Grudgingly accepting Apple

Don't get me wrong, I was an Apple fan way back in the MacIntosh days, but I have the same issue with them now that I did then. They are too proprietary. However, that being said, my music library is in iTunes and I'm too lazy to move it to another platform, so when Phred the cat ruined my Original iPod 20GB by peeing on it, I struggled along using my iPod Shuffle (courtesy of Novell, thank you!) for a few years.

I finally broke down and purchased an iPod Touch so I could have music and stream movies to help drown out the noise factor at my new cube location. Unfortunately, the local WAN team blocks streaming so I've only been using it for music, but it does the job. Luckily for me though, my team has been granted the ability to work from home several days a week now to allow us a quieter environment to concentrate on our tasks at hand. And to take conference calls. Lots and lots of conference calls.

One problem with that...I don't have unlimited minutes on my family cell plan, so I began using Google to make calls using my little AlienWare laptop. It works great, but I'm tied to a wired headset attached to a fairly heavy device which means I can't really do anything but sit while on conference calls. So I started researching, and found I can make my iPod Touch into a cell phone. Yep, as long as I have wireless access I can make free calls via Google Voice on my iPod Touch.

Apple did this one pretty well. I can't use my bluetooth headset that works for my Android phone however as Apple, in it's proprietariness, Applehas made that impossible. And as I found in researching potential headsets, there's a big difference between a 2nd Gen iPod Touch and a 4th Gen iPod Touch and what worked for a 4th Gen iPod Touch won't work on an Original iPad (which also will not run anything higher than iOS 5) or on a 5th or 6th Gen iPod Touch. I managed to find a Sony that fit the bill though and I am now using my iPod Touch as a phone - as long as I have wifi access where I am. Pretty cool, but still not yet enough to convince me to go to an iPhone. My Galaxy IIS has withstood many, many drops that an iPhone would probably not have survived and I'm still not thoroughly convinced that I want to "live" in any single cloud environment. If I truly had my druthers, I'd still be on my beloved BlackBerry Curve that is still running and that I still use for apps. (Always the rebel!)

The apps for using Google Voice on an iPod are free, one provided by Google and another called GV Phone which I like better (except for the annoying ads). It's only been a day so far, and I've had one misdialed number (using the Google app) but people seem to be able to hear me okay and the sound quality is really good as long as I don't get it too close to my Galaxy or my bluetooth headset.

So for now, I'll grudgingly accept that Apple has done something cool by providing a feature to access a service provided by one of their main competitors. I've been in the industry long enough to remember the days when that would never have happened, so it's nice to see, even if I have to throw a bone to Apple regarding their overpriced music box.

Mini's vs. iPads

I'm not sure if you can actually compare the two as they have different target audiences and uses.  Several friends already have iPads, with the majority extolling their virtues.  Most are already Apple fans.  Before you put on your judging hat, you should know that I've been an Apple fan since the Apple IIe - with Drol (my all time favorite game that I never beat).

I just don't totally get the iPad thing.  Of course, I don't get the whole Kindle/eReader stuff either as I like to feel my books in my hands.  If I'm going to pay that much for a device it better be able to do everything I need a comparably priced piece of equipment to do.  And from what I can tell I'd use an iPad for, my minis fit the bill just fine at about 1/2 the cost.  (Okay, so I've only paid for one, but I'm using the average retail price here as a comparison).

My minis already have wireless NICs on-board so I can connect to any available wireless in range that's available (i.e. either open or I have the key for), so I don't need or want to spend extra money getting to a 3G system.  If I'm that desparate my BlackBerry will do in a pinch...and there's nothing about IT that I am that desparate for any more.  I don't do much with pictures (I hate having my photo taken), and I can do without video entertainment for long stretches of time.  I already get email on my BlackBerry which already makes work too readily accessible to me.  So, I don't get it.  For those of you that do, I'm happy for you.  It looks like a cool toy.

Yes, I've had my hands on one and still don't get it.  And while I have 2 iPODs I still don't get the draw of them either.  I have stereos in my car, my office, and at home, CDs that can be played in them, and easily received free radio channels. I was never into boom boxes and never fully utilized my Sony Walkmans either.  I do like my Shuffle though as it makes working out a bit easier and I can blast my ears with my preferred tunes over what's normally playing in the fieldhouse I work out in.  Maybe I'm just getting old, or maybe I've just been in IT too long to get excited about new hardware as often.

I must admit, I wasn't sure what all I'd use a mini for either, but I had more of an idea than I do with an iPad.  My problem with the minis was not having a CD/DVD drive and the added cost when they first came out brought the total cost of a mini too close to what I'd paid for my Toshiba laptop.  But since winning my HP from Novell and having it run SLED I'm won over.  They're great for traveling, but definitely not a laptop or desktop replacement.

Maybe there's an iPad user out there that can explain practical uses to me other than "it's cool, you can play music, or you can read books on it".  Anyone?  Bueller...Bueller?