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Switched On: With Google, this is not your father's OS war
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Google's incursions into software -- particularly in strategic markets for Microsoft, are like an Earth-bound asteroid. Observers see it coming for a long time, and fear its impact will be devastating when it finally arrives. So far, though, Google's major software forays have been anything but cataclysmic, and Microsoft hasn't even had to send Bruce Willis into space to stop them. On one hand -- as I discussed in a recent Switched On column that argued why Android was not the right choice for netbooks -- the mobile operating system continues to have a lot of potential to reshape the smartphone OS competitive landscape. On the other hand, while Chrome is a fine browser, Microsoft, Apple and Mozilla all have their counterparts, and certainly Firefox and Safari at least give Google's browser a run for its money in terms of speed, privacy and user interface. Chrome's impact has been blunted because the PC is already an open platform. Enter Chrome OS, which will be available on ARM and Intel processors. For the high-volume Intel PC market, Chrome OS will have to take on Windows, but Chrome OS is very different than other Windows competitors such as the Mac OS, Ubuntu or the OS/2 of yore, in that Google does not seem focused on creating platform-exclusive applications. In some ways, Chrome is more of a competitor to Silverlight than to Windows, as Silverlight is Microsoft's cross-platform application foundation. Of course, Windows is Microsoft's home field, and Chrome OS will be Google's.
Switched On: iPhone 3GS is fine, young, but not a cannibal
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. At least since the advent of the first camera phones, people have been wondering whether the cell phone would limit the opportunity for all kinds of other products, particularly portable electronics. Even the more pedestrian features of basic cell phones have been blamed for the declines in (or at least limiting the market for) pagers, Family Radio Service (FRS) radios, and even watches. And beyond portable electronics, cordless phones have also been in a state of decline for years as more consumers cut the cord. But the iPhone 3GS has renewed the old debate for a number of reasons, including data that shows that iPhone users are disproportionately inclined to use their phone's advanced features and changes in the hardware and software that improve the digital camera, add video capture, and open the door to in-vehicle turn-by-turn navigation. TomTom, which has returned to its roots by demonstrating navigation software for the third-party hardware of the original iPhone 3G, can now offer that software through Apple's App Store. So, will the iPhone shutter Canon, run Garmin off the road, or make Flip flop? Thankfully, for the sake of all wishing to avoid reading headlines containing these atrocious puns, not for the foreseeable future, at least in the U.S.
Entelligence: Netbooks, R.I.P.
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. It's one of the hottest selling items in the consumer electronics market today. At a time when vendors are struggling to sell PCs, it's the one category that has been selling consistently in Amazon's top ten list of technology purchases. Apple and Sony have both dismissed the category, even as other vendors bring more models to market. Yes, I'm talking about the phenomenon called the netbook. Here's why I think it's going to be pretty short lived as a category.
Switched On: When netbooks suffer from 'Droid rage
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Despite powering only a handful of handsets available on the market, Android has already had a significant impact on the competitive landscape in smartphones. Looking at its primary rivals that run on a variety of hardware from multiple manufacturers, Android has provided a free and highly customizable licensed challenge to Windows Mobile, And competition with the Google-developed mobile operating system may have also provided the final push of Symbian into the world of open source. Just because Android has turned the tables, though, does not mean it should be used on devices that rest on them. Recently, the infatuation with Android has led to much speculation and supplication regarding the operating system as an alternative on netbooks and less proven "gaptops" that live between the smartphone and the notebook. But while blazing benchmarks may erase any speed records set by netbooks running Windows, they can't erase what amounts to a weak case for Android on these devices. Recent history shows that the overwhelming majority of consumers want Windows on their netbooks. This has become especially true as the market has shifted from the quasi-appliance like original Asus Eee, with its suboptimal 7" screen, to most netbooks running 10" and now even larger screens and vendors such as Dell and HP that are pillars of the Windows hardware world have grabbed market share. Even these manufacturers have more to gain by going with their own twist on Linux. HP, for example, has created a unique and differentiated experience with its Linux environment for netbooks. It will take some time before various Android implementations are so unique. It's unclear why an Android-based netbook would fare much better than Linux-based netbooks have.
