The iPad 2 - A Look Back

As I previously wrote, I was really on the fence of how much value the iPad 2 brings vs the iPad one. It's now been over 6 months since that launch and ship times have dropped from 5+ weeks to being able to walk into a store and pick one up. Apple has sold millions of these devices almost effortlessly, despite staying firm on pricing in a significantly weak economy.

Regardless, it feels like a good time to hold up old versus new and see how original iPad stacks up to version 2.

Nelgect, thy name is Blog!

I have not posted here in far, far too long. In my defense, I've been busy with the recent acquisition of the company I worked at. However, I've decided to get back on the horse and start publishing again. I have to catch up with a whole lot of information and experiences.

Soon to come will be my experiences with the iPad 2 (that I was originally a naysayer of), the untimely death of my beloved HP MediaSmart Windows Home Server, the conversion from Time Warner to Verizon FiOS, my recent acquisation of a Drobo FS, starting to run again with a Garmin Forerunner 405 and all sorts of other stuff.

Keep an eye on this space over the next few weeks as I make good on the promise of a regularly updated blog.

Getting an iPad 2? eh...

A lot of folks know that I have the original iPad - certainly all the readers of this blog do. Fewer know that I bought it the first day it was available. I think most people looked at me a little askance after that - perhaps questioning my sanity or fiscal sense. Subsequently over 15 million people joined me in this experiment and I think that they have found, as I did, that it was worth it.

But now, the iPad 2 has been announced. Cameras. 2 of em. New design, faster processor and video performance. Lighter. Thinner. All of it impressive. But, in terms of usability, I find little difference. Don't get me wrong - faster is almost always better. But, I'm not clear that there is a compelling difference between the 1 and the 2. I'd like to think there is and I certainly intend on getting my hands on one. But, I'm skeptical that it will be as compelling of an experience as the first one.

I am quite sure however, that the device will be immediately compelling to those who do not have the first one. They'll be entranced by the dead simple functionality and the form factor, etc. I welcome all those who haven't bought one yet - you'll want one. But for those of us early adopters, it's more of a coin flip. And I'm not sure where I'm going to land.

I'm Right; You're Wrong. But Why?

I have never been adept at the concepts of Psychology. And yet, as my career progresses more and more of my day tends to be consumed with personnel issues. This includes personality and performance issues and sometimes it means telling someone that they are wrong. Which means this is the point at which one would want to have a comprehensive understanding of the theory and practice of how the human mind works. Then again, there is nothing like trial by fire.

I continue to marvel at the way in which human minds work in the face of a challenge to their own reality. I often have incidents at work in which I have to coach an individual, correct a situation or often just say no. All of these situations implicitly require that I'm right and they are, in some way, wrong.

However, knowledge of a situation and individual actions or motivations is almost by definition inherently unclear, incomplete or even just plain wrong. There is no such thing as perfect knowledge or the 100% right answer. So how can I sit in seeming judgment over another individual and impart my will upon people and situations?

For one, I have been chosen to be a manager at my company. This creates an obligation for me to put the organization's best interest ahead of everything else, including me. Beyond that I have been asked to be a leader. This assumes that my judgment is superior to that of other individuals at my company. It further assumes that I have created, built or understand the goals that the company is striving more and how to get here.

But let's focus on the challenge of questioning a peer or fellow staffer or perhaps even your boss's judgment. I become aware of a situation or decision and say "That's not right." How do I know my judgment is better than theirs? How do I know that I am not the one who is wrong?

I don't think there is any one answer, but I suspect it comes down to this. The very act of examining/re-examining your own motivations, thoughts and decisions will, on balance, mean you will be right more of the time than someone who goes by their gut or sticks blindly to decisions or a vision regardless of the results. This introversion, this self examination of my own deeds, actions and performance is an inherently superior approach in the long run. The mere act of decisive action keyed off blind faith nee zealotry is an insufficient standard of righteousness, even thought in limited circumstances that can be the right choice.

The Fraud Department at AT&T Wireless is Asleep at the Switch

This will be my first blog post of the year. That is unfortunate in and of itself. Somehow last year simply got away from me at the end and my pace of writing dropped to zero. What is even more unfortunate is that this post is going to deal with my abysmal experience with AT&T Wireless and their quizzical notions of customer service.

Back in October of 2010, towards the very tail-end of my billing cycle, I received my normal monthly wireless bill only to discover that it had mysteriously grown to $500+ dollars from the normal $70-$80. Naturally, this was disturbing so I called AT&T to see what was going on. The customer service representative transferred me to the Fraud Department right away and we went through the process. She began to ask me if I knew where certain Apple stores were, etc. It turns out that someone added a handful of iPhone 4's to my account, each from a different store.

iPad Powered by iOS 4.2

It is old news that the next version of the iOS has hit the streets, but it's worthwhile to measure just how much impact it has. The biggest change is not to the iPhone - as the changes there are merely evolutionary at best. But the iPad - well, after the 4.2 iOS loaded up it was like everything was brand new again. Multi-tasking and folders were the biggest benefits that I saw and quickly embraced. Beyond that the unified inbox is nice and various minor improvements with Safari. 

iPhone vs iPad

I have had my iPad WiFi for a little over three months. And, now I've had the iPhone 4 for just over a month. It begs the question, which is a better device?

There are plenty of ways to consider the issue. Which one do I use more? Which one has changed my life more? Which one enables things I didn't have before?

I haven't been traveling much over the past month and thus have not had that much need for much of the iPhone ultra-portability. However, I have used my iPad for literally hours each day and for a wide variety of functions. I find myself using the iPad for games, to read books, browse the Internet and check email from the comfort of the sofa rather than at my desk. 

The iPad form-factor, while heavy for normal book reading is far more portable than the lightest laptops -- all with tremendous battery life. It is a delightful travel companion and doesn't even need to be removed from my carry-on bag like a laptop would. It is safe to say that the iPad significantly increased my appetite for media of all types.