I’m a HUGE fan of Windows Live Writer. I use it to write the majority of the posts I make on Gear Diary, as well as my own blog Pocket PC Guru, including this one. It really just makes things so much easier to do and manage; though unfortunately, only on the Windows platform. There doesn’t seem to be a similar Mac-based tool.

I’m also a big fan of Windows Live Messenger. The family is also a big fan of Windows Live Mail (formerly Outlook Express). As a quick and dirty mail client, its not bad at all.  I’m actually surprised with it, but that’s a subject for another post…

Anyway, I’m passing along the current Wind to the family.  They have been without a computer for quite a while, due to a lightning strike this past summer.  I am moving on to an upgraded version of the U100, the 422, and recently purchased one from the link I posted on a short while back.  While blowing the Wind for about, literally, the 10th time, I downloaded what I discovered to be an updated version of Windows Live Messenger.

I’ve confirmed this, and have been able to download updated versions of Windows Live Writer, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Photo Gallery, etc.  All you need is the file from the download link on this page.

Downloading this one file will get you access to most, if not all, Windows Live programs; and I’ve been able to confirm that they all work with Windows 7, in case you’ve downloaded the beta and are actively using it.

Not being the type that can leave well enough alone, I installed Windows 7 to my Wind as planned on 1/18/09. Windows 7 is interesting. I'm still exploring... However, after I installed 7, I really wanted to see if I could put OSX back on.  Having the dual boot is really cool; and the dual boot with Windows 7..?  Oh yeah.  I'd be the king of my local Geekdom.  I had to try...

The following is not sanctioned by Gear Diary, and is an advanced piece of hackery.   However, once you master dual booting XP and OSX, I found this to be a bit easier. The only hard part, per se, is repairing the boot loader, and honestly, with the tool I found, its very easy.  Anyone with a Wind can do this...

Please note that you CANNOT upgrade your XP installation to Windows 7.  Win 7 will make you blow the install/drive and start from scratch, or install to an empty partition.  That being the case, the process for this is a bit more straight forward.  You will need most of the tools and apps from my previous article, and you'll need one new tool: EasyBCD.

As I said, this process is pretty easy, and straight forward.  You should also note that I got the inspiration for this post from a thread at Forums.MSIWind.net.

1. Partition the Drive
Boot from the Wind compatible OSX USB stick or DVD that you created to install OSX and partition the drive with Disk Utility. Insure that the Windows partition is first, and is formatted as FAT32. After that, if you want to have a data partition or simply use the rest of the drive for OSX, that's up to; but that should be formatted as FAT32 as well so both Windows 7 and OSX can read and write files to and from it. The OSX drive should, again, be formatted as HSF+ (Journaled). 

The point is that you can partition the drive any way you want, as long as the drive is partitioned with MBR and the FAT32 Win7 partition is at the top of the drive map.

2. Install OSX
When the drive is partitioned the way you want, quit Disk Utility and install OSX. When that's done, boot into OSX to insure that everything is good to go.

3. Install Windows 7
I'm not certain if there are still beta licenses of Windows 7 available. If there are, you'll need to get one, to obviously install Windows 7. If you have access to another legal copy, you should get it that way.  When you get to the point where Windows 7 wants you to pick a drive to install Windows 7 to, the install routine will tell you that you can't install Win7 to any of the drives you've got. Pick the intended drive for Win7 and reformat it as NTFS.  You'll then be able to move forward with the install.

Make sure that you run Windows Update twice.  The first time, you'll download drivers for the 802.11b/g/n, as well as updates for Windows Defender and a Win7 Beta Client update. The second time, you'll download drivers for the wired LAN card and the USB Card Reader.

Restart the PC as necessary.  The computer will boot into Win 7.  Please note that you will NOT see OSX at this point. Don't worry.  The install is still there.

4. Set the Windows 7 Partition as the Active Partition
When you finish, boot from win7 DVD and select repair. Select CMD  (last choice) when the Command Prompt opens,  type the following commands:

Diskpart
DISKPART> list disk
DISKPART> select disk 0
DISKPART> list partition
DISKPART> select partition 1
DISKPART> active
exit
exit

Now, off the main menu, select repair (first choice).  Once you're done, reboot.  You'll be taken back into Windows 7 again.

