iPad As My Workstation Tonight

I had dinner with a friend tonight.  Dumplings, scallion noodles, and more dumplings.  Before dinner, I had some time to kill.

I got to the restaurant early.  A lot earlier than I expected.  I guess with the $4 a gallon gas, more folks are staying off the California roads.  If this dinner was not pre-arranged a while back, I probably be home glad that my SUV was not taking me to the poor house.

So there I was, sitting around waiting.  Then I figure I could get some work done.  No games.  Real work.  I made a few calls overseas using the Skype app on the iPad.  During the call, I checked on some Excel files, PDF, and Binged something.  Then I made another call to a dealership that we're trying to sell a car to and checked out the paperwork that was e-mailed to me in PDF.  

After that, I updated my cities in We Rule and We City.  Made my moves on Words with Friends.  Then, it was back to looking at some research for work.  

Then I realized there was a guy who was standing near by watching what I was doing.  Chatting away, surfing the Web, working on a spreadsheet.  I don't know what he was thinking but if that was me, I would be thinking "I'm gonna go and pick me up an iPad after dinner!"

I mean, seriously, could all that have been done with a laptop?  No.  And iPhone?  Sure, definitely but not as easy as the huge 9.7" screen on the iPad allowed me.  Oh, and I had 3G access.  And if I needed something faster, I did have my iSpot as well.  Point is, it would not have been possible with a laptop.  Heck, it would not have been possible with a Macbook.

On the iPad with unlimited 3G access and gobs of hours of battery life, I could afford to do all that without worrying about battery life and the artificial limits that a laptop 3G plan would have limited me to.  

Like I mentioned above, this could have been done with an iPhone.  A year ago, it was the 3GS and there was limited multi-tasking but it was not until the iOS 4 released in 2010 that made all this possible.  But going even a bit further back, say 2008 or 2009, it would have been much more difficult to do.  I would be blogging about a laptop, USB modem with 3G access that costs $80 a month for a couple of hundreds of megabytes of download, and about 6 pounds more to carry around.

SSD Coming Along But Still Expensive

It's taken a while but solid state drives, SSD, are coming nicely. What I mean is that I see them more and more as an option from the major PC makers.

Everyone from Dell to HP to Apple, its MacBook Air being very popular over the Holidays and demand has not let up, are using them as a premium add-on.

Now we are seeing SSD sizes at more affordable prices. Not only that, the drives are bigger. Still, I am not quite ready to pluck down $1,500 to $2,000 for a 480GB drive.

For that kind of money, it would be more economical to get a whole new laptop. Say a MacBook Air with 256 GB or storage.

So what is in your laptop or MacBook? Have you moved onto a SSD or consider making the move in the near future?




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Mac App Store Impressions

After dinner, I finally got an opportunity to play around with the brand new Mac app store that appeared magically on Intel Macs all over the land, provided you upgraded your OS to 10.6.6. Once that little business has been taken care of, you'll notice a small icon that appeared on the left-hand side of the dock.

So, good is this app store for? And who does it benefit? And will this translate into something that will be as successful as the iOS app store?

iPad Serves Gull Spill Victims - What Other Ways Apple Gears Can Help Society

There are a lot of folks in public services, conservatives, liberals, and NGOs, that use Macs in a variety of ways to help the public, the poor, and the voiceless.

Just recently, the iPad was used to aid in providing health information and coordination. Remote access is a common use to help away teams access data on computers back at offices or headquarters. Also, mobile Internet access gives users important information on demand. Databases can also be stored on the generous onboard memory if needed.

Of course, the iPad has an advantage over the iPhone or iPod Touch in that it has a bigger screen. Nevertheless, thousands if not tens of thousands of users had started using iOS devices long before the iPad went in sale four months ago.

Moreover, Macs also play an integral part in film/movie making and editing. About wars, the poor, and global warming. Macs are also used in simulations.

I believe iOS will be sophisticated enough that, even if iDevices do not have the processing power, will enable users to guide Macs in the cloud to perform more traditional computing. Considering filming using an iPhone and sending the footages to a Mac and then guiding it to editing them into a movie.

What other ways can Apple's devices be used do good social work?

Stig Lasson, Macbook, And "what's an umlaut"?

I've read the first two books of the Salander-Blomvist trilogy and I'm taking a short break from the third, the the final in the series for a while.

One of the cool thing about the book the choice of mobile devices in the book. Palm devices and Apple Powerbooks used by the main character. And as Hollywood work to remake the series from the original novels, separately from the Swedish movies, I can only hope that the writer and director retain some sort of authenticity by using Apple's latest and greatest mobile gears - the iPhone and the Macbook Pro.