Switched On: Dark side of the Zune
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. When the iPod touch swiped away the small display, aversion to WiFi and telltale scroll wheel of previous iPods. Microsoft was left with Zune models squarely targeted at Apple's state of an older art. This fall, though, Microsoft will close the features gap and, in some ways, leapfrog the iPod touch with the Zune HD, which takes advantage of the startling contrast of OLED screen technology and will be one of the first (and likely the most popular) portable HD radio receivers. But no DNA test is needed to see that the Zune HD is inspired by the iPod touch, with a single button below the screen, side-mounted volume controls, and a power button at the top. Now that the Zune HD will have a hardware exterior that looks like a credible challenger to at least today's iPod touch, what about filling the flash memory in its interior? Here, Microsoft has a number of opportunities that could improve the Zune's standing if successful, or leave it in the iPod's shadow if not.
Entelligence: Time for Microsoft to tell a better Zune tale
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. A lot's been made of the new Zune commercial that Microsoft aired recently. If you have haven't seen it, take a look. Now don't get me wrong. I think there's a lot that Microsoft can do with Zune, but this ad doesn't quite do it for me. What's wrong? First, it took a shot at Apple that felt silly -- after all, most consumers don't spend $30,000 to fill up their iPod (how much did it cost to fill yours?). Even if that's the case, buying a Zune Pass won't fill up an iPod either. Second, it started to make a value play that's real, but stopped short of actually making it. The ad was interesting as it begins the discussion of the value of the Zune Pass. That's important. The power of the Zune Pass lies at the core of the differentiation of their whole business model, subscription services vs. single song downloads. Microsoft needs to go further and explain how these two models can co-exist with each other. Up until now there were only two models for music, the free and ad supported stuff on radio, or music you bought or owned (or perhaps acquired elsewhere). Zune Pass and other similar services change all that. While consumers "rent" video content all the time from theaters, cable companies, Netflix etc, there's also a lot of other stuff sold on DVD. There's no reason for this to be binary -- rent or buy -- it's just never been applied to music and when it has, it's not been explained or marketed well at all.
Entelligence: Close to the edge
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. There's an interesting debate that I've had recently. Should product designers aim for the enthusiast or "edge" cases when designing products, or should they instead target mainstream users from day one? It's an interesting discussion, but I believe that those that say "aim for the edge" and the enthusiast aren't correct, at least in the long run. Now if you're reading this, chances are you're a bit of an edge case -- or at the very least a gadget enthusiast. That's cool, I'm one as well. In fact, over the last few years I've coined three rules that I've come to refer to as Gartenberg's Three Laws of Consumer Electronics. For those of you not familiar with them, they are: There's a world wide market of 50,000 for any device sold to enthusiasts and early adopters. If Gartenberg sees a product at a demo and doesn't offer his credit card for purchase immediately, the product is doomed. Even if Gartenberg does offer his credit card, the product may well still be doomed -- as Gartenberg is part of the 50,000 enthusiasts that will buy (almost) anything. (If you're in the NY area, come on over some time and I'll show you my collection)
Switched On: Big Kindle on Campus
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Amazon's Kindle DX includes a few tweaks such as automatically rotating the orientation of the screen when it is placed in landscape mode and adjustable page margins because... well, CEO Jeff Bezos seems to like the feature. Literally, though, the biggest change is the new 9.7-inch electronic ink screen, which displays two and a half times more content than the 6-inch screen on the Kindle 2 and Sony Reader. The expanded display allows more detailed graphics to be seen without zooming or panning, and is better suited to a wide range of source material including maps, technical diagrams, and sheet music. But textbooks and newspapers were singled out as two printed sources that are particularly significant for the forthcoming device. These publications both benefit from the larger Kindle screen size, but each face different challenges in finding success on the Kindle DX. For newspapers, the Kindle DX cuts down on the costs of printing. Newspapers, though, are already struggling against competitors that did away with that expense years ago, including blogs that break stories and online entities such as Craigslist, eBay and Google that have siphoned away advertising revenue. Textbooks, on the other hand, have no major electronic competition, and print still retains advantages such as better readability and color. But digital textbooks must compete with used textbooks, a major market on college campuses, and likely will not be able to be resold if other digital content is a predecessor. At the Kindle DX launch, representatives from The New York Times Company and Case Western Reserve University both characterized their involvement with the Kindle DX as a trial or experimentation. What's behind the arm's length embrace?
