Filling the GAP

iPhone 4 - First thoughts

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:00:24 -0700

iPhone 4 first reactions

I made the leap to iPhone 4 and received the phone about a week ago. (I ordered on the first day but missed the lottery.)

I was upgrading from an iPhone 3G so here are the reasons why I like the new iPhone 4:

1. It uses iOS 4 with multitasking and folders. I find it very helpful especially for navigation and Pandora. I REALLY like the folders - much easier to find my apps.
2. GPS tracking and navigation. You need multitasking and a higher speed phone to make this effective. It did not work on the 3G. I especially like the ability to track walks and hikes.
3. The iPhone 4 is much faster and allows me to get quick access to what I want, very convenient
4. Video recording and better camera. The iPhone 3G does not allow video and this is a step up in camera quality. Too early to tell the value of the LED light. The iPhone is still NOT a real camera.
5. Voice dial and voice commands-the 3G could not do this.
6. More storage-I had a 16 GB version of iPhone
7. Better reception on AT&T -- yes, the rage has been to trash the iPhone 4 because of its reception. I got a bumper when I purchased the phone and have had better reception than I’d had with my old 3G.
8. Virtual environments like Yelp and Star Walk. The 3G did not support virtual environments.

What I like, but is not essential:

1) Better display
2) Smaller size
1) Seeing the battery percentage
2) Front facing camera? Too early to tell. I use video conferencing on my laptop and I don’t use it very much - even when both sides have the capability.

I still would like:

1) A visual indicator when the phone is on silent
2) A way of charging without plugging in (inductive coil on the back and a charging pad)

iPad after a month

Tue, 11 May 2010 11:55:34 -0700

It’s been a little over a month since Maxi joined the family. A few thoughts:

1) The iPad does not replace either the iPhone or the laptop. It’s #3 on my list, but it may be the one I use most! For the core uses of the Net, the iPad works fine. But there are very important functions that it can’t do - that is the role of the other devices.

Travel has changed for me. For short trips I don’t bring my laptop any more. Just my iPhone and iPad and I’m good to go. Easy to check mail, calendar and sharing.
Much lighter and much more convenient.

2) I really “get” the 3G addition - especially for someone who travels. I think the brilliant part is the on-demand sign-up for service. The ability to make a decision at the first time I might really need it -- “Do I want net connection RIGHT NOW and will it be worth it for the next 30 days?” is very valuable. Many times I have been at an airport embarking on a trip without Net and struggled for “should I pay the $10 for 20 minutes of connection?” then face the same decision at each hotel. This will give me the chance to make a choice for the entire trip one time!

The real win would be for the same option for tethering on the iPhone - then it would cover both the iPad and my laptop. Bottom line: next time I will buy the 3G/GPS version of the iPad, but it is not worth trading in my current model for the upgrade ... I’ll wait till January :)

3) Accessories: As stated before the case is essential - and it could be much better. If you get the case, the Dock does not work - anyone want to buy a slightly used Dock? I like my home-made stand - but I suspect a book stand would be fine as well and the bluetooth keyboard is still essential for any serious writing.

4) Applications: It is frustrating for the number of good applications that don’t yet have an iPad version, i.e. skype. Here are some that I have found worthy to use:

AF (absolutely fantastic - go here first before the laptop/iphone versions)
Maps, weatherbug, photos, flight track, videos, contacts, good reader (a pdf viewer - I use for recipes), mondo solitaire ==> a pretty long list!

