Macbook Air and Writing (With Part 1)

I've started a dual review process. we'll see just how well the 11.6" Macbook Air works as a writing machine with some simple Web work and some image process. At the same time, I'll learning and review from scratch three top novel writing apps for the OS X.

The goal is to see how one of Apple's most affordable Macbook handles the daily needs of a wannabe writer/blogger.

And tonight, I took it out for a test run at Starbucks. And I took some notes. Of particular interest is how well the battery life works through the night. Apple rated the battery life to be 5 hours. Well, given the needs of most writers, not necessarily bloggers, I assume that we just type most of the time without the need for Internet connectivity.

How did it go? More at the following links:

Macbook Air and Writing (Part 1) - Friday, March 25, 20111

Buttons: Steve Jobs War On Them But How I Love Them Too

I’m torn on buttons on mobile devices. You’ve got Apple on one end that detests buttons so much that it has only one click on the mouse while the iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad has just the home button on the surface.

Buttons – I love them. At least when I was a kid, I love buttons. See, I grew up watching anime, the kind with spaceships, giant robots, and futuristic command centers. And they have tons of button and flashing lights.

When it comes down to it, it reallly depends on what you do with your mobile device. I can write just as long a letter on the iPhone as I can on my G1. The only difference for me is that I spent years playing the piano and I like to keep what's left of the life of the joints On my fingers for the piano, not the smartphones.

So I definitely like the touch-type on a glass surface than buttons. No need to push down on a button. No need to exert pressure with the thumbs.

And you're constantly using your thumbs, there is no escaping that on a mobile device. On a phsyical keyboard for a smartphone, it can't be good in the long run if you have to produce dozens of emails or text a day.

Still, a part of me does like the idea of having physical buttons to work with, which for me, provides a sense of accomplishment. And honestly, until the iPhone came along and showed the world that you can create content on glass just as easily as a stylus or physical keyboard.

Right now, I am writing on the iPod touch. I am typing in portrait mode. And I can easily switch over to landscape.

What it comes down to is personal preference. Blackberry users swear by the physical keyboard while some prefer the slide-out keyboard. Android users have the best selection of devices with different keyboard layouts. So, you really have to pick your device when it comes to buttons.

With buttons, you've got the Blackberry variety which works well for a lot of folks. And honestly, it's very good. Then you've got the Pre version which can be frustrating after a while. You really don't want to be writing an essay on it. Then you've got the ones that slide-out like T-Mobile's G1 and G2, and both keyboards work well. Droid keyboards are too stuff for me to imagine writing anything other than text messages or tweets.

And for iPhoners, let's be honest. Apple is driving the trend with the chiplet keys on the desktop and laptop markets. Works well. Even the keyboard before that. But if you go back even further, Apple is really kind of hit-and-miss with them. I've experienced the sticky type on the Powerbook 500. Then I've gotten a few years in with the Powerbook 1400cs. They were a nice change but Powerbook was a Powerbook and it was running Mac OS. And not everyone liked those keyboards.

So there really is no way of knowing what kind if keyboard Apple will come up with should there ever be an iPhone with a physical keyboard. And there definitely is no way for us to be sure that we're even going to like it.

But give us mobile warriors a device with a top notch OS with a great keyboard, I promise it will do well.

Note: For the record, I no longer dig flashing lights.

Another note: RIM sued Handspring back in 2002. And in turn, it has also been sued in the past. Maybe Apple or anyone else might just as well avoid the headaches by avoiding making a device that looks similar to the Blackberries. Nokia and Samsung does have similar layouts but not being a tech/patent attorney, I think I'll leave the issue open and at that.

Tips to Help Speed Or Fix Up Your iOS Devices If They Become Slow or Defective

TiPB has six tips on how one can fix a slow or buggy iOS device.

It's a must read.  I'll leave all of it there since they came up with the list. 

I just have one more to add.  Turn off any feature that you don't need.  If you don't need push notification, get rid of it.  That might even extend your battery life.  Oh, and there's the location function if you're on an iPod touch.  

I think the best coarse would be to restore the device.  Apple has made it easy to do that.  And fast.

