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One last thought about last week’s CTIA cell phone industry show in Las Vegas, anywhere you went you were able to run into a new Android phone.

Take Motorola (please).  If you moseyed over to their booth on the show floor you were immediately greeted by their new i1 (that’s a small letter I and the number one) — the world first iDEN Android smartphone.

iDEN means that the phone works on the Sprint Nextel network and allows you to use the infamous Direct Connect wireless voice message system. You know – the one with the “chirp” sound when you press down the push-to-talk button.

The phone itself is a full-fleged Android phone.  It has a 3.1-inch screen, runs on Android OS version 1.5, sports a 5 megapixel camera, comes with a 2GB microSD memory card (and supports the big, new 32GB cards), also has Wi-fi, Bluetooth, Microsoft’s Document Viewer software as well as Swype and T9 on-screen keyboard input.  (Love that Swype!)

iDEN is Motorola’s technology that Nextel (and now Sprint) use.  Most people are familiar with iDEN’s Direct Connect, push-to-talk feature and the famous “chirp” sound the phone makes when you have a two-way “walkie-talkie”-type conversation with another Direct Connect user.

iDEN is neither a 4G or 3G system.  It’s actually much older 2G technology which still has a lot of life left in it. 

To get the most out of this iDEN technology, Motorola features the new Opera Mini 5 Web browser.  It uses fewer phone resources and provides a terrific browsing experience.  It looks very, very speedy in practical use situations during the limited time I had to play with a sample device. 

On the other hand, when you’re i1 is near a Wi-fi network it will work at Wi-fi speeds.  For many users that is just fine.

Morotola and Sprint didn’t actually announce pricing or availability just yet.  All they’ll say is the “i1 will be available in multiple regions around the globe beginning in Q2 2010.” 

Expect to actually see one in the wild toward the beginning of the summer.

Here at the CTIA 2010 in Las Vegas the big announcements have been few and far in-between, so far – but the ones we’ve heard about are pretty big blockbusters.

Take the big-deal announcement about Samsung’s new super-smart Android phone, the Galaxy S (also known as model GT-I9000) with Smart Life.  

Up close, this handset looks like a real contender for the title “Best Smartphone in the World”.

The absolute best feature of the new handset is the amazing 4-inch super-AMOLED color screen.  You have to see it in person to believe it.  Large and sharp, this is one terrific screen. 

The rest of the phone ain’t bad either.   Consider Samsung’s fast, home-grown 1.0 GHz processor inside – and some nightmare of an alphabetical jumble called the mDNLe (mobile Digital Natural Image engine) which is really some clever video technology they’ve borrowed from their LCD and LED TVs.   Samsung claims that it helps create what they call “a perfect environment to record, edit and play HD video, to browse the Internet, and to read your favorite e-books.”

Smart Life is Samsung’s new social media interface which incorporates all the “de riguer” features of the day (Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, etc.)  It looks like a very cool solution to getting all your important information on your home screens.   Samsung thinks this new feature will “shift the way that consumers view smart phones and how they interact with them in their daily lives.”

The phone runs on Android 2.1 operating system.  Actually, on one of the sample phones we got to play with, it said the device ran on Android 2.1 Update 1 – whatever that means.  

The test phone was a GSM-based model which runs on GSM/GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA and HSUPA networks.  That would explain why Samsung announced the phone would be released in Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia and Asia very soon.   Our sample was running on T-Mobile’s EDGE network which means, in the United States, if you want 3G you’ll need an AT&T SIM card.

The Galaxy S also features Swype.  It’s a slide-your-finger, on-screen keyboard available on other Samsung devices (and the new T-Mobile, Motorola CLIQ XT) which makes “fast typing” on a smartphone a breeze.  There’s also a 5 megapixel camera, aGPS, 802.11b/g/n Wi-fi, Bluetooth and an 8GB or 16GB microSD memory expansion card will be made available (depending on the carrier).

Overall, the phone looked very promising. Samsung, the number one cell phone manufacturer on the planet, says the Galaxy S will be available “soon”.

I’m guessing that means we’ll hear something about a U.S. cellular carrier distribution deal and possible pricing very soon. Probably by early summer.

Wow!  And that’s putting it mildly.

