Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Micro$oft Buys Danger--Time to Ditch my Sidekick


Well, I've been debating about going with an iPhone for ages, but the feature-set was just too similar to the feature-set of my Sidekick 3. I can't do anything with the current iPhone that I couldn't do with my SK3, except watch videos and I already have an iPod for portable video watching, so it's not that much of a compromise. However, the screencap above comes from a NYTimes.com article (here: http://www.nytimes.com/…anger.html ) that reports on Microsoft buying Danger, the company behind the Sidekick 3. (Though it's funny how the NYT headline calls the Sidekick a "Smartphone". It's actually not.)



Now, I actually like certain aspects of capitalism. Like the part where competition fosters innovation and low prices for consumers. A company the size of Microsoft just makes me mad because they're not good for innovation or prices. They're just good at being everywhere at all times. Because of this, I do my best to avoid using their products. I don't own an Xbox, I own only non-Windows machines (though I do have Windows on my MacBook for playing my old Tomb Raider games) and I don't have Microsoft Office installed anywhere.



Now, my handy little Sidekick has new parents and it's time for me to start looking to a new phone to meet my portable-Internet-needs. This won't happen any time soon since I'm jobless and the Google ads from my site just aren't paying enough, but I've made the decision.



I'll probably go with an iPhone, though it will have to meet a few requirements before I drop any cash on one:



1) 3g. Just because. I mean, come on--it's the 21st Century and the iPhone should have it.



2) Flash. How can *any* handheld device that comes with a browser NOT support Flash sites and videos in this day and age? Some of my favorite sites use Flash! (Like Utterz.com, Anywhere.FM and MANY more.)



3) Copy and paste. Yep, from what I've heard, the iPhone can't cut and paste. Sorry, I can't have a device that makes me type everything over--especially on a touchscreen keyboard. I need to be able to blog from it.



Here are some things it really should do but are not deal-breakers if they're missing:



a) Shoot video. Come ON, Apple--WHAT are you thinking??



b) Support Skype. JUST GIVE IN.



c) Fix the headphone jack. I never use my "official" iPod ear buds anymore and, from what I've heard, they're the only kind that fit in the iPhone's headphone jack.



d) Streaming live video so I can shoot Utterz videos on the go! (SWEET!)



So, HOP TO IT, Apple!! Let's see that new iPhone model come out before the USGov sends out their $600 rebate checks, OK? Thanks!



Oh and if Nokia comes out with a version of the N95 with a QWERTY keyboard, I just might not go with an iPhone at all. (GASP!)
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