Windows 7 - Stability FTW

Well, those of you who avidly follow technology news sites, which if you're tech minded enough to have stumbled upon this obscure blog you probably are, then you'll know that up until tomorrow, you can download Microsoft's new incarnation of it's operating system - Windows 7

Obviously, bear in mind that this is newly released and is NOT supposed to be a totally accurate idea of how 7 will appear, I mean the first beta version did look suspiciously like Vista, hmm....

Forgetting the pundits who stated that 7 would just be, essentially, a Vista service pack, if anything that new OS looks to be an OSX service pack, such is the appearance of the thing, the "taskbar" it now sports looks suspiciously like the dock in apple releases.

Overall, it's a very good OS, clearly Windows wanted to show it off because they've made it so damn easy to install. I was able to get it running on my first attempt and that's quite impressive given that I've never configured a dual-boot before. It boots up and shuts down in about half the time as Vista and in overall use has noticably fewer bugs. The stupid Google sidebar gadgets now come optionally, as in they don't appear on startup though you can start them if you're really generous enough to waste the processing power. Overall, it IS very similar to Vista, but it's the little things that make it generally easier to use and look at. It has clear undertones of an OS perfect for a tablet or touchscreen machine, which (like netbooks) I suspect we'll see a boom in over the coming months.

It is by no means perfect, it has some bugs, which I expect MS will work out before release, and, though I have heard about people switching over entirely, the lack of compatible software and the fact that the beta will cut out in August means that I'm not switching over completely yet. Though it has stayed on my machine a lot longer than I expected I would keep it.

Windows 7 is slated for release later this year, though MS have avoided giving an actual date (or even an off-hand guess) because they don't want to back themselves into a corner like they did a few years ago. At the moment, rumours of how many versions will come out have been mixed, some saying a simple two whilst some lamenting another six variations.

When Vista came out, I ignored it, and I didn't even look at Vista until I bought my new laptop a year ago, but this release is different, and it's ability to be different without being radically changed will prove useful to those who want to instantly upgrade......which I suspect I will.

Kensington SX2000 - iPod Speakers

It's not hard, these days, for a company to bring out a pair of speakers and stick an iPod dock on it. You can get these quite cheap but they're still pretty pointless, mainly because you use ANY speakers with an aux input, but people think that they NEED the 'Made for iPod' symbol.

When I first saw this iPod speaker, I thought that it was a huge screen, but I realised how stupidly pointless that would be, given that they were released for 1st and 2nd gen iPod and long before the 3rd. It was on research I realised that the big, vertical, almost 'wall of sound' design was actually the speaker itself. Kensington boasts that the "NXT SurfaceSound® bi-directional loudspeaker technology delivers remarkable sound from both the front and back of the speaker unit." Hence the huge-two sided design.

The sound quality is really fantastic, and the design is quite simple with only a power button and volume controls. The speakers deliver really clear sound, and the bass quality is done so well. The design, though an aesthetic-orgasm, is still a bit odd, the bass is delivered mainly from the back and if it's in the corner of a room or too near to a wall it reverberates and would quickly wake up the old couple next door.

Be warned however, when I first got it I started off with a 2nd Gen iPod Nano, which is the product it was designed for. After a few months I had to buy a new iPod mainly because it doesn't have a remote, as a result changing songs needs me to press the button, putting weight on it and forcing it backwards whilst in the dock had bent the contacts of the port, and now I couldn't use the cable to connect it to my computer and there's no USB connection using the dock. BUT, don't be put off, now (with my 3rd gen Nano) I have it plugged into the speakers through the aux port in the back using a simple cable (which you can get really cheap) and resting on the gap where the dock is quite happily. Sound quality and all is still great even through this method and it's actually easier to use now that the cable will extend to where I'm sitting, so I would recommend not bothering with the dock. Whether the same problem would occur with 3rd gen or not is dubious (though it probably would).

Overall the speakers deliver a fantastic sound and look fantastic, which is (let's be honest) the most important thing in this. It offers an amazing way to play your iPod and would be good at a party as well. But, when you consider that the dock is as good as useless (assuming it's a common problem), you might want to consider buying cheaper aux speakers, a better quality design (like a backboard at the dock) or ones with remote control.

Love and Speakers,
Mat

And so it begins............with a new iPhone

I could start off my new blog with some corny introduction but fuck that given what's happened recently.

Steve Jobs at WWDC has announced the iPhone 3G.

So it has 3G, satisfying around 70% of iPhone users.

I still think it's odd that Jobs, having spent a big part of last year pushing EDGE for the original iPhone, is now putting it in major comparisons to 3G to promote their new product, which is going to retail cheaper than the original. But to each his own, maybe sales of iPhone 3G will be enough to compensate for the inevitable decrease of original iPhones thanks to Jobs.

Still no MMS, Camera Flash or Video Capture.........huh.

So the headphone jack is flushed is it? Why is that such a huge deal because if you're enough of an Apple-head to use an iPhone, you've probably got an iPod of some description, so was that ever really a problem?

I'll admit that the battery life is an improvement, kudos!

Something I think is on all our minds, in the UK are we only going to have the iPhone on O2 again? I'm on O2 either way but its still a tad limited.

Now, I'm not an Apple person, I'm more of a Windows man myself and I don't like Macs, I don't hate them, I just find them a little bit pointless, but you've got to hand it to Steve Jobs, he can really hit the sore spots with his people and can really sell a product.

What is with that audience, we've all had inklings that the next iPhone was going to have 3G, but they all went crazy when he confirmed it. I'm a computer dork, i grant ye, but jesus!

Roll on July 11th!