I just posted the beginnings of my Android Survival Guide for iPhone Users and figured I should go ahead and take a moment to give some impressions about the Samsung Captivate I just picked up. If there’s anything true about small form factor computing these days, it’s that smartphones are all the rage, and this US version of the Samsung Galaxy S is certainly getting a lot of press right now. But is it really as awesome as everyone would have you believe?
Let’s get this out of the way: the iPad is more than just a big iPod Touch, and I’m going to write my entire review on it. Yes, I’m one of those who thinks that the iPad may just be some sort of new device that defies current definitions of what a computer could or should be. Is it perfect? Of course not. But it is pretty damn cool, and I think you’ll see, it’s potentially the perfect fit for you.
So I installed the Wordpress app on my iPad and here I am, just typing away on the iPad to give some first impressions on what has been called the Jesus Pad. Is it anywhere near as cool as the rabid Apple fanboys would have you believe? Is it really a “magical and revolutionary” device as Steve Jobs would have you believe? Based on my first 30 minutes with it, I’m going to have to say if it isn’t, it’s pretty damn close.
As you well know by now, I’m a fan of a variety of things: netbooks, SFF, iPhone, generally anything small and cool that’s a computer. However, being a site dedicated to all things small computing (see?), I sometimes find myself asking where the line is. To be more precise, at what size is a device no longer “small” and more “normal” in size? Is the 13″ MacBook Pro “normal” because it’s out of the typical netbook size? I don’t know and I don’t care, so here’s my review.
Update: thanks to an astute reader who pointed out I never got around to posting pictures, I posted pictures. Enjoy.
The netbook scene has become something of an Asus show since they brought out the Eee PC 1000HE, and for good reason. In my review of the Asus Eee PC 1000HE, I talked about the positives and the very few negatives, which were pretty much limited to the negatives all netbooks have (surprise: Samsung’s touchpad sucks!), but honestly, it was most positives, and for good reason. Asus really outdid themselves with the 1000HE. Sure, it’s not the prettiest netbook out there, but it’s massively functional. How does the Samsung N120 netbook shape up? Read on to find out.
I take a different approach to doing reviews and prefer to look at real-world use, so let’s look at the Asus Eee PC 1000HE netbook with that idea in mind. Aside from actual user impressions, I’m going to include what it’s like to use this netbook with Windows 7, OS X, and possibly linux (but I don’t promise). I’m not going to bother with running all of the benchmarks and getting the numbers, however, so if that’s what you’re looking for, please read any of the other excellent reviews that are out there. (Here’s a spoiler: it performs as well as 95% the netbooks out there.) However, if you’re looking to find out what it’s like to actually use and work on, keep reading.
So I’ve already done a preview and unboxing of this little netbook, but it’s time to get a little more in-depth with things now that I’ve had a chance to spend some time with it. For those who want the the general consensus and don’t want to wait until the end, here it is: it’s good! For the rest, I’ve spent the last week and a half using and evaluating the One and have some observations and numbers to share.