Why I *still* won't be getting an iPhone

A year ago, when the first upgrade to the iPhone was released, (iPhone 3G), I posted 7 Reasons Why I Won't Be Buying An iPhone.

I'll summarize them here:

1. The 2-year contract.
   
2. There are better phones. (Here I talked about non-swappable battery, non-swappable SIM, no voice dialing, no MMS, no tethering.)
3. There are better pocketable internet devices. (No external storage, no copy & paste, no physical keyboard, no Flash, low-res screen.)
   
4. There are better media players. (Low-res screen, again, no stereo speakers)
   
5. There are better smartphones. (Keyboard again - copy and paste.)
   
6. There are better media phones. (See 4 + 2)
   
7. There are better GPS devices. (No turn-by-turn - not "true" GPS - no voice directions.)
   

Well, the 3Gs has been announced now, and some of my complaints have been addressed. Storage has been increased - up to 32GB is available, MMS has been added, turn-by-turn voice directions from someone who knows GPS devices (TomTom), Cut, Copy, & Paste is available throughout the device, Voice dialing - and voice commands - are built-in, non-jailbroken tethering is also possible in the new iPhone - but it's up to at&t to make that happen, and the landscape keyboard for the whole OS does a lot to answer my complaints against the lack of a physical keyboard.

Plus, for the better part of 2009, I've had an iPod Touch to get me used to and familiar with the power that these little guys offer. So, let's revisit the list.

1. The 2-year contract. I'll come back to this one.
   
2. There are better phones. While I can't say for certain the iPhone is the best phone in the world - most of my previous issues have been addressed. The Palm Pre comes to mind as a potentially "better phone" - and I still want easy, non-warranty-voiding access to the battery and sim card. But I'll scratch this item off the list... for now.
   
3. There are better pocketable internet devices. I'm still waiting for the Nokia N900 Internet Tablet and/or the Pandora vaporware handheld. And there are other devices like the UMID and a few of the smaller, cheaper UMPCs. But it's hard to ignore the popularity and ease of use of the iPhone. I'm keeping this one in the "Valid Arguements" list.
   
4. There are better media players. I'm not even close to being an iTunes fan. I'd rather load my PMP like an external hard drive. Syncing through some draconian propritary software is just plain stupid. That's why there is no music or video on my iPod Touch. Give me a $50 iClone that I can load with any and all of my content from any source at all anyday.
   
5. There are better smartphones. Again, Palm Pre's multi-tasking kick's the iPhone's butt. Plus there's Andriod and BlackBerry.... But the new iPhone has business-class encryption and other pro-professional features.... It's too close to call, so I'll take it off the list.
   
6. There are better media phones. I'd say any of Nokia's media phones are better. At least easier to sync (bleh - that word) and just as good in play back, etc. But Nokia's phones are several times more expensive - at least up front. I'll take it off the list to please the kool aid drinking fanboys.
   
7. There are better GPS devices. Let me say first that, yes, there are still better GPS devices. But assuming the new iPhone GPS works as advertised, I'd say that for a phone, this works more than good enough in the GPS department. Plus, the "Where's my iPhone" feature is just too cool for words. Scratch another item off the list.
   

Really, you could take off the whole list at this point, I'm pretty much sold that the iPhone 3Gs + iPhone OS 3.0 = the best currently available pocket device there is. Gaming, high quality video recording, voice controls, a compass, level, GPS, WiFi, BT, 3G, PMP... and I hear that it makes phone calls, too. :) It's really impossible to find anything better.

The only thing that's holding me back is item #1 - the 2-year contract. I'm too cheap (poor, whatever you want to call it) to pay $100 a month for phone service. If that wasn't an issue - I'd have an iPhone 3Gs on Day One. Hope your financial situation is better than mine so you can get one.

Announcing the netXbook

I'm simplifying my netXbook pricing. A netXbook is a netbook that runs OS X, and/or other operating systems. I'm offering 3 levels of hardware with 3 options of operating systems. If what you need is more precise than this, or if you have your own MSI Wind or derivative that you want me to Mac-ify, please see my more detailed post and/or contact me.

