Snow Leopord: Boring Box

Snow Leopard is cool; at least that's what they say. However, package isn't really that cool. I mean unless you consider a picture of a cat cool. I haven't really gotten a chance to use the OS yet so I will reserve my criticism of the actual software till I get a chance to use it and get it installed on my laptop. Of course the price for it couldn't be much less, which in these trying economic times will definitely help get everyone moved over to the operating system. I'm not exactly sure what Apple stands to benefit from practically giving away the Operating System, though I guess if you look at it from the perspective that there really aren't that many more features in this upgrade then that could be the reason. Of course Apple does seem to be moving further and further away from the software dollar model as their hardware products are almost always the focus. But how will this look from a Microsoft perspective when Windows Vista averages around $250.00 for a single user license? Of course when Google comes out with their Chrome OS next year, that will definitely put a new spin on the market too. Google doesn't seem to charge for any software product, instead creating their products in a way that they can gather much information about the individual and then "organize" that information as is their mission. But I digress; my main reason for writing this was the boring (if not ugly) box that Apple has chosen to ship their software in. Maybe this doesn't bother most people, but as a creative type, I would expect that Apple could do better. But again, when does Apple ever live up to expectations?

Apple: Monopolies of Scale

In a recent article on PC World entitled "Apple's iPhone and iPod Monopolies Must Go," David Coursey rips into Apple for their monopoly and even goes as far as to say that "With the Obama Justice Dept. seemingly looking for evil monopolies to take apart, maybe Apple would be a good place to start."

Now maybe what Coursey is saying is part "tongue and cheek," and on Tech Loaded we prefer to avoid talking politics, but this begs the question: if Apple has successfully created a monopoly, how could one prove that and what have they done that would be considered so wrong that this writer would think that the DOJ should be sent after them?

Apple has built a highly successful business model, but I would hardly call them a monopoly. No where have I gone to a store and seen just one smart phone. There are tons of cheap imitations of the iPod. Just because iTunes has had so many downloads and so many applications doesn't make them a monopoly. I'm not saying that Apple does everything fairly; but that's business. There's many an industry that has been created in the wake of Apple products. And there will be more to come as well. Apple has no reason to "share" the access to iTunes and the music store with other phone and mp3 music players. They stand to benefit from what they create. If people want more access and less restrictions they can easily go outside the Apple Universe and find cheaper alternatives for places to download their music and play it on the go.

Apple Netbook Rumors: Just Rumors?

That's right, all the rumors about an Apple Netbook (or Tablet PC) are exactly that: rumors. However, I for one would like to see an Apple Netbook, especially now that Google is getting in the game.

It makes perfect sense: the iPhone is simply too small.

While the iPhone may be great for many people, it's just not ever going to be able to compete with a Netbook. It's in a class by itself. Now, even if you're not an Apple products fan, let me explain why an Apple Netbook makes a lot of sense. Think iPhone and then think Palm Pre, Google Phone, Blackberry Storm, etc, etc. The iPhone has created a whole class of knockoffs and would be iPhones some of which come closer to giving it some serious competition than others (having used the Pre for the first time this morning, I would say that it is definitely getting closer than any of the others have at creating some serious competition for the iPhone.

That's exactly why we need an Apple Netbook: to make the Netbook really take off. Right now if you walk into a hardware retailer, you find gobs and gobs of laptops with a few Netbooks scattered here and there. I've used a few of them, and so far the quality is dismal and the prices (even for PCs) seem quite high. An Apple Netbook would no doubt raise the bar in quality and value. The Macbook Air, while cool, doesn't really count as a Netbook as it is still too big.

So Mr. Jobs, now that you're back at Apple for a bit, could you please bring us a Netbook that's worth talking about?

AT&T: Definitely Holding Apple Back

The commentator on Marketwatch.com wonders if AT&T is holding Apple back. For example:

The new phone goes on sale June 19. Apple claims it will be up to twice as fast as the current 3G iPhone, but I don't yet see how. It won't be taking advantage of AT&T's ballyhooed faster network because the network won't be ready. AT&T is not even starting to deploy its new network until many months after the phone is out.

Apple instead must be souping up the new iPhone with faster processors or other chips, along with its new 3.0 software. The phone now has additional processor-intensive functions, such as a more powerful camera, video recording and playback. Apple says in its spec sheet on its Web site that it tested its new iPhone 3G S over current 3G and WiFi networks.

