Posted by marshall
Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:43:00 GMT
I'm back from WWDC, and it was a great week. The sessions were interesting, I had lots of good discussions with friends, and as usual, a bit of sightseeing was worked in as well. The conference itself was far better than last year's blend of dropped Leopard features and the "sweet" "Web 2.0" "app" "solution" for the iPhone. This year, we got solid information on the real iPhone SDK, Snow Leopard, and even some improvements for web apps.
For once the early buzz was fairly accurate, so my predictions for what was likely to appear turned out to be reasonably accurate as well. The things I thought would happen did, and the things I didn't expect (but nonetheless hoped for) were nowhere to be seen. And while there were a few small surprises, there weren't any really big shockers.
That being said, here are the results, broken down in the same way the predictions were...
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Posted in Musings, Computing, Smartphones | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by marshall
Sun, 08 Jun 2008 05:41:00 GMT
There is almost always a surprise at Macworld and WWDC keynotes, and no one really knows going in just what's going to happen. There's no real point in trying to figure out ahead of time what sessions to attend at WWDC; the keynote frequently changes everything.
John Siracusa has been making bingo cards for the past couple of years, containing predictions what may or may not appear at the keynote. I never really played along, but I do have my own expections of what will happen. I'm usually wrong -- most spectacularly at Macworld 2007 (my list was similar to Gruber's) -- but even then it's fun to look back later and compare what I predicted with what actually happened.
So here they are, broken down by how confident I'm feeling.
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Posted in Musings, Computing, Smartphones | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by marshall
Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:48:00 GMT
TUAW is saying that WWDC next week will bring a build of Mac OS X 10.6, which "will not include any new significant features from 10.5; instead, Apple is focusing solely on 'stability and security.'"
Daring Fireball notes that the name for this release is rumored to be "Snow Leopard", and follows up with this comment:
"If you’ve ever wished that Apple would spend more time focusing on making existing parts of the OS work better rather than adding new features, this is going to be the release for you."
Count me in among those who have wished for something like this.
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Posted in Musings, Computing, Smartphones | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by marshall
Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:50:00 GMT
The web is a jungle. Most smartphones are swiss army knives. The iPhone is a machete.
I read yet another comment on a blog today that said something along the lines of: "I don't understand the iPhone craze. My phone can do so much more and I've had it on [insert carrier here] for a year."
The iPhone -- and most Apple products for that matter -- is not about bullet points. It's about solving problems well. If you want bullet points, the Nokia N95 has a fantastic set. GPS, 5 megapixel camera, media controls, and so much more. Microsoft's also very much a bullet point kind of company. But bullet points don't tell the whole story. Consider:
McDonald's hamburger
- Meat
- Buns
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Onions
- Pickles
Outback steak
Wow, that burger sure has a lot more features! But I know which one I'd rather eat.
Posted in Smartphones
Posted by marshall
Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:46:00 GMT
Well, it's been about a week and a half, and I think I'm faster on the iPhone keypad than I ever was on the E70 or the Treo. We all know about the drawbacks of not having keys you can feel, but I've found that there's an unexpected benefit: you don't have to apply any pressure to said keys. Once my thumbs got used to where the keys were, I started just brushing the screen for every character. The auto-correction takes care of the mis-touches.
This is not to say that I don't accidentally mistype words, or that the auto-correction always works. I still frequently use the backspace key. But I did that even with a physical keypad.
So the virtual keypad really is a non-issue for me. I find myself quite enjoying it. It really does need text selection, though.
Posted in Smartphones
Posted by marshall
Sat, 30 Jun 2007 22:56:00 GMT
Well, it's finally here. And yes, I waited in line at my local AT&T store (no Apple stores nearby, alas) to get one. There were two others in line when I arrived at 12:30 PM, but by the time the store opened the line was down the block and around the corner. Not a bad turnout for a little regional store. I ended up being the first one to actually get one in the store, since the people in front of me took a bit longer asking questions. While it doesn't look like Apple's having trouble keeping up with demand just yet, they did run out of the 8GB models while I was still there looking at accessories, so I'm glad I waited.
