Windows 8.1 on MacBook Pro

It's been about a week since I installed Windows 8.1 on my 'Late 2011' 13" MacBook Pro. Here's a little review.

First let's clear up some confusion. Basically, there are two ways to install Windows on a computer: a fresh, new install which requires a full version of Windows, or the cheaper 'upgrade' version which requires you to have a licensed, compatible version of Windows already installed on your machine. If you don't already have Windows installed on your Mac, you'll need the full version. I paid about $126 for the full version of Windows 8.1 at Best Buy.

To add to the confusion, the last few versions of Windows (going back to at least XP) have been broken up into a basic consumer version called 'Home' or 'Premium' (or something similar), and a version called 'Professional'. The 'Professional' version costs about $200 and according to the comparison chart, it didn't really offer anything extra that I couldn't live without. Contrary to what your Best Buy salesperson may tell you, the installation of Windows on a Mac does not require the Professional version. Buyer beware!

The other thing I needed for the install was a USB stick for installing Windows hardware drivers. I never did find any minimum size specs listed for the USB stick but mine only had 2 GB of free space and everything worked fine. The first thing that you'll need to do is plug the empty USB stick into your Mac and format it to the FAT filesystem (this will allow both OS X and Windows 8.1 the ability to read/write to the stick).

Now go online and find instructions for installing/running Boot Camp and Windows on your Mac. Read Apple's tips before beginning so that you'll understand the process and know what to expect. The short version is that you'll use Boot Camp to partition your Mac's hard drive, download and install the necessary driver files onto the USB stick, and dedicate space for the installation of Windows. Once the Windows installation is complete, you'll hold down the Option key during reboot or power-up to choose whether you want to run OS X or Windows.

As far as installing Windows goes, this was one of the simplest installs I've ever done. All of the hardware drivers were on the USB stick so there was no barrage of third party installers competing to get their stuff installed and set up.

The bad news...

If, like myself, you'd planned to install Windows 8.1 on your pre-Retina MacBook primarily so you could take advantage of Windows' ability to adjust your display's DPI settings to do a system-wide increase of the size of icons, text, etc, forget about it. The option is grayed out. This option is only available when the MacBook is connected to my 24" 1920x1080 external monitor.

The Thunderbolt port does work on the Windows side but it isn't hot-swappable (it requires a reboot to begin working).

Battery life isn't quite as good on the Windows side. The MacBook's fan runs a bit more as well. Display brightness seems a little harder to adjust. Same for the keyboard backlight.

The Boot Camp Control Panel (in the bottom right next to the clock) is essential for adjusting settings for things like the built-in keyboard and trackpad.

After digging around in Windows 8.1's settings, I have yet to find a button or icon to turn off (or on, for that matter) the Bluetooth radio. It says it's on and searching for devices but gives no option to switch it off when not needed. I haven't had a chance to try using Bluetooth or the FaceTime camera, so I can't comment further on these options.

All in all, Windows on a Mac is interesting to say the least. The new Start Screen (it's not just a Start Menu anymore) takes some getting used to. Had I known that like OS X, Windows 8 wouldn't allow me to adjust the built-in display's DPI setting, I probably wouldn't have bothered. There a few minor things that prevent me from giving up Windows entirely but my biggest disappointment with OS X is how small it renders buttons and text throughout the OS. Seriously, trying to read a fine-print EULA on a Mac is like trying to read the last line on an optometrist's eye chart... from the parking lot!

In the past, there were two reasons someone might want a bigger computer display: to increase space on the desktop for multiple windows, or to increase the size of everything on the screen. Sadly, it seems that us folks in the latter camp have been abandoned. Oh well, live and learn. At least I'm once again able to batch-rename files without the need to google a refresher on how to create a Workflow.

Pocket-Friendly, Cellular Data-Only...

APPLE: "Introducing the iPhone!"

CUSTOMERS: "Wow, amazing device! Too bad it requires a monthly service contract, and worse yet, with one of the most horrible carriers in the nation."

APPLE: "Introducing the iPod touch!"

CUSTOMERS: "Cool, but too bad it doesn't have cellular data for when you're out and about."

