ForbesOnTech

Cricket Wireless Plus WalMart-- a Marriage That Could Drive Broadband Wireless Networking

Despite a price tag that keeps it beyond  reach of many US consumers, I remain a big fan if wireless broadband networking.

My ardor for this form of connectivity has grown appreciably as close friends and even I have migrated out of dense population centers to rural America—where high speed cable or DSL Internet connectivity isn’t available or financially feasible for many households.

High speed connectivity is assumed by most PC manufacturers and virtually all entrepreneurs working to bring new products to market. But their product planning is often essentially flawed: they assume that every member of their target market has access to high speed, persistent, Internet connectivity.

I’ve seen little evidence to suggest that high speed internet broadband connectivity is inexpensive enough for the mass market

I was without consistent Internet connectivity here in CO my first three weeks on the cold earth of the Rocky’s Front Range. Most of my neighbors all have secure WiFI networks so I became a public library WiFi user. Anecdotally, I noticed a lot of other people who rely on the Brighton, Colorado’s, public library robust and ultra reliable WiFi network. A surprising number of them are like myself—retired professionals who live outside the subscriber areas for cable or DSL service.

But all is not lost and I’ve found a reliable solution that works for me in rural Denver, Cricket’s wireless network.

In case you didn’t know it, Cricket Communications is a Qualcomm wireless venture. They provide voice/ texting for a flat monthly rate and have very good coverage here in the west. But more importantly, they are also building out a substantial broadband network and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg per month.

Cricket’s broadband network isn’t the fastest in the world and as of now—although they advertise 3G speeds --and there are gaping holes in its geographic coverage.

But, they have taken their products to a nationwide outlet that has the depth to drive broadband networking. That outlet is WalMart. Imagine my surprise at 8:30 one Pre-Thanksgiving night as I was picking up towels for my spare bathroom as well as 12-foot length of USB 2.0 cable, and discovered a Cricket USB broadband modem in the electronics’ department display case. I was even more surprised when the clerk satisfactoriliy explained, pricing and usage.

The price-- $40 a month-- was appropriate for a consumer market device and Cricket’s network signup couldn’t be easier. Cricket’s decision to use WalMart as a retail partner is very smart. Whatever your feelings about WalMart, its success and product pull, plus consumer exposure are the stuff of business success case studies.

The Cricket/WalMart distribution strategy is bound to be closely followed in the coming months.

And less you instantly dismiss it’s potential, it‘s useful to remember that the personal computer revolution got its start in an Albuquerque, NM, strip mall.

I think a humble partnership between WalMart and Cricket could be a force that galvanizes broadband networking. All that’s needed now is a domestic success story for Intel’s WiMax long range wireless networking.

I remain hopeful—Jim Forbes on 12/02/2009.

It's Time for a Revolution in Notebook Cursor Control Devices--Blindfold and Put the Trackpads Up Against the Wall.

Notebook trackpad cursor controllers may be the single biggest design problems effecting consumer notebook designs. The most important element of the portable computer notebook design is the user experience. And that boils down to how easily someone can unpack their machine, set down in front of a keyboard and productively work. Unfortunately, the performance of most track pads is so erratic that users have to learn how to position their hands and palm on each notebook they use. Most portable computer manufacturers have little control over trackpad design. Track pads are commodity parts most often purchased from the lowest bidding supplier and the resulting user experience suffers from this practice. I believe that the user experience is the single most important element in a successful notebook and I have yet to unpack and test a notebook that didn’t require spending time to adjust a track pad’s sensitivity or other attributes. It shouldn’t be this difficult and I shouldn’t need to carry a mouse-pointer in my notebook bag in order to really be productive with a notebook. My experience with notebooks that use track stick pointers or which have built in mechanical mice is altogether different. I u npack them, turn them, on and work for hours on end, a happy camper. For years, the reason why I recommended business notebook brands such as Toshiba’s Tecras and IBM ( and more recently Lenovo) ThinkPads and handful of others was because they used track stick pointers for cursor control. But my all time favorite notebook—Hewlett Packard’s original Omnibook 300 through 800 line didn’t use a stick pointer at all; it had a small mechanical mouse built into its side. HP’s mechanical mouse was a thing of beauty. It was built like a tank, lived safe from accidental damage in its little mouse house on the side of the Omnibook. But more importantly, in the four years I carried HP Omnibooks, not one ever failed. Not once! My love affair with touch screens has a lot to do with cursor control. If I want the cursor to do something specific, I just use a stylus to place it where its needed and perform a specific operation. Track pads may let me pinch, squat, squeeze and grunt but the result of inadvertently hitting a track pad creates an execrable experience that gets in the way of the user experience. The solution to the problems with track pads won’t come from the lowest bidders of 500,00-part track pad orders, or their software partners. It has to come from notebook designers who have a vested interested in making their products different by optimizing the user experience. Until this happens users will keep accidentally sending their cursors to screen realestate that’s unimagined.—Jim Forbes, 11/25/2009

