Let the good times roll

Well it has arrived and I have started to get to know my new iPad.  On the whole the change over has gone smoothly with one or two anomalies.

First iCloud.   The calendar updated no problem but when I went to use the email I was told that I had to enter the password?  Not sue why one part of iCloud worked whilst another didn't - it might be that the calendar is backed up onto iTunes I don't know.  Any after a bit of scrambling around to find the password all was well.

Twitter.   The Twitter app doesn't seem to want to remember me and I have yet to work out why this might be.  Interestingly, the Twitter feed on Flipboard works fine so perhaps it is one of those things which I will get around to sorting out eventually.

SkyGo.  This doesn't want to work because I have exceeded the number of machines I have logged on in one month - or something like this.  Again not a problem and I will sort this out at the start of next month when hopefully things will be back to normal.

At the moment I have not found any other problems/glitches.  So now for the good stuff.  Well the first thing is that the chip is noticeably quicker than   my old iPad.  Apps load a whole lot quicker, especially brushes as does the internet.  The screen is indeed a lot brighter - whether this is such a wonderful thing only time will tell.  The weight of the machine feels about the same as the iPad 2 which, given the extra battery that has been squeezed into the machine is nothing less than miraculous.

So it has taken my just over an hour to set the iPad up, discounting the faults/problems listed above, and it seems to be running ok.  Lets see what a few days of use does to knock this early enthusiasm out of me. 

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The 'New' iPad

So we have to learn a new, post Steve Jobs, language.   No longer are we in the world of the next great thing but rather an incremental iPad.  No longer 3rd generation but rather New.  To read many of the reviews of the new iPad it would seem that this means that the iPad is a bad product because there was no great '...and one final thing...' from the late master of presentation.   

What have we learnt from the all the guff out there on the internet?  Well that few people knew what they were taking about and that Apple could teach spy masters a thing or two about keeping a secret.  But mainly the thing we learnt is that the iPad is now a mature product with few great surprises - view the promo video and you see that they spend an awful lot of time talking technical stuff about the new display - and this is not a bad thing.   We now have a product that has set the standards and building on these standards for the '..post PC..' world in which the iPad, more than any other machine, has brought into existence.   To see how much the world has changed just watch an old episode of Star Trek Voyager, the most advanced of the modern Star Trek franchise.   Here we see a time, just 10 years ago, when the production staff having no idea how tablets will work, instead they have different reports on individual tablets.  Nowadays, in a Post PC world we know that all of these things, and so much more, can be contained on one tablet and at the moment that is called the iPad.

For me the killer features of the new iPad is the new chip-set.  I am sure the display is very nice but I have no problem with the display on the iPad circa 2010 nor 2011.  As for the inclusion of 4G mobile telephony I am sure that will be great but as it doesn't really arrive in the UK until 2013 not really much use - I suspect not that much use in the US either. 

This leaves us with a solid product that has been updated like most pieces of technology with the latest bits.  It is no longer earth shattering but mature.  It will deliver huge profits to Apple and become a little dull, much as Apple will become without the genius of Jobs.  Life goes on.   

Simon Marchini 

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

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Keyboard and the Duke of Wellington

I had such a good idea the other day - why not use my ipad for research purposes over the autumn period? It is so much lighter than my lap top and would allow to do most of the things that I would do with my laptop. There was only one draw back - using the on screen keyboard is next to useless for serous typing. The solution of course is to get an external keyboard so this morning I duly traipsed down to the local Apple store and did just that.

So what are my initial reactions? well for a start it is just the standard apple keyboard so i have got to get use to the layout - not quite the same as the PC keyboard i am used to. The next thing is for reasons best know to the ipad/keyboard it will not work with notes. This is not a game changer and may well be down to user error but it is bit annoying all the same. Overall it wasn't a problem to set up and now running does make typing so much easier - which could be a bad thing as I will make even longer blog entries!! (beware the one or two people who might actually read this) Perhaps the strangest thing to get use to is having to combine using the keyboard with the touch screen - no mouse or touch pad to select fields so you have to use your finger - God's own mouse!