5. Download and install EasyBCD
EasyBCD is a bootloader, like the Darwin Bootloader that comes with the Wind compatible OSX install.  However, unlike GRUB, Darwin, or even the bootloader that comes with Windows 7, its got a GUI interface; and its very easy to use.

After EasyBCD is installed, follow these steps. Please make certain you are logged in with Administrator privilages:

Click the Add Remove Entries button
In the Add an Entry area, click the Mac tab.
Click the Type Tab.  Select Generic X86 PC
In the Name dropdown, use the name NST Mac OS X
Click the Save button in the upper right corner

6. Restart the Computer
When you restart the computer, you will see a boot loader screen.  Hit the down arrow to choose the OSX entry you just created.  Hit the enter key. You're going to be taken to the Darwin Bootloader.  Hit any key to stop the counter, and scroll to the OSX install, and the computer should boot to OSX.

That’s it... The only problem that I have found (if its actually a problem) is that there are two boot loaders on the Wind right now.  However, I can boot to either OS at my leisure.  I've already updated OSX to 10.5.6 and reinstalled the KVM drivers. The whole process was done in under 2 hours, and that included installs of both operating systems and updates to both.

If anyone has an easy process for installing Grub instead (or another bootloader), OR knows how to fix the dual bootloader problem I’ve created for myself, I would really love to hear from you.  While this isn’t a huge problem, its kinda gimpy, and not ideal for the local Geekdom…

Over the past few months, I've seen a lot of people talk about netbook computers and how hackable they are. Sites like JKontheRun, The Gadgeteer, and even Gear Diary have all posted articles on hacking this particular netbook.  While none of these sites recommends hacking ANY device, it does go a long way to  showing everyone just how versatile this device truly, truly is.

Honestly, I wasn't really interested in any kind of netbook computer until Dan posted his article on the creation of a "hackintosh," or non-Apple PC running OSX.  Before then, I really didn't seen any real value or have any interest in using something that, at the time, I thought was underpowered, limited in functionality and versatility, and, well, way smaller than my 15.4" MacBook Pro.  I just didn't see the point... Until Dan's article, that is.

Please note that this is an ADVANCED piece of work. You also need to understand that no one at Gear Diary sanctions or recommends this. You shouldn't do any of this without understanding that you do all of this at your own risk. 

Dan will be the first to tell you, he is NOT a techie.  Geek, yes.  Techie, maybe not so much; but if he could get OSX on his Wind, then maybe, I could too.  So, After reading his article, a couple of phone calls, a Skype call or two, I bit the bullet and followed the process to download the MSIWindosx86.iso image, as well as OSX86 Tools.  You'll need both of these to get OSX on the Wind.  You'll also need the KEXT Utility in OSX86 Tools to help you reinstall KVM drivers to restore functionality after upgrading the base 10.5.4 OSX image in MSIWindosx86.iso to 10.5.5 or 10.5.6.

But let's start from the top, shall we..?  The following materials, tools, apps/utilities were what I used in order to not only get OSX on the Wind, but to also enable dual boot functionality:

The Stuff:
1. USB based CD/DVD-ROM drive.
2. A couple of USB flash drives
3. A USB Keyboard (for fixing keyboard problems on the OSX side after upgrading to 10.5.6)
4. Access to a genuine Apple Macintosh computer so you can create either the bootable DVD or bootable USB flash drive from MSIWindosx86.iso (see below)
5. A USB Mouse (for fixing mouse problems on the OSX side after upgrading to 10.5.6)
6. A full (not Upgrade) version of Windows. You can also use the MSI Wind's Restore DVD, depending on how you want to go.
7. The MSI Wind's Drivers and Utilities Disk (for the Windows side, if you've blown the drive and erased the factory image)
8. The latest MSI Wind BIOS (Optional)
9. A copy of MSIWindosx86.iso (Wind compatible OSX install of OSX 10.5.4). A simple Google search can score you the hacked version of OSX for your Wind.
10. A legitimate copy of OSX 10.5 (Optional; but at least you'll have a copy that you can point to, should someone question it)
11. A copy of Chameleon 1.0.11
12. A copy of OSX86 Tools
13. A cop of Realtek's OSX WiFi driver.
14. A copy of Vivarey's 10.5.6 Upgrade Pack v2. I would assume that if/when 10.5.7 (and greater) comes out, this upgrade pack will correct keyboard, video and mouse/trackpad problems created after Software Update finishes on the Mac Side.  (you will need the USB keyboard and mouse I mentioned to install these)

