My TouchPad Today: Quickoffice HD on the TouchPad

I installed the editable version of Quickoffice (Quickoffice HD) on my TouchPad a couple of nights ago, but haven't had an opportunity to take it out for a ride on the "highway" yet. (I've only ventured just a bit outside of the driveway.)

First impressions...

• With the brief spin I took "around the block", I think I will ultimately be ok, though not overjoyed, with Qo HD.  
• A pain point I see for me is the TP's dreadful Copy/Paste functionality when working with spreadsheets. My brief test drive showed it to be a real productivity killer, just like it has been with anything else thus far on the TP that has needed Copy/Paste.
• Overall (and stating the totally obvious), the TP is now much closer to what it should have been for the July 1 / July 17 launch.

Maybe this upcoming weekend I'll get to report more fully on life with the TP and Quickoffice HD.


Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

My TouchPad Today: Preware on My TouchPad

Over the weekend I finally dipped my toe into the world of Preware on my TouchPad.

I installed the following patches/applications...

• Increase Touch Sensitivity and Smoothness 10
• Muffle System Logging
• Remove Dropped Packet Logging
• Unthrottle Download Manager
• Increase TouchPad Volume (Lite)

First impressions..

• No adverse effects seen on my TP thus far
• TP seems "stabler"
• My TP does not seem "faster" now, as compared to my wife's TP which does not have Preware installed.

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My TouchPad Today: HP - Fire, Ready, Aim?

The New York Times reviews HP's uncanny ability in recent times to shoot itself in the foot...

For Seamless Transitions, Don't Look to Hewlett


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My TouchPad Today: The Firesale TouchPad

The firesale TouchPad I ordered on Sunday morning from Best Buy arrived yesterday.

Between last night and this morning, I set it up for my wife by downloading the webOS OTA update and adding some apps from the HP catalog...

• Gemini File Manager
• DigiCamera Lite
• Audubon Birds

I also went into the phone app and minimized logging as per James Kendrick's recent ZDNet Mobile News blog post about how to speed up the TouchPad.

The only difficulty I ran into was that it took NUMEROUS attempts to download and install the OTA update, DigiCamera and Audubon Birds. HP's servers must be swamped with all of the download requests from the firesale brigade of new users.


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My TouchPad Today: TouchPad Firesale - Reveals That No One is in Charge

The TouchPad firesale fiasco this past weekend exposed a dirty little secret of the computer and Internet worlds... No one is in charge (and no one's been in charge for a long time).

Like many others, I had a TouchPad firesale purchase ($99/16GB) cancelled by the wonderful, upstanding merchants at Amazon and onSale.  I include Amazon as a full-fledged co-conspirator since they host the onSale storefront.

Here's my take on the firesale weekend...

Good Outcomes

The TouchPad (severely overpriced at the original $499 for the 16GB model, still overpriced at $399) was a super bargain at the $99 firesale price.

HP inadvertently changed the future pricing structure of the tablet PC market. Apple may be able to maintain their pricing structure, but every other tablet manufacturer is faced with selling their tablets at a loss, in hopes of somehow finding a profit in the long run.

Revelation of the Dirty Little Secret

Commerce on the Internet is built on sand. The underpinnings -- both human and electronic -- are sand and washed away rapidly by unanticipated forces.

What most of us saw and experienced were the crashing waves of the TouchPad weekend washing out the sandy electronic  foundation beneath the websites selling the TouchPad, exposing them to the open air.

The waves also exposed a lack of business integrity that has been hidden behind the gloss of the Internet for a generation now.

Merchants took TP orders that they couldn't possibly fill. Where were the businesspersons with the integrity to say "Shut it down. If we don't have 'em, we can't sell 'em."?

Merchants were clueless -- and continue to be clueless -- in regard to matching the firesale price of the TP for all purchasers, regardless of the date of purchase. Some have matched. Some won't match. Some will match, for some dates purchased.  Some will match for some people, regardless of when purchased.

Where's the integrity? HP has asked TP merchants to match the firesale price for all purchases.

