Unfortunately, I dropped my kindle face down on some rocks and messed the screen up pretty bad.  I hemmed and hawed about getting another Kindle as the cost was pretty hard to justify (If I had dropped a book, I would have been out a few bucks).

However, being a gadget guy, I went ahead and made the decision to re-up and get another reader.  However, this time I went with the Barnes and Noble (All New) NOOK Touch.  I decided on this for several reasons and am very happy with the choice.

Here’s my list of pros and cons and my opinion of the differences between the Kindle and the NOOK:

Pros:

• Smaller
• Lighter
• Faster – no jarring e-Ink page turn, can fast scroll through a book
• No keyboard – touch screen keyboard is faster than the Kindle keyboard and with a reader you shouldn’t be typing much anyway.
• Expandable memory – Micro SD slot
• Supports ePub – in addition to the Barnes and Noble “Lend-me” you can also check books out from many online and local libraries that support ePub lending.
• Android based – can be rooted/jailbroken (some folks have even installed the Kindle app on the NOOK)

Cons:

• No browser
• This didn’t matter to me as my reader is for books. I have an iPad and an Android phone so if I needed to access the Interwebs, why would I use an e-ink based reader?
• No e-mail function
• Kindle has a feature where you can e-mail yourself a document and it will magically appear on your Kindle.  This wasn’t an issue for me as I had never used the feature on the Kindle.
• WiFi only
• Not really an issue for me as my Kindle was WiFi only, but if you wanted the 3G signal you would be out of luck with this particular device.

I used Calibre DeDRMed the remaining Kindle books I had not read and those that I had read that I wanted on the new device.

I’ve had it for 6 weeks and the only real thing I would add to this list is that sometimes when reading in bed with one hand I will inadvertently touch the screen and the page will turn.  This is a minor annoyance, and one I can forgive.

I also expect to see new features in a new release of the software (such as disabling touch screen page turning), browser, etc.

Other reviews:

1. Booksprung (yes, those are my comments)
2. PC Magazine
3. cnet Reviews
4. More on Google

Her biggest complaint is that I have purchased a few recent books on her Kindle and have been known to curl up on the couch with *her* Kindle on lazy weekends.  I also recently purchased an iPad, which has a Kindle App.  I’ve had the Kindle App on my iPhone for a while and since I’m leaving AT&T and going to Verizon, I recently downloaded the Kindle App for Android.

Here are my thoughts:

• e-Ink on the Kindle is far superior to reading on the iPad.  It is soft on your eyes and after a full day of reading, you really know whether you are staring at pixles on the iPad or the e-Ink.
• The iPod Touch, iPhone, and Android Apps are great for bathroom reading (at work?) or if you just want to read a page or three and are somewhere where it’s the only thing you have available (vs. the iPad or the Kindle itself).
• The iPad backlight is great. I can read late into the evening and not disturb my wife as the bedside light can be off. This is only possible because the Kindle App allows you to dim the iPad screen and therefore it’s softer on the eyes than reading in the dark with a bright display.
• The Kindle works brilliantly in bright sunlight and even with sunglasses on.  The iPad has to be set on maximum brightness and, as I discovered recently, is not visible while wearing polarized sunglasses.
• The iPad is a bit too heavy (1.5 lbs vs. 10.2 oz. for the Kindle) for just reading.  After several hours of reading in bed you can tell there is strain on your wrists holding up the iPad.  It’s more like reading a heavy hardback vs. a paperback.
• The battery life of the Kindle is several weeks of usage vs. 10 hours or so for the iPad (we only turn on the wireless on the Kindle to download new content and/or to sync our place), with Wireless turned on, the Kindle battery lasts days (vs. weeks).
• Synching between the multiple devices is a great feature. If you read your Kindle book on one reader, as soon as you open up that same book on another of your readers it synchronizes to the last page read (the Wireless network has to be enabled on the Kindle for this to work).
• eBook features on the Kindle are superior to those on the Apps on other devices (but this is probably a short term problem as Amazon is developing their Apps to have all the Kindle features (like highlighting, annotating, searching, etc.).

