ericclemens.com
I received an email from Dan Hanson, Columnist with Inside Business Mangazine today. he writes:
Hopefully you saw the recent Inside Business Magazine with the Power 100 listings.
I want to narrow that down to Tech and write about the Top Tech people in Cleveland.
Can you shoot over a few (or a bunch of) names that you think are the top tech people in town? Feel free to elucidate. Would love to see some more obscure names as well as the shoe-ins.
Some thoughts to consider:
- Whose calls/e-mails do you always return right away?
- Who do you follow on blogs, Twitter or other SM because they are saying important things?
- Who will you try and go see speak when they present?
- When you brag to out-of-towners about the Cleveland tech scene, who are your examples.
- When you need a tech answer or connection, who do you contact?
I know that many of you who read my postings would like to nominate me – so I thought I would pass Dan’s request along. Please email Dan at dan@magnuminc.com and tell him about me. Thanks for the love!
On a whim, I stopped into the Verizon store while I was in Charlotte over the holiday. I’ve looked at the DROID before – but didn’t think it was for me given the form factor. I’ve also been holding out on an upgrade – waiting for the Palm Pre to arrive at Verizon (now confirmed for January 25th BTW).
First, I can’t stop saying DROID in a machine voice. The operating system is very fast on this phone. coming from my 4 year old TREO, the DROID is snappy and responds very well to key and touch screen input with little or no lag time. It responds predictably to my commands, doesn’t lock up, or freeze which is a HUGE delight.
I was quickly able to familiarize myself with the device and thought it was fairly intuitive – but I could see some places where a non-techie would become confused at what to do next.
My first frustration with the device is the keyboard. I just don’t understand why Smartphone designers insist on making keyboards that only and infant could love. There is little to no tactile difference between keys and you could just as easily be pressing 2,3 or even 4 keys at the same time (if you are holding it in a landscape view and operating it with your thumbs). I am just as slow typing on the physical keyboard as I am on the screen keyboard. I suspect that Motorola made the keyboard the way they did to keep the device thickness down.
Secondly, I found the “silent” operation to be just that, absolutely silent. When in silent mode, it doesn’t even vibrate. I had to ask for assistance from a Verizon rep to tell me that you have to download an application for that – what? The Verizon rep noted that it is a feature of the OS to be open for users to create applications to have the phone do things which it doesn’t already do. I suppose that is true for even the most basic of “features”.
Third, the “Back, Menu, Home, and Search” keys along the bottom of the device are just way to sensitive. Many times, while using the device, if I have my palm or part of a finger near those keys, it will activate those functions. I wish it was a little less sensitive.
Lastly, the built in accelerometer is quite sensitive and the only real hang up I have is when I am using the phone, as a phone the screen is quick to dim itself and turn off if it suspects you have the phone upright (and presumably to your face). This makes selecting other functions while on a call, a bit of a challenge.
One thing that I really love about the software on the phone is that it just loves working with my Microsoft Exchange (work) and Gmail (personal) accounts. they were both very easy to setup (along with my Facebook) and the software merges all of your contacts into a single contact list. So if you have a phone number for someone on your Facebook list, but not on your email account – it will still display that merged information when you lookup their one contact record. the only problem it had was distinguishing between my bother (Carl) and my Nephew (Carl Jr.). I suppose that if you have contacts with similar names, you may have this problem as well.
Also, I really like the Google Maps navigation. It is even better that it is free. The navigation is not as nice as our Garmin – but it does a great job directing me to where I need to go.
The application library had everything I could have needed. NBA scores, Weatherbug, LinkedIn and a few games… they are easy to pick from and more are being added every day as Google extends the number of handsets which are running the Android operating system.
The Built in 5MP camera took nice pictures and made it easy to share them instantly on Facebook.
I love the Car “dock” but didn’t care for the default “voice search” application assigned to the Car homepage. It will only search for contacts and dial the numbers of contacts which you have in your Google account. to solve this, you guessed it, I had to install another application.
