Eden Hazard...

Not sure why I am even commenting on this; well, actually, I do. I really, really want Chelsea to sign Eden Hazard, despite not quite wanting to believe there is any chance whatsoever it will actually happen.

Some of you may not know who Eden is; he is a 20-year old Belgian international currently plying his trade in the French League One with reigning champions Lille. He is an attacking midfield player that can play wide, but also likes to cut into the middle. He is very skillful with the ball at his feet, and is a scorer of some amazing goals. You can imagine that his exciting play has already caught the eyes of the big clubs, with Real Madrid supposedly his preferred destination, as well as an interested party. Of course, Madrid don't have the same pressing need Chelsea do, in terms of a creative, attacking player. Our play has been devoid of creative impetus for a while now, and while Mata was signed to address this, and has done to a certain extent, he alone cannot do it all.

The persistent rumors over the past week have excited me. I can't for the life of me imagine where they are coming from. Yes, it has been a relatively quiet window so far, but I do expect activity to rise to a crescendo over the next couple of weeks. Are the idle press just getting bored? But why Hazard? And why to Chelsea? Is City not the more natural target for these sorts of rumors? Or is it because the press feel Chelsea are more in need of a creative player? But then since when has reason, or believability, figured prominently in wild rumors?

Usually, these types of rumors just come and go. Maybe it is just cycling through the tabloids and will die down eventually. I guess my hope that this is true is making me feel it is a little more prolonged than normal (and thus possibly having some credibility to it, LOL).

With some strength in depth in the CB department restored with the signing of Cahill, and with the resurgence of Torres and the impressive Mata and Sturridge, the addition of Eden Hazard would be the cherry on the icing for Chelsea. It would be quite the platform to build upon for the rest of the season (even if he is not eligible to feature in any of our remaining Champions League matches this season). We still have our work cut out for us to pull away from Arsenal, catch up with Spurs, and mount some sort of challenge on the two Manchester clubs in the league, not to mention an FA Cup campaign that is still open.

I guess hope springs eternal.

U-turn...

What a difference a couple of weeks makes.

I really did try to like the Galaxy Note, and for reasons already mentioned, it was a nice device. Ultimately, however, that size-affected lack of real portability and the battery issue were deal breakers. The biggest issue for me, though, was Android. I had heard a lot of good things about the operating system, so much so I wanted to see for myself. Though admittedly an Apple fanboy, I am also first and foremost a fan of technology in general. I've used them all: Symbian, Windows Mobile, Palm, iOS and now Android. iOS wins hands down in terms of fluidity and ease of use. It simply fades away into the background, allowing you to concentrate on what you want to do. Android is not yet there. I know Android fans love the platform, but I sincerely doubt it is for fluidity. There was too much lag for me, not only in terms of screen transitions but also in the user interface.

As such, I decided to sell it and get the iPhone 4S instead. I simply cannot be happier. Siri is fun to use, while also actually useful. The phone is also even snappier than the iPhone 4, due to the better CPU. The camera also takes gorgeous photos.

I can say, this time based on actual user experience, that the iPhone 4S is far and away the best phone on the market. For my use case, anyway.

Apple fanboy or not, I can't deny that competition is good and drives innovation and continual improvement. Being as impartial as I possibly can, I think Apple is still quite a ways ahead of other tablet and phone manufacturers for the product categories they are involved in, namely 3.5-inch smart phones and 9.7-inch tablets. The quality "assured" by the brand just about helps them in other similar-sized categories, e.g. 4-inch smartphones and 7-10-inch tablets. Still, the sheer plethora of products from competing companies, many cornered into specific niches that Apple really interested in, means that users will always have a choice to make (not a bad thing).

Despite being the proud owner of an iPhone 4 and iPad 2, I can't deny often times wishing my iPhone were bigger or my iPad a touch smaller. As such, I have often played around with demo units of Samsung Galaxy Phones and tablets. The screens on these things really pop, even if the build quality, esp. flimsy plastic housing, is a bit of a put off. I could often picture myself with slightly less eye strain looking at the screen of a Galaxy S2 or slightly less back strain carrying around a Galaxy Tab 7 Plus.