Now, the iPad also has a ton of other features and many many more capabilities than the Kindle but I just wanted to compare them as a reading device.  I still highly recommend a Kindle if reading is what you want to do.  I do not think that the iPad nor the apps on the smaller devices is really something you want to read from for hours on end.

Let me start by saying that I got my first iPhone a week after they hit the street. I LOVED it. It was the best phone I had ever used. Years ahead of anything that was on the market at that time. The network sucked, but I could live with it because everything about the phone was perfect. I upgraded to the 3G when available skipped the S and was waiting for the iPhone 4. However lately the AT&T network has really started to be an issue. I noticed this the most as I purchased a Verizon Wireless MiFi last fall and love it. I often have it on and am using the WiFi tether on my iPhone because the AT&T network sucks so bad. And having the proverbial apples to apples comparisons of the AT&T network to the VZW network has really opened my eyes to how bad the AT&T network truly is.

Let me start with the negative. The things that the Android is lacking that the iPhone just does better:

• not integrated well – Apple did a phenomenal job with the iPhone interface. No instruction manual is really necessary for someone with a bit of a technical aptitude. It doesn’t take a geek to add apps, browse, search, email, setup, etc. The HTC sense UI downloaded a bunch of contacts from Facebook (like high school friends) that I don’t want or need in my contact list.

• not very slick – it just seems a bit clunky. It’s not really the resolution, but it just looks kind of glued together. Icons too small, text is a bit too tiny. Having to scroll through the “all programs” I’d tedious.

• Keyboard – the touchscreen based QWERTY keyboard isn’t near as fast as the iPhone. The keys are slightly smaller and I fat figure much more frequently. I’m getting better, but it’s still not as polished as the iPhone keyboard.

• BATTERY!!! – OMG the battery SUCKS!!!  My first day of heavy usage netted me 4 hours and 19 minutes. Next day about 5 and a half. Best to date has been less than 24 and that was with light to moderate usage and turned off while on a plane. I already have battery/charge anxiety … This may be the show stopper for the incredible for me.

• Mobile me and address book synchronization – I’m missing my contact list big time. Looking for some alternative synchronization capability (like plaxo), but the iPhone with MobileMe is such a killer.

• No iTunes – this is a blessing and a curse. iTunes and synching your iPhone to your computer is a hassle, but a blessing in disguise. Making it mandatory is the hassle part, the fact that a new device can’t be used until the initial sync is a pain. I have an iPod so i never really used my iPhone as a music or video device, so i could live without the music synchronization, but apps, backups, photos taken on the phone, etc are great to synch with iTunes. And without MobileMe the synching of contacts and calendar entries is vital.

Here are the good and sometimes great things that Android and Verizon do that the iPhone does not (and some of these are fixed in the upcoming OS upgrade):

• coverage and data speed – noticeable on my very first use. Even more noticeable as I drive around in areas where I previously had NO data and often not enough of a signal for a voice call. The VZW network is just better. Hands down. And if the device is only as good as the network it is on… I really don’t think i can stress this point enough.

• Multi-tasking – though this will be moot for 3GS and iPhone 4 users this week, this is a substantial delta.  Being able to listen to your streaming media (Pandora, NPR, Stitcher) while continuing to use other applications and browsing is such a huge thing. Likewise, keeping Skype or IM running while doing other tasks is vital.  I’m surprised that Apple has not already come up with multi-tasking prior to iOS4.

• voice transcription – is a beautiful thing.  It even makes up for the crappy screen based keyboard as I can send SMS and chats with Skype without relying on the keyboard. I think this will be more and more noticeable as i use it while driving. I try not to drive and text often, but sometimes I slip up and the voice transcription will be a valuable safety tool.

• google voice – I am an avid Google Voice user.  I use it for business as the dialing from the computer and keeping track of incoming and outgoing calls is great.  Hiding or masking my called from number is also a great feature.  Avoiding SMS charges is a bonus, but since i went with an unlimited plan not all that necessary (but having a record and continuity between a chat / SMS session on your phone and on your computer is a huge benefit). Granted you can use google voice from an iPhone thanks to the Ajax web app, but it isn’t like dialing natively like it is on Android .

