The Mac HAck

There are a lot of things that Apple gets right, but pricing is not one of them. This is a company that’s made a fortune by defying conventional wisdom, so it’s hard not to admire it and its products despite their occasional quirks and shortcomings. Apple’s appeal has grown from a long history of understanding what users are really doing with their computers and devices, and knowing how to create things that people will desire. It’s all about the experience— their goal is to make you feel delight and wonderment from the time you walk into a shop till you take your new device out of its box and switch it on for the fi rst time. Everything that Apple does, from the iron-clad secrecy it maintains around upcoming products to the theatricality of its unveilings, is designed to further that experience. Once the association with joy has been made in buyers’ minds, they’re hooked. Mac OS X has a lot of appeal: the graphics are rich, security is higher than Windows, it’s generally easier for beginners to get used to, and there’s some excellent software available for creative professionals. For most people though, just the “coolness” factor and thrill of getting it working without spending money on Apple hardware are reason enough to try. This is the “reality distortion fi eld”

effect that dozens of other companies have tried to emulate over the years, to varying degrees of success. Just like

everyone else, Apple has had to adapt to a changing world, one in which everything is mass produced in China, there are only two or three manufacturers of each kind of high-end component, and it costs too much to try and do things on your own. Today, it’s possible to take a small chunk of that Apple experience and use it on your own, outside the confi nes of the expensive ecosystem built specifi cally for it. The enjoyment won’t be the same, but the whole point is to expand users’ options and give them the choice. We’re referring, of course, to running Mac OS X on any ordinary PC, something that the Cupertino giant does not like, endorse or acknowledge in any way. Apple’s desktop OS is fi nely tuned to work with its own hardware, software and online services: an entire ecosystem. This has the disadvantage of limiting your choices (and budget range) when it comes to buying a new computer, but it has the advantage of eliminating the thousands of variables that tend to make Windows machines slow or unstable. Apple has never expressly allowed other brands to sell machines with OS X preinstalled, so you’ll never fi nd a Mac

bogged down with “bloatware” added on by third-party manufacturers, and you won’t have to go hunting for a printer

driver when you need one, because it’s already built in. Be warned, running OS X is a tricky proposition and it’s not endorsed by Apple in any way. You’ll be contravening their end-user license agreement and will not have access to any help or support from them. You also won’t have a Macspecifi c keyboard, mouse or trackpad, which will make several shortcuts and gestures impossible to use. This process is not recommended for casual users, or anyone who isn’t familiar with the internal workings of a PC. You run the risk of erasing your hard drive and losing whatever’s on it, so make sure you have backups. Moreover, obtaining a legal copy of Lion, the latest version of OS X, is entirely your responsibility.

The Hackintosh Process

Installing an operating system on hardware not originally designed for it is a tricky process. Apple is famous for building experiences around tightly integrated hardware and software, so problems are bound to crop up when trying to run OS X on unfamiliar components. It's not impossible to run OS X on commodity PC hardware, but this isn't a project to undertake if you're not 100 percent comfortable with your computer's inner workings. As of now, OS X Lion is a bit more diffi cult to get running than previous versions, Leopard and Snow Leopard. Methods of running these older versions have existed for years now, and a vibrant developer community online is constantly making new drivers available to extend compatibility with all kinds of hardware. With Lion only recently released, the driver database is understandably small, and it's quite likely that you'll run into compatibility issu4es and other odd problems. The most frustrating issue we faced was with an incompatible USB keyboard, which caused all sorts of input errors! Before beginning any experiment, we must emphasize the importance of backing up everything on your computer. Make a list of all hardware and drivers and search online for known

problems. Then, if you're sure you understand all the risks and liabilities, you're ready to proceed.

REQUIREMENTS

Kakewalk: Freely downloadable from

www.kakewalk.se, this is a simple yet

powerful utility which is nothing but a set  

of scripts running in the background. 