And yeah, I would like to see them slip in the iPad. It only make sense to do that. As for the Millennium office, I want to see iMacs on every desktop of the reporters.

Is it going to happen? It would be a missed opportunity for Apple not to "contribute" in some way to the movies. For now, as we wait for word on any future work and what shape the movie will take, here's a funny and well-written take on the Millennium series.

Mikael Blomkvist, the male protagonist, has a bit of problem with his iBook (this was waaaay back in the PowerPC days) and needed Lisbeth Salander, the female protagonist, to help him with it. Anyway, I know now what an "umlaut" is. It's titled "THE GIRL WHO FIXED THE UMLAUT".

More at the New Yorker.

Great Mobile Combo: 27" iMac with iPhone 4 (or 3G iPad)

The newly refreshed iMac today is unlike anything on the market. We've seen tons of iMac killers come and go over the years and the iMac still reign supreme as an all-on-one computer. And why? It offers no compromises.

So this is why I think the best combo for a mobile warrior who needs power is an iMac with an iPhone or a 3G iPad for mobile needs. Let's face it. If you can afford a Macbook along with an iMac, great, but most folks I know can't.

Let's not get into the Magic Trackpad yet. That's story for another post on how I think it can be improved. But the iPad and iPhone can double as a great trackpad with a number of 3rd party apps in the iTunes store.

The one main compromise is that while on the road, mobile computing is entirely restricted to the iPhone or iPad. For 95% of what you'll need to do, Apple's iOS devices including the iPod Touch is provides everything you need.

The only issue is whether you'll need cellular Internet or not. I mentioned a 3G iPad but if you're not going to need it, the WiFi-only iPad would serve your purpose as it does mine. Just about everywhere I go these days, there are free WiFi services. Plus, as an ATT DSL subscriber, I am entitled to use ATT's growing WiFi coverage wherever I go.

And if you don't need 3G services, then perhaps even an iPod Touch would serve your mobile needs.

Next post, I'll discuss an even greater mobile combo.

iPad Not Cannibalizing Macs But How About PC?

I think not. Well, not likely. That's the answer I've got to the question to the title of this post. This subject came up in today's Apple earnings call when an analyst asked about what Apple think about potential cannibalization of the Macs by iPads in the future, since today's report showed no sign this is going on. But a statement by Apple's Tim Cook, COO, seems to have set off a storm in this regard.

"Our guts tell us that this market is very big...if it turns out that iPad cannibalizes PCs, that's fantastic for us because there is a lot of PCs to cannibalize..." was what he said. However, it was merely an off the cuff statement and nothing more.

But is the iPad really capable of cannibalizing PCs?

Analysis: Apple Should Allow iPhone Apps on Mac, But Need To Own iPhone To Use

In reading a CNet article about how iOS features can make it on to the Macs, I thought of how Apple can use the iPhone to sell more Macs than the halo-effect the iDevices have already generated for the rest of Apple's business.

Allow anyone who owns an iDevice, including the iPhone, iPad, or the iPod Touch, to use their apps on the Mac and only the Mac. For the hundreds of thousands if not millions of Macbook owners, wouldn't it be great to use our apps with our Macbooks with the multitouch trackpads?

This would sell tons of Macbooks.

But hey,I don't to leave out iMac, Mac mini, and the Mac pro either. There was talking last week of some sort of a multitouch pad for the desk-bound Macs. This pad will enable every Mac to use iOS4 apps.

Once more, Apple will be smart to make this a Mac specific feature.

The question is how likely is this to happen? Not likely. But as the saying goes, improbable but not impossible. At D8 and during his WWDC keynote, Steve Jobs seems to imply that the era of PCs (including the Macs as many bloggers and tech watchers seems to believe Apple's focus is no longer on traditional computing) is over.

Having said that, the Macs remain a viable business and growing at a faster rate than at any other time in the past. With Apple, never-say-never isn't something you want to associate with Steve Jobs. And the perfect time for this special feature would be with the next Mac OS update - ability for owners of both an iDevice and a Mac to share and use iOS apps.

More at CNet.

Apple, Please Let Us Do More With iChat (For iPhone too)

I don't know what to do with iChat on my Macbook. I've used it a few times. Mostly, I click it by accident when I'm in a rush to fire up Safari. Instead, I've been using Adium since I found out about it. With Adium, like Trillian on Windows, I can put together my MSN, Yahoo, AOL, Gtalk, and, now, Facebook contacts in one application. It's really efficient.

