TB vs. iP - Thunderbolt General

I know, it's not fair as iP is older but this review is the most unbiased one I've seen so far. He nails it all the pluses and minuses on both phones.
Goodbye Engadget, Slashgear....
http://pocketnow.com/tech-news/iphone-versus-htc-thunderbolt-video
And no, I don't have anything to do with pocketnow.

Related

What is it with the mainstream media?

They are all doing news items about "ipad killers" and list the usual suspects, (Xoom, HP Touchpad, Galaxy Tab), but none of them mention the best selling non-iOS tablet....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15087056
So my questions to them (and Asus)
Why should I believe anything techy they tell me, if thjey don't know who the REAL contenders are, rather than simply looking towards to best known contenders.
And to Asus, Why aren't you boasting about your sales figures? We know you have been SELLING 600k+ units every month since March, and can easilly embarrass Samsung, Motorola with more impressive sales figures, so why hold back? (i'm guessing you can't afford to upset either of these companies, as AsusTek has strong dealings with them).
CrazyPeter said:
They are all doing news items about "ipad killers" and list the usual suspects, (Xoom, HP Touchpad, Galaxy Tab), but none of them mention the best selling non-iOS tablet....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15087056
So my questions to them (and Asus)
Why should I believe anything techy they tell me, if thjey don't know who the REAL contenders are, rather than simply looking towards to best known contenders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait, you mean to actually pay attention to the main stream media.
That's your first mistake.
This bugs the crap out of me as well. The media (both mainstream and tech) keeps saying that there's no "successful" tablet other than the iPad, when I'm sure Asus is perfectly happy selling 1-2 million units (if not more) of the Transformer. And really, by harping on the iPad as the "only successful" tablet, the media contributes to a self-fulfilling prophecy--how many people want to buy an unsuccessful product?
It's a bit like how election results can't be reported until after polls have closed. People change their votes based on who's winning...
It's just propaganda. They want the majority of the masses to believe that the iPad is the number one contender. The consumer makes the choice on whether to believe it or not based on what knowledge he or she has on the tablet market. If you've done your homework and researched it then you would know that the Apple has mostly marketing backing it's iPad. The real tech savvy person knows the difference and can make a reasonable choice.
Leave it to mainstream media to cloud your mind of the real possibilities. I never have liked Apple despite how thin they can make there products. pfttt...
<petergriffin> You know what grinds my gears? </petergriffin>
Every time someone new sees my Transformer, the FIRST words out of their mouth are "oh, is that an iPad?"
EVERY time.
I guess it just shows how ridiculously successful Apple's marketing department is.
nightwulf said:
<petergriffin> You know what grinds my gears? </petergriffin>
Every time someone new sees my Transformer, the FIRST words out of their mouth are "oh, is that an iPad?"
EVERY time.
I guess it just shows how ridiculously successful Apple's marketing department is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the problem is, Apple have virtually unlimited money to push their products, and the more they spend pushing them, the more they sell and they then have even more money.
It's a upward spiral, where Apple and Microsoft have dominance, they can dominate even more. Microsoft is the worst, their money comes from Windows, but they use it to break new sectors with inferior products (Xbox, Windows Phone 7 etc).
i agree when family members see me with my Transformer they say oh you got a ipad too, i let them play with it and at first they are like how did you get your ipad to do this...then i get to tell them that it isnt a ipad, which they should have known by the look of it but i never said my family is smart they think the ipad is the only tablet on the market....but long story short i already converted two my family members to transformers from ipads due to widgets alone.
I was talking to an iPad2 owner yesterday at Changi airport, he saw me using my Transformer, and then asked me what it was, and if it was less than £1000!!!! On the TV they had just shown another Android tablet with a keyboard (Lenovo I believe).
I said it was less than an iPad2 including the keyboard dock, and it had 18 hours of battery life, a proper keyboard and no iTunes lock-in.
He told me the iPad was his first Apple purchase, and could not believe how he was already locked into everything Apple and nothing was actually his.
I got the impression he was going to sell it and get a Transformer when he got back.
First to the market gets the name. How many people had a portable cassette player that was always referred to as a "Walkman".
