From the people who spent BILLIONS on Vista, comes this GEM of an ad campaign:
$10 million. That's how much they're spending on the Jerry ads. I say this is Seinfield's way of sabotaging Microsoft. Steve Jobs, you're one devious fellow
AppleInsider has a great post on Apple Inc.'s upcoming 64-bit OS, Snow Leopard, which explores who modern OSes (Windows XP, Vista, Mac OS X) deal with RAM:
One developer we consulted about the issue noted, "consumers are being scammed by [PC] OEMs on a large scale. OEMs will encourage customers to upgrade a 2GB machine to 4GB, even though the usable RAM might be limited to 2.3GB. This is especially a problem on high-end gaming machines that have huge graphics cards as well as lots of RAM."
"Microsoft even changed the way the OS reports the amount of RAM available; rumor is, due to pressure from OEMs," the developer told us. "In Vista and prior, it reported usable RAM, while in SP1 they changed it to report installed RAM ignoring the fact that much of the RAM was unusable due to overlap with video memory." And so many PC users are installing 4GB of RAM in their PCs and thinking that it is being used by the system, when in fact it is no more beneficial than if the RAM were simply poked halfway into the CD slot.
Read the full, excellent analysis, here.
After a full month using the iPhone, the bill came to:
$59.98, before discount and before taxes.
That includes: $15 shared family plan $30 data plan, $7.00 call display, $1.03 for 911 fees and $6.95 system access fee.
But, I also saved $6.75 off the bill because of a 15 per cent Rogers bundling discount, putting the bill, before taxes, at $53.23.
Total monthly cost, including tax (but excluding long-distance charges): $61.24.
On another note, my full month's usage on the iPhone resulted in 126 megs of usage (up and down).
MONCTON - The BlackBerry Bold, Research in Motion's slickest and fastest handheld device to date, is a solid upgrade to the quintessential enterprise and government smartphone.
But there's not too much that's bold about the Bold, which features a series of handy improvements but few revolutionary changes.
The introduction of third generation (3G) wireless speeds, which come close to broadband Internet data rates, makes surfing the web on the Bold significantly faster than on previous BlackBerry devices. The Bold also boasts Wi-Fi connectivity, which offers a further speed increase with the added bonus that such connections don't count against your data plan with Rogers Communications Inc.
The Bold is only available through Rogers because it is the only carrier in the country with a 3G network. Other carriers, such as Telus Corp. and Bell Mobility, use the rival and incompatible CDMA format.
In addition to increased data speeds via 3G and Wi-Fi, the Bold also features built-in GPS support, a two megapixel camera for taking still shots or recording video and software that allows users to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the smartphone thanks to DataViz' Documents to Go.
The Bold has one gigabyte of built-in storage and has a slot for microSD/SDHC memory cards. The review unit had a 4 gigabyte data card.
The Bold isn't all business however - the unit features software for watching movies and listening to music and comes equipped with a 3.5 millimetre stereo jack as well as support for Bluetooth stereo headsets.
Video on the device looked clear and crisp on its 2.5 inch screen, which has a 480 x 320 pixel resolution.
The Bold also boasts a few games for killing time between meetings while travelling - including an addictive Sudoku game.
Overall the user interface on the Bold was fast and responsive. The BlackBerry operating system was relatively easy to learn how to use.
I did however have some trouble getting the GPS service to work - the unit took a long time to acquire satellites in both indoor and outdoor situations.
One area the Bold shines in is mobile web browsing. In toe-to-toe tests on Roger's 3G network in Moncton, the Bold's browser consistently beat out Apple Inc.'s iPhone 3G's Safari browser when it came to loading pages faster.
Typing on the Bold's QWERTY keyboard was quick and easy. The keys were large enough and had good depth, which made writing on it relatively pleasant.
The BlackBerry Bold features RIM's bread-and-butter BlackBerry push e-mail service and also provides enhanced support for Windows Live Hotmail and AOL, allowing for real-time delivery of Hotmail and AOL messages.
With the Bold, RIM has put a bit more polish into its smartphone designs. The unit boasts a black exterior bordered by a chrome finish and a leatherette back plate.
The device felt solid and durable, an improvement on past mainly plastic models that felt cheap and fragile.
While the Bold is a solid upgrade, it's not clear if its new features and look will be enough to entice existing users of relatively new models to upgrade. As for attracting new customers, the Bold's $399 price on a three-year contract will likely deter average consumers, leaving mainly corporate and government buyers as its main market.
UPDATE:
While I didn't mention this in the review, I think it's clear that if you're looking for the all-around coolest, smartest and sleekest smartphone, the iPhone 3G remains the clear choice.
I don't think the Bold is a competitor for the iPhone, based on both price and features. The rumoured touchscreen BlackBerry, codenamed Thunder, well, that's another story and another review.
From the Smartphone and Pocket PC Mag website:
I have sad news. After 11 years, we will be publishing a final 2008 issue of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine and then suspend publication! We are working hard to make it the best Windows Mobile issue ever, a keeper, a reference guide. In 2009 we will publish Smartphone magazine’s iPhone Life. Below, I’ve attempted to answer questions that have been asked of me:
Why are you “suspending” Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine at a time when Windows Mobile has never been stronger?
Read the full story here.
I love how the site worded that last sentence. I don't know if they were able to write that with a straight face given the paragraph above.
Hat tip to MacDailyNews.com, which has a hilarous take here.
From ZDNet:
Finally, Microsoft is responding to the long-running “Mac vs PC” advertising campaign and they’re tapping Jerry Seinfeld to be the pitchman. According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft’s $300 million campaign is kicking off with a $10 million bit with Seinfeld.
It’s too early to say whether the ads, set to debut September 4, can effectively counter Apple’s ads featuring the stodgy “PC” guy engaging in friendly, competitive banter with hip “Mac” dude. The campaign is well-established and widely recognized. Microsoft’s campaign, which the WSJ says will use some variation of the slogan “Windows, Not Walls,” appears to take a jab at Apple’s proprietary hardware and software products - namely the iPod and iTunes - and their inability to play nice with other products.
Read the full story here.
My take: Jerry, you can do better, waay better than this. Heck, even a reunion special would be better than being the face for the disaster than is Vista.
Palm Inc. has introduced a second Treo email phone in less than two months to challenge Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry and Apple Inc.'s iPhone, and end four straight quarters of losses.
This may be a pain for RIM, but it's hardly a threat to the iPhone.
And as for ending four straight quarters of losses - ain't going happen. What will happen in the next few years is RIM will enter the same downward spiral. RIM's decline may however be a bit slower than the once mighty Palm.
Read the full story here.
Wow. Now Apple's starting to get really serious about switching people over.
From the BBC:
Microsoft is planning a "privacy mode" for the next release of its Internet Explorer (IE) web browser.
By clicking a button, users of IE8 will be able to limit how much information is recorded about where they go online and what they do.
Microsoft watchers have spotted two patent applications covering ways to manage the amount of information a browser logs.
and here comes the crucial sentence:
When introduced the privacy mode will match features found on other browsers.
Nice.
Full story here.
