I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

Hey guys I have a decision to make, and just am interested in your thoughts.

I was hunting for presents for my little brother (love him heaps, god bless), and wanted to get something special for him. He's 14yo and in Jr High School. He has a Nokia dumbphone, a DSi (very few games) and shares my aging HP laptop with my mum, and its battery dead so it must be connected into a wall if you want to use it. I live 1,000kms away and he really misses me, cause I only get to see him once only a few months. So I really want to get him something special, he will really love using and that it would remind him of me :)

And 2 days ago, I bought an iPhone 4 (32GB, factory unlocked, good condition=minor scratches). I bought it for dirt-cheap from a co-worker.

So I was wondering;
1) Should I use the iPhone 4 and send him my pristine condition (custom ROM) Galaxy S I9000.
2) Should I send him the iPhone 4 (need to buy the box and accessories).
3) Should I sell it (AU$600-$800) and get him something else (right now the iPad2 is in my view).

Now here's the dilemma:
-I don't know if he would like the Galaxy S, the apps are not that great and the lack of a keyboard means emulators are unhappy experiences.
-The iPhone 4 is so simple to use, and all the Apps, he'd love it, but since its a really desired product.... his friends/someone could plot to steal off him. And the next iphone will come out in 6months and make this one look very inferior.
-The iPad2 is released, and its got everything (cameras, speakers, processor, sofware) to make it the best tablet of the year (until iPad3 lol). With its ability to run normal iphone apps and ipad-developed apps, its a better experience than the iphone 4. But the thing is he can't grab it like a psp/console and he can't take it everywhere like the iphone. It won't have gps and it wont really replace all of his need to use Windows Vista.

I found a trusted retailers ad to grab the iPad2 for very cheap (16GB, Wifi, Black), so it is very very enticing, but it will mean I would have to tell him I will send it later, rather than sooner.

... So what should I do, I'm so lost in trying to gift something magical (ok I kid, I kid)

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

Guess u'v already made a decision for "I-pad2"... just go with it... :)

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

Sell the iphone and buy hi m a nokia N900 and you can call via skype video calls and he wont be needing an old laptop after he gets n900. ;)

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

Dang! I thought its a competition or a contest where we need to answer difficult questions or solve a math problem :D

on topic... Isnt he too young for an iPad ? I mean its a device taht costs around 700 and he is only 14 years old.... In my opinion you should sell the iPhone and get him something else :)

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

Why dont you just ask him.

better yet just give him the iphone 4 that way he can skype you or play games and surf the net.....(thats if you cant afford anything else) otherwise give him the i-phone as is and buy him the ipad too. WOW i wish someone would buy me something! :D

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

IMO, If he does love gaming, sell the iPhone and get him a Alienware M11x C2D laptop. It costs 699$ new in the US. All his friends would love it, and it isn't easy to steal. He could use it to skype you as well. 11.6" and 1.8kgs make it portable. It's battery life is similar to an n900.
A laptop will help him a lot with studies - better than a smartphone or tablet.
I've never seen a boy who wouldn't be hugely impressed by an Alienware.

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

seriously bro ask his opinion. although upad sound good, he may have no use for it. maybe if he's geeky, he may like android and its flexibilty. maybe he's a normal kid who loves to flaunt his iphone. And don't worry about ppl stealing it off him. You can't shelter him forever. Let him learn to take care of it. Also remind him of the value and power of the device. Dont let it be a glorified juskebox/console

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

There's some really good advice here, thanks guys.
I still am not 100% on what to do, but I feel like if I sold the iPhone 4 it would be good. Because if I hold on to it, it'll just lose value.

This way I can get him something else, and if I change my mind I can always buy another iPhone 4 off ebay. He is a normal kid, not too technical (he cant handle the N900). Besides a DSi from mum (last year), he's never actually gotten anything valuable for himself (i'm a little poor), and I feel like he should because I was the one who sort of fathered him.

The Alienware is a really good idea, that way he can not get frustrated using my fat, heavy, burning, AMD laptop. If I have enough, the 11" Macbook Air might also be good (its very portable like an iPad).

