Three weeks ago the moment that I had been waiting over 12 months for arrived. I put down my Blackberry and picked up my new phone. It was a great feeling to get rid of a phone I had wanted to throw in the skip for so long.
The BlackBerry Curve was the first smartphone I ever got and back in 2010 it was up there with the best and most popular devices out there. It was fast and reliable, had great access to emails, the internet was good and most of my friends had this device. Building on that last point, BlackBerry was the ideal phone for contacting your friends, notably through the BB Messaging service. If I'd had my BlackBerry for a year, then the first part of the post would have been a lot different, but sadly it was a 24 month contract and the second year was where the problems started.
The most notable issues were the almost constant freezing whenever I tried to do anything which the phone considered 'too fast' and separately the 'white screen' that appeared suddenly without warning. Add to this the back falling off, along with parts of the sides and the top, then you get a picture of how the phone was operating towards the end.
So with my contract coming to an end I was faced with a choice, which phone should I get next? There were many options out there, go with Nokia who are trying to fight their way back in to the market or possibly Sony or HTC. As I really looked at this it became an obvious battle between Samsung and Apple. Do I plump for the Galaxy S3 or wait for the iPhone 5, which was expected late Sept/ early Oct, to come out?
Both phones would have been great choices, they are fast, have great apps, produce perfect pictures and generally make your life easier. The differences between the two are minimal and in the end it comes down to preference. Some people will buy an iPhone simply because it is an Apple product, whilst others will choose anything but an iPhone in order to be anti-Apple.
I will admit I was leaning towards that first group, wanting to have an iPhone because of how good the previous models had been. Plus having a friend tell me how amazing his iPhone was didn't help Samsung's cause. The main thing that put me off the S3 was just how big it was. It's funny how the first mobile phones were huge and slowly they got smaller but now it seems we're heading back the other way again, although at least they are remaining thin! Samsung have, however, revealed a smaller version of the S3 will be released, possibly solving the size issue for many potential customers.
I think in the end a lot of it does come down to reputation. Apple has long had a reputation as a game changer, as being the top dog in the pen. You know if you buy an Apple product, the chances are you're going to be pretty happy with the quality of the device. Samsung have managed to achieve this now and are a major player and rival of Apple, so much so it created the court battle between the two over patents this year. Do you think Apple would have bothered if Samsung were barely scratching the service in the mobile world? Me neither.
Reputation is the biggest issue facing Nokia and BlackBerry right now. Both companies have been at the top at some point, most notably Nokia who used to rule the mobile land. Interview people on the street and I guarantee 90% will have had a Nokia at some point but they were overtaken and took too long to catch up. Slowly the fallen giant is making it's way back with the Lumia range and will be pinning a lot of its hopes on the new Lumia 920, due for release in Europe in November. Blackberry has the same hopes pinned on the BlackBerry 10, after a fall from grace as it was passed by touchscreen technology and its own major failures. It remains to be seen if these devices can revive the fortunes of each company but the worrying thing will be where could they go from here if they don't?
In the end I went for the new iPhone and have not regretted it at all. It's a great device and an even better one when compared to my old BlackBerry. It is everything I thought it would be and what I explained it was in this article. The question now is could I ever see myself going back to a Blackberry after converting to Apple? Well I like to look at it this way, if you upgraded from a tricycle to a Ferrari, would you ever go back? Anyone knows though that nothing stays the same forever and nobody stays on top forever, so we shall see if anyone can truly knock Apple off their perch in the future.
But as the old saying goes, if you can't beat them, join them and I think I will be joining them for a good while yet.
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Race to the top is on again!
They say don't look at the table until after 10 games, then you start to get a picture of the teams who'll be battling at the top come May and the teams fighting for their lives. If this is the case then Cardiff must be feeling pretty happy at the moment, with Peterborough slightly more concerned.
Following on from this theory then Birmingham are in for a long hard season, one of last season's play off teams are languishing in twenty first place, just three points above the drop zone. Take a closer look though and the former League Cup winners are just six points from the play offs, showing just how close and unpredictable the Championship really is.
