The big reason is it is a multi function device; it’s not a device to communicate its really much more. There are lots of application are their just like business app, games, entertainment, enterprise app, real estate related app etc. so by that people are moving to iphone for buying products any different people have its own purpose to use iphone.

The iphone application development tool supports well to the iphone app developer. That gives the freedom to developer to create a application with more liberty. There are lots of companies putting their application on apple store but it’s not guarantee that every app will generate a sell. So to get the people attention developer try to development mainly business iphone app.

Here are the benefits you will get with the business iphone app development.

Normally, the apps that is unique and creative that will get the more public attention. You must keep in mind that, if your iphone app development company builds business apps then they will defiantly get more sell in the apple store, as there are a big demand of mobile app development now a days, and the company that have developed more innovative apps will get the more publicity and earn money.

Visitors can easily access the business iphone app then any other applications, business apps must be unique and user friendly as it’s a business apps so more client will use it. So your apps must be very user friendly.

The company will defiantly get more traffic if they have business iphone app. You can also generate revenue by business apps. So the big benefit is you will get all your business people attention from all over the globe.

So if you want to create a world best business oriented iphone apps than Fusion Informatics is a leading iphone app development provider company that understand your business requirement and create a best iphone app to fulfill your business needs.

As the users are rising in numbers and realize it’s prospective, there are more and more iPad applications being launched in the market. iPad apps development is become an industry in itself users are getting modified iPad applications to better suit their requirements. Apple being the leader in the technology world already has outdone itself with the iPad. iPad allows a mind boggling gaming experience with its heavy machinery, 9.7 in multi touch screen and liquid crystal high resolution display is just what the doctor ordered for anybody who wishes to use the iPad for entertainment.

With iPad app development your products and services are even closer to the clients. Customers can accesses your products and services through the iPad and order them through iPad applications developed for this reason only. This way you are not only making products more reachable through iPad but you are doing this in a way that is more appealing and attractive.

Because of the booming in ipad and iphone the requirement of using different kind of application has also increasing, people like to use useful apps on their own device, for providing that needs, lots of software development companies offering ipad apps development, iphone mobile application development, blackberry mobile application development, mobile apps development, ipad apps development, mobile application development, and you can also hire iphone app developers, web application developer, blackberry application developer, mobile application developer, ipad apps developer as per your project requirement.

iPhone Application Developers utilize the iPhone SDK  to generate exclusive and modified applications for the iPhone. The iPhone software development kit, also known as the tool succession, includes all the tools and technologies necessary to develop iPhone Applications. With the iPhone SDK programmers can make your thoughts a certainty, yet if you don’t know the variation between a C-pointer and a SQLite database! It’s really taught to design and code an iPhone application as it can be to design and develop a Web site, but the advantage of make an iPhone application is that you can find paid all time somebody downloads it.

Here is the most important step to continue in mind while hiring iPhone  application developers is that they should know the application marketplace well sufficient to stay alive in it. And must be capable to build applications for ipad, Andriod, BlackBerry, etc. Make definite that the company you appoint has previously developed iPhone applications and have sell them on Apple’s App Store. If yes, then check out the associations and screen shots as fit. Watch the approach of the company’s arrangement of application ideas. Do they get up the same old unexciting type of thoughts or are they open to suggestion, new ideas, and ready to research? If the case is the previous one then forget it. If your choice is the latter one, then you can do some research on that company if all looks perfect according to your needs then you can go ahead.

The company you approach ought to be in this sector for a least of two years. As the iPhone itself is not old than this so it make sense that the business must be well versed about this empire.

So fusioninformatics is in this sector for quite long period of time. And have excelled to huge heights in iPhone Application Development, blackberry app development, ipad app development, android app development, They are experienced in integrating applications on new platform as well. Their competently talented team of developers appears up with amazing thoughts and application.

In offshore iphone app development india is the most booming country among other developing countries, So you have a immense alternative way to decide an offshore iPhone web application development Company to hire iPhone application developers from India as per your requirement, We propose you to hire iphone application developer who are fully occupied in this service for long times providing wonderful service. Such choice gives you very good profit from the preliminary of your task cultivate the end.

In this competitive world its become very difficult to find out the best iphone application developer, here are some tips to find out the most excellent iphone application developer.

Preparation of your project and requirement:

In due path of explain your ideas you also do some preparation for your developer. Gather the required material needed in advance. Prepare textual content in advance. Assemble the similes needed in project and show it when needed. Set up essential files in move on. Prepare for agreement in iTunes store right away when your app is ready for the market. React properly and appropriate way to each inquiry of your iPhone app developer. This way you will ease the work of your developer and save your precious time to close the project in time frame.

Choose experience developer:

In any field you need to have proper experience, and when it comes for iPhone application development its extremely required some experience for the developer. Try to find out a developer who has enough experience and try to find the developer whose portfolio matches your idea so you will countenance less hurdles in development. Experienced iPhone app developer will lead you to a successful achievement of the task.

Explain your ideas and be clear:

If you have thoughts make clear and re-clarify it and observe that your developer understands it accurately or not? Create a link of communication among you and your developer so developer can ask about any uncertainty or can suggest you something else if it is virtually impossible to do. Keep your mind open and believe the suggestion of your iPhone app developer and assume over it carefully.

Project Maintenance:

Creating an application is not sufficient to earn in the market. You need to successfully run the application as long as achievable. So, you need support of your iPhone app developer in bug setting up and other technical problems creating with your apps so reassure this matter with your developer past to start of the project.

With the development of iphone Mobile Application Development, there is a steady rise of iphone application developer canada too. This iphone apps developer canada design and develop iphone applications as per the client’s requirements. It is actually incredible that using our thoughts they can assist us to make %25 run applications on our phone. In iphone Mobile Application Development are build for news, fun and entertainment, withstand, business solutions etc. These applications facilitate you make your workflow smoother and easier as they can be modified to individual needs, designed to custom the accurate necessity. So it’s really useful for us, as we can entrance special amazing applications in a particular handy gadget.

iPhone apps development has turn into a very profitable business these days, so is the run for outsource iPhone application development. Many application development companies that develop software for a range of industries are making huge income by developing the applications and software for iPhone. It has been realized that there is a wonderful development vision for developing iPhone applications. Some developers occupied in iPhone website development, outsource their application development ability to go well with the needs of clients operating their businesses from Canada.

An iPhone Application Developer job involves conception, distributing, and debugging of applications able to run with an iPhone line. Included with real-world test, supply on the application store, and development capital, iPhone has all the features you require most in today’s time.

It should be reserved in mind that iPhone is neither a desktop computer nor a laptop. As it is base on special establishment, a divide design draw near is mandatory. This come close to require to gather the advantages of the strength of iPhone OS; failing to incorporate these skin will make it unsuitable or not practical to your cell phone. Thus, you may think looking for help of a expert iPhone app developer canada, USA, Europe.

Fusion Informatics offers you

iPhone application development uk

iPhone Application Developer

iPhone software development uk

iPhone porting services uk

iPhone SDK uk

iPhone game developer uk

Fusion Informatics Company from uk has well set developers team to work on iPhone Application Development Project using simulator and iMac. We are specializing in all iPhone Content and iPhone compatible website design and development.

If you love it or hate it, the iPad is a hit, the sales of Apple’s iPad has rising very fast in US. While most analysts have been trying to calculate approximately the number of iPads sold by including preorders of 3G iPads in their numbers, and the answer is more than 600,000; 603,500 at the time of this writing, to be more specific.

Our dedicated team of iPad application developers has vast experience on iPad as well as more than 4 years of experience of working on iPad application development in addition our developers have the right knowledge to work on any kinds of projects irrespective of its length and difficulty.

Various Services in ipad application development by Fusion informatics:

•         iPad App development for entertainment

•             iPad App development for news

•             iPad App development for social networking

•             iPad App development for travel

•             iPad 3G/4G Application Development

•             iPad Business Application Development

•             iPad Enterprise Application Development

•             iPad Social Networking Application Development

•             GPS / LBS based Application Development

•             iPad Push  / Google Map based Application Development

•             iPad App Developer

•             Hire iPad Application Developer

Apple has created quite a storm in the mobile market in the past 2 years and with the introduction of the iPad, its popularity is only expected to go up. However, users need to make full use of the capabilities of their iPhones and iPads, and the best method is to get Fusion Informatics, that have specialized skills in iPhone/iPad application  development to design and execute customized applications that can give business an edge over their competitors.

Fusion Informatics has high experienced iPad application developer to develop extra ordinary ipad application development; fusion informatics has expertise in development of all types of smart phones like iPhone, ipad, Android, Black Berry, Symbian and Windows Mobile.

And the second requirement of ipad will become using different ipad application and the market of ipad application development is growing at a rapid rate and ipad is providing remarkable opportunities for providing the right business solution. To develop in the right direction with the help of different kinds of applications, to catering these needs fusion informatics ipad application developer has brought out number schemes to hire dedicated ipad application developers that are designed to suit your needs and individual project necessities.

Our dedicated team of iPad application developers has vast experience on iPad as well as more than 4 years of experience of working on iPhone application development in addition our developers have the right knowledge to work on any kinds of projects irrespective of its length and difficulty.

iPhone apps development is so useful and in demand because it makes the operation of your needs very simple. It can develop applications that can be customized to your individual needs catering especially and specifically to what you want. The need could be as simple and small as developing a simple game to the development of a complex project level application, iPhone apps development can gratify it. Be it business or personal life, it has its own effect and it has made things far easier to operate than they were ever before.

A few weeks ago Apple released a new draft of their iPhone developer program license which contained the following section

Iphone application development may use documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and not to use private call APIs, and Applications must be initially written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS Web Kit engine. This has the effect of restricting applications built with a number of technologies, including Unity, Titanium, MonoTouch, and Flash CS5. While it appears that Apple may selectively enforce the terms, it is our belief that Apple will enforce those terms as they apply to content created with Flash CS5. Developers should be prepared for Apple to remove existing content and applications (100+ on the store today) created with Flash CS5.

The latest product that has created a revolution in the market is iPad. A neat look, smooth and sophisticated tablet looks like an absolute gem of a device. Its ultimate features like the 9.7-inch fully touch sensitive screen, virtual keyboard, multimedia, wide screen and visually appealing graphics can create a browsing experience that’s outstanding.

There are plenty of features that make for a sure success:

• Multitasking
• High-resolution screen
• Battery back up capability
• Contacts applications are quicker and easier
• High resolution Camera
• High-Definition Prowess
• Easy to see and navigate
• e-Magazine Reader

iPad Application development is yet another feature that is sure to make a vast difference in how the iPad performs. The big Advantage of ipad is it can easily run iPhone and iPod applications. iPad Application development can bring in a complete new set of features that can make your iPad comfortable and more functional that before.

There are various options for iPad Application development

You can get applications for:

• Movies & Music
• Finance
• Sports
• Business
• Messaging
• Business
• Messaging
• Social Networking
• Education
• Entertainment
• Navigation and Maps
• Books & Directories

iPad Application Development is similar to  iPhone but the big different is it’s carrying out  the features. iPad application can be used to fulfill the fundamentals in a variety of fields such as business,  web, email, entertainment, connectivity, games, eBooks, publishing, videos, etc.

The main thing is that there is no doubt about that iPad has changed the way people have been using the laptop, computer and even the mobile devices, It has created a complete new variety of devices where it stands alone as a champion.

Fusion Informatics Pvt.Ltd – a leading iPad Application development firm present worth and cost effective iPad application development, iPhone/iPad web apps development services across the world.

As we know iPhone has brought about a new flourish in the market, the vogue for this device is growing by the hour, the demand in the market are on the climb, our iPhone application are very useful and our application will provide some functionality by that users can save theirs time and resources and users will also feel some enjoyable experience. If you also want to experience such things keep an eye on latest iPhone updates.

As we know that Android is a product of Open phone pact which allows Android application Developers to build applications using Java programming language. Also the rich audio / video support available in this platform has taken Android application development to the next level.

Android Development Talk attempts to bring the latest news and updates in Android developmentand promise to be a helpful supply for all Android developers and users.

The work is part of a deepening relationship between the largest U.S. wireless carrier by subscribers and Google, which has carved out a space in mobile devices with its Android operating system. Verizon Wireless last year heavily promoted the Motorola Droid, which runs Google’s software.

“What do we think the next big wave of opportunities are?” Mr. McAdam said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “We’re working on tablets together, for example. We’re looking at all the things Google has in its archives that we could put on a tablet to make it a great experience.”

Verizon Wireless declined to discuss details on the timing or the manufacturer of a such a tablet. Google’s role in the tablet wasn’t immediately clear, though Mr. McAdam mentioned it in the context of the discussions the two companies have about bringing new smartphones to market.

A Google spokesman declined to comment on the Verizon tablet, but said anyone can use the company’s mobile software to create phones and other devices.

Google has said it is working with hardware makers and carriers to create lightweight computers that run its software. As rivals such as Apple Inc. introduce tablets like the iPad, the Internet giant is seeking to spur the adoption of its online software and advertising system through its own partnerships.

The wireless business is still largely about phones. But devices such as tablet computers, netbooks and e-readers are a fast-growing, if tiny, part of carriers’ operations.

Consumers are increasingly interested in wireless devices that can surf the Internet or run software applications, and carriers are trying to tap that interest to offset falling revenue from phone calls.

Mr. McAdam acknowledged that Verizon has some catching up to do in the field. AT&T is the carrier for Amazon.com Inc.’s popular Kindle and the new iPad.

“They were able to get out of the box faster,” Mr. McAdam said. Verizon has been handicapped by its CDMA network technology, less common than AT&T’s GSM, but the executive said his company will have devices ready to show early next year once its new network is in place.

That new network promises much higher speeds for transferring video, for example. Verizon says it will be running in 25 to 30 cities by the end of the year.

The new network will likely bring a shift from current unlimited-use pricing plans.

“The old model of one price plan per device is going to fall away,” Mr. McAdam said, adding that he expects carriers to take an approach that targets a “bucket of megabytes.”

With multiple devices, customers are likely to end up paying more for connecting their gadgets to the next-generation network than they do today, he said. “It’s not out of the question,” he said.

Resource:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704250104575238680540806288.html

Telstra and Optus revealed generous, pay-as-you-go internet plans for the Apple iPad this week that cut the price of mobile internet use by more than 90 per cent.

The announcements came before Apple began accepting pre-orders for the delayed and highly anticipated tablet computer yesterday.

Telstra’s iPad plans cut the price of mobile internet by as much as 92 per cent, while Optus bettered Telstra’s bid by offering twice the data allowance for the same price.

Under the iPad plans, 2GB of mobile downloads will cost as little as $20.

By comparison, Telstra currently offers a 1GB mobile phone internet pack for $39.

Also, both companies are offering iPad internet access on pay-as-you-go plans rather than in a 12 or 24-month contract.

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The price cuts mean using an Apple iPad (priced from $629 to $1049) will be cheaper than using the smaller Apple iPhone.

Gartner research director Robin Simpson said he was surprised and mystified at the “aggressive pricing” from both leading phone carriers, but said it could be an attempt to be associated with Apple and the iPad.

“There’s no doubt it will be another iconic device like the iPhone, so maybe the thinking is that they’d like to have their brand associated with such a successful product and it’s simply a marketing exercise,” Mr Simpson said.

“Also, because it’s a data-only product, and has no voice component, this will represent getting new subscribers that they can report to their shareholders.”

While users will not be able to use the smaller Apple iPad SIM cards in other gadgets, Mr Simpson said the discounted internet plans could trickle down for use with other gadgets such as phones and laptop connections.

“It should put some downward pressure on other mobile internet plans and it certainly represents a good deal if you’re in the market for a mobile internet plan,” he said.

An Optus spokeswoman said the company would reveal more details of its iPad data plans this week, and Vodafone Hutchison spokeswoman Tess Mion said Vodafone and 3 Mobile would reveal iPad internet plans “soon”.

Apple has sold more than a million iPads since its April 3 US launch and will launch wi-fi and 3G models of the touchscreen tablet computer in Australia on May 28.

Resource:

http://www.news.com.au/technology/ipad-could-spark-mobile-net-price-war/story-e6frfro0-1225864843995

There are a variety of tablet-like computing devices in the works. But, assuming that the hardware form factor is similar to the deceased HP Slate, but with WebOS as the platform–here are five reasons that the HP Hurricane tablet will make a formidable competitor for the Apple iPad.

1. Adobe Flash: While Apple continues its public jihad against Adobe Flash–and draws the regulatory scrutiny of the DOJ and the GTC–other platforms such as Android and WebOS are working with Adobe to develop Flash software compatible with their mobile platforms. HTML5 may be the future, but there is no denying that Adobe Flash is a ubiquitous standard regardless of any flaws it might have–real or perceived.
2. Dual Cameras A tablet device may be a tad bulky or cumbersome to use for taking snapshots, but the option would certainly come in handy. Granted, I can take a picture with my smartphone instead–and through some convoluted combination of tasks manage to get them to the iPad so I can draw moustaches on the photos with Adobe Ideas (see- Apple didn’t ban everything Adobe makes from the iPad).

   More importantly for mobile business professionals, a front-facing camera allows the tablet to be used for Skype video calls, and other face-to-face video conferencing solutions.

3. Expandability The iPad is intentionally a closed environment. The lack of USB ports or SD memory card slots fits with the basic culture of the iPad as a Web-enabled mobile media platform, but business professionals need to be able to simply plug in a USB thumb drive and read or copy files.

   While not explicitly prescribed, the iPad camera connection kit apparently offers an alternative to enable some USB capabilities, but an HP Hurricane with a USB port and/or SD memory card slot would be a huge advantage.

4. Distribution channels. Then we get down to the nitty gritty. Forget the features of the hardware or the capabilities of the platform. An HP Hurricane tablet can crush an Apple iPad just by virtue of HP’s massive global enterprise distribution channels. HP has an existing vendor relationship with most major corporations. As long as HP can demonstrate the benefits and value of the Hurricane tablet it will be able to leverage those relationships to distribute the device en masse.
5. HP brand Apple has its dedicated and loyal following. I wouldn’t dare imply that HP has anywhere near the dedication from its customers. But, as the largest computer manufacturer in the world it does have a respected reputation–especially in the business world where Apple often struggles.

   I think it was a wise decision by HP to shift gears from the Windows 7-based Slate to the WebOS-based Hurricane. The tablet–at least the way Apple has envisioned it with the iPad–is a culture shift, not just a new form factor.

   HP is in a strong position, though, to combine its brand prowess and understanding of the needs of mobile business professionals, with the WebOS platform, and lessons learned from the iPad, and create a tablet device capable of challenging the iPad, and with an edge on the iPad when it comes to the business professional audience.

Resource:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/195993/five_reasons_hp_hurricane_can_compete_with_ipad.html

The smallest independent mobile network operator in the UK is the only one in the business to sell a “starter kit”, one which offers a USB modem pre-loaded with data that can last for a significant amount of time.

For example, you can get a 12GB pack, which is basically 12 months at 1GB, for a mere £80 from Argos, Maplin and Very (part of Littlewoods), a price that includes a 3G modem that can be used as a memory stick and the knowledge that you won’t need to sign for an expensive contract.

What’s more, Very has a “£30 off £60″ promotional code (ZZ450), valid for first time customers, that brings the price of the dongle to a mere £49 excluding delivery.

Get two for £128 and type XV188 in the code section at checkout to delay the payment till May 2011.

Therefore, you get 24 months worth of 1GB broadband for £128 at £5.33 a month; that’s roughly half what you’d pay at O2 for the same data allowance although you get unlimited WiFi from the latter.

That said, you won’t be charged extra if you go over the 1GB limit per month and you can carry forward anything what you haven’t consumed in the past month; just bear in mind that there’s a one-year limit on the package.

Resource:

http://www.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2010/5/10/forget-o2-vodafone-3-uk-offers-best-ipad-data-plan/

A spokesperson for the company told the Inquirer that the Archos 8 will be coming out this year, very soon after the release of the 7.

The device is set to have an 8-inch screen capable of showing 800×480 pixels, be less than a half-inch thick, weigh 400g and come with 4GB internal storage.

It is not yet known whether there will be expansion slots like a USB port or a card reader.

According to French website ArchosLounge, the Archos 8 will be part of Archos’s new lineup consisting of six tablets with a screen size ranging from 3-inches to 10-inches.

The device will be priced significantly cheaper than its competition, Apple’s iPad, with the cheapest costing $100 and the most expensive $350.

A prospective Archos 10 is likely to have an ARM Cortex 1GHz, Multitouch and 3G Open GL capabilities.

Given that we already know there are 3, 7, 8 and 10-inch tablets, we are left with only one remaining unknown model. As for the Archos 8 Tablet, it should be with us within the next few months.

Resource:

http://www.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2010/5/10/archos-preparing-new-archos-8-tablet/

Owners of the 3G iPad in Britain will be able to buy mobile broadband access from Orange on a pay as you go, daily, weekly and monthly basis, the mobile phone network said today.

Prices start at £2 for one day’s 3G access and extend to £25 a month for 10GB of 3G browsing and 750MB of wi-fi usage, through BT Openzone hotspots. Vodafone and O2, who announced last month that they had also signed deals with Apple, are due to set out their pricing plans shortly.

Earlier today, Apple said it will start selling the iPad in the UK on 28 May with prices starting at £429. The cheapest 3G-enabled iPad, which also has wi-fi, will be a 16GB version at £529 including VAT; the 32GB 3G device will be £599 and the 64GB £699.

Orange is launching the device in Britain, France, Spain and Switzerland. In the UK it is offering a pay-as-you-go option that costs 5p per MB. Users of this tariff – which entails registering a credit card with Orange – will be charged a maximum of £40 a month, but can carry on browsing after using £40 worth of capacity (800MB).

Large data users, however, would be better off signing up to one of Orange’s four individual pricing plans, which all require payment up front.

For £2, customers can get a day’s worth of browsing – capped at 200MB. For £7.50, customers can get a week’s worth of browsing – up to 1GB. Beyond those usage caps, browsing is charged at 5p per MB.

There are also two contract options. Both are monthly contracts but can be cancelled at any time. For £15 a month, users get 3GB of 3G access plus up to 750MB of wi-fi browsing through BT Openzone hotspots. For £25 a month, users get 10GB of 3G access and 750MB of wi-fi through BT Openzone.

Consumers who want to use their iPad on a 3G network can pre-register for one of the micro-SIMs they will need in order to get online on the Orange website from Monday next week. The micro-SIMs can be obtained from Orange shops as well as directly from Apple.

The mobile phone companies had hoped to be able to tie their iPad pricing plans in with existing mobile phone subscriptions – so that, for instance, an iPhone customer could get unlimited iPad browsing for a few extra pounds per month. But Apple is understood to have made it plain that it wanted iPad mobile phone pricing plans to stand alone.

In the US, Apple’s wireless partner AT&T offers two contract-free options: $14.99 for 250MB per month and $29.99 for what it terms a month’s worth of “unlimited” 3G access. Customers can sign up directly through their iPad and check how much of their allowance they have used.

Resource:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/07/orange-ipad-price-plans

The design of the Joojoo isn’t bad by any means, with nice design touches all over. Set against the benchmark of style over substance, the Ipad, the Joojoo does well, with Apple-esque touches such as a logo that alters its position depending on the device’s orientation and a tapered edge that makes it more comfortable to hold than Apple’s tablet.

While it is more comfortable to hold, we don’t recommend you hoist the device with its 12.1-inch screen for too long. The Joojoo tips the scales at 1.1kg and its weight, combined with its large screen, means you’ll want to lay it on a table or your lap. Even the firm’s CEO, Chandra Rathakrishanan, says that the Joojoo is for “couch computing.”

The screen itself is a twisted nematic (TN) panel, meaning it doesn’t have the impressive wide viewing angles of the Ipad’s in-plane switching (IPS) display. In a refreshing show of humility, Rathakrishanan admits that the Ipad’s screen is technically superior but argues that most won’t hold a tablet at angles that make the TN screen unreadable. We could easily see the difference in both colour rendition and viewing angles. However given that most laptop screens including that of Apple’s Macbook Pro are similar, the Joojoo’s screen is far from inferior, rather just falling short of the Ipad’s lofty standards in colour brightness and pixel density.

The display’s widescreen 1366×768 resolution is handy for watching videos and in portrait orientation it does reduce the amount of vertical scrolling that needs to be done. Videos encoded in widescreen aspect ratios display properly unlike on the Ipad. Thanks to Nvidia’s Ion chip high definition playback works without any problems.

As the Joojoo supports Adobe’s Flash, Youtube simply works. Joojoo has a version of the YouTube player that enables certain videos on the site to be accelerated by the device’s Ion graphics chip. We were told that in the coming months all videos on Youtube, regardless of their encoding format, will be decoded by the Ion chip, in effect rubbishing Steve Jobs’ claim that only Flash video encoded with the H.264 codec can be hardware accelerated.