I still appreciate any ideas :)

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

iPad is a good choice too for non technical.

"I found a trusted retailers ad to grab the iPad2 for very cheap (16GB, Wifi, Black), "

As far as I know since iPad2 just released 2 days ago, there is "NO way" you can get iPad 2 very cheap (look at the skyrocket price at eBay). Hopefully its not a scam website.

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

If you can swap that iPhone 4 for an iPad2 (with some change, even), then that may give you the best bang for the buck.

Meaning, it's a low maintenance device that your mom and bro can operate and enjoy on their own and make use to communicate with you too (video chat, etc). Oh, and it's currently a pretty dang hot item too... so I'm guessing that getting an iPad2 from you will really excite them.

On top of that, you're giving them something magical (i kid... i kid...).

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

So I decided on the iPad2.
The reason was that it has a really good processor, and reviews say the loudspeaker is good and it has cameras (Johnny likes taking pictures with the DSi, this should be better quality for him).
But also the fact that I have $20 sitting in iTunes going unused, and the fact that right now the iPad & iPad2 are the only tablets with Apps (Honeycomb SDK released too late!!).

Oh and the trusted reseller is Big W (its like Walmart in Australia, but smaller), and I luckily found it through an Ad. They offered it $200 below Apple's RRP $398 (which is bloody sweet). So on the day, after work I went and enquired about it, they hesitated. Late I found out someone made a mistake and it meant to say "iPad" not "iPad 2" and the ad was pulled. If I had printed the ad, they would've had to sell it to me at that price when it became available but I don't have a printer.

Anyways, I'm going to wait to grab one (blk, 32gb, wifi) when its available or pre-order it and get it laser-etched (don't know what to put .... "Bravo, Johnny" ??"

Just hope I can get $750 for iphone4 to cover the cost of the iPad2.

Who the hell put "bada rox" in the tag of this thread???
Is this somesort of bug from my computer (unlikely), something that maemo.org automatically puts (unsure), or a fanboy moderator that grafitti's all threads he/she sees ???

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

Just my latest update: (my iSheep experience)

I sat my medical exams last weekend on Saturday (full day exam). The iPad2 had already launched the day before, here down-under.
I got up early next day (7am is too early for Sunday, lol). I skipped brekky and took a train.

I got on an express train and stupidly started walking in the wrong direction of George St. I later realized (comon I was starving + no tea/coffee), so I turned around to get there early.

Time of arrival; roughly 8:40am ... I would've been there 30mins earlier had I walked the right way. When I arrived the magical Apple store had a not-so-magical line. Around and around and around the corners I kept going...there would've been at least 200 people ahead of me.

150-200people this was a blessing! I talked to some of the people in line, one of who was a dentist looking to buy 2x 3G models with 64GB. Whatever, I was just there for the 32GB (black) wifi for Johnny. Well it was cold (lucky I grabbed a jacket), it rained (lucky I had my umbrella) and it was boring (lucky I had my phone).

The queue I was in doubled in size in the next 40mins. The store opened at 10am-sharp, on time. The line moved so slow. After about 1hr 20mins, they announced they had run out of the 3G models (32 + 64GB). Bummer... the dentist left. Now the wait just got unbearable. I was so hungry, glad I had some water in my bottle which suppressed it for a little while.

Now the line went along further and I was slowly but surely nearing the entrance. The majority of the people in the front of the line were of Asian decent. Since I grew among these types of people, I am quite good at differentiating them (their sex/age/nation/region) -no joke. And the majority of these people were definitely visitors (non-Australian asian).

And for more proof, they flaunted their passports as photo id and paid in cash. The person behind me was also an asian lady who likewise wasn't an Australian citizen and she was always trying to cut me. But I would always just try to regain my place it was almost comical. She had a daughter who like me was also bored, tired, probably hungry. I gave her a chewing gum I found in my bag --her eyes lit up brightly it was truly magical (unlike this nonsense).

