Netbooks, we hardly knew ye

But we knew enough to realize you were never a viable choice. Netbooks, the diminutive laptops so popular only a few years ago, are going the way of the dinosaur per a recent post at MacRumors. According to the post the last major manufacturers of netbooks, Asus and Acer, will end their production lines in the first quarter of FY 2013. Sales have slumped to practically naught, extinguishing what many pundits thought was the next wave of computing.

It wasn’t that long ago that Apple was lambasted for their staunch refusal to produce a netbook of their own. It was thought the light, portable and inexpensive netbook would offer a gateway to to the digital age for many consumers that didn’t want or need the power of a full fledged laptop or desktop. Apple’s adherence to high margin products was deemed at odds with the will of the market. What these doomsayers missed was that the popularity of netbooks wasn’t due to the mini laptops hitting a bullseye of unmet demand, it was merely the ripple of a near miss.

The issue is best summed up by Steve Jobs himself: “The problem is that netbooks aren’t better at anything. They’re slow, they have low-quality displays, and they run clunky old PC software. So they’re not better than a laptop at anything, they’re just cheaper.” Netbooks were more portable than regular laptops, but provided this at the expense of user experience. Netbooks were notoriously wimpy, struggling to multitask with the simplest of programs. They ran either an old operating system (XP), a limited one (Windows 7 Starter), or something that confused/alienated too many users (various versions of Linux). They simply didn’t offer anything new, just the same old in a smaller, less functional form.

Enter Apple’s answers: first, the MacBook Air. The most successful ultraportable offers all the power of a regular laptop in a svelte, minimalistic form. The current models are a fantastic mix of power and portability, and while competitors have finally started innovating, they still haven’t quite caught up with the Air.

Then the coupe de grace- the iPad. For consumers that wanted internet access but didn’t need a full laptop it was a perfect answer. Right out of the gate the iPad excelled at several tasks, especially media consumption. As iOS has matured the uses for the iPad have exploded, from communication to productivity to finance. I’ve been able to completely replace my laptop with an iPad and third party Bluetooth keyboard (first a Zagg Folio, lately replaced by a Brydge Plus).

I had a few chances to toy with various netbooks, from Asus to Dell, and my initial fascination sparked by a new gadget was quickly cooled by how clunky they felt to use. Even those that find Apple’s products too expensive or restrictive have better options- Android tablets have made drastic improvements since their introduction, and can be had far less expensively than a netbook.

Thanks to the innovation of Apple, creativity of their third party accessory and app developers, and the innovation of Android device manufacturers consumers simply have better options for every reason someone might consider a netbook. Good riddance to bad tech, I say.

Read Full Post »

iPhone 5 accessories already reaching merchants

While you can’t get your hands on Apple’s latest iPhone, savvy merchants are already moving now to expand their offerings to include accessories for the new, larger form factor.

Case in point- my friends at MobileFun (UK or US) have already announced their first accessory specifically for the iPhone 5. The SGP iPhone 5 Screen Protector is a different from the typical smartphone screen protectors widely available. Most are single-use plastic or resin sheets that adhere to your screen, where the SGP screen protector is chemically reinforced glass. The protector is a scant 0.4 mm thick, so it doesn’t noticeably increase the thickness or profile of your device, yet it offers superb protection from scratches and abrasions. The SGP protector has similar oleophobic (oil shunning) attributes as the glass it covers, helping to reduce smudges and streaks. The glass is shatter proof as well; should it be struck with enough force it will crack but like automobile windshields it will retain it’s shape. Best of all, unlike plastic protectors it can be applied without annoying bubbles. I’ve used this type of screen protector for my current iPhone 4 and have been pleased with it with one negative observation; it isn’t compatible with all cases. It worked perfectly with my BookBook case, but wasn’t ideal when I switched to a CM4 iPhone Case Wallet. 

MobileFun expects to expand on their line of dedicated iPhone 5 cases and accessories to go along with their existing lineup of universal smartphone accessories. If you’re looking for something to complete your phone or tablet give MobileFun a look, chances are they’ll have whatever you need.