No one is in charge here.  No one has been in charge for a long time.


Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

My TouchPad Today: Shame on Amazon...

Shame on Amazon and the other merchants/vendors who are not matching HP's weekend's liquidation price ($99 - 16GB / $149 - 32GB) for TouchPad customers who purchased their units prior to August 12.

I'm one of those early adopters who pre-ordered on June 20 and received it on July 8.

Amazon, through their various customer service channels (e-mail, online chat and telephone), has refused to make the adjustment/match to the HP's liquidation price. Their only offer is to return the TP for a full refund.

I can understand their position, up to a point, but what makes it particularly frustrating/aggravating is...

• HP has asked their sellers to match the liquidation price for all purchasers
• Amazon, despite citing a policy of not matching the price for purchases before August 12, is giving a liquidation match to some customers who bought before August 12.  They refuse to comment on those cases.

Readers, please let Amazon and other merchants know of your displeasure with inconsistent price matches for the TouchPad and ignoring HP's request to give the match to all purchasers, regardless of date.


Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

My TouchPad Today: TouchPad Sound - Tommy, Can You Hear Me?

Last night, I finally had the opportunity to download HP Play on my PC and sync some music to my TouchPad. Then, for a bit last night and this morning for a period while doing laundry, I listened to some of my favorite tunes of decades past, as well as some newer stuff.

I listened in a several ways... with earbuds, with closed-ear headphones and just via the built-in Beats speakers

First impression...

The sound is good, but something seems to be "missing". Though I kept pushing the volume all the way up to max or one notch just below, it wasn't volume that seemed to be missing.

After pondering it for awhile, I think the sound from my TouchPad is missing some degree of presence or power.

Thinking back to my audiophile wannabe days, it seems something akin to listening to high-end speakers playing music coming out of an underpowered amplifier. The music is in the room with you (not "coming at you", because of the good speakers), but it doesn't have enough power behind it to keep you from reaching for the volume control in a futile attempt to make up for it.

I wonder... Is this something that can be boosted/fixed by a software update, or is it something we'll have to live with on the TP?


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My TouchPad Today: Speed it Up, Buddy! (Minimize Logging)

Caught a good post last night on ZDNet Mobile News (James Kendrick)...


How to improve the performance of your new HP TouchPad


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My TouchPad Today: The Search for the Savage TouchPad

I managed to bag a couple of 16GB TouchPads today online at the liquidation price of $99.99 each...

• Best Buy before 7:30 AM EDT
• Amazon.com, through a storefront called "onSale" around 6:00 PM EDT

One will be going to my wife.

The other will be kept in reserve, or I might dedicate it to Preware-type usage.


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My TouchPad Today: My TP at Fenway Park

I'm heading to Fenway Park in Boston with my TouchPad for the annual Futures at Fenway minor league double header.

Pictures from my two TP camera apps later...

(The Red Sox are away on the road in Kansas City.)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up first, a picture taken with a Pre2 (with some minor fixing in Paint Shop Pro) of my TP at Fenway Park.

Up next, a series of pictures taken with the DigiCamera Lite app on my TP. 

(Only some minor rotation/alignment fixes in Paint Shop Pro... No other post-processing used.)

Photo detail is decent for a 1.3 MP camera.  Color, however, is lackluster/muted on what was a mostly sunny day with vibrant color.

Now, a final shot taken on the TP using the Camera app for the TouchPad.

This photo has the same lackluster/muted color as the shots taken with the DigiCamera Lite app.  The TP camera and/or the app also had a some difficulty with handling the difference between the shade of the grandstand and the bright sun on the playing field.

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My TouchPad Today: Et tu, Leo?

Just like everyone else, I heard the bad news from HP yesterday afternoon about the demise of the TouchPad, Pre and webOS, as we know them.

The demise was not unexpected because it was clear to anyone who wasn't an HP apologist that the Palm division (a/k/a The Good Ship Ruby) was just as adrift as it had been before being acquired by HP.

HP -- meaning Leo -- had no real interest in webOS or the devices.

