Current State of Mobile Computing: Tablet or Laptop

Depending on who you talk to you and who you believe, the netbooks, perhaps even lsptops, are taking a sales hit because of the iPad.

Perhaps. Then there are those who are not so sure this is happen on a large scale. Given the potential that Apple may be on the verge of a $20 billion quarter and cuts on orders by dorm laptop and netbook makers, it has industry and mobile observers such as myself very excited.

Is this the beginning of the end of mobile computing as we know it?

More at Greenjava Mobility.

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?

iPhone And iPad Taking Spotlight from Macbooks

It used to be that any time Apple introduces a new Macbook revision, it was cause for celebration in the blogosphere. These days, unless we get something extraordinary, you hear it for a day, maybe two, and it's back to iPhones, and now, iPads.

What does this say about the state of mobile computing? How about our expectations of of a digital mobile life?

Arguably, we are more excited about the next iPhone that we just were with the last Macbook Pro refresh and today's Macbook update. And believe me, the 2.4Ghz speed increase and a 43% uptick in battery life to 10 hours ain't nuthin' to sneeze at.

I am sure the Macbook will be a huge hit with the fans and anyone looking for a first rate laptop. Still, it isn't the huge attention draw it once was.

I do foresee a day when Apple blurs the line between the iPad and the low-end Macbook. How? Adding more traditional Macbook features to the iPad, such as camera and mouse support while simply killing off the Macbook all together.

iPads will be able to compete effectively with the low-end Windows laptops and the assortment of netbooks on the market. Furthermore, it will help Apple solidify its position as a provider that offers a range of mobile solutions based on the users specific needs.

What it does say about mobile computing is that we demand mobile to put a light device with a long battery life for consuming. While the iPad and iPhone are not perfection solutions for productivity in areas where you need a keyboard, Apple does offer solutions on that end.

I imagine the iPads to be more modular - Apple and 3rd party accessory makers will be able to offer modules to enhance users' needs. This may be the same for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Macbooks and Macs remain integral parts of Apple's line-up but for now and likely from here on out, the iDevices will dominate the spotlight.

Don't despair, my fellow mobile warriors, this is a good thing. Perhaps this is why in a recent e-mail spat with Gawker, Steve Jobs said PC guys are feeling like things are slipping away from them.

Steve is right.

Apple On Netbook: Crappy Tech With Cramp Keyboards

Apple has some not so nice things to say about the netbooks on the market today. On the point about keyboard (yesterday's earnings call), I'd have to agree. As for the rest, I'm not so sure. LED screens. The Atom chips aren't bad considering they run Leopard just fine.

But I do understand where Apple is coming from on this. The netbooks feel cheap. The keyboards are small, even for me. And from MSI Wind (MacWind) to HP, Sony, and EEE PC, the plastics are just flimsy and you truly do get what you paid for.

I never bought Apple's argument that if folks want a netbook equivalent from Apple, they should go with the iPhone or iPod Touch. Here, we know that it's merely smoke screen. I don't know if anyone really bought it.

But do buy what they say about Apple having ideas about the netbook market and they're watching it closely. And these ideas have been cooking at Apple for a while now and we should see the end results pretty soon.

The netbooks really aren't meant to be a substitute for a laptop or desktop nor was it meant to duplicate the computing and Internet experiences of a fully-equiped PC. And I think there is where philosophical differences come into play.

If Apple wanted to, they can start shipping out a netbook with OS X installed on there on technologies they consider to be subpar to satisfy a small segment of financial analysts and Web pundits who will never rest until they see an official Apple logo on a netbook. It's simply not in Apple's DNA. What will happen is anyone's guess.

Apple isn't ignoring the netbook segment of the market. When Apple finally release their finely tuned mobile device, I hope it will finally put to rest any more talk about netbooks.

Note: When Apple finally address the netbook issues, look for those who are never satisfied to go back and talk about the iPhone nano and why Apple will never survive without it.

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.

This Is Why Rumors Are So Bad (But Delicious)

Apple rumors are like junk food. We all love it and it's so good when you're eating it. And so addictive. Well, that's what Apple rumors are like. While Apple rumors don't do any bodily harm, it hurts folks on other ways. Stock manipulation. Earnings.