I would agree that AT&T is definitely holding Apple's iPhone back. For example, the Blackberry Storm isn't even really competitive against the iPhone; it's bulky and slow. However, I would buy one before I would buy an iPhone because I don't like and will never use AT&T. Palm has just introduced their Pre, and while it's initially only offered on Sprint, word on the street is that it will be available on other networks before long. Once it becomes available for the network that I'm on, I will definitely give it a serious look as my next phone. Of course by then the phone will have probably evolved into an even better device with more features and abilities than it currently has.

The point is that until Apple can get beyond their exclusive agreement with AT&T, they will be held back from reaching a large portion of potential customers.

WWDC Wrapup: New iPhone Cool, Macbook Pro 17, AWESOME!!

After Apple's World Wide Developers Conference, one thing is quite clear. Apple is focusing on mobile computing. The new iPhone 3G S is pretty sweet. But the truth is, for a creative person and a power user, the iPhone is really quite limited. It's a great phone, but when it comes to handling spreadsheets, powerpoint presentations, and photoshop documents, it's really not quite there.

Enter the Macbook Pro 17". This sleek cool machine comes with up to 8 hours of battery life or a full workday's worth of battery. Whether you're shooting photos of wildlife in Africa and uploading them to a blog, or taking a trans-atlantic flight and want to use every bit of creative juice you might have, this machine will fill the bill. Starting at $2,499, all this power doesn't come cheap, but is definitely less expensive then you would have had to shell out in the past.

Additional Valentine's Day Gift Idea: Take that Custom iPod to the Next Level

ETCHamac.com is very interesting. They offer "Corporate gifting and branding" and they "customize tech goods, accessories, cases..."



After writing my post last night about custom iPods as a Valentine's gift, I wondered if there might be something more that someone could get besides just the basic text engraving that Apple offers. Sure enough ETCHamac does offer such services. You could customize your iPod with a heart or logo or something else that means something to you and your Valentine.

Tech Loaded Valentine's Day Gift Idea: Simple and Clean Red iPod

What could say Love better than a brand new red iPod with a special message engraved on the back? That's the Tech Loaded Valentine's gift idea. Nothing fancy today, just a plain and simple personalized engraved iPod.

Keep watching for other Tech Loaded gift ideas for your sweety or anyone else in your life.

Is Apple Getting Ready to Update Apple TV

Probably more than any other facet of Apple, we've seen rumor after rumor regarding iTunes fade away in the sunset. Of course, many of those delightful plans were likely shot down by the likes of the MPAA, RIAA and other so-called content guardians, but we say all that in order to depress your hopes on this one. For whatever it's worth, an undisclosed source at CNET has confirmed an AppleInsider report that Cupertino is prepping an on-demand video streaming service for the next iteration of iTunes.

Whether this is true or not, there definitely has to be something new in the works at Apple with regards to iTunes and Apple TV. Apple is like Google in that they are constantly working on new projects and new technologies. How else do you think they'd come up with something like the iPod and the iPhone both of which are unique products that have been hot sellers.

Appleinsider: Apple Warns of iMac Shortages

According to Appleinsider, there are signs of a refreshed iMac coming soon. This of course has been a pattern for a long time since I've watched Apple news. First you hear rumors of shortages of previous editions, then you hear rumors of new iMacs and then all the sudden they're here.

Apple this week is advising members of its reseller channels that supply of iMacs will be constrained in the immediate future, a move that may signal new models are nearing production.

In particular, people familiar with the matter say the Cupertino-based Mac maker has warned that new reseller orders for the high-end 24-inch 3.06GHz iMac are unlikely to be fulfilled, suggesting manufacturing of that model is ramping down or has already ceased.

Additionally, Apple is said to have braced its partners for limited availability of the remainder of the iMac line in the coming weeks, a sign which this late in the product's life-cycle "only means one thing" -- namely that the company is drawing down inventory levels ahead of new models.

So far I've seen very little speculation about what the new iMac will be like. Personally, I'd like to see a new form factor as I believe the current version is getting old and tired. I would like to see something new and completely unlike anything seen before, kind of like the original iMac when it came out. It was fun and really refreshed computing and made people "think different" about the computer. That computer alone was credited for breathing life back into Apple and probably helped move the industry in the right direction. As much as I'd like to see Apple "think different again, I think that Apple has got into a pattern with their black and silver designs and will probably continue that. I wouldn't necessarily mind if they continued that pattern but would very much like to see some new fresh and creative ideas coming from them.