Here's my take on what was going on...

Leo didn't buy Palm. He inherited it from the prior regime and had no personal attachment/stake in the devices or the OS.

He let the TP, etc. go forward, but let Ruby & Co. basically go their own way... with no supervision as to the final outcome.

As the TP launch approached, and it was "unfinished", Leo could have killed it then and took the loss, but decided differently.

His decision was to let it go... for the time being.

If the TP was even marginally successful, he would let things go for another period of time.

If it was not successful, he would put it to death in a measured/planned way.

What happened was that the TP and its launch was so bad in every way since July 1, that there was no choice, but the summary execution we witnessed yesterday.

Leo was done with it... No potential "upside" left for him, just more trouble caused by something which was not originally of his doing. (You'd probably do it, too.)

So, where does it leave us?

Pre, Veer and TP customers -- in plain English -- have been screwed over by Leo and Leo must go now. It won't change the decision to abandon webOS devices, but it is a small way to "make things right".

Now, you might be saying to yourself, "Hey, what about those clowns Ruby, DeWitt and Bradley? Shouldn't they be gone, too?" I agree, but Leo should be the first man to walk the plank. He had multiple opportunities to sink The Good Ship Ruby (or take control of it) long before the TP disaster hit the market... And did nothing.

Adios, Leo. That first step is a doozie.


Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

My TouchPad Today: KalemSoft Media Player - Money for Nothing?

Great title for a post, but wholly inaccurate and misleading on a couple of counts...

• The KalemSoft Media Player app does work, but, in a bit, I'll relate my bumpy first experience with it.
• No money was directly involved in getting it from the HP app catalog... Used part of my $50 early adopter credit from HP.

As mentioned, it was a bumpy first experience with this app. I loaded a .WMV file on my TouchPad that i had recently made in Windows Live Movie Maker. It played back at four to five times slower than it does on a PC or on YouTube.

After some basic troubleshooting and pondering, it finally occurred to me that the problem could lie in the settings of the file itself, rather than the player having a problem.

That was the trick!... My original file was created using custom settings, including 59.9 fps. I went back to Movie Maker and created a new version of the file and chose the canned settings for making a file for playback on a "computer" (the frame rate setting is somewhere in vicinity of 24 - 29 fps). The new file worked like a charm.

Going forward, I'll have to be cognizant that this player/app may be more "plain vanilla" as compared to its bigger brothers in the PC world. As of now, this isn't a dealbreaker for me... I want the ability to play more video formats than which the TP can natively handle.

I haven' t tried the streaming capabilities of this app yet.  If/when I check them out, I'll post something here.



Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

My TouchPad Today: First Impression - A Tale of Two Cameras?

Today I had the opportunity to try out two camera apps I downloaded recently from the HP app catalog for my TouchPad...

• Camera for TouchPad -- Keen Studios, 0.3.0
• DigiCamera Lite -- DigiKat Software, 1.0.1

Here are some quick test shots, respectively from each app...

Now, each picture cropped, but otherwise un-retouched, to make them as similar as possible...

Judge for yourself -- aside from my camerawork -- the quality of the camera/app combos.

For my part, not much to report yet, other than using a tablet computer front-facing camera for something other than a quick and dirty pic "in the field" when another type of camera isn't available, doesn't seem to be the wisest choice.

That's all for now... Hoping to test these apps a bit further over the upcoming weekend and post more after that.



Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

My TouchPad Today: 7" TP - Will the Price be Right?

As we get closer to the debut of the 7" TouchPad, I've started to wonder how the heck is HP going to handle this one?

I mean, the shabby handling of the 10" TP pricing affair (and less-than-stellar software configuration for the multi-day July 1 and July 17 launch) is not really in the rearview mirror yet.

The price -- assuming HP stays with a config similar to the ten-incher... one camera, no HDMI out, etc. -- has to come in south of the current $399 for the 16GB TP. Nobody will touch it if they pull the July pricing nonsense -- start out absurdly high, then come back closer to reality, when under fire -- again.

