However, at long last, I think I've managed to put all my thoughts about the iPad and the emerging device class of tablets and media pads into one 900 word post. You can read it in its entirety at Mashable.com. However, I'll provide an excerpt to try to entice you to care:

What’s different about this new wave of tablet devices is that the intended use cases for the device have evolved into something completely different. These new tablets are not being presented as a replacement for the existing computer but for an ancillary type of platform. The new tablets are also not being primarily targeted at business users, but at home users instead. The usage cases are more tightly defined as well. The new tablet devices are about accessing and consuming web content.

If that sounds eerily familiar, that's because I totally ripped-off my own writings from this blog back in November, when I both reviewed the 27" i7 iMac and discussed Google's Chrome OS. I articulated far more verbosely in that personal blog post the problem I see with netbooks (in terms of being a target for an alternative operating system like Google Chrome) and why I was convinced then, just as I am convinced now, that a new class of device is needed for the original purpose of netbooks to actually take hold.

This is what I wrote a little over two months ago, again, in relation to Chrome OS, but also applicable to the idea of the new wave of tablet computing and media pads as we will know them:

Here's where netbooks end up causing their owners problems. The netbook has better hardware than the iPhone, but because it has a bigger screen a bigger keyboard (and the screens and keyboards are getting bigger and bigger all the time), people expect it to be faster than it is. Thus, you get people wanting more from the device than it can offer. That's why netbooks, at least Atom-based netbooks are probably going to disappear sooner rather than later. On the low-end you'll have ARM and on the higher-end, you'll just have low-priced, lightweight actual laptops...

Anyway, I think the push for ARM in netbook style computers is going to be met with utter disappointment from consumers -- especially if Flash isn't hardware accelerated when they launch. Since this is Chrome's target, I think that traditional laptop styled devices are not going to work.

This is what I see:
Something like a tablet but with a more defined purpose: like call it a media pad. Something you could use as a remote control, for instance -- an eBook reader (that isn't as good as eInk) and a visual TV guide. Yeah, you can watch online content and surf the web, but it's designed to sit on your sofa and be like what we use phones for now -- but bigger and with the understanding that you need to be online at all times.

In any event, as Chrome OS stands now, it really isn't useable in any test form, other than for shits and giggles, but the fact that it exists is pretty cool.

I will write one original thing here for my own blog, and that's about Flash.

The Flash Problem is Overblown

I'm not going to totally get into the whole Flash debate -- I think I made a very good case in the first episode of Dan Benjamin's new show, The Conversation (subscribe now!) and Dan made his own solid case in episode 2.

But just to put it in a tiny bit of perspective, let me give my opinion, mostly as an observer and web-user of what has happened with Flash over the last decade and why what's happening now shouldn't surprise anyone, least of all Adobe.

OK, so Macromedia introduces Flash in 1996, according to the Wikipedia, buying it from some guy who wrote the Flash precursor in college for the PenPoint OS and then ported it to Windows and Mac and then sold it to Macromedia, who renamed it Flash. It was used primarily for web animations and effects and navigation and whatnot.

Then in 2002, Flash 6 came with flash video support, which made it easy to do web-video without having to rely on shit like Realplayer or Windows Media or even QuickTime (though as we'll see, QuickTime's day would come again). The real power of this type of video really wasn't exploited until YouTube launched in early 2005. Suddenly, Flash, which had been a dying component, came back and it came back big time.

In essence, video was Flash's saving grace. When the iPhone debuted without Flash support in June 2007, YouTube worked to convert its videos to H.264, so that they could play on the iPhone. In December of 2007, Adobe added H.264 support to Flash 9. This was a very, very prudent move and it was done because Adobe could see the writing on the wall: Web video was all going to go H.264. Not only is it the best compression standard that's available in terms of size/performance now, but there is tons of hardware acceleration support and the new crop of consumer cameras records in it natively. If Flash can act as a container for that format, Flash can stave off its extinction in the video space.

Well, HTML5 and continued smartphone adoption patterns is going to finally make content providers question why they are suing a Flash container when they can just display the same video natively, without the container. Forgetting about Mozilla's refusal to get on the ball here (and really, I'm just going to say this right now -- I have no desire to get into any meaningless arguments over "freedom" or the "potential" of Theora with anyone. Do that on your own time. I don't fucking care and neither does the rest of the rational world. I like the Xiph project, I don't think Theora, which is based on old-ass technology should become the standard just because toe-jam eaters like Richard Stallman hate anything that doesn't conform their insane standards. Want something truly "free" to take over -- develop something new.), HTML5 has tons of promise because it makes sense to serve the content directly rather to put in a wrapper.