Lion installer: The operating system (Mac OSX

Lion v10.7) can be downloaded for as little as USD

29.99 (approx Rs 1,400) from the Mac App Store

(Mac required). Download this 3.5 GB DMG file.

Minimum 8 GB USB stick: This USB

stick will be formatted and loaded with the

bootloader and the Lion installation files.

A Macintosh: A Mac is needed to create the USB

stick with the necessary fi les for installing Lion on a

PC. If you don’t own one, you'll have borrow one for

at least an hour after the installer is downloaded.

You won't be able to download Lion from the

Mac App Store if this Mac is already running it.

MultiBeast and KextBeast: These free utilities

can be found atwww.tonymacx86.blogspot.com.

They are needed to install basic drivers for the PC.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once you have downloaded Lion

and have all the fi les ready, you

can start the process.

STEP 1

Copy the Lion installation fi le (InstallESD.

dmg) and Kakewalk to the desktop of the

Macintosh. Run the Kakewalk utility, and

on the main screen, click on ‘Install to a USB stick’.

STEP

sTEP 2

On the next screen, select the location

of the Lion DMG fi le and choose the USB

stick as the destination. Make sure you

choose the correct destination (the USB

stick), or you'll end up installing it to the

Mac you're working on. When you're sure,

click the ‘Create’ button.

STEP 3

The Kakewalk utility will do the necessary

work in the background. It involves

formatting the USB stick, mounting the

Lion DMG image, copying the installer

fi les and packages to the USB stick

and a lot more. All this is done in the

background and may take a while

depending on the speed of the pen drive.

Your USB stick will also be renamed to

‘Kakewalk’.

STEP 4

After the process is complete, the

utility will ask you to start the Kakewalk

installation. Click OK to continue and

the next screen will ask you to choose

your motherboard model number. The

exact version is preferable, but a close

variant will also do. Make sure you have

an Internet connection as Kakewalk will

need to download the necessary drivers

from its repository. If your motherboard

is not listed, you'll have to choose the

closest match. Then carefully select

your destination as the USB drive (now

renamed as Kakewalk). Click on ‘Start

Installation’. After completion, you can

safely eject the USB stick and return the

Macintosh to its owner, unscathed.

STEP 6

When you boot from the USB stick,

you will be greeted by Kakewalk's

EFI bootloader. Select the USB stick

(Kakewalk) on your screen and press

[Enter].

WARNING: The target hard drive will be

reformatted and all data on it will be lost.

If possible, install Lion on a new, blank

hard drive.

STEP

STEP 5

Now plug the USB stick into your PC and

turn it on. Go to the BIOS where a few

changes need to be made. Change the

boot priority to USB HDD. Next, make

sure you make the following changes if

you have the options in your BIOS: HPET:

Enable (64-bit), ACPI Suspend type: S3

(STR) and Hard drive: AHCI enabled. Save

and close the BIOS settings. Restart the

PC and boot from the USB stick.

STEP 6

When you boot from the USB stick,

you will be greeted by Kakewalk's

EFI bootloader. Select the USB stick

(Kakewalk) on your screen and press

[Enter].

WARNING: The target hard drive will be

reformatted and all data on it will be lost.

If possible, install Lion on a new, blank

hard drive.

STEP 7

After a long process during which you'll

see lines of text characters scrolling

continuously, you will land at the

Lion installation screen. If you have

not reached here, it's possible that a

compatibility issue has been discovered.

Note the error lines displayed on screen

and search the Internet for a specifi c

solution. You should fi nd specifi c help

on the various forums dedicated to OS X

fans. For example, the error ‘DSMOS has

arrived’ means that the video card is not

compatible.

STEP 8

Follow the steps shown on screen till you

arrive at the screen which asks you to

choose the destination disk to install the

OS to. At this screen, click on ‘Utilities’

and then ‘Disk Utility’. This will start the

partition manager for Mac OS X.

