psychofreak
Nov 26, 12:48 PM
Not. Gonna. Happen. The tablet market is very small, and for good reason. Why use a tablet when a laptop fits the bill? Or a PDA? It's a glorified scribble toy. Apple's not going to try and grab such a miniscule market. There's no reason to even try.
As people mentioned, one could have said the same thing about mp3 players before the iPod.
"Not. Gonna. Happen. The mp3 player market is very small, and for good reason. Why use an mp3 player when a minidisk or CD fits the bill? Or a cassette? It's a glorified walkman. Apple's not going to try and grab such a miniscule market. There's no reason to even try"
As people mentioned, one could have said the same thing about mp3 players before the iPod.
"Not. Gonna. Happen. The mp3 player market is very small, and for good reason. Why use an mp3 player when a minidisk or CD fits the bill? Or a cassette? It's a glorified walkman. Apple's not going to try and grab such a miniscule market. There's no reason to even try"
Multimedia
Aug 4, 09:45 PM
DO you guys think the Mac MINI will get a speed bump anytime soon? A friend of mine, shes looking to come over to the Mac side and the MINI seems perfect for her needs but something faster would be nice then the current.By years end I would say so. By Jan 2007 at the latest. We need to see the iMac get a bump first. That may occur at Paris in September.I agree but think likely by Thanksgiving. I think mini will get the 1.66 GHz Core 2 Duo Combo and 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo Superdrive upgrades thus ending the last Mac to have only one core as well as the end of all 32-bit Macs. :)
RubbishBBspeed
Apr 23, 04:50 PM
ahhh crap, yet more waiting time for next next next iMac (money back into the savings account then). I really do wish Apple would quit the messing with bit by bit updates and just release a genuine industry changing computer again like it did with the original macpro.
mmomega
May 4, 02:52 PM
I would hope that creating a bootable DVD/flash drive would be part of the installation process.
How is it handled now for developers with the Lion preview?
So far you must enter a redemption code in the app store which allows you to download Lion.
If you want to install it on multiple computers you can copy the install file to another Mac but it needs to use the same app store account info.
I haven't found a way to burn or make it bootable since they don't offer a full dmg file on the developer page like they did with SL.
How is it handled now for developers with the Lion preview?
So far you must enter a redemption code in the app store which allows you to download Lion.
If you want to install it on multiple computers you can copy the install file to another Mac but it needs to use the same app store account info.
I haven't found a way to burn or make it bootable since they don't offer a full dmg file on the developer page like they did with SL.
ZorPrime
Nov 26, 12:34 AM
i hope apple comes out with a shoe phone, something the pink panther or inspector gadget would use.
Very retro.. ;)
Very retro.. ;)
r0bert99
Sep 15, 04:58 PM
MacShrine? Who?
What's their record?
they're alright. they had exclusive pictures of mac os x 10.3 and 10.4 before wwdc, and got lots of iPod things right (like dropping the gold mini, size bumps...) as well as as Mac updates such as Xserves, iMacs and iBooks. the only real fiasco they've had was that whole ipod video thing in march, but to be fair everyone fell for that, even thinksecret and appleinsider, macshrine were just the first to publish them.
i'm psyched about the updates, i want a magnetic latch!
What's their record?
they're alright. they had exclusive pictures of mac os x 10.3 and 10.4 before wwdc, and got lots of iPod things right (like dropping the gold mini, size bumps...) as well as as Mac updates such as Xserves, iMacs and iBooks. the only real fiasco they've had was that whole ipod video thing in march, but to be fair everyone fell for that, even thinksecret and appleinsider, macshrine were just the first to publish them.
i'm psyched about the updates, i want a magnetic latch!
E.Lizardo
Apr 7, 07:48 PM
I see the short sighted Apple pom-pom shakers are once again giddy with excitement. The juvenile remarks are embarrassing.
For some strange reason you think monopolies are good for consumers.
