Updated My Treo... no Brick

Recently I updated my Treo 680 to the latest version for AT&T (1.09).

It took a while, but the process went pretty smoothly. It didn't even erase all my data or go brick on me.

I normally sync via Bluetooth, but I had to dig up the USB cable that came with the Treo to do the upgrade.

Was it worth it? Here's what was promised:

• Improved power management for better battery life.
• Camera update for improved battery life (available previously as a standalone update).
• Helps correct distorted characters that can occur in the title bar of the Phone application.
• Helps fix device "freezing" that may occur under certain conditions.
• System Lockout improvement for increased security.
• Support for the new Daylight Saving Time legislation (available previously as a standalone update).
• Provides better support for networks unique to some Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian countries.
• Updates Cingular branding, replacing it with the new AT&T branding.

That first item was my reason for doing. I'll have to keep track of when I charge to see if it's lasting any longer. I usually get about 2-3 days of moderate use before the battery meter goes red.

FYI, If you have an old phone or Treo, you can recycle it through Palm for free.

Vista is here... now what?

AnandTech has an excellent article on Windows Vista. If you're looking at buying a new computer (Mac or PC) or thinking about upgrading, read it.

The bottom line: If you buy a new PC, you pretty much don't have a choice (unless you buy a Mac). But for upgrading, better wait for SP1 and video driver updates.

Other points:

• Vista needs at least 1GB of RAM to function smoothly, but 2-4 if you want to run more than one application at the same time.
• Vista uses memory better than XP, so 3-4 GB actually makes a difference.
  
• Vista's file system caches applications you use most in memory, so they launch faster.
• A new video driver architecture was created, which means all the graphic card companies are basically starting from scratch. Performance and compatibility are average, but will get better.
• The Aero interface is pretty but not practical. Contrast that with Mac OS, which merges both beautifully.
• The default user account isn't a full Administrator level, and there are more security safeguards. However you can simply disable all that and be just as unsecure as XP.
• The included apps like Windows Mail, Calendar, etc. are just as lame as they've always been.