ForbesOnTech

Apple's New IPad, incredible display-- But Emphasizing 4G connectivity Can be Dangerous

 

Apple computer is a driving force in consumer electronics. It also has the distinction of being the one technology company that often builds products for itself. Apple’s new third-generation iPad is a great example. Its upgraded screen and display technologies absolutely improve the lean-forward tablet computing experience.

I sreally hope Android and Windows 8 tablet computer makers will follow Apple in several key areas: 1) improved screen resolution, 2) overall performance, and 3) Integrated applications that match or best Apple’s iLife and iWorks software suite.

But there is an element of Apple’s 4G iPad platform that I think reveals a flaw in Apple’s strategy. The error is a belief that 4G support is critical. It’s not and here’s why. 4G isn’t available nationally (or even regionally here in CA). Moreover, 4G increases both the acquisition and lifetime costs of hardware. And the cost of adding 4G to a device comes at a time when tablet makers understand that the tablet market is price sensitive and consumers are looking for bargains.

Carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and others want business professionals to adopt 4G connectivity en masse. But data plans are expensive, and in many cases the amount of 4G data you can send or receive is capped.

The cost of equipping mobile professionals is not insignificant, and I’m sure that Apple’s execs and marketing execs do not pay their cell phone bills with personal checks. I am not an absolute 4G opponent. My complaint is the disconnect between product designers and marketing executives that filters out the increased cost of the feature

To be completely honest, one of the best portable computing experiences I’ve had was a Lenovo X60 with an integrated cell modem, writing and filing a story from a hilltop above Fuller Lake CA with a line of sight view to a Verizon cell tower. Although I was able to maintain a connection with enough bandwidth to download graphics the connection wasn’t fast enough to watch YouTube videos.

Frankly watching a movie on a 4G connection is troublesome. Long pauses for buffering make me realize the value of solid 802.11 n wireless connections. Pauses in data streams interfere with the lean-forward experience. But a new iPad is here. I was interested enough in it today to wait 20 minutes to play with it. It’s well built and its display is a genuine “wow!” I like its USB port and solid construction. But what I really admire is Apple’s software upgrades. In fact, I admire that so much, I wish all tablet makers would copy the experience.

Has Apple ever built products for itself before? You bet it has. The original Macintosh and Macintosh Plus as well as Apple Newton (Gulp!) are part of that legacy.—Jim Forbes on 03/12/2012

A Technology at the Right Place and Time-- The Rush to Touch Technologies

I leap onto technological bandwagons with both feet, my eyes wide open and arms outstretched to maintain my balance, just in case I don’t nail my landing.

My current bandwagon of choice is touch interface technology. I’ve slowly replaced all but one of my computers with new machines that come standard with touch interface screens. My desktops are all in-ones that run Windows 7 with 23-inch touch screens. I use touch interface for any task that doesn’t require keyboard input.

My tablets—A Sony S 32 and a Windows 7 Acer Iconia Tab W500 are all touch interface devices and I use touch controls exclusively on those devices.

My preference in portables also reflects my deep seated belief in touch interfaces. When I’m given the choice, I prefer to carry convertible laptops that allow me to combine touch input and keyboard data entry.

I believe the migration to touch interfaces will become a flood as Microsoft releases Windows 8, which offers full support of the touch interface. A full scale move to Touch is also being bolstered by increased basic memory footprints and the growing use of multicore processors. Moreover, the cost of touch screens has remained stable.

Google and its Android operating system on — designed from the beginning with touch interface technology also figure heavily into the equation.

Touch Interface support as a prime part of an operating system turbocharges its use with mainstream and vertical applications. After spending much of my career on technology’s bloody edge, I now live deep behind the avocado green curtain in rural San Diego County. What’s surprising is how ubiquitous touch computing has become. For example: On a recent trip into the village, I encountered touch interface technology at my HMO, my dry cleaners, a local orchard supplies store and a consumer electronic  content supplier. That’s pretty pervasive, given my rural, rattlesnake-infested, locale.

