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- The Apple tablet that wasn't
Filed under: Hardware, Portables, Odds and ends
TechCrunch has posted pictures of what they're calling an "unlaunched Apple tablet." In 1990, as the story goes, Apple was supposedly working on a pen-based touchscreen tablet called the Pen Mac that was actually extremely small for the time -- just about an inch thick, with a screen the same size as a Mac Portable. They were bringing a few different companies in on the deal, and apparently it worked well -- ran a full Mac OS, used a pen to control or let you plug in a mouse and keyboard, and there was even a smaller version called the PenLite (bulky by today's standards, but remember that this is 20 years ago now).
So why weren't we all using tablet computers 20 years ago? TechCrunch blames John Sculley, who apparently thought the tablet idea was out, and the PDA idea was in, and we ended up with the Newton instead. I won't second guess him -- while it's easy to think that anything could have beaten the Newton, would the current Apple touchscreen tablet craze even be here if it weren't for the iPhone? And isn't Apple's smartphone just a hop, skip and a jump from their original PDA?TUAWThe Apple tablet that wasn't originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: Apple - iPhone - Mac OS - Newton - John Sculley
Переслать - Uncle Walt says "Apple's built-in software still has the edge"
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Blogging, Snow Leopard
Walt Mossberg, the curmudgeonly, smooth-pated personal technology blogger at The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital, has released his fall computer-buying guide. And when Walt talks, people listen.
Mossberg is usually very kind to Apple products, which probably explains why he gets the latest and greatest equipment sent to him by the guys in Cupertino prior to release, and we don't. In his latest guide, he says some surprisingly nice things about Windows PCs. That's mostly due to the progress in usability and friendliness brought about by the recent release of Windows 7. But he also goes on to say some very interesting things in his lead-in post, titled "Operating Systems Provide New Choices in PC Shopping."
While Walt points out the obvious -- that Windows PCs are usually less expensive than Macs and that Windows 7 has closed the gap between the operating systems in terms of user-friendliness -- he also goes on to say some very nice things about Macs:
That's high praise again from the Prince of Personal Tech, and a list of good arguments for us "Apple Fanboys" to bring up when we're faced with Windows-lovers.But Apple's hardware is stylish and sturdy, and, in my tests, Macs usually boot faster than Windows machines. Plus, Apple's chain of retail stores offers a better buying experience and strong post-purchase support. Also, in my view, Apple's built-in software still has the edge. Snow Leopard is fast and reliable. And it comes with a full suite of excellent built-in programs, including email, photo and video software. Microsoft has stripped Windows 7 of such programs. Some PC makers have restored some or all of these in certain models, although I consider Apple's counterparts better. Another huge plus: The Mac isn't susceptible to the vast majority of viruses and spyware.TUAWUncle Walt says "Apple's built-in software still has the edge" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: Apple - Microsoft - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Operating system - Windows 7Переслать - iPhone apps and tips for snowed-in TUAW readers
Filed under: Humor, iPhone, iPod touch, App Review
As I write this, snow is falling. That was the view out of my office this morning. Yes, I know it's only October 27th. Yes, I know that winter starts on December 21st. But sometimes in Colorado we get blizzards or major snowstorms in "non-standard" months. We're supposed to get two feet of the white stuff before this storm departs Thursday night.
An IM conversation with Mike R. got me thinking about what iPhone apps could be useful when you're snowed in. Here's my list, and be sure to use the comments section below to leave your ideas.
You're going to be getting a little cabin fever after being stuck in the house a few days, so why not go insane a bit faster? There are a number of snow globe apps for iPhone in the App Store [iTunes Link], so you can shake them up and watch those little virtual snowflakes falling, all while laughing nervously and sharpening that butcher knife.
On a much more positive, happy-thoughts note, how about thinking about where you can go skiing or snowboarding when the roads are cleared and you can actually get the car out of the garage? The first thing you'll want to know are the snow depths at all of your favorite resorts. The US$1.99 Snow Reports [iTunes Link] does exactly that for over 2,000 resorts worldwide. Ski Lodge - Snow Reports [US$4.99, iTunes Link] is similar, but also provides detailed trail maps, directions to the nearest resort, and more.