The netXbook is on the left. The MacBook is the one on the right.

netXbook Dual (Mac OS X 10.5 and Windows XP SP3)

• Entry Model - 1.6GHz, 1GB, 120GB, WiFi G, 3-Cell battery, 3xUSB 2.0, 1.3MP Webcam
• $399
  
• Midrange - 1.6GHz, 2GB, 160GB, WiFi N, 6-Cell, 3xUSB 2.0, 1.3MP Webcam, Bluetooth
• $499
  
• Powerhouse - 1.6GHz, 2GB, 320GB, WiFi N, 9-Cell, 3xUSB 2.0, 1.3MP Webcam, Bluetooth
• $599

netXbook Triple (Mac OS X 10.5, Windows XP SP3, Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04)

• Entry Model - 1.6GHz, 1GB, 120GB, WiFi G, 3-Cell battery, 3xUSB 2.0, 1.3MP Webcam
• $429
  
• Midrange - 1.6GHz, 2GB, 160GB, WiFi N, 6-Cell, 3xUSB 2.0, 1.3MP Webcam, Bluetooth
• $529
  
• Powerhouse - 1.6GHz, 2GB, 320GB, WiFi N, 9-Cell, 3xUSB 2.0, 1.3MP Webcam, Bluetooth
• $629

netXbook Mono (Mac OS X 10.5)

• Entry Model - 1.6GHz, 1GB, 120GB, WiFi G, 3-Cell battery, 3xUSB 2.0, 1.3MP Webcam
• $379
  
• Midrange - 1.6GHz, 2GB, 160GB, WiFi N, 6-Cell, 3xUSB 2.0, 1.3MP Webcam, Bluetooth
• $479
  
• Powerhouse - 1.6GHz, 2GB, 320GB, WiFi N, 9-Cell, 3xUSB 2.0, 1.3MP Webcam, Bluetooth
• $579

Add Touchscreen to any model for $199.
Add External USB DVD-DL Burner Drive for $79.

Shipping on anything - even if you order 57 complete netXbooks - $10 to the US, $25 Worldwide

All payments will be made by PayPal - but email me first to set up the order, (my email address is different from my paypal account email.)

It takes some time for me to do this - especially if I need to order parts - so please allow up to 3 weeks for me to do it.

Any questions at all, please email me, I'll be glad to answer any questions you have. Thanks!

All netXbooks are MSI Wind U100s (or rebranded derivatives). I am in no way associated with Apple. Apple does not produce the netXbook.

Let me make you an OS X netbook!

If you read my blog, you know that I love me some Hackintosh Netbooks. Well, I've made and sold two of them already, and my third MSI Wind is on its way to my door. So I thought I'd start taking requests via my blog. When I get the next MSI Wind - I plan on making a YouTube video and offering to make them on there as well.

How this works.

There are two basic ways you can get your very own "MacBook Nano". (Just a note for clarity's sake - there is no official Apple product called "MacBook Nano" - that's just the name that I and others have used for a Netbook mini-laptop running OS X.)

• You supply the hardware - I supply the work and software
• You tell me what you want, and I do it all

So far, I've only done this on MSI Winds - and from my research and experience - they really are the best bet. First I recommend using a hard drive and not an SSD. It's merely the practical matter that if you installed Windows and Mac on a 8 GB flash drive, you won't have much room for anything else, like applications and files.

Also, you want something that has similar features to a real Apple MacBook. A built-in Webcam, WiFi-N, BlueTooth, ethernet, and, and nice slick appearence help make your netbook more Mac-like. Also, Mac OS X - especially "Hackintosh OSX86" - seems to use more power than Windows. So, a powerful battery is also important.

No, you're not seeing double. The MacBook is the one on the right.

It's for all these reasons that I picked the MSI Wind - spacious 160 GB Hard Drive, one of the best prices on netbooks, 6-Cell battery, WiFi-N, Bluetooth, etc., and the only thing that doesn't work under OS X is the mic port and headphone jack (the built-in mic, built-in stereo speakers, or USB/Bluetooth options all work).

Now, why do you want this - and what will you be able to do with this?