 

UPDATE: As suspected, it didn’t take long- MobileFun has already notified me that they’ve received their first shipments of iPhone 5 cases- specifically some leather cases from SGP, the same manufacturer as the aforementioned screen protector. The cases confirm what was already suspected; the iPhone 5 will be slightly longer/taller but the same width as the iPhone 4/4s. They even included a hastily-taken snapshot:

Read Full Post »

Even Fed Ex is in on iPhone 5 mania

There’s been so much discussion and rumormongering concerning the iPhone that the September 12th announcement seems almost superfluous. The last question of the most recent version of Apple’s iconic smartphone has been laid to rest as even peripherally involved organizations have begun preparation for the expected massive demand. 

A report from MacRumors cites that FedEx has made preparations for a surge in volume September 21 through 24, coinciding with the expected release of the iPhone 5. Employee travel and training has been limited. The post notes that FedEx is Apple’s primary shipping partner.

Read Full Post »

iPhone 5 rumor roundup

With September 12th and the assumed announcement of the next generation of iPhone just around the corner let’s take a quick pause and peruse some of the rumors bubbling through the pundit-sphere.

MacRumors brings us a couple of tidbits, one welcome and another possibly not so welcome. First, there’s their own iPhone 5 rumor roundup, covering everything from a comparison between the current iPhone 4s and a physical mockup of the iPhone 5 (if that is what it ends up being labeled) showing a noticeably thinner and longer chassis with a bottom-mounted headphone jack and the smaller redesigned docking port to a discussion of the expected hardware features.

MacRumors also passed on a report from iLounge stating that Apple will be the sole provider of cables and adaptors for the new smaller docking port on the next iPhone. Adaptors for the older iconic 32 pin connector used by all previous (non iPod Shuffle) devices are said the be available for $10 each or in three packs for $29, and new USB cables going for $19 each. Considering how much less expensive current third party cables and adaptors are this is a significant markup even if Apple’s manufacturing quality is markedly better.

My friends at MobileFun listed a partially whimsical look at iPhone 5 rumors on their product blog, including the recently reported new design in earbuds (sorry, guys- I disagree with your position on this one, they look legit to me and the enclosed earbuds with the iPhone are lowest common denominator).

Lastly, the iPhone isn’t the only device getting a refresh. Rumors and evidence abound that most of the current iPod lineup may get new models, we may be seeing the iPad Mini soon, and there’s a slim chance we may get the next generation in Apple TV as well!

Read Full Post »

New directions in Apple customer service

One of the factors in my switch to Apple products was the level of customer service afforded, both online and via my local Apple retail store. I’ve had only one hardware related issue to date with the myriad devices (and there have been quite a few) I’ve purchased, but a short visit to my local retail outlet resulted in my faulty device being swapped out by the manager. No questions, no hassle, just friendly and quick help- something few retailers have been able to provide at all, much less to the level I was afforded.

To continue this positive relationship with their customers MacRumors reported recently that Apple’s online store will be expanding their support via chat (traditional text chat, screen sharing sessions, and online sessions to help set up new devices) to include the UK, Germany, Spain, and Brazil. US customers have already been able to access these advanced online support features, helping those that lived in a market area without an Apple retail store. 

Unfortunately MacRumors also brought us news of changes at Apple retail stores that could have a negative impact on customer relations.  The report reflected news of reductions of part time staff and cutbacks in staff hours on the heels of an admission by Apple that they had “messed up” in adjusting their staffing formulas for retail outlets that would have resulted in significant cuts to staff.

The changes are thought to be the result of the departure of former retail head John Browett who had campaigned for the focus of the stores to be customer satisfaction, while new CEO Tim Cook is thought to favor a more financially-focused approach for the retail operations. While the retail outlets should undoubtedly produce a profit, I’ve always felt that an organization that specializes in premium products such as Apple should provide an overall atmosphere to reflect that commitment. Much as BMW uses their comprehensive maintenance program to reinforce their brand image as a quality product, Apple should (even at the risk of losing out on some profit) focus on providing the best possible customer experience. The shift to using profit as the primary statistic to evaluate store performance is in my opinion a mistake, but I’ll defer to Mr. Cook’s business acumen. Time will tell if the change in strategy will be successful.

Read Full Post »

Another win for OSX gaming

While it hasn’t reached the level of it’s competitor, OSX has become a viable platform for gaming. The expansion of gaming client Steam to OSX was one of the factors that got me to make the switch from Windows- while not every game in their ever-growing library is available for OSX (but my mainstays Half Life and Left 4 Dead are!) the list of compatible games is respectable, and when you include the offerings of the OSX App Store the numbers and genres of games increases exponentially. 

