East Greenwich resident Joel Evans founded Geek.com back in 1996. The tech Web site, which prides itself on being “written by geeks for geeks,” features reviews, forums and information about gadgets and other tech topics. At Geek.com, which is now owned by Name Media Inc., Evans is the site’s “Chief Geek.” He talked to Providence Business News recently – by e-mail, naturally – about Geek.com’s longevity, his next project and the gadget he wants most.
PBN: A lot of Web sites have come and gone since 1996, but Geek.com is still going strong. What do you think is the key to the site’s longevity?
EVANS: I think it has a lot to do with our writers. They’re passionate about what they cover.
For example, Sal Cangeloso loves laptops so it’s a pleasure for him to play with pretty much every laptop that ships.
As for myself, I’m more of a mobile and gadget guy, so having a new phone each day is a treat and not a burden, like it is for some reviewers. I think our passion for the areas that we cover shows in our writing, and as a result, helps readers identify more with us.
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PBN: Rumor has it you’re working on a start-up that will focus on iPhone gaming. Can you share some details?
EVANS: I’m helping get something off the ground. We believe that the iPhone is going to be a great gaming platform – some would argue that it already is. I have extensive experience in the mobile and gaming spaces and I’ve seen a lot of stuff “in the labs.” What Apple has delivered in the iPhone has a lot of potential, especially for gaming, and the team I’m working with is among the best in their respective fields, so expect to see some really exciting games coming soon.
PBN: After a positive initial reaction, you recently wrote: “I think I now hate my iPhone 3G.” Has it really been that disappointing?
EVANS: As I mentioned in my rant, it’s a great device, but it’s not the best all-in-one solution. When I initially purchased it, I was in love – but after a while of using it, the fact that it hasn’t been out long is really shining through. I mentioned in my article about how the screen scratches and 3G is spotty and really drains the battery. Because the iPhone is an all-in-one device it’s probably hard for Apple to make a decision about which area to make the best it can be. For example, we still don’t have the ability to cut and paste. If it was an enterprise-focused device, we’d have that in the first ship.
That said, as a user of the iPhone, you can shut most features off, including 3G, but I would have hoped for even more customization since the device has now been out a year. Since I play with so many devices all of the time, as soon as I switch to something else, I realize all of the things that the iPhone isn’t. Most people don’t have access to new phones all of the time, so they’re probably very happy with the iPhone.
PBN: What cell phones have you been most impressed with in recent years? What’s your read on the ones coming down the pike, including the new Google Android platform?
EVANS: I started out as a huge Nokia Series 60 fan. Nokia was way ahead of its time, and then Windows Mobile came along. When I first saw the phone code-named as “stinger,” Iwas impressed with what Microsoft was able to make a phone do. Fast-forward to present day, and we’ve got me flip-flopping daily between a Windows Mobile phone and the iPhone. Because mobile phones are so powerful these days, it’s tough to decide what you actually want and need them to do.
There’s still no perfect phone, but I’m always holding out hope. Most recently, I played with the Nokia e71 and I couldn’t believe how fast it is at performing most tasks and how perfect the multitasking experience was. Hopefully, the next version of Windows Mobile or the iPhone OS [operating system] will continue to push the envelope.
As for Android, it’s starting to look pretty good but the early videos and screenshots I’ve seen look very 1.0. That said, I’m a daily user of Gmail and use it for all of my e-mail, so for that reason alone I can’t wait to see what Android has in store for us. If Google can tightly integrate offline access to its Calendar, Contacts and Gmail, it’s going to have a killer OS on its hands.
PBN: Is there a new gadget that you’re anticipating more than any other?
EVANS: My ultimate device has not yet shipped. We are in a mobile world now, but our technology still doesn’t allow us to move from one screen to another as easily as it should. I would love to have a device that syncs to my desktop wirelessly – but then at a moment’s notice I can walk away from my desktop and from that same device (about the size of an iPhone but with a stretchable screen) I can either start new tasks or take exactly what I was doing with me.
For example, if I were writing an e-mail but then went to get a drink of water, the portable screen I was taking with me would have that same e-mail open, to the exact point I was at [before], and I could continue. Then, when I got back within range of my computer, it would take over again. The technology to make that happen already exists today, but it’s just not mainstream.
When the Pocket PC first shipped I thought it would be great to just be able to attach a monitor and keyboard to it – it was powerful enough. Now we’ve got the latest versions of Windows Mobile, Symbian, and the iPhone’s OS. We have more than enough portable power, but we’re just not using it to its fullest.
For more information, visit the archive of Joel Evans’ articles on www.Geek.com, or watch Evans’ initial encounter with the iPhone 3G on www.YouTube.com.