APPLE: "If you need cellular data, get the iPhone instead."

CUSTOMERS: "Yeah, but the whole AT&T thing. Look, we don't wanna cause trouble, we just want a pocket-friendly device with cellular data (preferably from a selection of carriers) - no voice, no text, just the data."

GOOGLE: "Introducing Android!"

CUSTOMERS: "Promising... but no. Again, pocket-friendly device. Cellular data. No phone service. No text service."

CARRIERS: "Introducing Mi-Fi portable hotspots!"

CUSTOMERS: "No! We don't want a third device to worry with. Listen closely: pocket-friendly, cellular dat...

APPLE/ANDROID: "Introducing smartphones with built-in hotspot sharing capability!"

CUSTOMERS: "No thank you. Once again, don't need a smartphone."

APPLE: "Introducing iPad and iCloud!"

CUSTOMERS: "Wait... What? Did you not hear us say 'pocket-friendly'?"

SAMSUNG: "Introducing the Galaxy Note!"

CUSTOMERS: "Hey, Dipshit! We said no voice or text plans! This thing requires a full blown smartphone plan! And a stylus? Really?"

APPLE: "Siri voice assistant!"

CUSTOMERS: "No."

APPLE: "Thinner, lighter and taller iPhone?"

CUSTOMERS: "Nada."

APPLE: "Smaller iPad?"

CUSTOMERS: "Wait! You're getting warmer..."

SAMSUNG: "Oh! We know! An 8-inch phone with a stylus!"

CUSTOMERS: [face-palm] "Did you guys eat a lot of paint chips as a kid?"

VERIZON: "Introducing the Verizon Messages app! Receive your phone's text messages on your tabl..."

APPLE: "Fingerprint sensors!"

CUSTOMERS: "FOR GOD'S SAKE! ARE YOU GUYS EVEN LISTENING?!?!?!" You know that thing you do for the 'iPad Wi-Fi+Cellular'? We buy the device, then you activate a SIM card that only provides (and bills us) for cellular data? Yeah! But look... Alright, stay with me now... Instead of doing that for a big ol' iPad, we want you to do it for something the size of an iPod touch! Got it? We've only been asking for this for the last SIX FREAKING YEARS!

That glazed-over look in your eyes means... what, exactly?

Spare Batteries

KISS singer Paul Stanley once said "the best thing about being rich is never having to worry about money". I think a similar theory applies to batteries and cellphones.

Earlier this week I was put into a situation where my phone's battery was almost dead (mostly due to being in areas with poor reception) and there was no convenient way to charge it. Long story short, I needed to get at least 17 hours out of a 12-hour battery. Had I still been using an iPhone or any other phone with a non-removable battery, I would've been up the creek without a paddle.

Thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Note's spare battery and standalone charger (an accessory which costs less than most quality iPhone cases), I was able to swap out my battery and go, without dragging a charger around in my pocket and searching high and low for an available receptacle.

It's for this reason I've concluded that if a phone lacks a removable battery (and doesn't at the very least, ship with one of those battery pack cases), it's not a phone at all - it's a toy. All the worse if the phone now uses a proprietary connector that's nearly impossible to find outside of giant electronics stores. It seems crazy to me that the same company that prides itself on building laptops with amazing battery life is willing to compromise their phones, all for the sake of shaving a couple of millimeters off the overall thickness.

Seems to me the market for an 18-hour phone would be bigger than the market for a 12-hour laptop.

Android Update Hell

A few weeks ago, Verizon gave the green light to push out Android OS update 4.1.2 to their version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. I can't remember the exact date Google made this update available or when Samsung approved the Note 2 to receive it, but it's pretty safe to assume that Note 2 owners on Verizon were among the last to receive the update (which is more the rule than the exception when it comes to Verizon and Android). If that's not bad enough, some of the new features included in this update have been withheld, changed or limited by Verizon. As a former iOS user, this is a characteristic of Android that annoys the piss out of me, and to tell the truth, I'm not sure what's more annoying about it: the act or the complete lack of any explanation for it.

