Steve Jobs

Sad to hear about the passing of Steve Jobs. I've been an Apple fan since late 2001, when I bought my first Titanium Powerbook G4. Steve was a futurist, and the latest iPhone is definitely an achievement, especially with the new AI that he was no doubt instrumental in envisioning.

Upgrading to Mac OS X Snow Leopard without a CD drive

I just accomplished what I thought was impossible.  Since I found out that the DVD drive in my Macbook no longer works (though it does read CD's), I thought I would not be able to install Snow Leopard.  However, thanks to some online instructions I was able to convince OS X that I was not on a Macbook, but a Macbook Air.  This allowed me to put the OS X Snow Leopard Installation CD into my Windows PC, and install the OS X update over a network connection.  It did take a bit longer, but everything is up and running now.


Here are the steps I followed:


1. Put the Snow Leopard Disc into the Windows PC, and install the CD sharing program.  Enable CD sharing.
2. Go to System Preferences in the Mac and enable CD/DVD sharing
3. Open the terminal and use these commands:

 defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser EnableODiskBrowsing -bool true
 defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser ODSSupported -bool true

4. Restart the Mac

5. The Remote Disc should now show up in the finder.  Open it, click on install and proceed as normal.  Note that you CANNOT disconnect either computer during the install.

6. It took about 90 minutes

AAPL vs MSFT

When I bought my first Mac in February 2002, I was a blacksheep.  Nobody really bought Apple or paid much attention to it.  Microsoft was the big kid on the block, and Apple was a scrappy punk.  Times have changed.  Thanks to several big splashes over the years, Apple's market capitalization is now more than Microsoft's.

How did this happen?  Simple.  The OS wars were a red herring.  It's the hardware, stupid.  It was the iPod that saved Apple, not OS X.  But OS X was very successful in further destroying Microsoft's reputation.  Just think back to the "Get a mac" ads.  Sony has also fallen by the wayside.  Even its venerable Walkman brand is dead.

In 10 years, who will be #1?  Any thoughts?  My guess would be a firm like Samsung.

iPad magazine pricing out of touch

Wired is reporting that its iPad app sold 24,000 copies in 24 hours.  While I don't doubt this figure, I do think that the pricing for their online magazine is absurd.  They point out that at $5 each, it is the same price as the print version at a newsstand.  That is true, however a subscriber gets the same thing for $1 delivered to their house.  Given that the edition at your house can easily be lent to your friends, read in the bathroom, or used to start a fire, there's a lot more usefulness than a digital copy.  Wired needs to price this app at $1 to match their subscription price.

Apple Strikes Back

Maybe not Apple directly but you know they likely pushed forward with this investigation, which has now led to a hardcore search on the Gizmodo editor's house.  The police even nabbed all of his digital media and files.  Hopefully he's backed them up on the cloud...

All of this for posting photos and a writeup of a new iPhone that they found in a bar.

iPad hands on

I went to the Apple store today and played with the iPad.  I came away more impressed than before, but still have some reservations.

The screen is great and the device is extremely fast.  I noticed very little lag in loading apps (other than a 3D game) and the interface was very snappy.  But as many have said, it is just a big iPhone.

Using it as a book reader doesn't seem practical to me, the screen is just way too bright.

Typing on the device is truly awful.  I generally can type at over 140 WPM but with this device I'd be lucky to get 30 accurate words out.  It is that bad.  And I don't think it is the lack of tactile response, it just doesn't recognize fast typing.  It does its best to autocorrect, but I found this did not solve the problem.

I would not buy an iPad now, but version 2 will hopefully improve on some of the above issues.  The biggest problem for me is the lack of good input device.  I don't care if they offer office type apps for this, they are unusable with the current interface.

But if all you want to do is go online, then the iPad could be a good choice, but the price will likely come down soon.

iPad reviews trickling in

The two big names in tech reviews, Walt Mossberg and David Pogue have reviews up here and here for the iPad.  The verdict seems to be lukewarm acceptance.  Neither of them are going to go Steve Jobs on us and call it "magical" but they both seem to see more positives than negatives for this polarizing device.

And maybe that's what Apple wants.  If public perception is indeed very polarizing, it could be a home run.  Better to have 50% of your audience love it, and 50% hate it, than for 90% to say "so what."

The official launch is April 3, but good luck getting one.  It is likely going to be like the iPhone, with people paying hundreds more than list price to be the first dork on the street seen with the device.  The only thing I can see that will hold back wider acceptance is that most people won't see one in the wild.  With an iPhone, people would have them on their belts, in their hands, out in public.  I don't see many people toting around the iPad conspicuously outside of a coffee house.