The list just grew a bit larger thanks to Steam’s latest addition for OSX- Counter Strike: Global Offensive (courtesy of MacRumors). Global Offensive is the latest edition of Valve’s flagship combat series last renewed in 2010. The new edition isn’t groundbreaking but does offer some noticeable improvements by offering new gameplay modes, matchmaking, and leader boards. The hardware requirements are fairly modest, so even older Intel-based Macs not relying on integrated graphics should be able to handle Counter Strike: Global Offensive capably.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive is available for download via the free Steam client now for just $14.99.

Read Full Post »

The first Mac App Store competitor

Apple didn’t garner a tremendous amount of press when they first introduced the App Store in OSX Lion. While it was mentioned as one of the new features in the operating system refresh, it wasn’t one of the primary points that pundits pontificated on. The OSX version of iOS‘ App Store was a logical extension of Apple’s offerings; one stop shopping for trustworthy, vetted software with immediate gratification and an effortless method of keeping that software up to date. Now with Mountain Lion the App Store has been brought to the forefront as the only means of distribution, and new safety features built into OSX 10.8 favor software downloaded from the trusted source (even to the point of excluding other sources should the user decide this level of protection).

I’ve checked the App Store first for any needed software due to the software update integration. While I feel savvy enough to know what sources to trust for downloads, I’d happily endorse relying on just it for an Apple neophyte unsure of the lay of the land. It’s that reliance by design that turns many off of Apple’s ecosystem; the walled garden might be safe but for some that safety is stifling.

As with any unmet demand, there is an alternative to the App Store on the horizon. MacRumors reports that my favorite source of games Steam will be expanding their offerings to non-game software September 5th. The free downloadable Steam client already offers Windows, OSX, and even Linux users an iTunes-like experience with immediate access to a large library of games and built-in social networking features.

The article points to guidelines set in place by Apple for apps hosted in the App Store as both creating the need for an alternative digital software marketplace and a new distribution house for software that can’t meet Apple’s stated guidelines. Limitations such as sandboxing requirements place a hurdle that some programs can’t overcome without losing key components of their functionality, and a Steam-hosted OSX app store will likely be much more lenient with their requirements.

I for one welcome the additional marketplace (especially from a retailer I already love)- competition is always a good thing, and this may allow non-App Store compliant software developers a better chance to make their software accessible enough to spur more development.

Read Full Post »

AT&T to offer additional incentive against stealing iPhones

One of iCloud‘s more welcome features has been Find My iPhone. The free service has been a boon to those of us that tend to forget where we left our devices, allowing users to locate their iOS property via Maps, play a tone to see if it’s close (or to alert those around that the device has been nicked), display a message to the finder of the device , or lock it/remotely wipe the data off the device if it isn’t returned.

As helpful as this can be, it isn’t foolproof. A simple factory reset of the device (even if locked) will wipe it clean, allowing a thief full use of their ill-gotten gain. Courtesy of an article from MacRumors, AT&T has revealed that they will put into play a database for stolen phones that use their service. Per the press release:

“As announced in April, AT&T is creating a stolen phone database to prevent devices reported stolen from accessing wireless networks. We will install this availability next week for AT&T phones on our network and are working toward a cross-carrier solution later this year.”

The MacRumors article cites further that only the customer that originates the block may request its removal, in effect creating a blacklist that would prevent the phone from being used on AT&T’s network.

While an excellent idea, the plan does have some limitations. The iPhone 4S has chips (theoretically) allowing use on multiple carriers, so it is possible that the device could be used on a different service if stolen, or be sold for use overseas.

Read Full Post »

More rumors of an iPad Mini

For some time now pundits and various rumor sites have been murmuring about a secret smaller iPad Apple has been developing to compete in the budding smaller, less expensive tablet market. Dubbed the ‘iPad Mini‘, the only thing that the rumors agree on is that the tablet would come with a 7 inch screen (as opposed to the existing iPad’s 9.7 inch screen) similar in size to Amazon’s Kindle or the new Google Nexus 7. The smaller device would likely still sport a version of Apple’s Retina display, but be somewhat less powerful than its larger sibling allowing Apple to meet the $199 price that many of the devices in this category have.