Of my 4.5 years with iOS, over 3 years of that time was spent using a jailbroken device. The subject of how I got into jailbreaking is too long to go into here but suffice it to say that my hand was forced by AT&T's crappy service in my area. Point being, jailbreaking gave me the opportunity to see the difference between what a particular iPhone model could do and what Apple was willing to allow it to do. Not to mention some of the shady tactics Apple was willing to use to force updates on us.

Despite all of this tomfoolery, one thing that iOS users have been able to take solace in is the fact that when Apple makes an iOS update available, the whole update becomes available to everyone (using an approved device) at the same time. Carriers are given time to field-test Apple's new software and hardware but once Apple sets a release date, the carriers (for the most part) must step aside. If a new feature is to be excluded by a carrier, it's typically announced before people line up in droves to buy the new device.

Additionally, iPhone users don't have to worry about carriers substituting Apple-tested, approved and supported apps/features with their own non-removable (and often substandard or poorly supported) bloatware. The relationship between a carrier and an iPhone user is no different from the relationship between say, an electric utility and its customer: that of a dumb-pipe. Unlike with other smartphones, carriers are forced to provide iPhone users with nothing more or less than the cellular connectivity with which to operate their devices. In my opinion, that's the way it should be.

Another advantage to Apple's walled garden policy is easier troubleshooting. When an iOS user is having an issue or question, usually all they need to know is which model device and which version of iOS they are using, and a web search immediately brings solutions. Not so much with Android. In addition to the many different brands of Android devices, there appears to be a vast sub-category of different versions of the same make/model - many with their own exclusive features/capabilities. If all of that wasn't enough of a confusing mess, both the manufacturers and carriers have the authority to decide when or if your device will get the latest OS update, and in the case of Verizon, can choose to outright remove features from that update. It seems hypocritical to me that a company would cherry-pick OS features it's willing to allow, all while taking the position that it would rather lose all of my business than give me the option to pay for just voice/SMS service without data (or vice versa).

I guess my biggest problem with Android thus far has been coming to terms with the deception created and fostered by both manufacturers, carriers, tech blog writers and their fanboy supporters. Some would have you believe that every Android scenario is like picking up a Dell laptop from Best Buy that runs a full, bloatware-free version of Windows, and taking it home and plugging it straight into your Comcast cable modem. And it is indeed that simple in a limited number of scenarios that depend heavily on both the hardware and carrier chosen. But for most people, the options are more like this:

1. pick out the Dell laptop and tell the salesman you're a Comcast customer. Promise to stay with Comcast for the next two years in exchange for a 70% discount on the hardware. You turn on the laptop and it looks nothing like the same version of Windows running on your work PC. It's covered in apps, themes and branding from Dell, Best Buy and Comcast. Some of the apps and UI elements that come stock with Windows have been replaced by Comcast- or Dell-branded junk. Microsoft releases regular updates for it but you must wait for both Dell and Comcast to decide if/when to make them available, as well as whether or not to customize them when they do make them available. There are all kinds of tutorials on the web explaining how to revert it to a stock Windows PC, accompanied by disclaimers that it'll void your Dell hardware warranty, tip-off the Russian mafia to the secret coin collection in your attic, as well as result in Comcast murdering your first-born child, disconnecting your service and charging you an early termination fee. You also discover that some of the cool Dell-exclusive features of the laptop will no longer work if you do revert it to stock Windows; or,
2. buy a specific line of Windows Nexus laptops at full price and still be forced to wait for Comcast to issue the OS updates; or,
3. purchase said Nexus laptop and activate it with a more open-minded ISP then move to said ISP's service area; or,
4. buy a MacBook at full price, accept that it can't do everything that the Dell can do without a hack that gets overridden every six months when Apple releases an OS update, plug it into your cable modem and tell Comcast and Best Buy to kiss your ass.

I guess my gripe isn't so much with Android (it is a great OS) or even with the device makers, so much as it is Google's willingness to bow down to carriers who never seem to run out of new ways to shaft their customers. Yes, Apple makes me feel like the tween whose over-protective mother still insists on holding his hand every time they cross the street, but that momma bear sure has done a lot since entering the smartphone market to protect her cubs from those greedy carriers. All of the various Android manufacturers seem to be as weak-kneed as Google when it comes to standing up for the interests of their customers. I had assumed before switching that Samsung was big enough by now to have grown a pair, but I guess I was mistaken.

