Apple iPad Tablet (16GB, Wifi)

A leap in the right direction. This thing is very fast, opening and closing applications is quick, the screen is incredibly responsive, there is no lag while typing, and the built in Safari browser does a great job of quickly loading even graphic intense pages. The main difference between this item, and the wi-fi only version, is of course the sim card with 3G. So, before I talk about the iPad in general, I'd like to explain my take on the 3G.

3G Performance :

The BOTTOM LINE: Works good as long as you aren't using it in a moving car. I ran an internet speed test on it and in the metro area it was 1.2Mbps down and 210kbps up, which is decent.

The DETAILS : If you are doing basic computing, you will be able to be anywhere within a 3G service area to enjoy the internet. (If 3g service sucks in your area, don't buy an iPad 3g) Here is the only problem: when you pass from tower to tower the signal can hang as the data has to be rerouted to the new tower. Lets put this another way. If you are using the iPad netflix app to stream "Kim Possible season 3" videos to your iPad while driving at 60 MPH it will "hang" during the 22 minute show. In summary: The AT&T 3G works the same as my 3G expresscard from Verizon.

2G Performance: Yes, you can use your iPad on AT&T's 2G EDGE network as needed. The data is slow. You won't enjoy it.

3G setup is simple:

- press settings button, choose cellular data, press set up cellular service.

- put in your "iTunes" password. (AT&T is "invisible" except for a logo.)

- put your credit card into the iPad

- voila! you have service for 30 days

Its very slick and takes less than a minute. Its how it should be.

Avoiding the 3G data charges: If you are an iPhone user, and you have an iPad, you can avoid paying for 2 data plans by swapping sim cards. Of course, you might miss a few calls while your sim is in the iPad because the iPad doesn't support phone calls. If you have an older iphone: Older iPhones use large SIM cards and the ipad uses small microSIM cards. You would have to cut your large sim card down to the microsim size, and put it in your iPad (you will need a needle to pop it out). You would need to buy a little adapter (sold on the internet) to make your small sim fit back into your iPhone (so, buy the adapter first!) But this isn't a great long term solution, because, if you want to use the iPad as a GPS in the car you will not be able to use your phone quickly or easily until you switch them back out again. Here it is on Amazon: Microsim Adapter for Ipad Iphone4g Convert Micro Sim to Regular Sim Adapter

DO YOU WANT THE 3G INTERNET?

Despite my little princess being vexed at Kim Possible hanging, the answer is yes. Certainly, its wonderful to have the 3G access. Everything about the iPad works better because its a bigger screen, and being able to access the internet (almost) anywhere is very, very useful for me.

Now, the question begs to be asked: why the ipad at all?

I have to say I originally joined the legion of pundits who said "hey, its just a big ipod touch" and "it won't replace my laptop". Certainly, this has to be the two most common things you hear people say about the ipad, right? And yes, that can be the truth you choose.

iPad vs. Laptop : If your idea is to buy an iPad to replace your laptop, and get an external keyboard, and a docking station, and bla bla bla... then you will be disappointed. This is a different kind of device, and you can't put a square peg in a round hole. The iPad is for even more mobile computing than a laptop can provide. A laptop needs a desk. But the iPad doesn't. Thats the point, and if its not compelling for you, then consider carefully before buying an iPad.

iPad vs. iPod Touch: To say its just a big iPod touch is not really fair. The processor is much more powerful, allowing you to do a LOT MORE. You also get a big screen. And the 3g with this version. So to refuse to upgrade from the ipod Touch is similar to refusing to upgrade from a Kia Rio on the grounds that all other cars do the same thing.

But the biggest reason the iPad+3G will work for you, is that after a few weeks with it, you will want learn how to make it work for you. You will "enjoy" using it and it will be easier to use. You will say "how can I change what I do so I can do it on the iPad" not "how can the iPad do exactly what I did before".

For an example : here is a day with the iPad.

I get up in the morning, and if I'm not being lazy, I get on the treadmill. I prop the ipad up on the treadmill while I walk. I watch some news video on the iPad, read some email, play a game, catch up on facebook. I'm usually not done with this after my walk, so I head downstairs. Its like carrying a magazine, its so easy. I bump into my daughter in the hall and show her a picture from her Grandmother, with the iPad securely held in only one hand. While I'm eating breakfast, and shaving, and brushing my teeth, I'm catching up on a book I was reading on my wife's Kindle: using the kindle ipad app. Then I can use the iPad when I leave the house, in a myriad of ways that I would not use my iPod Touch or Laptop. And the iPad fits in the pocket in my car door. Its really never in the way!