• integrated Skype – i didn’t think this would be such a bit advantage, but it is.  The free Skype to Skype calling actually uses a voice call to a Skype server and then Skypes your contacts. We use Skype for work so this is a great addition.  Having the Skype application running in the background (multi-tasking) is great because i get notified of an incoming chat even if using another application.  I did discover two problems with the integrated Skype.  One is that you have to disable WiFi to run Skype, which since the VZW network is so much better AT&T it might not be a big issue (until they do away with the unlimited data plans).  The other is that using both the free Skype to Skype and Google Voice is not possible if you have selected to force all calls out of google voice.  The dialer dials some Google Voice number and then calls the Skype number which never completes the outgoing call.

• Friends and Family (combined with Google Voice) – all outgoing calls are free!!!

• No iTunes – as i mentioned this is a benefit and a curse as the iTunes synchronization had some great features.  There is a disk that came with my Incredible, but it only runs on Windoze (and I use OSX or Ubuntu as my preferred desktop OS and only boot Windows XP when I have to (which is getting less and less frequent)).

I’ll post more and/or add comments as I discover more things or when I have something to update (like Froyo).

I’m drafting this on Pages on the iPad. I’ll port this to my blog using a cut and paste into the dashboard, then will touch it up and add links using the dashboard on a PC.

We took a trip last week. I intentionally did not bring my laptop as I wanted to use the iPad as a prime device and didn’t want to have the option of falling back on a PC. Lack of multi-tasking is still obvious, which after this coming week and the iOS4 upgrade should not be an issue. App developers can also fix this by opening up the app with the same view in the same location where it was ended. It amazes me that some apps still don’t do this.

Lack of Flash is still an issue. I also was traveling with my Android phone which supports basic flash and on a few instances grabbed the Android and opened up the URL that was not available on then iPad. Over time, if Apple has it’s druthers, flash video may be phased out on mainstream websites (and replaced with YouTube?), but other sites that rely on flash will require a flash supporting device. I missed my yahoo chess!

(the irony of this with Apple and Google going at each other like cats and dogs makes me chuckle)

Using outdoors is also difficult. My wife and I went to a park to do some reading. I had downloaded a few e-books (using e Kindle app as we like to share books). She pulled out her Kindle and I pulled out the iPad. The very first thing I noticed is that I couldn’t see jack. The iPad in portrait mode can not be viewed while wearing polarized sunglasses (opposite from the iPhone which is fine in portrait but unusable in landscape). Just for a comparison, my Android is visible in both portrait and landscape. Even in landscape mode it is difficult, so I ditched the sunglasses, but still found myself squinting to view even on maximum brightness. After an hour I had a headache from squinting and the overall brightness outside as I was not wearing my sunglasses.

The battery life is phenomenal. I only charged when it was convenient. Even now I’m working on a charge from the hotel over 24 hours ago after using moderately yesterday surfing the web in the airport and reading e-books on the plane.

Pages is great. I can actually edit, format, and move around in a full size document. I can read (and edit) Pages documents and Word documents with ease. I have used Numbers as well and for a tablet it is a very functional spreadsheet app. Starting from scratch to create a useable spreadsheet is a slow process, but opening up one from e-mail and making quick edits works quite well. I had a pretty through loan calculator that I had created with Numbers on my Mac which was quite easy to use on the iPad to change values and observe results.

So I’m still happy with my purchase. I’m loving the iPad.

Next post … Later this week … My Android vs. iPhone experiences.

I’ve had it about 24 hours and I have so say that they live up to the hype (so far). I told my wife I’d lose the Netbook if I got an iPad (as the eeePC was a constant presence with me around the house and usually was wedged between the couch pillows).

I went with the 64GB WiFi Model.  I don’t really think I’ll need the 64GB, but it was the only model they had left. I figured I’m fine with the WiFi as I already have a Verizon Wireless MiFi, so I didn’t need the 3G and I am ditching AT&T anyway as it pretty much sucks and our new home has NO AT&T coverage.

The lack of multi-tasking is obvious, but I think that’s due to certain apps (if you need to go to another app to cut and paste something … say into a tweet when you reopen the app you wanted to work in, you may have to navigate back to where you were). Regardless, multi-tasking is coming up in a few weeks so it will be a welcome improvement. Lack of Flash is not as obvious unless you are trying to watch video in some random website (like Comedy Central or TPM (on the opposite end of the spectrum) that hasn’t grasped the whole youtube phenomenon) or online gaming (like Yahoo Chess which I am totally addicted to).