First impressions? It's everything I hoped it would be.
The things I missed most from my Treo were the hardware ringer switch and the threaded SMS view. The things I liked best about my Nokia E70 were the Safari browser engine, the wi-fi support, the 2MP camera, the multitasking, and a UI that didn't keep me constantly reaching for a stylus. The problem with both of those devices was stability and lack of memory. While the E70 wasn't anywhere near as infuriating as the Treo in terms of instability, it kept shutting down individual apps because it ran out of RAM, and it could only get through a few web pages before I started getting messages saying I had to close some apps (despite the browser being the only one open).
The iPhone has all of these advantages and none of the drawbacks...plus a wealth of other benefits. And the implementation is just a joy to use. The web browser is outstanding; it really does provide a desktop-class browsing experience. While the E70 had the same browsing engine, the text rendering and navigation is so much more pleasant on the iPhone. The e-mail really does support full HTML messages with no problem, and it synchronized the settings with my e-mail accounts on my MacBook Pro, so I didn't even have to set them up. The iPhone connects to my wi-fi network automatically, and even keeps per-access-point proxy settings. While it felt like other devices were playing at music, playing at e-mail, playing at web browsing, the iPhone feels like the real thing.
And then there's all the little touches. The visual cues like the rubber-banding when you scroll too far and the way photos shrink down into the trash when you delete them. The automatic disabling of the screen when you hold the phone up to your ear. The local recording and editing of your voicemail greeting before sending it to the service provider. The slide-your-finger-to-unlock system that is quick and easy yet makes it virtually impossible to accidentally answer a call while pulling out the phone (a common problem I faced with previous devices). It's truly a revolutionary user experience, both in the big concepts like multi-touch, and in the small details that make everything just a bit more enjoyable.
What I am the most pleased with, though, is the speed. My E70 had Google Maps, but in order to use it, I had to unlock the phone (press menu key, press star, unless it was already unlocked and I didn't notice the difference in the left menu title text, in which case I just re-locked it and have to do it again after a slight delay for the phone to catch up), then I had to arrow over to the Google Maps app, then I clicked. After 5-10 seconds during which it looked like the phone wasn't doing anything, the Google Maps intro screen would appear with a progress bar. Then I'd wait another 20-30 seconds for the app to load.
On the iPhone, though, it's a single swipe to unlock (or just a press of the Home key if I'm in another app), a single tap on Google Maps, and I'm instantly there. No load time. And this is with multiple pages loaded in Safari, an e-mail message in the middle of composition, and music playing in the background. Of course, the map images themselves take time to load, especially when not on wi-fi, but switching between applications is instantaneous and trouble-free.
Now, while it's true that the iPhone is all I hoped it would be, it isn't all that I hope it will be. I knew going in what to expect. I was already aware that there was no 3G (AT&T doesn't offer it around here anyway, so that doesn't bother me much, plus it apparently kills battery life). I already knew there were no included games. I already knew that the keypad takes some getting used to (and I don't think it will ever match the feel of the Treo's or the utility of the E70's, though I appreciate the way it adapts to the task at hand). I'd already heard and complained about Apple's ridiculous press release that they were "supporting third-party Web 2.0 applications" (heck, I write so-called "Web 2.0" apps for a living and I still think Apple's current public position is stupid). There's definitely room for improvement, and I have no doubts that improvements will come: one of the great benefits of the iPhone is that software updates will come out for existing models and be effortlessly installed via iTunes, and I expect that we'll soon be seeing third-party games available on iTunes as well -- though I'm guessing ScummVM won't be on the list. I also wouldn't be surprised if, once the UI conventions have been established, a real SDK is made available (WWDC 2008?).
But even though I'll enjoy improvements when they come, it does what I wanted it to do, and it does it extraordinarily well. It's a superb web browser. It's a solid e-mail client. It's great for text messaging. And it has some little bonus features like making phone calls and playing music and videos and stuff. I guess some people think those are important.
Kottke is right: we're in the future. But I still want a hovercar.
