Basics

The first thing you'll notice about the TV is the design. Because the TV is LED edge-lit, it does not require lighting behind the screen. This allows them to design the TV to be extremely thin and relatively lightweight. The TV itself is about 1" thick so it does not weigh much. I have an entertainment stand that says it can only handle a 46" screen, but because my TV is so light it handles it without a problem. It is light enough that I can pick it up by myself without any help. One drawback to being so thin is that there is a lack of full-sized connectors and requires adapters to connect up common devices. That being said, it does have all of the connectors that I need for a TV.

Features

The TV comes with a normal Samsung interface with all of the normal options, but I believe they are trying too hard to push the envelope. There are some features that sound good in theory, but in practice it doesn't work so well. First is the TV is connected to the internet. This may sound good, but it is just another device to keep online and updated. Not only that, but there is a potential that someone can hack into your TV. Crazy, huh? It is essentially a stripped down computer. Computers are vulnerable to hacking. A second feature that sounds good is the App store. The TV has the capability to have apps installed on it. In theory it sounds good, but in proactice, you have to exit the TV mode so you can access the Apps. While the remote control is excellent, it isn't ideal for what is being asked of it with all of these apps. I tried a few and I was less than impressed.

Quality

The best part of the TV is the quality of the screen. Because 3D is very demanding on a screen, the specs of the screen are excellent. The screen is bright, crisp, and responsive. Many people believe (including me) the best 2D TV is a 3D TV. Another feature of this TV is it has a 240 Hz refresh rate. Basically what it does is takes the video feed and upconverts it to 240 frames per second. An HD feed may contain up to 60 frames per second so what the TV does is it looks at the current frame and the next frame and adds 3 more frames by filling in what it thinks the frames should look like. The problem I have with it is that it is not how the content was created nor intended to be viewed. Some people say it creates a fake-looking video stream, and I agree. Some people call it the "soap opera effect" while I refer to it as a "hyper realistic effect." It just seems fake and I do not like it. I turn it off so I am watching the content as it was created. Movies look ugly when you do this because they are filmed at 24 frames per second so it ends up adding 9 additional frames and makes everything look too realistic.

3D

Now for the most anticipated part. In order to take advantage of the 3D portion, there are a few other requirements to take care of first. The first requirement is that you need the active 3D glasses produced by the TV's manufacturer. In my case, I had to purchase a 3D starter kit for about $350 for 2 pairs of battery-powered glasses and it also included Monsters vs Aliens in 3D. If I want to have more than 1 ither person over, I would have to purchase more glasses at $150 each. I wear glasses and do not have problems fitting the 3D glasses over top. When using the glasses, I have to close the blinds because if I look outside, the glasses flicker and it gets annoying. As for 3D content, there is very little available at this time. I have Dish Network and they do not currently have any 3D channels. So this limits me to my 3D Blu-Ray player for 3D content. This is yet another requirement; in order to watch 3D Blu-Ray movies you need a 3D-compatible player. Previous-gen blu-ray players do not support 3D so you have to check for the compatibility. Watching a 3D blu-ray movie is pretty good, but at this point I believe it is a gimmick. Until 3D becomes a common standard it is just an expensive toy that won't get much usage. I only have 1 3D movie and I haven't watched it since I watched it the first time. My glasses have just sat around collecting dust. Now there is a feature of the TV that allows for 2D-to-3D conversion that is not too bad, but it is definately not as good as true 3D content. True 3D content allows objects to appear as if they are popping out of the screen and also allows depth behind the screen. 2D-converted content only allows for the depth and it is generated by the TV.

Conclusion

Overall the TV is great, but the lack of 3D content turns many people off it. I believe the focus should be on what is called 4K instead of 3D. 4K is 4 times the resolution of the current HD standard of 1080p. 3D does sound like a good idea, but the lack of content and the requirement to wear expensive glasses turns many people off. Once we drop the requirement for glasses and the alternative of sitting in a specific location, then I will be completely satisfied. This is still way, way down the line. I would guess at least no less than 5-10 years down the line. As of now, I am happy with my purchase but I could have saved money by just going with a 2D TV instead. I would like to see much more content so I can say I got my money's worth out of it.

