Disqus - Latest Comments for travisbhartwell

Re: 85,000 reasons why Apple’s iPhone isn’t going to be disrupted

theboots — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:51:21 -0000

I sure am not counting Android out. In fact, I predict and hope that Android and the iPhone OS are the forerunners in this shifting mobile OS landscape. I really do not trust MSFT's corporate culture anymore. I believe they have long lost their way as a great company - neglected the consumer (screwed them even by killing Netscape, not updating IE after they killed Netscape until Mozilla managed to evolve). Worst of all, they neglected their shareholders. Android is part of Google and I like their innovative culture.

Re: 85,000 reasons why Apple’s iPhone isn’t going to be disrupted

travisbhartwell — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:22:55 -0000

Thank you.

I realize people need to make the choices on what works best for them. For some people, that just might be a Blackberry. Others it might be the iPhone. But please don't count Android out. :)

A good friend once asked me why I was using a particular piece of software to accomplish a particular task. I actually couldn't think of why I was using it over the alternatives other than "just because". So I re-evaluated it and found something that was a better fit that actually had the features I needed. So, why do people use the platform they use? Is it because it is the shiniest one? Or do they have reasons like Scoble has listed for him? If so, good. I have my own as well for using Android.

Re: 85,000 reasons why Apple’s iPhone isn’t going to be disrupted

travisbhartwell — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:18:49 -0000

Who said anything about representative? I'm pretty sure Robert is not representative of the typical user either, but for different reasons.

So automatically my opinion doesn't count? Would you say my wife's opinion doesn't count because she uses Linux too? (She knows nothing about the command line, couldn't install it herself -- or Windows for that matter, but once it is set up she prefers it)

Then you need to count out a lot of iPhone users I know, because they heavily use Linux as well and are system administrators and developers.

I hope I didn't say anywhere in my post that just because someone uses a Mac, your opinion on this matter doesn't count. I was just sharing my opinion on how I prefer Android.

Re: 85,000 reasons why Apple’s iPhone isn’t going to be disrupted

Darwin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:15:50 -0000

For such a long post you sure got a lot wrong.

Re: 85,000 reasons why Apple’s iPhone isn’t going to be disrupted

Guan — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:10:48 -0000

Travis, you are hardly a typical user if you're heavy into Linux. So, you're not representative, sorry.

Re: 85,000 reasons why Apple’s iPhone isn’t going to be disrupted

theboots — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:11:19 -0000

Dear Travis,
Good for you. Stick to Linux. Looks like it suits your needs.

Re: 85,000 reasons why Apple’s iPhone isn’t going to be disrupted

Name — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:05:24 -0000

This was your short reply?

Re: 85,000 reasons why Apple’s iPhone isn’t going to be disrupted

Scobleizer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:03:41 -0000

Um, Pandora, Facebook, Amazon, Foursquare, Shazam are all on iPhone. Google Voice has a limited version via the Web. Not sure about Sherpa, though, since I don't know what that does.

But I'm glad there are people like you. Sounds just like the Unix guys in college who used to tell me that no one will need mice or windows (small w). We need some people who think differently because that's where great ideas sometimes come from.

Seriously I am very likely to get an Android next year because I sense a lot happening on that platform. It doesn't have an awesome device yet, though, and until it does it will not capture most of our attention.

Re: 85,000 reasons why Apple’s iPhone isn’t going to be disrupted

travisbhartwell — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:11:35 -0000

I had a very long reply written, but I decided it wasn't worth it.

No platform is perfect. We each choose our hardware and software tools based on how it meets our needs and the particular set of problems and benefits that they give. Often these choices are not based on necessarily pragmatic things in the eyes of others -- on one extreme, look at Richard Stallman for a fine example.

For me, the tools I use are Linux on my desktop and an Android phone in my pocket. They may not be as "sexy" as the things sold by Apple, but I would still take them any day over the Apple line of products. I spent six months trying to use a Mac Book Pro as my primary computing environment and gladly gave it up and went back to Linux when the particular job that gave me it was finished. Day to day, my Linux desktop is so much easier for me to run and to use. None of the so-called "benefits" of an Apple device or operating system did anything for me, as any modern Linux "just works" right out of the box on the hardware I have and with tools like the apt system and a very large package repository, Ubuntu is much easier to maintain, keep up to date and secure -- for *all* of my software, not just the core software.