This is why the Championship is arguably the most competitive league in the world, so called 'upsets' happen every week. Peterborough had lost seven games in a row before they went to Hull, who are doing quite nicely in the top ten, and put three past them in front of their own fans. Cardiff had won three on the bounce when they travelled to Crystal Palace and were two to the good at half time but lost 3-2. I wonder what odds you would have got on Palace at the break? These kind of results happen in every league but not as frequently as in the second tier, which is the reason why it's so tough to get out of. Whoever finishes top of a league usually deserves it and this is no more true than in the Championship, a gruelling 46 match, nine month marathon.
So who will triumph in May and will there be a surprise package or a late runner like Reading?
As I have said before, this league is unpredictable and 20 out of the 24 teams will have genuine hopes of promotion this season. Even as late as March that number will have only whittled itself down to about 16. It is very hard to predict who can last the distance, many times teams have threatened to stay but couldn't quite hold on.
This year Cardiff are looking strong, especially at home after winning all five games so far, and I feel they will be up there once again. But can they handle the pressure? It has got to them in the past having been play off finalists in 2010, losing to Blackpool, and semi finalists in each of the last two seasons. I think they will finally handle the expectation and pressure and I'm tipping them for success this year as I feel their home form will take them up.
Wolves were another team well fancied and after an early season wobble, are starting to hit their stride as their new manager gets acquainted with a new league. Stale Solbakken is best known for his very successful time with Danish club FC Copenhagen, where he won five titles. The Norwegian arrived at Wolves on the back of a less successful period though with then Bundesliga side FC Koln. It has taken them time to adjust to a new league and their new manager, starting off with an opening day loss to Leeds, but they are sitting pretty in third. I feel out of the three relegated sides that they will have the best chance of bouncing straight back as everyone is pulling in the same direction there, which is not the case at the other two. I'm not sure if they will make automatic promotion but I wouldn't fancy meeting them in the play offs.
Now this may seem biased to some people, based on the fact I support this team, but I really feel this could be the year Leeds get back up and I will explain why. Firstly we have Neil Warnock and there is nobody out there more experienced to get a team promoted, he's only done it the seven times! He knows this league better than anyone and the types of players needed to get you up. Take a look at QPR last season. Who would have thought a team that relied on Shaun Derry in the heart of midfield could get you up, but Warnock did and Derry was integral. Leeds are currently seventh in the table, joint with sixth placed Huddersfield on goal difference. This has been a good effort given the open fixture list which included Cardiff, Wolves, Blackburn, Blackpool, Hull, Bolton and Nottingham Forest. All of whom are expected to be near the top come May. They have also done this without last season's top scorer Ross McCormack for the last month. Every club's fans think they could win promotion and I am no different. I feel that with the right investment in January, if this takeover goes through before then that is, that a few tweaks would see Leeds hard to stop.
There are plenty of other teams I could consider for promotion. Blackburn will be up there but I feel the crowd unrest with the board and the pressure for whoever their new manager is, will be too much. Similarly with Leicester, recent rumours of Nigel Pearson under pressure despite them being second in the league. Is there smoke without fire and could this unease tell in the end? There is also Blackpool, Forest, Brighton and Bolton who will be making a charge. There could also be the possibility of a team making a late run, just as Reading did last year and Crystal Palace several seasons ago. The Royals were languishing in the bottom half in November but put in a sensational run to win the league comfortably by the end. If they can shore up their defence Burnley could be a bit of a dark horse this year, if they can keep hold of free scoring Charlie Austin.The league really is wide open but I feel Cardiff, Wolves and Leeds will be the lucky ones this year.
These are only my predictions and if I was certain to be right then I would be a lot richer as well! Please comment on who you think will reach the promise land this season. After all the banter, the emotion and the unpredictability is why we love this game so much.
Following on from this theory then Birmingham are in for a long hard season, one of last season's play off teams are languishing in twenty first place, just three points above the drop zone. Take a closer look though and the former League Cup winners are just six points from the play offs, showing just how close and unpredictable the Championship really is.
This is why the Championship is arguably the most competitive league in the world, so called 'upsets' happen every week. Peterborough had lost seven games in a row before they went to Hull, who are doing quite nicely in the top ten, and put three past them in front of their own fans. Cardiff had won three on the bounce when they travelled to Crystal Palace and were two to the good at half time but lost 3-2. I wonder what odds you would have got on Palace at the break? These kind of results happen in every league but not as frequently as in the second tier, which is the reason why it's so tough to get out of. Whoever finishes top of a league usually deserves it and this is no more true than in the Championship, a gruelling 46 match, nine month marathon.
