Productivity Suite iUpdate?

There may be a refresh for the very long-in-the-tooth iWork suite, Apple’s productivity software (courtesy MacRumors). iWork has remained relatively unchanged since its 2009 introduction, although there have been incremental improvements over time- most recently the addition of iCloud storage and iOS versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. 

I’ve been a proponent of iWork from my first Mac. It offers a simpler, easer to navigate interface than the industry gold standard Microsoft Office equivalents. While not always as powerful, for a majority of the tasks I had in graduate school (and even more so in professional life) iWork has been a pleasant and productive experience. That being said, the software is long overdue for a refresh; time passes quickly in the tech world and with Apple focused on releasing iOS 7 on schedule, continuing the development of OSX, and the quick pace they release product hardware refreshes it seems only logical that such a small corner of the iWorld would go neglected. 

According to the MacRumors article, several new positions have been opened for engineers and developers on the iWork team. Until Microsoft recognizes the benefit of expanding Office to iOS, iWork is the best option for iOS productivity needs- and in my opinion the best cross-device solution as well 

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The Microsoft Nook?

Microsoft is apparently making a push to bolster its floundering Surface RT tablet lineup via a reported $1 Billion offering to Barnes and Noble for their Nook Media lineup (courtesy TechCrunch). The partnership would help both organizations; the Nook lineup hasn’t been the success that rival Amazon’s Kindle tablets and online store have been, and the Surface (especially the Android and iOS comparable RT version) has been an admitted failure. 

Such an offering would allow Microsoft more of an integrated media presence to compete with Android’s Google Play and iOS’ iTunes/iBooks. While billed as a device for productivity, the RT would seem to be better geared for the same consumer use as other similar tablets due to its lack of compatibility with any non RT specific software. 

While anything that could bolster the appeal of the Surface would be a good thing for Microsoft, the deal seems like an odd one; both Android and iOS have Nook apps. Unless Microsoft was seeking to make some (if not all) Nook media Surface-only, the addition wouldn’t offer enough value for any sort of competitive advantage. 

The only loser here are Nook owners. Barnes and Noble have been rumored to have been considering discontinuing the product line, and this would seem to add some credence to the idea. It’s a shame, too- while I’d always prefer my iPad, the Nook (both e-ink and color) is a solid device. Competition is good for all of us. 

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The (relative) calm before the storm

It’s kind of low ebb in the Apple universe right now. There are a scant few rumors about strategic plans or new products, but nothing new or enticing. The (now fortified with techs pulled from OSX development) iOS team will allegedly have iOS 7 out on time, and with it a host of functional and aesthetic changes. I for one won’t miss the skeumorphic design of current iOS apps like Calendar and Notes; the iPhone should have a visual theme to match its trendsetting form and function. 

So now we wait until rumors start to heat up along with the summer temperatures in anticipation of Apple’s schedule fall releases. iOS 7, the (likely) iPhone 5S, refreshed Mac lineup (along with the long anticipated Mac Pro), and maybe one of those new products that Tim Cook teased us with last month. 

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Has the streaming age quietly emerged?

While enjoying an episode of South Park (it’s hard to believe that show has been going strong for so long) via my iPad while cooking this weekend I had an epiphany. We are on the cusp of a new era of media, but the emergence has been so gradual that no one has noticed even though we have almost left the prior one behind.

The episode referenced The Shining to mock Blockbuster and physical media outlets due to our shift to streaming sources of entertainment. Ironically, I was watching the episode on Netflix (as I have long since ditched my satellite dish), but after finishing up the roasted asparagus, cashew-encrusted pork chops, and aglio y olio pasta it occurred to me that the show was more than just timely entertainment, it was a compelling statement about the slow transition of consumer tastes.

I still remember when the first Blockbuster opened in the small town I was born. For years it was the center of home entertainment and packed with locals that found it more affordable, enjoyable, or practical to catch a movie at home rather than go out. Mom and Pop stores popped up to compete, but it reigned supreme for the time I lived there. Now Blockbuster is struggling in vain to recover from bankruptcy, and most local video rental stores have long since closed.