So, it is not that surprising that I was finally reeled in by Sammy with their release of the Samsung Galaxy Note, a 5.3-inch screened Phablet, or Tone; don't know which it is, LOL. After a few days of use, I must say I am more inclined to call it a smallish tablet than a large-ish phone, although it works perfectly well as one. At the moment, it is keeping my iPhone and iPad at bay, while I learn my way around the device that is able to carry out the functions of both.

The device itself is very similar to the Samsung Galaxy line of phones, e.g. the aforementioned Galaxy S2, just bigger; much bigger. The screen is a joy to behold; think iPhone Retina Display sharpness but 70-80% larger! People have been clamoring for the iPad3 with Retina Display, but this could be viewed as a Retina Display-ed tablet in its own right. Photos and album art are absolutely gorgeous on the thing. At the same time, the device is absolutely phone-thin. The power and volume buttons on the edges are a tad difficult to hit properly but in general the hardware design works well.

Android is a difficult kettle of fish, especially for a Mac user like yours truly. I suppose Apple's willingness to keep non-Mac users in the cold should not leave me expecting any different from Android (the shoe on the other foot and all that). Getting your contacts, calendar information, and iTunes media on the device (and to display/play properly) was an exercise in frustration of the highest order. Take for example the contacts; I spent 3 hours manually uploading my information to, and organizing my information in, Google contacts. I haven't yet found the best way to sync my calendar entries from iCal over to Google calendars and then over to the device. iTunes music was synced over multiple times using doubleTWIST (Android iTunes clone). Things seem to be working at the moment, but I don't dare sneeze too loud, LOL.

The Android Market has been an interesting experience; certainly not a bad one. I was easily able to download and install most of my favorite iPhone-like apps (Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, etc…). Some frustration is reserved for certain favorite applications not being available on the Android platform (e.g. Twitterrific), but I can understand this. As a result, the functionality of the device is almost on par with my iPhone/iPad but with one less device to carry around. I've been pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy the Kindle and Zinio apps on this device for reading books and magazines. Browsing and playing my iTunes music on the device (now that I've been able to transfer things over) is also a joy, simply because the cover art just pops on this amazing screen.

So, apart from feeling guilty about not paying much attention to my iPhone and iPad, what have been the main downsides?

Well, first, the relatively large screen, while being awesome to use, makes the device not so portable (compared to the iPhone but not compared to the iPad). Since I am trying to use this as my daily phone, this is unavoidably an issue, but one I brought upon myself.

Second, I have to say the battery life is not great. I haven't run the battery down yet, but from a full charge just a few hours of use brings it down to about 80%, or less, capacity. I estimate that I would have trouble getting a full day's worth of use out of the device.

Those are the two complaints I have. What about looking forward? I have read that Ice Cream Sandwich (newest iteration of Android OS) will be made available for the device in early 2012. This will supposedly bring some improvements to the use of the stylus.

Which brings me to the final thing I wanted to say about the Galaxy Note: the stylus. This was one of the selling points for me. In the Samsung applications designed specifically for it, the stylus works amazingly well. The precision is quite impressive, and you also get pressure sensitivity (Wacom-like). I've really enjoyed this. iPad styli really do not work this well, which is one of my gripes with that device.

So, overall, I have to say I am enjoying the Galaxy Note quite a lot. It is not for everyone, clearly. People will be put off by the size (and lack of real portability). However, you only have to take one look at the gorgeous screen to seriously contemplate taking the jump despite yourself!

Stuttering to the Top

So, AVB's Chelsea have played 3 matches: drawing away at Stoke 0-0, and beating W.B.A. and Norwich City at the Bridge 2-1 and 3-1, respectively. At the end of the match against Norwich, the Mighty Blues were at the summit of the EPL, only for Liverpool to climb back having beaten Bolton 3-1 at Anfield. Also, United and City have yet to play their 3rd matches, so we could yet be pushed back down to 4th, but really who cares at this point?