So far, I can use AOL and Gtalk with iChat but it doesn't let me do much else. Frankly, I'm not sure Apple really has any plans for iChat other than to just havesomething for the MobileMe crowd.

But if there is a way for Apple to include voice, VOIP, or something else, that would be fantastic. And with Google snapping up Gizmo5 and merging it with Voice, Appple's iPhone and Macs are really left at the mercy of their Mountainview neighbor who is increasingly more of a competitor on the mobile and desktop front.

I think it's about time Apple get serious about iChat and doing more with it. 30 Billion in the bank, I am sure Steve Jobs and company can put a couple of billions into some startups and catch up rather quickly. Hey, maybe even work with Cisco at the beginning to learn a few tricks about communication.

And the perfect time would be when iPhone 5.0 comes out. What happened to 4.0, you ask? While I hope to see the VOIP features in version 4 of the iPhone OS, I think it's too soon and Apple doesn't have to rush yet. They've got a couple of years before things get desperate. But I've got hope as there are evidence that Apple is working towards this end.

Since the release of iPod Touch, it has gained capabilities in hardware as well as other subtle features with each upgrade. First it gained the ability for Touch users to do voice (voice memo app). Then it gained small, albeit lame, speakers but speakers nontheless. It almost feels like Apple is using the current generations of iPod Touch users to fine tune a mobile device capable of so much more in a few years.

Note: I know that Apple probably gave the iPod Touch lame speakers as not to upset ATT or cannibalize the iPhone.

Microsoft's Sidekick Mess: Valuable Less For iPhone Users

Alright, remember when Apple launched MobileMe services to replace .Mac but there were issues with?  Well, that was growing pain and things continued to get better with each passing day (actually, we had some issues with MobileMe for about 30 minutes or so this morning).

Over the weekend, T-Mobile's Sidekick users were cut off from their data in the cloud when their connections were severed.  By all accounts, data have been lost and some might never see them again.

Forget the blame for now.  Forget that Microsoft bought Danger and is now responsible for providing services to thousands of Sidekick users.  Now, it's about us MobileMe users and just about anyone who relies on the cloud for computing and data access.

MobileMe works very differently from Sidekick services.  We've got copies of our information in Macs or PCs as well as on our iPhones and iPod Touches.  Apple has servers with our data but unless something weird or deliberate happens, MobileMe users are not going to suffer the same effects as Sidekick users in terms of completely getting cut off from the data.

However, as Apple continue to innovate, introduce new products and services, and becomes increasingly more reliant on cloud computing, I can't help but be a bit worried.  The future of mobile computing is a certainty that we cannot deny.  But in the short-term, we should expect more hiccups along the way.

PC World: Ten Things We Didn't See At WWDC

WWDC 2009 has come and gone.  And it was one of the best I've seen in a long time.  After all, Apple has to make up for a lackluster Macworld, that ended up being the last Macworld keynote ever.


Now, PC World, on behalf of bloggers and critics, is already doing some Monday morning quarterbacking - focusing on things that were missing from WWDC.  Let me be clear, I don't like spreading rumors but, boy, I love them.  Over the years, it's always been rumors, some rooted in truth and others just really really out there, sustain the reality distortion field in between Apple product updates and media events.  


On Apple and Onxo will not traffic in rumors but PC World's article of missing things from WWDC has provided me an opportunity to deal with this.  By address some of the points PC World has brought up, I'll preempt them before they become rumors.


Brilliant, eh?  I'm just gonna pick a couple here and make you head over to PC World to read the rest.

• iTablet - this is what they started off with.  Talk about a greedy lot.  It was never really something that I expected.  I didn't expected it in fall of 2008 and I did not have hope of seeing it on Monday.  Heck, I was surprised to see the new iPhones after 8 demos of the iPhone 3.0.  I thought Apple was just killing time.  With the iPhone 3G S and some of its inner workings now known, we can potentially deduce what the iTablet will be like indirectly.
• FM Transmitter - I think once the intrepid folks get their hands on the iPhone 3G S and gut it, we might find an FM transmitter in there.  Just because Apple didn't say a word about it doesn't meant it isn't there.  Just because Apple doesn't have a word to say about it doesn't mean they won't bring it up at a later day when an add-on feature to iPhone 3.0 update is ready.  Remember the Bluetooth in the iPod Touch?

I've got one of my own.  MobileMe.  And hey, how about the online components of iWorks?  Nothing.  I really expected to see more of that in conjunction with iPhone 3.0.  Perhaps, it's one of those things that Apple will bring up when they're ready.  I still think MobileMe can use some more optimization, particularly the Web components.  Man, they're slow.

