mendax.org » gadgetry http://mendax.org WyldKard's mental brouhaha. est. 1996 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:40:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 The iPod Touch is a baby iPad. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F05%2F05%2Fipod-touch-baby-ipad%2F&seed_title=The+iPod+Touch+is+a+baby+iPad. http://mendax.org/2010/05/05/ipod-touch-baby-ipad/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 20:14:02 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=2013

One of the common quips about the is that it’s nothing more than a “large Touch.” It’s a statement the naysayers are fond of making, along with those who lash out at anything made by as though were still the only developer putting out a useful, solid operation system anymore; it’s not 1999, people.

We’ve now had an since Friday, the day the 3G iPads were released, and we’re quite happy with it as a replacement for our now-sold 17″ Macbook Pro. We’ve fielded numerous questions, but the most common is, “Why would someone want an ?” And that’s a loaded question, because it comes with a pre-established bias. But let’s answer it anyway: “Maybe you don’t. Not everyone would.”

That answer isn’t side-stepping the argument, either. The reality is, if you’re already happy with an existing portable computer, or you don’t need a portable computer in the first place, then the isn’t for you, just as a roadster isn’t the ideal car for a family of four. If you’re in the market for a portable computer, however, and what you need it to do is the same thing 99% of computer users need a computer for, then the fits the bill splendidly. It’s a fantastic entertainment and news device, is great for writing, and the distribution system for apps makes the a headache-free device which you won’t need to reformat every six months because something’s broken.

And for techies who need the latest and greatest, and have the disposable income to make that need a reality, then the is an obvious choice over an existing sub-notebook: it’s snappier, has a great app library w/associated distribution system, has a longer battery life, and has a data connection built in.

With four days of use behind us, we’re not disappointed with the device at all, and look forward to the benefits that OS 4.0 will bring later this year. One side-effect of using the , however, is our changed perception of using the . Quite simply, the no longer feels as revolutionary, or as spectacular, as before. Indeed, we’re making an effort to not run apps on the , because most simply don’t look great when scaled up. That’s not to say that the still isn’t the best smartphone on the market, but merely that the now feels more like a phone with cool features, and less like a backup computing device; the feels almost cluttered now, what with its dense app icon distribution on the SpringBoard, and the lack of “whitespace” in apps.

In this respect, the has set for the computing industry a new standard. What early, greyscale sub-notebooks were to their later, more powerful notebook brethren, the Touch is to the . In other words, the isn’t a big Touch, in much the same way the modern Mini Cooper isn’t just a bigger version of the old Mini. Yes, there are keen visual similarities, but one was effectively a prototype for the other. In the end, the Touch is a smaller, more restricted version of the , which is a more apt description if any can be made, and it pinpoints the answer to the aforementioned question as to why one would want an : early adopters didn’t ask why they should pick up an instead of one of the many non- mp3 players on the market. Rather, the reason was obvious: the was better, not because it offered much more functionality, but because it was highly polished. Those who didn’t see this would end up buying an a year or three later. Same with the : if you don’t get it now, just wait a couple years when the early-adopters have made the reasoning all to clear.

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/05/05/ipod-touch-baby-ipad/feed/ 0 The iPad is the volkscomputer. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F02%2F24%2Fthe-ipad-is-the-volkscomputer%2F&seed_title=The+iPad+is+the+volkscomputer. http://mendax.org/2010/02/24/the-ipad-is-the-volkscomputer/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:00:13 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1950

We love this quote by Ed Finkler, which we spied over at Daring Fireball:

When folks need an elevator, we should give them an elevator, not an airplane. We’ve been giving them airplanes for 30 years, and then laughing at them for being too stupid to fly them right.

Finkler pretty much identifies what’s so great about the . Not necessarily for power users, but for the non-computer nerds out there (i.e. 99% of the populace). An interesting thing we noticed is that most people ( fans and otherwise) weren’t particularly enthralled by the when it was officially announced last month, but many have warmed to the idea since, despite the fact that hasn’t revealed anything further on the device.

The is already being called a “task-oriented” device, rather than what most computers are today: complex, prone to user-induced slow-down, and a great method to run multiple tasks at once. The benefit to this latter factor, however, remains questionable, and it’s certainly not a stipulation that 99% of the population needs.

The “old way” of thinking, insofar as computer development goes, is to build upon what’s already been done. Look at : how many iterations of DOS were there before Windows, and how long did it take before Windows 95 stood on its own with DOS as a secondary consideration? And even though a windowing system made more sense to the average computer user, it wasn’t necessarily less complicated, because the underlying system was still exposed to a degree. Even OS X, which we consider the most usable desktop OS for the non-nerd isn’t entirely sensible out-of-box. For instance, we haven’t met a new OS X user yet who understands without our mention that closing a window in OS X doesn’t close the program. It’s not just as case of “Fuck, multitasking is hard,” nor one of simply staying attuned to visual indicators on the dock that a given applications, even sans windows, is still resident in memory. It’s an issue of multitasking (that is, at the user level) being mostly unnecessary in the first place. So why burden the user with cleaning up finite memory space, when all they want to do is write a letter while listening to some in the background?

Why’d become the platform of choice when PC offered better opportunities well before, say, first person shooters (FPS) ever grabbed the public’s attention? How many now-legendary FPS traveled through gamers’ hard drives before Goldeneye became a flashing success on the Nintendo 64? PC didn’t catch on because it was difficult, not in the gameplay sense, but in the setup sense. Under DOS, it wasn’t just a matter of installing a game, it was a matter of wrangling enough free memory to play it. For those of who who can’t remember tweaking the shit out of config.sys and autoexec.bat, you have no idea what lengths gamers will go through just to play the awesomest title ever. Messing with those two files became an art, one that’s now lost to time.