Great (worthy of using, but nothing to write home about): Calendar (the US is bad, good to view calendars but not to add or edit), Calengoo (my iPhone preferred calendar program - has not updated to iPad), mail (great to look at, but more advanced responding, composition is needed. It’s underpowered, but very useful for quick looks. Ah yes, no printing), web surfing (safari - I’ve been spoiled by auto-click to open multiple tabs simultaneously. surfing does OK, but not power surfing. I’m not bothered by missing flash. Ah yes, no printing), App Store (they say there are 100K apps at the store? No good if you can’t find the one you want. The App store is generations behind in design and feedback. Just look at Amazon for finding things. App store is the only game in town, but not good. I have tried web based searches, but I have not found a good one.), Pages (good for doing notes and simple writing. Yes, it can work without a mouse, but I want a mouse for real editing. Ah yes, where is the printing?), Numbers and Keynote (not enough testing to know),

Desktop (vnc control - too slow on loading screens. Hard to say what the problem is since my mac works fine using the same protocol on the same network. Sometimes it works OK - just not reliable - and I want it to work!)

The games look good - but I’m not a gamer.

5) Using the iPad does give a vision of the next generation laptop - it will have a touchscreen and a 3G connection and even better battery life. Battery life makes a big difference in the use of a device. When you get over 10 hours of work it changes how you use the device.

All-in-all I’m glad I got the iPad 1st generation. Slightly jealous of those with 3G, but not enough to upgrade. I will probably get the Generation 2 iPad in 6-9 months and my current one will be a stay-at-home information appliance in the Living Room/Dining room and my wife will be happy.

Update: How to print from an iPad

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:33:26 -0700

http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-20002550-250.html for a list of nit’s on the iPad. Good list!

And another thing... iPad = Playskool for the iPhone

iPad - Goldilocks was right!

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:57:22 -0700

I've had an iPad for about a week now. I've been waiting to let it become just part of my life and not the new toy in the house - well it's still fun and has not settled in, but I'm ready to write up what I've discovered. I keep trying new things to see how it can be used. It is not yet clear how it will end up and I don't think any two people will have the same interaction with their pad - I named mine "Maxi."

So some background- I'm a Mac nerd - some would say a Mac fan boy. I like tools and toys that perform and work easily - I am not loyal to the brand, but what it can do for me. It will be hard to shift from Apple since they have created a good ecosystem with things working. Android? Sounds good- but how do I sync with my contact list? Do I trust the syncing to always work? When I owned a Treo it was a real pain - that and it seemed to crash and loose all the settings.

I have been very happy with my technical surrounding prior to getting the iPad - I did not feel I really needed anything new. I have a great 15" MacBook pro hooked to an insane big monitor - a really nice desk setup (I bring my life when I go on the road, but gives me great workspace when I'm home). I have an iPhone 3G and I have a few MacMinis around the house driving the TVs for ALL entertainment (that's another story). So I understand why I'm considered a Mac fanboy, but I generally don't buy the first generation of a Mac product - which is why I have a iPhone 3G and not either first generation or 3GS - deep down I'm cheap. In general I don't buy the latest and greatest laptop - I wait about 3 years until the feature set becomes interesting enough to jump. I generally don't buy Apple's first generation product since I know the second generation is about 6 months away and it will be cheaper and better than the first generation. The iPad was an exception to that rule - and was an impulse buy (thanks Dennis!) - I did not pre-order, but walked in and picked one up.

But enough of this background - I'm describing this to give some context for my review of the iPad. I didn't need a new digital thing in my life. I was happy with what I had and it was working fine - my laptop for computing, writing, reading the web, listening to music, and the iPhone for phone, traveling information, quick reads, music/books on tape, quick GPS mapping. So why do I need an iPad?

Bluntly, I'm still not quite sure. I don't need it, but I'm using it. I like being able to take a readable display anywhere I want to go in the house. I REALLY like being able to check the weather and my email VERY FAST at the dining room table. The "zippiness" of the iPad is a delight! Time to get to information is MUCH faster than on my other devices and I get a much better display. I have used this at a dinner party where I pulled up something and passed it around the table to share something - a web page, the weather, a restaurant review, a picture. I like having it as the second screen while watching TV. It is so much easier multi-tasking on this thing. My laptop is too big (and gets too hot) and my iPhone is too small. Goldilocks was right.