The iPod marked the beginning of the end for the prior model of media. While there were MP3 players available before the iPod, Apple manage to make the device and format a consumer standard. With the establishment of the iPod Apple then created the next step in the transition away from physical media formats, the iTunes Music Store. Piracy of music remains and likely always will, but iTunes (and later competitors) made high quality music affordable and readily available to anyone with network access. From there all it took was improvement in broadband access and video codecs before the same started happening to movies and television shows. While media companies have steadfastly struggled to maintain some of the same business models, consumer demand has forced them to either adapt or lose out on the revenue they could have captured had they accommodated them.

Slowly, consumers have embraced the next big age of media- a digital era, free of physical formats and local content. The crux of the matter is the second point; we’ve taken to digital content without a moment’s hesitation, but many still cling to keeping the content locally, whether it be on your portable device, a large iTunes music library on your Mac, or an external hard drive full of your favorite movies and television series. I personally have opted for larger capacity iOS devices to accommodate my owned media: a 32 gig iPhone holds my music and podcasts (and took the place of a 120 gig iPod Classic), and a 32 gig iPad holds video, presentations, and documents. My desire for local storage isn’t unusual; Apple recently announced the release of a 128 gigabyte version of the iPad for those road warriors that need to have everything at their fingertips, and the iPod Classic has remained in Apple’s product lineup far longer than anyone would have thought. While more storage has always been a good thing, the South Park episode I had watched struck a chord. Was all that capacity really necessary anymore?

I’ve been an advocate for streaming media services for some time now. I’ve had a paid Pandora account for a couple of years and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Netflix and Hulu were the deciding factor for my household to end paid TV services, and other streaming video and audio services have played a larger and larger role in my regular media consumption. YouTube has always been a staple, but how many of you are aware that they have more than cute cat clips and fail videos- they have full length feature films as well? For those that don’t like iTunes there are options outside of Netflix- Amazon’s Instant Video, Crackle, and the Google Play Store are all viable sources for your entertainment fix. There are plenty of free and paid sources for music downloads, but just as many that offer streaming instead of downloading for those that would rather have their music delivered to them rather than manage it directly. Even Apple is rumored to be on the verge of joining the game via iRadio, a Pandora-like service.

Even the model of purchasing media is slowly changing. Many media retailers offer cloud access to your purchases, be they movies, music, print, or apps. The Apple TV has long since lost its local storage capacity in favor of streaming content from Apple.

On a personal level I’ve noticed that between Stitcher, Pandora, and XM Sirius I haven’t really listened to the stored content on my iPhone in weeks, even though driving without some sort of audio is completely foreign to me. I haven’t loaded a movie from my home library to my iPad or MacBook in quite some time either, yet I watch more TV now than I did when I had cable or DirecTV. My MacBook’s iTunes app isn’t even stored on the dock and its library has no content, yet I’ve watched plenty of video and listen to Pandora daily via the Hermes desktop app.

Quietly, subtly, I’ve found that I have shifted to consuming the majority of my entertainment via my network connection. The move has been both positive and problematic; having access to a much greater library of media is always a good thing, but should that network connection have issues (or worse be interrupted) I’d be left with nothing. There are still times when local storage has been the best solution, but those times are becoming more and more isolated.

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Sometimes it’s best to just get what you want

I’ve completed my transition from using my iPad as my primary productivity tool when away from home (typically at work). While the combination of iPad and Brydge keyboard has been a very good one, changes in the software platforms my employer uses for productivity, HR, and supply chain has made my continued reliance on iOS untenable. 

My first choice was an 11 inch MacBook Air. The combination of power and portability seemed like the perfect solution; when closed it’s almost the same size as the iPad yet the keyboard and trackpad are full sized, and the laptop can handle just about anything I would throw at it like a champ. I ended up finding a deal on an upgraded model (2.0 GHz processor and 8 gig of RAM) via the Apple Refurbished Store for a very reasonable sum. I’ve purchased  refurbs from Apple before and have been very happy with my selections, and would do so again without a second thought. While the unit wasn’t in the original packaging by any other means of inspection it was the same as if I had brought it home from my local Apple store. 

Then the story takes an unexpected turn. While the MacBook Air was as potent and portable as I had expected, the end experience wasn’t. I’m not sure if it was the small size of the screen emphasized by the size of my judo-calloused hands, or the larger than expected silver bezel around the LCD, but for some reason I just didn’t fall in love with it as I was certain that I would. Bear in mind I had no actual complaints; the laptop performed exactly as I had hoped. As they say, it isn’t you, it’s me. 

