Ha Ha Ha! Get it? Not only did this guy's wife buy a dress that cost as much as a vacation - she also blew their SHARED Chase Sapphire points on something for herself! And he smiles at the end?! Thanks Chase Sapphire! Maybe next time you could advertise a selfish purchase block for husbands who don't trust their wives!
And don't forget this one:
Yes! "Jo" is a HOT PLUMBER, so this douchebag decides to intentionally plug up his crapper so he can try to get laid! Then, cut to him shoving everything he can down the commode... but the Kohler toilet is up to the task. Finally we reveal that the douchebag is MARRIED! Zing! Awesome!
So remember this: Chase Sapphire thinks it's funny when one spouse spends thousands of dollars behind the other's back, and Kohler wants to be associated with adultery! Thanks Madison Avenue!
By the way, just searched the Kohler page on YouTube and found this little gem:
Yay! More implied adultery to sell Kohler products!
So it's been a little less than a week-and-a-half since the latest "iPhone killer" launched, and we're just starting to see how some real-life user experience is treating the Motorola Droid.
One way to test the waters of customer satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) is to take a look at various help forums for a device. After all, most consumers who are happy with a properly functioning device don't tend to spend time in help forums. A quick look at the Motorola support page for the Droid reveals threads like these: 1. DROID - sound/speaker issues? (7,227 views) 2. DROID - can't get to 'mount' on my PC (7,393 views) 3. droid crashes constantly, anyone else have this exp? (11,885 views) 4. DROID: Auto-Landscape on Home Screen* (12,440 views) (*Note: This thread was re-opened after Motorola mistakenly marked it "answered".) 5. The User-Compiled Master List of Things That Need to be Fixed/Changed (5,887 views) 6. DROID: Bluetooth Voice Dialing (17,698 views) 7. DROID: How to END a Call? (8,450 views) 8. Droid Phone Sound Quality is not great (9,732 views) 9. DROID: Wi Fi Issues! (17,029 views) 10. Anyone else finding the battery cover falls off? (3,678 views)
Now mind you that these "views" are often owners of the same device looking for answers to their problems. Also keep in mind that the newly-launched Droid sold just around 200,000 units last weekend.
Now let's take a look at the Apple discussion board for the iPhone 3gs, while also noting that the new iPhone model sold over 1,000,000 units over three days in July 2009... and over 10 million since.
In looking through the first few pages of the forum, it seems the "biggest" discussion involves a charging device for a Mini that worked for the iPhone 3G, but not for the 3GS. It was started four months ago and has 13,871 views, AND a solution to the problem.
It sure seems like there's a lot of Droid users spending a ton of time trying to "fix" their phones, rather than enjoying all the things they iDo better than the iPhone.
I figure since no one is reading this blog right now (my fault after taking a year off) that I might as well write what I want. And right now what is fascinating me is the "battle" raging between those who hate Apple and their iPhone, and general Apple (and iPhone) lovers. In case you haven't looked at the entries below, I'm one of the latter. In fact, I've been an iPhone owner since December 2007. Which means I've owned all three incarnations (2G, 3G, and 3GS) of the iPhone.
Currently, I have the 3GS model. While my wife took over my 3G iPhone in July... and recently, I gave my original iPhone to my two-year old in order to watch his "shows" while on the road. That's right, all three iPhones have worked flawlessly for thousands of hours on end... and yet some people continue to wonder why Apple consumers are so passionate about their products?
Which makes the current "debate" between Motorola's new Droid smartphone and the iPhone seem even more silly. I've blogged before about the potential problems for the Droid, which include:
1. Droid's use of Google's Android 2.0 software - The entire concept of Android software is still in it's infancy, plus it's being written for hundreds of different kinds of Android phones made by dozens of different companies. If someone doesn't see the potential for hardware/software problems, you will once you dive into this mess of code.
2. Droid's internal 256k "hard" memory vs. it's micro SD 16GB card - Unlike Apple's 16GB (and 32GB) "hard" memory, the Droid settles for swappable micro SD cards. Has anyone ever used an external firewire drive on their desktop computer? It's pretty good for mass storage, but not nearly as speedy or responsive as the hard drive connected within the computer. It's the same thing here. The Droid simply didn't have the room (without significantly increasing it's size) to hold a 16GB flash drive, and their customers pay the price for it.
3. No iTunes-like desktop client for Droid - This is what many phone manufacturers conviently miss in the development of their products. The iTunes software was launched in January 2001 for MacOSX, and two years later for Windows. This revolutionary media storage (and organization) program has changed the way people store/listen/and now buy music, tv shows, movies, and now apps for the iPhone. Without it, you're left to "drag and drop" media onto your Droid and organize it yourself.
