The iPhone ships with many useful apps as well as those that can be downloaded from the iPhone App Store. These let me perform many tasks I previously could only do with my laptop. Being able to have this much computing power wherever I go was the major selling point.

Email via IMAP is seamless, Google Maps with GPS has been invaluable living in a new area, my todo items sync with Things, iCal and Address Book work pretty much as expected, and the games provide enjoyable entertainment especially on long flights when I get bored. Pretty much anything you can do on a laptop, you’ll be able to find similar functionality on the iPhone via third party apps. I’m even able to use SSH to access and administer my servers.

There are only two missing areas I’ve noticed so far on a non-jailbroken iPhone – streaming video capture and support for other programming languages (specifically I’d like to run Ruby). I have read that streaming video via Qik is coming soon though.

I’ve also had phones with integrated wifi before, but the iPhone switches automatically, and so seamlessly, that I’m amazed. I’ll be on Edge or 3G in my car and when I walk in the house, I’m already on our wifi network.

Everything just works and that’s the beauty of the iPhone. There’s little hackery needed to get going, but the ability to dig in and really get stuff done is there for those who want to. Just like Mac’s OSX.

Many of the reported iPhone negatives revolve around two areas – battery life and the onscreen keyboard. I’ll be writing more about the battery life in the future, but with normal usage I get over 4 hours and about 21 hours of standby time. Considering the iPhone functions as a tiny laptop for me, this is superb! Do you ever hear anyone complaining about getting 4+ hours out of their laptop?

The keyboard did take a little while to get used to, but I now find that typing on the iPhone’s onscreen keyboard is much easier and faster than my previous BlackBerry and Dash. It’s also as fast as my previous favorite, the SideKick. Typing works even better in iPhone applications that enable landscape mode. My only annoyance so far is that landscape mode typing is not yet available in the email application.

In addition to purchasing the new device, I also switched from T-Mobile to AT&T. The basic comparison is AT&T has much better coverage (both Edge and 3G), but offers more expensive plans. For the same price (both including unlimited data), I had a T-Mobile plan with 1500 anytime minutes while the AT&T plan has 450 minutes with 5000 night and weekend. At&T offers a rolling 12 months of rollover minutes, so it still works out for me based on past usage.

If you’re on the fence between a BlackBerry, a Google Android device, or the iPhone, I can wholeheartedly recommend the iPhone. The much publicized drawbacks are really non-issues, but you won’t realize this until you have some extended time with the iPhone.

In upcoming posts I’m going to look at some of these issues as well as the applications that are truly making the iPhone an exciting computing platform.

We had a lively discussion that covered a full range of topics including the benefits and potential pitfalls of using RSS, blogs, social networks, and other buzzwords commonly associated with “Web 2.0″.

The full podcast can now be found here.

With a very small team of organizers (Nathanial Talbott and Jeremy McAnally), the Ruby Hoedown was a nice blend of high level, big thought talks with some technical ones. It’s a nice balance for a day and a half conference where the focus was on sharing knowledge and meeting others in the Ruby community. A great added bonus was the fact that the conference was only $100 to attend.

While on a much larger scale, SXSW provides a similar type of environment composed of these two similar factors – a blend of high level vs. low level talks and a focus on the interactions of the attendees.

While large conferences like RailsConf, SXSW, and Gnomedex obviously draw big names and large audiences, smaller regional conferences may provide the most for your investment when you consider how much easier it is to get to know attendees. I walked away from the Hoedown with new knowledge and some new friends that may spur my business in unforeseen future directions.

I hope these regional conferences are a trend that continues.

Technorati Tags: 37signals, highrise, software

Twitter is a cross between IM, blogging, and SMS if that makes any sense. In what would seemingly appear useless spraying of what a person is doing at any moment in time, Twitter enables groups of people to keep up with that everyone is doing (or thinking as the case may be).

Filling a role not quite satisfied by blogs and chat, Twitter can act as a true lifeblog as Steve Rubel mentioned recently. Each post on Twitter is limited to 140 characters, just enough for a few brief thoughts. These are the kind of topics that you wouldn’t actually write to a blog. These simple missives would take way too much time to blog and are more personal in nature than most people write on a blog anyway. The service functions in much the same way as adding a status away message in your IM client. Just a brief note letting your friends know what you’re up to.

There may even be some potential business use here. I’m starting to see numerous companies and news sites distribute information via Twitter. I added CNN Breaking News to my Twitter list and I like how unobtrusive the messages come through. I can see a business offer service or product development updates via Twitter as another form of communication that doesn’t require any response or work from the recipient.

And this is probably the key aspect of Twitter – no action is necessary on the reader’s part. When using IM or email, the sender expects a response. With a service like Twitter, the sender is just posting updates on what’s happening in their life. It should be quite interesting to see if it moves beyond the early adopter crowd. Additionally, I can’t wait to see how Twitter holds up at SXSW starting this weekend!

