Ed Sutherland - page 40

We start out with the MacBook Air. MacMall is offering the 13.3-inch MBA , powered by a 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo processor with 2GB or RAM and a 120GB hard drive for just $939 – down from the usual $1,499. Also in the spotlight is the latest crop of iPad app price drops, along with some more iPhone app freebies, including “Etch-a-Sketch.”

We’ll also take a look at cases for your iPad, speakers for your iPod and software for your Mac. Like always, details on these and many other products can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

We start off with another deal on a 16GB Wi-Fi iPad, this time from the Apple Store for just $449. Next is a new crop of price cuts from the iPhone App Store, including “Mini Squadron,” an aerial combat game for the iPhone or iPod touch. We wrap up our highlighted deals with an 8Gb iPhone 3Gs for just $19.

Along the way, we also take a look at another iPad stand, 85 percent off some HandHeld.com items and software for your iPhone and Mac. As always, details on all are available at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Apple has squeaked by RIM’s BlackBerry, giving the iPhone 27.9 percent of the U.S. smartphone market, versus 27.4 percent for the Canadian handset maker, according to Nielsen Company researchers. Meanwhile, Google’s Android platform has 22.7 percent of the American market, with Microsoft Windows Mobile hanging on in third place with 14 percent.

Earlier this month, RIM’s CEO blamed “Apple’s distortion field” for talk that the BlackBerry maker had fallen behind the Cupertino, Calif. firm lead by CEO Steve Jobs. “We’ve now passed RIM, and I don’t see them catching up with us in the foreseeable future,” Jobs had remarked.

The iPad is eating into the Kindle’s market, prompting analysts Tuesday to announce the Amazon e-reader has a “rapidly diminishing lead” over the Apple tablet. The iPad’s e-reader market share doubled between August and November, while the Kindle’s 62 percent fell tpo 47 percent over the same time.

In a poll of consumers, ChangeWave found the iPad’s market share rose from 16 percent in August to 32 percent in November. At the same time, 75 percent of iPad owners said they are “very satisfied” with the tablet, versus 54 percent for the Kindle.

Google’s much-delayed entry into the e-book market, Google Editions, is set to launch by the end of 2010, according to today’s Wall Street Journal. If Editions does appear, the e-bookstore could rival those now offered by Apple and Amazon.

The competing e-bookstore will arrive in the U.S. by the “end of the month and internationally in the first quarter of next year,” the report quotes Google product management director Scott Dougall. Google Editions would differ from both Apple and Amazon by allowing access to e-books through almost any Web browser, rather than connected to specific devices, such as the iPad, iPhone or Kindle.

We start off with a deal on an Otterbox Commuter Case for the iPad. The case, in black, includes access to all the tablet’s buttons ad ports plus features a screen protector. Next is an iMac Core i7 bundle, that includes a 2.8GHz quad desktop computer with 27-inch screen and three years of AppleCare. We wrap up our spotlight deals with the latest batch of freebies from the App Store, including “Orient,” a location orientation assistant.

Along the way, we’ll also check out a 93 percent off deal on iPhone 4 cases, a 50 percent off deal from ZAGG.com, and more. As always, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

Apple products scored highly in a computer magazine’s annual reliability survey, “smoking the competition” in all categories, including desktops, notebooks and smartphones. RIM was the cellar-dweller in the handset category, scoring “worse than average” on every ease of use question.

“Can Apple do no wrong?” asked PCWorld, on releasing the results of the Reliability and Service Survey. “Indeed, 2010 was a remarkable year for the world’s highest-valued tech company,” the magazine declared.

Is the iPhone becoming passe? That’s the belief of one analyst predicting Google’s Android will surpass both Apple’s handset and Nokia in 2011. “The iPhone was last year’s device and now people are looking for something different,” the IDC analyst told Bloomberg.

Android’s move shouldn’t come as a surprise; Apple’s handset had just a one percent lead (24 percent versus 23 percent) over the Android platform in the third quarter of 2010. The Samsung Galaxy S, with 14 percent of all Android-based shipments, is seen as delivering an iPhone-like experience with a lower price, according to the research firm’s Francisco Jeronimo.

It is Cyber Monday, the online version of retailers’ Black Friday. To mark the event, Apple and others are marking down their products. First up is the mothership, which announced 30 percent off on select items purchased at the Apple Store. Next is ZAGG, which began a 50 percent off sale sitewide. Finally, the iPhone App Store has marked-down several applications for the iPhone and the iPod touch, including “Perfect Photo,” photo-editing software.

