Gadgets & Gear: September 2009

Anyone who knows me or has read this column for the last several years knows that I have never been a big fan of Apple. Though if you’ve been paying attention, you will have noticed that my anti-Mac / anti-iPod stance has softened significantly over the last year or so.

In fact, I have pretty much said in this column that there really is no reason for you to have an MP3 player that is not an iPod. As I’ve said in the past, it was never because I thought that Apple made bad products, but that I never really bought in to their ‘I’m cool because I have a Mac/iPod’ conceit. But now things have taken a radical change…

I’ve officially gone to the Dark Side.

Not only do I have an iPod, but also the iPhone, and now I have replaced all of my computers (two laptops and one desktop) with Macs. It was a slow process at first, kind of like the Emperor from Star Wars whispering little things in Anakin Skywalker’s ear that started him down the path towards becoming Darth Vader.

First, my wife got an iPod Nano for Christmas a few years back which I had to set up for her since she didn’t know how, and I noticed how nice it was to navigate and use (though iTunes still sucked on PCs at the time). That led to me buying an iPod Shuffle for myself, which is still my favorite little music player.

Later I bought the iPod Touch when it first came out, then early this year I bought iPhones for both of us. Finally, after heading back to school to start my Masters degree, I was tempted by all the Macs I saw around me in class and so I bought MacBooks for my wife and I. It took three weeks of using my MacBook to convince me to ditch PCs forever and that is when I chucked my 2-year-old PC for a sleek new 24” iMac.

And I’m never looking back.

I thought I might miss that old computer system that I have been using since I was a little kid and ran on BASIC or the earliest versions of Windows, but I really don’t.

The ease of use of these Macs is just amazing. Loading programs takes just the time to transfer the data off the disk to the hard drive and doesn’t require writing entries to a registry and all that junk. Uninstalling a program just requires that I drag the icon to the trash bin and it is gone! I spent two days cleaning up my old PC to give to a family friend mostly because all the programs took FOREVER to install/uninstall with numerous re-boots all the time. Every hassle that I have had with my Mac has usually been because I was trying to make things more difficult than they really were; in other words, I was trying to do them the Windows way instead of the Mac way.

Now granted, many of my original arguments against Apple/Macs still stand. Want to upgrade your iMac or MacBook? Grab a sledgehammer, destroy the old one, and then go buy a new one (it’ll be easier that way). Want to buy accessories for your Mac? Be prepared to pay the Apple Tax, which inexplicably adds about 20-40% to the price of an equivalent piece of equipment for a PC. And I would still argue that if Microsoft only had to design a software package for a single design spec like Apple, they could make something that works just as well as the stuff from the geniuses at One Infinity Way. They probably wouldn’t be as slick looking (though the new Zune HD from Microsoft shows that they can make an incredibly slick device when they want), but I guarantee you Windows would work better if they didn’t have to make it work on thousands of different computer configurations.

I have gone from being a naysayer to an advocate with all the fervor of a convert! There isn’t enough time for me to write about all the little things that I love about my Macs, but I can sum them up with just a simple phrase: THEY JUST WORK.

Like I stated earlier, doing things on a Mac is much more straightforward than anything on a PC. All the little maintenance things that I had to do to keep my Windows Operating System from eating itself alive to all the little back-door workarounds to get something to work are no longer needed. One of the biggest knocks on Macs by ‘power users’ of Windows systems, is that they don’t feel that they have enough access to the system for their taste. While it is true that many of the things that Windows users are used to ‘tweaking’, are a little more deeply buried, they are still there if you know where to look. The beauty is though, you don’t have to use them.

I was a ‘power user’ myself and I knew tons of little tricks to make Windows work smoother, but I haven’t really missed not having to do that. It is almost like going from a manual to an automatic transmission, I can focus less on getting the car to move and focus more on driving (but there will always be those who don’t feel they are really driving unless they are in a stick-shift).