Even stranger is you seem to think Apple is a monopoly.It's tragic how much success if frowned upon these days,as if it were somehow immoral.
For some strange reason you think monopolies are good for consumers.
Even stranger is you seem to think Apple is a monopoly.It's tragic how much success if frowned upon these days,as if it were somehow immoral.
MrChurchyard
May 4, 02:55 PM
I think the interesting question is whether they'll do away with "Software Update" as well. And if so, how are they handling stuff like printer driver updates.
Also: Combo updates vs. downloading the whole thing. As the MAS is working right now, it would have to work similarly to XCode, which is just very unefficient.
Also: Combo updates vs. downloading the whole thing. As the MAS is working right now, it would have to work similarly to XCode, which is just very unefficient.
MikeTheC
Nov 25, 08:22 PM
I know that many Blue Tooth features of my Motorola cell phone is disabled by Verizon. <---snip---> Remember simple things like ring tones, photos & such could easilly be transferred from the cell phone to your home computer. But this is not usually allowed. Could this be because the cell phone companies allow these features only to add to their revenue stream, not to give the cell phone user some additional user or usuable feature?
I'm glad when I got my RAZR I didn't go with Verizon. I can and have BT transferred photos and sounds between my PowerBook and my phone. Heck, I even have Eric Idle as a messenger getting nailed in the chest by an arrow and saying "Message for you, sir" as my voicemail notification. (Most apropos, I thought.)
And yes, obviously I can see why they'd want to do that. I've sent many megs of data back and forth, and I've have had to pay a small fortune to do that if I was going through my carrier (Cingular, btw). BT cuts that all out completely.
This is an example of what I hate about the computer industry, and without going into a long, multi-paragraph dissertation on the matter, companies are so [blankety-blank-blank] greedy that they are unwilling to allow their customers to do very much with their products without having to keep forking over cash to them. This is not the way to have a successful business with legions of hard-core, loyal customers. But then, business thinking these days is so incredibly short-term that the whole concept of really turning your customers into long-term repeat customers is not even a goal they find worth bothering to strive for. Pay lip service to, yes; actually do, no.
I'm glad when I got my RAZR I didn't go with Verizon. I can and have BT transferred photos and sounds between my PowerBook and my phone. Heck, I even have Eric Idle as a messenger getting nailed in the chest by an arrow and saying "Message for you, sir" as my voicemail notification. (Most apropos, I thought.)
And yes, obviously I can see why they'd want to do that. I've sent many megs of data back and forth, and I've have had to pay a small fortune to do that if I was going through my carrier (Cingular, btw). BT cuts that all out completely.
This is an example of what I hate about the computer industry, and without going into a long, multi-paragraph dissertation on the matter, companies are so [blankety-blank-blank] greedy that they are unwilling to allow their customers to do very much with their products without having to keep forking over cash to them. This is not the way to have a successful business with legions of hard-core, loyal customers. But then, business thinking these days is so incredibly short-term that the whole concept of really turning your customers into long-term repeat customers is not even a goal they find worth bothering to strive for. Pay lip service to, yes; actually do, no.
Krafty
Apr 5, 03:02 PM
If only they had a passion for you :(
Yeah, I wouldn't be on these forums, I'd have a life, a job, and a smile.
If only... :(
Yeah, I wouldn't be on these forums, I'd have a life, a job, and a smile.
If only... :(
HiRez
May 4, 05:57 PM
cons: what if i want to format the hard drive and restart from scratch? or even just archive and install? what if i completely replace my hard drive? what if i want to sell my mac and get a new one, would i retain the license or would the buyer get it? how would they reinstall the OS after I wipe the hard drive? how long is this going to take to download? will we be able and authorized to burn our own install DVDs from the downloaded software?
It'd be cool for Apple to start building a small, fast SSD "drive" (memory chips) into every Mac, that would be dedicated to the core System, and only the System. Small enough to be inexpensive, large enough to easily accommodate current and future System files, fast enough to be faster than any current hard drive. Make the drive say 32-64 GB, with two partitions. One partition holds the installed System, the other partition is just scratch space for downloaded and uninstalled software, including the System itself. Possibly this partition contains some minimal boot system in order to re-download and install the package from the app store in case the installation gets botched.
