Well when mobile networks work far more reliably all over the world, using the same technology (GSM), I think it's valid to give AT&T some grief. The US is way behind the rest of the world in penetration and bandwidth. It might seem cheaper here, but that's because we're stuck with the business model of subsidized phones...which actually inhibits competition and thus better service because we're locked into contracts with carriers for two+ years. If we could jump ship and keep our phones, the only thing the carriers could compete on is the speed, reliability, and price of their NETWORK...which is all a carrier should be.

Hardware manufacturers should be the ones to compete on handset features, and carriers should compete on network services.

Most people I know who go to Tekserve do so because Apple weasels out of their responsibility to fix their poor-quality hardware...like the aforementioned Newegg RAM. (Seriously, they'll refuse to fix a HARDWARE problem when you're not using overpriced "Apple" RAM.) Tekserve is usually a bit more forgiving.

The store itself isn't terribly pleasant, however. Their fortè is not customer service, to say the least. Who wants to take a ticket and stand around for twenty minutes just to buy an iPhone case? The fact that the ENTIRE place operates on the whole meat counter ticket-taking system makes for a very poor customer experience. That system may work for repairs, but not for general shopping.

Yes and JKKMobile.com also tested the original RunCore 1.8" SSD's, too. Of course the version he got was substantially different from the retail version in design and performance...not to mention it actually, ya know, worked. RunCore never explained how his test version worked so well and no one else's did, nor did they explain the loss of an integrated MicroUSB jack in the second production run. (Instead they included a cheap mini-usb enclosure in the package.) I definitely recommend waiting on purchasing these until a bunch have been installed and tested.

Beware of RunCore 1.8" SSD's. I went through four before I was sent one that actually worked...six months after the order was initially placed. There's a thread at myhpmini.com documenting the hell of dealing with RunCore's laughably poor quality assurance. http://myhpmini.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=163

Placed an order at the HP Parts store a while ago when it showed up there, and they told me they didn't know when they'd actually be available. I just saw that they were going to be available on their regular store yesterday and was gonna cancel my order today ($150!), but it actually arrived this morning! Crap. Now I gotta call and see if I can get a credit.

It's fully charged now, but I can't tell you how long it's gonna last. It definitely makes the unit heavier, and it sits much higher and at a greater slope on a desk. But if I can get 5 hours+ out of it it's worth it. OSX is reporting I have 1 hour 19 minutes left, but I don't trust that.

Cool project, and the dude modeling it in the photo is quite handsome.

@kickbee maker here...

I got a chuckle from this. Nice "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" reference. Thanks, Engadget! And by the way, I prefer "geekiest" dad thankyouverymuch.

@coreymenscher

Jesus Christ, Maemo? I've got an N800 and I can tell you that Maemo SUCKS compared to Android. Horrible horrible user experience. (Yes I'm talking about OS2008, too.) The real problem is installing applications. The whole repository thing is a pain in the butt, and problem resolution (i.e. a repository is down) is very poorly handled. It still feels not ready for primetime, and maemo's been around for years now. You really have to be a geek get into their tablets, and that just won't fly with a phone.

Nokia suffers from pride. They're the "leader" in the space because up until now no one had made anything better), But they assume it's because they have the best technology and design. Well, wake up, Nokia, because nearly everyone who switches to Android or iPhone or even Blackberry never looks back to S60.

Yeah it's pretty ironic to be tooting SpaceX's horn a mere two hours since they lost their recent orbital attempt. I realize you don't have a newsroom, but one would hope that Engadget would be aware of this potentially historic event, and may...I don't know...decide to find out what happened with that since it's so close to the time you've decided to run this post.

"Patent holding companies" shouldn't be allowed to exist. What a frickin' leech on the market...PURE EVIL. (How does it make sense that can you retain a patent if you don't produce something that implements it?)