Switched On: Windows 7, Non-Starter Edition
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Microsoft is making many well-received improvements in Windows 7, but may be in for a black eye on its Starter Edition because of growing misconceptions that it has optimized and recommended the limited Starter Edition for netbooks. For instance, the ad copy for the Apple commercial jabbing Starter Edition almost writes itself. "Hello, I'm a Mac." "And I'm a PC." PC is trying to juggle. "Hey, PC. What's with the juggling act?" "It's my new operating system. See, it only lets me run three programs at a time so I need to stop doing one thing when I want to do another. Really keeps me on my toes thinking about which three programs I should use. Of course, I could upgrade to a more expensive version that gives me the capabilities I should have had from the beginning." PC drops the balls. "Hmm, really? Every Mac lets you run as many programs as you want out of the box." "Well, that would be nice. I'd sure like to send someone an e-mail about that." "That's a good idea, PC. Why don't you?" "Because I had to quit my e-mail program to say that." PC starts trying to juggle again. Cut to iMac with "Mac" desktop
Entelligence: Beware of geeks bearing gifts
Today we reintroduce Entelligence as a new column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. Here's a riddle. Why was a $300 PC with a Pentium III CPU, an 8GB hard drive, 64MB of RAM, 10/100 Ethernet, a DVD player, and an NVIDIA graphics chip considered a killer PC system in late 2001? The answer is because it wasn't a PC -- it was the original Xbox. In recent years, Microsoft has evolved the Xbox quite a bit. No longer is it a PC system with N-1 technology -- it is now a targeted and focused piece of engineering that is state of the art and optimized for games -- but importantly, a lot more than games. It's the Xbox that will likely be Microsoft's beachfront into the digital home, and it will be the Xbox which furthers Microsoft's role in the digital home beyond the PC.
Switched On: Apps like to Movit, Movit
Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Not every company producing smartphones cares much about other kinds of portable devices, but those that do can heed a lesson from Apple. By leveraging the popularity, platform, and distribution of the iPhone, Apple deftly created the market for iPod touch applications. One would now be hard-pressed to name another non-cellular handheld device that has access to as many modern applications as Apple's flagship digital media player. Under some definitions, it has become the first mass-market Mobile Internet Device (or MID). Targeting both phone and non-phone platforms has allowed Apple to greatly increase the installed base for iPhone applications. Last month, Apple announced that it had shipped 17 million iPhones, and 13 million iPod touches, increasing the base of devices for "iPhone" applications 76 percent. Convergent devices like the iPhone and iPod touch are often looked at in terms of their potential to cannibalize a wide swath of other kinds of portable devices. These include the popular (digital cameras, portable navigation devices, handheld gaming platforms), the obscure (remote controls for presentation programs and the Sonos multi-room music system), and the humble (alarm clocks, calculators and pedometers).
EVE Evolved: A year of EVE Evolved - 5 most popular articles
Next week marks the one year anniversary of my weekly EVE Evolved column on EVE Online. I can hardly believe it's been a year since I was the newbie here at Massively, learning the ropes. To celebrate the one year anniversary of the EVE Evolved column, Massively is giving you the chance to win a free battleship of your choice, pre-fitted and ready to undock. To be in with a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment here before April 25th saying which previous EVE Evolved article was your favourite and why. To enter, you must have an active EVE Online account but there's no need to leave your EVE character name, the winner's email address will be looked up and they will be contacted. And remember, it doesn't have to be one of the posts linked in this article, just whichever EVE Evolved article you've liked the most. The winner will be chosen at random and announced in next week's article. In this retrospective article, I look at how far the EVE Evolved column has come and introduce the top five most popular articles by number of hits.
Switched On: A netbook Apple could love
Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Last month, rumors swirled that Apple had purchased a large quantity of 10" touch panel displays, leading many to believe that Apple is creating a netbook to compete with small, inexpensive Windows PCs later this year. Netbooks -- which have been driving most of the PC sales growth the past few months -- have proven a delicate balancing act for manufacturers that want to portray them as a second or even third computer. However, nearly all consumers have opted for netbooks with Windows, which makes them compatible with the same software programs being run on more expensive notebooks or desktops. So far, Apple has abstained from the netbook trend to the benefit of its profit margins and the detriment of its market share, but the company has a unique set of assets and design philosophy that could lead to a netbook that better embraces the concept than those of its competitors. Among these assets are its own operating system available for both PC and mobile configurations and computing requirements, its own fast and modern browser and productivity suite, and local (via iTunes) and WAN-based (via MobileMe) synchronization. In the mobile space, it has a thriving developer community excited by, if occasionally frustrated by, its application store that has spawned responses from Microsoft, RIM and Nokia. Apple is also strong in the education market, and students have been among the best target markets for netbooks. What, then, would Apple bring to the table?