Gateway Sets New Price Performance Bar with Vesatile NV5708u

If The ultimate test of any notebook answers the simple question “how suited is it to its intended task” then Gateway’s new NV5807u is a hands-down winner.

The configuration of this new notebook has everything you need for a box-seat entertainment and high performance computing experiences a price that doesn’t bankrupt your pocket book.

Gateway’s 5807u demonstrates a level of attention to detail I admire. First off, its  luminous 15.6-inch screen has an eye-pleasing 16:9 aspect ratio, and it has more than enough display real estate to do equal justice to any form of visual entertainment or presentation graphics application.

Its four USB ports, one HD video and one VGA port on its sides,. This configuration makes moving this notebook from one physical setting to another quite painless. Gateway hasn’t scrimped on this configuration.  For example, while other notebook makers have discontinued built in modems, you’ll find a telephone line port on the back right hand side of its case. The NV5807’s power switch is nice large button on the right of the case hinge, where it can’t be inadvertently hit

Like other travelers, I’m still not ready to give up a built-in modem as part of a standard notebook configuration. And on a recent trip this proved helpful, when, while staying miles from a public WiFi connection and well out of range of Verizon’s cell network, I had to connect to the Internet using a dial-up through my ISP. Again, Gateway scored on my list of good things I like about the NV5807u by including a modem.

What’s under the hood of this notebook is a beefy power train that includes: 2.1 GHz dual core Intel processor, 4 GB of system memory a 320GB SATA drive. My one minor complaint with this system is that it’s hard disk isn’t a speed demon, which is unusual for most SATA drives on notebooks I’ve tested. The NV5807 uses Intel’s GM45Express core logic and an Intel Graphics media accelerator. It’s processor is an Intel Core2 Duo 6500, which has a clock speed of 2.1 GHz.

The WiFi transceiver on the NV5807u is compatible with the Draft N 802.11 specification—which is backwardly compatible with existing 802.11 standards. I was able to effortlessly connect to my home WiFi network as well as numerous guest networks while traveling without any problems

A web camera and microphone are built into the upper part of the screen housing. I’ve used this notebook extensively for video conferencing and calling using public and private WiFi networks and can recommend it for this application wholeheartedly.

I like the keyboard on this notebook because it has just the right amount of tactile feedback I need to type comfortably for extended periods.

Gateway has included touch sensitive multimedia controls above the function keys.

The only other minor complaint I have with the Gateway NV5807u is its smooth track pad. I prefer textured surfaces because I can feel if one of my fat fingers has come into contact with the track pad. The trackpad on this notebook supports a wide range of easily learned gestures, that once mastered improves personal productivity.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this system’s price, $599, which sets a new price point for Intel-equipped cross over notebooks with 15.6-inch screens, aimed at enthusiast and general computer users.

Th operating system supplied on ,y reviw unit was Vista Home Premium, SP 1.

Anyone who purchases this system now is elgible to upgrade to Windows 7 under a Microsoft’s program window7 upgrade

The fit, finish and design of this notebook are excellent. It’s sleek looking and has no sharp edges. Its weight, 6.82 pounds, doesn’t seem excessive and is on a par with other notebooks in this new category. Like other machines, it’s six-cell battery pack delivered an average 1.9 hours of power throughout the lengthy period I tested this machine (which involved two multi-day trips including one camping experience). The image of the Gateway NV5807 as a go-anywhere, do anything notebook, is enhanced by a 5-in-one card reader, which helps make this machine even more suited for entertainment and personal productivity applications. An optical drive—located on the right side of the system case-- is standard on this notebook.

I’ve used the NV5807u in extensive daylight and office settings and believe it delivers a first-rate user experience, providing the user takes the time to adjust screen brightness and contrast for individual settings.

