Why I Love my iPhone 3Gs, and Why I'm Returning It

Last week I got an iPhone 3Gs. It took a little getting used to, but as time went on, I liked it more and more. I rarely had a chance to use it as a phone, but I used it regularly in my office on WiFi to get email and surf the web. Today was the first real test I had to use it on the road, on AT&T’s network. Today is also the day I decided to return my iPhone to the AT&T store where I got it. Continue reading “Why I Love my iPhone 3Gs, and Why I'm Returning It”

Why I Decided to Get an iPhone (or "I Am Funneling the Kool-Aid")

I did it. Yesterday, I walked into an AT&T store and plunked down the plastic for a 32G iPhone 3Gs. Once again, Steve’s Reality Distortion Field was in full effect, and my past hatred for Apple was but a distant memory as I happily test a unit at the store and accessed familiar websites with ease.
Given that I live in Vermont, other options simply are not options here. Sprint and the Palm Pre are non-players, as the coverage in this area is non-existent. Verizon Wireless is owned and operated by Satan (or monkeys… I am not sure which) and due to my past experience with them, I refuse to use VZ again. T-Mobile? Not an option. They won’t even sell me a phone here.
That leaves AT&T. I’ve been a Unicel customer for years, but since they got gobbled up by AT&T, that was the path of least resistance. Also, I’ll be able to keep my Nokia e71 as a backup phone which I can use when I go biking or hiking or whatnot, or in the even that the iPhone fails in one way or another.
So for the next two years, I’m an AT&T customer. God help me.

Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackelope is Out, and I'm Running Xubuntu

Get it while it’s hot!
I did a clean install of the Xubuntu Jaunty Jackelope release candidate last night, and it went very smoothly.?The install ?was quick and easy, and I like the themes and default apps that come with Xubuntu.?On the small screen and limited hardware, I am liking XFCE more than GNOME, which seems bloated by comparison.
This morning I did an apt-get upgrade, which updated 70 packages, and that was it.?
I haven’t yet gotten Compiz working (because I can’t find a button to turn on desktop effects… lame, I know), and it’s taking me a little time to find thinks in locations other than where I expect them to be, but that seems to happen any time I try a new ?remix / respin / distro / desktop, so I won’t hold that against it.