So pondering my choices I did another quick search and found the eventual happy ending to my story. I didn’t want to upgrade to a MacBook Pro- the weight was a little more than I wanted to lug to my lab every day, and I never used the DVD drive on any laptop I’ve owned. The 13 inch Air didn’t really catch my eye either; while the screen would be larger there was still something missing. Enter the good folks at MacConnection, who surprisingly topped all other vendors prices and my expectations by offering the 13 inch MacBook Pro Retina for $1299. That was very close to the price I had paid for the 11 inch Air, but the Retina offered a more powerful processor (2.5 GHz), more ports, a longer battery life (topping the 11 inch Air’s predicted 5 hours by 2 additional hours) and the gorgeous Retina screen. In short order I returned the Air to Apple (who have a very gracious return policy) and switched to the Retina MacBook Pro, and have found my bliss. 

For those of you that haven’t had a chance to get any hands-on time with a Retina MacBook, the visual difference can be striking- even moreso that the difference between the retina and non-retina iOS devices. While not all of the apps I rely on regularly are retina optimized, the experience is still very enjoyable. The performance is every bit as snappy as my iMac, and thanks to the solid state hard drive some tasks (like powering up) are far quicker. It even performs adequately during some 3D gaming I tested it with. While the settings on Left 4 Dead and Portal weren’t as high as my iMac (and it’s dedicated graphics card) handle, the frame rate and responsiveness were surprisingly good. One caveat- the laptop did heat up considerably in the area where the processors lie. Even though the gameplay was more than acceptable I wouldn’t rely on this laptop as my primary gaming outlet without investing in an external cooling device. 

Setting up my work Exchange email account took seconds and easily expanded the sync to include my calendar and contacts. While to use some of the web clients I needed for work I had to install some extra software (Java and Citrix plugins) after turning off the overly-protective Gatekeeper in Mountain Lion I was up and productive in a very short period of time. If I weren’t interested in first person shooters I could easily forego my iMac for a dock and external display powered by my new toy. 

While the iPad is still my favorite portable device, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to absolutely loving the Retina MacBook Pro. I do appreciate Apple’s expansion of their product lineup to afford overly picky enthusiasts like me the ability to find the product that perfectly fits their individual needs. The MacBook Air that I just didn’t fall in love with could easily be the perfect laptop for many; it has its own unique value for those that need a full OS experience paired with unmatched portability. Sometimes it really is best not to settle for what you can get by with; it can pay a handsome dividend to understand exactly what your needs are and finding the product that best matches them. 

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Sometimes you just need the real thing

I’ve been a proponent of the iPad as a tool of productivity since my first Bluetooth Keyboard (paired with an iPad 2). The Zagg Folio keyboard/case combo made for a great laptop replacement, offering the same touch typing experience coupled with the iPad’s slim form and great battery life. While the experience isn’t the same as a full fledged laptop, using iWork (Numbers and Pages primarily) I’ve been able to do most of the tasks my role at work required, often quicker than if I had stayed with one of the Dell workstation PCs and Microsoft Office my employer uses. Having my own personal device had other bonuses- access to media (you can’t install third party applications like Pandora desktop on work computers), better access to communication (instant messaging over multiple platforms via IM+ and iMessage without having to pull my iPhone out of my pocket), and best of all portability.

While some workflows had to be altered to accommodate the iPad’s single focus approach to applications (I don’t consider the fast app switching iOS uses to be full multitasking) and there have been some issues with cross-platform compatibility (iWork and Office don’t always play well together). The document sharing I love in the Apple ecosystem has been hampered as well by my choice of device; USB drives and SD cards aren’t an option, my workstations are limited to an older version of IE for legacy software, and access to third party cloud storage like Google Drive and Dropbox can be problematic. Still, old school emailing of important files worked, even if it lacked elegance.

Sadly, due to changes in software platforms relying on my iPad isn’t an optimal choice in the near future. My employer embarked on several projects, changing/upgrading several systems including our supply and payroll platforms in order to be compliant with our parent organization. None of these systems are iPad friendly, so for me to better be able to take advantage of our new portals I’ll have to transition from my iPad to an actual laptop.

