Meet Nexus 10 - It's Like A Giant Galaxy Nexus

Source:  CNet.

Meet Google and Samsung's answer to the iPad.  From this picture supplied by CNet, it looks like a giant Nexus phone.

I refuse to believe that Samsung cannot design something that isn't the iPad and still look good.

Maybe pricing will make all the diff for potential buyers.  $300 or even $250 would be a good point from Google.

Meaningless Survey Created To Sow Discontent Among Early-2012 iPad Owners

Source:  Cult of Mac (I don’t recommend clicking through – just an idiotic post).

I hate pollings like this one.  Folks with new iPads from April were asked what they thought about Apple releasing a new iPad with a speed increase just a couple of days were.  Well, if they didn’t know about it as most iPad owners would not have, they would not care.  Their early-2012 iPad was the best tablet they’ve owned.

So what if about 50% of the folks are upset.  We live in a world where people feel entitled and they are constantly looking out for things to be upset about.  Case in point.  At a local meeting, parents were upset with the current school board because another school board eons ago agreed to a cell tower on school property.

Not one of the old school board members who signed on to that are now serving on the current school board and a recall effort against the current board is beginning to take form.

So seriously, iPad owners love their iPads and these surveys and polls, much like those political ones, serve to say nothing about true public opinion.  A lot of time, the public doesn’t know when Apple, Google, Microsoft, or anyone else is going to release a new phone, tablet, OS, or computer.

They might do a bit of research online and go out to buy whatever it is that they need to buy when they needed it.

I like to see a poll where Kindle, Nook, and Nexus 7 owners are polled about whether they are upset that they bought into those media tablets if they are upset with Apple for releasing the iPad mini after they’ve bought their tablets.

Some might be upset but then again, until they were asked about it, they probably thought what they have now was probably the best tablet they’ve owned.

Blogger Goes Off Deep End Because iPad mini Not Priced at $199 Like He Wanted

Source: Digital Reader.

First, let's get this out of the way. The iPad mini was a response to the sub-10" tablet market, not necessarily the 7" tablets alone. And second, the iPad mini has a 7.9" screen that has a full 35% more screen real estate than the 7" flavors.

So in his post, the DR writer uses Steve Jobs, as if he really gets Steve, said he would have priced the mini at $199 or close to it. He doesn't really say but given the rumors that were flying about, I guess he was one of those who believed it to be true.

However, once you get pass his profanity, and there was lots of it, you are reminded that Apple never competed on price. Sure, the iPad at $499 was incredible but it is a whole new category of mobile computing no one has seen or experienced before. It was a new market for Apple to do as it will including pricing it at $499.

So for Apple to price the level entry mini at $329 isn't that far fetched. Remember, Apple was unwilling to produce a $499 Mac that Steve Jobs didn't think was a piece of junk.

The mini is a full $130 more than competing $199 Nexus 7, Kindle Fire, or the Nook. However, they are not comparable devices. One is truly a premium device when taken in as a whole - bigger screen albeit lower resolution, more storage, better built and design, and, more than 250,000 tablet ready apps to run on it.

Not the same thing, DR bro...sure, go buy the $199 devices. There will always be folks who will go for the less expensive devices. Apple selling and pricing the mini at $329 isn't mean for you, DR dude.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Interesting Theory: Apple's Event Today Aimed to Bury Microsoft

Interesting theory here from CNet. Apple's event today was not just about the iPad mini. It was not about putting some distance between the iPhone 5 introduction and the iPad mini. It was meant to bury an old foe once and for all.

Now, obviously today's focus was on the iPad mini. However, Apple did introduce a refresh of virtually all Mac line. Only the MacBook Pro and a MacBook air or not refreshed because they were just updated months ago. Perhaps, it was a coincidence. A coincidence that Windows 8 is just around the corner as well. Call incidents that Microsoft tablet, the surface, is about to be released.

Obviously, Apple's event today could've been aimed at Google, Amazon, or anyone else who wants to compete against Apple's ecosystem during this Holiday season. Personally, I surprised Apple did not bring forth any new media development.

So, maybe it's just a matter of timing. It's not Apple's fault that everyone wants bunch all their new gadget introductions during October.

