Apple's Mac refresh plays into download strategy
Apple today released new versions of its Mac computers as well as the system software that powers them.At first blush, today's changes would seem to be business as usual for the technology giant, which has built massive success off cyclical updates to its products. But behind the scenes the changes represent a carefully crafted strategy in how the company presents its products to customers, as well as getting its machines more tightly connected to its various digital storefronts. Read on to find out what's new.New operating systemFirst things first, there's Lion, the latest version of Apple's Mac OS. The new software is the seventh major revision of Mac OS X, and an upgrade to Apple's Snow Leopard OS which came out in late 2009.Apple's Launchpad feature mimics the app launching environment people are used to from the iPhone or iPad.AppleApple is advertising Lion as having more than 250 new features, with some of the biggest ones being touches brought over from iOS, the system software that powers Apple's iPhone, iPod and iPad. That includes things like an icon-based application launcher, and multitouch gestures that make the OS feel more like an iPhone or iPad when interacting with onscreen content using a multitouch trackpad.There are also full-screen applications--something Microsoft's Windows has had for years, but Apple's taken a slightly different approach with--making use of the multitouch trackpad to let users switch back and forth between full-screen apps, almost like pages of a magazine. Apple plans to bring identical behavior to iPad apps with a software update in the fall. Notably, Lion is the first version of the Mac OS to be made available only as digital download to existing Mac OS users, short of having them buy a new computer. That's a stark contrast to years past, where users would have to turn to a retailer to get a DVD. Apple has made that happen through the Mac App Store, a digital downloads storefront the company introduced earlier this year that now comes included out of the gate with Lion.In what appears to be a concession to users who aren't in a spot to download the 4GB Lion install file, Apple today announced it would also be offering the new OS on a USB stick sometime next month that will let users run the update even if they don't have an Internet connection.Between the current download-only status of Lion, and a dwindling supply of boxed software offered in the company's retail stores, Apple has made a concerted effort to position the Mac App Store as the place to get apps and games. That's been especially true of the company's software applications like Final Cut Pro X, which is only available through the Mac App Store, and pro photo app Aperture, which can be had at less than half the cost of its boxed counterpart if buyers choose to go through Apple's digital storefront.New Macs, displayAlongside Lion, Apple today updated two of its Mac computer lines with technology it began adding to its products earlier this year. That change is the move to Intel's newer Sandy Bridge processors alongside the introduction of Thunderbolt, a joint collaboration between Apple and Intel to produce a high-speed port that would take up less space and offer speeds that were faster than USB and Firewire. Apple's new MacBook Airs, which take the place as the entry-level Apple notebook.AppleIn late February,Apple began adding Thunderbolt to its most popular products first, starting with the MacBook Pros, followed a few months later with the iMac, Apple's all-in-one desktop. Today's updates bring Thunderbolt ports to the MacBook Air notebook, the Mac Mini desktop, and Apple's LED Cinema Display, which the company has now dubbed the Apple Thunderbolt Display. That leaves just one machine, the Mac Pro desktop tower, without that technology. Related links• Apple updates MacBook Air, Mac Mini• First impressions: Apple's new Mac Mini• Hands-on with new 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air• Mac OS X Lion review: A worthy upgrade for the price• Apple unveils first Thunderbolt display for $999• Apple quietly discontinues white MacBook• Can the MacBook Air replace the White MacBook? Maybe it's not trying to.• Deals to be had on 2010 MacBook AirAdding Thunderbolt to the rest of these products is important given that savvy consumers have long been expecting it to infiltrate the rest of the company's Mac lineup since the feature first appeared with February's MacBook Pro refresh. For some, that very expectation, along with the wait for Lion could have been keeping them from buying a computer, a concern that Apple has now addressed.Apple giveth and taketh awayOne change to its Mac lineup that Apple didn't announce was that the MacBook, its longtime entry-level notebook,is no more. The company quietly killed it off in favor of the entry-level MacBook Air. At $999, the 11.6-inch Air is the same price the MacBook was, but sports a smaller screen, fewer ports, no optical drive, and substantially less in built-in storage.The MacBook, once a best seller, has been put out to pasture.CBS InteractiveThe change comes just a day after Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, made mention during the company's quarterly earnings call that some customers were, in fact, choosing to buy an iPad over one of the company's computers, behavior that led to Mac sales that were still bigger than the same time last year, but lower than analysts were expecting. Perhaps by positioning a bigger gap in terms of price and features in the company's portables (which today's changes present), buyers will begin to see the two as filling separate needs. One other long-term trend that continued to play out this morning was Apple killing off the optical drive. Apple began this with the MacBook Air, a variant of the MacBook Pro line that cut the disc drive and a few extra ports to save on size. Apple today followed that up by nixing the DVD drive in the Mac Mini line, moving it to a design similar to the one it introduced in the server version from the previous Mac Mini refresh (which did away with the optical drive in favor of adding an extra hard drive).Between the Mac Mini change and the shelving of the MacBook, that means Apple is down to three computers with an optical drive: the MacBook Pro, iMac, and the Mac Pro. While it might take an entire overhaul of those three machines to do away with the disc drives, Apple has made it very clear the feature is on its way out, just like what it did with floppy-disk drives in the 1990s. Why did Apple nix the disc drive, you might be wondering? With Lion shipping with the Mac App Store from the get go, that drive represents an escape route for buyers to get music, movies, and software from somewhere other than Apple, which offers all three in iTunes and the Mac App Store. Buyers who get the Air and Mac Mini still have the option to use another computer's disc drive with Apple's drive sharing technology. And there's always the optional, external DVD drive, which Apple just happens to sell for $79. At least for now.
