Apple
iPhone - I had to say something
07/05/07 11:26
Almost everyone else in the blogosphere has said
stuff about the iPhone. It is very tempting but I've
fallen. At least to say something before we have seen
a product is a get out.
I have a Sony Clie PalmOS PDA, a Sony Ericsson phone and an iPod and an iPhone could be a neat replacement for all three. It'd certainly save time and complexity in syncing the stuff around. But the battery life on the phone is fantastic, the storage capacity on the iPod is wonderful and the text input on the PDA is the best of all three. Therefore to have a single device replace all three - is a hard act. The Clie has Buetooth, WiFi, a camera (no flash), plays music and has a card slot. The Sony Ericsson phone has Bluetooth, camera (no flash), plays music and has a card slot. The iPod (4G photo) has no Bluetooth, no WiFI, no card slot but plays music and has a huge store.
So the iPhone can have WiFi, Bluetooth, plays music, has apps, has a camera. It probably will cost (initially) the same as buying a new iPod and a replacement PDA. Even if the phone functionality is as good a normal Sony Ericsson phones then I could be tempted to replace the PDA and phone with it. The naysayers who place the price as too high are comparing it to a phone rather than seeing it as a new iPod with all the other stuff.
The bigger questions for me are about the platform as a means to deliver apps and services - being able to use WiFi instead of the phone; being able to use efficient data transfer mechanisms on the mobile networks. Having the apps, integrate with the phone and mobile data experiences.
I just hope that this is the first in a range of mobile devices from Apple that converge the mobile voice, data with a hand-held computing device - and better than the preceding historical devices: the Newton, Palm Pilots, WinCE, Windows Mobile, Treo, Blackberry and Symbian. There are a lot of lessons to be learned and incorporated.
We shall see...starting in the USA in June. Though they seem to be more concerned with the choice of mobile carrier.
I have a Sony Clie PalmOS PDA, a Sony Ericsson phone and an iPod and an iPhone could be a neat replacement for all three. It'd certainly save time and complexity in syncing the stuff around. But the battery life on the phone is fantastic, the storage capacity on the iPod is wonderful and the text input on the PDA is the best of all three. Therefore to have a single device replace all three - is a hard act. The Clie has Buetooth, WiFi, a camera (no flash), plays music and has a card slot. The Sony Ericsson phone has Bluetooth, camera (no flash), plays music and has a card slot. The iPod (4G photo) has no Bluetooth, no WiFI, no card slot but plays music and has a huge store.
So the iPhone can have WiFi, Bluetooth, plays music, has apps, has a camera. It probably will cost (initially) the same as buying a new iPod and a replacement PDA. Even if the phone functionality is as good a normal Sony Ericsson phones then I could be tempted to replace the PDA and phone with it. The naysayers who place the price as too high are comparing it to a phone rather than seeing it as a new iPod with all the other stuff.
The bigger questions for me are about the platform as a means to deliver apps and services - being able to use WiFi instead of the phone; being able to use efficient data transfer mechanisms on the mobile networks. Having the apps, integrate with the phone and mobile data experiences.
I just hope that this is the first in a range of mobile devices from Apple that converge the mobile voice, data with a hand-held computing device - and better than the preceding historical devices: the Newton, Palm Pilots, WinCE, Windows Mobile, Treo, Blackberry and Symbian. There are a lot of lessons to be learned and incorporated.
We shall see...starting in the USA in June. Though they seem to be more concerned with the choice of mobile carrier.
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Apple changes its name
06/05/07 12:25
Much has been said about the removal of computer from
the name of Apple Inc. This has fuelled statements
from the usual news-, rumour- and seer-communities,
coupled with the delays to Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5)
and the focus on Apple TV and the iPhone. Clearly, as
a long-time user of Apple stuff, I have a view on
this as well. I am not unhappy with the name change.
Perhaps it is honest of Apple to say that it is no
longer merely a computer company. We've not moaned
against Sony who seem to make all sorts of stuff -
TV, VCRs, Music players, Computers, etc. We've got
use to Microsoft being a hardware company (keyboards,
mice, xbox). Similarly, we have combined companies
such as HP, IBM who do both. All the best to Apple -
maybe they can stimulate some more innovation,
integration and convergence into the marketplace - I
hope so.
