Fresh Apple: TheAppleBlog (11 сообщений)

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TheAppleBlog
TheAppleBlog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products.
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An Inkling of Things to Come for the iPad

The cat is only just out of the bag, and still there are iPad-related websites, accessories, and apps being promoted across the web. Some were clearly just waiting to create something for whatever Apple released, and some appear to have been potentially been in on the secret for quite a while, unless they just have a very fast, talented graphics department.

Inkling is one of those that had a very slick website apparently waiting to go, since its updated site design went live shortly following the announcement, complete with mock-ups of the new iPad running its yet-to-be-released software. And Inkling covers a blind spot in Jobs’ iPad announcement, one which may have been created by a McGraw-Hill faux pas: education.

Billing itself as “the world’s first end-to-end platform for mobile learning content,” Inkling aims to go beyond the traditional textbook before traditional textbook availability has even really been discussed as an iPad advantage. As of yet, details about what that means for an actual distribution product aren’t that clear, though there are some promising suggestions about what it could mean.

First of all, there’s interactivity. It may seem like an obvious detail, but truly interactive independent learning education material is actually quite hard to come by. I can count on zero fingers how many times I cracked the seal on the CD cases that came bundled with my university textbooks which promised interactivity through software applications.

I think the iPad has a better chance at accomplishing true interactivity for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is the potential for sharing learning experiences between iPad devices. As Inkling’s site points out, learners and educators will be able to network using the devices and share what they’re working on. Research and comparing notes could actually take place with an ongoing element of synthesis, instead of via periodic check-ins, which could change the way we learn in a fundamental sense.

Right now, Inkling is mostly vague promises about a fairly Utopian view of a futuristic educational environment in which every student and every educator has an iPad, all of which can be connected. The scenario effectively eliminates the need for paper textbooks, and promotes collaborative work and healthy competition between students. I’m not naive enough to imagine that this is how things will look in June, or even in a few years following the iPad’s release, but I am glad to see people thinking this way.

If I’d had an iPad when I was a student, I probably would’ve paid a lot more attention to my studies. I definitely would’ve been more organized, since I wouldn’t have been using a single padfolio to organize all of my course notes. And I might’ve become a better group learner and worker, which would definitely be beneficial in the long run. I may not be sure about how useful the iPad is for everyday use, but it definitely has a future in education, so long as Apple makes a concerted effort to cultivate that future.

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VoIP Over AT&T 3G Network Now Allowed

AT&T has amended the terms of use for the iPhone and now allows for VoIP applications to run over its 3G data network. Previously, VoIP applications were only approved for sale in the App Store if they were limited to Wi-Fi.

The developers of the iCall VoIP application for iPhone issued a press release yesterday that they have the first VoIP over 3G app for the iPhone.

Apple Computer, Inc. has updated the iPhone developer SDK to allow VoIP over cellular networks. iCall is the first and only VoIP application that functions on the iPhone and iPod Touch over cellular 3G networks.

iCall CEO Arlo Gilbert is quoted as saying, “I applaud Apple’s decision to allow iCall to extend its functionality beyond Wi-Fi and onto the 3G networks. This heralds a new era for VoIP applications on mobile platforms, especially for iCall and our free calling model. I hope that now more developers will begin using our VoIP as a platform to integrate VoIP into their applications.”

CNET was also able to get comment from both AT&T and Apple confirming that VoIP applications are now supported on the 3G network.

AT&T said it informed Apple and the Federal Communications Commission of its decision Tuesday afternoon.

“We are very happy that AT&T is now supporting VoIP applications,” Apple spokesperson Natalie Kerris said. “We will be amending our developer agreements to get VoIP apps on the App Store and in customers’ hands as soon as possible.”

VoIP on the iPad?

At yesterday’s announcements Apple reiterated over and over that “virtually” all of the 140,000+ apps in the App Store would work with the iPad. Skype was mentioned by David Pogue in his coverage and I’m fairly certain Apple provided him with more briefing on the iPad than they did for me. While there is no explicit announcement confirming VoIP for the $29 unlimited 3G service, it seems possible that iCall (or Skype) would run unaltered on the iPad and would work over the 3G data plan. This could mean a $30/month unlimited calling plan for the iPad that would work anywhere, not just when in range of a Wi-Fi signal.