FYI - You don't need to install or run KEXT Helper, included with the upgrade pack, unless you want to. You can use the KEXT installer in OSX86 Tools to install the KEXT files.

The Process:
Please note that there are a number of different ways to go with this; and for the sake of this article, I am going to assume that Windows refers to Windows XP and not Vista or Windows 7 during this article (though as I understand it, the Wind will run Vista as well as Windows 7). Remember, the Wind real was made to be a hacked upon machine.  So for most things, the sky is the limit.  For our purposes though, you can start with the factory image after starting the Wind for the first time or you can install a customized version of Windows.  You CAN start with OSX and then try to customize the Darwin Boot Loader; but honestly, that's a bit more difficult, and really requires a bit of Unix experience, that I simply don't have (and can't relate to you, here).

After getting OSX on the Wind, following Dan's cool and useful instructions, I decided to look into what other options I could explore with the Wind. The best resource I could find for the Wind is forums.msiwind.net.  They're pretty much IT when it comes to what you can and cannot do with the Wind.  It was there that I got the basis for all of this, and where most of the links for the tools and resources I will relate to you were originally taken from.  But, without further ado, here is the process that I followed to get both Windows and OSX on the MSI Wind:

1. Create the OSX Bootable USB key or Bootable DVD
While you don't HAVE to do this first, you may want to, especially if you decide to blow the drive partitions on the Wind and create multiple partitions for Windows XP, OSX and, for example, a shared data drive.

If you have a USB DVD writer, creating a DVD from MSIWindosx86.iso really makes this process go a LOT easier and a lot smoother. Its also very easy to do, with the needed tools. If you decide to create the USB stick, you can follow Dan's instructions, or the instructions at Wired.

2. Obtain, Customize and/or Install a Version of Windows
Very quickly, this could be the longest part of this entire process, or it could be one of the shortest. Again, there are a couple of ways you can go with this:

a. You can use the factory image originally on the Wind. It comes with the drive split down the middle, in equal parts, ready for something like this.

b. You can blow the drive, and install a different version of XP.  If you go this route, you can also repartition the drive.  You can use the partition manager that comes with XP, or you can use Disk Utility from either the bootable OSX DVD or USB stick you created, above.

c. You can blow the drive and customize a version of XP to your liking and tastes, using nLite. (Please note that nLite will NOT, and I really mean WILL NOT work on the Windows XP installation files on the Wind's restore DVD.  I've tried seven ways to Sunday, and nLite simply will not recognize or use the files in that disc's i386 directory.)

3. Install the Wind's Windows Drivers and Utility Programs
After you do get Windows on the Wind, you're going to need all of the drivers and utilities (except Media One, WinZip and WinRAR, which are trials anyway...) from the Drivers DVD in order to run the Wind and all its hardware features.  You're also going to want to make sure you install System Control Manager, as it will help you use all of the Wind's function keys, insuring that items/drivers get turned on, off, up and down correctly.

4. Update Windows
No matter if you install XP SP2 or SP3, you're going to need to download a lot of updates from Microsoft Update after the installation is done and the drivers are installed.  Let Windows download and install everything that it wants to, restarting as often as the Wind wants to restart.  Run Microsoft Update until you don't see any additional updates suggested.  Please note that you should see at least 2 driver updates as well.  Install these.  You're going to want them.

5. Boot to and Install OSX
You can use the process that Dan outlined to create the OSX based USB flash drive, or you can just burn the ISO I've mentioned above, to a DVD and install from it if you have a USB DVD drive.

