Apple sent out iPads to a select few journalists and their reviews have been posted over the last few days. Here is a round-up of major reviews and what they said.
Apple released an update to iTunes this week that added support for the iPad, so Macs and PCs will be ready to sync with the device on Saturday when people start bringing them home. MacMost will have its first look and review of the iPad starting Saturday and continuing with closer looks at the device in videos throughout next week.
Apple seems to be scrambling to get content for the iPad ready to go for launch day. At the same time, publishers have been preparing books and other content. Several publishers should have books available on day one, or soon thereafter. But some, like Random House, are holding out according to reports that have those publishers worried that book prices may follow iPhone app prices into the bargain basement range.
Publications like the Wall Street Journal may be preparing subscription services. Reports are that the WSJ will be available on the iPad for $18/month.
Wired magazine has been reportedly testing an iPad version and also selling ads to fill it. Some magazines may be selling per-issue at full price on the iPad, while others will sell at a discounted level. Some will have advertising and some won’t — at least to start.
It will be interesting to see which publications do well on the device, and which fail to gain an audience. It will also be interesting to see how they do against iPad and online-only publications that do no need to also support a print version. An digital-only publication theoretically costs the same to produce whether there are a thousand subscribers or a million.
On the video side, CBS has been reportedly testing our a Flash-less version of its Web site that should work on the iPad. The video would use HTML5 for playback, rather than the Flash plug-in.
And on the App side, there are reports of developers getting their games and other apps ready for iPad launch day. Some developers have had access to iPads for testing.
In Mac news, Adobe seems poised to release its Creative Suite 5, which would include new versions of software such as Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator and Acrobat. The date has been set for April 12. But lest you think this news doesn’t somehow involve the iPhone, the new version of Flash is supposed to allow Flash developers to make native apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This would be different than Flash on the Web. The apps would simply appear as normal apps. Many apps are already developed in alternative environments from the standard Apple Xcode environment. Adobe even lists some Flash-created apps on its Web site and blogs.
Apple lost one of its board members this last week when Jerome B. York died of a brain aneurysm. York had been on Apple’s board since 1997. During his career, York also served as CFO of Chrysler and CFO of IBM.
Last Friday Apple began taking pre-orders for iPads. You can pre-order for delivery or reserve an iPad for pick-up at your local Apple Store. The initial models will be available on April 3rd, and will be WiFi models only. A 3G model, able to connect to AT&T and other wireless networks, won’t be available until about a month later.
Reports varied on sales. Some estimates but the first day’s sales at just under 100,000 orders. But Apple hasn’t released any official numbers yet. The reports are only estimates from financial analysts.
In addition to Apple’s e-book reader app that is expected to ship with the iPad, it looks like we will have a choice of other e-book reader apps as well. Barnes and Noble has announced that they will have a reader app for the iPad. And it is expected that Amazon will have a Kindle app — they already have one for the iPhone while will most likely work on the iPad.
The Kindle desktop application finally made it to the Mac this week with Amazon’s release of a public beta test of “Kindle for Mac.” You can download it at http://www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/mac/.
Research company NPD Group reported that Mac sales were up significantly in the first two months of this year as compared to last year. New iMac and MacBook Pro models in late 2009 are the most likely cause, as well as a recovering economy.
Apple released a minor update to Safari, version 4.0.5, this week, available through Software Update. The new version features many performance and stability improvements.
Last Friday Apple overhauled the Mac Developer program for the first time in years. Gone is the tiered system, replaced with a single $99 price. But also gone is the hardware discount. Thought some developers point out that with a $99 program replacing a $500 one, the savings are close to the hardware discount anyway.
Unlike the iPhone Developer Program, the Mac Developer Program isn’t required to develop Mac software. Apple does not control the distribution of Mac software like it does for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. So membership in the Mac Developer Program is voluntary, with support being the primary benefit.
Game developer Valve announced that it is bringing the bulk of its game library to the Mac in April. Games include Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal, and the Half Life game series. In addition, new games were being developed for simultaneous deployment on PCs and Macs. This follows EA’s lead from a few years back when it started deploying games on the Mac at the same time as for Windows.