VOIP Means the iPad Needs Multitasking

While I was quick to dismiss the early complaints about the lack of multitasking on the iPad, it seems that VoIP calling is a critical application that would require this functionality. On the iPhone, it is really convenient to jump into email and contacts while on a phone call to pull up some information relevant to the conversation. It will be really annoying to be on a VoIP call on your iPad and have to hang up (by quitting the VoIP app) to look something up.

I suspect we will see some VoIP apps with integrated web browsing for the simple reason that conference calls with web slides will work a lot better if you can look at the slides while on the call.

Google Voice?

It is less clear if this change in the terms of the SDK and AT&T’s policies will allow Google to move forward with a native iPhone app. Apple apparently rejected the app because it substantially duplicated existing functionality and the interface could confuse customers. Google Voice is not a VoIP application in that it actually uses your cell phone minutes by redirecting calls to and from your Google Voice number (which might result in free calling using AT&T’s A-List feature). Still, if there are VoIP apps that run on 3G, it seems like the duplication and confusion arguments would be weakened and might convince Apple to approve the Google Voice app. In the mean time, I have found the new Google Voice web app to be a good implementation given the lack of integration that would have been possible with a native app.

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iPad and the Mobile Computer: Will the iPad Boost Desktop Sales?

Apple told us yesterday that the iPad is not meant to be a replacement for either your iPhone or your Mac, but rather to fill a niche in between them. One result of this placement may be a resurgence in desktop Mac sales.

For a long time now desktops have been in decline, both in the overall computer industry and for Apple. Laptops have become much more powerful and have dropped in price significantly over the past few years. Combined with a laptop's convenience in terms of mobility, this has driven laptops to the forefront of the computing industry. In fact it is clear that small size combined with small price is a sweet spot for many consumers, which explains the explosion in sales of netbooks.

What Apple has done with the iPad is create a product that is going to compete in large part with netbooks, but will fall short of giving you a complete computing experience. As such Apple expects us to continue buying Macs, while buying an iPad to complement them. If this strategy works, the result in terms of buying strategy for Mac users might change significantly for the laptop versus desktop question.

Let's take the situation before today. If you were looking to buy a new Mac, the $1,200 MacBook Pro was probably your sweet spot in terms of portability, price and power. Starting yesterday, however, the math could look very different. The best choice from Apple for a mobile device may now be an iPad given it's light weight and user experience. By itself it won't match the capabilities of an entry-level MacBook Pro, but if you combine it with a Mac Mini, for example, you suddenly have two devices that probably match the capabilities of a MacBook Pro. And the price? Well, $500 for the iPad plus $600 for the Mac Mini is actually less expensive than a Macbook Pro.

This works as you move further up the market as well, would you rather have a $2,000 MacBook Pro or a $600 iPad combined with a $1500 iMac? The iMac gives you a more powerful and expandable computing platform, while the iPad might be able to fill your mobile computing needs. I don't think the decision is cut and dry — there is value in having a singe device for all your computing needs — but it is certainly worth thinking about. I know that I'll be considering the iPad plus Desktop route when the time comes to upgrade my Mac.

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Who Will Buy an iPad?

The debate is raging. Man, that’s a wide bezel! How could they possibly leave out support for Flash? Where’s the front-facing video camera? AT&T? Are you serious? Now that the dust has begun to settle on Apple’s announcement of the iPad, though, there’s another nagging question that only time can answer. Who, exactly, will buy an iPad?

Lets face it: Macs fill what is a fairly obvious need. General purpose computing for personal or work reasons–whether web browsing, email, word processing, managing media, buying online–is pervasive, and is a common daily activity for millions and millions of people. The iPhone, first and foremost, is a phone with text messaging, but it is also a portable Internet computer and a gaming device. With the app store, you can make the iPhone and iPod touch what you want them to be. But ultimately, computers and phones have an obvious place in the market. A tablet style computer, not so much, despite Steve Jobs’ attempt to paint a picture to the contrary.