Now for the Duke of Wellington. Well there is no connection I just like this sketch I did the other day - hey oh such is life.

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White iPhone 4 Finally Launching

The tech blogs I follow have been banging on about this for a while and I have to ask the question '..so what?...'.

White iPhone 4 Finally Launching This Week
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/04/25/white-iphone-4-finally-launching-this-week/

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Apple Computer to sue God for ... (newsthump.com)

It was only a matter of time before this shocking turn of events would take place.  My monies on Apple's high powered lawyers. (Ha ha - I think?)

Apple Computer to sue God for trademark infringement
http://newsthump.com/2011/04/22/apple-computer-to-sue-god-for-trademark-infringement/

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Apple Sues Samsung, Claims Its... (techcrunch.com)

Apple Sues Samsung, Claims Its Android Devices Are Copycats
http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/18/apple-sues-samsung-claims-its-android-devices-are-copycats/

I guess some one really is worried about the growth of android phones at Apple after all.  However, these things rumble on for years - perhaps the longest legal squabble involving Apple was their battle with the Beatles and the Apple record company which has finally been settled in  2010 - so don't expect any great vanquishing of android phones by Apple any time soon.

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iPad to rule the roost until 2015

This article seems about right to me.  I suspect that move away from Apple in the iPad Market will be much less marked as in the phone Market where I believe the glory days of the iPhone are behind it smoothed by the weight of the android onslaught.  The iPad is different,  it is bigger and it becomes far more personal as it takes over much of your relationship with the wired world without.  Also Apple appear to want to maintain their Market share as the prices are kept low by comparison to the product they are producing.  If I were  cynical I would suspect that this was Apple's plan all along - use the phone as a way to create a Market and then capitalise on this Market with a killer product such as the iPad -  this is far too cynical I know but it does fit the facts.

The real killer app in all this is iTunes - the iPad is good but without the limitless creativity of the App Store then the iPad and iPhone would be pretty but not very useful.  However, what the he'll do I know!

iPad News: Gartner Says Apple Will Rule Tablet Market Until 2015
http://www.ipad.net/httpwww-ipad-netipad-news-gart%e2%80%a6ket-until-2015-html.html

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Article: What Will the Smartphone Market Look Like in 2015?

Another interesting vision into the future.  How accurate will it be?    Well it is worth noting, as the article does, that a bright future was pedi ted for Symbian OS only for this to be proven wrong by events - the tie up between Microsoft and Nokia.  The only really questionable item in the report is why it should be 'shocking' that the iOS Market share will fall.  The iPhone run has been fantastic whilst it lasted but you just can't compete with volume to drive innovation and this is what will happen with Android phones.  Apple will always have razzmatazz but very quickly the new ideas will be appearing on the Android group of phones.

What Will the Smartphone Market Look Like in 2015?
http://mashable.com/2011/04/07/what-will-the-smartphone-market-look-like-in-2015/

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Platform war gets ugly - ouch the Apple tech blogs get touchy

A couple of days ago Businessinsider (see entry on 3rd April) stated that the Android operating system phone had taken over from iPhone in the smartphone Market - this has caused a storm amongst the Mac tech blogs.  In short it would seem that anything that down plays Apple's current dominance  in the smart phone/tablet market must be attacked.  Now the Mac bloggers do have a point to a degree but I think the Businessinsider entry is still valid.  If you have an operating system that is gaining the largest share of a particular Market then you would be wise to look to develop for it.  At the moment Apple's iTunes is really the killer app on the iOS ecosystem.  It allows micro payments that are very easy for the user to use - it also has the advantage of being a well established system so it has a large amount of Market penetration.  This will not always be the case and by the end of this year the Google version will no doubt be providing a similar level of service.  In short Apple's run will have come to an end.  Does this matter?

Well to me no.  I love my iPad and my iPhone.  This doesn't mean that I think that apple is wonderful, far from it, it just means I think that their non PC technology meets my needs.  It doesn't mean that they always will and if that day comes I will happily move to a new platform.  However, I am sure that Apple must be aware of this otherwise why didn't the latest iPad have the usual Apple 'premium'.  For those of us with long enough memories this is starting to feel oh so familiar.  Apple introduce new technology which takes the rest time to catch up with but when they do Apple becomes a small player in a bigger world.  I do hope that Apple does continue to innovate  and the day that I consider moving away does not come but never say never.

