Windows 7.

Snow Leopard.

With both of these new operating systems on the horizon, AND in my foreseeable future, I knew I would need a PC capable of running both, and running both well.  While my MSI Wind can run Windows 7, I don’t know if a PC of that caliber is going to have what it takes to push Snow Leopard.  My thoughts are no, since its truly going to support 64bit architecture (as well as other key features), according to Apple. Looking at my current setup, my 2006 MacBook Pro was good, but perhaps not good enough to run both OS’ without some huffing and puffing, or other serious performance hits. 

This being the case, I thought it prudent to buy a new Mac. I chose the 13.3″ unibody MacBook. Let’s see how this baby stacks up.

 Configuration:
I purchased the high end MacBook; and not just because I could/I had the cash to do so.  This PC is going to have to last me for a few years. I’m not going to have the money available to go out and buy another in 2-2.5 years from now; and I wanted to have enough PC to last me for a while.  Yes, I’d likely put a bigger hard drive in it, but I wanted to be able to have it last for a while.

Having had and reviewed a 15.4″ MacBook Pro, purchased in 2006, and reviewed here with one of my best mates, Mitchell Oke, I was hooked on the Apple experience.  Their computers are the bomb; and the experience is hard to beat…So is the price by the way.

To say that Apple computers are a bit on the pricy side is a bit of an understatement. My thoughts, with three kids, and college expenses for the oldest on the horizon, are to put the kibosh on the larger expenses and to start packing it away… That being the case, this was going to be the last major PC purchase for a while.

So, what did my MacBook come with?  Good question.  Here are the (default) specs on the box:

• 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM – 2×2GB
• 250GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
• SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• Backlit Keyboard (English)
• Apple Care Protection Plan for MacBook/MacBook Air – Auto-enroll

I made one small change to this configuration after I purchased the PC.  My MacBook Pro had a 320GB hard drive in it.  I swapped out the 250GB drive in the MacBook for the 320GB drive in the MacBook Pro; and saved myself $75 US.  Apple swapped the drives between the 2 PC’s (after feedback to the Apple Store Manager on the purchasing survey AFTER the purchase) for free. I later spent $89 US and put a 500GB drive in.  The 320GB was fine, but with all of my video and other iTunes fodder, I found myself quickly running out of space.  The extra 180GB in the 500GB drive will go a long way as far as iTunes and movies were concerned.

My MacBook is on top.	The  case from the older MBP.

Is it me, or do the newer Macs just look sooooo much better than their previous incarnations?  Wow!  I can’t tell you how much I love these new cases!

The right side of my MacBook

Solid construction, flawless lines.  Oooh! I’m geekin’ out!

The front of my MacBook

The one thing that I really don’t like on my Mac (maybe because I so often expect something to crap out…) is the lack of a hard drive activity light.  The power/sleep light is on the right front corner of each; but it doesn’t do anything else other than wink when the PC sleeps.  It would be nice if it also flashed hard drive activity; but again, that may be just me worrying if my PC is going to crash and wanting to know if the hard drive is still doing something. 

Windows… go figure.

The business side of my MacBook

From the top down, the above is my 13: MacBook, my dad’s late 2008 15″ MacBook Pro, and my mom’s early 2009 15″ MacBook Pro.  You’ll notice the ports are swapped around a bit between the two 15″ models, and mom’s has the SD card slot. 

The back side of my MacBook

Easy access to the battery and hard drive is just a latch pull away. I like this setup a lot better than the older MBP I had. Swapping out the 320GB drive for the 500GB drive was really easy.  All you have to do is remove a couple of screws on the drive housing, swap the drive and replace the screws.  It took about 7 minutes to replace the drive and put the battery cover back on.

Screen
I love the screen on this thing! The only problem that I have with the screen is the 1280 by 800 resolution.  While its not bad, the non-standard size is a bit on the problematic side.  1280 by 800 serves the wide screen very well, so its good for video and such, but it falls a bit short when it comes to applications and such. 

It looks absolutely fabulous; but the resolution could be much better than it is.

The MacBook Open. The screen is gorgeous!

Keyboard & Trackpad
When I first got the new MacBook, I was somewhat skeptical about how the keyboard experience would be. Being housed from a single piece of aluminum, I thought the feel would be stiff and restricted. 