What may be more of a concern is that we have pretty much struggled to dominate teams that, while physical and well-organized, really are not in our class. Stoke away was understandable, but WBA and Norwich at the Bridge I have to say I was expecting more. I did not see the well-organized Chelsea that dominated teams, nay bullied them, under the tutorship of Jose Mourinho. I know, I've fallen into the same trap as most who compare AVB to the Special One, but I am of the opinion that their footballing philosophies are similar. One thing I have to admit is that while Hilario has filled in admirably and made some good stops, he is no Petr Cech, and maybe the 2 goals we have conceded have come down to this a little bit; certainly the latest one against Norwich was his fault. But while defense has not been as solid as I would have liked, it is up front where we are really missing fluidity that we had under Carlo.

I guess AVB is going to need some time to get his ideas across, and for key men like Drogba, Torres, Malouda and Lampard to find their feet at a high competitive level. What I will say though is that in Juan Manuel Mata, Chelsea has found the proper "#10" that we have been missing since Franco Zola. I won't weigh him down with superfluous expectations just yet, but you know how you can just tell if you've seen something a bit special? Well, in the short amount of time he was on the pitch for Chelsea against Norwich City he exhibited all the qualities you want to see: liveliness, give-and-go, making himself available, speedy up the wing, nice cross from the wing for Nando, long and accurate through ball over the top to put Nic through, speed of thought to sniff out Norwich misplaced defensive pass, and cool head and immaculate control to roll ball inside far post for Chelsea's 3rd to calm the nerves. I don't think he could have done much better, in all honesty. Consider me sold. Now, AVB needs to think who sits for this man because he certainly cannot sit.

I cannot close without saying anything about the Drogba incident. My heart was in my mouth when I saw the incident first time and then the multitude of times in slow motion. I don't want to say anymore about the gruesome details, suffice it to say I did not know what to think in terms of the seriousness of the situation. I am just glad he has passed his first test and been released from hospital. Now we just have to hope and pray for the best that his "mild concussion" does not have any lasting implications. Our thoughts are with you Didier.

The Air that I Breathe

I can't deny that I am an Apple fanboy. However, what that does disguise is the fact that I truly believe that Apple makes the best hardware. I am not a casual user but one who uses their products all day everyday so push these products quite hard. If they were not well and truly of a high quality, I would surely find this out through my everyday "testing". So, while you should read this with a pinch of salt, as you would do any other article from any other source, including Apple's harshest critics, I would say I am going to say the following with as much impartiality as I possibly can.

The first time I laid eyes on Apple's MacBook Air line, you know the first iteration that started the "I can put this in a vanilla envelope and mail it away" fad, I have to say I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, you could not deny that was one of the most beautiful notebook computer designs ever. On the other, considering the price point it was awfully difficult to think of it in anyway other than a "millionaire's toy": devoid of an optical drive, with severely limited hard disk space (because it was of the expensive SSD variety) and sporting some less than stellar processors, partly due to the cramped space inside the chassis that made heat ventilation an issue. For me, these issues were important and won out in the end.

When it came time to upgrade my trusty 12-inch PowerPC PowerBook, I went with the first generation unibody all-aluminum MacBook, and then quickly to the 13-inch MacBook Pro when that was released about a year later. The beefier processors and optical drive, as well as graphics processor gave me a bit more confidence that it would last a while (whatever for I don't know, LOL). However, EVERYTIME I saw someone working on a MacBook Air, I just couldn't but help to stop and stare for a few fleeting seconds. It really, really is a beautifully designed machine. Oh, one other thing I neglected to mention, the backlit keyboards on the MacBook Pro's was also a big thing for me.

So, when Apple released the latest iteration of their Airs (13 and 11.6-inch models) with faster i5 and i7 processors, thunderbolt port and backlit keyboards, I was sold. So I sold my 13-inch MacBook Pro (was surprised at how quickly I was able to do that, and ironically the person who bought it just sold their MacBook Air, ouch!), and custom ordered through Apple's website the fully spec'd out 11.6-inch MacBook Air (core i7 with 256 GB SSD HDD). Now, how has it performed over the past 2 weeks?