When you're on the mountain and riding your board, it's always fun to use iTrailMap 3D [US$4.99, iTunes Link] to trace your runs via GPS on a map, then send the map to those obnoxious virtual coworkers who keep sending you pictures of the palm trees swaying outside their San Diego offices.Continue reading iPhone apps and tips for snowed-in TUAW readers
TUAWiPhone apps and tips for snowed-in TUAW readers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: iPhone - Apple - AppStore - IPod Touch - ITunesПереслать - Apple iPhone closing in on BlackBerry market share
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple, iPhone
Paul Carton, Director of Research at ChangeWave Research, reported yesterday at investorplace.com that Apple iPhone is gaining steadily on BlackBerry's market share, a great feat considering BlackBerry's entrenched position in the business sector. iPhone market share is now a heady 30%, still behind BlackBerry's 40%, but RIM products are not gaining new users at nearly the same rate. As for Palm? Well, the Pre seems to have leveled out the free fall, but there's nothing terribly encouraging about the data. My guess is they are still pining for those halcyon days of 2006 when Palm was king.
The smartphone market itself is rising; according to Mr. Carton's research, a full 39% of consumers now own some kind of smartphone. Compare that with last summer, when the smartphone market was just cracking 25%.
The good news for Apple is that RIM's stranglehold on the smartphone market appears to be loosening, and with so many consumers still to reach, Apple has the momentum. CNNMoney.com characterized Apple's market gains as putting Apple within "striking distance" of BlackBerry. What's driving the momentum? Customer satisfaction. Among those who plan to buy a smartphone within the next 90 days, 36% plan to buy an iPhone. And among current users, fully 73% of them are satisfied with the device, compared with only 43% of BlackBerry users.
Mr. Carton notes that BlackBerry is planning product launches this year, and Apple has already released the 3GS. If Apple holds true to its history, we won't see a significant upgrade to the phone until next June. Either way, Apple has carved itself out quite a niche and the iPhone can no longer be dismissed as a toy to BlackBerry's business device.TUAWApple iPhone closing in on BlackBerry market share originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: IPhone - Smartphone - Apple - BlackBerry - Research In MotionПереслать - The dark side of Skee-Ball for iPhone
Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Review
I won't make any excuses, and I won't beat around the bush: I'm addicted to Skee-Ball [iTunes link], at least to the very-entertaining iPhone version from Freeverse. In fact, the reason I haven't written about it until now is that every time I get ready, I decide a little more "research" is in order, and I find myself on another Skee-bender. It's getting ridiculous, annoying my friends and upsetting my home life. I'd like to say, "I can stop whenever I want to," but I keep coming back to the warm glow of the LED scoreboard and the comforting sounds of wooden balls racking up just for me.
What makes Skee-Ball so entertaining for me is the realism of the gameplay. It sends me right back to my childhood; carnivals, arcades and Chuck E. Cheese's. The physics of the game are bafflingly realistic, with each roll responding to every nuance of the stroke or swing that launches it. Velocity, top and side-spin, friction... even the effects of bouncing off of the sides of the ramp or the edges of the cups feels natural. The prizes you can purchase with the tickets are reminiscent of the "big scores" of my youth: vampire fangs, bubble gum, fake moustaches, and glitter pencils. There's the occasional oddball prize, too (a banana, a robotic dog, a duck), presumably to remind you that it is, after all, just a game.
Continue reading The dark side of Skee-Ball for iPhone
TUAWThe dark side of Skee-Ball for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: iPhone - Apple - TUAW - iTunes - Chuck E. CheeseПереслать - Plex 0.8.3 brings on the Snow Leopard love fest
Filed under: Multimedia, Open Source, Snow Leopard
If you're rocking the Mac mini -- or any other Mac, for that matter --as a media center, then chances are pretty good that you've had some tough times following the upgrade to Snow Leopard. Anticipating such problems, some of us held off upgrading to Mac OS X 10.6. Now the wait is over.
Shortly after Elan discussed the details of a workaround for Plex, a new release has been let loose on the web. Plex 0.8.3 was announced earlier this week with improved Snow Leopard compatibility as well as several other fixes and new features. For users of Apple's latest OS, the biggest new feature is probably the integration of the Candelair driver which returns Plex to the days of Apple Remote compatibility.
Other notable improvements and new features include:- Fixed an issue with MKV playback over the network
- A problem with the media server crashing has been fixed
- Video playlists work again
- A new feature where downmixing 5.1 surround audio to 2.0 stereo audio has multiple dynamic range compression options. In other words, surround audio will not be as "quiet" when played through headphones.
- New handling of quitting/suspending commands that includes a new scheduling feature.
[via Macworld]TUAWPlex 0.8.3 brings on the Snow Leopard love fest originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: Apple - Mac OS X - Open Source - Snow Leopard - PlexПереслать
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