Now, Acer is out there in recent days with a seven-incher that has two cameras and HDMI-out for around $329. Is this the neighborhood where HP has to play?

I think the answer is "yes", but on the south side of that figure.

Bottom line... I think that HP has plenty of rope here to hang themselves. The question is will they repeat their all-too-recent TP blunders or will they spare us all of the angst this time around?



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My TouchPad Today: Ambient Light Sensor - The Final Solution

In the end, it has taken a combination of four things to get the ambient light sensor on my HP TouchPad working correctly again...

• Punching a hole in the CE Compass leather case I'm using, near an embedded magnet that covers the sensor.
• Improvising and installing two rubber "bumpers" to lift the leather ridge/flap of the case that covers the sensor.
• Punching a hole in the Acase View anti-glare screen protector I'm using on the TP.  The protector came from the factory with cutouts for the camera and Home button, but does not have one for the light sensor.
• Learning and remembering to keep my right hand away from the area near the sensor.  The cutouts of the CE Compass leather case (for the camera and the Home button) orient the TP so that the On/Off button, Volume button and ambient light sensor are at the bottom right when used in the landscape mode... Exactly where I naturally want to place my right hand when using the TP.
  

All of this efforts brings to mind Click & Clack's motto... "The stingy man pays the most".

But, hey, I got a few blog posts out of it.  That ain't a bad thing, is it?



Follow me on Twitter... @rmolan1087

My TouchPad Today: Ambient Light Sensor - Bumpin' Up the Light?

In a post last week I mentioned that the ambient light sensor on my HP TouchPad was covered by a ridge/flap on the CE Compass leather case that I'm using to protect the TP. I was wondering if punching a hole in the area over the sensor might let the it get a better read on the available light and adjust the brightness of my TP screen accordingly.

Alas, the hole punching was not the ultimate fix. The sensor is directly covered by a magnet for the case cover that is embedded in the ridge/flap. Punching the hole off a bit to the side of the magnet may have helped a tad, but the the flap tends to naturally settle itself down so that that the magnet keeps the sensor covered. As a result, the TP adjusts the screen brightness downward, thinking it is in an environment where dimming the display is appropriate.

So, what's a fella to do?

My next thought was... How about improvising and installing something that would boost the ridge/flap a bit to allow in more ambient light, but not so as to interfere with using the TP, nor with the magnetic closure of the case?

The result of all this was (see picture) to glue a couple of "bumpers" -- pieces of rubber sliced from a square pencil eraser -- to the underside of the ridge/flap.

Its too early to tell how well this works.  I will report back on this later in the week.


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My TouchPad Today: A Dirty Little Secret - Peekin' Through the Keyhole

Seeing blog posts and stories about the upcoming 7" HP TouchPad have reminded of how, compared to working on a large laptop or working on a computer with an external monitor, using small screen devices is akin to "peekin' through the keyhole".

Just to be clear, the sentence above was written by a 40+ year veteran of shelling out the bucks for electronic devices of all types. For smartphones, I have been the owner -- in succession -- of a Treo 700w, Pre+ and now a Pre2. I also have an Android-based tablet and a TouchPad.

For my money, no matter how you choose to spin it, we fib to ourselves when using small screen devices ranging from the size of the HP Veer and up to the a device like the TouchPad (or a netbook) and rave about the experience.

Scrolling and zooming, to some degree, is a reality on any device, regardless of size.  Where the fib comes into play is when the extra work involved in peeking through progressively smaller keyholes on smaller devices goes largely unmentioned in the hype, hoopla and novelty surrounding these devices.  A dirty little secret, if you will.


For me, the HP Veer is probably Exhibit A of the fib at work.

My wife has had a small, candy bar format phone for a number of years.  On a regular basis I've facetiously said to her, "I wish they would make a smartphone the size of your phone, with a realistic way to use the web and really do work.  I'd buy it in a heartbeat."

The HP Veer came along this year and I'm still yearning for the viable, small format smartphone. Strip away the cuteness and novelty from the Veer and you have the ultimate keyhole... Feel free to peek!