New apps announced at WWDC
New apps announced at WWDC
Netflix for iPhone was a welcome announcement, with the iPad version of the app already popular with its streaming "Watch Instantly" capabilities. According to Apple, now you'll be able to start a movie on your iPad or iPhone and then continue watching on another device or your desktop computer. Though it's great you'll be able to watch Netflix movies anywhere, we wonder just how popular watching movies on the 3.5-inch screen will be.Farming on your iPhone is sure to be a hit with the success of FarmVille. But do you really want access from anywhere?Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNETPopular online game developer Zynga also got in on the act, announcing the availability of "Farming," an iPhone app version of the insanely popular Facebook game FarmVille. With more than 70 million people playing FarmVille, bringing the game to the iPhone is pretty much a sure hit. We have to admit, though: we worry about the already over-stressed FarmVille harvesters now that their farms will be accessible anywhere.Guitar Hero for iPhone will let you customize your band members and download music to play in-game.Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNETActivision came to the stage next announcing the launch of Guitar Hero ($2.99) for iPhone and iPod Touch (announced as available today, but it's not in the App Store yet--we'll add a link when it becomes available). Though Guitar Hero has already enjoyed huge success on consoles, we'll be interested to see how much traction this app will gain on the iPhone/iPod platform. Will the 3.5-inch touch screen be enough for Guitar Hero fans without the advantage of holding the instruments in your hands? We'll soon find out.Just like the Mac version of iMovie, you'll have access to your movie timeline at the bottom, with controls dotting each of the four corners of the screen.Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNETThe announcements were not limited to third-party developers, though. Apple also announced the launch of iMovie for iPhone 4 ($4.99). In the brief demo, Apple showed how you can edit movies using the touch-screen interface. Like the iMovie software for Mac, your timeline resides at the bottom of the screen with the footage taking up the top three-quarters of the screen. You'll be able to use iMovie in both portrait and landscape views; pinch to zoom will be available; and you'll be able to change the scale of your movie's timeline, and touch and drag to trim. Adding photos will automatically get the slow pan/zoom of the Ken Burns Effect. You will also be able to add theme transitions and titles, record geolocation (automatically inserted into theme), add music from iTunes, and much more. When you're finished, you'll be able to export to three different resolutions including 360p and 540p to conserve on storage space, or 720p for HD quality video.That was all that was shown regarding new apps at the WWDC keynote, but we expect that many more apps that take advantage of the iPhone 4 hardware will be revealed in the coming weeks. We're especially excited to see how developers will use the iPhone 4's new gyroscope features, along with all the other new additions to iOS 4.
Netflix for iPhone was a welcome announcement, with the iPad version of the app already popular with its streaming "Watch Instantly" capabilities. According to Apple, now you'll be able to start a movie on your iPad or iPhone and then continue watching on another device or your desktop computer. Though it's great you'll be able to watch Netflix movies anywhere, we wonder just how popular watching movies on the 3.5-inch screen will be.Farming on your iPhone is sure to be a hit with the success of FarmVille. But do you really want access from anywhere?Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNETPopular online game developer Zynga also got in on the act, announcing the availability of "Farming," an iPhone app version of the insanely popular Facebook game FarmVille. With more than 70 million people playing FarmVille, bringing the game to the iPhone is pretty much a sure hit. We have to admit, though: we worry about the already over-stressed FarmVille harvesters now that their farms will be accessible anywhere.Guitar Hero for iPhone will let you customize your band members and download music to play in-game.Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNETActivision came to the stage next announcing the launch of Guitar Hero ($2.99) for iPhone and iPod Touch (announced as available today, but it's not in the App Store yet--we'll add a link when it becomes available). Though Guitar Hero has already enjoyed huge success on consoles, we'll be interested to see how much traction this app will gain on the iPhone/iPod platform. Will the 3.5-inch touch screen be enough for Guitar Hero fans without the advantage of holding the instruments in your hands? We'll soon find out.Just like the Mac version of iMovie, you'll have access to your movie timeline at the bottom, with controls dotting each of the four corners of the screen.Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNETThe announcements were not limited to third-party developers, though. Apple also announced the launch of iMovie for iPhone 4 ($4.99). In the brief demo, Apple showed how you can edit movies using the touch-screen interface. Like the iMovie software for Mac, your timeline resides at the bottom of the screen with the footage taking up the top three-quarters of the screen. You'll be able to use iMovie in both portrait and landscape views; pinch to zoom will be available; and you'll be able to change the scale of your movie's timeline, and touch and drag to trim. Adding photos will automatically get the slow pan/zoom of the Ken Burns Effect. You will also be able to add theme transitions and titles, record geolocation (automatically inserted into theme), add music from iTunes, and much more. When you're finished, you'll be able to export to three different resolutions including 360p and 540p to conserve on storage space, or 720p for HD quality video.That was all that was shown regarding new apps at the WWDC keynote, but we expect that many more apps that take advantage of the iPhone 4 hardware will be revealed in the coming weeks. We're especially excited to see how developers will use the iPhone 4's new gyroscope features, along with all the other new additions to iOS 4.