Oh crap, I just showed my age.
^ oh so true!! apple is a huge media whore but hey, that tactic sure works wonders on herding all the sheep.
crollison said:
First to the market gets the name. How many people had a portable cassette player that was always referred to as a "Walkman".
Oh crap, I just showed my age.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's a cassette?
LOL... jusk kidding.
But that's true... like Kleenex.
Everyone as "is that an iPad?", I hate that. But the have the mindshare when it comes to name recognition. I mean come one iPad (like iANYTHING) is fairly easy to remember (especially if you already familiar wit iPads and iMacs). Asus Eee Pad Transformer just doesn't roll off the tongue as easy.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has some mindshare due to the sucess of the Galaxy S line. More importantly it get alot of comparison to the iPad because it so thin (thinner than the iPad even). Besides it is a nice device with a sexy design.
Yes the Transformer deserves more recognition but it is popular with those that do research and are more tech savvy. It is is talked about a bit on the tech sites.
---------- Post added at 11:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:21 AM ----------
uploder said:
^ oh so true!! apple is a huge media whore but hey, that tactic sure works wonders on herding all the sheep.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, all the iSheep.
Here is another "expert"...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...ablet-mauler/2011/09/29/gIQAghKl7K_story.html
"there is still no real competitor to the iPad 2,” Ticonderoga analyst Brian White said in a note to clients today."
LOL, it's a shame you can't physically shake these idiots and wake them up. They are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. There won't be anything that is a real competitor to the iPad2 until they wake up and realize there already are some.
Don't think apple is above paying for their 'news'.
I believe the Transformer gets pushed aside for two reasons:
No affiliation with any wireless network providers (as the Xoom and Tab do with companies like Verizon)
Like it or not, wireless broadband is the way of the future. With the exception of Apple none of the hardware manufacturers have the marketting budget to push their devices. Thus, the tablets that "debut" on Verizon/AT&T/whathaveyou are pushed into public visibility. Mainstream media exists to tell the public what they already know or what they want to hear, and there's great advertising revenue in these devices.
It's actually quite impressive that Transformer has generated as much sales as it has. It's honestly a testament to how massive the "techie" community has gotten, as that's the demographic.
Raw spec comparisons always place the Xoom and Tab ahead of the Transformer
Somehow when any reviewer (Engadget, Gizmodo, etc) compares the devices, the Transformer gets left at the bottom. I'm not really sure why that is, as from a usability standpoint, the Transformer kicks the crap out of all competitors. Generally these reviewers focus on ONE point of interest and hold that as the determining factor. The screen is frequently this pivot point. Apparently the Transformer's screen is VASTLY inferior to that of the Galaxy Tab or Xoom, but I don't see it. I've gone to the Verizon store with my TF and compared them all....they all look the same, and neither of the other two match the capability and usefulness of my tablet.
I'm not particularly stressed. There's a huge community behind this device, meaning there will always be neat things to play with. Since Asus was so profitable with these, they'll continue supporting it and pumping out new iterations (which is proven by the 4-core Kal-El iteration announced almost immediately after the TF shipped.)
It's propaganda. That's all it is, plain and simple. Look at the meaning of the word 'Propaganda' and then relate it to what your seeing. It fits like a key.
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself.
As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda, in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience. Propaganda is often biased, with facts selectively presented (thus possibly lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political, or other type of agenda.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly what your witnessing and you will continue to see more and more 'Mainstream Media' advertise this claim.
Just ignore it. It's bull****. You! The tech savvy person knows the difference and that's all that matters.
Well, by that definition, marketing and advertising is propoganda. Of course these companies want to convince you to buy their product. That's why they built the product.
Your consternation is probably over the partial views of the media, which isn't news (pardon the pun), but definitely disconcerting. All I can say is get your information from as many sources and perspectives as you can, and always question the driving force behind every source.