After You have the install routine for OSX up, you need to make sure that you format the Mac partition as HSF+ (Journaled). Install OSX to this partition.

6. Reboot to Verify You can Boot into Windows
If everything went right, then you should see the Darwin bootloader count down from 5-1. Before it gets to 1, and boots you into OSX, hit any key, choose the partition that has XP installed on it, and press enter.  You should see the XP splash screen come up, and the Wind should boot into Windows.  If things are going to go south, this is the point where it will happen.

I have had a couple of problems with the boot into Windows hanging at this point. You can try blowing the drive and repeating everything, but when you do, complete the following steps to insure that things move forward correctly:

1. Pull the battery, and AC adapter
2. If you installed extra RAM, flip the Wind, pop the back off and reseat the RAM to make sure it hasn't come loose or anything.
3. Restart the Wind WITHOUT the battery, and on AC power only. 
4. Blow the drive, and repeat the process, starting with the Windows install.  Keep the battery OUT until after you have OSX installed. After its back, shut down, pull the AC adapter and replace the battery.  restart normally.

7. Run Mac Software Update
After OSX is installed, you can run Software Update to update core applications and the OS.  Before you start downloading, however, you will need to plug in that USB keyboard and mouse I mentioned above.  Installing any OS update will unfortunately disable both the keyboard, mouse, and reduce your video resolution from 1024x600 to 800x600.

Please make certain you have downloaded and installed OSX86 Tools.  You will need it to install Vivarey's 10.5.6 Upgrade Pack v2.  Please have that and a copy of the Realtek OSX WiFi driver on a OSX readable USB flash drive, ready to go.

Run Software Update, install the 10.5.6 update (and all other updates you see), and then let the Wind restart.  When it does restart, leave it alone and let it boot into OSX, again with the USB keyboard and mouse attached.

8. Update your KVM Drivers

Insert the USB key with the WiFi driver and install it on the OSX side. Reboot the Wind, again, to OSX. copy Vivarey's unzipped update pack to your desktop.

Run OSX86Tools (if its not already running).  You must install all KEXT files with the Kext Installer in OSX86Tools (unless you use another tool).  I've written this using OSX86Tools.

Click the Install KEXTs button. Click the OK button on the dialog that shows. Navigate to the root of Vivarey's update folder and double click it. You'll see a Display folder, a Keyboard folder and a Trackpad folder. You are going to install drivers to OSX in that order.

Display
Click the Display folder. Inside it you will see a First and a Second folder (both spelled out). Click on the First folder. You will see 3 files:

AppleIntellGMA950.kext
AppleIntellIntegratedFramebuffer,kext
LaptopDisplay.kext

You MUST install these files IN THIS ORDER.

From the Choose a file dialog box, navigate to the First folder, and click on AppleIntellGMA950.kext.  Click the Choose button. The KEXT installer will present you with a couple of dialogs indicating that it will install the file, and you will be required to restart you computer afterwards.  Install the KEXT file, reboot the computer by choosing Restart from the Apple menu.

When the computer restarts into OSX, install the other two KEXT files in the First folder, restarting after each file installs. After the 3rd KEXT file installs and the Wind restarts in OSX, use Finder to navigate to the Second folder. There you will see

GMA950.pkg

Run through the install routine for the GMA950 installer. The Wind will want to restart after you authorize the change with your system password, etc.  Restart the Wind after the installer finishes.

When you reboot into OSX again, you should be able to change your resolution back to 1024x600.

Keyboard
After your display is restored, you can restore your keyboard functionality.  While the USB keyboard has been doing you very well up to now in this process, it won't always be around.  Again, you're going to install the needed fix with OSX86Tools.  Click the Install Kexts button and navigate to the Keyboard folder in the upgrade pack folder. Choose

AppleACPIPS2Nub.kext

Allow the file to install, and restart the Wind in OSX. Your keyboard functionality should have returned.

Mouse
After your keyboard is restored, you can restore your mouse functionality.  While the USB mouse has been doing you very well up to now in this process, it won't always be around.  Again, you're going to install the needed fix with OSX86Tools.  Click the Install Kexts button and navigate to the Mouse folder in the upgrade pack folder. Choose

ApplePS2Controller.kext

Allow the file to install, and restart the Wind in OSX. Your trackpad functionality should have returned.