In a very short period of time we’ve gone from cell phones to feature phones – to early smartphones like Palm Treos, Nokias and BlackBerries – to iPhones, Pres and the first Androids and now, the first super Android smartphone.

In a huge show of force, Sprint has just introduced the first 3G/4G smartphone – the HTC Evo 4G – at this year’s spring CTIA gathering here in Las Vegas. 

In a relatively short demonstration, Sprint gave an inkling of what this super phone can do – and I have to tell you the crowd of jaded journalists and weary analysts seemed very impressed.

And why not?  This phone has some very, very impressive laptop-like specs, such as:

A fast, 1.0 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
Huge, 4.3-inch (diagonal) color screen (largest one yet)
Android OS version 2.1 (which means all the latest Android/Google apps and accessories)
4G (where available) and 3G (where 4G isn’t) data connectivity.
Bluetooth and Wi-fi
Mobile hot-spot capabilities (with up to 8 connections at the same time)
8MP auto-focus camera on the back and a 1.3MP camera on the front.
8GB miniSD expansion card (32GB cards are now available)
HDMI connector to attach your Evo 4G to a big flat-screen monitor

What all this means is that this phone is fast – it runs on fast networks – has a pretty impressive camera and sports the largest screen of any smartphone, so far.

In the demonstrations, we got to see the phone streaming movie trailers over the 4G network and then playing them back on the huge overhead monitors in the hall.  Very impressive video and sound to say the least. And remember, that was video streaming over a cellular data network.  That’s something other companies will take awhile to match.

We didn’t get a lot of time to play with sample devices but I can tell you that the phone felt good in my hand.  The screen looked very good for early units and video playback was very, very impressive.   So was the speed of Web page downloads. Overall, I can’t wait to put an Evo 4G through the paces as soon as they’re made available.

Sprint hasn’t yet decided on a price for the 4G smartphone (or if they have they weren’t letting on at the event).  But, a company spokesperson told me that even though the phone breaks a lot of new ground with all these super features it will definitely be “aggressively priced”.  I’m hoping that means somewhere around $200 with the usual 2-year service contract commitment.

I’m guessing that might also depend on what Apple has up their sleeves concerning this year’s round of update for their iPhone devices.

As for availability, Sprint is saying it should be ready for sale by early summer.  Since summer begins towards the end of June, I’m hoping that means the Evo 4G will become available sometime towards the beginning of that month in time for the “Dads and Grads” gift-giving season. You can pre-register for an Evo 4G now on Sprint’s Website.

Motorola’s new BackFlip smartphone is an odd duck.  Not because it doesn’t perform its tasks in a proper manner but because it’s somewhat backwards.

The BackFlip is another “innovative” Android phone from Motorola – and the first with Google’s operating system to make it to AT&T.

It sports a 3.1-inch screen and a real QWERTY keyboard but both of those features are on the the outside of the handset’s case. The phone flips open so you can type and view the screen at the same time but when flipped closed you can use the standard Android on-screen keyboard leaving the hardware keyboard fully exposed.

After a year or two of banging around in a pocket or purse – or possibly falling off a nightstand – I wonder just how pretty your BackFlip will still look.

Behind the screen – accessible when the phone is flipped open – is a touch-pad controller/mouse of sorts. One finger lets you move from one screen to another. But movements on the back pad is a mirror image of finger movements on the front screen. What that means is – when you slide your finger to the right on the front the screen move to the right. When you slide your finger to the right on the back pad the screens move to the left.

I know it’s called a BackFlip but any new phone design which requires a long explanation about layout and navigation features is odd — to say the least.

The BackFlip features Motorola’s social networking themed home screen apps called MotoBlur. That means the phone runs on a slightly older version of the Android OS (1.5/Cupcake). Because it’s a two-part, flip open design the 15.3-ounce handset feels somewhat bulky/heavy in your hand despite its manageable overall size (2.0 by 4.25 by 0.6 inches).

Once you get past the oddities using the phone is very intuitive and fun. BackFlip There is everything else you would expectincluded in a modern-day, quad-band Android world phone including a 5.0-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth and turn-by-turn GPS directions. There are also a slew of neat software titles like AT&T Maps, AT&T Music, GoogleTalk, Google Maps, MobiTV and lots more.

