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hmm…choices choices.  There are 4 possible phones that I’d choose between.  The HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Touch Pro, iPhone and the Palm Treo Pro.

I think the HTC Diamond is the closest competitor to the iPhone, but, the Touch Pro and Treo Pro have something the other two don’t; a keyboard.

Specs, lets take a look.

• iPhone images
  • Size: 4.5″ x 2.4″ x 0.46″, Weight: 4.8oz
  • ATT only , 3g
  • $200 w/ 2year contract

• HTC Touch Diamond- images
  • Size: 4.01″ x 2″ x .45″, Weight: 3.8oz
  • No one is sure what carrier..there was a spy shot that showed Sprint, but most are betting on it being GSM so tmobile/att
  • It’s not technically out in the US yet..but I imagine it’ll be at least 450 with contract.

• HTC Touch Pro- images
  • 4.01″ x 2″ x .71″, Weight: 5.82oz
  • Like the Diamond, there’s “confirmed” reports of all 4 US carriers..who knows until it comes out.
  • It’ll probably cost similar to the Diamond, 450ish with a contract.

• Palm Tro Pro- images
  • 4.22″, Width: 2.11″, Depth: 0.73″, Weight: 4.2 oz
  • Unlocked GSM, no carrier, no contract
  • $550, costly but no contract or carrier specific.

Personally, I think the HTC Diamond looks the best, both hardware and design;  it’s also the smallest.  Hardware wise, I think it’s the most advanced also.  My only concern with it is all the 3d gimicks take too much resources to use..although, I read that you can turn it off.  If that’s the case, then I think the HTC Diamond is the top choice.  Now I just need to see what carrier it goes with; I won’t be going tmobile or Verizon, I’m with ATT right now but I wouldn’t mind switching to sprint.

The Palm Treo Pro is also not too bad looking, my biggest concern with it is the hardware.  Palm is never progressive, hardware wise. They’re always a generation or two behind its competitors.  I don’t know why this is..but it’s true.  My cellphone I have now has equal hardware specs..it’s over a year old, but it came out at least 2 years ago.  In cellphone years..that’s like 10.  The one good thing that it does have, is that it’s non-carrier specific, although that’s a double-bladed sword as that also means there’s no subsidy, and I’d have to pay the 550 bucks..

The HTC Touch Pro is another interesting choice..it’s the largest, but that’s because of the foldout keyboard.  Anyone who thinks that the foldout keyboard isn’t as nice as a regular 3″x3″ keypad, hasn’t used one longterm.  I absolutely HATE typing on treo keypads..how anyone has a decent typing speed is beyond me.  So..the question is:  is the foldout keyboard enough to justify the extra size/weight?  hmmm

Lastly, the iPhone..in reality, it’s no better then the competition, but because it’s apple it has a halo around it.  You hear angelic singing when you pick it up.  People who use it say its nice, I’ve heard from both users and non-users how awesome the typing is too..it actually knows when you typo.  And now that it’s able to synch with exchange, it’s actually viable in the business world (which I need this phone for).  One of the biggest gripes I’d have with the iphone, is the fact that it doesn’t have a SD card slot.  People don’t realize who cool an external SD slot is unless they use one.  When you have to wipe your phone (which happes to anyone), it’s nice knowing that all of your important data is eithere stored or backed up on the SD card, so when it wipes, you’ll still have that data.  If the phone breaks, you’ll still have that data.

In conclusion, I’m not sure..right now I’m leaning towards the Diamond or the iphone.  But I’ll definately look at the treo. I’m not so sure I’m willing to go with the larger Touch Pro, but I figure I’ll keep it in the running till I can see it in person at the store.  Maybe it’s not really that big..

My son was born this past wednesday at 6am. He was 8 lbs 1 oz and was 20.5 inches long

Apparantly, the opening show wasn’t exactly real…the TV broadcast, which most of us are watching, used simulated fireworks along with the real broadcast.  Now..we all know our “live” show is not really “live,”  which to me is another atrocity, but they faked the opening show as well?

Here’s a quote from news.sky.com:

The global television audience of more than three billion people watched in amazement as a series of giant footprints outlined in fireworks proceeded through the night sky from Tiananmen Square to the Bird’s Nest stadium - except they were watching a computer animation.

Even the giant television screens within the stadium itself broadcast the fake images.

Stunned viewers thought they were watching the string of fireworks filmed from above by a helicopter.

But in reality they were watching a 3D graphics sequence that took almost a year to produce.

It even included a ‘camera shake’ to mimic the effect of filming from a helicopter.

Now, some are saying “What’s the big deal, it’s supposed to be over the top,” and such.  They’re making a fuss over the people who are making a fuss.  I don’t understand what’s so hard to understand.  We’re watching this “live broadcast” that’s actually not live and not only do we have to deal with that, we now find out what we’re watching isn’t real.  Why is it so hard to understand why some of us are upset?

Some might say this is a slippery slope, but what if next year the new year’s celebrations are fake?  Instead of seeing this elaborate firework displays that people spent years in the making, we see a fake display on our TV, and oooh and ahh over something that isn’t real?

Others might ask “We watch all these CGI effects in our movies, and expect them, why not with the olympics?”  And I ask..are you dumb enough to not understand what’s wrong with that question?  We are talking about a LIVE broadcast of REAL LIFE events!  Not a stupid movie with lightsabers..

The next olympics ought to have the torch being lit by aliens..