As for sites like Hulu that require Flash now -- if they have any brains at all, they will have an iPad application available at launch.

And let's not forget that the problems of Flash are not limited to the iPad. Fennec, the Firefox Mobile browser that currently runs only on the Nokia N900 -- yeah, they had to drop Flash support because it degraded performance too much. The HTC Hero supports Flash, it fucking sucks and is a terrible experience. Flash 10.2, which will FINALLY bring some hardware side optimizations to the platform, making it viable on netbooks, is only for x86 processors. ARM is out. ARM derivatives like the A4 are out. If Flash isn't optimized to work on the next crop of mobile devices, why are we all shrieking over the fact that rather than offer shitty support, Apple (and other smartphone makers) aren't supporting Flash?

This is where, if Microsoft were smart, they would start compiling Silverlgiht to run and run well on EVERYTHING. That way if you want a framework (and not just a container for a video player) that can work on multiple devices, you have an option.

But now I've written far more than I intended to write. No one said I wasn't opinionated.

Out.

So, I've neglected my blog. I made it not even three weeks into my whole "write once a week thing." Oh, well. In my defense, I've been insanely busy. That business is probably what led to my out-of-nowhere outbreak of intestinal yuckiness that can best be described as "three days I wish to never relive." I'm still afraid to eat solid food.

But on to better things! As you can see by the title and the little banner graphic, I will be going to Miami next month for the Future of Web Apps! I'm so excited for so many reasons. I've long admired Carsonified and am so thrilled to be going to one of their events! Even better, I'm going to get to cover the event as a reporter and podcaster for both Mashable and 5by5.tv!

My good friend Dan Benjamin just officially embarked on making podcasting and interviews and heck, Internet broadcasting as his career. It's so awesome to get to see him fulfill a longstanding dream, especially in an area that he is immensely capable -- and Dan is capable of so many things, but he really rocks at this!

I'll be joining his show The Conversation to provide news and maybe some witty banter and we'll be interviewing anyone and everyone at FOWA! By the way, listen to the first episode of The Conversation here. It's a total iPad dissection by some really smart people. How I got included in the mix -- man, someone pinch me.

Anyhoo, FOWA has a freaking amazing lineup and if you are looking for a good conference to go to where you can actually you know, put down your fucking phone and pay attention and learn shit -- this is that conference. I've heard nothing but stellar stuff and just looking at the speakers, you can see Carsonified doesn't fuck around. They get the goods.

I can't wait!

But this isn't about politics, and it isn't about how close something is, it's about devastation. On a personal front, Grant and I have had kind of a shitty week (nothing wrong with our relationship, just some crappy life stuff) but I can't help but be reminded how much better we have it than so many others. And not just in terms of material wealth, but in terms of having love and support. My dad works (worked? it is complicated) in residential real estate development. To say that the last 18 - 24 months have been difficult for him is an understatement. I'm consistently amazed with his resolve and positive attitude, in spite of seeing his business and the industry crumble around him. It's a testament to his character that he has remained able to keep on without so much as a complaint.

I donated $10 to the Red Cross via my cell phone on Wednesday, but I plan to give more. At Mashable, we've been covering lots of the Internet-community spurred relief efforts (you can read all of our Haiti coverage here to find places to send money or goods or just volunteer your time in collecting stuff to send over. The situation is so exacerbated by the very logistical hurdles of getting stuff from the Port-au-Prince airports to the people in need. The roads are all fucked up, people are scared and don't know what to do, the cargo docks are unusable, it's just really, really messed up.

Speaking of giving more -- I love that the Mac community is doing Indie Relief (my Mashable post here). I see this both as a way to support charitable organizations and the indie developer community, so I'll definitely be taking part in the event on Wednesday. I'm also thinking about making a larger donation to Doctors Without Borders.

I guess my only internal struggle when stuff like this happens, is that I feel really superficial. Even when it comes to helping out, all I can really do is throw money at the problem. I mean, sure that helps, but if I was really about trying to help others, I'd start volunteering or working in impoverished Atlanta neighborhoods. I would just throw money at charity a few times a year, I'd actually try to actively do something.

I don't really have anything else to day and I have to start work. Help if you can -- and maybe you can do more than just lip (and money) service than me.

Out.

In 2006, Roger underwent surgery to remove cancer near his jaw. There ended up being some pretty serious complications and Ebert is no longer able to speak. He's also unable to eat or drink. But he can write.

Can he ever write.

In my opinion, Roger Ebert is one of the best film critics in history -- from both an academic and populist perspective. His reviews and commentary easily best the most revered film journals (and as someone who spent way too many years in college studying film, I honestly have to say, academic film writing can be really, really irritating), yet his coined thumbs-up, thumbs-down approach can bring the film forward for the non-academic film follower.