I didn’t think I would notice the native iPhone apps versus the iPad apps, but it’s very noticeable and quite annoying that even expanded the apps are pixlated.  The lack of a decent Twitter app is my biggest headache.  Tweetdeck has a native iPad app, but it crashes if in landscape and just seems like a rushed job.  I am waiting for the Twitter (Tweetie) app as that was by far my favorite iPhone Twitter app.  Ironically, I use Tweetdeck on the computer and if it didn’t crash all the time it would be an excellent iPad Twitter application.

Typing on the iPad is fast.  Not as fast as a keyboard, but faster than a QWERTY phone and much faster than the touch screen interfaces.  I typed two blog entries on the iPad, one using the WordPress Dashboard running in Safari and another using a WordPress app.  Both allow you to post text, but lack any ability to post images, edit images, and due to multi-touch using the WYSIWYG editor isn’t possible.

I’ve only had it for about 48 hours now (I started the post a while back) and battery life is great, screen is crystal clear and bright, it feels good in your hands, and is fast(er than an iPhone). It’s a bit heaver than our Kindle and I do have some books on it, but haven’t really had the marathon reading session yet to see if the weight and/or screen is an issue however, late last night I was playing with it and my wife asked me to turn off the light which I couldn’t have done with the Kindle (future post about the new 2.5 Kindle OS).

Favorite app so far is the Netflix app which allows you to watch your “Watch Instantly” queue. I watched a few episodes of Friday Night Lights and was very impressed with the streaming video through the app. Email is nice on the larger screen (than the iPhone) and may actually be more than just a crutch (which is how I feel about e-mail on an iPhone or Crackberry).

So this was a pretty rambling review of my first 24 (ahem 48) hours with the iPad. So far, I’m digging it.  Great new addition to the geek family.

It allows you to insert photos, but you can not select where they will end up in the post, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out how to delete then (hence the off topic and random attachments on this post … at least until I log on and delete them through the Dashboard using a computer with a full browser).

OK. Enough of this post. I will post a more through review of the iPad and my first 24 hours with it later.

The keyboard is much faster than the iPhone keyboard, but not as fast as an actual keyboard. Text navigation is also a bit slower than on a computer with keyboard and mouse, but still doable.

Using the Dashboard HTML editor it is also laborious to create links. However, it can be done manually (as opposed to using the GUI). Same thing goes for more advanced text editing features, you can do them, but not as easy or as fast as the WYSIWYG way of doing things.

Tagging and other post features are really no different than on a computer.

Enough of this post. I’ll write another with the WordPress iPad app later today and maybe another with some more solid review of the iPad itself at a later date.

I upgraded to the 3G iPhone the week it came out (even though there was no 3G where I lived (yet)) and I’ve still got my eye on a WiFi iPad.  I just can’t wait until Christmas to see if Apple and Verizon can come to terms (and if Apple will build a CDMA version or if they will wait for LTE).

Eventually, the AT&T network in Blacksburg, VA improved, I could use the phone in my house if I stood by the window in the dining room or our bedroom (but not where my home office was).  We moved to Raleigh, NC last summer and there was decent coverage out where we live in Apex.  There were still a few places where I didn’t have any service that were regular travel destinations (a few clients in VA and NC). I used open WiFi an Skype when I needed to make a call, but eventually broke down and bought a Verizon Wireless MiFi which works just about everywhere with higher speed (and allows me to make Skype calls from my iPhone to boot).

I was still on the fence since we are moving to a new location near Ithaca, NY and our new landlord said that the only network with any signal out where we are moving is Verizon. I considered the $150 (and no extra fees) network extender, but that would only work in and around my home … what about the drives to the grocery store, or drives to and from town?

The coup de gras was just the other day on a pretty big road between Raleigh and Chapel Hill, in the suburbs. I couldn’t make a call while my wife was gabbing away on her Verizon phone.  I had to ask her to get off the phone (with her mother) and make my call from her phone.  Later that day, even with signal (that was flipping between Edge (2G) and 3G) I couldn’t use my phone for any data. My contract is coming due so this seemed like the appropriate time.