There are a couple other ‘drawbacks’ to the Mac compared to the PC in addition to the ones mentioned above, and those would be a relative lack of software and very little support for gaming. There are some software packages that only run on Windows and if you need one of those programs, you probably will not want to switch to a Mac. You can always load Windows on a Mac using Boot Camp, which comes already installed, and run Windows on your Mac when you need it, or better yet use a program like Parallels or VMware Fusion to run Windows (in a window, go figure) on your Mac.

If you are a big gamer on your PC, you are going to be sorely disappointed in the quantity and quality of the games available for the Mac. Sure you can play The Sims 3, but forget about a bunch of the Massively Multiplayer Online games or a lot of the shooters (though they do have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare which is arguably the best shooter of all time).

If you are worried about the compatibility of files for going between work and home, you can always get Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, which I personally believe is the best version of Office I have ever used, and I have been using Office from day 1. It beats the snot out of that abomination they call Office 2007 on the PC.

So there you have it from the man who swore he would never ever give Steve Jobs a single red cent of his money. I have gone to being one of Apple’s biggest supporters. Do yourself a favor and just go play with some of the computers at your local Apple store. Sure, you may not recognize where everything is at first, but the learning curve for Apple products is significantly easier than the PC one.

So if Apple is the Dark Side, and Steve Jobs is the Emperor, I guess that would kind of make me like Darth Vader…

I’m cool with that (as you can see from the picture below).

As always, if you have a gadget you would like me to review or some techie question you would like answered, feel free to email me at: jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

Is That a Computer in Your Pocket or are You Just Happy to See Me?

When many people talk of awesome technological achievements, they often cite landing a man on the Moon or launching a fleet of satellites that can pinpoint your position to within three feet anywhere on the planet. I personally think that one of the most awesome technological achievements of mankind is right under many people’s fingertips every day (maybe even yours right now if you are reading this online at www.healthandleisureonline.com). That technological marvel is the computer, but more specifically, mobile computers like laptops and the new classes: notebook computers and Ultra Mobile Personal Computers (UMPC).

Many people take these wonders of technological innovation for granted. But when you consider these innovations have more power than many supercomputers of the not too distant past, do not take up an entire room or weigh in at several tons, but in fact can rest comfortably in your hand and can weigh as little as ONE POUND; that is amazing!

First off, I would like to thank faithful reader Johnny B. for writing in and requesting that I review some of the latest and greatest in ultra-mobile computing. A lot of people get confused on the different classes of mobile computers; is it a laptop, or a notebook, or is it a UMPC? A quick rule of thumb is that if you really do need to put it on your lap, or better yet, a desk to use it, it’s a laptop computer (though some of these ‘laptops’ can weigh in at over 10 pounds which means you better have a well padded lap to use them).

A notebook computer typically weighs less than four pounds and may also be called an ultraportable computer since now every computer manufacturer wants to call their laptop a notebook because it sounds lighter even if it still weighs 10 pounds. The ultraportable designation is more accurately used for the new class of low powered computers that are intended as second portable computers (or first computer for kids) and are an offshoot of the One Laptop Per Child initiative. The other major class of portable computers is the UMPC and these can typically weigh much less than two pounds and can be seen as either a really tiny laptop or a really big smartphone (without the phone capabilities).

So let’s take a look at some the best from the two smallest categories, the ultraportable and the UMPCs.

Ultraportable Computers

These computers are best suited for students and business travelers who don’t need monster computing power to get the job done. All they really need is a platform to type notes on or to do some web surfing.

Asus Eee PC 4G

The first Eee PC was launched last year to fantastic reviews and really helped to define the ultraportable, low-cost, low-power computer. The 4G is the updated version that now uses the Windows operating system instead of just Linux making it much more mainstream. The 4G sports a 7” screen, 512MB of RAM, a 4GB solid state drive (SSD) which has no moving parts and uses a lot less power than a traditional hard drive, and Windows XP Home edition. With specs like that, you are not going to be tearing up the world in high end video games or doing serious graphical work in Photoshop, but it will give you more than enough “oomph” to run Word, or Excel, and your favorite web browser.

