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Walt Mossberg travels to Paris with iPad instead of laptop
Walt Mossberg, personal technology journalist for the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital, posted a column yesterday about using an iPad on a "working vacation" to Paris. Mossberg decided to forgo his usual laptop on a 10-day trip to Paris, relying instead on his iPad, a smartphone, and a small digital camera. He found the experiment to be a "pleasant success," noting that he had to carry much less weight, got better battery life, and had an instant-on computer. In the meantime, Mossberg stated that he was able to pretty much do everything he'd be able to do with a laptop -- with a few exceptions. While he admits that he would be able to write long documents on the iPad without an accessory keyboard, Mossberg is waiting for the multi-tasking capabilities of iOS 4.2 on the iPad, which he believes will better fit his need to switch quickly between notes and other documents while writing. Mossberg noted that he advised a CFO he met at an airport a few days after returning from Paris to keep her existing computer, as editing huge spreadsheets would be much easier on a powerful laptop than an iPad or other tablet. How about you? Have you used your iPad to partially or totally replace your laptop on a business or pleasure trip? Leave us a comment below.
Analyst: iPad to sell 28m in 2011, impacting PC market
Both All Things D and AppleInsider report that, according to the analyst Maynard Um at UBS Investment research, the iPad is having a negative impact on the PC market. In a note to his clients, the analyst Um says, "Sales of traditional notebooks appear to be feeling pressure from the iPad, causing a scramble by vendors to launch iPad-like tablets. We believe that a majority of this impact is occurring on the lower end of PC sales as the iPad is priced close enough to this range that it becomes attractive to consumers looking to make purchases within this segment." Um goes on to say, "We are not sold that the iPad is purely cannibalizing PC sales, as the functionality of the iPad cannot yet deliver the functionality of notebook PCs. However, consumers who purchase iPads may be more willing to delay purchases and upgrades of existing PCs." As a result of this, Um points to a "conservative" projection that Apple will sell 28 million iPads in 2011, and raises his target price for AAPL stock from $340 to $350. Um also pointed out that there is no evidence to say that the iPad is cannibalizing Mac sales. However, in contrast, V3.co.uk reports that 28 million is "a bit high," according to analyst Tin Couling at analyst firm Canalyst. Canalyst predicts that Apple will have sold 12.5 million iPads by the end of this year, but shipments of the iPad will only reach 20 million in 2011 as new tablets flood the market, competing with Apple's iPad. V3.co.uk notes that Samsung's Galaxy Tab is going to be one of the first major competitors to the iPad, but analyst firm Canalyst showed concern over its £650 price tag, sighting that it could make the entry level iPad, at £429, look reasonable (we're inclined to agree with that). And still, only a few short days ago , analyst Katy Huberty from Morgan Stanley predicted that Apple is aiming to build as many as 3 million iPads a month by the end of the year. Meaning that Apple could make up to 36 million iPads next year, well above what both other analyst predict Apple will sell. Apple announced in June that iPad sales had reached three million in its first 80 days. We'll have to wait and see where it goes from there, but analysts seem to agree that Apple's iPad will likely dominate the tablet market well into 2011.