Black Keys drummer- Musicians can't trust Sean Parker
Black Keys drummer: Musicians can't trust Sean Parker
Sean Parker is an enemy of music artists.That's according to Patrick Carney, drummer of the rock band The Black Keys. Carney offered his opinion of Parker during an interview with radio station WGRD. "He's an ass----," Carney told the station. "That guy has $2 billion that he made from figuring out ways to steal royalties from artists, and that's the bottom line. You can't really trust anybody like that."Related storiesSpotify has much to do before U.S. launchWas Spotify too optimistic about U.S. launch?Pandora spurs music sales; Spotify not so muchSpotify adds two new levels of serviceStats don't support hype: Digital music is ailingParker is an investor in Spotify and Facebook, but his connection to Spotify is presumably only one part of why Carney finds him troubling. (Singer Justin Timberlake portrayed Parker in the Facebook-origins movie "The Social Network" -- "This is our time!") Along with Shawn Fanning, Parker was also one of the founders of iconic file-sharing service Napster, which gave birth to the illegal downloading of music more than a decade ago. Parker was not immediately available for comment. The Black Keys are a two-member band that plays some of the most lowdown and rockin' good blues out there now. But the band also risks becoming this generation's version of Metallica, the heavy metal group that tried confronting Napster and illegal file sharing in 2001 and in the process alienated much of their audience. There's a backlash among some music acts against subscription music services, and The Black Keys seem to be at the forefront. Managers of such acts as Coldplay, Adele, Tom Waits, and others argue that Spotify, Rhapsody, Rdio, and MOG satisfy a lot of demand without returning meaningful revenue to artists. The Black Keys have withheld their latest album, "El Camino," from being distributed on subscription streaming services, even though these services are becoming increasingly popular with the public. The holdout acts say they won't take part in a bigger way until the services begin forking over more money. Sean Parker, center, has been a disruptive force in music for years and he appears to relish that role.Greg Sandoval/CNETThe subscription services argue that they are just now getting their footing with mainstream music listeners. There's evidence to support this claim. The Recording Industry Association of America reported sales figures for 2011 yesterday and revenue for subscription music rose 13 percent in 2011 while the number of paying subscribers climbed 18 percent. The refreshing thing about the Keys is that at least they're not trying to hide their motivation behind some altruistic claim of helping younger bands or artists. They make it clear they want to get paid. "Trust me, [Auerbach] and I like to make money," Carney told WGRD. "If it was fair to the artist we would be involved in it. I honestly don't want to see Sean Parker succeed in anything. I imagine if Spotify becomes something that people are willing to pay for, then I'm sure iTunes will just create their own service, and they're actually fair to artists."Update 10:54 a.m. PT To include RIAA sales figures for subscription music services.
Sean Parker is an enemy of music artists.That's according to Patrick Carney, drummer of the rock band The Black Keys. Carney offered his opinion of Parker during an interview with radio station WGRD. "He's an ass----," Carney told the station. "That guy has $2 billion that he made from figuring out ways to steal royalties from artists, and that's the bottom line. You can't really trust anybody like that."Related storiesSpotify has much to do before U.S. launchWas Spotify too optimistic about U.S. launch?Pandora spurs music sales; Spotify not so muchSpotify adds two new levels of serviceStats don't support hype: Digital music is ailingParker is an investor in Spotify and Facebook, but his connection to Spotify is presumably only one part of why Carney finds him troubling. (Singer Justin Timberlake portrayed Parker in the Facebook-origins movie "The Social Network" -- "This is our time!") Along with Shawn Fanning, Parker was also one of the founders of iconic file-sharing service Napster, which gave birth to the illegal downloading of music more than a decade ago. Parker was not immediately available for comment. The Black Keys are a two-member band that plays some of the most lowdown and rockin' good blues out there now. But the band also risks becoming this generation's version of Metallica, the heavy metal group that tried confronting Napster and illegal file sharing in 2001 and in the process alienated much of their audience. There's a backlash among some music acts against subscription music services, and The Black Keys seem to be at the forefront. Managers of such acts as Coldplay, Adele, Tom Waits, and others argue that Spotify, Rhapsody, Rdio, and MOG satisfy a lot of demand without returning meaningful revenue to artists. The Black Keys have withheld their latest album, "El Camino," from being distributed on subscription streaming services, even though these services are becoming increasingly popular with the public. The holdout acts say they won't take part in a bigger way until the services begin forking over more money. Sean Parker, center, has been a disruptive force in music for years and he appears to relish that role.Greg Sandoval/CNETThe subscription services argue that they are just now getting their footing with mainstream music listeners. There's evidence to support this claim. The Recording Industry Association of America reported sales figures for 2011 yesterday and revenue for subscription music rose 13 percent in 2011 while the number of paying subscribers climbed 18 percent. The refreshing thing about the Keys is that at least they're not trying to hide their motivation behind some altruistic claim of helping younger bands or artists. They make it clear they want to get paid. "Trust me, [Auerbach] and I like to make money," Carney told WGRD. "If it was fair to the artist we would be involved in it. I honestly don't want to see Sean Parker succeed in anything. I imagine if Spotify becomes something that people are willing to pay for, then I'm sure iTunes will just create their own service, and they're actually fair to artists."Update 10:54 a.m. PT To include RIAA sales figures for subscription music services.