The KEXT file won't install on any other volume but OSX. Make sure that it is selected.

Again, you MUST restart between the install of each KEXT file (and the graphics PKG). If your keyboard or trackpad functionality doesn't come back, repeat the process. You can't hurt anything.  Also, make sure you do all of this in the order that I've indicated. Otherwise, it really won't work (I found out the hard way.)

Future Software Updates
Keep this upgrade pack around.  If Apple releases 10.5.7 (or higher), I would assume that these files will restore KVM functionality as it did after the 10.5.6 update. However, you should be able to update OSX with Software Update, as you would ANY Mac at this point.  Just remember, OS updates will require you to run through the KEXT updates to restore your KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse) functionality; and you will need a USB keyboard and mouse in order to install the KEXT files.

In many cases, the biggest part of this hack is NOT getting OSX on the Wind.  Its creating the bootable USB sticks to function as CD drives instead of having a USB CD/DVD-ROM drive.  Creating the Mac USB stick was pretty straight forward, and again, you can follow Dan's process to get that done.  I had a tough time with the Windows side, and you can see some of that information, below.

Creating a DOS/Windows USB Boot Disk
Someone please either shoot me, or help me by sending me a method that really DOES work. I'd prefer the latter.  I've been sitting in my living room for 2.5 days, trying to solve a specific problem.

This one is REALLY eating me for lunch... the problem with all of this is that so much of this process (as well as flashing the BIOS on the Wind) requires either a USB DVD drive, USB floppy drive or a bootable USB stick for either OSX or Windows in order to work.  Getting a Mac bootable USB stick created was NOTHING compared to the grief I am taking over a DOS/Windows version.

I've tried using 4 different tools/resources to create a bootable USB stick, and NONE of them have worked. Now, as always, YMMV (your mileage may vary); so your experience may be better or different than mine. However, here are the tools I've tried and the results I got with each of them.

What Didn't Work
This section is meant to give everyone a good understanding of how much time and investigation I went through in order to get this to work for me.  There was quite a bit that went into this article.  I'd like to thank Dan for his help and for his excellent Hackintosh article, which inspired me to start the whole journey with the Wind.

Live USB Helper
http://opensource.nchc.org.tw/drbl-core/utils/live-usb-helper/bin/

Live USB Helper is a cool little utility that quickly formats a USB stick, copies over a drive image, and then makes that USB stick bootable...in theory. The utility uses a version of SYSLinux to make the stick bootable; but I can't get the key to boot on either my MBP or on the Wind. I get the same error on both boxes about a missing kernel.

Please note that this application requires a special VB6 DLL called vb6stkit.dll.  Download it, unzip the file to your Windows directory.  The utility won't run without it.  It will also provide you with an internal link to the HP USB Flash Disk Format Utility. It uses this to format USB sticks.

Again, this tool didn't work for me, as I kept getting a kernel error when trying to boot from the USB drive, especially on the Wind.

HP Drive Key Boot Utility
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&swItem=MTX-UNITY-I23839&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

This utility will make your USB stick bootable, but transfers an HP BIOS to the stick.  It wants to flash your BIOS to the HP BIOS when it runs, and is not good, unless of course you're trying to flash the specific HP computer that the BIOS was meant for.  Erasing the BIOS files made the USB stick unbootable.

The above is only a shot of the install utility, as it won't run on a Vista machine... XP only, and then you have to watch, as I noted above.

BootDisk.com
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

All of the utilities I found here at this website, including bootable images of MS-DOS 5.x, 6.x and 7.x, required a USB floppy drive to create a bootable image.  The install files for all these would NOT transfer the images to a USB Stick, regardless of what I did. I decided not to go this route (i.e. buy a USB floppy drive), because after this process, was done, I'd probably not use the device again.

