Thoughts: FireTV, and general thoughts on streaming set top boxes

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CX5P8FC/ref=topnav_storetab_aftv

The link takes you to Amazon's FireTV product page. I have one on order and will post a hands on review after I have some time. But first I would like to say a bit about why I ordered it and what I think is going on in the streaming device market. 

Why? Well first of all I have had a 200$ gift certificate looking for a gift. So the money was not an issue, just my geeky desire to check out something that is new. I also have an Apple TV and Chromecast so it isn't like I was hurting for a streaming device. So why check out the fire?

First up, Amazon prime, Hulu and Netflix in one place. I had been hoping against hope amazon would get on Apple TV but no such luck. So in terms of the big streaming services Amazon is on par with other options out of the box, and its pay content and PRIME content is a decent split between netflix and itunes on its own. Odds are I will find anything I want to rent/buy on prime that I would purcahse on itunes. iTunes has all pay content vs some pay and some not (well if you consider prime being paid for free shipping and video as bonus). 

The remote. The Apple TV remote bites the wax tadpole. The AppleTV iOS remote app does a stellar job of being even worse that the dedicated remote except when it comes to having a keyboard and not being line of sight. Amazon may have one of the first real useful implementations of voice control. At anyrate they had me at Bluetooth. The microphone is gravy if it works. Apple could match this with a decent upgrade to the remote app and I will be shocked if they don't at least try and add voice to it. 

Comparison shopping.... or at least a start to it. I do not know how many times I have wished I could easily comparison shop all the pay streaming services. Sooner or later what happend to airline ticketing will happen to streaming media costs. And it will drive the content costs down. All the content gateway's are going to fight it tooth and nail and that bites for consumers. But Amazon is taking the first step. First one to meld Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes gets a 'shut up and take my money' animated gif from me. Followed by transfer of funds at first sign of orderable goods. 

Games. Mobile games have intruiged me and I keep trying them looking for something to grab my attention. Some have done ok. Most I find seriously lacking in control interface. Bluetooth contoller (also ordered the game pad) and 1080p 60hz games at mobile prices on my TV? Won't sound like it is lifting off due to fan\disc spinning noise? Sure I am interested. Factor in the new steam box service and the fact this thing may actually meet those specs raises interesting possibility of an Amazon steam app.  

Kids Zone. Apple sort of does this but not really. The kid zone feature of this widget may be a killer feature for parents. I am largely against media in a kids bedroom because control options are slim to none. This seems like a decent system where if you use non-trivial passwords you could set it up in a kids room and without a cable connection they would have real limits on how much they could watch. 

Apps. Why apple hasn't opened the TV up to app developers is beyond me. Limited storage? Do you need apps on a TV? I don't know honestly. But why not let folks try? 

Second screen experience. Unfortunately it seems I cannot parktake in this as they seem to do this only with their own devices. Silly. And I hope sooner or later they have apps in the App Store for android devices or iOS devices to use with this. Apple again could catch up on this front with their existing Apple TV/iOS device crowd fairly easily. 

Some things I was suprised to not see.... 

General non-digital based Amazon shopping. Voice search, big screen for pictures. Connected to your amazon account? Expect to see that, maybe via an app. Imagine an unholy alliance with Hulu that gives you quick commercials based on your wish list items and gold box deals or something. Say 15 second add break with link to order the offer. Commercials of products have link to buy? Nothing is free. I'll take better targeted adds that offer me personal good deals over generic mass crap that repeats all the damn time. 

More memory. Games and Apps typically implies locat storage of application files. That is space taken away from their instant play cache, Probably hard in a device they may well be loss leading to add more than 8Gb... but I suspect this is a likely weakness of the box if someone pursues the games and apps heavily... unless those are being done hosted ala steam streaming. 

Looking forward:

Expect to see the new Apple TV to be in this class and probably a Google device. Amazon beat them to market with a next gen set top along the lines a lot of people have been talking about ever since Apple released their original hobby device. The question is if they will have the killer TV streaming deal to leave Amazon in the dust?  Amazon has probably just introduced a 'best of breed' solution for anyone with an Amazon prime account. Bit murkier question for anyone without and an investment in the iTunes ecosystem. A Google device providing Google Play access and Amazon prime (already an app in the play store) could be a right interesting proposition.

The real question to me is what kind of content deal Apple is going to bring to the table with their next gen device. All you can eat access to itunes is a popular thought. Many think it is impossible due to rights issues and costs. Another one I like is the idea of is access to traditional cable content just via streaming service. IE say Apple convinced content sources to treat it like a cable company able to re-broadcast their content to their customers. They take a monthly fee from customers in exchange for granting them channel access and access to streaming content that requires cable subscriptions. Apple gets to end users via ISP providers, some of whome are cable companies. That is likely the reason it woudln't work. But I can dream. Most rumors however seem to indicate Apple is working at the cable company level, not the content source level for whatever it is they have up their sleeve. Could still end up working the same way though, but if they only strike deals with specific cable companies many folks will be regionally locked out. Especially if they are not with the larger players in the market where there is choice. In any case I think content access is now the most likely avenue Apple has to stand out in this segment instead of being in the middle of the pack of options. 