The 404 395- Where we get to reboot Motherboard
The 404 395: Where we get to reboot Motherboard
Radioshack is trying to be cool again by renaming itself "The Shack."Too easy when it comes to jokes.There's no way that we're going to hang out at "The Shack."For a matter of fact, the only reason we can think to really go to Radioshack is if we needed something random, like a cable or a transistor.Further down the show, we find out that scientists think women are getting hotter because of evolution.Apparently, attractive women tend to breed more, but for some reason or another this has no effect on men.We're ugly as ever.Natali testifies to this when she looks at Jeff and Wilson.A recent graduate of Monroe College in the Bronx decided to sue her school after her information technology degree proved pretty useless in this economy.While we don't know the details of the situation, this can't be good for art school.Perhaps students will get disclaimers when they get Bachelor of Fine Arts or anthropology degrees?We finish the show with some iPhone app updates.The new OS 3.01 has beefed up Wi-Fi connections in addition to its SMS fixes, but it still doesn't discount Apple's move to block Google's Voice app on its App Store.The Palm Pre gleefully still holds onto its Google Voice app.Finally, Steven Spielberg announces that he will be remaking the Jimmy Stewart classic "Harvey."Why?Didn't Hollywood see what happened to the remake of "Miracle on 34th Street?"EPISODE 395PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayiPhone OS 3.01 fixes SMS vulnerability and even some Wi-Fi changesScientists say women are getting hotter because of evolutionRadioshack to become "The Shack"Student sues school because she can't find a jobPalm Pre gets Google Voice app while the iPhone version disappearsSteven Spielberg remaking "Harvey"Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarNatali Del ConteWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupNatali Del ConteJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Radioshack is trying to be cool again by renaming itself "The Shack."Too easy when it comes to jokes.There's no way that we're going to hang out at "The Shack."For a matter of fact, the only reason we can think to really go to Radioshack is if we needed something random, like a cable or a transistor.Further down the show, we find out that scientists think women are getting hotter because of evolution.Apparently, attractive women tend to breed more, but for some reason or another this has no effect on men.We're ugly as ever.Natali testifies to this when she looks at Jeff and Wilson.A recent graduate of Monroe College in the Bronx decided to sue her school after her information technology degree proved pretty useless in this economy.While we don't know the details of the situation, this can't be good for art school.Perhaps students will get disclaimers when they get Bachelor of Fine Arts or anthropology degrees?We finish the show with some iPhone app updates.The new OS 3.01 has beefed up Wi-Fi connections in addition to its SMS fixes, but it still doesn't discount Apple's move to block Google's Voice app on its App Store.The Palm Pre gleefully still holds onto its Google Voice app.Finally, Steven Spielberg announces that he will be remaking the Jimmy Stewart classic "Harvey."Why?Didn't Hollywood see what happened to the remake of "Miracle on 34th Street?"EPISODE 395PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayiPhone OS 3.01 fixes SMS vulnerability and even some Wi-Fi changesScientists say women are getting hotter because of evolutionRadioshack to become "The Shack"Student sues school because she can't find a jobPalm Pre gets Google Voice app while the iPhone version disappearsSteven Spielberg remaking "Harvey"Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarNatali Del ConteWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupNatali Del ConteJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Married with iPods, Part 1- I hate your music
Married with iPods, Part 1: I hate your music
Back in the CD era, it was easy to keep my wife's music collection separated from my own. We kept my CDs on one side of the shelf and her CDs on the other side, and the few CDs we both enjoyed would sit somewhere in the middle. The territorial lines were easy to maintain, and for the most part, music was never an issue in our house.In the MP3 era, however, everything's become more complicated. We have a central home computer that hosts our collective iTunes music library. Unfortunately, the CD shelf system we've relied on for years doesn't translate on the computer. Her Tori Amos and Fiona Apple are right up next to my Squarepusher and Black Keys, and our iPods don't include a "his and her" music feature.Need a way to filter your family's egregious music taste from your iPod? Click here for a step-by-step tutorial.Granted, we could have made separate user profiles on our PC with individual iTunes music libraries, but that would make it hard to share the music we have in common. (Editor's note: stay tuned for more on this approach, next week.) We also considered setting up our iPods to manually sync music instead of syncing automatically, but neither of us have the time to carefully groom our iPod's music collection and the extra step of manually ejecting our iPods each day can be a pain. We just want our shelf back.Fortunately, I found a solution that worked for us. By setting up a couple Smart playlists, we made iTunes intelligent enough to reliably keep the worst parts of her music collection off my iPod, and vice-versa. Unlike typical playlist techniques, which create lists of music you enjoy, the beauty of this system is that it works off the music you hate--which is much more fun. If you're interested, I've put together a step-by-step slideshow on how it's all done.If you've got your own method of maintaining peace with multiple iPods and a communal iTunes music library, help us all out by sharing it in the comments section.Read part 2 of Married with iPods
