+ I fly a lot and can't help noticing certain changes and trends in the experience, including the little speeches given by flight attendants. For one thing, I've noticed they have started to say when you can use your device is "airplane mode." As far as I know, only the iPhone has something called "airplane mode," so I take this as another index of the product's popularity.
+ (I love my iPhone, by the way, by I have no idea exactly what gets turned off in airplane mode. Apple doesn't explain it, but that's because the folks at Apple are so convinced that their products are easy to use that they never explain anything. They are easy, of course, but a few hints on some points would be nice.)
+ I still don't understand why my iPhone has to actually be off during take-off and landing. What I like to do is crosswords - they are not sending or receiving radio waves. Can it be that filling out a crossword cause interference with air traffic control? Somehow I doubt it.
+ Lately I've noticed another warning - you are not supposed to leave your cell phone, PDA or Other Electronic Device loose on the seat next to you! I'm guessing this has nothing to do with radio interference but with the danger of small object flying through the air and hitting people in the head. So be it, but then where is the proscription against untethered tomes by Stephanie Meyer or Peter Drucker? Surely, a flying 500-page book can do more damage than a PDA!
+ Ah the mysteries of modern life. Perhaps someday all will be revealed.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
What happened with the TV
In the end, I gave up trying to select a TV through research. The are so many models on the market, and so many features to compare - I just selected Sony as a reliable brand and picked out a model whose physical design I liked.
Then, as I was ordering it through a mail order place, the agent told me that was last year's model, and this year's had better specs, so I bought that one instead.
I'm happy with picture quality, but this new one came with a goofy physical design element - a little strip of clear plastic at the bottom, which offers a splendid view of nothing more appealing than the cables running out the back! In addition I wish it had a few more "wide" picture formats, like the Philips sets I used to work on. Also, it seems to take 5-6 seconds to tune from one HD channel to the next. But aside from those complaints, it's fine!
Then, as I was ordering it through a mail order place, the agent told me that was last year's model, and this year's had better specs, so I bought that one instead.
I'm happy with picture quality, but this new one came with a goofy physical design element - a little strip of clear plastic at the bottom, which offers a splendid view of nothing more appealing than the cables running out the back! In addition I wish it had a few more "wide" picture formats, like the Philips sets I used to work on. Also, it seems to take 5-6 seconds to tune from one HD channel to the next. But aside from those complaints, it's fine!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Buying a TV
How does anyone buy anything these days? Thanks to the internet, anyone contemplating a major purchase might justifiably sink into terrified inaction for months on end. That was where I stood on the TV question until recently forced into action.
After my son's "ex" demanded her TV back, and I gave him mine, I finally got around to shopping for a new flat TV, which I've been desultorily researching for 2-3 years! I quickly realized that, to make an informed decision, you would need to spend several hours a day for several months to get up to speed -- and by then most of what you learned would be obsolete. With an empty spot where my TV used to be, I couldn't wait that long, so I resolved to get this done!
First, I decided the technology: I opted for LCD over Plasma, because LCDs are more lightweight and energy-efficient, and the deeper blacks and wider angle of view offered by Plasma didn't mean that much to me.
I figured the next thing was to choose a size. The advice columns say most buyers wish they bought something bigger, so after thinking 40-42 inches would be fine, I expanded to 46 inches. But even then, there must be hundreds of models to choose from! If you start from "Consumer Reports," you get good advice, but they cover only 15-20 models. Other comparison sites cover more, but how can you trust any old enthusiast who says "This is a great TV" when you have no way of vetting their knowledge, judgment, or honesty!
Head swimming, I decided to let others narrow the field for me, so I re-joined a discount membership retailer and had a look at what they had to offer. Even side by side, it was hard to tell which TVs were really better, and whether they had all been set up comparably. In the end, I decided that I just didn't want devote my life to the problem, so I went with Sony, on the theory that if they are consistently more expensive, they must be better. (I know, it's a dumb argument that plays into the hands of the market leader, but Sony owners are satisfied, and I reckon at worst I'm overpaying, but at least I'll a decent product.)
Having settled on a model, I went back online to check prices. Not surprisingly, I found some better prices, or so I thought. First, I decided I could go a little over my initial budget, say $300 over. Then, I thought, buying mail-order, maybe I can avoid sales tax, though it's a trade-off with shipping. OK, here's a place, they list a shipping charge but no tax. I go with them, adding $150 in shipping, but wait, it turns out they charge sales, too, so another $150. Then, it turns out I have to "confirm" my order by phone, which is really where they try to get you buy more stuff! It turns out I just ordered last year's model, but this year's model is so much better, and only $150 more! Well, who could say "no" to that! And don't forget those HDMI cables...
Needless to say, the budget is distant memory. I'll report on what happens when the beast gets delivered.
After my son's "ex" demanded her TV back, and I gave him mine, I finally got around to shopping for a new flat TV, which I've been desultorily researching for 2-3 years! I quickly realized that, to make an informed decision, you would need to spend several hours a day for several months to get up to speed -- and by then most of what you learned would be obsolete. With an empty spot where my TV used to be, I couldn't wait that long, so I resolved to get this done!
First, I decided the technology: I opted for LCD over Plasma, because LCDs are more lightweight and energy-efficient, and the deeper blacks and wider angle of view offered by Plasma didn't mean that much to me.
I figured the next thing was to choose a size. The advice columns say most buyers wish they bought something bigger, so after thinking 40-42 inches would be fine, I expanded to 46 inches. But even then, there must be hundreds of models to choose from! If you start from "Consumer Reports," you get good advice, but they cover only 15-20 models. Other comparison sites cover more, but how can you trust any old enthusiast who says "This is a great TV" when you have no way of vetting their knowledge, judgment, or honesty!
Head swimming, I decided to let others narrow the field for me, so I re-joined a discount membership retailer and had a look at what they had to offer. Even side by side, it was hard to tell which TVs were really better, and whether they had all been set up comparably. In the end, I decided that I just didn't want devote my life to the problem, so I went with Sony, on the theory that if they are consistently more expensive, they must be better. (I know, it's a dumb argument that plays into the hands of the market leader, but Sony owners are satisfied, and I reckon at worst I'm overpaying, but at least I'll a decent product.)
Having settled on a model, I went back online to check prices. Not surprisingly, I found some better prices, or so I thought. First, I decided I could go a little over my initial budget, say $300 over. Then, I thought, buying mail-order, maybe I can avoid sales tax, though it's a trade-off with shipping. OK, here's a place, they list a shipping charge but no tax. I go with them, adding $150 in shipping, but wait, it turns out they charge sales, too, so another $150. Then, it turns out I have to "confirm" my order by phone, which is really where they try to get you buy more stuff! It turns out I just ordered last year's model, but this year's model is so much better, and only $150 more! Well, who could say "no" to that! And don't forget those HDMI cables...
Needless to say, the budget is distant memory. I'll report on what happens when the beast gets delivered.
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