Thanks to Intel’s 1.6Ghz Atom processor and Nvidia’s Ion chip the Joojoo has active cooling. During high definition video playback the fans did whirr up. Given the nature of the device and where it likely will be used, the fan noise, though not excessive, is highly undesirable. That said, the fans do a good job as the device didn’t get particularly hot.

Where the Joojoo is let down is by the apparent ‘beta’ quality of its software. The problem isn’t with its appearance, but rather speed. Transitions seemed slow and many screen presses seemed not to be recognised. Transition between portrait and landscape mode was often somewhat slow. The firm has said that it will be employing an aggressive update strategy and at this point such a policy seems like a good idea.

Fusion Garage uses the term “app store” somewhat liberally, with each “application” being a web site bookmark. One can argue whether some ‘Web 2.0′ sites such as Google Docs offer the same functionality as installed applications but the reliance on the web could be a problem given the patchy connectivity found outside of urban areas.

Having a USB port does make the device a whole lot more attractive than Apple’s Ipad. While the software may be below the fit and finish consumers have come to expect, the Joojoo can be loaded with other operating systems, as Rathakrishanan confirmed to The INQUIRER.

The Joojoo certainly has potential on many fronts. Hardware wise, the device has commodity hardware that makes it easy to develop for. While the screen isn’t as good as Apple’s Ipad, it’s hardly bad and during use there’s little perceptable difference. Rathakrishanan’s design displays a blend of honesty and understanding what hardware enthusiasts actually want. This gives the Joojoo good potential beyond just what’s underneath the screen.

The ability to connect drives and load your choice of operating system is a boon for functionality and should endear the device to those who care about technology rather than fashion. If Fusion Garage can tap into this then the Joojoo could become the technology enthusiasts’ device.

The most pressing matter for Fusion Garage is to bring the Joojoo’s shipped software up to scratch. It isn’t lacking functionality but just the final two per cent and a bit more polish that will make the Joojoo a complete and enjoyably useful package that might be able to give Apple’s Ipad some stiff competition.

Resource:

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/1603965/joojoo-tablet

Back in May 2009, before I took the dive to purchase a Kindle 2, I first tried to see how well I might adapt to digital reading. I purchased a few books with the Kindle app for iPhone and read them.

My opinion was mixed: I liked that my current book was always in my pocket on the iPhone, I liked that it was easy to read one-handed in bed, and I liked that I was undeniably reading more books than I had when I stuck to the tree-killing kind. I didn’t love reading on the iPhone’s backlit screen, but I assumed the Kindle’s e-ink screen would resolve that issue, so I finally bought one with confidence. Less than a year later, of course, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad.

I wondered then whether the iPad could truly compete as an e-book reader, and became cautiously optimistic about its chances when further details were released. Now, after more than a month with the device, I’m confident in declaring that it makes a very compelling e-reader—although it does exhibit a few obvious and not-so-obvious weaknesses.

The hardware

The most immediately apparent knock against the iPad as a device for reading is its weight. Now, 1.5 pounds (or 1.6 for the 3G-enabled version) doesn’t sound like much. But given that the iPad’s almost all screen, you’re forced to hold it by the edges, and that pound and a half can start to put a lot of strain on your fingertips.

The Kindle, on the other hand, weighs just 10.2 ounces: I can comfortably hold it with one hand for hours. I can hold the iPad with one hand—usually with my thumb on the lower side edge, and my pinky on the bottom, with the middle three fingers providing its back support—but my hands definitely start to “feel it” much more than they do with the Kindle. Generally, for extended reading time, I’ll prop the iPad up somehow—whether on my folded-over leg, a tabletop, or the side of my pillow.

Pillow time, of course, is one area where the iPad (quite literally) shines. The Kindle’s e-ink display, like the paper books it replicates, requires a book light for bedtime reading. The iPad’s backlit display means never needing to own another book light again. But one of e-ink’s key selling points is precisely its lack of a bright, backlit display. Indeed, I feared the eye-fatigue ramifications of reading on the iPad before mine arrived.

While I wish the iPad’s display packed a few more pixels per inch (it boasts 132 ppi, compared to the iPhone’s 163 ppi), I find that—just as the Kindle does—the device really fades away after a few pages. Most notably, I’m not experiencing the eye-fatigue I expected, and which I actually felt when I read those first e-books on my iPhone. I now believe that was more the fault of the tinier text on the iPhone’s smaller screen, rather than its backlighting.

One weakness that’s not initially apparent is the iPad’s infamous proclivity for attracting fingerprints. Those smudges, which I normally don’t even notice unless the iPad is asleep, become more apparent (and annoying) when they consistently overlap the lines of text you’re reading in a digital book. Luckily, a quick wipe with any nearby fabric resolves that issue pretty quickly.

The software

Once you’ve found a comfortable position to hold the iPad, and you’ve confirmed that the screen isn’t bothersome to your eyes during extended reading jags, it’s time to curl up with your e-book.

Given the iPad’s access to the App Store, it’s nice that users aren’t limited to just Apple’s own iBooks app for reading. There are a handful of other options, but iBooks and Amazon’s Kindle app are probably the two most prominent. Since my iPad arrived, I’ve read ten books between the two apps.

I found the book-reading experience within iBooks decent, but not exceptional. iBooks does some things far better than the Kindle app—but it also includes some simply egregious flaws.

While both iBooks and the Kindle app let you turn pages quickly by tapping on the edge of the screen, each also also offers a virtual page-turning animation. Though I tend to leave the Kindle app’s preference for that animation turned off, I find the iBooks page turn smooth and natural—though it’s entirely superfluous, I enjoy the visual effect. With paper books, I tend to curl my finger under the next page and I end up recreating that gesture in iBooks; since the page curls precisely where you “grab” it, the effect is pretty slick. In both apps, you can also turn back a page from anywhere on the screen just by swiping to the right, which is a nice touch.

Although some find iBooks’s font options too limited, I like the selection offered—particularly Palatino. Amazon’s Kindle app doesn’t let you customize anything but font-size; the publisher chooses the font itself. Another iBooks perk is its in-app ability to look up words with a built-in dictionary; the Kindle itself offers that feature (albeit with clumsier cursor navigation), but oddly the Kindle app for the iPad does not.

However, there are places where the Kindle app really outshines iBooks. The Kindle app gets nighttime reading right, with brightness controls that cater to reading in dark rooms: You can toggle between black text on a white background, dark text on a sepia background, or white text on a black background. By day, I go the sepia route, and my nighttime reading is exclusively white-on-black. The Kindle app also offers a brightness slider; I drag the brightness way down at night. That way, there’s no bright background or bright text burning my retinas in the dark.

iBooks doesn’t handle night reading nearly as well. While the app offers a brightness slider, there’s no option to change the text or background colors. Drag that slider to its darkest setting, and indeed the background approaches black—but the text remains unchanged. That is, iBooks expects you to read very, very dark on text on a very, very dark background.

That makes no sense.

When you make the background dark, you need contrast with the text. The print needn’t be neon sign bright (in fact, it shouldn’t be), but it should stand out against the background, in user-configurable ways. To wit, it should behave exactly like the Kindle app already does.

You may be familiar with the configurable shortcut to invert the iPad’s colors with a triple-tap of the Home button, but it doesn’t work well in iBooks. It leaves either the text or the background too bright, no matter how you adjust the slider.

To make matters worse, iBooks seems to have a glitch where it doesn’t remember your brightness settings if you put the iPad to sleep and wake it up again. If I need to take a quick break to escort my three-year-old to the bathroom, I put the iPad to sleep. I wake it up, and iBooks immediately blasts my eyes with its brightest white background again.

Both apps offer a better reading experience in portrait mode. iBooks tries harder than the Kindle app in landscape, offering facing pages of text, but the columns are a bit too narrow for my taste. The Kindle app, on the other hand, stretches the text out into a single, way-too-wide column in landscape mode.

If you want to offer an uncluttered reading experience on the iPad, landscape mode is apparently a tough nut to crack. Other reading-centric apps, like the superb Instapaper Pro (for queuing Web-based articles in more reading-friendly formats), suffer similarly in landscape mode. Apps like PDF-reader GoodReader avoid the landscape issue by keeping the reading area narrower even when more real estate could conceivably be devoted to the text. (And, of course, apps like Mail and NetNewsWire solve the issue with their two-column interfaces in landscape mode, which force the reading pane to a narrower width.)

Conclusion

The iPad works very, very well as a reading device. It’s a little heavy, but the screen is really lovely, and shows crisp, eminently readable text. The most important feature of any reading device, whether it’s a book, a Kindle, or the iPad, is whether it disappears when you’re engrossed in the text, letting you focus entirely on the words. The iPad certainly succeeds at that.

Perhaps the device’s biggest weakness as a reading device is that it does so many other things: it’s hard to resist the lure of temptation that your e-mail—and the baseball game, and Netflix movies, and Flight Control HD, and Twitter—are all just a couple taps away. But in that case, to paraphrase the great playwright, the fault lies not in our devices, but in ourselves.

Resource:

http://www.macworld.com/article/150955/2010/05/ipad_reader.html

On the same day that Apple launched its newest iPad tablet, the company also sold its 1 millionth iPad, less than a month after the device’s debut.

Apple officials announced May 3 that the company sold its millionth iPad April 30, and that iPad users had to that point downloaded more than 12 million applications from the App Store and more than 1.5 million ebooks from Apples new iBookstore.

“One million iPads in 28 days — that’s less than half the 74 days it took to achieve this mileston with the iPhone,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. “Demand continues to exceed supply and we’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers.”

That demand was highlighted April 30, when Apple launched the newest iPad tablet with both WiFi access and 3G connectivity via AT&T. Officials with Apple retail locations in major cities said they sold out of the iPad 3G models by May 2.

In a May 2 research note, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimated that Apple sold about 300,000 iPad 3Gs over the weekend, including preordered units and online sales.

With estimates based on checks with 50 Apple stores—49 of which reported being out of stock of 3G models by Sunday—Munster believes Apple has likely now sold more than 1 million iPads in total.

In May 2009, Munster was among the very first to report that Apple was at work on a slatelike device, which at the time he estimated would run between $500 and $700. Today, Apple sells six versions of the iPad—three with WiFi only and three with WiFi and 3G—with pricing from $499 to $829. On May 3, all six were listed on the Apple site as shipping not within 24 hours but “within 5 – 7 business days.”

Customers on the Apple site are limited to purchases of just two devices.

Just as Apple is known for modest financial projections—enjoying a wow factor on a then expectation-exceeding delivery—it’s unclear just how well it stocked its stores.

The newest iPad went on sale April 30 at 5 p.m. at the New York flagship store, and a spokeswoman for Best Buy said the store had “very limited inventory” for sale that afternoon, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Munster, however, wrote that the sold-out supplies were likely due to strong demand coupled with lower-than-intended supply.

“Near-term, this may put downward pressure on launch day/weekend statistics, but long-term we see it as a positive, as consumers are definitely interested in the iPad as a new category,” wrote Munster. “In the first several quarters, we believe Apple will sell about 60 percent WiFi-only iPads and 40 percent 3G models.”

At eBay.com, a May 3 search for iPads turned up more than 1,800 matched listings, more than 1,200 of which were WiFi-only models—which suggests that the same early supporters who rushed to buy the WiFi-only model may be ready to pass on their iPad and be amongst the first Apple fans with an iPad 3G.

Broadpoint AmTech analyst Brian Marshall, who headlined an April 22 report “Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees? Try the Apple Tree,” raised his calendar year 2010 revenue estimates for Apple to $62.6 billion, up from $57.9 billion.

“Once again, we highlight our view that Apple remains the best technology company on the planet with numerous catalysts on the horizon—e.g., international iPhone ramp, iPad ramp, emerging recurring revenue stream, etc.—and no business model issues,” Marshall wrote.

The firm has noted the potential for swift iPad sales from the start, with Marshall writing in a March research note, before the WiFi-only iPad’s launch, that early consensus of the device was “overly pessimistic,” and that, were the iPad to “live up to its potential, we believe actual unit shipments could approach 7 million-plus units in [2010].”

Resource:

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Apple-iPad-Sales-Reach-1-Million-814397/

The company began selling the iPad 3G in the U.S. late Friday afternoon. The starting prices for the 3G mode were $629 (with 16 gigabytes of memory), compared to $499 starting price for the Wi-Fi only version that started selling a month ago. The reports are a good sign for Apple, which may or may not snag mainstream consumers with the iPad. Another good sign is that Apple has delayed its overseas launch of the iPad as it tries to meet demand in the U.S.

The 3G version sold an estimated 300,000 units over the weekend, according to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co. (The analyst made a more conservative estimate this time, as his estimate for the Wi-Fi only version was off the market by a few hundred thousand). Apple hasn’t provided its own sales figures, but Best Buy said it sold out of its limited inventory of models as of Sunday.

The Wi-Fi only iPad sold about 300,000 units during its opening weekend, although that device went on sale on a Saturday. Munster estimates that Apple has sold more than a million iPads altogether. While that’s a lot less than other big product launches (game consoles, for instance), it is a very respectable number for a tablet computer, which is a new category of device that consumers aren’t familiar with yet.

It will be very interesting to see if Apple can sustain sales of the iPad as rival tablet computers come on the market. Amazon has been beefing up its Kindle e-book reader, but models from players such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard (which just bought Palm in part so it can use its WebOS operating system in tablet computers and phones), aren’t hitting the market immediately.

Apple thus has a chance to grab a lot of the early adopter market for itself. If it really wants to sell a lot of units, it will probably have to consider cutting prices. The most expensive 3G model with 64 gigabytes of memory sells for $829. You can bet that clone makers will launch tablets that come in well under that price. Forrester Research estimates that Apple will sell 3 million iPads this year. Customers for the iPad 3G version will likely shell out extra money to get a data plan with AT&T, but the terms aren’t that tough, as no contract is required. AT&T is charging $14.99 a month for 250 megabytes of data and $29.99 a month for unlimited data.

Resource:

http://mobile.venturebeat.com/2010/05/02/apples-ipad-3g-model-gets-off-to-a-good-start/

1. At Bat 2010 for iPad

As the original iPad arrived to consumers the same weekend as the 2010 Major League Baseball season, it’s easy to think of Apple’s tablet computer and America’s Pastime as a great double play combination. While it is nice to have video access to virtually every Major League Baseball game on the iPad, the real utility comes when you take your device outside of a wireless Internet connection.

With this $14.99 application (note, a separate download fee is required if you already own this app on your iPhone), you can tap into games wherever you go. Additionally, the app provides audio feeds from every team’s home broadcast as well as an innovative array of stats and video clips.

The only thing this magical application cannot do is turn the Chicago Cubs into a contender. Alas, there is not an app for everything.

2. Topo Maps for iPad

During those precious times in life when you are hiking around Colorado’s Front Range or looking for the right cove to spot turtles off the coast of Maui, chances are, you won’t be near a wireless hot spot. Fear not with this $7.99 application that was seemingly made for the iPad 3G.

Similar to the $7.99 Topo Maps iPhone app, the iPad version provides access to more than 70,000 topographical maps across North America. Maps can be downloaded individually for free with a wireless Internet or 3G connection.

3. Zinio Magazine Newsstand & Reader for iPad

While the iPad is a superior eReading device to the Kindle on so many levels, up until now a wireless Internet connection is required to download new things to read (the Kindle offers quick data connections when downloading new paid content). With a 3G iPad and the free Zinio Newsstand app, you can now tap into thousands of magazine titles wherever you travel.

Rolling Stone, BusinessWeek and the Sporting News are among the iconic magazines that market individual magazines and longer-term subscriptions via Zinio. The app also has a number of niche and special-interest publications.

4. Twitterrific for iPad

Until the official Twitter app for the iPhone and iPad becomes available, this free application is the best way to tweet on the tablet. Like the scores of Twitter apps already available on the iPad, Twitterrific is only effective with a network connection. Those 140 characters need to be transmitted through something.

5. Zagat to Go

For more than a decade, this pioneering restaurant guide has reinvented itself on multiple mobile platforms. From primitive Palm devices, to the iPhone and Android platforms and now on the iPhone, Zagat’s is an easy an elegant way to find good food near you.

While this $9.99 application offers foodie and travel guides in 45 markets across North America, new listings are updated each weekday. You never want to be in your own neighborhood or halfway across the world and not have access to the latest restaurant information on the fly. Another added bonus is that only one purchase is required for the iPhone and iPad.

Resource:

http://www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/1798-five-apps-to-download-immediately-for-your-new-3g-enabled-ipad

After hearing rumors that the oft-discussed-but-never-acknowledged two-display folding tablet had been axed, Gizmodo asked Microsoft for confirmation and received this reply from Redmond’s communications veep, Frank Shaw:

At any given time, we’re looking at new ideas, investigating, testing, incubating them. It’s in our DNA to develop new form factors and natural user interfaces to foster productivity and creativity. The Courier project is an example of this type of effort. It will be evaluated for use in future offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time.

Leaving aside his statement that Microsoft’s DNA includes the development of new form factors and natural user interfaces, Shaw does acknowledges the existence of the Courier project, but he doesn’t specifically hammer the final nails into the concept’s coffin.

It appears that Courier was an investigative effort, elements of which may surface in future Microsoft products, but which won’t – to use an industry buzzword – be “productized” in the foreseeable future.

And although we’re loathe to kick a website when it’s reeling from public approbation, Gizmodo made a curious omission when it wrote: “It makes sense for Microsoft to continue to trim away splinter versions of its core operating systems and focus on Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7 unity across all its devices.”

There’s a third Windows OS that they neglected to mention, and one that may be more appropriate for a tablet form factor such as the one used in the Courier project: Windows Embedded Standard 7, the RTM version of which was announced just this Tuesday at the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) in San José, California.

Perhaps – just perhaps – the Courier project was eliminated because its raison d’être had run its course with the graduation of Windows Embedded 7 Standard from beta to RTM. Of course, Windows Embedded Standard 7 is an OS designed for, well, embedded devices that range – in Microsoft’s own listing – from multimedia internet devices to networked media devices to thin clients to fuel pumps (yes, fuel pumps) and more. But that’s in its RTM form. Perhaps – just perhaps – one variant of it was given a spin as a tablet OS in the Courier Project.

More likely, Windows Embedded Standard 7′s graduation and the Courier project’s demise occurring within two days of each other is merely a coincidence. In any case, the rumored spate of challengers to Apple’s iPad has just been reduced by one.

And if you believe a report from Wednesday’s Business Insider, you can add HP’s Slate to the drop-out list – which makes sense, seeing as how HP acquired Palm in part because: “We see further opportunities beyond smartphones into additional connected mobile form factors.”

In other words, why build a tablet based on a non-mobile operating system such as Windows 7, when a leaner, more communications-integrated operating system such as webOS just dropped into your lap?

Resource:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/30/microsoft_kills_courier/

Let’s take a closer look at each of the six points–not necessarily in the order Jobs lists them–from the letter and dig deeper to see if the arguments and justifications actually hold water.

The war of words between Apple and Adobe over Flash on the iPhone and iPad continues.

Full Web

Jobs states in his letter “Adobe has repeatedly said that Apple mobile devices cannot access “the full Web” because 75 percent of video on the Web is in Flash. What they don’t say is that almost all this video is also available in a more modern format, H.264, and viewable on iPhones, iPods and iPads.”

As a user of both the iPhone and iPad, I have to side with Jobs on this one. I won’t say that the lack of Flash is never an issue–I’d like to be able to track my Dominos Pizza order in real-time from the iPad–but it in the years I have been using the iPhone it has really never even occurred to me as an issue. Most of the sites that “rely” on Flash are really only using it to deliver ads that I don’t want to see anyway.

The reality, as Jobs points out, is that YouTube–the largest single purveyor of online video content–has an iPhone and iPad app to deliver video, and most major online outlets have adopted iPhone and iPad compatible video standards. For those that still depend on Flash, there are emerging Band-Aid solutions to deliver alternate streams to iPhones and iPads.

Reliability, Security, and Performance

Jobs says “Symantec recently highlighted Flash for having one of the worst security records in 2009. We also know first hand that Flash is the number one reason Macs crash,” adding “We don’t want to reduce the reliability and security of our iPhones, iPods and iPads by adding Flash.”

I am not sure about reliability or performance issues, but Symantec is not alone in citing security concerns with Adobe software. Microsoft has stepped up its game and offers a more formidable challenge for malware developers. Adobe products–especially Flash and Acrobat Reader–are ubiquitous on virtually every platform, and represent the low-hanging fruit for attackers to target.

However, the lack of true multitasking support on the iPhone and iPad provide the devices with protection against malware attacks. Adobe software may be the weakest link on other platforms, but probably wouldn’t fundamentally impair the security of the iPhone or iPad.

Battery Life

In the letter, Jobs explains that H.264 standard is the video codec of choice for the iPhone and iPad. The fact that H.264 decoding is built-in at the hardware level is one of the reasons that Apple embraces it. Jobs explains that decoding H.264 in software apparently consumes about twice as much battery power.

The letter says “Although Flash has recently added support for H.264, the video on almost all Flash websites currently requires an older generation decoder that is not implemented in mobile chips and must be run in software.”

Fair enough. I understand that Apple feels like any third-party software that cuts battery life in half will ultimately reflect poorly on the platform, or on Apple itself. However, I don’t really see the harm in allowing Flash as an option. Put the choice in the hands of the users and let them decide for themselves if cutting the battery life in half is a worthwhile tradeoff for using Flash.

Touch

This, in my opinion, is actually the strongest of the six points. Jobs clarifies “Many Flash websites rely on “rollovers”, which pop up menus or other elements when the mouse arrow hovers over a specific spot. Apple’s revolutionary multi-touch interface doesn’t use a mouse, and there is no concept of a rollover. Most Flash websites will need to be rewritten to support touch-based devices. If developers need to rewrite their Flash websites, why not use modern technologies like HTML5, CSS and JavaScript?”

When it comes to Flash-based video, the question of the touch vs. mouse-based interface may not be as important, but for Flash-based ads and apps, the mouse pointer is a fairly critical element for interacting with Flash.

Open

Here is where the train starts to leave the tracks. I have to wonder if Jobs could even type this part with a straight face. “Adobe’s Flash products are 100 percent proprietary. They are only available from Adobe, and Adobe has sole authority as to their future enhancement, pricing, etc. While Adobe’s Flash products are widely available, this does not mean they are open, since they are controlled entirely by Adobe and available only from Adobe. By almost any definition, Flash is a closed system.”

Um, isn’t that Apple’s entire business model? Is it me, or is it more than just a little ironic for Steve Jobs and Apple to penalize another vendor for developing a closed, proprietary platform? Apple prides itself on its ability to deliver higher quality products and an exceptional user experience because of its tight control of its proprietary platforms, yet cites those same attributes as weaknesses for Adobe.

It is also ironic for Jobs to champion H.264–a patented, proprietary platform requiring licensing fees–over Flash video in the same letter that he claims to reject Adobe Flash because it’s not open.

Jobs does acknowledge Apple’s proprietary nature, but claims that Web-based technologies should not be proprietary. I agree. I have said as much in debating the whole issue of depending on Flash. However, I’m not Apple so I can make that distinction without seeming like a complete hypocrite.

Platform Dependence

Then, we get to the crux of the matter–what Jobs claims is “the most important reason.” In the ultimate ironic twist, Jobs explains that the most important reason for rejecting Adobe Flash on the iPhone and iPad is that it takes control out of Apple’s hands.

Jobs states “If developers grow dependent on third-party development libraries and tools, they can only take advantage of platform enhancements if and when the third party chooses to adopt the new features. We cannot be at the mercy of a third party deciding if and when they will make our enhancements available to our developers.”

Aye, there’s the rub. I agree with Jobs assessment that “Flash is a cross platform development tool. It is not Adobe’s goal to help developers write the best iPhone, iPod and iPad apps. It is their goal to help developers write cross platform apps.”

So, Apple doesn’t want to allow Flash as a development platform because it doesn’t want the advancement and innovation of the iPhone or iPad platforms to be at the mercy of Adobe. That seems fairly reasonable, but it doesn’t fully explain why Apple took the extra–seemingly petty–measure of banning iPhone and iPad apps that are ported from Flash.

I’ll give Jobs points for the Full Web, Security, and Touch points. The Battery Life argument, in my opinion is a draw–I could go either way. But, when it comes to the Open, and Platform Dependence arguments, I have to cry foul.

It boils down to Apple wanting to maintain tight, proprietary control over app development for the iPhone and iPad, and not wanting to share the pie. It also seems suspicious given Apple’s foray into mobile advertising with the iAd platform–competing directly with the fairly ubiquitous Flash-based ads.

Resource:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/195313/apple_v_adobe_something_just_doesnt_add_up.html

The Linux-based tablet has a 12.1-inch screen, making it slightly larger than Apple’s rival device, the iPad, which will only go on sale in the UK at the end of May. The JooJoo has a resolution of 1,366×768 pixels and uses an Intel Atom processor with Nvidia Ion graphics processing. It has a 4GB solid-state drive and 1GB of RAM.

