Sometimes I think I'm so pathetic

I was pleasently surprised that my Dell x50v shipment (that went out via 3-5 day UPS Ground) arrived at my house in 2 days! The bad news: I wasn't there to sign for it. The problem is that I live 22 miles (thanks to Google Maps) from the UPS customer center where the package is. The real pathetic thing: I can't wait until Monday to get the package and have decided to drive down to the facility in rush hour traffic after work.

It doesn't make logical sense, I know that, but when was the last time that you were able to make a logical decision about something as emotional as a BRAND NEW HANDHELD???

So later tonight, I should be able to spend some time playing with my new PocketPC - I'm about as giddy as a kid in a candy store. Now if someone would just buy my Palm on eBay!!!

Maybe I need professional help!

Well, I've come full circle on my PDA dilemma over the last 3 months (see posts from September and October). At the expense of my wife saying, "I told you so!" I have listed my Tungsten T3 on Ebay. As much as I have LOVED the stability of the device, the slide-out screen with GREAT resolution, fantastic battery life, and really simple synchronizing, I miss much of the multimedia experience of the Pocket PC platform. I guess old habits just die hard! :^)

This is the fastest I have ever turned around a PDA. I usually hang on to them about a year before I feel the itch, but this time around has been different. And you can absolutely guarantee that my wife is going to insist that I hang on to whatever I replace the T3 with for a decade or more! I would be curious how long the reading audience out there goes between PDA refreshes - how long can you hold on to a PDA before you have to replace it?

Audiovox SMT5600 Windows SmartPhone Review

This morning, I caught a review of the Audiovox I have been using over at Bargain PDA. I usually like their reviews and this one is no exception. I would agree with much of what they say, but do have some points that I differ on. I will be writing these up over on tinyscreenfuls.com and will post to this page when I do.

Test Driving the Audiovox SMT5600

I just posted my initial thoughts on the Audiovox SMT5600 over at tinyscreenfuls.com so go on over there and check it out. I'll share just my conclusion here as a teaser:

The general impression is favorable, but I am starting to wonder if a smart phone is for me or not. I will talk about this as well as breaking out many of the items listed above in future posts, so stay tuned…

Bought something low-tech over the weekend

As part of a counter-revolution to my typical digital drive, I purchased something this week that doesn't understand binary!

I haven't worn a watch in quite a while, but I recently came to the realization that I was constantly digging my phone out of my pocket or my PDA out of my bag just to find out what time it is. My frustration with having to do that finally culminated in a decision to buy a watch...but which one of 10 billion options? Josh recently purchased a Fossil MSN Direct watch - which is certainly the geekiest option…but I decided to choose something from the complete opposite end of the Fossil spectrum.

Although the watch I chose is not a purely mechanical (wind-up) watch, it's the first I have bought in probably 15 years that didn't include an LCD. It’s almost funny to think that there are actually moving gears inside! It can’t do email, remind me of appointments, connect to the internet, or even recharge – it only tells time. How 17th century! :^)

I've got George Jetson syndrome!

Last night in the kitchen, I looked down to find blood on the countertop.  A quick investigation found out that I had cut the end of my middle finger.  It didn’t even hurt at the time, but it’s amazing how much a very small little cut in your finger can effect your ability to type well.  We are such a keyboard society - I find it so completely ironic that we used to laugh at George Jetson’s finger problems on the old cartoon.

 

Later today I hope to post my first impressions about the Audiovox SMT5600…so stay tuned (my finger doesn’t impact the use of the phone since it’s all about thumbs!)  :^)

Trying out a smart phone

Josh from www.tinyscreenfuls.com has graciously loaned of his Audiovox SMT5600 for a while to give the Smart Phone platform a test drive. I will have a review of the device once I have been able to form an opinion. My first impression: this is the coolest phone I have ever used!

I'm open to any suggestions of must-have software or can't-live-without features!

Who cares what I think? - The Office Weblog

Who cares what I think? - The Office Weblog - office.weblogsinc.com

What a great write-up! I couldn't agree with Marc more on this one. I have silently read his blog for quite a while now, but this post is worth commenting on. It is a concise rebuttal to an argument that absolutely drives me nuts!

Maybe I worked too long in IT and listened to one too many heated arguments about the supremacy of Linux over Windows (or vice-versa, depending on audience). From now on, maybe I'll just point people in Marc's direction!

Thanks Marc!

Cleaning up podcasts

The other day, I pulled down a couple of podcasts to listen to on the way down to school. One I have listened to a number of times in the past and the other was a recommendation from a friend. My experience made me want to petition publishers to consider cleaning things up some. Now in all fairness, I am one of the most conservative people on the planet, but I personally do not want to listen to someone rolling and smoking their marijuana or describing their intimate encounters in their podcast.

I would love to be able to listen to podcasts with my wife (or even kids) in the car, but I don't ever feel like I can. One of the podcasts I listened to made me squirm (just before I deleted it from my Muvo) and I was alone in my truck. I just don't think that's necessary and I'm not alone on this either. A good friend of mine who is more politically open-minded said that he too was downloading some podcasts that he would never listen to in mixed company (and has stopped listening to a couple of shows altogether).

The other thing I have noticed is that guys who do podcasts seem to slip even further down the path of vulgarity when they are joined by other guys. Adam Curry and Dave Winer seem to exhibit this behavior - together, they use far more colorful language than either of them do on their own. I think it's too bad because they are very intelligent people with some great ideas, but speaking like they do doesn't help convey that message.

Now I'm not calling for a rating system, censorship, or anything else, but what I am saying is that I have stopped listening to some fairly interesting programs because they can't keep it clean. I'll vote with my feet and listen to programs that are less offensive to me, but it's too bad that it's not going to include some of the most popular titles in the RSS world.

Isn't technology great???

I have been feeling so lousy lately that I have done very little that doesn't facilitate the sustaining of life. I haven't posted here in several weeks. Yesterday I went to the doctor finally to find out that I have a sinus infection. I am hoping that the drugs will relieve my misery soon.

What does this have to do with technology? Well, I have found that I can get quite a bit lying in my [almost] death bed. Centrino technology is a wonderful thing that will allow you to still die and get some work done from home while doing it...thanks Intel! In all seriousness, it has been good to be able to use my laptop wherever I am comfortable.