Steve Wozniak entertaining the crowd waiting in line for iPad

Steve Wozniak is a complete opposite to Steve Jobs with whom he established Apple company. Woz, brain behind the Apple computer, is a fun loving and person with down-to-the-earth attitude but, Jobs is serious and ruthless entrepreneur.

youtube.com/watch?v=obW80HDtNE4

iPad clones available in China

The high demand of the iPad tablet in the United States forced Apple to delay its international launch. Reuters reported that Chinese counterfeiters have already launched their own version of iPad at a much lower price. The device is told to be power by Intel Atom N450 – the processor designed for Netbook and runs Windows operating system. Vista is pre-installed which can also be upgraded to Windows7. The Atom processor clocked at 1.66GHz with memory to 2GB and the hard drive is 250MB does even look superior in configuration when compared the original iPad’s Apple A4 processor, clocked at 1GHz. Good things: it has 3 USB ports, costs 2,800 yuan ($410), less than the $499-699 price-tag of the original. Reuters quoted one crew-cut agent Lin saying: "This is just the first rough version. Eventually, the factories will be able to make a much better copy."

Lost iPhone prototype issue getting complicated

The issue of lost iPhone and Apple's formal letter to get it back was stretched beyond the lost-and-found case to criminal offense. On Friday, members of the Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team, or REACT task force executed a warrant to search the home of a Gizmodo.com blogger, Jason Chen, who had published information about a lost Apple Inc. iPhone prototype, seizing computers and other equipment. Chen he returned home Friday to find police searching through his possessions, having broken down the front door.

REACT, the California police task force steering committee is reported to have included members of several large Silicon Valley firms -- including Apple, Google, Adobe, and others.
In a recent twist in the story, Gawker Media, the owner company of Gizmodo blog, claimed that the warrant used by police to search an editor's home was invalid.
In another statement, Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, told that the engineer who showed Woz an iPad on the morning of the iPad launch was fired. Woz told, he was not aware that the iPad was unreleased 3G version.
The iPad in question could be the following twitter photo of Woz holding iPad.

Non-US iPad launch delayed by one month

If you were waiting for the iPad to launch in your country (other than the US), you have to wait one more month, according to reports. In Canada, the iPad will launch at the end of May and Rogers will: … offer iPad price plans for all models from the end of May in Canada. With more than 500,000 tablets sold in the first week of availability in the US, the tablet’s popularity should have taken Apple by surprise, as the availability of device in Non-US market is shifted from ‘late April’ to ‘late May’. Apple will unveil the availability and pricing for the international audience on May 10.

iPad reviews: Best computer ever

Apple's iPad multimedia tablet goes on sale on Saturday, April 3, bundled with Winnie the Pooh iBook. Steve Jobs told the bundling the kid’s book in an interview featured in the latest issue of Time magazine. The the interview the Apple co-founder discusses the iPad, his career and his life. Reviews are pouring in and the reviewers obviously had high expectations on the Apple’s latest creation. As far as the expectations go – many reviewers think that the iPad has met or exceeded most of them. The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg thinks iPad's interface and design is great: The iPad is an advance in making more-sophisticated computing possible via a simple touch interface on a slender, light device. Only time will tell if it's a real challenger to the laptop and netbook. New York Time's David Pogue thinks everybody, who is not thinking of replacing the laptop, is going to enjoy the device. PCMagazine's Tim Gideon points out the iPad's limitations, but praises it nonetheless: BoingBoing's Xeni Jardin can imagine traveling with iPad instead of a netbook: I like it a lot. But it's the things I never knew it made possible - to be revealed or not in the coming months - that will determine whether I love it. The Houston Chronicle's Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus thinks that Apple's iPad is better than expected Think of the iPad as a new arrow in your technology quiver, an arrow that will often be the best tool for a given task. The Chicago Sun-Times' Andy Ihnatko says the iPad is pure innovation and one of best computers ever

Future Laptops - Rolltop

The tablet computer was supposed to replace laptop. Apple's tablet, iPad, unveiled last month however is not a laptop killer. Apple has tried to position the iPad in a totally new category rather than a laptop replacement. It is to be seen weather such an attempt will succeed.
Orkin Design, a design firm in Germany, has designed a concept tablet computer that can be rolled up and carried like a shoulder handbag. The large multi-touch screen can be unrolled and used as laptop and tablet computer. The computer features USB ports, webcam, stylus and everything today’s computers have.

I am not sure if the concept laptop is only a design concept or if some company has already considered it for production. The concept is good but I doubt it can capture the market unless the price is competitive. The Rolltop is more like a fashion accessory than a technology product.