I have always admired Ebert's writing and his approach to film criticism. Despite losing the ability to physically speak, Ebert's voice hasn't disappeared. If anything, his writing -- already a cut above -- has become even better. Maybe it's one of those senses things. Like how your sense of smell and hearing can be elevated if you lose your sight?

I don't know, the man is incredible. I wasn't planning on my first Project 52 entry, I had another draft planned. I'll just publish that tomorrow or Saturday. I read this blog entry of Ebert's (thanks @highsign) and just had to link to it -- but I wanted to also try to say something more.

I dreamed. I was reading Cormac McCarthy's Suttree, and there's a passage where the hero, lazing on his river boat on a hot summer day, pulls up a string from the water with a bottle of orange soda attached to it and drinks. I tasted that pop so clearly I can taste it today. Later he's served a beer in a frosted mug. I don't drink beer, but the frosted mug evoked for me a long-buried memory of my father and I driving in his old Plymouth to the A&W Root Beer stand (gravel driveways, carhop service, window trays) and his voice saying "...and a five-cent beer for the boy." The smoke from his Lucky Strike in the car. The heavy summer heat.

But really, read this. What more can you say. What an amazing person (with an amazing family and support system), what an amazing writer.

Read this. The man can't physically speak (not that computers aren't great), yet he has said more than some individuals -- no matter how loquacious -- could in a lifetime. Roger Ebert, you are my hero.

That's why I'm joining Project 52. I WANT to write more here and more personal writing, 'Im just so busy with work and because my work IS writing, it's hard to find the energy to dedicate to my own site.

But it's important. It's important because it is a good outlet for me. For nearly seven years, I used my LiveJournal as an outlet for my thoughts and feelings. It became more dormant about five years in, but that journal continues to be an archive of my life in college and it was an important outlet for me to express myself, even for no one reading.

It's harder for me to write more personal entries now. More people know who I am, which is awesome, but that also means that I feel like I have to restrain or hold back some of my thoughts (which is why I might start a private journal again, that's just for me). I guess I don't have to, it's just a limit of what you want to share. I've been pretty arms-length in some regards, but pretty open in others. I really want to just write more about what I'm feeling and thinking and fuck what other people think. Like seriously, fuck it.

I'll put a big disclaimer that my blog does not reflect the thoughts or opinions of my employer and blah blah blah, but you know, it's just time to get back to being able to write for myself. Write as catharsis.

So that's why I'm joining Project 52. Because it's important for me to write.

Out.

Given that I'm actually able to call writing my career -- which is amazing -- I'm pretty OK with the fact that my personal blog gets neglected. But that's why updates are few and far between -- because I'm getting to write about technology and movies every day as part of my job.

OK, so since I last posted, a few things have happened in the world of technology, let's go down the list:

• Apple announced its new product line, including what I have been waiting for: a Quad-Core iMac, and at 27" wiht an LED IPS screen no less!
• I ordered said 27" iMac i7, waited 18 days of delivery, was in love and beside myself with excitement -- until I tried to hook it up to a second monitor and found out the miniDisplayPort was broken. So my beloved beauty must go back to Apple and they are sending me a replacement. I won't get the replacement until around the 4th of December because the demand is high (and as I said, they didn't even ship the machines until a good three and a half weeks after they were announced, for the i5/i7s anyway). Apple is letting me keep the defective one until then, but I won't be able to be fully comfortable with my new toy for almost two more weeks.
• Google finally unveiled it's much hyped Chrome OS and the whole technology world has gotten itself into a tizzy over what it is and what it isn't and what it could be and all kinds of other shit.

So before I talk about Chrome, let me talk about the iMac.

27" iMac i7 Review, Take One

As I said, I couldn't help but be like totally, totally disappointed that I have to send my beautiful machine back, especially after waiting for it for so long. I bought the 27" i7 as a 27th birthday gift to myself and got it just one day after my birthday.

Aside from the miniDisplayPort issue, the machine is amazing. The screen is beyond compare -- and the thing is fast. How fast? Let's just say that coming off of my two-year old BlackBook, I'm simply amazed at how much faster certain tasks are. If a program has been optimized for multi-cores AT ALL, it really shines. For instance, doing screencasts of live web video used to be a laborious process. Like, it would take hours to export the result from either Camtasia or Screenflow. On the i7 it literally flies. It's amazing. I can't wait for Adobe to come out with Photoshop CS5 that actually takes advantage of this stuff. Likewise, I can't wait for more and more apps, especially multimedia apps, to really take advantage of multi-cores, hyperthreading and other awesome stuff.

