Technology Bytes: July 2007 Archives

Tech Toy of the Month: Apple iPhone, part II

In last month's Tech Toy article, I previewed the Apple iPhone. Now that the iPhone has been released, I have had a chance to read reviews and spend some time with one myself.

One of my main concerns with the iPhone was the interface. Since there are no hard buttons on the iPhone, I figured Apple would need to hit the proverbial home run with their touchscreen interface. So I started reading reviews. I can sum up what I read the the following few quotes:

�It�s fast, beautiful, menu-free, and dead simple to operate.�

"... it works like magic."

"The lure of the iPhone is that it makes you want to use it. It�s actually fun. Do we say that about any phones? Hardly."

"It�s also the best phone that anybody has ever made.�

"... every moment of user interaction has been quietly stage-managed and orchestrated, with such overwhelming attention to detail that when the history of digital interface design is written, whoever managed this project at Apple will be hailed as a Michelangelo, and the iPhone his or her Sistine Chapel."

Given this build-up, when I had a chance to use the iPhone, it was sort of a let-down. Not that I found any serious problems with the iPhone. To the contrary, the iPhone basically did everything it was supposed to do, exactly as I'd been reading about it. Having used and researched Apple products for so many years, perhaps I've become a little jaded to such breakthroughs. I expect this level of excellence from Apple, so it's not a surprise to me when they release products like this. However, when I "step back" and put everything into perspective, it is very uncommon in the technology industry to create a breakthrough product that delivers everything it promises. And given the long lead time and the unprecedented hype surrounding the iPhone, this is all the more impressive.

To be fair, the biggest nit I have to pick with the iPhone is the virtual keyboard interface. In trying to type with my thumbs like I do with Blackberries or Treos, I had a small bit of difficulty. Perhaps I would get better with practice, so I won't call this a big problem yet. However, I can see that people with larger thumbs or with longer fingernails will have problems. While people like this will have problems with any mobile keyboard, the lack of tactile response combined with the possibility of accidental "key" presses on the iPhone's touchscreen will probably aggravate the situation.

To sum up, the iPhone lives up to the hype. If you see the iPhone in action on Apple's web site, you should expect that you will get exactly what you see if you purchase one for yourself.

For all things Apple, Marcel is your expert.

Posted by Marcel Brown on July 19, 2007 8:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Q: All the stores I shop at only have computers with Windows Vista. How can I get a computer WITHOUT Vista?

- submitted by Susan Young, Glen Carbon, IL

A: One simple answer many people overlook is to buy an Apple Macintosh. Macs, of course, come with the Mac operating system, not Windows Vista. (Side note: modern Macs can run Windows Vista or XP as well - Macs are like 2 computers in one). However, most people asking this question are wanting to get a computer with Windows XP. For those people, here is the advice I've been giving.

The first thing to do is to stop shopping at "big box" stores for your computers. Without going into too much detail, the quality of computer you can purchase at your average retail store is suspect, and the level of service and support you can expect to receive is usually quite low. Step out of the mindset that computers can be bought and sold like paper clips or toothpaste. With the importance of computers in our everyday lives or businesses, a computer purchase should be done with care and planning, not browsing and impulse.

For most computer purchases, I recommend that you establish a relationship with a quality and reputable vendor local to you. Local vendors can customize your computer to your needs, including the choice of operating system that your computer will run. Quality vendors should use more reliable components, increasing your odds of trouble-free operation over the years. Finally, quality vendors should also provide responsive and hassle-free support policies, so if you do have problems with your hardware, they will rectify the situation quickly.

If for some reason a local vendor is not an option, Dell is the only large on-line vendor to actively offer the choice of Windows XP with most of their computers (at the time of this writing). Dell gives you this choice easily through their on-line store. Gateway and HP do have some models available with Windows XP, but you must call them and ask for this option. They do not publicize this or give you the option through their on-line stores. The last time I checked, there was often an additional charge from Gateway or HP to customize your computer with Windows XP. So Dell is the easy choice, but if you prefer another vendor, you will probably need to talk to them on the phone and be prepared to pay extra.

A few words of advice: if you do purchase a computer from a large on-line vendor, stay away from the cheapest models. They are cheap for a reason. Also, make sure you get at least 1 GB of RAM.

E-mail me your technology questions and have them answered in a future issue!

Posted by Marcel Brown on July 19, 2007 8:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Read Your Voicemail

I've been doing a lot of research lately on phones and related accessories and services, in no small part due to the recent release of the Apple iPhone. One of the more interesting services I've come across is from a company called SimulScribe. Simply put, SimulScribe offers a voicemail service that uses voice recognition technology to convert all voice messages into text and immediately send them to your cell phone or e-mail. This allows you read your voice messages right away, without needing to actively listen to them. This is a simple but powerful idea. Being able to read your messages should save a lot of time, especially if you've got a lot of messages in your voicemail box. You can quickly see which messages are important or urgent and be able to take action, rather than spending the time required to listen to entire messages.

SimulScribe's basic plan costs $9.95 per month for up to 40 messages, then 25 cents for each message after 40. This seems like a reasonable cost, unless you receive a lot more than 40 voicemail messages per month. Calls where no messages are left do not get counted toward your bill. SimulScribe claims that their service will work with any wireless carrier and most landline or corporate voicemail systems.

While the point of the service is to send your voice messages as text, you always have the option to actually listen to any voicemail, which is useful in situations where significant background noise may prevent the voice recognition from working. Perhaps the most useful aspect of SimulScribe is that once the messages are in text, you don't need to write down the important information from the message. As long as you keep your text messages around, you can easily find names, address, or other important information. You can also go to SimulScribe's web site to search, sort, and archive converted messages as you do with e-mail. This is just not possible with regular voicemail.

The most impressive thing about SimulScribe, however, is the numerous awards and testimonials the service has received. Personally, I saw enough recognizable names and awards to convince me to give SimulScribe's service a try, at the very least for their free 1 week trial. I'll be starting their service soon, so If you're interested in finding out how the service worked for me, feel free to contact me and I'll let you know.

Posted by Marcel Brown on July 19, 2007 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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July 2007 Archives

July 19, 2007

Tech Toy of the Month: Apple iPhone, part II

Q: All the stores I shop at only have computers with Windows Vista. How can I get a computer WITHOUT Vista?

Read Your Voicemail

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