Data Plan Idea

I was thinking about the arguments between Internet providers like Comcast and content providers like Netflix. ISPs argue that content providers like Netflix and YouTube account for the lion's share of customer bandwidth, and that they should therefore pay up for the ISP's costs to supply that content to customers.

I suppose that to an extent, an ISP is akin to a trucking company that specializes in delivering 1s and 0s. If ISPs wish to be viewed in such a way, then it makes little sense why the end user is forced to pay a monthly service fee to these 'cyber trucking companies'.

Would it be better (particularly with regards to cellular data) if every time we used an app or downloaded a media file that we were required to purchase enough data to carry out the transfer (a sort of 'in-app-purchase' or cyber shipping charge) beforehand? Imagine a YouTube in which every video clip cost you so many credits and the ISP got a cut of that money directly from YouTube.

Imagine a setup in which basically nothing on the web is free anymore (every transfer would carry with it a cyber shipping charge) BUT you are no longer forced to pay a monthly fee to any ISP. Would you be better or worse off than with the current setup? Would it mean an end to the predominantly ad-supported websites we now have, with their annoying and privacy-invading tactics?

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Review

About two weeks ago I got my first Android device: a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (hereafter referred to as the Note). Having been an iOS user for the past 4.5 years, I thought I'd share my impressions thus far for anyone interested in this phone or, for any iOS users who may be considering a switch to Android. I'll admit beforehand that most of this review focuses on the negative aspects of the phone and OS. There are plenty of "reviews" and videos documenting the perks of the Note, but few have honestly discussed any drawbacks aside from its physical size. I'm discovering all sorts of things about this phone so this is gonna be a quick and dirty list that may or may not get cleaned up.

S-PEN
It doesn't work on the Menu or Back buttons despite those buttons being touch-activated, but Samsung does include some gestures that you're supposed to write while holding the button on the side of the pen which mimic tapping of the Menu or Back buttons. I wish they had included a gesture to mimic the pressing of the Home button too. I also wish the S-pen's button wasn't so close to its tip. Side note, the cheapo stylus I bought last year for my iPhone 4 works a heck of a lot better on the Note - and in some ways, even better than the S-pen.

I spent part of this morning playing around with the S-pen, and overall, it feels a little gimmicky. When you bring up a text-entry field while the pen is out, the keyboard is replaced by a small writing area. While it seemed like I could write a little faster than I could type, using the pen resulted in far more errors. Whether I'm writing or drawing, the big problem is that I can't do either very well unless my forearm (or at least my wrist) is resting on a stationary surface. If you're comfortable using a small notepad, this shouldn't be a problem.

The other issue with the S-pen is that it's not as sensitive at scrolling or tapping objects as a finger or a cheap iOS stylus. Holding the pen near the edge of a window will make the screen scroll automatically - if the app supports it.

SIZE AND SHAPE
Compared to my iPhone, something (besides the size) has felt odd about the Note ever since I got it. It turns out, while the Note is bigger in every dimension, it actually offers less 'dead space' to grab between the bottom of the screen and the bottom of the phone itself. I think this is referred to as the lower bezel (assuming the bezel is the glass-covered area surrounding the screen where it's safe to touch without activating anything). The iPhone's lower bezel is actually twice as long. This by itself would take some getting used to, but to make matters worse, the Note's lower bezel contains a home button and two 'soft' buttons (Menu and Back). What I'm saying is, there's basically no way to grasp or hold the Note by pinching the lower bezel like I sometimes do with the iPhone. In my opinion, that alone would make this a two-handed device even if it was identical in size to the iPhone. I'm curious if this is the norm for most Android phones. One lifesaver is the $20 Verizon case I finally got for it. The case has a triangle-shaped kickstand that folds out, which coincidentally, serves as a sort of makeshift trigger guard. It's just something extra to help stabilize the phone in your hand but you'd be surprised just how much it helps.