Like the iPad, the JooJoo has an onscreen virtual keyboard. Unlike the Apple slate, it runs Flash content and has a USB connection and a webcam.

The JooJoo has a nine-second boot-up time and a browser-based operating system. On Fusion Garage’s website, the company addresses the issue of an application store — the distribution method favoured by Apple for its iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad — by saying JooJoo “has the largest app store in the world… it’s called the internet”.

The JooJoo began its life as the CrunchPad, a collaboration between Fusion Garage and Michael Arrington, the entrepreneur behind the TechCrunch website. Arrington launched a lawsuit against Fusion Garage in December last year, after the company decided to release the device without his input.

The device is now shipping to US customers, after an initial delay. In a blog post on Monday, Fusion Garage chief Chandrasekar Rathakrishnan said the company had been overly optimistic in its delivery date estimates. He also conceded that the JooJoo’s software had needed major revisions since the first review samples were sent out to a generally tepid reception.

“We are in the midst of ‘bad JooJoo’ for a very simple reason: we were aggressive in our product delivery commitments, decided to completely revise our UI as we were readying the product for release, and our initial units shipped with software that proved to be problematic when put to the test in the real world,” Rathakrishnan wrote. “Embarrassing? Yes. Correctable? Absolutely. And we will.

“We will have a robust software update available shortly that we fully expect to eliminate many of the problems that were widely reported in our initial product review cycle. We will also be able to play full-screen HD video as promised via our Fusion Garage player,” he added.

According to Fusion Garage, the JooJoo receives over-the-air software updates to add new functionality as it is developed.

UK customers can order the JooJoo through the Fusion Garage website at a cost of £319 plus tax and shipping. An optional stand for the device is available for £30 plus tax and shipping.

Resource:

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/mobile-devices/2010/04/28/fusion-garage-launches-joojoo-web-tablet-in-uk-40088789/

Security experts have warned that Apple iPad users are being targeted by cyber criminals. Hackers are trying to dupe iPad owners in to downloading a fake iTunes update on their Windows computer, which, when installed, creates a backdoor for cyber criminals, allowing them to remotely access the machine or even use the computer to send spam messages.

A dialog box pops up telling the user that a recent iTunes update has been released for the iPad. Users who click on a link are taken to a site that looks exactly like the iTunes download web page, but the file the user downloads is actually a Trojan that installs malicious code on the machine. The Backdoor. Bifrose. AADY virus tries to steal passwords and login details for email accounts and instant-messaging services.

“The trick is pretty simple,” said Catalin Cosoi, a senior researcher for BitDefender, which uncovered the scam. “They’re clever to do it this way. If they were able to target Mac customers, it would have spread like wildfire, but because most antivirus companies detect this Trojan, it’s aimed at Windows users who have bought an iPad and who also don’t run a security product.”

BitDefender has advised iPad owners not to click on any links that appear in dialog boxes or alerts, and to download iTunes directly from the Apple website. The company also emphasised that the iPad itself remained unaffected by the Trojan.

Resource:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/7638376/iPad-users-targeted-by-hackers.html?utm_source=tmg&utm_medium=TD_ipad&utm_campaign=tech2804am

The company reported on its official blog that several iPad users who also owned a Windows PC had received an email with the subject line ‘iTunes Software Update’.

The email contained a link that led users to a fake download page, designed to precisely resemble the real iTunes page. BitDefender identifies the malware as Backdoor.Bifrose.AADY.

It’s the first piece of malicious software aimed at taking advantage of the current buzz surrounding Apple’s new tablet computer, which has seen record sales since it was launched on 3 April.

Sabina Datcu of BitDefender wrote on the company’s Malware City blog that “The figures make it clear as daylight why malware creators were so keen on crashing this promising party. To carry conviction, the e-mail emphasizes that users should keep their iPad software updated ‘for best performance, newer features and security’.”

Resource:

http://www.itproportal.com/security/news/article/2010/4/27/malware-targets-ipad-users-windows-platform/

The latest such scam involves spam e-mail messages addressed to iPad users. The messages direct recipients — who may or may not be iPad users — to click on a Web link that appears to host an iTunes update and to install the update

The text isn’t so poorly written as to be farcical. Even so, the use of the passive voice in the first sentence and the awkward wording suggests that the note’s author doesn’t work as a marketing professional at Apple or anywhere else.

“There were released updates for software installed on your iPad device,” the message begins. “It is very important to keep the software on your iPad updated for best performance, newer features and security.”

Recipients who happen to open this message on a Windows PC and comply with “update” instructions do not actually receive an update.

“Unfortunately for these users, following the malicious link means opening up a direct line to their sensitive data as instead of the promised iTunes update they get malware on their systems,” said Sabina Datcu, security researcher for BitDefender, in a blog post.

BidDefender identifies the malicious code as Backdoor.Bifrose.AADY, which attempts to infect Internet Explorer to open a back door in the victim’s system. It’s designed to scour infected systems for software serial numbers and to capture login and password information.

Mac users, not to mention those reading their e-mail on their iPads, don’t have to worry about this particularly malware.

In reporting its fiscal second quarter results last week, Apple did not disclose the number of iPads it had sold, but company executives said they were happy with iPad sales.

Apple previously said it had sold 300,000 iPads on April 3, the day it began selling the devices and delivering them to customers who had pre-ordered.

Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco brings together the designers, developers, entrepreneurs, VCs, marketing professionals, product managers, and business strategists building the next-generation Web.

Resource:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224600439

Aside from checking and composing e-mail, Apple also offers an edition of its iWorks software for the iPad, which bundles versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote. And if business users plan on using Keynote for presentations, Apple is selling a $29 VGA adaptor that can connect the iPad to a conference room display (as long as the display has VGA). Dataviz has also announced an iPad version of its Documents To Go software, bringing editing and formatting functionalities to Microsoft Office apps such as Word and Excel.

Using the iPad as a phone is not out of the question either, since it does have an audio jack and support for Bluetooth headsets. An app like Line2 will let you create a separate line and voicemail for your business. It even supports up to 20-person conferencing, if you’re unable to gather everyone in one room. And because Line2 is a VoIP application, meaning it uses the internet to make calls, finding a connection using the iPad’s built-in Wi-Fi and 3G cards is as easy as finding a cell phone signal. Traditional VoIP apps like Skype will be available for the iPad as well, so there’s more than one option for turning your iPad into a phone (the iPad has a built-in mic you can use in conjunction with headphones or a Bluetooth headset for making VoIP calls).

Key verticals like the healthcare industry, which have long been the biggest proponents of tablets, will be considering the iPad for a variety of tasks, including filling orders, tracking patients, and studying X-rays and MRI. Unlike traditional Windows-based tablets, installing security suites to fight malicious software isn’t necessary, and administrators won’t have to configure the iPad for a domain (well, because it can’t be done). Developers like OmniGroup are aware that there might not be enough apps that cater to the medical profession, which is why it’s focusing much of its efforts on porting its core apps to the iPad.

And for every other profession that’s worried about a shortage of iPad apps; don’t despair, hundreds of apps are being submitted to and reviewed by Apple as we speak.

While the majority of those who pre-ordered an iPad are itching to play games, update their Facebook accounts, and watch videos, businesses business are betting the iPad will change the way they work. Businessweek has reported that several firms have pre-ordered iPads in large quantities, one of which plans to simply use them for checking corporate e-mail and taking notes. The fact that the iPad supports corporate Microsoft Exchange account, multiple POP accounts, and VPN protocols makes it a viable tool for those who aren’t in the office all the time.

Resource:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2363075,00.asp

Tablet computers generated excitement, although hardware makers promoted modest variations rather than new concepts that would take on Apple’s iPad.

Resource:

http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20100219/1065/ttc-milestones-missing-at-mobile-fair_1.html

The problem is that while the iTunes Store provides a convenient button for browsing either just iPhone or just iPad apps, the rest of iTunes appears to be ignorant of this distinction. The Apps view, listing all downloaded apps, doesn’t differentiate by default, and when your iPad is connected, the Apps tab for your iPad provides no way to view just the iPad apps.

There are a couple ways to ferret out your iPad and hybrid apps, however. Click on the Apps item in iTunes’s sidebar–your iPad doesn’t need to be connected–to view all downloaded apps. Then choose View -> As List to view those apps in a sortable text list. Next choose View -> View Options and check the box next to Kind (or right-click any column header in the Apps view and choose Kind to enable it); this action adds the Kind column to the list.

Click this new Kind column and your apps are now sorted by app type: iPad app, iPhone/iPod touch app, or iPhone/iPod touch/iPad app (click again to invert the sort order). Unfortunately, iPhone/iPod touch apps end up between the two types of iPad-optimized apps, so it’s a bit of a hassle to view all apps with an iPad interface. But it’s better than nothing, right?

The other way to view apps in such groups is to choose View -> as Grid and then choose View -> Grid View -> Applications. This shows you a graphical view of all your downloaded apps, grouped by app type. I don’t find grid view to be as useful as list view, however, especially if you have lots of apps. (It also sorts the same way as list view, with iPhone/iPod touch apps between the two types of iPad apps.)

Of course, these options don’t help you while you’re deciding exactly which apps to sync to your iPad (in other words, when you select your iPad in the sidebar and view the Apps tab). But it at least makes it easier to see how many of your apps will take advantage of the iPad’s larger screen and other unique features. Here’s hoping Apple fixes this omission, and makes it easier to automatically sync just iPad-optimized apps to your iPad, in an update to iTunes.

Resource:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9176021/View_iPad_optimized_apps_in_iTunes?taxonomyId=76

Though Safari and other Apple software, such as Mac OS X, will continue to support Flash technology, developers which create Flash content will not be able to port it to the newly released iPad, and existing or future iPhone’s.

The iPad lacked Flash when it was initially released, but it was hoped and expected that Adobe would throw its cards on the table and attempt, at best, to release a version of Flash for these devices.

As the BBC point out, Creative Suite 5 released last month enabled developers to convert Flash code into iPhone applications. However Apple’s developer terms and conditions change caused controversy amongst developers by limiting their scope of application function, and effectively banning them from using code translators such as CS5.

When considering mobile entrepreneurs and Generation Y developers a month and a bit ago, I knew and still know how powerful the mobile market is. Yet as Flash technology is an integral part of the Web and application power, regardless of whether HTML5 will negate the need for using the plug-in, it is also a major part of modern technology and creative design degree programmes.

All students from various countries and institutions who study programmes in multimedia design, electronics and computer science engage with Flash and Adobe technology, and passing code and design implementation is vital to their expansion of knowledge and portfolio building.

Not only will this move damage the reputation of Apple and developers as such, but harm the potential of younger developers exploiting the easy-to-use platform and knowledge base to generate revenue and self publicity.

Silverlight is thought to be released for the iPad, and therefore presumably the iPhone and iPod touch devices too; though at this point it is not clear when or whether the negotiations will yield any result.

Will this have a significant knock-on effect to not only Apple developers but consumers also? Could this signal a shift from the almighty iPhone to Android or BlackBerry devices? Or will HTML5 completely trump all arguments and be a much needed shift from Apple and Adobe dominance on the web ?

Resource:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=4740

You see, it finally happened: I’m the proud owner of Apple’s much-ballyhooed tablet. No, I didn’t win a contest or rip one out of some poor guy’s hand. I actually plunked down some cold, hard cash.

As readers of my Cheapskate blog know, that’s something I’m loathe to do. But for me it was a legitimate business expense, and dang if my curiosity didn’t get the better of me. Would the iPad live up to the hype? Would I find new and unexpected uses for it?

I’m about a week away from finding out. My local Apple Store was out of stock, so I had to order it online.

When it finally arrives, I’ll no doubt go spelunking in iTunes for interesting apps. And needless to say, there are several I’m already keen to check out. The new Marvel Comics app, for example, is a favorite on my iPhone, and I imagine it must be ever more spectacular on the iPad’s spacious screen.

But, let’s face it, I’m an iPad newbie. I have no idea which apps will rock my world, make me the envy of the neighbors, and convince the missus I was right to buy now instead of waiting for the inevitable price drop. (Mark my words: Apple will cut iPad prices before 2010 is out.)

So it’s over to you, faithful readers. You already have weeks’ worth of screen testing under your belts, so you tell me (and other folks late to the iPad party): what are the must-have apps for a new iPad owner? Hit the comments and list your picks. (While I’m waiting, I’ll sift through CNET’s recent roundup of the 20 best free iPad apps.)

Oh, and if you have any case recommendations, I’d love to hear those, too.

Resource:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20003145-1.html

The launch of Apple’s (AAPL) iPad has been one of the most heralded in techdom, and the early consumer enthusiasm over the tablet computer that surfs the Web, features e-books, and plays music and videos is powering sales. Yet Apple’s image as a flawless marketing machine aside, this has hardly been a smooth product debut. Glitches ranging from a bizarre product ban in Israel to supply management issues in Asia have created challenges for the Cupertino (Calif.)-based company.

The iPad is certainly on a steep sales trajectory. Apple sold 500,000 iPads the first week after its early April debut. “It has shocked us, the levels of demand, at least initially,” Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook told analysts during an Apr. 20 conference call after the company reported a 90% jump in quarterly earnings, to $3.1 billion, on revenues of $13.5 billion.

In markets outside the U.S., however, Apple has pushed back the iPad’s release by a month until the end of May. It blames the delay on unexpectedly high demand, but analysts think Apple is having a hard time managing the production flow of the tablet computer’s 9.7-inch (25-centimeter) touch-sensitive liquid-crystal display.

The big screen is far trickier to produce on a mass scale than the 3.5-inch display used on Apple’s popular iPhone, says Andrew Rassweiler, an analyst with market research company iSuppli in El Segundo, Calif. “We understand that the yields on the display have been low and that they’re creating a production bottleneck,” Rassweiler says. Neither Apple nor touch screen manufacturers such as South Korea’s LG Display and Samsung Electronics or Japan’s Seiko Epson would comment on supply-chain issues.

Apple is having a different kind of problem in Israel. Customs officials in Tel Aviv this week have been seizing iPads from airline passengers entering the country. The device doesn’t comply with Israeli wireless standards, according to an Israeli Communications Ministry spokesman. Apple maintains that the iPad complies with the international standards for Wi-Fi frequency specifications.

You may not find many iPads on at least two American university campuses. Princeton University won’t allow its students to use the device on campus Wi-Fi networks because of data security worries. George Washington University says the iPad won’t work on its wireless network until an Apple software upgrade arrives in the fall.

Apple has run into manufacturing problems on some of its products before, including its MacBook notebook computers and iMac desktops, says Shaw Wu, an industry analyst with Kaufman Brothers in San Francisco. It looks like Apple will need to make some early-course production adjustments this time around as well.

Resource:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_18/b4176048943435.htm

Adobe on Tuesday evening said it is ceasing investment in a software tool that enables Flash developers to port software into native iPhone and iPad apps, according to Mike Chambers, Adobe’s principal product manager for Flash developer relations.

“The primary goal of Flash has always been to enable cross-browser, platform and device development,” Chambers wrote in a blog post. “This is the exact opposite of what Apple wants. They want to tie developers down to their platform, and restrict their options to make it difficult for developers to target other platforms.”

Adobe is reacting to a new rule in the iPhone developer agreement, which stipulates that iPhone and iPad apps must be coded with Apple-approved programming languages, such as C++ or Objective C. If enforced, the rule would effectively ban any apps coded with Adobe’s Packager for iPhone, a tool enabling Flash-coded software to be easily converted into native iPhone apps, released last week with Adobe CS5.

Faced with Apple’s new rule, Adobe pulled the plug on Packager for iPhone. That ends, for now, any hope that Flash apps (or apps that incorporate Flash) will ever be able to run on the iPad or iPhone.

Apple’s new app policy has been met with furious debate. Critics say Apple is depriving consumers of choice, because Flash apps that could have been on the iPhone will never see the light of day. Supporters of Apple’s decision, including Steve Jobs, say the move was necessary to retain quality of apps in the App Store and nimbleness of updating the platform.

Apple has been steadfast with its lack of support for Flash on the iPhone OS. Some customers have complained that without Flash, iPhone and iPad users are missing out on a big chunk of the internet. Jobs said during a staff meeting that Flash was not supported because it is “buggy” and frequently causes crashes on the Mac OS, according to a secondhand account first reported by Wired.com.

Rather than supporting Flash, Apple has reportedly pushed website creators to use alternative web standards, including HTML5, CSS and JavaScript, which are all supported by the iPhone and iPad browser.

Apple said Adobe was incorrect to accuse Apple of locking in developers by not supporting Flash.

“Someone has it backwards — it is HTML5, CSS, JavaScript and H.264 (all supported by the iPhone and iPad) that are open and standard, while Adobe’s Flash is closed and proprietary,” an Apple representative said in a statement provided to CNET.

However, as simple as it may sound for web developers to switch to different standards, Wired.com’s Webmonkey editor Mike Calore said the transition to HTML5 for video playback would be complex. He explained that there’s no agreed upon video format for HTML5, and support varies greatly from browser to browser.

“Not to be overly critical of Apple — anyone pushing for open web standards deserves kudos — but the company seems more deeply concerned with digging Flash’s grave than it does with promoting semantic markup,” Calore wrote.

Resource:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/04/adobe-flash-iphone/

The questions about whether or not Apple could produce a compelling tablet have been answered. PCMag gave it an Editors’ Choice award, and most other reviews have been positive to glowing. Yes, there are still some big questions about the iPad. Will consumers embrace it after the initial rush? Will publishers’ dreams of the “iPad as industry savior” be realized? I’d say we’re 6 to 12-months away from being able to answer those questions. Even so, Apple’s iPad is a tablet done right, and I think Apple’s plan of using and extending its mobile OS in ever-larger devices is pure genius and one that Microsoft would do well to mimic.

Right now, we’re all waiting for Windows 7-based tablets, such as the HP Slate, to arrive. There will be others, of course, but HP’s is the one Microsoft is touting. It appears to have the most potential for rebooting Microsoft’s tablet PC efforts. It’s built on the Windows 7 platform—a desktop and laptop OS that I use every day. It’s the best version of Windows since, perhaps, Windows 95. By that I mean that it’s new, fresh, smart, and light enough and intuitive enough to not get in your way.

All that said, it’s still a desktop OS. It carries with it all of the complications that are typically associated with running a relatively complex piece of technology. For what it’s worth, Apple’s desktop OS, Mac OS X, is only marginally less complex. This has relatively little to do with the hardware. We’ve proven in PC Labs that netbooks (which have hardware specs that are roughly equivalent to the upcoming Windows tablets), can run Windows 7, but Windows still shows you too much about the guts of your system. You still install drivers, there’s still a Control Panel, and even the nifty new Device Stage leads you to a hardware setup or configuration screen eventually. Windows Phone 7, like the iPhone OS, shields the end user from those complications. If Microsoft and its partners put Windows Phone 7 on these tablets, an end user might never have to see any of them. Yet, with access to the new Microsoft Marketplace, they’ll still be able to install whatever apps they need—all from one central place. Clearly, Microsoft has a lot of ground to make up in the Marketplace—it’ll have to get much richer and faster if Microsoft wants people to rely on it for their Win Phone 7 app needs. Web-based offerings could help here. Microsoft’s Office Web Apps, for example, could be the perfect tools for these Windows Phone 7-based tablets.

Before someone goes for my throat, let’s define some terms. Tablets is, admittedly, a broad term, and there’s a lot of confusion about what is and isn’t a tablet computer. For the sake of my argument, I do not consider products like the Apple iPad and HP Slate full-blown computers, and, while versatile, they’re not suited for all computing tasks. I don’t think video editing, intensive photo editing, and CAD work are what you want to do with them. Laptops that convert into tablets are, essentially, full-blown PCs stuffed with powerful, near-desktop-level (sometimes desktop-level) components. They’re ready to do virtually anything. All-in-one touch-screen desktops, such as the HP TouchSmart, are not tablets.

If you accept my argument—that true tablets need to work more like mobile phones and less like desktop computers—then Apple’s iPad strategy makes perfect sense. The astounding market success of netbooks helped Apple realize that most people only want to do a limited number of things with their computers. But Apple CEO Steve Jobs was loath to deliver a low-end portable computer to the market. Obviously, he figured out that Apple could serve the netbook market, with a product that’s sexier, simpler, and yet more powerful than many low-end netbooks. The iPhone and iPod touch are incredibly human devices that respond to your actions in an almost instinctive way. It’s not much of a leap to surmise that this think/do interface metaphor could also work in a form factor just shy of a full-blown laptop. There are more facets to the iPad than simplicity, but the choice of the iPhone OS as the iPad platform is probably the most important decision Apple made in the entire product development process.

Putting what is, essentially, a mobile OS into, for example, the HP Slate should be easy to do. It would allow Microsoft to replicate the Apple ecosystem’s success (i.e. the iPad, iPhone OS 4, iTunes, the App Store, and individual apps). Obviously, Microsoft doesn’t manufacture and control Windows Phone 7-based hardware the way Apple does its own hardware. That said, Microsoft is requiring certain key features in all Windows phones: GPS, touch screen capabilities, and an accelerometer. Now, Microsoft should extend that concept to tablets running its software (if it doesn’t already).

One company that may agree with my strategy is Google. I’ve heard more than a few rumors that the company is working on a tablet with its Android mobile platform—not its Google Chrome OS. This isn’t exactly a surprise. Other companies, including Dell, are thinking the very same thing.

I know this is a radical idea, but if Microsoft and its partners hinder these new tablets with a full-blown OS and the standard world of ad-hoc Windows applications and utilities bought from non-homogenous sources, Apple and the iPad will win.

Resource:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362882,00.asp

Nick Volosin, director of technical services at Kaweah Health Care District in Visalia, Calif., told Network World that he bought three iPads for testing, and plans to implement more than 100 at the facility in the next two months. Various patient monitoring programs will be accessed through Citrix virtual desktop and application delivery software. Using the Citrix Receiver, the hospital will be able to have its workers access desktop applications without writing proprietary software for the iPad.

The iPads will be distributed to home health care and hospice workers, nurses, dietitians and pharmacists. Because tight supply has forced Apple to turn down volume orders, the hospital had to work with Apple directly to make such a large purchase.

Volosin told author Jon Brodkin that the iPad and its 10-hour battery life will replace a laptop for many employees, particularly because it will eliminate the need to charge multiple times throughout the day, and it doesn’t need to be turned on and off. In addition to patient-related services, employees will also be able to use the device to do traditional office tasks like check their e-mail.

Another selling point for the iPad: the price. Starting at $500 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model, Volosin reportedly said that it is a more affordable option when compared to a traditional touchscreen tablet, which can cost as much as $3,000.

In addition to Volosin’s three test units, about 20 doctors have purchased their own iPads to use at the office. One kidney specialist said the device has made him more efficient and also improved patient safety.

Many hospitals have eyed Apple’s iPad since the device was first announced earlier this year. Some health care workers believe tablet computers help doctors and nurses spend more time with patients. One San Francisco program dubbed “Destination Bedside” uses tablet computers to provide X-rays, charts, prescriptions and notes.

In February, one study found that one in five physicians intended to buy an iPad, just days after it was announced. Epocrates Inc.’s survey of more than 350 clinicians found that 9 percent would buy an iPad when it became available, while another 13 percent intend to buy one in the first year. Another 38 percent said they were interested in the iPad, but wanted more information before they would decide whether or not to purchase.

Resource:

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/04/21/california_hospital_plans_to_utilize_100_apple_ipads.html

Apple plans to release the iPad 3G on April 30 to those who have preordered the device and shoppers who plan to pick one up at the company’s retail locations. Now that a launch date has finally been confirmed, it’s time for consumers who have yet to order an iPad to consider which version of Apple’s tablet they really want. Admittedly, it’s a difficult decision. Both devices have advantages and, depending on a how a consumer plans to use the tablet, opting for the cheaper WiFi-only version might be a good bet.

But for potential iPad owners who are still on the fence and can’t quite decide which version to pick up, we’re going to make it really easy for you: the iPad 3G. As nice as the WiFi-only version of the iPad is, it will look like the hobbled cousin of the 3G version once that’s released next week. Owners should be able to get much more out of the 3G version than the WiFi-only model. It might be more expensive, but the iPad 3G is the best bet both for consumers and for enterprise customers.

Here’s why:

1. It’s 3G

   Let’s just get the obvious point out of the way: The iPad 3G allows users to connect to a high-speed Web connection wherever 3G networking from AT&T is available. That’s important. Currently, owners of the WiFi-only iPad can only connect to the Web whenever they’re within range of a wireless hot spot. That means no checking e-mail in the car or surfing the Web at a park. If nothing else, 3G connectivity provides users with options that the WiFi-only version doesn’t. That’s a major selling point for many consumers.