Other things happened over the course of time; people taking photo's (me posing), people yelling at the line (me smiling), people getting hypnotized (me smiling). Well now I'm at the entrance, the building across (bakery?) caught fire. There was tremendous amount of smoke... I was like oh no great. Well it covered the busy city intersection with smoke for about 10 minutes and died out ... guess they cotrolled it before the Fire Dept was alerted.

Got right in, now just in the queue inside the store. Some guy came toting a demo iPad2 with the smartcover and encouraging us to buy it. I had a good look and asked him about the scratches on the back = he said the staff are clumsy. I think not, just prone to scratches. The front also traps lint and leaves the banding. He didn't comment. Wait the line's moved on, look over those people behind me decided to cut through.

I'm always the calm-collected one, the one that stridles quiety and lets people take advantage of since I'm already so blessed by God. Not this time, I walked over and gently tapped on the ladies' shoulder. Excuse me I was infront ... she knew what I meant but pretended not to know, so I stood beside her.

The store owner was in front of the line welcoming people (like a greeter at Walmart). He was a caucasion fella, big (to say the least) and totted his gold rings and iphone 4. I said hello and started chatting with him. And asked him where he was from (thinking Texas). He was suprised, indeed he was Texan and then another worker came and he told him to take me to the floor above instead of just making the purchase down where everyone did.

This guy was about 23 and Phillipino from my understanding, told me to take a seat and hold onto the iPad. He went and grabbed the HDMI connector I asked him about (turned out to be $45, wat a ripoff!). He was ok, very talkative. I sort of wanted to get out and grab breakfast but I thought it would look rude to cut the convo short. Anyways he asked me many random questions (mostly personal) which I didn't hesitate to answer. Then he asked me for medical advice!

I'm not a dr yet, ethically I cannot... but I gave him some insight, but I told him I wasn't fully qualified so if he was planning anything that he should consult a real dr first. Oh and he was Phillipino and half Chilean to my suprise (my best mates are Chil'e). Anyways after another 15-20minutes in the store I finally got out.

It was a total of 3.5 hours and I just blew ~$750, where $100 was my own money on top of the iPhone 4 I sold. For this stinking-lightweight-unibody aluminium-greatIPS-fingerfriendly-sgx543mp2-thing. Well, I went straight to Subway and devoured a footshort in 60 seconds-flat. Hopped on the train. I taunted my housemates (na na nanana) ... cause they are iFanboys! (I think I even caused the couple to an argument- the wifey wants it but the iFan hubby doesn't want to pay for it... lol).

The next day Monday, I carefully opened the packaging of the HDMI connector and slipped in a (capactative) stylus I bought $5 on eBay. I then bubble-wrapped it doubletime. Then I put it into a cereal box (it was the only one it fitted properly). And finally an mX newspaper with awkward content on top. Then straight through postage (registered and insurance).

I let mum/brothers of the package, and I told Johnny this present is specifically for him (mum has my old laptop, and my selfish older brother can get his own). Well my Johnny skipped school (sports day) on Wednesday and got the package. He thanked me the next day, barely. I txt'ed him there is $20 hidden and I will tell him if he Skype's me. That afternoon he did *rollseyes*

It was my iTunes credit (for activation) years ago from the iPhone 3G I had/borrowed. Now I'm waiting to see him on Skype again, perhaps through the iphone app...

And now, anyone care to state the moral of this adventure??

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

Never skip breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. :)

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

My guess is this guy: http://talk.maemo.org/member.php?u=46933

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

HAHA at the prior comment about breakfast and so true too !.

Boy have you ever considered becoming a writer because that is some morning you went through there !, the moral? IF you had bought an N900 you probably would have not got involved in a massive que (god only knows why the bakery set alight ! lol) but you would have ended up with a half decent mobile haha.

That was some morning !.

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

ericsson... how do you know he's liable?
Is it cause he has a "bada" profile picture?

No I'm not going to find him on Google Earth, kidnap him and sell his kidneys, that's not the kind of guy I am *shifty-eyes*

(ps still got the n900 for some debian love -- reminds me of the zaurus for some reason, remember that gem?)

Re: I need your intelligence, help me please...
 

moral of the story...
Dont wait in line order online.