Category: Observations Page 87 of 89

iPad 2: How thin is too thin?

On March 2, 2011

Upon reading Andy Ihnatko’s first look at the iPad 2 tonight a single line caught my eye and it’s been bugging me since the announcement this afternoon.

“But you kind of have to hold the iPad 2 to really get the redesign. It’s thinner by a third, plus its edges taper to a thin line of metal.” — iPad 2 is here

I owned a 4th Generation iPod Touch. I bought it to replace my ailing 1st Generation model and it is still one of my favorite pieces of technology ever. The iPod Touch changed the way I thought about media and entertainment on the go.

My biggest gripe in the upgrade to the newest, sleek model was the tapered edged. The iPod Touch is just .28″ deep. The iPad 2 is going to be .34″ deep. This means a very sharp tapered edge to achieve the incredible thinness.

This also means edges digging into your hands when held at length. Holding the iPod Touch when reading at length or playing Fruit Ninja was fine for short periods. However, when held for 10 or 15 minutes or longer, it would start to become uncomfortable.

The edges would slowly dig into my palm and fingers. There was no comfortable way to hold the device. No matter which way I turned of placed it, those super thin edges would dig into me. The great irony is the beautiful design makes you want to keep your iDevices naked. However, the functionality of the design screams for the use of a case, with soft edges.

When I got an iPhone 4 this past December, I was very pleased at how good those .37″ edges felt. Those straight, smooth, non-tapered non-pointy edges were bliss to behold, literally.

Having just received a 32 GB WiFi iPad for Christmas I am not in a hurry to upgrade it. It still feels new and I get excited every time I use it. I watched the announcements today mainly to see if Apple was going to announce a better way to sync the data between my iPad and iPhone, or if there was some amazing deal-breaking feature for the sequel.

Though I didn’t have anything in my head that would make me sell this one and buy the new one. It didn’t mean I wasn’t open to seeing what the Cupertino gang could dream up.

HDMI video out is going to be killer for some people. However, I have to wonder how many people need yet another device to export video to a big screen. We have a PC Laptop, a Macbook, iPad, iPhone 4, Wii, Xbox 360, Power Mac Tower, and an iMac to export video to our 42″ TV. Do we really need another device to show video?

Face Time on another device is only exciting if you talk to small children in far away places. My wife uses FaceTime with our little niece out west because she doesn’t sit still long enough to chat on a computer. With FaceTime on the iPhone she can wander around and show us things. I don’t see this being a killer feature in the iPad. What’s the benefit for FaceTime on iPad versus iPhone or the a Mac laptop?

Though again, I am not a big video chatter. Also, Apple hasn’t mentioned the resolution of the cameras in the iPad. Will they be high quality like the iPhone 4 or barely usable like the iPod Touch. It’s these details that will make or break the usefulness of the cameras for most people. How about a better way to move photos from iPhone to iPad instead of syncing through iTunes?

A faster chip is always nice., the A5 being dual-core is a boon to the future of the product. Of course there’s going to be faster chips. Two times the speed and 9x the graphics performance means better games and other applications like iMovie.

Smart Covers. Now there is a brilliant idea and the one killer thin that caused me to stop and reconsider the iPad’s second coming. Then I snapped to my senses. It’s a cover. It’s a glorified microfiber wipe and cover for your iPad. That is not enough to sell me on a new device. It’s a brilliant implementation and if it works half as well as demoed will be awesome.

My biggest excitement comes in the form of the new iOS features.

Rotation Lock is a nice option to have back again for the iPad. Since the Mute switch doesn’t mute every sound coming out of the device, it doesn’t work well as a mute switch. I’d much prefer the rotation lock. I got my iPad after the removal of the rotation lock option so I am excited to have it for the first time.

