Eltima Software contacted me and offered me a license for the expert edition to enable to me more fully explore the capabilities of it (and to write a more in depth post about it).

I agreed, and here’s what I found…

I decided that this would be a fairly comprehensive test; it would involve a number of different operating systems, and synchronization environments.

The operating systems I tested were:

OS-X 10.6.1 (32 & 64 bit)

Windows 7 (32 & 64 bit)

Windows Vista (32 & 64 bit)

Windows 2003

Windows XP

Windows Mobile 6.5 (HTC Touch Pro 2 – XV6875)

Windows Mobile 5.1 (MotoQ)

Outlook Look 2003, 2007, 2010 on the PC

Entourage 2008 on the Mac

Windows Contact / Windows Calendar (on Vista and Windows 7)

Live Contacts / Live Calendar (on Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows 7)

FireFox (Windows)

Safari (Windows and OS-X)

Additionally I took a quick look at iTunes and iPhoto (even though I don’t use either of those normally); and I took a quick look at Google synchronization (including synchronizing to an Android handset).

It’s a long list, and I assure you that the coverage of the tests were not exhaustive — but rather concentrated on suites of versions that would be most commonly found together (though I have a reasonably good feeling that unless there were some real flukes, the sample of tests I performed are probably indicative of all combinations).

My first test was to synchronize my Mac Book Pro with my Mac Pro… I’ve never really put any effort into making sure that the contacts and such agreed between the two, so I install unlocked the free version of SyncMate I’d installed on both and proceeded to enable all the plug-ins.  After fighting with both iPhoto and iTune (you wouldn’t need to worry about that if you actually used them they would have already been setup and ready to sync). the little spinners started and in just a few minutes I had everything on both machines (which also included all the calendar and contact information I’d gotten from my smart phone to start with) in sync.

I went ahead and disabled iPhoto and iTune for the rest of my tests — I’d seen it work, and certainly synchronizing those would easily be covered with the folder synchronization (which was a more generic test — but of course it was nice that the iTunes/iPhoto sync could be enabled with a simple click).

I decided next to see what the various versions of Windows and Office Suites would do… so I brought up virtual machines using various OS images and installed versions of Office in them.  I setup the Windows component of SyncMate and then decide to just do everything at once — so I added all the machines to SyncMate on the Mac Pro and hit the sync button.

It took a few minutes, but then on every machine in either (or both) the Windows Contacts and the Outlook Contacts there was a full copy of my contacts; as well as files I’d put in a test folder.

Things were going very well, so now I turned to a couple Windows Mobile devices.

Both were easy to setup via USB, and both synchronized perfectly (frankly I was a little surprised when the MotoQ running Mobile 5.1 worked as well as it did).  So then I tried WiFi sync on the XV6875 — worked just fine (there’s a nice feature of the SyncMate driver on the WinMo device that will tell you the IP and name of the device if you need).  Next was Bluetooth synchronization… and unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that on either device — during setting up the connection I kept getting “Uncompatible Device” (a newer version of SyncMate has corrected the awkward english construction; but unfortunately I still cannot use Bluetooth synchronization with either my XV6875 or Q), so I’m not exactly sure what the problem is, but I would consider Bluetooth synchronization more convenient than WIFi — though I generally use USB since I can charge the device as well.

Then I decided to try a few more scenarios from the SyncMate feature list.

Folder synchronization with a USB flash drive worked perfectly.  And from that I’d be fairly confident that iTunes/iPhoto/folders could be synchronized to any USB (disk) device.

Google synchronization worked just as documented; and synchronizing an Android handset with Google just happens (all you have to do is enter you account information into the handset and enable synchronization).

Here a few comments on individual features…

Call history and the SMS manager are both very nice features of the expert edition… I’m not sure it’s sufficient motivation to pay for an upgrade, but it certainly is a sweet feature.

Mounting a Window mobile phone as a USB disk is a feature that didn’t make much sense to me; my XV6875 has the ability to select whether or not it makes an ActiveSync style or USB drive connection when you connect it; though on an older device like my MotoQ it does let you see the file system on the Mac much as you would on a Windows desktop.

Time synchronization is another feature that just doesn’t make sense; all devices get synchronized to the network (and thus to atomic clocks) so I see little value (and a number of reasons not to) synchronize them to each other and defeat the mechanisms already in place (if this were a camera, not a cellular phone I’d consider this a plus — but I’m going to say this feature should be removed; and certainly not used).

