New Season, New Tablets

August 26th, 2010

lg_tablet-pc

Autumn is approaching bringing closer all the fascinating news on upcoming tablet releases. Seemingly everyone is now racing to get into the tablet game. Cisco’s Cius is said to become an accompanying device targeting business and enterprise markets. Several tablets from HP are also going to focus the enterprise market, at least the one running Windows 7. Asus keeps on developing the Eeepad trying to create a tablet which targets a general consumer market as the iPad is currently doing. RIM is proposing an accompanying tablet for its Blackberry users.

Some analysts encouraged by the iPad sales and overall success of the Apple gadget are sure that tablets will start outselling netbooks by 2012. At the moment netbooks are the hottest growth area of the computing industry which at the wake of the iPad began showing signs of slowing down. According to the analysts’ projections by 2015 tablets sales will make up about 23% of all PC sales, which is a rather substantial part of the market.

Some computer companies view the current market situation as a kind of a potential incentive to lead them to a new market success. For example, RIM is determined to solve its problems by releasing a tablet and LG seems to share such a strategy.

LG’s top managers are sure that their new tablet will not only outrun the renowned iPad but will also outrun it in sales volumes. To their mind, the forthcoming LG device has all the features which will make it “surprisingly productive”. Running Android the tablet is positioned as a real working tool allowing to create documents, videos and programs. However it is yet unclear whether it is possible to create the bunch of the announced functionalities in a tablet format. But, nevertheless, most forthcoming tablets will run Android OS, so Android developers have much work, optimizing old apps and creating new ones.

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A Tiny Tablet From Dell

August 16th, 2010

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Releasing its magic gadget Apple has really proved that there is a great demand for a multitouch tablet computer on the market, as consumers are willing to embrace the new technology. Of course, Apple was the first to reap the profit but other tech giants are determined not to lag behind.

Following keynote presentations and promising announcements form Cisco and Asus, Dell has delivered its own product to the market. A tiny tablet called Streak has to become the first company’s trial to conquer the tablet market or at least to announce about such intentions.

The Streak- first introduced in the U.K. – is, however, quite different from the Apple’s product. First of all, it’s much smaller – with just a 5-inch screen – and, in addition, can make cellular voice calls, something the iPad is not able to do. But a tweener nature of the product is also contributed by the consumers’ attitude to the device: some call it a giant smartphone while others stick to the idea of a minitablet. Though the Streak is positioned as a tablet, it’s more of an oversized smartphone which is, by the way, too large to carry it conveniently in the pocket.

Dell’s device can boast of the Android operating system, a 5-inch screen, a front facing camera, a 5-megapixel rear camera, 19 gigabytes of total memory, including a removable 16 gigabyte memory card. So, as one can see, there’s nothing extraordinary though some tech guys have already found lots of disadvantages which, to their mind, are insupportable in the device like that.

In general, except for an ability to make calls the gadget hardly outstrips the iPad. However, the price for the device is really bigger than that for the Apple’s toy. It is yet unclear what Android developers will do, but Streak is unlikely to be a success even on the market, desperate for more tablets.

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RIM Trying To Catch Up

August 4th, 2010

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Yesterday Research In Motion unveiled a new product in a desperate attempt to catch up with Apple’s iPhone 4 and a range of top-level Android phones from HTC and Motorola. The new phone, called Blackberry Torch will be available in the US from August 12 for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

Blackberry Torch 9800 features present nothing extraordinary which other smartphones would not have. But, in fact, when compared to the previous Blackberry versions the upgrade is astonishing.

– 5.7 oz., 2.4 x .57 x 4.4 in.;

- 3.2-in., 480 x 360 resolution touch display;

- 5-megapixel camera with a flash;

– a slide-out vertical keyboard;

- 5-megapixel camera with a flash;

– 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi along with 3G broadband;

– a 4GB microSD Flash card;

– 512MB RAM;

– 4GB built-in storage;

- a new universal search ability;

– a kind of multitasking.

In general, the Torch does not represent a major break-through but possesses certain user-friendly features which together with high security levels of all the RIM products will help the company catch up to rivals. But the trend is viewed as positive returning an area of true competition to the smartphone market. The overall success of the gadget will also depend on how heavily the smartphone will be promoted by AT&T, which is already exclusively marketing the iPhone.

What’s more important, 3-d party developers should express their attitude to the device too, as consumers go to the platforms where developers dwell and vice versa. Blackberry developers are welcomed but whether they will arrive, it is yet unclear.