Apple’s 125 Million Customers

The likely market for the iPad consists of several distinct groups of consumers. The first and most obvious is Apple’s existing customers. Apple consistently ranks at the top of industry customer satisfaction surveys, its customers are passionate and loyal, and its ranks for Macs, iPhones and iPods have been growing. In announcing the iPad, Jobs made it very clear that this is a key market for the device. Apple has 125 million customers who have stored their credit cards with Apple, presumably for iTunes purchases. They know, understand, and are comfortable with one-click publishing via the iTunes Store no matter which device they buy from.

Still, if you have a MacBook and an iPhone, do you really need another device, and if yes, does the iPad fit those needs? It is important to remember that despite becoming far more price-competitive in recent years, Apple still plays in the high-end of the markets it addresses. It has no interest in low-cost, low-margin, high-volume products. It prefers higher cost, higher margin products that, while perhaps not scaling like some other companies, are significant businesses nonetheless. That means its 125 million customers either have higher amounts of discretionary income than ordinary consumers, or they simply choose to spend outside their limits for Apple products.

The iPad isn’t necessarily as much about fulfilling an existing need as it is creating desire. Even in a challenging economy, people want Apple’s products, as this week’s financial results clearly demonstrate. The iPhone is far from essential. I can get a cheaper smartphone or traditional mobile for far less and fulfill the need. The iPhone resonates so soundly with customers that they buy it even though it also means higher monthly costs for a data plan. If Apple only got 10 percent of existing customers, or 12.5 million people, to buy an iPad in its first year or two, it’d have a success on its hands.

Retail Store Visitors Who Aren’t Yet Customers

Don’t underestimate the power of Apple’s retail presence to have a major impact on iPad sales. Apple has 283 stores in 10 countries, and welcomed over 50 million visitors to those stores in the last fiscal quarter. Extrapolating a bit, Apple routinely pegs the number of customers in its retail store who are new to Mac at 50 percent. Granted, this includes many iPhone and iPod touch customers who are Windows users, so there is some overlap with the existing customer base identified above. But if you subtract another half, you still have another 12.5 million customers, for a total of 25 million. Because the iPad is less about filling a need and more about creating desire, the retail stores play a key role in customer adoption. Reports from the people who used it in the demo area (alas, I was not one) are very positive. The emotional appeal of the product when people can actually pick it up and use it for 5 or 10 minutes will be huge.

Primary Purpose Users

One of the smartest things about the iPhone design that has been carried over to the iPad is this: despite each device having a primary function, users can make the device whatever they want it to be. Apple is clearly targeting two key user groups with the iPad.

Gamers: The iPhone and iPod touch are very popular game devices, perhaps surprisingly so. The iPad offers similar experiences, but even broader capabilities, primarily due to the screen size. Games were not a big part of Apple’s marketing strategy for the iPhone and iPod touch early on, but they know its being used as a game device. How? Simply by looking at the numbers of game downloads from the iTunes Store. In more recent months, Apple has run several game-specific ads for the two devices. Look for this to increase, and to include the iPad. Imagine the ability to use the iPod touch while you are on road, but the iPad when you get home. Among gamers, who doesn’t want a more immersive gaming experience? Don’t overlook the fact that games played a large part in the demo portion of iPad capabilities.

Readers: Apple has dusted off the iBook brand for its e-book reader embedded in the iPad. The Kindle is the clear market leader in this space, and has the weight of Amazon behind it. But ask yourself, which would you rather have: a single-purpose e-book reader with a (admittedly very good) monochrome screen, or a similar sized, full-color device that does the same thing–perhaps with a more elegant user interface–plus a whole lot more: color, video, photos, and other media in the books themselves, as well as browser, email, calendar, games, and the 140,000 other things from the iTunes App Store? And if you could do that for just $10 more (Kindle DX currently listed at $489, lowest-priced iPad at $499)? No brainer.

The video game market is huge, with likely many non-Mac customers. The e-reader market is not as big, but is likely growing, and the iPad is likely to really juice the market for e-books. Combined, these two markets represent millions and millions of potential customers.

