ForbesOnTech

Let the Derby Begin; Apple's iPad Thoroughbreds versus Google's Stable of Tablets.

 

 

For today Apple owns the tablet computing market, but a menacing horse is actively stalking the category with a product that won’t appear until later this year.

The stalking horse approaching Apple at a full gallop is Google and its Android 3.0 operating system.

At CES earlier this month you couldn’t escape tablet computer announcements, most of which were running on top of prerelease versions of Android 3.0.

The runaway winning hardware product announcement at CES was Motorola’s Xoom which on spec sheet claims alone—appears to set the bar for competition against Apple’s iPad. It’s based on a dual core processor and supports displays with resolutions as great as 1.280 by 800 pixels, In theory, the Xoom has the capability to earn fame as a top-flight media machine and Motorola is not a newcomer to consumer electronics, as evidenced by its recent Android-powered smart phone launches.

Apple has a well deserved reputation as a hard charging sprinter It also has an enviable handicap of being able to rely on grandstand sized crowds of brand loyal buyers. But, the sheer size of the projected tablet computer market ( predicted by some of the more reliable analyst firms to be in the scores of millions of units) can work against Apple because of some of its “Here’s What We KnowYou Need” industrial design and other traditions.

Google, on the other hand, is in the tablet computing market as an operating system vendor and is hardware agnostic. Furthermore, Google’s Android team is headed by one of the most experienced smart phone designers, Andy Rubin, a former Apple manager.

Although Google hasn’t faired well in consumer-related plays, its strategy to capture market using a platform play gives it a huge backfield to overtake and leave Apple and its iPad mired in the mud.

And Google’s Android has the legs to open daylight between its licensees and Apple.

Although the starters are faunching at their bits in the tablet PC starting gate, the bell won’t sound for several months, by which time Apple could be ready place its second generation thoroughbred iPad in this huge claiming race.

I’m not about to place the proceeds of a home equity loan on the results of a race between an Apple thoroughbred and a field of mudders, but I’m looking forward to the derby.—Jim Forbes on 01/20/2011/

First Crop of tubers and Tomatoes harvested-- Planning 2010 garden rev. 2.0.

Mid June is when I take a Long hard look at my garden. I’ve already picked four tomato plants clean and all of my potato mounds have flowered and died back—which means in about a week – (or as soon as the vines turn yellow brown) It will be time to dig up and store my first crop of spuds for 2010.

After I excavate the potatoes and pluck my last basket of tomatoes from the withering vines, I’ll be left with about 72 square feet of garden soil I need to reinvigorate using my tiller and the contents of my ever growing compost pile. On Father’s Day I did some basic soils testing and was unsurprised to learn my nitrogen and potassium levels are low—potatoes leech both from garden soil. So before I decide what I’ll replant, I‘ll boost the levels of both using an organic potting soil I like.

I haven’t made p my mind what I’m going to replant, but the four sprouting russet potatoes in my kitchen will probably be recycled end up in Garden 2010- 2.0. I also want to try and grow some large Roma tomatoes and two rows, of mildly spicy peppers, both of which will be used in my yearly tomato sauce canning project.

I also have more squash in 6 inch planters on my potting table.

My 2010 celery project is turning out much better than expected. I’m about 45 days away from harvesting my three rows and I’m really impressed by my Utah Tall celery’s all around flavor and sweetness. There really is no comparison between store bought and home grown celery. So, my 2011 garden will have at least two long rows of this vegetable.

I also have three rows of fruit trees and one of my on-going goals has been to produce a “perfect” free stone peach. Last year I pruned my peaches and this year three of my four Avalons are in full production, proof of which is overburdened branches with up to 45 peaches drooping dangerously low to the ground. About half of the peaches on my “test” tree are headed to the 12-ounce mark.

What I did wrong this year is not thinning my peachcrop sooner. That’s the bad news. The good news is not one person in my family has ever said “no thank you” to a basket of fresh peaches. And this year I’ll be giving away many baskets.