I definitely recommend checking out Twitter to see how this works for yourself. If you sign up, feel free to add me as a friend. If you’re on a Mac, I also recommend using Twitterific as a nice persistent desktop client.

UPDATE: I just saw an interesting post on “why twitter matters” via a Rubel link post.

Technorati Tags: twitter, software

It’s been developed using newest web2.0 technologies so it’s fast and user friendly.

This was written by the developer of a newly released web application. I’m not trying to embarrass anyone here, so I’ll leave off the name and the application. So what’s wrong with this statement? It’s the assumption (by many I might add), that using Web 2.0 technologies leads to a speed increase and user friendliness.

In my experience, the user friendliness of an application has very little direct correlation to the technology used for development. What matters is how that technology is applied. This concept is true not just on the web, but across all markets where technology is used as a critical part of the product or service.

The focus needs to be on the customer. Users of an application could really care less about what technology is being used to create the software. We run into this issue all the time with RSS feeds. The acronym doesn’t matter to the end-user. The technology doesn’t matter. All that matters is relieving the pain. If you can help a customer do their job better, easier, or faster, they won’t care what technology you used to build the application. There really is no new technology around Web 2.0 applications. Those associated with Web 2.0 (such as Ajax, RSS, and APIs) have bee around for quite a while. What makes these technologies special are the new techniques and concepts being used to build these applications.

The lesson here? You can build a crappy application using any process if you don’t focus on your customers and what they value.

Technorati Tags: marketing, technology, software, web+2.0

1) download and install both drivers on this LinuxPrinting.org page: http://www.linuxprinting.org/macosx/samsung-gdi/
2) setup the printer as a Samsung ML-1210

These steps worked great and I’m back in business! The Linux Foundation also has a good reference for many other printers.

Technorati Tags: apple, mac, mac os x, os x, printing

Let me try to explain. But first, I know what you’re thinking. Why must every new switcher to a Mac, write about it in their blog? Why do they all start sounding like Apple fanboys from the moment they switch? I’ll tell you why new switchers to Macs get excited – everything just works. After a few days of working through the newness of everything, I’m easily more productive than I was on Windows XP. And that wasn’t a horrible operating system all things considered. But Mac OS X is just smooth, especially if you like the efficiency of using keyboard commands instead of endlessly hunting for applications and menu items. My current Windows laptop had slowed to a crawl (as usual) after less than two years. When I did some research and realized that I would be unable to run Vista well with my existing laptop, I finally decided to look at all the alternatives.

The research
Before switching, I did a lot of research. If anything, I was a Mac hater. I was one of those people who insulted Mac users without ever even having used one for enough time to make an informed decision. My recent experiences lead me to believe that most of those who are so vehemently opposed to Macs are uninformed just like I was. There’s nothing wrong with preferring Windows to Macs. You can’t dispute a personal choice. But to hold such staunch opinions without actually taking the time to use and learn the OS isn’t rational. So after seeing all the positives regarding Macs, I decided to dive in and really find out what was going on.

While I was at it, I read a lot about the Ubuntu Linux distribution and decided to compare it against Windows XP and Mac OS X. The first thing I did was make a list of all the applications I used on a regular basis. In my opinion, this is one of the best ways to evaluate whether you can actually switch and be happy (as well as productive). For the vast majority of users, the applications are the point of using a computer. So I attempted to find what apps already existed for my potential new operating system and which have equivalents. My definition of “equivalent” may be quite different from yours though. For example, from the research I did, there is no equivalent to Quicken. Period. There are applications on all three platforms that help with your personal finances, but nothing comes close to the functionality provided by the recent versions of Quicken.

I installed Ubuntu on a relatively new, low-end Dell box and tried to use it as much as possible for two weeks. While Ubuntu is rock solid (it’s been up and running for a month now with no reboots), the applications are just not there yet for the average user. OpenOffice.org and Firefox run as expected, but that was about it for me. I thought software like Wine or CrossOver, would allow me to run the Windows programs I needed (like FeedDemon), but I had real trouble getting either to work correctly. While I liked the idea of Ubuntu and was glad to hear about many others switching, I found it just wasn’t ready for prime time. Ubuntu may never reach the status of an operating system for the average user and that may be a good thing. But Ubuntu may not have to achieve that goal to be successful. The simple fact that I could consider Ubuntu as an actual option shows they’re made considerable progress with a desktop focused Linux distro. If your needs are basic (web browsing and basic office type apps) or you’re a Linux person, Ubuntu may be for you.

The applications
Installing iTunes on my Windows laptop made me buy an iPod. Initially, I couldn’t understand why everyone loved them. If you compare a list of MP3 player features, the iPod never wins. It’s unparalleled in the user experience though and this makes all the difference, Take a technology that is reasonably complex and make it dead simple to use. iTunes just worked in a way that Windows Media Player never could. This finally opened my eyes to what Apple was doing. The same process led me to the Mac. Once again I started seeing all the excellent applications available for the Mac. After keenly watching and learning about Macs over the past year, I became quite envious of the software available.