4. No complete backup for the Droid? - I just read that the Droid has no capability to do a complete backup for restore on a replacement phone, or simply for those times you want to reboot the phone for "house cleaning" purposes. If this is true, this is huge... especially for a phone that's seeing a high rate of returns at the moment. Plus, no remote wipe for those who would put sensitive information on their device.
I am trying to transfer media (pictures, music, videos) to my Droid from my PC. I plug the USB cord into the Droid and my laptop, which is operating on 64-bit Vista Home Premium (Service Pack 2). I then pull down the Notification screen on the Droid and select 'USB connected' and select 'Mount' from the pop-up window. After hearing the 'Droid,' I turn my focus to the computer. When I try to access the Droid through Removable Drive (F:),I get "Please insert a disk into Removable Disk (F:)." When I try to access the Droid through Motorola Media Link, I don't get any better of a result. I open Media Link and choose 'Handset Connection Wizard' under Utilities. I click "OK" to find a connected handset. On the next window, I select the Motorola A855 that is available and click "CONNECT." I then get a window that says "Detection Failed." The computer is obviously detecting the removable storage device because the F: drive appears and the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon appears in the clock tray. But it won't acknowledge the card. I am at a total loss. Any and all help would be appreciated.
It's EXACTLY this type of frustration that made me leave my PC behind some eight years ago. How many steps do you need to take to get some simple files on/off your phone?! By the way, the author finally found out that the phone DID mount on his wife's version of Windows (XP) but not on his (Vista)... and guess which version is NEWER! That's right, Vista was Microsoft's "new and improved" OS from two years ago!
Here's how life works with the iPhone. 1. You plug it into your USB port on your Mac, and AUTOMATICALLY the iTunes and iPhone applications launch. 2. All your media appears in iTunes for additions and subtractions, and all your photos/videos appear in iPhoto for additions/subtractions.
Here's a comparison video from a site called PhoneDog.com:
Check out 11:10 of the video for something that has NEVER happened in two years as an iPhone owner. The OS actually freezes up completely. How's THAT for an iPhone killer?!
Verizon, Motorola, and Google teamed up to make a phone they hoped would be an "iPhone killer", yet Verizon stores seem no more packed than the day before the Droid was offered to the public.
Again, reviews of the Droid have been glowing in regard to the hardware included in the phone, but have been critical about the device's performance and look. Maybe this is why Verizon's second Droid commercial STILL REFUSED TO SHOW THE ACTUAL PHONE?! Here it is for those who missed it:
Wow! Jets! Pods! Explosions! People staring at SOMETHING! It's enough to blow your mind! Here's a clue guys: If the phone is really that amazing, just show us the friggin' thing.
Steve Jobs walked out on a stage nearly three years ago (January 9, 2007 to be exact) and created a media frenzy by SHOWING THE iPHONE TO PEOPLE! He didn't walk out with a box and say, "Ohhh boy! Just wait 'til you get a look at what I have in here! You won't believe it!" Six months later, after giving the iPhone to select media members, iPhone customers lined up in droves to buy the product. The news media showed endless lines of customers waiting for their turn to purchase the device, and it's an occurence that's happened with each new model of the iPhone.
So what company doesn't want so much interest that it creates a mass of people waiting to buy their product? Well, if you believe it, it's Verizon.
[Verizon Spokesman David] Samberg said that a lack of a long line or shortage of devices is actually a good thing. And he urged people to not prejudge the phone's success on that alone.
"Long lines forming outside are flashy," he said. "But it's not really the goal. What we really want to see is this: a steady stream of people coming today and for the next few weeks buying new phones."
This "flashy" analogy would be a great spin... IF it had anything to do with reality. It also seems to be implying that the iPhone's early excitement didn't translate to long-term success, which is silly to say the least. Here's how the iPhone has performed (quarter by quarter) since it's launch in July 2007: Over that time, while other smartphones have lost market share, Apple has seen their's rise exponentially. For example, in the 2nd quarter of 2008, Apple had just 2.8% of the smartphone business. One year later, they had 13.3% as the 3GS model's sales continue to improve as as we get further from it's July launch. And all of this for a device who's major knock was it's high price - and now the Droid will cost you the exact same amount of money.
Without giving consumers a chance to own an "iPhone-like" device for less money, it would seem that Verizon would have a tough time getting interest for a device with no track record, no iTunes, less apps, and less beauty. And no amount of fancy commercials will make up for that.
MY FIRST POST IN ALMOST A YEAR IS ABOUT A MOBILE PHONE?!
I must say that as a self-described Apple "fanboy" for the last eight years or so, I have a hard time keeping quiet when someone wants to debate the pros and cons of anything invented by Steve Jobs' company.