Getting back to the upcoming 7" TouchPad... I won't be purchasing one (lack of $$$), but it will clearly be in the "keyhole" zone. The TouchPad, at almost 10" still makes the user do the peekin' routine.

My TouchPad Today: Acase Anti-Glare Screen Protectors (Video Mini-Review)

Received my Acase anti-glare screen protectors from Amazon a couple of days ago and have installed one on my HP TouchPad.

Mini-Review...

Video version on YouTube.

• Quality: Good. Reminds me of a combination of some anti-glare protectors I used on my Treo 700w and the Verizon protectors I used on my Pre+.
• Cost: $14.95 (3-pack), plus shipping.
• Ease of Installation: Moderate. A rookie at installing screen protectors might get a tad frustrated.
• Installation Tip: Do not install by aligning the protector to the screen by the cutout for the Home button. Instead, try to align it by the cutout for the camera... Better results, less effort.
• Overall Impression: Does a decent job of softening/diffusing glare and reflection from the TP screen. Softens screen image a bit, understandably, but totally acceptable. Left some bubbles, but they should work themselves out in a short period of time.

My TouchPad Today: QVC "Made it Right". Who's Next?

Now that QVC has "made it right" by rebating $100+  to TouchPad early adopters, will any of the other large retailers step up and do the same thing for their customers?

Obviously, QVC and other retailers are under no obligation to make a rebate like this, but it does make some sense to do it on a couple of fronts. 

It is...

• probably cheaper in the long run to be out in front of the purchasers who will be asking for rebates and/or making returns.
• a goodwill gesture which will pay dividends to them at a later date.

Beyond those reasons, I'm just happy because it brings some additional public attention to HP's shabby handling of the the whole TouchPad affair over the past couple of months.

This certainly isn't a bad thing.

Kudos to QVC.

Hey, Jeff Bezos, will Amazon step up and also "make it right" for TouchPad early adopters?

My TouchPad Today: Price Reduction - Sweet and Sour?

I have mixed feelings about the $100 price reduction HP announced yesterday for both TP models.

Sweet -- For my money (pun intended), folks buying the TP at the new HP price -- plus any additional discounts from retailers -- are getting a decent deal. This is the pricing that should have been in effect since the July 1/July 17 launch. The TP, in its current state of development, isn't worth the premium HP was originally charging.

Sour -- The life of an early adopter is not an easy -- or inexpensive -- one. We know that and accept it, but HP threw a couple of curveballs (maybe spitballs) at us on this one. First, they didn't deliver the unit they promised back in the February at the "Think Beyond" event. Second, they pulled the launch date shenanigans (oops, July 1 was really only a soft launch). Third, the OTA update foot-dragging. Last, a $50 software credit that is unlikely to be worth $50 to many users. This has not been a sweet -- or fair deal -- for TP early adopters.

My TouchPad Today: Three Quick Thoughts

Three quick thoughts today about my HP TouchPad...

Battery Life -- Satisfied thus far with the battery life on my TP.  I haven't had a day yet where I've run it down to less than a 45% charge remaining.

CE Compass Leather Case -- Case covers the TP's ambient light sensor, causing the display screen to dim. A possible remedy I'm thinking over is to punch a hole in the lip/ridge that covers the sensor.

Screen Protector -- Still awaiting delivery of my anti-glare protector from Amazon.  Glare and reflection from the screen are becoming a major distraction and impediment to my work on the TP.

My TouchPad Today: Is Your HP TouchPad Underutilized?

Is your HP TouchPad underutilized?

Mine certainly is underutilized because I can't edit MS Office docs and spreadsheets... or effectively use Microsoft's cloud offerings, which require a browser that can handle Silverlight.

The original TP scenario for me was that I would use it most of the time as a laptop replacement outside of the home and work environments.

Well, as it turns out, I am toting around the TP in the outside world, but I'm working around things, juggling to avoid docs and spreadsheets while out and about.

Thanks again, HP!


Is your HP TouchPad underutilized?

Click below to enter a comment and share your TP experience.