Design

The design of the MacBook Pros are excellent. Looks of it could not be better. Feel of it could not be better. The trackpad did take some time to get used to, but now I can't go back to any other laptop. The size of it makes it so easy to use and find what I'm looking for. The feel of it is a bit strange because it is glass. It also needs cleaning once in a while to keep it working properly, but glass is like that. Multitouch is great and does almost everything I can think of. The keyboard has flat keys that are backlit when light is low and shuts off when there is plenty of light. The iSight camera is good for a laptop, but does not beat a desktop camera. This is because the housing of the screen is extremely thin so you can't fit too much stuff in the thin bezel. One thing people will notice is the lack of a removable battery, but I think that Apple got it right. Because you cannot remove the battery, you do not have to deal with the housing that batteries come in. These take up space. Because you do not have to deal with a housing, you can make a larger battery. Instead of maybe 3-4 hours of battery life, you now have 7. In my experience, I routinely get around 6, but I turn off most of the power-saving features. A quote attributed to the founder of the Lotus car company comes to mind when I think about Apple products: "Simplify, then add lightness."

Features

As perviously mentioned, I custom ordered mine. Mine came with 4GB of RAM, a faster processor, and a Solid State Drive (SSD). Of all of the upgrades, the SSD made the biggest difference. I knew about the performance enhancements because I also upgraded an old Dell desktop to one and it dropped the bootup time from 1 minute 30 seconds down to just 30 seconds. True I sacrificed space for speed, but it is well worth it if you can afford it. I believe my drive is less that half as big as the standard MacBook drive, but it cost about $200 more at the time. To me it is the biggest benefit for the cost.

Operating System

The MacBook came preinstalled with Snow Leopard and it took some getting used to for me. I've always been a Windows user but I started to get fed up with it. Once I got used to it, I find it much easier to use as a regular user. As a power user, it is not as good as Windows because there are many things that are either hidden or they do not allow you access to them. Installing software was probably the biggest change to get accustomed to. Sometimes there is an installation package, but sometimes you just drag and drop the program into the Applications folder. I find myself less concerned with the file system and where files are located.

Impressions

My impressions of the computer have been good overall. I had an issue with what I thought was the wireless card so I took it to an Apple store. They had the part in the store and had it back to me in less than 12 hours, no questions asked. That is something you do not see with other companies. I've also had some other questions, which the Apple employees were glad to answer. As for the computer, it is probably one of my best investments. Some people complain about the "Apple Tax" as mentioned in a previous post, but I believe it will well worth it. I don't mind it in exchange for the good design, performance, and support I've seen.

4G Specifications

The ITU established the IMT-Advanced specification, commonly called 4G, in 2008. This standard is pretty strict as to what is required to be called 4G. For example, for a user moving at high speeds (such as a car), the minimum download speed needs to be no less than 100 Mbit/s. A user moving at low speeds should be no less than 1 Gbit/s download speed. Compare that to the current claimed 4G networks and none of them meet even the minimum.

Sprint's 4G network delivers a maximum of "more than 10 Mbit/s." Verizon claims their 4G network is up to 12 Mbit/s. T-Mobile claims up to 21 Mbit/s on their 4G network.

The Lie

All of these cell providers are lying when they say their network is 4G. How is it they can get away with lying to everyone? I honestly do not know. Some may try to say they do it because other companies are doing it. Does that make it right to lie to your customers and potential customers? Absolutely not. Someone should sue these companies for false advertising. Not for money, just for them to stop using the term 4G until they actually have a 4G network. There are 2 proposed 4G networks in the works that are currently get their 4G certification, but we will not see it for many years. LTE-Advanced and WiMAX2 are currently being planned and these would meet the requirements for 4G.