Touch computing will become  even more common in the coming 12 months and I suspect it’s going to be big news at the forthcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES)in Las Vegas in a couple of months. Now all I need to do is to remember and wash and get all the avocado goo from my hands before sitting down to use my touch interface computers—Jim Forbes on 11/30/2011

Moving Tablets Into Mainstream Digital Imaging-- The Time is Now!

Notice the drape on this primitive camera?

A college friend asked me recently if I had ”noticed  iPad owners using their tablets as view cameras?”

The question made me pause and think. When I imagine a view camera two pictures pop into my mind; Civil War photo journalist Mathew Brady and landscape photographer Ansel Adams. 

View cameras are bulky things with ground glass backs that recorded images on plate film. Photographers had to carefully position the cameras and themselves to control focus, image composition and squint into the glass back of a camera to make sure they had the picture they wanted. One of the defining accoutrements of view camera photographers was a black cloth drape—used to stop sunlight from glaring into photographers’ eyes as they checked he composition of their photo. Equally important, drapes also helped to insure glass and film plates from being accidentally exposed.

But “no, I had not noticed iPad users dancing around blindly covered in a drape, trying to compose a photo on the screens of on their tablets. But at Demo 2011Fall, I did see a lot of attendees taking pictures using the forward facing cameras on their iPADs. But no one was using a drape.

All of this is prequel to what I think could be the next evolutionary step in tablet computing-- the increased of tablets as digital imaging devices. Most tablets are now shipped with two cameras, one of which generally has a resolution of at least 5 Mpixels. The cost of digital imaging hardware is dropping precipitously and it’s not much of a stretch to imagine third-generation tablets with 12 or 14 MPIxel forward facing cameras and 9MPixel user-facing cameras. Latter-day Ansel Adams may want new features on tablets. Some for examples: threaded sockets to attach tablets to tripods; and software- based delay shutter release software for triggering single or multiple images. Digital imaging also requires memory, and I suspect that any tablet maker who tries to carve a nice in this market will make 32Gigabytes of memory part of any standard configuration that includes a high resolution forward facing camera.

There’s much more to digital imaging than charged couple devices (cameras) that capture high resolution images,  self-contained and cloud-based Image editing software also figure into the equation. This is why I expect the further migration of tablets into digital imaging will drive companies like Apple,Google ,Microsoft and sites like Shutterfly into new markets and expand tablet computers more firmly into digital imaging.

Tip of the hat to college buddy and Puget Sound based corporate communications consultant Dale Gluck for the “ have you noticed” tip off.

And while enjoying one of my guilty pleasures today—watching and listening to laden freight trains powering up the Cajon Pass grade adjacent to I-15, I saw a tablet computer user standing on an overwatch drape his head and carefully compose s shot of a four-engine lash-up chugging up the rails. Damn it, I didn’t have a camera, my cell phone or my Sony tablet S to record the moment.

You never really need a digital camera until to you really need one.—Jim Forbes on November 20 ,2011.

Watching CES Tablet Computer Launches- And, What's Needed to Claim Jump Apple's iPAD Motherlode.

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show in  Las Vegas should  be called the 2011 Touch and Tablet Computing extravaganza.

There have been as many as 20 new touch interface-based computers shown by CES vendors, most of whom are rushing to grab small claims in a verdant mother lode that today belongs almost exclusively to Apple.

Apple is a formidable competitor and although it has made marketing mistakes in the past, you can’t argue with the long term success of either its technologies or its core products.

the tablet computer stampede  this week the contest could end up like  heavy equipment racing up a steep incline to see which earth mover grabs a tiny parking space near the crest of a mountain.

And while the newcomers stake their claims, Apple will just continue to extract high grade from the market.

The key questions for any tablet maker who wants to compete against Apple with an iPad competitor are:

1. Do they have a reliable supplier of capacitive touch screens
2. If they’re going to compete, how small a profit are they willing to take on each device.
3. What innovation can a tablet maker bring to market to outshine Apple’s iPad?
4. What partnership opportunities are there in the tablet market?
5. Can Intel’s AppUp software store or Googlwe’s Android Marketplace challenge Apple’s Appstore?
6. What’s needed in tablet computing that Apple doesn’t provide now and what can be added to a new device without exceeding Apple’s $499 entry price point?

