3G exists on the island of Oahu

I decided to turn on the 3G function yesterday while I was in Waikiki. I just could not believe that Apple would sell 3G iPhones in a graphic region that does not have 3G capabilities. Sure enough, the iPhone found 3G service within several feet outside my hotel. For some reason, in the room we stayed, not to mention hotel, there is no 3G availability until you walk outside and away from the building.

With 3G on today, I was using the GPS features but did not really notice the difference in speeds.

I also decided to turn back on Exchange on Monday. Here comes the battery drain. I just made a point to charge nightly.

3G GPS does it again

So I am still in Hawaii. Waikiki to be exact. It is almost insane to get a car to get around this approximately 1 square mile. Pretty much anything you want to do in town can be done by walking. The day before yesterday, Monday, we were looking for something to do. I thought I would not be going to the aquarium, but for under $20 for all four of us, I thought why not. The Waikiki Aquarium is very small, but in its day, it was the most advanced of the times. To get there, we had to walk down Kalakaua Ave, the main strip through Waikiki. I knew the aquarium was past the restaurant we ate at the night before, but I didn't bring the address. WHIP out the 'ol 3G and click to get our current position, type in the destination, and BLAMO! I am less than 1/4 mile from the aquarium. My interesting observation is that the directions and time to destination are based on driving. Not that it is a big deal, but would be nice if you could choose between drive and walk, since one way streets don't apply to me when I am walking to a destination.

Turning off Exchange

Since today was a weekend day, I decided to turn off exchange to conserve battery power. The 3G has the option to turn off "mail" for each account. This way, I guess you don't have to delete the account. By not having mail pushed from Exchange, the battery has lasted all day with room to spare. This includes playing some apps for about 30 minutes. This was definitely proof that Exchange is part of the battery hogging that occurs on the 3G.

3 Cheers for 3G GPS

So I am walking down Kalakaua street in Waikiki. I didn't bring my map that shows me where the Food Pantry grocery store is. All I know is that it is some direction northeast. After walking for a spell, I finally stopped to ask a groundskeeper at the Moana Surf Rider hotel, "if I turn left here, will I get to Food Pantry?" His answer in broken English was a yes. So I make the left and as I am walking down the street I realize that I should just pull out the iPhone. So I get my position via GPS. I type in Food Pantry in the search and it brings up the result on the map. BTW...this is using Edge...speed wasn't an issue. I actually overshot my mark with my guess walking. The 3G has a route for me via car, but more impressively, I have a blue pin which represents my current position. As I continue walking towards my destination, my blue pin is moving along with me!!!! SWEET!

3G so far just has too many pluses to outweigh some of the negative factors that can be improved upon. My love for Apple products lives on!

Aloha!

iPhone 3G - almost 3 weeks

This will be a POV assessment of the 3G having used it now for about 3 weeks.

First, what I like:

I like the added speed that comes with 3G. The download speeds on sites as well as applications clearly beats the old Edge network. OEM apps such as weather and stocks return results a lot faster than Edge did.

Applications are awesome. I have downloaded a handful, mostly free ones. Light saber is fun. I would like to see some really useful ones come out that are free. For example, BofA did a banking online app...Wells Fargo should too. I am thinking of a couple myself that I would like to invent...just need to figure out the monetizing aspect.

GPS is great. It pinpoints more accurately where you are. However, an existing feature that I like is the ability to type in the name of what you are looking for and it will try to find in within the vicinity you are currently at.

I like the fact that 3G defaults to Edge when the 3G network can't be found.

This next one is a double-edge sword...Exchange. The ability to get work email is great from a connectivity POV, but bad from a work life balance aspect.

What I don't like (or wish Apple would do better)

I don't care what the articles say about 3G battery life. It SUCKS...literally sucks power like a kid on a tootsie pop asking the Mr. Owl how many licks it takes to the center. I think Exchange is the biggest hoard of power, most likely due to the constant PUSH of information. The 3G network aspect is also a battery hog, although you can turn that off if you want to conserve power. Exchange will continue to work as well as other email at good rates.

Using just email, an occasional 3-5 min call, and a sneak at the latest apps, I am recharging about 1x a day. That is horrible performance given the advertised longevity, even with variable usage.

While I am currently vacationing in Hawaii, I am not getting the 3G to auto pick up the Edge network which is clearly present.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I am still think there should be a better way to toggle between email accounts. Currently, you have to scale back to the top of the hierarchy to access a different inbox.

The new syncing procedure seems to be a bit longer. Now the iPhone goes through a back up process every time you sync. So if there is a lot on your device, expect to take some time before you can disconnect. I have yet to figure out if the back up can be made optional.

Overall, the 3G is still the most productive etool for the average individual. I am not sure it is ready for hard core enterprise, which Crackberry is already geared for. However, I am no longer a Crack user and having a tool that is a mix personal and business performer, 3G serves me well.