So who will triumph in May and will there be a surprise package or a late runner like Reading?
As I have said before, this league is unpredictable and 20 out of the 24 teams will have genuine hopes of promotion this season. Even as late as March that number will have only whittled itself down to about 16. It is very hard to predict who can last the distance, many times teams have threatened to stay but couldn't quite hold on.
This year Cardiff are looking strong, especially at home after winning all five games so far, and I feel they will be up there once again. But can they handle the pressure? It has got to them in the past having been play off finalists in 2010, losing to Blackpool, and semi finalists in each of the last two seasons. I think they will finally handle the expectation and pressure and I'm tipping them for success this year as I feel their home form will take them up.
Wolves were another team well fancied and after an early season wobble, are starting to hit their stride as their new manager gets acquainted with a new league. Stale Solbakken is best known for his very successful time with Danish club FC Copenhagen, where he won five titles. The Norwegian arrived at Wolves on the back of a less successful period though with then Bundesliga side FC Koln. It has taken them time to adjust to a new league and their new manager, starting off with an opening day loss to Leeds, but they are sitting pretty in third. I feel out of the three relegated sides that they will have the best chance of bouncing straight back as everyone is pulling in the same direction there, which is not the case at the other two. I'm not sure if they will make automatic promotion but I wouldn't fancy meeting them in the play offs.
Now this may seem biased to some people, based on the fact I support this team, but I really feel this could be the year Leeds get back up and I will explain why. Firstly we have Neil Warnock and there is nobody out there more experienced to get a team promoted, he's only done it the seven times! He knows this league better than anyone and the types of players needed to get you up. Take a look at QPR last season. Who would have thought a team that relied on Shaun Derry in the heart of midfield could get you up, but Warnock did and Derry was integral. Leeds are currently seventh in the table, joint with sixth placed Huddersfield on goal difference. This has been a good effort given the open fixture list which included Cardiff, Wolves, Blackburn, Blackpool, Hull, Bolton and Nottingham Forest. All of whom are expected to be near the top come May. They have also done this without last season's top scorer Ross McCormack for the last month. Every club's fans think they could win promotion and I am no different. I feel that with the right investment in January, if this takeover goes through before then that is, that a few tweaks would see Leeds hard to stop.
There are plenty of other teams I could consider for promotion. Blackburn will be up there but I feel the crowd unrest with the board and the pressure for whoever their new manager is, will be too much. Similarly with Leicester, recent rumours of Nigel Pearson under pressure despite them being second in the league. Is there smoke without fire and could this unease tell in the end? There is also Blackpool, Forest, Brighton and Bolton who will be making a charge. There could also be the possibility of a team making a late run, just as Reading did last year and Crystal Palace several seasons ago. The Royals were languishing in the bottom half in November but put in a sensational run to win the league comfortably by the end. If they can shore up their defence Burnley could be a bit of a dark horse this year, if they can keep hold of free scoring Charlie Austin.The league really is wide open but I feel Cardiff, Wolves and Leeds will be the lucky ones this year.
These are only my predictions and if I was certain to be right then I would be a lot richer as well! Please comment on who you think will reach the promise land this season. After all the banter, the emotion and the unpredictability is why we love this game so much.
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Club over Country?
As England prepare to take on the might of San Marino, football fans across the country are mourning the break from their clubs.
The international break is a great time, it is your chance to get behind your country, for rival fans to come together but the emotion is not quite the same as it is with your club.
One difference between club and international football is fans become more invested in their clubs because they play more often and read news about them every day. It is hard for international teams to build momentum when they only play once or twice every few months, whereas clubs can sometimes play up to four times in a week. If you loved watching something, which would you prefer, having to wait two months to see it again or seven days?
Club football is more personal, every fan supports their country, but your club is what separates you from everyone else. You don't get the banter and the rivalry with internationals like you do with clubs. It means more if you're a Liverpool fan to beat Manchester United then it does for England to beat Germany. I'll bet you're more likely to meet a few United fans on your way to work to banter with then you are a bunch of Germans; though if you happened to live in Germany it would be a lot easier!
Success may play a part in it for some as well. The continuous failures of the England team to replicate anything near to the 1966 triumph has become frustrating. I think every club must have had 'some' form of success since the national team has.