The extension of Apple into the the other things that are connected with computers is not new - they were first with the LaserWriter to go with their PostScript-driven software; they had their own keyboards, mice, etc. They had their own PDA (invented the term), a very early digital camera. Then to extend to the wireless networks, the cards, the access points and more recently the iPods. It's not new - we shouldn't be surprised. It is often to kick-start the introduction of new technology - PostScript, PDA, WiFi. Perhaps it surprising that some Apple-branded products have not appeared - an Apple HD Camcorder; and some have appeared late - iPod HiFi for example.
I guess that we need to remember that Apple Inc are a business first and foremost and must turn a profit. That's the nature of capitalism. Apple's history means that they have launched into a new market and then as the third parties have matured they have withdrawn their products - witness the LaserWriter, the QuickCam, the Newton. The iPod has become such a phenomenal success that they have persisted. The move of Apple Inc to services is also not new - remember AppleLink?
What does the future hold? I don't think that Apple is going to change to a Sony-style consumer electronics with DVD players, TVs, hi-fi, ICE, etc. Sony are struggling enough with the other players in that market. But to add it's own values of total user experience of digital media - with end to end integration, convergence and ease of use - that means some strong products will come and AppleTV is but the next step.
The extension of Apple into the the other things that are connected with computers is not new - they were first with the LaserWriter to go with their PostScript-driven software; they had their own keyboards, mice, etc. They had their own PDA (invented the term), a very early digital camera. Then to extend to the wireless networks, the cards, the access points and more recently the iPods. It's not new - we shouldn't be surprised. It is often to kick-start the introduction of new technology - PostScript, PDA, WiFi. Perhaps it surprising that some Apple-branded products have not appeared - an Apple HD Camcorder; and some have appeared late - iPod HiFi for example.
I guess that we need to remember that Apple Inc are a business first and foremost and must turn a profit. That's the nature of capitalism. Apple's history means that they have launched into a new market and then as the third parties have matured they have withdrawn their products - witness the LaserWriter, the QuickCam, the Newton. The iPod has become such a phenomenal success that they have persisted. The move of Apple Inc to services is also not new - remember AppleLink?
What does the future hold? I don't think that Apple is going to change to a Sony-style consumer electronics with DVD players, TVs, hi-fi, ICE, etc. Sony are struggling enough with the other players in that market. But to add it's own values of total user experience of digital media - with end to end integration, convergence and ease of use - that means some strong products will come and AppleTV is but the next step.
Changing TV - 1
13/04/07 08:09
One of the things that has characterised the 20th
century was the development of broadcast media based
on electrical transmissions - better known as radio
and TV. These broadcast media, as an extension of
printed media, have created a huge global industry.
But in recent years things are starting to alter the
broadcast model.
Firstly, the development of the internet and the RSS feed to affect printed media - especially news and editorial. Rather than wait for the next print run - which are often many days (or weeks for monthly magazines) - a RSS feed can be updated and subscribers pick it up as soon as the Publish button is pressed. Following on we have podcasts - an audio version of the text. This is replacing radio in an analogous way. Finally, video podcasts (or whatever name you'd like) - these are replacing short TV news slots - especially in niche or specialist areas.
So what is the change? Instead of the broadcast model that has the producers saying we are outputting this tune in or miss it. You get all of what we have to say or write. We now have the viewer saying I will subscribe to this and that and I will pick up stuff to hear or see when I want. The controls are swapping. I agree that the VCR and its natural extensions of the PVR mean that we can shift the time when we see or hear something broadcast, but we are generally following a number of broadcast channels. Where I live, the terrestrial channels are limited to 4 at present. So not too confusing. However, with the internet and all of the sources of news and comment that are available globally - you have thousands of the equivalent of programmes.