With a dual-booting netbook, you're basically looking at carrying two fully functioning computers that you can carry with you anywhere. Run Office 2007 on the same computer as iLife and iWork '09. Use iMovie to make vlogs and podcasts on the road. Use Skype on Mac for screensharing, video chat, and cheap mobile phone calls from free WiFi hotspots. And so much more.

Options and Pricing

OK - you're interested. But now comes the hard question - how much? I'll break down the options in a second, but I want you to know you can have a full featured dual booting MSI Wind for under $500 - and that's with me doing all the work and shopping for you. If you do your own "legwork" and shop around for the hardware yourself - you might be able to go for less than that.

Here's the breakdown.

• Ready Made Options
  
1. Base - MSI Wind u100 with 1.6Ghz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB RAM, 3-Cell Battery, 120GB HD, WiFi G, 3x USB 2.0 ports, VGA out, SDHC Card Reader, running Genuine MS Windows XP Home SP 3 - $339
2. Upgrade to 2GB RAM - $35
3. Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM HDD - $100
4. Upgrade to 500GB 5400RPM HDD - $125
5. Upgrade to 500GB 7200RPM HDD - $175
   
6. Upgrade to a 6-Cell Battery - $45
7. Upgrade to a 9-Cell Battery - $110
   
8. Upgrade Package A - 2GB RAM, 6-Cell Battery, BlueTooth 2.1, WiFi N, 160GB HD - $60
9. Upgrade Package B - 2GB RAM, 6-Cell Battery, BlueTooth 2.1, WiFi N, 320GB 7200RPM HD - $145
10. Upgrade Package C - 2GB RAM, 9-Cell Battery, BlueTooth 2.1, WiFi N, 500GB 7200RPM HD - $250
    
11. Upgrade to Mac OS X 10.5.6 (not dual-boot, Mac Only) - $75
12. Upgrade to Mac OS X & Windows XP (Dual-Boot) - $100
13. Upgrade to Linux (no Windows) - $25
14. Upgrade to Mac OS X & Linux (Dual-Boot) - $100
15. Upgrade to Triple Boot (Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows) - $125
16. Software Package A - Offices - MS Office Enterprise 2007 (Windows) & MS Office 2008 (Mac) - $35
17. Software Package B - iApps - iWork '09 & iLife '09 - $35
18. Add External USB CD-ROM Drive - $40
19. Add External USB CD Burner Drive - $50
20. Add External USB DVD-ROM Drive - $65
21. Add External USB DVD-DL Burner Drive - $85
    
22. Upgrade to TOUCHSCREEN - $200
    
• You supply the Netbook
  
1. OS X (not dual-boot) - $75
2. OS X & Windows (dual-boot) - $100
3. Linux - $25
4. OS X & Linux (dual-boot) - $100
5. OS X, Linux, & Windows XP (triple-boot) - $125
6. Installing user-supplied RAM - $15
7. 2GB of RAM - $35
   Note - Any Installation of Hard Drives Requires the Installation of one or more of the above listed Operating Systems - otherwise the hard drive will be left blank!
   
8. Installing user-supplied hard drive (any capacity / RPM) - $35 + OS
9. 160GB 5400RPM HDD - $85 + OS
10. 320GB 7200RPM HDD - $115 + OS
11. 500GB 5400RPM HDD - $145 + OS
12. 500GB 7200RPM HDD - $185 + OS
    Note - If you just want a new battery - nothing else, there's no need to send me your computer
13. 6-Cell Battery - $75
    
14. 9-Cell Battery - $110
15. External USB CD-ROM Drive - $40
16. External USB CD Burner Drive - $50
17. External USB DVD-ROM Drive - $65
18. External USB DVD-DL Burner Drive - $85
    
19. Software Package A - Offices - MS Office Enterprise 2007 (Windows) & MS Office 2008 (Mac) - $35
20. Software Package B - iApps - iWork '09 & iLife '09 - $35
21. TOUCHSCREEN - $200

Shipping on anything - even if you order 57 complete netbooks - $10 to the US, $25 Worldwide

All payments will be made by PayPal - but email me first to set up the order, (my email address is different from my paypal account email.)