The point is, when it comes to , you pop a disc or cartridge into the console, and can start only moments later. When it comes to mundane computer tasks like laying out some pictures to send as a homemade Christmas card, users shouldn’t have to jump through a half-dozen screens just to install a new program after coming home from the computer store. Nor should they have to worry that once they’re done, they’ve left something running that will slow their computer to a crawl days later, because it ends up being one of ten things they didn’t realize stayed running in the background.

The is simple. All apps come from one place, and that place doesn’t require any physical travel. There’s no messing with a file system hierarchy, and when you leave a program, it’s closed down or simply doesn’t affect other tasks in the background. It’s not only simple, but straightforward.

A machine for everyone.

We’ve said before that the should serve most computer users admirably, without the need for another computer. Truth is, it’s not just grandma and grandpa who could benefit from the . If you think about it, most college students can do everything they need to with an also. The only stipulation are those who study computers and need more oomph, like Computer Science majors who need a platform they can develop on. For everyone else, the only potential obstacle is specialized software, but with the power behind the A4, we’d argue that most specialized applications could probably be ported to the without issue. How long before CAD programs, analytical software, etc makes it onto the AppStore? Sure, there will always be a small segment of the computer-using populace that will have to rely on an incredibly specific software package that the respective developer refuses to port, but with accessibility the AppStore offers, and the support provides for an external keyboard, the sky is ultimately the limit for most programs.

While some applications will still shine brighter if they can be run on systems with larger screen sizes, this too isn’t necessarily an issue: an A/V cable may provide video-out for just these types of applications. For everyone else, including those who currently rely on 13″ screens for daily work, the is already capable of serving as a lightweight workhorse. And for those that do need more powerful machines, there’s always the local school lab, office computer, etc.

If the proves itself successful (and we think it will), it’s only a matter of time before the / platform is expanded to devices with larger screens. For all we know, the heralded the birth of a new computer interface altogether, and it may not be more than a couple years before ’s primary computer lineup looks more like the , and less like a Macbook.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/02/24/the-ipad-is-the-volkscomputer/feed/ 0 Initial thoughts on the iPad. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F01%2F27%2Finitial-thoughts-on-the-ipad%2F&seed_title=Initial+thoughts+on+the+iPad. http://mendax.org/2010/01/27/initial-thoughts-on-the-ipad/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:41:21 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1932

We weren’t exactly surprised with ’s revealing of the today. Aside from our dislike of “,” the device does look pretty good, though it’s clearly not as revolutionary as many people hoped. While usage reports are sure to trickle in soon, we’ll take this time to look back at the post we made last week on what we thought the should have, likely wouldn’t, and what would be nice for to include.

Our must-haves.

Readable screen size: Check. As expected, the sports a 9.7″ screen, just under the 10″ rumoured size. When we first saw the in Steve Jobs’ hands, we actually thought it looked bigger. From the virtual keyboard size alone, we think the screen size is adequate, though admit that the virtual keyboard takes up an awful lot of room in landscape mode.

User-defined multitasking: Sadly, no mention of this was made. This is perhaps our biggest let-down with the reveal, because jumping back and forth between apps and the springboard is cumbersome at best. Fortunately, with Backgrounder already existing on the and Touch, once a proper exploit is found on the , we can assuredly rely on the dev-team or other hacking group to come up with a homebrew solution. Still, a pity didn’t announce additional multitasking for the out-of-box.

Update: A key point some people have made is that while multitasking wasn’t featured in ’s presentation today, there’s no reason that couldn’t reveal multitasking in the 4.0 OS announcement in a couple months. Remember that the presentation today was all about the itself, not intricacies of the OS.

Decent text-input: We were bummed with the idea of having to rely purely on the virtual keyboard for text input, because though the size of the keyboard in landscape mode looks adequate, it takes up too much of the screen. Losing almost 50% of one’s screen-realestate in a 9.7″ display is losing a lot. When we saw images of the virtual keyboard in vertical mode, however, with the new Pages app up, it looked like there was still plenty of screen left to preview written content. Unfortunately, it’s not clear if the keyboard in this mode is large enough for quick typing.

Of course, with the announcement of an dock/keyboard accessory, our desire for the grew considerably. We’d still be happier with integration with a bluetooth keyboard, but until the jailbreak community gets BTStack or similar running on the , we can certainly live with an accessory, even if it will only work with the .

Update: The word from the blogosphere is that any bluetooth keyboard can be used with the , so one doesn’t need to buy an -specific keyboard. We wonder if this means that iPhones will support bluetooth keyboards also. Better yet, from the pictures we’ve seen with the dock keyboard attached, the virtual keyboard does indeed disappear. Assuming the same is true for linked bluetooth keyboards, the will truly be a bloggers wet-dream, multitasking aside.

Our need-nots.

Cellular data connection: The will be released in wifi-only versions (in 60 days) and in wifi/3G versions (in 90 days). Proof that doesn’t consider 3G a necessity for the , but more of a luxury. Of the units that will sport 3G, the iPads will be unlocked, with an initial data offering via pre-pad AT&T. We have no qualms with this other than the lack of tethering support with an . With a 250MB plan for $15/month or unlimited for $30/month, we’d expect a discount for existing AT&T subscribers, or at least a discount if we’re tethering with an . Alas, tethering doesn’t even seem to be an option yet, but perhaps more will come to light in upcoming weeks as AT&T makes their own /tethering announcement.