Don’t waste your money on the multimedia dock. I was hoping that it was an induction charging system it isn’t. Like the Car home page, the multimedia dock displays a clock and some basic information (I suppose so that you can use your phone as your alarm clock). There are other ways to do this without spending the extra money.
In summary, i really like this phone, but I am 99% sure that I will be trading it in when the Palm Pre is released in a few weeks. I like the keyboard and form factor of the Pre – better. But if you are married to Google – I certainly think you can’t go wrong with the DROID. Several people whom I shared this phone with also commented on its rather hefty weight. For those who want something a bit more compact, and can do without a keyboard, get the Eris. It runs the same software, but has a bit more iPhone like form factor.
I’ve had my Kindle
All things being equal, The Sony reader was my first choice, as it received a lot of high marks for its open format support and usability. However, they only have 1 model which has built in cellular wireless, and the latest model did not receive many favorable reviews from Sony Reader Fans. Also, the Sony was considerably more expensive for a device which I felt was a luxury item. The Nook appeared to be a contender on price and features, but users have complained about the overall speed of the device and it appears to be twice as thick as the Kindle. Also, the keyboard is virtual, which doesn’t work well for me (from experience using other virtual keyboard devices).
What I like most about the Kindle: Size/Form Factor, Ease of use, Clarity of Screen, Wireless, annotations
There is a LOT to like with the Kindle – but what stands out the most for me (and other people whom I’ve shared the device with) is how compact the Kindle is. Sure, the screen could be a little bit bigger, but the device is very thin while maintaining its user friendliness. The button placement is well thought out and placed and you don’t spend a lot of time hunting for menu items. Some reviewers complain about the 5 way toggle switch (a touch point navigation button for moving around the screen and menus) but I don’t have any problems using it. It would be nice If they had some abrasive material on the tip of the selector to make it that much easier, but I have no complaints about it as-is. The true elegance of the device is in its ease of use. Menu items are well thought out and easy to understand. I think even a techno-novice could pick up the Kindle and quickly become an expert with its functions.
One huge benefit of the Kindle is its built in cellular wireless. I’ve purchased about 10 books from the kindle store and I think that the process is flawless if you know the specific book you are looking for. I think some of the categories and other search features are a little lacking – so for in-depth searches, you may want to hit the Amazon website. If you can’t find the book you are looking for, it is possible that you may have misspelled something, or they don’t have it in ebook format. I think Amazon could do a little better job by telling you that a book (if it matches your search) isn’t available in a digital format, and give you the option to have a hard copy shipped to you.
The screen is very easy to read. I’ve spent several hours in a single stretch reading it, and eye strain is not an issue. Also, I think you should know that the slight flicker when moving between pages is not at all a distraction for me – it happens quite quickly.
Finally, I LOVE the annotation feature. I’ve used this much more than I thought I would to mark passages for later review or note taking. It is very easy to bookmark a passage and make a short note for later review. You can also call up the annotations on your PC when the kindle is plugged in via the USB cable.
Dislikes: Lack of support for other file formats, Keyboard, Price
One major downfall of the Amazon (which I hope they fix with a software update) is lack of support for the popular, open, ePub file format (which both the Sony and Nook readers support). Amazon has their own proprietary file format for reading documents on the Kindle. Although you can read PDF files natively, the device lacks the ability to truly read from a pdf file. You can send the documents to Amazon for conversion (there is a free option) but the files that I’ve tested this with, have come back garbled and difficult to read if they have too much special formatting (the Kindle doesn’t like tables within documents). I will have to play with this some more, but at this point, I’ve decided to only use the device to read Kindle formatted content until they come out with a software update to make this a better experience. If you are looking to buy a Kindle to read PDF files – you may be better off with the Nook or Sony Reader.