It'd be cool for Apple to start building a small, fast SSD "drive" (memory chips) into every Mac, that would be dedicated to the core System, and only the System. Small enough to be inexpensive, large enough to easily accommodate current and future System files, fast enough to be faster than any current hard drive. Make the drive say 32-64 GB, with two partitions. One partition holds the installed System, the other partition is just scratch space for downloaded and uninstalled software, including the System itself. Possibly this partition contains some minimal boot system in order to re-download and install the package from the app store in case the installation gets botched.
PBF
Mar 30, 08:33 PM
And yes, you can remove Launchpad from the dock.
Without editing code, plist or whatever, correct?
Without editing code, plist or whatever, correct?
Don't panic
May 5, 11:49 AM
No reason to split. There is only 1 door.
i agree, and it's not like there are many alternatves so here we go, so I won't waste more time.
R3t2: we move on to the next room
i agree, and it's not like there are many alternatves so here we go, so I won't waste more time.
R3t2: we move on to the next room
EDH667
Nov 27, 07:11 AM
Is there really no wiggle room?
Has anyone tried to use the car kit with a Case Mate Barely There Case?
There is absolutely no room for any case to work with the TomTom car kit.
I stand corrected. I purchased the Case-Mate Barley there case and it works great with the TomTom car kit.
Has anyone tried to use the car kit with a Case Mate Barely There Case?
There is absolutely no room for any case to work with the TomTom car kit.
I stand corrected. I purchased the Case-Mate Barley there case and it works great with the TomTom car kit.
commander.data
May 6, 12:35 AM
Perhaps in 2 years ARM will have architectures that will offer the performance levels expected of desktops and laptops, but at the same time Intel's designs are getting more efficient all the time. So by the time ARM is ready to negate Intel's performance advantage, Intel will be ready to negate ARM's power advantage. I don't really see any advantage in switching Macs to ARM.
What's more while ARM may be appropriate for laptops for efficiency reasons, what is Apple going to do about the Mac Pro? Accept reduced performance, discontinue it, keep it on Intel processors and support 2 architectures in parallel?
And the Intel transition was eased because PowerPC is a more strict and well defined standard so is easier to emulate. x86 however is pretty much a mess that's yielded better performance over time because of increasing numbers of features being tacked on, but won't be efficient to emulate. So an x86/x64>ARM transition won't be as smooth as PowerPC>x86/x64 was.
What's more while ARM may be appropriate for laptops for efficiency reasons, what is Apple going to do about the Mac Pro? Accept reduced performance, discontinue it, keep it on Intel processors and support 2 architectures in parallel?
And the Intel transition was eased because PowerPC is a more strict and well defined standard so is easier to emulate. x86 however is pretty much a mess that's yielded better performance over time because of increasing numbers of features being tacked on, but won't be efficient to emulate. So an x86/x64>ARM transition won't be as smooth as PowerPC>x86/x64 was.
Christina1971
May 7, 10:27 AM
Huh? If they aren't making any money for it now (with relatively few people paying for the service) how would it make sense to give it away for free (with many many more people not paying for it?)
I for one use it ALL the time. When you have more than one device (multiple macs, iphone), it's SO nice to have them sync wirelessly, immediately, and without having to login every time, on the native apps. iCal, Contacts, Safari links: I am a very frequent user of the mobileme syncing on all of these.
Maybe as marketing? Like you said, it works well and seamlessly if you have several Apple devices. People might be thinking of buying more than one Apple product, but wondering how they can keep everything synced.
Apple could promote Mobile Me as a "value add" and perhaps get more buyers of other devices that way?
