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DONNA MARIA @ INDIE BUSINESS'S POSTS

for donna maria @ indie business

Tilt 2: Versatile and Fun!

I have enjoyed using the Tilt 2. Over the three weeks I've had it, I've discovered at least one thing that makes it better than my iPhone -- the battery lasts longer! Even when my kids played video games on the device, the battery was slow to die. You can't beat that when it comes to smart phones.

When I took the Tilt 2 on vacation, it proved invaluable. Two kids in a small car for hours created ample opportunities to play great games that come loaded on the device.

Additionally, I got some basic administrative work done in the car without having to put out my huge laptop. I did such things as send important email messages, update my FaceBook Fan Page, monitor my social networking site and Tweet!

The Tilt 2 will never make me want to lose my laptop entirely because I am an avid blogger who needs a traditional keyboard to type quickly and correctly. Aside from that, I just may be able to do without my laptop to perform most any other online function to run my business.

Thanks for the opportunity AT&T!

December 7, 8:44 pm

"I Wanna Tilt!"

It's Thanksgiving weekend and I'm in my hometown of Washington, DC, spending some fantastic time with my family.

While at an ice cream social event with my cousins, I pulled out the Tilt 2 and my college-aged cousin Jessica's eyes lit up and she said, "I wanna Tilt!!" She was so excited to see that I had a Tilt 2, and she spent the next hour playing with it. She logged into FaceBook, she sent a few text messages and made some calls. She fully and completely embraced the device.

When she was done, I asked her to tell me what she liked about it on video. She was happy to oblige. Among other things, she loves the wide screen, which she compared to the phone she uses now. She also said she likes the stylus and the setup of the keyboard, which she says accommodates her fingers better than the phone she's using now. She also likes that it's not a light smart phone. She said she doesn't like using devices that don't feel sturdy and substantial in her hands because she always feels like she might drop them as she types.

Jessica says that now that she's tried a Tilt 2, it's at the top of her list of things to buy when she comes home for the Christmas holidays. Thanks Jessica!!

December 2, 4:53 pm

Tilt 2 Is Great For Quick Updates

I am a writer, speaker and small business advocate. Because I have so many presentations and written materials to prepare each week, I am a super fast typist. I learned typing in second grade and I type according to the traditional method of centering my four fingers over the A-S-D-F keys (left hand) and the J-K-L-; keys (right hand). All numbers are within easy reach on a traditional laptop.

I type a lot on airplanes, and when I do, I kind of zone out. I sometimes stare into space or close my eyes and just type what comes out of my head. Sometimes, after a flight people comment on how interesting it is to watch me type so fast and be so focused. (The obviously don't have much to look at while trapped on an airplane -- LOL!)

I say all this to say that the Tilt 2 is great for logging onto other people's blogs (including this one) and leaving quick comments. But I simply cannot lose my laptop when it comes to adding original content to my own blogs (I have 3, soon to be 4, of them).

I tried blogging from the Tilt 2 and it was not working. In all fairness, I cannot blog or prepare written remarks efficiently from any hand held device -- they are all just too small. I've tried on the iPhone and Blackberry as well. No dice.

So while I'm excited about being able to do the little things with my Tilt 2, I have to leave the big jobs to my traditional Mac.

November 21, 11:50 am

Games On The Tilt 2

One thing I love about the Tilt 2 is that is comes pre-loaded with lots of games. My favorite is Sudoku, but since that makes for a pretty boring video, I decided to check in on my son while he was playing a car racing game. This is 5-year old nirvana!

November 21, 10:04 am

Maybe It's Me

As technically challenged as I am, I still think I can whip out a new smart phone and start using it without reading any directions. I was able to do that with the iPhone for the most part, but this Tilt is a bit of a different story.

I plan to sit down with them this afternoon, but on the theory that many people are "busy" like me, and would rather just start benefiting from the basic functionality of a device as soon as they open it, here are my impressions along those lines.

1. Phone: Excellent! I pushed all the right buttons the first time and called my mom. The sound quality was awesome (she's in Washington, DC and I'm in Charlotte, NC). I was able to quickly see how to set up profiles for people in the contact area. I expect that using the phone will be one of the most pleasant parts of this experience.

2. Camera: Well, I admit that I didn't read the directions, so maybe it's me, but every time I select "Camera" from the home screen, I am taken to a screen that allows me to record a video without any problem. In fact, there's a picture of a video in the middle of the screen and when I click the aperture icon, I record a video. Nice. But I haven't been able to figure out how to use the camera.

I probably use my iPhone camera more than my phone because I Tweet and FaceBook photos all the time. If it's difficult to use the camera, it's going to be difficult to use the device.

3. When I touch the touch screen, it seems to take a long time for the screen to go to the screen I have requested. of course "long time" is relative, but I'm used it happening in an instant and it's no instantaneous with this device.

4. After using an iPhone for 5 months, this device seems a bit on the bulky side. I wouldn't say it's "heavy," but it just seems bulky. When I pick it up, I find myself saying, "What's in there that weighs so much??!"

5. Calendaring. Well, let's just say that it's not so intuitive. Again, maybe it's me, but the "OK" button you push to save an entry is in the upper right corner. That's fine, but it's the same color as all of the other commands up there so it doesn't stand out. Calendaring is very important to me and if I don't have an easy to use, fast calendar in my hand, I can't keep up with my busy schedule of meetings, husband, Girl Scouts, etc.

I'm going to have to play with it some more.

I'll have another update and I cozy up with the directions!

November 18, 5:31 pm