Also, for those of you who thought Verizon would come in to save the day: we told you so.

GPS: We didn’t think it would happen, and only mentioned the existence of a compass. No real surprise here, since the is too big to use as a standard GPS device.

Ports: We’re looking at an connector here, to tether the to one’s Mac computer. Not really unexpected.

Our nice-to-haves.

No desktop tethering: The connector means that the is still designed to hook into a full version of iTunes to serve up non-iTunes media, which is a disappointment. On the other hand, with the keyboard dock, the can easily become a stand-alone computer for many people, including grandma and grandpa, who probably don’t care about importing their home media library anyway. The downside for many is that the largest storage offered for the is 64GB, and with no external storage options, this means that for power-users, desktop tethering is still mandatory. Overall, it’s rather surprising that more storage wasn’t offered in an even more expensive model, but 64GB is more than enough for general travel.

Front-facing camera: The has no camera at all, which is pretty much what we expected. Lack of a front-facing camera, though, will be a disappointment to many. One of the nice things about the MacBook line is the integrated iSight camera, which is a huge boon for professionals to still be able to see their kids while on the road. We entirely expect to see an integrated iSight in a future model, but maybe just wants to role out big features at a time, especially since they still want to position the MacBook line as a mobile product for professionals.

Greater connectivity: No mention of the ’s use of the was made, though we naturally expect the device to leverage Mobile Me in the same way the does, and definitely expect versions of existing Mobile Me apps to be released around the time the ships.

Conclusion:

With the exception of more multitasking, our expectations were pretty much dead-on for what thought was important and what wasn’t. We’re surprised at just how accurate some of the purported “leaks” were in the past several weeks, and how bad some of the hype got. Overall, we think the is a decent version-one product, with definite room for growth. We’re disappointed at the lack of data tethering with an , and would prefer to see bluetooth keyboard connectivity, and even an iSight, but none of these are excuses not to get an . As a device for writing on-the-go, the seems to fit the bill pretty well, and is a traveler’s dream, coming in at half the weight of the MacBook Air. While the won’t replace a full-on Mac just yet, did well in positioning the between its Mac and / Touch products, adding yet another gadget to our lives.

For us, the probably will replace our MacBook, though only if we pick up, say, a Mac Mini also as a sort of server for handling some of our larger media files. The big question for us now is whether we want to wait for a 3G , or if we’d be plenty happy with a wifi-only version.

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/01/27/initial-thoughts-on-the-ipad/feed/ 0 iTablet AppStore has its downsides. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F01%2F11%2Fitablet-appstore-has-its-downsides%2F&seed_title=iTablet+AppStore+has+its+downsides. http://mendax.org/2010/01/11/itablet-appstore-has-its-downsides/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:00:21 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1906

By now, the rumour-wagon has settled on the idea that ’s purported tablet device, to be unveiled on the 27th, will run a mobile version of OS X (possibly the same OS as 4.0). The logical follow-up is that this tablet will also acquire its applications from iTunes, just like the does with the existing AppStore. In fact, with resolution-independence for apps being recent among ’s advice to developers, it follows that apps will likely support ’s upcoming tablet as a host. In other words, we can likely expect the AppStore to serve up both and iTablet apps in the near future.

The logic behind distributing applications in this manner for the iTablet makes sense, particularly for ’s bottom line. Under regular OS X, doesn’t get a 30% cut of every application sold, nor can control what gets sold, and how these independent applications function. With apps, effectively makes free money, with the only associated cost tied to a staff of horrible reviewers, who may as well be high-school interns. Why not capitalize on the AppStore’s success by pushing this model into a market for the “general computer user,” which the iTablet will no doubt target?

For many end users, this makes sense. The AppStore is a one-stop-shop for all one’s application needs. Grandma and Grandpa don’t need to make a trip to the local Store (if there even is one) to get new software. Nor do they need to find obscure indy titles by following -minded blogs, or trolling Google for searches like “image editing program for mac”. No, all they need to do is run the AppStore program on their newly-minted device and start browsing titles.

For the rest of us, the power users, the AppStore has less merit. We generally know where to find the software we want, or at the very least, know how to find it. And we’ve all invested time and money into the third-party programs we know and love. And that’s why we’re a bit perturbed at rumours suggesting that the iTablet won’t be running on Intel, because we want the iTablet to replace our general computing computer, but under the traditional application distribution model, not the new one.

If the iTablet isn’t running on Intel, many of our old favorites just won’t work. Kiss goodbye programs like Crossover, for example, which are slowly becoming a staple for the aging gamer in us. Heck, forget about emulating Windows with Parallels or VMWare, unless you want to stick with a MacBook for basic portable computing needs. In general, forget about all the shareware, downloaded applications, widgets, and scripts we’ve been using on OS X over the years. The iTablet cares not for these investments, because the iTablet is here to clear the slate (pun intended).

Yes, the iTablet’s AppStore will be easier to manage than the current way of acquiring applications on OS X. We can delete applications without needing apps like AppZapper to make sure that no residual mess was left behind. But there are other problems, such as iTunes not backing up user data for deleted apps (only apps currently on an device), and the matter of redundancy. Do we need to replace all our OS X applications to acquire iTablet-specific applications now, assuming we’re really going to use the iTablet as our primary computing device? Will third-party developers be able to port their old OS X apps into the AppStore, and somehow give old license holders an easy way to transition customers over for free?