I for one use it ALL the time. When you have more than one device (multiple macs, iphone), it's SO nice to have them sync wirelessly, immediately, and without having to login every time, on the native apps. iCal, Contacts, Safari links: I am a very frequent user of the mobileme syncing on all of these.
Maybe as marketing? Like you said, it works well and seamlessly if you have several Apple devices. People might be thinking of buying more than one Apple product, but wondering how they can keep everything synced.
Apple could promote Mobile Me as a "value add" and perhaps get more buyers of other devices that way?
belsokar
Apr 26, 02:37 PM
You'll care when the majority of developers will jump to Android because it has more users. Why do you think most people still use Windows? Because it has more software. Once you get behind, it's tough to keep up. Look at Windows Phone 7. They have to pull really hard to get some developers to build apps for them.
I have to say I'm impressed how Google managed to get this off the ground so fast. Microsoft is still struggling, and they have a pool of traditional .Net developers behind them to potentially build apps for their mobile platform.
As an iOS developer, with both a Java and .Net background, I can say that right now, all the money to be made is primarily in the iOS camp. Android users DO NOT BUY apps. That is a generalization, but it is a TRUE generalization. They do not buy apps like iPhone users. There are many reasons for that. One is that many Android users got free or really cheap phones, and don't tend to come from higher income backgrounds. They are less likely to spend money than iPhone users. Moreover, the infrastructure for buying apps is not setup as well as iPhone. All iPhone users can buy apps the second they are setup, that is not true for Android users.
In terms of monetizing free Android apps...they do not pay well when it comes to Ad revenue. For a client's app I released on an iPhone, using iAds, I needed 10,000 daily users at about 1 minute of use time per user per day to make about $5K/month in Ad revenue. In order to get that kind of revenue on a free Android app, I would need approximately 200,000 daily users. That is a huge discrepancy between ecosystems,...it is not easy to get 10,000 daily users, much less 200,000,...meaning developers are going to stick with iOS as long as it pays better.
So for the time being, I don't concern myself with Android as a developer. Now if google finds a way to make Android phones just as profitable as iPhones, or develops an ecosystem much like Apple's that drives app purchases and app revenue to something resembling, or outpacing Apple, then I would be REALLY worried as an iPhone developer and user. I just don't see it happening as Google is more concerned with it's own Ad business, and how to make Google more money, rather than spending more time and effort on how to best make developers money. Apple has struck a great balance that allows them to keep developers happy while continuing to reap the rewards in terms of company profits.
I have to say I'm impressed how Google managed to get this off the ground so fast. Microsoft is still struggling, and they have a pool of traditional .Net developers behind them to potentially build apps for their mobile platform.
As an iOS developer, with both a Java and .Net background, I can say that right now, all the money to be made is primarily in the iOS camp. Android users DO NOT BUY apps. That is a generalization, but it is a TRUE generalization. They do not buy apps like iPhone users. There are many reasons for that. One is that many Android users got free or really cheap phones, and don't tend to come from higher income backgrounds. They are less likely to spend money than iPhone users. Moreover, the infrastructure for buying apps is not setup as well as iPhone. All iPhone users can buy apps the second they are setup, that is not true for Android users.
In terms of monetizing free Android apps...they do not pay well when it comes to Ad revenue. For a client's app I released on an iPhone, using iAds, I needed 10,000 daily users at about 1 minute of use time per user per day to make about $5K/month in Ad revenue. In order to get that kind of revenue on a free Android app, I would need approximately 200,000 daily users. That is a huge discrepancy between ecosystems,...it is not easy to get 10,000 daily users, much less 200,000,...meaning developers are going to stick with iOS as long as it pays better.
So for the time being, I don't concern myself with Android as a developer. Now if google finds a way to make Android phones just as profitable as iPhones, or develops an ecosystem much like Apple's that drives app purchases and app revenue to something resembling, or outpacing Apple, then I would be REALLY worried as an iPhone developer and user. I just don't see it happening as Google is more concerned with it's own Ad business, and how to make Google more money, rather than spending more time and effort on how to best make developers money. Apple has struck a great balance that allows them to keep developers happy while continuing to reap the rewards in terms of company profits.
steadysignal
Apr 25, 10:25 AM
Steve Jobs is a dick because I hate Apple. Android is open and I love open. I can open it. I can wigets. I can overclock the **** out of it. Apple is Closed. Hypocrites and Evil.