More at TiPB.

Macbook Air: Perfect For Writing

I've had the Macbook Air for a couple of days now. Let me recap. I almost didn't get it because Fedex bungled the order (for like the nth time) and, in disgust, I nearly rejected the shipment from Apple.

And what a perfect writing machine it is. I mean it's not just a glorified typewriter. Well, that had been my intent but now, I realized just ho powerful this little guy is. And what is can do isn't little at all.

I've always wanted to write for a profession but lacking talent and the time, I've had to do it on and off through the years. But technology, especially mobile tech, is at the point where I can do this at any time and almost anywhere.

And I have been exploring just what is the best way to go about writing a fictional novel. I've started a bit during last November's National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo) in my own way. I didn't finish but I was about three quarter of a way through before I kind of set it aside for the Holidays.

Back with the Air, I'm back! It's months until November but Script Frenzy is here. I'm not much of a script anything. But I will draw upon the hundreds if not thousands of Script Frenzy participants and hack out my own novel.

This time around, I hope to accomplish a few things. I want to see how the Air does as a writing machine (with some Internet research and note taking, Web work) and three applications that are commonly used by writers for the Mac - Storymill, Storyist, and Scrivener. And since they're offered as demos for about 30 days, the length of the Script Frenzy contest, I can use them without paying for it until I can adequately decide which one works best for me.

It'll be a month long project that I am looking forward to.

iPod Classic: Short And Sweet From Steve Jobs - No Plans To Discontinue It

If Apple truly has no plans to discontinue the Classic and by not updating, it might have driven folks to get it before there are no more left.  That was my initial knee-jerk reaction when the iPod Classic was not updated this past fall.  In fact, it was a recommendation that I gave a friend. to buy it before Apple runs out of stock.

But a Macrumors reader e-mailed Steve Jobs imploring him not to discontinue such an iconic device.

To which Steve Jobs replied:  We have no plans to.

Though no more was said beyond this, Typical Steve Jobs communique leave it open to interpretations.  My hope is that we'll see an increase in battery life as well as storage in future Classics.  

In hindsight, there was probably no need for Apple to update the Classic in the fall of 2010 when Apple updated the iPod nanos and the touches. With the iPod touch maxing out at 64GB, there was no need for Apple to increase the capacity of the Classic.  Perhaps, in 2011, Apple will finally do something about an updated Classic.  

Any taker on what improvement Apple may make for the iPod Classic?

More at Macrumors.

Motorola May Be Onto Something With Atrix And LapDock

Would you be interested if iOS can one day (it probably will) be powerful enough (it probably already is) to become a full-sized Mac. Well, I think I just kinda of answered that question for myself. And I got this idea after spend some time with the Atrix at the ATT store when I was pre-ordering the 3G iPad 2 a week ago and I saw it at a Starbucks over the weekend.

And I'm not the first one to come up with this idea for the Mac or the iOS devices. But I'm writing this post on my brand new Macbook Air. Boy it is light. And if Apple were to morph future iPads into a sort of a laptop with a dock.

A while back, some blog, I forgot which one, even thought it might be a neat idea if Apple was to get rid of the trackpad and in its place, allow the user to dock their iPhone or iPod touch. From there, the user can synch data and use the touchscreen as the trackpad.

Obviously, that is not likely to happen given the complexity of this setup. Steve Jobs would never allow it. The design team would rather quit than let this happen.

And doing it the way Motorola designed the Atrix sit behind the screen on the Lapdock is just as clumsy to say the least. But it can work.

The Jonathan Ives and his team has to be working on this concept right about now. Apple's iOS and Mac team are already trying to figure out how, if they haven't already, such an integration works.

Will it happen with iOS 5 on iPad 3 or iPhone 5? Probably not. But it will happen.

This will likely happen once the mobile chips that power the iOS devices are powerful enough that it can duplicate much of what a regular Macbook can do today. Already, OS X is integrating a lots of what Apple picked up from creating the iOS experience.