The BackFlip also seems to hold onto AT&T’s 3G data network signal a whole lot better than some of it’s better known competition (like the rival super smartphone designed by some Cupertino engineers).  And, I haven’t dropped a voice call yet.

Back on the odd side of the equation, even though this is a Google/Android phone the home screen search engine features Yahoo Search. I told you this was an odd design.

AT&T and Motorola boast that the included battery pack offers up to 6-1/2 hours of talk and as much as 13.5 days of standby time per full recharge session. The key words here are “up to”. In real life light-to-moderate use (some voice, some messaging) expect to be able to squeeze a day’s worth of battery life out of your phone.

It looks like the best feature of the phone may be its price. AT&T is selling the Motorola BackFlip for $99.99 with a two-year service contract (a voice contract, $30 per month data contract and any activation charges). According to the AT&T Website that price breaks down to $199.99 minus a $100 online rebate.

Cell phones which sell for less than $100 are what fuels the cell phone industry and could help make this handset a big winner with customers. That should explain the overwhelmingly positive comments about the BackFlip on the AT&T Website

My friend, the freelance Kindle tester/expert, is at it again.

When last we read about his exploits, my friend (let’s call him Mr. Kindle) was frustrated by the fact that he was on his third Kindle within a few short months.  At least, that third device seems to have done the trick (so far).

Then, there was the music-and-text-at-the-same-time problem.  Despite being told by Kindle customer support that he could do so – our intrepid tester couldn’t get his to play music while he was reading from the device.  It just wouldn’t work for him.

Undaunted, our hero refused to take “maybe” for an answer.

He asked those who would listen (and a bunch of people who wouldn’t) until he came up with what turns out to be a deceptively simple solution:

“So when last we traded notes electronically, I told you about my Kindle woes.

Remember the part about figuring out a way to play MP3 tunes on the Kindle?

I wanted to be able to listen to Tchaikovsky while reading Tolstoy.

I asked the Kindle support people for help. The first guy said, “Sure, you can do that”, but his solution didn’t really work. And then the second guy, on the overseas help desk, said “I’m sorry Mr. Robert, but you can not play MP3’s on your Kindle.”

Well, that could have been the end of it. Until my cousin heard about the problem.  He’s a freshman at Rutgers.

All you need is a CD, iTunes 9.0 and a Kindle.

Here’s the solution:

1.   Insert the CD into the disc drive
2.   Have your computer “Show songs using iTunes”
3.   At the bottom of the iTunes screen, there should be a button labeled “Import Settings…” Click on the button.
4.   Make sure that iTunes is using the “mp3 encoder” instead of the “AAC encoder.” This is the important part.
5.   Press OK and import the CD
6.   When the CD has finished importing, find the songs in your Library.
7.   Right click on one of the songs, and select “Show in Explorer” or whatever the Mac equivalent is.
8.   Focus will now move to a folder containing the CD you just downloaded.
9.   Plug in your Kindle and copy/paste the files into the “music” folder
10. Enjoy!So I did it.  And it works.  And I have Mozart on my Kindle!
Eine Kleine Kindlemusik.

Now why couldn’t Kindle tech support tell me this?”

Why indeed!  This just proves that even questions with simple answers are sometimes way too tough for “experts” at a customer support desk.

For the record, this fix should work with any CD/music software as long as you save your files as MP3’s.

I want to know why Amazon.com wouldn’t include Apple’s super-popular iTunes-standard, AAC-encoded music file support on their devices?   Maybe that’s just one of the reasons that Apple decided to take on Amazon’s Kindle with their upcoming iPad device.

Another problem solved.  More news as it happens….

Is there enough wireless spectrum to go around?

Do you care?  You should.  We’re running out of “airwaves” to broadcast everything including cell phone traffic.  Unless we figure out a way to fix that – or conserve- we’re going to be in trouble.

Just a few short years ago, cell phones worked better than they do today.  Sure there were dropped calls, but far fewer than today and, for the most part, all of the cellular connectivity we wanted was there for the asking.