Back in the CD era, it was easy to keep my wife's music collection separated from my own. We kept my CDs on one side of the shelf and her CDs on the other side, and the few CDs we both enjoyed would sit somewhere in the middle. The territorial lines were easy to maintain, and for the most part, music was never an issue in our house.In the MP3 era, however, everything's become more complicated. We have a central home computer that hosts our collective iTunes music library. Unfortunately, the CD shelf system we've relied on for years doesn't translate on the computer. Her Tori Amos and Fiona Apple are right up next to my Squarepusher and Black Keys, and our iPods don't include a "his and her" music feature.Need a way to filter your family's egregious music taste from your iPod? Click here for a step-by-step tutorial.Granted, we could have made separate user profiles on our PC with individual iTunes music libraries, but that would make it hard to share the music we have in common. (Editor's note: stay tuned for more on this approach, next week.) We also considered setting up our iPods to manually sync music instead of syncing automatically, but neither of us have the time to carefully groom our iPod's music collection and the extra step of manually ejecting our iPods each day can be a pain. We just want our shelf back.Fortunately, I found a solution that worked for us. By setting up a couple Smart playlists, we made iTunes intelligent enough to reliably keep the worst parts of her music collection off my iPod, and vice-versa. Unlike typical playlist techniques, which create lists of music you enjoy, the beauty of this system is that it works off the music you hate--which is much more fun. If you're interested, I've put together a step-by-step slideshow on how it's all done.If you've got your own method of maintaining peace with multiple iPods and a communal iTunes music library, help us all out by sharing it in the comments section.Read part 2 of Married with iPods
Dell wields chart for Apple laptop comparison
Dell wields chart for Apple laptop comparison
A couple of things need to be pointed out quickly: The 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros are made from metal, and the Dell Studio is mostly plastic.This can translate into a significant aesthetic and durability difference for some consumers.Also, graphics chips are not specified.The MacBooks come with Nvidia GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics, switchable with Intel Core i series graphics.The Dell Studio is spec'd mostly with Intel graphics (both older Core 2 and new Core i series graphics).At the upper end of the Studio 15 lineup, Dell uses the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics chip and an ATI chip for the high-end Studio 17.It may be the case that these higher-performance ATI chips are used in the Studio 15 and 17 shown in the chart, as they are both pricier configurations shown with 1GB of graphics memory.(Dell did not respond immediately for comment.) Clarifications aside, the chart says more about Apple than Dell."This is a classic Apple story," saidBob O'Donnell, an analyst at IDC."A pretty stark comparison, but it's been true for a long time. A lot of the mainstream notebooks these days are being sold for $500 or $600. Yet the cheapest MacBook is $999.It's not uncommon to see 50 percent price deltas," he said. All of this is very good for Apple, according to O'Donnell. "Their share of the PC market--about 5 percent--hasn't changed dramatically.On the other hand, you can show that Apple pretty much owns the consumer retail laptop market over $1,200. That's the reason their stock has done so well, and the reason that they're so profitable. They've carved out a very nice niche at the high end." And Mac OS X versus Windows 7?"Apple can justify huge price premiums because people pay for the experience of the Mac OS," O'Donnell said.Other distinctions between the MacBooks and Studios are the six color choices for the Dell Studios versus no choice (silver) for the MacBooks, andWindows Live Essentials versus iLife, respectively.Another notable difference: the Dell Studio 17 comes with a Core i7 processor versus the i5 for the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Apple did not respond immediately for comment.
A couple of things need to be pointed out quickly: The 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros are made from metal, and the Dell Studio is mostly plastic.This can translate into a significant aesthetic and durability difference for some consumers.Also, graphics chips are not specified.The MacBooks come with Nvidia GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics, switchable with Intel Core i series graphics.The Dell Studio is spec'd mostly with Intel graphics (both older Core 2 and new Core i series graphics).At the upper end of the Studio 15 lineup, Dell uses the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics chip and an ATI chip for the high-end Studio 17.It may be the case that these higher-performance ATI chips are used in the Studio 15 and 17 shown in the chart, as they are both pricier configurations shown with 1GB of graphics memory.(Dell did not respond immediately for comment.) Clarifications aside, the chart says more about Apple than Dell."This is a classic Apple story," saidBob O'Donnell, an analyst at IDC."A pretty stark comparison, but it's been true for a long time. A lot of the mainstream notebooks these days are being sold for $500 or $600. Yet the cheapest MacBook is $999.It's not uncommon to see 50 percent price deltas," he said. All of this is very good for Apple, according to O'Donnell. "Their share of the PC market--about 5 percent--hasn't changed dramatically.On the other hand, you can show that Apple pretty much owns the consumer retail laptop market over $1,200. That's the reason their stock has done so well, and the reason that they're so profitable. They've carved out a very nice niche at the high end." And Mac OS X versus Windows 7?"Apple can justify huge price premiums because people pay for the experience of the Mac OS," O'Donnell said.Other distinctions between the MacBooks and Studios are the six color choices for the Dell Studios versus no choice (silver) for the MacBooks, andWindows Live Essentials versus iLife, respectively.Another notable difference: the Dell Studio 17 comes with a Core i7 processor versus the i5 for the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Apple did not respond immediately for comment.