Maybe in the long term, it doesn’t matter. If the rumours are true, is transitioning a good part of their audience (and potential audience) to a cleaner, simpler, computing experience, like ChromeOS and Litl. And they can do that without building an OS from scratch, because OS X even in its mobile form is still OS X, albeit with greater user and developer restrictions. Maybe when this platform has become more ubiquitous, no one will care that we dumped hundreds of dollars worth of software because of what the AppStore is effectively making a new platform. But in the meantime, in the transitional period that could last for at least a year, you know we’ll be bitching about not being able to run legacy OS X apps on our fancy new devices.

Of course, with the AppStore’s quick growth-rate, assuming the iTablet is a success, and assuming the device will do things like support multi-tasking for downloaded apps, bluetooth keyboards, and other “must-have” features for daily mobile computer users, perhaps the AppStore’s benefits will outshine its flaws. Here’s hoping.

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/01/11/itablet-appstore-has-its-downsides/feed/ 1 Enderle just wanted to write “JewJew.” http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2009%2F12%2F10%2Fenderle-just-wanted-to-write-jewjew%2F&seed_title=Enderle+just+wanted+to+write+%26%238220%3BJewJew.%26%238221%3B http://mendax.org/2009/12/10/enderle-just-wanted-to-write-jewjew/#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:00:15 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1898

While we brought the Joo Joo up in passing, Rob Enderle proclaimed that the former CrunchPad could crush the market for tablet computing, thereby souring ’s entrance into the market altogether. The only problem with his assertion is that the tablet isn’t the same beast as the Joo Joo, and to say that the latter will quell consumer desire for the iTablet is like saying that Motorola’s Razr savaged the .

Enderle is really comparing apples to oranges (no pun intended); all of these non- products are extremely limited: the Kindle is first and foremost an eBook reader, the Razr is just a cellphone, and the Joo Joo is a web-surfing tool. For those like Enderle who still don’t get it, the Joo Joo is a one-trick pony. It’s not a media monster running iTunes, it isn’t a keyboard-less computer with the capacity to run OS X applications, and it certainly doesn’t have the potential packing of the print industry to push forward with digital distribution of magazines and newspapers.

Most consumers probably haven’t even heard of the Joo Joo and its developer, Fusion Garage. The Joo Joo will cost $500, and for what’s probably just twice that, users will be able to own an -polished product that does significantly more. So even if news of the Joo Joo does trickle down to the average computer user, we’re not so sure anyone’s going to care, especially once announces their own tablet (which will be an actual computer and not just a web-browser).

But what can we expect from a tech analyst with such stunning gems as this:

[It] sounds way to close to JewJew with implications that could offend a wide variety of buyers…

You’re right, Enderle, that’s what’s going to make the Joo Joo fail.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2009/12/10/enderle-just-wanted-to-write-jewjew/feed/ 0 Will MacBook evolution lead to the iTablet? http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2009%2F12%2F09%2Fwill-macbook-evolution-lead-to-the-itablet%2F&seed_title=Will+MacBook+evolution+lead+to+the+iTablet%3F http://mendax.org/2009/12/09/will-macbook-evolution-lead-to-the-itablet/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:00:36 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1876

We’ve ruminated at length about the rumoured tablet computer, from the “dock” that is our Apple Annex, to the Macbook sibling that is our iTablet Excelsior. And with recent clues shoved down our digital throat across the blogosphere suggesting that an tablet will indeed be announced sometime next year, we find ourselves once again justifying its impending existence.

The truth’s in the Air.

It began with the MacBook Air and may indeed end with it. Almost two years ago, we complained that the MacBook Air was overpriced for a poorly performing machine with so little to offer other than a reduced physical footprint. To be fair, that same complaint holds even truer today, with even the basic 13″ MacBook Pro beating the MacBook Air out on all specs to include price, with the Air merely coming in at 1.5 lbs lighter. How many real-world applications is that 1.5 lbs going to make a real difference for?

But the Air, as we stated back in January, 2008, is a great proof-of-concept. And that proof-of-concept has gotten slight buffs during its two generational updates. One could almost say that the Air is ’s notebook AppleTV, in the sense that it’s more of a hobby to set the future stage than to sell based purely on its present merits. That’s not to say that the Air isn’t decent; we’re even considering picking up a used Air if the price is right, just so we have a very portable, no-frills writing device that runs OS X (we’ve seen first-gen models go for what amounts to the price of a netbook hackintosh). But if money is indeed a consideration, the Air today is a poor purchase when the 13″ MacBook Pro offers so much more for less money.

Back to the Air as a proof-of-concept, the makings of an tablet were all thrown in front of us in 2007. The had the touch technology, and the Air had an ultra-portable form factor. explored SSD hard drives with the Air, and in a sense, teased the niche market for expensive-but-polished notebooks. The unibody was touted as an end to user-replaceable batteries, offering solid battery life that trickled into the MacBook Pro lineup. And with all that, proved that there was a market for the Air, and one that could likely grow with cheaper costs.

So what’s left? Take the Air, throw away the keyboard, and tablet nirvana is just around the corner. While we wouldn’t expect to revive the Newton or Air names for a future tablet, one has to admit that the latter name is catchy and far more apt for a tablet than for what the Air is today.

Tablet as the new king of media.

Looking at iTunes LP and iTunes Extra content, we see a pretty exciting, open technology for developers to exploit. These technologies add even more reason to go all-digital, as consumers won’t have to feel like they’re missing out on bonus content if they don’t buy a CD with art and lyrics on the pull-out jewel case pamphlet, or the extra content on DVD menus. The best thing about iTunes Extra, though, is that it’s flexible enough to be used with other media, like print. That is to say, books, newspapers, and magazines, in digital format, could have a degree of interaction that typical e-publications don’t. Instead of simply reading a PDF or ePub document, consumers will be able to interact with their digital downloads in a way we expect one to interact with web sites, only in this case, an online connection would only be leveraged sporadically.