My TouchPad Today: Not So Fast, HP!

Will I take advantage of HP's offer of $50 worth of free apps to early adopters of the TouchPad?... Of course, but don't expect it to make me an apologist for HP or to think I've been fully compensated for poor state of the TP as launched in July.

Just like last week's OTA update, HP has made a step in the right direction, but there's still "miles to go".

Let's take a closer look at HP's maneuver...

My first thought was that $50 in apps was good -- I'd rather get my cash back -- but it was a step in the right direction. HP, responding to a lot of bad PR, had to do something they didn't really want to do.

My second thought was maybe this was like a business deal or a baseball trade. If both sides are unhappy, maybe it was a good deal/trade.

Then, after a bit more thought I went... Hmmmm the "upside" on this is really weighted in HP's direction, not the customer's. Early adopters are still getting the "fuzzy end of the lollipop".

• HP's will get some good PR for their "generous" gesture... And maybe make some more TP sales as a result.
• HP won't lose $50 to each early adopter. I can almost guarantee you that not all eligible customers will take advantage (either full or partial) of the offer.
• App developers will make some bucks... No problem with that, but it shouldn't be leveraged toward exonerating or excusing HP for the condition of the TP as originally released.
• The early adopter customers most likely end up with $50 dollars (or less) of software and still won't have a device that has the software and functionality that HP should have baked in at the factory.

Not fair, HP.

My TouchPad Today: First Impression - Camera App

Downloaded the camera app from the HP catalog over the weekend...

First impression(s)

• Adequate. What can you really expect from a 1.x camera anyway?
• Will come in handy on those occasions when other cameras/devices with cameras are unavailable.
• Happy that developer will make some $$$... Doesn't exonerate/excuse HP for failing to include a camera app in TP originally! 

My TouchPad Today: Poke the Box (Video Mini-Review)

A couple of days ago I read the Seth Godin book Poke the Box on my HP TouchPad, using theAmazon Kindle app.

"The Domino Project is a new way to think about publishing. Founded by Seth Godin and powered by Amazon, its trying to change the way books are built, sold and spread.

Format agnostic. Kindle, audiobook, paperback, collectible… all good."

See my mini-review of Poke the Box on YouTube.

My TouchPad Today: Disadvantages of Tablet Computing

Following up here with the flip side of yesterday's post about the advantages of tablet computing, through the eyes of someone who uses a HP TouchPad...

Are there disadvantages to Tablet Computing? Well, disadvantages might be a strong a word -- downsides might be more apt -- but it would be a lie to say that everything was peaches and cream when working with a tablet.

Glare and Reflection -- For my money at this point, I don't care what angle you are able to place your tablet at, unless you have a totally black ceiling overhead and a black wall behind you, it is virtually impossible to avoid dealing with large amount of glare and reflection. (One qualification on this. I haven't used an anti-glare screen protector on my TouchPad yet. One is on the way from Amazon, so more on this at a later date.)

No Mouse (Sometimes ya just need a mouse) -- With the current configuration of the TP, trying to do copy and paste operations are a big-time exercise in futility. Perhaps a restatement of this disadvantage would be to say that copy and paste on the TP need major re-work.

Lightweight Web Browser -- Many web pages that I access do not render well on the TP's built-in app called "Web". Additionally, if you are heavily tied to Microsoft's cloud storage offerings, you're presently out of luck if you want to access and use them on the TP.

Document Editing -- Connecting back a bit to my comment about the browser/browsing disadvantage, you can't edit Microsoft documents and spreadsheets whether on the web or loaded manually to the present TP. You might say, "Well, what about Google Docs?". I say, "No Go". For me, working with Google Docs is an exercise in futility that rivals trying to do copy/paste operations on the TP.


Do you see a bit of a pattern emerging here?

Three of the four tablet computing disadvantages mentioned are about what either the TP can't do, or does badly. TouchPads should have left the factory without these flaws, or at worst, should have been promptly updated to eliminate them.