STEP 9

Using Disk Utility, click on your target

hard drive in the left pane and then click

on ‘Partition’ on the right pane. From the

Volume Scheme, select ‘1 Partition’ and in

the ‘Options’ below, select ‘GUID Partition

Table’. Then in the Volume Information,

type a name for the partition, select

the format type as ‘Mac OS Extended

(Journaled) and leave the rest untouched.

Finally, click on ‘Apply’ and proceed to

format the drive. Once done, exit Disk

Utility and proceed with the installation of

the OS. The installation will take around

30 minutes, at the end of which your

computer will reboot. Leave the USB stick

plugged in, as there is no bootloader yet.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP 09/2011 93

STEP 10

This time, when the system boots again,

choose to boot from the hard drive

instead of the USB stick. Once booted,

you should be welcomed to the next

steps of the installation. Continue with all

the necessary details that are asked on

the screen.

STEP 11

Once done, you should arrive at the

default Lion desktop. Congratulations,

your installation has been successful! But

you have still got to install the bootloader

to your hard drive so that it can boot up

on its own.

STEP 12

Locate your USB stick in the OS X Finder

and open it. You will fi nd the application

‘Kakewalk’—double-click and run the

utility. Click on the icon that reads ‘Install

to Computer’.

     

STEP 13

This screen will highlight the

motherboard model you chose while

making the USB stick on the Macintosh.

You cannot change anything here, so

simply click on ‘Start Installation’. After a

few minutes, you will be asked to reboot

the machine. Now your bootloader is

installed on your system and you can

safely boot your PC from the hard drive.

Mac OS X Lion is ready to go!

STEP 14

Installing drivers is the biggest headache,

but you can do it in a few steps. First,

using MultiBeast, you can install basic

drivers for audio, network, graphics, and

system components. Copy the Multibeast

utility to your new desktop and run

it. Follow the steps till you reach the

‘Installation Type’ screen. From the drop

down list, carefully choose the drivers of

your motherboard and graphics card by

referring to their respective user manuals.

If you are not sure of any of the drivers,

simply don’t select it, or else you will

cause errors known as Kernel panic, and

might need to reinstall Lion all over again.

When the process is complete, you'll

need to reboot the PC.

STEP 15

 Additional drivers that are not available <

through Multibeast can be downloaded

and installed separately using the

KextBeast utility. The drivers are usually

in the form of .KEXT fi les and need to

be inserted into certain folders and their

permissions set to a particular level.

KextBeast does it for you automatically.

All you need to do is copy the KEXT fi les

and the KextBeast utility to the desktop

and run the utility. It will automatically

search for the drivers on the desktop and

install them. 

Android Rooting: What You Should Know Before You Try It

Android Rooting:

What You Should Know Before You Try It

While putting together a list of the best Android apps, I asked dozens of Android devotees what were their favorites, and a few fired back a short list of apps

“for root users.” Rooting an Android phone is kind of like jailbreaking an iPhone. In laymen’s terms, it means you’re cracking open the hood to access parts of the operating system that were intentionally locked to prevent you from messing them up, or doing anything to your phone that the manufacturer or carrier doesn’t want you to do. A slightly more technical explanation is to say that rooting means giving yourself “root access,” or greater privileges, or administrator control, to the lowest level of Android’s Linux subsystem. Warning: If you didn’t pick up on the clues above, rooting isn’t for everyone and can have serious repercussions. While it’s perfect legal, it can void your phone’s warranty (more on that below). And if you don’t know what you’re doing or aren’t careful, you could potentially destroy your phone. Rooting also opens up more security risks because you can download apps that have

access to files that would normally be hidden from them.

                       So, if you’re perfectly happy with your Android phone as is, there is no reason to root it. If you’re a tinkerer and understand the possible ramifications, then there are several reasons you might want to root.

Why Root Android ?

