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  #41  
Old Posted Nov 2, 2009, 3:21 PM
twoNeurons twoNeurons is offline
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Originally Posted by tGill View Post
Telus is appalling too, my Parents ran their small business out of their home for over 15 years until this January when they had to close down. They had been a Telus customer for that entire time for phone and internet for the last 8 years not to mention a $3000 /month worth of yellowpages ads with whatever company Telus is affiliated/sold Yellowpages to. SuperPages/Telus Billing not only repeatedly over billed (took 3 years to get that settled) Superpages also delayed the yellowpages in Vancouver proper at the end of last year pushing the contract out 2 more months this yearfor all their customers. My parents are still fighting that in Court; not only that but the Telus business ADSL which was 3mbps/1mbps up was on a auto renewable contract that was supposed to end 6 years ago. Originally my parents had signed a contract for a special pricing 8 years ago, while the special pricing ended after the 2 year period Telus apparently auto-renews contracts every year after that without any notice. My parents still wanted to switch over to a residential line but would have been forced to pay out the contract to become a residential customer. Needless to say its went to a collection agency and they can go screw themselves.
Don't think Rogers or Shaw is any better... they aint.

Telus' service has improved by huge margins in the past few years. Their reputation, though, hangs over them like a heavy cloud.
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  #42  
Old Posted Nov 2, 2009, 3:22 PM
junius junius is offline
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Originally Posted by tGill View Post
Telus is appalling too, my Parents ran their small business out of their home for over 15 years until this January when they had to close down. They had been a Telus customer for that entire time for phone and internet for the last 8 years not to mention a $3000 /month worth of yellowpages ads with whatever company Telus is affiliated/sold Yellowpages to. SuperPages/Telus Billing not only repeatedly over billed (took 3 years to get that settled) Superpages also delayed the yellowpages in Vancouver proper at the end of last year pushing the contract out 2 more months this yearfor all their customers. My parents are still fighting that in Court; not only that but the Telus business ADSL which was 3mbps/1mbps up was on a auto renewable contract that was supposed to end 6 years ago. Originally my parents had signed a contract for a special pricing 8 years ago, while the special pricing ended after the 2 year period Telus apparently auto-renews contracts every year after that without any notice. My parents still wanted to switch over to a residential line but would have been forced to pay out the contract to become a residential customer. Needless to say its went to a collection agency and they can go screw themselves.
Let's face it - they all suck. Each year in customer surveys the cable companies and telephone companies rank near the bottom of companies in terms of customer opinions and brand respect. These regulatory monopolies have abused people for so long it is shameful.

Watch the next few years as more opportunities emerge to cut free from them and by pass cable.
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  #43  
Old Posted Nov 8, 2009, 4:44 PM
junius junius is offline
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IPhone for Bell and Telus

Bell and Telus now have the iPhone which should rapidly accelerate its adoption in Canada. It is pretty clear that this is the Killer App smartphone as the Palm Pre didn't make a dent in the ever accelerating marketshare.

Apple has indicated it has plans to build a subscription television network powered through iTunes. It is not clear how it will deliver to TV but an upgraded Apple TV box could probably suffice. In this case they could easily and quickly become a major competitor to all cable and tv carriers.

Great news.
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  #44  
Old Posted Nov 8, 2009, 6:37 PM
usog usog is offline
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Yeah but the Bellus plans suck =P
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  #45  
Old Posted Nov 8, 2009, 10:21 PM
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It is going to be interesting to see how long it takes before the iPhone becomes the next Razr. The thing is nearly a commodity, given how many people seem to have it. It is no longer as unique as people like to think that it is, and uniqueness has historically been a purchase influence in this market.
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  #46  
Old Posted Nov 9, 2009, 1:15 AM
NewfBC NewfBC is offline
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Originally Posted by junius View Post
Bell and Telus now have the iPhone which should rapidly accelerate its adoption in Canada. It is pretty clear that this is the Killer App smartphone as the Palm Pre didn't make a dent in the ever accelerating marketshare.

