Engadget Podcast 119 - 11.21.2008

Back for more, eh? Well you've come to the right place -- the Engadget Podcast! Join Josh, Paul, and Nilay as they take you on a magical journey through the trials and tribulations of the BlackBerry Storm, investigate the legal situation of the Apple-cloning operation known as Psystar, dish on the latest Zune and Xbox happenings, and lament the forthcoming death of FireWire as it cedes its high-speed throne to USB 3.0. And just think, access to this treasure-trove of information is yours free of charge!

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, and Nilay Patel
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Paranoid

00:02:25 - BlackBerry Storm review
00:32:35 - Psystar's antitrust claims against Apple dismissed
00:53:59 - Microsoft revamps Zune Pass: keep ten tracks per month forever and ever
01:02:43 - Microsoft ratchets down pricing on flash-based Zunes
01:02:39 - NXE hitting 360s with red ring, freezing and sorta-sexy-avatar issues?
01:06:45 - Goodbye, FireWire 400

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[mirakutea @ Nov 21st 2008 2:34PM]

iLoveYou.

[wtfitsRICK @ Nov 21st 2008 2:37PM]

And congratulations to me for winning the Zune giveaway after the last podcast!
haha.
Thanks, guys! :D

[Surur @ Nov 21st 2008 4:28PM]

You guys lose just lose more and more credibility when you say people chose iPhone over Windows Mobile because they want to chose an OS they feel they can work done on.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with playing Monkeyball and playing iTunes music.

[Joshua Topolsky @ Nov 21st 2008 9:39PM]

What? When did we say that?

[dj496 @ Nov 21st 2008 9:56PM]

Although Paul was right in what he said (and yes it is funny), don't knock WinMo too much - although the OS sucks (and it frustrates me every day), the power of WinMo is the HTC devices and many awesome apps and functionality that iPhone STILL doesn't have (which I don't even need to mention). HTC is trying their hardest to optimise the WinMo experience and with the right apps and a device like HTC Touch HD, you certainly CAN get work done on it, maybe even better than the iPhone.

Don't just trash WinMo without acknowledging what really can be achieved in that platform.

[Surur @ Nov 21st 2008 10:01PM]

At 22 min 30 sec one of you say:

"The biggest thing that is differentiating these other phones is that people feel they can actually get something done on them."

Thats rather hilarious, considering how popular both the iPhone and Android were well before there was ANY ability to get anything except being entertained done on them.

Just admit it - its all about how pretty the interface os, much less about how efficiently you can actually get anything "done" on them.

[Surur @ Nov 21st 2008 10:14PM]

While it may be fun to have an easy laugh at WinMo's expense, its extremely disrespectful to the 5.5 million people who CHOSE to buy smartphones based on the OS in Q3 this year.

You are basically calling them fools for having such poor judgment when of course the vast majority chose the devices for the much increased functionality and work capability compared to fashionable devices like Android-based G1 or iPhone 3G. If you want turn by turn navigation you are not going to buy those two toy OS's, are you.

Remember, certainly in US WM phones often cost more than the iPhone - they are not bought accidentally or as a cheaper substitute, but because people felt they could actually get ALOT done on them.

Remember, the Fuze you say does not have a "Real OS" supports multi-tasking for all apps,has built-in NAT for easy tethering, and supports near every bluetooth profile under the sun.

You really need to step off your own biases, or at least get some-one to add some balance to your iPhone-loving rants.

[Joshua Topolsky @ Nov 21st 2008 11:12PM]

No one is saying you can't get anything done with WM -- we're saying it's extremely dated and can be very annoying to use. As a former Treo 750 user, I promise you that I'm speaking from the heart.

You're taking my comments way out of context, however. No one meant to say that you can't get something done with the Fuze -- I was talking about "people's perception" of devices with slider keyboards and a ubiquitous OS that they're used to seeing. I'm talking about the way things are seen by consumers, not my personal opinion. I think Paul is also looking at it from that perspective. Listen again and get back to me.

[Surur @ Nov 22nd 2008 6:03AM]

The so-called "dated os" only has cosmetic problems, which HTC and the like are addressing very nicely. The Fuze for example is a very competitive device, but only served in your podcast as an example of a device which could have been a contender, if it ran a "real OS."

Media sources like yourselves shape people's opinions, so dont go hiding behind "people's perceptions". Certainly anyone who took your opinion seriously will now think the Fuze does not run a "real OS". They would not even know the Fuze can do as much and even more than the other devices you mention, e.g. you can easily download software to turn your device into a WIFI access point.

The main feature you think are missing from WinMo is Zune software and Xbox games, so that should immediately tell you where your priorities are. Some people, around 17-18 million over the last 12 months, want to get actual work done.

[Surur @ Nov 22nd 2008 6:02AM]

The so-called "dated os" only has cosmetic problems, which HTC and the like are addressing very nicely. The Fuze for example is a very competitive device, but only served in your podcast as an example of a device which could have been a contender, if it ran a "real OS."

Media sources like yourselves shape people's opinions, so dont go hiding behind "people's perceptions". Certainly anyone who took your opinion seriously will now think the Fuze does not run a "real OS". They would not even know the Fuze can do as much and even more than the other devices you mention, e.g. you can easily download software to turn your device into a WIFI access point.

The main feature you think are missing from WinMo is Zune software and Xbox games, so that should immediately tell you where your priorities are. Some people, around 17-18 million over the last 12 months, want to get actual work done.

[KyleK @ Nov 22nd 2008 6:58AM]

I added the new episode to my iPhone directly via WiFi (and the new iPhone 2.2 software) and for some reason it marked it as a video podcast. I couldn't lock the phone and put it in my pocket, it would stop the playback immediately.
When syncing via iTunes everything is fine.


I also downloaded other (audio) podcasts with the iTunes Store.app, none showed the same behavior. Weird.

[Oz @ Nov 22nd 2008 10:58AM]

Same here.

[Mam00th @ Nov 22nd 2008 10:44AM]

Despite all the hate you might be getting sometime guys, I love you!

Thanks for the podcast, makes my commute seems a lot shorter!

[i_am_rich @ Nov 22nd 2008 5:05PM]

OMG that 8bit Paranoid is hilarious

[Hotrod @ Nov 22nd 2008 8:01PM]

Josh T is an extremely funny dude. Me and my brother have both subscribed to these podcasts.

Oh Yeah, I love the 8-bit intro songs.