I opted to install an extra 4 GB of RAM myself in the machine (I paid $60 shipped to get the RAM from Newegg, whereas it would have been another $200 or so if I got Apple to do it) and I have to say, the installation process couldn't have been simpler. Before I even turned my Mac on for the first time, I put the new RAM, giving me 8 GB of DDR3-1066 RAM. I'm in heaven.

I got a Magic Mouse a week before I got my new iMac, so I was familiar with that -- but I have to say, the combination of the screen and the mouse is really nice. I can't wait for more gestures to get written into the Magic Mouse. I know that a lot of people I respect have panned the mouse, and the Logitech MX probably is a better pointing device, but the Magic Mouse is sexy, easy to use and feels good in the hand. Plus, I have my Wacom tablet if I need to do any precise, precise stuff anyway.

The alumnium keyboard is the same as what I've been using for a year with my MacBook hooked up to an external monitor and it remains a joy to type on.

Sound from the speakers is excellent, though I'm looking at getting a separate set anyway. The machine is amazingly quiet for all of its horsepower. I mean, according to the GeekBench results, this thing is very closer if not better than a base level Mac Pro. So I've got a Mac Pro (minus the expandability, yes, but I don't care about that more than for RAM) inside one of the nicest displays available on the market.

I really can't say enough about the screen. I know that once I get my working unit I'm going to really be able to see the difference between my $220 HP w2338h and this beauty -- which is why that display will be relegated to holding my e-mail, Adium and maybe Campfire. I'll leave the big screen for everything else.

As for why I need two screens when 27" is so big? It's not so much for size, but because I like to segment and separate some of my tools. I like having my mail up at all times, but I don't want to have to battle with it and other windows. On my old setup, my MacBook screen simply served as a place for Mail.app to live. Because the smaller display will now be 23.5" and 1920x1080, I can put a lot more on it and thus leave my beauty for TextMate, Photoshop and web browsers, which are the three programs I have open at almost all times (well that and LittleSnapper).

A lot has been written about the Apple Tax and the value proposition and whatnot, but I think that with the new iMac lineup, even at the 21.5" level, but especially when you look at the i5 and i7 machines -- it's hard to argue that you aren't getting your money's worth.

Yes, I paid $2600 for my computer ($2660 with RAM), but I'm getting something that I couldn't get anywhere else, and at Dell, two separate pieces, with a monitor that isn't as good, would cost me MORE money.

I'm in front of a computer for at least 8 hours a day (10 is more accurate), having something fast, reliable and with a great, great screen really makes the difference, I just wish there was a Blu-ray option already. I hate that I can't use this to watch my growing Blu-ray collection. But that's OK, I have the amazing LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player for that! Seriously, if you are looking for a Blu-ray player this Christmas and you don't have a PS3 (or don't want one), this is the one to get. It has Wireless-N, Netflix, VUDU and YouTube support (I think Pandora is coming soon), can connect to your PC or Mac or NAS setup to stream media and has great, great quality. $260 for what is almost a complete home entertainment hub.

I'll do something more in-depth after I get the final iMac in and I transfer everything over officially (I'm in this weird limbo space now where about 90% of my files and docs are transferred, as well as my most-used apps, but most of my media files are still on other drives and I haven't installed all my programs. When I figured out the first day I actually was going to use this thing for work that the DisplayPort didn't work, I kind of stopped doing the big transfer. I mean, I have to do this again anyway so why bother?

And here's my unboxing gallery. Forgive the quality, I couldn't find my digital camera and so I had to use my iPhone which is just not good with my office's lighting.

Chrome OS Thoughts

This should probably just be a separate blog post, but I really just wanted to discuss in a non-Mashable setting some of my thoughts on Chrome OS. The day it was announced, I quickly got my geek on and compiled the source image (which first required having to download and install the latest Ubuntu and run that in VMWare Fusion 3), which wasn't difficult, but was long and laborious.

Then I had to create the VMWare image -- figure out how to get the file from my VM to my desktop (not as simple as you'd think -- I ended up just DropBoxing it which was faster) and then created a new VM from that image.

After playing with it a bit, I did like 5 screencasts, and sadly, this was the best take -- despite my umming, uhs and actual technical problems. Whatever, I was on a deadline. I will say my ass-busting paid off because we had a hands-on first look at least 6 hours before any other major site (or minor site that I could find). I also got to flex my geek muscles (hey, compiling the kernel and building the image wasn't difficult, but come on, that's still totally geeky!), which is always nice.

So my first thoughts, which I shared on Twitter, was how disappointed I was that what we saw in Google's demo wasn't what the source was. It's not that that isn't completely and totally typical, but it just makes even contemplating developing anything for Chrome OS hard if you can't even get a true baseline of how stuff works.

