Category Archives: iPad

Survive the App Store

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I am constantly asked by people, “What are the best apps?” or, “How do you know if this app is any good?”

Here is my answer: Surviving the App Store. The eBook is a how-to manual that will help anyone to master the App Store. It covers basics such how the App Store is organized, finding apps and organizing them on your device.

More veteran iPhone/iPad users will still benefit from the “Apps Starter Pack” I created, which lists the best free apps available.

Thanks to all those who have been following my reviews at AppCraver, iPadNewsDaily, and the other sites I have contributed to. Surviving the App Store is currently available for Kindle (download it here) and Nook (download it here). An iBooks edition is on its way.

Get These Essential iPad Apps

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Looking for some “must-have” apps for the iPad? Start with these. The list is from a story I wrote for iPadNewsDaily describing excellent, free apps for first-time iPad users. A link to the article is here.

If you are curious as to which apps made the cut, here they are:

Is the iPad Killing the Netbook?

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This chart has become one of the most discussed on the topic of iPads vs. netbooks.

Many pundits and commentators are debating whether or not the iPad is eating into netbook sales. Some studies indicate the iPad is the stake into the heart of the netbook (see here and here.) Others say this is typical Apple-inspired hyperbole (here and here).

Getting to the truth is tricky because tech commentary lately sounds too much like our political system: polarized into overly dogmatic camps who talk at, instead of to, each other. On the one hand are the Apple fanboys, who find Apple devices as items of worship and take pronouncements from Steve Jobs as if the Pope were speaking ex cathedra. Yet there are also the Apple haters, who compare every Apple product to a Fischer Price toy and think all Apple innovations were stolen from someone else.

Instead of listening to these warring factions we should interpret the data. It is fair to infer the massive growth experienced by netbooks is probably declining because most who wanted one have bought it. Most new products that achieve popularity have a spike in sales and then eventually decline.
Continue reading →

First Post From iPad 3G

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This is my first post using the WordPress app from the iPad. I also have attached a screenshot from viewing my site in Safari.

There will be more to come as I cover the iPad. Let’s see what this thing can do!

iPad Update: Waiting, Waiting…

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Given my previous posts about the iPad (here and here) one might assume that I would wait a few months before getting one.

Wrong. I caved and pre-ordered a 3G model. Despite its limitations, I feel the iPad has tremendous potential and is a glimpse into how computing may evolve.It also doesn’t hurt that the no-contract 3G plan is a fantastic option for frequent travelers like myself.

Is it a bit overpriced? Yes. Does it come with the usual Apple limitations? Of course. But like most Apple products, the things it CAN do are amazing and enough to sell you on it. When it finally does arrive I expect to be giving plenty of apps a trial run and publish the reviews on AppCraver. This week I will have a series of Q&As that should help iPad owners, fence-sitters, or those impatiently awaiting theirs to arrive.

Now comes the usual wait for an Apple product’s arrival. Rumors, news leaks, more rumors, then out of nowhere a shipping notification. Next comes incessantly hitting refresh on the UPS page, as if somehow that will makes its journey from China to California go faster.

As always, it will be a geeky adventure. Let it begin.

The iPad Verdict

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This is me padding my web site analytics from the Apple Store.

Being a thinking person means I am not an ideal Apple customer. I couldn’t accept at face value the iPad was as “magical” as advertised, so I went over to an Apple Store today to try it out. Just like many, I have very mixed feelings about it, and much to think about before deciding to buy one. There’s a gazillion reviews on the web already, so I will not be writing one. I’m offering a few impressions from a tech enthusiast who is pondering whether to purchase an iPad.

Pros

Apple’s hype over the iPad comes closest to its grand hyperbole with Safari’s web browsing capabilities. It really is a joy to peruse the web by tapping, pinching and swiping. And the display is just gorgeous – so much so that looking at a MacBook Pro screen afterwards was a disappointment. I could easily see myself lounging on the couch, patio, or bed with an iPad.

My biggest surprise was how pleasant the iBooks app was. I wasn’t necessarily in the market for an eReader, but I could see myself buying books, especially to have with me while travelling. The app is just gorgeous, and the page-turning animation is quite cool, even though it is just for show.

Some of the preloaded apps were amazing, and really show the potential that developers will have with the iPad. Plenty of specifics and app reviews are out there, so I will just say that I expect that there will be plenty of amazing apps to come, given that there are already over 1,000 on day one. (This also may mean I’ll be plenty busy at AppCraver.)

Probably the iPad’s biggest compliment was that I just didn’t want to put it down. It really is a fun device to use.

Cons

I think the iPad’s criticisms hinge on the word “fun.” Once you get past the fun, there are gaping holes and crippling weaknesses that kept me from walking out of the Apple Store with one (and yes, they still had some in stock).

I have been surprised at how much the lack of Flash support and multitasking are downplayed in other reviews. Yes, HTML5 will probably eclipse Flash eventually, but it will be a while. I don’t really miss Flash on my iPhone, because it’s a phone. But on what is supposed to be a different kind of computer, there are plenty of places on the web where videos have gone missing. For example, on a Nexus One you could watch the NCAA Tournament from the browser, yet would need to pay $10 for the iPhone/iPad add for the same privilege. This artificial pay wall created by Apple is quite irritating. Continue reading →

Why the Google-Apple Marriage is on the Rocks

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It was a marriage of convenience. But like most such marriages, there comes a time when it just doesn’t work anymore.

So has been the case with Google and Apple. Despite the recent Steve Jobs-Eric Schmidt coffee date, the companies are going in two diametrically opposed directions – punctuated by Apple’s lawsuit against HTC.

Google’s primary aim is to get everyone on the web through its services to increase use of its search engine, thereby benefiting its online ad business. Hence the push for Google’s Chrome browser, Chrome OS, and Android. Apple’s cash cow comes through its proprietary hardware and software via iPad, iPhone, and iPod. If you use those devices, all official software comes exclusively through the Apple-controlled App Store.

To illustrate the point further, consider how both companies are working in the mobile space. If Google has its way by the end of the year many netbooks will be running its Chrome OS, which is essentially based on the Chrome browser. All data will live on the web, which means that developers are free to make anything they want for it as long as it’s accessible by a browser. Of course, most of your data will probably end up on Google’s servers in the form of Gmail, Docs, Calendar, etc. (I have already discussed how Google owns my soul.)

Apple, on the other hand, has created what will likely be another very popular device in the iPad. By all accounts it will have excellent apps and create a great user experience. The catch: everything goes through Cupertino. Developers from The Wall Street Journal to The White House must submit all their apps for approval. Continue reading →