For example, newspapers could have polls. When a user submits their response to the poll, the information is transmitted the next time the Tablet has an connection. Thereafter, the newspaper poll will show results to date, without the user having to manually reload the poll data. Local weather information could be dynamically generated upon purchase, while old issues of the publication would have static records based on the actual weather histories. Users could enable/disable audible readings of articles, and magazines could include video clips of product reviews, better leverage advertising, and generally include more media that would otherwise have been cut in a print magazine because of limited space. And books could leverage interactive media in another way: imagine reading through Lord of the Rings, and having an easy-to-access map of Middle-earth, where the Fellowship’s location is marked, and corresponds to where you are in the book’s reading. With enough foresight, one could even cross-reference terms from Lord of the Rings to Tolkien’s other works, assuming they too were purchased. In other words, digital publications could link to one another in a sort of quasi-wiki method.

Ultimately, these are things that will add value to a digital download, thereby making them more attractive for consumers. Considering ’s success with , and to a more limited degree and , it would not be surprising if took on the e-publishing mission with a zest yet unseen by the eBook industry. And why shouldn’t carve out this rather important niche, especially since it won’t be competing head-on with today’s eBooks: the type of interaction we’re talking about isn’t suitable for an e-ink display. will want colour (lots of colour!), and the quick, reactive display that one would expect to see on the or, in this case, an tablet. Sure, the battery life won’t be as good as an eBook reader, but the experience will be better.

There have already been plenty of rumours suggesting that has met with print-industry big-wigs, and other rumours indicating that print-industry execs are meeting with one another to address their future digital distribution plans. (Supposedly, has even offered a 30/70 split to publishing houses as financial incentive.) It should be obvious to anyone that standardizing this distribution, to a firm degree, will be beneficial to all companies involved. And with leading the charge, would it really surprise anyone if iTunes was rebranded as something more like “iMedia?”

The Tablet as a MacBook.

With the type of interactive content we’re talking about, won’t release a dedicated device. Anyone with iTunes will be able to download the latest , movies, and magazines, and be able to sync them across all their iTunes-capable devices. What better way to showcase the multimedia prowess of the /movie/magazine conglomeration flipping through virtual pages of the latest New York Times bestseller with an actual flick of one’s finger, using similar gestures to control and movie playback? The processing power we’re talking about, particularly for the multimedia elements, will be greater than what most eBook readers have today.

is about totality of experience. That’s where the trumps every other smartphone on the market, and why was able to beat out competitors in 2007 when the , to much initial criticism, was unleashed upon the masses. ’s only going to duplicate this effort with a tablet: a perfect machine to showcase its multimedia initiative, but still capable of tackling most average computing needs. So yes, the tablet will support a wireless keyboard/mouse, and run the regular version of OS X. Its specs will likely be similar to that of the MacBook, or maybe even the 13″ MacBook Pro. But the market for a tablet is clearly different than the market for these more traditional laptops, so it won’t cannibalize sales of other products any more than the Mac Mini cannibalizes sales of the iMac. Users who need a traditional notebook experience for class or work will still get a MacBook: it’s the desktop baseline for getting work done with mobility in mind. But those who can spare not having a physical keyboard will love the tablet, because it offers extra mobility at the expense of easy desktop integration. Some tablet owners may cart around a wireless keyboard in their tote bags, but they will likely be the exception. Everyone else will treat their tablets like an eReader that can do so much more; the tablet will be the perfect, portable entertainment tool aimed at those who consume information rather than games. It won’t be a one-trick pony like the CrunchPad Joo Joo, because as Steve Jobs said, an tablet will be expected to do more than simply serve as a web-reading tool for toilet-surfers.

The assumed $1,000 price-point seems entirely realistic at this point, especially when one realizes that the tablet will be little more than a MacBook Air whose keyboard was replaced with a capacitive touchscreen. That price doesn’t make us gawk at all. In fact, we’re ready to jump at a tablet purchase under these conditions, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the device is ready in time for CES 2010.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2009/12/09/will-macbook-evolution-lead-to-the-itablet/feed/ 0 iPhone as computer, revisited. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2009%2F08%2F07%2Fiphone-as-computer-revisited%2F&seed_title=iPhone+as+computer%2C+revisited. http://mendax.org/2009/08/07/iphone-as-computer-revisited/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:30:16 +0000 WyldKard http://wyldkard.com/?p=1805

When the came out, we were one of the few who didn’t parade around the idea that it was the cell-phone Messiah. Heck, the didn’t do much that our Danger Sidekick didn’t, though the user experience was admittedly cleaner. But with OS 2.0 and the realization of an open AppStore (with some issues, admittedly), the user experience is as varied as the thousands of applications available. That’s why we weren’t so much taken aback by Meg Hourihan’s comment about whether or not she would purchase an 3GS: upgrading the was akin to upgrading her computer. John Gruber was quick to confirm this idea:

A decade ago, my first PowerBook was a secondary machine to the desktop anchored at my desk. Now, my main machine is my MacBook Pro, but it feels a bit like an anchor now. My mobile secondary computer is my .

And now that we have an 3GS, we too acknowledge the shift in computing : on the very day we activated our 3GS, our MacBook Pro’s screen refused to turn back on after we set the 3GS up, and rebooted after the most recent Safari 4 patch. It turns out that the logic board needed to be replaced, since there was a known issue with the NVidia graphics card in our 17″ version of the MacBook Pro. While the repairs were done at an Store an hour away, it still took a couple days to get the computer back, and in that time, we relied almost entirely on the for our -related tasks after work. And we weren’t very disappointed with the experience. In fact, in many ways, reliance on the 3GS versus the MacBook Pro was a relief: the device was always on us or nearby.