For me, another clear benefit of the kindle is the physical keyboard (vs the virtual keyboard found on the Sony and Nook). The Kindle 1 keyboard received a lot of negative feedback, and the Kindle 2 keyboard is an improvement. However, the keys aren’t reassuring to press and I often have to correct the words that I’ve typed. The buttons are spaced to far apart, and the rise of the keys just isn’t enough to help you navigate from key to key or get a solid key-press. I feel that I would be as fast typing on this keyboard as I would be on a virtual one.
Many of the people whom I’ve shared my Kindle with have also commented on the lack of a built in reading light. I can say that having a built in reading light would be a HUGE convenience, but there are plenty of external lights you can purchase. I’ll also point out that with a reading light, the device would have to be larger, and the Sony reader has a built in light which has received a lot of criticism for the glare it causes.
For the original price of $360 (for the Kindle 1 at release), I felt this was a luxury. For the current price of $260, I still think that this is a luxury. You would have to read a LOT of books to see a dollar value savings (hardcopy vs. digital prices of books). What would make the kindle absolutely perfect is 1) a price point in the $150 range 2) a better, more natural keyboard 3) a recessed built in reading light and 4) better support for different file formats (PDF, ePub).
In conclusion: I love the Kindle. I’ve done more reading in the last 2 weeks than I have in the last several years. I look forward to getting a lot of enjoyment out of this device and think that eReaders in general will be a technology staple in the future. I am not sure if the Kindle will be THE device to have in the future, but certainly it appears to be the most mature product on the market and I think future versions of the device will only improve its usefulness.
If you have any specific questions about the Kindle – feel free to ask in the comments.
First A little background….
I am an IT consultant who recommends tens of thousands of dollars of computer products for my clients each year. This year alone, we recommended our clients purchase over $150,000 in equipment from Dell. I choose to not sell equipment so that I can remain unbiased with my recommendations.
Over the last 17 years of my professional career, I have dealt with and purchased from all of the major venders and resellers that are available. For the bulk of the last 5 years, I have been recommending and working with Dell. Frankly, I think if you dive deep enough into any of the big pc manufactures customer service requests, you will find a relatively equal amount of satisfied customers as dissatisfied. I refuse to go back to using custom built PCs because they just can’t match the post sale hardware support offered by the "big 3" (Dell, IBM, and HP). It’s worth the extra expense over the white box systems available out there.
I’ve recommended Dell because we’ve found their post sales support to be predictable (eg. easy to work with and navigate) and their support website makes it easy to look up old equipment and provide answers for our clients. I also enjoyed reading Michael Dell’s book "Direct from Dell" and felt he understood what mattered to consumers like me. I also like his philosophy of "Under promise, over deliver".
I recently became acquainted with and partnered with a Dell reseller in LaCross Wisconsin – CR-Solutions. Buying the same hardware through CR solutions, as a client would have normally bought direct from Dell has saved them 10-15% due to the volume discounts that CR-Solutions receives. It’s the same hardware; and support comes from Dell, so it is a "win" for everyone involved.
I should also mention that I take my dealings with large companies (like Dell) with patience. I understand that they cannot turn on a dime and things can take longer, but if you don’t fight the process and are patient, everything works out in the end. Although I am very frustrated, I deliver my message in the most calm and respectable way – and my email threads to/from Dell show that.
On to the issue at hand…
Recently a customer needed to purchase 6 computers for their dermatology practice. I recommended the Dell Optiplex 960 SFF computers with the All-In-One 22" UltraSharp 2208WFP monitors. These units are pretty slick because they combine a small form factor computer and monitor into one unit that saves on desktop space. We had CR-Solutions quote the order, all is good. Then we found out that the monitors were on a shipping delay, so I looked for another source and found them available on the Dell Outlet website.
The customer ordered the PCs from CR solutions and the monitors from the Dell outlet on August 7, 2009 and we were off to the races.