Windows Enabler
http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/speedload/Enabler.htm

Windows Enabler, off

 
Windows Enabler, on

This is a great little System Tray tool, that will all you format the USB drive and make it bootable, but Windows will only format it as a floppy boot disk, no matter what you do.  I've left this tool installed on my MBP, even after all of this is said and done, because its a pretty cool little too.  However, you have to be very careful with this one, as it will enable options that have been grayed out and make then available at any time.

Caution is urged, as if you do something accidental, Windows won't stop you when this tool is installed and turned on. Please make sure you read all of the cautions on its website.  They are important, and should NOT be ignored.

What DID Work
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - v2.1.8
http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=197

Windows 98 System Files
http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=196

This tool formatted the USB stick and did it without me losing the entire 8GB drive capacity. It also added the appropriate boot files (you'll need the Win98 System files, above for that) so that I could update my Wind's BIOS, which is the only thing that I did with it.

Honestly, I copied XP's setup files over to it, and tried running XP's setup from it; but it complained that SmartDrive wasn't loaded, and copying files took FOREVER!  I killed the install and ran the Wind's restore DVD in order to get XP on my Wind.

Download and install the tool. Download and unzip the Win98 setup files.  When you go to create the bootable USB stick (again, for BIOS updates), make sure you check the Create a DOS startup disk checkbox.  Also select the using DOS system files located at, and then browse to the folder that has the unzipped Win98 files you downloaded and unzipped.  Click start, and you're good to go!

Also, when you update the BIOS on your Wind, the zip file that you download for it will put the BIOS files in a folder. In order for the BIOS flash to work, those files have to be in the root of the USB stick, and not in any sub-folder.

Screen Pics

 
The Darwin Bootloader with the Windows XP partition selected.

 
The Wind booting into OSX.

 
The Wind booting into Windows.

One of the best things about writing for Gear Diary is the company that you keep.  Judie aside, she has assembled one of the BEST teams of writers this side of the blogosphere that I've had the pleasure of being associated with.

That said, I get very excited when we cross post between our respective sites and blogs for the articles we write.  Case in point, Doug Goldring, Chief Editing Dude at Just Another Mobile Monday, or JAMM for short has posted a pretty cool review on the new Zune 120.  Says Brother Goldring:

On paper, this one is the real deal for a portable media player.  its specs just sing out to you.  A nice 3.2 inch screen.  Fancy new touch controls.  120 GB (yes, that is GB) hard drive to store all of your videos, photos, music, and other media.  Wireless connectivity.  FM radio…The list of features just goes on and on.

That's pretty high praise for a device, that a few years ago wasn't quite ready for prime time.  Doug goes on to say:

But if we only relied on what we saw on paper, then the Redskins would be winning Super Bowls,

That's right, Doug... on paper.  In reality, the Steelers have it locked down this year as the only top ceded team to win a Divisional Championship at home! (Go Steelers!!)

Seriously, Doug does a great job comparing the Zune and its software to the iPod, iPhone and iTunes. You really need to check the article out, as it's got a nice set of comparative photos in it.

You can read the whole schmere here.

I've been a Blackjack user (on and off) since May of 2007.  I absolutely love the form factor, 320x240 screen, QWERTY keyboard, and (nearly) one handed operation. I liked it so much, that I used it for well over 9 months, which for me, is an eternity. I change devices about every 7 months on average.  So how does the AT&T/Samsung Epix (sometimes called the Blackjack 3) stand up?  Let's take a quick look and see...

The Epix and the BJ 1 - The Epix has a bigger screen and slightly more compact keys

e-Mail is my bread and butter. If I don't have my mail, I really feel disconnected.  This includes my personal, as well as my work, accounts.  I'm doing my best to unplug during the off hours, but honestly, if I don't have a line on what's going on at the office, experience has shown me that I could be walking into a "non-optimal" situation. While any connected device can get you e-mail, a device with the Blackjack/Epix form factor is ideal for reading and replying to e-mail.

Honestly, my Tilt (HTC Kaiser) also has a keyboard, but I prefer a device that has a non-sliding, front-facing keyboard. All I have to do is pull it out and type as opposed to pull it out, slide the keyboard out and type. While that's not a huge deal (the Tilt is a very usable device and I like it a lot); I think devices like the Blackjack 1 & 2, the Epix, Treo Pro, the HP 6945 and 6515, etc. (all devices, except the Treo Pro, are devices that I have owned or still do own) are the best kind of devices available. Having a front facing keyboard is more conducive to timely e-mail responses.