Perhaps, we'll see iOS and OS X merge into one unifying OS. And when that happens, we might have ourselves a MacPad that can work as a standalone tablet or when hooked up to a dock or monitor, it becomes a Mac.

Decided To Keep New Refub'd Macbook Air

I really don't like Fedex.  But it didn't start out that way.  I think it's Fedex that doesn't like me first.  Finally, my refurbished 11.6" Macbook Air powered by 1.6Ghz Intel chip with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD got to my office.

After a night of frustration, I thought I finally came to a conviction to have this Air shipped back.  That was just how frustrated I was with Fedex.  That's another story but for now, I'm very excited about my new purchase.  Instead of the iPad 2, it's the Air.  

I know that a week or so ago, I was leaning towards the Macbook Pro but after some debating, I decided I should wait and see if Apple will change up the design more with the next revision.

And the Air serves a specific purpose that I don't need a 15" or 17" screen with the added weight for.  I'll get into that a bit more when I have some time with the Air.  

Now, you'll noticed that I got a refub unit.  I did it because I have had two other refub Macs from Apple that I was very happy with.  One was an aluminum Powerbook 1Ghz and another a Mac mini and both are still a part of my computing arsenal at home (relegated to media duties).  

On top of that, I saved about about $230 or 15% off a brand new Air with the exact same configuration.  Plus, as strange as it sounds, knowing that Apple will ship out the refub unit work, I do get a peace of mind knowing that it's been used, fixed, and tested.  The only thing that I would like is to be able to find out what went wrong with this unit in the beginning.  Kind of like a Carfax thing for Macs.

And you might ask, why now? This Air revision is already 5 months old, probably at the half-way point of its life before Apple comes out with an update. 

So being able to save $230 on a 5 month-old machine is pretty.  And I'm not all that convinced that the next Air update will be a drastically different version.  From the 2010 Macbook Pros to the 2011 versions, there was not that big of a different  On top of that, my Air has a Nvidia integrated graphics card whereas an new update months from now will use the same Intel graphics setup as the 13" Macbook Pro which some benchmarks show is not up to par.  

And I'm a pretty big battery life guy.  5 Hours is the rating Apple gave the 11.6" Air.  I don't see the next version doing much better if at all.  

All in all, after swallowing the anger stemming from having to deal with Fedex, I'm glad I kept it. Obviously, I'll know in a few days if the Air will be able to replace my late-2008 unibody Macbook

Macbook Air Over iPad - It's A Mac And Can Do Web Development

First, let me say that anything that I do on the Macbook isn't what I would call true Web development in the sense that there's coding with HTML or Javascript. In fact, all I use are iWeb, Rapidweaver, and a few open source graphic programs. However, aside from graphics, the iPod touch and iPad doesn't seem to be able to do both well.

However, if I am wrong, I love to be corrected. To date, there is no iOS version of the iWeb or popular Web site creator, Rapidweaver, or anything else like it. Only a couple of days ago, Realmac Software, maker of Rapidweaver, said that while an iOS version isn't off the table, it will be a major undertaking.

For now, I'll have to go with the Macbook Air, the smallest and lightest of the Macs to do these heavy lifting for my mobile needs. However, I eager look forward to the day when my iPad can perform all the mobile needs that I require.

SSD: Macbook Air, Where We Are Now, And, Hopefully, Where Lion Will Take It

Here's a must read post (Subtraction) on the state of solid-state drive in the Mac-verse.  While the article doesn't actually about that, it does say a bit about where things are at the time and what the author had to do to get his 2009 Macbook run smoothly again.  And we are 3-5 months away from the release of the next OS X, Lion, that officially supports TRIM so it might be a good time to discuss where we are and where we hope to be headed with SSD.

First, what is TRIM?  TRIM is basically a command (as I understand it from Wikipedia) that allows the system to overhaul unused blocks of space on the SSD that allows the drive to be refreshed to avoid slowdowns that have plagued earlier SSD systems.  

While this post I point to doesn't quite say much about the existence of TRIM support or another Apple specific mechanism to speed SSD along, it does show what whatever Apple has in the current OS X (or just his version) is nonexistent or inadequate.