I do hope Apple will be able to come up with some software releases that will help with battery life.

Aloha from Waikiki

Day 3 of iPhone 3G

Today was rather uneventful in the 3G life. I will say however that I am not impressed with the way iPhone handles multiple email accounts. I configured both Gmail and exchange. Apparently and to my limited knowledge until someone tells me otherwise, if you configure exchange, you will not be able to get Gmail notifications. I tried several variations in settings. However, deleting the exchange account and then sending a test email to my Gmail account got me back to normal. I was receiving Gmail notifications again. So I don't need exchange that bad. If work really wants to support it, they can buy me another iPhone, which will probably be never.

i still don't like the fact that configuring multiple email accounts requires navigating back to account page to change email accounts.

Since I had a BBQ party today, I didn't get to play too much with the iPhone. I did plug it in to my car adapter. I found that the jack is tighter this time around. At first I thought I was going to need a new adapter. This feels true as well for the AC jack. The connectors seem much tighter...like I might break it if I try too hard.

I also caught a guts picture off a site called ilounge.com. Here is what the insides of the iPhone look like...



According to iLounge, the battery is not soldered on as in the first iPhone.

Day 2 of 3G iPhone

I have been fortunate enough to play with the new 3G for a few hours. It took AT&T and Apple many hours before I could activate my phone. Even though I walked out with one at close to 11am. I was not activated and ready to go until 5pm. I heard the stories on the news and I wasn't that upset. First of all, I had the warnings at the store and on the news. So why bother with swimming against the current. Once I was cleared to unbrick via iTunes...set up was EASY. There were some issues with the SMS as I was not offered the options. So I had to go to the store today to remedy that as well as get my mom set up on virtual voicemail as I handed down the 1st gen to her.

Overall, the 3G is faster. I love the GPS and getting apps is kinda cool. I got the light saber app this afternoon. It makes the sounds of a Star Wars light saber in action. Others I got for free were AIM, Mandarin, Remote, Facebook, and Light. I was disappointed with Remote. Supposedly you can control your iTunes on the Mac with the 3G. Didn't work...couldn't get the thing to connect. Light is kinda funny. All is does is turn your screen to the brightest and whitest so you can use it as a flashlight.

I also configured the 3G for work (Exchange). While I think it is convenient to get your work email on it, I have 2 big DOWNERS for this. First, it forces you to put a passcode on the iPhone. Thus you will have to enter that passcode anytime you wake the phone up. Second, there are additional steps to getting at email based on the account you want to access. Think of it as a cascading tree. The highest level is account. Therefore, if you configure exchange and gmail, you have 2. You can only access 1 at a time and must climb back up the tree if you want to change to a different account. STUPID. Man do I sound like a Apple loyalist now? The ones I always make fun of? Maybe, but this is basic functionality that should be in any software capability...not just Apple's.

Something gives me the impression that the screen is better and the resolution on the pictures are better. The camera was upgraded no?

I like the fact that you don't have to be in 3G mode. If you turn it off you default to Edge. Perfectly fine if you are using the phone portion. I also feel that in 3G my phone reception is weaker at my house. This may have something to do with the towers not all being upgraded to 3G. In Edge mode you will conserve more battery power. Just remember that you have to go back into settings and turn it on if you want to use data. I think someone should build an app for that.

The Facebook app is cool. No more connecting to the internet first to update your status...or wasting text messages to update your status!

Okay that's it for now...I am going to go back and do some more light saber!

Changing the tone of this blog

Even though this blog started out about getting the Mac Book Air, I have decided to change the tone of the blog towards all things Apple. This will include purchases of Apple products as well as experiences with Apple products and services.

iPhone 3G

So here we are July 11, 2008. Boy was there a line at the AT&T store. I drove by the store last night and didn't see anyone in line. However, this morning there looked like there were some people who camped out. Somehow I don't think that is a good ROI for my time. I did manage to get there at approximately 7:15am. I was just about the 100th customer. As the line grew even after me, the AT&T manager was starting to tell people there was not enough supply. Turns out that I was the cut off. I was afraid I would not get one. About 2 1/2 hours later (from 8am), they ran out of the 16 GB black and white. So people were getting out of line who were in front of me and in back of me. I was no longer the cut off!

The experience was a bit unnerving. It was really a 3:30 hour wait. The first 2 1/2 just to find out if I would make the cut. Several people behind me would not leave the line even after the manager said you would not make it. People were still coming at 10am. By the time purchasing came, the systems were already at a melt down. AT&T could not even activate the phone. They told me by 3pm or 4pm today. This means I cannot unbrick my phone. I guess there are worse things to do on a day like this. So at least I can say I was one of the firsts in California to get one on 7/11. I can't wait to test out the speeds. I had already downloaded the 2.0 upgrade for my old iPhone yesterday. I will be giving that one to my mom!