AcIdC0R3 said:
It's propaganda. That's all it is, plain and simple. Look at the meaning of the word 'Propaganda' and then relate it to what your seeing. It fits like a key.
This is exactly what your witnessing and you will continue to see more and more 'Mainstream Media' advertise this claim.
Just ignore it. It's bull****. You! The tech savvy person knows the difference and that's all that matters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whilst I can understand crap ****e like Engadget, Gizmodo, Slashgear and the like who need advertising revenue from the highest bidder (i.e. Apple) to survive, the BBC link I originally posted is funded by UK licence fee payers and SUPPOSED to be informed, impartial and unbiased, but unfortunately they are some of the biggest Apple fanboys around, with almost every week, they Apple loving writers are spewing out Apple psalms like it's the new religion, their Focus magazine and BBC Click programs are more of the same.
I posted about this recently on another thread:
rickatnight11 said:
These arguments fall upon the deaf ears of fanboys. It goes both ways. There are plenty of Android die-hards (myself included) who don't want to hear any arguments against the ecosystem they love.
The only rational arguments come from a usability or ideological standpoint. Here are two examples:
Ideological - I don't believe a manufacturer should have any control over what software I put on or what I do with my device. My device is a tool, which should conform to my needs, not the other way around.
Usability - I only use this device for these three tasks, and since the alternative does not have support/apps for these particular tasks I prefer them to the competition.
If you are rationally choosing your ecosystem, the only logical arguments fall under these two categories. Otherwise you're simply buying into a brand, and thus you can't make any logical arguments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because the mainstream media and the "tech writers" consist of morons. It's hard not to laugh when you're reading this drivel, like the eighteen articles I've read comparing the Kindle Fire to the iPad and hypothesizing whether it will be an iPad Killer. They're not even comparable, they're not even in the same market. I'm just in shock at how any sane rational person can compare a 7-inch tablet to a 10.X inch tablet at completely different price points and with completely different ideas (Fire is sold at a loss, not a profit because its intended to sell Amazon services hard to make up for the $25.00 loss per unit).
So when you see people comparing the Kindle Fire to the iPad and calling RIM's Playbook a failed "iPad killer" (when it hasn't even tried to kill the iPad), you begin to denounce the bull**** they call a story. They like to generate controversy by using buzzwords like "iPad killer". The mainstream media isn't out to do any fair coverage, it's out to throw in buzzwords and junk to generate hype and readership. Can you expect any fair coverage from that kind of machine? Not in the slightest.
rickatnight11 said:
I believe the Transformer gets pushed aside for two reasons:
No affiliation with any wireless network providers (as the Xoom and Tab do with companies like Verizon)
Like it or not, wireless broadband is the way of the future. With the exception of Apple none of the hardware manufacturers have the marketting budget to push their devices. Thus, the tablets that "debut" on Verizon/AT&T/whathaveyou are pushed into public visibility. Mainstream media exists to tell the public what they already know or what they want to hear, and there's great advertising revenue in these devices.
It's actually quite impressive that Transformer has generated as much sales as it has. It's honestly a testament to how massive the "techie" community has gotten, as that's the demographic.
Raw spec comparisons always place the Xoom and Tab ahead of the Transformer
Somehow when any reviewer (Engadget, Gizmodo, etc) compares the devices, the Transformer gets left at the bottom. I'm not really sure why that is, as from a usability standpoint, the Transformer kicks the crap out of all competitors. Generally these reviewers focus on ONE point of interest and hold that as the determining factor. The screen is frequently this pivot point. Apparently the Transformer's screen is VASTLY inferior to that of the Galaxy Tab or Xoom, but I don't see it. I've gone to the Verizon store with my TF and compared them all....they all look the same, and neither of the other two match the capability and usefulness of my tablet.
I'm not particularly stressed. There's a huge community behind this device, meaning there will always be neat things to play with. Since Asus was so profitable with these, they'll continue supporting it and pumping out new iterations (which is proven by the 4-core Kal-El iteration announced almost immediately after the TF shipped.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only take issue with one thing: The Xoom's screen sucks. Otherwise I agree with you for the most part.

