Without any intention of picking up the latest in consumer gadgetry, I found myself in the Apple Store in Palo Alto yesterday — hey, it’s across the street from where I get my hair cut.  I took a look at a display model; I saw the large, luminous display and the familiar multi-touch UI; and after that, everything became a big foggy.  While considering only the 64GB version, a shipment magically arrived (no inventory was available when I first walked in at 10:00 a.m.), my credit card slipped out of pocket quite of its own volition, and shortly thereafter I walked out with my 64GB WiFi iPad and a few accessories.

My first thoughts:

• The screen is gorgeous.  I look at my puny iPhone screen now with pity.
• It’s already replacing my laptop for checking email and surfing the Web while watching TV on the couch at home — this can’t be good for my health.
• Media, more than I expected, renders beautifully and is fun to use — music, photos, and videos.  I’m not a heavy media consumer, but this device may change my behavior.
• The manner in which the UI for primary apps like calendar and mail change from portrait to landscape orientation is interesting — I’m not sure it’s seamless enough or how much I like it yet.
• Absence of flash is glaring.
• Apps designed for the iPhone or iPod Touch just don’t work well.  The iPad renders them at what appears to be the same screen size as on the iPhone or iPod Touch.  An option to increase the size exists, but then the app resolution is too coarse.  It’s better to use Facebook through Safari, for example, than to use the acclaimed Facebook iPhone app.
• Lack of Korean language input support is disappointing.  I didn’t realize until after purchase that the iPad doesn’t support the full set of languages supported by the iPhone and iPod Touch.
• The ebook readers — iBook and Kindle — are designed great, but I still can’t see myself reading for long periods of time on the iPad.  Eye strain will be inevitable.
• Last, Plants v. Zombies is bigger and better.  I’m tempted to buy the HD version.

Overall, very happy with the purchase so far.  It’s a great show and tell piece when out and about, lots of fun.  I can see it replacing my laptop for short personal trips.  I hadn’t imagined I would have a use for it, and I was wrong and am pleasantly surprised.

Update:  Not missing 3G so far.  I’m only using the iPad where WiFi is present.  Any applications I need where WiFi isn’t I can get on my iPhone.  Plus, I happen to have a Verizon MiFi card to fill any gaps.

Last week, I was caught by captcha.  I couldn’t read and therefore failed a captcha challenge when trying to forward a blog post from within Google Reader to multiple recipients.

Just now the captcha death spiral happened again, but this time I think there’s a bug.  I passed the first captcha challenge and was presented a second, but, before I could type the second captcha challenge, it disappeared from the window and a new one appeared.  Ensuing was a fail spiral in which I was continuously presented with captcha challenges.  After each, the one I was never provided the opportunity to pass flashed briefly onscreen then disappeared.  Unable to attempt this elusive challenge, I was presented around 10 challenges in succession, interspersed with the one I wasn’t allowed to attempt.

I’m now locked out of my Google Account and cannot access Reader.  The last time, this lasted most of the day.

Fail.  :(

I’ve been forwarding a bunch of articles from my Google Account through Google Reader.  Subjected to captcha challenges, I failed to read a few properly and now am locked out of Google Reader (IP block) for an indeterminate amount of time.  Bummer.

The user experience here could have been better in two ways:

First, I knew I was having difficulty reading a few of the captchas — the text formatting was not clear to me — and I had no way to request a new captcha.  Nor did the challenge offer me different challenges — instead when I got one wrong it offered me another and then the same challenge I didn’t get right the first time.  These are best practices I’ve seen in other captcha programs that were missing (option to request a new captcha, presentation of a different one if one is entered incorrectly).

Second, the help page doesn’t set any clear timeframe for how long the IP block will persist, stating only:  ”Once the automated traffic has stopped, the ban on your IP address should be automatically lifted.”  As “network administrator,” I was given the option to submit a Web form to have the problem investigated.  I’ve done so and am now waiting . . . .

Luckily for me, I happen to know the head of product marketing for consumer products at Google and so have emailed her hoping for relief from this minor inconvenience.  :)

I’ve been very happy with my Amazon Kindle DX since I first received it in June 2009.  I love books and reading but was unhappy with the clutter of three double-stacked bookshelves and stacks of books everywhere in my apartment.  So space savings was the purchase trigger for an electronic reader for me.  And in 2009, Amazon had the best offering, with an attractive, easy-to-use/intuitive design and a seamlessly integrated ebook purchase process.  So far, I’ve loved it.