Previous cell phone technology – which we now call 2G/2.5G – handled communications much more efficiently than today’s “advanced” networks.  Remember when cell phone battery life was measured in multiple days between charging sessions and not hours?

A few years ago, when 3G was in its infancy, Mike Lazaridis, CEO of Research in Motion told me that they were in no rush to switch BlackBerries to 3G.  He said that even though 3G was “newer” and “faster” it also drained battery life.

But now we’re heavily entrenched in a 3G (soon to be 4G) world. Cellular carriers have been forced to spend incredible amounts of money to buy more frequencies from the U.S. Government (even some which used to be our analog television channels 2-13) to provide fast, new services.  2.5G has been relegated to inexpensive phones and the like.

The problem is after spending billions on 3G networks cellular carriers need much more space.  If not, we’ll all be experiencing more and more problems like iPhone users have been dealing with.

What’s worse, 4G is coming!  That means carriers will have to build an entirely new, expensive wireless network to handle those even faster speeds.  In addition to the billions of dollars that will cost them (and, in turn, you) carriers will begin to retire those efficient 2G services and even begin to slow the upgrading of current 3G networks.  If you had to make their the decision for them would you spend more money on old science – or shift resources to newer technologies?

So, as more and more buyers decide on 21^st Century smartphones – with more elaborate, resource-sucking data features – crowded 3G networks won’t be getting much more reliable while 4G services will be overwhelmed right from the start.

What’s the answer?  I wish there was a simple one.  Maybe smartphone users should begin to depend on Wi-fi networks whenever they’re indoors.  Maybe 3G networks and handsets could be improved to handle the load more efficiently.  Maybe 4G access should be used only for premium services until it’s robust enough to deal with future demands.

All of this makes something I read online all the more disturbing.  It’s a blog entry (from gizmodo.com) which takes Mike Lazaridis to task for this quote:

“Manufacturers had better start building more efficient applications and more efficient services.  There is no real way to get around this.  If we don’t start conserving that bandwidth, in the next few years we are going to run into a capacity crunch.  You are already experiencing the capacity crunch in the United States.”

The blogger basically answered back by saying RIM was making excuses and iPhones rule.  Since modern smartphones are capable of amazing feats that there’s no way the public wants to go back to slower, more basic services.

I understand the blogger’s frustration but this was not a call for going backwards.  It was a call for going forward and pushing the envelope forward – but with a purpose.  Whether 3G, 4G or 5G at some point we will have to take the laws of physics into account and be smart about how we use the wireless spectrum we’re given.

Like our planet’s water and air supplies there is a finite amount of natural resources – and wireless spectrum - to go around.   If we don’t find a way to conserve and use it properly we’re all going to suffer.

These are the best small speakers I’ve ever heard.

They’re so good they’re actually some of the best speakers I’ve ever heard regardless of size or price.

Sterling Broadcast’s LS3/5a’s have a long history behind them.  In the mid-1970’s the BBC created official, technical specifications for a number of loudspeaker designs they were interested in using. The BBC didn’t want to actually manufacture these speakers but insisted that the companies making them would adhere to their specs.

For mobile recordings, the Beeb designed a small, nearfield monitor which they officially dubbed the LS3/5a (designating size of the box, etc.)  It was a simple design with a small tweeter, a small woofer and a very intricate crossover.  The size, shape and construction of the wooden box was also critical to the sound.

Upon their release, word got out that these were very special loudspeakers. LS3/5a’s became an instant hit with audiophiles and music lovers alike. Their small size turned out to be a perfect fit in typical British listening rooms. Best of all, the speakers were able to recreate the illusion of real music being performed.  Rock, classical?  Didn’t matter.  LS3/5a’s just sounded real – and much larger than their small physical dimensions.   Their cult status was assured.

Over the years, a number of manufacturers were awarded BBC licenses to make LS3/5a’s.  Rogers, Harbeth, Spendor, Chartwell, Audiomaster, KEF, Goodmans and Richard Allen for instance.

In the 90’s, when KEF decided to end production of the woofers and tweeters most people worried that meant the end of the line for the legendary loudspeaker. Luckily, a few years later, Doug Stirling of Stirling Broadcast decided to see what he could do to remedy the situation,

Doug, and a number of past LS3/5a manufacturing gurus redesigned the speaker around currently available woofers and tweeters from other manufacturers.  They decided to use the original BBC thin-walled cabinet design which used wood screws.  They spent thousands of hours listening to and tweaking the very important internal crossover circuitry.