Families

The iPad is light and thin, and supports both Wi-Fi and 3G wireless Internet. As Jobs said, its a mobile device. And though he didn’t come right out and say it, I expect the iPad to become primarily a room-to-room mobile device. I think most iPad buyers will be existing Apple customers. The parents will carry iPhones, the kids iPod touches, and the family will have a laptop or desktop Mac that tends to stay chained to the home office desk and connected to peripherals. So the iPad becomes the device that everyone in the household can use at home when they want a more immersive media experience than the smaller devices allow. The calendar, contacts and notes apps appear to be designed specifically for families. And though the rumored multi-user and sharing features didn’t make it into yesterday’s announcement, my bet is that they appear before the devices ship.

Newbies

Its often hard for us to remember that there is still a huge percentage of the population that doesn’t make computing a part of their daily lives. Many of them have cheap desktop PCs that they occasionally use for email and shopping, but that’s about it. They don’t have game machines, media center PCs, laptops or smartphones. But one of the reasons they don’t have these things is how they fit their lifestyles. Yet all these people read books, watch TV and movies, listen to music, and more and more, browse the web. I conduct software usability testing for a living, and I come across people like this every single day. The iPad will likely meet most or all of their computing needs, and become their primary computer.

Who Will Buy the iPad? Who Won’t?

The brilliance of the design of the iPhone and iPod Touch–and a key contributor to their success–is the combination of incredibly simple, well-made hardware that doesn’t look like anything but a small rectangular thingamabob. Turn it on, however, and it can do some pretty amazing things. With the SDK and resulting app store, you can turn these devices into anything you want them to be. I know some people who use them almost exclusively as iPods, others as game consoles, others still as business communications tools. The big screen is a great new feature that comes with the iPad. But the hardware is a small part of what the iPad represents, and the software will drive its adoption.

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Video: Fake Steve Jobs on the Apple iPad

Om caught up with Fake Steve Jobs (Steve Dan Lyons) and got his opinion on the launch of the Apple iPad today.

A tad bit of not so safe for work language is used…you’ve been warned.

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Apple iPad: Hands-on Demo and Interviews

After today’s iPad announcement Om took the opportunity to interview John Doerr, Josh Quittner and David Carr as well as catch the iPad in action with a hands-on demo.

Check out the video below for the full run through of interviews and the iPad out in the wild.

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iPad: Around the Network
In addition to our own coverage of the recently launched iPad, our fellow GigaOM sites have also been writing up their fair share of great perspective on Apple’s latest product launch.
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Photo Gallery: January 27 iPad Event

Here are a slew of photos (some significant, others pretty boring) from our coverage of today’s iPad event, starting with our wait in line and through the event itself. Enjoy.

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iPad Accessories Detailed: Keyboard Dock, Case & More

During today’s unveiling of Apple’s long-awaited tablet, now officially known as the iPad, Steve Jobs also briefly detailed a couple of accessories that will be making their way to market to go with the new 9.7-inch device, one of which is a keyboard dock, with another being a protective case.

The keyboard dock not only acts as a charging station for the iPad, but as the name suggests also offers an integrated full-sized keyboard. Jobs commented on stage that the need for a specific physical keyboard, versus that of the iPad’s on-screen offering, is useful for when “you really need to do a lot of typing”; giving the example “if you’ve got to write War & Peace, just plug your iPad in.”

Apple has also since added that the keyboard dock features the typical 30-pin connector, which will allow for the device to sync to your PC or Mac while still docked. The inclusion of the 30-pin connection also means that other compatible devices can of course be attached. The dock also has an audio-jack so you can plug-in your speakers and enjoy a more full-on experience.

So, with Apple making it easy to plug-in a keyboard and speakers, it seems they are really hoping this device, with the help of accessories, can replicate a typical home experience, when required. However, it’s clear that one thing is missing; the mouse. Of course, Apple showing no pointing device is very-intentional, but without having that established and common set-up would you be willing to switch away from more traditional devices?

Beyond the keyboard dock, Apple revealed a protective case for their new device, dubbed the iPad Case. Although, while the attractive leather holder may protect the iPad from the elements, it also handily doubles up as a stand. The case can be used in a variety of positions which make propping the device in a position that suits your needs super easy. For example, propping it up to watch your favorite movie.

Following the keynote, Apple’s official website updated with additional accessories. These included a dock, without the aforementioned keyboard attached, a camera connection kit, which offers two ways to get your digital images on your iPad and a USB power adaptor. The full range of accessories can be seen in more detail on Apple’s site now.

