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I’ve had the phone for about a week now and am really happy with it. It’s got the apps I care about so far:

• Facebook: With the most recent update, it’s got everything that the iPhone versions has with a cooler, more interactive interface
• Twitter: Does everything the iPhone equivalent does.
• Yelp: I can get reviews but can’t rate or draft reviews like the iPhone. Hopefully an update comes soon.

Unfortunately there are some apps that are missing for WP7 that I previously used regularly on my iPhone. I’m hoping that either these companies develop for this really cool new platform or an equivalent is created:

• Instagr.am – There’s a version called Apict witch isn’t bad but doesn’t even come close, and it doesn’t post photos to the Instagr.am website
• Hipstamatic – Nothing comes close on WP7
• An official Tumblr app that supports multiple blogs.

The existing photo apps on WP7 are pretty weak. Hopefully in time developers will port or create new apps that will strengthen this area.

One thing that surprised me in a bad way is how poor the battery life on the Samsung Focus is. I’m in the process of playing around with different settings to improve on this. I remember having similar problems with my iPhone but I’ve kept the same settings since my original iPhone. I do remember having to play around for a while to get the settings right.

So far it’s a pretty powerful phone. As far as being a phone, it’s way better than my old iPhone. Quality of the calls is extremely good and haven’t had random dropped connections with full bars.

There’s tool called SyncToy 2.1. The brief description reads:

SyncToy 2.1 is a free application that synchronizes files and folders between locations. Typical uses include sharing files, such as photos, with other computers and creating backup copies of files and folders.

The tool was originally written for Windows Vista, but works like a charm in 7.

• http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C26EFA36-98E0-4EE9-A7C5-98D0592D8C52&displaylang=en#filelist

Could this be the next iPod Shuffle? http://bit.ly/2Ny7js

To help celebrate Windows 7, HP is entering the stylish PC market with the HP Envy line of PCs by stealing the sexy good looks of Apples Macbook Pro line of notebooks. Looks good, and appears to be powerful, but with the bountiful selection of Windows notebooks available, is $1500+ for a Mac-ish PC worth it? Time will tell, but the question remains – will consumers pay the Apple tax for an HP.

I have to admit, they look sleek and sexy.

See Gizmodo’s initial reaction to HP’s announcement.

I came across a great write-up on why this problem comes up and how to solve it. In short, the problem appears to be with Windows Vista’s WCS color management system. I was able to fix the problem by simply using the system default setting for my display devices. I never saw improvements in color despite trying different profiles, so no loss.

Read Why does Canon ZoomBrowser EX always crash on Vista?

• Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade – $49.99 (normally $119.99)
• Windows 7 Professional Upgrade – $99.99 (normally $199.99)

I really wish that Microsoft would adopt the Apple upgrade for Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Mac OS X Leopard owners can upgrade for $29. Despite that, I’m going to do the W7 Professional Upgrade…