Well, as with my Mac Book Air, I have decided to make it a tradition to take pictures when I get a new Apple product. So check out the photos below.

The box - They managed to make it smaller than the 1st iPhone

Inside the Box

Front facing


Back side with the black


Everything inside - The power source is even smaller!

Using iPhoto to create and buy Photo Album

Okay, so this post is more about iPhoto than it is about the MBA. All I can say is that I did it with a MBA. I really never knew what iPhoto could do until recently. I thought it was just a way to organize photos and preview them. However, I saw a spiel on creating your own photo album and I thought, who has hard copy photo albums anymore? Everyone shares on the web. Well, call me old fashioned, but there is just something nice about sharing a hard copy photo album when you have company or you want to give a gift. I think grandparents would really dig something like this. So I tried it. The hard part was sifting through hundreds and hundreds of pictures stored on an external drive and importing them into iPhoto. If I had a complaint about the MBA now, it would be the lack of storage capacity. Using iPhoto to create the album was simple enough once I had all the photos I was going to use. Depending on the type of album you pick you can only have a max of 20 pages. However, you have various layouts that give you up to 16 photos to a page. At the end ordering was rather simple to. iPhoto checks for some types of errors. For example, I had not filled out all the pages that had text to them, so iPhoto warned me that it would be blank. Again, if I had any criticism of the product it was that it told me there were so low res photos in the mix, but did not tell me which one. I didn't have the energy to go look at the directory to see. It was my first album anyway. If it turns out nice, who knows, maybe I'll make another one for our upcoming vacation! Anxiously waiting to see what it looks like.

Remote Desktop Connection Beta 3

In a previous post I talked about using RDC beta version for Mac to connect into work PCs. In a April release, Microsoft put out a new Beta rev. This Beta will not expire and will allow users to continue to use the Beta version to RDC into Windows based machines.

Extending the desktop (take 2)

In my last blog entry about the resolution degradation after connecting to an external monitor, I find that I was in error to some degree. While working at home yesterday, I plugged in an external monitor and the video resolution was great on both screens. So I decided to try and experiment with the display settings when connected to work. This morning, I plugged in the external monitor and sure enough the video resolution on the MBA went down. So I opened up the Display options and found that the resolution had gone from the highest to the 2nd highest resulting in the video degradation. Once I set the settings back to the highest for the MBA, both screens looked GREAT!
What I can't explain is why I had two different experiences. The external monitor at work is a 17" 4:3 aspect ratio and the home external monitor is a 22" 16:9. So it is possible that this had something to do with it. Also, it wasn't immediately intuitive to change display resolution to solve the problem given that 1 screen looked great. This may just be chalked up to figuring some things on your own unless you are willing to pay $99 for education at the Apple store.

Extending the desktop

Okay...so as I write, I realize that my experiences described on this blog has been a mix between the MBA and Leopard. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish which one I am writing about until I post and think about what I just wrote. However, this time I am going to make the callout that this is mostly an entry about Leopard. I will make one or two comments about the MBA.

I used the micro-dvi to connect to an external monitor. I have tried it at home before, but today was the first time at work. Normally, at home, the MBA would transition and show on both monitors. Today was different. After plugging in the monitor, I saw the normal screen come up on the MBA and just my desktop background on the external monitor. I shortly realized after checking the systems display that it configured the setup to be extended monitor. WOW.

I had to do a little bit of configuration to get the extended monitor the way I wanted, but once that once done, I put the RDC application on the extended monitor so I could remote in to my work machine, while saving the MBA monitor space for Safari. Also, I had to configure Spaces to allow the extended monitor to be up the same time as Safari because Safari is configured for Space 4. I am assuming that if I transition to another application on a different space, the application on the extended monitor will hide.

So here is my comment on the MBA. I believe, at least what my eyes see, there is a bit of video degradation when plugging in an external monitor. The words are just not as crisp. Not sure if there is a solution given the video card has to handle both monitors. Is it something I can live with? Yes. After all, this is not my primary machine and I don't think I plan to have it connected to a monitor all the time. That defeats the whole mobility part of it.

MBA for business use

I finally broke down and used the MBA for a business trip. I had to go to Tucson, AZ and I did not want to lug the IBM T60 with me, especially since I was bringing everything I needed in one back pack carry-on. However, before I left, I needed to do some configuration. So I downloaded Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) beta 2.0 from Mactopia. This allowed me to RDC into either of the machines I had logged in at work. Second, since I might be connecting while not at an office site, I downloaded the VPN software for Mac from Apani (formerly Contivity). It is the Mac version of the Nortel Network client. I also had to get a ethernet dongle from the Apple store since I knew the AZ office would not have wireles.

Everything checked out at the home office as well as offsite when checking the VPN software. So off I went last Wednesday evening. Arriving in Tucson at 9:15pm, I checked into the hotel and luckily had free wireless. I was able to RDC into my laptop at work and check some email and make some calendar appointments.

