Tuesday, January 22, 2008

An Open Letter to Dell

Dear Dell,

Over the years I've been a fairly staunch supporter or your business. I argue with friends and coworkers, often against an unseen adversary of their other acquaintances or just hearsay, that Dell is no worse than any other major computer manufacturer, just cheaper. I also own several of your products, including two computers that I paid for and several that I inherited over the years.

With that in mind, I offer you a small piece of advice: A $130 battery's lifespan should be more than 2 years.

Thanks
Dan

Sunday, January 20, 2008

I Heart GPS

My wife bought me a Garmin StreetPilot for Xmas. Today was the first time that I actually used it. I'd turned it on before, but never when I didn't really know where I was going.

The result? It gave me great directions, with every turn including the entrance to the restaurant I was going to. Oh yes, it's that good. Not like those directions that Google maps spits out where you ambiguously "arrive" at your destination.

The funny thing is that I'm pretty good at getting around. Even when I get lost I rarely panic. (Sometimes I flip out when I have a drunk telling me to go the wrong way, but I rarely panic.) Normally if I make a wrong turn I just turn around as quickly and safely as I can, occasionally I figure out a new path.

Even though I consider myself fairly able at navigation, I love this thing. It puts the map right in your view. It tells you when the turns are, and how far you are from the next one. Every good pilot needs a good navigator, and this is an electronic embodiment of a great navigator. I can only imagine my next road trip now. With my co-pilot relieved of navigational duties we can focus more on other things, like, what we'll do when we get there.