I've been very critical of Apple's decision to make the iPhone 5 only a half-inch taller while maintaining the same width, but now I understand why they were afraid to go any bigger. That's not to excuse their refusal to offer the device in other sizes. Samsung makes a very good argument that peoples' hands are different sizes and that we all use our devices differently, therefore, it only makes sense to give people a variety. Having owned both at one point, I feel that the iPad (as well as the iPad Mini) is just a bigger version of the iPod Touch. So it seems hypocritical to me that Apple would offer that device in three different sizes while making the iPhone a one-size-fits-all deal.

Having gotten that out of the way, I must admit that if I needed no other evidence that the Note is a two-handed device, there's no better proof than the email app. No matter what kind of hackery you engage in or settings you change, there's no way to delete an email while using the Note with one hand (unless you have massive hands). The delete button is way up at the top of the screen, making it unreachable with one hand while holding it in a secure fashion. I searched the Menu for a delete option but no such luck.

While the two-handed requirement isn't a deal-breaker for me, I could possibly see this being a problem for others. To be fair though, most of the criticism leveled at the Note's size is related to making phone calls, which in my opinion, is just ridiculous. Consider for example, the size of your average landline or cordless phone. How many times have you heard someone complain about those things being too big to hold against the side of their head? The areas where size presents a challenge is stuffing it into/retrieving it from a pocket and generally navigating and typing with one hand.

APP STORE
Being a gadget geek, I've read more than a few articles regarding the open nature of Android and the differences between Google Play and Apple's App store. While there's certainly a lot of hyperbole on both sides, you can tell from the get-go that Google's app store isn't policed nearly as well as Apple's store. I guess that's the price you pay for free choice.

Overall, there seems to be a lot more duds and garbage in Google Play. Indeed, initial impressions will lead you to believe that 99% of Android users are interested only in free, crappy games. If you've been using iOS for any serious length of time, exercise caution and go in with the understanding that you're pretty much on your own. Just remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch. If an app costs $0, odds are, that's exactly what it's worth. BTW, I hope you don't mind ads in your apps.

Another item regarding apps is app stores. Apparently, both Amazon and Samsung have their own app stores in addition to Google Play. I haven't really had a chance to check them out though.

Finally, one thing I quickly discovered is that many of the iPhone apps on which I came to rely heavily upon are exclusive to iOS. One of the first things I did with the Note was search for Android versions of my most-used iOS apps. Aside from apps tied to services like Netflix, Rhapsody or Dropbox, not many of my favorites are available for Android. So much so that I'm still toting the deactivated iPhone around. Rule of thumb: if the developer of your favorite iOS app hasn't gotten around to creating a version for the laptop/desktop, they probably haven't bothered making one for Android either.

KEYBOARD
Between the number row and the predictive text row, the keyboard winds up taking up so much vertical space in landscape mode that it leaves little to no area onscreen to see what you're typing. This is a pretty significant issue, considering the size of the screen. Adjusting the global font size in Settings doesn't seem to have any effect on the size of the keyboard buttons and there's definitely no option to hide the number row on one of the keyboard's secondary pages. You do have the option to hide the predictive text row, but I've become too dependent on it to part with it. Additionally, the Note doesn't automatically add punctuation as you type - that's where the predictive text row proves most useful.

Some people have suggested trying a third-party keyboard, but the screenshots of all the ones I've looked at included a number row as well. Others have suggested rooting the phone as a possible solution. From what I've heard though, Verizon and Samsung don't take kindly to rooting and they attempt to erect roadblocks to the practice. That cat and mouse BS that Apple pulls on jailbreakers is the main reason I switched to Android in the first place, so I doubt I'll be heading down that road anytime soon.

Another issue I'm having with the keyboard is trying to get the hang of how to highlight text and insert the cursor at various points in existing text (it seems especially difficult to put the cursor at the beginning of a sentence). Also, the option to highlight and copy text (i.e. on a webpage or in an email) seems to be hit or miss.