As noted before, synchronization to Windows Live isn’t support (and since this is a Mac centric product I don’t think that should come as a surprise — but, of course, some people who have Windows Mobile phones may use some of the Live services).

One thing I haven’t really covered to this point is how you setup a sync partner in SyncMate; and I guess I haven’t focused on it because it’s fairly easy, and definitely straight forward.  It isn’t “automatic” (and I actually consider that a plus — I absolutely hate ActiveSync trying take ownership of a device I just want to attach once).  A nice touch to the way you add a partner is that you can both name it, and include an image for it (though it might be a little nicer if Eltima included more stock images with SyncMate, or created a web interface to find images of handsets — but I just downloaded one of each of my phones and then used that).

The number one quality of SyncMate is that it works — and by far and large it works as advertised.  In this round of tests I didn’t have any instability in the version of the Windows sync driver I installed (unlike in the previous tests where I did have some issues with the Windows sync driver crashing).

One feature I felt might be interesting for Eltima to add would be a “mesh” type synchronization — really all they’d need to do is have an ability to synchronize the partnerships between Mac hosts (ie — all the synchronization partnerships I entered on my Mac Pro could instantly appear on my Mac Book Pro the next time the two machines sync’d — and then conflicts would just be handled throughout the mesh on a peer-by-peer basis just as they are now).

As I’ve stated previously I find the price a little steep — but you and your wallet will have to decide for yourself…  If you like the free version, and have needs for some of the additional plug-ins; I suspect you’ll be favorably impressed by what you get once you purchase a license.

SyncMate

Related posts:

1. SyncMate Fairly often I get messages from vendors who’ve read a posting I’ve made on a “similar” product to one of theirs and they suggest that...
2. Microsoft MyPhone I’ve been using Microsoft MyPhone for several months now; and I switched over to it not because it’s something I felt I really needed, but...
3. Windows 7 – Device Stage Microsoft® Windows™ 7 has a really cool feature called Device Stage. It presents all your hardware devices together in one place and allows you to...
4. SyncCell Several years ago when I had a Motorola KRZR I went on the hunt for synchronization software for my phone and PC.  I had gotten...
5. Smart Phones If you’re looking for a smart phone, you’ve got lots of great choices now. Whether you’re interested in an Android based phone, a Windows Mobile...
6. iJoke I’ve never owned an iPhone; and since the only network they work on (in the US) is AT&T I’ve never considered one… but given the...
7. Synchronizing Time on Your Home Network If you’ve got a home network, and you happen to have a server machine you should consider setting up one of your machines as an...
8. Virtual CloneDrive I’ve tried a number of virtual CD/DVD drive tools for Windows over the years. Daemon Tools was one of the first (free) solutions that really...
9. iDialer (for Windows Mobile) If you have a cellular plan that allows you to make air-time free calls to a set of designated numbers, then Google Voice might be...
10. Mobile Enabled I’ve had a fair number of requests from individuals who wanted to be able to view my web site and BLOG on their cell phones....

When the email came in I was on the phone talking to one of my friends; and besides, email is intended to be dealt with when it’s convenient…

About two hours after the email came in, things settled down and I had some time while I was waiting on the computer to finish a backup — so I clicked the survey link.

To which I got a web browser window (that adjusted down the size of my preferred browsing window) to tell me that the survey had been closed.

WOW — I’m glad I’m a “valuable” customer, I would hate to think how “un-valuable” customers would be treated.

Let’s see…

First, I never authorized Verizon to send me any type of email other than email specifically dealing with my account (a survey in no way deals with my account — and is clearly a marketing effort), so this email would be classified as SPAM (that’s UCE – Unsolicited Commercial Email).

Second, any legitimate survey sent out would certainly have more than a two hour response time; after all, it’s not like they would know I was anywhere near the computer.

Third, I’ve already told Verizon I’m not interested in a “free” phone since I’m not interested in a new two year contract.  And frankly there should be laws against calling something free when it’s got all kinds of strings attached.

Fourth, Verizon certainly doesn’t need to send me a survey to know how I feel about them — I consider them a crappy company like all cellular providers.  And obviously, Verizon know it’s a crappy company that is afraid it couldn’t keep customers without resorting to tricking and coercing them into long contracts by selling them equipment which is locked and crippled.

I say it’s time for an open wireless system with open handsets — where like the wire line market, wireless providers cannot force you to purchase a device from them, and they have to compete without all these tricks and fine print.