As an entertainment notebook, the NV5807u goes on the short list of notebooks I’d recommend to friends and family. Its audio delivers crisp music and clear dialogue, which is more than I can say about many notebooks I’ve tested over the last two decades. I like this notebook and have no reservations, except as noted. Most users will find the Gateway NV5807u meets their needs for today and tomorrow.—Jim Forbes, 09/10/2009

Acer's e Machines Division Turns to Netbook-like Architecture for a Surpsingly Good All-in-One PC--the inexpensive EZ 1601 01

 

 

 

Good things come in small packages but they aren’t necessarily always overpriced. And that’s precisely the case of a new all-in-one desktop, the EZ1601-01, from Acer’s e Machines division.

The EZ 1601-01, (supplied to me for this review by Acer), is a new take on the all-in-one form factor that deserves  close inspection. It’s priced remarkably low, $399.99, and it’s just now making it’s way into retail and it excels at basic computing tasks, such as those encountered by college students who find themselves sharing cramped dorm rooms or shared apartments.

The EZ 10601 is a step in a new direction for the all-in-one form desktop factor. Its 18.5-inch screen (which has a 16:9 aspect aratio) is big enough to compose college papers, research projects, spreadsheets, or other documents and the overall size of this machine guarantees that it will nestle cozily on virtually any desktop surface

The big step e machines has taken with its new all-in-one desktop is to bring what amounts to a netbook architecture to this class of desktops. The hardware rundown here is more powerful than many of the all-in-ones of yesteryear. At its core is an Intel Atom N270 low voltage processor with 512KB of Level2 cache running at a respectable 1.6 GHz, 1GB of DDR2 533MHz memory and a very fast 160GB SATA hard disk drive.

I liked the screen on this value priced all-in-one and think its display (which are powered by an Intel 950 graphics accelerator) is more than adequate for most day-to-day computing tasks. The only minor criticism I had of the EZ1601-01’s display is this: I felt Internet-streamed video performance was only par, but I can’t blame the system wholly for this, since I was connected to a site using this desktop’s integrated 802.11 b/g wireless adapter. But other than that the video and display system on this new all-in-one met or exceeded my expectations.

I also like the new e Machine’s capabilities for standalone entertainment. Its integrated speakers deliver crisp audio that I think will satisfy most owners’ needs, whether the machine is being used in a college dorm, or a bedroom in an apartment or house. An 8x DVD, R/RW double multi-layer dive is included on the EZ 1601 and is located on the side of the system case.

Unlike many all-in-ones, which have only three USB ports, five are built into the e Machine’s EZ 1601 (all of which are handily located on either the side, or the back of the machine). A multi card reader is also standard on this desktop, which supports the XD and SD storage media formats.

The operating system shipped with this computer is the current version of Windows XP Home. Microsoft Works, Windows Media Player 9 and a 60-day trial version of Norton Internet Security are also included on e Machine’s EZ 1601..

The construction of this all-in-one is reassuring, it appears to be solidly built—a characteristic I think is paramount for this form factor--and its fit and finish is above average.

The EZ 1601 ships with a no-frills keyboard that’s noticeably quiet but offers good tactile feed back and an optical mouse.

E Machines’ EZ 1601-01 is a surprisingly good all-in-one desktop.  While it’s based on what amounts to a netbook architect=xture,  there’s nothing dinky about his system’s ability to connect to a myriad  of USB devices, play DVD’s and deliver an excellent audio experience and a surprisingly pleasant video experiences on its 18.5-inch self-contained monitor. At$399.99, e Machines’ new EZ 1601 all-in-one desktop offers great performance and sets a new price performance bar.—Jim Forbes with  Sean P. Forbes on /08/08/2009.

Sean P. Forbes is a Southern California educator who in addition to teaching also evaluates classroom educational technologies

Soothing a Post-Stroke Retirement Itch, or Maybe Just Scratching It With my Hind Paws.

Oh boy, the motorcycle itch strikes,yet again

Hubba  Hubba. Be still my heart, I test ride Vespa's Piaggio MP3 Three Wheeler

Cruising home on I-15 north I passed a business with a sign that said "San Diego Vespa" and had a momentary flash: Whoa, Vespa makes a three-wheeler (pictured above) i could drive safely. Fish tailing across four lanes of freeway ,I made the next off ramp, drove back to the Kearny Mesa off ramp and parked in front off the Vespa dealership. Loaner helmet strapped to my noggin I went for a test drive. It handles beautifully,keeping me glued to the road as its articulated steering tracked through turns and over bumps. With a 500cc, four-stroke,  single-cylinder engine, it has enough power to get my fat butt from point A to Point B with a certain element of Panache. most of all, it's a decent putt-putt with three wheels and an incredible steering system that reduces my fears caused by my stroke-compromised sense of balance. The great thing about retirement is that you don't always act out on every whim, but you can always window shop.Be still my motorcycle loving heart.--Jim Forbes 04/09/2008.

 

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y650 -- A New Baseline for "Entertainment" Portables And Ease of Use

In the past, most notebook makers have done very little to improve the user experience when they launch large screen notebooks, such as those with 17-inch, or larger, displays.

But that’s changed recently as manufacturers such as Lenovo and others have announced 16-inch screen based portables that incorporate new technologies but which are slim or light enough to use everyday.

The first 16-inch screen portable I’ve used day-in and day-out for an extended period is Lenovo’s IdeaPad Y650.

The tech specs of the y650 are a good indication of what’s integral to entertainment portable computers

Right off the top it has the naked horsepower needed to deliver an exceptional mixed media experience: a 2.4GHZ Intel2 Core Duo processor, 3 or 4 GB of memory (but which can be expanded to 8GB), a 320GB SATA hard disk drive with a wicked fast 3GB per second transfer rate, a DVD burner, and 10066 MHz bus. The graphics on the ThinkPad y650 I reviewed are powered by NVidia’s GFX controller.

All members of the IdeaPad y650 come with a 16-inch display that supports  a 16:9 aspect viewing angle and two viewing modes (one for high definition video playback and another for “normal” work). The Dolby audio home theater audio subsystem used in the IdeaPad Y650 line allows you to switch from normal to “Theater Mode” on the fly by pressing a single button. The speakers on this system contribute mightily to a home theater-like entertainment experience.

The operating system for this entertainment portable is Windows Vista Home Premium.

Measuring 15.3 x10.3 by 1.0 inches but tipping the scales at only 5.5 pounds, the Ideapad Y650 is up to 20 percent smaller, and as much as 30 percent lighter than other 1^st or 2^nd generation big screen portables.

I like the IdeaPad’s black textured case, which has an attractive bronze trim around its circumference.  Th 650 nestles comfortably in your hand when it’s toted from room to room or loaded and unloaded from a backpack.  There’s also a sense of balance when you carry this entertainment portable that’s lacking in other comparable entertainment notebooks.

Open up Y650 and you’re greeted by a sparking glossy white interior and a recessed keyboard. After pounding on this keyboard for two weeks, it’s hard to notice any difference between it and the keyboards used on Lenovo’s high end ThinkPad line. 

Lenovo also has designed a large trackpad (which supports gestures as well as conventional cursor controls) into the IdeaPad Y650.  While users who move to large screen portables such as this machine may take several hours to adjust to the larger trackpad and recessed keyboard it doesn’t take very long to comfortably use it or to master gestures.

Another ease of use feature I like on this portable is the position of the audio controls to the right of the keyboard and an inductive touch panel that launches a “rescue” program, or the facial recognition software and other programs that ships standard with this IdePad notebook.

In combination with other design features I found the inductive touch controls made switching between Theater and “normal mode” extremely easy.

The 802.11 (which includes support for the “n” standard) was robust enough to detect and connect to my neighbor’s network at the base of the hill I live on and its Bluetooth transceiver worked immediately.

What about battery life? It’s short (under three hours in my testing).The battery life may be too little for some purists, but it’s long enough for me to watch a DVD or write a story on a transcontinental flight. However I have a feeling that most people who use the Y650 (or equivalent machines sold by Dell or HP) will probably use this new class of notebooks plugged in to AC power.

The IdeaPad Y650’s price depends on the configuration you order but the entry level system sells for $1,299, which makes it more expensive than other 16-inch entertainment portables with similar features.  But, if you order this through entities such as www.billmelater.com it’s possible to purchase this system at a discounted rate.

I like the IdeaPad Y650’s feature set and placement and use of controls. They differentiate this notebook from a handful of systems in the same category but which are really little more than an existing chasis updated with a new screen and a small fistful updates to improve video displays or audio output Other simple things on the Y650 --like locating the Y650’s USB, Ethernet, video and audio ports on the side of the system case (making it easy to connect or disconnect the machine quickly, without turning this notebook on its front edge.) caught my attention

But, that’s just some of the features that improve the “user experience” on the Y650.  I was particularly impressed with Lenovo’s “One Key Rescue System” ‘which brings the computer back to its original shipping configuration or a saved backup with little or no further user intervention. And as if that weren’t enough, One Key  Rescue works with the power on or off  and  allows you transfer critical data to most commonly used portable storage systems.

VeriFace facial recognition software, which I prefer to fingerprint recognition.comes standard with the Lenovo IdeaPad Y650.

So why buy a notebook with a 16-inch display when the market is flooded with portables that have 17-inch, or larger panels, and which are also often less expensive?

The answer is simple; the IdeaPad 650 offers a superior entertainment viewing and listening experience yet it’s still small enough to fit safely in existing back packs, or computer carrying cases. And, it’s powerful enough to handle complex computing tasks like running rich media editing or computer aided drafting programs. Moreove, Lenovo’s tech support lines are among the best I’ve ever used. The Y650 comes with a one-year warranty that includes free 24/7 tech support.

I have no reservations in recommending Lenovo’s IdeaPad y650 and adding to my category of “computers I’d like to own.” Jim Forbes 04/03/2009.

All I Really Want in a Mobile App is Great Mobile Commerce and a Secure ID

A recent survey on domestic  US cell phone usage points to the fact that, forced to chose between a cell phone and a wallet, many people would prefer to ditch that bulging piece of cured animal flesh stuffed in their back pocket for a mobile phone that does more than merely let you talk.

            For reasons that remain unclear to me, many US wireless phone users can’t get next to the potential of their mobile phones. And network providers aren’t much help in pushing cell phones to new levels either. They’re too married to the mistaken belief I really want to watch television or grainy YouTube videos on a tiny screen.

Have entrepreneurs really done their homework?  Is there a single mobile phone software developer who can sit in a face to face meeting and tell me that they’ve ever seen a group of domestic US subscribers playing cell phonegames on the train to San Francisco from Palo Alto, or better yet, has anyone ever seen a mobile phone user so caught up in a game they missed their destination on the BART crossing from the East Bay to San Francisco?

            Guess what? Mobile cell phone games are still a $0 sum market in the US.

            Maybe the next big thing might be mobile search—which makes money for the search engine provider, and the network, but  not the company that was searched for in the first place.

            I think it’s time to pull back the focus on mobile phone apps for a minute and see if we can isolate one application that becomes the horse pulling the mobile the application cart. Let’s look at the matrix:

            Standardized Bluetooth or network connectivity to retail outlets?

Check. It’s there, at long last

            Consumer willingness to explore the capabilities of next generation smart phones? Yup, we got a market that’s doing that as well. That box gets a check mark too.

            Consumer banks willing to let customers access and perform transactions from their cell phones?  Check.

            Let’s take a look through the vciew finder at mobile technology and think about what’s missing. I think the answer to that is a glaringly obvious application that’s the first step up the ziggurat that represents this market.

            The application is one that lets me carry my identity and specific financial and other information on my cell phone.  I would like to be able to beam encrypted data to kiosks and transact a little business.

            For example, about twice a year I wander into the local BassPro mega store and buy a couple saltwater lures and a button-down long sleeve shirt that looks fabulous when starched and ironed. When I go into BassPro, I don’t mind that they know I’m there and I’m not offended if they try to sell me something. What a joy it would be to use my cell phone as part of my credit or debit card transaction.

            Take this a step further. If the information stored in my phone is at least128-bit secure, includes a current photo and address and has my California driver’s license number as well as a another unique identification number such as my passport ID number, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be able to use to board an airplane to fly hither and yon domestically.

            The big catch, of course is getting Homeland Security and its TSA organization to buy into a non-paper system. It’s at this step where the need for a trusted software brand that’s accustomed to dealing with the government comes in. Right off the top of my head examples of brands that already have this relationship and the skills to build such an application (which could be used for both mobile commerce  and personal identification) include: Oracle, Intuit, Microsoft, and a couple of others.

            I’m not naïve enough to believe that a switch from a paper-based or laminated plastic system to electronic ID may happen overnight. I am however patient enough to carry my cell phone and my wallet until all the bugs get worked out.

            I think this is important enough that I’m willing to pay $25 a year for this service. And, like when I recently lost my driver’s license on a business trip to San Francisco, this type of software seems like a more effective of validating who I am, thanusing my Sam’s Club member card that has my picture on it.

            This is exactly the sort of concept I’d love to see shown at Demo in the coming years. Let’s see, a secure electronic document I can carry in my cell phone or a bulging piece of old animal flesh stuck in the back pocket of my jeans?  Not much of a choice is it?—Jim Forbes, 08/22/1008.