The BJ1, BJ2, and Epix - The BJ1 & 2 are more tapered at the ends

Physically, outwardly, that is, there's very little that differentiates the BJ1 from the BJ2, at least at first glance. But then again, both of those devices are WM Standard (Smartphone) devices.  Neither of them have a touch screen. Compared to the Epix, however, both WM Standard devices fall short.  While you might think that's because of the touch screen on the Epix, that's not the case.  For all of the touch screen's capabilities, I really don't use it as much as I thought I would. The Epix has all of the one handed usefulness you would expect the "Blackjack 3" to have; but gives you the versatility of a touch screen in those rare occasions when you would need it in a one handed device.

The Full 360
This is often my favorite part of any review.  How does the review device stand up to other, similar devices. The Epix is very similar to both preceding Blackjack devices, with just a couple major exceptions - It has a square screen (320x320) as opposed to the BJ 1/2's QVGA display (320x240) and it has a touch screen.

From top to bottom - The BJ1, BJ2, and Epix.  The mic is on the Epix's bottom.

Left side: From top to bottom - The BJ1, BJ2, and Epix.Volume rockers can be found on all three. The BJ1 &2 have headset/power/USB connectors on the left. The Epix has its power button.

Top: From top to bottom - The BJ1, BJ2, and Epix. The BJ1 &2 have their power buttons on the top. The Epix's stylus is on the top, in the right corner.

Right side: From top to bottom - The BJ1, BJ2, and Epix. All three devices have their microSD card slot covers on the right side. The BJ1 has its action wheel/button and a back button on the right side. The Epix has its power/headset/USB connector on the right side, near the top.

The BJ2 and Epix in (my daughter's) hands.The Epix is a bit wider and thicker than the BJ2.

Software
The software that comes with the Epix is one of the most PITIFUL bundles I've ever seen in my 12 years as a reviewer.  This thing doesn't have ANYTHING that I found worth while. In fact, I never even really ran ANY of it.  After finding out that it was all trialware anyway (after The Weather Channel app expired on me after 3 days of use), I just never bothered. If I could remove it, I'd chuck all of it. Its only wasting space anyway...

Speaking of which, this is the biggest problem with all of the trialware that's included with the Epix.  Its a permanent fixture.  You can't remove it, no matter what you do.

The Games folder on the Epix.  Honestly, the only thing worth while is the standard stuff...

What really bothers me the most about all of the software offered on the Epix, is that most of the interesting stuff, like Ms. Pack-Man is shareware.  I'm never gonna buy all this stuff, and its not possible to remove ANY of it, which just makes it all that much worse.

The Applications folder on the Epix. The only things worth while are the standard apps...

Things like Camera, File Explorer, Photo Slides, and the RSS reader are pretty good. However, Fox Sports Mobile Pro, Mobile Banking, MobiTV and the like are all subscription based apps.

The second half of the Applications folder.

The Weather Channel app is nice, but is a bit awkward. It is also shareware, and is not something that I'd pay for in the long run. I can get weather in a number if different ways.

AT&T Navigator... Not a bad GPS app...

While AT&T Navigator isn't the best GPS in the world, and in some cases, AT&T devices use either AGPS or cellular triangulation for GPS navigation, AT&T Navigator could be a lot worse than it actually is. In both 2G and 3G modes, it does a great job of getting you there (said by a guy who has NO sense of direction...)

The AT&T Mall is probably one of the biggest wastes of space.  Does anyone actually use this stuff??

Personally, I think the apps in the AT&T Mall are a complete waste of time and space on a WM device. These things are great for a device with no other options for getting content, but for a device with as much versatility as a WM device, they are a waste of time, space and money.

The AT&T Music folder...Again, if you have a WM device, do you use this stuff?

...and yah... ditto on the AT&T music stuff. When I have WMP and a storage card, I can put my own MP3's on a device for free, and still get music.  NEXT..!!