Personal hotspot for iPhone 4 only. How long will it take for AT&T to implement it? Will it even be worth it with the limited data plans? It could be a great feature, or it could be a total non-starter. It all depends on AT&T and their track record has been abysmal. Will Verizon have put enough pressure on them to force their hand in reacting quicker to Apple’s new features?

iTunes Home Sharing is exciting. I’ve used it to manage and backup libraries between computers at home. I don’t sync any music to the iPad so it would be nice to be able to just pull over the few songs I want.

iMove would excite me if I shot video more than once a year or had a child to show off. I couldn’t care less about Garageband as I’m not musical. Photobooth, just as on the Mac was a lot of fun, for about 15 minutes. Then I forgot it existed.

I am curious the enhancements to AirPlay and (hopefully one day AirPrint) since I am much more curious how Apple is going to connect their walled gardens of iPad and iPhone. It really is obnoxious to have the same app or game on both devices but have no convenient way to share data. If everything had Dropbox syncing, the world would be a better place.

Safari is faster. Faster is always better.

There was nothing in the announcement today to make me seriously consider selling my iPad. It will be cause for those holding out to run to the store in a week and pick one up. The device is an amazing feat of computing and has changed how I read and spend my time in the evenings.

I will still go to an Apple Store after they’re released and pick one up. I’ll hold it. I’ll judge its heft against the original. I’ll see how it feels in my hand. I’ll imagine holding it for an hour, reading a book and see if those .2 pounds makes the pointy edges any better.

My guess is it will look beautiful but still be a pain to hold. I’d love to be proven wrong. However, MG Siegler’s preview in TechCrunch are not encouraging, “iPad 2 feels quite a bit like one of the newer iPod touches, just larger, obviously.”

Not everyone is a nerd like me

By Carl

On March 1, 2011

In Observations

I wrestled with starting Tech in the Trenches. I’ve kept blogs as an HTML file (back in the days of Xoom.com), Xanga, LiveJournal, Blogger, Tumblr, TypePad, Textpattern and currently WordPress. I’ve got a pile of notebooks from school where I used to write obsessively. Song lyrics, (terrible) teenage poetry, musings and thoughts on whatever popped into my head. I wrote often and still write daily.

I hesitated starting this blog because I never had a single topic in mind where I could focus my writing. What I wanted to focus on was technology and recommendations. But I felt like everything I wanted to say had already been said by others.

I would say to myself, “What is the point in writing about this app or this website? Shawn Blanc or John Gruber have already covered it better than I ever could.

In addition to being an obsessive writer, I am also a compulsive reader. I digest tech news and writing through hundreds of RSS feeds, blogs, podcasts and articles I come across everyday. Johnny 5 and I share the cry for Need More Input!

It is because of my massive consumption of tech news and information, I have the tendency to assume because I am aware of that cool website or application those around me are as well. However, this is clearly not the case. Not everyone reads like a man obsessed.

That is partially what pushed me over the edge into starting this blog. I wanted to share the interesting things I found and knew about. I wanted to help other people find interesting things to make their lives and work better.

I want to share what I find with friends, family and the strangers who somehow stumble across this space from Google searches, or Tumblr links.

I finally realized I don’t need to be the first person ever to talk about something. Nor do I need to be the best person to talk about it. I need to write what I want to write and not let the self-doubt stop me.

Bluetooth Dance

By Carl

On February 23, 2011

In Observations

I received a Motorola S305 Bluetooth wireless headset for Christmas and I absolutely love it. The wireless freedom for commuting means no longer wrestling with cords. The wireless freedom at work means no longer dragging my iPhone off the desk when I spin around in my cube. The wireless freedom at home means I am free to wash dishes, walk around, and just generally not have to deal with a digital leash.

For all the greatness of Bluetooth, it has one major short fall, syncing to multiple devices. iPhone, iPad, Home Mac, and Work PC are all sources for syncing. The most common problem I have is the iPad/iPhone sync. I use the iPhone to listen to podcasts while intake the train to and from work very week. However, when I get home I am more likely to sync over to the iPad for video or Pandora to unwind.

As it is now, here is the process for changing from iPhone to iPad.

iPhone: Settings, General, Bluetooth, Off.
iPad: Settings, General, Bluetooth, On.
Motorola S305: Hold power button, wait for power on sound. Watch iPad screen for connect confirmation.