So far I have used the iPad to :

• Watch streaming netflix movies.
• Read books on iBooks and Kindle for iPad, both to myself and to my children.
• Browse the internet without constantly having to use finger motions similar to "pinch" and "peace" (goodbye iPhone!).
• My kids use it as an interactive coloring book at restaraunts.
• I can control my laptop when I am away from home if something crucial comes up, as if I'm sitting at my laptop.
• Move pictures from my digital camera to the iPad very quickly and easily (using the camera adapter, sold separately). Either for storage or for emailing.
• Listen to Pandora internet radio anywhere in the house. (ok, I can't really listen to "Crystal Method thump thump boom boom music" but most other music sounds good)
• I have used the internet to teach my children things when we are away from the house (Daddy, where does the word "helicopter" come from?)
• Watched owned or rented iTunes movies on my 42 inch LCD TV (using an adapter sold separately).

The point of the above is that the iPad gives me more FREEDOM when computing, due to its small footprint and light weight.

What you can't do on an iPad :

• Multitask. You don't really need all those windows open, but, we're all used to that.
• Print.
• Use the iPad to connect to a TV and give a presentation. When you use the HDTV adapter, the iPad screen blacks out so you can only use this for movies.
• See macromedia Flash based content online. (a lot of websites use this, like Hulu)

Steve Jobs says 1 and 2 are coming, in fact, multitasking is on the new iPhone4 so it won't be long.

#4 will probably never come. If you need to use Flash websites, then, stick with our laptop. End of story.

Oh and the battery.... The battery is consistently lasting all day, 12 hours, without a recharge. But, its important to note that MANY USB ports will not charge an iPad. None of mine will. Also, my cheap iPhone car charger will not charge my iPad. There has been discussion about this lately, apparently the charger or USB port has to actually provide the correct rated power. Most don't provide enough power. But the battery lasts all day for me so this is not a negative.

If the reasons above don't help you make up your mind, consider Steve Wozniak's recent comments about the iPad: "Everyone wants things to be simpler, and along comes this simple thing." No viruses. No compatibity issues. No wondering why your iPad is so slow (Apple vets all software to make sure this doesn't happen). No questionable upgrades. No cryptic errors. All these things were things that took the joy out of computing for a lot of people. The iPad is such a simple thing. And thats why the average person will love it and prefer to use it instead of a computer.

I'll upgrade this to 5 stars if/when :

• More powerful iPad apps come out
• Multitasking 2 things at once is possible (at least web browser and word processing, or pandora internet radio app + any other app would be nice)
• Some kind of printing would be cool, although, I'm ok with paperless, really... 

Product Features

• 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology. 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi).
• 16GB flash drive with 1Ghz Apple A4 custom-designed system on a chip.
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
• Box Contents: iPad Dock Connector to USB Cable, 10W USB Power Adapter, Documentation
• Hardware Platform : Mac
• RAM: 256 MB
• Type: DDR DRAM
• Hard Drive Size: 16 GB, Type: PC Card
• Size (LWH): 9.56 inches, 7.47 inches, 0.5 inches
• Weight : 1.5 pounds

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HP iPAQ 910c Business Messenger Smartphone with Windows Mobile

The iPAQ 910 Business Messenger, a 3G mobile phone with alphanumeric “QWERTY” keyboard, Microsoft Push email, multimode GPS navigation, and the ability to run enterprise business applications, has all the essentials for maximum mobile productivity.

The iPAQ 910 Business Messenger. A mobile office on-the-go with enterprise-class email support :

• Fast, efficient text entry with integrated QWERTY keyboard. Listen and reply to email hands-free with Cyberon Voice Commander and HP Voice Reply.

3G GSM quad-band technology enables high-speed worldwide connectivity :

• Make calls and access the Internet around the world. Fast Internet searches and powerful browser capabilities enabled with speeds up to HSDPA 7.2 Mbps.

Get to where you need to go :

• Plan your trip and find points of interest with built-in Google maps. Enjoy the enhanced performance of built-in Multimodal GPS navigation. Add real time directions with optional GPS map kit.

Flexible connectivity :

• Get online at the office, or airport and hotel Wi-Fi hotspots with integrated 802.11b/g wireless networking. And access the Internet with your notebook or PC over 3G high-speed HSDPA using built-in Microsoft Internet Sharing.