Apple removed more apps from the App Store this week, this time targeting Wi-Fi “stumblers” — apps that look for and display the names of nearby Wi-Fi signals. The reason for the purge this time is simply that many of these apps use part of the iPhone OS that is restricted by the iPhone Developer agreement. These are referred to as “private APIs” and can cause the app to stop working correctly when that part of the iPhone’s OS is updated, which is why Apple prohibits their use. Some Wi-Fi finder apps that did not use this functionality remain in the App Store.
Another week, another Apple news story controversy. Apple audited its manufacturing suppliers and made the report public this week. You can read it here. It is important to note that Apple did this on its own, and other companies that use the same or similar suppliers don’t even do this kind of audit.
They found two main problems: underage workers, and employees working more than 60 hours per week or 6 days per week. The underage worker problem was just 11 workers that were 15 instead of 16 when hired, although they were now either of age or no longer employed.
But some press covered the story like Apple was trying to hide something instead of brining it to light themselves. Other news sources then jumped to Apple’s defense, praising the company for going beyond simple compliance with the law.
Next week is the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, and it looks like developer Valve will be announcing a major push into the Mac gaming work. They produce games like Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress and Left 4 Dead.
Rumors this week center around Apple establishing a cloud storage service for music and video. The idea would be that people could buy music and video from iTunes, and not have to store them on their local hard drives. So you could purchase movie after movie from Apple and just access the files over the Internet instead of locally.
Apple shook up the iPhone App Store and the developer community this last week with the removal of about 5,000 apps that it deemed too overtly sexual. In messages sent to these developers, Apple cited complaints from customers as the reason for removing the apps.
For the most part, these apps did not include any nudity, as that was not allowed in the app store. Instead, many of them featured women in bikinis or other revealing clothing.
The controversy over this move comes from three areas. First, the developers were given little or no warning of the change in policy. Second, apps like the one from large companies like Playboy and Sports Illustrated were left in the store. Third, many non-sexual apps were caught in the dragnet, including at least one eBook and the shopping app SimplyBeach which included bikinis in their app-based catalog.
This sort of action also scares developers outside of that genre as it shows how quickly a business built around iPhone app development can be destroyed by a single decision inside of Apple. Many app developers are small and single-person companies.
In other news, the iTunes Music Store served up its 10 billionth song this week. Since its launch in 2003 iTunes has become the world’s largest music retailer.
A school district in Pennsylvania has been accused of spying on students and their families through the iSight cameras of MacBooks given out by the schools. One family filing a lawsuit against the schools says they have proof that pictures were taken in their home by the school district using the cameras. Each MacBook has anti-theft software installed that enables the use of the cameras this way. The irony here is strong, considering the original announcement of the Macintosh in 1984 used an anti-big brother theme.
Looks like Apple spent this week cleaning up some dusty corners. First, they released a Mac Pro update to fix a nasty bug in 2009 Mac Pros that made the processor go wild when playing some audio. The update has been long-awaited by many.
Next, Apple gave the gift of a free update to iPod Touch users. Touch users have had to pay for their OS updates, unlike iPhone users who apparently pay by having a mobile phone contract. These $10 updates have been skipped by many users, leaving Apple having to support older versions of the OS. So this week Apple suddenly made the 3.0 OS update available for free via the regular update channels. Those with an iPod Touch who stuck with version 2.0 of the OS apparently only need to check for updates through iTunes while their Touch is connected. But reports of this working are sporadic, as it would require someone who hasn’t updated yet.
Then Apple decided to deal with a rare hard drive issue that affects some MacBook users who purchased in 2006 and 2007. Apple is reportedly offering a free repair if you have the issue, even though your warranty is long gone. If you think you might be affected, check out this page at the Apple site.
Outside of the mothership, an interesting third-party software development took place this week when Dragon acquired MacSpeech. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is the leader in speak-to-type software for Windows. MacSpeech used Dragon’s engine in their Mac software. I guess Dragon decided that MacSpeech was doing well enough for them to enter the Mac market again by simply acquiring the company. So soon MacSpeech won’t just be “close” to NaturallySpeaking, it probably will be NaturallySpeaking.
Typically, the week of MacWorld Expo is the biggest week of the year for Apple news. But not this year. Without Apple’s participation there is little to report, in fact. The Expo is about half the size it was last year, taking up only one hall in San Francisco’s Moscone Center instead of two. And the press releases and announcements are more of the side-show variety, with new iPhone cases, apps, third-party Mac software updates, and a few new gadgets.