Switched On: Taking the iPhone to tasks
Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Apple may be right that the benefits of multitasking do not outweigh its costs at this point, and the company will address at least some of the needs that have traditionally been met with background apps via its reworked push service and in-app e-mail due to launch this summer. However, the rationale presented at the iPhone OS 3.0 event this week against background apps is an incomplete argument at best. First, let's turn back to when Apple first announced that the iPhone would not support background applications at WWDC last June. Apple's Scott Forstall showed a screen shot of Windows Mobile's busy Task Manager noting, "This is nuts." He pointed out how background applications consume cycles, sandbagging performance, and consume battery life. But since when does Apple accept that Microsoft's implementation of something is the last word? And at the iPhone OS 3.0 preview, in a quantitative justification of the background process ban that included relaying testing on Android, Apple talked about how running a background IM client can reduce standby time at least 80 percent, whereas a push system reduces standby time only 23 percent. However, the case against background applications is not so straightforward.
WoW Insider Show live today (and next Wednesday)
Should be a fun episode of the WoW Insider Show this weekend -- and hopefully, Turpster's new song will be ready to play on the air for you all. Though it's not for certain, unfortunately -- I know he was planning a Wham! reunion just for the song, but you know how tough it is to get all the contracts involved on something like that. Anyway, even if the song isn't ready yet, we'll still have a show, and we'll chat about all the most popular posts of the past week, including our new Time is Money column (and how to make the most money ingame), everything we've heard and seen from Ulduar in the past week, and what else is new on the 3.1 PTR. Be sure to tune in live if you can -- it starts up at 3:30pm Eastern over on our Ustream page, or in the embedded feed on the end of this post.And we've got a special treat for those of you who can't make it to our usual Saturday broadcasts -- next Wednesday, March 11th, we're going to record the podcast at a special time of the week. We'll be starting up on Ustream around 9pm Eastern, which is probably a little late for all of you Europeans, but will hopefully let some people who've never heard the show before tune in (and hopefully we'll catch some WI bloggers who haven't been on the show before as well). This is only a one-time thing for now, so in the future, we'll be on Saturday as usual, but next week we're trying a new time just to see if we can mix things up a little bit.If you can't make it on Wednesday, don't worry: the recorded show will still be here on the site and on the feeds as usual, and in two weeks we'll be back to the normal time. This is just a chance to let people who haven't been able to tune in on Saturday afternoons come and check us out. Hopefully we'll see you there, either later today or next Wednesday evening.
Switched On: Connecting mobile, mantle and metal objects (Part 2)
Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The last Switched On discussed Always Innovating's Touch Book, one of the new hardware products introduced at this month's DEMO conference and an entrant in the netbook category that trades compatibility for stamina by using an ARM processor instead of an Intel one. Like the Touch Book, the Avaak Vue personal video network will be offered for $299 when it debuts later this year (in a kit that includes two cameras and a base station) and has no apparent service fees -- at least not yet. Also, like the Touch Book, the Vue boasts outstanding battery life – so impressive, in fact, that the company claims its battery-powered video cameras should last a year under "normal usage" – the cameras use power only when they are being accessed remotely. This on-demand power consumption combined with a low-power mesh network enable Vue video cameras to be mounted practically anywhere and, like the Touch Book, Vue cameras take advantage of magnets, which is how they are affixed to and positioned around their small domed mounts. The result is a networked camera system that is almost completely wire-free save for the base station's connection to a home router and a power cable. However, unlike the Touch Book, which supports many open standards including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and an array of USB ports (including two internal ports), the proprietary mesh network that links the video cameras is Vue's secret sauce.
Switched On: Connecting mobile, mantle and metal objects (Part 1)
Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Given that venture capitalists generally are not as excited about young companies that sell atoms as opposed to bits, companies innovating in hardware are a rare species at DEMO, the long-running technology startup parade. At this year's spring conference, two companies introduced new devices. The plainly named Always Innovating introduced the Touch Book, a new entrant in the netbook category while the vowel diversity-challenged Avaak introduced the Vue personal video system designed for remote surveillance of a home. Both products cater to an increasingly mobile society that demands digital access on the go and share some similar characteristics, but the states of the market they address could make a major difference for them. Always Innovating's Touch Book is a lightweight touchscreen computing device that will sell for $299. It's two signature features are a detachable keyboard – enabling the netbook to transform from a traditional clamshell to a "pure" tablet – and exceptional battery life of 10 to 15 hours on a single charge. The versatility of the hardware make the design one of the most appealing consumer tablet computing devices to date although the need to put the battery and processing guts behind the screen results in a thicker top half than one would find on most notebooks of similar size. Still, one can use the device to casually surf the Web on the couch using the new mobile version of Firefox, show photos as a digital picture frame, or even attach it to a refrigerator using the magnetic backing that the company has put on the tablet. It's a fine collection of atoms, but there's one Atom you won't find inside the Touch Book.
