 |
October 1, 2004 |
|
|
|
| |
This week in the Buzz, you were all atwitter about an alternative to IE, especially after Microsoft tried to force upgrades to XP. And in other news of bad business behavior, Verizon crippled a perfectly good phone and expected you to suck it up. Read on.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Firefox
Gee, we can't imagine why Firefox is such a hit, what with Microsoft announcing it'll distribute its critical-flaw-fixing Internet Explorer updates only to users of Windows XP. So, you can either upgrade to XP ($99) or switch to critically acclaimed Firefox ($0). Judging from the surge in search results, you're choosing Firefox. Microsoft's not too clever with the timing, wouldn't you say? Meanwhile, Firefox logged 1 million downloads in fewer than 10 days after its 1.0 release. Browser wars, 2004!
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Motorola V710
Yeah, the Motorola V710 seemed like such a good thing. You had your built-in camera plus Bluetooth, so you could easily transfer photos to your Bluetooth-enabled computer and share them, print them out, or what have you; oh, and you could use your phone to talk to your Bluetooth-enabled car. Except that you can't. Verizon has crippled key aspects of the Bluetooth connectivity--namely, the parts that let you transfer files, although Bluetooth headsets still work--because it wants you to use the for-pay Get It Now service to share photos and download software. Verizon is making no apologies for misleading customers into buying a phone whose manufacturer touts features that you cannot use. Therefore, Buzz makes no apologies for never buying a Verizon phone or subscribing to its service, and we think you should do the same. Note: Watch for an updated review of this phone coming next week.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Nokia 3120
So Nokia went and introduced a bunch of really weird-looking phones recently, mostly in the European market, then followed it up with the nice, normal-looking 3120, which will, in fact, be on sale in the States in the near future. The 3120 seems to be more your speed, and it features worldwide connectivity, a camera, a nice little color display, and smart-phone details such as XHTML browsing, multimedia messaging, and e-mail capabilities.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Dell Inspiron 5160
Once upon a time, there was a Dell notebook that practically brought about world peace. It was the Inspiron 5150, and it ruled the mainstream notebook roost with great performance, superlong battery life, dishy extras such as a DVD burner and integrated wireless, and plenty of screen real estate. But that was 2003, and you want newer, better, faster gear. Enter the Inspiron 5160. Don't worry, Dell hasn't messed too much with a near-perfect thing. The 5160 is a relatively minor upgrade, featuring slight design changes, a faster mobile P4 chip (ranging from 2.8GHz to 3.2GHz), and a 12-cell battery, which promises to improve on the 5150's already awesome four-plus hours. Yep, you want it. You want it bad.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Motorola V505
The Motorola V505 is like the mystery of the month. There have been rumors and leaked photos since mid-September, with suggestions that the V505 would replace the delay-plagued V600, and you were searching for it like crazy last week. But Motorola hasn't officially announced the phone yet, and information was scarce until, basically, September 26, when the V505 popped up on AT&T's site. We'd link to it there, but AT&T doesn't want us to share information, apparently (no working URLs for specific phones). Anyway, it's out, along with the new V180--and sure enough, no sign of the V600 at AT&T, although it's still available from T-Mobile. Both are world phones with flip designs, and the V505 offers a camera and multimedia features. The V505 and the V180 cost $199.99 and $129.99, respectively, after rebates.
|
Got a comment or some buzz to share? Use our TalkBack feature and let me know what you think!
|
|
|
