Why I'll Be Getting the Last Gen iPad Mini

Obviously, I'm not made of money.  I wish because I would not be writing posts like this: I’m thinking about getting an $299 iPad.  I rather be able to say I WILL BE GETTING an iPad mini.  Not the new one with the A7 chip but the one from last year at $299.

Yeah, that price point got me.  I know that it's essentially an iPad 2 in a smaller form factor and a smaller screen at 7.9" than the regular 9.7" iPad screen.  Why now and not at $329?

First of all, I will be getting a T-Mobile version of the 128 GB iPad Air to replace my 2010 32 GB iPad.  It's a big jump.  And with the iPad Air, a lot of it will be for work.  Be going a lot of work on there.  It'll essentially replace my Mac.  I'm still out on whether I'll be getting a new Macbook Pro.  I'm trying my best to hold off on that for another year.  My Air for a lot of entertainment use.

Second, that’s what the $299 iPad mini will be used for.  Entertainment.  Streaming video, gaming, and Facetime.

Third, having a second device seems insane.  Well, I’m a mobile fan.  I don’t see this as an issue.  Right now, I’ve got a 4th gen iPad, 2010 iPad, and a Nexus 7.  Oh, and I’ve also got Palm Touchpad as well.  After I get my iPad Air, I’ll be passing along my 4th gen iPad to my nephew.  On top of that, having two devices like this makes sense for mobile warriors.  Two devices with twenty hours of battery life.

The closest thing you can come to that is a reported 2013 13” Macbook Air running on Mavericks giving an estimated 15 hours of battery life.  Even then, that’s not the same thing as having two devices.  Sure, I’ve got only two hands and can really use just one device at a time.

Even so, I figure I’m going to be able to do get quite a bit done with this setup.  Imagine being able to do work on one iPad, the Air, and maybe read or do research with the other.  You can already do this with one iPad but, with AirDrop, I’m going to be able to send pictures, links, etc. from on device to another seamlessly.

But why the $299 and why not wait for the $399 iPad?  Well, money is an issue.  Otherwise, I would be getting a 128 GB iPad mini as well.  But alas, I’ve got to eat and have lots of bills to pay.

iPad Versus MacBook: Air What?

Lots of people had the same reaction when Apple told us the next iPad would have a new name: iPad Air. Momentary silence and then polite applause.

Me? The same. Then I thought "iPad Pro, next?"

Then the next thought was "iPad Air versus MacBook Air".



9.7" Versus 11.6" screens. Not a big diff but the iPad wins because it had a Retina display. Both have long battery lives: 10 hours versus 9 hours for the iPad and MacBook respective.

The iPad Air wins on weight but the MacBook Air runs Mavericks.

While the IPad starts at $499, a 128 GB model moves it into the MacBook Air price range. Even closer if you had the cellular version.

Oh, yeah, the iPad has a cellular option that the MacBook doesn't.

In a few years, with Apple improving the iOS and the iPad, especially with the 64-bit chip, the line between what we can do on the iPad and the MacBook will be further blurred. The computing and graphics power of the iPad has been increasing faster than on the PC side. It's unlikely the tablet will catch up to the PC anytime soon or if at all. But it may not have to. Closing some of the gap might be enough.

And a couple of more iterations from now, when people talk about the Air, they could be referring to the iPad rather than the MacBook version.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cloud: I'll Be Download And Backing Up All My iTunes Purchases Tonight Because The Studios Can Take Them Away At Any Moment, Disney Took Away Lion King From iTunes

I've pretty much stopped downloading stuff I buy from iTunes onto my hard drive at home because of the cloud, specifically, iCloud.  With the ability to re-download movies, TV shows, and music from iTunes, I did not find the need to store them locally.  That is until today.  And frankly, I'm surprise it took this long for the story to get traction and, even then, it's still not widely being reported.

Apparently, a few movies from Disney are not longer available for play or download.  Disney.  Apple's best buddy, Disney.  It's almost like Buzz and Woody.  Their association has to do with the fact that Steve Jobs was the CEO of both Apple and Pixar and Jobs eventually sold Pixar to Disney.  On top of that, Bob Iger, Disney's CEO, is on Apple's board.

So, I'm was perplexed and skeptical that this 9to5Mac post about a user who found himself unable to download Lion King.  It was one of the first posts I saw this morning.  I quickly did a search and found no other site has reported on it so I thought maybe this was nothing.

Now, it's been confirmed.  And Disney is working to make sure those who have bought movies from them can still do once a fix is avaiable.

The question is why is this happening.  Most folks think this is a licensing issues as Amazon is apparently suffering from the same thing.

So, I'll be firing up the old backup hard drive and putting it to work tonight.  All my movies.  Screw streaming from the iCloud.  This just isn't what I got into when I began buying from iTunes.

All Those Talks About Free Apple Apps and OS And How It's Bad For Microsoft, It's Too Early

Whenever I can get a great deal on things I like, I feel pretty good about it.  When I can get it for free?  Hallelujah!  That's what Apple made possible on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013, during their iPad media event when Apple showed us their vision and paved the way to the future.

Many things are being talked about and sportscentered (like that?  I just turned the ESPN Sport Center into a verb) over.  One of them is how Apple has made a lot of apps free.  iLife.  iWork. And of course, the soul of all Macs, OS X.  This year's update is called Mavericks.

Of the three, Mavericks and iWork are being talked about in a specific manner:  how this will impact Microsoft.