A few of the things PC World brought up is just ridiculous but fun reading just the same.  One that really surprise me was removable batteries at number six.  So, fellow Apple mobile warriors, help me out there.  Since when has Apple released an iPod that has removable batteries?  In fact, Apple has only one product left that has removable batteries:  The lone Macbook.  

Adobe Flash.  Okay, I don't even want to go there.  It's not happen, it's not going to happen.  With Flash, iPhone development will be taken out of Apple's hands.  If Flash ever happens for the iPhone, it'll be so crippled Adobe might as well not offer it.  It's the same reason why it's not on Android, WebOS, or Blackberry.

Lastly, another carrier.  Wow, this could have happen and may still happen.  Apple isn't happy with ATT since they can't even get a simple feature like MMS to work for the iPhone.  We discussed ATT being singled out by the crowd.  I speculated on the possibility that ATT may potentially violate its agreement with Apple when it was able to to deliver features for the iPhone.  That may free up Apple to take the iPhone to another carrier.  Apple hates CDMA and in the only other guy in town is T-Mobile.  It not out of the realm of possibility.  But looking further ahead, Apple will need to wait until LTE is completed for it to consider Verizon.

There a few more PC World talked about that was missing from the WWDC keynote.  Look for these ten items to be recycled into rumors in the coming weeks and months.  The only Apple media event we can confidently say will take place is in the fall when the 2009 iPod lineup is introduced.  That'll be in the October-November timeframe.  If we're lucky, Apple might surprise us with something between now and then.  

Via PC World

Note:  PC World missed something obvious:  Apple TV.  One possible rumor to watch out for is iPhone games working on the Apple TV.  More than a few people suggests that Apple is interested in gaming beyond the iPhone and iPod Touch.

iPhone Intel:

After Apple's event to preview iPhone 3.0, I realized that not much will take place between then and until iPhone 3.0 come out in the "summer". And summer pretty much covers, well, all summer. So, it stands that we expect things to be quiet.

To my delight, that has not been the case. There has been no shortage of information about Apple, rumors that come from "well-placed informants", rumors that stem from other rumors, and just plain old stuff Wall Street analysts make up.

And as it is today, people are getting more and more of their information through the Internet. Blogs, news sites, blogs on news sites that quote blogs, and so on and so forth. It's a cycle that is feeding itself. We all need eyeballs. Yes, readers.

So, lots about Verizon and Apple. Pre Nano and ATT. Verizon with Microsoft. CDMA versus GSM. Apple's 10" tablet. So, what is going on with Apple's mobile gears and plans in the coming months?

These are what we know:

• iPhone 3.0 is coming out this summer. If Apple sticks to their habits, we are looking at end of June or early July.
• To coincide with the availability of the new mobile OS, new iPhones will be launched. This where we stop. We have no idea of there will be other mobile devices. Wishing it won't make it so. Having said that, I'm wishing Christmas comes early this year. Wishing really, really hard.
• We'll hear a lot about Snow Leopard at the WWDC. While Apple would like the focus to be on the next Mac OS, there will be information about iPhone 3.0.
• We know there are feature within iPhone 3.0 that were not talked about at last month's preview.
• Tethering is coming. Apple could not announce it at the preview since it would unveil too much at that time.
• There will be boring demos at the WWDC, about 1.2 or 1.3 billion apps downloaded, the number of iPhones and iPod Touches in the wild, and other self-congratulatory remarks.

So, there you have it. Wanting adjustments to mobile plans, relishing in new technologies behind the new iPhones, wishing Steve Jobs will make a surprise appearance, and wanting longer battery life in the iPhones won't make it so. Wanting Verizon to say "I'm sorry I ever doubted you" to Apple isn't going to suddenly going to make Cupertino develop a CDMA iPhone.

We have 6-8 weeks (possibly longer) of excruciating waiting to do. Meanwhile, enjoy the increasingly outrageous posts, rumors, Photoshopped pictures that will alleviate some of the anxiety. Just don't take them in as Apple gospel.

Macbook Mini: Love It But Hope It's Not True

Is this Apple's netbook? I've always said On Apple will not traffic in rumors but I'm making an exception here. You'll understand why in a bit.

This image was part of a post from Gizmodo.

For weeks (months) now, tech pundits and bloggers have begged Apple to release a netbook. Wall Street have preached doom for Apple because of the opportunity Cupertino is missing in the netbook segment of the laptop market.

Steve Jobs said the iPhone and iPod Touch was Apple's answer to the netbook. More recently, Apple has stated that they've go ideas on where they want to go with their answer to the netbook but has not commited to anything.