This is why I don't traffic them but I do read them. Maybe that's the problem. We read them and some (not all) bloggers are willing to believe their "sources" just to feed us.

Now, the hottest rumor going around is by Boy Genius Report (sorry, you'll have to find the link yourself). A lot of it are simply stuff we already know based on past Apple launch schedules. June or July is when we'll see the next iPhone. We know that much. It's what else BGR spiced up their post with that has traveled around the world many times over by now.

• Slide-out keyboard - let's start with the most plausible of the two implausible rumors. It may happen as I've noted before that Apple may come out with just such a device to satisfy power users unwilling or unable to type on a screen keyboard. Such an iPhone device exists. As prototypes. As for these QWERTY iPhones actually becoming a product is highly improbable.
• $99 netbook - no freaking way. BGR states that it won't run Windows. However, it was purposely vague about it. I've long advocated and expected wireless providers to subsidize laptops or netbooks with wireless plans and this is likely another step in that direction, san an Apple netbook. We've said it before: Apple's answer to the netbook won't be just another netbook.

I wouldn't say that BGR has a bad track record. It has been right on more counts than most. It's just that it is willing to be fantastic with its posts when it should be able to sense BS when it sees it. Still, I'm an Apple rumor junkie.

Via Apple Gazette

Analysts Agree with Onxo on Apple's Netbook Move

Back in late October, while the whole of Internet was abuzz with Steve Jobs' cryptic words about netbooks and that the iPhone is the perfect netbook.

The dude was not kidding.  Jobs was telling us what Apple is working on.  It was right there in front of us.  Onxo believed and continues to believe that Apple's new netbook won't be a netbook.  So, I'm going to repost it here.

Why?  Because it came to my attention that Barclays Capital believes just such a device is possible.  They think it'll come in around $600-700.  I think $700-800.  Dude,  this is Apple after all.  

I don't think we have long to wait.  Macworld 2009 is just around the corner and that is likely when we'll see the "not-a-netbook" netbook from Apple.  So, while we have no idea what it will look like or what it will be capable of, we took the liberty of speculating just for the fun of it and then we try to back it up based on Apple's past behavior and where we think technology is headed.

• No standard clam-shell form.  Not like netbooks.
• Will not have a keyboard like standard netbooks.
• Will not sport a removable battery...duh.
• Will not cost $300-500.
• Will cost $700-$800.  Here's the $800 Macbook for you.
• Will employ multi-touch as seen on the iPhone.  More specifically, it'll use the gestures we now have on the Macbooks.
• Will use iPod's connector.  In fact, it'll have a lot of mobile features on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
• Will likely use iPhone's OS rather than the traditional OS.
• 7"-8" Screen.  Possibly bigger but I doubt it.  Maybe LED, I hope.
• Wireless connectivity.  I doubt we'll see WiMax.  Just 3G if at all.  Your standard Wi-Fi connectivity.

Now, before we whine about the OS, think about it.  This is a small device that is meant to supplement the Mac, not replace it, though I can see folks looking to do just that.  So, there is no need for a full blown OS.  Now, the software may be more sophisticated.  We might see an iWork version for this "netbook" for folks who will be using it to do work when they're away from their Mac.

So, there's your Apple netbook.  A netbook that's not a netbook.  These are all educated conjectures on my part but it's from watching Apple work all these years.  Nothing more.  It's part informative and partly for fun on a Thursday.  

• Apple has indicated in the past that the iPhone platform will extend beyond the iPhone and iPhone Touch.
  
• Natural evolution.  A mid-sized tablet makes sense.
• In this form factor, it allows Apple to keep a premium on the device.  This thing will fly off the shelves.  We might even see the price go up as high as $900.  Yeah, you can bet on that.
• It will leverage the iTunes and App Store even more.  
• It will create a whole new segment of the market for growth.  
• Perfect for those looking to get a Mac.  Or for those who think the iPod Touch screen is not big enough.

Anyway, a guess is still a guess.  What do you think?

Links  Related To This Topic:

• TUAW
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• Cult of Mac