Run business-class mobile applications:

• Use mobile versions of familiar business tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Technical Details

• Brand Name : Hewlett-Packard
• Model : FB052AA#ABB
• Device Type : Smartphone
• Display : LCD display
• Weight : 5.1 Ounces

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T-Mobile Garminfone Android Phone T-Mobile Reviews

After my G1 bricked a 2nd time, I went on a small journey to review some T-Mobile phone replacements. The Garminfone and MyTouch Slide 3G are the two I've chosen, and this is what I've found about the Garminfone after two weeks.

First, it's light, much lighter than a G1 by feel and likely due to the absence of a physical keyboard. Asus and Garmin have done a splendid job designing a pretty phone, and it looks terrific.

The second thing I'd notice is that the Garmin-designed interface is targeting casual or non-technical users, so it didn't resonate with me. It's just a point to consider: you can download ADW Launcher and ditch the Garmin home screen and UI for the most part, and gain a pretty powerful launcher in the process.

Third, Android 1.6 with 2.1 features is nice but not a sustainable solution for the phone long-term. I know why Garmin went the way they did: they were challenged to integrate their own legacy GPS software and mapping into an Android container, and had access to the 2.1 SDK and so rolled their own 1.6 version. However, it will be quite some time, if ever, that this phone received a true 2.1 base. Whether you notice it or not is largely irrelevant; understand that you won't be moving to Froyo or beyond.

Fourth, the hardware is fairly fast, faster than I expected with an average CPU (600 MHz Qualcomm MSM7227, the same used in the MyTouch Slide 3G). It's not a 1Ghz Snapdragon, but I was surprised at how quickly it would return UI changes for me. The memory is 256Mb of RAM and 4Gb of internal storage, 458Mb of it dedicated to apps. If you were missing Apps2SD, this makes up for it somewhat. It also supports microSD, of course.

Fifth, the device is a PND replacement, by design. The included car dock snaps on and provides a landscape orientation and charging port, with the standard bulb swivel and a stick-on base if your dash doesn't have a smooth surface for the suction cup. You might need a longer USB cable but in practice with a 2002 Neon ACR I didn't need anything longer. The Garmin maps are offline, which is a huge advantage over Google navigation as you can use this device in the wild -- all you need is a charged battery and some sky. Navigation is just fine, accurate and precise, with some nice features like local speed limits and traffic. In truth traffic didn't really work, but traffic is a hard problem for anyone to solve. As a personal navigation device I'd wholly recommend this.

Overall, I liked it but missed the physical keyboard. Swipe and Graffiti work terrific on this, and the device ran all of my own apps without incident. The included Garmin widgets and its version of a home screen are not worth keeping, and should be easier to ditch in favor of a generic home screen. The widgets, when working, were nice but unremarkable. The battery life was decent, not spectacular, and there is no way to disable 3G to conserve power (another shortcoming of rolling your own OS version). It also seems as if the device is languishing in the market, so I'd wait to see if Garmin-Asus update this to 2.1 before committing myself to a contract for one.

Key Features

• Powered by the Android operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
• On-screen and voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions that speak street names, know your arrival time, and automatically reroute if you have to detour
• Pre-loaded with North American maps for navigation even without cellular coverage
• Millions of points of interest so you can look up restaurants, fuel stations, hotels, ATMs and more
• Fast 3G connectivity via T-Mobile's HSDPA/UMTS network. (1700/2100 MHz bands, UMTS/HSDPA; see more about T-Mobile's 3G service below)
• Quad-band GSM phone for good global voice connectivity. (850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands)
• 3.5-inch capacitive touch display (320 x 480 pixels) with auto-rotation.
• Onscreen keyboard
• 3-megapixel auto-focus camera with 4x digital zoom, white balance adjustment, and multiple shooting modes.
• Video capture capabilities (MPEG4 and H.263 with audio via AMR-NB)
• Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB (2 GB card included).
• Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
• Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile--enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
• Multi-format digital audio player with dedicated Amazon MP3 Store app for over-the-air downloads.
• Access to personal and work e-mail (support for Exchange Server)
• Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone.
• Visual Voicemail allows you to listen to your voice-mail messages in any order, respond in one click and easily manage your inbox without ever dialing in to the network.
• Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
• 4 GB internal memory
• Included car kit with dash mount

The Garminfone is an excellent GPS unit and a "good" smart phone in one. If you are looking for a high end android device, this might not be the best phone for you because it runs version 1.6 of Android. If you need both a GPS and smart phone this is worth a serious look.

