I Believe!
Have you seen this article? True believers: The biggest cults in tech. IT and technology folks are very partial to thier toys. We latch onto computers, programming languages, operating systems, and are adamant about thier superiority. Reading this article brought back many memories of my various IT objects of worship.
I owned both a Commodore VIC-20 and C-64, worked in a computer store selling C-64s, C-128s, and Amigas. I lusted after the PET and the Amiga. And I made my first consulting fee writing software for the C-64. Even then I was starting my path in the cult of Pascal. First there was VAX-11 Pascal, then Kyan Pascal, MS QuickPascal, Turbo Pascal, and finally I entered the temple of Delphi. I’ve owned 5 different Palm handhelds. And, I just bought a new Ruby IDE (Ruby Mine) to go with that addiction. I also belong to the Linux, Mac, and Android cults.
Outside of IT, I’ve owned pretty much nothing but Canon cameras since my FTb-QL in 1977.
I think it is similar to the car guy who will own nothing but a Chevy or Ford. We all want to be right, and we hang out with those who agree.
So, what cults do you belong to?
Android Apps I Still Use
Back in December I reviewed my favorite applications for the G1 and Android. I thought it was time to revisit the subject. I’ve added a few new apps that I use frequently, and I’ve replaced several apps.
- Greed – I am a GReader addict, and this app just feeds my dependency. It’s the only app I’ve paid for. It’s worth your $5 if you use GReader.
- Locale – This does a great job of putting the location based capabilities of Android to good use.
- Weather Channel – Still one of my most used apps.
- PktAuctions eBay – This is a really nice eBay app. It is easy to use, and it works great.
- Ring Control – This was the first app I installed. I am biased, a good friend of mine wrote it. The paid version adds new functionality, i’ve stuck with the free version.
- OI Safe – This app is an upgraded replacement for Password Safe. Still works well. My old favorite eWallet is now available for Android, but not at the magic price of free.
- Google Finance – This has replaced Quote Pro.
- K-9 – This has gotten better since my last review. It alerts properly, even when the phone is locked.
- ConnectBot – On the rare occasions that I need to SSH into a server, and my laptop is miles away, this one works.
- Handstand – I don’t use this as often as Greed, but it’s still a nice app.
- ShopSavvy – Still cool. I used it today at the local Microcenter, saved myself $30.
Linux Loses My Desktop
Okay, I give up.
As i’ve written before, I’ve run Linux (SUSE) on my personal desktop and home servers for several years prior to moving to the Mac. I still run Linux for my home server. The only Windows computer I have running at home is my kid’s computer. They have games that won’t run elsewhere.
I installed Ubuntu 8.10 on my office desktop in a dual boot configuration. It handled my dual monitors, quad core CPU, 4Gb of RAM without a hitch. But what it couldn’t handle was working in my office. Now, I had no problem administering our dozen or so Linux servers, reading/writing Word, Excel, Powerpoint documents. I had no problems dealing with our various Java applications, or accessing data on our office network. But, two things have made a permanent conversion difficult, at best. Number one is Exchange/Outlook. I wrote about this earlier. Interacting with Exchange via Linux is painful if you use Exchange calendaring, contacts, or anything other than mail. There is no good way to interact with Exchange calendaring in Linux. Number two is somewhat surprising. As part of a server upgrade project we have adopted Citrix XenServer to handle server virtualization. This is based on the Linux-based Xen project. You would expect it to be very cross platform. You would be wrong. The management tools are Windows only. So, it uses a Windows only management console to manage Linux based hypervisors with Linux guest virtual machines.
Interestingly, both of these observations have been commented on in the last few days:
Where are the Enterprise Management Tools for Linux on the Desktop? by David Lane
What would you exchange Exchange for? by Doc Searls
So, I’m not alone.