 

The most important thing about new tablet computers will be their pricing and matching Apple’s feature matrix. To compete against Apple I suspect most companies will come in with retail pricing $100 to $150 below Apple’s $499 entry level iPad. Competing on features could be a much easier task, beginning with adding more USB ports to basic designs and supporting Adobe data types.

What’s really apparent from CES is that most PC makers wont be in the market for months to come but when they do begin shipping Apple will face an all-out challenge from Google and an ever expanding stable of companies hooked to the Android 3.3 (aka “Honeycomb”) operating system. Also in the wings is Microsoft, with its next release of Windows and its decade’s long commitment to touch computing.

Forrester Research this week predicted that over the next several years tablet computer sales will reach 44 million units in 2015—double its predictions made for the form factor last June.

Acer, Hewlett Packard, Toshiba and many others have now announced their plans for tablet computers But few units are expected to reach consumers’ hands before mid-2011.Suych companies, however could face a hard fought battle with Apple, which is rumored to be working on bolstering its iPad lineup in the coming months—Jim Forbes 01/04/2011.

 

Gateway new ZX 4600-01 All-In One; Very Good Performance and Features At a New Low Price Point

A good all-in-one computer needs to offer a balanced user experience. Ideally, that includes above average video, crisp audio and above more than enough performance for everyday computing chores

Gateway’s ZX 4600-01 meets and exceeds the requirements for a good all-in-one desktop while establishing a new low price point.

Built around a 20-inch multi-touch technology (diagonal) screen, the newest member of the pioneering Gateway ZX line offers a great close-in user experience.

The system supplied tp me for this review was a standard Windows 7 Hone Professional configuration: AMD Athlon II dual core 2.35GHz CPU, 4GB of DDR memory, a roomy 640 GB hard disk drive and an ATI Radion 4270 graphics subsystem. This new Gateway all-in-one is now available Now at some national retailers for as little at $69500, a new low price point for a touch-enabled desktop. A multi speed DVD burner, webcam, and integrated networking are also standard on this system.

I like the multi-touch display on the newest Gateway ZX a lot. Although the graphics subsystem used on the ZX is a mainstay of mobile computing (it has a  maximum resolution of 1600 by 900 pixels), the ATI 4270 has enough horsepower for nearly all everyday user experiences.

The audio subsystem on the ZX isn’t likely to be a factor in hearing loss, but it’s more than good enough to do justice to anyone’s music collection—including my two-plus gigs of “musica de los hermanos, Allman y Doobies.”

One of the things that sets Gateway’s all-in-one apart from others makers is its THX Trustudio audio subsystem and its use of the glass in front of the display panel to project sound. I like this unit’s audio subsystem a great deal because of its excellent tonal fidelity. But if you really want to damage you’re hearing, I suggest adding external speakers to this rig.

All-in-one desktops share design philosophy with portable computers: the user is right in front of the screen. As importantly, the out of the box experience needs to be exceptional. Gateway’s ZX 4600-01 offers a great out of the box experience, and I doubt anyone who buys this system will need to spend more than 10 minutes bringing it online. Its integrated wireless transceiver is sensitive enough to locate and remain attached to wireless network access points located in distant rooms and it’s six USB ports should be more than enough for anyone.

I like the fit and finish of this system and its clean overall design.

The ZX4600-01’s performance is substantially above average and its 640 GB hard disk is fast and has enough storage capacity to meet most users’ immediate and future needs. Judged overall, the newest Gateway All-in-one desktop is a solid performer packed full of features found more commonly on much more expensive machines. I recommend it—Jim Forbes 08/29/2010

HP to Use Palm's WebOS on Internet- Connected Consumer Printer

Hewlett Packard’s CEO, Mark Hurd, told a financial analyst in an earnings report teleconference this week the company was readying a consumer printer that would run Palm’s WebOS a touch enabled operating system.