Along the way, we’ll also look at some hardware bargains ($885 for a MacBook Air, $200 for an iBook G4, $199 for a 32GB iPhone 4), as well as deals for your iPad and Mac. As usual, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

While you were either sleeping off the turkey or watching a game, some industrious Apple analysts were busy surveying the Black Friday landscape. The results: iPad sales were hotter than grandma’s pumpkin pie. After Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster and his team watched Apple retailers for seven hours he came away with this conclusion: the iPad is “the Mac of the masses.”

Strictly in terms of sales, 8.8 iPads were selling each hour, compared to 8.2 Macs, according to Munster. Despite comments like “the 11-inch MacBook Air has been flying off the shelves” from retailers, Mac sales were down compared to 2009, when Apple retailers sold 8.3 computers per hour for the day after Thanksgiving.

Apple’s iPhone is more than just sizzle, according to a German survey measuring smartphone loyalty released Monday. Although 75 percent of smartphone owners surveyed said they may switch to another handset when they buy their next phone, 59 percent of iPhone owners said they are sticking with the Apple handset. The figure tops the BlackBerry and Android-based alternatives, leaving Nokia and Microsoft in the dust.

“If a phone doesn’t do what it says it will do or what the owner hopes it will do, the maker will lose loyalty,” GfK analyst Ryan Garner told Reuters. Garner explained that people tend to “buy into experiences at the high-end level.”

Steve Wozniak, Apple’s co-founder, apparently reads the Cult. After we published the recent piece on the Cupertinto, Calif. company buying HP’s old campus in the city, Wozniak offered more historical details on Apple’s connection with the acquisition of the 98-acre parcel. “Apple really is returning home,” Woz said in a comment.

“Actually, almost all of the Apple ][ development occurred in the HP calculator division (APD) which was located in the section acquired earlier. When this HP division moved to Corvallis, Oregon, my wife did not want to move so I transferred to HP’s Data Systems Division (HP-3000) across Pruneridge and I worked there for about one month, at first choosing not to start Apple due to my love for HP,” he said, shedding light on Apple’s early connection with the HP site.

The HP location, for which Apple reportedly paid $300 million, also had a connection to Apple’s earliest computer – the Apple I.

“This is also the division of HP that had the PROM burners I used to burn the 256-byte “monitor” program of the Apple I (took 2 PROM chips – not much memory in those days). I had previously learned how to burn these PROMs to display 4-letter words when you missed the ball on a Pong game I’d built for myself,” Wozniak wrote.

We get in the Black Friday mood with a number of price cuts and freebies for the iPhone and iPad. First up is the Apple Store’s Black Friday event, with offers such as a 16GB Wi-Fi iPad for $458 – $41 off the usual price. We also have the Sketchbook Pro app for the iPad for just $0.99 – a $7 drop from Thursday. Finally is a new batch of iPhone app price cuts, including “Iron Man 2” for just $0.99 – a $4 reduction.

Along the way, we have price cuts on MacBook Airs and iMacs, as well as iPhone 4s. Plus there are cases, snap-on batteries and much more. As usual, details can be found on CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Apple has become the largest landowner in Cupertino, Calif., the city which headquarters the computer and media giant. Apple recently purchased for a reported $300 million a 98-acre campus which formerly housed Hewlett-Packard. The site adjoins Apple’s 50-acre site it purchased in 2006.

“We now occupy 57 buildings in Cupertino and our campus is bursting at the seams,” Apple PR chief Steve Dowling told the Mercury News. “The offices will give us more room for our employees as we continue to grow,” he added.

It’s not too late to get prepared for the Black Friday shopping frenzy. We again offer a Black Friday app for your iPhone or iPod touch allowing you to shop, compare, track and search for the best deals online and in stores. Also, a new crop of iPhone App price cuts were released, including “NFL 2011.” If golf is more your style, “Let’s Golf!” is just $1 for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Along the way, we also check out several hardware deals, including a number of iMacs and MacBook Pros. As always, details on these and much more can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

The U.S. International Trade Commission has decided to investigate Apple’s allegations against Motorola. In October, the two handset makers accused each other of patent infringement. Apple charges the Schaumberg, Ill.-based Motorola violated six multi-touch patents.

If the ITC rules in Apple’s favor, importation and sale of Motorola smartphones could be banned in the United States. The patent spat erupted in early October when Motorola accused Apple of violating 18 patents and refusing to agree to license Moto’s technology. Apple fired back in late October, claiming Motorola had violated its patents.

First Apple took RIM’s spot as the No. 4 mobile phone maker. Now the Cupertino, Calif. company is poaching sales executives from the BlackBerry maker. At least five RIM employees have been hired away by Apple over the past eighteen months, reports say.

Apple’s goal of increased business sales got a shot in the arm after RIM’s Head of Strategic Sales, Geoff Perfect, joined Apple in April 2009. Perfect now heads the iPhone’s Enterprise Sales unit, according to the Wall Street Journal. Other defections from RIM include it’s Senior Global Sales Manager, Global Strategic Account Manager and Global Account Manager. They now sell iOS devices to the corporate market.