The latest rumors come to us from Bloomberg via MacRumors. Bloomberg argues that competitors haven’t been able to compete head to head with Apple, but they have found some traction selling devices that are smaller and easier to carry. The Kindle Fire and Nook Color were the first big names sporting this form, and the Fire had respectable sales figures during its first year in production (although those numbers have tailed off significantly as of late). Google’s Nexus aims at this new subcategory, with a matching seven inch screen that could more easily be held in one hand or stowed in a purse or large pocket.

Apple, thanks to strong strategic positioning and manufacturing has been able to sell the iPad at the same price point for each generation, yet still generate a profit of close to two hundred dollars for even the lowest priced model. They compound this profit by the sales from their ancillary services: the App Store, iTunes music and video, iBooks, and direct sales of accessories. Google is selling their new Nexus 7 at or possibly below cost as a loss leader, hoping to generate profit by channeling users to their core business of advertising and new multimedia retail site Google Play. It’s not unreasonable to expect that Apple could leverage their current manufacturing might to crank out a smaller, less expensive iPad that could still generate a profit via sales of the device that would still offer the same secondary sales that the current iPad does. This would also provide a competitive advantage over Microsoft’s soon-to-be-released Surface lineup. Apple would have devices with a more complete ecosystem, more mature app store, more accessories, and with the addition of a Mini tablet less expensive models as well (although the iPad is likely to be less expensive than the x86 model of Surface running a full version of Windows 8; they have been stated to be priced to compete with ultra books that range from $800-$1600). The iPad Mini would steal all market buzz from the newly-released Google Nexus, as well. Google needs to have a sizable market presence for the Nexus 7 to be financially worthwhile, but a similarly priced and formed iPad would likely garner more attention and sales.

There are some valid reasons that Apple would decide not to bring a seven inch tablet to market. Such a device would likely cannibalize sales from existing iPads more than competing tablets. The smaller tablet would run the risk of fragmentizing iTunes apps, as they could require different resolutions and icons between the those of the iPhone/iPod Touch and existing iPad. Steve Jobs went on record more than once panning the seven inch form for tablets, pointing out that there isn’t enough differentiation between them and smartphones. While devices with a seven inch screen have been spotted in the wild, Apple routinely field tests devices that never make it to market.

I fall on the side of approving of the smaller form factor. While I wouldn’t likely buy one, I do like the size of the seven inch tablets I’ve tested; they fit one hand comfortably but offer enough extra screen and case size (think larger battery) to offer consumers some unique value. The Bloomberg report suggests that the Mini iPad would sport the same screen resolution as the Retina iPad (1024×768 pixels) eliminating the fear of fragmentation, and could take the place of the iPad 2 as Apple’s less expensive tablet. I have little doubt that Apple could sell the smaller iPad for $199, the question is can they do so without sacrificing performance or features while generating enough profit to make the move worthwhile?

Read Full Post »

Another nail in the coffin of Mobile Flash

Chalk another one up for Steve Jobs‘ strategic vision. Apple’s decision to embrace HTML 5 instead of Adobe’s Flash (a content platform for distributing animation, audio, and video online) on iOS devices was panned by pundits as a colossal mistake. Even after competing devices proved that Flash was nigh-impossible to seamlessly deploy on lower-powered mobile platforms there was still a stigma attached to iOS due to Apple’s steadfast refusal to allow the platform on the product lineup. 

Last November Adobe signaled that Apple’s CEO had been correct in his assertions by announcing that they would end development of Flash Player for mobile devices. While not killing it off directly, Adobe would no longer develop or optimize the plug in for any mobile browser or operating system. MacRumors brings further news of the impending doom of Flash on mobile devices as Adobe has revealed that they will be pulling Flash completely from the Google Play app store for Android devices. According to the announcement “…Devices that do not have Flash Player already installed are increasingly likely to be incompatible with Flash Player and will no longer be able to install it from the Google Play Store after August 15th…” In addition, Android 4.1 (dubbed “jelly bean”) will not be certified for use with Flash; users will be encouraged to uninstall Flash when updating to the most recent version of the OS.

Flash still plays a role in typical web experience, albeit a steadily diminishing one. Apple no longer ships OSX with Flash installed, although users can still install the plugin themselves. From my limited experience, Steve Jobs was harsh in his criticism of Flash as a buggy, insecure, and resource-hogging plugin; but his criticism wasn’t unwarranted. The platform has always been a security risk, and was resource-intensive even on my Windows desktops. Now if we could just get rid of Microsoft’s Silverlight so that watching Netflix didn’t require an update of the plugin practically every week.

Read Full Post »