The next day, I LAN'd into the network and everything was a breeze. When I checked email, I could use Outlook Web. If I needed a file or had to use the laptop at work, I just RDC'd into the laptop. Furthermore, I didn't have to carry a paper notebook as the MBA worked just fine as a notetaker. The only thing I dare not do is leave it out of my site. There is no way to lock this thing down.

Using the Air during the trip was a breeze. It was so light to carry and being connected was so nice. However, I really still want to use this just for fun!

The power of Apple

In this posting, I want to write about the power of Apple's innovative prowess. Moving left on the adoption curve, Apple has not only secured me as customer, the company has secured 90% of my mental wallet. Here's what I mean...

In the old days, every cell phone or laptop I would buy would ultimately be replaced with a newer gadget that had either more power or a new feature. This was especially true for cellphones. Every 6-9 months, I would look for the next great thing. Nokia, Motorola, Blackberry, Samsung were just some of the companies that I have used. Once the iPhone came out and I purchased it, my urges to look for something better or different have ceased...yes STOPPED!

So it goes with my recent adoption of Mac and the purchase of the Mac Book Air, a.k.a. on forums as MBA. I was...key word "WAS" a HP loyalist. Several of my previous laptops have all been HP. I have recommended HP to friends and family. However, since the MBA, I have not had the urge or desire to look at any HP emails.

What do I attribute to this phenomenon? I give a lot of credit to Apple for their innovativeness and ability to think of things that the customer doesn't have to. In the back of my mind, I am giving this about 6 months to 1 year to let it sink in. That part of me is to test out the newness factor and see how I feel in that time. However, I must say, I have not felt this jazzed about a laptop in a long time.

Using Air with RDC to connect to Windows machine

The latest venture was a request by fellow Mac enthusiast, Oren to somehow connect to a Windows based machine using a Mac. The easy answer was to use Parallels or Fusion. However, considering this a challenge, I researched this on the web. Turns out that the Mactopia site has RDC for Mac! http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/remote-desktop/default.mspx

So I downloaded the 2.0 Beta because the current version is for Power based Macs and I am running the Air, an Intel based Mac. Since my windows based machine in on the company network, I also had to download the Nortel VPN client. After installing both pieces, the only other configuration to figure out was the machine name. Given that I am using a personal machine to tap into the company network, I had to use the full machine address. Voila!

My first short stack (not pancakes)

I now explore the Apple site daily looking for new things to learn. Today, I learned how to make a short stack with my favorite applications. The dock can become overly populated which defeats the purpose to some extent. Therefore, when I came across this quick tip of the week, I felt it would be useful to learn. I am still trying to find out whether I can move my short stack to different locations on the dock. Currently, it only allows me to be on the right side. However, I have removed about 5 applications and condensed them into 1 short stack. Here is where I learned this trick: http://www.apple.com/business/theater/#shortstack

Inching up the learning curve

One of the things I didn't like about Safari was the lack of a "home" button. I thought, how lame for Apple not to have a home button when all the other browsers have one. Resorting to comfortable ways, I loaded Firefox onto the Air. It wasn't until today when my fellow Mac enthusiast, Andy, asked me what I didn't like about the Air. My feedback was on Safari, which was really an OS issue, not an Air issue. Well, I didn't quite remember what my gripe was about and later it got me to thinking about trying Safari again. Well, the issue surfaced when I tried to look for that "home" icon again. By chance, I two finger tapped near the toolbar which brought up the option to customize my toolbar. Upon selection, up came a board of icons to choose from, one of which was the "home" icon!

So reflecting back, part of me feels lame that I didn't inherently know to customize my toolbar, but part of me felt that Apple should have expected this and made the "home" icon a default. What I did like however, was the ability to just drag the icon onto the toolbar...nice and easy, once I figured it out.

That seems to be a theme, "nice and easy, once I figure it out."

Latest Achievement

I love plug-n-play. I recently returned from a golf trip and had some photos on my Canon SD500. Not wanting to take the SD card out, I connected the camera to the Air. Turned on the camera and no configuring needed. The Air brought up iPhoto and showed me everything that was on the camera. I transferred what I needed right to my Air. Now this is more of a Leopard thing than an Air thing. However, another simple function that I did not have to think about!

Mac Air Sleeve

I thought it would be cool to come up with my on Air sleeve. I figured, let's design it like a manila interoffice envelope. Leave it to Timbuk2, one of my favorite backpack manufacturers to come up with the Steve Sleeve! I am waiting for it to come out...let's see how much they'll jack me for this one. Other than Timbuk2, inCase is the only other maker out there who has Mac carry accessories.

The Air goes in the air

As much as I baby my Mac Air, I decided to take it with me to Pinehurst, North Carolina. During the ride from the shuttle lot to the airport, I busted it out to show my friend who has only seen the Air from my blog. Not only did it get his attention, but two other shuttle riders instantly started up conversation. One lady said that it was a great thing Apple created. My response, "sex sells."