The purpose of rooting is to make the most of the device that you own by getting

around the limitations that the manufacturer or carrier has put in place—and again, many of those barriers were put in place to prevent you from accidentally destroying your own device.

Here are some examples of what a root

user can do:

• Access the flash memory chip,

which you need to do if you want to

modify the Android OS or replace it

with a customized version

• Make the apps on your phone

run faster

• Remove pre-installed apps to free

up space

• Turn the phone into a 3G/4G WiFi

hotspot without paying an extra fee.

There are many other reasons to root, too, but the ones listed here are certainly among

the most popular.

Tips for Rooting

1.   Be phone-specific.

This tip comes first for a reason. It’s crucial that you look up

information for your phone, and not just for Android across the board. Look for tutorials that are specific to the make and model of your phone, as well as any common problems. The rooting process varies by phone, and following the wrong procedures

could cause irreparable damage. Just as important, not every rooted phone will be able to do what you might have been hoping it would. For example, not every rooted device has an unlocked bootloader (necessary to flash ROM s), so make sure you understand what you are getting into and exactly what you want the outcome to be if you root your phone.

Read or watch the how-to beforehand.

Make sure to read or watch the entire tutorial before you begin, because there are

often steps that are crucial that may appear out of order. For example, sometimes you

need to disable antivirus software on your computer at a certain step for the rooting

process to go smoothly.

2.  Learn how to un-root.

Rooting is reversible on most phones—again, check whether yours is before you even begin. So before you root, make sure you know how to undo it. Just as it’s important to

read the complete instructions before you start rooting, it’s a good idea to figure out how to reverse it before doing anything, as well. Because rooting may void your phone’s warranty, you’ll have to revoke the root access anytime you need to take your

phone in for service.

4.  Power up.

 Never tinker with anything less than a full battery. One of the most devastating

things that can go wrong while in root mode is running out of battery midway

through installing a custom OS or ROM (read-only memory, or the phone’s internal

memory where your apps are stored). If your Android dies before the new system

is installed fully, it’s extremely difficult to repair and restore the phone.

5   Stay away from extremes.

Root users will be enticed to push their phones past its previous limits for maximum performance— a phone that works faster. But remember, the phone makers put limits on your phone for a reason, in this case, to prevent the phone’s processor from overheating and burning out. root users who know what they’re doing bypass these limits, but should set new limits or other failsafe measures to keep the phone from overheating. If you don’t know how to manage these settings, don’t tempt fate by trying to turn your phone into a lightning-fast machine. It’s pretty fast already.

6   When in doubt, ask for help.

If at any point in rooting or unrooting you get stuck, search for help because you’re

likely to find it. Android root users have been known to hang around a few helpful

hacker forums, such as xda-developers. com and rootzwiki.com, where you can

find answers to your questions and solutions to your problems. While these online

resources will be invaluable, do bear in mind the other tips outlined in this article.

remember that even the most helpful guy on a forum isn’t necessarily a technical

writer, and his tutorial may be out of order or not specify which specific phone

model he has in hand, or take for granted some other assumption. Comb through

the advice you find meticulously before you decide to take it. If you’re looking for tutorials to walk you through rooting, try Lifehacker’s guide to rooting Android devices.

7 APPS fOr rOOT USErS

Deciding to root your phone shouldn’t be a split-second decision. But ultimately,

it’s your phone, you own it, and you can do what you want. So if you do root your

Android, here are seven starter apps you’ll want to download. You’ll need the

first and second apps immediately in order to actually do anything with your

root access, but the other apps are all optional and can be downloaded in any

order.

Super user

Lets you manage

superuser (root

user) permissions;

this is the first app

a newly rooted

phone needs

installed on it.

ROM Manager

Lets you manage

and install ROM s

from your SD card,

and organize and

perform backups

and restores.

Root Explorer

File Manager

($3.80)

Shows you the

files you can

now access as a

root user; this is

the second app

a newly rooted

phone needs on it.