Certainly Verizon (like other cellular companies) have worked very hard to make sure that I as a customer will look out for my interests, and jump to any provider that offers me reasonable service at a reasonable price.

Customer loyalty?  Well, that’s about as rare as customer service in the cellular industry!

NOTE: Verizon Wireless sent out a new survey email the next evening (even after I explicitly “unsubscribed” from the email list used to send the original one) with “CORRECTED LINK” added to the subject. Once again I got the message:

This survey link is no longer valid. Thank you for your time and consideration in trying to complete this survey.

Related posts:

1. Verizon Wireless Like most cellular communication companies, Verizon Wireless leaves it up to the consumer to find their billing errors. Last month I called Verizon Wireless right...
2. Verizon Wireless – II To be perfectly clear I do have one phone on Verizon Wireless; it’s a converted AllTel account. Why would I have an account with a...
3. Can You Hear Me Now? And who else can hear me or can see my cellular phone records? Verizon Wireless informed the Obama transition team, the US Secret Service, and...
4. AT&T Provides Exceptionally BAD Customer Service Yesterday morning (and well into the afternoon) I spent over two and one-half hours on the phone with AT&T trying to resolve an issue with a “$50...
5. The Future Of Cellular Right now the cellular market is United States is dominated by four carriers: Verizon Wireless AT&T Sprint T-Mobile I’ve put them in descending order of number...
6. Can you hear me now? Does it occur to you that if a company has a slogan like “Can you hear me now?” perhaps that’s because it’s a question many...
7. Straight Talk Four people I know have now switched their cellular phone service over to Straight Talk “pre-paid” service (largely because I’ve pointed it out to them). ...
8. Air Time Free If you have a flat rate cellular voice plan, you may not be interested in this article; but for most of us who simply don’t...
9. Consumer Cellular Consumer Cellular is a “discount” cellular provider (apparently a Verizon Wireless MVNO) that offers no-nonsense plans with no contract and low rates for users who...
10. AT&T = Pathetic Customer Service My AT&T U-Verse bill notice came in over the weekend; so this week I launched the web site to take a look at the details....

It’s reported to be one of the slimmest WinMo phones available — and it has a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard!

Hopefully Toshiba will export the phone to the American market, and continue to innovate and push the competition.

Related posts:

1. Smart Phones If you’re looking for a smart phone, you’ve got lots of great choices now. Whether you’re interested in an Android based phone, a Windows Mobile...
2. SyncCell Several years ago when I had a Motorola KRZR I went on the hunt for synchronization software for my phone and PC.  I had gotten...
3. HTC Touch Pro I’ve admired HTC cellular (PDA) phones for a very long time… their cost, though, has always made me choose an alternate. With the release of...
4. Straight Talk Four people I know have now switched their cellular phone service over to Straight Talk “pre-paid” service (largely because I’ve pointed it out to them). ...
5. GSM Hacked Computer security researchers have reported that GSM phones (the cellular protocol used by most of the world — roughly 80% of all cell phones) can...
6. Limited Tomorrow Apple releases it’s newest iPhone (it’s a 4G model, so it won’t be on AT&T — and is rumored to be on Verizon) and...
7. Smart Phones Early last month Sprint shipped a 4G Android based smart phone made by HTC — it sold out; they receive more from HTC — they...
8. Microsoft MyPhone I’ve been using Microsoft MyPhone for several months now; and I switched over to it not because it’s something I felt I really needed, but...
9. nexus one Today Google starts selling the nexus one Android smart phone (manufactured by HTC) direct.  The current model supports AT&T and T-Mobile GSM networks, but there...
10. GPS + Real Time Data One of the toys I got when I stopped by the Microsoft Company Store was Streets and Trips 2008 with GPS and Connected Services. Connected...

Great going Motorola; you may have killed one of the most successful handsets you’ve had in years.

The original DROID became almost an overnight sensation with the Android community because it was a well engineered smart phone, featuring Android — and a keyboard..

Many serious phone users and hackers alike purchased the DROID because they could use it as an Android test and development platform since they could flash their own custom built Android ROMs into the device — thus avoiding the need to wait for Motorola (and the carrier) to issue updates.

It looks like the Android community won’t be very accepting of the new DROID X or DROID 2, and they’ll purchase the DROID at fire-sale prices or all move over to the HTC handsets (including recycling HTC Windows Mobile handsets).