The result?   A new 12-inch tall speaker that sounds nearly indistinguishable from many of the original models.  Don’t forget there were a lot of companies making these speakers and they all sounded very slightly different from each other even though they all (allegedly) “strictly adhered” to BBC specifications.

I find it difficult to describe the sound of a Stirling Broadcast LS3/5a V2 except to say it is a wonderful experience.  These speakers sound like music and are capable of amazing feats.

Despite their relatively small size, the Stirlings produce what crazy audiophiles call a huge “soundstage” or the illusion of music being performed in the original-sized recording environment. Stirling LS3/5a’s can actually place an instrument or a voice right near – of above, below, behind, in front of and to the left or right of the speakers. I know it is an illusion – but it’s a pretty amazing one.

Compared to the originals, the Sterling seem to reproduce high/treble sounds (like cymbals) better than many of the original surviving LS3/5as I’ve heard.  They also seem to extend a little deeper into the bass realm.  Even though the Sterling have been engineered to employ a LS3/5a “bass hump” like the originals (to help with the perception of deep bass coming from a tiny box) some of my recordings with super deep bass sound amazingly great.

The Sterling, like most high quality audio gear, need an extended break-in time before they sound their best.  Most LS3/5a owners will tell you their 20 and 30-year old examples are still breaking-in.  I found that it took nearly six months before this particular pair began to sound their best and I thank Doug Sterling for graciously allowing me so much time to live with his product.

These speakers need a pair of good quality speaker stands to sound their best. Do not think about plopping them down on a shelf and hearing anything like I heard.  I also found that they need to be placed away from nearby walls for optimal sound.

LS3/5a’s also need a good quality amplifier.  Actually, the better the amplifier the better the speakers will sound.  They can perform terrifically with transistor amps (you have to hear them with my up-to-spec Quad 303 or a Sugden Class A model) and simply heavenly with the right tube amplifier (a Dyna Stereo 70, for instance).  You only need about 20-50 watts-per-channel.  Too much power and you might actually harm the speakers

BBC licensed LS3/5a V2s sell for 800-850 pounds Sterling (depending on the wood finish), plus shipping taxes, import duties, directly from Stirling Broadcast.  Here in this country, importer Acoustic Sounds handles all sales and warranties.  Expect to pay between $1,795 to $1,845.

So much money for a small speaker?  Worth every penny. Especially when you see what “classic” LS3/5a’s sell for.  And you never know what you’re getting with a used, 20-year old speaker. At least this way you’re buying a modern speaker with a real 5-year warranty.  You could spend a lot more and get a lot less speaker.

If you’re listening room is on the small size – or you and your “significant other” want to minimize the profile of your hi-fi in the room, Stirling LS3/5a’s are the ticket.

I listen to classic Quad ESL-57’s in my main listening room. They have a very low WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) because they look like bronze room heaters. If and when I move to small quarters I won’t hesitate to switch from my Quads to a pair of Doug Stirling’s modern-day marvels. They are that good.

The Palm Pre Plus is a whole lot like the Palm Pre – only a little more so. Let me explain.

The Palm Pre was the first smartphone to come from the newly reincarnated Palm company. After depending on the ancient, original Palm OS for way too long the newest phones runs on the company’s new, modern-day WebOS software.

The Palm Pre was (and still is) exclusive to Sprint. The Palm Pre Plus is a slightly updated version of the Pre. It is exclusive to Verizon Wireless.

There are a few small differences between the two models aside from the carrier’s network they run on. The Pre Plus gets rid of the small button beneath the screen and gives you more room to slide your finger back and forth. That also gives the Plus a sleeker look.

With the Pre Plus, Palm has doubled the memory inside (16GB). That means more operating system juice as well as lots more storage. Like the iPhone, the Pre does not support user-swappable microSD memory cards.