As an example: cooking recipes are a delight on the iPad! I have used both Pages (the pay-for-it word processor) and a pdf reader to put recipes on the iPad and use it while cooking. I have another computer in the kitchen, but this is easier and better.

One downside is the CSS issue we face as we get older (Can't See Stuff). I need to have more copies of my reading glasses almost everywhere since I now have something I want to read almost everywhere. Yet another downside of getting older.

The on-screen keyboard is MUCH better than the iPhone, but no where near good enough for anything serious. I type two fingers on the iPad and many times it doesn't get it when I type two letters too close in time. I'm typing this on the iPad at the dining room table with a bluetooth external keyboard. The iPad is just the display - and I like it! [But wait, isn't that just a laptop? Yes, but my laptop has all sorts of wires connected to it and the battery life is not really appropriate for not plugging it in - this just seems to work.]

So the real key points and advantage: it's much more portable, it has a decent screen, IT'S FAST, it has a long battery life, it's FUN, it can do lots of things. I can see myself writing a book on this thing! (Wait, you have got to be kidding! What are you saying? Well, like most nerds I have a form of ADD - when I sit at my computer I can always think of something else I should do. But when typing on the iPad I have a full screen and I'm able to tune out all the other inputs when I'm busy writing. That means I may actually write!)

The first generation does not have 3G conductivity. I'm still trying to figure out if that will be important to me. I would like the GPS, but I don't know if that will be important - right now it is not. I admit that if I didn't have a budget, I would get the 3G and get unlimited data transfer. But getting unlimited data for my laptop while traveling is more important. The $30/month is more than I am willing to pay. I can see myself getting the more advanced iPad in 6 months and selling this first generation model. But I don't think I will subscribe to the data plan ... unless I have money to burn.

One of the instant complaints for the iPad was the weak wifi antenna. I can confirm that is true, but no more true than with the MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro also sucks for wifi reception. Wish it was better, but it has not been a problem for me. Others seem to have a different problem with N networks - don't know about that.

Your mileage may vary. My favorite show-and-tell demonstration of the iPad is the program called pUniverse which shows the stars and constellations as you hold it up to the sky it rotates with the sky and the tilt helping you identify stars. It is really cool.

While I think the pUniverse is cool for show and tell, many of the other apps are really good. I was surprised to find that the new calendar is much better than that on the iPhone. I can turn on/off calendars that I don't want to see (finally). It still has some problems (especially in the adding of new events), but much better. I love the google map application - same as the iPhone, but a screen that gives so much more information! I listen to books on tape, so the iBook application looks good, but not something I will be using much. I have a home network of eyeTV and that lets me use the iPad for watching TV shows from my cable company and recordings that I have made. Cool, but not sure how practical. Give me some time to figure out how important that is. I think for some it will be WONDERFUL to have TV shows everywhere. Netflix for watching streaming movies - it works and is good. The Keynote will be great for many for quick presentations at Starbucks. I control my lights in the house using Indigo and the app on the iPad (and iPhone for that matter) is very handy to have around.

I am always impressed with how MLB (Major League Baseball) keeps current on the net and their application here is no exception. If I cared about baseball I would be very excited (Marty actually cares about baseball and he thought it was fun!) And the list goes on. Much like the iPhone the App store is where the customization comes and it works really well.

Right after I got the iPad I posted on Facebook my new found friend. The first question that came back "what is it missing?" That has been something I have been thinking about since I got Maxi. I think the biggest missing piece is some advanced forms of multitasking. You need to be able to have the music playing in the background - that sort of works with iTunes, but I want Pandora to work in the background while I work! I heard the introduction of iPhone OS4 and was impressed with many of the new features. As usual the first generation of an Apple product does what it does well and it will take a few years to build up the ecosystem and software to do much more. I do wish it would connect to the printer in the house. There are many times I want to print one page from the web or a short note from Pages - why can't I print it? Another missing piece.