2. Look toward the future

   Although Apple will support both versions of the iPad, the 3G model future-proofs consumers. What Apple and developers have planned for the iPad is unknown. They could offer new features or interesting new applications that would accommodate owners of both versions of the tablet. But there’s a stronger possibility that as time goes on, Apple will only offer improvements to 3G owners. It followed a similar strategy with the iPhone in an attempt to move consumers to the newest version of the mobile phone. What would stop it from doing the same thing with the iPad?

3. Productivity

   If a consumer plans to use the iPad as more than just a Web-surfing tool, the 3G version is the best choice. As Apple has said time and again, it wants to make the iPad an alternative to current mobile computers, like netbooks or lightweight laptops. Users can type up documents, create spreadsheets and perform several other tasks. But having the option of connecting to the Web wherever a 3G connection is available will increase the user’s productivity. Sure, a WiFi-only model would be similar to using a desktop or a standard laptop, but 3G increases productivity beyond that.

4. You’re an enterprise customer

   Although the iPad looks like a consumer-focused device, it has some uses for company employees. The device is readily mobile, its virtual keyboard works well enough to get work done and, thanks to 3G, employees can be online at any point in the day. The corporate world will find a lot to gripe about when it comes to the iPad, but it might also like what it sees in some cases. If an enterprise customer is looking to use the iPad at work, the 3G version is the only option.

5. More app possibilities

   Part of the value of owning an iPad is the access to Apple’s App Store. Since the iPad comes without several apps users might want, the App Store quickly becomes the go-to place to find all the functionality that Apple doesn’t bundle with its device. In many cases, that means needing a connection to the Web for the app to work as described. When a user is home, connecting to the Web via WiFi isn’t any trouble and using such apps is a cinch. But when away from WiFi, only a 3G connection will be able to keep the iPad as functional as a user wants.

6. More GPS ability

   Unlike the WiFi-only version of the iPad, the 3G model comes with full GPS functionality. As soon as a user boots up the iPad 3G and works on it away from a WiFi hot spot, GPS satellites will be able to pinpoint its location. The WiFi-only model, on the other hand, uses known WiFi hot spots to find a user’s location. Although that’s better than nothing, it doesn’t truly pinpoint the exact spot at any given time for use with location-based apps. That might not be a deal breaker, but given the recent popularity of location-based services, more users than we think might want to have their exact locations broadcast to the rest of the world.

7. 3G coverage is optional

   The beauty of the iPad 3G is that users aren’t forced to enter into a contract when they buy the device. So, if users decide that 3G might be useful down the road, but for now they will be content with WiFi only, they can still buy an iPad 3G. If or when they decide they want to connect to the Web via 3G, they need only pay $15 per month for up to 250MB of data or $30 per month for unlimited data. And they can cancel that service at any time. Not bad.

8. The WiFi-only version won’t be supported for long

   If we consider Apple’s history with mobile products, it becomes clear that the underpowered, old models that it once offered are quickly phased out in favor of new, capable versions of the respective device. Remember the iPhone 2G? Yeah, it’s history. And since multitasking will only make its way to the iPhone 3GS, it looks like Apple is trying to push users to the newer version of its mobile phone. Apple has a long history of doing that. The iPad won’t be any different.

9. The time factor

   The iPad 3G has been in the cooker a month longer than the WiFi-only version of the tablet. That’s important. Lest we forget, the WiFi iPad suffered from connectivity issues that Apple is still attempting to address. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the 3G model won’t suffer from those problems too, but given the fact that Apple has known about it for a month, it’s entirely possible that a fix has already been implemented in the 3G model. The same can be said for any other quirks Apple might have found along the way. The WiFi-only iPad might be a robust offering, but the 3G version will likely be a little better.

10. This is Apple we’re talking about

    If Microsoft was offering two versions of the same product, getting the hobbled model probably wouldn’t be a bad idea. That company has a long history of supporting products until it really shouldn’t. But Apple doesn’t. Steve Jobs has made it clear with every product his company offers that the most expensive versions of that device will get preferential treatment over the cheaper versions. It makes sense. Apple can make much more off the more expensive models. Plus, by only giving desired features to the more capable versions, Apple is softly prodding customers to move to the new product. Apple doesn’t like less capable products. That will quickly become clear with the WiFi-only version of the iPad.

Resource:

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/10-Reasons-to-Go-for-iPad-3G-Instead-of-WiFi-132985/

Apple announced on Tuesday that the 3G-enabled iPad would arrive for those who have pre-ordered it on Friday April 30, the same day that it will make its appearance in stores.

The rush will begin at 5 p.m. at Apple Stores, most Best Buy locations, some Apple Authorized Resellers, and campus bookstores. As with the Wi-Fi models, you’ll be able to set up your iPad in the store for free with the help of an Apple employee.

The 3G model weighs just slightly more than its Wi-Fi-only sibling, coming in at 1.6 pounds to the other model’s 1.5. That and a small black plastic antenna window along the top of the unit are the only real hardware differences between the two. However, for those minor differences you’ll pay an additional $130. The 3G iPads come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models and sell for $629, $729, and $829 respectively.

While some have wondered about the impact the 3G capability will have on the iPad’s otherwise stellar battery life, Apple is promising nine hours of battery life while browsing the Web on 3G.

As previously discussed, you’ll be able to subscribe to and manage 3G service from the device itself, with your choice of two plans from AT&T: a $15 per month plan limiting you to 250MB of data and a $30 per month plan of unlimited usage. Unlike the iPhone, you can subscribe to and cancel 3G service whenever you like.

Resource:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/194583/3genabled_ipad_arrives_april_30.html

The victim, Bill Jordan told FOX31 News that he bought the device to give as a business gift last week and that he was attacked by two thugs shortly after purchasing the device at a Denver shopping mall.

“The next thing I know, I’m spun around. I see this kid…and he’s pulling (the iPad) out of my hand,” said Jordan, who said he had the device’s cord wrapped around his finger and couldn’t let go.

“I never heard it coming, I never saw it coming. I just remember this kid pulling and pulling and pulling and it got caught and took the flesh right off, the tendons and everything. There was nothing but bone.”

Jordan was rushed to hospital where doctors recommended amputation of the finger.

Resource:

http://www.ndtv.com/news/world/ipad-thieves-rip-off-mans-finger-20500.php

Apple is said to be planning to include an OLED screen in the next version of its iPad.

The first version of the tablet PC only hit US shelves at the beginning of this month and won’t be available to Brits until the end of May.

However, technology website Digitimes is claiming that sources in the component industry suggest the second version of the device will use “the same design concept as for the iPhone 4G” and come with an OLED panel.

Samsung, LG and Kodak are all currently producing OLED screens and Digitimes’s source claims OLED panel prices are expected to drop in the coming months making the technology “more price friendly”.

However, Mingchi Kuo, a senior research analyst at Digitimes believes the use of OLED screens will cause a problem for the iPad 2.

Kuo said that the current price of the 9.7in LCD panel for iPad is between $60 and $70 (£39 and £45). However, a 9.7in OLED panel costs around $500 (£325).

Kuo said the price gap is unlikely decrease significantly in 2010 or 2011.

The iPhone 4G is expected to be unveiled in June this year. However, tech enthusiast site Gizmodo claims to have got hold of the smartphone in advance. The website disassembled the handset and published a detailed blog entry saying it is “the real thing”.

Resource:

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3220967

U.S. buyers who ordered one of three 3G versions before yesterday will still get their iPad by the end of April, as originally promised, Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said. The 3G model connects to the Internet using mobile-phone carriers’ third-generation service, in addition to Wi-Fi networks.

Apple said last week that demand for the iPad was “far higher” than predicted, leading the company to delay international sales of the device by one month, until the end of May. Cupertino, California-based Apple sold more than 500,000 iPads in the first week after its U.S. debut on April 3.

“There’s a learning curve at play here,” said Shaw Wu, an analyst with Kaufman Bros. in San Francisco. “This is the reality of manufacturing.”

The iPad’s initial release only included models that run on Wi-Fi networks, starting at $499. The newer versions will cost at least $629. Both types let users surf the Web, watch videos, listen to music and play games on a touch screen.

Apple fell 33 cents to $247.07 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading yesterday. The shares have doubled in the past year.

‘Production Bottleneck’

The company, which said on April 14 that demand will outpace supply for the next several weeks, may be struggling to get enough touch screens produced, according to ISuppli Corp.

Suppliers, challenged by the size of the display, may be unable to make usable screens in the quantities Apple needs, said Andrew Rassweiler, an ISuppli analyst in El Segundo, California. The 9.7-inch (25-centimeter) screen is made by LG Display Co., Samsung Electronics Co. and Seiko Epson Corp., according to ISuppli.

The iPad’s LED-backlit display is about 6 inches larger than the screen used in Apple’s iPhone. For the iPad, Apple opted for a screen technology called IPS, or in-plane switching, that the company says provides “crisp, clear images and consistent color with an ultra-wide” viewing angle.

“We understand that the yields on the display have been low and that they’re creating a production bottleneck,” Rassweiler said. “That they have been doing it for the iPhone for some time is great, but once you go to 9.7 inches, it is a much more complicated process.”

Resource:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-20/apple-says-new-orders-of-the-ipad-3g-won-t-arrive-until-may-7.html

The tablet, lauded by many as the next wave in education technology, is having difficulty being accepted at George Washington University and Princeton University because of network stability issues. Cornell University also says it is seeing connectivity problems with the device and is concerned about bandwidth overload.

Such issues could be a blow to Apple, which has gone after the higher education market by highlighting the iPad’s portability and availability of electronic books. But students may not be willing to pay $499—or more, depending on the type of iPad—if they still need a desktop or laptop computer to check course assignments or email. Some higher education insiders also worry there isn’t enough educational content available via the iBookstore application to eliminate expensive physical textbooks.

George Washington said earlier this month its wireless network’s security features don’t support the iPad—or iPhone and iPod Touch, for that matter. Princeton on Wednesday said it has proactively blocked about 20% of the devices from its network after noticing malfunctions that can affect the entire school’s computer system. Princeton is working with Apple to resolve the issue, according to a statement on the school’s Web site.

Cornell’s information-technology director Steve Schuster said via email last week that the school is seeing networking and connectivity issues and is “working to ensure the iPad does not have devastating consequences to our network.” Mr. Schuster added that when the iPhone arrived on campus it overwhelmed the network’s bandwidth capabilities.

The colleges all say they are trying to find fixes to the problems. George Washington has said it could take until next spring before the iPad operating system is fully supported on its network.

Apple spokeswoman Teresa Brewer said she wasn’t familiar with the schools’ problems. The company sold more than 500,000 iPads the first week the product was in stores.

To be sure, many school networks are accepting iPads without problem. And some universities are even embracing the device. Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pa., has promised free iPads and MacBooks to all incoming freshmen next fall, and Newberg, Ore.-based George Fox University will give students a choice between the two.

But even those schools acknowledge the device has its drawbacks. Most of Seton Hill’s 2,145 students will have to pay up to $800 a year in additional technology fees for an expanded wireless network and support system.

And Seton Hill says students may still need to buy textbooks. “We believe the iPad will make e-textbooks more viable to assign and use,” said Kary Coleman, media relations director for the school, in an emailed statement. Seventy faculty members are in training to learn how to incorporate the computer and tablet into the classroom, she said, but “some faculty may choose to continue to use physical textbooks for their courses.”

Industry analysts and professors say schools won’t fully embrace iPads until textbook publishers offer more digital resources that go beyond electronic versions of hard copy books. Educational books can be more difficult than trade paperbacks to translate into e-books because they often include graphs, mathematical formulas and other non-standard-text material.

A Princeton pilot study last fall found that students were frustrated by the lack of a note-taking or highlighting function on Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle e-reader. Apple’s iBookstore now offers books in a similar format, though third-party companies are working on alternatives.

Houghton Mifflin Co.’s Harcourt, Pearson PLC and McGraw-Hill Cos., among others, have formed partnerships with application developer ScrollMotion for interactive digital texts. But ScrollMotion has only one set of texts available for the iPhone so far: medical school entrance exam and licensing test study guides from Washington Post Co.’s Kaplan Publishing. It doesn’t yet provide any textbooks for the iPad.

ScrollMotion co-founder Josh Koppel says iPad offerings will be available within “several months” but wouldn’t provide further details, citing continuing talks with publishers. He said the products would allow for notations, audio notes and an interactive glossary. “We’re not just turning a book into a PDF,” Mr. Koppel said.

Resource:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703594404575192330930646778.html?mod=rss_Today%27s_Most_Popular

We are hearing now that certain US Universities are banning the iPad also. Namely Cornell University, George Washington University and Princeton University. The reasons given are similar in some cases to Israel’s reasoning.

Some of the universities refer simply to Wi-Fi network load problems, while others are citing “security issues”. It’s all a little vague at the moment, but reports state that at George Washington University iPad, iPhones, and iPods have all been blocked from their networks.

This is something of a blow to Apple who are touting the iPad as a must-have device for students. My first reaction to this news is that Apple is a victim of its own success. iPhone, iPods and iPads don’t do anything that differently from other similar mobile devices. But there are a lot more of them out there in students’ hands these days. Hence iPad, iPhone, and iPod touches are likely to become the focus of attention as networks become log jammed in these institutions.

Therefore it seems to me that this is more an issue of University network infrastructure not being able to keep up with the increasing number of mobile devices that students carry and use on a day to day basis (and the growing bandwidth that they require).

Perhaps Universities should insist that students download Opera Mini and use that for web surfing from their iDevices instead of Mobile Safari? But then Opera Mini allegedly has it’s own issues with security due to the cached nature of its compressed web pages. But that is a story for another day.

Resource:

http://touchreviews.net/apple-ipad-us-universities-ban/

The move apparently comes after the ministry’s engineering staff could not agree on a means to test the iPad’s compatibility with Israel’s wireless networks.

“The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States operates at broadcast power levels [over its WiFi modem] compatible with American standards,” according to statement published by the Monitor. “As the Israeli regulations in the area of WiFi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards, which permit broadcasting at lower power, therefore the broadcast levels of the device prevent approving its use in Israel.”

One man had his iPad taken away and placed in a customs warehouse. He will have to apply to the Israeli government to have it shipped back to the U.S.

Apple announced yesterday that it has sold 500,000 of the tablets since its April 3 debut, but increased demand has prompted the company to delay international sales for one month, until the end of May.

Resource:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362697,00.asp

Apple said April 14 that it had delivered more than 500,000 iPads during the tablet PC’s first week of general release, exceeding the company’s internal predictions. The demand reflected by those sales, coupled with “a large number of preorders for iPad 3G models for delivery by the end of April,” has led to a postponement in the iPad’s international launch.

“We know that many international customers waiting to buy an iPad will be disappointed by this news,” read a statement posted on Apple’s Website, “but we hope they will be pleased to learn the reason—the iPad is a runaway success in the United States thus far.”

Apple had previously announced, during an April 8 news conference at the company’s Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, that about 450,000 iPads were sold in the first five days. During that conference, Apple CEO Steve Jobs also said about 600,000 iBooks and 3.5 million applications had been downloaded by new iPad owners. Those 450,000 iPads included the 300,000 units sold by midnight on April 3, the device’s first day of general release.

According to a March 29 research note from Morgan Stanley, Apple could ship as many as 8 million to 10 million iPads in 2010, and sell around 2 million of those. “Near-term, we believe the iPad will target the sizable sub-$800 consumer notebook market, which equates to 30 million units in the United States and 120 million units globally,” analyst Katy Huberty wrote. A robust application ecosystem, paired with strong interest in TV shows and e-books offered specifically for the iPad, could potentially increase the device’s sales momentum.

Research company iSuppli has also suggested that Apple could sell as many as 7.1 million iPads in 2010.

Blogger and analyst Daniel Tello, in conjunction with members of InvestorVillage’s AAPL Sanity forum, calculated in early March that Apple might have sold 120,000 iPads during the device’s first day of preorder availability, March 12, and that 69 percent of preorder customers were gravitating toward the WiFi-only version of the device.

Apple will face a wide variety of tablet PC competitors later in the year, including a device by Hewlett-Packard that features a combination of inward-facing VGA Webcam and outward-facing 3-megapixel camera for video conferencing and image-taking. The HP Slate will retail for between $549 and $599, and will run Windows 7. Similar devices, including a much-rumored Google Android tablet, may also try to make a competitive differentiator out of featuring a camera module, which is not included in the current version of the iPad.

The iPad may also run the risk of breakability. In an April 9 e-mail to eWEEK, Aaron Vronko, co-founder and service manager of Michigan-based Rapid Repair, predicted that 5 to 10 percent of the devices would fail due to “accident-related causes” each year.

“Physics are not in the tablet’s favor,” Vronko wrote. “While the fragile parts of the iPad are no less durable than their iPhone counterparts, a 10-inch and 24-ounce device is just a much bigger target for accidental collisions and generates many times more force in a fall.” Competing device manufacturers, however, do not have access to the voluminous life-cycle data from the iPhone and iPod Touch that Apple could use to make the iPad more durable.

Resource:

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Apple-Delivered-500000-iPads-In-First-Week-Pressuring-Supply-402820/

Eager fans hoping to get their hands on the hyped-up device had a rude shock today when Apple pushed the original April launch to the end of May.

VHA will offer the 3G and Wi-Fi iPad to Vodafone and 3 Mobile customers with a range of dedicated price plans for all models of the touchscreen tablet. But the telco is keeping mum on what the actual price plans will entail or whether they will be available in post or pre-paid options.

Telstra has also said it will offer dedicated iPad price plans but it is unclear if the telco will have all versions of the device for sale.

Optus is yet to reveal if it will stock the iPad.

The iPad was scheduled to hit local shores at the end of this month but Apple has been forced to delay its arrival due to the overwhelming demand for the device in the US.

This is the second time Apple has had to put back an iPad launch: in January, its US debut was rescheduled to April after analysts reported that production delays and difficulties with suppliers would limit the number of units available.

Apple has sold more than 500,000 iPads since it first went on sale at the start of April, but a glut of complaints about poor Wi-Fi connections and problems with charging the device have marred its launch.

Only the Wi-Fi version of the iPad has been released in the US but a 3G version is expected to be available later this month. iPad prices range from $US499 ($534) to $US829.

Resource:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/vodafone-3-mobile-first-with-ipad/story-e6frgakx-1225854030536

The PC industry shrugged off the recession last year to post a surprising rise in worldwide computer sales. In a sign of the vibrancy of the market, companies like Google and Nokia — not traditionally makers of PCs — have jumped into the competition; Google is developing an operating system to compete with Microsoft’s Windows, and Nokia now sells a laptop.

Meanwhile, the early indicators for this year show PC sales surging. On Tuesday, Intel, the world’s largest PC chip maker, reported the highest first-quarter sales, $10.3 billion, and profit, $2.4 billion, in its history. After digesting Intel’s results, a number of Wall Street analysts said on Wednesday that the PC market could grow as much as 25 percent this year.

Also on Wednesday, the research firm Gartner said worldwide PC shipments climbed by 27.4 percent in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, surpassing expectations by more than 5 percent.

While experts engage in a fierce debate about the health of the overall economy, the technology sector has marched on in recovery mode. Intel, as a major supplier, tends to provide an early glimpse into the overall health of the sector and with its latest results has posted sales figures that surpass pre-recession levels.

Consumers have led the PC charge through their fondness for netbooks, the cheap, tiny laptops that were introduced about three years ago. Rather than eating into laptop sales, these devices have attracted consumers to a new category of complementary computers. And now Apple, with its iPad, and other companies are seeking to lure even more buyers with their interpretations on a thinner, lighter computer.

Intel officials attributed the first-quarter results to record purchases of laptop chips and of more expensive, faster chips. At the same time, they said, large corporations, many of which have four-year-old computers, have finally started upgrading their aging machines.

“We are seeing signs of life in the corporate market,” said Stacy J. Smith, the chief financial officer at Intel, during an interview.

Last April, Paul S. Otellini, the chief executive at Intel, proclaimed that the PC industry had hit bottom in early 2009, and would recover throughout the year. With sales across the technology sector at record lows and the worldwide economy mired in a slump, Mr. Otellini’s optimism was questioned as premature.

Just one month earlier, Gartner had forecast that PC sales would fall by 12 percent in 2009, which would have been their steepest decline in history.

Ultimately, global PC sales rose more than 5 percent in 2009. The PC market’s relative health stood in contrast to depressed markets for cars, cellphones, televisions and other goods used by people on a daily basis.

Even on tight budgets, consumers continued to buy laptops in large quantities and flocked to netbooks, which accounted for more than one-fifth of laptop sales in regions like Europe. Companies like Intel, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft make less money from the low-cost netbooks, but the devices have kept shipment numbers high by creating a new niche for computers. About 95 percent of people buy netbooks as an additional computer rather than as a laptop replacement, according to Intel’s surveys of its customers.

Companies like Apple, H.P. and Nokia want to use trimmed-down, specialized versions of laptops as a way to offer people access to their content and software services, creating a deeper customer relationships.

“The hardware is a type of Trojan horse to give these companies access to consumers and their wallets,” said Ashok Kumar, a technology analyst with Rodman & Renshaw.

In addition to Google’s expected release of its PC operating system and Nokia’s laptop, both companies are also preparing competitors to the iPad, according to people who have been briefed on the companies’ plans but are not authorized to speak publicly about them.

It remains difficult, however, to draw any conclusions about the vibrancy of the PC market and the overall economy, some analysts say.

Roger L. Kay, a longtime PC industry analyst, said that in the 1990s, computers were often viewed as a leading indicator for the economy’s behavior. “Corporations would buy them to invest in higher productivity in the future,” he said.

But he warned that it was difficult in the previous decade to connect the health of the PC market to the health of the broader economy. PC sales, he said, “have slipped from leading to concurrent indicators.”

Mr. Smith from Intel said PCs had become such crucial devices to everyday life that they could withstand the gyrations of the economy better than most products and seemed to recover early.

“The telling data point is one from last year when the PC market bottomed out and then recovered quickly in comparison to things like TVs, cars and washing machines,” Mr. Smith said. “I can only take away that at least in this downturn, PCs were a leading indicator.”

Mr. Smith’s son learned about his father’s lofty view of the PC’s importance the hard way.

“Over the last decade, the PC has gone from an interesting device to a necessary device,” he said. “When I want to ground my son, I take away his PC for the night, not his TV.”

Resource:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/technology/15computer.html

There’s been much debate and hype over the iPad’s next-big-thing status. Instead of jumping into that particular mosh pit, we’ve been closely watching as the applications have started rolling out, anticipating which tools will organize, simplify and entertain. Here, our picks for the top apps for any business professional.

In Pictures: 10 Must-Have iPad Apps For Every Professional

In Pictures: iPad Debut’s Fan Fenzy

In Pictures: What Your iPhone Apps Know About You

In Pictures: Apple’s Ecosystem

In Pictures: Steve Jobs’ Frenemies

Air Sharing Pro The Air Sharing Pro app turns your iPad into a portable hard drive, and the upgrade from the iPhone version puts the larger screen to good use. Wirelessly mount your iPad as a drive on your computer so you can load any files you need on-the-go. The iPad now can open, view or e-mail files in any format–Excel docs, movie files, pdfs, you name it. Air Sharing also allows your iPad to locate any printers available on a wireless network, which will surely come in handy. $9.99.

Big Oven Ever find yourself roaming the grocery store aisles with little or no clue what to make for dinner. BigOven, a recipe-centric social-networking site with over 170,000 recipes, has built an app just for you. Browse for recipe suggestions and create grocery lists right on the iPad; you’ll be eating better and shopping smarter in no time. $4.99.

Cube Forgetting a taxi receipt or business lunch can get you into trouble when it comes time to fill out your montly T&E report. Cube, which works with your existing Google or Gmail accounts just might be your saving grace. This minimalist app (no fussy design elements here) is an easy way to keep track of time, travel and money. Freelancers, especially, can benefit from Cube’s feature that tracks different projects, tasks and clients with color-coding. Free.

Dragon Dictation Typing on the iPad has mixed reviews from early users, many saying that pecking away at the screen when placed flat is awkward, and propping the tablet on an angle is problematic when you’re on-the-move. Enter Dragon Dictation–a voice dictation app from the well-known software maker that translates your voice into text.

A reviewer from USA Today says his tests were a whopping 98% accurate–a serious step up from most other voice dictation software and far faster than the earlier app developed for the iPhone. Click a tab and your voice note becomes email-ready. Free.

Instapaper Pro Instantly makes a newspaper out of the many articles and blog posts you come across during the day–but never the time to read. Instapaper lets you cache Web pages right to your iPad to read later on. Bonus from Instapaper: The app is universal. You only have to pay for it once, and it will work on any iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. $4.99

Kayak Flights Kayak is the best place on the Web to find the cheapest flights out of town–or out of a dreadful conference weekend in the middle of nowhere. The iPad app makes browsing for flights simple and easy-to-use, and early reviews say the bigger screen of the iPad upgrades the existing iPhone app a million-to-one. Free.

