WC 1M Post Challenge - You Ready?!

[MSFTisMIA]

For the sake of simplicity, if I was buying a phone right now, the Pixel 4A and iPhone SE2 would be on the short list. If I were doing this for the business, I'd get both. Good camera, solid updates, good performance.

I'm curious about the chip in the Pixel 4A for that reason. Now, let's be clear here...on a hardware level, the Mi 9 I have crushes this thing for business. And it's a device I already have in house.

The 4A does have a jack and the better long term software support management potential like the iPhone. And the battery is about the same as the Mi 9.

So we will see. I know I'm certainly adding the SE2. If it takes off, I'd swap it out for the 5G enabled device.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I'm curious about the chip in the Pixel 4A for that reason. Now, let's be clear here...on a hardware level, the Mi 9 I have crushes this thing for business. And it's a device I already have in house.

The 4A does have a jack and the better long term software support management potential like the iPhone. And the battery is about the same as the Mi 9.

So we will see. I know I'm certainly adding the SE2. If it takes off, I'd swap it out for the 5G enabled device.

I wouldn't mind it anyways. The Mi 9 is a nice phone and would slot in the same spot as the Mi Mix 3 5G would have, so I wouldn't be too mad there. I'll watch the 4A coverage and see. I'm likely going back to the V50 as the daily driver after using the Pixel 3XL, so it would still work for me. Or I could grab a Pixel 4 on discount too. There are some choices here, really. I'll likely start off with the Mi 9 until I get the iPhone and then decide.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

"Fitness trainer fired for 'I Can't Breathe' workout - CNN" https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/06/12/us/fitness-trainer-fired-i-cant-breathe-workout/index.html

 

[MSFTisMIA]

So I've got mixed feelings about Quibi. This shows how short people's attention span have become. On the other hand it's nice to see all these different avenues for actors to ply their trade. Anna Kendrick does have this endearing quality to her that I like so far.

Maybe Libra will watch "Dummy" and give us a review? I won't spoil the concept, but I think it's interesting.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

With the issues Huawei has had with the US government, Honor has taken a dig as well. For tinkered in the cheap that couldn't afford a P40 pro, the Honor 30 pro is a good option. The old enthusiast in me would have loved to try one to see how I could get certain apps set up without GMS.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

So I did a soft reset last night on the Flex 14. I'll see how that works out. I didn't like the preinstalled software on the flash drive so I formatted the whole bit.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

So I did a soft reset last night on the Flex 14. I'll see how that works out. I didn't like the preinstalled software on the flash drive so I formatted the whole bit.

If this is successful, it would allow me to chug along with the Flex and get the X360 in the fall, as I want to do. As I'm browsing for the X360, I see that HP is running some weird deals to clear stock. I say this because the model I want is the silver one. The black with the brown trim and the blue look decent, but I've always had black laptops and just wanted a silver model.

Initially I was seeing it in the color combo I wanted but now they've bundled the 4K OLED model in silver only, leaving the black or blue only in IPS 1080P. I'll wait. I kinda was more open to the 15" model based on this year's redesign, but the 13" is the better fit for me.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I wouldn't mind it anyways. The Mi 9 is a nice phone and would slot in the same spot as the Mi Mix 3 5G would have, so I wouldn't be too mad there. I'll watch the 4A coverage and see. I'm likely going back to the V50 as the daily driver after using the Pixel 3XL, so it would still work for me. Or I could grab a Pixel 4 on discount too. There are some choices here, really. I'll likely start off with the Mi 9 until I get the iPhone and then decide.

Pixel is nice, man. Battery anxiety is killing it for me though. The radios at home are a little bit better than the LG as these have the NA ones. Still a nice dive I don't mind using though. Just will have to get a watch paired to it.

 

[fatclue_98]

So you managed to post the group photo of the regulars here...the bigger question is, who's the pirate: me or Mr. Clue?

I got dibs on the pirate, I've had 4 surgeries on my right knee.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

So I did a soft reset last night on the Flex 14. I'll see how that works out. I didn't like the preinstalled software on the flash drive so I formatted the whole bit.

I suspect I took a bad update at one pint and it screwed me over. I'll know once I use it for work to see.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I got dibs on the pirate, I've had 4 surgeries on my right knee.

I figured you'd say that.

The problem there is that in that photo many people could fit many categories.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Some long term reviews that I haven't talked about.

1) Galaxy Watch - works as advertised. No issues with the size, battery life or performance for my usage. It's my primary watch and paired with what we band I feel like - resin/leather/metal - no complaints. Like the rotating bezel too. I'd get it again.

2)Xioami Mi Pad 4 - it's good. Battery life is solid. Headphone jack is good. Speakers are decent for dual bottom firing ones. Screen is decent, as it's a solid LCD panel. SD660 runs fine. Disappointing Xiaomi dropped software support. Would I get it again - I'd say no because of the lack of software support. Might have just sucked it up and gotten an iPad Mini instead if I had to do over.

3) Fiil T1x: no complaints. Good battery life, great sound, great call quality, USB-C. Wish it had Qi for the case itself. Was fiddly to pair initially but now it's good. Don't use the touch controls much. I'd buy it again but as a replacement when my current one goes to . If it were in a different color I'd get on as the business handset, but I'll likely get something else that has Qi in the charging case.