Let me just say I hope it's not what we're seeing in the Gizmodo post. Honestly, it's beneath Apple's reputation as an innovator. Don't get me wrong, I think there is a market for Apple with a $900 laptop but not as an answer to the nebooks in the market.

I'm still of the opinion that Apple's answer to the netbook will not be a netbook.

According to the post, this laptop (that's right, it's a laptop, not a netbook) will sport an Intel Atom and NVidia 9400M. It will also have a 10" screen with generous resolutions. What this is is a Macbook Air mini. If that image and specs are real, it's likely an extension of the Macbook Air rather than Apple's answer to the netbook market. At $900, it satisfies folks who thought the 13" Macbook Air was too big to their liking.

Will folks be interested? Sure. I think there is a large market for a MBA mini. A big market. And for folks looking for a netbook answer from Apple, keep waiting. This ain't it.

Suppose Apple Kills the iMac

Maybe not today.  Maybe not in the next couple of years.   But don't be surprised if Apple offers only Macbooks and Mac Pros as the two main Mac choices somewhere down the line.

If that was to happen, I'm sure there will be an hybrid of Mac and Apple TV (my Mac Hybrid) perhaps even integrated with a widescreen LCD (or LED) HDTV.  But that's analysis for another blog.  

First let's examine why Apple would do this rid themselves of consumer desktops:

• Macbooks have higher margins.  Mac portables account for an increasing percentage of sales.
• Steve Jobs read our lame blogs at On Apple and over at Onxo.  Okay.  Just being funny.  Okay, not funny.
• The move is towards mobile computing - laptops, smartphones, mobile platform with devices like iPhones and iPods.
• Affordability.  Laptops, including Macbooks, have gone down in average selling price.  Furthermore, refurbished Macbooks are very popular with consumers.
• As far as going green, Macbooks uses less power than iMacs.
  

Now, why Apple won't do this get rid of the iMac and the Mac Mini:

• There is still a large segment of the market that aren't ready to move towards mobility.
• Businesses generally would prefer iMacs with its larger screens for productivity.  
• Creative users like the flexibility and expandability of iMacs.  That isn't to say that Macbooks are less flexible.
• Cost.  Some folks see value in desktop.  Well, I sort of agree, provided being mobile isn't an issue.
• Apple may merge additional home entertainment features into the iMac and possibly Mac Mini and having a consumer desktop allows them these options should they chose to.
  

Now, I'm talking about consumer Macs here.  Not Mac Pro.  How will the Mac lines play out without an iMac?  What are the likely scenarios for such a possible (but improbable) move by Apple?

• We might see a 18-20" Macbook.  It may be the Macbook for the creative crowd.
• Additional Macbook units.  There may be two lines:  traditional Macbooks and Macbook Pros and additional units along the line of the the Macbook Air.  Perhaps a 15" model in addtion to the 13" Macbook Air on the market now.
• A Mac tower that merged the Mac Mini with the Apple TV for use with home entertainment systems and HDTVs.  
• MacHD - just came up with this name.  It's an HDTV with a Mac mini and Apple TV inside.
  

 Now, I'm talking about iMacs.  Consumer Macs.  There will always be a Mac Pro.  No Macbook Pro will ever come close to the power and expandability of the Mac Pro. 

Note:  Personally, I hope they won't kill the iMac.  I plan on picking up a powerful quad-core iMac in the future for development myself.  However, the multi-year delay in Mac mini update and the 10 months since the iMac was updated does provide an opportunity to speculate.

Another note:  This is not a rumor post.  I don't traffic in rumors.  It's just fun speculation.

Macbook Pro More Expensive?

According to Business Week, that is indeed the case.

I guess hits are needed at BW in light of the deep recession that we're in.

Honestly, these kinds of comparison posts are a weekly ritual.  However, it usually isn't a staple for mainstream print media.  Of course, it was mainstream media that did brushed aside blogs as true news sites (which I happen to agree - for some sites, such as the one you're reading now) but since they recognize blogs are an important part of reaching out to readers, they quickly learn that blogs are ways to sustain business.  

Hence, BW's trashy post about MBP being more expensive. Never mind that the Macbook Pro they're coming has a newer chipset, never mind that Dell's machine uses a much older video card, never mind that it's Vista on the Dell and not OS X, never mind that MBP can come down to the level of Vista and wash away any after taste after booting back into OS X.  

Interestingly, BW made a point about economic pressure forcing Dell and other Windows laptop makers lower prices to compete.  Apple simply didn't find any need to do it.  BW should blog about why that is.