Steve Jobs: Facebook had "onerous terms" for Ping
Steve Jobs was surprisingly candid with All Things Digital's Kara Swisher yesterday -- he reportedly told her that both Facebook and Apple had spoken about integrating more closely with the new iTunes social network Ping, but Facebook asked for "onerous terms that we could not agree to" regarding Facebook friends connecting on Ping. He didn't elaborate, obviously, but you can see in Facebook's public documentation that Apple probably wouldn't have appreciated handing any more of its network over to Facebook than it did. All Ping seems to be at this point is a system of "liking" certain content (specifically on the iTunes Store, to the frustration of many of us who want to do it directly from our personal library of music), and if Facebook required that all of the "like" buttons went their way, you can see why Jobs wouldn't agree. Turns out that even after Ping's launch, things got even more fractious between the two companies -- Apple did kick off Ping with the option to add friends with Facebook Connect, but Facebook blocked access when it was discovered that Apple wasn't playing by the rules. It's actually an open service, unless Facebook decides that it isn't, and apparently Apple's Ping network was an unwelcome guest with a lot of traffic since Apple didn't come to terms with FB ahead of time. Apple removed the service from Ping, but you'll still see some notes around suggesting you can bring in friends from Facebook. So. Looks like Ping is already making a splash with much larger social networks. If Apple can build up its network without using Facebook's services, it seems much less likely that they'll find a way to share users in the future. As you can see above, Facebook is still implemented on iTunes, in the form of sharing albums and songs that you like, but it's completely separate from what's been built for Ping. Despite the sour start to the social mixup between Ping and FB, Engadget suggests that conversations between the two companies are still ongoing. It may not be long before all this is a hearty laugh between friends.
Full 90-min video of Steve Jobs at All Things Digital 8 posted
The folks at All Things Digital have posted the full-length video of the interview that Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher did with Steve Jobs at D8. As usual, Steve provided several memorable moments. This year, he discussed the tragic situation at Foxconn, where many Apple products are assembled. Several employees have committed suicide since January. He called it "very troubling" and noted that "we're all over this." In fact, Apple has sent investigators to the factory. The group also discussed Apple's position on Adobe and Flash. "You have to pick the right horse to ride, technically, going forward," he said. Steve published his formal thoughts on Flash in April, which brought tensions between Apple and Adobe to a head. Jobs claims that Flash isn't the right tool for the iPhone and iPad, while Adobe claims that Apple is imposing restrictions on developers and consumers. There's much more to the interview, of course, and Swisher and Mossberg did a stellar job of talking with Jobs as usual. The discussion is definitely worth watching, and a good way to bide your time until today's keynote.
Steve Ballmer at D8: the video highlights (updated)
Steve Ballmer didn't say too much at D8 that we haven't heard him or others at Microsoft say in the past, but he's always an entertaining and interesting interview, and All Things Digital is upping the videos of Walt's session with Steve and Ray Ozzie now. Up first is a clip of Steve talking about how Microsoft is getting back into the mobile game and how RIM and Nokia are still formidable competitors, followed by Ray and Steve riffing on the potential of the cloud and how things can get even better for Microsoft. We'll add more as D's video people get them up -- check back!
Coming up live from D8: Steve Ballmer and Ray Ozzie, then Peter Chou from HTC
Hey humans -- listen up. We'll be liveblogging the next D8 session featuring Microsoft's Steve Ballmer and Ray Ozzie around 8:00AM PT (we'd like to give you more specific times, but they don't provide them). Then later on in the day, around 11:30AM PT, we'll hear from HTC head Peter Chou. You can check in to the Ballmer liveblog right here, and the Peter Chou liveblog will be right here. See you then!
Flurry agrees to stop device data collection
Steve Jobs said a lot of interesting things on stage at the D8 conference last night (I'm surprised I haven't seen a t-shirt with "My sex life is pretty good" on it yet), but he did put one issue to rest. Third-party agencies like Flurry Analytics and others who use iPhone applications to track device traffic were in a tizzy over a recent change to the iPhone SDK's terms of service which disallowed them from sending out device identifier information without the actual user's knowledge. They all figured that Apple was making this change because Jobs and company had their own analytics plan coming, and they were unhappy at being cut out of the action. But not so, says Jobs -- he just doesn't want information going out without users' knowledge. In his talk last night, he blamed Flurry specifically for logging data from devices inside Apple's campus, and said that wasn't kosher. Maybe Apple will let Flurry do something like that in the future, he admitted, with the user's knowledge and approval, but not right now. And now Flurry has agreed to comply, says AppleInsider. While the company has been working on strengthening its privacy stance, the CEO agrees that Flurry will back off of sharing the data that Apple doesn't want them to share. Of course, Jobs' statements don't preclude the idea that Apple is looking at implementing its own analytics (he's denied working on phones and tablets at past interviews, and we all know how that worked out), but for now, Flurry is backing down.