Look, everyone has their own needs and I have to say that many people's use scenarios are not going to match my own. However, for me personally, I could not be happier. I simply love the portability of this machine, and with the external USB Superdrive safely tucked away until needed, I am not missing anything from my 13-inch MacBook Pro. Surprisingly, I am not even feeling that there is a significant reduction in screen real estate. The machine does not run hot, and neither have the fans come on blaring loud. The machine absolutely breezes through common tasks. I have to say I am sold on the SSD HDD. I can't say anything about longevity, we'll have to see about that, but in terms of performance opening applications and OS start-up is just so fast I cannot believe it. I'm just loving that aspect of it. So, in terms of machine speed for everyday tasks, this one gets a full 10/10.

I have not used applications that I would think would tax the processors too hard, so real power users would need to look at "benchmarks" elsewhere. I have heard the fan once, when I was encoding some video using HandBreak but that was the only time and it wasn't that loud either.

Mac OS X Lion has been a mixed bag in most of the mainstream reviews. For me, it has been awesome. The combination of the portability of the 11.6 inch machine and the gesture-rific OS X Lion has made this MacBook Air a hybrid between the MacBook Pro and iPad lines of products. I could even see a scenario where a first time Mac user coming from the Windows platform would see the experience of using this machine as something "magical". Seriously (ha-ha, fanboy alert!).

OK, now to some negatives: the only negative for me is the battery life, but then I am coming from a machine that regularly gave me 6+ hours of battery life (which I consider to be above average). This one gives me, I would estimate, about 4-5 hours, depending on the task. Listening to music on iTunes, some web browsing and document editing would be my typical use scenario. At the moment, I cannot think of any other negatives.

In short, I am enjoying the experience of using this machine immensely. I cannot say anything about longevity at the moment; this is based only on 2 weeks of using it, and compared to 10 years of using the PC and another 10 using previous iterations of Mac hardware and software. If anyone is considering the 11.6-inch MacBook Air, all I can say is "go for it". You obviously have already taken into consideration all the pros and cons. If you are still interested, then I'd say you won't be disappointed. Rather, I bet you'd be pleasantly surprised.

Magic Conundrum

I finally decided to replace my trusty, yet frustrating, Apple wireless mouse. The candidates for the replacement were the latest iteration of Apple's wireless mice, the Magic Mouse, and the ultimate of fanboy gadgets, the Magic Trackpad. With OSX Lion already released, and with the increased use of gestures in the OS, the timing for a new touch device really was quite good.

So, there are pros and cons to either of the two replacement devices I mentioned above. The mouse is more precise, more familiar in the hand, has a slick touch surface that replaces the scroll wheel, while at the same time containing a low profile that can be uncomfortable with prolonged use, has a touch surface that is narrow and thus limits the number and ease of the gestures that can be done. The touchpad provides ample space for making gestures, has more built-in gestures available in the OS, is familiar for users of Apple's touch-based gadgets like the MacBooks, iPads and iPhones, while at the same time also potentially uncomfortable (tiring) with prolonged use, particularly for certain specific uses like document editing that requires quite a bit of precision. I had the opportunity to try them both out at the local store for about an hour before I made my decision. Prior to that, I did a lot of reading up on the two devices and was really leaning towards the Touchpad as Apple's device for the present and future. However, after all my testing, I decided to go with the mouse. There is just something about using a device you are intimately familiar with. It is second nature to you, while at the same time adding some novel features, i.e. the touch surface, that makes it infinitely more useful than previous iterations. I also downloaded the MagicPrefs program (http://magicprefs.com), which adds even more functionality through an increased repertoire of gestures. This is highly recommended.

Just wanted to post this in case it was useful for people trying to decide between the two. From all the articles on the web, I would have to say the Trackpad is heavily favored, almost to the point where the decision is just about made for you. However, you really should try these out before you decide. I'm sure glad I did.