But the bottom line is this, everyone calls this a big threat to the desktop as we know it and representative of a big paradigm shift and blah blah blah, and you know, in another 10 years, that might be true -- hell in 5 we might be closer to fruition, but as it stands right now, I can see Chrome OS succeeding, but where it will succeed will be in a completely separate and new class of device.

Gruber made a comment about how Chrome might be considered as a bicycle that replaces that second, rarely used car -- and you know, that would be a very Larry Ellison way of looking at stuff -- and maybe someday that will be true. However, right now, I don't see it as a bicycle replacing a car -- I don't think it's robust enough to be a bike. I think it's a VESPA you get to tool around in but that you don't ever seriously consider using for more than just certain things. It isn't going to give you the flexibility of a bike, in terms of where you can take it (subways, winding trails, various terrains) or give you the exercise benefits, but it is a fun excursion and can often get you someplace faster than a car or a bike could depending on where you are and what you are trying to get to.

For the foreseeable future, I don't think I see Chrome OS as something -- that at least as it exists now and as it will exist according to Google's demo -- as something that even netbook owners -- and netbook owners are used to making lots of compromises for perceived price/weight/convenience advantages -- would be willing to compromise and use with any frequency.

This is why:

First, while Chrome OS and Android are often compared and conflated (and maybe eventually they will even morph into the same product), they are very different. Android, while deeply flawed (and I say that as someone who was a strong advocate and wants it to succeed if only to offer Apple real competition in the mobile space) in many of the ways it is executed, is still a fully robust platform. I may not like the default UI decisions, I may think the decision to basically take JIT, do something in the compiler so that it isn't JIT by the legal definition, is stupid because I think Java is what is really limiting a lot of the development ideas and innovations and I might question the already splintering market of sub-Android brands, but Android is a platform.

Right now, Chrome is not a platform, it's a thin client built into a Linux kernel. It has the potential to do web multimedia extremely well -- especially with Flash and Silverlight both getting more into utilizing GPU and hardware acceleration -- and the web in general very well, but despite our reliance on the web, the web still isn't everything we do with computing. Don't get me wrong, I could not survive without some sort of Internet access. I mean, I could literally, but I couldn't work and most of my communication methods would be severely limited.

That said, I'm writing this entry in Mars Edit, not in WordPress's window, because I both don't like and don't trust WordPress not to crash on me. I write my Mashable and AMC posts in TextMate (and Mashable uses WordPress, but the different linking and other stuff I like to do works better in TextMate, whereas I prefer Mars Edit for my personal writing) for the same reasons -- and because I get added functionality that just isn't available in a web-based text editor yet. Maybe someday, but not today. I do all of my graphics work, even light stuff, in Photoshop. I edit my photos in Aperture or LightRoom. Granted, I'm not the average user, but I would still rather my mother use iPhoto than Picasa or Picnik.

Google actually talked about stability and security as a perk when it comes to Chrome, but as I said on Twitter, in the more than two years that I have used Mac OS X full-time, I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually LOST data when it wasn't my own fault (like when I've deleted my iTunes library not once, but twice -- or when I've incorrectly closed a window without saving). However, I can't even count how many times I've had web browsers, be it Firefox, Safari, Camino, Opera, Internet Explorer or even Google Chrome crash on me and take everything I was working on with it.

Firefox is often the nastiest culprit for that one -- though that's on the Mac, on the PC Firefox is much more stable -- but even Safari pre 10.6.2 was pretty crash-happy too. Even Chrome, which is designed to like kill one window not the whole browser, often doesn't do that -- at least in my tests. So if I'm going to rely on anything to keep my data for me after a crash, it's not going to be a web browser. Sorry.

Then there's the issue of speed. Chrome is going to be fast because a) there's almost nothing to it and b) they are going to require it to use SSD drives in the beginning. Now that's smart, but that's only part of what defines speed for users.

It's pretty much accepted that the iPhone 3GS is one of the fastest smartphones on the market. The N900 may or may not be faster, the Droid is about the same speed, though the iPhone loads web pages faster when the network isn't a defining factor. The iPhone 3GS is no slouch in the speed department, but even on WiFi, loading web pages can sometimes take a bit of time. This doesn't bother me because I understand that my phone is not going to be as fast as my computer. The smaller size of the screen and the compact nature make it totally easy to rationalize and justify differences in speed.

