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July 1, 2009
Technology Breakdown
I just can't tell you how retarded I look walking around, but if you've ever seen me, you know. I'm dangerously "over-tech'ed", as they say. I routinely carry two cameras, a camera bag, two laptops, and a cell phone. When I sit down and start plugging in, I drain more power from the grid than a third world country.
When I flew in on Monday, for whatever reason, my cell phone ceased to function properly. Now, keep in mind it is...or rather was...a RAZR. I hated that phone with a passion, so I was about as upset when the phone died as I was when I heard Billy Mays passed away.
But, it was a phone, which meant that I had to replace it, of course. Because I couldn't communicate any more, which sucks beyond belief. I felt roughly like I felt when we were hunkered down in the Spring blizzard for 3 days without power.
I'd considered getting an iPhone, but I despise all Apple products with a passion normally reserved for governmental agencies, liberal talk show hosts, and off-key pitchmen. The iPhone doesn't have a keyboard, of course. And they flat out refuse to support Adobe Flash. And you can't use it as a tethered modem for a laptop. And it's too big. And, you have to use iTunes, I'm sure, which I hate in ways I can't go into without throwing glasses and breaking plates.
I liked the idea of a Blackberry, but you can't surf the web with one, really. At least, not that I'm aware of. Not that I've ever held one, mind you. Most people with technology know enough to keep it out of my desperate little hands. My last cell phone before the RAZR was a StarTac, for God's sake.
I don't get good coverage in the mountains where I live in CO, so I wanted to get away from Verizon anyway. I wanted to at least try AT&T or Sprint. I'd wanted to try this for some time. I'd been planning a break with my provider.
Plus, I really needed a new iPod and a new GPS.
But, I'd heard that Palm had finally gotten their sh1t together and come up with a new phone called the Palm Pre that was supposed to be an iPhone killer. Sort of like a slider Blackberry with an iPhone type touch screen. That runs Adobe Flash. And has a USB charger. And shows up as a drive in Windows Explorer. And isn't made by Apple. And doesn't have iTunes. And doesn't run Windows CE. And doesn't use Verizon as a carrier. And works as a tethered-modem.
So I started looking at the Palm Pre when they announced it early this year. When my phone died, I thought...WTF? What have I got to lose? I'll go get one and take it for a test drive.
I'm not normally a fan of consolidating a lot of products into one. I got the cell phone on Monday and in I played with it for a little bit, and I thought...oh crap...why did I get this piece of junk...this will never work. But after playing with it for a day or two, I've now decided that it is by far the coolest phone I've ever held. Now I think I can't live without it. It gives me turn by turn directions as a GPS, plays mp3 files that I can copy over under Windows explorer. It shows up as a drive in XP - and I think of all the hacking I did to crack open that god-damned Verizon RAZR. I could murder those fuckers for what they put me through.
Oh - FYI - apparently they backed off their plan to let it funtion as a tethered modem. Probably Sprint balked at the idea. So, I was disappointed by this, but other than that, I freaking love this phone. You just can't begin to know how cool this phone is. Go get one. You'll love it.
Posted by Rob Kiser on July 1, 2009 at 11:16 PM
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