Macbook costs more up front.  So what?  

Source:  BW

Note:  Apple just had a blow out quarter.  More than 2.5 million Macs sold.  9% Increase while the industry as a whole shrank.  My fellow Mac mobile warriors, please go to BW's link.  They need your clicks so they can hire quality bloggers and journalists who won't drop the ball and let the future financial crises sneak up on us again.

What To Expect From Apple In First Half of 2009

It's over. There will never be another one like it. For the last Macworld Keynote, we weren't blown out of the water with anything spectacular. Blogs and podcasts alike have been all over how this ended.  


Nevertheless, those of us follow Apple will just have to soldier on and wait for those special events that dotted the calendar year for updates on existing Apple products (and maybe new ones too).  So, what do I personally expect in the coming year?


Based on my years of watching Jobs, Apple, and their product cycle, and I can make some simple predictions for folks new to the Cupertino scene.  Just as Apple have declared, product introductions will take place in smaller venues at special events at a time of Apple's choosing.  Usually, the media is will receive an invitation that provides some sort of clue to what Apple has planned.

The iMac is due for a refresh.  There are plenty of rumors and I don't traffic in them but I believe that given the update the aluminum Macbook received (Nvidia chipset is the most important change from the previous generation).  It's possible the iMac will receive a similar Nvidia update though I think one might consider an older iMac with its dedicated ATI GPU.

Now the question is when will the update happen?  On Apple, along with everyone else, expected to see the new iMac updates at Macworld.  So, what is the issue here?  Simple stick in Macbook parts into the iMac and you're done, right?

Well, Apple has one of two routes to go in updating the iMac.  They can simply update the iMac line quietly and be done with it.  Alternatively, Apple can issue a summon to the press and make an event to announce the update.  As I said above, the invitation may offer a clue to what Apple has planned.

Here's the thing.  The current iMac is still pretty good compared to other desktops from others but Apple's desktop sales has suffered.  If Apple drags this any longer, I will start to believe that Apple has more planned for the iMac than a simple fresh.

Also, if the iMacs are updated soon, we should see another one in the summer just as the back to school rush is gearing up.

Mac Mini.  I'm not touching this one.   If you want good reliable information, try the Apple website or the Apple store.  And if you want rumors, any Apple or Mac-centric blog will oblige you.  However, I have to say outside of the Macbook, I'm most interested in the mini's future.

I can tell you what I like to see as far as the Mac mini goes.  Meet the Mac Hybrid.

Mac Pro also needs a bit refresh as well.  I'll be honest. I have not interest in a Mac Pro (more power than I need right now and $$$).  The new Mac Pro will inherit Intel's Nehalem architecture.  I'm pretty comfortable with this prediction.  When?  I'm more certain of Mac Pro updates than of iMac updates.

Macbooks were just updated in October and the 17" Macbook Pro just showed at Macworld.  We might see something in the spring.  Note that the 17" Macbook Pro, with its revolutionary new battery implementation, may be joined by the 15" Macbook Pro eventually.  8 Hours of battery life.  I'm drowling bit time.  I hope by the time I upgrade my Macbook in a couple of years, we'll see 10-hour battery lives across the whole mobile Mac line.

Lastly, how about iPhone updates?  This is where it gets tricky.  I'll save this for another entry.  There's a lot of moving parts in the mobile market and the iPhone hasn't matured to the point like the Mac or the iPod.  

Guessimating Apple's Netbook Strategy

We know Steve Jobs will never release a netbook for the sake of doing it.  Nor is Apple's answer to the netbook the iPhone.  A couple of weeks or so ago, folks started comparing iPhone shipments to netbook shipments.  You'll have to excuse those people.  It's the Holidays.  We're in a recession.  We were all dying for news, rumors...anything from Apple or Mac related (little did we know that last week, Apple would stir up controversy with their Jobs-no-show-at-Macworld announcement).

If you're looking for a netbook running OS X, MSI Wind remains the best solution.  For those will are willing to wait, this is Apple's $600-$700 netbook (I've reduced the price by $100 since November - but I can't go lower to $500 because it will be too close to the iPod Touch 32GB model).  Let's call it "iDevice".

• iDevice will take the form of a tablet.  Not clam shell like netbooks.  No keyboard.
  