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 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.

Will iPhone MMS take down AT&T?

AT&T is finally going to bring multimedia messaging service to the iPhone. This service allows sending of pictures via the phones. Nearly all other carriers support this service for all of their phones. AT&T supports it for everything but the iPhone.

I predict that this is going to make a bad situation worse. There have been many reports lately of AT&T's 3G network being hard hit by iPhone usage. Time will tell, but this may be a decision they'll regret.

AT&T to go up in flames by year's end

Maybe that headline is a bit much, but some are speculating that AT&T may lose its exclusive on the iPhone by 2010. If either CDMA carrier gets ahold of the iPhone, it could be really disastrous for good ole Ma Bell.

The other GSM carrier, T-mobile, is not much of a threat at this point. But Verizon is regarded by many as having the best coverage, and Sprint would probably have the most to gain. With the cheapest data prices by far, I could see many switching if they landed the iPhone (not to mention that their network is as good as Verizon's since all Sprint phones roam on Verizon).

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but no matter what happens it is probably great news for Apple and not so great news for T.

Palm strikes back

Palm has just re-enabled iTunes synching with the Pre, basically giving Apple the finger.

I love it.

The new update also adds NFL Mobile, which will let me watch the Lions lose from wherever I am.

Verizon shoots self in foot

Verizon Wireless will be releasing its own App Store shortly, and will be forcing any phone manufacturer to only feature the Verizon store on the phones it sells through Verizon. This move is unprecedented and very stupid.

There are currently a few big players in the App store market:

Apple - by far the largest

Blackberry

Google (via Android)

Palm

Currently 3 of these 4 only sell phones on one US carrier, with Blackberry selling on all US carriers. Verizon has basically taken away from its customers the hope of ever being able to activate an iPhone on their network and run the risk of Blackberry jumping ship.

I understand the business strategy behind this, but I think that Verizon is going completely against the grain and is unlikely to find success.

One thing to note is that customers would still be able to install another App store on the phone, it would just take another manual step that many customers won't know how to do.

Apple declares war against Palm

The battle has been taken to the next level. Apple has blocked the ability to sync the Pre with iTunes.

I am a bit surprised, I don't see any way that this will benefit Apple. Consider:

Apple is going to be portrayed as a complete bully. This is Apple vs. Microsoft all over again, with Apple taking Microsoft's place.

They are alienating Palm's small but growing userbase.

Apple is going to lose some customers out of this.

It will be interesting to see if any anti-trust actions are filed.

In the meantime, there are many options to Pre users, including Doubletwist and other media players. Or you can just go the dirty way and drag and drop.

Third Party iTunes synching

With Palm and Apple trading press releases over iTunes synching, thought I'd throw my hat into the ring.

From how I understand it, the Pre syncs with iTunes by telling iTunes that it is an iPod. I am not sure which model it identifies itself as, but I assume it is one of the older models.

For Apple to break this, they would likely have to (at least temporarily) break access for many iPods too. I really don't see what Apple's problem is, since this actually helps their iTunes store business model. I guess they want people to buy iPods and iPhones, but this could be construed as monopolistic.

I've said it to many already: Palm is the new Apple. Apple is the new Microsoft. And Microsoft is the new IBM. IBM has now exited the biz.

Phone Wars Heat Up

Things are getting interesting.  

The new iPhone has a lot of improvements, including voice dialing, MMS, and supposed improved battery life.  It also supports tethering, but NOT on AT&T. 

Meanwhile, Palm has the Pre, which multitasks, features very tight integration with Google services and Facebook, and (very importantly) has a hardware keyboard and removable battery.

As you all know, I have the Pre.  One thing that most consumers will not compare is the total cost of ownership.  I calculate that my plan will cost me at least $1200 cheaper over the next two years versus the iPhone.  This is not an insubstantial amount.  

Some things the iPhone has that the Pre does not:

Video recording (for now, the Pre is definitely capable of it)

Compass (who cares)

Voice dialing (for now, the Pre could definitely handle it)

A large App Store.

Supposedly good battery life (Pre lasts about a day, same as the current iPhone)

Some things the Pre has that the iPhone does not:

The ability to multitask, to run multiple programs at the same time

Unobtrusive notifications

Synergy, which connects all your data

Ability to add multiple exchange accounts

Much cheaper data plans

Additionally, people who have had a chance to touch and see the Pre have said it is superior to the iPhone - and this includes at least one Apple fan, and another current iPhone owner, who wishes he'd waited.

iPhone tomorrow?