Posted in Smartphones
Posted by marshall
Thu, 23 Feb 2006 11:03:00 GMT
I was going to title this, "Palm OS is Dead, Long Live the 'Access Linux Platform'", but then I discovered that someone already used it. Ah well.
As expected, ACCESS has killed off Palm OS Cobalt, destroying all hopes that I once had of owning a Treo with an advanced Palm OS. But it turns out that what they're replacing it with inspires far more hope than Cobalt ever did. ACCESS has announced the ACCESS Linux Platform (ALP), which boasts the following among its many promised features:
- Full standard Linux kernel
- User interface library based on GTK+
- "MAX" application framework built from the ground up for smartphones
- Modular GStreamer media framework
- Embedded SQLite database engine
- ACCESS NetFront browser
- Messaging and telephony software from PalmSource
- Runs existing (well-written) Palm OS applications unchanged
This answers just about every complaint that I had about the Treo. The Linux-based OS means the Treo will finally gain desperately needed stability and full multitasking. The new designed-for-smartphone application framework means that the five-way navigator will no longer be a second-class input citizen, and the support for softkeys should eliminate the button confusion on the Treo (which, after spending some confusion-free time with S60 lately, I am attributing to the lack of a solid "Back" button). And full Bluetooth 2.0 support is being built in, right from the beginning.
On top of all these "fixes", the new platform further improves upon the many things I liked about the Treo. The compatibility with Palm OS applications means that a huge library of existing software will be immediately available, while the use of GTK+ for new applications will encourage Linux programmers to apply their existing knowledge to creating new software. I'm hoping that the implementation of the PalmSource messaging system means that the Treo's excellent SMS "chat" view will be carried over. And then there's the built-in media framework, the SQLite engine (same as is bundled with OS X), and the improved browser (NetFront is widely regarded as one of the best browsers available for handhelds). All in all, a very promising platform.
The trouble, of course, is that it's still just promised. They're saying it will be out around the end of the year -- I guess that's just the happenin' time for OS releases, with Leopard and Vista scheduled for release around then as well -- but even if they make that self-imposed deadline, Palm never showed much interest in Cobalt, and it remains to be seen if this new platform winds up in a future Treo. If it does, it's probably still two years away.
But oh...an ALP-based Treo with a GoForce, an internal antenna, a P990-style jog wheel, built-in wi-fi, and a 4 MP camera...it's all more than doable by that time. What a wonderful dream.
Posted in Smartphones
Posted by marshall
Mon, 26 Sep 2005 17:55:00 GMT
Well, it's official. Palm's new Treo will run Windows Mobile. And they're partnering with Verizon to release it first. So the most promising smartphone manufacturer is now in bed with the most predatory monopoly-abusing software company, along with the wireless company with a history of crippling phones so it can charge customers for things that should be free. What happy news.
Posted in Smartphones
Posted by marshall
Wed, 14 Sep 2005 00:51:00 GMT
Looks like the order went through after all. Apparently it was submitted to the warehouse Thursday afternoon when I ordered it, processed on Friday, submitted to FedEx on Saturday, and actually shipped on Sunday, arriving yesterday afternoon. Strangely, FedEx left no door tag; if I hadn't been tracking it on-line, I wouldn't have known they had attempted to deliver it.
The box included the Nokia 6682 itself, a new SIM card (already installed in the phone), a 64 MB MMCmobile card pre-loaded with some extra software like Opera and QuickOffice, a power adapter, a USB cable for connecting it to a computer, and several manuals. The USB cable was surprising -- that's been an extra cost on most of the phones I've owned (the Treo being the only exception, but Palm devices have historically included cables for synchronizing).
So far I'm liking it. I stayed up way too late installing a Nintendo emulator, an SSH client, a Bust-a-Move style game called Frozen Bubble, and several other applications. The Nintendo emulator was all that I hoped it would be: I can finally jump in Double Dragon, and several games that didn't work on the Treo (including Tetris, Dr. Mario, and Excitebike) work perfectly well on the 6682.