Switched On: The "phonetastic four" versus Windows Mobile
Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Barring any disruptive portfolio shifts prior to its introduction, the Palm Pre will complete a new competitive handset dynamic that began with the introduction of the iPhone. Each of the four major U.S. mobile operators will be emphasizing a capacitive touchscreen smartphone. Curiously, none come from any of the top five global phone manufacturers. And even more curiously, each will be powered by a different operating system as the Pre at Sprint jockeys with the iPhone at AT&T, the BlackBerry Storm at Verizon Wireless, and the T-Mobile G1. These signature handsets go beyond exclusives or even strong identification with the service provider. They bear the burden of attracting consumers looking for the coolest phone experience or at least minimizing the impact of the other signature handsets. In return, carriers lavish marketing dollars on them. Their role exemplifies a transformation of the market from the days when the RAZR was every carrier's "it" phone and operators competed on their particular shade of pink . The carriers' selection of their signature handsets must be disappointing to Microsoft, which cannot claim a Windows Mobile device among them. Indeed, the single mobile operator Microsoft highlighted at Mobile World Congress as being an exceptional partner was France's Orange. It's not as if an operating system must be exclusive to the device as there are other BlackBerrys out there (although, as Verizon Wireless tirelessly notes, the Storm is the first touchscreen BlackBerry). And it is only an accident in time that has made the G1 the exclusive Android handset. It certainly isn't about application support as incredibly all of the current signature handsets will have debuted without extensive third-party programs available. Regardless, though, and despite efforts by HTC, Sony Ericsson and Samsung to skin Windows Mobile as well as Microsoft's own improvements in Windows Mobile 6.1, there is a perceived cachet to these four signature phones that the best Windows Mobile devices are not yet delivering.
Switched On: Walls for a "Life Without Walls"
Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In October of 2006, I wrote a Switched On column entitled "Rebooting Retail in Redmond" in which I noted how much Microsoft's consumer business had changed since the days of the original microsoftSF store in Sony's Metreon. This was a world before Windows XP, before Zune, before rich touch interfaces on Windows Mobile devices, before Media Center, and before the original Xbox. I concluded that column by noting: Microsoft's consumer lineup today is far more compelling, sophisticated, media-rich and, with a growing group of hardware products, tactile than it was back in the 20th Century. The marketing strategy of Windows Vista -- with its various usage scenarios -- presents a nearly perfect foundation from which to structure showcase environments. The entertainment products that Microsoft wants to bring into the consumer's home would benefit from a home of their own. That argument will be even more relevant in 2010 as Windows 7 begins to roll out and Microsoft takes its "Life Without Walls" campaign to the next level by highlighting the integration of the desktop, the mobile phone and the Web. We are already seeing a sneak peek at this via the MyPhone service that Microsoft is rolling out for Windows Mobile. Microsoft stores will be in a unique position versus nearly every other physical direct technology channel. For while Microsoft certainly has its own consumer products such as Zune, Xbox 360, keyboards, mice and boxed copies of Windows and other software, a key charge of these establishments will be to highlight the promise of the digital lifestyle as powered by Microsoft in products produced by its partners or developers..
Switched On: Verizon Hub is a handset homecoming
Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. After years of providing the devices on which we spoke, Verizon is finally providing the Hub. The Verizon Hub is not the first VoIP product to use that moniker -- with pay upfront for lifetime long distance startup Ooma having used the "hub" name for its primary home phone adapter -- but the telco's take on the screenphone represents a turning point in the evolution of consumer telecommunications. For much of its existence, the cell phone had long played second-fiddle to the home phone as the wireless wonders implied expensive plans and inferior voice quality. Increasingly, though, consumers are finding connections to data services as critical as voice connections, and despite attempts that have ranged from the Cidco iPhone (yes, there was one years before iPhones by Cisco and Apple) and more recently the RSS-savvy GE InfoLink (now abandoned by Thomson's exit from the cordless handset business), the home phone has begun to lag far behind its portable cousin as an Internet resource. Enter our nation's two largest telecom providers. Triple-play aspirant Verizon Wireless has joined rival AT&T in offering a touch-screen, Internet-savvy home phone system heavy on information delivery and communications functionality while working with up to four DECT expansion handsets. Unlike the questionably named Samsung HomeManager offered by AT&T, the screen on the Verizon Hub cannot be carried conveniently about the house like a tablet display. The Verizon Hub also uses IP for its voice and data communications whereas HomeManager uses broadband for data and a traditional circuit-switched connection for voice calls. Why would Verizon blithely bypass its own copper?