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The key layout is nearly perfect.  You don’t have to stretch for any keys and I’m able to hit my normal 75-85 words per minute rate on this keyboard without batting an eyelash.  The key travel is good, with just enough tactile feedback to make the keys feel as though you are hitting something.  They don’t feel too mushy; and they don’t make a loud clacky sound, like other laptop keyboards might.

The trackpad on the other hand… Oy!  What an opportunity for improvement IT represents. The larger touch space is nice; and the fact that it supports all of the touch gestures is pretty cool; but the single button thing…the whole pad as a button… it SO sucks. I like the touch pad from my older MacBook Pro. It had a single button, but it was a dedicated button on the bottom of the pad.

The circa 2006 MacBook Pro keyboard. I like the button on the bottom MUCH better

Comparing the two keyboards, you can see a great deal of difference in the body styles of the two PC’s.

Battery Life
As with any battery estimates, your mileage may vary; but I’ve been able to get anywhere between 90-120 minutes out of my battery so far.  One of the things that I’ve noticed is a GOOD thing to do with any and all laptops that I own – drain the battery as close to 0%/0:00 minutes as possible, as often as possible. This is the best way to insure that your battery has the best capacity, and lasts as long as it can. I’ve had my MacBook for just over a year, and I’ve cycled it just over 100 times. Its health is 94% according to iStat Pro.

Batteries for this puppy are $129.99 in the Apple Store.  That’s a bit much to spend when you have so much control over how the PC is used, and how the battery life is consumed.

Unboxing Photos

The new MacBook, boxed.

Nice packaging.  The MacBook comes in a very green, no frills box that doesn’t waste a lot of cardboard or paper.  There may not be a lot to this; but honestly, it ships from China this way, and if it can ship internationally like this, you don’t have to worry too much about getting it from the Apple Store to your house in this baby.

Ta-daaaa! There’s my baby! (Ain’t she pretty?!)

Ohh! Its so shiny!

The contents of the box

Again…no frills. The box doesn’t have much in it beyond the PC, charger and charger cord.  The black envelope has the traditional “Everything Mac and Everything Else” literature.

The left side of my MacBook.

From left to right: MagSafe Power connection, Ethernet, 2 USB 2.x, Mini Display Port, Audio In, Audio out and Kensington Lock connector.

The right side of my MacBook – the 8x Super Drive

MacBook Pro Comparison Photos
These photos compare the size of my new MacBook with my circa 2006 MacBook Pro. I thought it would be cool to see the size difference between the two machines, since I was giving up the bigger machine for the smaller one.

There’s certainly a size difference between the MBP and the MB

As you can see, There’s a good inch or so on either edge of the MacBook, where the MacBook Pro can be seen underneath. While that doesn’t seem like a lot of space, when the screen is open, it makes quite a bit of difference.

Left sides – MB on top

As you can see from the above, all of the new MacBook’s expansion ports are on the left side of the PC.  I thought my MacBook Pro was thin.  At 0.95″, the new unibody MacBook is the thinnest full notebook I’ve had the privilege to own. Its also a full pound or so lighter than the 15″ models.  At the time of the purchase, the 13″ MacBook Pro had not been released, otherwise I would have purchased it.  This particular MacBook is definitely a go-between model between the white, plastic MacBook and the MacBook Pro line. It was also an obvious move for Apple to do away with this particular model and introduce the 13″ MacBook Pro in its place.

Right sides – MB on top

The new body designs have the CD drive on the right side for both the new MacBook and new MacBook Pro (the older PC’s, including my older MacBook Pro had the CD/DVD drive open on the front of the device). Now, with all expansion connectors on the same side, its a much easier job of connecting/disconnecting cables, or using a docking station.

Cost: The 13.3″ Unibody Apple MacBook ran $1299.99 to $1599.99.  As reviewed, the laptop was $2011, after RAM upgrade, Apple Care, tax, title, license, etc.

What I Liked: Besides the trackpad there’s very little to dislike about this laptop.  Thin, light and peppy, this baby is much easier to carry and runs Windows 7 without missing a beat.

What Needs Improvement: The trackpad leaves a bit to be desired. The entire thing is one big button, and I really think that it has issues regarding single and double finger touches, even after a couple of system and firmware updates.  There were a number of times when my touches were not recognized no matter what I did (and I knew the device was working).

The resolution on the internal display only pushes 1280 x 800.