It takes some time for me to do this - especially if I need to order parts - so please allow up to 3 weeks for me to do it.

Prices as quoted are for an MSI Wind. If you want me to upgrade another brand of netbook, please contact me first for options. Some are easier to upgrade than others - so pricing will vary.

If you are concerned about me running off with your money - I can set up a private ebay Buy-it-Now auction, and PayPal will be protect your purchase - or we can work something out with a down payment for me to start, and then you pay the rest when I ready to ship it. I'm not about to throw away my online rep for a couple hundred dollars.

So, there you have it. Let's get you the Mac-running netbook Apple refuses to make.

'Nother Netbook Note - Neofelis Nano

(A note about the title - I like to alliterate. Since Apple, Mac, OS X, MacBook, iWhatever, Leopard, and even Lisa do not start with the letter "n" - I used the only big-cat-related "n" word I could find. Neofelis is the genus that contains two species, the Clouded Leopard and the Bornean Clouded Leopard. So, basically I'm talking about putting Mac OS X on my MSI Wind netbook.)

Here it is, folks, my Mac-powered MSI Wind. *Updated - See note at bottom

Ain't she a beaut? Okay, so it looks just like every other MSI Wind U100 black out there (well, the ones with a Canadian International keyboard). But it's running OS X!

Î ® 733† h@XÓR! w0ot¡ Witness my madd  hakksing skillz and ph33r!

Yeah, okay, so anyone who can download ISOs, burn DVDs, read internet forums, and follow instructions can do it. I am not elite. (Yeah, that's really how you spell elite.)

Basic run down of what I've done. More details later... maybe... if I find more time.

• Bought an MSI Wind U100-422CA ($349.99 shipped from zipzoomfly.com)
  
• Bought 1 GB RAM DDR2 ($10.99 shipped from newegg.com)
• Bought a DVD±RW USB drive from ebay (Around $50 shipped from ebay.com)
• Installed the RAM
• Downloaded and burned a file called msiwindosx86.iso from the webbernetz
• Reinstalled MS Windows XP Home (using the Genuine restore disc that came with my MSI Wind)
  • (You don't have to do this - I just screwed up and had to start over - but the good news it, it gets rid of some of the pointless "trialware" that ships on the Wind)
• Used the Ultimate Boot CD and gparted to repartition my hard drive.
• (I couldn't get it to resize my Windows drive, so it was another good thing that I reinstalled Windows, because I put it on a 30GB partition to start with. I think it shipped with Windows on a 40GB partition.)
• I made 4 partitions - 30GB for XP, 5GB (in fat32) for a (not-yet-done) Linux install, 20 GB (in fat32) for media sharing between the OSes, and 99GB (which I reformatted later into "Mac OS Extended" with the OS X install disc) for Mac OS X.
  
• Installed the slipstreamed Mac OS X
• Found (using another computer) the drivers for my WiFi card.
• Used a Time Machine Backup from my MacBook to install all my apps and setting.

Just a note. I bought the U100-422CA because it had the bigger hard drive, bigger battery, BlueTooth, and WiFi N. That last bit is a problem. The much-touted "official OS X Wireless drivers" for the MSI Wind are not official, (not from Apple or MSI anyway), and they don't work for all models of the Wind.

Basically, if the Wind only has 802.11b/g you're fine with those drivers. But if you go all out and get the 802.11n like I did, then you have to do some more digging. Unless, of course, you are reading this. Then I can tell you the drivers are here... but they suck. (Use the 3rd one down, the "PCI/mPCI/CB (RT2860/RT2790)" ones. Not sure how long the direct link will work.)

It doesn't work like an Airport card, at all. It's not built into the System Proferences in anything close to a "Mac-like" way. You have to run a seperate app to connect to any WiFi point, at least anyone that requires a password. Don't misunderstand, you don't have to leave it running, but you do have to run it to establish a connection. And it's horrible to use. It makes very little sense, and I have no idea how to save the settings. There's not even a way to click "okay" "done" "apply" or "quit". You have to go up into the menu and quit from there. And you don't know if your settings are saved or not. It's horrid... but it works. And the settings apparently don't last if you reboot your MacSI Wind or your iWind or your MacWind or your WindMac or your iNetbook or your MacBook Nano or whatever you want to call it.