The camera is certainly the nicest I've had so far in a phone. While it's still quite grainy for indoor shots, pictures outside come out fairly well. Here's a photo of the intersection by the Redlands Carl's Jr (slightly color-tweaked and sharpened in Photoshop):
I'm most of the way back now to the Bluetooth functionality I had on my Sony Ericsson T610. The T610 would inform my Mac of incoming calls and text messages, complete with looking up the Caller ID in my address book, and I could forward calls to voicemail or respond to text messages using the computer. The computer could also detect when the T610 came in range and do things when I left the computer and/or came back, it could pause iTunes when I was on the phone, and I could select people from my computer's Address Book and click "Dial" to dial them on the cell phone. The Treo could do none of these. The 6682 can do almost all: about the only thing it's missing is that it doesn't notify me of incoming text messages and let me reply. I can send outgoing text messages from the computer, I just don't receive them.
There are, however, some phone-computer things that the 6682 can do that neither the Treo nor the T610 could. After synchronizing the phone with the computer, I found that my phone contacts included the pictures I'd set up in the Mac Address Book, so now I have photo Caller ID without having to do anything special. The contacts include both work and home addresses, as well as the Notes field. The Treo could only sync one address and didn't sync the notes or the photo. I also get the album art of the currently playing track in iTunes on the phone with Salling Clicker, which may have worked on the Treo, but Salling Clicker was so limited and unstable on it that I never really used it.
The best part about the synchronization, though, is that I didn't have to install any software to do it. I just clicked "Set up new device" in the Mac OS X Bluetooth preferences and followed the prompts, and now iSync has a 6682 icon in it (looks just like it, too). No abandoned Palm software, no quirky Missing Sync, just out-of-the-box pain-free integration. Technology is so wonderful when it works.
Update: I should clarify that the whole photos and notes sync thing with the Treo is a limitation of the Mac sync software, not the device itself. Given decent software, the Treo could have synchronized those. I'm told that Outlook for Windows, for example, synchronizes both of these fields. So that complaint is more directed at Palm's virtually nonexistant support for OS X.
Posted in Pictures, Smartphones
Posted by marshall
Fri, 09 Sep 2005 21:59:00 GMT
So PalmSource has been acquired. It's not terribly surprising; it was clear that things weren't going well for PalmSource a while back with the rumors that the next Treo will run Windows Mobile, the general lack of interest in Cobalt, and the impending name change due to the-company-formerly-known-as-palmOne buying back the rights to the "Palm" name. But this to me sounds a lot like the death knell for the Palm OS platform.
It may take a while; Palm claims they'll continue to support the operating system that bears its name, and I'm sure there are devices in the works that will still use the Palm OS. But Palm has shown no interest thus far in Cobalt, which PalmSource released over a year and a half ago (right when Lara and I arrived in Redlands, actually). PalmSource has said that they'll be migrating Cobalt from its current BeOS-based foundation to a Linux-based one, so device manufacturers that might have been interested in Cobalt probably backed off until PalmSource figured out what it was doing...and now it's even more uncertain with a new company taking over. If I were making smartphones, I'd be looking very hard at Symbian, Windows Mobile, or possibly Nokia's new Linux-based platform.
And I had such hopes for Cobalt. I like the way the Palm OS works in general -- it's still considered by many to be the most usable PDA operating system -- but it desperately needs a more stable and capable foundation, and Cobalt would have provided that. Now it doesn't look like Cobalt devices will ever come about, because no one is going to want to wind up with an abandoned platform should ACCESS decide not to continue the OS after all, kind of like how PalmSource bought Be and then decided to move to Linux instead.
I'm guessing that, as with PC operating systems, the smartphone world is eventually going to come down to Linux and Windows. Symbian's doing very well right now, but Nokia's showing a lot of interest in Linux, as is Motorola. I can easily see, in a few years' time, the smartphone market being comprised primarily of several Linux-based systems with Flash user interfaces pitted against Windows Mobile. But then, I haven't had much success with predicting trends, so maybe ACCESS will end up taking the Palm OS API and mapping it to Symbian or something crazy like that. That'd be weird.
Update: Even weirder would be if they already tried it. Apparently the CEO later decided the current Palm OS was "good enough", just before he was ousted. Ah, what could have been...
Posted in Smartphones