    HP’s $1.2 billion acquisition of Palm last month comes at a time when most consumer electronics and PC makers are investigating the use of small footprint operating systems, such as those developed by the company’s new subsidiary.

Palm’s WebOS—which supports touch computing interface technologies may be a tongue and groove fit HP’s plans to introduce multiple slate computer products and touch interface enabled printers.

Hewlett Packard has a long history with touch interface computing. Its first touch enabled products were monitors introduced in the 1980’s and today the company has two portable convertible computers that support touch interfaces as well as numerous all-in-onP isn’t the only PC maker with touch interface computers; Acer-Gateway, Fujitsu and Lenovo have all adopted this interface technology for use on convertible notebooks, slate and all-in-one desktop computers.

HP’s acquisition of Palm provides access to a deep base of touch interface design as well as an existing slate device that was developed but never released by Palm.

HP, however, is among the first consumer electronics makers to move touch interface to its internet accessible printers, an action that could speed the adoption of this technology to products made by other vendors.—Jim Forbes on 05/20/2010.

Apples iPad, The Beginning of a Slate Computer Deluge

My child-like sense ofwonder hasn’t been fueled by Apple’s new iPad or any of the other new slate computers introduced or unveiled recently

But that’s not to say I’ve changed my mind about slate computers.

Slate (aka tablet) computers are one of personal computing’s oldest promises. At its heart this concept couples persistent computing and access to rich data (or less complex data types). And, by definition, such machines need to be as portable as they are technically versatile.

I very much believe tablet computers can and will subsume dedicated devices such as e-books. Although I’m personally still bound to conventional books, I can easily understand how the widespread availability of electronic text books could drive me into buying a slate computer, were I still a student.  But e-book readers are not full-fledged computers and the student side of the academic computing market is notoriously price sensitive. Does anyone really think students have $500 or more to buy a portable with limited functionality?

Apple has taken its share of grief over the iPad. Much of the criticism is warranted; because IPad—like all slate computers--  is neither fish nor fowl nor good red meat.  I suspect preconceived notions such as an inability to visualize a portable computer without a conventional keyboard are responsible for some of the friction iPad and other slate computers face.

The form factor of slate computers also challenges existing conventions. Their shape doesn’t fit in any pocket, except those on the legs of military-style cargo jeans. This means it needs to be toted from one location to another as if it were a book.

What’s most interesting is that slate computers such as Apple’s iPad seem to be invariably demonstrated or described as being used in a casual setting as a means of keeping up with email, reading online periodicals or even text books or enjoying streamed entertainment files.

But I suspect anyone who buys a slate computer will want to do more, much more, with their machines and therein lies the rub. No matter if it’s a conventional portable, a convertible sub compact with a touch screen or a slate computer, keyboards will be key elements of the user experience and determine how satisfied the user is with their device.

Initially, most of the slate computers that have been demonstrated, described or shown as concept drawings have all used virtual keyboards on the device’s LCD screen. And, based on several years’ experience using touch screen computers equipped with virtual keyboards, I’ve learned that latency increases dramatically as the number of processes running on the computer increases. And, there may be no faster way to alienate a user than having a machine slow down and appear to be mired because it simply lacks the horsepower to provide a user experience that’s on a par with user expectations.

I give points to Apple and others –Lenovo and HP to name a couple—for touting long battery life in their slate computers. If this form factor is  to succeed transcontinental ( 8 hours or more) battery life is required. This is as important for the electronic book segment of the slate market as it is any other potential market.

What Apple didn’t really address with iPad was persistent 3G (or faster) connectivity. Of course this adds to the total cost of ownership of a slate device, but WAN connectivity is fast becoming a mandatory capability in the compact portable market.

