The non-Apple tech world is focused on the Consumer Electronics Show this week, leaving Apple news outlets to reminisce on fourth quarter and holiday sales and look forward to Apple’s next move. A Piper Jaffray analyst estimates that Apple sold 30 million iPhones last quarter, higher than expectations and up from last year. He said that the iPhone now accounts for nearly half of Apple’s revenue, and the iPad for 21 percent.
The MacBook Air line showed an increase in sales of 20 percent according to some reports. This contrasts with sales in the rest of the laptop industry which were down.
Apple confirmed this week that it purchased Anobit, a maker of high performance flash memory. Apple is the largest buy of flash memory in the world, using the chips in all iOS devices.
There are rumors of a special Apple event coming on Jan. 19 in New York. This could be an announcement of a new textbook service for the iPad. The Steve Jobs biography mentions that Apple is interested in changing how textbooks are distributed.
“I ‘liked’ your restaurant. I also gave it a thumbs up, five stars, +1 and added it to my favorites.”
“I’d rather just get a decent tip for once.”
Apple has started going after web sites that allow people to obtain iOS apps without paying for them. This week Apple started issuing take-down notices to sites that help people with jailbroken iOS devices get App Store apps for free. Apple faces many difficulties in helping app developers, since these sites are mostly outside of the U.S. and can move and change easily.
Jonathan Ive, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, was knighted this week by the Queen of England. Ive is the talent behind many of Apple’s recent designs, including many iMacs and MacBooks, the iPhone and iPad.
“I want to get that new novel, but I can’t decide on the format.”
“You mean hard cover or paperback?”
“What is this 2010? I mean iPad, Kindle, Nook or audio book.”
With no official news from Apple to report, tech journalists have filled the gap by reporting this week on ever rumor they could find. But it is important to remember that most Apple rumors turn out to be wrong, except for the parts that are obvious. For instance, there surely will be an iPad 3, but when it will come out and what features it will have are merely speculation.
The iPad 3 rumors peg the release date of such a device as anywhere from January to April. Most rumors mention a high-resolution retina display, like the iPhone. However, a large 10-inch retina display may be too expensive to produce in the iPad’s price range. Other rumors talk of a 7-inch iPad variant, which is also unlikely given Apple’s insistence that a 10-inch screen is ideal, and poor reviews of other 7-inch tablets.
Many rumors this month have centered around an Apple Television. An “iTV” has been rumored for years, helped along by the existence of the set-top Apple TV device and parts being made for Apple computer displays and iMacs. Mentions of a television in the Steve Jobs biography are the main fuel for these rumors, but it would be a strange move for Apple to enter such a crowded low-margin business.
“If you throw the parakeet at your brother one more time I’m going to take your iPod touch away once and for all!”
A third grade class in Culver City, California is looking to get an iMac so they can produce and edit movies. They are using old G4 iMacs and really need something newer to let the kids be more creative. Join MacMost in supporting this project.
Apple completed the holiday shopping season by giving away free shipping on products from its online stores. First it offered free two-day shipping, and then it upped that to free next-day shipping this week. In addition, it seems that most Apple stores offer in-store pickup of items ordered online.
In iTunes news, Apple added a “Complete My Season Pass” to the iTunes store that allows you to purchase the entire season of a TV show at a reduced price if you have already purchased some episodes individually. This is similar to the “Complete My Album” feature already in place for music. And that feature has been updated to remove a time limit that previous meant you could only complete an album within 180 days of purchasing the first track.
Apple is in the process of buying flash memory and chip design company Anobit. Since the iPhone, iPad, iPod and even some Macs use Flash memory, it is important for Apple to continue to be a leader in this area.
A school in Charlotte, North Carolina is looking to get an iPad. The idea is to give at-risk students the opportunity to learn with the aid of an iPad and educational apps. Join MacMost in supporting this project.
“You want an iPad 3? Kid, I may be able to fly around the world and deliver presents to every child in a single night, but I can’t perform the impossible!”