On the positive side, Apple still offers the best of all possible worlds for what I want and need out of a device. The 11 inch MacBook Air is my laptop of choice; it’s the perfect blend of size, weight, power, and flexibility. I owned one of the original Air models a few years ago and enjoyed it, although the limited ports and underpowered internals hampered my enthusiasm somewhat. The updated models have benchmarks that rival (and often surpass) any ultraportable, and offer something the iPad just can’t- a full OS experience. No more reconfiguring workflows or searching for the best app to accomplish a task; I can simply take the road more travelled (although I will still choose iWork over Office when possible).

Best of all, the Air is the most affordable of the MacBooks. I chose a model with the upgraded 2.0 GHz processor via Apple’s refurbished outlet for a far lower price than I had thought. Apple’s refurbished outlet has been a great resource; the devices are indistinguishable from non-refurbs and have the same warranty and customer support but can offer a considerable savings. I’ve bought several items and have yet to be disappointed in my purchases, from less expensive devices like a Time Capsule router to my soon-t0-be-delivered Air.

There are still some things the iPad outperforms all comers in, such as media consumption. Reading books just isn’t enjoyable on a laptop, regardless of how light and portable. While the unibody aluminum chassis of the Air does a good job of keeping the device cool, it does still require ventilation making some situations (like lying in bed) less than optimal. The iPad will remain my primary portal for news and information, as well- RSS via your method of choice (web portal or app) and dedicated iOS apps provide the best experience for staying in the know.

While I’m a little disappointed that I’ll have to move beyond relying solely on my iPad as my portable computing platform, the tech geek in me is still reveling in the knowledge that a new toy is in the mail.

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An Apple Television set this year? I hope not…

The new year brings new chatter in the pundit world about what Apple has in store for us. Hot off the news of cuts in iPhone 5 components (some harken this as a sign of Apple finally losing consumer’s hearts, while others point out that its more likely product of adapting to production constraints and normal product demand fluctuation) some bloggers have argued the point that Apple has lost its innovative edge. There have been no new category-defining product releases now since the iPad, only revisions of existing product lines. With no new exciting innovations Apple will surely slide into oblivion.
The most hotly anticipated new product category being bandied about is an Apple branded television. Tim Cook has stated that the Apple TV has indeed been elevated from hobby status and sales figures of the diminutive set top box would support this new focus. I’ve written before how surprisingly useful the device is; it’s actually taken the place of my old media center Mac Mini with no loss of functionality (partially thanks to AirPlay Mirroring from my various iOS devices). The commonly held pundit position is that the natural next step in development would be for Apple to move away from the set top box to creating a smart television of their own. Google has partnered with some TV manufacturers, and others have created smart TVs of their own that provide access to streaming content providers and some limited app libraries. So far smart TVs haven’t been a hit, as they really don’t provide much unique value to consumers; most already have access to streaming media thanks to the proliferation of game consoles and multimedia devices like TiVo or BluRay disc players.
The belief is that Apple would trump all of these competitors with their superior content and design. Cupertino has been in the mutimedia business for some time now, thanks to iTunes. If Apple could leverage their libraries to broaden access to media they could finally reach the tipping point for consumers to move en mass from cable/satellite to internet-based television. Apple’s device engineering could create some sort of value to make their device stand out from the crowd; iTunes streaming from any device on your home network (like all current Apple devices can) would just be a start. Why not a video version of iTunes Match? A paid subscription to streaming channels from traditional cable/satellite providers like Comedy Central or ESPN? For US consumers they could aim for the sky and gain access to NFL Season Ticket. The contracts wouldn’t be easy to work out, but early access to the new wave of consumer entertainment and a growing market of Apple devices energized by a new branded smart television would be enticing to content providers. So what’s holding Apple back?
One major factor is likely profitability. Televisions are a low margin industry, with numerous manufacturers but little real differentiation. New technology has failed dramatically in the recent past- anyone remember when 3D tvs were the next big thing? Apple typically enters the high end of any market with a strong emphasis on profit margin; this would be difficult to do in televisions while remaining competitive. Secondly, just as other smart tvs would an Apple branded set really offer consumers enough to warrant the investment over a standard HD tv and current media providers? Would this new tv work to supplant or attempt to augment current cable and satellite providers (and if so would they be willing to let Apple into their market)? I have no answers, but these accumulated questions would likely deter me away from entering the television set market without some overwhelming research data to spark the (likely significant) investment.
I for one hope Apple chooses to develop their current Apple TV set top box. Televisions come in a remarkably wide range of features and sizes, and I’d prefer to be able to use the tight competition in the market to keep prices low while being able to tailor the specs of a set to my particular needs. Should Apple start manufacturing smart TVs instead of the set top box they’d likely have a limited product lineup; two, maybe three sizes that would likely be considerably more expensive than the standard HD set. There’s no reason that all of the consumer value arguments for an Apple television set couldn’t be equally applied to an expanded and improved Apple TV, while still offering the value of being easily paired with the set of the customer’s choosing.
I’d agree that Apple would benefit from a new product that creates its own industry as the iPhone and iPad have, but I don’t think a television would necessarily do this. I think we have another year of incremental improvements to existing product lines to look forward to this year- and that’s not a a bad thing.