The one notable problem I experienced with it was last year, with the leather cover that Amazon markets hard with the Kindle DX.  The Kindle DX — and the Kindle 2 — has two slots on the left edge for purposes of attaching/fitting it onto two clasps on the leather cover.  It’s a little awkward at first, but doable.  The problem is that if you inadvertently open the Kindle from the rear, the top clasp acts a lever and pries wide the opening in the Kindle.  After doing this a few times, no matter how careful to avoid it, it results in unsightly cracks in the plastic right above the opening and can pry open the case, too.  I know from other Kindle owners that this can actually compromise the operation of the Kindle — it won’t work in some circumstances.

The cover clasp or latch will pry open the opening/slot on the Kindle if the cover is opened from the back.

Last year, a search quickly led to a number of discussion board threads in complaint.  In response to customer complaints and attempts to get exchanges or refunds, Amazon denied any product defect in the Kindle or the leather cover or the interaction between them, effectively asserting that any damage was customer fault.

Interestingly, they’ve now reversed this stance; I received this email today:

Now, Amazon is acknowledging that damage to either the cover or the Kindle are covered under warranty — a complete reversal of the prior stance.  I managed to keep the damage to mine minimal, so I’ll decide now whether to go through the hassle of getting a warranty exchange.

This doesn’t appear to be related to all the announcements these past few weeks — Kindle DX with global wireless, new royalty scheme for self-publishers, and Kindle developer program — but I do wonder if Amazon’s fearful anticipation of the impending Apple tablet announcement is driving the company to step up it’s game.

Competition is good, and consumers are the winners.

I’m tempted by the notion of assembling a silk-screening kit (make my own designer t-shirts instead of paying a fortune for Ed Hardy and a skull & crossbones design) and the Stanley thermos (I might want a hot water thermos to fill the mate gourd I picked up in Argentina).  And I already have the newly-released Kor One Personal Hydration Vessel and have been singing its praises around the office for the past several weeks.

But when I switched to the iPhone over the summer, I needed a new set of tools.  In my typical optimizer (read The Paradox of Choice) fashion, I went crazy with research trying to find the perfect application for my imagined needs.  None were perfect, but I settled on OmniFocus, which required a somewhat-tricky iMac-iPhone configuration to get the wireless sync to function.  OmniFocus had a great user interface, and it worked.  I paid the hefty $80 fee for the Mac application and the $20 fee for the iPhone application and the $99 MobileMe subscription fee that enabled sync — and I was mostly happy.  The only problem was:  I didn’t use it.  It lacked a PC or Web-based client, and it was too inconvenient to rely only on the small screen of my iPhone for my to-do list while at work.

So when Remember the Milk released its new iPhone application on the Apple Store (it already had a Web-based version optimized for the iPhone), I decided to reconsider.

Here are the features and functions I now realize I must have:

• GTD-system “projects” and “contexts” support
• Offline iPhone client (for airplanes and other places without Web access)
• Web-based application –> I realized I need a Web-based application more than a desktop client, because there are few circumstances in which I’d be using my PC at work or my Mac at home without Web access, and I could use my iPhone in those situations!
• Wireless syncing across devices and platforms
• iPhone-editable projects, contexts and text entries

Compare, contrast . . . Remember the Milk is the clear winner.  Lamenting my sunk cost in OmniFocus, I’ve ponied up the $25 for Remember the Milk Pro (which enables iPhone-Web sync) and switched, based on this absurd analysis (click to enlarge):

Yes, I’m a complete loon.

In sum:

• EasyTask Manager met most of my functional needs but was simply too hard to use, both the iPhone and the Web-based applications
• Evernote I consider more of a repository for storing information and isn’t suited for the GTD system and far too slow for an everyday to-do list
• Nozbe lacks an offline iPhone client – a deal-breaker for me
• OmniFocus is expensive and lacks a Web-based client
• Things looks great but didn’t have sync functionality when I last checked and has only a Mac client, no Web access

That left Remember the Milk, the award winning Web-based application now with an iPhone application, as the clear winner.  Most importantly, it works for me:  I’ve been using it daily.

For those following my iPhone trials and tribulations, you know that 2.1 broke my Microsoft Exchange integration of calendar and contacts — neither would sync with 2.1, and 2-3 trips to Genius Bars and multiple calls to Apple support didn’t help.  I still plan to describe the workaround I devised (Plaxo as the hub among applications with MobileMe for wireless sync) in a subsequent post.

