./monroec

I started getting “disk error” messages whenever I connected my iPod to my Windows PC.  Unplugged, it would work fine. When i launched iTunes, I was directed here: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1372

The resolution steps are:

• Disconnect and reconnect your iPod and then attempt to restore.
• Restart your computer and then attempt to restore your iPod.
• Disable or Enable Disk Use on your iPod and then attempt to restore.
• Try connecting your iPod to a different USB port and then attempt to restore.
• Remove any third-party USB devices you have connected to your computer (it is not necessary to remove your keyboard or mouse).
• If you use Windows, re-register .dll files as described in article iTunes displays -50 error message when syncing iPod on Windows XP
• For Windows users, update or reinstall your Windows USB drivers.

Those all seem kind of hardcore. It’s only a fucking MP3 player. Instead, I ran the Windows Error-Checking Tool on the device. Everything went back to normal in seconds. I find it odd that the simplest troubleshooting step is completely missing from their Service Bulletin. I’m going to break down why their troubleshooting steps suck:

1. Disconnect and reconnect your iPod and then attempt to restore. - This won’t do anything. If the drive is in an error state, Windows will continue to see it in an error state. Most likely my issue is related to a premature disconnect.
2. Restart your computer and then attempt to restore your iPod. - What this should say is: Restart all the bogus Apple processes like Bonjour, QuickTime, and iTunesHelper. Apple software HATES coming back from suspend/hibernate.
3. Disable or Enable Disk Use on your iPod and then attempt to restore. - A drive is a drive is a drive. This does nothing. The problem is disk errors, not features.
4. Try connecting your iPod to a different USB port and then attempt to restore. - Good suggestion, but often several USB ports are on the same USB HUB. Most users won’t be smart enough to try the ports on the back/front of the PC.
5. Remove any third-party USB devices you have connected to your computer (it is not necessary to remove your keyboard or mouse). - Yeah I don’t think so, YOUR device is the issue, not MY peripherals.
6. If you use Windows, re-register .dll files as described in article iTunes displays -50 error message when syncing iPod on Windows XP - What? Maybe if I have spyware or a virus, but then I have bigger issues….
7. For Windows users, update or reinstall your Windows USB drivers. - Hahaha, no. USB is a STANDARD interface. It’s not the case that ALL of my devices are having issues. This seems like a catch-all. Don’t fix what ain’t broke.

The iPhone 2G is the terrible result of fantastic marketing.

G-Code:

The “G” rating on the phone is arbitrary. 2G doesn’t mean anything. First off, the phone itself is a 1st Generation device (First Generation, platform 1.1). The EDGE network that it runs on, is commonly referred to as 2.75G. However, the prior 1G phone ran on the same infrastructure.

So then what was the purpose of the phone? It was a way for Apple to release a “new and magical” product that didn’t do anything different as they continued to work on their 2nd generation device: The iPhone 3G.

The media and consumers flocked to it . No news here….

MMS Frenzy:

In march of 2009, MMS support was finally added to the phone with the 3.0 OS. Apple cited AT&T as the bottleneck and most believed them. They also noted that the first two phones (1st Gen devices) would not support the feature.

Clearly Bullshit - I’ve been using an iPhone 2G(1st Gen) with native MMS for a few days now. There are guides all over the net, at least entertain those links.

Double Takes:

A few weeks ago, I was messing around with an unlocked Samsung device. The interface seemed very familiar and quite reminiscent to the iPhone OS. I wondered why Apple hadn’t threatened to sue. Upon further research, I realized that Samsung manufactures the internal hard drives for the iPhone.

Everything In Its Right Place:

The purpose of modular design is to create swappable pieces that make manufacturing and troubleshooting easier. The result is a series of “black boxes” whose function and capabilities are foreign to the user. The problem arises when companies like Apple uses this to their financial advantage. No aspect of the iPhone is modular (all batteries should be user replaceable). The iPhone’s capabilities are limited based on Apple’s Quarterly projections (release cycles are in place to maximize profits through gradual feature removal and aggregation).

I feel that Apple is preying on their user base.

I got a chance to cruise over to Huntington Beach after finishing up my wireless project in Buena Park, California.

I swam for a bit and walked up and down the boardwalk. Near Main street, there was a random group of people playing music. The tribal sound and its impromptu nature was awesome.