LinkedIn Read the ForbesWoman group on LinkedIn, and you will find evidence of why it works: It’s a great way to talk about things that matter and to stay connected to past, present and future colleagues and business contacts. The newest version of LinkedIn for iPad promises to allow you to update your status right from your profile, even when you’re on the go–which we can already see coming in handy when iPadding from conferences or events. Free.

NPR The NPR app for iPhone is great–but the public broadcaster has so much content on the page that it’s better used on the iPad’s bigger screen. The news source has three main categories to choose from: news, arts and life and music. A multitasking plus is the app lets users listen to full episodes of favorite NPR programs like “All Things Considered” while browsing the rest of the site for other content. Here’s to tapping into local NPR affiliates from around the world. Free.

Pocket Yoga De-stress at your desk, or wherever you are. Pocket Yoga offers an instructor at your fingertips: three practices, three difficulty levels and three duration times to give you 27 different Flow Yoga combination routines. The “instructor” uses both illustrations on iPad’s large screen and voice commands to help with your poses and breathing while the iPad’s memory can store a log of your training. Multitasking bonus: Pocket Yoga works with iTunes simultaneously so you can work out to our own music. $2.99.

Scrabble For word people, Scrabble has always been a favorite downtime distraction not to feel guilty about. Scrabble for iPad looks great on the big display and includes options for playing against the computer, online opponents or friends–just passing the iPad back and forth. Or by adding an additional (free) app, synche iPhones or iPod touches to use the smaller screens as letter racks. This is another app that works with iTunes to let you control the soundtrack to your game. $9.99.

Resource:
Yahoo News

Vodafone, O2 and Orange have made virtually identical (and therefore clearly Apple founded) statements confirming: “Vodafone/Orange/O2 today announced that it will offer dedicated iPad price plans for all models from the end of May”. This is in line with the iPad delay Apple confirmed yesterday.

To this generic statement Vodafone added “…in Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK”, Orange tacked on “…in the UK” and O2 added “…(in France, UK, Spain and Switzerland).” Furthermore T-Mobile is known to be in talks with Apple leaving 3 as the only major telco whose position is unclear. That said, given the iPad will be available unlocked it could be argued any network which is prepared to burden itself with the micro SIM format can get in on the act.

Sadly none of the networks provided a breakdown of the tariffs they will offer, but we should find out subsidised and unsubsidised details soon enough. That said, this open network approach from Apple bodes well for the next generation of iPhone which is traditionally unveiled each June. Open across all networks? Yes please !

Resource:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/laptops/news/2010/04/15/O2–Orange—Vodafone-Announce-iPad-Tariffs/p1

Although it’s a US version you’ll be buying, and you’ll have to pay a hefty premium to be a very-early-adopter.

Which means that all told, you’d be a bit mad not to wait a couple of weeks for the official UK iPads to be launched.

Still, if there’s no holding you back, you can secure your iPad from Simply Electronics, with prices starting from £540 for the 16GB wi-fi version (with free delivery).

Even more expensive, Purely Gadgets have the same model for £690. They don’t have stock of the 64GB version, though, which is probably just as well as it’s £870.

When it comes out here, which is rumoured to be April 24th, the basic 16GB wi-fi model of the iPad should go for around the £400 mark.

Resource:

http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2010/04/12/us-apple-ipad-on-sale-in-the-uk/

Google has basically just taken the iPad’s Safari browser and used this app to make it very Google-centric, but that’s about the only thing the app brings: no Chrome, no Android-ish interface, nothing. Sure, you get voice search and location-specified searches built in, but it comes across as a half-effort.

Google perhaps missed a chance to plant seeds for its own tablet that we know is on the way. It could have changed the interface of its app to match what it’s planning, thereby setting the stage for its own device. It could have also attempted to outdo Apple at the browser game, but it didn’t.

Of course, there’s no way to know if Apple would have let those changes into the App store. Apple is maintaining its filter on what appears in the store and what doesn’t, and given the climate between the two giants it’s possible a more full-featured app would have been rejected handily.

And that’s too bad for us, the end users.

Resource:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20002421-1.html

Billed as Australia’s first smart home phone, the T-Hub is available only to Telstra customers.

The unit is an 18 centimetre touch screen device that allows phone calls and text messages, as well as internet applications such as news, sport and weather.

The phone plugs directly into a standard telephone socket and has access to BigPond and Sensis services, as well as online social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Skype.

Calls can be made with a cordless handset or handsfree via the portable touch screen.

Telstra chief marketing officer, Kate McKenzie, said that a phone will suit Australian families.

“T-Hub will suit Australians’ appetite for quick access to information, while enabling customers to perform many mobile phone-type applications on their home phone.”

The phone will be available on Tuesday from most Telstra dealers, selected additional dealers, online and over the phone.

The T-Hub can be purchased by Telstra customers as either part of 15 different bundle options, such as the Home Bundle 12 gigabyte plan at costs $109 a month plus $35 upfront, or for a flat upfront price of $299.

Resource:

http://www.current.com.au/2010/04/14/article/Telstra-reveals-its-iPad-rival-the-T-Hub-prices-and-dates/XMDHMNOSXB.html

Murdoch renewed his attacks on search engines, such as Google, which he accused of stealing journalism from regular media outlets. He told a US National Press Club event at George Washington University the newspaper industry had to stand up for itself and charge for content, while using copyright law to defend its journalism from being used without its permission.

”We are going to stop people like Google or Microsoft or whoever from taking stories for nothing … there is a law of copyright and they recognise it,” he told a packed audience of students, journalists and other media professionals.

He said search engines had tapped into a ”river of gold” by aggregating content but that the days of free news had to come to an end. ”They take [news content] for nothing. They have got this very clever business model,” Murdoch said.

In June, online versions of Murdoch’s British titles The Times and The Sunday Times will be put behind a paywall, joining the online version of his business title, The Wall Street Journal.

However, some critics say consumers are accustomed to getting online news free and will not subscribe in sufficiently large numbers to form a viable business model for quality journalism. Murdoch dismissed this fear, saying consumers could be forced to change their habits.

”When they have got nowhere else to go, they will start paying if it is reasonable. No one is going to ask for a lot of money,” he said.

Murdoch also fired a shot at The New York Times – a common bete noire of Murdoch and the WSJ’s main rival – by saying The New York Times’s own paywall plans were half-hearted and needed to be more restrictive.

”They don’t seem to be able to make up their mind,” Murdoch said.

”They will have opposition internally from some of their journalists, especially their columnists. ”To really make it work, they have got to put a paywall up. I think most newspapers in [the US] have got to have a paywall.”

Advocates of free newspaper websites often accuse Murdoch of being a technophobe but the Australian media mogul was happy to embrace the technology of Apple’s iPad tablet device, launched in the US on April 3.

During an interview with journalist Marvin Kalb, Murdoch sat with an iPad and even picked it up to demonstrate how to navigate The Wall Street Journal’s website. He said the iPad could be the saviour of newspaper journalism – in electronic form, not print.

”I got a glimpse of the future … with the Apple iPad,” Murdoch said.

”It is a wonderful thing. If you have [fewer] newspapers and more of these … it may well be the saving of the newspaper industry.”

Murdoch was also given a grilling over the conservative bias of his Fox News cable television channel.

The audience regularly tittered when Murdoch said he thought the channel had no political bias in its news coverage.

”We have both sides. We have Democrats and Republicans, Libertarians and whatever,” he said.

However, when asked to name a single Democrat-leaning Fox commentator – alongside such famous conservative names as Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly – he struggled to remember one.

”I wish I could tell you a couple of names. But they are certainly there,” Murdoch said. He eventually settled on host Greta van Susteren, whom he said was ”close” to the Democratic party.

Resource:

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/murdoch-hails-ipad-as-saviour-of-news-20100412-s447.html

Intel’s new Core i5 and i7 CPUs made it into this MacBook Pro generation, with the exception of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

(What we said then: “We’re not saying that any laptop without Intel’s new mainstream CPUs is ready for the recycling bin, but now would be an ideal time to update the processors inside the entire line, to take advantage of the improved power efficiency and other advantages of the new Core i-series chips.”)

We’re also pleasantly surprised to see that Apple included automatic graphics switching, enabling MacBook Pros to enjoy a similarly seamless way to activate and deactivate discrete graphics in a way comparable to what we’ve seen in Nvidia’s new Optimus laptop graphics.

There’s even another boost to battery life, too. Yet, despite addressing a few of our biggest wishes, a lot of features remain to be addressed. Here’s our short list of five, culled from our previous post with a few new additions.

• SD card slots across the board

  Even a $299 Netbook has one of these useful little media card readers. And finally, after years of gentle ribbing from us and others, Apple added an SD card reader to the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models. But, it’s still not on the most popular MacBook, the $999 base model. And it’s still not on the 17-inch model, either.

• Blu-ray drives

  For a high-end laptop with plenty of media cred, it’s a bit awkward for MacBooks to not at least offer the option of adding a Blu-ray drive. It’s clearly not a cost issue, as expensive SSD options have been available from Apple for some time. At this point, many high-end PCs in the MacBook’s price range include a Blu-ray drive by default.

• Mobile broadband options

  With the sheer number of Mac laptops we see at coffee shops and airports, having an always-on Internet connection seems like another natural fit. It’s widely available as a built-in option from most PC makers, and newer antenna hardware can work with more than one carrier. Sure, using a USB key antenna is always an option, but why mess up that sleek Apple silhouette? It’s a bit surprising post-iPad that no AT&T 3G option was included in any MacBook.

• HDMI outputs

  Though the mini-DisplayPort is Apple’s video connection of choice, actually hooking it up to monitors besides the ones Apple sells is a bit of a hassle. Some laptops, especially larger desktop replacements, offer a combo of HDMI, VGA, and even DVI. We’ll settle for a single HDMI, which carries both sound and video, and would make getting iTunes videos up on our big-screen TVs even easier. Now that Intel’s Wireless Display makes video streaming from a laptop even easier, it’s even harder to accept the MacBook’s awkward means of TV interfacing.

• Better tethering/interaction with iPhones/iPods/iPads

  Now that Apple has increased its iPhone OS-running family, we’re still waiting for slicker ways to interface our handheld Apple gadgets with their larger laptop brethren. Syncing is pretty much the only thing an iPad and a MacBook Pro have in common, and we’d love to see some better ways for the devices to interact wirelessly. There are already apps to use the iPad as a secondary display or as a giant touch pad, but it would be nice to see official Apple-branded solutions that could work even more smoothly. Yes, there is MobileMe, but it should ideally offer a more seamless cloud-computing-type environment as opposed to being limited to calendar/e-mail/bookmark syncing.

If any of these sound familiar, that’s because we’ve mentioned several of them before. Interestingly, though most of these have been on our wish list for some time, a few of our longtime MacBook suggestions have made their way into real life, from the SD card slots on select models to the inclusion of the large multitouch trackpad filtering down on the base $999 white MacBook.

Got anything on your own MacBook wish list? Sound off below and let us know.

Resource:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20002383-1.html

Internet retailer Amazon.com (AMZN) may need to write a new chapter for the Kindle in the face of fierce competition from Apple’s iPad.

Since Apple (AAPL) announced on Jan. 27 that it would sell a versatile tablet computer that lets users read electronic books and perform a range of other computing tasks, analysts have said the iPad would likely take a bite out of sales of dedicated e-book readers such as Amazon’s popular Kindle. In light of Apple’s Apr. 8 announcement that it sold 450,000 iPads in less than a week, Wall Street analysts are already slicing their forecasts for Kindle sales.

Charlie Wolf, a senior analyst at Needham & Co. who has a “buy” rating on Apple shares, on Apr. 9 cut his forecast for Kindle sales this year, settling on a range from 2.5 million to 3 million units, in place of a previous forecast of 3.6 million units. Wolf estimates that Amazon sold 2.2 million Kindles in 2009. “It’s not a compelling product,” he says of the Kindle, because Apple’s iPad offers more features, such as the ability to play video, plus a more compelling design.

Piper Jaffray (PJC) analyst Gene Munster, who has an “overweight” rating on Amazon shares, cut his 2010 forecast for Kindle sales by 400,000 units, to 3.45 million. Amazon’s top-of-the-line Kindle DX, which is designed to let users read e-books on a black-and-white screen, is selling for $489, just $10 less than Apple’s least-expensive iPad.

The iPad starts at $499 for a model with 16 gigabytes of storage, a color touchscreen, and a library of 60,000 e-books. It also affords users the ability to watch videos, listen to music, and run a wide variety of applications. “No one in their right mind is going to buy a Kindle DX,” says Munster.

consumers dumping Kindles for iPads

To keep pace with consumers’ heightened expectations about what a tablet-style computer should do, Amazon may need to lower the Kindle’s price or introduce such new features as a color screen to make the device more compelling, analysts say.

Many iPad buyers seem poised to use them as e-reader replacements. On Apr. 3, the day the tablet went on sale, Piper Jaffray surveyed 448 customers in line at Apple’s New York and Minneapolis stores. Ten percent of prospective buyers said they had considered a Kindle but decided instead to buy an iPad. And 58% of the respondents who already owned Kindles said they planned to stop using them in light of their iPad purchase.

Munster recommends that Amazon drop prices by $100 on its smaller Kindle reader, which costs $259 and sports a 6-in. screen, as well as on the Kindle DX, which has a 9.7-in. screen. “If they lower the Kindle’s price, it’ll survive,” says Munster. “If they don’t, it won’t.”

Susan Kevorkian, an analyst at market researcher IDC, says Amazon needs to update the Kindle with a color screen and replace its buttons with touchscreen capabilities. “They absolutely need a color screen—the sooner the better,” she says. Earlier this year, Amazon acquired Touchco, a company that makes touchscreen technology

Amazon isn’t the only company whose products are suffering from comparisons with Apple’s tablet. The iPad is drawing consumers’ attention away from such other dedicated e-book readers as Barnes & Noble’s (BKS) Nook, and Sony’s (SNE) Reader, analysts say.

devices channel buyers to e-stores

To be sure, the fortunes of Amazon, which reported $24.5 billion in sales last year, won’t rise or fall on the Kindle’s success. The device contributes a small portion of overall revenues, with analysts estimating that Amazon has sold 2 million to 3 million Kindles since its 2007 introduction.

Still, digital books are a key to Amazon’s future as consumers buy more reading material in electronic form. Controlling the device on which that material is read is a way for tech vendors and retailers to steer consumers to their online stores.

In an Apr. 12 report, Goldman Sachs (GS) said e-book sales will more than quadruple from 2010 to 2015, reaching $3.19 billion. Goldman predicted that Apple’s share of the e-book market would more than triple, to 33% in 2015, and forecast that Amazon’s share would fall to 28% in 2015, from 50% this year.

Shares of Amazon gained 1.14, or 0.8%, on Apr. 12 to close at 141.20. The shares have gained nearly 5% this year, compared with an 8.3% increase in the Nasdaq Composite Index.

Apple has emphasized the iPad’s reading capability in its TV ads. At an Apr. 8 press conference at Apple’s headquarters, Chief Executive Steve Jobs said iPad owners had downloaded more than 600,000 e-books for the device. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr had no comment on Apple’s strategy for competing with the Kindle.

Apple’s rivals in the e-reader market are taking steps to fight back. Barnes & Noble on Apr. 12 said it will begin selling the Nook in 1,070 Best Buy (BBY) stores and through the retailer’s Web site.

Kindle: lighter and no network charge

Steve Haber, president of Sony’s digital reading business, said in an e-mailed statement that “the introduction of a tablet device, which includes digital reading as part of its functionality, is a good thing for the digital book business.”

Amazon spokesman Andrew Herdener wouldn’t comment on future product plans. He says the Kindle’s light weight (two-thirds of a pound for the smaller model, vs. 1.5 lbs. for the iPad) and ability to download books without incurring cellular network charges constitute advantages over the iPad.

Three initial iPad models can connect to the Internet via WiFi to download books and magazines, run applications, and browse the Web. Three additional models due later in April will connect to AT&T’s cellular network for additional charges of $15 or $30 per month.

Offering third-party applications for the Kindle could help keep buyers interested. In January, Amazon let developers start creating Kindle apps, which Amazon says will be available later this year. Developer Sonic Boom is building word games and puzzles. Handmark is creating a Zagat-branded restaurant-ratings guide, according to Amazon.

Amazon has also been distributing software for Research In Motion’s (RIMM) BlackBerry smartphones, Apple’s iPhone, and—yes—the iPad, that let users of those devices read the more than 480,000 digital titles Amazon is selling. “Being able to offer Kindle on other devices buys Amazon some time and keeps [Kindle] relevant,” IDC’s Kevorkian says.

To compete with Apple’s iPad, Amazon will need to keep finding innovative ways to draw readers to its digital books—and must roll some of them out soon.

Resource:

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2010/tc20100412_516320.htm

But last week’s iPhone 4.0 preview, which isn’t due on the iPad until autumn, already makes it look much more attractive as a netbook or laptop replacement than it did on Wednesday.

I’ll admit I truly loathe netbooks. When the first models emerged at least they had their size going for them. Now they’re bigger and more expensive, but mostly dog slow.

Size and weight matters to me, and the iPad has had these advantages from the start. The disadvantages of an iPad over a laptop were many, but the lack of multitasking was the biggest. That’s been fixed now – at least well enough so most people don’t notice.

Lack of a physical keyboard is another problem, but iPhone 4.0 gets proper third-party Bluetooth keyboard support. Apple’s official keyboard accessory, the ‘iPad Keyboard Dock’, is very unlike-Apple. It can only be used on a flat surface, and doesn’t look toddler proof: it places a lot of strain on a fragile connection. The Apple Wireless Keyboard will work, but it’s a generic device. It doesn’t make typing on your lap practical, as a custom-designed keyboard might*.

But the iPad has gained VPN support and crypto, two strong candidates for grown-up computing. Whether any of the iPhone OS ssh clients can now sprout standard features such as port forwarding remains to be seen. I have no fear of jailbreaking to get at such raw features, but plenty of people quite understandably do.

Apple’s version of multitasking may almost be good enough. I liked the observation that “if you see a stylus, they blew it. In multitasking, if you see a task manager… they blew it. Users shouldn’t ever have to think about it.”

True, but Apple’s method gets weary and RSI-inducing very quickly. Remember that most of us, most of the time, switch between just two tasks. iPhone OS 4.0 lacks a quick gesture to achieve this.

But I think with the OS update, the iPad will be finding its way into potential buying decisions in a way it didn’t at launch.

In January I had three good reasons to dismiss it as a laptop alternative: price, multitasking and the lack of a USB port. I consider the latter an essential gateway to a wider world of hardware such as cameras, card readers, controllers and things we haven’t thought of yet.

Well, USB obviously isn’t going to be fixed in this year’s model, and may never be. It clashes with the purity, or puritanism, of the Steve approach. Multitasking has been fixed. The price for UK users still hasn’t been revealed – so that’s a variable. Obviously I’m not going to be writing a book on an iPad. But quite unexpectedly, it’s looking like a useful bit of daily computing kit.

What are your deal breakers?

In the past ten years I’ve tried every Bluetooth keyboard going and paired it with a smartphone. Each time, against my better judgement, I thought it might work. They were all more trouble than they were worth.

Resource:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/12/ipad_for_work/

We also have the first impressions of the lovely iPad and, for the most part, we like it. And the apps. And the accessories. It’s a win.

But it’s not all Apple news. Research In Motion finally released an official Twitter client for BlackBerrys. It’s an open beta test, and it seems pretty solid so far, though it could use a few more features.

On the green-tech front, we mentioned a new power strip concept from Fujitsu that keeps a log of your power usage on a PC so you can see what’s using energy, even when you’re not home.

Linux on the PS3 is hot again, as iPhone hacker GeoHot demoed a hacked PS3 running Linux. The latest PS3 firmware disallows this, but GeoHot’s hack re-enables it. No word yet on when a userland hack will be available

Resource:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20002196-1.html

In that earlier blog, I listed some of the reasons buyers gave for lining up to purchase the iPad on April 3, the first day of sales. The reasons and reader responses to those reasons are worth a second look since the iPad, like the iPhone, is one of those products that could alter the computing landscape permanently.

How exactly this will play out is of course still unclear. One reader, however, argued that the iPad will create a more pronounced “schism” between those who “create a lot of content”–i.e., people who use more powerful Macs and PCs–and “all the rest”–the latter defined as people who use small, highly-mobile computers like the iPad and Netbook for media consumption and light productivity.

Comments were varied, running the gamut from readers who thought the device was redundant and/or impractical to those who thought it to be a worthy purchase.

Here’s a sampling, pro and con:

• Hard to justify: “I love Apple products….However I can’t justify purchasing this device…A novelty product.”
• Steamroller: “Apple haters, technical scowlers, squinters, and grouches–eat your hearts out because the IPad is going to take over the world.”
• Productivity versus consumption: “My home computer will suffice for the number crunching, code compiling and media encoding needs. The iPad will be my encyclopedia, mailbox, newspaper, library, music jukebox, video player for the home and on the go.”
• Regression: “People are paying for something that does less than what we’ve been doing before…Because we want to be able to do two things at once (multitasking)…that makes us nerds?”
• Better than a Kindle: “Much as I hate to admit it, I’m likely to be an early adopter as soon as the 3G arrives…I have to read & review a lot of academic papers on the go. Not a great use for a laptop, iPhone is too small, notetaking on the Kindle (and PDF handling) way too limited.”
• Useless: “The more i read about the iPad, the more it angers me…its SO useless. a 500 dollar + device, for really really bad reasons. High end netbooks, that can do multitudes more, are cheaper. I can’t wait till more people realize how bad this device is, and it plummets.”
• Apple allure: “One glaringly obvious reason is missing from this list. ‘Because it’s from apple.’ Like apple, hate it, or anything in between, you still have to recognize…brand loyalists who would buy any product Steve Jobs waved in front of their faces because it was the latest greatest thing.”

Resource:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20002213-64.html

After staking out three locations in the Eastern United States, Soules — co-founder of teardown firm iFixit — cracked the device open on Saturday to unearth NAND flash memory by Samsung Electronics, an LCD display from LG Display and microchips from Broadcom Corp, Texas Instruments Inc and NXP Semiconductor.

Soules and his outfit provide and advise on components in Apple gadgets — and also identifies them. The work of teardown firms such as iFixit may prove crucial in identifying which manufacturer gets its parts into a device expected to sell upwards of 5 million units in 2010 alone.

Soules had slept overnight in the parking lot outside an Apple mall store in Richmond, Virginia. He was the first to walk out of the store, moments after the outlet opened at 9 a.m., iPad in hand.

Store employees clapped and gave him high-fives. He grinned, but moved quickly. There was work to do.

Without a second’s dawdling, Soules hopped in a waiting car and raced a few short miles to the house of a friend, where he had his tools of destruction ready to go. He barely paused to admire the iPad out of the box. He didn’t even turn it on.

The secretive Apple is famous for designing sealed-up devices intended to discourage nosy gadget heads from poking around in them, and the iPad was no different.

The iPad had no screws. But working with a tool called a spudger, it took Soules only 10 minutes to separate the iPad’s handsome, 9.7-inch facing from its silver-backed casing.

He surveyed the iPad’s design, a maze of parts that would be utterly inscrutable to most people.

“That’s very, very nice,” he said almost reverentially.

IPAD’S SOUL
Teardown firms are hired by an array of clients, their data used for competitive intelligence, in patent disputes or to keep current on industry benchmarks.

By 9:30 a.m., Soules had turned the iPad inside out and was sharing its secrets with the world.

There is strong competition to be first to tear open Apple devices and reveal the design, chips and components within and iFixit has gained a measure of fame for their work.

Months of anticipation had built ahead of the iPad launch and — at least in technology circles — almost as much excitement about what’s on the inside of the device.

Within 45 minutes, iFixit had left the iPad — the gleaming symbol of Apple’s technological wizardry — in tatters, its various parts naked against a crisp white backdrop.

Soules moved at a rapid clip, narrating as he took pictures and streamed to colleague Kyle Wiens and others in California, who were posting them online and helping identify parts.

IFixit’s near-live teardowns have become staples for gadget fans during Apple product launches.

As a veteran of many previous efforts, Soules was prepared for any tricks Apple might throw his way, but the iPad didn’t prove to be too enormous of a challenge to take apart, as some of previous devices have.

Soules had removed the main circuit board of the iPad by 10 a.m. The 4-inch long, 1-ounce board was covered by an electromagnetic interference shield, and underneath were all the microprocessors that make the device tick.

“The vast majority of the brains of the iPad are on this little board. It’s amazing what they can fit into such a small space,” Soules said.