The 3G Experience

PCWorld did some testing in 2009 to evaluate the current 3G networks and I am disappointd with the performance results. Sprint has a peak speed of 3.1 Mbit/s on their network, but the average connection speed was .8 Mbit/s. The other cell providers didn't fare much better. So at this point in time, you can expect an average of 1/3 of the peak speeds offered. Yes, there are many variables that can impact your experience such as your distance to the tower, number of people on the same tower, and the amount of activity on that tower.

The Future

Some of the CEOs of these companies expect people to embrace cell phones as the future and get rid of their landlines. Honestly, I see this as completely out of the question. While these technological advances are good, these claims and expectations are not going to happen in the near future. Here are the reasons why. First, the connection speeds and reliability are not too good as it is, and if more people switch to cell phone networks only the reliability will drop even more. Second, the speeds will suffer just as much. If we can only get 1/3 of the peak speeds as of right now, how much will it deteriorate if it gets saturated? Third, there are already download caps imposed by the cell phone providers. If I were to use the cell network as much as I use my at home broadband, my monthly bill would easily be over $1,000/month. I use Netflix streaming and watch other streaming video so this will easily push it up that high and the video quality will suffer because of the slow connection. Unless there are major changes, this will never work for me and I consider myself an average user.

Apple

Apple is really a hardware manufacturer that happens to make an operating system. Apple produces a number of different hardware product lines. Off the top of my head, I count about 8 different lines plus the variations on them. I count: iMac, MacBook/MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, AppleTV, iPod, iPhone, iPad, Airport/Airport Extreme, Time Capsule. And those are just what I can think of. These are all different hardware devices. They also use their own home-grown operating system called OS X (or OS Ten), or the iOS.

Microsoft

Microsoft, in contrast to Apple, is a software manfacturer. If you do not believe me, count the number of hardware products Microsoft produces. I count 1, which is the Xbox. Compare that with the 8 that Apple produces. The major difference is that Microsoft has a lot of hardware supporters behind them. Windows (the software operating system) makes up approximately 90% of the computers people own. The number of computers Microsoft designs and produces: 0. Microsoft is not a hardware manufacturer. The largest computer manufacturers in the world use the Windows operating system, but none are Microsoft. Microsoft allows the hardware manufacturers to modify Windows by adding their own software to the OS. This pisses me off because they tend to add software from partners so they can make money. Often, the additional software slows the OS down and may be impossible to remove.

Apple, on the other hand, does not license hardware providers to develope their own computers, so the OS X you get is the exact same as Apple designed.

Cost

Apple does put more effort into the look, feel, and design than any other company. Microsoft doesn't because they are not a hardware producer. Apple has to get CEO Steve Job's approval before a product goes to the market. Steve believes form is just as important as function. The MacBook Pros are machined out of a single piece of aluminum because it looks good and functions well. Because of this, there is what many refer to as the "Apple Tax." If you compare the cost of an Apple laptop vs a laptop running Windows, the Apple is about 50% more. The same is true for desktops. I attribute this to many factors including support, design, retail presence. Apple provides support over the phone or in an Apple Store. Microsoft doesn't provide much support because the harware manufactures (Dell, HP, etc) are responsible. In my 20+ years experience, I have found Apple's support much more responsive and easy to use than any Microsoft hardware company. I have owned IBM computer, Dell computers, HP computers, Acer computers, and Apple computers. By far the best has been Apple.

Conclusion

If you have the funding available, I would definately recommend Apple products. If cost is an issue, especially with our current economy, I recomment either an HP or a Dell with Windows. My recommendation is to use an Apple Mac product at home and a Microsoft Windows product at work.

Footprint

The first thing you'll notice if you've ever seen, used, or own the previous generation is the size. At approximately 4"x4" it is about a quarter of the size of the original. This is great because the pervious generation. There are a few reasons for this which I will get into. Another visual/functional benefit it the remote control. Instead of the cheap white plastic of the original, it contains the aluminum remote that Apple offers as a premium to other products. If you've never owned an AppleTV, these are some of the first things you will notice. Another thing you will notice is the lact of cables. The only cable included in the box is the power cable. Overall, the size of it is a great improvement because it can fit into much smaller places.