I’ve always enjoyed watching and covering Apple’s new technology but I’ve been around long enough to remember that while Apple always brings great new industrial designs and often revolutionary concepts to market, it’s not necessarily always been the first to do so. I remember Digital Research’s GEM graphical environment and early versions of Windows—all of which preceded the Mac. But what has propelled Apple’s success isn’t necessarily the brilliance of Steve Jobs, but rather an institutional ethos that compels the company to stay in the game and consistently improve its products.

If had been working as a reporter when Apple launched the iPad the place I would have wanted to be wasn’t at Apple’s launch, but rather sitting in a room with Palm’s CEO, Jon Rubenstein, and its founder, Jeff Hawkins. Was it only two years ago that Hawkins proposed and championed a n iPad like slate computer at Palm? I wish I could have seen their reactions to Apple’s iPad launch.

But Apple has opened a flood gate and I suspect we’re about to be deluged with slate computers. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.-Jim Forbes 02/03/2010.

It's Time for a Revolution in Notebook Cursor Control Devices--Blindfold and Put the Trackpads Up Against the Wall.

Notebook trackpad cursor controllers may be the single biggest design problems effecting consumer notebook designs. The most important element of the portable computer notebook design is the user experience. And that boils down to how easily someone can unpack their machine, set down in front of a keyboard and productively work. Unfortunately, the performance of most track pads is so erratic that users have to learn how to position their hands and palm on each notebook they use. Most portable computer manufacturers have little control over trackpad design. Track pads are commodity parts most often purchased from the lowest bidding supplier and the resulting user experience suffers from this practice. I believe that the user experience is the single most important element in a successful notebook and I have yet to unpack and test a notebook that didn’t require spending time to adjust a track pad’s sensitivity or other attributes. It shouldn’t be this difficult and I shouldn’t need to carry a mouse-pointer in my notebook bag in order to really be productive with a notebook. My experience with notebooks that use track stick pointers or which have built in mechanical mice is altogether different. I u npack them, turn them, on and work for hours on end, a happy camper. For years, the reason why I recommended business notebook brands such as Toshiba’s Tecras and IBM ( and more recently Lenovo) ThinkPads and handful of others was because they used track stick pointers for cursor control. But my all time favorite notebook—Hewlett Packard’s original Omnibook 300 through 800 line didn’t use a stick pointer at all; it had a small mechanical mouse built into its side. HP’s mechanical mouse was a thing of beauty. It was built like a tank, lived safe from accidental damage in its little mouse house on the side of the Omnibook. But more importantly, in the four years I carried HP Omnibooks, not one ever failed. Not once! My love affair with touch screens has a lot to do with cursor control. If I want the cursor to do something specific, I just use a stylus to place it where its needed and perform a specific operation. Track pads may let me pinch, squat, squeeze and grunt but the result of inadvertently hitting a track pad creates an execrable experience that gets in the way of the user experience. The solution to the problems with track pads won’t come from the lowest bidders of 500,00-part track pad orders, or their software partners. It has to come from notebook designers who have a vested interested in making their products different by optimizing the user experience. Until this happens users will keep accidentally sending their cursors to screen realestate that’s unimagined.—Jim Forbes, 11/25/2009

Hey Microsoft, If You Really Want Win7 to Succeed; Evangelie Touch Interface Technologies

Widespread support of Touch computing technologies in Microsoft’s forthcoming Windows 7 operating system has precipitated a flurry of articles on how few touch-enabled computers have been sold to consumers.

A general theme of the articles (which have appeared on CNet’s News.com site and on PCMag.com) is that because touch screens have such a small installed base and carry an above-normal “build” cost of up to $120 for large LCD screen systems (but only about $30 for portables with 13-inch or smaller screens), there’s little hope for the category in the coming months.

What’s intrigued me about the stories is this: Most of the pieces overlook an earlier personal computer phenomenon that in many ways is somewhat similar; specifically Apple’s first versions of the Macintosh.

Let me explain: When the Mac first came out it took a while to catch on. Apple lived with sub-5 percent market share for a long time. Two distinct forces drove the Apple Macintosh’s early adoption: personal desktop publishing (enabled by Apple’s LaserWriter printer and page composition software); as well as hardware and software evangelism programs that set a bar so high it has yet to be breached.