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

One of first identifiable parts was the NAND flash memory, which was made by Samsung, which has supplied components for other Apple devices. Soules also quickly noted chips from Broadcom, Texas Instruments.

There were also at least three chips carrying Apple branding. Apple is known to hide the identities of some chipmakers in its products by having them stamp an Apple logo on their parts. The main iPad chip is an Apple creation; its very own A4 processor controls the iPad’s programs.

IFixit determined that Samsung is manufacturing the A4 chip for Apple.

After removing the circuit board, Soules dug in further using a Torx screwdriver to manipulate the minuscule screws inside THE iPad. His fingernails gingerly pried open casings.

“The teardown process is bit easier if I keep my fingernails on the long side,” he said.

Soules discovered the iPad’s battery is not soldered into place, which means that replacing it is possible for the do-it-yourself crowd. IFixit promotes device repair as a way to cut down on electronic waste.

Apple requires users to mail iPad units back to the company, which will change the battery for a hefty fee.

By 10:45 a.m. Soules was cautiously fiddling with the iPad’s display, the most expensive component.

While he was unable to determine who made the display on his unit, another iFixit teardown at a different location revealed one from LG, meaning Apple could be using displays from more than one supplier.

Besides Richmond, iFixit had also ordered iPads at addresses near Indianapolis and Orlando, Florida. The company had people in both areas, home to FedEx shipping hubs.

IFixit thought it might be able to get a few hours jump on the competition by staking out the FedEx hubs the morning of the launch, to intercept one of the devices.

But that didn’t pan out, so they resorted to standing in line — at the head of the line actually — in three cities.

The Federal Communications Commission also managed to steal at least some of iFixit’s thunder. Bloggers discovered on Friday that the FCC had posted pictures of the insides of pre-production iPads on its Web site, despite the fact that Apple had requested that they keep them confidential.

IFixit spent much of the night identifying the parts, which were not necessarily the same as those in real iPads.

By noon on Saturday, the bulk of the iPad teardown was done. But there will be at least another week of analysis, using sophisticated equipment that can cut into components to determine how they were made, and who made them.

Resource:

http://in.news.yahoo.com/137/20100404/371/tbs-apple-s-ipad-unearthed-samsung-lg-ap.html

Materials for the iPad, which went on sale on April 3, include a touch-screen display that costs $95 and a $26.80 processor designed by Apple and manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co., according to El Segundo, California-based ISuppli.

Analysis by ISuppli indicates that components of the lowest-priced, 16-gigabyte iPad amounts to 52 percent of its retail price of $499. That leaves the iPad on par with other Apple products, including the iPhone 3GS. A high-end 64-gigabyte version of the iPad, which retails for $699, contains components that cost $348.10, according to ISuppli.

Much of the iPad’s component costs went toward making the device appealing to use, said ISuppli principal analyst Andrew Rassweiler, who supervised the “teardown” analysis of the product. More than 40 percent of the iPad’s cost is devoted to powering its touch-screen display and other components of the computer’s user interface — “what you see with your eyes and what you feel with your fingers,” he said. The distinctive aluminum casing on the back of the device contributed about $10.50 to cost of materials.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison declined to comment on ISuppli’s findings.

Teardown Analysis

Research firms conduct so-called teardown analysis of consumer electronics to determine component prices and makers and to estimate profit margins. The estimate doesn’t include costs for intangible items such as software development, advertising, patent licensing or shipping. In February, ISuppli had estimated that the least expensive iPad would carry a $219.35 cost of materials.

Once it took one apart, ISuppli found more silicon chips than it had expected to power interactions with the iPad’s 9.7- inch screen.

“Because of the sheer scale of this device, we’re seeing more here than we expected,” Rassweiler said. Apple uses three chips to control the iPad’s touch screen, for example.

Over time, Apple may have leeway to combine many of the iPad’s electronic components, or integrate them into the display, Rassweiler said.

“We’ll see a lot less silicon required to make them work,” he said.

Pricey Touch Screen

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, rose $1.06 to $240.60 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have climbed 14 percent this year.

The most expensive component in the iPad is its touch- sensitive, custom-manufactured screen. South Korea-based LG Display Co., Samsung and Japan’s Seiko Epson Corp. make the LCD display, according to ISuppli. Taiwan-based Wintek Corp. makes the glass overlay necessary to detect touches of users’ fingertips. The screen’s special design makes it about twice as expensive as those used in comparably sized netbook computers, according to Rassweiler.

LG spokesman John Taylor didn’t return a call seeking comment. Wintek spokesman James Chen, based in Taiwan, and an Epson spokesman couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Chris Goodhart, a spokeswoman for Samsung, declined to comment.

Flash memory chips, obtained from various suppliers including Samsung, account for $29.50 in costs on the 16- gigabyte model, $59 in the 32-gigabyte version and $118 in the 64-gigabyte model, Rassweiler said. These chips push the cost of manufacturing the 32-gigabyte version of the iPad, which sells for $599, to $289.10. They boost the cost of the 64-gigabyte version, which sells for $699, to $348.10.

Samsung Processor

While Apple designed the main processor in the iPad, Rassweiler said South Korea’s Samsung built the chip for Apple and also supplied a memory chip attached to it for a combined cost of $26.80, a difference of $9.80 over the previous estimate of $17.

“We believe that this chip was designed by PA Semi,” Rassweiler said, referring to the chip company that Apple acquired in 2008 for $278 million. “But the markings make it look like a Samsung chip.”

Other chips found in the iPad also proved more costly, and more numerous, than original estimates. Broadcom Corp. supplied a chip that cost $8.05 and handles both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless data connections, as well as two others that together cost $3.70 and are used to control the touch screen. Texas Instruments Inc. provided a chip used to help control the touch screen at a cost of $1.80, while Cirrus Logic Inc. supplied an audio chip that cost $1.20.

Bill Blanning, a spokesman for Broadcom, didn’t return a message seeking comment. Kimberly Morgan, a spokeswoman for Texas Instruments, and Bill Schnell, a spokesman for Cirrus, declined to comment.

–Editors: Tom Giles, Stephen West

To contact the reporter on this story: Arik Hesseldahl in New York at arik@businessweek.com.

Resource:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-07/apple-ipad-s-components-may-cost-260-isuppli-says-update1-.html

iPad Canada reports nearly a week ago now that the date – which happens to be a Saturday – has been earmarked by senior Apple management as a “black out” day which means that they are not able to take a day off except if genuinely sick.

Today, consumer website Bitterwallet reported the same has taken place in the UK based on the accounts of two separate sources, one of whom also confirmed that extra staff have been drafted to work in store, presumably because of the expected surge in demand.

The iPad launched last Saturday in the US and we wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the 3G version is also launched on the 24th in the US given the fact that the weekend afterwards is a long bank holiday one (1st of May).

Apple has yet to change the UK landing page of the iPad which still shows a “coming late April” without any indication of the price. Consumers interested in the product can get Apple to directly notify them of any changes.

Resource:

http://www.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2010/4/6/apple-ipad-debut-uk-24th-april/

“Microchip’s development kits help designers of accessories for iPod and iPhone bring innovative products to market faster,” said Mitch Obolsky, Vice President of Microchip’s Advanced Microcontroller Architecture Division. According to the company, designers who take advantage of these tools will find that they can easily tap into Microchip’s portfolio of more than 650 8-, 16- and 32-bit microcontrollers.

The PIC MCU family includes nanoWatt XLP Technology for the lowest power consumption, enabling longer battery life. Additionally, a host of integrated analog and digital peripherals enable the design of differentiated accessories. All PIC microcontrollers are supported with the unified MPLAB Integrated Development Environment to ease migration between different devices. Microchip also provides a no-cost-license software library to support the development of accessories for iPod and iPhone. The library allows designers to easily interface their application with iPod or iPhone, which speeds time to market for their end-products.

Resource:

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Microchip_unveils_tools_to_design_iPod_iPhone_accessories_-nid-66852.html

Apple’s support forum contains several reports from users complaining about their iPad’s behavior with Wi-Fi networks, Macworld first noted. Some complain their iPad’s Wi-Fi signal is very weak, while others say they’re unable to join their network after waking iPads up from standby

In a support bulletin, Apple on Monday acknowledged an issue specific to dual-band Wi-Fi routers — those that are compatible with both 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz spectrum bands

“Under certain conditions, iPad may not automatically rejoin a known Wi-Fi network after restart or waking from sleep. This can occur with some third-party Wi-Fi routers that are dual-band capable when: Using the same network name for each network, [or] Using different security settings for each network,” Apple wrote

Typically, dual-band routers transmit both the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands as one network with the same name and password. Apple recommends splitting the bands into two separate networks, naming them differently and making sure that both networks use the same type of security (WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc).

If all else fails, Apple recommends resetting network settings in the iPad’s Settings app (Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings).

In the past, some Apple customers have complained about slow, unreliable Wi-Fi performance with Apple’s iPhone 3GS as well. Traditionally, Wi-Fi problems have been difficult to diagnose, as performance varies among different types of routers, and signal interference can be caused by a number of factors (such as a large number of Wi-Fi units in the area using the same channel, or turning on a microwave, among other causes). For a deep dive on the different types of Wi-Fi bands, see Glenn Fleishman’s article “Understanding Wi-Fi’s two spectrum bands.”

Resource:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/04/ipad-wifi/

Over the weekend, twitter user “MuscleNerd” posted a tweet suggesting that the the iPad had succumbed to a jailbreak. He followed his posts with a picture and video evidencing the hack for the public. MuscleNerd also mentions that it should be possible to similarly jailbreak the unreleased 3G iPad using the same method.

The iPad jailbreak represents the next chapter in the epic struggle between computer hobbyists seeking full control over their devices, and hardware manufacturers that try to keep their products locked down.

What will a jailbroken iPad mean for Apple and hobbyists? The iPad is already a device that seeks to expand the functionality of its small brother the iPhone. Unlocking root access to the iPad should bring even more features to the long awaited tablet and maybe even fix some of its shortcomings. Perhaps we’ll finally see Flash video come to the iPad via jailbreak like we did on the iPhone, for example.

Of course, none of this is officially sanctioned by Apple and you could risk voiding your warranty or worse by jailbreaking. Also, jailbreaking means you’ll always have to wait for a jailbreaking solution before being able to update to a new OS version. If you think it’s worth the hassle though, jailbreaking your iPad might help enrich your tablet-computing experience.

Resource:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/193506/browser_exploit_brings_jailbreak_to_the_ipad.html

“It feels great to have the iPad launched into the world,” said Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, in a statement. “It’s going to be a game changer.”

Because Apple is hoping to popularize a new kind of computing device, one that combines elements of a laptop and smartphone, acceptance among consumers is likely to be slower than with previous Apple devices, said Michael Abramsky, an analyst with RBC Capital.

“This device is the leading edge in a market that is still being created, so lots of folks are still trying to figure out the relevance of the iPad to them,” he said. “But given that not everyone understands what it does yet, it’s a pretty good launch at the end of the day.”

Some buyers may be waiting for future versions of the iPad, perhaps with a camera or other new features, Mr. Abramsky said. His firm had been expecting Apple to sell 300,000 to 400,000 iPads over the whole weekend.

The version of the iPad that went on sale Saturday can connect to the Internet only via a Wi-Fi connection, leading analysts to wonder whether some consumers are waiting for the 3G version, which will work over a cellphone network.

“This is still the warm-ups,” said Craig Moffett, a senior analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Company. “The big unanswered question that remains is how many people are waiting for the 3G model to be released before committing to buy.”

Apple has said it plans to release 3G iPads this month, which will cost $629 to $829 depending on storage size.

Apple also said iPad users had downloaded more than one million apps from the company’s App Store and more than 250,000 electronic books from its iBookstore on Saturday. Some of the most popular applications include a word processing application made by Apple called Pages, an air-traffic control game called Flight Control, and National Public Radio’s application.

Mr. Abramsky said he expected many more apps to follow. “We’re seeing just the scratching of the surface,” he said. “We have the medium first and then the media.”

Apple sent invitations to journalists on Monday for a preview of the next version of the operating system that powers the iPhone and iPad, to be held Thursday at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.

Shares in Apple rose 1 percent to close at $238.49.

Resource:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/technology/06ipad.html

The launch performance was strong, judging by the lines and customer reactions, if not a blowout.

“Sales are going about as expected,” said Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney. “Early evaluations are mixed – some ecstatic and others pointing out real limitations of the product.”

Gene Munster, analyst at Piper Jaffray, said Apple’s ability to fulfil orders in spite of a production bottleneck suggested it might have sold 600,000-700,000 iPads – more than double his earlier estimate. Others said the remaining inventory meant Apple had overestimated demand when it limited pre-orders to two per customer.

Apple had said it wanted to produce 1m iPads per month – “clearly in excess of demand”, said Ashok Kumar, an industry analyst at Rodman & Renshaw.

“Eventually it will find a niche and a success, but it’s not going to be of the scale and scope of the iPhone.”

More important than sales chalked up is the enthusiasm of early adopters. Unlike the iPhone or iPod, which the iPad resembles in touch-screen functionality, the $499-plus gadget is a luxury rather than a must-have. More-over, it requires a separate computer during set-up.

Social networking were filled with excited posts from the Apple faithful who bought their iPads first. Buyers raved about watching streaming movies with their Netflix subscriptions, the crisp appearance of photos and the ability to surf a large-screen web with nothing but their fingers. “It’s the beginning of the end for the standard laptop,” said Brett Kacmarczyk, a 48-year-old police officer.

Some who came to look said it was not worth the price until a camera and other features were introduced. “I’m sure I’ll get one in a few months,” said Ted Smith, who owns an iPhone, in New York. “I think it fills the niche between the personal computer and the iPhone.”

A critical factor is the online marketplace for applications. Many of the most popular free apps at the weekend came from media companies, according to the running sales tally on Apple’s app store. They included a player from the ABC network and newspaper apps from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

The most frequently downloaded paid apps include Apple’s Keynote presentation software and Electronic Arts’ iPad version of Scrabble, both priced at $10, and a Major League Baseball app and the Flight Control game from Firemint, both $5.

Reviews were favourable, with some exceptions. At Boing Boing, an influential blog on technology and other topics, editor Xeni Jardin said the “iPad hits a completely new pleasure spot”. But another editor of the site urged readers not to buy one: Cory Doctorow said Apple had too much control over what people could run on their machines.

Others praised the feel of the device, but said it fell short of what a laptop computer could do.

Additional reporting by Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson and Jonathan Birchall in New York

Resource:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/608b07dc-404b-11df-8d23-00144feabdc0.html

There seem to be few complaints from new owners though one issue did come up almost immediately. Some users who have connected their iPad via USB are getting a notification that says “not charging.” Apple’s support site says some USB ports–typically older computers or USB hubs–are not powerful enough to charge the iPad while it is in use, or may do so slowly.

Apple told MacWorld that it’s recommended to charge the iPad via the included USB wall charge adapter because you can still use it while it’s charging. However, if using a lower-power USB port or hub, the iPad will still charge, but only while it’s in sleep mode, not while in use.

Otherwise, reactions seem pretty positive. A search of “iPad” on Twitter revealed almost 1,000 new mentions of the device every five minutes. Most were positive, including some saying the iPad was a “big hit at Easter dinner.”

Roman Mittermayr of Seattle was spotted trying out his new iPad in a San Francisco Starbucks on Saturday. He said his first experience with the device was positive, but said he could already foresee some drawbacks to not having purchased the 3G version.

“Wi-Fi only is fine for coffee shops, but I travel for business, and hotel Wi-Fi you usually have to pay for. So that could be an issue,” he said. He also said he was not a huge fan of the case, which can be used as an iPad stand. The case does not provide the most comfortable viewing angle, he said.

Gizmodo found some issues typing on the virtual keyboard, calling it “serviceable but not without strange moments.”

The more curious among us couldn’t just be satisfied swiping, pinching, and typing on their new iPad. iFixit did a teardown of the device Saturday, revealing what the tablet looks like on the inside.

And the members of the iPhone Dev Team, whose mission is to unlock the software of every new iPhone OS version, have turned their attention to the iPad. The team claims to have jailbroken the iPad after one day.

If you picked up an iPad this weekend, we also want to hear from you. Leave your first impressions in the comments below.

Resource:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20001719-260.html

1. It screams

   The early reviews all said that the iPad was “wicked fast,” and boy, they weren’t kidding. Applications literally fly open, and browsing the Web on Safari is way faster than on the iPhone. I could get used to this.

2. It’s heavier than I thought it would be

   One-and-a-half pounds sounds pretty light, especially when you consider that the flyweight MacBook Air weighs in at about 3.5 pounds. That said, the iPad felt surprisingly heavy the first time I hefted it—not so heavy that I’m bursting a blood vessel or anything, but I’m curious to see how it’ll feel after an hour or so of reading an iBook, what Apple is calling the e-books you can download onto the device.

3. Good luck reading e-books in direct sunlight

   Yes, the iPad has it all over the Kindle when it comes to its eye-catching color screen and sleek page-flicking animations. The beauty of the Kindle’s black-and-white e-ink screen, however, is that text stands out quite nicely when you’re reading in the sun; on the iPad, however, the color display looks disappointingly washed out in direct sunlight, problematic for reading e-books poolside.

4. Virtual QWERTY keypad isn’t as bad as I’d feared

   No, it’s nothing like typing on a real keyboard, but for me, the iPad’s virtual QWERTY keypad isn’t nearly as terrible as many had warned. I’ve managed to bang out a few decent-sized emails on the thing, and it’s certainly better than typing on the iPhone. The key, I’ve found, is to relax and let the automatic error correction do its thing; if you keep hitting backspace to fix your errors (and there will be errors, trust me), you’ll be tapping all day. That said, keep in mind that to type on the iPad, you must do one of several things:

   Prop it (awkwardly) in your lap to type

   Place it flat on a table—not the best solution due to the iPad’s curved back

   Hold it in one hand and tap with the other, effectively slashing your possible WPM

   Invest in Apple’s $79 iPad keyboard dock

   Use Apple’s $39 case to prop the iPad up at a good typing angle

5. Can’t charge iPad over a USB port

   First I tried it on my USB hub, then on the powered USB port on my MacBook Pro, but nope…no juice—not even when the iPad’s syncing with iTunes. Looks like the only way to charge the iPad, apparently, is using the included AC wall adapter. Good thing the iPad’s battery is rated for 10-plus hours.
   Update: Actually, according to Macworld, you can charge iPad via a high-power USB port, but for low-power USB ports (something that an “older Mac, most Windows PCs and most USB hubs” don’t have, Macworld notes) the iPad will only charge (“slowly”) when it’s asleep. Still surprising in my book, but apologies for the error.

6. HD videos look amazing

   Practically the first thing I did after unpacking the iPad was queue up the 720p trailer for “Avatar,” and…whoa. Absolutely gorgeous. Watching movies on the plane will never be the same again.

7. Reflections on the display are pretty distracting

   The moment the wife and I were done “oohing” and “ahhing” over that “Avatar” video, we started complaining about our reflections in the iPad’s glass display. It’s not bad at all when you’re surfing or composing email, but if you’re watching a movie—and especially during a darkly lit scene—prepare to see your reflected self looking back at you. (Yes, the iPhone’s screen suffers from glare, too, but at least I couldn’t see my entire head reflected in the glass.)

8. Location-based services work fine in a pinch

   One of the problems with the Wi-Fi-only iPad versus the upcoming 3G-embedded model is that it lacks A-GPS, a system that combines satellite data with cell-tower triangulation to pinpoint your location, even when you’re indoors. That said, the Wi-Fi-only version can still attempt to find where you are using nearby Wi-Fi signals, and I was impressed when my new iPad immediately zeroed in on my apartment, within half a block. Not bad.

9. The iPad makes calls, with a little help from Skype

   Yes, Apple had promised that “almost” all iPhone apps would work on the iPad, but I had my doubts about Skype. Today, though, I was finally able to put Skype on the iPad to the test: I loaded it up, logged into my (for-pay) Skype Out account, and dialed 777-FILM. The next thing I heard? “Hello, welcome to Moviefone! If you know the name of the movie you want to see, press one now!” (Of course, this would all be a little more amazing if the iPad had a front-facing camera for video calls.)

10. My iPhone seems really, really small now

    After testing the iPad for about an hour or so, I went to check my iPhone for a second and…yikes, what is this tiny little thing? So puny!
    Stay tuned for my full iPad review, including my decision on whether to return it or not, early next week. In the meantime…anyone else buy an iPad today? Skipping it?

Resource:
Yahoo News

Clearly, such treatment would be reserved for a development so indisputably vital that it would change civilization as we know it. That event has arrived, in the form of a $500-to-$800 product that you should feel guilty for not having, even though it doesn’t hit the stores until Saturday.

The iPad might turn out to be so revolutionary that we’ll look back on its unveiling like Alexander Graham Bell speaking to Mr. Watson. Or not. But Apple and its media maestro, Steve Jobs, are once again reaping what amounts to tens of millions of dollars in free publicity.

Time Managing Editor Rick Stengel says he remained skeptical as “a lot of people in our business have looked at the iPad as the Jesus tablet, the savior.” But “when Steve came here for breakfast” to demonstrate the device earlier this year, “I thought it’s a fantastic thing for almost every kind of content, including surfing the Web.

“We’ve had a long relationship with Steve. Steve looks at Time as an iconic American brand. We’ve got exclusive access at a time when he’s giving nobody else access.”

Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham says his technology team convinced him “that the iPad could finally be the device that does for visual content what the iPod did for music. To my mind, there’s no bigger story about media or culture — and media and culture affect everything else — than the future of the delivery of news, and that made an iPad cover a clear call.”

Even veteran Apple-watchers who have seen the company make headlines with mere product upgrades are shaking their heads. “Their ability to get press all out of proportion to news value has amazed me for decades — and I say that as a former Apple beat reporter, longtime fanboy and someone who’s counting the minutes until UPS shows up with my iPad,” says Mark Potts, chief executive of the online technology company GrowthSpur and a former Washington Post reporter. “The level of hype is insane. There’s simply no other company that gets coverage of product launches like this.”

The same media outlets covering the phenomenon are also hoping to profit from the iPad. The Wall Street Journal and New York Times struck nondisclosure agreements with Apple in exchange for early samples for their development teams.

“We’ve been allowed to work on one, and it’s under padlock and key,” Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp. owns the Journal, said last month. “The key is turned by Apple every night.” The Journal is offering a stand-alone subscription to its iPad content for $3.99 a week.

Time, USA Today, CBS, NBC, ABC, National Public Radio and many other media organizations have also rushed out their new iPad applications. The Washington Post, which did not receive advance access to the device and has not published a detailed review, is working on its iPad app.

Print reviewers might harbor a deep-seated wish that this tablet computer proves capable of rescuing their battered business, thereby preserving their way of life. What’s more, the folks who write about technology adore fancy gizmos. Many are Mac users. They revel in the Apple-orchestrated drama of these rollouts.

Apple is widely credited with making elegant products, from the iPod to the iPhone, that have lifted the level of consumer technology. But there is something about the company — and the secrecy cultivated by Jobs, who famously refused to talk about his own health problems — that makes some of the smartest tech writers go weak in the knees. Keep in mind that Jobs unveiled this thing back in January.

The first wave of reviews has been overwhelmingly positive.

Newsweek’s Daniel Lyons (who blogs as Fake Steve Jobs): “The iPad could eventually become your TV, your newspaper, and your bookshelf.”

Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg: “After spending hours and hours with it, I believe this beautiful new touch-screen device from Apple has the potential to change portable computing profoundly, and to challenge the primacy of the laptop.”

Time’s Stephen Fry: “I have met five British Prime Ministers, two American Presidents, Nelson Mandela, Michael Jackson and the Queen. My hour with Steve Jobs certainly made me more nervous than any of those encounters. . . . I do believe Jobs to be a truly great figure, one of the small group of innovators who have changed the world.”

But some have also pointed out flaws. New York Times columnist David Pogue delivered a mixed review, noting: “When the iPad is upright, typing on the on-screen keyboard is a horrible experience; when the iPad is turned 90 degrees, the keyboard is just barely usable. The bottom line is that you can get a laptop for much less money. . . . Besides: If you’ve already got a laptop and a smartphone, who’s going to carry around a third machine?”

Rather than relying on news coverage alone, Apple marketers also landed a high-profile product placement. Wednesday’s episode of the ABC sitcom “Modern Family” was devoted to the iPad, with the striving-to-be-hip dad exclaiming: “Oh my God, you got it! All this time I said I didn’t care but I do care! I care so much!”

OMG indeed.

Apple has logged 240,000 advance orders, but the question is whether the media blitz will convince millions of ordinary people that, recession or no recession, they simply must have a product that they didn’t know they needed.

“It’s amazing how we all get caught up in this,” Stengel says.

Resource:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/02/AR2010040204077.html

Mr. Byron, a 54-year-old banker from Connecticut, emerged from the Apple store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan this week with a new business card scanner and serious doubts about the tablet computer trend.

