HP Touchpad: Consensus Reviews In, Full of Potentials Just Like Xoom And Playbook

Reviews of the new HP Touchpad based on Web OS, which it owned after the Palm buyout, are coming out.  So far, most of the reviews I've read have been pretty brutal.  

Here's one from Gizmodo about it.  Now, Gizmodo have very personal reasons to be biased against Apple's iPad being how they're been embargoed from Cupertino over the whole iPhone 4 theft issue.  So, Touchpad should come out of the review smelling like a rose and then some, right?  Not so…the recurring themes in all the reviews seems to indicate that this is a beta device at best.  Heavy, slow, and no apps.  

More at Gizmodo.  I  think Engadget's review has a pretty good review.  Macworld's review isn't bad either.  Macworld is Pro-Apple but they also know a good thing (or bad one) when they see it.

Keep in mind that the Xoom review was better compared to the Playbook and, now, Touchpad.  In reality, hitting it out of the park as far as tech gadgets go like Apple did with the iPad last year is pretty rare.  Because of this, Apple has pretty much own the lion's share of the tablet market.  

And these tablets operate in very different capacities as well as philosophies.  

Apple's iTunes ecosystem is something you have to accept if you want to use an iPad or any other iOS devices.  And yes, it's closed with Apple retainning 100% control. Then there is Google' Android on the other end.  Though not as open as advertised, Honeycomb tablets offer a choice vastly different from Apple closed system.  RIM, with its Playbook, sits somewhere in the middle and may not be around if RIM doesn't turn it business around.

And HP's Web OS and Playbook?  Until recent reports that HP is in talks with various interested companies like Samsung about licensing Web OS, it remains to be seen just how HP wants to shape the future of Touchpad.  And this uncertainty is just as important a factor as are the reviews out there.  HP has the deep pockets and patience to make Web OS into something that can challenge Android and iOS.  And I think given time, Web OS has the best chance to offer both an ecosystem with some openness and still manage to keep out the weeds (malware).

Google Plus Success Depends On Privacy

Facebook is the biggest privacy violator out in the open.  Short of hacking into people's lives, Facebook has been notorious in getting users to share information that they thought would be only available to their "friends" and upselling it to advertisers.  With Google Plus, I hope Facebook finally get the nice hard kick in its "you know what".  However, for Plus to be a viable alternative to Facebook, it would have to be very discrete with user information and truly "do no evil" with regards to privacy.

Right now, it's off to a bad start.  See with Circles in Plus, users are able to control what information they share with their friends.  However, this morning, Gizmodo reports that the "resharing" feature is on by default allowing your friends to share your information.  I can see in some instances why Google would want to do this but not everything we put out there is for "resharing".

I've come to the realization that what we put out there on the Internet, to one degree or another, is quite public.  Some more than others.  However, what Facebook does is blatant "f-you" to its users and Google needs to pull back from that.  After all, it's copying virtually all of Facebook's features as well as its looks.  Given users assurance regarding their privacy is the only differentiator it has. 

Otherwise, why would anyone switch from Facebook?

As for mobile users, Android users have first tries at the native app for Google Plus.  I reckon the integration will be much tighter than Plus will be on other services.  As of now, Plus is sitting in Apple's app store approval purgatory.  It'll probably be approved.  And I know lots of us will be "checking in".  The "resharing" issue and other potential privacy land mines we don't know about yet could really make a diff between Plus being a Facebook killer or just another "Wave" or "Buzz" screw-up.

Free 3GS Easier For Apple To Go After Low-End Market; And $299 In Prepaid Market?

Today, a report came out that Apple will be offering the iPhone 3GS for free with a 2-year commitment once the next iPhone is out and the iPhone 4 goes down to $99.  Right now, the iPhone 3GS can be had with AT&T for $49 with 8GB storage.

I reckon that a free iPhone 3GS could have internal storage even go as far down as 4 GB since iCloud will play a big part in helping stem the need for users to carry as much data with them as they do now.  

And going with the iconic 3GS is an easier route than trying to develop the mythical iPhone nano that just about every analyst and bloggers who spread these rumors have advocated.  After all, just as we are unable to sharpen down our fingers in the way Steve Jobs said regarding 7" tablets, a screen less than 3.5" isn't idea for touch use either.

Having said all this, we might be looking at Apple entering the pre-paid market as well.  A iPhone 3GS with 4GB can go on the market for $300-$350.  For those who do not want to commit to a two-year contract, this is a very good option.  Just recently, a comparable device, the Motorola Triumph, was introduced on the Virgin Mobile network for $299.  

The Triumph, while it doesn't run iOS 4 or 5 and cannot fit into the iTunes ecosystem, it does have a faster processor and bigger screen.  So my thinking is that Apple can probably offer the 3GS at $299 for the prepaid market as well.  Given that Apple has a command to maintain a premium even at the low-end of the market, I don't see the price going lower.

Obviously, like you, I await his Steveness to dazzle us later this summer when the iPhone lineup is refreshed.

Source:  Appleinsider.

Note:  Apple has been very aggressive going after the tablet market.  Perhaps, it might do the same with the smart device market and really surprise everyone with new pricing entries.

Surviving on 200MB of Wireless Data A Month? How?!

I recently bit down and went with Verizon Wireless, sooner than I would have liked because of the issue regarding the carrier ending their unlimited data plans by 7/7.  Before that, I debated if I can survive on 2GB a month.  

I thought long and hard about it.  There could be some compromises, not major ones, but I think I would be able to do it.  However, there are two things that I have to consider as mobile technology improves to the point where living without unlimited data just would not work any longer.  But that's for another post.  