Well, it seems to be fixed somehow.  The download and installation took about 30 minutes and was straightforward and without complications.  My iPhone and Exchange calendar and contacts are now synced again.  I would love to understand why, but I suppose I’ll be content that it’s working.  Obviously, for an enterprise application, it is inexcusable and completely unacceptable that it wasn’t working for the past several months.

Recall my most recent complaints:  (1) abysmal battery life and (2) broken Microsoft Exchange integration.

I was sometimes getting less than 5 hours of battery life, even after Apple replaced my unit with a new one.  Firmware 2.1 plus some more prudent battery conservation practices have all but solved #1.  I’ve read too many articles, blog posts and discussion board threads on this to recount.  Plus, I’ve finally succumbed to logical suggestions — most of which I daresay I had heard already — from BW and ES.  Here’s what’s worked for me:

First, I’m only fetching data now, and only hourly.  Such is the disappointment of and lowered expectations in performance of the iPhone 3G that the very reason for buying it — push — is what must be disabled to provide more reasonable battery life.  I’m not even upset that I don’t get push, because it was working so poorly — that battery-killing wheel seemed to be spinning constantly — and I’m so grateful for longer battery life.

Second, I’ve slightly reduced the number of accounts from which I’m fetching data.  I have work Exchange, Yahoo, Gmail and MobileMe accounts.  Instead of fetching data from all of them, I’m forwarding Gmail to Yahoo and fetching from Yahoo.  I use MobileMe only for calendar and contacts syncing, so I have it set up but never check that email.  And I’m even fetching from my work email account.  I came to terms with the fact that I don’t need push email to distract me in meetings, and I already get push when sitting in front of my destop with Outlook open.

Third, I’ve turned brightness down fairly low.  Even with a protective film on the glass, it’s still bright enough for me.

Fourth, I’ve left Bluetooth and Location Services on.  I use my Bluetooth headset to and from work every day, it’s too much of a pain to go into Settings to deactivate and activate it repeatedly, and I’m not convinced it’s a drain on the battery.  For Location Services, much of the time I have this off, but I just end up switching it on when prompted when using Google Maps or some other geo-aware application that calls for it.

Finally, I’ve left both 3G and Data Roaming turned on.  As eBay alumnus Ryan Spoon notes, push has a much greater effect on battery life than 3G.  I know at least one other iPhone 3G owner — ES –  who switches off 3G not because of the perceived battery life drain but because he believes the network is unreliable and results in dropped calls.  I’m accessing the Internet often enough that I want the speed from its being on all the time.

The net effect?  I can go over a day without recharging.  And I don’t live in constant fear of a sudden drained-battery-induced shutdown.  Frackin’ fantastic.  Reasonable battery life?  Check!

Next, I’ll bemoan the complete failure of Exchange integration, my data sync requirements and then the awkward but functioning solutions I’ve devised.

Today, Apple released the new 2.1 firmware, and it’s broken my Exchange integration.  Right now, I have no calendar, no contacts and no email — the unit is useless to me without these core functions.  I’ve tried deleting the Exchange account and re-adding it, but that doesn’t help.  Apple support forums indicate that at least a few others are experiencing the same problem.  Frankly, I’m sick of the inability of the iPhone to perform basic functions, and I’m seriously thinking about switching back to BlackBerry.

Two reasons to buy Apple products:  (1) They just work and (2) sex appeal.  So far, (1) is absent leaving my iPhone decidely unsexy. 

What are your requirements? Are you thinking of a wireless Bluetooth headset?

J.I. just got the original Jawbone, which has come down in price quite a bit, particularly since a new model has been released. I wrote three blog posts on the original Jawbone, with mixed reviews: http://blog.joonsookim.com/?s=jawbone.

In general, I think you should be considering (1) sound quality, both receiving and transmitting, (2) ease of use, (3) physical comfort/fit and (4) durability.

Here’s what I think the options are:

I’ve looked at reviews of other Bluetooth headsets. Some folks like various Motorola versions. My sense is that these four above are among the best if not the best. Certainly, the BlueAnt and the Jawbone receive the highest acclaim.

Lemme know if you have more questions!

With this said, I continue to get some feedback that the Plantronics Discovery 925 transmitting sound quality can be spotty. I’ll likely check out the Jawbone NinjaAssassin at some point and will let you know how that goes.