Apple has indicated it has plans to build a subscription television network powered through iTunes. It is not clear how it will deliver to TV but an upgraded Apple TV box could probably suffice. In this case they could easily and quickly become a major competitor to all cable and tv carriers.

Great news.
You Apple fanboys are so funny sometimes.

Easily and quickly become a competitor to Shaw, Rogers, Telus, etc.?

That's funny.

Ron.
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  #47  
Old Posted Nov 9, 2009, 3:21 PM
junius junius is offline
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You Apple fanboys are so funny sometimes.

Easily and quickly become a competitor to Shaw, Rogers, Telus, etc.?

That's funny.

Ron.
I don't think it is funny. I think that Apple has MUCH stronger brand power than Shaw, Telus, Rogers and Bell combined.
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  #48  
Old Posted Nov 9, 2009, 3:24 PM
junius junius is offline
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Originally Posted by Spork View Post
It is going to be interesting to see how long it takes before the iPhone becomes the next Razr. The thing is nearly a commodity, given how many people seem to have it. It is no longer as unique as people like to think that it is, and uniqueness has historically been a purchase influence in this market.
Not even comparable. The major difference is content. The Razr was just a cool design. The iPhone's connection to iTunes is the key. Even now iTunes is responsible for 25% of music sales - not just digital but all music sales in Canada and the US. They are rapidly expanding their TV show and film offerings as well.

When the iPhone S sales hit the market in August online video traffic exploded.
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  #49  
Old Posted Nov 9, 2009, 5:04 PM
WarrenC12 WarrenC12 is online now
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Originally Posted by junius View Post
I don't think it is funny. I think that Apple has MUCH stronger brand power than Shaw, Telus, Rogers and Bell combined.
True enough, but Apple TV coming to Canada any time soon? Not this decade with the CRTC running things.
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  #50  
Old Posted Nov 9, 2009, 7:00 PM
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wrenegade wrenegade is offline
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It is unfortunate how lousy the iTunes movie/tv store is in Canada, but it will change. Even still, my girlfriend and I rent 9 out of 10 movies of our movies through iTunes, and we don't even have an Apple TV, we're just doing it on tiny MacBook Air and 17" iMac screens. Just the other day I went to Rogers video to actually rent something and I had to make 5 choices because they didn't have any stock of what we wanted. And ended up paying $5 for a movie that was an iTunes $0.99 rental of the week. Apple wins again.

I'm waiting for a new Apple TV to have a TV tuner in it to replace my cable box/PVR. It has been rumoured for a while and when it happens that's when I'll jump aboard. I need to be able to watch live events (Canucks games, F1, etc) so if it weren't for that I'd already be there.
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  #51  
Old Posted Nov 9, 2009, 7:11 PM
twoNeurons twoNeurons is offline
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Originally Posted by awvan View Post
And ended up paying $5 for a movie that was an iTunes $0.99 rental of the week.
There are rentals of the week? I've never really thought about renting a movie from iTunes. For $0.99 that's a steal!

I do have my iMac hooked up to my TV, though, but we mostly watch Drama series from Japan, which we obviously can't get here on cable TV... which is why I don't have cable.
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  #52  
Old Posted Nov 9, 2009, 7:17 PM
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Yup, every week there are 3 different $0.99 rentals.
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  #53  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2009, 12:09 AM
junius junius is offline
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True enough, but Apple TV coming to Canada any time soon? Not this decade with the CRTC running things.
Not true. Apple is adding a number of network pages to its site. As long as the Networks have their own pages there is no problem.

Interesting article on the iPhone below:


What Hath Apple Wrought?
by Philip Leigh , Monday, November 9, 2009
In 1844 Samuel Morse's first message over a 40-mile experimental telegraph from Washington to Baltimore was from the book of Numbers, "What hath God wrought?" He was predicting a bright future for telegraphy by comparing it to the triumphant destiny of Abraham's descendents.