To put it into context, we have to take a couple of steps back.  Apple may have started the personal computer revolution in the late 70s and really turned the world on its head with the Macintosh in 1984.  Then, Microsoft was but an app company by today's standard.  It sold Excel on the Mac in 1985 (wiki).  Word joined Excel on the Mac in 1987 (wiki).  Microsoft made apps.

But then it released its Windows OS and the rest is history as each subsequent release was improved up and, eventually, Microsoft, won the PC war.  I won't go into the details of what happened.  

To this day, Microsoft still dominate the PC market in terms of OS shares.  And not only that, it also dominate the office productivity share with its Office suite.  And Microsoft makes the vast majority of its profit selling licensed copies of Windows and Office.  

So, now you see why folks are saying that by giving away OS X and iWork, Apple is going to hit Microsoft where it hurts.  Maybe.

I don't agree or disagree with that assessment.  I like to offer possible reason why Apple is doing this, at least, with giving iWork away for free.  What Apple did on Tuesday was not a one-two punch but a block and a punch.

It's trying to block Microsoft's attempts to make further inroads into both the smartphone and tablet markets while trying to show the market that it has the office apps that are good enough for the vast majority of the market.  Be it the home, education, or enterprise market.  Not everyone is going to need the 80% of all the tools that Microsoft Office has like the pivot table.

We're okay with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote functions.  And all those functions may represent just 20% of all that Office apps can do but they are all of the 20% of Office that 90% of the market really needs.  

It's a good rational on Apple's part.  iWork is free and will always be free but anyone who wants to use Office will have to fork over around $130 a year.  That's also a good argument.  

But don't count Microsoft out.  Google Docs has been free for years and has made some inroads into government and enterprise but it's still nothing Microsoft is all that worried about.  Microsoft has learned from the market and adapted and I'm sure the same could be said how it will deal with Apple.

As for Mavericks and future OS X updates being free,  I don't think the majority of the PC market cares all that much.  Not in the short-term.  

iOS Multiple Account Support: Forget About It! Not Likely To Happen

This BGR post is clamoring for mutiple account support for the iPad.  Maybe all iOS devices including the iPhone and iPod touch.  Well, you can forget about it.  iOS devices are more personal than personal computers have ever been.  This is probably the reason why Apple will unlikely ever offer multiple account support.

What Apple might offer one day is a sandbox feature that allows someone, say the owner's child, access to the iOS device when turned out and can only exit once the user's print or pass code is entered once the device is returned to the rightful owner.

That's as much as I see happening.

Today, smartphones and tablets are carried around by their owners.  They're typically not shared at all.  The husband has one.  The wife probably has one.  Maybe even the kid.  Try prying that iPhone or iPad from their hands.

Besides, it's in Apple's self-interest that it gets its mobile devices into the hands as much individuals as possible.  Sharing isn't something they really like to see or care for too much.

And let's say the author does eventually get this feature from Apple.  Great, he got his wish and he's able to load differently profiles for use for his wife and children.  How long before he goes out and buys each and everyone of his family member an iPad because they've been hogging his and he had not been able to use it?

Mobile: T-Mobile In Its "Unleash" Plan Will Offer 200MB of Data To All Its Tablets

Initially, I thought it was just the iPad but it looks like T-Mobile will offer 200 MB of free data a month to all. I think this just about says it.  Supposedly, they've got a $10 a month plan as well.  I can see them going with one GB for $10.

This pic from T-Mobile's twitter feed just about says it.

Tmonews has more information. The gist is that you can get unlimited data for $10 a month with the first 500 MB at LTE speed.  And you know what happens after that, right?  It's down to EDGE speed of course.  For none intensive use like messaging or e-mailing, that ain't bad at all.

Then there's the T-Mobile scheme that allows you to pay for the tablets over the life of 24 months.  Already know that part.  Nothing new there.

This definitely is a game changer.  Guess which network I'll be getting my tablets from from now on?

iPad 2013 Line-Up, $299 and Up, Will Be One Of the Richest But Most Difficult To Settle On (Part 1)

Apple's iPad event yesterday did not disappoint.  I got my target Macbook Pro and an assortment of new iLife and iWork. But I also need a new iPad.  Sure, I've got two of them in my mobile arsenal but I'm gonna be passing my 4th gen one to my nephew.  And as for my 2010 original iPad?  It's getting a lot of mileage as a home tablet for streaming videos and whatnot.

So, I'm in the market for a new iPad.  Before the event, I was gunning and hoping for an iPad mini with Retina display.  I love the Retina Display on the iPad but that thing weighs more than twice that of the mini.  And I'm not that particular about using my tablets with one hand, not like I do with my phones, so that isn't an issue.

See, I carry around lot of gears and notebooks still.  So, any less weight off would be great.

Then Apple dropped the iPad Air.  And with it, comes a new form factor that comes in at 1 pound.  And to make matters worse, while Apple did offer the iPad mini with Retina Display, it also increased the weight to about .75 pound.  The different is only about a quarter pound.

There are a couple of factors that might drive me towards the Air.  One is that it will be available sooner rather than later.  Also, I've might be more productive on the iPad than on the mini.  Third, bigger screen also means bigger text.

One caveat for me about the iPad is the charge time.  It takes a freaking long time.

Anyway, I'll go check it out on November 1st at my local Apple Store.  It does sound like I'm settle on the Air.  I'd say it's more like 55-45 that I'm leaning towards it.

For now.  I'm sure more info will leak out over the next few days as Apple insiders gleefully share much coveted information.