Set CPU for Root User s

Changes the CPU settings for

overclocking (going faster than

the limit) and lets you set thresholds

(like a temperature) to tell it

when to stop; works only on select

phones

Wirele ss Tether

for Root User s

Turns your phone

into a mobile

hotspot.

Titani um

Backup root

Backs up all your

apps, removes

bloatware, and

otherwise helps

you manage apps.

AdFree Android

Removes most

ads from your

browser and apps.

   

PREVIEW: Windows Server 8

PREVIEW: Windows Server 8

Windows Server 8:

So Far, So Good....

Windows 8 may be grabbing all the headlines in the personal computing world, but a certain kind of IT staff is paying as much—if not more—attention to Microsoft’s latest announcements in the business world: the release of Windows Server 8. This latest release of Server arguably represents the most wide-sweeping

update to the OS since Server 2000 from NT 4.0. The changes are not in the overall

interface (except for in Server Manager and AD), but under-the-hood boosts and advancements in virtualization, clustering, Active Directory management, networking and just about every other capability in Windows Server. Of course, Windows Server 8, which many speculate will be released in 2012, is still in pre-beta developer code. Whether or not it gets the thumbs up depends on its addressing two major needs. The first: revamping the OS to meet the demands for cloud computing, virtualization and the continued “consumerization of IT.” The second is to make certain that sweeping changes won’t force longtime Windows server admins to re-learn administrative tasks or have to make changes to infrastructure to roll it out. So far, Windows Server 8 appears to achieve both goals. Here’s a rundown of some of the most impressive features we’ve

seen in our early peek at Server 8:

                    New Deployment Options: Server 8 can be deployed in three modes: Full GUI (the interface, on boot up, is not discernible from Server 2008 R2), Full Server without parts of the graphical shell (namely Explorer and IE removed), and Server Core—which is a bare-bones install in which PowerShell is used for management. While you could deploy server core in 2008 R2, Server 8 allows you to do something new: move back and forth from a full graphical interface to the core without having to reinstall.

                   PowerShell: Microsoft is strongly advocating using the greatly expanded Power- Shell over the GUI for many tasks in Server 8. Using PowerShell only requires a core installation, which make the OS very lightweight and able to run efficiently on lower

spec’ed machines.

                  Server Manager’s New Look: In a UI that is a bit reminiscent of Windows Phone 7—  and definitely influenced by Windows 8 client— Server Manager has a new tile-based design. A clean and modern dashboard allows admins to perform multi-machine management. Server 8 is looking to be a well-engineered, future-facing business OS that will be able to meet the tech needs of business for quite some time. How business technology responds to it will be interesting to witness.

Eight things you should know about windows 8

Eight things you should know about windows 8 …

The highly anticipated new Windows OS will

feature a number of radical improvements.

Here are eight features to look

forward to when it comes out this year.

Windows 8 represents the most radical change to Microsoft’s operating

system in quite a long time--perhaps ever. The OS features a number of new

additions and improvements, ranging from a fresh “Metro” interface that was

heavily inspired by Redmond’s Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system, to

one of the most talked about changes: Compatibility with non-Intel-powered

architectures. This change makes it capable of running on ARM-based computing

devices.

For the most part, Microsoft has been tight-lipped regarding when Windows

8 will ship, how much the operating system will cost, or if it will come in several

different editions similar to Windows 7. The general consensus, however,

is that Windows 8 will launch in fall 2012, which is a timeframe based on offthe-

cuff executive statements and leaked schedules. In addition, Windows 7

launched about a year after its 2008 PDC debut, so a fall 2012 timetable isn’t

Unreasonable.

At the BUILD convention in Anaheim, California, several weeks ago, we

were able to get our hands on Windows 8’s developer’s build, and unboxed a

Samsung Windows Developer Preview PC. Here are the eight most noteworthy

new additions to Windows in Windows 8.