Four years later, there were 2,000 miles of lines in the United States. In another four years, 23,000 miles were in use, with 10,000 more under construction. The first transAtlantic cable was laid in 1857. By 1861 the Pony Express rode off into the sunset as the two coasts were connected telegraphically.

Perhaps it's not a stretch to ponder whether Apple's trailblazing digital media innovations may prove to be as culturally significant as the invention of the telegraph. The iPhone is not merely another version of mobile phone. It is the manifestation of a concept originated 15 years ago by technology evangelist George Gilder, to wit, the teleputer. He envisioned the teleputer as "a handheld device that's a fully functioning personal computer, digital video camera, telephone, MP3 player and video player." The iPhone falls short only because it is not yet a fully functioning personal computer, but it's getting ever closer to that ideal.

Consider four points.

First, nearly 80% of mobile web browsing is via the iPhone. Clearly the device is a "game changer" for mobile Internet usage. Even though numerous competitive models are capable of Internet connectivity, they are seldom used that way.

Second, there are 85,000 apps available on the iPhone. By comparison, second place Google's Android had less than 10,000, and the BlackBerry only about 3.000.

Third, outside America, most people connect to the Internet over a mobile device. At 1.2 billion units, worldwide mobile phone sales are about four times those of personal computers. Just as user convenience led voice telephony to migrate from fixed wires to wireless units, Internet access is likely to follow the same evolutionary path.


Fourth, Kryder's Law predicts that the density of hard disk memory doubles nearly every year. Thus by 2015 a "Classic" iPod could hold 1.3 million songs, or 3,200 two-hour movies. If Flash memory progresses at only half the rate in ten years an iPhone could hold over 200,000 songs and more than 600 two-hour movies. That means it could hold more movie titles than an entire Blockbuster SuperStore.

Furthermore, it's obvious that Apple's ambitions extend beyond phones and iPods. The company still makes computers, remember? It's widely anticipated Apple will introduce a tablet computer, perhaps early next year.

Such a device would mostly be used for Internet-centric computing like email, Web browsing, and media consumption. The bigger screen would be attractive for downloading movies from iTunes or watching video streams from YouTube or Hulu. When limited interaction is required, such as quick email responses, a virtual keyboard will be adequate, especially since the tablet computer will provide a bigger one than the iPhone. It should also be acceptable for interaction on social networks such as FaceBook. Users who need to create bigger documents, like multipage reports or spreadsheets, could attach a separate physical keyboard when needed.

The success of the Apps Store is another factor that could benefit a tablet computer. Presumably all suitable iPhone apps would also be available on the tablet. No doubt some will be even more useful with a bigger screen. One example is the Amazon application for downloading digital books. The experience of reading a digital book on a tablet computer would presumably be much better than trying to read it on the small screen of an iPhone. Those who are considering the purchase of a Kindle might prefer the more versatile functionality of a tablet computer for which digital books are only one of many applications.

All of the above excludes Apple's ambitions for the living room, but that's a topic for another day. While the innovations are not as numerous as Abraham's children, it takes more than one Video Insider column to cover all that Apple hath wrought!
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  #54  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2009, 12:10 AM
junius junius is offline
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Originally Posted by awvan View Post
It is unfortunate how lousy the iTunes movie/tv store is in Canada, but it will change. Even still, my girlfriend and I rent 9 out of 10 movies of our movies through iTunes, and we don't even have an Apple TV, we're just doing it on tiny MacBook Air and 17" iMac screens. Just the other day I went to Rogers video to actually rent something and I had to make 5 choices because they didn't have any stock of what we wanted. And ended up paying $5 for a movie that was an iTunes $0.99 rental of the week. Apple wins again.

