Quote of the day re: Apple vs. Microsoft

"Apple is like a great soprano; you go and listen and even if she misses a note you criticize. Microsoft is like Susan Boyles; you're shocked when you hear something great." Gohkam @ Engadget

Congrats Ford

Autoblog posted a Bloomberg survey showing that Ford tops Toyota in public opinion. I'm not surprised. Of all of the domestic makes, I've been partial to Ford. Let me rephrase that – my family has been partial to Fords. We have always found their interiors to be infinitely better than GM and Chrysler, their engines more robust and efficient, and their styling modern yet restrained. Of the three, they were the only ones who didn't accept a government bailout.

The new Taurus looks great but being ensconced in NYC, I have no idea if it's gaining momentum with the public as seen on the roads. I hope so. Ford's a great company run by people who seem to know what they are doing. Shocking, that.

[Hat tip: Autoblog]

Alexander McQueen RIP

This blog has been far more technology focused in the last few months. I'm not sure why since I've been as interested in all of the other topics that I have written about in the past – fashion, cars, architecture etc.

I've decided to pay homage to Alexander McQueen. I've always found his work to be intriguing. He managed to capture the zeitgeist coupled with impeccable tailoring. I will miss his vision. I imagine working on his final collection was difficult for him emotionally. Seeing pictures of it and the motifs he used – the afterlife – clearly this was a man who wanted to leave this earth and go into the next. It's ironic because he managed to foretell the future with his vision.

Thanks to Gilt Groupe, I own an Alexander McQueen overcoat. It's not very warm so it's really doesn't do the job that I wanted it to do. But it looks stunning. I will treasure it until I reach the place where he is now. RIP McQueen.

Photo credit: Catwalking.com via NYT

Consumed

It's almost here. Next week around this time, I expect to have an iPad in my hot little hands. I am so excited, I can hardly think.

With the iPad, Apple will have finally delivered the 'third leg' of my wants/needs. If they stopped now, I would be happy. Of course they won't, which is fantastic. But the iPad is something I've been waiting for for a long time.

When Microsoft came out with the Tablet PC, I thought – that's it, the laptop is dead and long live the tablet. It's a pity that Tablet PCs have never really caught on because the concept is compelling. Tablet PCs stumbled for three reasons – price, technology, implementation. Most TabletPCs cost the same as regular laptops – the high end ones. That limited the market. The technology also doomed the format. They were too heavy, too bulky, and had poor performing batteries. For a device to be used on the go, all of these were impractical compromises. The final one – implementation – falls squarely on Microsoft's shoulders. They did nothing to truly push the format and make it easy to develop customized software that took advantage of the form. They delivered the OS but it's all about the software. The only true success is OneNote, which every tablet user loves.

Apple has done what Apple does – take a complex category and make it simple. The iPad is going to be a huge success. I can't wait.

iPhone needs to change? Blasphemy!

As you know, I'm a huge fan of the iPhone. It's single-handedly changed the way I interact with the internet and with others. It's a fantastic machine.

But with the advent of Android and the Nexus One/Droid, I've feeling a little frustrated. Some of these frustrations I've vented here before – specifically the lack of a decent integrated to-do functionality.

Read this Macworld article that evaluates the Nexus One from an iPhone user's perspective. I really enjoyed it. I think the main thing that I want is widgets. I hate having to open up an app just to get the weather. It's probably something I do most often and it's quite frustrating. In fact, I think a lot of information can be more readily accessed and the current model is ill-prepared to do so. I hope things will change with the next release.

What a haul!

Is there anything safe from YouTube?

The latest wave of videos are called 'haul' videos. Do a search for a few. Basically, young women speaking to the camera showing off the latest stuff they just bought at the mall, OMG!

I'm trying to be cynical but there's something about it that I really like.

Let's face it. Buying stuff is no fun if you can't share. How many of us go shopping on our own, come home and have no one to parade the latest shoes, bags and coats we charged? It doesn't have to be clothes and accessories. If you are into gadgets, it could be your latest phone, latest app etc. With a haul video, you can show it off to everyone regardless of whether or not they are your true friends. And make new ones.

Isn't that what the net is all about?

I'm going to have to get in on the action next time I go shopping.