Supposedly, Palm has improved the hardware keyboard. That may be true but in side-by-side testing (by yours truly as well as a number of staunch Palm Pre fans) we detect little or no difference. The sharp edge around the Pre’s keyboard from the Sprint model remains a minus on the Verizon phone. I still prefer the Palm Pixi’s smaller but easier to use (at least for me) keyboard.

Same for the overall audio volume. Can’t Palm figure out a way to make the phone louder? Just listen to any Nokia phone ring when a call comes in – or an iPhone – or most Androids (except for Google’s Nexus One). You get the idea.

The Plus also comes with their special back cover. It’s really an inductive device – part of Palm’s “Touchstone” magnetic recharging dock system. That special phone cover costs extra with Sprint’s Pre. The actual Touchstone dock is optional for both phones at extra cost ($80 but currently on sale for $64 on Palm’s Website).

Arguably, the Pre is one of the best-looking smartphones ever made. It’s small, lightweight, shiny, smooth, sleek and shaped like a stone (as in skipping a stone on the surface of a lake.) Please don’t try this with your phone. It feels great in your hand or in your pocket.

Pre also has a terrific screen. Great color, sharp pictures and text and even looks good in bright sunlight (at least in winter sun conditions).

Back to the software. In its own way WebOS is revolutionary. Everything is handled by a flick of the finger except for typing – which is handled via a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It takes a few minutes to get used to the WebOS system – but after that you’re hooked: it’s difficult to go back to any other smartphone and not slide your finger backwards to go back a screen or flick your finger up to stop a running program.

Speaking of programs – the Palm Pre/WebOS can multitask. That means it can handle running more than one program at a time. It’s a neat trick that all the other smartphone companies should be emulating.

So, aside from the difference in cell phone service provider coverage in your neighborhood, the choice between Pres might come down to price. Verizon is selling the Pre Plus for $150 with a two-year contract. Sprint’s selling their Pre for the same price.

Both companies are selling ’s smaller, candy bar-shaped Pixis for $100 (with contract). Only feature Verizon’s Pixi Plus adds is Wi-fi (missing-in-action in Sprint’s version of the Pixi).

Aside from the changes discussed above the phones are very, very similar. Until a faster processor is added to the mix the choice is really up to you. But make sure you check-out these WebOS phones. They really are great devices – addictive once you start using one.

I’ve waited until the dust settled a bit before speaking my mind. In the interim, I’ve heard from a large number of people who think Apple’s new iPad is a bad idea.

Aside from the horrible name (yes, also I thought of all the rude possibilities within seconds of the announcement) many readers told me they think the iPad is a big misstep.

Some call it an overgrown iPod Touch, others, not as kind call it the Newton 2. One friend who is heavily invested in Apple computers, phones, iPods and assorted Wi-fi devices and other Apple gear wrote me, almost immediately, to complain:

“Too big to go in a pocket… hard to hold… it’s not an iPhone or a laptop… PLUS it will add more data, including movies and games streaming on the AT&T’s wireless data network. Good idea!!!!!”

OK. I have to agree that I too have some doubts about the iPad as well.

First and foremost, the price. I think that Apple has overpriced these new devices way out of the reach of the masses. Starting at $500 for the Wi-fi only, 16GB model (and no AT&T 3G network connectivity) to a whopping $830 for Wi-fi, AT&T 3G and 64GB of storage. Yes, that’s cheaper than one of Apple’s laptops – but it’s not really a laptop.

Unfortunately, it really does look like it’s a big iPod Touch and that perception problem is going to be a tough one for Apple. Even though Mr. Jobs didn’t dwell much on the subject, during his announcement, the iPad runs on the iPhone operating system. Maybe a new and updated version but a smartphone OS nonetheless.

That means the iPad, while reaping the benefits of many of the iPhone/iPod Touch’s clever features and Apple’s App Store it will also be hampered by the fact that multi-tasking will not be a part of its tricks. That means it really is an oversized PDA.

Probably the most interesting part of the iPad is the processor. Also not discussed much at the unveiling, the iPad runs on a new, Apple 1GHz A4 processor which they call a “custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip”.

It’s the first processor to be added to a product since Apple bought the chip manufacturing company called P.A. Semi in 2008. The chips are updated StrongARM RISC chips. ARM and StrongARM chips were and are used in all versions of the iPhone and also in Apple Newton PDAs.