Doesn’t sound like a lot of work but it is 8 taps (10 if you count starting with a Home button press for each device). Then I need to assure the Bluetooth is turned off on the iPhone/iPad depending what I’m not using. It’s by no means a deal breaker or killer procedure but it does get tedious when done three to four times a day.

Here is what I envision as a solution.

An audible system for Bluetooth detection. After the initial pairing with a device, upon powering up the headset, it would read the last device it was paired with for easy re-pairing. Then, when you click the power/sync button it would cycle through the other paired devices in range and speak the device name.

For instance, Hit sync. Headset says “iPhone” click “iPad” click “Mac” or read computer name. Once the desired source is found, click a button to confirm and enjoy.

This would serve to allow syncing between a hand full of devices at your disposal and due to the pairing requirement, would prohibit the Bluetooth headset from listing every nearby Bluetooth device.

I have no idea what the feasibility of this is and if Bluetooth will even support it. But it’s a thought.

Golden Kisses

By Carl

On February 15, 2011

In Observations

The last few days have been beautiful. I’ve awoken to the sunlight kissing the bed sheets. Laying in bed, I can see the morning sky change from pink to blue. The golden rays creeping over the horizon illuminating the tips of the Mormon Temple in the distance. The North Tower next to us returning the sun’s kisses.

The morning is a magical time. The quiet of the world slowly giving way to the day’s commerce. Being seven floors up, the quiet of morning is amplified.

I am usually not a morning person but these past few days have been perfect.

Help Desk Satisfaction

By Carl

On February 11, 2011

In Observations

Have you ever had a positive experience calling a help desk?

I am taking a job working at a help desk (with the goal being to use that as stepping stone to advance back to Desktop Support or something more). ((Author’s Note: I originally wrote this article before starting my very first Help Desk position. I have since completed that contract and moved back to Desktop Support full-time but the issues remain the same everywhere and it’s something I feel needs to be addressed.))

During the interview, one of the questions brought up how the Help Desk solves about 55% of the issues from calls and email. However, the satisfaction with the Help Desk is around 25-30%.

I was asked what I would to increase satisfaction with the help desk. I responded how I would bring my experience to the position so when people called in, they would get someone knowledgeable, helpful and able to bridge the gap between tech speak jargon and terms anyone could understand.

They were satisfied.

Then I got to thinking after the interview, have I, as an advanced user / support monkey EVER had a positive experience with a help desk? Have I ever called the help desk anywhere… Dell, Honeywell, Unisys, GE and been satisfied with my experience? I couldn’t think of a single time.

Now, let’s think about this. I know what’s what. Usually when I call the help desk it’s for something I cannot accomplish on my own. I need parts or I need something done which I lack the access to do (server access, password resets, issues which require escalation).

I get frustrated because the help desk is a barrier to accomplishment. In my eyes it’s mostly staffed by people who have little or no technical knowledge and need to be told exactly what you’re looking to do.

What is it like for the 60-year-old call center worker, or the English-as-a-second language city worker? What about your own mother or father (assuming they are not internet rock stars). How many time do they get frustrated with the computer not doing what it should do?

The problem with most help desks is there is zero focus on real customer service and support. The idea seems to be to filter people out as quickly as possible and if their situation cannot be resolved with the script given to read, then nothing can be done.

Someone calls in to the help desk already frustrated and looking for help. Instead of friendly, helpful service they’re asked to repeat their information two or three times. Asked to wait as the slower-than-molasses help desk person types in their information. Waits for the PC to load whatever it loads. Then, they can ask what the problem is. By this point you’re now made an already frustrated person wait longer. And become more frustrated.

Now is the part that matters. Does the problem get resolved? Does a password need to be reset? Is there some simple troubleshooting or setting modification to be tweaked to help this person out?

This is where most calls end in frustration. This is the part of the call where the help desk worker (I loathe to call them techs) can either provide a solution or not. It’s been my experience most of the time there is no solution to be had. Even for simple problems, like password resets or simple account changes.