Dell signals larger Android tablet troubles
Dell signals larger Android tablet troubles
"There's a bit of a haze over some early launches," Thode said about the U.S. tablet market."I don't want to criticize competition too much, but I think the [Motorola] Xoom has had mixed success because it launched before its time. The channels were confused, the pricing was confused," he said. That sentiment is similar to criticism leveled by Nvidia's CEO about the Xoom launch last month.Thode continued. "Our view is rather than try to rise above that noise--or worse, add to that noise--it is better to go get some traction in a market that will be a larger market.China will clearly be the largest tablet market in the world in a very short time." And Thode believes the U.S. consumer isn't ready yet.The Chinese consumer "is much more savvy" about tablet adoption he said.Richard Shim, an analyst at DisplaySearch, agrees. "The problem is that you have to educate the consumers about the experience," he said.Consumers are used to comparing PCs based almost solely on specifications, i.e., price-performance--while tablets have more subtle distinctions based on the tablet's overall "experience," Shim said. "Apple has had such success in that market because it has been able to hold the hand of the consumer and walk them through the experience," he said. All of the tablet confusion in the U.S. also raises bigger questions about the actual size of the tablet market stateside. Though Apple has clearly succeeded, it's possible that most of the consumers who want a tablet already have one--the iPad.And the potential for a lot of demand beyond Apple just isn't there yet, at least not in the U.S.
"There's a bit of a haze over some early launches," Thode said about the U.S. tablet market."I don't want to criticize competition too much, but I think the [Motorola] Xoom has had mixed success because it launched before its time. The channels were confused, the pricing was confused," he said. That sentiment is similar to criticism leveled by Nvidia's CEO about the Xoom launch last month.Thode continued. "Our view is rather than try to rise above that noise--or worse, add to that noise--it is better to go get some traction in a market that will be a larger market.China will clearly be the largest tablet market in the world in a very short time." And Thode believes the U.S. consumer isn't ready yet.The Chinese consumer "is much more savvy" about tablet adoption he said.Richard Shim, an analyst at DisplaySearch, agrees. "The problem is that you have to educate the consumers about the experience," he said.Consumers are used to comparing PCs based almost solely on specifications, i.e., price-performance--while tablets have more subtle distinctions based on the tablet's overall "experience," Shim said. "Apple has had such success in that market because it has been able to hold the hand of the consumer and walk them through the experience," he said. All of the tablet confusion in the U.S. also raises bigger questions about the actual size of the tablet market stateside. Though Apple has clearly succeeded, it's possible that most of the consumers who want a tablet already have one--the iPad.And the potential for a lot of demand beyond Apple just isn't there yet, at least not in the U.S.
Dell- Android tablets will outshine iPad, eventually
Dell: Android tablets will outshine iPad, eventually
Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell believes Android tablets will eventually overtake Apple's iPad as the dominant force in the slate market, according to an interview published today in The Wall Street Journal."Not tomorrow. Not the next day. But again, if you look at 18 months ago, Android phones were like, 'What is that?' And now there are more Android phones than iPhones," Dell said in response to a question on the possibility of Android tablets beating iPad sales. "I don't see any reason why the same won't occur with Android tablets."Admittedly, Dell has a vested interest in seeing that happen. His company currently offers both 5- and 7-inch Android tablets, known as the Streak. He also pointed out in the interview that Dell will continue to double down on Android.Of course, Dell didn't say exactly when the shift might occur in tablet market dominance. Right now, Apple's iPad is easily overshadowing the competition. According to research firm IDC, Apple owned 83 percent of the tablet market last year, and IDC expects the company to control between 70 and 80 percent of the tablet market this year.That further evidences the trouble Android is having establishing a beachhead in the tablet market. The Motorola Xoom, which launched in late February, has been gathering dust on store shelves. Deutsche Bank said recently that only 100,000 units of the device have been sold so far.It's a similar story for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which launched last year. Samsung said earlier this year that it shipped 2 million units of its tablet worldwide, but it acknowledged in an earnings call with investors in January that the "sell-out wasn't as fast as we expected."Even so, tablets are catching on in a big way. IDC said earlier this year that it expects 50 million tablets to ship in 2011 alone.For his part, Dell acknowledged that the uptick in demand for tablets over the past year has been somewhat surprising."I'd say [the] rapid rise of the tablet," Dell said in response to the Journal's question on what has surprised him most over the past several years. "I didn't completely see that coming."
Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell believes Android tablets will eventually overtake Apple's iPad as the dominant force in the slate market, according to an interview published today in The Wall Street Journal."Not tomorrow. Not the next day. But again, if you look at 18 months ago, Android phones were like, 'What is that?' And now there are more Android phones than iPhones," Dell said in response to a question on the possibility of Android tablets beating iPad sales. "I don't see any reason why the same won't occur with Android tablets."Admittedly, Dell has a vested interest in seeing that happen. His company currently offers both 5- and 7-inch Android tablets, known as the Streak. He also pointed out in the interview that Dell will continue to double down on Android.Of course, Dell didn't say exactly when the shift might occur in tablet market dominance. Right now, Apple's iPad is easily overshadowing the competition. According to research firm IDC, Apple owned 83 percent of the tablet market last year, and IDC expects the company to control between 70 and 80 percent of the tablet market this year.That further evidences the trouble Android is having establishing a beachhead in the tablet market. The Motorola Xoom, which launched in late February, has been gathering dust on store shelves. Deutsche Bank said recently that only 100,000 units of the device have been sold so far.It's a similar story for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which launched last year. Samsung said earlier this year that it shipped 2 million units of its tablet worldwide, but it acknowledged in an earnings call with investors in January that the "sell-out wasn't as fast as we expected."Even so, tablets are catching on in a big way. IDC said earlier this year that it expects 50 million tablets to ship in 2011 alone.For his part, Dell acknowledged that the uptick in demand for tablets over the past year has been somewhat surprising."I'd say [the] rapid rise of the tablet," Dell said in response to the Journal's question on what has surprised him most over the past several years. "I didn't completely see that coming."