My peaches and apricots will be ready to harvest in about 10 days, so it’s time to cut back on my irrigation—which helps concentrate the flavors in ripening fruit.

My three year old Reed avocados have set and their green cannonball-sized fruit are developing nicely. My goal this year is to plant five more Reeds and two Fuertes avocados, which eventually will result in a year-round availability Reed, Pinkerton, Haas or Fuertes fruits. Most non Southern Californians have never seen a Reed avocado, which when placed on a kitchen table universally generates an “O Dios mio!” ( “ODM” or “OMG” English equivalent) reactions because of their colossal size and superior taste.

Gardening is a pleasant experience: It forces me to use my stroke affected left hand and I work shirtless, which results in a tan.And all of those are good things—Jim “Farmer” Forbes on 0621/2010.

Improving the Portable Computer User Experience: Welcome to the Islands-- keyboards.

 I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the best ways to see what forces are driving and shaping portable computer sales is to spend time at a retail outlet that has a wide selection of machines.

It’s just  fun to watch consumers drift away from salespeople spiffed to direct a buyer towards a brand or model and begin playing with a notebook. In the “Store as an observation platform for consumer interest laboratory”it’s hard not to notice that people are interested not just in size but also in “heft.”

But the most interesting trend I see is consumer reaction to recently introduced  keyboards with “island” style raised keys.

Anecdotally, I’m a notebook buyer who likes island keys. My hand seems to naturally arch over the keyboard—resulting in my making fewer typos and in having far fewer accidental incursions with a touchpad.

Island keyboards on notebooks is still an emerging trend and there are more machines equipped with less expensive keyboards than with the new components.

There may be no more important ingredient of a good user experience on a portable than the acceptance and ease of use of a keyboard, and that’s why I think Island keys are here to stay. And that’s a good thing.

So, come to the Islands, man. Your digits and hands will thank you—Jim Forbes on 06/04/2010.

52 Churches at Churbuck.com; a true "Must Read" Blog Series.

One of the most interesting blogs I’m reading today is an ongoing series called 52 churches at Chubuck.com/wordpress. Written by David Churbuck, 52 Churches is a paean to church architecture, ecumenical differences and observations of a church’s congregants.

There is no visible religious preference in the 52 churches series.  What makes this one of the ”must reads” on the web is Dave’s intellectual curiosity, his encyclopedic-knowledge of religious architecture and history and a Hemmingway-like writing style that’s devoid of prejudice.

Initially limited to churches near Churbuck’s home on Cape Cod, David’s pilgrimage has taken him to California and most recently Istanbul where he’s posted entries on the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque.

This series is so well written it outshines any of the other blogs I read.  And in a moment of honest disclosure, I must say I consider David Churbuck to be a good friend, an inspirational writer, And, a much trusted former colleague in the trenches of PCWeek.

Without further ado, I recommend you immediagtely go to: http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/52-churches/

Jim Forbes 01/31/2010

Farewell Fake Steve-- Thanks for the Laughs

I guess it’s true; all good things sometimes come to an end. And it seems that the often-hilarious blog “The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs” has reached that point, according to its author, Daniel Lyons most recently of Forbes and now in the process of moving over to Newsweek.

            In his most recent post here, Lyons announced he was shutting down the Fake Steve Blog, but planned to replace it with one under his own name in the coming weeks.

            For it’s much of its life, the identity of Fake Steve was the subject of a grail-like quest for many of Silicon Valley’s hoi polloi A-list editors. Most of which incorrectly assumed that the author had to be an Apple insider or most likely one of the several editors who have long-standing relationships with the Cupertino, CA, electronics manufacturer.

            The quest took a turn for the bizarre when Forbes’ publisher, Richard Karlgaard, offered a reward for Fake Steve’s identity. Karlgaard apparently couldn’t imagine that the blog’s author was one of his own staffers, which elicited gales of laughter from the small handful of people --mostly former co-workers who recognized his writing style-- who had correctly guessed Lyons as its writer.

            While the Secret Diary of Steve Jobs may be gone, Lyons did a blog to book move, and is offering a bound collection of “best of” posts for $25. The smallish book is being produced by Blurb inc. and can be ordered through Lyon’s Fake Steve blog.