“I can do everything on my MacBook Pro, cellphone and BlackBerry,” Mr. Byron said. “I don’t need any more devices. I already have six phone numbers and enough things to plug in at night.”

For all the exuberance surrounding Apple’s new gadget — and the circuslike atmosphere at Apple stores that is sure to accompany its debut on Saturday — sentiments like that are, for Apple at least, uncomfortably common.

Many consumers do not understand the device’s purpose, who would want to pay $500 or more for it and why anyone would need another gadget on top of a computer and smartphone. After all, phones are performing an ever-expanding range of functions, as Apple points out in its many iPhone commercials.

“The first five million will be sold in a heartbeat,” said Guy Kawasaki, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who was a marketing executive at Apple in the 1980s. “But let’s see: you can’t make a phone call with it, you can’t take a picture with it, and you have to buy content that before now you were not willing to pay for. That seems tough to me.”

Apple and other technology companies that are introducing a wave of touch-screen tablets face an ambitious challenge. The industry wants to create a market for a new type of device that most people do not really need — or do not yet know they need.

Tablets are intended to allow people to watch video, browse the Web, play video games and read books, magazines and newspapers everywhere they go without the bulky inconveniences of a full-fledged laptop.

The people who have already ordered an iPad or will show up at the Apple store on Saturday “are technophiles — the phrase ‘leading-edge technology’ sends goosebumps all over their skin,” said Eitan Muller, a professor of high-tech marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

But those people make up only 16 percent of the total potential market for the iPad, Professor Muller said. “The main market is made up of pragmatists, and the same phrase sends them into convulsions.”

Technology research firms are trying to measure this skepticism ahead of the iPad’s introduction. One firm, NPD, found in a study that 18 percent of consumers expressed interest in owning an iPad.

Interviews with a range of people over the last week underscored this uncertainty. There was a subtle sense of frustration among some consumers that they were being asked to bring yet another expensive device into lives already cluttered with finger-smudged screens and tangled power cords.

“I just want to know, what is this supposed to be used for?” said Ebony White, 21, a child care worker in San Francisco who has discussed the iPad with her friends, all of whom have decided to pass. “If I was going to spend that much money to buy something, it would just be a computer, because it costs just as much and it can do more things.”

She added: “Where am I supposed to use it? Am I supposed to use it on the bus — and get robbed?”

John Morgan, 48, who was visiting New York from Rockville, Md., with his family last week, has already pledged his devotion to Steve Jobs & Company. “We’re a six-iPod family,” he said. But he vowed they would remain a zero-iPad family: “It’s too expensive.”

His son Alex, 9, added that the family already had an iPod Touch, “so it’s not like we need one.”

Karla Villarreal, 28, an entertainment and business promoter from Queens, is also an unabashed Apple fan, and dug through her bag for her iPod Nano, iPod Touch and BlackBerry on the New York subway this week. But those devices, she said, leave little room in her technology budget — or her purse — for a new tablet computer. “It’s going to be really hard, especially during this recession. So, no more devices for me,” she said.

It may be too early to gauge consumer interest in the iPad. Developers have not yet had time to prepare a variety of applications for the device, and Apple has not yet done much of what it perhaps does best: advertise.

Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, estimates that Apple will spend $515 million on advertising this year and devote $77 million of that, or 15 percent, to promoting the iPad. If its commercial that first appeared during the Academy Awards broadcast is any guide, those ads will not highlight any one aspect of the device, but will aim to convey a general feeling of exciting possibility.

“Apple will position this like they positioned the iPhone: as a fun entertainment machine,” said Don Norman, a professor at Northwestern University who has predicted the proliferation of multiple screens and devices. “Their ads will make people feel like using the machine, even if what they’re doing with it is beside the point.”

In some respects, time is on Apple’s side. The price of the iPad will inevitably come down, and developers will produce inventive applications for the device, creating new uses for it as they did for the iPhone.

The Apple acolytes will perform much of Apple’s hardest work for it: toting the iPad into subways and stores, where its presence could have the same head-turning impact that the iPod, with its white ear buds, delivered eight years ago.

“It’s a want, as opposed to a need,” said one of those Apple fans, Ryan Kenney, 29, describing his nascent desire for the iPad in New York this week. “You don’t really need it. Between a smartphone and a laptop, that covers all the bases.”

“But I’d wear their underwear if they made it.”

Resource:

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2010/tc2010041_600018.htm

After months of hype, speculation and secrecy, hundreds of thousands of customers who have placed pre-orders will get their hands on the touchscreen computing device on Saturday.

Apple is pitching the iPad as a bridge between a smartphone and notebook computer.

The iPad resembles a large iPhone, with a 9.6in touchscreen, and can run most of the 100,000-plus applications, games and entertainment that has helped Apple to sell more than 40 million iPhones in less than three years.

Apple has announced that iPads ordered in recent days will not be delivered until April 12, indicating that demand is outstripping supply. Pre-sale figures have led several analysts to raise their estimates of overall sales.

Katy Huberty, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, said that she now expected Apple to sell about 2.5 million units in its first quarter on the market – considerably ahead of her previous estimate of 750,000 – and more than 6 million in 2010.

She estimated that every 1 million units sold increased the company’s share price by 25 cents.

Barclays Capital expects Apple to sell about 5 million iPads in 2010. Macquarie Research’s estimated figure is 4 million.

The iPad will target the growing sub-$800 consumer laptop market, which currently totals 30 million units in the US and 120 million globally.

Analysts said the iPad could generate as much as $4.6 billion (£3 million) in new revenue for Apple by 2011.

It is unclear how sales of the iPad will hit sales of other Apple products, such as the MacBook laptop line and the iPod Touch, a small hand-held music player and computer.

Apple’s shares hit a record $233.87 on the Nasdaq stock market on yesterday. The stock has risen about 15 per cent since the company held a media event to introduce the iPad in January.

Early reviews praised the device’s intuitive touch screen and responsive browsing experience but also noted it does not have a camera for video chat and it does not support Adobe’s Flash video which is used on most popular video websites.

Apple is also launching its own digital book business in the US for the iPad to compete with the Kindle from Amazon and other e-readers and e-books. Magazine and newspaper groups are launching iPad formats in the hope that the tablet device will provide a bridge for print media to a digital future.

The iPad is expected to set off a wave of similar tablet computer launches from rival companies, including Sony, Samsung and Hewlett-Packard.

Resource:

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7081021.ece

Let’s take a look at a sampling of the initial reviews:

Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal described his iPad experience “After spending hours and hours with it, I believe this beautiful new touch-screen device from Apple has the potential to change portable computing profoundly, and to challenge the primacy of the laptop,” going on to add “My verdict is that, while it has compromises and drawbacks, the iPad can indeed replace a laptop for most data communication, content consumption and even limited content creation, a lot of the time. But it all depends on how you use your computer.”

The New York Times’ David Pogue recognizes a divide between those who seem to despise the device, and those who feel the iPad is love at first sight–even though neither camp has actually seen or touched one yet. Pogue approaches his review by writing about the iPad’s shortcomings–no Flash, no multitasking, etc.–for hardcore business use, but then goes on to explore the benefits of the iPad experience, summing with “The iPad is so fast and light, the multitouch screen so bright and responsive, the software so easy to navigate, that it really does qualify as a new category of gadget.”

The Chicago Sun-Times’ Andy Ihnatko had his own praise for the Apple tablet with an article sub-titled “iPad is pure innovation – one of best computers ever”, in which he says “in situation after situation, I find that the iPad is the best computer in my household and office menagerie. It’s not a replacement for my notebook, mind you. It feels more as if the iPad is filling a gap that’s existed for quite some time.”

We’ll wrap up with some feedback from Dwight Silverman of the Houston Chronicle. Silverman states “I had high expectations for the iPad, and it has met or exceeded most of them,” also noting “It turns out the iPad isn’t as much a laptop replacement as I thought (though it could easily be used as one). Instead, it’s an entirely new category of mobile device.”

Perhaps the most telling part of Silverman’s review, though, is when he shared “prior to our iPad’s arrival she said she didn’t understand why anyone would want or need an iPad. Now she just keeps saying, ‘No, you can’t have it back.’”

So, what does this all mean for business professionals anxious to jump on the iPad bandwagon, or cautiously waiting in the wings to see if it lives up to the hype? Well, the initial feedback seems unanimous in declaring that the iPad is not a laptop killer–but its close. The reviews also demonstrate that the iPad is not just good, but beyond most expectations, at those tasks it is designed to tackle.

You won’t use it to create multi-faceted spreadsheets, or write a 50-page business document–but you could if you had to. Stop and consider, though, what you really do with your notebook or netbook computer–surf the Web, check e-mail, read or review existing documents and spreadsheets, and maybe the occasional game of solitaire. Do you really need to carry a bulky, six-pound laptop that’s cumbersome to open and hold, and has about two hours of battery life–if you’re lucky?

There are road warriors who will need the full horsepower and productivity of a “real” computer, but the vast majority of mobile business professionals will find that the iPad actually can fill the role of the portable computing device, and perform the tasks they normally carry a notebook or netbook to accomplish.

Resource:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/193092/how_the_ipad_will_change_mobile_business_computing.html

T3 has published its list of the most sought-after gadgets of the year in 2010′s Hot 100.

The list tellingly includes a larger number of e-readers than ever before, and HTC’s new phones, the Desire and Legend are prominent in the top 20.

But the top spot has been obviously nabbed by the Apple iPad, which has sparked frenzied debate over the past year.

Tablet frenzy

Its launch is imminent in both the UK and the US, and its presence has already sparked the nascent tablet computer market into life, with additions from the likes of HP and Notion Ink in the Hot 100 too.

“Ultimately, the products here allow us to predict the next steps in consumer technology,” says T3′s online editor, Kieran Alger.

“The AppleiPad epitomises this. It’s a product that’s caused massive media hype, securing endless column inches across the world.

“Beyond that it’s a product looking to challenge the status quo, with the potential to alter the way content is both published and consumed.

“It’s a gadget that could change an industry at the same time as delivering a brand new experience to the gadget buying public.”

Brought about by TechRadar’s publisher Future, T3 Magazine’s Hot 100 is designed to give a gadget barometer of all the latest and debate-sparking gadgets on the market or set to debut soon.

If you want to take a gander at the full list, head on over to the Hot 100 home page to see if you agree with T3′s findings.

Resource:

http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/apple-ipad-dubbed-this-year-s-hottest-gadget-680650

“This device is laughably absurd,” goes a typical remark on a tech blog’s comments board. “How can they expect anyone to get serious computer work done without a mouse?”

“This truly is a magical revolution,” goes another. “I can’t imagine why anyone will want to go back to using a mouse and keyboard once they’ve experienced Apple’s visionary user interface!”

Those are some pretty confident critiques of the iPad — considering that their authors have never even tried it.

In any case, there’s a pattern to these assessments.

The haters tend to be techies; the fans tend to be regular people. Therefore, no single write-up can serve both readerships adequately. There’s but one solution: Write separate reviews for these two audiences.

Read the first one if you’re a techie. (How do you know? Take this simple test. Do you use BitTorrent? Do you run Linux? Do you have more e-mail addresses than pants? You’re a techie.)

Read the second review if you’re anyone else.

Review for Techies

The Apple iPad is basically a gigantic iPod Touch.

It’s a half-inch-thick slab, all glass on top, aluminum on the back. Hardly any buttons at all — just a big Home button below the screen. It takes you to the Home screen full of apps, just as on an iPhone.

One model gets online only in Wi-Fi hot spots ($500 to $700, for storage capacities from 16 to 64 gigabytes). The other model can get online either using Wi-Fi or, when you’re out and about, using AT&T’s cellular network; that feature adds $130 to each price.

You operate the iPad by tapping and dragging on the glass with your fingers, just as on the iPhone. When the very glossy 9.7-inch screen is off, every fingerprint is grossly apparent.

There’s an e-book reader app, but it’s not going to rescue the newspaper and book industries (sorry, media pundits). The selection is puny (60,000 titles for now). You can’t read well in direct sunlight. At 1.5 pounds, the iPad gets heavy in your hand after awhile (the Kindle is 10 ounces). And you can’t read books from the Apple bookstore on any other machine — not even a Mac or iPhone.

When the iPad is upright, typing on the on-screen keyboard is a horrible experience; when the iPad is turned 90 degrees, the keyboard is just barely usable (because it’s bigger). A $70 keyboard dock will be available in April, but then you’re carting around two pieces.

At least Apple had the decency to give the iPad a really fast processor. Things open fast, scroll fast, load fast. Surfing the Web is a heck of a lot better than on the tiny iPhone screen — first, because it’s so fast, and second, because you don’t have to do nearly as much zooming and panning.

But as any Slashdot reader can tell you, the iPad can’t play Flash video. Apple has this thing against Flash, the Web’s most popular video format; says it’s buggy, it’s not secure and depletes the battery. Well, fine, but meanwhile, thousands of Web sites show up with empty white squares on the iPad — places where videos or animations are supposed to play.

YouTube, Vimeo, TED.com, CBS.com and some other sites are converting their videos to iPad/iPhone/Touch-compatible formats. But all the news sites and game sites still use Flash. It will probably be years before the rest of the Web’s videos become iPad-viewable.

There’s no multitasking, either. It’s one app at a time, just like on the iPhone. Plus no U.S.B. jacks and no camera. Bye-bye, Skype video chats. You know Apple is just leaving stuff out for next year’s model.

The bottom line is that you can get a laptop for much less money — with a full keyboard, DVD drive, U.S.B. jacks, camera-card slot, camera, the works. Besides: If you’ve already got a laptop and a smartphone, who’s going to carry around a third machine?

Review for Everyone Else

The Apple iPad is basically a gigantic iPod Touch.

The simple act of making the multitouch screen bigger changes the whole experience. Maps become real maps, like the paper ones. You see your e-mail inbox and the open message simultaneously. Driving simulators fill more of your field of view, closer to a windshield than a keyhole.

The new iBooks e-reader app is filled with endearing grace notes. For example, when you turn a page, the animated page edge actually follows your finger’s position and speed as it curls, just like a paper page. Font, size and brightness controls appear when you tap. Tap a word to get a dictionary definition, bookmark your spot or look it up on Google or Wikipedia. There’s even a rotation-lock switch on the edge of the iPad so you can read in bed on your side without fear that the image will rotate.

If you have the cellular model, you can buy AT&T service so you can get online anywhere. (Cellular iPads aren’t available until next month; I tested a Wi-Fi-only model.)

But how’s this for a rare deal from a cell company: there’s no contract. By tapping a button in Settings, you can order up a month of unlimited cellular Internet service for $30. Or pay $15 for 250 megabytes of Internet data; when it runs out, you can either buy another 250 megs, or just upgrade to the unlimited plan for the month. Either way, you can cancel and rejoin as often as you want — just March, July and November, for example — without penalty. The other carriers are probably cursing AT&T’s name for setting this precedent.

The iPad’s killer app, though, is killer apps. Apple says that 150,000 existing iPhone apps run on the iPad. They either appear actual size — small and dead center on the screen — or, with a tap, doubled to fill the screen, a little blurry. Still, all the greats work this way: Dragon Dictation, Skype (even voice calls, through its speaker and microphone) and those gazillion games.

But the real fun begins when you try the apps that were specially designed for the iPad’s bigger screen. (When the iPad section of the App Store opens Saturday, it will start with 1,000 of them.)

That Scrabble app shows the whole board without your zooming or panning: a free companion app for your iPhone or Touch is called Tile Rack; it lets you fiddle with your letters in private, then flick them wirelessly onto the iPad’s screen. Newspaper apps will reproduce the layout, photos and colors of a real newspaper. The Marvel comic-book app is brilliant in its vividness and panel-by-panel navigation. (Oops, maybe that app belongs in the review for techies.)

Hulu.com, the Web’s headquarters for free hit TV shows, won’t confirm the talk that it’s working on an iPad app, but wow — can you imagine? A thin, flat, cordless, bottomless source of free, great TV shows, in your bag or on the bedside table?

Speaking of video: Apple asserts that the iPad runs 10 hours on a charge of its nonremovable battery — but we all know you can’t trust the manufacturer. And sure enough, in my own test, the iPad played movies continuously from 7:30 a.m. to 7:53 p.m. — more than 12 hours. That’s four times as long as a typical laptop or portable DVD player.

The iPad is so fast and light, the multitouch screen so bright and responsive, the software so easy to navigate, that it really does qualify as a new category of gadget. Some have suggested that it might make a good goof-proof computer for technophobes, the aged and the young; they’re absolutely right.

And the techies are right about another thing: the iPad is not a laptop. It’s not nearly as good for creating stuff. On the other hand, it’s infinitely more convenient for consuming it — books, music, video, photos, Web, e-mail and so on. For most people, manipulating these digital materials directly by touching them is a completely new experience — and a deeply satisfying one.

The bottom line is that the iPad has been designed and built by a bunch of perfectionists. If you like the concept, you’ll love the machine.

The only question is: Do you like the concept?

Resource:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/technology/personaltech/01pogue.html

A few weeks ago, Apple (AAPL) decided to start taking preorders for its widely anticipated iPad. It’s one of those products that if successful, will redefine the computing landscape, much as its cousin the iPhone has done.

There’s also a chance that the world may not be impressed with the iPad’s brilliance. Given how excited I’ve been about the product, many of my friends and colleagues are wondering why I didn’t preorder one. The answer is simple: I want to write about the iPad launch from the point of view of a retail buyer. I plan to head over to the Apple store in San Francisco on Saturday, stand in line, and see if I can actually get my hands on one that way.

What I really want to see is how Apple reorganizes its retail experience to fit the iPad. Right now, when you walk into a typical Apple store in the U.S., you get a fairly binary experience: Macs on one side of the store, iPhones and iPods on the other. Apple has used this clear demarcation of its two major product lines—computers and entertainment devices—to create a brilliant retail experience.

A floating row of alternating iPads?

Soon the iPad will join the mix—not quite an iPhone and definitely not a traditional computer. On which side of the aisle will Apple put this device? I think the retail display will pretty much define the category in which the iPad falls. I’m hoping that Apple redesigns the stores, carving out a whole new space for the iPad.

If it were up to me, I’d line up a single row of iPads, with their front and backs alternating. They’d be mounted on a transparent stand, so that from a distance it would look as though they were floating in the air.

Analysts are expecting a hit. Morgan Stanley’s (MS) Katy Huberty expects Apple to ship more than 6 million iPads this year, far higher than the consensus expectation of 3 to 4 million units. Huberty expects 2.5 million iPads to ship between March and May and an additional 750,000 during the June quarter. She points out that iPad suppliers are estimating that Apple will make between 8 and 10 million of these devices. For each million iPads sold, she estimates that Apple will earn an additional 25¢ a share.

I think Huberty might herself be underestimating the iPad’s money-making potential. Having played around with one for 20 minutes, I can tell you that this device will make users spend far more money on apps, books, music, and other content than they do via the iPhone. Given that Apple takes roughly 30% of sales, the iPad could be another bonanza in the making.

Now, back to waiting for the weekend.

Resource:

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2010/tc20100330_376043.htm

The Kindle starts at $259 and is designed mainly for reading text on a gray-and-black screen. The iPad starts at $499, but with the higher price comes more functions: a color touch screen for downloading books from Apple’s new iBookstore, surfing the Web, playing videos and games and more.

It will take time to determine whether the iPad causes a tremor in the e-reader market, a high-magnitude quake or something in between. But in the meantime people who read electronic books or are considering buying a reading device will find their choices getting more complicated.

If the Kindle e-reader falls out of favor with people drawn to Apple’s offering, there could be a very thick silver lining for Amazon: It sells e-books that can be read on many kinds of devices, including the iPad and other Apple gadgets. That means the Kindle could fade and Amazon could still occupy a profitable perch in e-books.

However, Apple could find ways to tilt the field in its favor. At least for now, both the Apple iBookstore and the Kindle service will be accessible in much the same way on the iPad — as “application” icons that users can click. Eventually Apple could give its own bookstore and reading program more attention on the iPad.

Apple also could try to curry favor with publishers in a way that matters to consumers, perhaps by securing exclusive titles.

Publishers’ relationships with Amazon have been strained by Amazon’s insistence on charging $9.99 for some popular e-books. Publishers have complained that it is an attempt to get consumers used to unsustainably low prices. Amazon takes a loss on some books at that price, and the publishers fear that if the $9.99 tag sticks, Amazon will force publishers to lower their wholesale prices, cutting into their profits.

The iPad gives publishers an opportunity for a new pricing model. Some e-books will cost up to $14.99 initially, and Apple is insisting that publishers can’t sell books at a lower price through a competitor. The iBookstore is launching with titles from major publishers such as Penguin, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan. One big publisher, Random House, has not yet struck a deal with Apple.

Amazon declined to comment on the iPad’s release.

Although Amazon has tried to snag as much of the e-book market as possible since launching the Kindle in 2007, the company has never revealed how many Kindles it has sold. Analysts estimate it has sold 3 million. (Analysts believe Apple could sell that many iPads in the product’s first year). Amazon has offered only sketches of the Kindle’s effect on its business, such as by saying that when books are sold in both hard copy and the Kindle format, it sells 48 Kindle books for every 100 hard copies.

Compared to the Kindle, the iPad would seem to have some disadvantages. The entry-level model is nearly twice the price of the Kindle, yet it can’t download books everywhere. It can do that only where it is connected to the Internet over Wi-Fi. At 1 1/2 pounds, it is more than twice as heavy as a Kindle. And its battery lasts for just 10 hours, compared with up to a week on a Kindle when it has its wireless access on.

However, among the elements in the iPad’s favor is a touch screen that is 9.7 inches diagonally, compared with 6 inches on the Kindle. Ron Skinner, 70, who lives in Las Vegas and bought a Kindle last February, says he has ordered Apple’s product because he thinks it will offer a better reading experience.

Skinner, an Apple investor who reads about three books a week, says the contrast between the text and the background is too low on the Kindle’s “e-ink” screen, and reading on it bothers his eyes. The difference between the Kindle screen and the iPad screen “is like daylight and dark,” Skinner says.

Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies Inc., says the iPad signals the start of a larger shift away from static digital versions of books and magazines. Eventually e-books will be expected to have multimedia dimensions, with video and interactive elements, he says, which calls for something more like Apple’s tablet device than something that is largely dedicated to reading.

The main question then would be whether Amazon wants to try to soup up the Kindle to be more like a tablet, or whether it will remain content to offer something more specialized. Consider that the Kindle also can surf the Web, but it’s not a feature that’s highlighted or encouraged much.

Amazon stock has risen about 11 percent since Apple unveiled the iPad in January, while Apple shares have climbed 13 percent. But it’s possible that investors haven’t seen many risks yet for Amazon because it’s not yet clear how people will see the iPad.

People might not want it as an alternative to the Kindle and a laptop, says James McQuivey, a Forrester analyst. Instead, he says, they might see the iPad mainly as a big iPod, leaving room for other kinds of devices. And the hype surrounding the iPad may help Kindle sales with consumers who want a less expensive digital reading experience.

“The iPad will bring all kinds of consumer benefits that the Kindle can’t even pretend to attempt,” McQuivey says, “but at the same time the Kindle solves a very focused consumer need in a way the iPad can’t do well.”

Resource:
Yahoo News

But the video about music playback (labeled “iPod”) did give a couple of hints on how the iPad might evolve to take advantage of all that extra screen real estate. In particular, the menu on the left side of the screen will broaden exposure to some cool features that are buried on the iPhone. The Genius Mixes feature comes to mind. Introduced with iTunes 9 and the iPhone 3.1 software update last September, this feature automatically creates endlessly looping mixes of similar songs in your library. (The iTunes 9.1 software update–released Tuesday and required for syncing your computer with the iPad–lets you rename and delete Genius Mixes for the first time.)

Unlike the regular Genius feature, Genius Mixes doesn’t require you to build off a currently playing “seed” song, which can be hit or miss–some songs simply don’t appear enough on other users’ playlists for Apple to build a Genius playlist. Rather, if I want to hear an Indie Rock Mix, or AOR Classic Rock Mix, or Art & Experimental Mix, I can simply hit the icon and it starts playing. The Genius Mixes feature also offers a more coherent playback experience than simply shuffling among songs in the same genre.

But to get Genius Mixes on an iPhone or iPod Touch, you need to dig deep into menu options to drag the Genius icon onto the dock. With the iPad, it’s easily available from the left side menu.

The other thing that struck me while watching the video was how dull regular album art is when displayed on a larger screen. I wonder if the iPad will finally help the iTunes LP format take off–it seems like the perfect venue.

Resource:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13526_3-10471713-27.html

A 7 inch touch screen tablet, it comes bundled with content from premier education institutes and has been launched at a price of INR.14900/- (content packaged tablet, exclusive of taxes).

iStudy Zones are enablers of the e-learning delivery mechanism. High performance servers are being deployed in iStudy zones with high speed broadband and Wi-Fi capabilities, so that content can be downloaded on iProf in a secure environment. Besides, the iStudy Zones can hold video conference for doubt clearing sessions between faculty and students, to make sure that the learning circle is complete.

