This book served as a good introduction and overview of what is included in ASP.NET Ajax but if you’re looking for a deep dive look elsewhere.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone that has never used ASP.NET Ajax or that has used an older version. This book will get you up to speed on the basics and introduce you to the Javascript library. Developers that have used ASP.NET Ajax before will need to look elsewhere for a satisfactory read though.
I just have to mention one of my new favorites. The website www.portableapps.com has a great program suite for portable applications. Their suite works with most portable hardware (USB flash drive, iPod, portable hard drive, etc.) and for those that do not wish to use the entire suite they also have a pretty nice library of portable applications. Best of all – its completely free.
I personally use their Lite Suite. OpenOffice was a bit much for me to put on a thumbdrive and between the Lite’s AbiWord and the fact that most pc’s have office software I decided against it.. I’ve customized it a bit so with the suite I always have Firefox, Filezilla, Notepad++, Foxit Reader, and 7-Zip just a few clicks away on any computer.
Thanks PortableApps!
So I geeked out and finally bought a pda phone. I got the Cingular 8125 Windows Mobile 5 phone. I’ve been having it for about a month or 2 now but I didn’t want to post anything about it until I had a chance to form an opinion about it.
Like most self-proclaimed nerds/geeks, I’ve had pda’s before but having both a cell phone and a pda was awkward. I ended up selling both of the pda’s that I had previously owned to some friends. (For those wondering, I had a Dell Axim and before that a Palm m125)
Reception
The reviews that I read in my “do I want to buy this” phase said that if your reception was bad before you wouldn’t enjoy any better with the 8125. I have not found this to be true. I have excellent reception with the 8125 and sometimes in places where I had none before.
Software and Applications
It runs on Windows Mobile 5 so there is an abundant supply of applications, etc available for download on the internet. The fact that Microsoft only released Windows Media Player for the phone with 4 codecs (2 audio and 2 video) really bothered me at first until I found The Core Pocket Media Player. This media package solved all of my issues with media playback.
I haven’t really messed with to many of the pre-packaged software outside of the Outlook tie-ins (notes, calendar, contacts, etc). But, if you’re like me, you’ll get more use out of the apps you’ve choosen to install like the work/field specific apps or the shopping list program you download because you can never seem to remember the last item you need from Wal-Mart.
Connectivity
Bluetooth is great but it is almost a standard feature in today’s cell phone industry. It was easy to setup my headset… Which is about the full extent of my Bluetooth use. What do I really love about this phone’s connectivity? Built in Wi-Fi! I added the phone’s MAC address to my wireless router and it connected with no problems.
Hardware and Design
I have to start with the Sidekick like slide out keyboard. It takes a bit of getting used to but as your typing speed increases you’ll love it more and more. It’s a complete life saver when surfing the internet, sending emails and text messages, etc. Since I usually keep my phone’s stylus input mode on Transcribe, the keyboard also helps get those characters that the software just can’t seem convert.
Summary
I was a bit nervous about buying the 8125 when I first got it since I still had reservations about pda’s in general after my past experiences. Between the 8125 combining my cell phone with a pda and the variety of applications for the Windows Mobile platform (sadly lacking when I owned the Axim), I am very satisfied with my purchase. The phone connects well in places where previous phones wouldn’t have had a single bar of reception. The phone is designed well and feels comfortable in you hand in most situations. And who can forget the Wi-Fi!
I hope you enjoy the read and if you were thinking of purchasing an 8125, I sincerely hope that this helped you one way or the other.
