Marc's Webvox [Memex My Brain]

#1 ((Paid)) iPhone Application ? Koi Pond ! ((Impulse))

nobody@vox.com(Marc) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:20:42 -0700

Could you believe that ? Lesson: Do not underestimate the power of impulse buying...

http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/08/20/the-1-paid-app-koi-pond/

Micro-transactions, micro-revenues. It's all getting very interesting on the iTunes app store because people are already familiar with hitting that Buy button for impulse music purchases.

PS: Update: Where are the books and magazines ? I might be 12-24 months off but I'm pretty sure we will see an answer to Amazon's Kindle before 2010 ((integrated into iTunes 8.x or 9)) from Apple. The screen and battery technology are getting there. Also, Steve Jobs usually badmouths an entire sector - only to present his solution/products a few months later...

Today he had a wide range of observations on the industry, including the Amazon Kindle book reader, which he said would go nowhere largely because Americans have stopped reading.
“It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore,” he said. “Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year. The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.”

Source: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/the-passion-of-steve-jobs/

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The last interesting Apple device category ((WWDC 2008 approaching))

nobody@vox.com(Marc) — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:40:47 -0700

I'm not looking forward to the 3G iPhone, seriously. Everyone knows it's coming one day since SJ announced the original iPhone back in January 2007. However, these three devices ((or rather new device categories)) could be interesting...

1) iPad ((aka Newton 2.0 / Palmtop, the current iPod touch is getting into that device category))

2) Apple Ultraportable ((the MacBook Air is getting there, but still too large in my view))

3) iBook 2.0 ((Apple's answer to the Amazon Kindle, a simple eBook reader, unrelated to the original iBook laptops))

Some people might argue that category 1) and 3) could be merged into one device over time, but low-voltage display technologies ((EInk etc.)) aren't ready yet for moving content or colour output, at least not at an affordable price.

Apple might bring out either 1) and/or 3) at WWDC 20008 in June. I guess it's rather device 1), but that's just a guess. However, recent rumors make this more likely. See eg. ...

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/05/14/intel-confirms-atom-based-larger-iphone-mini-tablet/

and before...

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/05/11/3g-iphone-in-may-another-device-at-wwdc/

Another take on a potential eBook from Apple can be found here...

http://blogd.com/wp/index.php/archives/3667

The Apple ((multitouch)) pad rumors have obviously been around for some time as well...

http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/26/is-apple-working-on-a-multi-touch-based-newton-successor/

PS: Note I didn't use the word "tablet" for devices 1) ir 3) because I think this name is linked to the rather unsuccessful MS tablet PC product category. Also, Apple's devices, especially device 1) will most likely have a smaller form factor than MS tablet PCs.

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Apple MID via Intel ((iBook 2.0 featuring a second eInk screen ??))

nobody@vox.com(Marc) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:39:14 -0800

The title is not even a rumor, but a very vague idea of mine where Apple's MacBook / iBook could be headed in the next 12-24 months...

Intel Viiv is almost gone, another ((rather dull)) acronym is in: Intel MID. I wonder hope Apple will fit into these plans..

Instead, Intel will use a modified version of the brand on entertainment-oriented personal computers that use its dual-processor chips. They will be labeled Intel Core 2 with Viiv technology, said Jeffrey McCrea, a vice president in Intel's digital-home group.
Intel still has big plans for this year's CES show in early January. Among other things, it is trying to spur creation of a category of products it calls MIDs, for mobile Internet devices.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119766800257230083.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Macworld 2008 will for sure be interesting.

Personally, I'm still waiting for Apple's answer to the Amazon Kindle, ie. a notebook or subnotebook with an external/second eINk screen...

http://www.mac-essentials.de/index.php/mac/article/19414/

and a more detailed description of the most interesting feature...

One side features a screen made of material devised by E Ink, one of the recipients of investment by Intel Capital. It can display a picture, the calendar, or your schedule for the day.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2007/tc20070523_272039.htm

As for the name ? Apple iBook ~~of course~~ ((in my armchair dreams)), Apple has already registered and used the name in the past :)

Summary: iBook 2.0 coming in 2008 ((again in my armchair dreams)). An Apple version of the Amazon Kindle, even if it would arrive, Macworld 2008 is probably too early...

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Livescribe und Kindle ((und ich warte weiter auf den Apple Kindle))

nobody@vox.com(Marc) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 23:03:02 -0800

Livescribe und Kindle. Zwei interessante Konzepte, Papier und Stift endlich ins 21. Jahrhundert zu bringen...

http://www.livescribe.com/

((Es dauert noch 66 Tage, mindestens in den USA und für Windows-Benutzer beim Livescribe-Stoft)). Das einzige, was mir daran nicht gefällt, ist das proprietäre Papier, das man kaufen muss. Es gibt aber auch einfachere und günstigere Alternativen ((die im Gegensatz zum Livescribe leider kein Audio-Signal aufzeichnen)) wie etwa hier, die normales Papier benutzen...

http://neuerdings.com/2007/11/19/digiscribble-scanning-pen-stift-fuer-die-doppelte-buchfuehrung/

Und zweitens natürlich der in den letzten Tagen gross angekündigte Kindle von Amazon...

http://www.macrumors.com/2007/11/19/amazon-enters-gadget-market-with-kindle-an-ebook-device/

Warum ich hier auf Macrumors verlinke ? Weil ich vor ca. 2 Jahren geschrieben habe in Analysen zur AAPL-Aktie ((damals noch zum Kauf empfohlen, heute halte ich AAPL für leicht überbewertet)), dass Apple früher oder später ((das heisst bis 2010)) via die iPod-Familie in den Markt mit eBooks und eInk-oder ähnlicher Technologie mit alnegn Batterielaufzeiten einsteigen wird.

Der heutige Amazon-Kindle ist das Aequivalent zum damaligen Apple Newton, zu klobig und zu umständlich und noch unausgereift, aber schon mit den Merkmalen eines revolutionären Produkts - der Apple-Kindle wird das Aequivalent zum damaligen ersten Palm Pilot: Kleiner und benutzerfreundlicher.

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