Despite a relevant success of the gadget with the audience, lots of analysts seem disappointed and RIM’s shared plunged down 4 percent. Of course, it wasn’t the outcome RIM was striving to reach. However analysts are wrong most of the time which means that the best evidence whether the Torch has managed to blow away the competition will be users’ attitude towards the gadget and sales volumes.

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2 Tablets Are Better Than One

July 27th, 2010

hpslate

The most surprising company of these days is HP. Its shuffling surprises everybody. The company seems really at a loss and at a distress. Its product should have become more popular than the renowned iPad at least it was announced prior. But Apple has already successfully sold several millions of its magic gadgets and HP is only facing new revamping of its good old plans concerning Slate.

Slate was announced in January by Microsoft’s CEO and should have become a token of friendship between HP and Microsoft running Windows 7. HP was deep in Windows 7 roadmaps and the partnership seemed to be rather fruitful. But having acquired Palm, HP changed its plans preferring to deliver the tablet on its own hardware and running its own OS – webOS, which came as a dowry of Palm inc. So, Windows 7 was dumped, and the development continued. However, some news states that the company has not given up its plans to deliver a Windows tablet to the market.

The latest HP’s strategy is to deliver 2 tablets to the market: one on the base of Palm’s webOS, while the other runs Windows 7. The difference between the two tablets consists in the target audience. While webOS tablet focuses on common users, the one running Windows 7 should cover the needs of the enterprise market, which has been Windows-centric from the very beginning.

The decision is really unexpected but seems rather reasonable. Both platforms can not boast of a big pool of app developers creating new applications. But the webOS tablet may be successful because of its openness in comparison to Apple’s stone wall garden. In addition, HP’s hardware will have lots of useful features which can not but lure customers and outer USB ports are among the most important ones. At the same time Windows tablet will appeal to business and office audience as well as to professionals in some other spheres which still rely on Windows OS (healthcare, for example). So, HP is again having a splendid strategy to follow. Unfortunately, users all over the world have to summon up patience and wait till its plans become reality. And may God help it.

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10 Myths about iPhone Development

July 19th, 2010

Apple has set lots of trends lately and one of the most popular is iPhone application development. Thousands of people all over the world create new apps for the iPhone or the newest Apple gadget iPad. An enormous number of apps created just in several years as well as rumors of some developers’ success who delivered to the market an especially popular application and earned a fortune excite people’s imagination. So there are always common opinions on iPhone application development and some of them have very little in common with the reality. In fact, users know very little about how the app is created and how it appears at the App Store, though most of them share a range of popular myths and delusions. Let’s highlight some of them.

Myth 1. Everybody who is engaged in iPhone application development likes Apple and adores Steve Jobs, otherwise they would develop for the Android platform.

In fact, most developers share the same emotions on the walled garden as many consumers do. They can admire refined design of Apple’s gadgets and sleek system performance, though at the same time can grumble over strict development policies and inabilities to use some cross-platform environments.

Myth 2. There are really many good iPhone developers, as it’s quite easy to learn Objective C and in general the quality of their work is higher than those of Android.

In fact, to read several manuals which are really numerous these days in the Net is not enough, as well as simply to know how to apply the techniques mentioned there. Experience is necessary in any field and unfortunately it comes only with mistakes and failures. If all iPhone apps were of the utmost quality, there would not be millions of complains from iPhone users that Apple should make accepting policies more severe and not allow low-quality apps to the App Store.

Myth 3. Most people believe that to create an app costs a buck.

In fact, iPhone application development is a whole new branch of outsourcing programming and the competition at the market is quite severe. Of course, some top-developers will demand more for their work but, in general, market costs are really modest and offers are abundant.

Myth 4. Apple has provided its developers with all the necessary tools and have facilitated the development process as much as possible. It’s no problem to make a good iPhone application in a day.

In fact, it’s not possible to create an app in a day or two. To make all the refinements Apple products boast of, you need a splendid design, everything must really be sleek and posh. So, lots of actual developers and designers’ work is required rather than simple automatical building with the help of the provided tools.

Myth 5. It takes ages to develop an app.

In fact, apps with relatively simple functionality can be created in a week, but more complex ones may take up to several months of designing and developing. The greatest part of time is spent on numerous sessions and meetings with the client when the app design and technical specification are being worked out and are awaiting the client’s approval. In a similar way the client may change his or her mind in the process and ask for some alterations. And it also takes time. After submittal to the App Store it usually takes one to two weeks to get an approval from the company.