            So long Fake Steve.  I’ll miss the stories of you and Larry rocketing up to San Francisco to go paint balling. I honor the place where your humor and the milk shooting out my nose are one.

            And, Lyons you are one of the funniest reporters I ever worked with. You made trekking overnight from the Foster City PCWeek Bureau to the Prudential Building on Boylston in Boston bearable. Namaste, Dude—Jim Forbes, 07/10/2008

 

When Does a Blog Represent a Book-- Blog to Book Part Deux

I’ve spent several hours over the last month discussing the blog to book concept with a writer chum now living in Europe who is a writer.

Viewed in its entirety, there are a lot of blogs that on their surface could be turned into good books. Right off the top, the Chatfield Project at Churbuck.com jumps right up ( here). This collection  is based on the memoirs of a 19^th century Cape Cod whale fishermen and civil war US Navy brevet Captain who made his mark as part of the Caribbean Squadron, which gained infamy and notoriety in ist raid on Tampa Bay.

When I first started reading the exploits of the good Captain Chatfield I was instantly swept up in the fast flowing narrative and its laser-focused observations of pivotal 19^th Century events such as the California Gold Rush (during which Capt Chatfield’s whaler was left abandoned on the shores of SF while it’s crew—including the good Captain, went to seek their fortunes in California’s numerous gold districts.)

There are some marketing blogs that could also be turned into books. Eric Kintz’s Marketing Excellence/Digital Insighyts blog here is something I read regularly and carefully. The same is true for a blog called Magnosticism, (here)  insightfully written by fellow PCWeek alum Rob O’Regan.

The blog to book world is ripe for successes based on satirical blogs. No one blog is a more obvious example than the Secret Diary of Steve Jobs, penned by Forbes Sr. Editor Dan Lyons. Lyons’ book, loosely based on his blog is called “Options” and is due out this Fall.

But Fake Steve isn’t the only example of a blog to book project with great built-in potential.

One of my “must reads” every day for the last two months has been ”Confessions of a Pioneer Woman”, written by a mid-30’s mother of four who went from undergrad life at USC to marriage to a Marlboro Man and mother of four “punks” on the high plains of Montana. What makes “Confessions” a must read is the author’s introspective, honest humor, as well as her incredible photographs. Her series on pregnancy testing 300 cows, with accompanying Cowgina Monologue photos is one the funniest things I’ve read in years. Don’t believe me? click here. Or, go to www.PioneerWoman.typepad.com.

My final candidate is The Atlantic’s James Fallows’ “Dispatches, China”  which you can read here. The current interest in doing business in the PRC makes Fallows’ blog—written from within the People’s Republic – a strong candidate for conversion into a book in the near future. My interest in blog to book conversions started over a year ago and has led to a couple of predictions and observations.

1.                  Trying to make money by selling existing copy on a web site using a chapter-based sales model will not work.

2.                  To increase the potential of a successful blog to book move, most authors will need to increase the illustrations they post in their blogs.

3.                  the market for satire and humor is relatively untapped, but has enormous potential. The reason I read FakeSteve everyday is because it’s often funny. Pioneer Woman is a laugh-out-loud pants-peeing, hiney buttocks tingling hoot almost everyday.

4.                  There are very few marketing blogs being published today that have the insight required to make the transition to a business book.

5.                  Sock puppet marketing or egotistical blogs are non-starters.  Most are so transparent as to not be worth reading as blogs, let alone as books.

6.                  On the plus side, blogs can boost awareness of a book or an author. One of the first and best examples of the blog to book phenomena is business book called Management by Baseball here written by ex-Infoworld staffer Jeff Angus. I recommend that anyone trying to turn their blog into a book, read Angus’ book and his blog as a primer.

(mandatory disclosure—I worked at PCWeek with David Churbuck, Dan Lyons and Rob O’Regan, I respect and admire their skills and enjoy their blogs.)—Jim Forbes, Escondido, CA.