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Justifying the iPad: The Single Discordant Note in Steve's Presentation

I watched, along with my fellow writers and everyone else in the tech community (and beyond) as Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple iPad. And what he revealed was a very beautiful thing, with an aesthetically gorgeous design and a seemingly amazing user interface. But is it precious?

By that I mean, in the true sense of the term, will the iPad be an intensely attractive thing that is briefly coveted and then forgotten? Right now, the general sense from the tech press is that Jobs has done good, and that very few will be able to avoid picking one of these up when they become available in the next two or three months. But will that enthusiasm transfer to the general public?

I’m not the only one who isn’t so sure about that, judging by Steve Jobs’ performance at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts today. Sure, he showed off the iPad’s capabilities with the showmanship of the veteran salesman that he is, but he also framed the presentation in a way that struck me as odd. It almost seemed more like a stockholder speech than the unveiling of an exciting new device to an eager public.

First, he established where the product was needed. He visually created a new category in which the iPad fit, which is something many bloggers and tech writers had been wondering about. It makes sense to address it once, and after having discussed the success of your existing platforms. The connection is understood, and once you demo the device, people will see why they need or want this device. Problem solved.

But not in the eyes of Jobs, apparently. The end of his presentation today was essentially a drawn-out justification of why Apple’s iPad is, in fact, a viable platform, and not just an ultra-niche device that most consumers could easily do without. "Do we have what it takes to establish a third category of products?" That’s what Steve Jobs asked rhetorically at the close of his presentation, but was it a rhetorical question, or is Apple actually unsure?

Let’s make one thing clear: I want an iPad. I want everyone to want one so that we can use them creatively together. But I also wanted a Sony Reader and a Kindle. I want a chumby. I want all kinds of things that ordinary people would never dream of wanting. The iPad, if I try to look at it dispassionately, is essentially a media player that’s too large to carry around comfortably in your pocket, too small to be preferable for movie viewing to your TV, and could even represent a significant recurring money drain if you get 3G service. It’s an e-reader, yes, but by and large, people aren’t yet really lining up to get at those.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that if anyone can make this kind of product commercially viable, it’s Apple. All I’m saying is that if even Steve Jobs has to seemingly go out of his way to justify its existence, then how can I possibly avoid doing the same?

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iBooks App & iBookstore

The new Apple iPad, as widely anticipated, will have an e-book reader built-in to the device. The iBooks app displays a bookshelf of all your titles alá Delicious Library or the Classics iPhone app. When you tap a book to read, you can tap on the right or left edge to flip the page or drag the page manually. When looking at your bookshelf, there is also a button to the iBook Store to purchase books.

The iBookstore will allow for browsing and purchasing books on the iPad. What is exciting is that this new feature will rely on the ePub standard rather than some proprietary Apple format. ePub was developed by the International Digital Publishing Forum and works on several devices and platforms like the Sony Reader and Adobe Digital Editions for your desktop computer. You can think of it as the “MP3″ of e-book formats.

Five large publishers (Penguin, Harper Collins, Macmillan, Hachette Book Group, and Simon & Schuster) announced support today and the store will be open to other publishers soon. Not surprisingly, McGraw-Hill was not on the list of large publishers today.

So is the iPad a Kindle Killer? I think the biggest advantage that Apple will bring to the e-book reader market is a reading experience that is on par with the Amazon Kindle, but on a multi-purpose device that will have wider appeal. Apple has absolutely nailed the relationship between devices and content stores in the past with the iPod / iTunes Music Store and the iPhone / App Store and I expect that the iPad will nail the e-book experience on both the device and the store.

Sure the iPad starts at $499 and the Kindle starts at $259 and the “E Ink” display is nicer to use outside, but I think a lot of people will consider the extra $240 well spent to get all the extra features of the iPad. When you consider that the iPad offers a full-color LCD screen that can also support video embedded in the iBooks app, I think the iPad will be the biggest e-reader device yet. It will just appeal to a wider audience. The Amazon Kindle is dead.

I am looking forward to curling up with one of these to see what the experience is like. I wonder if the Apple Store will stock the Maxell Blown Away chair that Steve was using on stage to go with it as an accessory?

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