Kno dual-screen tablet appears at D8, we go hands-on
Kno promised to launch a double-screened Linux-based e-reader designed for students at D8, and the undercover startup didn't disappoint -- believe us when we say it came out in a big way. That's big as in freaking big: the Kno reader features dual 14.1-inch capacitive IPS displays (1440 x 900 each), weighs 5.5 pounds, and offers six to eight hours of battery life, all in a package that's so comically large we thought it was a joke when we first saw the press shots. Kno says it'll offer both pen and touch support, and it'll come with a stylus out of the box. Under the hood, it's running a Tegra 2 chip with 16GB of storage, and the entire experience is essentially a WebKit instance. Yes, it's sort of like the Courier, but larger -- much, much larger. We had a chance to go hands-on with the device as well as speak to some members of the team developing the Kno, and while it's clear that there are major bumps in the UI and user experience, it seems like the company is aware of them. What we saw today was clearly unfinished, with a lot of laggy, stuttery behavior in the interface, a crash or two, and some very inaccurate finger tracking, but Kno says it's hard at work on eradicating those issues. Even with the UI fixes, it's a hard sell at "under $1000," but Kno is putting together partnerships with publishers to make that a little easier to swallow, as they say ultimately it will be less expensive than buying regular old text books. It's an audacious idea, for sure... and we're still completely confused by one of the company's press pics featuring a bunch of dudes running around in their underwear, but we digress. Check out some shots from the demo, PR pics, and our hands-on with the device below. %Gallery-94223% %Gallery-94217% %Gallery-94219%
Project Natal retail unit revealed at D8?
Hey -- you know Microsoft's Project Natal? Well we've just gotten an up close look at what appears to be the retail version (though it's clearly marked a developer unit). We couldn't storm the stage while Walt and Kara (and her son!) were showing it off, but no one seemed to mind that we took a load of these shots for your perusal. Check out gallery below for more pics! %Gallery-94197%
Steve Jobs at D8: Foxconn, iPhone prototype, TVs, and more
In case you hadn't heard, Steve Jobs got downright conversational last night at D8, riffing on questions from Walt, Kara, and the attending audience of elites. You can hit up the entire liveblog for a timestamped play by play, or browse through some of the highlights below. Steve Jobs live from D8 Steve Jobs' D8 interview: the video highlights On TV: 'no one wants to buy a box' On Foxconn: 'We're all over this' On lost iPhone 4G prototype: it's an 'amazing' story iPhone OS 'started on a tablet' 'There might be' advantages to two iPhone carriers in US %Gallery-94186% We put some extra scintillating quotes after the break to shield the eyes of your children. Just a note, however: all of these are paraphrased quotes typed live as Steve was speaking, and not to be construed as the verbatim Word of Steve Jobs, though the gist is certainly there.
Steve Jobs live from D8
The liveblog is happening now -- hit read more and get into it!
Steve Jobs on TV: 'no one wants to buy a box'
Well isn't that a breath of fresh air. With no apologies given to its long-standing hobby, Apple CEO Steve Jobs provided a pretty honest and thorough assessment of what's wrong with the TV set-top box market. "No one wants to buy a box -- ask TiVo, ask Roku, ask us... ask Google in a few months" (in the spirit of competition, of course). In Jobs' opinion, "the only way that's going to change is if you tear up the [box], give it a new UI, and get it in front of consumers in a way they're going to want it." Frankly, we're pretty happy how quickly and succinctly he was able to respond in a Q &A session, seems like he's been mulling it over -- and given what we heard about Apple TV's future plans, we're not surprised. All the pertinent quotes, care of our liveblog, after the break.