CNN investigates Samsung's marketing practices

I'm not the average consumer that most marketing departments target. I'm really into my tech, bordering on obsessive. I research my gadget purchases for months before committing. I keep a constant watch on devices most people seldom ever hear about. One thing that's often puzzled me is HOW Samsung managed such an unusually large lead over every other manufacturer except Apple. I mean aside from the obvious marketing. Another puzzling thing was why it got uptalked so often by the "public" on tech news sites, social media, and store reps. It's not like they're paid to. Right?
I'm not slamming the product. You can't achieve that success on marketing alone, you still have to make a decent product. Key word: decent. This is why I was puzzled. Samsung's competitors make good products too. There's nothing vastly superior about Samsung devices that would be proportionate to their lead in sales and market share, even when you factor in "usual" marketing methods.
CNN appears to have turned over a rock and found something about Samsung's marketing methods underneath. Something Samsung came close to but not quite admitting. What are your thoughts? Do you think these kinds of practices should fall under antitrust laws or do you believe all is fair in retail war?
Here is the first article:
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/04/20/apple-samsung-dirty-tricks/
This is the followup where they comment on the suspicious activities they discovered in the reaction to the original:
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/04/21/apple-samsung-agent-provocateurs/#respond

Elevate Sports Armsleeve

The one and only thing that frustrates me about the Galaxy line is the lack of sports cases/bands that fit well, protect the phone and are comfortable. I've gone through a half dozen since the SGSII and they all sucked. And some were outright highway robbery for what they offered.
This Elevate Sleeve on Kickstarter looks like it has good potential. I'd back it, but the creator will only support bigger devices if he gets more than 25 requests. If anyone also thinks this could be the right sports case, head over and make a request for the SGSIV. There are other "sleeve" type cases, even a couple from Kickstarter, but they are just like the armbands, not real high quality, look cheap and still have that raggedy plastic face.
I was going to buy something similar from nike yesterday, but the last time I checked it out I didn't notice, it was for iphones/ipods.....I was seriously bummed.
Big thanks for posting this and getting my hope up a little bit!!
If I understood correctly, then they consider requests, not how many will actually going to buy this?? Everyone who even likes the idea....start emailing
The price is actually quite good too.....~10€ more expensive than the nike's long sleeves that were 50% off, but the elevate definitely seems alot nicer!!!
Just_s said:
The one and only thing that frustrates me about the Galaxy line is the lack of sports cases/bands that fit well, protect the phone and are comfortable. I've gone through a half dozen since the SGSII and they all sucked. And some were outright highway robbery for what they offered.
This Elevate Sleeve on Kickstarter looks like it has good potential. I'd back it, but the creator will only support bigger devices if he gets more than 25 requests. If anyone also thinks this could be the right sports case, head over and make a request for the SGSIV. There are other "sleeve" type cases, even a couple from Kickstarter, but they are just like the armbands, not real high quality, look cheap and still have that raggedy plastic face.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope he didn't do too much so searching for that idea
http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/forearm-sleeve-sleeve/pid-581614
warnette said:
Hope he didn't do too much so searching for that idea
http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/forearm-sleeve-sleeve/pid-581614
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, as I mentioned above, there are several other sleeve-style cases, but none that don't suck. I'm guessing you haven't used the NIKE version, which doesn't fit an SGSIV with or without a case on it, nor is it comfortable. Also the NIKE sleeve has the same cheap plastic face and the phone sits on the underside of your forearm rather than the top (very uncomfortable position when running IMO.) Sadly, it is still the best of the cases I've tried, too bad it doesn't work with anything but an old iPhone I use as an iPod.
I'd wager that this or even this were as much an inspiration as the NIKE+ sleeve for the Elevate.
If your criteria for buying something is that it be an original idea, your place must be empty. We don't come across may truly original ideas in the world we live in today. I'll happily take an innovation on an existing product in lieu of an original/bleeding edge product if it gets the job done. If we didn't buy better versions of existing products, we wouldn't have iOS nor Android devices, now would we?
That said, the Elevate is an unproven product, not unlike the betas we all like to run here at XDA, so I am not touting it as the end-all-be-all in fitness cases. From the specs and the prototype, it certainly looks like an innovation over the NIKE version. I'm also not asking anyone else to back the product. I'm just hoping that some folks will head over and chime in for the S4 so that if I decide to back it, I will have a case to receive.
warnette said:
Hope he didn't do too much so searching for that idea
http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/forearm-sleeve-sleeve/pid-581614
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly where there problem started, it's for the iphone...a tiny inferior phone.....a lot of useful stuff is produced for iphones/ipods only because they get to link their product with apple's name....but the rest of us have to suffer...
The approach on the materials is nice...shows that more consideration has gone into the product plus a possibility to get it for other phones as well....at least that seemed to be the idea behind this thread....
alliktaavo said:
That's exactly where there problem started, it's for the iphone...a tiny inferior phone.....a lot of useful stuff is produced for iphones/ipods only because they get to link their product with apple's name....but the rest of us have to suffer...
The approach on the materials is nice...shows that more consideration has gone into the product plus a possibility to get it for other phones as well....at least that seemed to be the idea behind this thread....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bingo!
And as of today, they only need 17 more requests to make this for the S4.
(Potential) Backers — Here's a quick update on the request count that we've gotten so far. Looks like S4 is our most popular so far. Not surprised. Just 17 more requests and we're adding it to the production list.
I put in my request yesterday! Hopefully we get enough for our S4's to be accommodated because this sleeve looks amazing! :good:
I've asked the maker to consider a semi universal sleeve for larger (not the largest, sorry Note folks) phones as this range is relatively similar in size.
Visual Comparison and SIze Specs
Found this kickstarter the other day and backed it. Seems to have a lot of potential if it'll fit the bigger phones (S3/S4)