I'm waiting for a new Apple TV to have a TV tuner in it to replace my cable box/PVR. It has been rumoured for a while and when it happens that's when I'll jump aboard. I need to be able to watch live events (Canucks games, F1, etc) so if it weren't for that I'd already be there.
Give it some time. The offers will increase substantially in the next year from what I hear through the grapevine.
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  #55  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2009, 12:36 AM
zivan56 zivan56 is offline
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Originally Posted by awvan View Post
I'm waiting for a new Apple TV to have a TV tuner in it to replace my cable box/PVR. It has been rumoured for a while and when it happens that's when I'll jump aboard. I need to be able to watch live events (Canucks games, F1, etc) so if it weren't for that I'd already be there.
You can't replace your cable box unless you only want to watch basic cable. Shaw/Telus/Rogers all encrypt their signals purposely so that you can only use their proprietary STBs. You can't even use a tuner with a CableCard slot, as they refuse to provide a card.
Only Novus broadcasts the non pay HDTV signals via clear QAM from what I have heard.
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  #56  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2009, 1:00 AM
BCPhil BCPhil is offline
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I'm waiting for a new Android 2.0 phone myself, like the Moto Droid. I hope Motorola pushes the HSPA version into Canada so it can run on any network and work overseas (not the CDMA version Verizon has and hopefully they unlock multi-touch in Canada too).

It doesn't matter how many apps there are for the iPhone, most of them are horrible or cost money anyway. All the good apps are already available on iPhone, WinMo, Symbian and Android already, and there are no restrictions on the development of Android apps, so it will pick up pace in the near term.
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  #57  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2009, 1:11 AM
junius junius is offline
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Originally Posted by zivan56 View Post
You can't replace your cable box unless you only want to watch basic cable. Shaw/Telus/Rogers all encrypt their signals purposely so that you can only use their proprietary STBs. You can't even use a tuner with a CableCard slot, as they refuse to provide a card.
Only Novus broadcasts the non pay HDTV signals via clear QAM from what I have heard.
Yes but Apple TV will deliver through iTunes. It will be more like a subscription video on-demand service than a linear service. The challenge for the channels will be in acquiring the necessary rights to the programs as it is legally not television distribution but digital rental or sale.
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  #58  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2009, 1:12 AM
junius junius is offline
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I'm waiting for a new Android 2.0 phone myself, like the Moto Droid. I hope Motorola pushes the HSPA version into Canada so it can run on any network and work overseas (not the CDMA version Verizon has and hopefully they unlock multi-touch in Canada too).

It doesn't matter how many apps there are for the iPhone, most of them are horrible or cost money anyway. All the good apps are already available on iPhone, WinMo, Symbian and Android already, and there are no restrictions on the development of Android apps, so it will pick up pace in the near term.
I think there are lots of really great free Apps. However I also see Android as a bonus. Anything that spurs competition is great.
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  #59  
Old Posted Nov 11, 2009, 12:30 AM
NewfBC NewfBC is offline
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Originally Posted by junius View Post
Not true. Apple is adding a number of network pages to its site. As long as the Networks have their own pages there is no problem.

Interesting article on the iPhone below:

*snip*

Fourth, Kryder's Law predicts that the density of hard disk memory doubles nearly every year. Thus by 2015 a "Classic" iPod could hold 1.3 million songs, or 3,200 two-hour movies. If Flash memory progresses at only half the rate in ten years an iPhone could hold over 200,000 songs and more than 600 two-hour movies. That means it could hold more movie titles than an entire Blockbuster SuperStore.

LOL.. this shows the crap that spews from Apple fanboy's mouths sometimes. Last time I checked, there were way more than 600 movies in a *regular* Blockbuster Store.. I would assume a 'SuperStore' would have a few more.

Ron.
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  #60  
Old Posted Nov 11, 2009, 1:29 AM
ryanmaccdn ryanmaccdn is offline
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Originally Posted by Spork View Post
It is going to be interesting to see how long it takes before the iPhone becomes the next Razr. The thing is nearly a commodity, given how many people seem to have it. It is no longer as unique as people like to think that it is, and uniqueness has historically been a purchase influence in this market.
The Ipod would refute this statement..... it has dominated the market for 6+ years and show no signs of stopping.
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