Conclusion:
This is an Apple product. That’s a heavy statement, in that it is amazing what a US company can create when it brings the right vision together with the right people. Its by far the best laptop that I’ve ever used, though it does have a few minor quirks.  The power button is on the inside of the PC, meaning that if you do use it with any kind of docking solution, you’re going to have to work out a way to open it up, turn it on, and if needed, close it and then wake it from Sleep if necessary.

Working with the device with any kind of external monitor can be a bit clunky, as I don’t think the Apple paradigm for their laptops truly includes this option, even though they make awesome external displays. If it did, then there would truly be some sort of docking solution or centralized external connector for quickly and easily connecting ALL of your external devices, including speakers, monitor, USB cables, etc. My point – If the device were truly meant to replace a desktop (as some of the MacBook Pro line undoubtedly can, the PC would be designed to more readily support this.  As it stands, with its stellar screen and comfortable keyboard, as well as its stand alone design (and hefty price point), Apple doesn’t truly expect you to use the PC with external devices.

Opinion – How Google can Trump the iPad

Ok… no brainer announcement of the century – Apple has totally captured the digital media market.  The iPhone/iPad/iPod Classic/Touch rule the school when it comes to traveling with your digital goodies. 

With iTunes you can buy, collect, organize, and synchronize

• Photos
• Videos
• Movies
• TV Shows
• Music
• Applications, and
• eBooks

You can also synchronize your

• Address Book/Contacts
• Calendars
• e-Mail Accounts

You can see the full article at JAMM. 

Opinion – Why iPad Competitors will Fail

Wow.

The Apple iPad

The Apple iPad sure has the entire world interested in what it can do.  I’ve had everyone from managers and directors at the office (including the Chief Medical Information Officer at the hospital where I used to work) ask me what it was, if it was for them, and why they should buy one. Those are hard questions to answer, especially if you don’t know what the person’s intended use for the device is. However, I have had a fair number of those same people indicate that they were going to wait until either a MS/Windows or Android tablet was released and they were going to get it.

Really?

Personally, I think this is a horrible idea.  Here’s why…

I had a conversation about this in my neighbor’s back yard yesterday afternoon. The iPad in many ways may be the "magical device" that Steve Jobs is painting it out to be; but there is one (or just a very small handful of) reason(s) why it may have a lock on the tablet market already. The iTunes Eco System.

Everybody and their brother has their undies in a potential knot over WSJ rumors that the iPhone will be coming to Verizon this summer.  The writing team here at JAMM has been oohing and ahhing over the possibilities…everyone except me, that is. In my opinion, this moves makes no sense, and if it is true, could be a move in the wrong direction for Apple..  Here’s why…

Picture taken from ZDNet

 

I've got a compelling opinion piece over at JAMM related to the iPhone coming to Verizon Wireless. Why don't you give it a read and then let me know what you think by joining in the discussion!

I’ve got tons of retail management experience.  I was managing computer retail stores between the ages of 16 – 18. I’ve been a gadget geek all my life.

One of the things that I usually advise people against when purchasing electronics, though is purchasing an extended warranty.  Unless you are going to be taking said electronics into a somewhat less than hospitable environment (like my family room, with my boys and most of their toys), the only thing that purchasing an extended warranty plan does is increase margin dollars for the store.  Most products, if they fail, usually fail during the warranty period, and the manufacturer’s warranty is usually sufficient to cover the loss or needed repairs.

Is AppleCare worth the price..?

All of that changed when I started buying Apple products, though.

AppleCare is more than an extended warranty program.  Its an engraved invitation to a better customer service experience should you have trouble with your Apple stuff. Depending on what Apple product I am purchasing (and who I’m buying it for), I won’t buy it without AppleCare.

Here’s what I’d purchase AppleCare for:

• MacBook/MacBook Air/MacBook Pro – Yes, during purchase
• iMac/Mac Mini/Mac Pro – Yes, during purchase
• Apple Display – Yes, during purchase
• iPhone – Yes, during first year
• iPod Touch/Classic/Nano – Depends on who its for; but if not necessarily during purchase
• Apple Tablet – Yes, during purchase

Please take notice of the last bullet there.  If Apple does release a tablet, AND it is available for purchase immediately following the press event.  The first thing you should buy for it is AppleCare.  I don’t expect things to be problematic for the product, BUT as this is a new product class, and as no one is certain how successful it will be, having a care plan for it for the next 3 years will be key in insuring that your investment is protected.