Steve Jobs live on stage tonight at D8 conference
Steve Jobs is scheduled to appear on stage tonight at D8 in Los Angeles, and Engadget is blogging live from the event. Steve will be on stage live at 6pm Pacific Time (9 Eastern), so if you're around, tune in over there to see what's happening live at the event. We'll have a wrapup back here on TUAW as soon as the event is over, and if anything crazy happens on stage, you'll see it here and/or over on our Twitter account this evening. It's very unlikely that Steve will actually make any product announcements (especially since WWDC is in San Francisco next week, and we're likely going to see the new iPhone there), but if the past interviews at All Things D are any indication, we'll see some frank discussion about Apple and its place in the market, and I'll bet we'll hear some behind-the-scenes information on how the US and International iPad launches went. Stay tuned. Update: Some choice sound bites, courtesy of Engadget's quick fingers, after the break.
Steve Jobs to appear at All Things Digital 8
Kara Swisher announced this week that Apple CEO Steve Jobs will appear on stage at this year's All Things Digital Conference, D8. In fact, Steve will kick things off with an on-stage interview on opening night. Other famous guests will include James Cameron and Steve Ballmer. As Swisher notes, there's much to talk about: The iPad, the iPhone's future, Apple's tense relationship with Google and Adobe...one wonders if the Gizmodo affair will be discussed. Steve has appeared at the All Things D conference several times, most famously aside Bill Gates for an on-stage interview in 2007. It was a great interview, complete with Bill's revelation that he is not Fake Steve Jobs (this was before Daniel Lyons had been revealed). Good luck to all participants and attendees. It should be a great event. [Via Mac User]
Apple pitching "all you can watch for $30 a month" TV to networks
Apple is already the huge name in the music business with the iTunes Store, and they've made continual inroads into the application, video, and movie markets as well. But what if Apple also became the content provider of choice for TV? That idea isn't that far-fetched, according to a blog post by Peter Kafka at the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital. Kafka reports that Apple has been pitching the concept of $30 monthly TV subscriptions through iTunes to TV networks. You'll note that I said iTunes. That's the interesting point here -- Apple isn't pushing sending content to a particular device, like the Apple TV that Kafka refers to as "underwhelming" (sounds familiar, doesn't it?) or the fabled Apple tablet / slate / whatever. Instead, the service would be available immediately to the more 100 million iTunes account holders that Apple had as of a year ago. Have a Mac? You're a potential customer. Have a PC? Ditto. There's only one fly in the ointment -- will broadcast and cable programmers buy into this? Kafka thinks the first content provider to jump would be Disney, which of course counts Steve Jobs as its largest shareholder. Cable companies might not like the loss of their usually overpriced monthly packages to an upstart, or having their bandwidth chewed up by hordes of people streaming HD video. And there's always the question of whether current cable TV subscribers would make the jump to streaming content. Kafka ends his post with a quote from an unnamed TV executive, who says of Apple's subscription plan "I think they might get it right this time." What's your take, TUAW readers? Do you think the world is ready to purchase all of its video content from Apple? Leave your comments below.
Uncle Walt says "Apple's built-in software still has the edge"
Walt Mossberg, the curmudgeonly, smooth-pated personal technology blogger at The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital, has released his fall computer-buying guide. And when Walt talks, people listen. Mossberg is usually very kind to Apple products, which probably explains why he gets the latest and greatest equipment sent to him by the guys in Cupertino prior to release, and we don't. In his latest guide, he says some surprisingly nice things about Windows PCs. That's mostly due to the progress in usability and friendliness brought about by the recent release of Windows 7. But he also goes on to say some very interesting things in his lead-in post, titled "Operating Systems Provide New Choices in PC Shopping." While Walt points out the obvious -- that Windows PCs are usually less expensive than Macs and that Windows 7 has closed the gap between the operating systems in terms of user-friendliness -- he also goes on to say some very nice things about Macs: But Apple's hardware is stylish and sturdy, and, in my tests, Macs usually boot faster than Windows machines. Plus, Apple's chain of retail stores offers a better buying experience and strong post-purchase support. Also, in my view, Apple's built-in software still has the edge. Snow Leopard is fast and reliable. And it comes with a full suite of excellent built-in programs, including email, photo and video software. Microsoft has stripped Windows 7 of such programs. Some PC makers have restored some or all of these in certain models, although I consider Apple's counterparts better. Another huge plus: The Mac isn't susceptible to the vast majority of viruses and spyware. That's high praise again from the Prince of Personal Tech, and a list of good arguments for us "Apple Fanboys" to bring up when we're faced with Windows-lovers.