Sent from my iPad

Platform war gets ugly as surveys ignore the big picture
http://www.9to5mac.com/59242/platform-war-gets-ugly-as-surveys-ignore-the-big-picture/

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Android Is Destroying Everyone... (businessinsider.com)

This is a well thought out article about how the smart phone Market is developing and how this will effect the iPhone and Apple.  The only thing that was taken into account is the micro charging effect of iTunes.  Once google has sorted a similar system out for the android op system then this is the time that Apple will really have a serious challenge on their hands.  This does raise the question why Apple don't appear to be launching the iPhone 5 in June?  Could  the new iPhone eventually arrive into a different Market?  A Market that in just 6 months will sing even more against Apple?  I just don't know but it certainly looks like the iPhone has had it's hit point as far as.Market share is concerned.  This is a shame as I really love my old 3G iPhone.

Of course this is about smart phones but I wonder how long it will be before this also applies to tablets?  So enjoy the Market capitalisation values Apple it probably won't last for much longer.

Android Is Destroying Everyone, Especially RIM -- iPhone Dead In Water
http://www.businessinsider.com/android-iphone-market-share-2011-4

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CONAN iPad 2-FU Apple

Check out this video on YouTube:

This just sums up Apple's attitude.

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My thoughts on the new iPad

So having slept on the new iPad what do I think? Before I answer that I think I should set out my criteria for judging. The first is I don't know what the new iPad feels like when you use it so any comments I might make with regard to this should be treated with extreme caution. However the second is that I have lived with an iPad for nearly a year now and so have got a real feel for true impact of an iPad is in your life.

So what do I think? Well in truth this seems like a holding product. Apple had to do something to keep the hype fresh but they seemed to have done the minimum. Perhaps the best example of this is that the most interesting development isn't the iPad itself but rather the option extra of the new cover. This looks really funky but how useful it will be in real life only time will tell.

There is nothing in the new iPad that would enhance my use of the iPad. I don't play graphics heavy games on the iPad so the enhanced chip speed and graphic capabilities would be of limited appeal. I don't video conference with other apple users so the backward looking camera wouldn't help. I would consider editing video on the iPad, that is what my heavy duty PC is for. I have a friend who's son might be interested in the GarageBand app but I don't so this doesn't really. So in short other than the kick of having the latest iPad, admittedly vain but nonetheless attractive, I can't see that there is any reason for me to upgrade from iPad 1. This doesn't mean that I think the iPad 2 isn't worth buying if you don't already have an iPad - I wouldn't be parted from my iPad as it has totally changed the way that I interact with the internet and computing generally (This is a fine example - in the past I only posted from my PC now I rarely do). It is just that there would be very little to attract me to upgrade that is, of course, until I get my hands on one! I am really sad.

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Apple (United Kingdom) - iPad - It's thinner, lighter and faster than ever.

via apple.com

so it has been launched. The first impression is that it is much hype and not any real changes which is to be expected as the first iPad was pretty good. The one thing that I really like the look of is the new case which no doubt does not work with the iPad 1. Anyway, only time will tell just how good this is. Just don't believe the hype which Apple are very good at.

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Updated: Apple And The BBC To Co-Host iPad 2 Release Event?

via crunchgear.com

the last link didn't seem to want to work - hopefully this will

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Is today iPad 2 day?

Who knows but it probably is. We'll have to see what comes out from Apple over the day - perhaps Steven Fry might be able to answer this.

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Towing the company line

I happens to be in the local Apple store today and whenever I spoke to any of the staff in there about the forthcoming release of the iPad 2 I got the same reaction - a shrug of the shoulders and 'we don't know when the new machine is com in out' or words to that effect. Now whilst this perfectly correct for all the staff to come out with the same line means that this must be what they have been told to say. Even when I spoke to more senior technicians they came out with the same line, even though it is fairly common knowledge that Apple appears to have a fairly regular release cycle for new machines. Are well we will have to see what this week.

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