1]It Runs On ARM Chips

Perhaps the biggest Windows change is word that Redmond’s new operating system will now also run on machines other than those using Intel-compatible processors. Windows 8 will be able to run on devices powered by ARM-based architectures. This will enable the OS to run on a wide range of computing devices from desktops to tablets.

2]it Has a New Interface

Windows comes with several design changes, the most notable being the new Metro interface, which co-exists with a more traditional Windows 7-like desktop design. You switch to Metro my clicking the “Start” button, and switch back by clicking the “Computer” tile. In a similar fashion as Mac OS X Lion borrowed heavily from Apple’s iOS, Windows 8 borrows heavily from Windows Phone 7. The new operating

system features “live tiles,” which lets users access apps and view updated live information (such as notifications). In addition, Windows 8 will offer both full and partial screen views of apps, a snap feature that puts one app in a sidebar, a Word-like ribbon comes to Windows Explorer, and the File Manager has been streamlined.

3] It Has a Tablet -

           Centric Multitouch Interface

Touch gestures have become a vital part of our day-to-day experiences—you bring a finger to the screens on your smart phones, tablets, monitors, and other devices. Microsoft has showcased touch navigation in Windows 8 with side-to-side swipes between apps (as you can in OS X Lion), a snap gesture that brings a running background app into a sidebar next to your main app, and a split-touch keyboard that makes for easier thumb input when you’re holding a tablet.

4]Its Developer’s Preview Is Available Now

Microsoft recently released a developer preview, which you can sample if you wish to get the early jump on Windows 8. (We did; see our hands-on look by clicking here.) The download, which includes a 64-bit (x64) build with development tools to build apps and a 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) build without development tools, is available in the Windows Dev Center. Warning: There’s no support hotline available should you

encounter a problem, but Microsoft will push out fixes for major issues that may arise.

5]It Has Xbox Live Support

Microsoft plans to unify its PC gaming and console gaming experience—hopefully—

by bringing Xbox Live to the desktop. Scarce details are know about what this

union entails, but Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb, the director of programming for Xbox, wrote in a blog post that “Bringing Xbox Live to Windows 8 is part of our vision to bring you all the entertainment you want, shared with

the people you care about, made easy.”

6]It Has Built -In

         Cloud Features

Windows 8 features tight integration with Microsoft’s cloud-based services. Every Windows 8 user will have a SkyDrive account (using either a previously created

account, or a new one), in which they can access files stored on Skydrive just as on the

local machine. Windows 8 will also let users connect to another system on which they’ve linked Skydrive, giving them access to files on that system—even across firewalls.

7]It Has an

        App Store

Similar to Mac OS X’s desktop Mac App Store, Microsoft has a Windows Store

in Windows 8. The Windows Store differs from the Mac App Store in that it allows users to sample software in trial periods. It includes a Spotlight section of curated apps

recommended by Microsoft, as well as several categories such as Games, Productivity,

and Photography (you can also search by name). Non-Metro style desktop apps will

also be sold in the Windows Apps Store.

8]It Has Enhanced

         Security

We know, we know....each version of Windows touts enhanced security. But Windows

8 ups the security ante by checking at boot time that only trusted components are

loaded, expanding Windows Defender to include full antivirus protection, and an App

Reputation protection that prevents you from installing dubious apps.

A Smartphone OS For Beginners

Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango”

A Smartphone OS

For Beginners  .....

Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5, otherwise known as “Mango,” is sweet. It’s full of people-centric features that make it easier to stay in touch with friends and family, to communicate, and to share ideas. It’s easier to use than Android, and in many ways slicker than Apple’s iOS. But since it doesn’t support most forms of 4G or the latest hardware, it may not get the phones or promotion it deserves.

                                  Mango brings dozens, if not hundreds, of new features to Windows Phone. It has a much better browser, limited multitasking, Twitter and LinkedIn integration, a terrific interface for creating ad-hoc groups of friends, better ways for apps to give you useful information, the option for Wi-Fi hotspot mode, and much more.