The biggest drawback on the 4G is it’s very small storage capacity of only 4GB (only half of which is available due to the software already loaded on it) which you can fill up very quickly with very little effort. The great thing is that the 4G does have a SD card slot so you can easily double the memory for less than $50. The next biggest drawback would be the keyboard. The 4G is only 8.8 by 6.5 inches and that doesn’t leave a lot of real estate for a good-sized keyboard. While not as bad as a keyboard on a Blackberry, it definitely takes some getting used to if you are used to a full sized keyboard. Also, the 7” screen, while more than useable, does only have a max resolution of 800 x 480 so you will have to do a lot of scrolling, especially on web pages.

The beauty of the 4G is the fact that you get a very usable computer that can fit in a large pocket or small bag, weighs only two pounds, and best of all only costs $399 (which is about the same price as a 16GB iPod Touch). If you are looking for an inexpensive and small computer for either a student or yourself, you can’t go wrong with the Asus Eee PC 4G.

(Note: By the time this is published in July there ought to be a newer version of the 4G called the 12G widely available, with a larger hard drive (12GB for the windows version), a 9” screen, and an upgrade to 1GB of RAM. The keyboard is still the same size and it also costs about $200 more. They were limited in supply at the time of writing this and I was not able to play with one.)

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC

For $200 more than the Asus Eee PC 4G you can take care of a lot of the Eee’s biggest drawbacks. The HP 2133 replaces the mostly plastic body of the 4G with a magnesium alloy chassis making it feel like a much more substantial device. The HP 2133 also sports a 120GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, a 9” screen with 1280 x 800 resolution, and best yet an almost full sized keyboard while only adding about .9 pounds to the weight and two inches to the width.

The HP 2133 takes the ultraportables and makes them extremely useful. While you still won’t be scorching any heavy duty programs with it due to the underpowered processor, you do get more than enough power to run Office programs and your web browser. The Hp 2133 does use Windows Vista Home Basic and could have gotten a bit more performance if they had stuck to using Windows XP. The HP 2133 does have an upgrade version for $749 in which you get a faster hard drive (though not more space), an extra GB of RAM (for a total of 2GB), and Vista Business (not sure if I would call that an upgrade).

The two biggest drawbacks for the HP 2133 are it’s processor and it’s battery life. The processor isn’t even an Intel based chip and in many ways underperforms some handheld devices. It would have been nice if HP had either used a slightly more expensive low-power chip or waited until the new Intel Atom chip came out later this year which is specifically designed for ultraportables. The battery life isn’t nearly as good as the Asus Eee and therefore, turns in about two hours of work time before needing to be plugged in. This is mainly due to the larger screen and traditional hard drive. You can double this power with an upgraded battery but this destroys the sleek form of the 2133 and adds quite a bit more weight.

While the HP 2133 is definitely a looker and has the best ergonomics out of the ultraportables, I would hold off and wait until they upgrade the processor to one of the current Intel chips or the new Atom chip this fall.

Ultra Mobile Personal Computers (UMPC)

So what is the major difference between and ultraportable and a UMPC? While the ultraportable computers mentioned above are really just very svelte laptops, the UMPCs that I am going to write about here are really more like a Blackberry on steroids. Oh yeah, and about a $1000 difference in price! Hey, that ‘roid habit is an expensive one!

Sony VAIO UX390

The Sony UX390 is less like a Blackberry on steroids than it is like a Sidekick on steroids. At 5.9 inches wide, by 3.7 inches deep, by 1.5 inches thick, the UX390 is easily the smallest of the UMPCs that is still a fully functional computer. While only weighing 1.1 pounds, having all that weight in such a small device definitely makes the UX390 feel, well…dense, to say the least.