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Dell Streak 7 4G Android Tablet T-Mobile Reviews

Bought this Tablet a week ago and I absolutely love it. The 4G is wicked fast and I love the portability of it. This thing blows the Tab out the water as far as performance goes..but the Tab has better graphics due to it's 1024 by 600 display.But for me it was no brainer to get the Streak.I was going to get the Motorola Xoom but it's priced way too high & seeing as my Streak 7 pretty much has nearly the same specs as the Xoom i just can't see wasting nearly $900 for the Xoom.

The battery life on the Streak 7 is pretty much my only complaint.But i bought a car charger for it however.Other than that this thing is perfect.The screen responds incredibly well.Games like Asphalt 5 look amazing on it!!! The 4g speeds are incredible.I love being able to go anywhere & use this thing.I even got rid of my Archos 70 internet tablet after buying this item.Plus my brand new Ipod touch(4th gen) pretty much collects dust now lol.Apple won't let you view flash based websites..The Streak 7 has no problem loading the full desktop version of Cnn & Espn websites.Plus this tablet will get Honeycomb 3.0 when it comes out thanks to the Tegra 2 dual core processor..There is no tablet that can compete with this one at the moment. :) 

Pros :

4G (technically, not 4G, but just as fast)

7-inch screen is actually all you really need. The larger 10-inch tablets aren't exactly portable. If I wanted that, I'd carry my laptop.

Processing speed is fantastic.

Battery Life is great. I use this all day at work, checking email, taking notes and it lasts until I get home. That's better than most phones if you overuse them.

FULL SIZE SD CARD!!!! Wonderful!!! Can view photos quickly directly from my SLR (jpg, not Raw yet that I know of)!!!

Cons :

Not a big fan of the Dell Interface. However, you can replace that in the market for free. Download the ADW launcher to customize it or any other home screen.

Not set up to tether (make as a hot spot for others) yet. This can probably be done using a market app, but you may have to be rooted to do so.

No HDMI out. Not that I'd use it, but it is on others

No USB connectors. Would be kind of nice to simply attach a keyboard if I have a ton of notes to take. Bluetooth works fine though and the keyboard is pretty nice that comes stock on the Streak.

Can't remove the battery (at least that I know of).

All in all, I'm extremely happy with my purchase. The Cons are just nit picked items to make it perfect. I have owned several Android phones so if you are new to Android, this may take you some time to get used to and find all the great apps. Android isn't as intuitive as the iPad, but it is more customizable. 

Product Features

• Android 2.2-powered mobile tablet with 7-inch multi-touch display loaded with entertainment and multimedia apps
• Enabled for T-Mobile's ultra-fast 4G network; Pay as You Go with prepaid and monthly data plans
• Rear 5-MP camera for photos and video; front-facing 1.3-MP camera for video chats via Qik service
• Ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi (with Wi-Fi sharing); Bluetooth connectivity; 16 GB memory; microSD memory expansion; multi-format media player
• Up to 4 hours of video playback, up to 72 hours (3 days) of standby time; released in January, 2011
• Size (LWH) : 7.48 inches, 4.74 inches, 0.47 inches
• Weight : 13.44 ounces
• Network Compatibility : GSM

More about → Dell Streak 7 4G Android Tablet T-Mobile Reviews

Apple iPhone 4G 16GB Quadband GSM Phone Reviews

At first, I read a lot of bad comments about this phone, especially the so called "antenna problem" and the "low volume speaker", I was hesitating of getting one. But since Amazon.com offers a 30 days free return, I gave it a shot and ordered this phone. It turned out all these rumors are indeed, just rumors!. Brand New and unlocked. I travel to different countries frequently and it works well with almost all the cards in different countries.

The phone is working great, and satisfy all my needs. I'm a part time musician, I installed a lot of apps to assist me in my composition, and at the same time I still can listen to songs etc. using the ipod feature. The iPhone is a beautiful device and it works for me. Most of the Google apps (on which I depend) are now available, and work well. The iPhone holds WiFi connections where the Nexus drops them. I could go on.