Going back to my application comparison list, all the applications I needed (plus those that I wanted) were on the Mac. Not only were most of my regular applications already on Mac OS X, but there were numerous ones I found vastly superior to their counterparts on the Windows platform. A short list of these include Keynote, Pages, Adium, OmniOutliner, and ecto. I also don’t miss Outlook, as I now prefer the distributed three piece combo of Mail, iCal, and Address Book much better. I decided to skip Entourage altogether. Interestingly, I find the Mac version of Office just as frustrating as the Windows version so I’m weaning myself from it altogether.

What made the switch to Mac OS X a no-brainer was Parallels. This software enables you to run Windows and its applications on your Mac. I’m not talking about a dual-boot here. You can literally have a Windows app on your desktop right beside a native Mac app. Easily run Windows and Mac on the same laptop. Talk about the best of both worlds. The impact of Apple moving to the Intel chips is just starting to really hit home for me. Windows on my Mac runs better than it did on my Dell. Of course, my MacBook Pro is a more powerful peice of hardware overall, but nonetheless it’s impressive.

Ruby on Rails
The final piece of the puzzle was Ruby on Rails. As my company began moving away from developing software in Microsoft .NET to Ruby on Rails, a few things became quite apparent. Even though Rails development on Windows is fine, there a some better tools available for the Mac. Specifically, TextMate is a superb peice of software that has abolutely no comparison in Windows. Additionally, the Rails core team and many Rails developers work on Mac. Oddly enough, in this community, Macs are in the majority.

Summary
Over time, I’ll be following this post up with a few more related ones. I’ll discuss specifically what I really love about my new Mac and another on the drawbacks. Coming from Windows, the Mac transition is not as easy as some would make you believe. So, in an attempt at balanced coverage, I will talk about both after using my Mac on a regular basis a bit longer.

While I’ve switched to a Mac, I doubt I’ll ever be able to completely move away from Windows (though I hope to at some point). This is why I think Parallels is such a game changer. It removes all the final excuses a potential switcher may have. If you’re in the market for a new computer, do yourself a favor and at least check out a Mac. I’ll save my rant on why Macs are not more expensive than equivalent Windows machines for a later day.

Technorati Tags: apple, mac, os+x, mac+os+x, switch, windows

As a free service operated by Berkeley Data Systems, Mozy is hands down the best automated backup system I’ve used for a Windows based computer. I say that for two reasons – ease of use and automation.

First, Mozy is easy to setup and doesn’t require any specialized knowledge of your file system to get started. Anyone, even a novice user, can install and operate Mozy. The option to specify specific folders and files exists (which is what I do), but the initial setup starts by asking you to select types of files you want to backup in what they call backup sets. For example, the user is given the option to select all spreadsheets and databases, word processing documents, presentations, email, music, etc. For the average person (or simply as a great time saver), this is a wonderful solution. What do I want to back up? All my photos, images, music, and movies? Done with a couple clicks off a check box.

The second area where Mozy excels is its automation. A backup solution is simply no good if it doesn’t occur automatically, in the background, so you don’t have to think about it. This is where every other solution I’ve tried has failed. They always left some element of the backup to human intervention and thus error. I never think about Mozy. The only time I notice it is when the service asks me if I want to install a new, updated version. Otherwise, the only other cue that Mozy exists is an icon on the Windows task bar.

Finally, security is important in any backup solution. Mozy takes care of this with 128-bit SLL encryption when you send data to the service and 448-bit Blowfish encryption when the data is on their servers.

So where’s the catch right? How can they offer 2GB of online storage for free? Well, the initial business model when I started using Mozy was that they would send emails with advertising to users in exchange for use of the service. They took some heat from Mashable for that, but to be honest I thought an occasional email was well worth the trade-off. I suppose some people were expecting them to spam the hell out of users, but to date I’ve never received more than a single email per month from them. It appears their new business model harks to the “freemium” approach. Mozy offers 2GB for free and you can then upgrade to their premium service for $4.95 per month that provides 30GB of storage. Their terms still reference their right to send you advertising emails, but I personally have not seen more than one per month.

I stumbled on the site a while back, bookmarked it, but never though of it again. Then I read this post on Ajaxian and took another look.

Billing itself as “the most comprehensive API collection on the web”, I’d have to agree. Once you start typing in some keywords, their API search box uses Ajax to quickly pull up relevant results across any of the APIs you select as you type.

I really like the idea of having one site to search through different languages, frameworks, and tools. If you’re using multiple technologies, I highly recommend this as a resource. My only criticism is I wish there were even more APIs included especially some of the lesser known libraries. It appears gotAPI will support more of these, but it’s up to the maintainers to submit to them.