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Chelsea On Tour

This summer has not been the awful, long drawn out period of football-less torture most recent summers have turned out to be for me. I think this has to do with Chelsea bringing the first team squad, as well as some up-and-coming young players (i.e. Rajkovic, McEachran, van Aanholt, Sturridge, Chalobah, etc…) to Asia, including a short 3 days in Bangkok. I cannot begin to explain the fever-pitched excitement Chelsea created by being here, and despite the "friendly", and rather non-competitive, nature of the match against the ultimately rather disappointing Thai League All Stars, just being in the same stadium, breathing the same air as my heros filled me with happiness. It was absolutely surreal seeing the likes of Lampard, Terry, Cech and Drogba strutting around the pitch in their Chelsea jerseys. That will be an experience I take to my grave.

So, in addition to the brilliant reception they received in each of the 3 countries they visited on their Asian tour, Chelsea also took back 3 trophies from their 4 wins (1-0 versus Malaysian XI, 4-0 versus Thai League All Stars, 4-0 versus Hong Kong's Kitchee F.C. and 2-0 versus Aston Villa). I promise they did pick up trophies in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, even if most news sources neglect to mention anything about them and mention only the Barclay's Asia trophy they won in Hong Kong. I have to say, just from their ability to fill the national stadiums in Malaysia and Thailand, that these Asia tours, in addition to the success in recent years, is really putting Chelsea on the map in this part of the world.

An alternative view was recently proposed to me to explain the lack of desperation for the new season to begin: the lack of signings to excite the mind and get the juices flowing. I was of course of a mind to dismiss this out of hand. However, thinking about this a little more, I guess it could have some merit. It is difficult to imagine this same squad that at times struggled to create last season, remaining unchanged yet turning it around and winning everything in their path. I can't deny I still feel we are lacking just that little bit extra. What I will say though is that AVB has brought with him an aura of sensibility and stability to the proceedings. There has been little hoopla with regards to his arrival, and while many players were probably fearing for their futures a little, they now look settled and relatively happy. Also, a clear progression in the fitness and sharpness levels could be observed through their series of friendlies as the summer progressed. By the time they played Villa, you could see the fruits of the pre-season work. AVB must be praised for this.

The results were, of course, expected, as we really did not play anyone of much note, and none of the sides were really expected to give us too much of a torrid time. Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox will be another step up from the sides we've faced and should provide the platform required as we move into the start of the new season against Stoke away. By then, it would really be nice if we had another creative player on board.

So, which players have impressed on our pre-season tour? First up, Nicolas Anelka. I think towards the end of last season, when Nic sat out many games to accommodate the Drogba-Torres partnership, he probably feared the worse. That was probably the kick up the backside he needed too as he has looked focused and sharp in the pre-season for us, and looks like he knows he has a challenge on his hands. I still think this will be his last season with us, as he will be available on a free at the end of the season. But, if his performances are anything to go by, he will be an important part of our squad this season. Next, John Terry. JT has looked a colossus for us in the pre-season. He looks strong, sharp, fit and hungry. This is absolutely key to us having a good season. Third, Paulo Ferreira. Like Nic, I think Paulo probably feels like he is (or was) on the way out. But he looks determined to fight his way back into the reckoning. While Benayoun won man of the match against the Thai League All Stars, I have to say Paulo had a blinder. He was fit, haring up and down that right flank and putting in some good crosses. I am not at all certain both Paulo and Bossa will be with us at the start of the season but what I can say is that it would be 50:50 as to who may be replaced. Fourth, Yossi Benayoun. While Chelsea have not made any significant signings so far this summer (bar Courtois and, soon, Romeu), it will feel a little like we have a couple of new signings in Yossi and Studge. It is well-documented that our priority strengthening, if it happens at all, will be in the creative third of the pitch, an attacking midfielder if you will. If that does not come to fruition, we still do have a midfielder who could turn out to be key. The Israeli captain has looked fit and sharp in pre-season for us, after an injury-hit season for us last time round. If he can continue in this vein, I don't see why we should be too concerned with a lack of additions. We do need to keep him fit though. Fifth, Daniel Sturridge. I'm glad to see that Studge has continued where he left off last season for Bolton Wanderers. He has been used in the wide forward positions by AVB so far, and he has looked good - lively and deadly in equal measure. He'll likely struggle to break into the strikers position with Drogba and Torres ahead of him in the pecking order, but in a wide forward position, I think he has a good chance. We'll need him to do well. I also wanted to mention Slobodan Rajkovic. The young Serbian central defender who has spent most of the last three seasons in Holland has looked really, really good for us in the pre-season. I think the club need to do everything they can to secure him a work permit as he looks ready to step up and challenge the likes of JT, Ivan, Alex and Luiz.