Sure the Android may be behind and not have 85,000 apps. Perhaps some of the handsets released are not as sexy as the iPhone. And you are effectively tied to Google for many things. But those are a set of trade-offs I would rather take. I don't have to use iTunes (which I can't use --- don't have a Mac or run Windows) to manage my phone. I can write applications that do whatever the APIs allow and as long as it isn't pornographic, illegal, or offensive (as determined by the Android user community), I can put things in the Android store. If it isn't accepted there, I can still distribute my app via my own website and anyone who wants to can install my app -- without jailbreaking their phone, as long as I don't depend on root capabilities.

And I have many great applications that may or may not be available on the iPhone:
- Pandora
- Facebook
- Google Voice
- Amazon MP3 store -- purchase and download music right on the phone
- Foursquare
- Shop Savy (does exactly what you described, including showing you stores locally and what prices they charge, and prices at many online stores. This was released when Android was released)
- Shazam
- Sherpa

I'm sure there are more. Yes, some of the apps that Robert mentioned I would love. I hope that they eventually come to the Android. In the end, it doesn't matter to me who "wins". I doubt Linux on the desktop will ever "win". But it is the right choice for me and my family. Even though there might be a few cool games or applications on Windows or OS X, there are too many tradeoffs to not keep me on Linux. Same thing with my Android. It can only get better. I'm not reliant on just one handset maker or carrier to keep the platform alive. I doubt my next phone will be an HTC phone -- it might be from Motorola, Samsung, or maybe someone new. It can only get better from here. As a developer, I'm starting to put my time into Android. It makes more sense for me, even if the iPhone is a larger user base right now.

Re: Mark Allen

travisbhartwell — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:44:24 -0000

Oh how I know you what mean. I am becoming more and more unlike my family politically than they care to admit.

Re: Nothing lasts forever (and why I’m back to blogging)

travisbhartwell — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:25:55 -0000

Shawn -- good point. It is hard relying on some service -- especially a free one -- to store your content and to be your window on the world. It is nice that we can have self-hosted blogs and be the masters of our content and make sure our interactions get out. This has motivated me to get back to blogging too. So, check me out:

------
Travis B. Hartwell
Software Toolsmith

Blog:
http://www.travishartwell.net/blog

Where to find me:
http://www.travishartwell.net/blog/static/where...

Re: Volunteer Work (July 17): Utah Blood

WasatchGirl — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:42:18 -0000

Travis,
Thank you for this very applicable comment. I am glad to hear that you were able to stabilize after the transplant and transfusion. I will think of you when I donate. =)
Best.
Rachel

Re: Volunteer Work (July 17): Utah Blood

travisbhartwell — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:03:49 -0000

I want to second Rachel's recommendation to give blood. I've been the recipient of a transfusion myself -- I had extremely low blood pressure during my recent kidney transplant and so I was given a unit of blood to help stabilize me. It is because of people like Rachel that I was able to receive that. So, please, donate!

Re: How to Push Sync Calendars and Contacts to Your iPhone Using Gmail

jessestay — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:11:09 -0000

Travis, any idea if the G1 uses the Exchange connector to push sync the
contacts?

Re: How to Push Sync Calendars and Contacts to Your iPhone Using Gmail

travisbhartwell — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:27:11 -0000

I'd like to point out, this also works great for me with my T-Mobile G1. I use a Google Apps for Domains for my personal domain. All of my contacts, calendar, and e-mail are automatically pushed/synced with my phone whenever any changes are made elsewhere. No set up, no worries. :)

Re: This blog is dead! ORLY?

Travis B. Hartwell — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:27:28 -0000

Robert: You have kidney disease? How did I miss this in following you over the last year or so? I was diagnosed with kidney disease myself in the last year and will be needing a kidney transplant. Would be interested in hearing how you keep up with things at the pace you do while dealing with the health issues.

Re: LDS Church Switches to MoveNetworks in Time for Annual Conference

travisbhartwell — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:47:43 -0000

The unfortunate thing about the move to this new player is that it leaves out those of us on Linux. I wish they would have used a flash-based solution.

This disappoints me greatly.

Re: danah continues the “precious,” er, Facebook conversation…

Travis B. Hartwell — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 11:31:09 -0000

LiveJournal has some of the features (in some fashion) that you mention. When you post an entry, you indicate whether it is public, private (for just you), for friends, or custom. For friends are for those who you have specifically added as a friend. Custom allows you to create custom "friends groups" that include specific users. For example, at a previous job, my coworkers also had Live Journal accounts. I created a friends group that included them and then I would post work logs to my LJ to that friends group.

It would be nice to have that level of granularity at Facebook as well. "I only want these friends to see these pictures, this application, this status message", etc. It would make it easier to manage the "public" persona for the world, of potential employers, clients, business partners, and the "private" persona for your close friends.