Since I was flying first class, I decided to buy the airplane adapter, $49! Just like HP, they kill you on the accessories. However, it served its purpose as I watched The Kingdom, worked on some excel files, and a word document. I decided to plug it in and it was a breeze since the plane used empower. It also comes with an adapter that looks like I could plug it in to a cig lighter. The adapter fits right over the empower part. Worked like a charm! The flight was about 5 hours so there was no way that I was going to last beyond the battery life.

During my vacation, I didn't use the Air much. First the resort wanted you to pay for internet connection which I wasn't about to. Second, there was no wireless in the resort, only Ethernet and I didn't purchase a $29 Ethernet dongle.

On the trip home, I put the Air in the magazine pocket on the airplane. When the announcement came over the PA that laptops are not allowed there, I moved to rearrange the Air to fit concealed. Then it happened...it dropped through the pocket! After we were airborne, I turned it on and checked it out. Everything is fine! Tough little machine...luckily the drop wasn't more than about a foot.

Still lovin' the Air!

Think about your computing habits first

Linked to an editorial in Orlando, the Apple start page points to a review that informs customers to think about their computing habits before jumping in and getting the Mac Air. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/technology/orl-horowitz0108mar01,0,5375225.column
Is the Mac Air for everyone? Probably not. It is a sexy portable laptop that is going to capture the hearts and minds of a niche market. If you want a secondary laptop to supplement the powerhouse desktop or laptop, then the Air could be for you. If you travel often and like the portability of something light that won't send you to the chiropractor, then the Air could be for you. If you enjoy the idea of sitting on the couch and surfing the internet, uploading photos, making movies...all while watching the latest episode of Lost on tv, then the Air could be for you. If you like the idea that you can take the Air anywhere and connect wirelessly without fuss, then the Air could be for you. If you enjoy the freedom of thinking up new ideas from beyond the confines of walls or the office, then the Air could be for you. If you like the idea of taking out one of the most sexiest pieces of technology today and having several people at Starbucks turn green with envy, then the Air could be for you!

Mac Air selling well

No one can say for sure how the Mac Air is selling as there has been no news releases by Apple. However, Fortune.com posted an article recently indicating the sales of Mac Air are doing well. The indicators are short supplies in large metros as well as top seller rankings on the Apple iStore.  Here is the link Air outsells MacBook, iMac, Pro; sold out in Boston, NY, SF, says report

iPhoto and Google's Picasa

I finally learned how to use some more of the functionality of iPhoto.  I enhanced a few photos that I took in Sausalito, CA.  Since I don't have a .Mac account, I wanted to upload to my space on Google's Picasa web.  I started uploading one by one, until I saw that Google has a Picasa add-in for Mac.  While the directions were not easy to find (again), I was able to finally find and use the Picasa export function in the iPhoto export options.

Spaces

Spaces has been a good tool to use in order to manage several applications on a 13" screen.  So far I have 4 spaces configured in a 2x2 configuration.  Entourage has one as well as iTunes on another.  I put all the Office apps on one with Safari as the last.  Once I remembered the command + <#> it is pretty easy to perform the shortcuts instead of referring to the spaces icon on the menu bar.

The Mac Air is not supposed to be a production machine

I have heard a lot of feedback as well as reading posts on other forums and blogs that comment how the Air lacks functionality, memory, HD space, and a variety of other criticisms.  I guess this happens no matter what new innovation comes from Steve Jobs.  The Apple hardcore are going to have to get used to the fact that Apple is trying (rather successfully) to expand its user base beyond the traditional niche Apple-ites.  I often wonder if the criticism comes from the fact that traditionalists view Apple as theirs and therefore Apple should fold to the whims of their input.  

Well, to start, the Air is not a production machine.  Can it be used for business?  Sure, maybe small business travelers or additional machine in the office.  Is it a workhorse for the technology industry?  Maybe not.  For the personal user, it is a great machine that allows you to carry it around the house, vacation, or wherever.  I used it at my daughter's swim academy while she was taking lessons.  Is it fun to use?  You bet.  I have actually enjoyed my learning curve so far and like the new things I discover which make life easier.  Now would there be better add-ons that would make the Air even better?  Yes.  For example, to take advantage of the form factors reduction of technology clutter, the Air could utilize wireless or bluetooth with iPhone or iTouch.  Bingo, eliminated 1 cable.  The wireless bluetooth mouse is a great example.  The Air already does a great job (after working) of syncing with peripherals such as network drives and printers.

Now addressing all the Apple traditionalists.  Don't think of it as Steve Jobs going traitor and becoming like Microsoft (at least not yet).  He is really looking to expand the family and bring more people into the fold.  And after all, this is a business...the company has to be accountable to shareholders (of which I am one).  Therefore, as a shareholder, I expect Steve to increase my share price while maintaining the integrity of the Apple brand and the innovative nature of the company.  Extremism has already cost the company once...almost too much...so if the extreme Apple fundamentalists want Apple around they gotta bend a little.

