When the rumors started about the iPad, I dreamed up these fantastical visions of this device that would bridge the gap between the phone and the laptop. I was willing to pay up to $1000.00 for a device like this, simply because of the features I was hoping it would have on it. Come Apple Fan Boy wet your self announcement day, I was thoroughly disappointed that it was a giant iPod touch. Of all the things they could’ve done, they fucked it up. Lacked a front facing camera, OLED, 16:9 display, among other things.

Here’s why I’ll be holding off.

The thought of having this really gets down to my inner nerd. I want it, I need it, I must punch someone for this. But I’m going to hold back. Most people always say stay away from anything Apple that is first gen. Let the others take the bleeding edge hit, and I agree. I waited past the initial iPhone announcement and went with the 3G a year later and although it’s still lacking in some departments, it was a far better decision waiting a year for it. First off, I didn’t have to pay the $600 for a phone and the app store came out right before I bought mine.

So what I’m hoping for is by holding out on this device until the 2nd or 3rd iteration, Apple will have worked out the bugs and maybe redesigned it at least once before I spend my hard earned money on this. Yeah I’ll be jealous of all those early adopters, but in the end, I know I’ve made the right decision.

The craziest part is that Apple originally went to Verizon peddling their wares and the big V turned them down. So they went to the next biggest carrier. That’s perfectly legit in a free market and what’s also legit is locking in to an exclusive contract limiting the sales of the DEVICE to ATT and only ATT. Now, to get geek on you, ATT and Verizon both operate on different networks. ATT operates on the GSM network (which T-Mobile does, and an unlocked iPhone can work there) while Verizon works on the CDMA network. Apple would have to manufacture two sets of phones, possibly a third to work with Sprint’s aging TDMA (last I remember) network.

What Apple did was lock into a contract with ATT to have the phone on their network, while also maintaining FULL control over the device. This contract states both items need to be met in order for the contract to be fulfilled. What’s full control? On most networks the carrier dictates what is included on the phone, usually known as bloat, and this slows the phone down. What Apple wanted was the ability to control what was put on their hardware, perfectly legal. I don’t know why people are up in arms about ATT and Apple laying in bed together because it would have been the same story on Verizon.

I feel the ATT and Apple relationship has STRENGTHENED the wireless market in a time where there are so few choices. The advent of the iPhone made carriers and device manufacturers think more about the end user instead of their bottom line. The iPhone was designed to fill a gap left by years of ignoring what consumers wanted. Without this partnership, we wouldn’t have competing phones such as the Android based devices or the Palm Pre. The wireless game hasn’t changed. If you want to get the cool new phone, you’ll have to switch carriers. It’s been this way for years and the only thing stopping you is an Early Termination Fee (ETF) which is simply to recoup the costs of a discount on a phone at the beginning of your contract.

I’m glad to see that more than likely there will be no Antitrust action taken again ATT for their exclusive contract with Apple. I feel people who wish for such things are fools. Because you don’t have an iPhone doesn’t mean you level of cell phone coverage and or “coolness” factor with your current phone are diminished. I believe this is more about jealousy than anything else. Arguing this is like fighting for Net Neutrality is simply grasping at straws to find something to relate to this case. In the end the iPhone has helped develop more than if it hadn’t been released at all.

It really got me thinking, you know who I would love to listen to a podcast by? Henry FUCKING Rollins. His spoken word is always great and Live at Luna was such a great spoken word album, it’s made me laugh so hard, even on multiple listens through. Really as long as he sticks to non-political based themes, I’m all for listening. Celebs and politics… I’ll save that for another post.

I’ve also been in talks with Daniel about starting up a Podcast, about what? Who knows. Just four guys and a Mic. You might hear something here in the next month. Stay tuned!

But there’s more! I actually do enjoy OS X a lot. I get to play with it at work and it’s just amazing sometimes. I do admit, I hate Finder and browsing directory trees, and mapping Windows drives statically and Apple’s fucking WWAN update that breaks Cisco VPN. This next point is very SAD. I love the way certain apps look in OS X, I wish shit would look that cool in Windows. AdiumX is so fucking sexy and I want it dammit. It’s GAIM skinned for OS X, bitch needs to release that shit PRONTO. Oh, and Icons, how sexy are they? But anyway, Apple, lower prices, you’ll be amazed at how many people would switch in a heartbeat or at least allow more customizable options, cause what’s out there just sucks. And please, through in a free iPod for me, I’m broke.

And just now, my forums are busted to no end with the Super Quick Replies and I took like 2 minutes earlier this week to fix it and didn’t and just ignored it because no one complained about it, someone did and I just spent 10 minutes researching and fixing it with 1 line of code.

I had nothing else bothering me, just Amaran in the background and PHP code in front of me. I wish I was like this all the time, I’d actually get something accomplished.

* I don’t know if these are right, I don’t feel like looking it up again now.

Now, Day of Defeat isn’t exactly kid friendly, so in all honesty, you shouldn’t be letting your little ones play a violent game based on World War II events. Why the no swear rule? Fuck, we’re human, it’s a game about violence, yet swearing is bad? WHAT? This rule never made sense to me. No on under 16 should be playing the game, and if they are, they should be able to stand a few f-bombs here and there when someone gets fucked up in the game. If they can’t, the rule should state, “Swearing is allowed, if you don’t like it, disconnect.” Plain and simple.

Porn sprays… BECAUSE WE CAN! I think we should encourage this more than frown upon it. We humans are sexual by nature, what is better than violence, guns, swearing and dead Nazi’s? Boobs! That’s right, tits. There should be a rule encouraging porn sprays, to rally the troops in and destroy the Nazi’s to keep America free and strong!

Yeah, dumb rant. But I still love Day of Defeat: Source.

I stuck with Sprint for many years, since 2000/2001 I believe and have had numerous friends switch and stay for long periods of time. It’s just now that I’ve finally decided to jump ship. I know my friends with Sprint will hate me, but there comes a time for everyone to switch, and possibly switch back to the same company they had before. Cingular used to be Bellsouth, and I had them first when I had my very first cell plan all to myself. I switched because at the time they really sucked and Sprint seemed pretty good.

Hello sexy Treo 680!