It seems some of the impetus for the iPad may have been in response to the proliferation of netbook computers and Amazon’s Kindle electronic book reader. Mr. Jobs told the Apple faithful at the iPad introduction that these devices can’t come close to measuring-up to his new iPad. That’s somewhat true.

Netbooks have usable, hardware keyboards and can multitask – and Kindles have a year-plus head start on the iPad and 3G connectivity is free for the life of the device. Plus, they are both a lot less expensive. Yes you can find netbooks and Kindle models selling for nearly $500 – but you can also buy those devices for almost half the iPad’s price.

If Apple wants to be competitive they’re going to have to drop the price of the iPad before they begin shipping in March. Apple overpriced the original iPhone as well – the 8GB phone started life at $599. Apple dropped that price quickly (to $399). Beginning with the second generation models iPhones were priced correctly ($199-$299). That’s when sales went through the roof.

Even though pundits thought the iPad would sell for $1,000 and up Apple seems to have taken the recession into consideration and set somewhat lower prices. They need to be even lower.

Apple also has to figure out a way to make tablet computing cool. Up until now, the idea of buying and using tablets has consistently been rejected by consumers.

On the other hand, except for a number of product missteps in the past (in addition to the Newton do you remember the Cube?) Apple has an amazing track record of creating and selling innovation to the masses. Mr. Jobs might just be right and his iPad might turn out to be a big hit. But, I believe he’s going to have to drop the price – a lot – to start to make that happen.

Samsung’s Omnia II is a Windows Mobile smartphone but please don’t hold that against it.

Even though it’s running a mobile OS in great need of catching up with the current competition – the Omnia II has at least one terrific new feature that sets it apart from everything else on the market.

It’s the phone’s virtual keyboard system. I’ll explain in a minute.

First of all, let’s discuss the numbers.

This is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill smartphone. It is loaded with some state-of-the-art features:

A large, 3.7-inch AMOLED WVGA display (like in Google’s Nexus One)…
8GB of built-in memory and microSD card slot (16 GB max)…
5.0 megapixel camera/camcorder (up to 2048 by 1536 pixels)…
Microsoft Office Mobile…
Full HTML web browser…
All sorts of Verizon premium services including V Cast Music, Video on Demand, VZ Navigator, Mobile IM and lots more…
EV-DO/3G connectivity…
Wi-fi, Bluetooth…
FM radio…
and lots more!

There are lots of different ways to control your Omnia II. There is a configurable slide out widget panel to control some applications.

Then there is Samsung’s rotating CUBE interface which, once you look at it needs very little explanation. I’m not exactly sure why it is needed at all. CUBE lets you control a very limited number of applications and the interface doesn’t always rotate when and where you want it. And, the phone also has the standard Windows Mobile screen interface. But, I’m guessing that since they featured CUBE in the Omnia I they included it in the Omnia II as well.

Officially, the handset runs on the latest version of Microsoft’s OS: Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional. It’s beginning to show it’s age. Unofficially, Microsoft is hinting that the next major overhaul of the operating software is due to be released very soon. Nothing new was announced at CES – so expect something to be said at either the GSM Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February or the CTIA show in Las Vegas in March. Might even hear about it at both shows.

Back to the big selling point. It’s the on-screen, virtual keyboard that makes this phone very, very cool.
The system is called SWYPE. It lets you slide your finger over the keys to form words instead of tapping each letter separately like you have to do with every other smartphone on the market.. The software follows your motion and does the rest.

I was amazed at just how quick and accurate SWYPE really was in real-life use. Within minutes I was “typing” faster on this phone than any other in recent memory. The learning curve is nearly instantaneous.

Let’s hope Samsung – and every other smartphone manufacturer – adds a similar sliding finger keyboard feature to their smartphones in the near future.

As for price – Verizon is asking $200 (after their $100 “online discount”) with a two-year service contract. Same as for the Droid.

There are better devices on the market today (Droid, Nexus One, Pre) – and personally would wait to see what Microsoft plans for Windows Mobile 7. But you could do a lot worse. And, that new sliding keyboard input system could make you decide to go with an Omnia II right now. It’s that good.