• Run iPhone/iPod Touch OS.
• It'll do what it's suppose to:  play movies, do 90% of all Internet and computing related tasks adequately (e-mailing, surfing, writing, runs apps.  It will be able to do everything an iPhone can do.  But there should be applications specific also to iDevice.  
• 6-8" screen size.  Possible a 10" model as well.  If it looks anything like a bigger iPhone, it'll be closer to 8" and/or 10" model (I had previously stated there will not be a 10" model.  I have since changed my position).  $600 for the 6-8" model and $700 for the 10" model.  
• Battery will not be user-replaceable - this is one is obvious.
• iPod
• There will be accessories specifically branded for iDevice.  As with anything Apple, it will cost you.  For example, an Apple specific keyboard  may cost $100 even though it's not much more different from the wireless Bluetooth keyboard for the Macs.
• Runs on chips related to Apple's recent acquisition and investments in chip companies.  I'll be honest in saying that I don't know much about chips beyond Ghz and cores.  But from the talk of graphics performance and power efficiency, it does make sense.  We are no talking about Intel's Atom.  And given how powerful the iPhone is, there is might even be a need beyond using what is already powering the iPhone.
• This may be wishful thinking on my part but it's possible Apple may allow for e-ink to save power for reading.  I doubt this since Apple has yet to made a move on ebooks.  
• Wi-Fi.  Maybe 3G for tethering with iPhone but it's possible that a deal in the making with ATT for a special rate for Apple.  However, may people will be happy with Wi-Fi so I think 3G access is not likely.  After all, Apple has not offer it in the Macbooks.  Of course, with 3G, ATT may be willing to subsidize Apple's netbook
• 32GB.  Maybe more.  64GB.
• Additional Multi-Touch gestures.

Now, let me get back to iDevice accessories.  This is where Apple clearly has an advantage over other device makers and brands.  It can command a premium and leverage it's popularity and cool factor in creating a micro-economy for the iDevice very much the same way it did with the iPod brand.  With likely millions to be served, iDevice accessorizing will help Apple add hundreds of millions into its already big cash pile.  

And if we see the iDevice at all, I'm putting it closer 2nd quarter of 2009 (or maybe just before the back-to-school rush) than the first quarter of 2009.  Apple is going to be busy next year with the Mac refreshes, a new OS (Snow Leopard), and potentially more Macbook updates (bring the Macbook Air and 17" model closer in line to the new unibody Macbooks), and third generation of the iPhone.  

So, no netbooks as some analysts hope but something even better.  iDevice, like my dream Mac, the Mac Hybrid , are just my own speculations and please to do attribute this to anything more than not.  I did not get the specs above from a "secret source" or off some Chinese accessory maker's site.  It's just fun guessimation on my part.  

There you have it.  Apple's answer to the netbook craze.  Let me what you think.

Note: WSJ's All Things Digital also believes it'll be closer to $600.  It's entirely possible.  It's not a Mac but the iDevice is an exension of Apple's current mobile platform.  They've got a clam-shell looking device in their post.  And they still believe it'll be at Macworld 2009.  

Best Scenario For Macworld

This is just something I made up while chatting with Dave the Mobile Warrior on Skype last night about Apple's unexpected exit (unexpected from the standpoint of folks who were not graced to insider information). 

But when Apple VP Phil Schiller takes the stage as the keynote speaker traditionally reserved for Steve Jobs, just what kind of position is he being put it?  So, we dreamt up a cool scenario for the last Macworld Apple will participate in.

Schiller goes on stage and goes through his routine.  Great Christmas.  Great quarter they just had.  Billions made.  Then he tells folks the iMac, Mac Mini, and Mac Pros will all be updated.  Though it all, Phil gets forced ethusiastic applauses because of the impossible situation he's put under.  He knows it.

But then he says, "we've got a special guest I like to bring out to talk about the next revolutionary product from Apple.  You all know him.  Steve Jobs!".

Crowd goes wild.  A couple of live blogs go offline because their bloggers fainted.  Steve comes on and thank the Apple family for years of great memory and products.  Then says, "one more thing..." and blows away the crowd with Apple's answer to the netbook.  Apple's own TV.  The Mac Hybrid I've been advocating.  Something else awesome because Steve says it is.

That would be the perfect end to the Macworld as we know it. 

There are a number of theories about why Jobs won't be at Macworld in 2009 and Apple leaving Macworld permanently. 

• Some believe this is related to Jobs' health.
• Some believe there is a changing of the guards at Cupertino. 
• Some believe this is Jobs being pissed off at something.
• Some believe Apple at its words that trade shows like Macworld are a thing of the past and Apple stores, the Internet, and smaller events are just as good at creating hype and better to reach out to customers and converting new folks to Mac and the iPlatform.
• Some believe its about expectation.  Macworld is the only event where there's expectation that an announcement is coming year after year.  Again, it's about expectation.
• Some believe this was made for financial reasons.  Stop the bad stock movements. 