Now we’re hardly saying that the 3GS is an appropriate stand-in for a full-fledged computer. We still maintain that the is a poor device for inputting of most meaningful text, which is why we use the as a reader more than we rely on it to respond to people outside Twitter and SMS. But for this former purpose, the 3GS shines, because it’s snappy in most every sense of the word, and the experience of using it on the road (via 3G) is pretty much the same as using it at home on wi-fi. And that consistency makes the shine. For many, with greater storage (to hold all one’s songs, movies, and photos) and a bluetooth keyboard, the could theoretically become a replacement for the average home computer user almost entirely.

So changed were we by our forced use of the 3GS for nearly a week, we decided to offer our fixed MacBook Pro on craigslist. Not to rid ourselves of the anchor for our home computer use, but because we now find the device to be overkill for what we need to get done at home, and we see little reason not to downgrade to a smaller anchor now. Indeed, ’s “low-end” lineup is now ever-more attractive to us, and for the limited computer needs we have at home, we can finally agree that a 17″ monitor isn’t much of a necessity now that we’re not tied to an online game that benefits from it. Thanks in great part to AppStore apps, and the rise of mobile web pages tailored to the ’s display, there’s an easy case to be made for ’s replacing netbooks and many common-use notebooks/desktops. Again, the only obvious items holding the back from becoming a true computer replacement is its poor input mechanic and limited storage space, but the former can easily be remedied with technology that appears to have green-lighted with better Bluetooth gadget operability.

We’re still holding out for a mid-way solution between the and MacBook, and we’re hoping that the iTablet fits the bill. But in the meantime, we’re only seeing use of our 3GS go up, while our MacBook is getting lonelier by the day.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2009/08/07/iphone-as-computer-revisited/feed/ 0 Point of the iTablet? Try these variants. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2009%2F08%2F03%2Fpoint-of-the-itablet-try-these-variants%2F&seed_title=Point+of+the+iTablet%3F+Try+these+variants. http://mendax.org/2009/08/03/point-of-the-itablet-try-these-variants/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:30:18 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1813

All this talk about the iTablet, and we’re still confused as to what the ultimate point is. Not about the talk itself, but about the reasoning to release an iTablet in the first place, novelty factor aside. The Blog was keen on pointing out the OS possibilities for the rumoured iTablet, and that consideration will clearly define where the device fits into ’s lineup, and what kind of consumer it will target. We thought more on the subject of use, and came up with a couple iTablet versions worth discussing.

The Browser

Those in the “large ” camp are undoubtedly browsers. That is to say, they’re the exact market the Touch and go after when advertises mobile Safari and video features. So why a new device? Because as good a mobile entertainment center it is, the Touch/ isn’t ideal for sitting back on a couch and watching a movie. Granted, that’s what TVs are for, but the iTablet Browser will enable users to take their movies and shows to places their TVs can’t go: camping, the hotel room, the back-yard, etc. In other words, the iTablet Browser is exactly what the Touch is, albeit bigger, which means less eye strain, easier-to-navigate web pages, etc.

While a niche target for sure, the iTablet Browser could be the most basic of all netbook-like devices: targeting the most casual of casual computer users. In other words, this device would be for the many grandparents out there who only need to get online to check their e-mail to receive pictures of their grandkids, or to folks who do little more than surf the web. It’s the perfect dumb-terminal for people who don’t do enough traveling to justify the small screen real-estate of the Touch, or don’t need a portable phone-computer like the . What’s more, with a screen able to run multiple apps, or even customized apps like a large Kindle application, the iTablet Browser could becomes a cross between the Kindle (albeit with no e-ink display), an Touch, and an AppleTV. In other words, it would be the ultimate throw-in-your-briefcase computer.

The beauty of this device is in its low- requirements. The iTablet Browser needn’t be much faster than the 3GS (though likely will be since its size will be larger), and there’s little need to enable the device to run more than one application at a time, much like with the Touch. Thus, the OS would likely be the same (with minor modifications), and the overall price of the device wil be low.

The Secretary

Moving up a notch, the iTablet Secretary addresses one of our oldest complaints about the : the lack of a solid input mechanism. The iTablet has the additional real-estate we need to adequately review our textual input, but at its core, a bloated Touch still doesn’t have a good way to type. So, the iTablet Secretary will have to either have a bluetooth keyboard, some sort of slideout keyboard, or fancy handwriting recognition ala the legendary Newton. Plus, for bloggers, students, and other multi-taskers, there would need to be an ability to quickly switch between a note-taking application and a browsing screen (mobile Safari, an eBook application, etc.) This could be as simple as beefing up the Notes app and letting it run in the background just like the app, but with this and handwriting recognition, we’d likely be looking at faster . Plus, there’s the whole issue of a stylus, which we wouldn’t discount outright, but it’d still be a questionable move for , since their reliance on new capacitative touchscreens left the stylus behind. Of course, the iTablet Secretary could work by just letting users write letters with their fingers, which seems like the most logical move at this point.

Obviously, the cost of the iTablet Secretary would be greater than the iTablet Browser, but it would have many more uses, and target many more consumers. The cost needn’t be much higher, however, since adequate handwriting recognition was done years ago in portable devices. In fact, one would have to wonder why wouldn’t release the iTablet Secretary over the iTablet Browser given that its requirements wouldn’t be vastly greater, what with software considerations being the primary difference. Indeed, a modified Touch OS would work wonderfully here, too.

