I remember sitting in this same building in the beginning of 2007 and feverishly refreshing a plethora of sites live blogging that year’s MacWorld Stevenote. And then the iPhone came out and we all know how that turned out (my and my iPhone are inseparable). And now it’s happening all over, only this time I’m waiting for a tablet – a device that is very mysterious to many, myself included.
As many have posited, the soon-to-be-announced Tablet (or whatever it ends up being called), will have to be revolutionary in more ways than one – and that’s why it’s so mysterious. Apple simply can’t take an iPhone (or an iPod Touch), increase its screen size, and call it a day. I have a feeling that this device will hail the introduction of an all-new interface (be it touch screen or otherwise) that will make everyone think, “Why didn’t we think of this before? It’s so obvious.”
In essence, the beauty of the iPhone lies in its proportions – the ability to use the device with one hand and one thumb (on that same hand). In fact, I can touch any corner of the screen with my thumb while holding the iPhone in just one hand. But when it comes to a tablet-style device that has a much bigger screen (we’re talking 8-10 inches here), single-handed navigation becomes difficult. And that’s the reason, in my opinion, Apple will hail a new set of technologies that will make using a larger-screen tablet intuitive, easy, and unique (whether it will be one handed is up in the air). And that’s not to mention the content magnet that this device will become – ebooks and magazines, videos and podcasts – the Apple tablet will undoubtedly work to increase content consumption exponentially.
And so I (im)patiently await 10 am PST for the Steve Jobs to take stage at today’s Latest Creation media event. Let the refreshing begin self-refreshing javascipt magic do its thing on the live streams (and let’s hope Twitter doesn’t go down). I’ll be here during the live stream.
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This was to be expected: Google CEO Eric Schmidt has resigned from Apple’s board today, citing a conflict of interest. Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that “Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple’s core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest.”
For quite some time, Apple and Google have been serving the same markets:
- Web-based email, calendaring, and contact lists: Apple’s MobileMe and Google’s Gmail/Calendar/Contacts
- Cellular phones: Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android
- Browsers: Apple Safari, Google Chrome
- Productivity applications: Apple’s iWork online and Google’s Docs
- Most recently, Google has announced that it will enter the desktop OS space with Chrome OS, which would compete head-on with the Mac OS
When initial whispers regarding the effectiveness of Mr. Schmidt on Apple’s board began to spread, many analysts pointed out that even though the two companies compete in many spaces, they have different business models for the aforementioned products: Apple charges a premium price while Google either gives its products and services away for free or doesn’t charge an OEM a fee for a license (in the case of Android and Chrome OS). As I’ve stated on our daily bit podcast before, this argument holds no merit: different business models or not, most consumers will end up purchasing only one of the above products/services – either an iPhone or a Google Android-based device. That is, unless the consumer has unlimited amounts of resources (read: money) – in which case the simple rules of economics no longer apply. The same goes for the rest of the markets in which the two companies have overlapping products/services. Now that any conflicts of interest are out of the way, I see the two companies becoming more competitive, especially in the following areas:
- Mobility: enhanced multitouch support on Google Android-based devices should more closely compete with the iPhone
- Productivity: Apple’s iWork online suite being made available as a standalone product to directly compete with Google Docs
- Operating Systems: Google’s Chrome OS not withholding any punches versus Mac OS X
Yet one has to wonder what words were exchanged between Jobs and Schmidt when Apple booted all Google Voice-related apps from its App Store last week. Would that alone have been a reason for Schmidt to step down as Apple board member? Most likely, not. But it must have played a role in his overall decision. Full press release after the break, if you’re interested: Read more »
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In a press release that is sure to surprise many, Apple released sales numbers for the first weekend of iPhone 3G S sales: 1 million units sold in a period of three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). The surprise isn’t in the sales figures – it was widely expected that the updated iPhone would be a big hit – but rather with Steve Jobs being quoted in the actual press release. This marks the first time Jobs’ name has officially come into the spotlight since the iconic CEO took a medical leave of absence in January of 2009. But why would Apple quote Jobs in a press release if the CEO has not returned from his medical leave? Hit the Read More button for the full TNR analysis. Read more »
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I’m sure that by now the story of Steve Jobs taking a medical leave of absence from Apple has presented itself to your ears at least once. If it hasn’t, it might be the right time to climb out from the bomb shelter. After the news went public yesterday, all sorts of things happened: Apple’s stock price slid by as much as 10% in after hours trading, Dan Lyons aired out his underwear on CNBC, and the ether-tubes went ablaze with the news. Considering last week’s letter from Steve Jobs regarding his health, this is a strong turn of events. Yet while everybody seems to be of the opinion that this will negatively impact Apple, I would like to focus in on this topic and possibly offer a perspective that is, as of yet, unexplored, if not positive. Read more »
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As you might have heard, Apple published a letter by Steve Jobs this morning regarding his health. I am not one to dissect others’ personal matters, especially ones related to health, and it is not what I am setting out to do here. However, it is important to note that it is Apple’s responsibility (to its shareholders) in disclosing any information that would prevent Mr. Jobs from performing his duties as CEO of Apple. And as we have already realized (some of us have done so many times over), this is a very sticky issue: where does Apple draw the line between meeting shareholder responsibility and Steve’s personal privacy? In any case, there is one tid-bit that I think is interesting from the letter. Hit the read-more link for the rest. Read more »
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