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An Upbeat Apple iPad Analysis

on January 27, 2010 Comments (2)

Here's my quick and dirty on the iPad... I have queried everyone I trust, lovers and haters alike, and this is my take. I am racing to get this out before the Market closes here in NYC, so forgive my haste.

Form factor is spot on. The iPad may be missing a camera and video conferencing, but I guess Apple needed to save something for next year.

The price point at $499 is also spot on. I suspect by using their own multicore processor (called the A4) Apple saves a significant amount of money on one of the single most expensive elements that makes up the iPads bill of goods.

Users, The Pros:

We want it, but secretly know that with our iphone, macbook, imac trio, we are covered, so it is a pure luxury good for us until the macbook needs a refresh. However, if you're already a Kindle user or ebook wannabe, then I think the iPad is for you straight away, no questions asked. But I personally hate ebooks, or at least every version of an ebook I have every tried.

That said, with the dock/keyboard accessory, I could see a $499 iPad being the extra computer in the living room or kitchen with almost no thought at all and most my friends do too. The iPad could become a goto secondary terminal for many, many nerds. Especially those users ready to admit they personally never do any heavy document creation on the road anyway and rather enjoy media.

Users, The Unwashed Masses:

What I describe as a secondary computer for nerds above could easily also fill the gap for people who need a cheap computer for the basics, but all current cheap laptops are as underpowered and slow as they are bulky and heavy. I know my 14 year old sister's book bag weighs her down enough as is, poor girl looks like some sort of very cute, yet deformed ladybug, backpack sagging to the ground, shoulder straps strained to the limit. In this case, an iPad could offers her enough computing power and light form factor that she would more than welcome one with open arms. And with over 140k+ apps already available at launch, there is zero argument that it is not capable enough for the role. Maybe too capable, she plays enough doodle jump, flight control, finger maze and field runners on her iPod touch as is.

New Apps:

iWorks (apples "office") looks very very strong on the new iPad and with touch gestures I could see it being a solid work tool to get you thru edits and document reviews and with the optional keyboard, actual document creation.

iBooks (apples "kindle") also looks very good. Only time will tell, but I know some converts to ebooks and they love it. eBooks are not for me, but there are die-hard lovers out there.

App Store:

The entire app store eco-system carries thru onto the iPad with no re-coding by developers. 140k apps, most $1.99 or less, for almost any need and new apps just for the iPads larger screen format. Again, this could be a huge selling point. Quick, cheap productivity.

Battery Life:

10hrs of continuos use and a 30 day standby is very good. Apple has been working on managing power consumption across all their product lines in an effort to meet and exceed Energy Star standards for some time. It's my guess that the new Apple A4 in-house muilt-core processor will prove to be far more efficient than many suspect.

Update Jan 2010: it is a ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore (identical to the processor in the nVidia Tegra and Qualcomm Snapdragon), a ARM Mali 50-series GPU, and a memory controller all on one die.

AT&T:

Apples stock took a dip at 1:18pm, this is the exact same moment Steve announced AT&T was the iPad's wireless partner. Coincidence, who knows?

The GOOD, no contract, month to month, unlocked GSM.

The BAD, it's not Verizon (I thought I would never say that one).

The UGLY, if the networking sucks, AT&T further muddy's Apple's waters.

Games:

This blows me away, I am already loving the games on my iphone, imagine them in HD with a processor twice the power (1GHz). Forget a Xbox, you won't need it. Several people could have a multiplayer network party, each on their own iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch for that matter, at their desks. The sudden replacement of the dedicated gaming terminal for multiplayer gaming with an HD iPad could be a big selling point for some people and is a part of the story that can't be ignored. EA is making some of the best iPhone games out there (TigerWoods Gold, Madden NFL, Need For Speed) and will have a lasting positive impact on the iPads success.

iTunes:

Large HD movies, TV shows, music and books. I took a movie on my iPhone on the plane once and almost went blind, I will never by a movie to watch on an iphone again, but I could see many people buying a movie to watch at home and syncing it to an iPad to watching it on the plane. The larger format makes mobile movies a reality, something that never happened on the iPhone.

What to expect next year?

A camera in the iPad to do video conferencing and mass acceptance that you may not need a laptop as much as you though after all and finally, expansion of multi-touch controls to the laptop and desktop product lines.

Update Feb 2010:

Here's a link to a recent apple patent application for desktop touch screen.

Here's a link to references found in SDK 3.2 to video conferencing support for the iPad.

Contrarian view:

Not everyone will be sold on the iPad at first, this is a new market and if people

can't do enough, well enough, they may not forgo full laptops in the end after all. That said, each and every single person in my network, lovers and haters alike have clearly stated, they all want one to play with and at $499 the price is defiantly within striking range for an impulse buy if this bit of kit fits the bill.

Coda:

The iPhone may have been Apples first run at multi-touch, but the iPad represents Apples future vision for full screen multi-touch and their attempt to revolutionize the user experience yet again and create a compelling mobile experience that, in Steve's own words, is "magical". Now, I am not sure it is magical, but if it is good enough to get me out of my Aeron chair and over to the lounge to do my morning reading (1 - 2hrs worth) with no discomfort, eye or hand wise, I know I am sold. In short, I think this is another solid win for Apple and another nail in the coffin for the rest.

Update Jan 2010: Found this amusing iPad correlation to Star Trek TNG...

Marcos

Apple's New Tablet Explained Wonderfully

Marcos

on November 20, 2009 Comments (0)

To think Google will own the streamlined OS concept with Chrome is just plain wrong. Android and the iPhone are already instant "on" OS's. But I love that Google is pushing this forward despite the duplication of efforts developing both Chrome and Android to do essentially the same thing in different form factor. Apple however, being much more experienced, created one OS (OS X) and ports it to all their devices. This allows for code base portability and a unified user experience.

