Month: April 2009 (Page 1 of 2)

Two opinions about OSX on netbooks, http://www.macsparky.com/2009/04/26/the-netbook-experiment/ and http://www.tuaw.com/2009/04/27/road-tested-why-the-hackb00k-is-a-fail/

I don’t agree with either, netbooks are about compromise and putting OSX on one (which in and itself is a different kind of compromise) will create issues.   You have to decide if you can live with these compromises, in these two cases the answer was no.  But i think the Dell Mini 9 is not the best starting platform, the complaint about small keyboards and limited disk space could be solved by selecting a netbook with a 10-inch screen and one that uses a regular (not solid-state) disk.  

There are also complaints about software updates, and while it is true some netbooks are difficult to update other’s you can simply run software update.   Other troublesome functions like sleep also work.  

I’ll have more on this next week 😉

the-local-receipt.jpg, originally uploaded by minhi.

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Pinkberry clone in fairfax va?

Now that i’ve finished the major parts of my iPhone rehabilitation project here are some of my thoughts on the project. First a brief recap, the phone arrived with a broken screen but working touch-screen. The phone would not hold a signal for wifi or cell and the the back cover was missing from the phone.

After the rehab the phone is now working great, there are still some dead areas on the screen–in particular the lower right corner which obscures the screen, but it’s not too annoying. The casing is still a little beat up and loose fitting but I’m planning on keeping the phone in a case–either the silicone one or the speck for now.

From a phone perspective i have it working on T-Mobile and data usage is working fine. I was concerned about the battery due to the age but it’s not my primary phone so i don’t need extreme battery life.

Here is a breakdown of the costs of essential parts:
$5.95 antenna sticker
$10.31 replacement glass
$5.25 signal antenna cable
$7.49 antenna back cover
= $29 total – $4.21 (microsoft cashback)
= $24.79 grand-total in parts.

I think it would’ve been a little cheaper if i had bought the parts from a hong kong based dealer but i wanted the parts sooner then the 7-14 days transit time when shipped from HK. These parts all shipped from brooklyn based dealers and arrived in 2-3 days. All of the above parts were from ebay, the microsoft cashback is a buyer reward/rebate program where microsoft pays you for using it’s search engine.

Here’s a break-down of the non-essential parts which were nice to have bits.
$3.49 silicone case
$6.99 speck crystal case (marshalls retail)
$1.78 headphone adaptor pigtail (to use regular headphones)
$4.95 headphone + mic (similiar to the OEM apple ones)
= $17.21 – $1.19 (ms cashback)
= $16.02 grand total.

Overall I’m very happy with this project considering the time and costs i’ve put into it. I wish the phone was an 8-gig one instead of a 4-gig but i can live with carrying my iPod for my music and use the iPhone for occasional use as a video player. I’m not including my time in the calculations but it was a useful learning experience so it was not time wasted.

I’m still undecided on how useful this will be as a phone. I don’t always need access to this much data when i’m around town. In those times i just want a phone for emergency situations and in these cases i think the iphone is a little overkill. The main reason is the size, it’s not small enough to fit in my front jeans pocket and i would not put it in my rear jeans pocket (which i do with my motorola z3 all the time). I can carry it on my hip, but i’ve stopped carrying my blackberry that way so i’ don’t know if i want to start carrying the iphone on my hip!

I’m a little curious about the love for this phone, absolutely the iphone is a very attractive device, the access to all those apps that turn it into something else is remarkable. I still don’t understand how people justify the $75 dollar a month plan since the data surcharge is so high. But maybe I’ll change my mind after a few months of use.

IMG_8733, originally uploaded by minhi.

I’m reviewing cases for my new iPhone 2G rehab project, this is a $3.50 silicone case from ebay. I think it’s really meant for a 3G as the fit is loose and not tight to the phone. It’s perfectly fine for casual use and protection but a little sloppy. It was only $3.50 so i’m not too upset about the loose fit.

The back has a hole for an included belt-clip. However the fit is so loose that i would not trust a belt clip with this case.

IMG_8726, originally uploaded by minhi.

I’m reviewing case options for my iPhone 2G rehab project. This is a Speck Crystal plastic case that i found at Marshalls for $7! I like the protection it provides, despite the lack of grip from the smooth finish.

It includes a holster that works as a stand (but only in portrait mode, in landscape it will tilt over).

The holster allows you to insert the phone with the screen facing in, which protects the screen if you’re wearing it on your hip or have it loose in your bag. The holster sits securely on your belt if you like that thing.

The case comes in two parts that clip together, the fit is great and the two parts come together securely. There are cut-outs for all the buttons and the dock connector but you do have to separate the case to remove the sim.

The back is completely clear and smooth. I’ve already put a number of micro-fine scratches in the back of the case. This is a minor annoyance to me, i know it’s a case but the scratches are really noticeable because it’s so clear and shiny.

In summary, great fit, looks good if you like the plastic aesthetic. It was cheap (obviously i got it on discount) and the holster is secure. It scratches easily which is the only big criticism that i can make of it.

For anyone looking for iPhone cases i saw quite a few at Marshalls for the iPhone 2G and 3G all for under $10.