Aside from hardware and software replacement for the contents of the box, you also get preferred treatment from Apple Geniuses and customer service when you call for help.  As this is going to be a new product class for Apple, having preferred status on your side when you bump into problems won’t hurt. I don’t expect it to have problems, but as its untried, I think its going to “more prone” to “issues” and “opportunities for improvement” than other well established products like the iPod (in all variations).

If Apple does release a tablet tomorrow, will AppleCare be the first thing you buy for it?  Why not chime in and let us know!

AT&T iPhone Exclusivity to End on Wednesday 27-Jan-10?

The winds of change are blowing. Constantly.

 

There’s a great deal of speculation about what is going to be revealed at Apple’s press event on Wednesday 27-Jan-10.  I saw an interesting article early this morning, and wasn’t quite sure how to take it.  I started poking around the internet a little and found other articles supporting it and still other articles mentioning it.  While that certainly doesn’t make the article either news or the truth, it certainly is reason to scratch your head.

I wrote a cool article about today's Apple Event and AT&T over at JAMM that you might find interesting. Will Apple and AT&T part ways today? Time will tell, but until the cat's out of the bag, it might be cool to speculate before the fireworks kick off later this morning.

Click the "via" link about to check it out!

I've got a nifty little write up on JAMM regarding the recent release of Apple's Boot Camp 3.1 with specific updates for Windows 7. If you haven't read it yet, you really need to check it out!

The "via" link above will take you right to the article.

Updates can be seen at the end of the original article.

A mocked up version of Apple’s rumored tablet PC…

There’s been a great deal of speculation over the past few months regarding the existence of an Apple tablet PC.  Will it have the same form factor as a traditional convertible tablet, with its swivel screen or will it be like a giant iPhone? Will it run the iPhone OS, or a full version of MacOS X?  Does it even exist?  Best question ever – will you buy one?

There are a lot of people who say that an Apple tablet is going to be an eBook winner and an Amazon Kindle killer.  I however am not convinced and it goes back to the EXACT same thing I said just over 18 months ago on Gear Diary regarding the iPhone 3G, unless the cell coverage is there, its not going to make a bit of difference what kind of device and what kind of features it has.  The iTablet (or iSlate, as its rumored to be called) isn’t going to kill anything if it sits on AT&T’s 3G network, especially here in the Chicago-land area.

Devices like the Amazon Kindle with WhisperNet (which runs on Sprint’s wireless network), the Nook, and yes even the iPhone 3G/3G S, aren’t successful unless there’s network coverage around to make them usable as a wireless device.  While I hate to say it, there IS a map for that, and there IS something to what Verizon is saying – coverage and the reliability of that coverage make, or break a wireless device.

Apple’s new tablet device is supposed to function as an eBook reader, and as a portable touch-based computer.  In other words, simply a 10 inch version of the iPhone.  Will it have more Mac like functionality?  Good question.  Will it just be a bigger and perhaps clunkier iPhone? Another good question.  Will it also run on AT&T’s network?  Man, the good questions just keep on coming! Let’s tackle those one at a time.

Will Apple’s tablet be a Mac like computer?
There’s been a great deal of speculation on what the next Apple device would be – netbook, tablet, eBook reader, perhaps all three.  The jury is still out on what the device will actually do, (or if it will even be introduced at all) though there’s a great deal of speculation out there.

Will it be a larger version of the iPhone?
This is, in my opinion possible, but very unlikely.  The device WILL be cellular based like the iPhone, but its not going to be a “giant” iPhone.  Apple is too smart to create confusion with its products and introducing a tablet device that is simply a giant iPhone with a $400-$600 price tag will do nothing more than flop.  The unlocked iPhone is in that price range, and Apple isn’t in the habit of introducing products/devices with overlapping feature sets.

Will Apple partner with AT&T for the iTablet/iSlate?
Again, this is possible, but very unlikely in my opinion.  Amazon chose Sprint for WhisperNet for a specific reason – Sprint rides on a lot of Verizon’s 3G towers through roaming agreements, and they’re cheaper than Verizon itself.  AT&T has taken a great deal of bad press recently claiming that they’re going to charge large bandwidth consumers a higher data plan rate.  They’ve also been rumored to have stopped selling the iPhone 3G S in the New York area because of complaints and problems with their network coverage.  AT&T has taken a huge hit with their network, the bad press, etc., and Apple would do very well to rethink their partnership with the number 2 wireless carrier in The States.

