Update to the IPhone delimma

You may recall my post in May where I complained loudly about the issue of upgrades, AT&T, and Apple after having waited for four hours online to proudly upgrade to the iPhone. I should say, I'm a Mac user. There's not a Windows device in my home, save Office 2008.. I LOVE my Macs.

That said, I was enamored by the Blackberry Bold on the day it came out. I've been using it for about a month or so now, and after comparisons between the bold and the iPhone, I'm a pretty happy guy for buying the bold.

Here's why:
1. Battery life in the original iPhone wasn't so good. In the 3G model, it was worse. The Bold has the same problem. I rarely use in on WiFi only because the 3G does the trick, so I leave it off and save the battery. Regardless, I get about 8 hours of life.

2. The Bold is fast, responsive, and the keyboard is exactly what you'd come to expect from Blackberry. It works every time, and my fat thumbs don't miss the keys. Unfortunately that wasn't the case for the iPhone. I spent much time correcting typos, and then finding creative ways to vent frustration.

3. The bold works well with Exchange, and syncs nicely with my Mac.

4. I'm used to it! A Blackberry is nothing short of a must have technology for anyone that must remain connected. While I'm probably not that needed, I like to feel like I am, and the Blackberry keeps me connected.

OK.. much of it's personal preference, but.. that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Jeff

Eight Analysts' IT Predictions

http://seekingalpha.com/article/112538-eight-it-analysts-predictions-for-2009?source=feed

Short, interesting read.

I have thoughts (you knew I would!)...

1. Shadow IT use will grow. Not called out by the analysts, but IMO, because of new infosec threat landscape, required controls, and the need for enterprise to take and maintain positive control over every computing asset, you'll see a TON of new shadow IT to skirt those requirements... I also think big enterprise will offer pseudo approval of this practice... "If we don't know about it, we don't have to report it when it gets whacked." Right?? Hmm...

2. Cloud computing. I know we're seeing a lot of hype around cloud computing, applications, and services.. IMO, it's coming fast. Companies are going to realize that paying for their own internal IT isn't as cost effective as having someone do it in the cloud, paying by the account and/or use. Additionally, if cloud computing is used, and there's a break-in, the owner of the data now has somebody to sue for damages! In a time when you can't help be get broken into, doesn't it make sense to have someone to point the finger at?

3. Cost reductions? No surprises there. The main role of a CIO is to apply current technologies to increase competitiveness through either top-line growth (sales), or bottom line growth (through cost avoidance and/or
increases in efficiencies/effectiveness).

Anyway, good stuff...

Happy New Year!

Jeff

Not all that will return from China is going to be Gold!

Originally posted on HuntBI.com.. Steve Hunt's business intelligence advisory site is a posting that I placed a few days ago regarding my concern over all of those computers connecting to the Internet in China. The posting can be viewed at http://www.securitydreamer.com/, with an exerpt shown below..

NOT ALL THAT COMES HOME FROM CHINA WILL BE GOLD!
8/8/08
J.L. Stutzman, CISSP
Hammerhead Research, LLC

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right?

What happens in China won’t necessarily stay in China.

What do I mean by that? In the Navy there was a sea story. It went something like this…
We pulled into . When we pulled in, the Captain came over the 1MC (the general shipboard loudspeaker system) and gave us a country brief. He told us to be careful. He told us that if we got into a fight, to win, and to be careful with the women- always. Sexually transmitted diseases ran wild in many of the ‘sailor ports’. The story I remember talked about how the hospital corpsman onboard the ship would use a Sharpie to put the name of the sailor on the pair of syringes used to rid us of whatever we picked up. The syringes were then stuck into a dartboard in the Chief’s Mess. As the story goes, the dartboard was always full.
So here’s the deal….
Chinese cyber spies WILL steal your stuff!

iPhone?

Read a posting from a woman today who returned her iPhone after only SIX days of use... her main complaint? Battery life (and the fact that she'd already returned it once in that six days for another problem). Amazing. I'm a LONG time Apple user, but think I'll sit this round out waiting for version 3.. Maybe it'll come packed with a fuel cell? ;)

Sat in line for 3 1/2 hours... yet no phone :(

Yesterday was a BAAAAD day for me. Checked the Apple website. Drove from my apartment (just south of Baltimore) over to McLean, VA to stand in line at the Apple store for 3 1/2 hours. Some lady (in her sixty's, stupid, and obviously sexually frustrated as noted by her need to piss me off after 3 hours online) stopped me to ask if I thought the phone wouldn't be there tomorrow. She just wouldn't let go. Finally I told her husband that if I wanted abuse from a wife about standing in line for all that time, I could get it easily enough without having to take it from his. Jackass.

Back to the point.. after 3 1/2 hours, and several announcements by the Apple Store manager that there would be plenty of black 8G phones, an AT&T rep came out. He announced that you must be the primary account holder (no problem there), the phone couldn't be on a business account (again, not a problem), and you MUST be eligible for an upgrade... meaning, if you purchased a phone last May (like I did), even if you took a full two year contract, you weren't eligible to buy the iPhone at the advertised price --which is subsidized by AT&T. Only those who enter into NEW contracts, or were previously iPhone purchasers were eligible... I was not one of them.

So listen here Apple! I've been an Apple customer forever. I own seven Macs including a MacBook Air, three Intel MacBooks, a G3 that one of my kids now uses, a Mini, and an old tower G3. Additionally, I've given two iPhones as gifts... you'd think Apple would offer some kind of customer appreciation... maybe advanced purchase for those of us who are dedicated solely to Apple?? Guess that's to much to ask.

ATT? You're not off the hook. I pay for two phones on ATT, and have since before you were Cingular.. almost 10 years! You can bet that I would have not carried my obligatory two year contract.. I'm a high turnover customer. Yes, you too... Jackass.

So where do I stand? No phone for me! At least not until October 3, when ATT says I'm eligible for an upgrade. Until then, I'll lick my wounds, and consider carefully if it's worth the money. My previous plan had been to retire my blackberry, but I'm kinda likin the new version now.

Ciao!
J

iPhone 3G

Today marks the third day I've driven to either an Apple Store or an ATT Store... on all three occasions, as Maxwell Smart would say "Missed it by THIS much!"

I gotta tell you.. Apple is getting buzz off of the release, but today, on this third day, after driving into the Apple Store in the mall in Columbia, MD, I'm just pissed. Upon arrival I (like the rest of the lemmings) stood in line. The folks in front of me told me they'd been there for two hours, and the guy behind me said he'd done the same yesterday. Today, the number 29 person in line found he'd get a phone (a white 16G model), but the rest of us should try back tomorrow. The grumbling in the line from person 29 and beyond was not pleasant. I think we all felt the same way.

Now here's the deal... Apple should have figure this out. The damn thing can't be ordered online, and while ATT is willing to order one, you have to do it from the store. On top of that, I'm not willing to shell out an extra hundred bucks for the 16G model (let alone a WHITE one! Who the hell wants a white one?!) when the battery (as reported by WSJ) has a significantly lower battery life... I'll pay $200 to send my Blackberry to Blackberry heaven, but not for a white 16G model. I'm also not willing to spend an extra hundred bucks for a product that I just don't want...

I'll wait, and stew.

More tomorrow.. assuming I actually get one.

Jeff