January 2010 Archives

Are you supposed to cradle it against your chest? Or, pop it in your man-bag to pull out on the subway in lieu of your iPhone?

 

A gazillion stories about Apple's new iPad hit the wires yesterday and this morning. Unless you've been sucked into watching video clips of President Obama's State of the Union address, you know Apple's new 9.7-inch touchscreen tablet can do so many things, even give you a 3G connection.

 
Sure, there are concerns about lack of Flash and a higher-than-Kindle price tag ($499 and up!). But -- being the first cousin of the iPhone, iTouch, iPod and i-everything else Apple-invented - it's still supercool.

 

You know you want one.

The big benefit of being a gadget writer is that I get to carry around a pile of phones in my big purse. I learn the most about myself observing my own cell-phone behavior (like reaching for a Motorola DROID over my very own BlackBerry Curve when I need instant directions somewhere).

 

But would I pay a stiff several-hundred-dollar fee to switch to the DROID?
 

Probably not, though the last time I tried typing in a request for directions last-minute on my pink BlackBerry proved a bit frustrating.

 

So when analysts and media types debate whether Google's new Nexus One, unveiled just hours ago, will be the "iPhone killer," what they're really debating is whether cell subscribers at the end of their contracts will opt to upgrade to Nexus One. Or, if those of us stuck on another plan will be persuaded to switch.

 

But if you're like me and get attached to things, even the most killer of iPhone killers might not carry much weight.

 

See, I like a lot of things about Google's first Google-branded smartphone. It's super-skinny, at 11.5 millimeters, weighing just 130 grams. Second, it's got technology that makes it super-fast, in the form of Qualcomm Snapdragon 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz. Third, it's not an iPhone.