You have to give it to Sony when it comes to designing devices with flair. In fact, I would only rate them behind Apple for their design department. While implementing a feat of engineering and design genius with the UX390, Sony did drop the ball on the whole ergonomics thing. I had always thought that it would be easier to type on my smartphone’s keyboard if it were just a bit thicker so that I could keep a better hold on it, but the UX390 proved me wrong. The keys feel about the same as those on a smartphone and have about as much tactile feedback, which is to say they have virtually none. Also, the keyboard has a slightly different layout and is missing what I consider to be some very important buttons such as a shift key on the right side (you try hitting the @ symbol using your thumbs while only having a shift key on the left) and the page up/down keys which are imperative with such a small screen for scrolling webpages.

The screen on the UX390, while small at only 4.5 inches, does look beautiful. I have to point out though that I have 20/10 vision and have no problem with small type, while someone with 20/20 or less might have problems reading much of the text on the screen. The screen is also touch sensitive which is helpful since the only other method for moving the cursor on the screen is a rubberized thumb stick on the right side of the device, which isn’t as useful as you might think (though to be fair, you might get more proficient with it over time).

The Sony UX390 actually does pretty darn well running a lot of programs thanks to the Intel Core Solo processor, the 1GB of RAM, and the 32GB SSD. The UX390 actually runs Windows Vista Business fairly well and can actually handle several programs open at once, unlike the ultraportables mentioned above. Also, for such a small device, you get a decent amount of work time out of the battery which clocks in at about three and a half hours of use.

The biggest drawback for the UX390 is its price which is supposed to be about $2,500, though you can find them on Amazon for about $1200 as of my writing this column. It does look like Sony might be moving on from the whole UMPC platform so if you want the UX390, you might want to move on it now.

Samsung Q1 Ultra

The Samsung Q1 Ultra really is a Blackberry on steroids. It is just too bad that the keyboard didn’t receive a few doses itself. The keys are very similar to those on a Blackberry with the exception that one half are on one side of the screen while the other half is on the other side which, after holding the Q1, makes a lot of sense (doesn’t make it any easier to type but the keys at least fall under both thumbs). The Q1 features a 7” touch screen, a 60GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and is loaded with Windows Vista Premium – which this thing has no business running. Perhaps if they had bumped the memory up to 2GB of RAM, the Q1 might have pulled it off, but with only 1GB it needs to be using Vista Basic at best or better yet, Windows XP. (There is a version of the Q1 called the Premium XP which has an 80GB hard drive and does utilize Windows XP, though I did not get my grubby little hands on one so I can’t say for sure that it runs better than the Ultra but I’m betting dollars to donuts that it does.)

At only 9 inches wide, by 4.9 inches deep, and .9 inches thick, the Q1 is larger than the Sony UX390 and even though it weighs more at 1.5 pounds, it doesn’t seem as heavy because it doesn’t feel as dense as the Sony device. Most of the real estate on the Q1 is taken up by the 7” screen, hence the teeny-tiny keyboard but it does show off its best feature which is the beautiful screen that does a great job displaying documents and websites since it uses a resolution of 1280 x 600.

The only other thing of note about the Q1 is the interesting layout of the other input buttons. The thumbstick is on the left side while the left and right mouse buttons are on the right, which is a bit backward from similar layouts on other devices such as the Sony UX390. Most people gravitate towards using their right hand for moving a mouse since that is what they are used to but it doesn’t take long to get used to this set up (well for me at least, but I am left handed). There is also a little four way input device on the right side that acts as your arrow keys on a typical keyboard, this combined with the touch screen makes for many different input options to suit many tastes.

The Q1 Ultra is priced at about $1200 but it can be found for as little as $750 online. If you think that this is the perfect device for you, I would highly recommend you search out the Premium XP edition, though I did not see any real deals for it and it actually costs a bit more at $1350. I did notice online that there are quite a few websites that show how to upgrade the Ultra to make better use of Vista. If you are the type that doesn’t mind cracking open the case of your computers. It might be in your best interest to buy it for $750 and for about $100 and a few hours of your time, make the Q1 Ultra the way it should have been made.

Well that is it for this month. Thanks again to Johnny B. for the idea (keep them coming folks), and as always if you have any questions or comments, feel free to write me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.