Every Apple device eventually get Diamond encrusted so why not the iPad? Sure it is probably the cheapest device Apple has ever made, but can’t it be cheap and have ‘11.43 carats of diamonds’? Best 20 grand you will spend today!
Via [GIZMODO]
Today is smartphone market graph day. Every website I check out has there own pretty version of the same information.
Nothing really new to see. Nokia is still king followed by RIM and Apple. Why post it then? Mainly because it has been a boring news week and the graphs are pretty.
Jump over to GIGAOM to check them out.
Ok, I used the title to sucker you all in. Of course the iPad doesn’t natively run Windows 7, it just can’t (ARM processor). What it can do, which is as good for corporate users, is run a virtual desktop via Citrix.
It seems the little iPad will have a few more tricks up its sleeve then originally thought.
Via [Gizmodo]
Actually, less a traditional tablet and more a giant iTouch. I have to say my first reaction was disappointment. There was nothing exciting and unexpected about it. I was hoping for a magical E-ink style screen, multitasking greatness, forward facing camera, super 2GHz dual core processor, plugless charging (and syncing) and other revolutionary concepts. I wanted the iPad to be the greatest gadget ever created.
After letting it sit for a while, contemplating Apples other successes, it dawned on me. Apple is a software company (well derr). The iPad was never going to be the hardware game changer that people speculated, but it is going to be what Windows 7 will never be, and that is an OS designed for being used on a tablet.
It is designed with convenience in mind. This is a true consumer device. It will make surfing the web fun, watching movies fun, playing games fun and it might even trick some people into reading books again. Just don’t expect it to replace your notebook.
Though I believe the price is still very high for what you get, it is the Apple premium and will guarantee you a constantly evolving user experience and one of the biggest stores around. I won’t be buying one when they are available but I have no doubt Apple will sell record amounts of them.
Merry Christmas Everyone. Now that is out of my system I would like to look ahead at the year coming.
What will be the defining technology? What breakthroughs will be made? What will be the ultimate lust machine?
This is a hard one for me to answer personally. I am a laptop man, and love the all in one devices, such as smart phones and tablets. I am interested in CES in January and the release of the i3 and i5 Intel processors coming out (and hopefully a new Sony Vaio Z based on it). I am interested in the evolution of Android devices, new Blackberries and Windows Mobile 7. I am interested in emerging green energy and their evolutions.
What you say? No iPad/iTablet/iSlate?
Before you string me up for not being an Apple Fanboy, I want to explain why. Apple are not a hardware company. Sure they make laptops and other devices, but it is usually other companies tech with their own interface. Sure their interfaces are the best (I agree they are simple to use and flow better then most), but they don’t really push the technology envelope very often. The Apple Tablet will be cool to look at and do flashy things, but ultimately it will do exactly what you imagine it will do (good video player, bad E-Book reader).
As the year comes to an end, I am looking forward to seeing something game changing in the coming year.
One of the biggest let downs for Apple fan boys world wide was the lack of SDK with the original release of the iPhone. Apple are trying to make things right with the official announcement of the upcoming SDK and version 2.0 of the iPhone firmware. Doesn’t it sound to good to be true?
Ok, instead of writing about the people who are already announced programs for the iPhone and Touch (Salesforce and Will Wright’s Spore), or the new additions that Apple are adding to the new firmware (Exchange support for the corporate user), lets think of ways Apple will turn this against the user.
Apple have this fantastic way of making people pay for everything. If you didn’t know, Apple were the people who started removing the power adapter from the iPods, that caused most other companies to adopt the habit. Now they are releasing a SDK, but you will have to buy new software through the iTunes store. Not just a video, sound and game distribution platform any more.
That isn’t all either. To publish an application you have to pay Apple a fee of $US99, and 30% of sales. It means that if you were planning to make open source software with the SDK, you better think again.
What other evils are Apple planning with this software package? Other then the licensing of ActiveSync for the corporate world (which is utter crap), they have hinted about unlocked phones losing access to the store. This will also include any hacked devices, that are quite happily enjoying free software addons already.
Apple have taken the ability to modify a potentially great device, taking away the ability for consumers to crack it open and change the way the device is used, and turned it into a money making machine for large companies to overcharge people for software that should have come standard with the device in the first place. You will be able to enjoy your Apple induced prison around June of this year.
For more info, click over to DailyTech.
It has been used for hundreds of years to explain things that are small (as well as collection of neutrons, electrons and protons). The name that the Silverthorn collection of Intel processors will hold is Atom. Menlow will also get a name change following the shrinking of the core down to 45nm (see the Apple Air) to Centrino Atom. Now all we are waiting for is the collection of fast and low powered MID’s and UMPC with Atom’s Inside (TM Intel).
For more info, click over to Engadget.
It is a mix of processor and LED backlighting, but with both features you are getting between 30mins to a hour. That is taken directly from Apple though, so a grain of salt is needed. 5 hours, in my book, is still not nearly enough.
For more info, click over to Gizmodo.
It has been rumoured for a while, but only moments ago is it official. There are new Macbooks and Macbook Pro’s on the Apple block, and they got some handy, but not life changing updates. The biggest one is the introduction of the Air’s Multi-Touch pad to the whole Macbook range and the updated processors to Intels flagship Penryn series.
They’re also getting a much more powerful graphics processor, with the introduction of the sweet new Nvidia 8600GT with 512mb of memory onboard, on all the new Pro’s. The new top end processor is the beastly 2.6 GHz processor with 6MB of shared L2 cache.
The rest of the package is pretty standard affair, but is nice to see Apple rolling out the Multi-Touch feature to its minions. Starting from $US1,099, the new Macbooks are available from the Apple website immediately.
For a whole lot more info, click over to Apple Insider.
It has started and isn’t likely to stop for a long while yet. What I’m talking about is Macbook Air reviews. I will only do a round-up, seeing there are way to many to go to deeply in each of them (would end up being a 50 page article). Currently the reviews are from Gizmodo, USA Today, Newsweek and Wall Street Journal.
What do they think? The theme of the review’s are based around limitation, which Apple does so very well. They all like the size, it is life shattering sleek, but they don’t like what you lose. Apple have created a niche product, and unfortunately for Apple, it doesn’t seem to be the next iPod.
That all I have to say about the reviews, it is just as easy for you to click a link and read it yourself. I would like to say a few side notes though.
Gizmodo, as well as doing a nice review, have benchmarked the device. It is the slowest available Macbook, but considering it is not meant to be a notebook replacement, you can let that one slide.
The remote drive ability of the device is super limited. It won’t let you play HD movies, CD’s, install Windows and numerous other things. It will be a deal breaker for a lot of people.
The available external drive for the Air doesn’t work on any other Apple. That is something that will probably be fixed by patch, so don’t take to much notice. Also it seems that battery replacement by the user is possible, though it will probably void the warranty, and isn’t something you will want to do on the road.
All in all, I will parse on this device. The taste it leaves in my mouth, while nice, isn’t irresistible. If may need a little salt and pepper, but the meal has already been served.