Initially, iProf is set to cater to the test-preparation education segment, the market of which is estimated at about INR 10,000 crores.

iProf is starting with IIT-JEE preparation and has tied-up with Brilliant Tutorials. iProf would foray into MBA test preparation by end of May 2010, followed by PMT, CPT, CA among others. The company expects to mobilise investments of over INR.

100 crores via iProf eco-system in the next 18 months. In April 2010 the company will launch iStudy Zones in 30 cities Delhi, Kota, Pune, Nagpur, Jaipur, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Patiala, Nasik and Kolkata (Appendix I).

On bringing the novel concept to India, Sanjay Purohit, Founder & CEO, iProf Learning Solutions India said, “Through innovative technology and platform, we aim to revolutionize the education delivery mechanism. iProf will provide a safe, secure and affordable way to access high quality education content from India’s best faculty.

We address three major problems that plague e-learning from spreading far and wide -low computer penetration, piracy and broadband connectivity. Also, there is an acute shortage of good quality professors, especially in tier II and tier Iii cities. We have created an infrastructural solution enabling access to high quality education which solves all the issues.”

Resource:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/iproftheipadofeducation-nowinindia/597663/0

What’s so special about the iPad — or tablets in general, for that matter?
The iPad will be Apple’s first tablet device since the early 1990s, when the original (and now-extinct) Newton landed with a thud. Back then, though, laptops still weighed 10 pounds, PDAs didn’t really exist yet (the Newton was arguably the first), and the only people with cell phones were the likes of Gordon Gekko. Now, of course, touchscreen smartphones and ultralight laptops are everywhere, but tablet PCs — which are, as Steve Jobs himself admitted during the big iPad unveiling, stuck somewhere between a smartphone and a laptop — have yet to truly take off. Will the iPad be the device that finally turns the tablet PC into a mainstream gadget? Looks like we’re about to find out.

How big is the iPad?
Boasting a 9.7-inch display, the iPad itself measures 9.6 long, 7.5 inches wide — a little bigger than a magazine — and about half an inch thick. It’s not super-heavy at 1.5 pounds, but those who’ve hefted the iPad report that it feels a tad heavier than they expected, considering its size.

How does one use the iPad, exactly?
A lot like you would the iPhone. The main “home” screen displays your various iPad apps, with a row of four core apps (Web browsing, e-mail, photos, and iPod) along the bottom. Tap to launch an app, swipe through photos and e-mail, “pinch” to zoom in or out of a Web page — you know the drill. Nice, but those hoping for some kind of groundbreaking tablet UI on the iPad will be disappointed.

When will the iPad arrive, and how much will it cost?
The initial, Wi-Fi-only wave of iPads will go on sale Saturday, April 3, and they’re available now for pre-order. The 16GB iPad sells for $499 (much cheaper than many had been expecting), while a 32GB model will retail for $599 and a 64GB version will go for $699. Later in April, Apple will start selling iPads with embedded 3G wireless capabilities for surfing on the go; the 3G iPads will also come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB flavors, although each will be $130 more than their Wi-Fi-only counterparts.

What about those 3G iPads — will I need to sign a contract? Which carriers are supported?
The good news: No need to sign another two-year agreement for a 3G iPad data plan. Instead, you can get a month-to-month prepaid plan: $14 a month for 250MB of data (which should be fine for checking e-mail and light Web surfing, but not so great for streaming large quantities of video), or $29 a month for unlimited data. The bad news: AT&T is the only U.S. carrier offering an iPad data plan, for now anyway.

Will I be able to (wirelessly or otherwise) “tether” my 3G iPhone to a Wi-Fi-only iPad for shared, on-the-go data?
The answer, straight from Steve Jobs: No.

What about battery life?
Expect 10 hours of active use on a single charge, or a month of stand-by time, according to Apple. As with the iPhone, though, the iPad’s battery is sealed in the shell, meaning you won’t be able to swap in a spare battery if you’re running out of juice. Apple says it can replace a dead for you, but the service will set you back a cool $99.

I can’t wait to hear about the camera. How many megapixels? Will it have a flash?
Uhhh, sorry, folks: No camera on the iPad. Yes, I know. You’re not the only one who’s disappointed, believe me. (Can you imagine what video conferencing on, say, Skype for the iPad would have been like?)

What are the physical buttons and ports on the iPad? Is there a slot for a memory card?
Besides the Home button that sits below the display (which, as on the iPhone, takes you back to the home screen), the iPad has a “sleep/wake” button on the top, a screen rotation lock and a volume up/down rocker along the right edge, and a standard Apple dock connector on the bottom edge. So, where’s the memory card slot, you ask? There isn’t one. Instead, you’ll have to get Apple’s $29 iPad Camera Connection Kit, which includes an SD card adapter.

Will I be able to check my e-mail, surf the Web, manage events and contacts, and play music and video, just like I can on the iPhone?
Yes indeed, except the iPad versions of the calendar, contacts, Safari, and the iPad media player all promise to look and feel more like their desktop counterparts than like the pared-down versions on the iPhone and iPod Touch. For example, the calendar on the iPad looks strikingly similar to iCal for Mac, and the iPad’s iPod player is a kissing cousin to the desktop version of iTunes. Surfing the Web and watching videos should especially benefit from the iPad’s jumbo 9.7-inch display; personally, I can’t wait to watch movies on the iPad while cooling my heels at 30,000 feet.

Nice! So I take it that Safari on the iPad will support Flash, right?
Ah, no. Steve Jobs has made it perfectly clear that he’s not that keen on Flash (he called it slow and “buggy” during a recent town hall at Apple HQ); instead, Safari for iPad (and the iPhone, for that matter) supports HTML5, a new Web standard that can handle streaming video. Still, expect to see lots of little blue “there-should-be-Flash-here” icons scattered around the Web during your iPad surfing.

How do you type on the iPad? Is there an actual keypad, or do you type on the screen?
Like the iPhone, the iPad comes with a virtual, on-screen QWERTY keypad — except on the iPad, the virtual keypad is almost the same size as a standard keyboard, which means you won’t have to peck on the iPhone’s tiny little on-screen keys. If you’re more comfortable with an actual keyboard, though, Apple will be selling an iPad keyboard dock for $69 in “late” April.

OK, what about apps? Will iPhone apps on the App Store work on the iPad?
Yes, in one of two ways: either a “windowed” mode, in which the app in question runs at its normal iPhone size surrounded by a big black window, or in full-screen mode thanks to the magic of pixel doubling. Not the most elegant solution, to be sure, but workable.

What about multitasking? Will the iPad be able to run multiple apps at once?
Not any more than the iPhone can, unfortunately. Apple’s core iPad apps (think e-mail, the iPod app, etc.) will run in the background, but not third-party apps, although they will support push notifications for incoming events (like instant messages or breaking news).

Will there be apps written specifically for the iPad’s larger screen?
You bet, and several companies have already announced their initial iPad offerings, ranging from Gameloft (which has already showed off a revamped version of its first-person sci-fi shooter, “N.O.V.A.”) to Amazon (which is teeing up a full-screen Kindle reader for the iPad). Meanwhile, Apple has promised iPad versions of its iWork productivity suite (including Pages for word processing, Keynote for presentations, and Numbers for spreadsheets). Not only will iPad-specific apps benefit from greater resolution, they’ll also have more screen real estate to deal with, meaning better and more precise touch interfaces and controls. Indeed, much of the excitement surrounding the iPad centers more on its potential for future iPad-specific apps and games than on the iPad hardware itself.

Speaking of the Kindle, isn’t the iPad supposed to be some kind of Kindle killer?
Well, that’s what Apple’s hoping, away. One of the first iPad apps out of the gates will be iBooks, which will offer access to a new Apple e-book store complete with thousands of titles from Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Hachette. (Notably absent from the list, for now, anyway: publishing giant Random House.) E-book prices on iBooks are said to rival (if not equal) those on Amazon’s Kindle store, and we can expect such niceties as animated page turning, customizable background and font colors, and high-resolution text. As I just mentioned, though, Amazon will have its own Kindle tablet app ready for the iPad, and Barnes & Noble says it’ll be getting in on the iPad action, as well.

So that covers books; what about magazines and newspapers?
Magazine and newspaper publishers have been eyeing the iPad as a possible savior for their industries — imagine, they say, “Sports Illustrated” on a 9.7-inch touchscreen, complete with jumbo pictures and video, interactive polls and quizzes, live scores and updates, you name it! That all sounds quite promising, but so far we’ve only seen a few, somewhat tepid examples of what a newspaper on the iPad might look like. The New York Times showed off a reasonably slick app during the iPad unveiling that features pages and articles that look like the print version; and publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal and Time to Wired and Esquire say they’ve got their own iPad apps at the ready. But whether the first iPad versions of the Times, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and others will truly wow us — and, more important, whether users will pay for iPad newspaper and magazine subscriptions — remains to be seen.

Say I buy an iPad and don’t like it. What’s Apple’s return policy?
You’ve got 14 days from the day you receive your iPad to return it for a refund, according to the Apple store’s terms and conditions. If the iPad box is unopened, you’ll get a full refund; if you crack open the box, though, Apple will charge you a 10 percent restocking fee.

Are you, Ben, buying an iPad?
Yes — in fact, I’ve already pre-ordered the 64GB iPad, and I expect it to arrive on my doorstep bright and early April 3 (although believe me, I won’t be tossing the receipt until I’ve decided for sure that I’m happy). Keep your eyes peeled that very day for my first hands-on impressions.

Resource:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ytech_gadg/ytech_gadg_tc1353

Apple fans have breathlessly awaited Apple’s entry into the tablet computer market. Since the company unveiled the iPad in late January, investors have jumped on the bandwagon, too, running up Apple’s stock more than 10 percent.

Part of that rise can be attributed to the steady rise in sales of the iPhone and the company’s Mac computers. But much of it clearly has to do with tablet fever. On the day this month when Apple made the completely unsurprising announcement that the iPad would go on sale on April 3, the stock jumped nearly 4 percent.

Expectations are clearly high. Now the iPad has to meet them.

Apple has given no public indication of what kinds of sales it expects, or what may constitute success. But at the iPad introduction in January, Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, implicitly set a lofty standard. He said the iPad would offer an experience that was superior to that of netbooks, a rapidly growing category of inexpensive and lightweight laptops that accounted for $11 billion in global sales last year.

He also said that the 75 million people who own iPhones and iPod Touches already knew how to use the iPad, which uses the same operating system and touch-screen interface.

But analysts and investors are searching for their own ways to judge the iPad over the short and long term. Their projections vary, but many Apple analysts seem to think the company will sell around a million iPads by the end of its quarter in June, and around 5 million by the end of 2010.

Analysts acknowledge that a certain amount of guesswork goes into those projections, in part because it is not yet clear what kinds of applications and content will be available for the iPad from media companies and outside developers.

“The reality for the iPad is going to be determined by what apps are made for it,” said Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray. “People are debating the use case for it, and the use case will be largely determined by the apps. A lot of people are still on the fence whether this is a legitimate market or not.”

There are other variables at work. For example, it appears the iPad will initially be available only in Apple’s stores and at Best Buy. How quickly will Apple begin selling it through other retailers, and in countries other than the 10 it named this year?

Will Apple allow American wireless carriers other than AT&T, like Verizon, to offer data plans for the 3G version of the device? And how quickly might Apple lower the iPad’s price, or introduce models with new features like a built-in camera?

In considering how the iPad may affect Apple, analysts must also navigate the fuzzy topic known as cannibalization. Consumers who spend $499 for the cheapest iPad model might be buying it in lieu of a $999 MacBook laptop or, more likely, a $199 iPod Touch.

Many analysts are looking to historical precedent to gauge the iPad’s prospects in the market. Back in 2001, iPod sales started out slowly; Apple sold only 372,000 of them in its first year, then around a million in the second, after the opening of the iTunes Store.

After the iPhone’s introduction in 2007, which inspired a similar media frenzy, Apple sold 1.4 million handsets in its first two quarters, and then 6.1 million during its entire first year.

But the iPhone may be a poor example: people were already comfortable buying cellphones. Few people have ever owned a tablet computer. The iPad is something almost entirely new to most consumers, more akin to, say, the Kindle from Amazon.com or the Apple TV set-top box. Those devices each sold less than a million units in their first year.

Achieving the mass-market penetration — and cultural impact — of the iPod and iPhone is ultimately Apple’s biggest challenge with the iPad. “They are going to need to target mainstream users who might otherwise decide to purchase an e-book reader or a netbook,” said Michael Abramsky, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets. “If they are successful in starting to convince those kinds of folks, and getting beyond the early adopters who will line up for anything, then it has the potential to blossom.”

But even in those best-case situations, the iPad most likely will not change Apple’s overall financial picture anytime soon. A. M. Sacconaghi Jr., an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, predicts that the iPad could contribute about 28 cents a share to Apple’s bottom line in its first full year of sales. The iPhone, by contrast, is responsible for about $8 of earnings a share.

“It’s going to be pretty small from a financial impact initially, but the range of ultimate outcomes for the iPad is pretty big,” Mr. Sacconaghi said.

Investors are also trying to keep their expectations grounded. Erick Maronak, chief investment officer for the $1.2 billion Victory Large Cap Growth Fund, which counts Apple as its biggest holding, said he was looking forward to the iPad — but still banking on the iPhone.

The iPad “is yet another example of how the innovation with Apple continues, and that they have not grown complacent,” Mr. Maronak said. “But the much bigger driver is that this is going to be a pretty big year for the iPhone.”

All the iPad and iPhone optimism leaves many analysts and investors wondering what, exactly, disappointment might look like for Apple. If Apple sells only half a million iPads during the next two months, or less than 2 million by the end of September, it could conceivably damage the company’s stellar reputation with Wall Street — and Mr. Jobs’s air of infallibility in selecting and entering new markets.

“There’s always a risk,” said Charles Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Company, who points to past Apple failures like the Mac Cube and Apple TV, but nonetheless believes that the iPad will sell briskly.

If the iPad does fail to sell, “it could impact the stock,” Mr. Wolf said. “But I doubt it would be the end of the world.”

Resource:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/technology/29apple.html

Apple has begun accepting iPad apps for review and approval before the device launches in the US on April 3, several weeks ahead of Australia, which gets the device “late April”.

Developers must submit their apps by March 27 if they want to be included among the first apps to be featured on the iPad app store. The device’s 9.7-inch touchscreen interface is seen as a game-changer for mobile apps and the earliest apps are likely to be the most successful.

Analytics firm Flurry, which provides real-time user data to thousands of app developers, crunched the numbers for AppleInsider and revealed that, like with the iPhone, games will be the most popular iPad app category, commanding 44 per cent of the apps being tested for the device. Entertainment follows with 14 per cent.

The iPhone’s 150,000 apps will work on the iPad, but developers are planning to do a lot more with the device than simply stretch their apps to fit the larger screen.

Media companies in Australia and abroad are hard at work on porting their publications to tablets such as the iPad. Already, Wired magazine has shown off a tablet version, while the ABC has confirmed it is actively looking into developing iPad apps.

Graham Clarke, through his new Glasshouse Apps company, is one of several Australian developers beavering away to create their apps in time for the launch.

“The iPad to me is just the start of something much bigger. April 3, 2010 isn’t just the date of another Apple event, it’s the first word of the next chapter in the history of computing,” he said.

Clarke developed the Cellar and Barista apps for the iPhone but would not give away much about his iPad plans.

“People are pretty tight-lipped about it, which is understandable because Apple haven’t really approved any apps yet – you can’t give too much away until you know for sure that everything’s going to work out,” Clarke said in a phone interview.

Another Australian app maker, Firemint, which made Flight Control – one of the iPhone’s most popular games – has said it is preparing to release an iPad version, Flight Control HD.

Most iPad developers bar a few major media companies such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have been unable to test their apps on the device before launch, instead relying on iPad emulation software.

Apple has told developers not to give away too much about their plans, while the few organisations that have received an iPad in advance of the launch are forced to abide by strict secrecy rules. These include, according to The New York Times, “keeping the iPad hidden from public view, chained to tables in windowless rooms”.

Some developers have complained that Apple’s immense secrecy measures are limiting their ability to create apps that are optimised for the new device.

One of the main selling points of the iPad, the ability to buy e-books from the iBooks store, will not be available to Australians at launch. But Amazon said this week it was developing an iPad Kindle app, which would provide access to more than 450,000 Kindle books and allow users to turn pages simply by swiping their fingers.

Anthony Agius, founder of the MacTalk community website, said he worried Apple would reject the Kindle app because it competed with iBooks, after similarly banning the Google Voice app on the iPhone.

Agius and Clarke are among several Australian Apple fanatics who will be travelling to New York for the US launch in an effort to obtain the iPad weeks before other Australians.

“For me, Apple is kind of like my favourite band. If your favourite band had a new album that was out and you can’t hear it for a month, it’s painful,” he said.

Agius will fly to New York on Friday and hopes to bring home about 10 iPads for friends. Apple has limited purchases to two per person but Agius hopes to get around this by pre-ordering with several credit cards and Apple IDs.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that hundreds of thousands of iPads had been pre-ordered ahead of the US launch. Some analyst firms, including the NPD Group, believe the iPad’s sales in the first few months after launch will exceed those of the iPhone.

One company, iPodMeister, is offering a free iPad Wi-Fi + 3G model to people who send it 1150 used CDs or DVDs, which will then be distributed at a discount in poor countries.

Clarke believes the iPad will spark a major shift in desktop computing towards the use of more touch-based interfaces.

“You’ll probably have to change the way that you use them [desktop PCs] because you obviously can’t sit down in a chair and hold your hands up to the screen all day, but I just think that it’s so much more intuitive to connect with the computer by touching it, rather than using a keyboard and mouse all the time,” he said.

Resource:

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life

According to Youwager.com, which began taking bets on the topic this week, it is unlikely that Jobs’ Mob will sell a million of the overpriced keyboardless netbooks within 74 days.

The Iphone, which went on sale in June 2007, took only 74 days to get to the 1 million sales mark. It also had considerably less hype than the Ipad and featured a touchscreen that was a bit of a novelty at the time.

The bookies say that, despite saturation marketing – much of which is free from the US press – the odds are stacked against the Ipad.

According to Bloomberg, Youwager.com said that no matter what Apple puts onto the market there are going to be large sales, but with this particular product, it does not think that the Ipad is as practical as the Iphone.

Clearly the odds would be lower if Youwager was aware that occasionally Apple has made turkey products in the past. Apple TV anyone?

Paddy Power, Ireland’s biggest bookmaker, has open betting with 3-to-1 odds that Ipad sales will surge past 6 million in 2010. The bookie has 8-to-1 odds that fewer than 1 million units will sell.

Resource:

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1597397/the-odds-ipad

Apple’s highly anticipated tablet computer would not, after all, require purchasing all new applications. Instead, everything in the App Store would automatically work on the iPad. As Jobs explained, tapping one button on the iPad screen transforms apps made for the 3.1-inch iPhone/iPod Touch screen to a snugger fit on the 9.7-inch iPad.

Simple, right? For the iPad owner, sure. But the iPad means bigger changes for the people who create these apps. Though the iPad has been dismissed by some as an oversized iPod Touch, it’s definitely not, as those who attempt to make iPad apps or re-create iPhone apps for it will find out fast.

That includes people like Michael Groves, who is half of a two-person development team at Wandering Pig Studios. He currently has two apps on the store, TapBox and a snow globe app. Groves, like most of his peers, is excited about the iPad. The extra screen real estate on the 9.7-inch device is a big deal, mostly because apps that were a no-go on the relatively small iPhone screen might actually work on the iPad.

“We’re starting to work on a game we originally positioned as an iPhone app, and it died because of the screen size issue. Now it will be our next project,” on the iPad, Groves said.

But bigger isn’t necessarily better in all cases. Cameron Daigle, a Web and interaction designer for Griffin, which makes all sorts of Apple accessories, says that like moving from a cramped apartment to a three-bedroom house in the suburbs, it will probably take app makers awhile to get used to all that space.

"What those (developers) are going to find is that the iPad has five times as much screen space, and your little app is going to look funny on there," Daigle said. "It’s going to be interesting to see how people grow their apps to fill that space. You’ll see a lot of awkwardly sparse and awkwardly cluttered apps as people figure out how to use that space."

Groves is also dealing with this problem. One of his apps is a game called Tap Box, in which players tap various colored blocks as they fly across the screen in changing patterns. Players advance by tapping all of the bad blocks as they try to make it off the screen.

"The interesting thing, on a much bigger screen size the game becomes a lot easier " Groves said. "If you have larger targets with larger screen, you’ll not have as much of an appeal as far as maintaining a (certain) challenge level "

For Groves, just having users click the 2x button Apple will put on the iPad screen will likely kill his app–if it’s not fun, who will buy it? So he has to basically rework his app from scratch to make it a decent experience on the iPad. So he will have to figure out a way to make his game more difficult.

Daigle, who has worked on Griffin’s iTalk voice-recording app, among others, says very simple apps like Griffin’s (the entire app consists of approximately seven elements) also won’t automatically benefit just from being larger. Making a button three times as big as the one on the iPhone app might look silly. It’s figuring out how to fill all that extra space that becomes the most important hurdle to overcome. That means rethinking what elements go on the screen, how big they are, and how users will interact with each element, all of which are things they’re working on as you read this.

Of course, many apps will translate to the large screen beautifully, like the ones we’ve already seen at the iPad introduction. Visually rich interactive games like Nova by GameLoft can only improve by being reworked and magnified. And MLB’s At Bat app benefits from being able to surface more info for stats-loving baseball geeks. It’s obviously not a coincidence as far as the apps chosen by Apple to demo the iPad–they make Apple’s new platform look good.

The iPad introduction event was not just a marketing strategy, it was also a subtle challenge to would-be iPad app makers. Apple set the bar really high with its own iPad apps. By demonstrating the likes of iBooks and iCal, applications which are very rich, distinct, and interactive, Apple is signaling to developers what they can and should do with this new platform.

"The iPad will require much more effort from a developer standpoint,” Groves said. “You have to put time into designing a workable interface that feels like it uses the screen size."

Instead of a few weeks to make a cookie-cutter iPhone app, standing out next to iBooks or iCal will probably take a few months, depending on the number of developers who can work on it. For Groves, it’s just him and another designer. At a large mobile developer shop like GameLoft, which has 60 games on the App Store, and 800 developers who work on the iPhone platform, it still means more work to upgrade to iPad-ready apps.

GameLoft Vice President of Publishing Baudouin Corman said his company intends to rework as many of its games for iPad as it can, though all of them is not really an option. "We can’t optimize all 60," he said. "Basically we have to make some choices…the ones that make sense best on the big screen."

Though it’s extra work, it’s worth it, says Daigle, because App Store shoppers will take notice. "There will be a big difference between a good, paid app and a free app," he said. "Free apps are going to look pretty free."

And that’s not meant to denigrate free apps at all, but to say that the gap between well-designed apps and poorly thought-out ones should be very obvious. Just allowing users to click the 2x button to scale up is an OK solution, but it’s not something designers and developers should rely on, according to Daigle.

"Scaling up never looks good–it doesn’t look good in Photoshop, much less something you’re interacting with," he said. "Apple is doing that to provide a little bit of a transitional period. But people are never going to be happy with scaling."

But there are other things developers need to think about too. Increased size also equals increased weight–the iPad weighs in at 1.5 pounds, the iPhone 3GS at just one third of a pound. Apps that require any sort of movement or shaking, like the Bump app for example, won’t be a natural way to use the iPad.

Groves says that worries him about his snow globe app, wpSnow. You shake an iPhone or iPod Touch with his app open and snowflakes float down onto the Christmas tree. "Not many people have held an iPad. My concern is that app (requires) the user to move the phone around a lot. With the heft of the iPad, will that cause an issue with user interaction? Will users drop the pad if they’re swinging it around a lot ? "

Clearly, this will be a learn-as-you-go process for iPad developers. While they have access to the software development kit (SDK), it only contains a simulator. Few people outside of Apple have yet to touch an iPad, and until April 3, when the device hits stores, app makers will likely have a learning process ahead of them. But for designers like Daigle who look forward to the direction the iPad is moving mobile computing in, it’s exciting, since it’s clear the iPad is just the beginning of a lot more changes in store.

"I think the iPhone/iPod Touch has been a training ground of sorts to get people used to this interface and concepts," said Daigle. "I think we’ll look back at when iPhone first came out, (when app design meant a) top bar, bottom bar, and space in the middle. Apple did that on purpose, releasing the smaller design (of the iPhone) first to get people used to it…If they had released iPad first people would have been overwhelmed"

Resource:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20000393-260.html