2010-01-27

President Obama's First State of the Union

I am pretty impressed by the first State of the Union delivered by President Obama.  I feel that for the first time in my life, we have a true statesman as a leader.

I like that he took some ballsy positions, such as saying we should repeal don't ask don't tell, allowing gays to serve openly in the military (as many other countries do, including strong military countries like Israel).

I also liked that he called out both Republicans and Democrats for putting politics above the common good; this is the type of leadership that we need.

iPad pricing is all wrong

A big mistake that Apple made in its launch of the iPad is the pricing.  Most of Apple's products have two or three options.  The iPad has 6: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and all with or without 3G.  This creates a lot of confusion for consumers when looking at the product.  I would bet anyone thinking of buying a model right now is deliberating which model to get.  This thinking makes them focus more on the price, and focusing on price is generally not good when a consumer is deciding whether to buy a product.

Apple should have only come out with three models: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB.  The 16GB would have no 3G while the other would have it.  That way, consumers would still have the bare bones option at $499 and the middle option would only be premium.  Most people would buy a medium-high product before a medium-low.

Oh yeah, they also really fucked up on the name.

iPad Accessories: Get Ready to Pay Up

It seems that only bare bones is included with the iPad's "low price" of $499.

Want GPS?  That'll be $130, you need 3G assist for that.
Want a keyboard?  Pay.
Want to plug it into the wall to charge? Pay.
Want to take photos?  Pay. You are out of luck, the accessory only allows you to attach a camera.
Want a dock?  Pay.
Want to protect it with a case?  Pay.

Full details here.

iPad Pricing

I think the pricing of the iPad is going to cause mass consumer confusion.  They are going to have 6 different price points, ranging from $499 - $829.  These models range from 16GB - 64GB and either have or do not have 3G.

How will a consumer know which to buy?  I predict that either the 16 or 32GB models will be discontinued by year end, likely the 16.

Add to that hundreds in accessories, this seems like a complete ripoff.

iPad: First Impressions

The Apple iPad.

The only interesting this is that Apple is back in the chip-making business with the Apple A4 Chip.

What a horrible name.  Sounds like a new type of maxi-pad.

Watching the live blog at Engadget, I don't see how this thing is better than an iPhone.  I don't see any need fulfilled by this device.

It doesn't even have flash, which is very disappointing.

2010-01-26

Toyota is in trouble

Toyota is halting the (new and used) sale of 8 models, including the popular Corolla and Camry.  The problem is that the accelerator pedal can stick, leading to some pretty messy results.  While its better for their image that they are voluntarily stopping sales, I can see this sticking with them for a long time.  


The big beneficiaries are Ford and Honda, since the Fusion, Focus and Accord, Civic are (nearly) perfect substitutes for the Camry and Corolla.

Disclaimer: I am a shareholder of Ford