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So, what is the plan?

With the arrival of Andre Villas-Boas, from now on to be referred to as AVB, which I felt certain implied a longer-term plan as opposed to Gus Hiddink, I thought some radical changes were in store for the playing staff this summer.

I would have bet the house on the likes of Drogba, Anelka, Malouda, Kalou, and Bosingwa, possibly even Ferreira, leaving, to be replaced by younger players. This would allow the squad to be refreshed, as well as personalized to AVB's liking.

While there is still a significant amount of time left in the transfer window, I don't things could have turned out more different. AVB has come in and made some significant changes to the backroom staff, which I suppose is to be expected, but as far as the playing staff are concerned, he has decided to give everyone a fair chance to impress him before he makes any required additions/changes.

One area likely requiring a refresh even before the unfortunate Essien injury is central midfield. Jose Mourinho's Chelsea was always about a physical toughness and strength in the middle of the park, even if our midfield maneuvered with the flexibility of ocean liners. Lampard and Essien are not going to dance through three opposing players or send cute passes through or over people in tight spaces. Our passing from midfield is slow and labored. This hampers the style of strikers like Anelka and Torres, who prefer to run onto a through pass than to receive the ball with their backs to goal, a la Drogba.

The well-publicized courting of Luka Modric would seem to confirm this; however, Spurs have remained steadfast in their determination to keep him at the club against his wishes, and quite simply put, Chelsea may have no choice but to pursue other alternatives. Javier Pastore looks a possibility, but all truth be told, I have a feeling the Palermo president is so desperate to sell him that we may be used to drum up interest, so I couldn't say with any confidence we were really interested.

Another area I felt we needed strengthening was the wide attacking role, particularly on the right, although I also felt a viable alternative to Malouda would help to keep him on his toes. More than most, he seems to blow hot and cold, and can often times even seem to be disinterested. At the time AVB was announced as our new manager and Chelsea were being linked to all and sundry at Porto, the one player I most wanted us to be interested in to address this need was Hulk. Forget the likes of Falcao and Moutinho, good players in their own right, Hulk would most directly address the need for a bit of creativity in our attacking play. In all seriousness though, 89 million quid is crazy money for any player.

Talking about Chelsea's transfer plans this summer, I always felt the biggest factor in how things would go was the Drogba factor. I think he is likely one of the most important and big players at Chelsea, outside of JT and Lamps, not only from the dressing room perspective, but also to how we play. With him in the side, Chelsea have played very compact, choosing to lob the ball up to him and then see what develops. He is still a good player, but basing the whole attack on him alone cannot be good in the long run. When he is on form, great for us, but when his head is not in it, we struggle. And when we have to bring on the likes of Anelka and particularly Torres, the total change in play required to accommodate their different styles makes it difficult for them, as quite frankly things don't turn out the way they need to.

As things stand, and again there is still a lot of time for Chelsea to dip into the transfer market, Benayoun is going to be an important player for Chelsea because he brings something different to our midfield, and could be the important link to Torres. I do believe we need to get Torres firing on all cylinders if we want to be successful in the new season. While I would like to see Lamps have another 20 goal season, I don't see it happening, and I also expect that Drogba may not score 30-40 goals. This means that other players are going to have to step up, and that leaves Malouda, Anelka and Torres. While I am happy Malouda had his most productive season with us goals-wise, I do think he needs to concentrate a little more on the assists. In the overall picture, I think that would help us most. Anelka's goals dried up completely in the second half of the season and Torres never got started, but I do feel these are the players who could get a significant number of goals that we require, but only if they get the service.

