockey game. Odd
Jan 21, 2010
Game Night with Wes AND Gina
Wes and I beat Gina and Brenda at Spades. :)
That Gina is good at going blind nil, though!!
This is yesterday’s picture. A bunch of us met Dan up at The Flying Saucer last night for his birthday. Here he is eating the cupcake I got him.