I don’t have my Android yet, but I just ordered the HTC Incredible from Verizon Wireless and it won’t ship for a few weeks. I will do my best to post unbiased reviews and comparisons when I get my new phone. I will admit that I’m a huge fan of Apple products.  I bought an iMac when the Core 2 Duo processor was introduced, I have a MacBook Pro, Airport Extreme and Express, two iPods, my wife also has a MacBook Pro and a Touch, and I’m itching for an iPad. So the Android has a high bar to get over.  I will have my 30 days of evaluation to determine if I can live with the phone (and if Steve makes some unexpected announcement at WWDC).

I’m sad to have to do this, but the phone is only as good as the network it is on and I’m finally fed up enough with AT&T that I’m moving on.

On the up-side, I have a lot of paid iPhone apps.  I may just be forced to purchase an iPad to run all those apps I own .

So for several years and several providers (Verizon DSL, Comcast Cable, and until recently Time Warner Cable), I’ve been running a small laptop as a web host.  It runs WordPress, Mediawiki, some static pages, and some other applications that I use (like MyTinyTodo).  I’ve also used it to host FTP for large files that I couldn’t attach to an e-mail, and many many other uses. It has proved a geeks invaluable tool. I used dyndns.org to keep up with any IP changes (which has happened a total of three times in five or six years). Now my upstream traffic is tiny and is probably not even noticed. The site gets very few visitors and viewing my web stats only a few MB per day worth of traffic. It was nice to have the ability to reach my home from the public internet.

Recently due to some changes, Time Warner has blocked incoming connections to my little server (I can’t even SSH to my home anymore) (and reading their fine print on their service they do not allow users to “run servers”). So while this pisses me off, I’m actually getting ready to physically move (again) from NC to NY so was considering hosting my sites anyway.

I went with the super budget hosting (iPage.com). In the event that I don’t like it, I can pay for a more expensive hosting solution, but I just needed basic transfer, MySQL, PHP5 and some tools to manage it with.  I also took good notes on things that worked and things that didn’t and kept good backups of my work and will continue to take backups of databases and file structure so I can move easily.

I didn’t transfer my domains, just updated their nameservers to the new hosting company. This in essence commoditized hosting as I can move at will to the provider which provides me what I need at what I am willing to pay (granted there is some elbow grease involved in the process).

Here is what I had to do:

Static Files – FTP them to the correct directory, point the subdomain to that directory, update nameservers on the Domain Manager on GoDaddy.

WikiMedia – a little more complex and I possibly could have simplified things – install new version of WikiMedia (create database, etc.), perform export on old server, perform import on new server, point subdomain to correct directory, update nameservers on GoDaddy. I also moved the extensions by simply moving the extension directory over and adding the extensions in LocalSettings.php … there are some files that I will move manually and one of my extensions isn’t working properly (probably a version issue with the new version of MediaWiki, but I bet I can fix that one by hand (sometimes coding is actually fun)).

MyTinyTodo – expand tar file, move database (export from old server, import to new server), run setup … super easy, point subdomain to correct directory

WordPress – followed instructions here – there were some limitations on the size of the SQL Import on my new hosting company (via their phpMyAdmin version) so moving the database had to happen in parts (the one large table had to be broken up into 8MB segments (I just used vi)), but it’s done now – point subdomain to correct directory, copy MX records and some other domain specific (subdomain) information from my old nameservers (dyndns.org) to the hosting company, update nameservers on GoDaddy.

Overall it was not too complicated. If you are methodical about the process you can move from one hosting company to another with little trouble and minimum downtime (or like I did from your own host to a hosted solution).

Not to mention the fact that I almost failed the computer test (more on that later).

I did the smart thing prior to getting in the car and driving to the NC DOT offices. I looked online and determined all the information I would need and stuck all that information in a folder.  The required information includes proof of residency, proof of age and identity, proof of liability insurance (huh?), and an original social security card.