All in all bravo Amazon. I wish you were going after a more open solution. But this makes plenty of sense for their business model and it is not a bad deal for folks that like being in the Amazon world... and most of us are to some extent or other. Now I hope my hands on experience matches up to my expectations. 

Review: Zagg Keyboard Cover for iPad Air (Updated 1/1/2015)

I provided two updates to the initial review (June '14 and Jan '15). Short version is that it is a good keyboard case but the design seems somewhat flawed once long term usage issues are taken into consideration. 

I have had Zagg cases since they came out with their first keyboard for the iPad. Between the first gen and 3rd gen I got to experience the evolution of their half shell case and slot keyboard design. The first one was hard to get the iPad out of, and the angled rest was a clunky solution. The second one I got for my retina iPad dropped the foam friction for a lipped magnet setup that was awesome. The slot no longer required the odd angle pop up plastic bit and they added backlit keys. Only weaknesses for me were two things. First was a constant double strike issue I had encountered in most BT keyboards. And the slot was not magnetized like the thin cover design with the Smart Cover like magnetic hinge they shared with Logitech. I really wanted this design again when I got my iPad Air. But Zagg was not offering it. They did a folio followed by this cover unit and I shied away from both. I eventually settled on the as yet unreleased clamshell pro concept which is a full on clamshell keyboard with a 180 hinge allowing you to fold it over for tablet use. But alas they have pushed it out one month longer than I could stand.

So, I finally go in search of a keyboard and Belkin decided on a non-standard keyboard layout so I didn't really try them much. Logitech has a very nice folio that I appreciated much more in person than I had from online reviews.... until I noticed they mini sized the left shift key which made for some awkward typing so it went back on the shelf. Ultra thin it was then. Not my favorite design (rigid smart coverish) but they seemed to have solved the 'slips off at any hint of pressure' issue of the first gen of the design. Between that and the standard key layout I was grabbing one and headed to the checkout... but they didn't have one sitting on the shelf under the display. When I asked where they were the salesperson walked to a shelf set I had missed and there much to my surprise I saw Zagg folio and cover both sitting on the shelf as well. Out they came and many minutes futzing ensued. I actually still thought I would get the ultra thin because I had read to many negative impressions of the zagg hinge solution on the cover and the issues extricating from the fragile folio back case. I just wasn't going to pass up the chance to check the Zaggs out, especially the cover as it was a departure from the other offerings. 

Initial Impressions:

When I first got the cover out and tried to move the hinge I was rather shocked at how stiff it was. Almost put it immediately back. But I continued on and got it hooked up and linked. And started typing. Oh my.... much better than the ultra thin or the logitech folio. The Logitech had mild improvements over earlier iterations. This was a different world. This is the closest experience I have had to a 'laptop keyboard' on an iPad to date. Keys have solid and noticeable travel. no flex in the deck and they are not wobbly. And thus far no double strike issue (about a week in now). Same good backlighting solution from my previous version. But that hinge.... hmmmm. Out came the Zagg folio. In went the air, up with the connection and more typing. Same keyboard. Slightly different feel in the hand as the folio was actually a bit lighter feeling. Also made the folio surprisingly less stable in my lap as the base is lighter than the cover and the case shell adds a bit of weight to the iPad section. Not much, but noticeable. protection factor seemed negligible for the shell. Largely scratch protection only. and very fragile feeling at the edges. Popping it out may be something you get the knack for, but I got the distinct concern that if I were in a rush I could easily cause a break. Not necessarily true that would happen. That is tough stuff. but it felt flimsy. And back to the cover. The hinge works. The friction in and out is a concern. but it feels sturdy. Folded up it feels like a little laptop. More so than the folio. More so than any other solution I have sampled (and I sample a lot). 

Negatives: 

Putting it together and splitting it apart sits somewhere between folio designs and the ultra thin magnet Smart Cover style hinge. When in laptop mode it obscures the lower edge from the swipe up gesture to get to the quick settings. Can even be an issue to hit lower edge user interface items... like send button in iMessage.... Really Apple, please add an option in iMessage to have enter send a damn message already.... not a massive issue, but annoying. Some have reported getting scratches on their iPad from the hinge. I can detect no abrasive contact with mine. Perhaps it is a build quality issue that varies  from unit to unit? the packaging is designed for easy in store trails if you can find them on the shelf anywhere. Could pay to check multiple ones. But either they have resolved that or I got lucky on the first try. The stiffness of the hinge is alarming but once the ipad is securely in it you have the needed leverage to easily manipulate it. Stress level on a metal and glass slab is not anywhere approaching concern. Not that I am going to put it to the test but I am pretty sure the hinge would fail before the iPad if you forced it to far. It is worth noting, if you use a screen cover like Zagg's bread and butter shields or from other providers it will cause a problem with this keyboard design and that seems to be where most of the hinge leave a mark issues have come from. The tolerances are tight to make this friction/magent hinge work. Protection is a mixed bag. If it lands right the keyboard will take the brunt. But the air is open on one side...and if it falls with that exposed surface in play it carries along the added weight of the keyboard. If protection is a major concern this is certainly not the option for you. I think I would still like the open face lip solution. It actually provided protection in all cases but a full on back fall. The lips ensured that the ever critical corner drop was going to get largely taken by the keyboard. Toss on a skin backing and you had a decent level of protection. Here a skin back would require some surgery to allow the use of the slot in hinge solution here. Something Zagg does not offer in a pre cut solution as yet. IF they do I will likely add another baseball skin *complete with stitching" back to this for some additional help. 