Defense Dept. reportedly in deal for more than 600K iOS devices
Defense Dept. reportedly in deal for more than 600K iOS devices
The U.S. Department of Defense plans to purchase more than half a million iOS devices, according to a new report.Citing "well-placed sources," Electronista says the government plans to purchase 120,000 iPads, 100,000 iPad minis, 200,000 iPod Touches, and 210,000 iPhones as part of an effort to update and mobilize its technologies. As for the timing of such a deal, Electronista suggests it would happen following the current sequestration.Apple declined to comment on the report, and the Defense Department did not immediately return a request for comment.Last month the Department of Defense announced that it was dropping its exclusive contract with handset maker BlackBerry and opening up its communications networks to others, like Apple and Google.Related storiesDefense Department opens contracts for Apple, GoogleBlackBerry 10 deemed not secure enough by U.K.Defense Department drops exclusive contract for BlackBerryThe Department uses more than 600,000 mobile devices already -- 470,000 of which are BlackBerry -- with another 41,000 made by Apple and 8,700 running Google's Android platform. Last October the organization said that it plans to ramp that up to 8 million devices. The move, which remains unconfirmed, comes on the heels of the UK government's electronics clearance unit deeming Blackberry 10 to be not as secure as previous versions of the platform -- a blow for the Canadian device maker that first released the softwarein late January after delays.
The U.S. Department of Defense plans to purchase more than half a million iOS devices, according to a new report.Citing "well-placed sources," Electronista says the government plans to purchase 120,000 iPads, 100,000 iPad minis, 200,000 iPod Touches, and 210,000 iPhones as part of an effort to update and mobilize its technologies. As for the timing of such a deal, Electronista suggests it would happen following the current sequestration.Apple declined to comment on the report, and the Defense Department did not immediately return a request for comment.Last month the Department of Defense announced that it was dropping its exclusive contract with handset maker BlackBerry and opening up its communications networks to others, like Apple and Google.Related storiesDefense Department opens contracts for Apple, GoogleBlackBerry 10 deemed not secure enough by U.K.Defense Department drops exclusive contract for BlackBerryThe Department uses more than 600,000 mobile devices already -- 470,000 of which are BlackBerry -- with another 41,000 made by Apple and 8,700 running Google's Android platform. Last October the organization said that it plans to ramp that up to 8 million devices. The move, which remains unconfirmed, comes on the heels of the UK government's electronics clearance unit deeming Blackberry 10 to be not as secure as previous versions of the platform -- a blow for the Canadian device maker that first released the softwarein late January after delays.
Court- Workers can sue Apple, Google, others in wage dispute
Court: Workers can sue Apple, Google, others in wage dispute
Apple, Google, Adobe, Intel, and other companies will have to battle a class action lawsuit from around 60,000 disgruntled workers.Late Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld last October's ruling by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh that paved the way for a lawsuit against companies accused of conspiring to fix wages by agreeing not to poach employees. The appeals court's decision affirms the right of the workers to pursue their lawsuit as a group, according to Reuters.If successful, a class action lawsuit can saddle the defendants with a higher penalty than if each of the plaintiffs sued individually. In this case, the tech companies could find themselves collectively hit with up to $9 billion in damages.The accused companies had appealed Judge Koh's decision last year, calling it "manifestly erroneous," according to Reuters. Specifically, they argued that the claims against them involved employees with 2,400 job titles at seven different companies and that even the plaintiffs didn't allege that the total hiring of workers was affected.The case originated in 2011 when a small group of engineers sued Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, accusing them of conspiring to hold down salaries and vowing not to hire employees away from each other. The companies named in the suit, with the exception of Lucasfilm, had already settled in a Department of Justice investigation in 2010 by promising not to enter into any further nonsolicitation agreements.
Apple, Google, Adobe, Intel, and other companies will have to battle a class action lawsuit from around 60,000 disgruntled workers.Late Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld last October's ruling by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh that paved the way for a lawsuit against companies accused of conspiring to fix wages by agreeing not to poach employees. The appeals court's decision affirms the right of the workers to pursue their lawsuit as a group, according to Reuters.If successful, a class action lawsuit can saddle the defendants with a higher penalty than if each of the plaintiffs sued individually. In this case, the tech companies could find themselves collectively hit with up to $9 billion in damages.The accused companies had appealed Judge Koh's decision last year, calling it "manifestly erroneous," according to Reuters. Specifically, they argued that the claims against them involved employees with 2,400 job titles at seven different companies and that even the plaintiffs didn't allege that the total hiring of workers was affected.The case originated in 2011 when a small group of engineers sued Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, accusing them of conspiring to hold down salaries and vowing not to hire employees away from each other. The companies named in the suit, with the exception of Lucasfilm, had already settled in a Department of Justice investigation in 2010 by promising not to enter into any further nonsolicitation agreements.