And if you've been watching nearly anything on the television over the last few weeks or so, you've no doubt seen the "iDon't" commercials that advertise Verizon's new "Droid" phone while attempting to slam Apple's iPhone. In case anyone hasn't seen the commercial, here it is:
The thing I found instantly perplexing about this commercial is that it avoids showing what Motorola's new Smartphone actually looks like. Same thing went for the Droid's own website, and this might just be why: No, that's not the best cell phone of 1994... that's the device that Verizon hopes will make it's current customers forget about the wildly popular iPhone. Apparently it's a bit harder than it seems to make a device both functional AND attractive. But Motorola has packed this phone with some impressive features, so let me attempt to defend the iPhone, starting with the claims made in the "iDon't" commercial:
1. "iDon't have a real keyboard." I might be in the minority here, but I never warmed to the idea of a so-called "physical" keyboard. My last phone prior to the iPhone was the LG enV with a complete QUERTY keyboard, and I still rarely texted or returned email on the device. One of my main problems was that I found it difficult to hold the phone while typing with my oversized thumbs, and this phone would seem to be a bit "top heavy" with the slide-out glass screen hovering above the user's fists. On the iPhone, I utilize a one-hand "hunt and peck" system that works great for me - and I haven't looked back in nearly two years of use.
2. "iDon't take 5-megapixel pictures." This is true. Although the iPhone's camera has made significant leaps over its three generations. As any photographer can tell you too... more megapixels doens't automatically make a better picture.
3. "iDon't take pictures in the dark." This is true too. Although I'll wait to see what the led flash on the Droid does for picture taking. I had a flash on a few other phone cameras, but might as well not have... they never worked well.
4. "iDon't Customize." This is also true for all iPhones who stick to the letter of the law regarding the iPhone, however there's a significant population of "jailbreakers" who would disagree with this statement.
5. "iDon't run widgets." Again, this is non issue for myself as I have several apps on my iPhone (ESPN Scorecenter, Facebook, Twitteriffic) that I update manually thoughout the day to see all the information I need. And because they're not always running in the background, they're not affecting my battery use (always an issue on large touchscreens like these) or data speeds while I'm using other apps.
6. "iDon't have interchangable batteries." True enough, but companies have come calling with some pretty compelling fixes for this "problem".
As for #7 and #8, I'll take them together. "iDon't run simultaneous apps." and "I don't allow open development." While these are both true statements, there's also a good reason why Apple decided upon this course of action. After all, it's not as if Apple couldn't just allow these things with a simple software upgrade. They actually have a reason behind not supporting either.
You see, along with open development can come problems that affect the performance of the phone... likewise with running multiple apps. These smartphones (both iPhone and Droid) are basically tiny computers which can be overloaded with too much active processes running at the same time. The fact that the iPhone has a "one at a time" mentality with apps, means that I've never seen it truly hiccup under normal use. However, as a recent reviewer of the Droid said:
"One Droid feature touted heavily in Verizon's television commercials is its ability to run several applications simultaneously, which is something the iPhone can't do. Generally, I found that the Droid does this pretty well.
There were hiccups, though. As I was listening to music, I tried to take a photo to send in a text message to a friend. Elvis Costello started to stutter as I pressed the shutter button. Another time, I tried to make a call while the Maps Navigation application was running and had to endure very loud instructions about where to turn while the phone was ringing."
Now what if that were an important business call while the turn-by-turn intstructions are blaring in your ear? Or what if you're late for a meeting and your directions are interrupted with music?
And that's the potential problem with the Android phones in my opinion. Different phones will process Googles Android 2.0 software differently... just as different cell phone companies will complicate the integration with the OS as well. Apple has always sought to minimize these problems by controlling the OS and the hardware at the same time. That way, product testing creates a "real world" sample of the phone's performance. And if there's a problem on one iPhone... it's usually a problem on many iPhones and therefore can be fixed once... and quickly.
With Google's Android 2.0 OS (as with Microsoft Windows), it will soon be on tons of different phones (made by different companies) with different internal hardware, and running on many different networks. Conflicts will be hard to trace, and therefore hard to correct across the multitude of different Android Phones. Also, some are already complaining that some Android apps looks horrible on certain screens because there is no uniform screen size across the Android phone market.
This was a similar problem for me when I owned PC's that ran Windows. I would often get odd error messages and in trying to troubleshoot the problem, I would get the run-around from the various companies that made up my "one-of-a-kind" PC tower. Since I switched to Apple (in December 2001) I've fixed nearly all of my problems by searching for people with my particular "box" (and similar problem) and following their lead.
This approach of caring for the user experience is what makes Apple users such vocal supporters of the company. It's also what's made iPhone users the most satisfied smartphone owners... and that's good enough for me.
If you like the show, please sign up at Crackle and rate and comment on the video. Apparently that's how these online businesses track the dedication of fans. However, if you just want to forward everyone you know to Crackle to watch, that's cool too.