Apple’s only major announcement this week is the release of a new version of Aperture, their professional-level photo management and editing software. This new version catches up with the cheaper iLife application iPhoto by adding Faces and Places. Aperture is more in line with Adobe’s Lightroom software, also meant for the professional crowd. Also new in Aperture 3 are a set of new slideshow creation features that produce HD video slideshows.
With so much hype built up around the iPad before its launch, it is not surprising that the device couldn’t live up to it. Many Apple fanboys turned against their favorite company this week, complaining that the iPad doesn’t live up to their expectations. Specifically, many wish it had a camera, multitasking, longer battery life, and support for Adobe Flash.
Other articles are pushing back against this backlash, pointing out how the iPhone was a success and it didn’t have a ready-to-go App Store like the iPad will have at launch.
A pair of updates came out this week for iTunes and the iPhone OS. iTunes 9.0.3 fixes a bug where iTunes forgets what you specify for “remember password for purchases.” It also reportedly fixes bugs having to do with smart playlists and podcasts. The iPhone OS update, version 3.1.3 improves battery reporting and fixes a number of bugs and security issues.
Apple announced a whole new class of device yesterday with the introduction of the iPad. It is essentially a large iPod Touch, but with some interesting features. Here is a summary iPad hardware details:
– 9.5 inches tall, 7.5 inches wide and .5 inches deep.
– Screen resolution is 1024×768.
– Uses a new Apple A4 processor.
– Multitouch screen with more than 1000 sensors.
– Accelerometer, compass, light sensor, WiFi and Bluetooth.
– Optional 3G as well, unlocked. Takes a GSM micro sim card.
– 10-hour battery life.
– Uses iPhone/iPod dock connector.
– Includes built-in speaker and a microphone.
– Headphone jack.
– On/Off/Sleep, Home, mute and volume buttons.
The software for the iPad is version 3.2 of the iPhone/iPod Touch OS. This is not a Mac. To get additional software you will need to purchase it from the App Store. All existing iPhone apps should work on the device, with the ability to pixel-double the size to better fit the screen.
In addition, there will be some iPad-specific apps, such as Apple’s own iWork applications: Pages, Number and Keynote. There will also be a iBooks app for reading eBooks, and Apple will be launching the “iBookstore” for purchashing eBooks.
AT&T will be offering 3G data plans for the iPad in the U.S., including a $30/month unlimited plan. You can prepay for plans, apparantly without a contract.
There are some accessories planned, including a dock stand with a full-sized keyboard and a SD card adapter.
The price for the iPad will be $499 for the base WiFi-only 16GB model, then $599 and $699 for 32GB and 64GB models. Add $130 to each of those for the optional 3G.
The WiFi-only models will be available in late March, while the 3G models will come out a month after that.
In other news, Apple reported quarterly results on Monday which included new records for Macs and iPhones. It was Apple’s best performing quarter ever with record profits.
We might finally be at the end of the rumors and into reality. Apple has sent out a colorful postcard invitation to selected press to hear about their “latest creation” on January 27. It would be shocking to most following the story if this wasn’t the new tablet being announced.
Rumors this week are mostly centered around the name of the device. iSlate and iTablet has been past favorites, but iPad is popular now, with Apple apparently trying to get trademark rights worldwide to the name. A Las Vegas bookmaker has put iSlate as the most likely, followed by iPad, iTablet, iPage, iPaper and iRead.
Most rumors point to only an announcement of the tablet on the 27th, with a release either in March or even as late as June. Predictions for price and capabilities vary greatly. We’ll find out, soon enough.
The event may also bring other announcements. Rumors of iLife 10, iPhone OS 4.0 and a Verizon version of the iPhone are circulating.
There was some real news this week as well. Apple finally released an update to Boot Camp that supports Windows 7, the latest version of Windows. Previously Windows 7 worked in virtualization software, but Boot Camp dual-booting wasn’t supported as Windows 7 drivers for Mac hardware were not included as part of Boot Camp.
AT&T switched up its pricing plans for iPhone users with a $30 price drop for an unlimited voice and data plan. This matches a similar price drop from Verizon earlier. Now only if both companies would stop charging $1,310/MB for text messages.