Apple’s attempt to position iPad as a different computing category might be a strategic move to continue profiting from its more lucrative laptop (Macbook and Macbook Pro) business. It might also be a move to capture the Kindle and other ebook reader market. I don’t think Apple can stop the development of similar laptop replacement in near future.
Here is the video of the concept laptop.

iPad

No mention of GPS, web camera, multi-tasking capability but the price of the new iPad device from Apple, announced today is half the rumored $1000 mark. Pricewise the 16 GB iPad, for $499, is sure to succeed when you compare it with Kindle or Nook. But, it is to be seen weather the ‘zoomed-in iPod Touch’ will appeal the public. Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiling iPad, a new Apple tablet device:

Apple's 'latest creation' – iPad, iBooks (UPDATE)

Today we will know whether Apple has created a new ground breaking device and changed the world again. Apple has scheduled a press conference for 1 p.m. Eastern time today. I will add the details here, as they unfold. Apple’s latest creation, "way better than a laptop, way better than a phone," as mentioned by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, is finally unveiled after a long speculation and rumors. The 1.5 pounds touch tablet sports 9.7 inch display and includes 1 GHz Apple-built ARM A4 processor. The processor includes CPU and graphics in a single chip and the device will come in capacities of 16GB to 64GB of flash storage. The device is told to have 10 hours of battery life while watching video and one-month of standby charge. In addition to the iPad, Apple’s e-book reading application, iBooks, was also revealed in the event. iPad Specifications 9.7 inch IPS display 0.5 inches thin 1.5 pounds Full capacitive multi-touch interface 16-64GB of Flash memory storage 1 GHz Apple-branded A4 chip (developed in-house) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR 802.11n WiFi Built-in Speaker Built-in Microphone Accelerometer & Compass 30-pin Dock connector (same as iPod and iPhone) 10-hours of battery life (Over one month standby time) Runs all iPhone apps App Store application included Default iPad Apps Safari Mail Photos iPod Calendar Contacts Notes Maps Movies YouTube iTunes Store App Store

Apple dream - Tablet on every home…

The apple tablet is gearing towards reality with the confirmation of the rumored January 27 special event. The invitation only event will featuring Apple’s “latest creation" will start Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 10am Pacific Time. With recent development of events and news quoting “unnamed sources” it is an open secret that the event will release an Apple tablet. In addition to the tablet, Apple most probably will release iPhone OS4 and iLife 2010 to make them compatible with the tablet.   Apple with its much hyped tablet will seek to change the way television, news and books are delivered to consumers. Amazon Kindle seems to be feeling the heat: it has adopted the 70-30 share of revenue on books it sells online - identical to the business model employed by Apple with its App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. The iPad, iSlate, iTablet or whatever name Steve Jobs will find most suitable, will be more like an all-round device unlike Amazon Kindle. The tablet can be a book reader, a TV, video player, a computer, personal notepad, and a cell phone. The subscription based text book also sound exciting for the students who line up to sell their used book at the end of each semester for a fraction of the price they had paid. In the last, post I talked about five basic features Apple tablet needs to succeed in the market. I will go through the list again on January 27th keeping in mind that Apple has a track record of going against the tide and succeed. Most of the time it is not only the features that sell, cost also can play a great role. A recent survey found that most of the people are reluctant to pay more that $700 for the device.

5 Features an Apple Tablet needs to succeed

The Apple Tablet rumor refuses to diminish. In fact, every major newspaper (For example: The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post) are fueling the rumor. Now, when it seems ‘sure’ that Apple will release something this January. Another rumor about Apple ordering 10-inch displays fuel the likelihood of releasing it soon. If the Tablet is to be released, it would need something special to succeed in the market flooded with smartphones like Droid, iPhone, and Palm Pre. iPod Touch, Kindle, and Amazon Nook might be a distant competitor but they can’t be ignored either. The desktop computer, laptop and netbook are also plying in the same market. With this crowed market a tablet, if any, would need certain features to succeed. 1. Easy to carry and easy to use: We have had enough of bulky, heavy portable electronics. People need thin, light device that can be carried around easily. May be a large iPod Touch, or better than that. 2. Connectivity and portability You would need to share stuffs with your existing devices like phones, laptops, desktops. Bluetooth might be considered granted as it is available in iPod Touch and iPhone. A couple of USB ports, DVI output can be the basic necessity. Memory card slots should also be available by default. 3. Multitasking When Palm or Anaroid entered the iPhone’s market the soft spot they kicked was the lack of multitasking ability in iPhone. The tablet can’t live with single task ability. 4. Speed, aesthetics, battery life Speed and aesthetics need to go together to succeed in the  tablet arena. Aesthetics forces skeptics to try on the new device and when it doesn’t come with speed the sustainability will be hampered. One can take for aesthetics for granted based on the superior design record of Apple. A powerful processer however can be battery hog. Proper choice of processer, the brain, of the tablet to bring the right balance of speed and battery life would be critical in success of a tablet. A 12 hours of battery life can be considered a bare minimum. 5. Keyboard, responsive display It is sure that the tablet won’t come with a keyboard. There however should be an option of Bluetooth keyboard or stylus for note taking. Responsiveness of the display on a touch screen is critical too. With the experience with iPhone, we can count on Apple on bringing out a truly responsive display to start with. It doesn’t matter weather the Apple Tablet is called iSlate, or iGuide or something else. A cool Apple Logo on the outside would certainly boost the sales in the initial days of the release – sustainability of which would depend on the five requirement I mentioned above.