What do I believe?  I'm inclined to believe it's not health related.  As for mobile warriors, we going to be fine regardless of whether there is a Macworld or not.  It's the passing of time.  While I for one will miss one, I wouldn't mind having those smaller special events.  In fact, I believe this will likely be the scenario for future announcements.

I'm going to make one prediction here.  Future product introductions will be made live through Apple Stores.  It can be at a venue in SF, in an auditorium on Apple campus, or just about any Apple store if they chose.  But wherever the product launch is being held, it'll go live to all Apple store worldwide.  You'll get live blogs as usual for these events but for those who can make it to the stores for these live broadcasts, they'll feel closer to the action.  For Apple, it'll bring in tons of foot traffic. 

That is how future Apple announcements will be made.

Netbooks at Macworld: Not Likely

Who to believe?  Some analyst believes there will be a netbook at Macworld 2009 or some facts that point to the contrary?

Well, Computerworld is reporting an analyst who admitted that he has no fact to back up his assertion that there will be Apple-branded netbooks next month at the annual Mac event in San Francisco.  Backed up his line of reasoning well though.

It's a lot alone the line of what Onxo (me and my fellow mobile warriors) believe about what Apple's answer to the netbook will be. 

However, we're not likely to see anything new when Philip Schiller, Apple's senior VP gives the keynote, as indicated by Appleinsider. 

You read it right. 

Philip Schiller.  Get to know him.  Steve P. Jobs will not be delivering the keynote this year.  And that is exactly why it's very unlikely Apple will be introducing a new product line.

Again, we believe desktop Macs, iMac, Mini, and Pro, will be updated.  And that'll be about it.  But do expect a surprise visitor, Jobs, who might pop in to support his subordinate.  Look for the keynote script to remain the same for Schiller as Jobs' keynote deliveries in the past.  Fanastic Christmas quarter.  Numbers for iPhones.  Numbers for iPods.  Numbers for Macs.  Maybe apps and iTunes sales.  And then on to new product intro. 

Oh, and one more thing.  When the curtain closes, this will be Macworld Apple  participates in. 

It was good while it lasted.

Source:  Appleinsider, Computerworld

Note:  As usually, facts are facts but we do hope like hell we're wrong and we'll see something revolutionary.  Also, there could be evidence that no new products from Apple other than freshing product lines as Adobe and others will curtail their participation at Macworld.

Mac Sales Contracted in November

If a report from WSJ is correct, that may indeed be the case.  According to November computer data from NDP Group Inc. 

Mac sales lost 1% compared to November of 2007 while the PC market grew 2% from the same period last year.  WSJ is reporting this as evidence that Apple has begun to suffer from the recession US consumer are going through and there is worries that this will carry into 2009.

So, should be we worried for out favorite fruity consumer electronics company?  Well, my initial reaction was to think that WSJ was likely wrong in its reporting.  Something about the data they nickpicked to make Mac sales look bad compared to the rest of the industry.  Well, this is WSJ so I'm doubting that to be the case.  This isn't Marketwatch's Dvorak after all.

Anyway, the official numbers from Apple is what count in January.  But given that Apple refreshed the Macbooks for Christmas (and the Holidays) but not the iMacs, that could have had an impact on anyone who was looking to hold off their purchase until the consumer desktop line was refreshed.

Recall that in the midst of a lot of wild rumors and speculations from Mac centric sites and supposedly responsible financial analysts (who I'm very close to putting into the same group as lawyers - not a compliment by the way), Apple specifically announced that there would be no more updates on any Apple products for the rest of 2008. 

So far, the anti-Apple forces have yet to pick up on this nor have the Apple fanboys mounted any sort of defense.  I'm sure this is only a matter of time.  Let's see if this WSJ article stands up to the coming Mac-centric onslaught.

Source:  WSJ

Note:  A virtual standstill as far as the NDP data shows, we are likely to show Mac share of the dollar increase in percentage as Mac prices have largely remain the same while PC prices have decreased a noticeable 35% to 45%, according to WSJ.

Another note:  This is retail sales.  Doesn't seem to include online sales.  How much of these retail sales are actual PCs and regular laptops and how much of these are netbooks will be interest for bloggers and FAs. 

Impact:  I've noticed a bigger discount from a larger number of Mac online retail outlets like Amazon, Maconnection, and others.  Could these discounts have moved buyers online instead of through brick-and-border stores?  Plus, with some Macs discounted by as much as $400, I'm interested in see if these discounts are extended beyond 2008.