What's left? Well, it's running software update right now. Not sure how smart that was, I'll let you know. I still need to install Linux, although for the life of me, I can't think of why, other than then I can say "I've got a triple boot netbook!!!" I might try Windows 7 Beta, but I'm iffy on that, too. Since I have 4 partitions, I could possibly do both, so who knows.

Oh, since it's not a Mac, the Boot Camp feature doesn't work. I think it's a part of the hacked ISO, but what happens is, when you turn on the Netbook, if you do nothing, it will go into Mac OS X. but there's some text that comes up before the familiar gray apple screen and it asks if you want to choose which partition to boot from. If you hit any key, a list of the partitions shows up, and you can select which one to boot from. It's kind of funny because it calls the other partitions "Foreign OSes" or something like that. Anyway, just thought you might want to know how to switch. And VMWare recognizes the Windows install as a "Boot Camp partition" but it I got error messages and it wouldn't start. Apparently it couldn't mount the drive while booting.

*Update about Software Update!

Okay, I figured as much - don't run Software Update without being ready for it. It screws everything up. It can be fixed, and you can be up-to-date (10.5.6), but it takes preparation and work and a USB keyboard and mouse, (which are buried in my basement somewhere at the moment...) See this blog post for more info.

My MacBook is For Sale!

Alas, it is time for me to part with my old friend, my MacBook. Having revived it from the land of the dead, and restored it to better than new condition, I have to part with it. I have to pay off the debt I got into replacing it!

It is on ebay right now.

Here are the specs.

• 1.83 Ghz Dual-Core Intel Core Duo Processor
• 2 GB DDR2 PC2-5300 677 Mhz 200-pin SO-DIMM RAM
• 80 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive SATA
• ComboDrive (CD±R/W & DVD)
• 13.3" Screen at 1280 x 800 resolution native
• Front Row (remote included)
• Leopard Mac OS X 10.5.1
• iLife '08
• iWork '08
• Microsoft Office 2004
• Windows XP Professional SP 2
• 2 USB 2.0 Ports
• Wireless 802.11a/b/g/draft-n
• Ethernet 10/100/1000
• iSight web cam
• built-in mic
• headphone and mic jack
• stereo speakers
• Mini-DVI out
• And more....

If you are interested, please check out the auction. If you "Buy it Now" at the Buy it Now price, I'll throw in my Brenthaven carrying case, which is $50 online.

I really hate to part with this computer, since it was the first new computer I ever bought, but I can't really justify keeping it since I replaced it. Also, since people have asked, I will say that I can load all my YouTube videos on it, and even sign it, if you are so inclined. And if you don't want XP for whatever reason, I can take that off, too. It's a new hard drive with a fresh install of everything - so this is in better-than new condition. I replaced the keyboard, maxed out the RAM, and put in a bigger hard drive. This this is better than the MacBook Air in every way except thinness!

If you have any questions at all, feel free to leave a comment - email me - or contact me through ebay. Thanks for reading and happy bidding!

Nokia NSeries N800 Linux-based Internet Tablet Review

Here's my (first?) review of the Nokia NSeries N800 Internet Tablet. It's got WiFi, BlueTooth, a Touchscreen, VOIP, Games, a full web browser, and more. Check it out!

Also, I mention that I'm selling my MacBook on ebay in the video.

Here's the auction for the "Apple MacBook Dual Core OS X Leopard Mac Windows XP OSX
White MacBook with Leopard iLife iWork Office and more!" - ebay Item # 230214193666.

My phone call from OWC

If you don't know who OWC is, then you probably aren't a Mac user, or at least you are a new Mac user. OWC stands for Other World Computing, and they are one of the best known, best loved, and longest standing third-party supporters of Apple hardware.

A couple of days ago, I was browsing their site, and I had a few questions. So I filled out a form, banged out a few lines of questions - bullet point style - and pressed send. I expected an automated response, and, maybe, at best an email with quickly copypasta'd answers.