The people at the help desk are not skilled and knowledgeable enough, nor are they willing to work outside their given script in some cases to get the issue resolved.

I have adopted a policy of continually calling a help desk until I can get what I want from them, usually on behalf of a flustered and irritated user who is fed up with the helpless desk.

It boggles my mind how little attention is seemingly paid to this first level of defense in technical support. Ideally, your help desk should be staffed by knowledgeable people who are able to troubleshoot and correct commonplace issues. These should never make it to “level 2” or a desktop support tech.

Now I’ve done a lot of complaining so far, here’s some ideas for improving the situation.

Hire skilled workers for your help desk.

No, it’s not glamorous. No, it’s not going to be the most fun job in the world. But if you offer some money for the position, you’ll find skilled workers such as myself. I am making the move from desktop support to a help desk position. The money is better and it’s with an organization where the room for change and advancement is a real possibility. If you make the position attractive and sell it as the first line of IT defense, you’ll find your techs. Get people into the system who knows computers and are excited and willing to help. This will get your customers and employees talking about how good their help desk support experiences have been and soon you’ll have a world-class help desk staffed by rock stars.

Train your help desk employees.

Make sure they understand computers. Make sure they’ve got a good grasp of Windows, Office and Internet Explorer basics. If not, train them. Make free classes available to them or mandatory. Make sure they’re up on the latest software versions your company uses. This goes hand in hand with finding good people from the start. Some of us love technology and keep up on the latest and greatest. However, if you offer classes on what your company uses specifically it will help everyone better serve that customer base.

Stop skimping on where it matters most.

Stop sending call centers to India. You’ve doubly exacerbated your issue. Now, you have unskilled, script-reading help desk employees who are now much harder to understand. There have been many, many times I’ve had to call the help desk on behalf of older users especially ones who are hard of hearing because they cannot understand the help desk. At all.

Skimping on this level of support does nothing but breed bad feeling towards your company. Your customers or employees have paid for your product or service. At least treat them like someone who helps you stay in business. Your customers will go elsewhere quicker than you can say “help desk” so start treating them like first class citizens, not an annoyance.

Create an easy-to-use, sharable documentation system.

Wikis. Word Docs. Message Boards. I don’t care how you do it but meet with your team and decide what works best for them. Once you have a good system in place, this may require some trial-and-error until you find the right one, encourage people to use it. Make documentation writing and updating fun. Offer incentives for those who add to the pile. Offer perks or little prizes to make it fun. You’ll soon find that you’ll have a nice compendium of commons problems, basic troubleshooting steps, simple installation, lists of software for certain tools and where to find them like spyware and anti-virus.

Don’t look now, but you’ve just built a knowledge base worthy of any world-class organization. This will only help you. Instead of sitting around thinking, “now I know I’ve seen this error before, but I can’t recall how to fix it” you can go to the knowledge base and look it up.

The end result of your knowledge base should serve two purposes. First, the moment a new hire comes aboard, they should be able to find a procedure to install any software your company uses in easy to understand, jargon-free English. The best test of this is to let someone completely nontechnical read over it. They don’t have to complete the process but they do need to understand the process. Second, when you have a central hub of information and have planted the idea on the heads of your support team, whenever a new, recurring issues arises you can bet one of them will document it. After that, everyone else will refer to it for guidance instead of emailing around or asking how to fix the problem.

You’ll be faster and correct more problems at step 1 instead of having to create a ticket for a desktop tech. You’ll educate your workforce at the same time you’re helping them. Remember, if you help your help desk, they’ll be able to better aid the rest of the organization.

I will be joining a help desk in a little under a week with my new job. It will be an interested change to go from single-handedly supporting 150-400 users to working on a team supporting 5,000 remotely.

I think a lot about how IT support is mostly customer service, with computers. That’s so often overlooked in the IT community. Yes, we’re a bunch of geeks who love our toys and machines. However, you still need to make your customer happy. You need to be able to translate geek speak into words your mother can understand.

I’m sure you have other ideas and solution. Or perhaps I’m totally off my rocker. Tell me in the comments!