Here's where netbooks end up causing their owners problems. The netbook has better hardware than the iPhone, but because it has a bigger screen a bigger keyboard (and the screens and keyboards are getting bigger and bigger all the time), people expect it to be faster than it is. Thus, you get people wanting more from the device than it can offer. That's why netbooks, at least Atom-based netbooks are probably going to disappear sooner rather than later. On the low-end you'll have ARM and on the higher-end, you'll just have low-priced, lightweight actual laptops. Grant has an Acer that has a Core Solo and can take up to 4 GB of RAM, that thing is great -- and was only a little bit more (we're talking under $100) more than a netbook. And it came with Windows 7 Home Premium!

Anyway, I think the push for ARM in netbook style computers is going to be met with utter disappointment from consumers -- especially if Flash isn't hardware accelerated when they launch. Since this is Chrome's target, I think that traditional laptop styled devices are not going to work.

This is what I see:
Something like a tablet but with a more defined purpose: like call it a media pad. Something you could use as a remote control, for instance -- an eBook reader (that isn't as good as eInk) and a visual TV guide. Yeah, you can watch online content and surf the web, but it's designed to sit on your sofa and be like what we use phones for now -- but bigger and with the understanding that you need to be online at all times.

In any event, as Chrome OS stands now, it really isn't useable in any test form, other than for shits and giggles, but the fact that it exists is pretty cool.

And yes -- at long last, the mammoth blog entry comes to a close.

I'm out!

I've written so much about the iPhone and its platform over the last two years that it is pretty laughable that I haven't had one as my primary device until now. I mean, I've had an iPod touch 2G 32GB and played with more apps than I care to recall (like, it makes managing the shit in iTunes difficult -- even with the new features of iTunes 9), but now I FINALLY, FINALLY have one as my primary device.

Bye, Bye BlackBerry

After a nice honeymoon period, all was not love and sunshine with my BlackBerry Curve. See, the phone either had some sort of major malfunction or I just expected too much out of it. While I was at TUAW and DownloadSquad, my e-mail count was pretty high, like, I'd often get over 100 messages a day. If I wasn't constantly deleting them from my phone, the damn thing would run out of memory reading a newsfeed or loading a webpage and I'd have to do the whole three-finger BlackBerry salute (where you restart the phone by pressing three buttons) and wait 5-minutes for the phone to restart.

Then there was the whole issue of fucking crashing while a call was trying to come through. This started to get more and more frequent and because I often do interview or calls with PR people, that's embarrassing. And inconvenient.

The abysmal amount of on-phone memory allocated for the OS and the data really is to the device's detriment. I'm sure that newer BlackBerry devices have addressed that issue, but from where I'm standing, the fact that I have to make sure my cache, e-mail, and other little areas are all clear just so I can install an application from the shitty BlackBerry App World is just unacceptable.

Even when I had almost NO third-party apps on the phone, the crashing and freezing and lockup issues didn't go away. Again, I could have dealt with this if it didn't have this great tendency to do it while trying to receive calls.

Now, I might have still considered getting a new BlackBerry, except at this point it's not longer really financially advantageous to do so. When I got my Curve 8320, I paid a lot for the phone, even with the two-year contract, but I got what I still consider one of the BEST data/minute plans out there. 1000 minutes, unlimited BlackBerry data, unlimited text messages -- $60 a month.

It was a great, great plan. Unfortunately, T-Mobile in its infinite wisdom decided to get rid of it. Now, the replacement plan is not a bad deal still -- it's 1000 minutes, plus unlimited night and weekend, plus the unlimited data and texting for $85 a month. That's not a bad deal, however, if you don't consider that the voice minutes (which I rarely use that many of) are the only difference, that's $25 more a month -- or $300 a year -- so $600 over two years. Why do I mention this?

Well, had I gone with a new phone, I wouldn't have been able to keep the old plan. I would have been forced to move to one of the new plans. When I first started seriously doing the calculations back in June, the current offering with unlimited night/weekend/mobile-to-mobile in addition to the base 1000 minutes wasn't even an option.

Plus, even if I waited for my upgrade date, I would still end up paying as much for a new BlackBerry as I would for a new 16GB iPhone.

So here was my thought process, part of my rationale for not getting the iPhone 2G was that I couldn't see paying nearly $1000 more over two years. As I said then, "that's a new MacBook."

However, if I'm going to have to pay that money anyway, I'd rather get the phone I really want: the iPhone.

Hello, iPhone 3GS

It's interesting to look back at how much the mobile landscape has changed in the last two years. I would challenge even the most ardent-iPhone hater to seriously argue that the bulk of that innovation hasn't been because of or in direct-response to the iPhone. As I said on the TUAW Talkcast at the end of the year in both 2007 and 2008, the iPhone continues to be the biggest story not just in the Apple-sphere, but in technology in general.