Importance of Facebook

I had a birthday party last Saturday. I won't say which one.

I did something that I did not think I would ever do. The entire invitation was through Facebook – the people I invited as well as the details. However, there are a few people that I know that are not on Facebook. Shocking yes. When I ran into them, I realized that hadn't invited them to the party. I felt awful and worked on rectifying the situation in the way I knew how – I had to friend them.

I ran into this article today on Andrew Sullivan's blog basically saying that if you aren't on Facebook, there's a good chance you don't exist today. In my mind, that was certainly the case. I'm not sure if it's a sad state of the times or just the reality of living in today's socially networked world.

Toyota becomes GM

I have to say this even though I know it won't be popular. I've never been a fan of Toyota. I've considered them 'another GM' for quite some time. To me the cars were too bland, the user base aging and category breadth confusing and unpredictable. When they started to go for volume sales and market share, I knew something would crack. Al Reis talks about this in

The automotive industry is a tough one, particularly in this country where it requires a significant investment to build and run an auto dealership. Every one of them needs to be a car palace. In order to recoup that investment, in theory one needs volume. Like housing, that's how the industry has been run for ages.

I wonder if it's going to become an unsustainable model. I wonder if dealerships can be more efficient if they became virtual or at least virtualize elements of their operation in order to be competitive. I'll be watching the industry to see.

Build your own car

Early in the life of this blog, I mentioned one concept that whose time I thought would – mass market custom automobiles. And why not? We are an individual society and there are those who have always bristled at owning something the masses also own – be that for reasons of individual expression or elitism. Funny how those two words work together.

I have finally seen one of the first products to address this. Trexa is a company offering an electric drivetrain for $16k. On that platform, one is able to design and build any variation. I can't wait to see the designs this allows. There's no steering wheel so the entire car could be driven using buttons and levers, if one so chooses.

I have a good mind to design a few myself and see how much it would cost.

Hat tip: Gizmodo

The Third Way

I read this interesting Engadget article about the gap in experience between the laptop and the phone; which did a good job of summarizing the strength of the iPad. I'd love to compare video between the iPad and other Tablets, which I'm sure will be made with abandon when the device is released.

iPad critics: If you are basing your opinion on what you have read or photographs, you are missing a key data point as to why this device is a quantum leap in how we interact with technology. You really have to watch how the device responds in different states to see why its' iPhone core is ideal. Through Apple's example, everything has been optimized for what is a very different interactive experience – e.g. the Address Book, Photos, and iBooks. The competition has ability to recreate the specs and maybe even throw in better ones. They can't replicate the overall user experience.

Let's use the NYT website as a control, which they did in the keynote. Just compare what it's like to interact with NYT website vs. iPhone app vs. iPad app [link to YouTube of NYT iPad app]. Same content, vastly different user experiences. Those who complain that it's not a laptop are too focused on a desktop experience. Let's face it. Laptops have not significantly changed how we interact with the desktop; they simply took it off the desk.

Most importantly, laptops can't be used standing up; balancing and typing does not work. If you are standing up or in a place without a table, a phone is a better fit. Powerful phones – such as the iPhone but also Droid and the Pre – are great in that they can be used with one hand. But they are too small for certain tasks.

So that's why Apple started with the iPhone OS. It's optimized for the one-finger and one hand; adjusting it for more than one hand and more than one finger is a lot easier than distilling the desktop experience and allowing non-optimized content to slip through the cracks. Improper content ruins the user experience. That's what happened to the TabletPC and PCs in general. Owning a Tablet Windows is great but it's rare to find applications optimized for the Tablet, aside from the excellent One Note. More importantly, developing for Tablet PCs is not as profitable because the user base is relatively small compared to the non-touch users. The expense and the design of the current crop also make TabletPCs less attractive.

Apple delivered the first Tablet priced for the what is really all markets. I do believe that there is a vast audience of people who do not have PCs now will opt for that one because it does what they need it to do.

But Apple has other tools at its disposal. It has the experience and reputation for creating gold-standard mobile devices, gold standard user experiences, gold standard shopping experiences, and a gold standard content delivery mechanisms. It really doesn't matter what they nah-sayers think. Think of all those iPod, iPad, MacBook/Pros and iMacs out there that need to be bought, serviced, wrapped and accessorized.