Mac Air lasting 3+ hours

I am on this thing as much as possible.  I have generally found that unplugged and with a full charge, the Air is lasting about 3 hours and 15 minutes, +/- a few minutes.  I perform various activities on the Air including surfing the web, working with Entourage, an occasional look at a word or excel file.  There are times where I do walk away from the Air or I am doing something else.  This will typically extend the life of the battery.  Some days, the Air goes through two battery cycles, but that's because I am using it so much.  It's very easy to sit with it on the couch and do things during commercials or during boring parts of the program.

Mac OSx starting to find shared network folders

Maybe it is the reboot after the installation of the latest release of OSx that all of the sudden has the Air auto-adding the shared drives on the network.  However, still somewhat annoying are the shared drive not found pop-ups each time the Air is not connected to the home network.

On a different note, I ventured a little more with Entourage since I installed Office 2008 a few weeks ago.  I have two emails configured.  After reserving some flights, I had the option of downloading a .vcs file to add to my calendar.  iCal opens instead of Entourage.  There is no option that I have found yet that will allow Entourage to be the default instead of iCal.  In Entourage, there is an option to sync with iCal, but I have not seen the two sync yet after adding an event to iCal.

A few days after receiving the Air, I brought it into work.  The wireless available is not open nor discoverable.  With a few minor settings and a certificate, I was able to connect with no problem.  Today, I managed to connect to the print servers and connected to the printer near my desk.  It was a very simple process using the Air and really Mac OSx.

Satisfaction rating to date?  9 out of 10. That's a pretty good net promoter score all things considered.  Almost everyday, I am using my air to the fullest extent of the battery; sometimes through 2 charges.  There is still a learning curve involved.  I have definitely not explored everything yet.  I have yet to make a movie!  I have made my first ringtone using GarageBand. I also used Spaces, but not sure that I completely am used to it.  Office 2008 has been okay;  I have done a couple word docs and worked on a loan amortization sheet in excel.  Each day, the learning curve gets easier, however, I still wish it was easier to get answers that I want online.

File sharing is a problem with Leopard?

In my quest to understand how I can auto-connect to share drives on a Windows PC as well as network locations, I have come across articles online indicating that Leopard is having problems with file sharing.  Many accounts claim that even with the 10.5.2. release there are still problems in getting Leopard to see other shared folders.  

If this is truly the problem that I am experiencing, then I don't feel as bad.  I have been racking my brains to figure this out and it could have been an OSx problem all along.  Does that mean I am disappointed with my Air?  By far no.  Steve has done a good job at bringing me over.  Several products I have been through have worked so well, that Steve has built up some "cred" with me.  However, forgiveness is not indefinite.  If it turns into the Microsoft typical problems, then my love and affinity with sexiness in Apple products will start to wane and my desire for working and stable products will take over.

Is the Air sexy?  Heck yah!  There is still lots of simplicity in the OS that I enjoy and married with the lightweight, small footprint form factor is still keeping me in that "honeymoon" phase.

Trying to figure out networking

So I hooked up the NAS and got both the PC and Mac working.  However, there is a couple things that are bothering me.  First, I can't seem to get the Mac to auto recognize the NAS.  The share section in finder does not come up unless I manually try to search for it.  Second, when I get on networks that are not mine, the Mac decides it's going to tell me several times that a network connection cannot be found to the NAS at home.

I have yet to figure out how things work when it comes to networking.  That's the one thing about Windows I didn't have too much trouble with.  When it comes to Leopard, everything is done for you, at least attempted.  So looks like until I figure it out, I will have to live with the nuisance.

NAS for MAC and Windows

So I haven't got to play with my new Air for the last few days.  I had a business trip and had to shop around for a backup storage option.  80Gb is not a lot and when shipped the Air takes up about 25Gb just for all the stuff they put on the HD.  Initially, I thought I would go with a mini-drive.  A fellow Mac enthusiast recommended the WD 250Gb miniHD from Costco.  Prices really have come down.  That mini is about $2 per Gb.  However, I also contemplated some sort of NAS solution so that I can store on 1 drive between a Mac and Windows based PC.  

I decided to get the NAS.  I went to Fry's and picked up the Maxtor Shared Storage II - 1Tb.  It was a heck of a time trying to get the network to recognize the device.  After a final reset on the Maxtor, I achieved success.  

A part of me thinks that I picked up a unit that was returned.  

I wasn't completely sure given that there was not a return label on the package.  However, that doesn't mean Fry's didn't re-package it.  After opening the unit, it looked fine even though I still felt it was a return.  So far it is working fine...we'll see.  The setup 

process was fairly easy once the unit was recognized.  As of this post, I am transferring files, including iTunes library.  Both the Mac and Windows PC can see the same files.  The one test will be whether or not I can point the Mac and PC to the one iTunes library file.