I suspect the soon to be released Apple Tablet will take the instant "on" concept to a whole other level using Apples famous, one two punch of 1) lean software and 2) tightly integrated, uber sexy, multi-touch hardware.

Wonderful video after the jump...

Continue reading Apple's New Tablet Explained Wonderfully.

What is going on with AT&T coverage in NYC

Marcos

on September 18, 2009 Comments (1)

Over the past month our AT&T 3G cellular coverage here in New York City has been horrendous and getting worse all the time.

1) Dropped calls despite full bars
2) Failed calls despite full bars
3) Spotty 3G coverage despite full bars

Something is not right here... maybe time to roll out that femtocell strategy in earnest AT&T, cause things are getting ugly. So ugly in fact, my girlfriend went out and purchased a cheap LG Verizon phone with a 2 year contract for her business calls since her iPhone reception was becoming too unreliable.

To be fair I would say that I only encounter issues 20% of the time, but I used to have no issues at all.

"Houston, AT&T has a problem"

Relevant links:
* It's time for a new iPhone PR strategy at AT&T
* AT&T reportedly nearing femtocell 'soft launch'

Continue reading What is going on with AT&T coverage in NYC.

Book Review: iPhone 3 Devlopment

Marcos

on September 14, 2009 Comments (0)

Beginning iPhone 3 Development by Dave Mark and Jeff LaMarche has a carefree, irreverent written style rarely seen in books this technical. And while I often find it hard to read more than the first 75 pages of a technical book, referring to the rest of the chapters only as needed, Beginning iPhone 3 Development was easy to stick with and I can tell how the clear explanations and logical buildup to progressively more difficult concepts would be a easy to finish for anyone needing a real world, under the hood, hands on look at iPhone development.

I won't drone on here, but I will say I did appreciate the Author's choice to assume we are all smart, witty, hard studying students. That said, you will require some C and Objective C background if you plan to achieve anything significant on the iPhone, so don't expect miracles, but it a very good walk through the factory floor for those, like myself, who's Objective C always needs polish, but knows enough to read code and can follow along inquisitively, all the while piecing more of the puzzle together.

Of all the books I have on the iPhone and Objective C, this is the closest any of them have gotten me to feel like I was in an actual course and I most certainly felt that my iPhone Dev learning curve was starting to level out by the time I finished reading it.

Hope that helps the many students, like myself, who look at all the reading choices on iPhone development and wish someone would pop over their shoulder and say, "get that one".

Way of the Samurai

Marcos

on July 6, 2009 Comments (0)

Excerpts from The Hagakure: A Code to the Way of the Samurai, by Yamamoto Tsunetomo (Hokuseido Press, 1980)

Think Not Yourself as Established
A man who thinks he is already established is unwise; a man content with fixed views won through considerable effort has already fallen into a trap. ... Without a moment of self-content with what little one has found out, one should keep thinking his accomplished results as being still unsatisfactory and not good enough, exploring the right way to the attainment through one's whole life. Truth lies in no place but in this course of pursuit itself.

Appearances
One's appearance bespeaks dignity corresponding to the depth of his character. One's concentrated effort, serene attitude, taciturn air, courteous disposition, thoroughly polite bearing, gritted teeth with a piercing look--each of these reveals dignity. Such outward appearance, in short, comes from constant attentiveness and seriousness.

Continue reading Way of the Samurai.

Presidential Truthiness

Marcos

on October 9, 2008 Comments (0)

With all the blatant BS coming out of the McCain / Palin camp (and a little from Obama I will admit) who knows what is real and what is just plain Truthiness? You could watch Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert (highly suggested), but even they have been known to tilt the pinball machine for a laugh on occasion.

Where to turn?

Try this little fact checking gem: Politifact.com

Related Links:
Truthiness defined here
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
The Colbert Report

Financial Crisis Explained

Marcos

on October 9, 2008 Comments (0)

Great little video from Quiet Library that summarizes our "economic melt down" in simple, everyday terms.

"I am gona get a Scotch, you want one?"

G1 Android phone pictures leaked?

Marcos

on September 23, 2008 Comments (0)

Not sure these images are the final Gphone, but the source (reghardware.co.uk) is reliable. The G1 looks clean and the full keyboard will surely be a boon. However, the iPhone has such a huge lead over the G1, it will take some time before it poses a crediable threat. Can't wait to get my hands on one and kick the tires.

Here is the skinny:

"It's been rumoured that the phone has a 3.1-megapixel camera and a 4.6in display. Thanks to an earlier leak of less formal looking pictures, we already know the G1 has a slide out keyboard too. It's thought that the phone, which is manufactured by HTC, won't support stereo Bluetooth or have the capability to shoot video. Nonetheless, the official announcement will be made later this afternoon. So we'll bring you everything with T-Mobile's authentication signature on after that. "

3G iPhone a selling out in Manhattan (photos)

Marcos

on July 11, 2008 Comments (0)

Despite common wisdom, I did not buy the new 3G iPhone today.

So, why did I not get the latest version of the iPhone. Well, it is not for lack of effort. No, I did not get the new iPhone today cause lines are around the block at *ALL* locations.

I rode my Ducati Hypermotard to several Apple and AT&T locations and snapped these photos.

AT&T store at 6th Ave and 17th st. - SOLD OUT at 11am, got a second shipment around Noon and then sold out again shortly after. Line winds around the corner to the left.