Many mobile warriors who use Macbooks will be happy to know that Lion does support TRIM.  

Given where we are now, it is worth nothing just how speedy things are at the beginning of a new drive and where it is at weeks and months down the line.  I'll try to keep detailed data on my uses with my new 11.6" 128 GB 4 GB RAM Macbook Air (currently stuck in the back of a Fedex truck).  Supposedly, there is some TRIM support or something like it from Apple that allows optimizes the SSD in the new Airs.  But actual documentation on that is sketchy at best.  The speed that Apple often boasted about are likely pristine Macbook Airs that have not had the wear-and-wear of Web browsing cache, movement of files, coding, and whatever else a mobile warrior will put his or her Air through.

A quick check around regarding TRIM support for any SSD seems to be only for specific Mac models or configurations.  I did this they going over other forums.  It does seem that we can expect full TRIM support for Lion when it is released.  However, what that means is anyone's guess.  

And even if Lion does support TRIM, I can totally see Apple limit it to a number of SSD drives.

So for now, while I look forward to getting my hands on my Air, sooner rather than later, I have more incentives to look into additional resources and other user experiences on how they deal with their SSD in their Airs or on other Macs.  And I'll happy to share with you anything I find.

Macs At About 15% In The US, A Stepping Stone For Apple's Mobile Strategy

By now, you know that Apple is doing quite well in some countries, more than the 3-4% of global sales that some firms like to publish. In fact, if you include iPad into the mix, as these same firms equate netbooks as regular laptops, Apple would be the largest PC maker in the world.

In fact, Apple has 15% of the OS market in the US.

But this charge here is a clear demonstration of just how far Apple has come in general and specifically, the Mac. That's right, this is about the Mac. And the Mac isn't going anywhere as many bloggers and tech pundits fear.

Now, not to rehash what you probably know through your day's browsing, but I want to focus just on how Apple can further make inroads into the psyche of the other mobile users. And let's face it, from now on, it's about laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Actually, in Apple's case, it's Macbooks, iPads, and iPhones. (Oh, and let's not forget the iPod touches. However, the touches do not get the respect that they deserve but Apple owes a large part of its mobile success to the touches. I'll follow up on a post another time.)

And what's important to note is that Apple is well positioned in these three segments of the mobile market.

And further more, Apple has managed to achieve something that will give it an advantage that no other companies, including Google, Microsoft, RIM, or HP has been able to achieve. I'll give you one guess.

Nope. It's not the ecosystem or the iTunes although we know it is also something that no others have managed to duplicate. It is as if Apple has secret magical dust that it used to make all these pieces work.

That I am talking about is the general familiarity of the iOS that millions of users have with it. And With the release of Lion (the next Mac OS upgrade), Apple brought what it learn from the iOS and incorporate some features into Lion.

It's launchpad that works like the screen swiping n the iOs devices. It's also the four finger swipes to the left and right. It's also about the new Mac App store that iOS users will be familiar with.

Another example will be the directional scrolling on the Macs now conforms with the way it works on the iOS. Swipe up, and you move down the screen.

And over time, Apple will prove both the iOS and the OS X that includes additional features shared between the two.

You cannot say that about the Android, Blackberry OS, or Windows Phone 7. And if you're an iOS user who happens to have a Windows machine and the next time you upgrade, you probably would take a look or two at the Macbooks because you're already familiar with its operations. You've seen it before and you have experiences with it.

Furthermore, Apple will increasingly follow Google into the cloud. Admittedly, Apple has been late to the game. But I think it recognizes that as people take up more iPhones, iPads, and Macbooks, it has to offer a solution that allows users seamless access to files and media.

We can already guess where Apple is going with mobile computing. In the next couple of months, we will learn more about Apple's mobile plans further, maybe as soon as April when it traditionally shows the world what it has planned for the next iOS. And later this summer, we'll finally get Lion.

And for iOS or Mac fans, or if you're just a general Apple fan, 2011 is going to be about iPad 2 as Steve Jobs said. It's going to be a huge year for Apple's mobile vision.

More on Apple's OS marketshare at TUAW, Macdailynews.