EMAIL
I've had some issues in which Yahoo email quit syncing. I tried removing the account from the stock email app and instead use Yahoo's own Mail app from the Google Play store, but as was the case with the iOS version, Yahoo's app is garbage. Upon re-installing my Yahoo account within the stock mail app, I got a message from Verizon informing me that my Yahoo account has been successfully set up through vzw.com/sync. I'm not sure how or why Verizon interacts with my Yahoo mail account but it's a little worrisome from a privacy standpoint. With iOS, I was never given the impression that the carrier interacted in any way with the online services I used - short of providing the infrastructure necessary to move data back and forth - and that's the way it should be.

Another peeve, Gmail requires its own separate app. For the life of me, I can't understand why the stock email app (a Google product) can't handle Gmail (another Google product). Additionally, if you wish to make use of the feature to only be notified of new messages from priority senders, you must set it up on both the stock Mail app and the Gmail app.

WEB BROWSERS
One of the first things I did was look for a different browser. I figured Firefox would be great since it could sync my desktop's bookmarks, but it seemed to have trouble playing videos (even non-Flash videos). I tried, and was very content with Chrome, until they issued an update that left fonts looking blurry. At the moment I'm using Dolphin browser and I can see why it's had 10 million downloads.

SETUP
The only problem I experienced during setup and activation was related to Verizon's contacts backup service called Backup Assistant Plus. In 2011, I upgraded from a flip phone (whose address book was being synced with Backup Assistant) to an iPhone 4. Apparently, the iPhone's address book never got synced with Backup Assistant over the last two years and many of the entries were out of date. Once I decided to go with Android, I made sure to export my contacts from iCloud to Gmail and everything got transferred to the Note without issue. Then I made the mistake of syncing the Note with Verizon Backup Assistant - which added a bunch of outdated crap to the Note's address book. What a nightmare.

BATTERY
As I said before, I'm new to Android so there may be a few power-saving options and settings which need to be tweaked, but so far I'm not particularly impressed by the Note's battery life. It's right on par with what I got on the iPhone. Granted, the Note's screen is about 1.5 times the size of the iPhone's, but the battery is also about twice as big. One advantage though is that the included charger has a 2 amp output and gets the battery back up to 80% pretty quickly.

ACCESSORIES
The protective flip cover case from Samsung is overpriced. There's no cut-out for either the volume rocker or the notification LED and the cover makes the Note unwieldy when flipped back. Also, the cover makes it difficult to use the rear camera.

I was able to pair the Note with an Apple trackpad, though discovery took much longer than normal. My Samsung bluetooth earpiece paired and worked without issue.

There is one off-brand bluetooth accessory that I never could pair with the phone. It's a 30-pin dongle that plugs into any powered iPhone dock you have connected to a stereo. It allows you to play audio from any bluetooth 2.0 device through the iPhone dock and out to the stereo. Aside from it failing to automatically reconnect, the thing has worked pretty well with my iPhone, but the Note can't even detect it.

The clicker on the iPhone's earbuds can pause music on the Note but the volume buttons don't affect volume. I'm not sure if the earbuds' microphone works with the Note either. And on that subject, considering that this phone retails for $300 (WITH a two-year contract), the least Samsung could do is toss in a pair of cheap earbuds or maybe one of those crappy flip cover cases.

MULTIMEDIA
One thing that I really miss about the iPhone is the integration with iTunes. I've yet to find anything for either Mac or PC that works as well at syncing with the Note. Transferring music and videos to the Note is basically a drag and drop affair. There are options for syncing a pre-defined list of files (wirelessly, even) between a computer and the Note but I haven't found anything that will sync my iTunes playlists - particularly smart playlists and play counts. So far I can't even find an Android-equivalent of iTunes with the features that I need.

Although an optional 64 GB memory card would supply more than enough space on the Note for my entire music collection, my car's lack of bluetooth input, combined with the physical size of the phone, makes it more likely that my old iPod will come out of retirement rather than the Note becoming my primary music player.

SUMMARY
There are some things about the Note (and Android) that are pretty annoying, but overall, I can't think of any other phone currently available that I'd be willing to exchange it for if given the opportunity.