International football is a great concept though and I would be outraged if it was decided that because people prefer their clubs that it should be done away with. Tournament football is brilliant because it is a few weeks focused entirely on watch your country, who play up to seven games, but with England it is usually maximum of four.
The players can also have an effect on your interest on the international stage. If your national side has a lot of your club players you become more invested but if your clubs players aren't there, then you may feel your team is not represented.
There will be plenty of people that disagree with this and I am not saying that I do not like internationals, because I do, just my club means more to me when it comes to football. I feel more passionate, more emotional and more invested with my club. If they lose I feel down but a win makes me feel great and on top of the world.
A couple of years ago I was studying in California and it was around the time my team, Leeds United (please keep reading after hearing who I support), were trying to get promoted from League One. Leeds were playing Bristol Rovers at home and just needed a win to guarantee promotion. California is eight hours behind so when the game kicked off at 3pm UK time, it was 7am where I was. During my time in California I lived in a shared room, which is an important part to the story. I woke up to listen to the game and suffered as Leeds went down to 10 men and then 1-0 down. Just after hearing Leeds equalise I managed to find a video link to the game in time to see Jermaine Beckford put Leeds ahead, upon which I shouted in excitement, thus waking my room-mate up! I could not contain my joy at this victory, that was a result of nine months worth of work for my team. Now I have seen some great England games, goals and drama, Beckham's free kick (you know the one) being a prime example, but I just don't feel that sheer joy I experienced at 8.20am, 5,000 miles from home, could be replicated watching someone in a England shirt rather than a Leeds one.
There is no doubt I would choose my club first but come every other summer you will find me in the middle of the pub, beer in one hand, crisps in the other, cheering on my country.
The international break is a great time, it is your chance to get behind your country, for rival fans to come together but the emotion is not quite the same as it is with your club.
One difference between club and international football is fans become more invested in their clubs because they play more often and read news about them every day. It is hard for international teams to build momentum when they only play once or twice every few months, whereas clubs can sometimes play up to four times in a week. If you loved watching something, which would you prefer, having to wait two months to see it again or seven days?
Club football is more personal, every fan supports their country, but your club is what separates you from everyone else. You don't get the banter and the rivalry with internationals like you do with clubs. It means more if you're a Liverpool fan to beat Manchester United then it does for England to beat Germany. I'll bet you're more likely to meet a few United fans on your way to work to banter with then you are a bunch of Germans; though if you happened to live in Germany it would be a lot easier!
Success may play a part in it for some as well. The continuous failures of the England team to replicate anything near to the 1966 triumph has become frustrating. I think every club must have had 'some' form of success since the national team has.
International football is a great concept though and I would be outraged if it was decided that because people prefer their clubs that it should be done away with. Tournament football is brilliant because it is a few weeks focused entirely on watch your country, who play up to seven games, but with England it is usually maximum of four.
The players can also have an effect on your interest on the international stage. If your national side has a lot of your club players you become more invested but if your clubs players aren't there, then you may feel your team is not represented.
There will be plenty of people that disagree with this and I am not saying that I do not like internationals, because I do, just my club means more to me when it comes to football. I feel more passionate, more emotional and more invested with my club. If they lose I feel down but a win makes me feel great and on top of the world.
A couple of years ago I was studying in California and it was around the time my team, Leeds United (please keep reading after hearing who I support), were trying to get promoted from League One. Leeds were playing Bristol Rovers at home and just needed a win to guarantee promotion. California is eight hours behind so when the game kicked off at 3pm UK time, it was 7am where I was. During my time in California I lived in a shared room, which is an important part to the story. I woke up to listen to the game and suffered as Leeds went down to 10 men and then 1-0 down. Just after hearing Leeds equalise I managed to find a video link to the game in time to see Jermaine Beckford put Leeds ahead, upon which I shouted in excitement, thus waking my room-mate up! I could not contain my joy at this victory, that was a result of nine months worth of work for my team. Now I have seen some great England games, goals and drama, Beckham's free kick (you know the one) being a prime example, but I just don't feel that sheer joy I experienced at 8.20am, 5,000 miles from home, could be replicated watching someone in a England shirt rather than a Leeds one.
There is no doubt I would choose my club first but come every other summer you will find me in the middle of the pub, beer in one hand, crisps in the other, cheering on my country.
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