I do believe, that Apple did put today's event As close as possible to Microsoft's own announcements. And don't forget, that Google is set to make its own announcement sometimes next week.

This will be a very crowded Christmas. Tim Cook and the rest of the Apple executives are going to try to outdo themselves. New iPhone, new iPads, and new Macs. An Apple conspiracy? Who knows. We do know this. Apple will have a very big quarter. Perhaps it's biggest. The question is With anyone else will have a great Christmas.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

iPad Mini - Hands On. A Compelling Competitor To the 7" Android Tablets?

Source:  Cult of Mac.

Here are a couple of detailed hands-on with the new iPad mini introduced by Apple today.  I’m sure you’re reading this because you’re in the market for a sub-10 device.  I don’t’ know what to tell you.  You can always expect Apple’s products to be designed well.

At $329, how does this compare with the $199 Android devices like the Kindle, Nexus, and the Nook tablets?  You’ll have to ask yourself some familiar questions about this.  It is worth the premium just to have a bigger screen (35% more real estate than standard 7” tablets), longer battery life, and being locked into Apple’s iOS ecosystem.

You’ll have to decide if this is the route you want to go.  I’m sure Google and Amazon will match Apple with different features and form factors so, again, there is a lot of competition now in the tablet market.

And it’s critical for all of these companies to be able to carve a piece of the tablet pie out for themselves.  The PC market has already begun to shrink and the tablet market will become even more lucrative for the likes of Apple who makes money off selling hardware.

Meanwhile, folks like Google has to make sure they have their presence on the tablets as Apple methodically lock it out over time.  For Google to do that, it has to sell its own tablet in sufficient volume so that its core revenue is protected – selling ads and media.

A lot is at stake this Christmas.  It’ll set the tone for the tablet market for years to come.  No one wants to see Apple dominate it.  Ask the MP3 player guys how that went with the iPod.

Now, here are the hands-on from a couple of pro-Apple sites.  Techcrunch offers a compelling argument for current iOS users and Apple fans but doesn’t say if it’ll be enough to make others jump ship or pony up the extra $130 for the iPad mini.

The Verge has a video, posted here.  I suggest clicking over to see what their readers are saying.

Arrogant Company With Name Start With The Letter “A” (Not Apple) Steals Back Stuff Woman Buys And Cancels Her Account

This morning, we learn that Amazon UK wiped a woman’s Kindle, killed her account, and promises to do the same in the future if she ever tries to open up another Amazon account.  Oh, thank goodness for DRM, says Jeff Bezos.

All of this came from Martin Bekkelund (via The Guardian).  Right now, it’s one sided because Amazon’s public records (e-mails to the distressed woman) suggests that is is being a hard-ass about all this and is looking to stir up some really bad PR just before the Holidays shopping season in the Western world (and China).

Not only will folks, and they should, start to reconsider buying Kindle and other DRM’d media from Amazon, they will have choices from Apple who will release their Kindle killer, the iPad mini, Google will quite possibly release their $99 Kindle-killer Nexus tablet, and Barnes and Noble’s Nooks with their growing legion of loyal fans.  Oh, though probably not a big concern at this time, Microsoft is releasing their Surface tablets in less than a week.

So, Amazon, we wait word from you on this matter before we completely trash you and ruin your Christmas.  Oh, and folks, if you don’t recall, let me refresh your memory.  It was also Amazon that snuck through an open window of Kindle owners who bought copies of 1894 from Amazon and stole it back without telling people about it.  In fact, one of them was a stupid who used his Kindle to do his reading and note-taking.  All wiped out.

Way to go, Jeff Bozo…

Note:  A side editorial note here.  In a world where news travel faster than at any other time in history, in a world where Twitter and Facebook can topple despotic governments, and where anyone with a laptop or tablet can blog about anything they want, companies like Amazon continue to think they can get away with things like this where in an instant, hundreds of thousands of not millions of users all over the world can rally to support the woman that was wronged by a greedy corporation.  That goes for Apple or any other companies as well.

Another Note:  This is to these arrogant companies that think they can push folks around.  Don't mess with us.  We know people who know people who can get word out when you try to pull the rug out from under us.  We are now vocal and we'll make you infamous.

iPod Nano: Apple Beta-Testing Features On Users, Speculating About the Nano's Future

Source:  Apple.