The first iPhone, though revolutionary for its interface and industrial design, was not an overly innovative phone. Sure, the web browsing was really, really nice -- but that was just about the only feature that wasn't already out there. Again, the interface and industrial design are revolutionary in their own right, but if you are a gadget freak and a reformed smartphone junkie like myself, the actual featureset wasn't really any better than the competition.

That all changed in July of 2008. The App Store, has quite frankly, changed everything. It has taken the iPhone from the sexy device that you want, but maybe can't justify the expense of -- especially with the shittier carrier and the options available elsewhere -- to the phone that nothing else comes close to touching. The apps are just amazing. They changed everything.

I got my iPod touch 2G 32GB last year and have loved it. As a gaming device, as a pocket computer, as a reference list, as a just general fun machine -- the device is just the tops.

So even before I'd reached the end of the first year with my Berry, I was having some misgivings about continuing on the BB course. Because Grant had a G1 (and now a MyTouch 3G), I've been in the unique position of using the iPhone OS, the BlackBerry OS and Android all at the same time. Having compared them all back to back, it just isn't a question, the iPhone wins. It's not just the number of apps (though that is impressive), the quality of the apps is just unbelievable. Look at the Facebook App for iPhone. Now look at the newly-released Facebook for Android. No comparison. None. I'll give you that Android is capable of much more, but almost nothing compelling has been done with the platform.

So after realizing I needed to get a new phone -- to stop the freezing insanity if nothing else -- and after realizing that I'm going to be paying between $70 and $90 a month for my cell phone anyway, I put my AT&T hate aside and got an iPhone 3GS.

First Impressions

Well, as I said, I have an iPod touch. So the device isn't anything new to get used to -- other than the larger size (the 32GB iPhone 3GS is way thicker than the absolutely svelte iPod touch -- but I'm actually totally OK with that -- it feels more secure that way). Still, the whole thing is class.

And I have to give both AT&T and my beloved T-Mobile some credit -- my number was ported super, super fast. As in, I finished checking out at the Apple Store -- he went an activated my phone in iTunes. I went to the car with Grant. I picked up my phone while we were driving home and got instantly got a text message saying my number had been ported over. Like 5 minutes. Or less. Not bad.

I got the new Marware SportShell Convertible for iPhone 3G, 3G S (Black) as a case and I highly recommend it for 3G/3GS users looking for versatility.

I've had several Marware cases over the years (the SportSuit Convertible for the iPod -- for several iPods actually) and quite like them, but I really like the SportShell. It's a really solid quality plastic casing, with the option of either a belt clip or just a smooth back -- and it can also connect to an armband (which I'll never use -- that's why I also got a new iPod nano at the same time as my iPhone -- for a new workout iPod). Plus it came with screen protectors, which saved me having to get some cut to fit the iPod 3GS. You can also just get the case without the armband for less cash (Marware SportShell for iPhone 3G, 3G S (Black)
) and Amazon has them for way less than the Apple Store (though overpaying for accessories is just part of the Apple Store experience and I wanted to leave with a case).

Call quality is great, I haven't had any crashes (knock on wood) like with the Berry and obviously, it does without saying that the Mac compatibility is in another league.

Yes, yes, BlackBerry Desktop for Mac is very, very spiffy -- and it is much needed -- but it was still too little, too late for my needs. Because I couldn't export a straight CSV or log of VCF files from the Mac version (thanks for the leak CrackBerry!), I still had to result to Windows Vista VM hell, as my Twitter followers are all too familiar.

We All Knew This Would Happen....

I'm not surprised that I caved to AT&T, and indeed, the fact that I waited until I could get out of my contract by having to pay as little money as possible is a credit to my own resolve (a resolve I often don't have), but it always seemed like a foregone conclusion that I would get an iPhone. Come on, I'm completely Apple's bitch. This is fact.

Hey T-Mobile -- thanks for almost 9-years of pretty decent phone service and great customer support!

Now I'm off to do some work and play with my toy!

I loved by time at both TUAW and Download Squad and will always be grateful for the experience, the people that I met (most importantly, Grant), and the opportunities that have come my way as a result of my time with WIN.

So for two weeks now I've been at Mashable and I'm just so excited and overjoyed to be part of such a cool team. Sharon, Adam O., Jenn, Ben, Barb, Stan, Adam H., Tamar, Frederick, Brett, Josh and of course, Pete are all AWESOME. And I'm not lying. Hand linking all those Twitter accounts was a pain in the ass.

So I'm writing full-time at Mashable, doing The Flickcast and doing another project that I desperately want to discuss but must continue to keep silent about (it's awesome, it's movie related and it's tons of fun). Here's the important thing: I'm at the point in my life where I can actually say that I'm a full-time working writer.