Instead, this afternoon my phone rings. The caller ID says "Other World Computing".

"What's this?" I think to myself. "Is someone using Spoofcard on me? Did I accidentally order something at 3 am I don't remember buying?"

Well, it turns out it was, in fact, Other World Computing calling me up to answer the questions I sent in, and any others I might have had. In a world of email, instant messaging, TXTing, live support chat, and microblogging - an actual phone call seems almost as antique and nostalgic as a house call. (For those of you who don't remember when the years started with a 1, that is when a doctor would actually come to your home to help a sick person - it is not in reference to a telephone that is plugged into your wall. Those still exist, too, btw.)

I told the caller, (whose name I really wish I had written down), that OWC definitely has some "above and beyond" / "second mile" kind of customer service, if they are willing to imperil themselves by dialing up some nut bag who asked a slew of questions about their product.

Well, I didn't say all that. I just said that I was impressed by their customer service, or something like that. In the age when user reviews are king, but mostly negative, I wanted to give OWC a hearty pat on the back for making the extra effort of calling a form filler.

BTW, my questions and their answers were as follows:

Q1. Are you offering upgrades to the CPUs on Intel Macs?
A1. Stay Tuned, especially closer to MacWorld

Q2. Do you offer GPS add ons to MacBooks - ala the ModBook [which they are the American distributors for, but not the makers of)?
A2. No, installing such a device should be done by a professional, and, regardless would void your warranty. With the Modbook, the Apple warranty is already voided, but Axiotron [makers of the ModBook] provides an included 1 year warranty and offers an additional 2 years of protection.

Q3. What about colors for the ModBook?
A3. We don't make them, just sell them. [Although I contacted Axiotron, also by webform, and received an answer back that they are in talks with ColorwarePC to provide custom colors - and I was again hinted at to keep my eyes open as we get closer to MacWorld.)

Q4. Monitor upgrades for Notebooks?
A4. No, sorry.

Q5. Can I have a free unlocked iPhone?
A5. Sure! What's your mailing address!

OK, that last part didn't happen. But it would have been nice, huh?

I highly recommend OWC. If you want to upgrade anything on your Mac - more memory, bigger hard drive, anything at all - check them out first! There quality is top notch, their tech support is impressive, they have a ton of information on their site - like high-def Quicktime videos step-by-step of how to install RAM in your MacBook, and benchmarks for various Mac with incremental steps of RAM. (Can you tell what I was shopping for?)

And if you haven't heard of or checked out the ModBook - you owe it to yourself to at least look!

Two Words - Mac Tablet!

Blogged with Flock

And the Beat goes on... your new touchscreen WiFi OS X based iPod?

What will be announced at today's "And the beat goes on..." Apple announcement? Will be be the iPod Touchscreen? FatBoy Nano? WiFi for iPods? OS X based iPods? The Beatles' library on iTunes? All of the above? How about a speed bump for the Mac Pro and the Xserve? Only time and the Steve will tell. But, mere hours before the announcement, Chad W. Smith (hey, that's me!) gives his thoughts on the subject.

Digg this

Rig for my MacBook

As my faithful readers know, (hi Mom), I have a MacBook that I am very fond of. It comes with a lot of stuff, including a built-in iSight, which is Apple's very small, very powerful web-cam, camcorder, and digital camera. I like it a lot, and have used it often. The only problem I have with the iSight is that it is built into the laptop case in the area right above the top center of the monitor. This is, of course, the ideal place for it when using it as a web cam, but for any other purpose, that inflexible location kind of sucks. My friend just bought an Acer laptop with Microsoft Windows Vista, and its built in web cam is located in the same location on the laptop. However, it's built so that it can rotate around so you can take pictures of what is on the other side of the laptop (like what the user of the laptop is looking at if he looks over the top of the screen). That would be a big improvement on Apple's next generation of MacBooks and MacBook Pros. In the meantime, I'll have to rig something up. Maybe I can use Makeup Mirrors to create some kind of periscope, so I can aim the camera behind itself.