Interface

The interface looks exactly the same as the pervious version, but uses the iOS used on the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. Now the iOS has the capability to install other apps from the iTunes App Store, but for some reason they haven't deployed this feature yet. Hopefully in the near future they will enable this and allow us to install them. My theory is that the interface is not completely developed yet; the other devices are touch-driven while the AppleTV is remote-driven which will require a different type of interaction. Those without a previous gen AppleTV will see a simple interface that is simple to use even if you've never used an Apple product. It is based on a feature used in other Apple products called Front Row.

Movie Rental

One major feature removed from the previous version is the ability to purchase movies. This is because of the lack of a hard drive in the AppleTV. My guess is that Apple is trying to push ISPs to increase internet bandwidth and also to put pressure on the big movie studios to provide more content available for rent. At the same time, they are shooting themselves in the foot by offering Netflix as a native feature. True, they are taking some of their business away by offering the ability to stream movies and TV shows for $8/month for Netflix, they are also appealing to a much larger audience which may draw more people to rent movies via iTunes. They did raise the price of rentals to offset some of these costs.

Native Capabilities

The old AppleTV had the capability to display 1080p, while the new version can only support 720p which is a step back. But Apple does have a point here: not many people can support 1080p streaming and not much content is available at 1080p. I believe Apple will offer an upgrade in the future to support it, but right now 720p is plenty. Until the average internet speeds in the U.S. increase, 1080p streaming is out of the pitcure. Another feature removed from the AppleTV is the absense of the component connectors. While this is good for the overall quality, not all customers have the ability to support the HDMI-only connection. A High Definition TV is required to use the AppleTV, or at least one that supports HDMI. It also supports Wireless N in addition to its network port so you have the choice. Another capability is to stream internet radio stations which is great when I am doing my homework. Yet another feature available is called AirPlay. Apple created this so you can start watching a movie on an iPhone or iPad and then send it to your TV. I have not actually used the feature, but it shows promise.

Price

The price of it is one of the biggest changes. Gen one cost a minimum of $229 while the new version costs a much more affordable $99. This new cost brings it in line with other streaming boxes such as the Roku boxes.

Media Streaming

I have a media server on my network that holds all of my media such as music and movies. I also have iTunes running on it, so my AppleTV sees my shared library on the server and allows me to stream anything on my server to my TV. This is great for the movies I own (such as Digital Copy movies) because I can see them all alphabetically on the AppleTV and can play them.

Conclusion

Being that I have a few other Apple products, this is perfect and logical selection for my setup. If I were to provide Apple with a new slogan, if would be "simplify." That is it. I am a fan of a small company called Lotus that makes cars. There is a phrase attributed to the founder that goes something like this: "Simplify, then add lightness." Apple has kept true to their design philosophy and kept to the simple interfact, simple looks, and simple packaging of the Apple TV. Overall, I am very impressed with the new AppleTV. Is it a big step forwards from the pervious version? With the interface, no. With the design, yes. With the features, there are tradeoffs.

If you are not into Apple products, I would say that there are other alternatives that may be better. If you currently own some Apple products or plan to switch to them, then it is a no-brainer.

As a phone on the AT&T network, I would have to say that I am not impressed. I tried using my iPhone 4 as my primary phone without a landline, but I have so many dropped calls it isn't funny. I invested in the AT&T MicroCell made my Cisco, and I am still not impressed. As I sit here writing this, I am looking at my MicroCell lights flashing indicating that it is not working. This is proably the 6th time its happened in the 5 months I've had it. $150 for a device that is supposed to improve my cell phone signal, as of this point, doesn't seem worth it unless AT&T can fix this issue.

Apps

One of the major draws to the iPhone is the Apps. Almost anyone can write an app for the iOS (the operating system running the iPhone) for a fee and surviving Apple's approval process. Besides those points, many app writers have become millionaires after writing a viral app. I am not saying it is worth it for everyone to learn how to write apps, there are many aspects working against you but I won't go into them in this post. There are many apps that I use every day that were free and addicting. On my iPhone, I currently use Safari (web browsing), Facebook (self explanitory), NYTimes, Red Laser (for checking prices), AOL Radio, etc. I will go into the apps I use in a lter post since it will easily take up an entire post.