The fact that I can say this at 26 is really, really amazing. Two years ago, when I was finishing school and trying to kind of decide what to do next, my end-goal (in the back of my mind) was to be able to carve a career for myself writing about technology or film or popular culture.

That isn't to say that I wouldn't love the opportunity to sell a screenplay or work on a television show (or hell, become the megalomaniacal studio boss that I've always fantasized about being -- I really am only half-joking when I say I want to be Rupert Murdoch without all the evil -- a Christina Media Empire would be freaking awesome), but realistically, in my heart of hearts, what I want to do -- what I'm good at doing -- is writing about the latest news, reviewing products and services and sharing my love of film, pop culture and technology with anyone willing to take the time and read my stuff.

I'm truly blessed that in two years, that has now started to become a reality.

Today is Labor Day in the US, and I have the day off. I'm upgrading our remaining Macs to Snow Leopard (life is busy and it hasn't been easy to find time to do that sort of stuff) and just enjoying knowing that I have a great job and great people to work with tomorrow.

Not only am I lucky enough to get to do what I love, I have the most amazing, most supportive and most loving partner a girl could ask for. Somebody pinch me and tell me I'm not dreaming!

Out!

The single user Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard upgrade is only $29 and the
Mac OS X Snow Leopard Family Pack (5-User) is only $49.

There now. Feel free to click if you love me. Or don't. Regardless, $30 is a great deal. We bought a Mac mini at the beginning of July, so we can get the Snow Leopard upgrade for that machine for $10, it still makes more sense just to get the Family Pack for $50.

Although you don't get the Apple Store experience buying from Amazon.com, you do get free shipping. And no tax.

w00t.

Essentially, a little girl, dying of a rare form of cancer, really wanted to see Pixar's "Up." Sadly, she was too sick to get to the theater when it was released. So her mom cold called Pixar, Disney, whoever, and managed to reach someone who sent a REAL PERSON to their door, with the movie, some toys, etc. and allowed the family and the little girl to watch the film together. A few hours later, she passed away.

If you haven't seen the film, I won't go into too many spoilers, other than to say, it is the very essence of life, death, hope and rebirth. It's a beautiful, beautiful film and while some might find its subject matter a bit macabre for a last wish (especially since the trailer really didn't make it out to be what it is), I think it's perfect.

The fact that this little girl hung on, just so she could see her last movie -- a movie she had wanted to see -- and the fact that Pixar sent someone to the girl's house with the movie, so she could watch it, perfectly encapsulates why movies are so important.

Throughout my life, but especially in college, I've often had conversations with people who just don't understand why I'm so passionate about film. The importance of film is easier to argue than the importance of television (in that, the academic study of film is so parallel to the academic study of literature, whereas the basis for television study often depends on the sociological aspects of television, rather than the textual content of the shows themselves), but I know many, many people who undermine or dismiss its significance. I truly believe that film can have a transformative effect greater than any other medium.

I saw "Up" last week with Grant and Nik Fletcher, who visited with us for a few days before going to The Big Nerd Ranch. The UK doesn't get "Up" until October, so Grant and I waited to see the film until Nik arrived.

It was worth the wait. The film is perhaps the most "adult" Pixar film to date (though WALL-E is certainly close), on so many levels. I'm sure kids love it, but it is truly an example of a film made for adults. It is wonderful.

After hearing Matt rail against it on The Flickcast, and hearing from others that it was depressing, I was slightly nervous it might break the streak of "awesome." Of course, I was wrong. For the tenth time, I sat in a theater and watched a Pixar film on the big screen. For the tenth time, I walked away overjoyed. This time, I also had tears in my eyes.

To be sure, "Up" is a tear-jerker, but it is also immensely beautiful and powerful. I saw the film two days after what would have been my grandparents 64th wedding anniversary, and the day after the third anniversary of my grandfather's death. I was reminded so much of my grandparents in the film -- especially seeing Carl adjust to life without his beloved Ellie. When my grandmother died in January 2005, my grandfather was by her side the entire time. For the majority of the few days leading up to her passing, I was with him. Sitting next to him as he held her hand. It was heartwrenching, yet beautiful. Seeing someone say goodbye to his wife of nearly 60 years. Seeing real love as it exists at the very end of life.

"Up" captured that kind of love. It encapsulated what it is like to witness that kind of love.

The movies matter because they have the ability to take the most personal and difficult of experiences -- losing a loved one (or even watching someone lose a loved one) -- and put it on screen for the lessons and the feelings of that experience to be absorbed by everyone in the theater. Movies are larger than life, but the power is that they can bring the real emotions from life, to a much bigger place.

I'm rambling at this point and losing my coherency. Regardless, I can't think of a more perfect film for that family to watch together. I hope little Colby enjoyed it.