The Excelsior

The ideal ultra-casual, portable PC, is embodied in our idea of the iTablet Excelsior. In short, it’s a full-on computer with the regular version of OS X. Like the MacBook Air, it would have an attachable SuperDrive as an accessory, and would work with bluetooth devices like keyboards and mice (in addition to maintaining handwriting recognition). It would have a USB port, and maybe even a video-out port. It wouldn’t be particularly powerful, with specs at or below the basic MacBook, but it would easily handle all the tasks the iTablet Secretary could handle. In short, it’s a MacBook Air, sans keyboard.

But why go this route? Some may argue against this because of possible cannibalzing of MacBook sales, but we could make the same argument for the iTablet Browser or iTablet Secretary cannibalizing Touch sales. The reality is that in their current state, the Touch and are mere extensions of the home PC. That is to say, one needs a PC or Mac to sync with, and one needs iTunes to similarly manage media. Without a home computer, the Touch and are artificially limited. The iTablet Excelsior, however, could serve not only as the backbone for one’s existing Touch and , but for those only wanting only one super-portable device for media browsing, the iTablet Excelsior is it.

In other words, for an all-in-one solution for the average student, the MacBook may be the way to go, and maybe the iTablet Excelsior, with all its options (superdrive, keyboard, mouse, external display) would dwarf the MacBook in price, but by itself, it could squeeze well below the 1k mark and still offer a great niche computing experience. In other words, it wouldn’t cannibalize MacBook sales (effectively being part of the lineup), and would serve as the Mac Mini of the notebook world; it would be extensible enough to still offer a great home-computing experience, while working great as an on-the-go computer for class, managing warehouse inventory, or just blogging from the local coffee shop.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, will be targeting some sort of niche with the iTablet, but just which niche will it go for? Will the iTablet cut into would-be Touch customers, or would-be MacBook customers? And can it carve a definitive place for itself in the market? The hype behind the device will no doubt steamroll it into the mindshare of computer users, but only its practicality will determine its success, and save it from the fate of ’s hobby venture, the AppleTV. We tend to think that the potential for a surefire hit is there, but even as gadget aficionados, we’d be hard-pressed to justify the purchase of anything less than the iTablet Excelsior, considering we already carry an and use a MacBook.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2009/08/03/point-of-the-itablet-try-these-variants/feed/ 1 It’s time for non-headset bluetooth iPhone accessories. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2009%2F06%2F24%2Fits-time-for-non-headset-bluetooth-iphone-accessories%2F&seed_title=It%26%238217%3Bs+time+for+non-headset+bluetooth+iPhone+accessories. http://mendax.org/2009/06/24/its-time-for-non-headset-bluetooth-iphone-accessories/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:58:13 +0000 WyldKard http://wyldkard.com/?p=1781 Post image for It’s time for non-headset bluetooth iPhone accessories.

Now that OS 3.0 is out, with better support for bluetooth accessory access, it’s time we start seeing some nice accessories to make our -using experience even better. Sure, we already have a slew of standard bluetooth headsets to choose from, and now we even have A2DP stereo headsets, but that’s not what we’re talking about. No, we mean game controllers like the iControlPad, Zeemote JS1 and GameBone Pro.

The problem with these devices is simple, however: they rely on developer support to work with anything, making a spontaneous purchase moot for the foreseeable future. What the manufacturers of these devices need to do is make a deal with big-name developers (is that an oxymoron?) like EA or ngmoco, and have them include support for peripherals. Otherwise, there’s no sign of a peripheral standard for the , which is sorely needed if these devices are to carve out a niche market among gamers. Establishing a set of standards is something these companies can actually do now, and arguably should have been doing all along. As we’re still a bit away from seeing these devices hit retail, however, perhaps we can look at them as mere prototypes while a multi-company standards board is enacted (wishful thinking, we know).

More exciting to us, however, is the prospect of a bluetooth keyboard for the , which could work with any text-input-based application. Aside from serving as a better way to input long streams of text, such a device could also be used for gamers, much as they still are for PC . Combined with id releases of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, the fond memories would come trickling back like a waterfall.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2009/06/24/its-time-for-non-headset-bluetooth-iphone-accessories/feed/ 0 iPhone 3G S: wonder toy. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2009%2F06%2F22%2Fiphone-3g-s-wonder-toy%2F&seed_title=iPhone+3G+S%3A+wonder+toy. http://mendax.org/2009/06/22/iphone-3g-s-wonder-toy/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:00:59 +0000 WyldKard http://wyldkard.com/?p=1776 Post image for iPhone 3G S: wonder toy.

What’s most interesting about the iPhone feature chart posted earlier today by The Blog isn’t the evolution of the since 2007, but that the chart makes the 3G S stand out over the other models by its evolutionary leap. That’s not to say that we think the 3G S is hugely innovative, but that it’s more innovative compared to the 3G than the 3G was to the 2G . This is particularly noticeable when we begin factoring in not only the ’s 3.0 OS, but the availability of jailbreak-enabled applications: with MMS, tethering, and video recording all features enabled after a jailbreak, the 2G and 3G have few differences (albeit the major one: 3G network speed).

While AT&T’s 3G network was bumpy at best when the 3G was released, it’s much more stable one year later, and we can say with glee that our network experience on the 3G S has been fantastic, to the point where we’d certainly feel weighed down by the 2G ’s EDGE limitation. We’ve even forgotten a couple times when we were on our home broadband network – that’s how fast our 3G connection has been: little noticeable difference between it and wi-fi.