Myth 6. Most iPhone and iPad apps suffer from lack of essential features which would be quite reasonable to have on the gadget. It’s definitely developer’s fault. They must have though of them.

In fact, lack of functionality or some features which a user would like to have in its gadget is caused rather by inner Apple’s limitations than by bad developing and lack of developers’ imagination.

Myth 7. The iPhone supports the most popular video formats. If a format is not supported, it’s developers’ fault.

In fact, the .avi format is not supported as a range of other video formats, which, though, are not that popular.

Myth 8. Apple supplied its developers with the best tools possible including Objective C which is a very elegant programming language.

In fact, there is much disagreement whether to consider Obj-C a splendid programming tool. Some developers consider the language very redundant. It causes lots of work which is done automatically in other programming languages.

Myth 9. There is no difference in programming for the iPhone or the iPad. It is the same thing.

In fact, the iPad development demands a completely different layout elements and a more refined design which is ensured by the iPad’s bigger screen. So, it is not possible just make an app for the iPad in the way we make it for the iPhone. It is a bit different, though the difference is not that great.

Myth 10. The more apps the platform has the better, as all iPhone and iPad apps are extremely essential.

In fact, a common iPhone holder has about 20 apps which he or she uses regularly, while others are downloaded just because they seem too appealing and luring or just in fashion at the moment. May be it’s time to add a word appoholic to the dictionary.

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Apple Steps Up Its Expansion Into China

July 13th, 2010

apple-china-mobile

China market is really a juicy pie. No surprise, smartphone companies are striving to soak into it and gain some ground there. Blackberry is going to deliver a new line-up of its smartphones at lower prices targeting a middle-class, while Apple wants its own piece of the pie. However, Jobs’ company is not going to adjust to the market, planning to keep the area of luxury and image that the iPhone brand enjoys.

Apple started its sales in China last October. And though it is not common for the company to reveal the country sales number, Apple’s representatives however shared the sales figures which were not something extraordinary. iPhone sales start was nothing exceptional: 5,000 phones sold at launch which should be really disappointing for the company. But its representatives state that Apple is now building Apple brand for the long haul and at the moment the company is more interested in the quality of the point of sale and consumer experience.

Several days ago Apple opened a new retail store in Shanghai, signifying that the company has made itself at home in the country and is ready to step up its expansion into the nation. No doubt, the more retail stores Apple will have in the mainland, the more sales of Macs, iPhones and iPads will grow. 25 new retailing stores which are to be opened according to the company’s plans should foster the brand building even more.

Promoting to the Chinese market will positively influence Apple’s revenues and turnover, especially now when Google’s positions at the Chinese advertising market are severely damaged because of the recent problems with the Chinese government. Thus, Apple receives the area stripped of its main competitor and thousands if not millions of consumers who will want to have a symbol of Western style and way of life – an iPhone or an iPad. In addition, Apple will get a new pool of iPhone developers as China is one of the countries famous for outsourcing programming. So, more new apps and more money for Jobs.

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Another Android Tablet: Again Not The One

July 8th, 2010

Cius

The iPad has been around for a considerable amount of time but no company so far has met its challenge delivering to the market a gadget which could compete its functionality and performance features, though there are lots of promises as well as prototype projects which deployment is scheduled for the end of the year. Another gadget to complement the line is a tablet produced on the Android platform by Cisco.

The tablet, however, is positioned by the company’s representatives as a means for business collaboration and the company’s CEO promises it will remain just a workplace tool and will not morph into a consumer-market, becoming an iPad or Kindle competitor. The gadget is thought to be complimentary to an iPad or a PC or a laptop. But despite declarations of focusing on the enterprise market, at presentation during Cisco annual user conference, the gadget was advertised in technologically transitional stages such as education and healthcare. The company demonstrated a conference organized between a teacher, pupil and parents to discuss the pupil’s behavior at school. In the same way healthcare-related conversations could be held. But the main focus will be, nevertheless, on collaborative business applications.

Cisco Cius uses the Android OS environment and supports integration with other telepresence technologies manufactured by the company. 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G/4G data and Bluetooth 3.0 help users stay connected while a 7” diagonal, high-resolution display allows to see their communicants.

