www.iFourWinns.com

Ok, so I am a just-shy-of-a-decade long member of the evil empire out here in Redmond, WA. Our stock is junk, and Vista hasn't been a *hit* whatsoever. Windows Mobile is flailing, Office 2007 didn't really add enough value to justify upgrading -- but now we are entering a new round of releases...

Windows 7 is just fricking amazing. Who out there has been using the betas? Who out there is a PC vs Mac fan (I'd like to know who I should start trying to convert to a PC lover?). Office isn't far behind...

The iPhone is by far the best mobile device available for general consumers who want to surf the internet -- Blackberry and WinMo still win it for business... or anyone who doesn't like AT&T. All I can say is WinMo 6.5 is a step in the right direction -- but -- wait for the next evolution of WinMo. It'll be a big change from what iPhone and Palm Pre are focused on today. It's just a ways out.

Who uses what for their lives? And to bring it back to boating -- do many of you tether your phones for data access? Air Cards? No internet at all (get off the grid when on the water?)

Maybe we should have a general discussion board for off-topic stuff for us to banter about. Aside from tech stuff (cause most of us have alot of inner-nerd) -- and the random crooked politician -- there's plenty of banter we could start on...

Maybe this is a topic that will get lengthy -- or maybe it'll just run out of gas...

Or, is it not appropriate for bantering on the forum???

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

Windows XP is all I need. No computer while boating, have WiFi at the marina used it once to check the weather. No need for iPhone, texting, or mobile apps.

We did try for some different areas to be added to this board back in late March off this year, including an audio sub site, and miscellaneous forum to discuss things not exactly related to boating. Here is where it was left by board admin on 4/1/09.



Hopefully there are some plans in the works for site improvements.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Let's just say I'm a 24 year IT mgr/team lead, been with Sprint for 8 years now, currently working in device certification/provisioning testing.

Other than a brief but profitable foray into OS/2 it's been all Windows, all AS/400, all WinMo, all the time.

As to Win7, early signals are generally positive, but I won't be leaving XP anytime soon.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I pretty much have my iphone (and use it) all the time. I have NEVER been a Windows Mobile fan, and will admit, havent even given it a second look in the last 2-3 years. I have been on an iphone for over a year now and had a blackberry for about 5 years before. My job isnt such that mobile email is critical anymore, but I had grown over the years to really enjoy having access all the time. I use it a little for internet, but mainly for mail and apps.

I just added the Navionics app and will play with it this weekend when I am out on the boat. I use facebook, chase bank, youtube, photobucket, weatherbug, ebay, bloomberg, and some cocktail recipe apps...all pretty frequently. They are simple apps and the nice thing is that although they are going on the internet for the data of course (some are resident apps), they operate inside their own shell. No browser to open up and try to type in etc...

I am not really a PC vs Mac kind of guy, and probably wont get there....but I will admit, its possible at some point. Windows just seems to continue to go downhill or maybe I should say, not bring anything new and useful to the table.

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

I must admit to being quite a Mac fan, the whole family converted to Macs Xmas 07 and I don't think we would ever go back to Windows.

Having had to use Vista for 10 days recently, I can truthfully say that Windows sure had a major fail with that one, slow, buggy and unresponsive at times and that was on a high power machine! Although on the other hand Windows 7 is around the corner....

I managed to get the original Beta of Windows 7 and put it on a old Acer laptop, nothing special, 1.5ghz processor, 1 GB Ram, and I must say it runs quicker and more stable than Vista does on any machine I have ever used! Windows 7 is what Vista should have been like!

However I would never go back to Windows, its not the operating system, but its the support issues, I have had many times with XP when Iv had a program and called Microsoft and they have said its a hardware issue you have to call the manufacturer (Dell) and then Dell say its Windows, achieving absolutely nothing! Thus only one of the reasons I love Macs, you call one person and the problem is sorted in such a shorter period of time and normally the representatives are cheery and helpful!

Yes I admit you pay a premium for the 'Apple' Badge, but I do really believe it is worth it.

Plus......The stores are some of the coolest I have ever been in...

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Rob Sherry
-
1999 Sundowner 205

I actually got rid of my Blackberry (well, it is in the closet) and downgraded to just a regular flip phone because I get a lot of e-mails each day and hated having to delete them from both my Blackberry and laptop (Windows Vista, PC). I am on my laptop all the time anyway and just didn't see the need to pay an additional $30 a month for e-mail service for the Blackberry. I have a Verizon wireless card for my laptop and use it while I am in the car (wife drives) and on the boat so I am always available.

As for an off-topic related section, CSR has one and it is pretty entertaining at times to read (no, I am not a member).

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

When I was in college I started on the Mac and have never looked back. For how I use a computer it has always been the perfect machine. I have PC's that run my home automation, weather station and surveillance camera programs but they're very purpose-specific and I don't interact with them more than I need to keep everything running. With a separate partition for XP on my Macbook Pro I can interface with certain non-Mac compatible toys when I have to (a few touchscreens at home) and plot my courses with the Raymarine software.