As far as things I would change:
I'd definitely shrink the landscape keyboard (as is, it's essentially useless).
I'd give the battery cover a hinge and include a standalone charger for use with a spare battery.
A MacBook-like magnetic charger plug would be nice (I absolutely hate micro-USB connectors).
Do something (I'm not sure what) about the Menu and Back touch keys. If they're to be kept touch-activated, then at the very least, the S-pen should be capable of interacting with them.
I'd try to make the overall experience feel less like a large-print smartphone designed for the visually-impaired and more like using a tablet.

One more side note. If you're a jailbroken iOS device user who is considering a move to Android, get familiar with the subject of rooting and flashing ROMs, etc. While stock Android is definitely more open and customizable than stock iOS, it's a far cry from the level of customization available to jailbroken iOS devices. As I alluded to earlier, if this is a road you're willing to travel, more power to you, just don't expect rooting an Android device to be any less of a headache than jailbreaking an iOS device. The claims of being able to easily root just about any device and use it on just about any network are BS. Unless you plan to use a true Nexus device on any other carrier but Verizon, you're almost guaranteed to encounter resistance of some sort. And if you've grown accustomed to receiving at least something on your device whenever Apple releases an iOS update, you may want to think twice about switching. Android updates are very dependent upon the whims of both your carrier and device manufacturer. The flip side of that coin is, if your older Android device does get the green light to receive an update, you're more likely to get the 'whole' update, rather than crippled versions like Apple releases to its barely one-year-old devices.

So there you go. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2. It's essentially a small tablet that can also make phone calls. If you value one-handed usability more than having extra screen real estate, then this phone is probably not for you. It's not for everyone, but neither is the iPhone.

iOS 6.1, iTunes Restore, Jailbreaking

Last week I restored my iPhone via iTunes to iOS 6.1. Push email in iOS 5 had stopped working and overall the phone seemed buggy. Aside from needing to manually transfer my apps back to the phone and re-running 'restore from backup', everything went well.

Earlier this week I got tired of waiting months for an untethered version of iOS 6 jailbreak so I rolled the dice and ran redsn0w tethered. Okay, the problem with a tethered jailbreak is that anytime your device reboots, you have to plug it into a computer and re-run redsn0w to get things back to normal. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way that the user experience of a tethered jailbreak isn't generally up to par with that of an untether. Just because the dev-team releases a tethered jailbreak for an OS version doesn't guarantee that developers have gotten around to updating their apps, tweaks and themes to be compatible with that OS version. That lack of compatibility damn near ensures that your device will be rebooting more often than normal - thereby requiring you to stay within close proximity of a redsn0w-running computer.

To add insult to injury, there seem to be some new bugs inherent in iOS 6.1. Whatever it was in iOS 5 that was responsible for my Push email not working seems to have been fixed but now iOS 6 appears to have a bug that affects screen brightness. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Another unfortunate error, I made the mistake of assuming this screen brightness issue was related to jailbreaking so, combined with the app/tweak/theme compatibility issues mentioned above, I decided to go back to stock iOS 6.1

Now this is gonna sound like rambling but it's worth mentioning, so hang in there. I've restored enough iOS devices and run enough jailbreaks to know that iTunes needs access to the internet during a restore operation. Even if you've already downloaded the new firmware file to the computer beforehand, iTunes still needs to contact Apple's servers to basically make sure there isn't a newer version of the firmware available. I won't go into detail as to why Apple requires this step but suffice it to say that it's not entirely for the benefit of the customer. And while I understand there's supposed to be a way to trick iTunes into doing a restore without internet access, I've never had any luck with it.

One thing that I was unaware of however, is that iTunes also needs internet access again near the end of a restore operation. It would be very useful to customers if Apple mentioned this beforehand, especially if they're gonna continue giving us the option to 'just download' the update. The 'just download' option implies that one has the option to install the update at a more convenient time, perhaps somewhere in which internet access is not available. But as I learned the hard way - even after taking steps to ensure that I at least had internet access at the start of the restore - that is not the case.

What began as a simple restore operation turned into a temporarily-bricked phone. The problem was resolved easily-enough once I regained internet access but seeing as how this is primarily a communication device, there should be fair warning of the requirements for success.