And I'm 12. :rolleyes:
hate is hate, at any age.
And I'm 12. :rolleyes:
hate is hate, at any age.
SirHaakon
Mar 31, 02:11 AM
Maybe that rate wouldn't be bad, but if you read the article, that's not what they're charging. Beyond the initial free amount, its $1 per 1 gig, not $1 per 20 gigs.
You get 20 gigs if you buy an album on Amazon. Here's an album for a dollar:
http://www.amazon.com/Neroli/dp/B001LK0HVU/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_cart_3
You do the math.
You get 20 gigs if you buy an album on Amazon. Here's an album for a dollar:
http://www.amazon.com/Neroli/dp/B001LK0HVU/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_cart_3
You do the math.
wizz0bang
Jul 22, 04:29 PM
Nearly the entire line of majot Apple products is in need of an update.
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
Now that we are using Intel, I wonder if we will start to see speed bumps every three months instead of every six.
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
Now that we are using Intel, I wonder if we will start to see speed bumps every three months instead of every six.
wizard
Apr 21, 03:38 PM
I can understand the death of XServe. A product that doesn't make money should't stay around, it is simple as that. Such a dual purpose machine would allow Apple to address a broader range of user needs.
In any event I think part for the reason XServe failed was the lines limited nature. Like it or not a 1U server is still limited in capability. Also this idea that TB will effectively replace PCI-E slots is a bit crazy in my mind. Some cards simply need the lowest possible cost implementation and compatibility with PC hardware. In other words a Mac Pro without PCI slots would be crazy on Apples part.
In any event I think part for the reason XServe failed was the lines limited nature. Like it or not a 1U server is still limited in capability. Also this idea that TB will effectively replace PCI-E slots is a bit crazy in my mind. Some cards simply need the lowest possible cost implementation and compatibility with PC hardware. In other words a Mac Pro without PCI slots would be crazy on Apples part.
McEngineer
Mar 29, 03:50 PM
Note that MS is dropping the standalone Zune hardware, and moving the Zune interface into Windows Phone 7.
If your phone can do it all, why make standalone music players?
I think the iPod market (especially the Touch) will have a long tail, and there's no reason for Apple to not profit from it in the meantime. Specifically, it will continue to satisfy the young 'uns demographic, the parents of whom are not yet willing to commit to a phone contract.
If your phone can do it all, why make standalone music players?
I think the iPod market (especially the Touch) will have a long tail, and there's no reason for Apple to not profit from it in the meantime. Specifically, it will continue to satisfy the young 'uns demographic, the parents of whom are not yet willing to commit to a phone contract.
tny
Nov 26, 11:54 AM
i don't think it would appeal to that many people, to have an Apple tablet. I mean, the PC/Win versions aren't great sellers...
I don't think it would appeal to that many people, to have an Apple MP3 player. I mean, the existing ones aren't great sellers.
See the problem here? The reason the iPod took off was because it wasn't like the existing MP3 players.
Take a look at a group of current products:
1. The UMPC. Seems like a good idea, but not successful so far. Why not? Here's Gartner:
But while the UMPC concept has promise, today�s hardware cannot deliver on it. In Gartner's view, success will require:
* Technology advances that are at least two years away (including an eight-hour battery and a sub-$400 price)
* Low-cost, compelling content bundles (Intel and Microsoft are working on partnerships in this area)
* A better Microsoft shell/interface running on top of Vista
* Text entry options beyond �thumb-typing�
* "Dock and go" synchronization, requiring minimal user interaction
* Sustained market momentum from Microsoft and Intel
Today, we believe it isn't possible to produce compelling UMPC products � just "proofs of concept." The low battery life, high price and non-Vista operating system will likely hurt the UMPC's market acceptance in this first go-round, and the negative backlash could damage its future chances.
An Apple tablet would beat content bundles problem, the shell/interface problem, and the synchronization problem. Inkwell and a bluetooth keyboard option would help; and built-in WiFi will certainly help. If Apple can do something about the battery problem . . . I also think the form factor needs work.
2. The PDA. Right now the PDA market is growing, not shrinking - mostly thanks to the Blackberry and the PocketPC and at the expense of Palm. The magic combination seems to be email + cell wireless: if you can get your email anywhere you can use your cellphone, a PDA becomes a more compelling device. This ties in closely with
3. The cell phone. Everyone is in agreement that the cell phone is a target area for Apple; the question is who Apple's carrier will be. A GSM-based device that does EDGE could be used with many different networks.
4. The eBook reader, like the Sony Reader. The good side of the Sony Reader is low battery consumption and a very readable screen. The bad side is that it has to have a pretty low-consumption, low-use processor, no color, and the screen update speed is abysmal. The underlying tech of eInk isn't going to help with an Apple tablet, but the form factor might be a very good choice for a UMPC/Blackberry killer.
5. The tablet computer. The reason the tablet computer has been a failure is because the writing interface isn't very good yet, and because the damned things are the same size and weight as a notebook, so there's little point in dumping the notebook for a tablet. A smaller form factor with the same power, but one that it a little more usable and compelling than the UMPC might be very successful.
6. Video device, like the iPod with video or its competitors. A lot of folks complain that it's too small a screen, and the battery power isn't so hot. If you could have a larger screen that is not much heavier, and just a little more battery power . . .
7. Web pad / web appliance (Nokia 770, Audrey, Pepper Pad, etc.) The problems with these so far have been form factor and OS quality. Most web appliances have run either PocketPC/Windows CE or customized Linux distributions. The Linux distributions that have been used haven't had a good enough UI for a general computing, general audience environment - the needs of a web appliance are too complex to be handled the same way embedded interfaces (like TiVo's) have been handled. Windows CE isn't designed for a general computing environment, either, and makes too many compromises. I also think the Nokia 770 is too small, the PepperPad is overwhelmed by its case, and the Audrey isn't flexible enough.
A successor to the Newton that was a true OS X device, in a form factor similar to the Sony Reader, with .Mac synchronization, Airport Extreme and Bluetooth, a FireWire 400 and two USB 2 connectors, a mini-HMDI socket (with HDMI and DVI converters), a dock connector, an iSight, and an optical-capable audio plug, with some of the on-screen navigation tech we've seen in Apple patents, would be fantastic.
But I'd be surprised if the tech is there yet: the processors aren't small enough and cool enough, the flash memory (you'd want flash and not a hard disk drive) doesn't have enough capacity yet, and the batteries don't have a long enough life. I'll bet there is a prototype device like this in the Apple labs, but it might have mediocre stats: say
700 MHz processor equivalent
16 GB storage
256 MB ram
3 hours of battery life (1.5 playing an iTunes movie)
estimated cost to consumer $999.
I think a successful device would need
1.2 GHz processor equivalent
80 GB storage
1 GB RAM
8 hours of battery life (5 playing an iTunes movie)
estimated cost to consumer $699.
I don't think it would appeal to that many people, to have an Apple MP3 player. I mean, the existing ones aren't great sellers.
See the problem here? The reason the iPod took off was because it wasn't like the existing MP3 players.
Take a look at a group of current products:
1. The UMPC. Seems like a good idea, but not successful so far. Why not? Here's Gartner:
But while the UMPC concept has promise, today�s hardware cannot deliver on it. In Gartner's view, success will require:
* Technology advances that are at least two years away (including an eight-hour battery and a sub-$400 price)
* Low-cost, compelling content bundles (Intel and Microsoft are working on partnerships in this area)
* A better Microsoft shell/interface running on top of Vista
* Text entry options beyond �thumb-typing�
* "Dock and go" synchronization, requiring minimal user interaction
* Sustained market momentum from Microsoft and Intel
Today, we believe it isn't possible to produce compelling UMPC products � just "proofs of concept." The low battery life, high price and non-Vista operating system will likely hurt the UMPC's market acceptance in this first go-round, and the negative backlash could damage its future chances.
An Apple tablet would beat content bundles problem, the shell/interface problem, and the synchronization problem. Inkwell and a bluetooth keyboard option would help; and built-in WiFi will certainly help. If Apple can do something about the battery problem . . . I also think the form factor needs work.
2. The PDA. Right now the PDA market is growing, not shrinking - mostly thanks to the Blackberry and the PocketPC and at the expense of Palm. The magic combination seems to be email + cell wireless: if you can get your email anywhere you can use your cellphone, a PDA becomes a more compelling device. This ties in closely with
3. The cell phone. Everyone is in agreement that the cell phone is a target area for Apple; the question is who Apple's carrier will be. A GSM-based device that does EDGE could be used with many different networks.
4. The eBook reader, like the Sony Reader. The good side of the Sony Reader is low battery consumption and a very readable screen. The bad side is that it has to have a pretty low-consumption, low-use processor, no color, and the screen update speed is abysmal. The underlying tech of eInk isn't going to help with an Apple tablet, but the form factor might be a very good choice for a UMPC/Blackberry killer.
5. The tablet computer. The reason the tablet computer has been a failure is because the writing interface isn't very good yet, and because the damned things are the same size and weight as a notebook, so there's little point in dumping the notebook for a tablet. A smaller form factor with the same power, but one that it a little more usable and compelling than the UMPC might be very successful.
6. Video device, like the iPod with video or its competitors. A lot of folks complain that it's too small a screen, and the battery power isn't so hot. If you could have a larger screen that is not much heavier, and just a little more battery power . . .
7. Web pad / web appliance (Nokia 770, Audrey, Pepper Pad, etc.) The problems with these so far have been form factor and OS quality. Most web appliances have run either PocketPC/Windows CE or customized Linux distributions. The Linux distributions that have been used haven't had a good enough UI for a general computing, general audience environment - the needs of a web appliance are too complex to be handled the same way embedded interfaces (like TiVo's) have been handled. Windows CE isn't designed for a general computing environment, either, and makes too many compromises. I also think the Nokia 770 is too small, the PepperPad is overwhelmed by its case, and the Audrey isn't flexible enough.
A successor to the Newton that was a true OS X device, in a form factor similar to the Sony Reader, with .Mac synchronization, Airport Extreme and Bluetooth, a FireWire 400 and two USB 2 connectors, a mini-HMDI socket (with HDMI and DVI converters), a dock connector, an iSight, and an optical-capable audio plug, with some of the on-screen navigation tech we've seen in Apple patents, would be fantastic.
But I'd be surprised if the tech is there yet: the processors aren't small enough and cool enough, the flash memory (you'd want flash and not a hard disk drive) doesn't have enough capacity yet, and the batteries don't have a long enough life. I'll bet there is a prototype device like this in the Apple labs, but it might have mediocre stats: say
700 MHz processor equivalent
16 GB storage
256 MB ram
3 hours of battery life (1.5 playing an iTunes movie)
estimated cost to consumer $999.
I think a successful device would need
1.2 GHz processor equivalent
80 GB storage
1 GB RAM
8 hours of battery life (5 playing an iTunes movie)
estimated cost to consumer $699.
clientsiman
Mar 29, 01:29 PM
Yeah :( all the meteorologists had no idea an earthquake this big could be triggered by LiPo batteries.
Meteorologist??? I guess you mean the Geologists.
I hope that Japan recover fast from this terrible catastrophe.
Meteorologist??? I guess you mean the Geologists.
I hope that Japan recover fast from this terrible catastrophe.