A Kafkaesque announcement of an Apple keynote the week of September 7th
Kafkaesque is defined as "characteristic or reminiscent of the oppressive or nightmarish qualities of Franz Kafka's fictional world." That's the way Wall Street Journal All Things Digital blogger Peter Kafka (no relation as far as I know) must be feeling. Music industry sources are telling him that Apple is planning one of their classic September keynotes, but they're not giving him a date other than "the week of September 7th", and have no idea what exactly Apple is planning on revealing. That sounds nightmarish to me... So, he fired up the Apple rumor machine this morning and wrote a post about the upcoming event. Kafka feels that the event will probably be used to announce something about music (duh!), most likely "Cocktail", which is Apple's rumored album format that adds cover art, liner notes, and other interactive goodies. Kafka also notes that unless Apple announces the legendary iTablet at the event, Apple faithful are likely to be very disappointed (My personal feeling? Turn on the tears, folks). The September event is often used to announce new iPods, and there have been rumors of a camera-enabled iPod nano, so we might hear more about that. Whatever happens, it would be nice to see Steve Jobs on the stage again, especially if the mythical iPad is finally announced. Any reader comments on this announcement of an Apple event with no set date or concrete topic will be greatly appreciated. Update: While Gizmodo's Brian Lam is adding fuel to the iTablet fire with a recounting of a phone call with a reputable source, The Loop's Jim Dalrymple is categorically contradicting any suggestions that the September event will include the tablet device -- it's going to be a pure music announcement, he says.
iTunes support confirmed for Palm Pre
We'd already heard through the gravevine that iTunes support would be baked into Palm's forthcoming Pre, but now it's official. During Palm's D7 keynote today in Carlsbad, Paul Cousino showed attendees that non-DRM music, photos and videos could be synced with the Pre via iTunes (on Mac and Windows, naturally). In his words: "It shows up in iTunes just like a regular device." Update: So, Palm has issued an official press release detailing the new webOS features shown today at All Things Digital. The so-called media sync feature is straight up designed to "synchronize seamlessly with iTunes," giving users the ability to use Apple's media management software for transferring all non-DRM media. Furthermore, the Pre is engineered to act as a "mass storage drive," letting users side-load content on the fly. The full release also details the App Catalog and Twitter in Universal Search.
Windows 7 to be revealed tonight by Gates and Ballmer, we'll be there
Gates and Ballmer are down at the WSJ's All Things Digital conference to talk tech with Mossberg and Swisher, and it looks like tonight they'll be unveiling the first (official) glimpses of Vista's successor, currently known as Windows 7. We'll be posting live from the event, so be sure to check back at 6:15pm PT (9:15 Eastern) as things kick off.
Steve Jobs/Bill Gates D5 interview available in iTunes
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates sat down with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the All Things Digital conference for a joint interview the other day. The footage of the interview was posted at the D5 website, but it was broken up into chunks. Now you can watch, or listen, to the interview in its entirety thanks to the iTunes Store. That's right, the interview is now available as a video or audio podcast. The audio only version checks in at 85 megs or so, while the video file is almost 1 gig in size.I'm downloading the video as I type this, and I suggest you do the same. It isn't often that one gets to watch two people who have shaped technology in such a meaningful way sit down and share their thoughts about the past, present, and future (though Steve never comments on future products).Thanks, Karim.Update: I neglected to mention that Steve and Bill were interviewed in a tag team fashion by Walt and Kara Swisher.