4) Flex 14: outside of my well talked about freezing issues, rock solid. The reviews were dead on to my experience. Would buy it again for the purpose I did.

 

[worldspy99]

Some pictures from the hike yesterday.
In the second picture to the left is San Gorgonio and right is San Jacinto, the two peaks I hiked last year.

 

[worldspy99]

Some more pictures from the hike to Cucamonga peak yesterday. Mt. Baldy and some sugarloaf pine cones in second picture. Mt. Baldy is next on my list.

 

[worldspy99]

Saw a rattlesnake on the trail. One of our hikers used his pole to guide it off the trail.

 

[worldspy99]

Last batch of pictures.

 

[raycpl]

Some pictures from the hike yesterday.
In the second picture to the left is San Gorgonio and right is San Jacinto, the two peaks I hiked last year.View attachment 142348View attachment 142349

jealous is rising!!
MCO here gone into recovery mode, outdoor activity is now OK. But, daily thundershowers keep messing up my plans to hit the trails.
I'm waiting for some tools to arrive. Will restart clearance work on the farm ASAP.

 

[fatclue_98]

I stepped outside my comfort zone a little again this week. I had already purchased the latest victim prior to my Hummer hijacking a week’s pay so I wasn’t too dismayed. I had read some of the reviews for the Samsung Galaxy Book2 and it didn’t make much sense because the impressions were all over the place. This is usually my first clue that the reviewers are not being objective and are wanting the review subject to be something it’s not.


First impression, the screen is unlike any other Windows 2-in-1. This is the one area where all the reviews were in unison and for a reason. The main reason I even considered this tablet was LTE, end of story. I flirted with the idea of a Surface Go 2 but I couldn’t get past the display size. I knew it would be an issue so I discarded the idea. I had the original Go and it was nice and all but an additional 1/2” of display on the new one was trivial.


Now for the elephant in the room. The Snapdragon 850 is NOT as crippled as the reviews suggest. Bear in mind that I don’t, and never have, keep 10-12 tabs open all at once while running Spotify and YouTube in the background. My needs are spartan in a way and Store apps are more than enough. I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to get full Office onboard since S Mode doesn’t run executables or .msi files. Well it does. At least the Microsoft variety anyway. I was even able to install the 32-bit version of Windows Journal. There is no note-taking app I’ve ever had that comes close.


As I mentioned, LTE was critical and I can say mission accomplished. Instant on is everything it’s cracked up to be and I’m hoping lag doesn’t eventually creep in. This AMOLED screen is tough to put down. For now I can say “iPad what?”.


Setup took about 2 hours including Windows updates and Store updates. During this time the battery barely moved. I was happy to say the least. The pen is a major surprise in that Samsung has stuck with Wacom EMR so the pen from my ancient Motion Computing slate works too. Yay, no more hunting down AAAA batteries!!! As I put this rig through the wringer some more I’ll update.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I stepped outside my comfort zone a little again this week. I had already purchased the latest victim prior to my Hummer hijacking a week’s pay so I wasn’t too dismayed. I had read some of the reviews for the Samsung Galaxy Book2 and it didn’t make much sense because the impressions were all over the place. This is usually my first clue that the reviewers are not being objective and are wanting the review subject to be something it’s not.


First impression, the screen is unlike any other Windows 2-in-1. This is the one area where all the reviews were in unison and for a reason. The main reason I even considered this tablet was LTE, end of story. I flirted with the idea of a Surface Go 2 but I couldn’t get past the display size. I knew it would be an issue so I discarded the idea. I had the original Go and it was nice and all but an additional 1/2” of display on the new one was trivial.


Now for the elephant in the room. The Snapdragon 850 is NOT as crippled as the reviews suggest. Bear in mind that I don’t, and never have, keep 10-12 tabs open all at once while running Spotify and YouTube in the background. My needs are spartan in a way and Store apps are more than enough. I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to get full Office onboard since S Mode doesn’t run executables or .msi files. Well it does. At least the Microsoft variety anyway. I was even able to install the 32-bit version of Windows Journal. There is no note-taking app I’ve ever had that comes close.


As I mentioned, LTE was critical and I can say mission accomplished. Instant on is everything it’s cracked up to be and I’m hoping lag doesn’t eventually creep in. This AMOLED screen is tough to put down. For now I can say “iPad what?”.


Setup took about 2 hours including Windows updates and Store updates. During this time the battery barely moved. I was happy to say the least. The pen is a major surprise in that Samsung has stuck with Wacom EMR so the pen from my ancient Motion Computing slate works too. Yay, no more hunting down AAAA batteries!!! As I put this rig through the wringer some more I’ll update.

Nice work. I was going to ask about the Surface X as an option, but somehow this seems a bit better fix. (no wonder you ain't had room for an HD2...)

Keep us posted.

 

[Laura Knotek]

We try to avoid dogs in general.

We don't own dogs but her first years were around dogs so she's not too bothered. Just depends on the dog. If they bark she's not happy.

Other cats on the other hand....

It's funny because there are a couple stray cats who hang out near the dog shelter where I volunteer. They're trying to catch the cats so the vet can neuter / spay them and send them to a shelter that takes cats. Most have been caught, but the two are very elusive. However, they love to antagonise the dogs. The dogs typically ignore the cats, even when the cats arch their backs and hiss at the dogs.