       Windows Phone 7 has always been activity- centered rather than app-centered. Its hubs let you focus on ideas like “people,” “pictures,” or “music” rather than about which particular app or service you need at the moment.

    

                My favorite new Mango feature is the new Groups option in the People hub. With Facebook and Twitter added to your phone book, you’re probably going to have a lot of contacts. Groups help you make sense of them. I don’t use Facebook because I find it overwhelming, but Mango makes me want to use it again. I set up a Family group and saw only the updates and photo albums from my family; a Work group showed only updates and photo albums from colleagues. We move in multiple circles, and Mango lets your phone reflect that.

              The new IE9 browser brings Windows Phone up to par with the latest browsers on other platforms. It still doesn’t support Flash, but it handles HTML5 and has solid performance, though its benchmarks fell below those of the latest Android 2.3 and BlackBerry 7 phones on our tests.

                                          What’s not so ripe about Mango? Unfortunately, Microsoft’s hardware spec is behind the times, which will prevent Mango from getting much traction. The OS doesn’t support LTE or WiMAX, which means that neither Verizon nor Sprint will promote it with enthusiasm. It doesn’t support dualcore processors, the current state of the art, or the latest GPUs. And it only allows an 800-by-480 screen resolution. Still, Mango is a world-class operating system, and I think many people, especially smartphone newcomers, would prefer it to market leader Android and to the declining BlackBerry OS. Now Microsoft needs to focus on the other aspects of the phone experience—hardware, marketing, and sales—to make sure that this Mango doesn’t rot on the shelf

What Most People Want in a Phone ....

What do you do with your phone? If you’re like most Americans, you make some calls, take some photos, and send some texts. Maybe you kill time with some games, check Facebook or Twitter, and look things up on the Web. If that’s you, then the iPhone 4S is your phone: it’s the best cameraphone in the U.S. and the fastest Web-browsing phone, and it has finally licked the iPhone’s calling problems. Apple has killed the “death grip,” at least on the Sprint model. The phone switches between its top and bottom antennas

               

depending on which one is receiving a better signal, which means it’ll ignore whichever

one you’re covering with your hands. Call quality on Sprint’s network through the phone’s earpiece was excellent in my tests. The earpiece goes loud, there’s a touch of

side tone, and I didn’t hear any distortion at high volumes. Pour some data into this baby, and wow, it’ll go. As long as Adobe Flash isn’t a key part of your life, the iPhone 4S is the fastest Web phone ever. It benchmarks faster than any Android Gingerbread phone and faster than any Windows Phone.

                             The great browsing speed comes in part from the new dual-core A5 processor (the same one used in the iPad 2), and in part from the new iOS 5. A standout feature of iOS 5 is Siri, which, on the surface, appears to be a voice-command app. Hold down the home button and ask it a question, tell it to look up a number, make a note or search for a business. But here’s the real story with Siri: it’s not an app, it’s a service. The intelligence is on the server side, and it will improve. No actual processing is done on your phone. That means Siri doesn’t work when you’re offline, but it also means it can be continually upgraded, minute by minute, without touching your individual device. Apple addresses the two biggest problems with camera phones: speed and dynamic range. The 4S has a larger sensor, a larger five-element lens, and a larger f/2.4 aperture than the iPhone 4, along with a backside illuminated sensor and an IR filter to improve colors. The camera app loads in under two seconds, and it takes most photos instantly. Outdoor shots are better than bright; they’re uniquely well-balanced. The iPhone 4S makes simple tasks easy and does them very well. It brings most people what they want, very elegantly. For that, it earns our Editors’ Choice for Sprint phones. The iPhone 4S is a no-brainer upgrade from the 3GS. For iPhone 4 owners, it really comes down to how much you need the improved camera.