As for the iPhone, before I got one a year and a half ago, I used to upgrade my phone (at least) every year. The iPhone always feels new as cool apps come along and has the perfect convergence of everything I need on the go.

When I'm on the boat I usually have the laptop along but rarely use it other than for course plotting or blogging if I'm on an extended cruise. I can pull up all the weather data I need on my E80 or iPhone (the Weather Channel app has excellent radar data). If wifi is not available I use a Verizon MiFi (very cool device). But I typically stay off the net when on board which is why I haven't been posting a whole lot since the season began

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Previously:
2008 V358/Volvo 5.7 GXi Inboards

IT/New product development. All XP. Although 7 looks like it's going to be what we upgrade to. Right now Microsoft has a great deal if you sign up early, although you can't technically upgrade to 7 from XP, has to be a complete install, then you'll have to re-install your apps.

My wife just got the Palm Pre, and it looks very slick, I havent had time to mess around on it though. I have the centro and have not been happy with it, first phone i've ever bought that i'm not happy about!!

Wife has sprint broadband for her laptop, I thought about siging up for wireless at the marina but the summer got away and now the cost doesnt justify the time left in the season. I'm kind of a techno geek so I love this kind of stuff. Love the iphone, but we're with sprint and been pretty happy with the coverage!

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Michael Bova


"Swept Aweigh"
2003 Four Winns 328 Vista

Previous Boat
2003 Crownline 230CCR

I've got an aircard on my laptop and an iPhone, but horrible reception at my lake home pretty much eliminates regular use. As far as home stuff, I'm pretty much desktop or straight iPhone now. As others have said, the useful apps are great and keep you from thinking of the need for upgrading.

I'm still on XP Professional on my home and work desktops. Vista on the laptop. I really have no issues with them, and no preference on PC v. MAC. Whatever you hand me I can work with for the most part.

Unless the new Windows is revolutionary, I'm probably dug in with XP until software requirements force me into a move.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

a good mix of people... I'm actually surprised that more people aren't using Mac.

For the Mac users --- take a serious look at Windows 7 with Bootcamp or some other emulator program. Apple's hardware is very impressive --- but I think the Windows 7 experience is a step ahead from Apple's (I think it's snow leopard now).

Windows 7 is awesome. I've been using it in Beta form for quite some time now. It's well worth going straight past Vista. It's a huge improvement from XP as well. Alot snappier and great support for wireless and device configuration.

If you run Vista -- no hardware upgrade needed... Just upgrade to 7. You will never look back.

As for mobile... I used an iPhone for 2 months to try it out... great device. I don't have anything bad to say about it. It raised the bar for a consumer device. My complaints are more enterprise-related. But that hasn't been a focus for the iPhone. They need to beef up their Exchange support if they ever want to be a player in the business space.


The new 3GS is a sweet device also -- great performance.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

I know MSFT is known as the evil empire to alot, but what would the country or the world be like without them and windows?? I know I have cussed out PCs and Windows many time and threatened to try MAC, but have not done it yet. I have a small network 10 computers with a server, we run xp on the workstations and windows server 03 on the server. I hope the new version of windows will be less buggy and quirky, but even if it is, we are always slow to "upgrade" operating systems ( havent even moved to vista yet) due to the always encountered and unpredictable "unintended consequences" with the rest of the software we run. I would definitely get it on my personal laptop if the product reviews warranted it.

For my mobile device i use the BB storm. It too is a bit quirky at times, but gets better with each software revision. I also tether it to my laptop for access to the net out on the water, with decent success. I definitely would have considered the IPhone if Verizon had it at the time, ATT just doesn't have the coverage around here. I heard Verizon is getting the IPhone when they upgrade to 4G, but haven't seen anything official on it. I love the smart phones and it is amazing what all you can do with them, whicheverone (new word ) you have.

So cougar what are the highlights you see on the next version of windows that has you saying "fricking amazing"

And how about Bing, any success there?

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

IT software development and product management here ....from one of the other "biggies" (IBM). Use 'em all (OS's and platforms) but the "everyday" is and will continue to be XP. It does everything I need. The Admiral is a MAC fan though....I'll tweak her to look at Win 7.....

What I'm really waiting for is a good wireless at the Marina so that I can spend the day in the slip "working". ; )

Ernie

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JustBreathe
'05 230 Horizon

After reading about all the fancy phones you guys have, I started feeling like a low-life for not having one and was considering firing up my Blackberry again. That was, until I saw this Obama supporter with one at a soup kitchen taking a picture of the Queen herself. I guess I don't need a fancy phone after all.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

I love the iPhone and hate Vista ("You just clicked OK. Are you sure you meant to click OK? Click OK to continue or cancel to go back.") I'd like a free downgrade (or upgrade as most would agree) back to XP. I'm willing to try 7 in the future, but will wait until I need a hardware improvement.

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2010 H210SS 5.0 MPI
Lake Oconee, GA

There's so much wrong with that picture I don't know where to start. So I won't.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic