If there ever were a divisive computer, Apple's iPad is it.
The iPad, as anyone who follows tech news knows, has riled up the masses in a way few devices can. Some swear it'll revolutionize computing; others see it as an overhyped and oversized iPod Touch. One way or another, nearly everyone seems to have a firm opinion.
The real question, though, is who's going to actually buy the thing. Preordered iPads reportedly started shipping today, but the true test will come when the product hits store shelves this Saturday. And, if some new research is to be believed, a very specific subset of people will be lining up to check it out.
Apple iPad Appeal
Screw the euphemisms: The iPad-wanting crowd, according to market research firm NPD, consists mainly of rich Apple fanboys.
A report published by the firm finds current Apple product owners are 40 percent more interested in the iPad than their non-Apple-toting counterparts. The other strongest predictors of iPad interest were income -- those who make $100,000 or more are most likely to eye the iPad, NPD says -- and age, with consumers between 18 and 34 expressing the most powerful iPad desires.
But could the Apple brand alone really be enough to win people over? According to NPD, maybe. The firm finds the most common reason for Apple owners' interest in the iPad is simply "liking the Apple brand."
iPad Purchases
Despite their high levels of interest, many Apple users may be hesitant to actually shell out their cash for an iPad. Only 9 percent of current Apple owners told NPD they were likely to buy an iPad in the next six months. Sixty percent, in contrast, said they don't anticipate snagging one anytime soon.
The most commonly cited reasons among Apple owners: The iPad's too expensive, and a notebook or netbook could accomplish the same types of tasks.
iPad Perspective
Of course, you have to put this research into perspective. Other analyses say iPad demand is sky-high, with sales expected to reach 10 million in 2010 alone. Some recent reports even suggest Apple's preorder stock of iPads is completely sold out.
So will the iPad alter the world as we know it? Or will it just become a limited-scope toy for diehard Apple fans?
There may be no firm answer yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion we'll hear plenty more theories between now and Saturday.
From: http://www.pcworld.com
Monday, March 29, 2010
Analysts Ask if the iPad Can Live Up to Its Hype
SAN FRANCISCO — When the Apple iPad goes on sale on Saturday, most of the major questions surrounding the device will have been answered, save for one: can it live up to the hype?
Apple fans have breathlessly awaited Apple’s entry into the tablet computer market. Since the company unveiled the iPad in late January, investors have jumped on the bandwagon, too, running up Apple’s stock more than 10 percent.
Part of that rise can be attributed to the steady rise in sales of the iPhone and the company’s Mac computers. But much of it clearly has to do with tablet fever. On the day this month when Apple made the completely unsurprising announcement that the iPad would go on sale on April 3, the stock jumped nearly 4 percent.
Expectations are clearly high. Now the iPad has to meet them.
Apple has given no public indication of what kinds of sales it expects, or what may constitute success. But at the iPad introduction in January, Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, implicitly set a lofty standard. He said the iPad would offer an experience that was superior to that of netbooks, a rapidly growing category of inexpensive and lightweight laptops that accounted for $11 billion in global sales last year.
He also said that the 75 million people who own iPhones and iPod Touches already knew how to use the iPad, which uses the same operating system and touch-screen interface.
But analysts and investors are searching for their own ways to judge the iPad over the short and long term. Their projections vary, but many Apple analysts seem to think the company will sell around a million iPads by the end of its quarter in June, and around 5 million by the end of 2010.
Analysts acknowledge that a certain amount of guesswork goes into those projections, in part because it is not yet clear what kinds of applications and content will be available for the iPad from media companies and outside developers.
“The reality for the iPad is going to be determined by what apps are made for it,” said Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray. “People are debating the use case for it, and the use case will be largely determined by the apps. A lot of people are still on the fence whether this is a legitimate market or not.”
There are other variables at work. For example, it appears the iPad will initially be available only in Apple’s stores and at Best Buy. How quickly will Apple begin selling it through other retailers, and in countries other than the 10 it named this year?
Will Apple allow American wireless carriers other than AT&T, like Verizon, to offer data plans for the 3G version of the device? And how quickly might Apple lower the iPad’s price, or introduce models with new features like a built-in camera?
In considering how the iPad may affect Apple, analysts must also navigate the fuzzy topic known as cannibalization. Consumers who spend $499 for the cheapest iPad model might be buying it in lieu of a $999 MacBook laptop or, more likely, a $199 iPod Touch.
Many analysts are looking to historical precedent to gauge the iPad’s prospects in the market. Back in 2001, iPod sales started out slowly; Apple sold only 372,000 of them in its first year, then around a million in the second, after the opening of the iTunes Store.
After the iPhone’s introduction in 2007, which inspired a similar media frenzy, Apple sold 1.4 million handsets in its first two quarters, and then 6.1 million during its entire first year.
But the iPhone may be a poor example: people were already comfortable buying cellphones. Few people have ever owned a tablet computer. The iPad is something almost entirely new to most consumers, more akin to, say, the Kindle from Amazon.com or the Apple TV set-top box. Those devices each sold less than a million units in their first year.
Achieving the mass-market penetration — and cultural impact — of the iPod and iPhone is ultimately Apple’s biggest challenge with the iPad. “They are going to need to target mainstream users who might otherwise decide to purchase an e-book reader or a netbook,” said Michael Abramsky, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets. “If they are successful in starting to convince those kinds of folks, and getting beyond the early adopters who will line up for anything, then it has the potential to blossom.”
But even in those best-case situations, the iPad most likely will not change Apple’s overall financial picture anytime soon. A. M. Sacconaghi Jr., an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, predicts that the iPad could contribute about 28 cents a share to Apple’s bottom line in its first full year of sales. The iPhone, by contrast, is responsible for about $8 of earnings a share.
“It’s going to be pretty small from a financial impact initially, but the range of ultimate outcomes for the iPad is pretty big,” Mr. Sacconaghi said.
Investors are also trying to keep their expectations grounded. Erick Maronak, chief investment officer for the $1.2 billion Victory Large Cap Growth Fund, which counts Apple as its biggest holding, said he was looking forward to the iPad — but still banking on the iPhone.
The iPad “is yet another example of how the innovation with Apple continues, and that they have not grown complacent,” Mr. Maronak said. “But the much bigger driver is that this is going to be a pretty big year for the iPhone.”
All the iPad and iPhone optimism leaves many analysts and investors wondering what, exactly, disappointment might look like for Apple. If Apple sells only half a million iPads during the next two months, or less than 2 million by the end of September, it could conceivably damage the company’s stellar reputation with Wall Street — and Mr. Jobs’s air of infallibility in selecting and entering new markets.
“There’s always a risk,” said Charles Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Company, who points to past Apple failures like the Mac Cube and Apple TV, but nonetheless believes that the iPad will sell briskly.
If the iPad does fail to sell, “it could impact the stock,” Mr. Wolf said. “But I doubt it would be the end of the world.”
From: http://www.nytimes.com/
Apple fans have breathlessly awaited Apple’s entry into the tablet computer market. Since the company unveiled the iPad in late January, investors have jumped on the bandwagon, too, running up Apple’s stock more than 10 percent.
Part of that rise can be attributed to the steady rise in sales of the iPhone and the company’s Mac computers. But much of it clearly has to do with tablet fever. On the day this month when Apple made the completely unsurprising announcement that the iPad would go on sale on April 3, the stock jumped nearly 4 percent.
Expectations are clearly high. Now the iPad has to meet them.
Apple has given no public indication of what kinds of sales it expects, or what may constitute success. But at the iPad introduction in January, Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, implicitly set a lofty standard. He said the iPad would offer an experience that was superior to that of netbooks, a rapidly growing category of inexpensive and lightweight laptops that accounted for $11 billion in global sales last year.
He also said that the 75 million people who own iPhones and iPod Touches already knew how to use the iPad, which uses the same operating system and touch-screen interface.
But analysts and investors are searching for their own ways to judge the iPad over the short and long term. Their projections vary, but many Apple analysts seem to think the company will sell around a million iPads by the end of its quarter in June, and around 5 million by the end of 2010.
Analysts acknowledge that a certain amount of guesswork goes into those projections, in part because it is not yet clear what kinds of applications and content will be available for the iPad from media companies and outside developers.
“The reality for the iPad is going to be determined by what apps are made for it,” said Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray. “People are debating the use case for it, and the use case will be largely determined by the apps. A lot of people are still on the fence whether this is a legitimate market or not.”
There are other variables at work. For example, it appears the iPad will initially be available only in Apple’s stores and at Best Buy. How quickly will Apple begin selling it through other retailers, and in countries other than the 10 it named this year?
Will Apple allow American wireless carriers other than AT&T, like Verizon, to offer data plans for the 3G version of the device? And how quickly might Apple lower the iPad’s price, or introduce models with new features like a built-in camera?
In considering how the iPad may affect Apple, analysts must also navigate the fuzzy topic known as cannibalization. Consumers who spend $499 for the cheapest iPad model might be buying it in lieu of a $999 MacBook laptop or, more likely, a $199 iPod Touch.
Many analysts are looking to historical precedent to gauge the iPad’s prospects in the market. Back in 2001, iPod sales started out slowly; Apple sold only 372,000 of them in its first year, then around a million in the second, after the opening of the iTunes Store.
After the iPhone’s introduction in 2007, which inspired a similar media frenzy, Apple sold 1.4 million handsets in its first two quarters, and then 6.1 million during its entire first year.
But the iPhone may be a poor example: people were already comfortable buying cellphones. Few people have ever owned a tablet computer. The iPad is something almost entirely new to most consumers, more akin to, say, the Kindle from Amazon.com or the Apple TV set-top box. Those devices each sold less than a million units in their first year.
Achieving the mass-market penetration — and cultural impact — of the iPod and iPhone is ultimately Apple’s biggest challenge with the iPad. “They are going to need to target mainstream users who might otherwise decide to purchase an e-book reader or a netbook,” said Michael Abramsky, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets. “If they are successful in starting to convince those kinds of folks, and getting beyond the early adopters who will line up for anything, then it has the potential to blossom.”
But even in those best-case situations, the iPad most likely will not change Apple’s overall financial picture anytime soon. A. M. Sacconaghi Jr., an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, predicts that the iPad could contribute about 28 cents a share to Apple’s bottom line in its first full year of sales. The iPhone, by contrast, is responsible for about $8 of earnings a share.
“It’s going to be pretty small from a financial impact initially, but the range of ultimate outcomes for the iPad is pretty big,” Mr. Sacconaghi said.
Investors are also trying to keep their expectations grounded. Erick Maronak, chief investment officer for the $1.2 billion Victory Large Cap Growth Fund, which counts Apple as its biggest holding, said he was looking forward to the iPad — but still banking on the iPhone.
The iPad “is yet another example of how the innovation with Apple continues, and that they have not grown complacent,” Mr. Maronak said. “But the much bigger driver is that this is going to be a pretty big year for the iPhone.”
All the iPad and iPhone optimism leaves many analysts and investors wondering what, exactly, disappointment might look like for Apple. If Apple sells only half a million iPads during the next two months, or less than 2 million by the end of September, it could conceivably damage the company’s stellar reputation with Wall Street — and Mr. Jobs’s air of infallibility in selecting and entering new markets.
“There’s always a risk,” said Charles Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Company, who points to past Apple failures like the Mac Cube and Apple TV, but nonetheless believes that the iPad will sell briskly.
If the iPad does fail to sell, “it could impact the stock,” Mr. Wolf said. “But I doubt it would be the end of the world.”
From: http://www.nytimes.com/
Sunday, March 28, 2010
MacBook feedback on iPad's shadow, PC rivalry
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As the world waits for new MacBooks, readers have chimed in with comments ranging from Apple losing its technological edge to the iPad overshadowing the venerable laptop line.
Last week, I offered a combination of both realistic--albeit tame--predictions (e.g., new Intel processors) and more fanciful hopes (built-in 3G) about upcoming MacBooks. In response, readers offered some thoughtful insights and suggestions.
PC rivalry: One reader suggested that Apple is falling too far behind its PC rivals. "While the PC world is already enjoying the fruits of (new Intel) processors (and) Blu-ray...we are still living in the dark ages in the world of computing according to Apple."
Along these lines, another reader asserted that selling aging hardware at relatively high prices amounts to "just calling your customers stupid."
Not surprisingly, some readers disagreed. One person said that because Apple is more prudent about upgrades, there is more stability on the Mac platform. "(Apple) is simply not going to put anything out there unless they can feel confident the consumer will have minimal issues. So far, for me at least, it has been nice not having any of the old PC issues of the past."
iPad overshadowing MacBooks: Some possibly prescient comments were made about the iPad ultimately overshadowing the MacBook. "For some people, the iPad with the basic productivity suites will be all the computing they will ever need, and therefore the low end MacBooks may be affected," said one reader.
Another chimed in: "I can see the iPad and future versions of the concept taking over home computing. Yes, there probably will still be professionals that will continue to need a 'full' laptop but for everyone else I am convinced that the simplicity of the iPad will see it replace the normal MacBook."
Not so fast, according to this reader. "The iPad is not designed to usurp notebooks. (Steve Jobs') iPad announcement speech clearly indicated that he sees the iPad as a product positioned between an iPhone and a Macbook. And, as the other poster says, unless iPad 2.0 runs full-blown OSX, it can't compete with an actual Macbook."
Lack of 3G: Finally, addressing one my pet MacBook peeves--no option for built-in 3G--the pros and cons seemed fairly evenly divided. This reader suggested adding 4G now, since it's available in the form of WiMax. "Sprint, Verizon and AT&T all offer pay as you go data packages with no contract. It would be nice to know that in a pinch I could pay $10 and get 24 hours of 4G."
But others would rather that Apple stay away from these connection technologies. "I don't agree with the 3G/4G connections. WAN (wide area network) connections should be really be centralized through tethered (mobile devices) or mobile Wi-Fi hot spot, otherwise it's just yet another mobile data contract you have to pay for."
Monday, March 15, 2010
How the iPad Will Change the Way You Do Business
On April 3, Apple's long-awaited tablet computer, iPad, hits the streets. Despite the initial mixed reviews it received when it was introduced, there is no denying this new device will change the way you do web business.
I'll get to exactly how it's going to do that in a moment. But first, let's take a quick look at the iPad, and its key features. An Overgrown iPhone?When images of the iPad first came out, many observers called it an "overgrown iPhone"--an obvious comparison, because it looks so much like Apple's popular smartphone, and shares so many of its capabilities. Like the iPhone, the iPad allows its users to send and receive e-mail, surf the Web, play music and videos, store photos, and download utilities and games from the iTunes App Store.
It also allows user to read eBooks via a reader built into the device -- making it a direct competitor to Amazon Kindle and other e-reading devices on the market with far fewer bells and whistles. However, the iPad is being marketed as more than just a tool for consuming online content. Apple has revamped its iWork suite of applications to work on the iPad as well as standard Mac notebook and desktop computers. You can use "Keynote" to create multimedia presentations, "Pages" to create word processing documents, and "Numbers" to create spreadsheets. And you get to do all this via the same simple touch-screen interface that iPod Touch and iPhone users love so much.
But Who's Going to Buy it?When Apple introduced the iPad, a lot of tech geeks were disappointed. The iPad didn't have a camera, and it couldn't make phone calls--two big iPhone features. And it doesn't support any sort of Flash-based programming, which puts off many designers and programmers.
But when you consider what the iPad does do, it soon becomes clear that the device just isn't meant for hardcore tech geeks. The iPad target audience is clearly people who spend most of their time on their computer doing leisure-type activities, including browsing the web, reading books, watching movies, consuming online content and interacting on social networking sites.
More specifically, the iPad is going to hold huge appeal for:
People who don't like computers: The iPad's touch-screen interface is exceptionally easy to use. Anyone who has ever got lost moving from program to program on their computer is going to love Apple's new tablet. Key demographics fitting this description include middle-aged people and senior citizens who enjoy e-mailing friends and family, surfing the web, watching videos, and sharing photos--but hate all the hassles associated with a regular computer.
People who travel: The iPad is a smaller, more lightweight alternative to a traditional laptop--which makes it ultra-portable. This ensures that people will take their iPad to places you normally wouldn't imagine taking a laptop. Imagine being in a restaurant with hungry kids--kids growing restless and fidgety as they wait for their meals. Why not distract them--and save your fellow diners some frustration--with a movie or game on your iPad?
Students: Kids are used to lugging around backpacks crammed full of heavy, expensive textbooks--textbooks that are used for one course or semester, and then never opened again. As more textbooks get converted into an iPad-friendly format, students will flock to the Apple Store to purchase this tablet in droves.
So What Does This Mean for you?Even if you have no interest in ever buying an iPad yourself, you need to pay attention to how Apple develops and markets this device.
As the iPad and other tablet computers become more popular over the next few years, the amount of time people spend consuming online content is going to explode. If you want your internet marketing to take advantage of this emerging trend, then you'll make sure your website provides them with the kind of appealing content they're looking for.
Make sure your site has a blog that features regularly updated articles your target audience will find useful and entertaining. You can even create videos to satisfy their desire for multimedia content. And as your business grows, plan to include more interactive social media features on your site. These features are the most effective way to encourage your users to pursue an ongoing relationship with you and your other customers, and form a community around your business.
Finally, consider offering e-books. They're easy to produce--you can hire writers and designers to create professional-looking eBooks for you, or do it yourself. And they fit into all kinds of objectives:
Main product: Great if you've got an info-heavy site, and they're almost 100 percent profit once you've paid for the initial production.
New stream of revenue: You can add e-books to your site to complement what you already offer. They're a good upsell or standalone product.
Opt-in incentive: They're cheap to produce so you can offer them free.
Sales tool: Use them as an online sales rep, to demonstrate the value of your product. eBooks can contain text, video, audio, graphics--the whole multimedia deal.
As more people use devices like the iPad to access information online, e-books are going to become increasingly popular and widely used. Even now, the demand for good books to read via electronic reader outweighs the supply. If you want to take advantage of this new electronic information gold rush, the time to act is now. So what will you do to make your business more iPad-friendly?
From: entrepreneur
I'll get to exactly how it's going to do that in a moment. But first, let's take a quick look at the iPad, and its key features. An Overgrown iPhone?When images of the iPad first came out, many observers called it an "overgrown iPhone"--an obvious comparison, because it looks so much like Apple's popular smartphone, and shares so many of its capabilities. Like the iPhone, the iPad allows its users to send and receive e-mail, surf the Web, play music and videos, store photos, and download utilities and games from the iTunes App Store.
It also allows user to read eBooks via a reader built into the device -- making it a direct competitor to Amazon Kindle and other e-reading devices on the market with far fewer bells and whistles. However, the iPad is being marketed as more than just a tool for consuming online content. Apple has revamped its iWork suite of applications to work on the iPad as well as standard Mac notebook and desktop computers. You can use "Keynote" to create multimedia presentations, "Pages" to create word processing documents, and "Numbers" to create spreadsheets. And you get to do all this via the same simple touch-screen interface that iPod Touch and iPhone users love so much.
But Who's Going to Buy it?When Apple introduced the iPad, a lot of tech geeks were disappointed. The iPad didn't have a camera, and it couldn't make phone calls--two big iPhone features. And it doesn't support any sort of Flash-based programming, which puts off many designers and programmers.
But when you consider what the iPad does do, it soon becomes clear that the device just isn't meant for hardcore tech geeks. The iPad target audience is clearly people who spend most of their time on their computer doing leisure-type activities, including browsing the web, reading books, watching movies, consuming online content and interacting on social networking sites.
More specifically, the iPad is going to hold huge appeal for:
People who don't like computers: The iPad's touch-screen interface is exceptionally easy to use. Anyone who has ever got lost moving from program to program on their computer is going to love Apple's new tablet. Key demographics fitting this description include middle-aged people and senior citizens who enjoy e-mailing friends and family, surfing the web, watching videos, and sharing photos--but hate all the hassles associated with a regular computer.
People who travel: The iPad is a smaller, more lightweight alternative to a traditional laptop--which makes it ultra-portable. This ensures that people will take their iPad to places you normally wouldn't imagine taking a laptop. Imagine being in a restaurant with hungry kids--kids growing restless and fidgety as they wait for their meals. Why not distract them--and save your fellow diners some frustration--with a movie or game on your iPad?
Students: Kids are used to lugging around backpacks crammed full of heavy, expensive textbooks--textbooks that are used for one course or semester, and then never opened again. As more textbooks get converted into an iPad-friendly format, students will flock to the Apple Store to purchase this tablet in droves.
So What Does This Mean for you?Even if you have no interest in ever buying an iPad yourself, you need to pay attention to how Apple develops and markets this device.
As the iPad and other tablet computers become more popular over the next few years, the amount of time people spend consuming online content is going to explode. If you want your internet marketing to take advantage of this emerging trend, then you'll make sure your website provides them with the kind of appealing content they're looking for.
Make sure your site has a blog that features regularly updated articles your target audience will find useful and entertaining. You can even create videos to satisfy their desire for multimedia content. And as your business grows, plan to include more interactive social media features on your site. These features are the most effective way to encourage your users to pursue an ongoing relationship with you and your other customers, and form a community around your business.
Finally, consider offering e-books. They're easy to produce--you can hire writers and designers to create professional-looking eBooks for you, or do it yourself. And they fit into all kinds of objectives:
Main product: Great if you've got an info-heavy site, and they're almost 100 percent profit once you've paid for the initial production.
New stream of revenue: You can add e-books to your site to complement what you already offer. They're a good upsell or standalone product.
Opt-in incentive: They're cheap to produce so you can offer them free.
Sales tool: Use them as an online sales rep, to demonstrate the value of your product. eBooks can contain text, video, audio, graphics--the whole multimedia deal.
As more people use devices like the iPad to access information online, e-books are going to become increasingly popular and widely used. Even now, the demand for good books to read via electronic reader outweighs the supply. If you want to take advantage of this new electronic information gold rush, the time to act is now. So what will you do to make your business more iPad-friendly?
From: entrepreneur
Apple Quietly Fills in Some iPad Blanks
A few critical details are appearing quietly on Apple's Website — but many questions remain unanswered
After Apple announced the iPad, a lot of details got passed over in the media frenzy that Apple had whipped up, details such as whether the iPad would support Microsoft Exchange -- a fact that Apple's Web site did not address and that the company did not respond to when I and others asked. That was nearly six weeks ago.
But now that Apple is taking orders for the iPad in anticipation of the Wi-Fi-only model's expected April 3 release, Apple has begun to fill in more of the details. The company, of course, hasn't called me back as promised, but the details are now appearing quietly on Apple's Website.
So here are the answers that are appearing to a few of the questions that Apple wouldn't answer:
Microsoft Exchange support: Yes, the iPad will work with Exchange for email, as the iPhone and iPod Touch do. Presumably, as the iPhone and iPod Touch do, the iPad will also sync contacts and calendar appointments through Exchange directly, rather than require syncing through iTunes. I say "presumably" because Apple's Web site doesn't actually address the iPad's calendar and contacts syncing abilities for Exchange.
Microsoft Word export support: Yes, the $10 iWork Pages app for the iPad will let you export -- not just import -- documents in the Word format. Apple originally said the optional iWork apps (Pages for documents, Numbers for spreadsheets, and Keynote for slideshows) would import Office documents, but only listed iWork's own native formats and PDF as the formats you could export documents to. Now the Website lists the Word format as one you can generate and attach to emails you send from the iWork Pages app. But the Website does not say you can export to Excel or PowerPoint formats from Numbers or Keynote, respectively -- it continues to list just the native iWork and PDF formats for these two apps, so you may need to rely on a third-party app such as Documents to Go or Quickoffice to work with Office files in a meaningful way on an iPad. (In fact, the folks at Quickoffice told me after this blog was first posted that they're working on an iPad-specific version of their iPhone app.)
These two revelations make the iPad a bit more plausible as a lightweight business device when you're on the road for short trips. But there is still enough unsaid to make me recommend that you do not order an iPad until you know for sure if its capabilities are at least on par with the iPhone's or iPod Touch's.
And while we're at it, a few more tidbits revealed in the last few days:
Apple's list of email-supported file formats for the iPad continues to omit the .ics calendar-invitation format. If you get an invitation using this standard file format, you likely won't be able to open and accept it by double-clicking the file, as you can on most Mac and Windows email clients. (Invitations sent through Exchange presumably can be viewed and accepted as is allowed on the iPhone and iPod Touch.)
There will be a volume-control button on the side of the iPad, as well as a screen-orientation lock button.
The iPad will support the AVI video file format if compatible with the Motion JPEG standard -- this is a new file format for Apple's mobile devices and could open up playback capabilities outside the usual QuickTime and MPEG-4 formats that Apple has so far focused on.
But what about the other questions I posed? Apple remains mum. As a refresher:
Ability to save documents and transfer them to and from the iPad: Apple's descriptions continues to suggest that documents are stored within apps' private space on the iPad, meaning they are not available for independent syncing or accessible through a traditional folder system. Instead, it appears that email and perhaps MobileMe and iTunes are the only conduits for file exchange you can count on, although perhaps one of the many iPhone file-sharing apps will be adapted for the iPad. Also, the iPhone Explorer utility will perhaps work with the iPad to let you work with its files directly from your Mac or PC.
Security support such as VPN and configuration profiles: Apple remains silent as to whether the iPad will have the same security and management capabilities as the iPhone and iPod Touch. These are critical to gaining network access at many companies.
Support for non-Apple video services such as Netflix: It remains unclear whether Apple will permit services such as Netflix and Hulu to provide iPad apps for viewing TV and movies from those services. Rumors have circulated for about six months that such apps were imminent, but none has yet appeared. There have also been plenty of rumors that Apple won't allow such apps in an attempt to block competition for its iTunes video rental and sales service. (However, there is a Wi-Fi-only playback app for the Slingbox service available for the iPhone, and AT&T recently dropped its objections to that app running on the AT&T 3G network.)
Support for videoconferencing: Although the iPad has no video camera or even a still camera, it's possible a hardware maker could come up with a plug-in device. But if it did, would Apple let it function on the iPad? Apple blocked audio-recording plug-in hardware for earlier-generation iPod Touches, so there's precedent for that suspicion.
Support for storage upgrades: Again, no word from Apple. But its iPhone and iPod Touch's flash storage can't be upgraded, so it's unlikely the iPad's can, either.
Ability to run multiple apps simultaneously: Here too Apple has been mum, but nothing it has shown suggests the iPad can run multiple apps simultaneously. Instead, like the iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad appears to switch among apps, relying on them to save their state so that they can resume where they left off upon your return. (To be technical about it, Apple does support limited simultaneous app execution for some of its own apps; for example, you can listen to music or get appointment alerts while running other apps.)
Support for Adobe Flash: Apple has all but said it has no intention of supporting Flash on the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. CEO Steve Jobs has made his dislike of the Adobe technology clear multiple times, so this omission seems quite intentional. Apple is now touting the iPad's support of HTML5 video and audio capabilities in the Safari Web browser, indicating Apple will rely on this emerging standard instead of proprietary technologies such as Flash and Microsoft's Silverlight.
So where does this leave people interested in the iPad as a device that can mix business with pleasure? Still in limbo -- but it's good to know you can access Exchange email and use the iWork Pages app to open and export Microsoft Word files. These basic capabilities at least keep hope alive that the iPad might have utility as a business traveler's quick-trip companion. Stay tuned!
For more IT analysis and commentary on emerging technologies, visit InfoWorld.com.
Story copyright © 2010 InfoWorld Media Group. All rights reserved.
After Apple announced the iPad, a lot of details got passed over in the media frenzy that Apple had whipped up, details such as whether the iPad would support Microsoft Exchange -- a fact that Apple's Web site did not address and that the company did not respond to when I and others asked. That was nearly six weeks ago.
But now that Apple is taking orders for the iPad in anticipation of the Wi-Fi-only model's expected April 3 release, Apple has begun to fill in more of the details. The company, of course, hasn't called me back as promised, but the details are now appearing quietly on Apple's Website.
So here are the answers that are appearing to a few of the questions that Apple wouldn't answer:
Microsoft Exchange support: Yes, the iPad will work with Exchange for email, as the iPhone and iPod Touch do. Presumably, as the iPhone and iPod Touch do, the iPad will also sync contacts and calendar appointments through Exchange directly, rather than require syncing through iTunes. I say "presumably" because Apple's Web site doesn't actually address the iPad's calendar and contacts syncing abilities for Exchange.
Microsoft Word export support: Yes, the $10 iWork Pages app for the iPad will let you export -- not just import -- documents in the Word format. Apple originally said the optional iWork apps (Pages for documents, Numbers for spreadsheets, and Keynote for slideshows) would import Office documents, but only listed iWork's own native formats and PDF as the formats you could export documents to. Now the Website lists the Word format as one you can generate and attach to emails you send from the iWork Pages app. But the Website does not say you can export to Excel or PowerPoint formats from Numbers or Keynote, respectively -- it continues to list just the native iWork and PDF formats for these two apps, so you may need to rely on a third-party app such as Documents to Go or Quickoffice to work with Office files in a meaningful way on an iPad. (In fact, the folks at Quickoffice told me after this blog was first posted that they're working on an iPad-specific version of their iPhone app.)
These two revelations make the iPad a bit more plausible as a lightweight business device when you're on the road for short trips. But there is still enough unsaid to make me recommend that you do not order an iPad until you know for sure if its capabilities are at least on par with the iPhone's or iPod Touch's.
And while we're at it, a few more tidbits revealed in the last few days:
Apple's list of email-supported file formats for the iPad continues to omit the .ics calendar-invitation format. If you get an invitation using this standard file format, you likely won't be able to open and accept it by double-clicking the file, as you can on most Mac and Windows email clients. (Invitations sent through Exchange presumably can be viewed and accepted as is allowed on the iPhone and iPod Touch.)
There will be a volume-control button on the side of the iPad, as well as a screen-orientation lock button.
The iPad will support the AVI video file format if compatible with the Motion JPEG standard -- this is a new file format for Apple's mobile devices and could open up playback capabilities outside the usual QuickTime and MPEG-4 formats that Apple has so far focused on.
But what about the other questions I posed? Apple remains mum. As a refresher:
Ability to save documents and transfer them to and from the iPad: Apple's descriptions continues to suggest that documents are stored within apps' private space on the iPad, meaning they are not available for independent syncing or accessible through a traditional folder system. Instead, it appears that email and perhaps MobileMe and iTunes are the only conduits for file exchange you can count on, although perhaps one of the many iPhone file-sharing apps will be adapted for the iPad. Also, the iPhone Explorer utility will perhaps work with the iPad to let you work with its files directly from your Mac or PC.
Security support such as VPN and configuration profiles: Apple remains silent as to whether the iPad will have the same security and management capabilities as the iPhone and iPod Touch. These are critical to gaining network access at many companies.
Support for non-Apple video services such as Netflix: It remains unclear whether Apple will permit services such as Netflix and Hulu to provide iPad apps for viewing TV and movies from those services. Rumors have circulated for about six months that such apps were imminent, but none has yet appeared. There have also been plenty of rumors that Apple won't allow such apps in an attempt to block competition for its iTunes video rental and sales service. (However, there is a Wi-Fi-only playback app for the Slingbox service available for the iPhone, and AT&T recently dropped its objections to that app running on the AT&T 3G network.)
Support for videoconferencing: Although the iPad has no video camera or even a still camera, it's possible a hardware maker could come up with a plug-in device. But if it did, would Apple let it function on the iPad? Apple blocked audio-recording plug-in hardware for earlier-generation iPod Touches, so there's precedent for that suspicion.
Support for storage upgrades: Again, no word from Apple. But its iPhone and iPod Touch's flash storage can't be upgraded, so it's unlikely the iPad's can, either.
Ability to run multiple apps simultaneously: Here too Apple has been mum, but nothing it has shown suggests the iPad can run multiple apps simultaneously. Instead, like the iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad appears to switch among apps, relying on them to save their state so that they can resume where they left off upon your return. (To be technical about it, Apple does support limited simultaneous app execution for some of its own apps; for example, you can listen to music or get appointment alerts while running other apps.)
Support for Adobe Flash: Apple has all but said it has no intention of supporting Flash on the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. CEO Steve Jobs has made his dislike of the Adobe technology clear multiple times, so this omission seems quite intentional. Apple is now touting the iPad's support of HTML5 video and audio capabilities in the Safari Web browser, indicating Apple will rely on this emerging standard instead of proprietary technologies such as Flash and Microsoft's Silverlight.
So where does this leave people interested in the iPad as a device that can mix business with pleasure? Still in limbo -- but it's good to know you can access Exchange email and use the iWork Pages app to open and export Microsoft Word files. These basic capabilities at least keep hope alive that the iPad might have utility as a business traveler's quick-trip companion. Stay tuned!
For more IT analysis and commentary on emerging technologies, visit InfoWorld.com.
Story copyright © 2010 InfoWorld Media Group. All rights reserved.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Apple iPad: Oversized iPhone or a new device format?
Tablets are the mobile computer format of the future, and are set to become the most popular style of PC within five years.
This prediction came not from Apple chief Steve Jobs as he unveiled the iPad on Wednesday, but from former Microsoft boss Bill Gates when he introduced Microsoft's Tablet PC concept to the world in 2001. Despite that forecast, Windows-based tablets have remained little more than a niche product for vertical markets. Can Apple succeed where Microsoft did not?
On the face of it, the Apple iPad is somewhat of a disappointment after the huge tidal wave of hype that built up during the months preceding the announcement. With its 9.7in multi-touch screen and compatibility with iPhone applications, the new device looks like an oversized smartphone rather than the ground-breaking new category of device that Jobs described it as.
However, it is always dangerous to underestimate Apple and the power of its marketing. The company has already given a makeover to all-in-one computers with its iMac line, to portable music players with the iPod, and to smartphones with the iPhone. All of these device categories existed before Apple decided to introduce its own version, yet the company managed to make its products more appealing than those of its rivals.
Moreover, Apple's success has been built on pairing its devices with compelling services such as iTunes for the iPod and App Store for the iPhone. The iPad extends this, supporting both of these plus its iBook application and iBookstore that let the user download and read e-books in the same format used in Sony Reader devices.