Some recommendations as a first time buyer:

• Get the bigger size iPad. The 16GByte works fine, but I think I will fill the space almost immediately. I do want more music for background. I'm also concerned that you will need the larger size to do multitasking. Time will tell.
• You really need the Apple iPad Case. The iPad is too slippery without a case and I really want to have it held at an angle. I don't want to waste one of my hands to hold it up.
• I REALLY like the external keyboard for any serious writing. I happen to have the Apple bluetooth keyboard - I suspect any would do, but this one is very light weight and I think it will fit in my net book bag with the iPad. I do wish that when an external keyboard is connected the on-screen keyboard still works. I think this may be a "bug" - I want them both to be able to work!
• Which brings me to the net book bag - you need one of these as well. Something to carry and protect your friend.

Call me oily fingers! I know my iPhone gets all greasy after a very short time and the iPad is no exception. The bigger surface makes it even more greasy. Not that there is anything you can do about it - the problem with a touchscreen. Easy to clean. I'm impressed with the scratch-resistant surface they use.

Update: I took Maxi outside and realized that the screen was not as good as the iPhone in direct sunlight. The Kindle is MUCH better outside! And another thing: if you are wearing polarized glasses - you will have problems seeing the screen.

Bottom line: I like it. I'm still learning what tool to use for what activity. But for portable use in the home the iPad wins big time. It doesn't replace either the iPhone or the laptop. I don't think someone could have the iPad without a home-based computer - if nothing else you need a way to print and for backup. I don't think it will be a toy for long. It will be part of my home ecosystem as important as having the remote control for the TV.

Home 3D will die

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:30:23 -0700

Home 3D has not yet launched - I predict failure on the home front.

Don’t get me wrong - 3D in the Theaters is here to stay. It provides new ways of telling stories. (It allows theater owners to increase ticket prices-and consumers are willing to pay.) It makes the movie going experience different. I think the number of 3D movies may level at about 15 major releases per year - mainly animated and a few young teenager targeted movies. It works. It makes almost every theater an “IMAX-like” unique experience - a low budget IMAX at every location. Theater owners and the public seem to really like it.

I believe in crowds. I believe in the wisdom of crowds to make smart decisions on many things - from DVD to HDTV to digital cameras to iPhones. They (the crowd) make logical decisions based on lots of pieces of the puzzle - and I think they will do the same for 3D television. Read further --- see my reason #1 - Cost to value equation, THAT is the main reason I think it will fail at home.

So what is the push for 3D in the home? Mainly manufacturers of televisions and secondarily 3D content makers - why?

Well, manufacturers have just had a run at outfitting homes with the new high definition TV’s! An OK run, but the prices came down too fast for their liking (great for the consumer). So they are looking for the next big thing to inspire consumers to buy sooner rather than later to replace their home TV. 3D is the answer to their prayers. They need something new - internet connected TV is not enough to get the new sales.

3D content makers tend to be a bit religious - meaning if it is not 3D, it is not worth watching. Money in the movie industry is mainly made in the home - those DVD sales accounted for over 50% of the profit for any given movie. If there is no home 3D, how can you justify making 3D movies? So the religious 3D content makers are pushing for home 3D. And the 3D sports producers are just as religious - but 3D sports don’t have any efficient way of getting their product to consumers. 3D sports needs 3D in the home to create a real outlet for their product. They have visions of sugar plums of a live 3D Superbowl broadcast.

But a successful launch requires the consumer wanting 3D. The manufacturers are in full marketing gear to get consumers interested in home 3D. I don’t see the real interest by consumers. The manufacturers claim it is working - there is a huge market for 3D TV’s. Are they lying to themselves?

Why do I think the HOME 3D launch will die? Let me count the ways:

1) Cost to Value equation

The early adopter with too much money will get the upgraded BluRay player (+$250 or will upgrade their PS3) and get the latest 3D TV over a regular TV (+$200) get the extra glasses (+$350) and buy some extra discs and subscribe to the 3D channel. So for this extra $800 they might be able to watch a few shows a month. One or two broadcast sports, one or two Movies, and then all those converted TV shows. They will tell their non-early adopter friends about what they see or invite them over. Not a convincing proposition. While content is an important missing component, the inconvenience of sitting still, no multitasking, will reduce the amount of 3D you want to watch - hence $800 for little use is a bad value proposition. THAT is where the wisdom of the crowds will make the decision to allow home 3D to die.