Did Apple analysts use inside information to sway the price of Apple stock? That’s the question on the minds of government investigators who recently launched a probe of Wall Street and a common signal of Apple’s planning: ‘channel checks.’ To combat the legendary reluctance for public statements, experts covering the Cupertino, Calif. media giant often refer to ‘channel checks’ as a way to provide investors with insight into the planning of the iPhone maker.

Although no analysts were charged, an RBC analyst report on increased iPad production and a Rodman & Redshaw report on low iPad production may have caused Apple Shares to dip, according to the Wall Street Journal.

As the days dwindle down to that all-important Black Friday start of holiday shopping, we have a few door-buster deals of our own. First up is the Black Friday App for your iPhone, allowing you to stay mobile, while scanning the sales fliers and snooping through the web sites of your favorite stores. Next is a deal on a 16GB Wi-Fi iPad for just $449 – shipping is free. We finally take a look at the latest crop of free iPhone apps, including the intriguingly-named “Rednecks v. Aliens” game.

Along the way, we also take a look at several iPad cases, a deal on EA games for your iPhone or iPad and assorted add-ons for your favorite Apple device. As always, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

A new analyst report out Tuesday highlights how ‘spin’ can affect how one reads the dry numbers of sales and shipments. For instance, Needham analyst Charlie Wolf chose to overlook the Mac’s 4.36 percent share of the PC market for the last quarter, instead concentrating a note to investors on how Apple’s growth is drubbing the otherwise tepid PC market. Mac shipments grew in September by 28.5 percent, far outstripping the 9.7 percent growth for PCs.

Additionally, Mac sales are firing on all cylinders propelled by the triple-threat halos from the iPod, iPhone and iPad. But wait, there’s even more good news. Mac shipments to business and home are exceeding those of PCs, according to researchers at IDC. Mac shipments to business during the third-quarter of 2010 were up 66.3 percent and grew 25.3 percent for the home market. That compares with overall business computer shipment growth of 8.5 percent and home growth of 10.4 percent.

Nuance, maker of Dragon Naturally Speaking, is not a new member of Apple’s acquisitions. That’s the opinion of a writer at TechCrunch, who suggests Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak misspoke during a video interview. Although Nuance has no official comment the company’s stock rose five percent Monday night on the speculation.

Remarking how voice recognition will likely take on more importance by computer makers, Wozniak said: “Apple’s probably thinking the same way; they recently bought Nuance that does a lot of great voice recognition for that program I mentioned, the Siri Assistant.”

Apple’s elves in China are going into hyper-drive to meet expected increased holiday demand for the red-hot iPad, a report suggests Tuesday. Foxconn Electronics has added new manufacturing sites able to produce 10,000 additional tablets each day.

The new plants in Chengdu could eventually produce enable Foxconn to produce around 40 million iPads per year, prompting the report to call the inland China factories “a major supply base” for the first quarter of 2011. Apple could sell 15 million iPads in 2010 and start 2011 with a second-generation tablet.

With just days left before Thanksgiving, we highlight three deals for your iPhone. First is a stylish Dot case for the iPhone 4 handset. For that case, we have a number of iPhone 4s – including a 32GB model for $249 – from AT&T. Finally, after the Thanksgiving festivities are over, it’s time for Black Friday – and we’ve got the app for you. The Black Friday app from dealnews keeps you update on all the ads (released and leaked), along with a way to store your shopping lists as you peruse the Web sites.

Along the way, we’ll also check out more deals on iPods, an 11g Airport Extreme and software for your Mac. As always, details on these and much more can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Rivals attempting to share in the wave of momentum for tablet computers may be hurt by an expected wait-and-see attitude as consumers look toward a rumored iPad 2 from Apple. That’s the assessment by anonymous overseas suppliers talking to an industry publication.

According to the suppliers, the expectation of a new iPad sometime in the first three months of 2011 will “seriously weaken” sales of competing tablets from PC makers. Additionally, predictions for tablet sales in 2011 my be overly optimistic and risk disappointment.

In the tablet tug-of-war between Apple and Android-maker Google, the Cupertino, Calif. company may have one the first scuffle in South Korea. Although the iPad doesn’t officially go on sale there until Nov. 30, carrier KT reportedly sold some 60,000 units in less than won week of presales.

With a little more than one month left in 2010, KT — Apple’s partner in South Korea — expects to sell 200,000 iPads, according to a local report. By comparison, the rival Android-based Samsung Galaxy Tab from SK Telecom pre-sold about 25,000 tablet in its first week of availability. Overall, Samsung expects to sell more than 150,000 by the end of November.