Thus far touch computing enabled desktop and portable computers have yet to be paired with an application or peripheral that’s as intuitive a marriage as the Macintosh and desktop publishing.

This could change, however, in the coming months as next generation tablet notebooks and desktops break out of their profitable verticals (medicine, process control, law enforcement, public utilities and other categories) and begin to appear in college classrooms, college dorms, and homes, while consumers discover new uses for computers that fit in an arm as easily as a paper-based notebook and which also set new benchmarks for usability.

Digital imaging in all its permutations could become one of the applications that drives touch interface computing into consumers’ hands.

Anecdotally, email, task management, and enabling greater access to the Internet applications such as personal banking for consumers with disabilities caused by cerebral vascular accidents are also high on the lists of programs where touch interfaces excel when compared to conventional keyboard/mouse cursor control.

Part of the reason the touch interface has yet to take off may also be a lack of evangelism on the part of hardware and software makers. So far, the only touch interface computer manufacturer evangelizing this category is Hewlett Packard.

Whether or not non-Apple touch interface computer makers can grow significant market share for their systems in the months surrounding the launch of Windows 7 could depend on Microsoft’s willingness to promote touch computing for products apart from its Microsoft Surface computing concept. The key is energizing and promoting touch interface use with mainstream such as digital imaging and other applications. Only Microsoft has the ability to pull together a coalition between hardware makers such as Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo and Toshiba and software makers such as Adobe Systems, and EverNote in  such an alliance.

But the real 2,000 pound gorilla in this space could well be Apple, which early next year is rumored to be launching something reportedly called the iTablet, a touch enabled device for personal entertainment, personal productivity and other applications.

There’s little doubt that just as Apple  drove the demand for the acceptance of graphical user interfaces it can spark touch computing throughout the entire  Personal computing industry.-- Jim Forbes 08/06/2009.

Hewlett Packard Moves Touch Interface to Business Computers--Evangelizing Touch Technologies

Hewlett Packard is now moving its touch interface technologies to mainstream business computers with the introduction of its HP dx9000 desktop line.

The new desktop recently began shipping and is the subject of an evangelism drive to bring touch computing to mainstream and vertical computer applications, according to Dipankar Bhargava, HP’s dx9000 product manager.

My Bhargava says “there is are opportunities for Touch Computing in the business space, noting that HP is already talking to software developers and third party systems suppliers who plan on launching HP Dx9000-based systems for use in hospitality, educational, retail and senior living/convalescent centers.

Ssome of the first commercial wins for the DX9000 iare at multiple  sports arenas, where systems with touch screens have been installed in VIP suites and are used to order beverages, food, buy tickets for upcoming games and to purchase licensed merchandise, and view replayed video, Mr. Bhargava notes.

HP has high hopes its touch computing business systems will soon be placed in  nursing homes and senior centers where DX9000 systems canbe used to help seniors thrive by delivering conventional personal computer services and also be used to help improve memory by delivering memory exercises that also help improve hand/eye coordination and secondarily help maintain hand and digit agility, Mr Bhargava says.

HP’ is just kicking off its evangelism efforts for the new system. “As we engage with more ISV’s and potential customers, we’re beginning to interact with customers in ways we’ve never done before.” the product manager reports.

          HP’s DX9000 costs $1,399 and includes a 22-inch Touch enabled screen an Intel; Core 2 DuoP8400 processor, a 320 GB hard disk drive, 4GB of system memory and Microsoft Windows Vista Business 64.

Hewlett Packard is in the vanguard of PC manufacturers that are popularizing touch interfaces. In addition to its DX 9000 business system the company also sells several lines of Touch Smart all-in-one computers and a portable with a touch interface.

HP first introduced touch interface technology in the mid 1980’s on monitors that allowed users to initiate actions on personal computers. Microsoft s expected to highlight touch interfaces on its forthcoming Windows7 operating system.—Jim Forbes 04/16/2007.