My Love for Android and the Galaxy Tab

You all probably know I am somewhat of an Apple fan. After all, I was born and raised Apple. My dad had one when I was young, and it was the first computer I had ever used. I still own that same computer, mint condition and still working, today. However, the Apple orchard can become dull at times, especially if one has had the same apple juice year after year. So a month ago, I picked up the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

As a complete noob to Android, I found the Tab to be quite a fun device. I have seen reports lately of the Galaxy Tab and its sales rates, but I completely satisfied. I love the fact that the screen is seven inches, compared to the iPad's almost 10 inch screen. The Galaxy Tab has proven to be more portable when carrying it around for long periods of time. Back when I had an iPad, my hands would fatigue after about 10 minutes. With the Tab, it's lightweight and feels like I am carrying a small paperback book.

The interface itself is your typical run of the mill Android Froyo OS. Very impressive on a Tablet computer, just as it is on the smartphones. A lot of people complain about this, and I really can't find a legitimate reason why. After all, didn't Apple do the same?

The Android store is my only complaint. There are so many spammy and janky apps on there that you really have to be careful what you install. Also I've noticed there are a lot of Chinese knock-offs and poorly coded apps. The upside though is that if you buy an app and decide you don't like it, you can get a refund. And the fact that you can choose to bill paid apps to your phone bill is amazing.

I am very happy with Android, and more specifically, the Galaxy Tab and I don't care what the reports say. High return rates do not phase me. I love my device.

Editorial: Why the HP Brand Sucks

I once thought HP was a respectable brand. It once was. Clearly HP dominates the printer market, and they seem to be in bed with Monster and the Beats by Dr. Dre. If you asked me six months ago what the best brand was in terms of affordable Windows machines and/or printers, I would have said HP hands down.

Not the same case today.

A few months ago, I purchased an HP laptop for $549 and a HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 for $299. I bought them at the same time, and was happy with my decision at the store. Took them both home, set them up with no problems, and everything just worked. Sounds peachy, right?

Three months later, the screen on my HP laptop displays 3 lines of dead pixels. Then the 10-key stops working. Then the audio goes. This all happened in the span of a week.

I Called HP. They repaired it at no cost, but I was still not happy. No computer should have that many problems for no reason. It was treated very well, was never dropped.

A month later, the OfficeJet Pro starts paper jamming for no reason. I know paper jams happen but it would jam EVERY TIME I would go to print something.

The paper jamming stopped one day, when it would no longer catch paper.

That same day, my HP PhotoSmart printer on the first floor stopped working completely. Would not even turn on.

Needless to say, I no longer use HP. I got all HP products fixed under warranty, and then sold them on Craigslist as-is. I never got a replacement for the big OfficeJet printer, as I saw it was not needed. I did replace the PhotoSmart with an Epson printer. And it works just fine.

HP. Hope and Pray it works.

Garmin StreetPilot: The Official App for iPhone

As some of you may know, I work for a small company called Garmin International. This is not an ad. I was not paid for it. I take pride in my work and do, however, like to share the lastest innovative products that my company creates. And they have done it this time.

They were not first to the game to create a GPS iPhone app. I dare, however, say they are the best choice for ease of use, user interface, and most of all, navigation. These other apps take up gigabytes of your space on your iPhone. The Garmin StreetPilot app takes up 7 megabytes. The app itself is $39.99, but with that price you get lifetime maps and lifetime traffic. The app also speaks streetnames.

You decide. Available for iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Check out the screenshots for yourself.

Why I Can Never Play the "Legend of Zelda" Games

I remember receiving Zelda: Orciana of Time for the Nintendo 64 on my birthday. I was so excited to play because I had played Zelda games in the past on older platforms. I popped in the game and began playing... for 10 minutes. Then I was done. Never wanted to play again. Why?

I have a massive case of arachnophobia. And in this game, on level one, there are what the game calls "Skulltulas." They are spiders with skulls on their hairy abdomens.

I saw one or two small ones on the game and thought "As long as they stay this size, I'll be fine." And then a large, massive spider drops down smack dab on the screen in front of Link's face, moving its legs fast and I scream. Literally scream. My mom comes running in my room to find me in the fetal position.

I know and knew then it was just a game. That doesn't matter. I have a fear of spiders, like no other person in this world. I have the worst case. Absolute torture would be to lock me in a room full of them.

I bet I am missing out on a great series.

Originally posted on DannyMinick.com and on Lockergnome.com/dannyminick

EVO? Not for me.

I gave the EVO a chance. I really did. I thought I would get a taste for Android after playing with my friend's Droid for hours one day. I thought I had found the phone to beat the iPhone. And after buying the Android device, I woke up and realized there is nothing that can beat the iPhone to this day. Here is my story.

I slammed $200 for the EVO and a new account with Sprint. Mistake #1: Getting on the Sprint network. I live in Kansas City, where their World Headquarters are, and within minutes I was getting dropped calls left and right. It may be just me, but you would think if your headquarters is here, your service would be second to none. Instead, it's dead last. I like the Android UI. I love it's marketplace. What I don't love, however, is the bloatware it comes with. These preinstalled apps from Sprint/Verizon/AT&T/T-Mobile. And they are not easily, if at all, removable.

The EVO's battery life is a joke, and it takes hours to recharge. I was told that using DoubleTwist would allow me to put my iTunes songs off my Mac to the device. I spent four hours waiting for it to sync up, and when it finally did, it had only put 54 of my 5000+ songs on to the device. The music interface is a joke on Android as well.

Needless to say, I suddenly had a strong craving for my iPhone back. So I boxed the EVO back up, cancelled my Sprint service, and got my money back. If you ever feel like your iPhone is getting boring (like I stated in my previous post), switch to Android. You'll snap out of it and will be craving your iPhone again in no time.

I currently have the 32GB iPhone 4 on pre-order. It's good to be back. (And yes, the Apple fanboy Kool-Aid is delicious.)