I think as desktop virtualization matures, it will be easier to run the desktop of your choice. I use VMWare Fusion on my Mac to run Linux, Windows, and even Haiku. The downside for Linux is there will be less of an incentive to develop the replacements for Outlook and the enterprise management tools. There will also be fewer requests for those applications from corporate users. Why wait for the open source equivalent when I can run the Windows version in a virtual machine.
In the meantime, it’s back to XP. I’ve got work to do.
Exchange is the Key to the Enterprise
As an IT manager, I have to make various decisions that affect the operation of my employer. One decision I was able to make was what OS I would run on my desktop. We run a number of Linux servers, most of our desktops (except for the graphic artist’s Mac) are running Windows XP. Personally, I have a MacBook Pro, and I run various Linux distributions via VMWare Fusion. The workstation I inherited is quite nice, 4GB RAM, 250GB RAID 1 15K SAS, Quad core 2.4Ghz processor, dual LCD monitors. Way too much PC for a manager. We, like many (most?) enterprises rely on Microsoft Exchange and Outlook for our email and calendaring.
I am not a fan of Windows. For the last several years, the only time I used Windows was at work. Until now, I didn’t have the authority to choose otherwise. I decided about a month ago to switch my OS to Linux. Of course that means choosing a distribution. I used SUSE for several years, and was happy with it. So, I decided to load openSUSE 11.0 on my desktop. It was a painless install. openSUSE was considerate enough to make room for itself and leave room for Windows and set up dual boot. Very nice.
Time to boot up. Ok, I have two identical desktops running mirrored on both monitors. I find the desktop/monitor settings and set it accordingly. And it doesn’t work. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get openSUSE to correctly span my desktop across both monitors. It insisted on mirroring on both. That sucks. I got tired of screwing with openSUSE, and fired up the Ubuntu 8.10 install. I did have to intervene so it used the existing partition setup, but that was not a big deal. The install proceeded normally. I booted up and was met with a desktop that correctly spanned both monitors without intervention from me. Perfect. Ubuntu wins.
I have used OpenOffice (and NeoOffice) for several years. I have never had a situation where it couldn’t do what I needed, and interoperate with MS Office. But, I need to interoperate with Exchange. So, I installed Evolution and set it up to work with our Exchange hosting provider.
Evolution seemed like a good solution. It has many of Outlooks features, it sets up quickly. But, it stinks. It’s slow syncing mail. It would frequently freeze when trying switch to the calendar while mail was syncing. And the calendaring synchronization is terrible. It’s slow, it’s unreliable, and it only works with Outlook Web Access.
So, I loaded Thunderbird for email (using IMAP) and I update my calendar by hand.
Every year for the past 6 or 7 has been declared the year of the Linux desktop. The year it takes over the office. It’s not going to happen. Not until the Linux community recognizes and addresses the real obstacles to widespread adoption, MS Office and Exchange. OpenOffice addresses the main components of MS Offices (except Access, but there are substitutes for it). And OO works well. But, Exchange is entrenched in most enterprises, and it won’t be dislodged easily. Sure, there are alternatives for Exchange, IMAP/POP3 servers, iCal servers, etc. There is NO good way to inter-operate with an existing Exchange environment. And without one, Linux cannot make significant inroads in existing enterprises.
In the meantime, I am loading Windows XP as a VirtualBox VM so I can run Outlook.
My Favorite Android Market Apps
I’ve downloaded and installed numerous Android apps on my T-Mobile G1 since it arrived. There are several that I use several times daily, some that I use once a day or so, and a few that I don’t use much, but I like having them available. Here are my favorites with a short review:
- Ring Control – This was the first app I installed. I am biased, a good friend of mine wrote it. It’s still one of the most useful Android Market apps.
- Weather Channel – My current cable TV provider (AT&T UVerse) doesn’t supply the localized “Local on the 8′s” information from the Weather Channel. But, now I can just whip out the G1 and get more information without waiting 10 minutes. Very nice, my favorite app.
- PAC-MAN by Namco – I was in high school when Asteroids arrived. I watched the rise and fall of the arcade era. This app is a faithful port of a classic, and it works well with the track ball.