We understand there is a community of developers interested in going beyond Android application development and experimenting with Android system development and re-flashing phones. For these developers, we highly recommend obtaining either a Google ADP1 developer phone or a Nexus One, both of which are intended for these purposes. At this time, Motorola Android-based handsets are intended for use by consumers and Android application developers, and we have currently chosen not to go into the business of providing fully unlocked developer phones.

The use of open source software, such as the Linux kernel or the Android platform, in a consumer device does not require the handset running such software to be open for re-flashing. We comply with the licenses, including GPLv2, for each of the open source packages in our handsets. We post appropriate notices as part of the legal information on the handset and post source code, where required, at http://opensource.motorola.com. Securing the software on our handsets, thereby preventing a non-Motorola ROM image from being loaded, has been our common practice for many years. This practice is driven by a number of different business factors. When we do deviate from our normal practice, such as we did with the DROID, there is a specific business reason for doing so. We understand this can result in some confusion, and apologize for any frustration.

Related posts:

1. Android Handsets I’m always looking at smart phones and checking out their features. At the moment there are five genres of smart phones: Apple iPhone, Windows Mobile,...
2. Smart Phones If you’re looking for a smart phone, you’ve got lots of great choices now. Whether you’re interested in an Android based phone, a Windows Mobile...
3. HTC Touch Pro I’ve admired HTC cellular (PDA) phones for a very long time… their cost, though, has always made me choose an alternate. With the release of...
4. Smart Phones Early last month Sprint shipped a 4G Android based smart phone made by HTC — it sold out; they receive more from HTC — they...
5. Usability Summary I think I can sum up the real problem with Linux or any open source system where there’s no real usability mandate… Developers make arbitrary...
6. SyncMate – Expert Edition Several weeks ago I took a look at the free edition of SyncMate, and I had some fairly good things to say about it.  In...
7. nexus one Today Google starts selling the nexus one Android smart phone (manufactured by HTC) direct.  The current model supports AT&T and T-Mobile GSM networks, but there...
8. SyncCell Several years ago when I had a Motorola KRZR I went on the hunt for synchronization software for my phone and PC.  I had gotten...
9. Bluetooth Headsets Today (1 July 2008) California finally has a law on the books requiring the use of hands free devices when using a cellular phone and...
10. iJoke I’ve never owned an iPhone; and since the only network they work on (in the US) is AT&T I’ve never considered one… but given the...

When I signed up for the service I was “promised” $20 off per-month for signing up for electronic statement delivery and automatic payments.

Well, the first month it didn’t happen; and AT&T’s excuse was that my bill was processed _before_ I had signed up for the electronic statement delivery and automatic payments.

The second month it didn’t happen; and AT&T’s excuse was that something must have went wrong — that I needed to unsubscribe and then resubscribe; of course their policies clearly stated that if I discontinued either of the requirements I would become ineligible for the statement credit.  I escalated the issue to a supervisor who impressed me as being more incompetent than the front-line people; then I escalated it to the executive complaints office — who assured me it would be resolved.

The third month it didn’t happen; and AT&T really had no excuse.  Again I escalated it to a supervisor, and got the promise that it would be researched and resolved.

This month (the fourth month), I lost it — I was pissed off the minute I called AT&T — and I pointed out to them that they were wasting my time month after month after month — and I was tired of it.  The front-line person was totally incompetent and the supervisor was just as incompetent… and rude.

One thing’s for sure — NO ONE beats AT&T for the most pathetic customer service on Earth.

If you subscribe to AT&T services based on promises of rebates, cash back, credits, special pricing, etc — make sure you keep copies of everything; and be prepared to file a small claims action, because it probably will come to that.

It always comes down to who has pissed you off the least (lately) and who is offering the best deals — but in the end you have to decide between the cable company and the phone company and just live with pathetic customer service.

Related posts:

1. AT&T Provides Exceptionally BAD Customer Service Yesterday morning (and well into the afternoon) I spent over two and one-half hours on the phone with AT&T trying to resolve an issue with a “$50...
2. Customer Dis-Satisfaction Last week I placed an order online for pickup at a local Sam’s Club — I’ve done this a number of times in the past,...
3. I’m a valuable Verizon Wireless customer… Or so says an email an email I got from them last week asking me to take a survey on why I hadn’t taken advantage...
4. Comcast Comcast consistently ranks in the top ten (almost always the top five) of companies with pathetic customer service in virtually every poll I’ve seen (they...
5. Media Com OK, so I thought Comcast was bad… After I first moved I had Cox Cable — and it was great.  The installation happened exactly as...
6. Media Com – Followup I got an email notifying me of my first (and last) Media Com statement about two weeks ago, only problem, I couldn’t access my bill...
7. AT&T U-Verse – Summary After thinking over AT&T U-Verse service I’m going to have to make the call that it’s something you’ll have to consider long and hard and...
8. You’ll find “it” at Fry’s… One of well known slogans from Fry’s Electronics… but from what I’ve seen over the past 25 years all you’re really likely to find at...
9. US Postal Service I just dropped off some US Postal Service Form PS-1500s at the post office down the street, and have to relay a “funny” (maybe sad...
10. Verizon Wireless Like most cellular communication companies, Verizon Wireless leaves it up to the consumer to find their billing errors. Last month I called Verizon Wireless right...

And I actually tried SyncCell with my HTC TouchPro; it worked fine, but it didn’t copy images in contacts.

BIDCOM Technologies offers a free trial version of SyncCell, and if you have a cell phone that you can’t get to synchronize with your Windows PC, it might be worth trying out — it’s very simple to setup, and very simple to use.

And the purchase price of $24.95 includes free updates and support — though, if you’re on a tight budget, remember you may be able to use software that came with Windows; and remember that most online services will incur data charges (unlikely you’re budget constrained if you have an unlimited data plan).

http://www.synccell.com/

Related posts:

1. Microsoft MyPhone I’ve been using Microsoft MyPhone for several months now; and I switched over to it not because it’s something I felt I really needed, but...
2. Smart Phones If you’re looking for a smart phone, you’ve got lots of great choices now. Whether you’re interested in an Android based phone, a Windows Mobile...
3. SyncMate – Expert Edition Several weeks ago I took a look at the free edition of SyncMate, and I had some fairly good things to say about it.  In...
4. SyncMate Fairly often I get messages from vendors who’ve read a posting I’ve made on a “similar” product to one of theirs and they suggest that...
5. DROID Doesn’t Motorola has confirmed that the upcoming DROID X and the DROID 2, unlike the original DROID, will require digitally signed ROMs. Great going Motorola; you...
6. Online Capacity Expansion Well… Call me old fashion… Call me conservative… Call me a doubting “Thomas”… Call me tickled pink… Call me surprised… I just finished adding four...
7. Windows – Desktop Search Most people realize how valuable Internet search engines are; but not everyone has figured out how valuable desktop (and server) search engines can be. Even...
8. Bluetooth Headsets Today (1 July 2008) California finally has a law on the books requiring the use of hands free devices when using a cellular phone and...
9. Null SMTP Server For some time now I’ve wanted an efficient way to be able to send myself rich email without having to waste a lot of bandwidth;...
10. iDialer (for Windows Mobile) If you have a cellular plan that allows you to make air-time free calls to a set of designated numbers, then Google Voice might be...

When I got such a request from Eltima Software on SyncMate a few months ago I read their web page and thought that their product sounded like it’d be worth taking a look at — so finally this week (mostly because I was talking through the issues of device synchronization with a friend of mine) I got around to testing out the software.

First, the software comes in a free edition as well as an “expert edition” (which isn’t free) — and I’ll go over the list of features and cost later; for now my review will cover only the free version and components.

Second, SyncMate runs only on a Mac; so if you don’t have a Mac, you probably won’t be interested (and SyncMate isn’t the killer app, it won’t justify you running out and buying a Mac to synchronize your devices).

Here’s my objective: keep my contact list and calendar synchronized on my HTC TouchPro2.

Thumbnail –

• I have a HTC TouchPro2 [unlocked] running Windows Mobile 6.5
• Over 500 contacts (many with detailed information and a picture)
• I have several calendar events per week (with reminders); often multiple on a single day
• I don’t use Outlook (and never will again)
• I currently use Microsoft MyPhone (the basic features are free, and they are barely worth that price)

Criteria –

• Sync needs to be “easy”
• Sync needs to be “reliable”
• Sync should work via Bluetooth, WiFi, Internet, and/or USB
• Sync must include all information

And they’re off…

I first tried to get everything working with Bluetooth — that was a fricking night mare; so I dropped by and just plugged in a USB cable (which installed the sync component for SyncMate on my Windows Mobile device).

After that, I just followed the prompts on the screen to setup my device in SyncMate, decide what to sync, and what direction to sync it in (which for me was just syncing my phone to my Mac, since I didn’t really have any information on my Mac), and pressing a button — and then waiting patiently.

SyncMate was able to sync 100% of the contact information and calendar information from the phone to the Mac — and I was able to view that information in the Mac’s Address Book and iCalendar programs.

But wait… I’m not done.

Eltima also provides a sync component for Windows (desktop); so I installed that on a Windows 7 machine — and after a little fumbling around I was able to push the contact synchronization information from my Mac (which I’d gotten from my phone) to Windows 7 — the system Address Book; and then backup the .contact files to my RAID5 array!

A little background –

When I upgraded to Windows 7, Microsoft advertised the Windows 7 Sync Center — a way to manage and synchronize devices; silly me, I just assumed that Microsoft would support Windows Mobile 6.5 (their flag ship mobile phone operating system) out of the box.  They didn’t — you had the run the POS Device Center software that came out with Vista — which would have been acceptable, except it only synchronizes with Outlook and that POS ain’t happening on my computers ever again.

So began my quest began.

OK, so SyncMate works; and sSyncMate will do what I want… but now let’s really “talk” about it.

One of the first things I noticed after setting up the Windows sync component was that it crashed (often)… and it was difficult to convince the SyncMate on the Mac that the PC was alive again after re-launching the sync component.

The interface for SyncMate is a little clunky… it just doesn’t have a very well though out flow; and could definitely use some human engineering to improve it.  It’s usable, but far from ergonomic.

The free version of SyncMate is extremely limited; in fact, I wouldn’t class it as much a free version as I would a teaser version.  For me, it does 99.99% of what I want — it synchronizes my contact (and handles all the fields), it synchronizes my calendar, and it will read my SMS messages (but doesn’t allow me to do anything with them except view them in the free version).

The “Expert Edition” adds a number of features that you might want; but given that it’s $39.95 for a single license (plus $11.99 for lifetime upgrades — which I would say is an absolute requirement) I think it’s priced way too high; you can review the additional features (one of which is a SMS manager, which I think it’s a little retarded that they have two SMS plugins — one that reads, one that manages — I think of the two together).

Here are the pluses to the free edition:

• Synchronizes contacts (their feature chart notes Entourage 2008 support, but in fact they don’t do anything but give you the instructions to make Entourage use the OS-X contacts)
• Synchronizes calendar events (again with the Entourage support — see above)
• Provided device information (handy but not essential)
• SMS reader
• Internet sharing (hmm… I thought OS-X could do that by itself)

The expert editions provide these features that I think would probably be nice:

• Backup
• SMS manager
• Call history
• To Do’s
• Autosync

And the following are enhancements they should add:

• Stable Windows sync component
• Android support (without using Google)
• Windows Live Mail support
• Windows Live Calendar support
• Windows Live synchronization
• Windows version

Finally, they need to rethink the pricing model.  $39.95 for the personal license is just too much; I’d think $19.95 is more in keeping, particularly since a lifetime upgrade guarantee is $11.99 extra; and the business license is $49.95 (I don’t really why there’s a difference unless the business license included the one of the “priority support plans” they offer — and of course I didn’t see a guarantee on the “priority support” — like getting you money back if they failed to resolve an issue, or answer within a specified time period.

Here’s what I think they should consider:

So basically I think their prices are too high (and yeah, mine above are on the low side, and certainly $24.95 and $49.95 are not unreasonable amounts, but that’s about the limit in my mind, and I think the lower price would encourage a larger user base — and probably end up being more profitable); and I think their “family pack” being 6 units rather than 5 units like Apple is retarded; and I think the lifetime upgrade should be one price… I don’t have any comments on the pricing of the priority support plans since they don’t have any details on the plans.  As to corporate licensing, they can handle that on a case-by-case basis; but they definitely need to eliminate their distinction between a personal and business license; though I have no issue with excluding business use of the family pack.

I would have purchased a license right away (just because I like to support reasonably well done software) had it been priced right; but at the price they want to charge, they’re going to have to fix the Windows sync component, and actually make it have a reasonable feature set…

I am going to use the free version; and I’ll consider upgrading to the “Expert Edition” when they either add features (fix features) and / or address the pricing.

