A Week Without Apple - Day Five, The End

[caption id="attachment_1134" align="aligncenter" width="575" caption="The WRT610N"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1134" title="dsc_1038" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dsc_1038.jpg" alt="The WRT610N emerging from a cardboard birth." width="575" height="383" />[/caption]

The last item to look at is the <a href="http://www.linksysbycisco.com/ANZ/en/products/WRT610N">Linksys WRT610N</a>. It's pretty much an AirPort Extreme, but by Linksys instead of Apple. The WRT610N packs a dual band radio, so you can have a 2.4GHz 802.11g network, for things like the iPhone, Wii and older laptops, plus a 5GHz network, for the faster 802.11n spec, which is mainly on computers.

Installing a wireless access point should be a non-event. No dicking around, just open the box, plug it in, configure it and let it sit, doing its job with no complaints. Luckily for Linksys, that is exactly what I got.

When I initially set the WRT610N up, I didn't follow the instructions correctly, hence why it didn't work. You actually need the Ethernet cable plugged in - it cannot configure itself over wi-fi alone like the AirPort. When I plugged the Ethernet cable back in, like the animation and diagrams and bold text said, everything went to plan. I was able to use the wizard to create two networks that my devices could connect to. All done.

I wanted to investigate the rest of the configuration options, so to do that, you log in via your browser, to the WRT610N's admin settings. The usual fare is there - if you've ever configured a wireless router, you'll see the familiar options. The only thing of interest is the fact the WRT610N also has a USB port, just like the AirPort Extreme. It can't be used to share a printer, like the Apple device can, but it can be used to share files. The USB storage device appears in the firmware, you give it a name, set permissions and away you go. Your network should see it automagically and you can connect to it like any other shared folder. Works as advertised and the performance was great too.

The WRT610N also contains a uPnP media server - so if you have a bunch of videos, photos or music on that USB storage device, any uPnP compatible gadget will play media off it. Very useful if you have a PS3, which is one of the more popular uPnP devices, particuarly since it's hooked up to a TV.

That's about it - the WRT610N worked like a champ. Didn't pass out once and handled all I gave it. If I was a PC user full time, I'd go for it instead of the AirPort, simply because the Apple software is a bit rough on the PC from my experience and the sharing stuff isn't that streamlined with Windows either, where as Linksys's stuff all works with Windows fine. But I am a Mac user, so the AirPort Extreme is what I will use. It's interesting to note that the AirPort Extreme and WRT610N are practically the same price. RRP for the AirPort is $279 - you can pick up a WRT610N for $259 online, but once you pay postage, it's the same as the AirPort.
<blockquote><strong>And with that, I am at the end of my experiment.</strong> Right now, as I'm writing this, it is 11:15PM on Friday night (yes, I live an action filled life), only 45 minutes to go until I can boot up my Mac, paw all over my iPhone and watch stuff on the AppleTV once again.</blockquote>
Whilst I missed using my beloved Apple gear, and the slightly annoying fact that my usual workflows were interrupted (you've probably noticed there was no daily news this week!), I got to look into an area of technology I used to enjoy avidly, but that I've avoided for quite a while. I didn't stop using Windows because I hated it. I didn't have the all-so-common stories of woe, where Windows has driven someone insane. I knew Windows well, lovingly built my own computers, rolled my own OS via slipstreaming and always run bareback, never installing an anti-virus suite. I merely switched to Mac OS X because I preferred what I saw there. At first it was just another operating system for me to play with, because I'm a nerd and that's what nerds do. But with OS X it was more than a fling (unlike Linux and FreeBSD, pfft). The reason I did this experiment was just to satisfy some curiosity and to share the results with my fellow Apple geeks. It wasn't to battle to the death to find the best, or even to attempt to convert to use Windows again. I just did it because I'm a geek who likes to play with things and I'm lucky enough to be in a position where I can go to companies like HP and go "yo give me a laptop".

Overall, the experience was enlightening, but I won't be buying or keeping any of the things I've been using this week. Let me tell you why:

<strong>Windows 7 &amp; HP Laptop</strong>: Well the HP laptop is pretty average. Borderline bad actually. I'm sure there's better pieces of kit in the HP family. I couldn't deal with the bad screen and crap trackpad - it's as simple as that. Windows 7 however, is quite competent. Microsoft have done a good job fixing up the pains of Vista and moving on from XP. Mac OS X is still my OS of choice though. To explain my love and reasons for OS X would require another thousand words, but there's just something I have difficulty explaining, that when I'm using OS X makes me feel at ease with the world and like everything is fine. It's bizarre, and goes a long way to explaining this weird obsession I have with Apple, but it's true. Most people, most normal people, can either spout technical facts or features as to why they use their computers. Me however, it's mainly feeling based. I can do whatever I want to do on Windows, but it's just not in tune with me. That probably made no sense to you, but I know there's some of you out there that will nod and understand. They probably can't explain either, but we know it's there and it's why we love Apple so much.

<strong>BlackBerry Bold:</strong> It became clear after day one that the BlackBerry isn't the phone for me. It's targeted not at business users, but at business buyers. If you're the guy who has to roll out 500 phones across your business, make sure the dumb users don't screw them up, and to offer support when they go bust, RIM's options are quite compelling. For someone like me, who still uses their phones for business, but sets it up and manages it myself, the BlackBerry's poor UI and weird server lock in just make no sense. The iPhone is leaps and bounds ahead in all areas except that remote management - for now. In hindsight, I should have got my hands on an Android phone, as that's about the only real competitor for the iPhone in Australia right now.

<strong>TiVo:</strong> The TiVo and AppleTV can't be directly compared. I use my AppleTV ($339) in conjunction with an EyeTV Diversity ($249) and a stand alone digital set top box ($100). The EyeTV is on the iMac in the study, where it works with IceTV ($100/yr) to record what I've scheduled via the awesome IceTV web interface or iPhone app. All the recordings on the EyeTV are then transferred to the AppleTV, where I can watch them at my leisure. This set up, costs about $800. The TiVo is $699. So price isn't really a problem here. It's more about flexibility for me. Let us remember, I am a geek. My partner is a geek. We have a 1.8TB collection of video. That flexibility is important to us. We do more than simply watch free to air TV and capture that. Because of that, the TiVo is not for me. However, for most people, who don't need such complexity and flexibility, and just want to watch &amp; record free to air TV to watch on their TV, the TiVo is leaps and bounds ahead of other PVRs. I could use the TiVo and the AppleTV (hacked), but I like IceTV's web interface too much to bother switching around. If you're in the market for a HTPC/PVR be sure to look at the TiVo, it's good. Very good.

<strong>Linksys WRT610N:</strong> It works. Wasn't that bad to set up. I wrote about it above. Why ya asking me again?!

It's 12:12AM now. I can go to my mother's house and get my Apple gear back. She's still awake, so I will. I missed my Apple products so much. I have an emotional link to this stupid company. It's pathetic and probably worrying, but it's how I feel. It's what Apple's products do to me. As a geek, Apple calls out to me, showing me the best of what I love. Technology. If I was to write a simple summary of the week, <strong>it would be not to take Apple for granted. You will miss them when they're gone.</strong>

Now, pardon me while I go and see my old friends.