I've been busy playing with the Pre all day, so I haven't kept too much tabs on the other news, a new iPhone.

Apple may be releasing one tomorrow at the developer's conference.  Rumors include the ability to take videos and possibly have video chat.

Taking videos sees logical, but I'm not sure how videochat would work on such a small device, unless it was in its dock.  Would be way to shaky.  

Palm Pre pricing compared to iPhone and Storm

As a follow-up to my earlier post regarding the Palm Pre's availability, I'm going to compare what Palm and Sprint are offering with their competitors.  Note that I am not going to dive into the technical differences between either the networks themselves or the hardware.  This is simply a cost comparison based on the available phone plans.

Here are the comparison angles:

Price of Phone

Cost of unlimited individual plan

Cost of unlimited family plan

Cost for unlimited data/ pooled family minutes

Any special quirky things about the plan

Remember, what Sprint is offering is this:

• $200 phone
• Unlimited individual plan for $99, including text and data
• Unlimited family plan for $199, including text and data
• 1500 minutes, unlimited data for families, $129 (this is what I will get).
• Quirk: unlimited nights started at 7pm, which is something only Sprint does.

We'll start with the iPhone and AT&T's plan first:

• $200 phone (cheaper model)
• Unlimited individual plan $129 for voice/data + $20 for text = $149.  $50 more than Sprint
• Unlimited family plan $259 for voice/data + $30 for text = $289.  $90 more than Sprint
• 1400 pooled minutes for $149 + $30 text = $179.  $50 more than Sprint for 100 less minutes
• Quirk: Rollover minutes

Second let's take a look at Verizon's offering.  The closest competitor is the Blackberry Storm:

• Phone costs $200 (buy one get one free is a current offer though)
• Unlimited individual plan is $129
• Unlimited family plan is $259
• 1400 pooled minutes for $159
• Quirk: Friends and family let's you pick 10 numbers to have unlimited calling to

Conclusion:

Without delving into the quality of the networks (which is not an issue for 90% of the places that an average tech junkie will visit), Sprint by far has much more competitive pricing than the other two.  

Sprint's commercials claim big savings.  If we take the most expensive plans, the unlimited family, over a 2 year period you would save over $2,000 compared to an iPhone plan ($90*24months=$2160).  Compared to Verizon, the savings would still be over $1,000. 

If we look at the individual plans, which will affect the majority of users, the savings over the life of a contract is $1200.  This is a non-significant amount.  

Mac fans, listen up.  Choosing Palm over an iPhone will allow you to save enough money to buy a Macbook. 

The bottom line is that your choice of a cell phone carrier affects your bottom line.  The iPhone may be a trendy choice but there is a clear premium attached to this device, which may or may not be justified.

Another thing to take from this comparison, is that while the initial cost of these 3 phones is the same, $200, you should always compare the plans before buying.

Mac OS X 10.5.7 upgrade problems; worse than Jaunty

For all you readers out there who have Macs, take care when upgrading to 10.5.7

This is the most buggy Mac upgrade I have ever encountered. Here are the issues I had, which are not as bad as others.

My stats: Macbook 13" white that is about 18 months old; 2GB RAM, more than enough space on the HD.

1. When trying to upgrade via Software Update, the file failed a hash check, meaning that Apple was trying to send me a corrupted file. I tried restarting my computer, but the problem did not go away.
2. Due to the above problem, I downloaded the update from Apple's website, and attempted to install it myself.
3. Things went well until it wanted to restart, at which point the screen became completely garbled (it reminded me of a Windows 98 crash) and the computer kept trying to restart, but could not. The screen would go grey, then the garbled screen would re-appear.
4. In the end, my only option was to hold down the power button to turn off the computer.
5. Upon restarting, the computer proceeded to the main grey screen with the Apple logo, and then restarted.
6. The second time around, it go almost to the login screen, up to the point where the mouse cursor was workable. It restarted again.
7. Third time was the charm, the computer came back online and thankfully everything was OK.

Macs are just "supposed to work". This didn't. It sucked. I upgraded my 6 year old Dell to Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope last week and that went down a lot better. Easier to upgrade Linux than OS X? Who would have predicted this day would come.

The lesson to be learned is to backup your computer often, to an external hard drive. And don't just assume things will work, even if its from Apple.