SyncMate

Related posts:

1. SyncMate – Expert Edition Several weeks ago I took a look at the free edition of SyncMate, and I had some fairly good things to say about it.  In...
2. Microsoft MyPhone I’ve been using Microsoft MyPhone for several months now; and I switched over to it not because it’s something I felt I really needed, but...
3. SyncCell Several years ago when I had a Motorola KRZR I went on the hunt for synchronization software for my phone and PC.  I had gotten...
4. Windows 7 – Device Stage Microsoft® Windows™ 7 has a really cool feature called Device Stage. It presents all your hardware devices together in one place and allows you to...
5. Microsoft Security Essentials A few years ago Microsoft® provided a free Beta of it’s Anti-Virus solution; and Beta users were provided with one free license to continue to...
6. Virtulization, Virtulization, Virtulization For a decade now I’ve been a fan of virtulization (of course, that’s partially predicated on understanding what virtualization is, and how it works —...
7. Gizmo Years ago I found a free program named Daemon Tools… it was a very simple, very functional application for mounting CD/DVD images (ISO, BIN, NRG,...
8. Windows 7 – Boom or Bust? What is it about Windows 7 that’s supposed to be so great??? I’m at a total lose. Other than being a little faster than Vista...
9. OpenOffice You need to find a suite of office applications? The place to start is OpenOffice. OpenOffice has a long heritage, and the software was designed...
10. Garmin GPS Thinking of buying a new GPS? I highly recommend you consider Garmin, or a device that can run Garmin’s GPS software. Why? Garmin does an...

Steve Jobs made a big deal in the iPhone 4 announcement about the improved reception because of the antenna that rimmed around the steel frame — what he didn’t disclose (or know) is that if you touch the rim of the phone while making a call audio drops out, or the call completely drops.

While Apple isn’t denying the problem, a company issued statement said:

Gripping the phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone.

Really?

I don’t have any problem with audio cutting out when I grip my smart phone — and I’ve never had any problem when I gripped any cell phone I’ve had (most of the phones I’ve had in the last decade have had metal cases as well — so I don’t think that’s a reasonable excuse).

Once again, the iPhone is just a toy; obviously the designers of it didn’t even bother testing the performance of using it as a phone.

Maybe Apple will get more than bad publicity on this — perhaps iPhone 4 users might file a class action law suit — after all, a cell phone you can’t hold while you use it — give me a break.

And of course, Job’s statement on the problems shows exactly what kind of company Apple is:

Well don’t do that.

Related posts:

1. Smart Phones I have a great deal of respect for what Apple’s ability to re-invent itself and market form (over function) to the masses… and I’ve underscored...
2. Can You Hear Me Now? And who else can hear me or can see my cellular phone records? Verizon Wireless informed the Obama transition team, the US Secret Service, and...
3. iOS 4 With the announcement of iPhone 4 Apple announced the a new version of their phone / media player operating systems — iOS 4; which will...
4. iPhone 4 Yesterday (Monday) Apple CEO Steve Job unveiled the iPhone 4 — you know, the phone that his arrogance and ego caused a reporters home to...
5. Can you hear me now? Does it occur to you that if a company has a slogan like “Can you hear me now?” perhaps that’s because it’s a question many...
6. Your world delivered It appears that iPhone sales are responsible for increasing AT&T network utilization by 5,000% You’d think that such demand would make AT&T happy; but in...
7. iJoke I’ve never owned an iPhone; and since the only network they work on (in the US) is AT&T I’ve never considered one… but given the...
8. Limited Tomorrow Apple releases it’s newest iPhone (it’s a 4G model, so it won’t be on AT&T — and is rumored to be on Verizon) and...
9. iAd Monday’s announcement by Apple of the iPhone 4 included their announcement of a mobile advertising network – iAd. Google, of course, had recently closed it’s...
10. Smart Phones Early last month Sprint shipped a 4G Android based smart phone made by HTC — it sold out; they receive more from HTC — they...

Late last month Apple shipped the iPhone 4 (not a 4G phone), and AT&T sold out the first day in many metropolitan areas.

The day before Apple shipped the iPhone 4, Motorola shipped a new Android based smart phone — sales were brisk.

I’ve had a smart phone for many, many years — and frankly I’ve been amazed at how many people have been buying them in the last few years, so I did a little research.

I figured a good place to start would be to see what kind of applications people where downloading for the iPhone — well I was totally shocked.  On almost every list I could find the top applications were games (and people were paying for them).

I’m not even going to waste my time writing what I think this says about Americans (and we probably shouldn’t limit it to just Americans)… obviously the economy must be doing fine if people have several hundred dollars to throw away on a cellular handset to just enable them to play games — and have a fashion accessory (which must be meant to indicate that they have money to throw away).

