Hard to believe, but there are apparently tech myths about Japan...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Dispelling (unthinkable) tech mythsabout Japan...

[Kagetsu]

I think any half brained person would come to those conclussions within a week. ^_^' I did (well the vending machine one, didn't even visit Akiba for ages).
It's definantly a suprise for the virgin Japan traveler (especially 'tech savvy' ones) when they arrive and find the society, well, so damned antiquated.

I had an electrical engineer friend of mine join on a jaunt, and his comments about the electrical setup there were somewhat funny at the time, but the gist of it was Japans grid is a joke, and a mess.
Needless to say, I'm sure everybody knows what's up.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I think any half brained person would come to those conclussions within a week.

Hey, you've just made my day! It's been a long time since I've been credited with having half a brain...

[IparryU]

all in a nutshell there...

i would have to say that their "basic" phone for any service trumps a "good" phone in the US. But my knowlege of the US is 5 years in the past... so that might have changed.

I have heard that blackberries are better in the US. i remember when Palm put out there phone and it was super handy with not so many loophole charges docomo has...

dotn know now, havent been home in a long time

[waruta]

Ya I never got the Blackberry/Crackberry thing either, or the Sidekick...I always wanted a smaller light phone with the biggest screen possible and the longest battery life. Shock of my life when I switched from the Mitsubishi D series of Docomo to the Xperia and the battery ran out in half a day....

Also noticed its getting harder to find public phones...how am I supposed to phone in my ransom demands anonymously now?

[Kagetsu]

I remember first going to Japan with the old Nokia, the nice looking one with a blue screen (was the only one at the time). Obviously it didn't work in Japan, but I had it anyway (alarm clock). I was pretty blown away by the quality and sturdyness of the phone I picked up in Japan (ultra cheap pre-pay one) which absolutely destroyed my then nokia for features... even though my friend thought it funny to get me a pink one at the time.

I have to be honest though, I think the iPhone reset the whole stage across the board. As far as a total package is concerned, nothing comes close to the iPhone in my opinion.

[IparryU]

I remember first going to Japan with the old Nokia, the nice looking one with a blue screen (was the only one at the time). Obviously it didn't work in Japan, but I had it anyway (alarm clock). I was pretty blown away by the quality and sturdyness of the phone I picked up in Japan (ultra cheap pre-pay one) which absolutely destroyed my then nokia for features... even though my friend thought it funny to get me a pink one at the time.

I have to be honest though, I think the iPhone reset the whole stage across the board. As far as a total package is concerned, nothing comes close to the iPhone in my opinion.

I am an Apple boycotter... but the iPhone is pretty good for the Apple pamper products IMO. the iPad had me scratchin my head for a second though...

[IkemenTommy]

[Coligny]

I had an electrical engineer friend of mine join on a jaunt, and his comments about the electrical setup there were somewhat funny at the time, but the gist of it was Japans grid is a joke, and a mess.

Remember 2 or 3 year ago in summer when half of Tokyo wuz without power because a boat carrying a crane snapped a powerline over some river...

Biggest wtf moment evar...

Even in Paris it took the Y2K apocastorm(*) to cut the power... that or the Germans...

(* we wuz so busy hunting software bugs that we somehow forgot to check for the weather... who sneakily attacked...)

[dimwit]

I dunno. With regards to point 3, when, I go back to Canada and use my brother's computer I do find the speeds glacial, but I don't really know much about what he is connected to.

[Coligny]

I dunno. With regards to point 3, when, I go back to Canada and use my brother's computer I do find the speeds glacial, but I don't really know much about what he is connected to.

Yeah #3 is bullshit... and talking download speed with a ping test is like determining a car top speed by the size of its fuel tank...

[waruta]

Yeah #3 is bullshit... and talking download speed with a ping test is like determining a car top speed by the size of its fuel tank...

Ya but he sounds like a Newfie, and that's how they determine both internet and top speed - by the size of the gas tank.