The introduction of the AppleTV and its support for downloaded video (and audio) podcasts at a quality level greater than most "normal" broadcasters at present could mean that the acceleration of the change around will increase. many podcasters can grab a HD camcorder and produce a HD podcast to be downloaded and played back via the AppleTV onto a TV screen. When people watch such programmes and then a "normal" programme - the visual quality difference will be dramatic.
What can the broadcasters do? Better content - be the authoritative voice - as well as better quality.
Firstly, the development of the internet and the RSS feed to affect printed media - especially news and editorial. Rather than wait for the next print run - which are often many days (or weeks for monthly magazines) - a RSS feed can be updated and subscribers pick it up as soon as the Publish button is pressed. Following on we have podcasts - an audio version of the text. This is replacing radio in an analogous way. Finally, video podcasts (or whatever name you'd like) - these are replacing short TV news slots - especially in niche or specialist areas.
So what is the change? Instead of the broadcast model that has the producers saying we are outputting this tune in or miss it. You get all of what we have to say or write. We now have the viewer saying I will subscribe to this and that and I will pick up stuff to hear or see when I want. The controls are swapping. I agree that the VCR and its natural extensions of the PVR mean that we can shift the time when we see or hear something broadcast, but we are generally following a number of broadcast channels. Where I live, the terrestrial channels are limited to 4 at present. So not too confusing. However, with the internet and all of the sources of news and comment that are available globally - you have thousands of the equivalent of programmes.
The introduction of the AppleTV and its support for downloaded video (and audio) podcasts at a quality level greater than most "normal" broadcasters at present could mean that the acceleration of the change around will increase. many podcasters can grab a HD camcorder and produce a HD podcast to be downloaded and played back via the AppleTV onto a TV screen. When people watch such programmes and then a "normal" programme - the visual quality difference will be dramatic.
What can the broadcasters do? Better content - be the authoritative voice - as well as better quality.
iWork - An Initial View
14/03/05 17:32
Some of Chosen Utilities - Mac OS X GUI
23/04/04 17:36
Workstrip - I have used Workstrip
and got rid of the Dock. However, I am sure that I do
not useWorkstrip any where near its full potential. I
use Workstrip mainly as a launcher in place of the
Dock. I have found that sometimes it gets the
Spinning Ball of Death and have turned off some of
its tracking.
LaunchBar - I like LaunchBar - I use it a lot, mainly as an application launcher, even though there are bookmarks, email addresses in its list.
Fruitmenu - I use this a lot, I have added several things to the Apple Menu.
SallingClicker - this is great and a real show-off item to Windows users. I have a Bluetooth phone and do PowerPoint presentations using Salling Clicker controls. The addition of a Bluetooth PDA and the later Salling Clicker software means that you can preview and get more information on the phone or PDA about a presentation than before - brilliant!
Synergy - I list to music while working a lot and as phone calls come in, I use Synergy to pause. great ease of use.
SoundSource - I have an iMic and that is piped into the Hi-Fi and playing music through that from iTunes. It is great to be able to control and from the menu bar. With a PowerBook the iMic is rarely used, though for times when you want to preview on one audio output whilst another is playing then the iMic will be handy. Still good to have the switchable line level inputs.
LaunchBar - I like LaunchBar - I use it a lot, mainly as an application launcher, even though there are bookmarks, email addresses in its list.
Fruitmenu - I use this a lot, I have added several things to the Apple Menu.
SallingClicker - this is great and a real show-off item to Windows users. I have a Bluetooth phone and do PowerPoint presentations using Salling Clicker controls. The addition of a Bluetooth PDA and the later Salling Clicker software means that you can preview and get more information on the phone or PDA about a presentation than before - brilliant!
Synergy - I list to music while working a lot and as phone calls come in, I use Synergy to pause. great ease of use.
SoundSource - I have an iMic and that is piped into the Hi-Fi and playing music through that from iTunes. It is great to be able to control and from the menu bar. With a PowerBook the iMic is rarely used, though for times when you want to preview on one audio output whilst another is playing then the iMic will be handy. Still good to have the switchable line level inputs.
Views on the PowerBook
10/12/03 17:40