Camera

The iPhone 4's camera is excellent compared to the previous version. While I did move from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 4 (skipping the 3GS), I did notice a major difference. Photos were much, much better. The 5 MP camera sensor made a huge difference. Not only that, but the capability to take HD video makes it a competetor to devices such as the Flip cam. Another draw of the camera is a feature called HDR, or High Dynamic Range. For those who do not know about HDR, it is a type of photography that best represents what we see in our mind. Without going into detail, cameras cannot take the exact image we see in our minds. HDR takes at least 3 photos and combines them into what we see. Apple's version of HDR is not actually HDR, it is something called Tone Mapping which does a much better job than a regular camera, but is not a true HDR.

Design

The iPhone 4's design is the best looking design I've ever seen. For those of you who do not know, Apple is a hardware designer that also happens to make multiple operating systems for their hardware. Steve Jobs (Apple CEO) is personnally involved with the design of all of their products, and it shows through. He is a man who knows exactly what he wants and will not accept anything less. The looks of the device are outstanding and probably one of the best looking devices on the market. Functionally, there are some issues unforeseen. The antennae is one of them. Antennea attenuation is one of them (signal degredation) is one of them. Without holding them in a specific way, you will drop your signal and your calls. I have experienced this and a combination of both this and AT&T's poor signal strength and dropped many, many calls.

Operating System

The iOS (operating system) used on the iPhone and other Apple devices is a standard operating system that spans across multiple devices and makes them easy to use. Learn how you use the iPhone and you can use an iPhone, iPod, iPad, etc. How else can you teach millions of people how to use multiple devices than to use the same user experience? iOS is another topic that can be on its own and still take up a lot of space so I will cover it at a later date.

Hardware

While the iPhone does not have the most up-to-date hardware, just think: 10 years ago desktop computers were half as powerful. And this is in the palm of your hand, incuding the screen. The CPU is derived from the same CPU as an iPad, and the memory is about half as much. The screen is exceptional to say the least. It is extremely high resolution and you can hardly see the pixels that make up the screen. The worst part is probably the glossy screen. While it does improve the picture, when the phone is in sunlight, it is difficult to read.

Functionality

The iPhone can pretty much take the place of many devices used today. It incorporates the following: music player, cell phone, portable movie player, computer (depending on the usage), camera, camcorder, calendar, etc. Yes, many devices already do this, but I haven't had a chance to review them yet. The built-in GPS, WiFi, and microphone all add to the draw to the iPhone. I have used the GPS plently of times and it has not failed me.

Conclusion

Overall, I am very impressed with the iPhone. While it does have its issues, I think the functionality outweighs the drawbacks. There are many competators out ther such as Android that offer most of the same capabilities. Another draw to other phones is the network; the iPhone is not available on any network besides AT&T. There is a story behond that (maybe another entry) and I believe Apple took a chance and came out on top. But I think Apple should forgive and move on and offer it to the other carriers. If Apple were to give the other carriers an iPhone for their network, they would make a killing. 3.5 years exclusivity on a single carrier is enough and it is time to move on.

Over the next few weeks I will try to build out my site with more functionality when I have free time. Feel free to register on here so you can post comments freely and keep in contact with friends and family. I will try actively managing friends and family requests to make the site family-friendly.

Friends and Co-workers

For my friends and coworkers, I will try to update this site with product reviews. All of my co-workers know I am a tech geek and finally got around to doing this. I may be an Apple fanboy, but that won't hold me back from voicing my opinions on drawbacks of their products.

Family

I will try to keep a page open for you to freely keep in contact with each other and maybe open up a file upload area for pictures, etc. Family members will be allowed to create their own posts and not rely on me (eventually).

Thanks

I do have to say thanks and give support to Leo LaPorte and Brian Brushwood to turning me onto this service. If it weren't for them, I would not have known about this service.

Questions? Comments? Contact me via the Contact page.