There’s supposed to be an Apple event some time in January where the tablet will be officially introduced.  Many of us are watching for some kind of official announcement from Apple on the event; but nothing has been set in stone as of this writing.  I’ll get keeping my eyes and ears open; and if something does turn up, you’ll see something here as well as at iTechGear.org.

Apple’s official event graphic for 1/27/10…

UPDATE:
Apple has scheduled a media event for Wednesday January 27, 2010. The title of the event, “Come see our latest creation!,” really begs the existence of the Apple Tablet. Recently, Fox News let the cat out of the bag right after Apple announced the event.  The Boy Genius Report recently posted on what they thought were going to be four big announcements related to the tablet.  We commented on this on JAMM -

• There will be multi-touch gestures OS-wide. (Would make sense for that as the rumored OS for the iTablet is close if not the same as the iPhone)
• “A few new ways” to run applications in the background — multitasking.
• Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient. We haven’t had this broken down, but we can only hope for improved notifications, a refreshed home screen, etc.
• The update will supposedly be available for only the iPhone 3G and 3GS, but will “put them ahead in the Smartphone market because it will make them more like full-fledged computers” more than any other phone to date. Everyone is “really excited.”
• The last piece of information is the most vague, but apparently there will be some brand new syncing ability for the contacts and calendar applications.

There are rumors of a few different names for the device – the iPad, the iTablet and the iSlate.  Apple seems to be behind most, if not all, of the copyright and patent applications behind the names here in The States and worldwide.  So it will be interesting to see what happens next week.

As far as what iPhone OS 4.0 will include, I’m actually not surprised with anything that BGR cited.  If a tablet is going to be introduced (and no official information has come out EITHER WAY, supporting or refuting the rumor) it would have to support multi-touch throughout the operating system.  There isn’t going to be a built in touchpad.  The screen’s the thing…

Apple has pushed pretty hard against the idea of native multitasking in the iPhone from the word go.  Their take – it takes away from the overall device experience, and we’ve given you multitasking capabilities on everything we feel it should multitask.  For Apple to turn around now, and reverse that decision and enable OS-wide multitasking would be a huge surprise.  Its unusual for Apple to back track on its publically announced decisions (including the denial of a netbook or a tablet…) so go figure.

The last bullet, specifically related to a new synching ability for contacts and calendar apps really points to Apple’s licensing of Exchange ActiveSync in Snow Leopard.  Have they really embraced Exchange ActiveSync at the OS level?  Will OSX 10.6.3 bring updates to this ability for everyone?  Will iPhone OS 4.x enable the use of the iPhone 3G (S) as a business tool, or will there still be holes to fill?

Yesterday, I was asked to be a guest on the TechVi Bottom Line, hosted by Iyaz Atkhar. I was joined by Dana Wollman from Laptop Magazine and was representing JAMM.  The topic for the show..?  You guessed it – the Apple press event on 1/27. Specifically, will there be an Apple tablet or not.  You can see the video show below.

I love working with Iyaz and Randall Bennett.  TechVi shows are short, sweet, very informative, and usually cover some very topical issues.  I was thrilled to be contacted on Monday and asked to represent JAMM for the show!  The thing I liked the most about THIS particular show was some of the behind the scene discussions that we had before and after the taping. 

While I won’t assign specific comments to any one person, suffice it to say that no one REALLY knows just what Apple is going to introduce as its” latest creation.”  There’s a great deal of speculation out there. Will it be a giant iPhone (a GiPhone, as I like to call it), a tablet PC with Bluetooth so that it can connect with Apple’s wireless keyboard (effectively adopting a true slate tablet PC form factor)?  Will it have e-ink support and allow the user to write on the screen (like a standard tablet PC)? Will it run OS-X, iPhone OS (OS 3.x, OS 4.x??), dual boot both so it can couple with Amazon’s Kindle software for the iPhone/iPod Touch and be an Amazon enabled, Macintosh-esque eBook reader as well as a tablet PC?