The gadget is definitely not the Android tablet everyone has been looking forward to but at least it shows that big companies are interested in the device category and users can expect others to engage into the business, too. Besides, it is a nice chance for Android developers.

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Apple’s Sales Rocket Start

June 30th, 2010

iphone4_strange

Apple’s gadgets are always sold like hot cakes and always excel cautious analysts’ forecasts, but the recent launch has set new records even for the company itself. The sales of iPhone 4 began last week and on Monday after only 3 days of sales the company’s representatives claimed that the company had sold more than 1.7 million units of the iPhone 4. The number turned to be the company’s new record, exceeding last year’s sales of iPhone 3GS which topped a million in its first three days. The breathtaking effect of the recent launch is even more fascinating when compared to the sales of the first iPhone in 2007. It took about 74 days to hit the line and reach one million mark.

Unlike iPad international sales which were delayed because of a great domestic market demand, iPhone 4 was launched in several overseas countries besides the U.S. France, Germany, the U.K. and Japan were among the lucky ones. But Apple is going to deploy the gadget in 87 other countries by September. And this deployment seems to be the quickest in the company’s history.

Though there were lots of rumors as to the tremendous success of the new gadget before the launch, most analysts remained very cautious, presenting quite modest forecasts which were easily excelled. But some analysts are sure that if more supplies were available, the total number of gadgets sold would have been bigger. In some places preorders have been stopped and sales representatives began the campaign first in, first out, granting more abilities to direct customers to get the new device.

Taking into consideration that the sales as well as the demand for the iPad are also growing, at the moment everybody from Foxconn workers at assembling lines to iPad and iPhone developers are busy trying to saturate the endless market. Steve Jobs is busy too, counting money.

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Another Record from Apple

June 24th, 2010

AppleLogo

Apple stated on their website that the sales of the iPad have recently topped 3 million and all that happened only 80 days since the launch of the gadget in the US. Besides, starting the international sales in the end of May Apple has not delivered the device to a range of countries yet. Not long ago the company also claimed that the number of apps the iPad developers had submitted to the App Store had reached 11,000 titles making the iPad the third most popular platform with mobile developers.

The surprising demand for anything Apple touches has forced world analysts review their projections for Apple’s stock providing even more venturous forecasts. The company is reported to be experiencing the strongest product cycle in its history: successful sales of the magic toy will be followed by the newest iPhone launch, which together will bring considerable revenues to Cupertino company, great dividends to its shareholders and loads of satisfaction to Apple’s CEO.

The only thing to spoil the fun is that analysts can be really mistaken sometimes. After all, in January there were lots of them who did not believe the new gadget will become one of the crowd’s favorites, predicting a million of devices as an ultimate sales limit that would be reached by the end of the year. Besides, Apple has an extremely talented PR department which is really good at positioning the iPad not just as a harbinger of change in mobile computing but as something “defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.” So, no cheating, just pure magic.

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100M iPhone Subscribers by End of 2011

June 18th, 2010

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The iPhone platform is really expanding in all its segments and directions: the number of sold iPads, the numbers of apps for the both gadgets at the App Store, the number of iPhone subscribers is also growing. Some analysts consider it will reach 100 million by the end of 2011.

At the end of 2009 according to Apple’s unbiased estimates, its total number of users amounted to 30 million. Some analysts suggest that more than half of all iPhone users will upgrade to Apple’s latest gadget. And according to some estimates Apple is going to sell more than 40 million handsets till the end of the year, which means that the iPhone active subscriber base will grow immensely. The latest figures submitted by Apple this year report about 85 million total iOS-based devices sold by the company. But in relation to the discussed topic the mentioned figures must be treated with a grain of salt as the number also includes sold iPod devices which do not require a subscription as well as devices bought by users who wanted to upgrade their iPhones of previous versions, while deactivating their old gadgets.

In general, due to fabulous features delivered by the latest iPhone, the upgrade that will take place this summer and fall will be bigger than the previous ones. According to some researches more that half of the surveyed iPhone users intended to upgrade their handsets this year waiting for the beginning of sales. The percentage is rather high even for a preliminary estimate, previous figures being much lower, about 18 % in November 2008.

Analysts, in general, predict only a positive growth of the iPhone subscription base as the abyss of apps created by iPhone developers creates some kind of “stickiness” with consumers. A person who has already heavily invested in its app package for an iPhone handset will hardly dump all of them marching to buy some Android or Blackberry device. Thus, Apple is supplied with customer for the next several years.

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