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Happy Holidays

My best wishes to all of you, whatever holidays you celebrate. May your batteries never go dead, may your connection always be five bars, and may your gadgets always be the latest and shiniest. 

 

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Saying goodbye to an old friend

And we’re back! The good folks at the Apple store have returned my iMac to me in the same pristine condition I dropped it off, potentially faulty hard drive swapped out. It’s a happy day; I love my iPad but there’s too much computerwise I want to do to confine myself to just iOS devices.

Now that the latest round of Apple device refreshes are out and the dust is beginning to settle; some quick observations: am I alone in feeling the creeping notion of update fatigue? It seems that almost every other month now we’ve had a new product launch from Apple, not to mention all of their competitors. I am almost afraid to covet the new razor-thin iMacs; if the current pattern holds up in a year they may release some new device that blows it out of the water. Take the iPad, for instance: the third generation slate (dubbed simply the New iPad) has already been upgraded with a more powerful processor and a swap out of the old 30 pin connector for a Lightning input. Some resale outlets are allowing customers that purchased their iPad within the last 30 days to swap it out for the newer, slightly more powerful model (I’m opting not to upgrade due to the breadth of accessories I have that would no longer work sans adaptor). While new products are always fun, Apple is firing them out at an almost dizzying pace.

As for the marginally updated NEW new iPad, it marks another quickly approaching point in Apple’s lineup- the absolute retirement of the original data cable. The only device in Apple’s lineup that still uses it is the venerable iPod Classic (not counting the pre-refresh third generation iPads and iPad 2 models still being sold). It is amazing to realize that Apple is the only company I can think of that innovates, then works tirelessly to make that innovation obsolete. The only new Mac that offers Firewire (once a mainstay of Macs) is the new Mac Mini (not counting the not-so-new Mac Pro). The click wheel, once another hallmark of Apple innovation, has also been quietly escorted out of the limelight thanks to touchscreen controls (although the current iPod Shuffle does pay homage to the once cutting edge input with the layout of it’s button controls). Even the mouse is a bit of an afterthought in Apple’s Mac lineup; the multitouch controls are more widespread and far easier to implement via Magic Touchpad.

So here’s to innovation, and to the devastating impact it has on both my checking account and innovation past.

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Apple V Samsung

The jury verdict is in, and Apple is being touted as the big winner in their patent dispute with Samsung. The monetary awards were substantial, but the affirmation of Apple’s assertion of Samsung’s overt copying of their designs and technology is likely more important to the organization.

Samsung was found guilty of infringing on several Apple patents, including the “bounce back” effect when scrolling at reaching the end of a page or document, the “pinch and zoom” control, “double tap to zoom”, the patents concerning the iPhone’s physical appearance and home screen, as well as some other minor points. The infringements were largely declared willful, and in full knowledge that they were in violation of legal patents. The monetary damages totaled just over $1 billion.

Samsung had some minor victories; the jury found that the Galaxy Tab did not violate Apple’s patents concerning the iPad and that patents that they owned disputed by Apple were indeed valid. The jury sided with Apple on all of the accusations placed by Samsung, and no monetary damages were awarded.

Also of note was the jury’s decision that Apple did not prove that Samsung violated antitrust obligations regarding its FRAND patents, leaving Samsung free to charge Apple for their use in Apple products.

The decision closes the first chapter of these industry titan’s legal struggles. Samsung has vowed to appeal the jury’s decision, leaving the resolution of the disagreements between the two in limbo indefinitely, but for the short term Apple is declaring a victory for protecting innovation.

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