After about a week...

So it's been about 5 days since I received the Air.  I have to say that I am still very impressed and delighted with the product.  In the last week, I have networked my Air at home, networked my Air at my in-laws, and just yesterday, I was able to configure it at work.  Interestingly enough, with the right amount of instruction, the configuring at work turned out to be easier than the home networks.

Thus my biggest frustration has been around the learning curve and what I feel is a lack of appropriate instruction in one place for people migrating from Windows to Leopard.  Of course, I have to put my downside experience in proportion to overall.  I still rate this around 8 or 9 out of 10 when you put everything together.  My biggest pain point has been trying to get the Air to recognize the share drives on my HP laptop.  Sometimes it is auto-there.  When it is not, I have a heck of time trouble-shooting.  There are no instructions yet that I have found which tells me how to connect.  Bonjour, which I installed on the HP is supposed to be zero-config, which makes me think the Air should see it.  I struggled with this last night and finally gave up.

First full day of use

Today I got to play with the Air in more detail.  While some things are still foreign to me, overall it has been fairly easy.  Yesterday, I was able to add my Gmail account to iMail.  In fact, because I used the email that is registered with Apple, the Air knew all my settings already to get configured.

I spent some time at the Apple store in Walnut Creek.  There are no case accessories available yet for the Air.  No one has a clue as to when there will be any either.  So I bought an In Case but I may end up returning it.  After getting to my mother in law's house, I busted out the Air to show some videos I transferred from a shared drive.  Sound was good as was the brightness of the picture.

Bringing the Air is a novel idea, especially if you are going to the in-laws.  It helps even more if you can connect to the internet.  The Air immediately told me there were wireless networks around.  I found the one that my brother in law configured and after getting the WEP key from him, I tried tirelessly to connect.  For some reason it kept timing out on me and would not connect.  I checked all the settings on his router and there were no limitations due to the fact I had a Mac.  Things just somehow seemed to work after I set up a Location with the right settings and it started working.

While there has been some frustration in acclimating myself to my new Mac, I am attributing it to a learning curve that I must traverse having never owned an Apple computer product.  Things are otherwise going well and I am really happy that I made this decision to acquire the Air.

The MacBook Air has arrived

Delivered 11 days earlier than promised, the FedEx guy never saw a happier face greeting him at the door; 9:30am in the morning!  The box was sooo light. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of a meeting so I didn't have a chance to open it right away.  However, you can bet between meetings, I had that package open faster than a SSD drive could boot a MAC.

So enjoy some of the pictures I took after opening the box.  Once again, Apple has delighted with the way they have packaged everything so efficiently, y

et with ambiance and elegance.  The Air came in a bl

ack box with a picture of the Air on the front.  The plastic wrap was so well done that it was ha

rd to find an end to start my cut marks.

  I was afraid to scratch the box!

Once the box was open, the Air was seated 

in a plastic tray and had a pull tab to gently remove it from the secured seating

.  Belo

w the tray held the power adapter, the usb cable, and micro-usb ca

bles for monitor attachments.  Disks were provided to allow DVD

 & CD sharing from a non-MAC optical drive.  

Start up was very easy.  I didn't have to worry about migration from another MAC so I got to ignore

 the first step around migration.  Setting u

p wireless was a cinch.  Once turned on, a list of networks was provided

 and upon choosing a network, I only had to provide the WEP key.

Browsing was a cinch, although I have to get used to the keyboard and keypad.  After all, I am a product of Microsoft usage.  

Also, shared drives from a windows based laptop was a cinch...after I understood what I was looking at.  In fact, when I thought I could not access a USB  external drive through the windows based laptop, I plugged the Maxtor One-

Touch external HD into the USB port of the AIR and immediately it was recognized and I could access files.  I was able to direct my iTunes library to the external drive.  In fact, once I accessed the share through the w

indows based laptop, I plugged the Maxtor back in and was able to point my iTunes library through that connection. The wireless is fabulous and fast.  Compared to my HP laptop, I have a great connection when using the AIR downstairs.  Usually the HP laptop has some signal degradation.  Typing is fairly easy with the full keyboard.  I love the back lit keyboard.  Not only is it nice is low light conditions, it's just

 darn sexy.  

The battery is supposed to last for 5 hours s

urfing, so we'll see what happens.  However, another nice feature is the magnetic plug-in for the AC power.  Equally nice is the drop-down bay that grants access to headphone, USB, and micro-USB ports.  I still haven't figured out the power settings and how to make the screen saver work accordingl

y, but again, it's my first foray into the Mac world of laptops.  