- Password Safe – It’s not as nice as eWallet on my Windows Mobile for Smartphone T-Mobile Dash. It works well, it’s secure, and it’s infinitely cheaper(free) than eWallet.
- Quote Pro – Nice details, that are easy to get to.
- Sky Map – Very cool use of the platform. It needs a setting to damp the movement, it can get jittery and not respond.
- K-9 – An improvement over the default email app. Still not perfect, but better. We need an IMAP client that can set notifications when the screen is locked!
- ConnectBot – On the rare occasions that I need to SSH into a server, and my laptop is miles away, this one works.
Ok, those are the ones I use regularly. This next list is those apps that are too new to have made the first string, or I just like having them around.
- Handstand – Another app from my friend. I only installed it a couple of days ago. But, I have been using it more each day. This one will probably make the first string. It’s a good source of quick news.
- handyCalc – I will always need to be able to do conversions and more advanced math functions. This one does it.
- Life – What programmer hasn’t written at least one implementation of Life? My first one ran as a batch job with each iteration printed out on greenbar. This one is better.
- Hold’em – I am a bad poker player, but I still like to play a quick hand or two online or against the computer, or phone.
- ShopSavvy – Cool app. I have used it some, but not a lot.
Wow, that’s not even all of the apps. I guess there is a third list, apps I downloaded but have never used, but plan to someday.
One Week With A G1
It’s been one week since my new T-Mobile G1 Android smartphone arrived via the man in the brown suit. I had to order it online, because T-Mobile has not rolled out their 3G network in the Kansas City area yet. The roll-out has been delayed to January. As a result, the local T-Mobile stores are not selling the G1 yet, and the local WalMarts have recalled their stock until the roll-out. I didn’t want to wait, so I ordered online.
So, this ‘review’ is based on T-Mobile’s EDGE network connectivity, not 3G.
It took several hours to get the phone activated. I went online and switched my phone and activated a G1 data plan. It told me it had added the plan and removed my previous non-G1 data plan. Perfect. Except that it didn’t remove the old data plan. I had switched my SIM card from my old phone to the new one, but no joy trying to activate. I waited a while, tried again, nothing. Finally, I called customer service. Well, I called after I switched the SIM card back to my old phone so I could use it. My wife and I have gone wireless, and canceled our land line, so a working cell phone is the only ‘home’ phone we have right now. I called, got a place on the call back queue and waited for the call back. The agent fixed the data plan issue and told me everything was set up, and that I should be able to activate it shortly. I checked online, and couldn’t access my T-Mobile account info for an hour or so. When it was available, I was able to swap SIM cards, again, and activate the phone.
I tried out all of the basic functionality, checked my email, surfed the web, etc. All of my Google stuff was sync’d fine. I then hit the ‘Android Market’ to download some apps. The first I download was ‘Ringer Control’, and app written by my friend Kelly. It either turns off the ringer, or sets it to vibrate when the phone is face down on a table, or upside down in a pocket. I also downloaded an SSH client, and proceeded to log into a work server to check on it’s status. There is a good selection of apps and games, a few really nice apps, and all free (for now). The download/install process is pretty painless, and Android tells you what services and information the app will have access to before you start the download.
Overall, I give Android a B+. It is fast, stable, and the UI is pretty decent. I give Microsoft Windows for Smartphones a D, at best. So, this is a big improvement. I haven’t had to reboot the phone to fix any weird problems, or reclaim leaked memory. It’s not as stylish as the iPhone UI, but it works.
Google integration rates a B-, maybe a C+. I can’t send an email to one of my GMail groups. When I hit the search key while in the TO: field of the gmail client, it does a search of all of my emails, instead of putting me in my contact list. Pocket Outlook got this one right. This knocks it down a level on the ‘Just works’ list. There is no easy way to send an email to multiple recipients, other than start typing addresses and select as it searches.It won’t search by name, unless it’s part of the email address. That sucks. I’m thinking C+.