The so so: 

I will actually class the hinge level of movement so so.... BUT that is in comparison to laptops and the issue of using a tablet like a tablet. Usuable range of motion is actually pretty small and it cannot lay over back from verticle as much as you would expect which is mostly an issue in trying to read the screen in your lap if you have to be fairly upright. That said... for a tablet case solution it hands down beats any other option I tried (this one or the folio). I suspect the clamcase will top it. But it will also be twice the cost... and possibly significantly heavier. Another issue.... and this one is truly mild except for the obsessives out there. Because the hinge is open slot without end guides it can be off kilter a bit unless you take the time to ensure it is all the way in and aligned with the keyboard. Otherwise it might be slightly angled in the slot and off center with the keyboard. Again not by much (plan to post pictures at some point) for for those of a certain mindset it might drive them crazy. Other designs were self aligning and this could never really happen. Backlight keys. It is one of those features that is absolutely awesome when you need it... but for me it just isn't that often. I do like that this one seems to remember your color selection. Last one I had did not. Cool blue or subtle red for me. To each their own :-)

Last impressions: 

Earlier keyboards all seemed to leave a funk on the screen. Either gunk off keys or Smart Cover funk etc... This case has standoffs that all align on the bezel, and it shuts without anything touching the screen. Again the slab nature of the air comes into play here This design is very clearly optimized for the Air. Anyway if being able to type full steam on your iPad is high on your list, but ability to separate quickly and go back to using a tablet outweighs any case protection concerns, this is clearly a solution you should get your hands on to try out. I'd give it about 95% vrs typing on my Retina MacBook Pro 15" or older 17" MacBook Pro model. Two final things for bonus points. First, this design still supports portrait mode typing (one of my favorite capabilities of the lip and slot designs). Do not recommend that in your lap, but it works fine on a desktop/tabletop.  And finally you can flip the screen around to face away from the keyboard to use in a 'media mode', basically means the keyboard becomes a back stand if you use it to prop up for a movie. Now this works excellently in your lap for something like a plane ride because the angle is going back to closed which means you can angle it for looking down at it much better than you can tilting back away from the keyboard in the typing orientation. (again will do some pictures later).

Upon Further Review (6/25/2014)

Double strikes are very low compared to previous versions of Zagg keyboards I have used. However, it seems in its place a troublesome missing keystroke problem has developed in its place. For example in say the text of this story it will pop up a handful of times. Just like with the double strike it means a spell check is in order after any significant typing... darn.

Next, there is one troublesome aspect of this design has become apparent after longer use. The flexibility of the board means it is possible for a keystroke to be registered while the device is closed. Apparently, the fact the cover is engaged with the iPad in a closed position is not known on the device so the keystroke will wake up the keyboard (if not the iPad). The result can be a lost pairing requiring a power cycle to restore connectivity (annoying but it only takes a few seconds). more problematic is a significantly reduced battery life, even if you do not have the backlights on, and extremely short if they are. I had to charge the device a couple of times in the same week before I figured out what was happening. The simplest work around is to turn the keyboard off whenever going to store it (ie toss in a bag). However, this means the device looses its memory of your backlight choices (on/off, brightness and color). Not a deal breaker but it is annoying.

Last minor issue is the keyboard can only store one bluetooth device profile. Thus if you are like me and have a couple of iPads you switch the keyboard between you have to de-pair and re-pair whenever switching devices. Definitely a 'first world problem'. But of note if you happen to be in this particular situation.

Upon even further Review (1/1/2015)

I now sit here typing this on a new Logitech TYPE +.... and it was not a gift. I bought it to replace the Zagg. I stand by my general review of the device but something has become apparent and it is that this design does not seem to age well with constant use. First the little rubber feet came out that spaced the board from the screen when closed. Then the hinge stopped really gripping... Both are issues I think most of theses devices will experience with heavy use and regular device switching (home and work iPads) are likely to experience. The lack of grip was not a huge issue for typical use as there are still magnets that hold things together. However, it made the 'media' orientation and portrait orientation very precarious affairs as they did not have any proper device magnets to align with. 

But those are not the reasons I replaced it. The two reasons why I replaced are first, the lack of edge protection. I had used an open back keyboards before but they had a lip which provided much better edge protection, even the zagg pro with its very minor lip (still my favorit keyboard case). My air has 'aged' a bit more than my previous iPads because of this. The final nail in its coffin was a failure of the left shift key, delete key and the 'T' key. I can probably go exchange it as it is still less than a year since I bought it but I haven't tried yet. 

The key death is what finally forced me to find an alternative but it was the rest (including the bugs from my first update) that cumulatively made me a bit ambivilent about trying to go get a new version of this board.