iDeallyst

so the droid has been out for about two months now; exciting? The droid did not have a long awaited build-up, The brutal commercials hit about a month before its eminent release. The ads were directly targeted against the iPhone, with another series of commercials hitting the media against AT&T’s lack of a large 3G coverage area. Big red was trying to make a stand before the shopping season.

The ads were saying all about what the iPhone cant do, and what the droid can. So,what do i have to say about the droid? Its android, Its got a better network reliability, a nicer camera, and hardware keyboard. Now all that is beneficial, but what matters is how well its all execute; if none of it works, it doesn’t matter.

Android is great, if you haven’t had the pleasure of using an OS deigned by Google, please do. I use Google services religiously, gmail, calendar, docs, contacts, voice, talk, etc. so a phone that’s made to sync all of those benefits into every second of my day, fits my fancy; by does it. My iPhone 3g does a good job of providing me with an adequate email client, and so so calendar. It would be nice to have sync functionality, so those options push me more towards Android. I know i have mobile me but that’s a different story for a different day.

The Camera that is attached to my phone doesn’t push my buttons so much. the one on the iPhone 3Gs is perfect, with tap to focus, and 3MP. 5MP is more than enough for most of you facebook-ers, and plus, is you need more than 5MP’s, then you more than likely need the ability for manual controls anyway, so when it comes to phone cameras, it should not be your deciding factor, cause if it is for you, than you most likely don’t even know what a mega Pixel is.

I couldn’t begin to count the number of conversations ive had over people devoting iPhone disapproval due to the lack of a real, in the plastic, tangible, always viewable, keyboard. I was skeptical (before i owned my iPhone) at the thought of typing without some feedback, but since purchase (364 days ago, if i may add) I love it. and In my honest opinion, prefer it. That is, when it comes to thumb/single finger typing, typing for non-phone keyboards is a different story. Now the keyboard on the Droid is horrid, its flat, and the buttons are small and i find it very hard to type on. The HTC Tilt series have the best keyboards around if you prefer that hardware/mini netbook form.

Does verizon have more 3G (aka EV-DO on Verizon) coverage than AT&T? Yes. Are calls more reliable? yes. I had verizon, for 5 years, and do i miss it? Not at all. Out here in the midwest, where major cities are spread out, I still get good 3G coverage. I know in San Fansico and NYC its worse, so if you live there, It can be a major issue.

So if i was going to get android what would get? I would try to get my hands on something with the HTC snap interface masking it. given it has more ‘home screens’ for all those badass widgets, like immediately viewing twitter with a swipe to the right or the left. Also HTC’s software keyboard is much better than Androids basic one. I would also want to wait an pick up one with Qualcoms’s Snapdragon processor. From what i have seen, HTC seems to be cooking up something like that, and should be released sometime in Q1 or Q2 of 2010. If it comes out on AT&T ill be trying hard to pick up an out-of-contract version. You can hold me to it =]

The day has come, I got my Wave invite. This is very cool. expect More on wave, including screenshots, a video or two, and a nice post on how i know wave can change the way we communicate and network, on a business and consumer level.

Microsoft is a fairly large corporation with multiple sectors. In quite a few they either play a major role as the market leader, but in quite a few sectors they are falling behind or competing heavily. This memo will give you a fair understanding on what popular products Microsoft has to offer as well as its biggest competitor, Apple.

The Services and Products Microsoft Has to Offer

Like stated previously The Microsoft Corporation has many different markets they compete in, some more popular than others:

1). Microsoft Windows
2). Microsoft Office
3). Zune
4). Xbox
5). Windows Mobile
6). Computer accessories/ peripherals

The first two I’m one hundred percent sure every American (at least) has heard of. The Next two I would be willing to bed more than half of Americans, and the last two I would say at most a quarter. Surprisingly this seems to match up to the market share of those industries or sectors.

Why Microsoft?

There is no doubt that the closest thing that this world has to a monopoly is Microsoft, however, it is not a true Monopoly. Not until it controls one hundred percent of a given market. Now is this to say that since Microsoft Windows and Office are by far the market leader in their industries that they are just simply the best out there? No. Absolutely not; it is merely the lack of competition. They are fairly good products, but in the windows industry there are only two other competitors for operating systems Mac, and Linux. With the Office product, there is limited popular competition, being iWork and OpenOffice the other two popular ones.

Microsoft Office

The fact that Microsoft Office is now available for the Mac platform this just shows how standard Microsoft office is. This is why they are able to sell it, especially the full suite, at such a high price. The full office 2007 ultimate suite retails for four hundred dollars. Given its just software I know that’s incredibly high markup, but they can charge that because there is no alternative that offers dependability and a standard document format that runs on all platforms and is backwards compatible. A basic factor in a monopoly is that it can set prices high because there are no serious competitors, so I think its safe to say that at the least, Microsoft Office is defiantly close to being a monopoly is the competition on Office suites for Operating systems.