Apple has the power to sell the iPad to its' customer base one-on-one directly through its stores. And it will.

Belly dancing

Got to watch some amazing belly dancing last night at my friend's art opening. His name is James Frederick Rose and he's pretty cool.

More iPad thoughts

I've become more and more excited about the iPad the more I think about it and the more I read about it. Why? I think it's an entirely new paradigm and will change the way we read and the way we collaborate.

I want to address one thing. One of the loudest criticism of the device is that it's an overgrown iPhone. You people are missing the point entirely. That similarity is part of the business strategy.

Which platform has more developers and more users – Mac OS X or the iPhone? Which platform has more similarities to the iPad? There are far more iPhone developers than OS X developers and they already know how to create software that takes advantage of a touch interface.

Now onto why I think it's a new paradigm in reading and collaborating.

Reading first. It begins with a newsflash; I read more than just books. I read articles, presentations, transcripts, and even my own writing. I spend the majority of my time on my laptop reading. I love my Kindle but it has limited utility for me, which is why I find myself taking it fewer and fewer places. It's a form factor that begs for other types of content than just books but it's hard to use it that way. I used it to load it up with interview transcripts. I stopped because when you are dealing with 25 to 30 project interviews, it becomes laborious to manage. That means it's back to the laptop.

I hear complaints that it's hard to read on an LED screen. I don't know about you but I spend most of my workday reading on my laptop. I don't see how it's going to be all that different. Even when I read a lot of books, I rarely read all day. I read for a couple of hours and then I did something else. I don't think I'm all that unique in that behavior.

I know the iPad's lack of multitasking is getting panned but I think it's a good thing. It's hard to read on one's laptop without getting a barrage of stimuli – email, IM, and that 'oh I forgot I need to.' So I'm looking forward to interacting with all of my reading material in an easy to use, easy to annotate format with fewer distractions than my laptop.

Onto collaboration. Let's face it; the personal computer is personal and individual. Someone needs to own the keyboard and mouse/trackpad regardless of the screen size.

Imagine being about to work on a presentation or view a website and being able to have two people interact with it equally. There's no more 'click there... no there.' The other person can just point at what they really want to see. No more misunderstood directions or awkward passing the computer or keyboard back and forth. Working with other people becomes a lot more natural since the iPad will be more of a shared tool than the domain of one person. In the world of work and education, it will be huge.

The iPad is not an iPhone. Its' size means it will be something entirely different, even if it appears familiar. This device will revolutionize the way we interact with information. Nah-sayers just don't realize it yet. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

iPad. Jack of all devices.

I'm not sure why that came to mind. I've only now had the chance to really catch up with the iPad announcement.

Disappointed and excited. About the same way I felt about the iPhone 2.0.

I think it was impossible for Apple to really deliver everything on everyone's wish list and you can see that on the gadget blogs. Yes I am annoyed about the lack of multitasking, no camera and the weight — a tad heavier than I would like.

But I'm writing this post on my phone and I know how I would use the iPad. Sometimes I just don't want to use my laptop, usually when it comes to reading. Case in point, I get a lot of PDF's that I have no real way to read comfortably. On the iPhone it's too small and I get annoyed. Printing it out is fine for a few pages but it's not a true solution for a book. It's cumbersome to read on a laptop due to the page orientation. I've actually turned my laptop sideways a few times but that never lasts. For books, magazines and PDF's this thing is a blessing.

LOTS of people will say there are many solutions out there that would do this. That's true. But there's always a compromise. To me, Tablet PC's are too heavy and the battery life has really been awful. And the interface was never designed to be functional without a stylus or a keyboard. Both areas are getting better but they have a long way to go.

I have more thoughts but I want to think some more. I'm excited and frustrated. But that's a good thing with Apple. They make you think.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

GQ on the iPhone

Yes that's the front cover of the GQ app for the iPhone. Looks very much like Maxim.

So I'm testing it out. I must say it's interesting. To be honest, I think I prefer getting my magazine content this way. I find it easier to read on the go. When I travel around NY, I rarely bring books with me anymore. I just try to do as much on my phone as I can.