CNET Mobile High-tech Warriors: A glimpse into the stadium of the future High-tech Warriors: A glimpse into the stadium of the future
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Floor tiles that generate electricity when people walk on them. Streetlamps that transmit data to people passing beneath them. Virtual reality videos that make fans feel like they're at the game when they're really just sitting on their own couches.
No, this isn't "Star Trek." It's some of the technology the Golden State Warriors basketball team is testing for its new stadium, set to open in San Francisco in 2018. The 12-acre sports and entertainment complex will contain space for retail, restaurants and parks and will play host to not only Warriors games but also concerts and other events.
The Warriors, currently the winningest team in the NBA, have been using their nearly 50-year-old venue in Oakland as a sort of Petri dish to try out new technology. Some, like the use of Apple's iBeacon technology have stuck. Others will only be tested in parts of the stadium before being rolled out in the new venue, while some tech may be scrapped after the trials.
"Our goal is that the experience [at the new San Francisco complex], regardless of whether it's a Warriors game or a conference or an artist or any sort of entertainment, that the experience there is second to none," said Kenny Lauer, vice president of digital and marketing for the Warriors. "We can't light this [new arena] up already being out of date."
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The Golden State Warriors' new arena, shown in an artist rendering, will seat 18,000 fans when it opens in San Francisco in 2018.
Golden State Warriors
The move by the Warriors to build the most high-tech stadium possible follows similar steps by other sports franchises. As more and more fans opt to watch the game from home, sports teams are looking for ways to entice them into arenas and keep them engaged. High-tech features, such as paying for seat upgrades from a smartphone, gives the franchises a new revenue stream while keeping their fans happy.
With most of the technology the Warriors are exploring, there are still questions about how to best implement the features and how they actually work. And the rapid pace of change in the technology industry makes it tough for companies and organizations to plan several months out, let alone several years.
The Warriors aren't alone in hopping on the tech bandwagon. Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers football team in Santa Clara, Calif., was dubbed by some "the stadium Silicon Valley built" when it opened in 2014, partly because of its location in the heart of the tech world, as well as its high-tech features. Many Major League Baseball stadiums -- including AT&T Park, the home of the 2014 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, and Citi Field, home to the New York Mets -- are outfitted with iBeacons to ping visitors with exclusive offers and trivia. AT&T outfitted its namesake stadium in Dallas, the home of the Cowboys football team, with large, interactive LED displays to keep fans involved in the game.
At the same time, other teams have taken a different slant. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, last year criticized the use of mobile devices during games, telling Businessweek that people "use them when they are bored. They don't want more reasons to use them. They want fewer."
But for a tech-savvy region like the Bay Area, expecting fans to put away their phones isn't realistic, said Lauer and Kevin Cote, senior director of digital for the Golden State Warriors.
"We have a unique fan base because we are in the Bay Area, so we have executives from Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter at every game," Cote said. "Even when a game is close, with five seconds left, everyone has their phone out because they want to record that game-winning shot."
Ping me
The Warriors, while not as early with some technological advancements as other sports franchises, last March became the first NBA team to install beacons in its arena. Apple's iBeacon technology, first released with the iOS 7 mobile software in 2013, uses low-energy Bluetooth to send notifications to smartphone users located near the beacon. It has popped up at retailers and other sports arenas, giving organizations a fast way to interact with customers and fans.
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And iBeacon could become even more widespread when Apple rolls out its first wearable, the Apple Watch, in the coming months. It gets Apple device owners to use more apps, while letting the app makers learn more about using and make money from offers in the app, said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Kantar Worldpanel.
"Of course, through the usage it helps increase stickiness to the ecosystem and increase the engagement, which brings higher brand loyalty," she said.
The Warriors send four types of notifications -- a welcome message, often mentioning promotions such as free socks; offers to upgrade to better seats; special concession deals; and promotions for the team store.
"We don't want to hit fans over the head with messaging to the point where they'd be annoyed with it, but we want to utilize it," Cote said. Before activating a beacon's feature, the function "has to have immediate benefit to the fans, and it has to some way drive the business."
About 10 percent of the 19,000 people at each game receive the beacon pings, Cote said. The franchise needs about 20 to 25 beacons around the stadium to send all the notices it wants.
The Warriors have placed about two dozen beacons around their arena. One, at the team store, sends special offers to visitors.
Shara Tibken/CNET
Less than a year after rolling out beacons, the technology is showing results for the Warriors. The team uses them to ping fans heading to the nosebleed section, giving them the option for seat upgrades. About 15 percent of all seat upgrades are directly tied to beacon notifications, Cote said.
An even more successful area has been the beacon for the stadiums' team store, which delivers deals through a notification. Typically, it's for a free item after spending a certain amount. Fans with the beacon promotion spend 93 percent more than those without the offer, Cote said.
Still, not all of the beacon offers have been successful. The Warriors haven't yet figured out how to get fans to take advantage of concession stand notifications despite offers such as free popcorn with the purchase of a slice of pizza.
Stealth signal
Along with the Bluetooth ping, the beacons also have the ability to send inaudible tones as a trigger for the phone. That lets the franchise push out a notification through the sound system to everyone sitting and watching the game in the arena or even to people watching at home.
"We're looking at the concept of second screen, sending inaudible tones to those watching on broadcast and then activating the app there," Lauer said.
Another use for the beacons is providing better indoor mapping and navigation, though the Warriors don't yet use their beacons for wayfinding.
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