All of these are great questions; and NO ONE in the industry is willing to say definitively what will happen, as official word from Apple hasn’t leaked, and won’t come before the event on the 27th. This one has the potential to be huge, and no one, myself included, wants to be wrong.

I also saw an interesting article on Apple Insider related to AT&T’s needed investment to make its wireless network equivalent to Verizon’s.  The cost – a mind numbing $5-7 BILLION dollars (yes, that’s Carl Sagan “Billions”).   In Chicago-land, this is key and critical.

Even though Chicago is already covered by 3G service, the coverage, well…well, it sucks.  Not only would they have to cover more of the country, but AT&T would have to even out and plug holes in their coverage to insure tower hand-offs didn’t kill calls and data connections (a chronic problem experienced by me and nearly EVERY iPhone user here in Chi-town).

AT&T should have been reinvesting in its wireless infrastructure during its iPhone exclusivity.  If it had, bringing the GiPhone or Apple Tablet to AT&T could have been a no-brainer.  Now, because there *IS* a map for that, not only is Verizon Wireless (or nearly any other major US carrier) a better choice, AT&T is so far behind, that this Herculean effort will not only be costly, but painful for employees and customers alike.

What do YOU think?  Will Apple announce its tablet on January 27th?  Will it be tethered to AT&T? If not, will it be VzW, some other carrier or truly unlocked(GSM/CDMA/LTE compatible)? Why not join me in the discussion below, and give me your thoughts?

This Holiday, with the economy in the tentative state that its in, I’ve had a number of people approach me with similar questions about techie gifts for their loved ones.  What should I get?  How much is too much to spend? Where do I start?

Those are all great questions.  I’ve got a couple of suggestions for the technology minded.  Let’s take a quick look at what’s available and you can make the best decisions for you, your family, and your budget…and don’t worry.  This really isn’t as difficult as you think it is.  Oh; and by the way. Just for the record, I am NOT an Apple fan boy… You’ll understand why in a moment.

Mobile Devices
Yes, kids…its a Smartphone kind of year.  HTC is tearing it up with introductions in the Windows Phone and Android platforms, on nearly all four major wireless carriers.  However, before you can get started, you need to pick a wireless carrier. If you have a regional carrier (like US Cellular, here in the Chicago-land area) with a killer deal, look at it long and hard before passing it up for one of the majors.  However, here’s my quick set of guidelines for the major carriers:

Verizon Wireless – If you do a lot of travelling, go with them.  They have signal everywhere (there IS a map for that).  However, be prepared to pay a premium for the better coverage.  They have to make up the cost of implementing their network somehow, and they’ve passed it on to their customers.  Their phone choices are getting better with the Motorola Droid, but they generally suck.

Recommended Device – The Moto Droid.  This iPhone competitor won’t replace the iPhone, and its not without its own challenges, but by all accounts, its a great device.

 

The Motorola Droid on Verizon Wireless…

AT&T Wireless – Depending on your geographic location, your coverage may be better than what we have here in Chicago-land.  For me, the coverage is WAY less than desirable; but they have decent phones, including the iPhone.  Pick AT&T (generally) if you’re looking for the latest devices, or if you gift of choice this Holiday Season is the iPhone. Its going to exist nowhere else until June 2010 at the earliest.

Recommended Device – The Apple iPhone (obviously).  If you’re looking for the iPhone experience, NOTHING out there on any other carrier is going to be able to replace it.

 

The Apple iPhone is THE quintessential Smartphone…

Sprint – Sprint shares some (but not all) towers with Verizon Wireless.  They are a middle of the ground carrier when it comes to service, rate plans and phone choices.  Be careful when looking at Sprint, their retention rates are low, and there’s rumors that they are being looked at by Deutch Telekom (they own T-Mobile).

Recommend Device – The HTC Touch Pro 2.  This Windows Phone is one of the best on the market, made by the darling of the Smartphone arena.

 

The HTC Touch Pro 2 is a great Windows Phone…

T-Mobile – They have the best rate plans in town. Period. Their coverage generally stinks so if you’re budget minded and looking for a phone for a loved one this Holiday Season, check T-Mobile’s coverage map first. Travelers will be out of luck with T-Mo, as their National coverage tends to stick to about 1500 yards either side of a nearby interstate highway.  Here in Chicago-land however, their coverage is better than AT&T.  Their phone choices are also not too bad, with at least two new Windows Phones and three Android phones.