Standby mode is really easy...just close the top.  Open it again and it comes out of sleep mode almost instantly.  The touch pad incorporates pinching as well as two-finger twisting to rotate things like pictures.  One thing I am trying to get use

d to is the two finger tap with the click-button.  I have enabled one-finger tapping so that I can select with out clicking.

While creating this post, I just figured out how to make the lighting on the screen brighter!  There is 

definitely a lot I have to get used to.  I also finished importing my bookmarks from Firefox this afternoon.  I started up Garage Band in the early evening.  I read on forum boards that you can just drag  a file onto Garage Band to start using it.  Unfortunately, you can use any of the copy protected stuff.

I think the biggest challenge will be how to utilize the space on the Air.  At only 80Gb,  space gets eaten up fast.  In fact, after booting up, I only had approximately 56Gb left.  Good thing for being able to connect to the networked drive.  The other consideration will be the limitation of only 1 USB port.  Plug your iPhone or iPod in and you are done.  I am hoping there will be a way I can sync my iPhone with the bluetooth functionality.

I plan on getting Office '08, I just can't seem to get away from what I know well.  However, I like the fact that I don't have to run dual OS even though it is capable of doing so.  

As far as the sexy factor, this thing is one sexy laptop.  The 13 in screen feels bigger than it is.  The casing is made up of the same material that the back of the iPhone has.  Everything is relatively simple to use.  So far one of the biggest pluses is that Apple has thought of the experience.  For example, when connecting to a network, the setup doesn't make you try and figure out the name you want.  It doesn't make you refresh the list of seen networks.  As far as size, as you can see by the pictures I have posted, it really does fit into a interoffice envelope. 

Overall, I am really happy with the most spontaneous purchase I have made of this size.  Apple has done a great job at convincing me that their products are worth moving away from tradition.

First step in "delighting the customer"

Apple almost has this down to a science. As posted in previous posts, I ordered the Air the day MacWorld opened. At the time, I received information that the delivery time was approximately 2-3 weeks. By the time the invoice came out, the ship date was 2/6 with a delivery date of 2/12. Well, leave to Apple to start the delight process with an email to me this morning indicating my Air has shipped! Making its way from China, my Air has an expected arrival date of 2/4. So stay tuned...

Mapping the technology buying lifecycle

I consider myself an early adopter when it comes to technology. Growing up with the Commodore Vic-20, I was always interested in the latest gadgets and technology that made having it "cool." Microsoft came along and had me fully entrenched by college. Working the Apple II in high school just didn't seem cool enough. I left the graphical stuff up to engineers to develop cool video games. So it's not hard to see why Apple could only build a faithful core of users.

Some 20 years later, I finally bought my first Apple product, the 2nd gen Nano. WHY? It was cool. Devices that are small and easy to use are cool, especially considering all the gadgets that one carries around; cell phone, mp3 player, laptop...etc.

After my Nano purchase, I figured, that's all I will need from Apple. A mp3 player that I can use with iTunes to play my music. Well, at 4GB and the introduction of the 5th generation video iPod, I purchased my next Apple product less than a year later. Good job Jobs! Now the appeal is not only more space (30 Gb), I also got the ability to put video on my iPod.

Low and behold, the introduction of the iPhone! Steve really knew how to push my buttons. I was a cell phone "HO"...changing for the latest and greatest about every 6 to 9 months. So in less than 6 months from purchasing the iPod, I drop $400 for the new iPhone. Deep reflection on might part revealed why I change phones so often. First, there was never a great device for getting email...thus the move to products like Crackberry and Blackjack. Second, web browsing was a horrible experience on a small device that was very link based. Third, receiving information was primitive at best. Fourth, the keypad always took up too much real estate. Fifth, power consumption was always an issue. Sixth, I had to carry a separate device for music because the device either did not play it, power became an issue, or ease of putting music on the device was cumbersome.

The iPhone solved all of that for me. So it wasn't surprising that pulled the trigger on the opening day of MacWorld and pre-ordered the new MacBook Air. While SSD is rather expensive right now, the overall form factor of the Air is very SEXY!

Now getting back to the product adoption lifecycle. In less than 18 months, I have gone 3 and out, punted, and moved way to the left. I have never bought a technology purchase of this magnitude in this manner; sight unseen AND first gen!

Given all the problems with the current platform of Microsoft (virus attacks, ease of use, low innovation), I am expecting the Leopard OS to delight me!

I believe there is a vision and strategy at Apple that has been laid out and well executed to target the people just like me. Apple has brought the usage of the laptop a lot closer to allow Microsoft babies an easier transition to a newer platform. Proprietary and closed system didn't bode well 20 years ago, but given the developments in the last 5 years, I think it is definitely less of an issue today.

Watch for future updates as I will be posting more as I receive and open the product on or around Feb. 12!

Moving to the left

Who would have guessed that a kid raised on Microsoft products would
buy the newest MacBook the day of MacWorld? Well maybe that is
exactly what Steve Jobs has been planning.