Product Features

• 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 5 MPixel, EDGE, iOS 4
• Factory Unlocked, No Network Logos or branding, Network Unbranded,
• Works with any GSM 850/900/1800/1900 & 3G HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100
• Free to upgrade, downloard etc with any network simcard
• Weight : 4.8 ounces
• Minimum Rated Talk Time : 840 minutes
• Minimum Rated Standby Time : 300 hours
• Vibrating Alert

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Acer Liquid Stream GSM Cell Phone Spec Riviews

Also known as Acer Liquid Stream General 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 Announced 2010, May Status Available. Released 2010, August Size Dimensions 119.5 x 63 x 11.2 mm Weight 140 g Display Type AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors Size 480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches - Acer Touch 3D UI v4.0 - Multi-touch input method - Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off Sound Alert types Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones Loudspeaker Yes 3.5mm jack Yes - Dedicated music keys - Dolby Mobile sound enhancement Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall Call records Practically unlimited Internal 2GB storage, 512MB RAM, 512MB ROM Card slot microSD, up to 32GB, 8GB card included, buy memory Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps 3G HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2.0 Mbps WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA & UPnP technology Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP Infrared port No USB Yes, microUSB v2.0 Camera Primary 5 MP, 2560?1920 pixels, autofocus, check quality Features Geo-tagging, image stabilization Video Yes, 720p@24fps Secondary No Features OS Android OS, v2.1 (Eclair), upgradable CPU 1 GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon chipset Messaging SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, IM, Push Email Browser HTML Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS Games Yes Colors Black GPS Yes, with A-GPS support Java Via third party application - Micro HDMI port - Digital compass - Dedicated search key - Google Search, Maps, Gmail - YouTube, Google Talk, Picasa integration - MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+ player - MP4/Xvid/WMV/H.264/H.263 player - Facebook and Flickr integration - Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF) - Voice memo - Predictive text input Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 1400 mAh Stand-by (2G) / Up to 400 h (3G) Talk time (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G)

Product Features

• Android OS, v2.1 (Eclair), upgradable
• 1 GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon chipset
• SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, IM, Push Email
• Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Browser HTML

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Siemens MC60 GSM Cell Phone with Camera

Siemens MC60 GSM Cell Phone with Camera. This was a gift for Fathers Day 2 more than 2 years ago. It has been a great phone. I've been able to use it in the US, Europe and the Caribbean. What I like most is the solid construction. I am prone to drop things. This phone has taken much abuse and it hasn't missed a beat. If you want something dependable and don't need any fancy gadgets (I rarely use the camera) you can't go wrong with this one.  

Features : Network: Network frequency: Triple Band EGSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900 Voice encoding: EFR, HR, FR, AMR SIM card: plug-in 3V SIM Application Toolkit: class 3 Technical Specifications: Antenna: integrated Weight: 86 g Volume: 88 cm³ Dimensions: (L x W x H) 109 x 46 x 21 Exchangeable covers Battery: Standard battery: Li-Ion 700 mAh Stand-by time(with standard battery): up to 250 h Talk time (with standard battery): up to 300 min Display: Display 4096 colours, 7 lines, 101x80 pixels Date and time in display Standard Features: Reminder list Alarm function Stopwatch Countdown timer Currency converter Calculator SMS (Short Message Service) Intelligent Typing (T9) Picture Messaging Enhanced Message Service (EMS) Redial list List of calls received / missed Date and time stamp for missed calls Menu animations Menu format Menu level User profiles Softkey programmable Call wait / call hold Conference call Call forward Display call timer and cost Keypad lock Silent Alert (vibration) Calling Line Identification (CLI) Call filter Special Features: Multi Media Messaging Camera Voice Dial / Voice Command Hands free talking Calling Faces Calling Symbols JavaTM applications Screensaver Camera Features: Technology: CIF Sensitivity: 20 - 200,000 Lux Viewfinder: full screen (101x80) with soft key overlay; min. 5 pictures Snapshot format: JPEG Resolutions: CIF (352 x 288) QCIF (176x144) QVGA (320x240) QQVGA (160x120) Picture shooting sound Picture key Integrated Software: Mobile Internet Access WAP 1.2.1 Telephone book in the phone up to 50 entries Telephone book (SIM card) up to 200 entries Organizer appointments, notes, reminder Data: Built-in data and fax modem High Speed Data Transfer GPRS class 8 Data exchange with PC Fun and Function: Ringing tones / ringer melodies Polyphonic melodies (16x) Games

Product Features

• Network frequency : Triple Band EGSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
• Voice encoding : EFR, HR, FR, AMR
• SIM Application Toolkit : class 3
• Antenna : integrated
• Model : mc60

More about → Siemens MC60 GSM Cell Phone with Camera