Gee, thanks, Messrs. Ruby, DeWitt and Bradley. God, awfully good work! (Or is it... "Good God, awful work!"?)

My TouchPad Today: One Month into the TouchPad Adventure

Now that I'm into my second month of tablet computing (actually third month if I count my June fling with an Android tablet while waiting for the TP to arrive), there are a few advantages I see overall as compared to using the desktops, laptops, and netbooks I own.


Tablet Computing Advantages

• Instant start-up
• Battery life
• Better portability

Maybe these aren't terribly dramatic-sounding, but think about what these three small items translate into....

• Minutes saved with each boot (...compared to Win XP and Win 7)
• More freedom from the chains of electrical outlets and power brick
• A lighter briefcase, or, heaven forbid, no briefcase at all

Nothing to sneeze at, eh?



So, now that we have noted some advantages of tablet computing, you do know what will be coming down the pike shortly, don't you?... The (unspeakable for some out there) disadvantages of tablet computing.

Stay tuned...

My TouchPad Today: A Little TouchPad Humor?

Q: How long did it take to get the TouchPad readied for launch?
A: Nobody knows. HP is still working on it.

Q: What's your best advice about how to work with spreadsheets on the TouchPad?
A: Use a laptop.

Q: When was the original TouchPad launched?
A: July 1, July 17, ... (Add any other future dates here that come to mind. That's how HP does it.)

Q: When was the original TouchPad successfully launched?
A: How do you define "successful"?

My TouchPad Today: Drift in CE Compass HP TouchPad Case (Video Mini-Review)

In my post yesterday I mentioned that I had purchased a CE Compass case for my HP TouchPad and found -- somewhat understandably -- that the unit drifted around a bit in it.

It may not seem like a lot, but when reaching for a button, or when trying to make a quick adjustment, that drift is significant.

See my video mini-review about this drift on YouTube.

My TouchPad Today: OTA Update and Other Thoughts

No posting yesterday... busy, plus the OTA update was released fairly late in the day.

A few thoughts about the OTA here shortly, but a few other small things first...


E-mail to Leo Apotheker

Over the weekend, I sent an e-mail message to Mr. Apotheker containing a copy of my Saturday blog post concerning the OTA update delay and the lack of communication and accountability that HP execs displayed to TouchPad customers during July.

Yesterday afternoon I received a phone message from the unlucky fella who was designated to respond to my e-mail. Obviously, he acknowledged receipt of the e-mail, but did not respond to the meat of the posting, which was about the HP communication and accountability problems. He focused on the info that the OTA update was "in the pipeline"... something reported about 5 hours earlier on PreCentral.net.

On a positive note, he did thank me for being a HP customer.


TouchPad Leather Case from Amazon

I'm now using a CE Compass leather TP case ($10.99 + shipping) delivered over the weekend by Amazon.

First impression... Adequate. This case quite economically does the basic job of protecting your TP from the bumps, bruises and backside fingerprints of daily life, but leaves something to be desired in other regards, mainly "fit". The TP sloshes around a bit more in it than I like, losing alignment with the cutouts for the on/off button, the home button, the volume control and the video camera. (I wonder if this case is really generic, not TP-specific?)

All in all, considering the modest price, a good purchase to give your TP some basic protection.


OTA Update

In my part of the world, the update became available somewhere shortly after 5:00 PM.

First impressions...

A good start toward getting the TP where it should have been on July 1, but still "miles to go".

Autotext fixes, clock and calculator -- Why did HP have trouble with making you appear on July 1? You're basic to this type of device and it befuddles me as to how and why you could have been omitted.

Smoother scrolling and (as I hear it) Overclocking -- Once again, why did HP have trouble with you? You're not half as tough as HP thinks you are.

Keyboard Access for Mojo Apps -- I know why you weren't here for July 1... you overslept, yeah, that's the ticket!



Now let's get the updates for...



Hey, HP, keep the updates coming. Get the TP back to where it should have been on July 1... and, by the way, there's really no need to keep fibbing to your customers and then hiding for weeks at a time. You're better than that... Or at least you used to be.