More profound display-reviews of cellphones

Im looking for mobilesites that have cellhpone reviews with more profound look on the display, that have use equipment in order to
get figures on greyscale, colour, blackness, light...
So far I have found two sites with that kind of review:
Anandtech
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8613/the-samsung-galaxy-note-4-review/4
Phonearena
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-4-Review_id3812
If anybody know if there is more site with this kind of review I would be realy glad to know about them.

Spigen Slim-Armor for HTC One M9: Why we love HTC - Sprint Product Ambassadors

Who remembers what the HTC One line of devices "used" to be called?
I shouldn't really say that... What I SHOULD ask is: What was HTC's original Android flagship device?
That's right... it was the EVO. And what was one of the coolest features of the EVO?
The kickstand!
There were variations of the kickstand - spring-loaded, reversible, even completely removed from one version of the Evo, and that sure did cause a stir! "I can't sit my phone up and watch -<insert-your-favorite-work-day-sporting-event-here> anymore!" was what I heard A LOT.
I feel like the Spigen gives you the best of both form and function with their Slim Armor offer. I have dropped my phone on multiple occasions, and whether it has been on the face of the device, or if it's been on a corner, or the back, the case has handled the impact to perfection. ZERO screen cracks or scratches, ZERO chipped corners or scuffed back of the device, and still a reasonably slick appearance. It's not as slim as some of the other Slim Armor style cases, but I feel like it's a bit more resistant to impact.
And of course... the kickstand! I'll be honest - it doesn't feel like the sturdiest of kickstands, but it certainly does the trick in terms of holding the device up and letting me run with a hands-free 2nd screen next to my laptop to watch the UEFA Champions League Semifinal... I mean... ummm... CNBC stock prices? (go Barca!)
Check out this product - I really do like their cases, and have nothing but positive feedback for the durability of the Slim-Armor I'm using right now!
D
Disclaimer: The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PAs do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee.

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