I've read a dozen or so reviews on the new iPod nano from Apple.  While the general outlook for Apple's tried-and-true music player is sure to be great stocking stuffer, I've come to one indisputable conclusion about it.

Apple is testing new features on the tens of millions of users that are going to buy this little music player.  Apple did it last year with the watch-like form factor.  It was a hit among those who wanted to wear the nano on their wrist.  I reckon only true music and Apple fans would have done that.

This year, Apple is testing what amounts to be an iPod touch nano.  That's the only explanation I can think off.  So far, there is a lot of potential in this little thing.  I admit that I only have had a small hands-on time with it while I was at the Apple store a week ago while I wanted for my Lightning cables to be delivered to me.

Once you have had time with the device, you can kinda tell yourself, "had Apple release an iPhone nano, this is what this device would look like".  The 2.5" screen is a perfect size for those who wants something less than the 3.5" screen of the iPhone 2G all the way up to the iPhone 4S.

Instead of going smaller, Apple went bigger with the 4" screen in the iPhone 5.  However, a few years ago, rumors were abound that Apple would release an smaller screened iPhone.  As silly was it was back then, the 2012 nano shows that, perhaps, Apple has not completely dismissed this in their labs.

The ideas that were being thrown around could be seen in the various nano form factors.  The watch-body of 2011 was obviously an idea to test how a company device to a full fledged iOS device like the iPhone or an iPad.  It probably could have been BT tied to the Macs as well.

This year's touch-like form factor is to test how a smaller touch or iPhone would work.  And having millions of users test it in public would have given Apple valuable information on what how users are using the nano: to gather data on improvements they need to make and shortcomings that needs addressing.

Like the fat nano from 2007, this touch nano could end up getting apps and connectivities in future upgrades - it's just too obvious that this will happen when Apple added the touch screen to the nano.

Right now, there isn't much that you can do with the touch nano.  And yes, the screen is multi-touch.  Outside of pinching photos, I'm not sure what Apple is expecting users to use the touchscreen for.  But if Apple devices to add Angry Birds or any number of popular but not too system-taxing games/apps to the device, the screen would be very useful.

The only thing that I don't understand the new design is the home button.  It's 2012.  We don't need that home button anymore.  Apple could have probably added a 3" screen to the nano, making it even closer to the 3.5" screen of the iPhone and the touch.  As Apple move to better chip designs that would increase power and efficiency, and decrease size of the chip, the nano could really thrive as a touch replacement.

The question is when will we see a fully functional nano with WiFi connectivity and app support.  There are probably a few conditions that Apple would like to meet before we could ever see the nano anywhere near what I am speculating.  We're likely to see this happen after Apple has a way to power management under control.  Right now, the nano can support up to 30 hours of music playback and only 3.5 hours of video.  The touch supports up to 40 hours of music and 7 hours of video.  3.5 hours just won't cut it.  Even the iPod classic supports up to 6 hours of video playback.  For me, that's barely tolerable.  And there is no telling how many hours of app uses the current nano can support but we can guess it's probably no where near the battery life of the touch.

Also, with respect to the touch screen, 2.5" is pretty small.  If you want to text or write an e-mail, the 2.5" screen just won't cut it.  I have no idea how Apple hopes to overcome that.  Maybe Apple figured out that a 2.5" screen would just barely support wide-screen typing.  It's also possible that dictation would come into play when the nano has WiFi support.

And finally, there is also trying to get developer support for the nano.  Obviously, it's unlikely the nano will ever support a full sized touch or iPhone app.  Therefore, like the nanos with game support of yesteryear, Apple may have a to create a subsection of the App Store dedicated solely to support the nano.  And most of these apps, if not all, will be games.  If Apple manages to sell tens of millions of these a year, we can see Apple increase its push into mobile gaming.  Of course, the ideal situation would be if this nano can support iOS games natively.

So, yes, nano users are beta testers.  Willing and paying beta testers at that.  Is that a good thing?  Well, as the old saying goes, you get what you paid for.  And with the nano, you are buying the best mp3 player on the market within a great ecosystem.  And if I'm right, Apple could add features to it just like it has done so in the past.  Maybe new apps.  The gorgeous 2.5" screen is just screaming out for it to be used more than Apple is currently letting on.