Speaking of email, and such. Why do I need 3 different clients for gmail, other email, and text messaging? And why does the IMAP/POP client utterly fail to send notifications of new email when the screen is locked? The Gmail client and messaging client can do it. Messaging, overall, is a C-.
I was able to set up the IMAP client to pick up my work email. Actual Exchange integration would be nice. Even if it isn’t ‘push’ email. But the least you can do is actually set an alert or notification when I get new mail. Even when the screen is locked. It’s been done.
The hardware is decent, the form factor works better for me than my Dash. The screen is nice, clear, bright, and the touchscreen works pretty well, even with a protective cover. Only time will tell if the moving parts hold up. Battery life is OK, no worse than my Dash. The keyboard is fine. I like the layout, other than the period key which is not where I’m used to it. But, it works. The keys are flatter than on my Dash, but spread out more. I haven’t typed enough to get used to the new keyboard, I think I will like it.
At this point, I will still give the phone a B. But, there is work to be done…
I Wanted an iPhone, But I Got a G1
Well, I haven’t got the G1 yet. I ordered it, but it hasn’t arrived. The local T-Mobile store and Walmart don’t have the G1 to sell yet. T-Mobile hasn’t rolled out their 3G network in Kansas City yet.
I’ve been carrying a T-Mobile Dash smartphone for two years. It has been functional, but that’s about it. The hardware is decent enough, but the OS is atrocious. It has all of the worst of the desktop version crammed into a handheld. I still find it difficult to believe that I have to reboot my phone periodically (every few days) to reclaim the memory lost to memory leaks. It wouldn’t be so bad, except to get it to reboot in one try I have to remove the microSD card until it is up and running. Apparently, the 6.0 version of Windows Mobile for Smartphones has a buggy DLL that handles memory cards. So, the phone will go into a reboot loop until the memory card is removed. Nice. Enough about the past.
So, why a G1 and not an iPhone? As an Apple user (a Macbook Pro, and a Mac Mini), I am naturally drawn to the iPhone. It looks nice, the UI is nice, and it just works. But, I didn’t want to change carriers. I’ve been a T-Mobile customer for a long time and the service has been good and the prices are better than the competition. Also, one of the things like I liked about the Dash is the real qwerty keyboard. I just don’t like the touch screen keyboard on the iPhone. It’s too slow to use, and error prone. I guess the last downside of the iPhone for me is that it is an appliance. It’s a closed ecosystem. You must use it as it was intended. Sure, you can jail break it and load apps on it. But, it’s a running battle with Apple over control of your phone.
The G1 and it’s OS, Android, are a wide open frontier. At least compared to the iPhone. And, it has a real keyboard. I’m not crazy about sliders, but it’s an acceptable compromise. I’ve already downloaded the SDK and wrote the ‘Hello, World‘ for Android. It may rekindle my desire to write Java code again. I played around with J2ME in the past, but the phones were too limited and the development environment too compromised to be interesting to me. The G1 is neither.
My friend Kelly has been writing apps for his G1 for a month or two. So, I will have a local support group (of one) to fall back on when I get stuck. I can let him blaze the trail and clear out the brush ahead of me.
It’s all up to the UPS man now.
Civic Duty
Poll line
The polls opened at 6:00AM, I was there by 6:05AM. Here is a picture from the back of the line (actually, there are about 10 folks behind me at this point). There about 25 people ahead of me, plus the 4 that are currently voting. It took 45 minutes from arrival to departure. I had already read the ballot and knew how I was voting, so the actual act of casting my ballot took about 1.5 minutes.
Have you voted yet?
Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.
By now you’ve seen the new Microsoft commercial. Let’s get it out of the way right now: WTF?
Ok, the Apple Mac v. PC commercials are starting to get a little old. Yes, they are a little smug. Alright, a lot smug. But, come on, this is the best that Microsoft can do with $10 million? And Seinfeld? I find myself being more than a little embarrassed for Bill, and Jerry.
Better luck next time.