Some analysts also believe that there is potential for a new device format that fits between smartphones and netbooks. A report from research firm Deloitte LLP dubbed this category 'NetTabs', and predicted there will be a market for these as a consumer-focused device used primarily for media and web browsing.
"These devices have an advantage over smartphones, which are small for watching videos or web browsing, and notebooks, netbooks and ultra-thin PCs, which are too heavy or expensive," the report stated.
The iPad fits neatly into this description, but this could prove to be its undoing as much as playing to its advantage; the iPad looks like either an overgrown smartphone or a tablet PC running a phone operating system.
For example, the new device is based on an ARM processor and runs a very similar platform to the iPhone, allowing Apple to claim that there are about 140,000 applications already available for the iPad.
But the flip side of this comparison is that the iPhone can do pretty much everything the iPad can, but can also be used to make voice calls, a function the iPad does not support.
Given that most people today carry a mobile phone with them anyway, why would potential buyers choose an iPad rather than an iPhone, when they would then also have to budget for a separate phone handset as well?
Price could be also a stumbling block, after a recent consumer survey indicated that many UK buyers would be interested in buying an iPad, but would not be prepared to pay more than £250.
UK pricing for the iPad has yet to be disclosed but, if the US price is any guide, it will cost at least as much as most netbooks, which have a keyboard and are able to run a much wider range of full-blown applications.
As a business client, the iPad's big consumer focus looks set to make it no more than a niche platform, just as Microsoft's Tablet PC concept proved in the past.
However, Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi suggests that the iPad may sneak into the workplace in the same way that Apple's iPhone did: by tempting employees to buy it, who then expect it to be supported by their IT department.
"This is a consumer device first, but I am sure some organizations will be looking at using it. The fact that the iPhone was a consumer device did not stop it entering the enterprise space," she said.
Gartner's advice to such organizations is to treat the iPad the same as the iPhone from a security standpoint.
One factor that might draw interest to the iPad as a business client is Apple's announcement of a port to the platform of its iWork suite, which provides word processor, spreadsheet and presentation apps, all of which are compatible with Microsoft Office file formats.
Finally, both Ovum and Deloitte suggest that the iPad's e-book functionality could be bad news for standalone e-book readers.
"The iPad's advantage over the similarly priced Kindle DX is that it provides a host of multimedia functions as well as e-book reading. Although this seems like bad news for Amazon, the iPad will certainly increase the market for e-books," said Ovum's Adam Leach.
"The most vulnerable to NetTab success may be the standalone e-reader market. Reading e-books on a tablet would be similar to using an e-reader, but the added value of a color screen and ability to display video could make the NetTab the device of choice," said Deloitte's report.
But the analysts could be missing a trick on this score. A small sample of e-reader users sounded out by V3.co.uk said that they valued the low weight and long battery life of these devices, and that their high-contrast e-ink screens make them easy on the eye in a variety of light conditions.
The iPad has the advantage of a color display, but whether it can match e-readers in the other areas remains to be seen, and it is likely to be considerably more expensive.
Overall, opinion seems as divided as ever over the merits of Apple's latest introduction. Whether it will be a great success or not seems to depend on individual taste as much as anything else.
From v3.co.uk on 28 Jan 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Pre-orders brisk for Apple's new iPad
From: https://twitter.com/Aimer_Software/status/10416087212
Neither recession nor gadget overload shall slow the mania surrounding the introduction of Apple's iPad mobile computer.
On Friday, the first day that buyers could pre-order the device (it arrives in stores next month), Apple racked up an estimated 91,000 sales in just the first six hours of availability, putting temporarily to rest the Internet's persistent "iPad fail" meme. Analysts predict the first-year sales could reach 5 million.
Still, despite the avalanche of pre-release hype (the media-tracking firm O'Leary Analytics found 25,000 news mentions of the then-unnamed product in January alone), Friday's pre-order mania was tempered by considerable ambivalence among the geeked-out on discussion boards and on Twitter.
"Early adopters," scoffed a poster on Appleinsider.com about the early buyers.
"I was all set to buy one this morning, but I guess cold feet set in overnight," read a post on TUAW.com (The Unofficial Apple Weblog). "I've decided to wait a while, maybe for the 2nd generation. Now I just have to see if I can hold out for the next gen iPhone. . . . Sometimes I think I should be going to gadgeholics anonymous meetings."
A Twitter poster named Mash187 offered: "Avoiding the rush to pre-order an iPad today. Going to wait until the [basic] version is in the wild to see how people really like it."
Engadget.com asked its tech-savvy readers whether they planned to buy an iPad, which starts at $499. The result: Nearly 19 percent of 60,000 respondents said yes; 65 percent were negative; and 16 percent clicked "What's an iPad?"
Enough with the iPad hype? We probably haven't seen anything yet. The product arrives in Apple stores April 3. Which can only mean one thing: TV reporters doing stand-ups in front of long lines of buyers camped out in front of the stores -- including the untold numbers who'll be there just to appear on TV news reports about people camped out in front of Apple stores.
-- Paul Farhi
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