So sure, the 3G S sports more unique features than the 3G did compared to its own predecessor, but how earth-shattering are these new features? Beyond testing video recording, we don’t anticipate using the upgraded camera for video outside of a few special circumstance (which could change, perhaps). Still images, however, especially improved thanks to a tappable auto-focus, have suddenly made the camera far more useful, to the point where we’ll likely retire our Pentax Optio S for everything except macro photography. The 3G S’ compass is a novelty item in itself (the app), but its integration with other apps is what will make it killer. Already, we’ve found our Google Maps experience greatly improved, and once we start seeing great turn-by-turn apps available, and the use of the compass in other apps (e.g. Geocaching), the presence of the digital compass will truly shine.

As far as voice control goes, we haven’t used the application outside a quick test run, which proved fruitless; we’d prefer to see functionality akin to Google Search, such that we can perform web searches straight from the voice control app. With its primary focus on telephone calling, the voice control app doesn’t do anything we couldn’t with apps from Installer.app back in 2007, though perhaps we’ll utilize it more with the once we have more hands-on experience with it. The Nike+ integration is another nice feature, and we’ll probably whip out our ailing Nike+ transmitter to give it a spin, but that means we’ll have to find a new armband or other method of bringing the along on a run. Really, it was the Nano’s size that made it ideal for this purpose, while the is a bit clunky here.

Our biggest complaint about the 3G S is battery life. Indeed, being attached to a 3G signal must burn energy like no one’s business, because we’re constantly running low. We’re starting to think that heavy use of the GPS is another contributing factor, but it’s hard to rule this out until we start using the Geocaching app in offline mode, when we’re not relying on the network to continuously retrieve information on nearby caches. For most days of use, our 2G was happy enough with a night-time charge while we were sleeping, and it would rarely be dead by the time we laid our head to rest. The 3G S, however, uses significantly more battery life just in standby mode, to the point where we’re actually considering turning it off when we’re at work and not using it. This despite ’s claim that the 3G S sports longer battery life the the 3G. No wonder so many of 3G-toting fools were turning 3G off for routine travel.

We were right about leaving our jailbroken 2G behind, however. SBSettings was an invaluable tool, and with the speed and extra RAM of the 3G S’ , Backgrounder would be ever more useful now than it was before. These two apps alone would be killer additions to a future OS update, but as it’s unlikely we’ll ever see anything like them made official, we’re eagerly looking forward to the eventual 3G S jalbreak solution.

It looks like we can’t expect major improvements from year-to-year, but enough has happened over two years that we can expect to want another upgrade come 2011. That said, we can certainly see why some people are clamoring to get ahold of ’s latest and greatest phone, even if they did buy last year’s version. As far as a phone and ultra-compact web browser go, the 3G S’ specs didn’t wet our appetite all that much, but a number of lesser features added up in this case, putting our tech desire over the edge. Heck, if we didn’t already want to replace our Garmin 60CS and Optio S, maybe we would’ve held onto the 2G for another year, but in our case, consolidating three devices into one is more than worth it, especially since it’s a device always nearby.

With turn-by-turn GPS soon-to-be-realized, the next big trick will be identifying the best ways to mount the 3G S on our vehicles without spending an inordinate amount of money. Some thoughts:

1. While we already have a GPS in our Volkswagen R32, the GPS software (and interface) is simply miserable. So, we’d like to mount the in an easy-to-reach location. The trick here is figuring out wiring, With the 2G , we used the car’s integrated interface, which tucked the away in the center console. The 3G/S runs at a different voltage, so the old charger won’t work. Audio alone isn’t an option given the battery life and we need to see the ’s screen now, so we can either find an adapter/cable for the dock, else get a (likely cheaper) cigarette lighter adapter, and then run a second cable (for audio) to the glove box which contains an aux-in port for the stereo. This is a messier solution (since it requires two cables), but potentially frees up the console for our Nano, which we can use for backup (it’s not like the older Nano will have a decent resale rate these days anyway). We’ll have to check with other VW owners to see what their solutions will be.

2. Our BMW 1200GS motorcycle is currently fitted with a RAM and Touratech mount that holds our Garmin 60CS. The power adapter is hard-wired into the 1200GS’ system. We may try to avoid the headache of doing the same thing with the , and instead simply find an power cable with a socket adapter. The next step would be to either modify the RAM mount to somehow hold the (perhaps by attaching a cradle of some sort), else get a new mounting system entirely. Also, whatever we do, we nee to find a way to keep the dry, either by finding a water-proof mount, or ghetto-rigging a water-proof armband to attach to our mount. The final step will be to attach something to the index finger on our glove to work the touch-screen. Obviously, this motorcycle scenario will be the most difficult to deal with. Again, a motorcycle user group may be a good source of ideas.

3. With a bicycle coming our way soon, we’d like to find a mount that we can use with the here, too. If the mount/cradle for this can also be used in one of the aforementioned scenarios also, that would be fantastic, but we don’t have high hopes. Any bicycle mounts worth recommending?

Worth mentioning about the 3G S (and perhaps the 3.0 software in general) is that the extensibility of the is furthered. No longer do we own an simply because it’s a great smartphone, we now own an because it’s a solid GPS too (okay, so we’re jumping the gun a bit because great turn-by-turn apps are still weeks away). In other words, the 3G S is changing our daily habits compared to how we lived with the 2G , and that’s notable. Had we purchased the 3G last year, we wouldn’t have changed our habits in any significant way. The effect of the conglomeration of OS 3.0, and the new in the 3G S, is what makes the latest a wonder-toy.

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