Apple also released a new iPhone app that provides direct access to MobileMe photo galleries. The free app can be downloaded from the app store.
A continuing story over the last few years has been Apple’s battle with Greenpeace. The environmental organization initially rated Apple very poorly among technology companies, claiming it shipped products with too much packaging and manufactured using too many harmful chemicals. This seemed to have really irked Apple, so has been striving to appease environmentalists ever since.
According to a new report from Greenpeace, Apple is doing much better, earning a 4-star rating and a 5.1 on their 0-10 scale. That puts them only fifth behind electronics and mobile phone makers, and well ahead of most computer manufacturers. In the past, some have criticized Greanpeace’s rating system, saying it doesn’t taking into account the long lifespan of Apple’s computers.
The rumors about Apple’s mythical tablet continue to point to an announcement at the end of January. New musings indicate an iPod Touch-like operating system with no cameras, a 10.1-inch screen and 3G wireless capability.
While rumors are strong that we will finally see the Apple tablet device before the end of the month, other major companies aren’t waiting. Several tablet-like devices are being announced, demoed and even launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.
Microsoft showed off the HP Slate tablet during a keynote event. The slate looks like what a lot of us have been expecting from Apple: a large iPod touch without a keyboard. It supports multi-touch. What’s interesting about it is that it runs Windows 7, which means it runs Windows applications. Can an Apple Slate that only runs iPhone OS compete with that?
Dell is also getting in on the act, with the expected launch today of a tablet called the “Streak.” But this one runs the Google Android operating system, much more similar to an iPhone or an iPod Touch.
Two other companies, Archos and Pegatron are also coming out with tablets. The first also using Android OS, but the second appears that it may run Windows.
Where Apple beat all the major companies to the market with the touch-screen iPhone, it appears it will lag behind them when it comes to the new tablet devices. Of course announcements and promises are different than actually having them in the stores. And Apple’s marketing lead may overshadow another device even if it ships first.
But it appears that even before we have these devices in our hands, 2010 will be the year of the tablet.
Rumors now all point to January 26 as the day Apple will finally reveal its tablet to the world. But this is far from certain. In the past we’ve seems rumors of iPhone and Mac announcements turn into announcements for simple update or new services. No one is betting against a tablet announcement at the end of January, but no one can be 100% certain either.
The latest rumors mention a front-facing camera in the tablet, which would enable video conferencing. That would be an interesting feature and certainly make the tablet more than a competitor for ebook readers.
The only new rumors on the iPhone front are of a 8GB iPhone 3GS to replace the 8GB iPhone 3G at the same low price point. This makes sense as the 3GS chipset must be as easy to manufacture as the old 3G chipset now.
With the end of the year here and not much news coming from Apple or third-party product makers, the rumor mill is filling the news void. The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times are reporting rumors that the Apple tablet device is almost here, with perhaps a January announcement from Apple and availability a month or two later.
Other rumors point to a smaller-than-expected device with a 7-inch screen instead of a 10-inch one. This would certainly indicate a gadget more like the iPod Touch than a touch-screen Mac. We’ll keep tracking the rumors at the Apple rumors page at MacMost.com.
Other rumors talk about Apple offering a subscription music and/or video service that would include some television networks. The idea would be that you could subscribe to the service and get television programs as an alternative to cable or satellite TV. Reports are that Disney and CBS will offer programming over the service, while NBC, ABC and Fox may wait and see.
There is also an update this week in the 27-inch iMac screen situation. Apple has released an update that may fix some screen issues for some new iMac owners.
If you want a new 27-inch iMac for Christmas, you’re going to have to settle for next year. Shipping times for the largest-ever iMac have now slipped to two weeks or more. Many are speculating that this is due to the numerous reports of screen problems with the larger iMacs. But Apple simply states that it is due to the popularity of the model.
The reports are of cracked screens or screen flickering. It is apparently in a small minority of the 27-inch iMacs. It is unclear whether it might be caused by a manufacturing defect or damages during shipping.
Apple tweaked the design of the App Store inside the iTunes Music Store this week to re-arrange information on the app pages. Now when you view information about an app, you can see screen shots in a horizontal scrolling area and much of the specifics of each app are in a sidebar to the left.