I hope someone from AT&T is listening. This stuff is mediocre to bad on a regular cell phone. On a WM device or Smartphone, its just pitiful.  Please... Someone just make the ride stop...

Optical Mouse
This is probably the BEST item on the entire device. I've heard a lot of criticism on this feature since the device was originally released a couple of months ago; but honestly, the optical mouse is really what makes the Epix.

The Optical Mouse control panel applet

 
You're supposed to be able to change the functionality of the mouse and make it a D-pad, but I didn't have a lot of success with that.  I've kept is as an optical mouse, and its been better than any D-Pad could have hoped to be.

Conclusion
I knew when I first heard about this device last year, that I would like this device. I do. In fact, I like it a lot.

However, even though I think its a winner, its not without its challenges.  I've had both ends of the battery life spectrum hit me.  I've had a single charge last a couple of days; and I've had a full battery completely drain on me inside of 6 hours...without any calls, MS DirectPush/ POP3 mail only. Everything else, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS was off.  I have no idea what the deal is...I'm not certain if I have a defective device or if I've got POP3 checking mail too often.  I'm playing with it, but I should have better battery performance on this thing than I've been seeing lately. I should say that, interestingly enough, battery life is better with Bluetooth on rather than off.  It seems backwards; but I've actually seen the battery tank after turning BT off.  Yah...I got nuthin'. That doesn't make any sense to me at all.

The optical mouse is a lot better of a pointing and navigation device than I thought it would be. I find myself missing it when I swap over to my Tilt for whatever reason. Its very much like the trackball on a Blackberry. When I gave up my Curve, I missed it as well.

The biggest let down with the device is really the lack of software available for it.  While most WM software will run on it, the biggest problem I've found with the device is the lack of decent software that comes with it. The 320x320 screen is a bit of a challenge with some apps, and I've found that more often than not, I've got a scroll bar on the today screen (non-Spb Mobile Shell, which just drives me bonkers).

Samsung's Today screen plug-ins, for example, are just pitiful. Samsung Today is a poor, POOR excuse for an HTC Home competitor.  Today Plus is a poor excuse for Spb Mobile Shell's Today plugin.  They both leave you wanting so much more from them that they just aren't able to give.  I've tried to run HTC Home on the Epix, but it just crashes the device, and without a soft reset hole, resolving the problem was really difficult. In the end, it unfortunately required a hard reset.

Right now, I've got Spb Mobile Shell running on it.  While I am not crazy about Mobile Shell, it does make the device a bit more usable.  However, I would really much rather run HTC Home.  Its just a better Today plugin/interface.  The weather module is a gazzilion times better (it show you, like, CURRENT conditions as well as the forecast...wow!  What a concept!)

Cost: $449 without a contract, $299 with a 2 year contract, $199 after mail in/instant rebate.  The Epix is available directly from AT&T. The instant rebate requires you to "purchase" $100 in accessories in the store at time of purchase.

What I liked: The form factor, the optical mouse, awesome performance, one handed use

What needs Improvement: Battery life, no ambient light sensor, no soft reset hole, proprietary USB cable/headset connector, Samsung skimped on the included accessories, and the software just sucks.

This is an update to my earlier post regarding the Wind and OSX; and is just a quick update, kids...  It took a bit of doing, AND I gave up on trying to figure out how to create a bootable, Windows based USB stick. I pulled down 2 different tools, and neither could make the 8GB SanDisk Cruzer I have bootable. I'm guessing it was an issue with Vista Ultimate (running that on my MacBook Pro) and not the tools themselves; but with my Gateway desktop OFFICIALLY belly up, I had no other XP box to work from...

I am working with Dan Cohen fellow Gear Diary Team Member, to validate the process I used to insure its truly repeatable; and will have a FULL write up later. However,  I have gotten the Wind to dual boot both XP Home and OSX Leopard, with the latest 10.5.6 software updates, all hardware working, including the camera and WiFi card in both OS'.

Look for the full schmere later today (or likely later tomorrow).  We're trying to incorporate some video along with the how-to guide I'm writing... So stay tuned!