2) The glasses.

With a cost of over $100 per pair, not many families will be willing to shell out enough to outfit possible viewers (I would assume 4 sets, meaning an additional MINIMUM cost of $300). AND at the start the glasses will be manufacture specific - one for a Panasonic TV won’t work with a Samsung TV. Most of the time you won’t be able to bring your glasses to a friends house. Everyone watching must have a pair. (The theater can use cheap glasses - not so in the home.)

Add to this these are ACTIVE glasses - meaning they have batteries. Imagine your delight when the batteries die half way through a show. Or did you remember to charge them? These are not AAA batteries-they need to be charged. The coatings, in general, are soft so if you clean with tissues they can scratch. Sit on them? These are expensive pieces of delicate optics. Oh boy.

3) Multitasking in the Living room

Most consumers do many things while watching TV - read, eat, drink, surf the net, play games, etc. With the glasses and the need to keep your head in a vertical position, it is not easy to multitask. So 3D will be dedicated to those events that take EVERYONE’s full attention - or leave the room.

4) Games in 3D

Will game players FLOCK to the games on the big 3D screen? Well, when you put a game on the big screen, the primary reason is to have a social experience with your friends - otherwise just stare at the small screen on your desk. When all your friends come over and you outfit them with the ≈$300+ of glasses THEN they watch and throw up as they are not in control as you slide through the virtual world under YOUR control. I don’t see Games leading 3D in the home. Been there, done that. In this case the game designers had a good opportunity to bring 3D games to the consumer. And that time it was good 3D - not much has changed except going to a big home screen from the little computer 3D screen. Unlikely that games are going quickly to drive the market fast.

5) Headaches

Most people don’t have problems in watching theatrical 3D (although some do end up walking out ‘cause it is so uncomfortable), at home it may be a different story. First, to minimize discomfort you need to keep your head vertically aligned with the screen (sit up straight, like your mother told you). The quickest way to get a headache or feel discomfort is to tilt your head. There are many other ways to feel uncomfortable, but the biggest one is poorly made 3D content. Well imagine the adventure when they are making LOTS of 2D to 3D conversions at low cost (no new money here for the content providers) - do you think it will be highest quality? Probably not. Nausea here you come.

6) The infrastructure is not in place.

The audio CD took many, many years to launch. It takes significant time to get all the pieces in place to make a successful product: content, systems, confidence by the consumer, prices, etc. We are not close to that point. The home 3D enthusiasts don’t get it - they need to read “Crossing the Chasm” and understand why their approach of “3D will solve all problems” won’t work. If at all, customers will take a LONG time to adopt 3D and by that time the manufacturers will have moved on.

7) Not an easy sell.

DVD had a short list of why it was better than VHS (quality, 5.1 sound, no rewind, easier to store, random access - to name a few). Give me the list of why I want 3D in my home? Better picture? How long did it take to get to 50% HDTV installed base? Yes, people are buying BluRay players - they cost less than $80 more than really cheap DVD players so why not? DVD’s are a bargain so get a BluRay player when the DVD dies. But are people flocking to get BluRay discs? They cost almost 2x what DVD’s cost - why buy when you can rent? BluRay discs are not selling like hotcakes. Lots of players ARE selling. But for 3D you need to pay LOTS to get 3D in the home - not like BluRay.

So in a nutshell, I expect a quick blast of promotion and sales for the early adopter, then a quick stall out as the mass market figures out that it’s not worth it. They may buy the 3D TV’s - without the glasses, but not get all the pieces to watch 3D. How many of us have picture-in-picture capability in our TVs? Good luck. I don’t think 3D will save the consumer electronic downturn.