One thing I don't like is GQ is pushing their print subscription hard. I wonder why. I would easily purchase a subscription to the iPhone app and not have to worry about the paper. Plus it appears there is content that is not in the app and I am reminded of that fact constantly.

Otherwise it's a good app. Entertaining. Looking forward to traveling with it.

Baba and the current manufacturing model

Samsung recently came out with – or announced – Baba, an operating system that they will use to 'smarten' their devices and reduce their dependency on the likes of Microsoft and Google.

This made me think for a moment. Is the software/hardware model that Microsoft built and perfect irrevocably broken? Sure Windows 7 has redeemed Microsoft but other parts of the Windows platform has not done well. Windows Mobile/Embedded is being replaced with Androids in areas that Microsoft thought they had the right to win. Even Google has put their own skin in the game, albeit with a well-known hardware partner.

When it comes to mindshare and influence, isn't it better to own the entire ecosystem? What is the benefit of sharing the spotlight with others?

Waiting for the other shoe to drop

jkontherun.com is one of my favorite gadget sites not because it's a spec-a-thon like Gizmodo and Engadget can be but because it's written from a user perspective. He talks about gadgets that he actually uses in his day-to-day life and I find that perspective more credible than the 'we used it for a week and here's what we think.'

He has been in Vegas for CES this year and he had an interesting quote re: the iSlate or whatever Apple will announce.

It is clear that the months of rumors about the Apple tablet have gotten a lot of companies concerned. The conversations I had off the record with reps at several companies indicated that it is expected that Apple will bring something unexpected to market with its tablet, and that has many competitors concerned. Thus the race to get slates to market before Apple does is considered important.

I do think being first-to-market is not going to help them. The iPod wasn't the first MP3 device and actually had specs that appeared underpowered when compared to the competition. It was the total package that clinched its' success. I think the iSlate is going to be the same thing. It's not the form factor that people will be talking about; it's going to be the total package.

Apps, good for what ails ya?

iPhone, myPhone
Originally uploaded by JNad

CES news is out and I've never seen so many devices begging for developer love.

From large companies to rinky-dink ones, it appears every device moving forward will have applications, and by extension, app stores. It would be great if it weren't kinda silly.

It seems as though the dominant wisdom is that it is the App Store that made the iPhone. That's wrong-headed thinking.

Apple built the App Store on top of a very large iPhone/iPod Touch user base drawn to an outstanding product. There were millions of both devices in the hands of consumers before Apple released the SDK. When it was released, developers jumped on it. Who wouldn't want to write something for an installed base in the millions? The potential market was just too large to ignore.

So for companies hoping that an App Store/Apps will save your product, I think the question that needs to be answered first is – what makes this product so exciting that consumers chomp at the bit to get their hands on it? If the answer is 'very little' or if the answer contains reams of specs that the average consumer doesn't care about, no amount of app-age will help you.

Slates without prices

Happy New Year everyone. Hope you had a fun time. I did. Mostly.

CES is on and it seems as the the 'slate' is THE form factor. What I have found to be most interesting is everyone's making the announcement – knowing that Apple's slate is likely right around the corner – but no one has any firm release dates or even price tags. I find this interesting, to say the least.

I think it's also interesting that Apple is choosing to wait out the storm. Shrewd move on their part. There's just too much noise and a lot of it is very interesting, I must add.

Why the iPhone will fail

I've had a bit of a laugh today reading some of the posts about the breathlessly awaited iSlate or whatever the Apple Tablet will be named. I've noticed the tone eerily similar to the tidal wave of nah-sayers who dismissed the iPhone as a novelty.

Some of the common criticisms were –

1. What no keyboard?
2. Geared for consumers not business
3. Limited features – yes for 1G but now that we are at 3.5G, definitely not
4. It's a toy
5. No track record in this business
6. Too expensive
7. Battery life stinks

It's funny how most if not all of these objections/snarks were either invalidated, overcome or remarkably similar to deficits faced by other smartphones – e.g. battery life.

I recommend you do a search for 'why the iphone will fail' and check out any article in 2007. I'm sure many of these guys are eating their words. Delicious, huh?

insomnia

I didn't sleep that well last night. So annoying. New mattress and everything. Sometimes it's hard to just shut down. It was one of those nigts. Fortunately I only have them once a month.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]