Microsoft Windows

Given that Companies and universities need plethora of computers, the cheapest way to fill those empty cubicles is with a windows machine. As well as most people view Windows as Standard for business, if Apple can overcome this, I think the percent of market share will see a fairly big shift. I know for a fact that Apple will subsidize the cost of their machines for a wholesale purchase, especially for universities. When Vista was created it wasn’t supposed to be released until late 2008, but was pushed ahead when apple released OSX Leopard. This is why lots of people had trouble with Vista, and since the release of Vista, Apple has seen an increase in market share. With all Market share aside, Consumer Reports released in July that the Laptops in the Below fifteen inch category and fifteen inches and up, The Macbook and Macbook Pro won both with the highest consumer satisfaction. As well that recently, a Research done by NPD shows that with laptops that cost over one thousand dollars, Apple has 91% of that market share. This may be because Macs are costly, or it might show then when people have the money, they will jump for a Mac.

I think that if it wasn’t for large corporations buying hundreds of PC’s for their office, the market share would be drastically different.

iPods and Zune’s

In another Research done by NPD, Market share for Apple’s iPod line shows a 73.8% market share with Microsoft bringing up the rear with 1.1% of the market share. This is of course before Microsoft releases the Zune HD, but it does show how well Apple has been able to take on the portable media player market against Microsoft (maybe that is even a bit of a monopoly).

What Monopoly does Microsoft Have?

In the end Microsoft is still a market leader and always will be, regardless of competition. Microsoft has well established itself in multiple markets and will always have a footprint, whether its controlling an industry with an innovative product, or competing in a market that has lots of competitors. I think it’s safe to say that where other products may fail, or not do as well (like the Zune, or Vista) others defiantly take off well (Office).

With the soon release of the Zune HD, a product built around competing with Apple’s iPod touch we may see a shift in market share there. I’m glad to see that Microsoft still competes where it can. Another big release is going to be Windows 7, Microsoft’s seventh Operating system. I have used this and can certainly say, its going to compete well with what is to offer, but no matter what, I don’t think it will be any Monopoly.

Its coming up on six months with my white iPhone 3G, and for a majority of that time, my phone was quite case-less. to be exact, I would say four months without a case. Now, this isn’t to say I never wanted a case; I was just a poor college student. Through watching many youtube videos on lots of cases, and seeing my iPhone get scratched, I knew it was time. specifically when a certain 30% coupon code came to my attention.

I had always liked the Switcheasy Rebel’s because of all the goods they came with; mainly the screen shields and the movie stand. Now, I wasn’t completely honest earlier, I did have an Incase Power Slider i did use, but thats not an everyday case. However, because I was familiar with the incase style, I was also interested with that to.

When it came down to value, and I was left to choose, the Rebel was cheaper, and had more extras. Days later mine arrived, with excitement, I tore open the package (all the while making a video as well ;] ). Minuets later, my phone was covered with a brand new Switcheasy Capsule Rebel, Skeleton flavor. I thought it looked pretty cool although my girlfriend, Katie, was quite disgusted with the sight.

I was left no choice though, either have a case, or let my phone get hurt…well, more hurt. After a few weeks I was bored, i needed a new case. I was still a poor college kid, but I think my girl Katie, could sense my desperation. She surprised me with a brand new black Incase Slider. I was speechless, partly because I knew she always hated my phone, and partly because I was so excited.

Within hours, I was able to rip off the Rebel, noticing how sleek the phone felt, case-less. Then I eagerly opened the Slider, to find a very clean, sharp black case. I loved the texture, and it turned out to not be the lint catcher I thought it would. I gave my phone a quick clean thanks to my iKlear kit, and slid on the Slider.

The Showdown:

The Rebel has a lot more shock protection, with the silicon and plastic mix, they make a great companion to protect your iPhone. Not to mention, if your new to having an iPhone, the Rebel comes with 2 screen shields, so it offers all around protection. Rebel’s offer cool color combos too, so if you like that sort of style, the rebel might be your way to go. The bottom of the case does sag, at that was very annoying for me. The thickness it adds may not seem like much, but when you take the case off, you realize how thin the phone really is. The case also allows some dirt in around the bottom, so weekly cleaning is necessary.

The Slider is a very cool case. It looks professional, and has a nice texture, while offering protection, and easy accessibility. It doesn’t add much thickness at all, and the white phone with a black case is a cool combo. it does lack value, with a 35 dollar price tag, and no screen shields or microfiber, its not the “bang for the buck” case. it does show blemished quick, so if its dropped on the cement, it will show a scratch or bump. I would trust the case in protecting the phone, but not from much. Its hard plastic, so the phone will feel some shock, but the good thing is it scratches the case only, which is way better. All around, its a very solid case.

To conclude, i would say they are both a good choice. Most of the decision comes down to what person you are. For me, the Rebel will sit in my car until i go to either a theme park, or maybe a big party. Mostly because it will make my phone visible, and protect it more. The Slider i will use every other day. Its professional, and does a Great job at being a case.

Hey guys!

iDeallyst is now up and running. soon there should be some you tube vids up (under same alias) that should give a good idea of who i am and why i am doing this.

Expect to see alot of cool stuff on here in the future.

Thanks for stopping by!

iDeallyst