The monitors arrived on August 12. For anyone unfamiliar with the Dell SFF computers and the All-In-One monitor setup, there is a cable cover that goes on the back of the PC and attaches to the All-In-One stand which completes the look of this unit (Photo1, Photo2). I was expecting that the cable covers would have been included in the monitor boxes since the only application for the covers is to use them with the monitor. It would be less likely to use the cover without the monitor because it wouldn’t fully "clip on" without the stand which is a part of the All-In-One monitor. I think to myself "no problem, they must be coming with the PCs".
The PCs arrived on 8/18, without the cable covers. I contacted my friends at CR-Solutions to see what they recommended. They were unable to find the part in their reseller portal and recommended that I contact Dell. I contacted Dell and was referred to a Customer Care rep, Michael (Case #803677589), to try and locate the part. They responded 3 days later (on 8/21) with an incorrect part number (they gave me the part number for the whole stand, not the cover).
On 8/26 I receive a reply from Michael’s "Case Manager", Ailleen, informing me that they have to go to their manufacturing department to try and find the part.
On 9/7, I finally hear back from Michael with the correct part number (TJ821) and a recommendation that I purchase the part from the support website.
Now, at this point, the end user is rather frustrated that he doesn’t have the covers. I suppose that I could have not told him about them, but if it were my money, I’d want the covers. The cost per cover was going to be $80 (or $480 for 6 of them). I decided for the sake of making sure I took care of this, to order the covers myself. So I went to the Dell website and processed an online order for the part Michael recommended. I completed the transaction on 9/23. My order arrived on 9/28.
On 9/29 I dispatched a technician to our client’s office to install the cable covers. He returns to tell me that they don’t fit. For no other reason than the amount of time I’ve spent on this stupid issue, I decided to double check for myself and on 9/30, I went back to the client to check them for myself. Sure enough, they didn’t fit. They sent me cable covers that would have gone on a Optiplex 760 SFF not the covers for a 960 SFF (the 760 is smaller).
Here we go AGAIN!
On 10/1 I emailed Michael and cc’d his "case manager" Ailleen about the error. They opened a new case number (# 80377589). I was informed that they would request a return and try to get this issue resolved for me.
On 10/7, I received an email reply from Ailleen saying that the returns team rejected my return request. She was going to escalate this to a "higher approver" and get back to me because she felt that I should be refunded.
On 10/13, Ailleen emailed again to say that the higher approver rejected it and she was going to escalate it to the highest level and get back to me.
On 10/21, Ailleen informed me that they are rejecting my return request because I’m beyond the return period.
I am beyond frustrated at this point. I have invested at least 7 or 8 hours of my (unbillable) time on this issue. I’ve also paid $480 for a bunch of cable covers that my customer isn’t going to pay for and I shouldn’t have to either.
So I’m left to writing this blog post, sending it to twitter and digg in hopes that it gets someone’s attention and that justice is served. I want to continue to purchase and recommend Dell products, but wont unless my customer receives their cable covers and I get my money back. Stay tuned – leave a comment if you have any suggestions for me. Thanks!
Update 10-27-09: Still no response from Dell. Scott Hanson via twitter (@DellServerGeek) recommended I contact @LisaG_atDell, which I’ve done several times via twitter and she has ignored my posts. I’m sending a final email to the Ailleen’s manager. Added photos of the (incorrect) parts I received.
In less than 2 hours, I hope to sign an asset purchase agreement to acquire one of our competitors. This deal should double the size of my company overnight and triple it by this time next year.
Looking back to when I first started Acroment, my goal was to have 25 employees and 4mil in sales within 10 years. I am 5 years in and I have a long way to go before I reach ether one of those numbers. Just to get where I am has taken a lot of sacrifice and long hours and there is no sign that things are getting easier.
Anyone who thinks that owning a business is easy either hasn’t owned a business, or doesn’t work as hard as they should.
As much as I look forward to the rapid growth upon me, I am also a bit nervous about the challenges that lie ahead. I am confident that this is a good move for everyone, I hope that I exceed everyone’s expectations of me as I forge ahead.