I always considered my smart phone a tool; but I guess in the age of PSP and Wii it’s just another electronic toy to keep mindless people entranced so they don’t need to think or pay attention to their surroundings.

Almost enough to make me toss my smart phone in a trash can and get rid of my unlimited data plan.

Related posts:

1. Smart Phones If you’re looking for a smart phone, you’ve got lots of great choices now. Whether you’re interested in an Android based phone, a Windows Mobile...
2. Smart Phones I have a great deal of respect for what Apple’s ability to re-invent itself and market form (over function) to the masses… and I’ve underscored...
3. iJoke I’ve never owned an iPhone; and since the only network they work on (in the US) is AT&T I’ve never considered one… but given the...
4. iAd Monday’s announcement by Apple of the iPhone 4 included their announcement of a mobile advertising network – iAd. Google, of course, had recently closed it’s...
5. Android Handsets I’m always looking at smart phones and checking out their features. At the moment there are five genres of smart phones: Apple iPhone, Windows Mobile,...
6. iPhone 4 Yesterday (Monday) Apple CEO Steve Job unveiled the iPhone 4 — you know, the phone that his arrogance and ego caused a reporters home to...
7. Can you hear me now? Verizon Wireless might have made the phrase “can you hear me now” famous, but it’s iPhone 4 users who are probably using it most right...
8. iOS 4 With the announcement of iPhone 4 Apple announced the a new version of their phone / media player operating systems — iOS 4; which will...
9. nexus one Today Google starts selling the nexus one Android smart phone (manufactured by HTC) direct.  The current model supports AT&T and T-Mobile GSM networks, but there...
10. Limited Tomorrow Apple releases it’s newest iPhone (it’s a 4G model, so it won’t be on AT&T — and is rumored to be on Verizon) and...

But respect doesn’t mean I’m going to “drink the Kool-Aid” and believe everything Steve Jobs tells me.

Clearly Jobs does an exceptional job creating devices with glitter and glitch and making the gullible believe that Apple pioneered the technology and that consumers simply cannot get along without purchasing it (and purchasing a new upgrade every time a new bell or whistle is added).

The bottom line is Apple creates nothing… Apple puts a shinny new coat of paint on existing technology, brands it, markets it, and calls it their own.

Apple isn’t driven by innovation, Apple is driven by greed — almost makes you wonder what inadequacies Steve Jobs is trying to compensate for.

And certainly (as I’ve posted) the iPhone is one of Apple’s greatest charades!

Serious smart phone users wouldn’t consider an iPhone as anything more than eye candy; both Windows Mobile and Android devices are far better choices for a serious user.

The next time you walk down the street and see someone sporting an iPhone don’t laugh too loud you might give them a complex — I fear most iPhone users are like Steve Jobs, and feel a little inadequate.

Related posts:

1. Smart Phones Early last month Sprint shipped a 4G Android based smart phone made by HTC — it sold out; they receive more from HTC — they...
2. Smart Phones If you’re looking for a smart phone, you’ve got lots of great choices now. Whether you’re interested in an Android based phone, a Windows Mobile...
3. Apple Sues HTC For Patent Infringement Remember Apple suing Microsoft for “stealing” the Mac’s user interface?  A user interface that Apple actually stole from Xerox? On 4 March 2010 Apple filed...
4. Can you hear me now? Verizon Wireless might have made the phrase “can you hear me now” famous, but it’s iPhone 4 users who are probably using it most right...
5. Apple – Double or Nothing? Yesterday Apple announced another record quarter in sales.  In fact, iPhone sales doubled in Q4 2009 (a good holiday present for Apple). Tomorrow Apples announces...
6. iOS 4 With the announcement of iPhone 4 Apple announced the a new version of their phone / media player operating systems — iOS 4; which will...
7. iJoke I’ve never owned an iPhone; and since the only network they work on (in the US) is AT&T I’ve never considered one… but given the...
8. iPhone 4 Yesterday (Monday) Apple CEO Steve Job unveiled the iPhone 4 — you know, the phone that his arrogance and ego caused a reporters home to...
9. HTML5 Both Apple (in an essay by Steve Jobs) and Microsoft (from the general manager of IE) have put a stake in the ground — the...
10. iAd Monday’s announcement by Apple of the iPhone 4 included their announcement of a mobile advertising network – iAd. Google, of course, had recently closed it’s...