To gather all those documents, I had two utility bills from my new home, my Virginia drivers license, a certified birth certificate, my dog-eared social security card, and an expired passport.  I had just bought a new car the previous weekend and hadn’t contacted my insurance agent yet (in the State of North Carolina, you have 30 days to update your insurance company). My insurance company (USAA) took all my information and sent me a link in e-mail to a PDF which is my proof of insurance. It was August the 25th and the insurance certificate said the policy was valid August 26th through March of 2010. Of course the nice ladies at the NC DOT license office in Fuquay-Varina were the ones to point this out.

I arrive at the NC DOT office in Fuquay-Varina at a respectable 9am. There is no line but rather a sign-in sheet.  I see several other folks in the lobby, sign my name, and proceed to wait. Just in the 20-30 minutes before I got called, I could already see some serious process issues that the NC DOT seems to be suffering from.  The computer where people take their tests is not linked very well with the back office, the last step in the process when you get your picture taken is not linked to the back office (and if so, it’s not linked very well). I can see the opportunities not only for someone to get a license with someone else’s picture on it, but can see some serious bucks for some process consultant to come in and fix several issues.

I get called and take all my documentation up to the desk and have a seat. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the person helping me was rude, but she wasn’t courteous in the least. When she asked for my proof-of-insurance, I hand over my newly minted policy on my shiny new car. She kindly points out that it isn’t active until tomorrow (the 26th of August). I explain that I just bought the car and that under North Carolina law, my old policy is valid for 30 days. She reponds saying that, “this doesn’t prove you are insured today.”  Not to mention the fact that I’ll be using the license in the future (including tomorrow), or that I could have easily just created a fake proof-of-insurance certificate in any old word processor (hint hint) as they don’t actually validate the policy. Basically, there are many many ways I could have circumvented the proof part, but I digress.

Why do you need to have insurance to be *able* to drive? If you can take the drivers school and pass the test shouldn’t you be able to be licensed to drive? What if you don’t own a car? There is an exception where you can get a license for fleet vehicles if you don’t have insurance, but what if you want to borrow your brother’s car every once in a while? I understand having insurance to get a title or to register your vehicle, but to obtain a drivers license?

We eventually figure out that I can contact my insurance company and have them FAX a copy of my current policy on my car that I just sold to the offices there in Fuquay-Varina. However, that policy was just cancelled by me on the phone a few hours ago. This ended up working, but in my opinion in no way provided “proof” in fact, it was a cancelled policy!

While we’re waiting for the FAX, I am allowed to take the computer test. Let me preface this by saying that I’m a pretty good and safe driver. I know most if not all of the rules and haven’t had a ticket in years (knock-knock). I knew all the signs (even the ones where they just indicate the shape and color (like a yellow circle, which I happen to know is a rail-road crossing)), knew when to stop for school busses, etc. I also graduated from high school before “No Child Gets Ahead” so my testing skills are probably not up to par (even though I seemed to have graduated from college with an engineering degree). The test questions on that test were totally bogus. In fact, it’s stated on the state website that MOST DRIVERS FAIL the test on their first attempt.  There is even one company that will provide you with sample test questions … for a fee (take a sample test here for free)! It’s not because these are bad drivers that don’t know the rules, it’s because the questions suck!

I passed the test with 5 incorrect answers (missing 6 out of 25 is a failing score) and on my last question I was guessing and crossing my fingers.

While waiting, my insurance arrives and I go up to finish the process. There is some issue with submitting my record. Some system they keep referring to as “Social Security” is down and my record is failing to go through. It’s been over two hours already so they suggest that I go to lunch and hopefully when I return the system will be back up. I’m not stupid enough to think that the “Social Security” system went down. Rather, some system that the state runs was having issues. I go to lunch, do some shopping and return. The system still won’t process my record while others are going through fine (including other renewals, other out-of-state changes (which mine is)). They are on the phone with tech support for good 30 minutes and the decision is to start over and go through the process from scratch, which happens to work.

I get my picture taken, and am told I can expect my license in the mail in two weeks. However, if I don’t receive it, I’m to call a number they give me (I’m not holding my breath).

Here’s my beef. The system isn’t designed to ensure that people *can* drive. All these other checks and balances would be easy to circumvent and don’t really prove anything.  What was that “Social Security” system anyway?  What is it accomplishing and does it have ANYTHING to do with my ability to operate a car?