Recommended Device – The Moto CLIQ. This Android powered phone is a social network junkie’s dream, bringing all of your favorite networks down into one convenient interface.  Watch for my review of the device on Just Another Mobile Monday.

 

The Moto CLIQ’s strengths lie in social networking…

MP3 Players
Despite what Microsoft is trying to do with the Zune and the Zune HD, Apple really wrote the book on the portable music player. If you’re looking to get a loved one an MP3 player, in my mind the question to ask yourself is what kind of iPod to get, and how big.  In my mind, there are really two choices – iPod Shuffle, the iPod Nano, or the iPod Touch.

No…I didn’t miscount. The Apple iPod is the quintessential music player. Its form, function and unfortunately, its price point singularly distinguish it as the multimedia player to have.

iPod Shuffle
The Shuffle is the entry level iPod, giving you random playback of selected songs.  If budget is an issue for you, this is the way to get the iPod experience at under $100. Its a difficult deal to pass up; and the iTunes experience is worth the cost. 

Starting at just $59, the Shuffle just may be the iPod for you…

iPod Nano
The Nano, with its new video camera offers video (obviously…movies and TV shows), pictures, and music for under $200 bucks. With the inclusion of the aforementioned video camera, it takes social to a whole new level.  This is the iPod that most teens and tweens want. Its small, offers varying color choices and gives them a creative outlet with its internal video camera.  Starting at $150 bucks, this is a really nice holiday gift, one that most everyone would like.

 

Starting at $159, the iPod Nano with video is a teen’s holiday dream come true…

iPod Touch
While Apple will tell you that the Touch is for everyone, its really a high end device, targeted at gamers and geeks. Starting at $199 for a meager 8GB, this device is the next portable, handheld gaming platform of choice, provided Apple doesn’t annoy all of their developers out of the business.

 

Starting at $199 for just 8Gb, the Touch is a high end gaming device…

Laptops
Without getting into a netbook, because some of them are just too small in size for some people, basic laptops can cost anywhere from $299.99 to $499.99. Be careful here.  If you’re in the market for a new portable PC, get something that provides anywhere from 1.5-2.0gHz of speed and at least 1GB of RAM.  Any speed CD/DVD writer will work, and any size hard drive 160GB or higher will provide adequate storage for a reasonable price.  RAM and hard drives are easy upgrades for notebooks later, and with prices on both coming down, you can add extra life later to a purchase today.

Recommended Budget Buy – For $389.99 you can get this Acer Aspire AS5517-5086 Notebook from Tiger Direct.

Desktops
Refurbished or used Mac desktops can be a GREAT value.  Macs tend to hold their value longer than Windows PC’s; and used or refurbished Macs are WONDERFUL media PC’s when hooked to an HDTV or HT monitor.  They also make a great first PC for young kids and educational software, especially if the desktop you find is an Intel based Mac (so it can run Windows in a Boot Camp partition).  Check eBay or Craig’s List for these kinds of deals.

Recommended Budget Buy – For a mere $189.99, you can get an eMachines ET1810-01 desktop computer from Tiger Direct. 

 

Check out Tiger Direct, near Aurora, or New Egg for some other really great deals.

I hope this buyer’s guide has given you some ideas. Buying tech-toys or gifts isn’t hard when you understand what’s out there and what their limitations are.

Have a Happy Holiday!

Apple is unsurprisingly already at work on the next version of its operating system, according to a new technical message that references Mac OS X 10.7.

As first discovered by MacRumors, a new database entry for the open source "launchd" framework responsible for booting Mac OS X references "11A47" with a new error message. Based on Apple's numbering scheme, the numerical prefix of a Mac OS X build determines the version number, and 11A47 would suggest a reference to the next version of the operating system, Mac OS X 10.7.

When it shipped, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard carried the build number 10A432, and subsequent updates 10.6.1 and 10.6.2 had the prefixes 10B and 10C, respectively. For Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, 10.5.0 builds leading up to launch were represented by the prefix 9A.

I saw this on AppleInsider today and was intriguied by it. The staff there indicate that they aren't surprised that work on 10.7 has already begun. As a software quality professional I agree. As a consumer, I was a bit surprised. the bits for 10.6.2 are still cooling, and Apple is pressing ahead with 10.7. I wonder what it will include..?