Here, I am wonder just how anyone could live on a montly allotment of 200MB or anything less than a 1GB from carriers like AT&T.  For me, that's just not possible.  

Then after questions a few people who used a variety of devices from the iPhone to Androids, it occurred to me that they are not necessarily using the way I envisioned mobile warriors should be using their mobile devices. 

I watch videos, chats via Skype, update tweets, and surfing the Web quite a bit through out the day.  I think I can take up to 2.5 GB a month under some circumstances but most stay within a range of 1.8 to 2.2 GB a month. 

What about those who are within 200MB?  Apparently, watching video is almost not an option.  Nor is heavy use of the Web or any app that would require a lot of data use.  That means no uploading or downloading pictures or videos through apps or e-mail attachments.  Facebook and Twitter use is as heavy as most users I talk to go.  

Fear of going over 200MB?  Hardly.  Not with the mobile habits I described above.  

And it'll be interesting to see how users react to their limited bandwidth once carriers allow video chats like FaceTime or Google's new social initiative become more ubiquitous and, hopefully, more popular.  

Ending Wireless Plans Propelled Me To Buy the iPhone 4 With Possible Upgrade Just Around the Corner

I finally broke down and went with the white Verizon iPhone.  I know what you're thinking.  The next iPhone is probably a couple of months away.  What are you think?  You call yourself a mobile warrior? 

Well, there are two reasons why I pulled the trigger on this one and they're both kinda related.  First, we've know for about a week now that Verizon is about to get rid of their unlimited wireless data plan.  For $30, it's all you can eat.  Some time after 7/7, that plan is going away and never to be seen again.  

It's kinda of what AT&T did just before the iPhone 4 came out.  The good thing is that as a new Verizon Wireless customer, I can grandfathered in for the 3G service and very likely also for the LTE service when I upgrade to an LTE iPhone or another one, like Android later on.

Secondly, I've decided to a good son and take on my dad and his wife's mobile plan.  I current have T-Mobile and where they live, there is like a three block dead zone for T-Mobile service.  However, Verizon works very well in their area and most places they go in town.

But all that together, I decided I oughta switch.  Oh, and there is one last reason why.  I cannot stand AT&T.  

So, what will happen when the iPhone 4S or the iPhone 5 come out?  Well, I spoke to a Best Buy customer service rep when I went there to check out all the high end Verizon phones ( iPhone, Android devices) and she told me that the next iPhone won't be out until September and it will likely be just an incremental upgrade.

I'm pretty certain that she was probably given that information by Best Buy management or she went only and read all the different and, sometimes, competing iPhone rumors.  However, I did have to defer to her experience in the years working there and seeing the different upgrade cycles and assume that since she bought the rumors, there could be some weight to them.

Is an 8MP camera upgrade enough to entice me to upgrade even in September?  Probably not.  How about if the next iPhone has the newer dual-core A5 chip in it?  I think the A4 in the iPhone 4 is already plenty fast.  How about a 4" screen?  I'll consider it if it has a 720p resolution but still a maybe but not a definite for me.

Better battery life on the next iPhone?  Now we're talking.  I love to see the next iPhone gain the type of battery life that the iPad current has.  I like to see the next iPhone handle my moderate to heavy use and get me through the day without worry about find a plug or throttling back my mobile uses.  

Until then, I'm already in love with my new iPhone 4 and the iPod touch/iSpot combo is already feeling neglected.  I'm sure I'll find a way to incorporate them into my mobile work routine.  So, do you think I made a good decision getting the iPhone so close to an upgrade release?

No iPad 3 This Year - iPad 2 Backlog Still Immensely Popular

I'm going to say it again: Apple will not be releasing a new 9.7" iPad this year. There will not be any iPad 2.5 or iPad 3. Why? Just take a look at the backlog that still exist at Apple's online store in the US.

Then take another look at the iPad waiting period for Apple's online store in other countries. 1 To 2 week wait everywhere.

And if that's not enough, go to Walmart, Target, and Best Buy, three authorized resellers outside of Apple, and see if you can pick up the model you want. Chances are, you can't.

On top of that, the iPad controls nearly 90% of the global tablet traffic and 97% of the US Web traffic for the tablet market.

Still not enough evidence that there will not be a new 9.7" iPad coming out? RIM has cut back on orders. As have Acer. And tablet makers are said to be turning to Windows 8 to combat the iPad because Android 3, Honeycomb, has failed to catch fire with consumers.

Keep in mind that I said no 9.7" iPads. There is no reason for Apple not to release an iPod touch with 5", 6", 7", or even a 12" iPad (which I doubt anything beyond 10" is possible)this fall.

A smaller iPad or a big iPod touch is definitely within the realm of possibility. It would certainly help take some demand pressure off the iPad 2. And cannibalization of one Apple product for another isn't something that Cupertino is going to worry too much about.

So, no iPad 3. Not until late winter or early spring of 2012.

Pixar's Brave: $2 Billion At The Box Office Next Year

I watched Cars 2 yesterday. It was pretty awesome but you can tell it was catered to children under 10 or so. I'm just a bit beyond their target market but I still enjoyed it immensely. Heck, I spent $150 at the Disney store on Cars merchandise right after (for my nephews).

Still, it was no Toy Story 3. However, this new trailer for Pixar's upcoming blockbuster movie, Brave, that was previously shown on Cars 2 3D viewings, will put Pixar back on the path of breaking new grounds again.

It'll not only be Pixar's first fairy tale movie (recently Disney ventures into this realm has been dismal and Pixar is going to show them just how to get it right again), Pixar will go back to tell a new original story.



So, I'm going to call it. Pixar's "Brave" will bring in $2 Billion at the box office worldwide next year.