Both real news and rumors combined this week to give us a potential picture of Apple’s future. In the real news area, Apple purchased Lala, a company that ran an iTunes-competitor, with a twist. Lala allowed you to access your music everywhere, by storing it on the Internet, or “in the cloud.” Theoretically, this could mean that the future of iTunes will look more like a service where you buy a license to hear a song, and then that song is instantly available on any of your net-connected devices.
On the rumors front, several analysts are predicting that an iPhone 4G is in the works, and that it may be available on Verizon in the U.S. next year. In addition, more speculation about Apple’s tablet device place a release date for that at March of 2010 at a whopping price of $1,000.
In third-party software news, Google released a beta version of the Google Chrome browser for Mac, and says they plan to have extensions for this version, unlike the earlier Alpha release.
Adobe announced that the Flash player for Mac will be switching to Intel-only in 2010, leaving PowerPC Mac users with a stable but never-to-be-updated version of Flash. They say this is because new performance enhancements will require Intel processors.
Two major legal battles in the Apple world wound down this week when AT&T and Verizon seemed to call a ceasefire and Apple scored a key victory over clone maker Psystar.
AT&T sued Verizon over its “map” ads that claim Verizon has more 3G coverage than AT&T. AT&T didn’t like how the maps ignore 2.5G Edge networking and seemed to suggest that no connectivity was available outside of the 3G map areas. Verizon did alter the ads to remove a “Out of touch” label for non-3G areas, but AT&T pressed on. However, this week AT&T dropped the suit, and Verizon dropped its countersuit. Perhaps the two companies decided to spend their money improving their networks rather than paying lawyers?
AT&T has since countered with its own ad spots pointing out iPhone features and the ability of its 3G network to handle data and voice at the same time.
Psystar, who makes PCs that come with Mac OS X installed, settled with Apple in their legal case. Apple got them to stop selling their Mac clones and pay $2.7 million. But Psystar’s lawyers say they will appeal the settlement to a higher court, which could take years. An interesting tidbit came from one report stating that Psystar only sold 768 Mac clones since it started.
More iPhone carrier rumors floated around this week as analysts predicted that perhaps both T-Mobile and Sprint may be able to carry the iPhone next year when AT&T exclusivity runs out. Verizon’s involvement seems less likely now, considering their strong anti-iPhone ad campaign for the Droid phone.
An interesting study by NPD Group shows that Mac desktops counted for about 48% of all desktop retail sales in October. While it may seem that it means half of all computers sold were Macs, some of this can be explained by the fact that Macs are more expensive on average, and don’t have a model that is the equivalent of the low-end PC. It is revenue, not units. But this is a recent record for Apple and it does show that they continue to gain market share.
This increase may continue in November thanks to the new iMacs and a Black Friday sale to be announced by Apple on Friday morning.
In case you’ve been skipping commercials with your Tivo, Verizon and AT&T are now at war. It all started when Verizon began an ad campaign against AT&T’s 3G service, specifically targeted at iPhone users. The “There’s a Map for That” ads mimicked the “There’s an App for That” iPhone ads, which are Apple ads, not AT&T. But the point of the Verizon ads is that they have more 3G coverage than AT&T.
AT&T isn’t happy about the attack, and fired back with legal claims against Verizon. The basis for their claims is that the maps Verizon shows don’t take into account the 2.5G Edge network. In fact, the original ads even showed non-3G areas as “out of touch,” which isn’t true.
Of course Verizon’s Droid ads are also a direct attach on Apple and AT&T, using the work “iDon’t” to point out the features that the Droid phone has that Apple’s iPhone doesn’t. And to round out Verizon’s attack, they have an “Island of Misfit Toys” ad which also pokes fun at the iPhone’s flaws.
AT&T is not just striking back legally. They have just launched a new ad comparing “3G Experience” between AT&T and Verizon, touting the iPhone’s 100,000 apps as one reason.
While not really having any immediate effect on iPhone users, this competition may push both networks to add features and better service in the near future. We can hope. It also gives us a clue that perhaps Apple and Verizon are not preparing to partner on future iPhone deployment or a wireless service for tablets or MacBooks. Certainly seems that Verizon isn’t doing anything to please Apple, at least.
Apple’s been busy fighting its own legal battles as the push-and-shove between Apple and clone-maker Pystar continue. This week Apple won a summary judgement saying that Pystar is indeed violating copyright laws in including Mac OS X with its computers.