So there you have it: I believe our defense is settled, although many argue the need for a new right back. I felt Ivanovic was one of our players of the season last season and believe our defense should first and foremost defend. I'd rather we brought attacking players in who are more effective at attacking so our defenders, particularly our RB and LB don't have to be expected to pick up the slack. Ash is always going to be bombing up that left flank anyway, so I think we need 3 of the back 4 to sit tight and cover. As such, I don't subscribe to the idea we need a new right back, except to replace Bosingwa and Ferreira if they leave. The van der Weil rumors have all but dried up now that we have AVB rather than Hiddink at the helm.

AVB says we will make a final decision on player transfers after the Asian tour (over the next 2 weeks). Chelsea begin with a midweek match against the Malaysian national side, followed by a match in Bangkok against the Thai league all stars on the weekend (which I will be attending), and then culminating in 2 matches in Hong Kong over the following week. I will be interested to see what we do after that, and we will likely have some idea from the performances of our players in those 4 matches.

iPad 2 in the House

Finally bit the bullet and purchased two iPad 2's. Turned in my first generation towards a black 64GB 3G model (tan leather cover) for myself and also purchased a white 32GB WiFi model (red leather cover) for the Mrs.

The following are my thoughts from about 4 days of use:
(a) photos of the new iPad on the various websites, including Apple's don't do it justice; the thing looks smaller and the thinness is absolutely crazy
(b) the white version is absolutely gorgeous; I've always been a black gadget guy but I am getting seriously envious of my wife's white model, LOL
(c) the smart covers weather quickly, my tan colored one is looking older than the darker red one; I suggest getting one of the darker colors as they will probably "last" longer
(d) the magnetic switching on and off of the device is indeed a magical user experience; it feels more natural, rather than having to press a button and then swipe before using
(e) my wife's iPad has the gestures turned on and I have to say they are awesome; I hope Apple turns this feature on very soon - again, less button presses
(f) there is no huge speed bump from everyday use so far, so don't be expecting one; then again, I've not done much gaming
(g) the back of the devise scratches quite easily; I've been quite careful with mine and there are already a few small scratches (ouch)
(h) the angled sides do make attaching cables a tad difficult; noticeably more difficult, actually
(i) button access is also more difficult, especially when the iPad is lying flat on its back, which means some additional maneuvering is required
(j) speakers on the back, as opposed to the bottom, leads to muffled sound, or simply less sound as it is firing away from the user

All in all? What an awesome device!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

iPad Too...

Apple recently introduced the second iteration of their category-defining product, the iPad. While many technology pundits have expressed some disappointment at the seemingly modest improvements over the first iteration, I personally am very excited. The first iPad was exciting for being a pioneering product - the first tablet-style touch computer that would "stick" in the market. The iPad 2 is exciting for the extra oomph and features that will now slowly begin to push the boundaries of the tablet computer.



I personally only recently purchased the iPad; as a matter of fact, I purchased two for my parents and one for myself at Christmas. Only three months later and Apple has convinced me to purchase another; only, I can't yet because they are not yet available where I am. It is going to be an agonizing wait; that much is for sure.

So, why am I excited? First, the refined form factor, i.e. slimmer profile and less heft/weight, is going to be a big plus. Second, the faster processor and increased RAM is going to make the slight lags with some of the applications a thing of the past. Third, the cameras will be a boon for Skype and FaceTime. And finally, while not a feature unique to the iPad 2, I am going to take the opportunity to upgrade from 32 to 64 GB's. I so enjoy using my iPad that I've filled it with media and applications, to the point where I have to take and leave things off my iPad.

Since buying the iPad, I've had much less reason to bring out my MacBook Pro at home. My iPad can pretty much do what I need. With the iPad 2 and the increased computing power and apps, I can't see this trend changing. As a matter of fact, I can truly see myself moving totally to the iPad in a few years time. Amazing.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad