Ed Sutherland - page 43

Earlier talk of the death of HP’s Slate tablet was incorrect – sort of. While a consumer-oriented tablet using the webOS acquired from Palm may have to wait until 2011, the computer maker is reportedly on the verge of unveiling the HP500, an $800 Windows 7-based tablet designed for the office.

The Slate 500 (the official HP Slate webpage redirects visitors to the company’s inventory of business laptop and tablet pcs) uses a full version of Microsoft’s Windows 7, weighs in at 1.5 pounds and includes an 8.9-inch multitouch screen.

The device also supposedly is powered by a 1.86 GHz Intel Atom chip. Apple’s 64GB iPad uses the in-house 1GHz A4. Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently commented on rival tablets. “Our potential competitors are having a tough time coming close to iPad’s pricing. iPad incorporates everything we’ve learned about building high value products,” he said Monday. The proof will be in the pricing of our competitors’ products, which will offer less for more,” Jobs claimed.

We start the day off with bargains on applications for the iPad and iPhone. First up is a new crop of price drops for Apple’s tablet, including “Spirit HD,” a puzzle. A number of iPhone apps are offered for no cost, including “X Invasion 2: Extreme Combat.” The deal spotlight wraps up with the just-announced new MacBook Air computers, including a $999 unit that includes an 11.6-inch screen, 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 64GB of solid state storage.

Along the way, we also take a look at other iPhone applications, as well as a rubber bumper for your iPhone, a 27-inch LED Cinema Display and Apple’s new iLife ’11 software bundle. As always, details on these and many other bargains can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Remember the days when Research in Motion could sit on its enterprise laurels, assured companies would pick the BlackBerry over that upstart iPhone? Well, such security may be waning as one home town analyst warns of a ‘domino-effect’ if Apple gets a foot in the corporate door.

“We believe the potential adoption of the iPhone by key RIM enterprise users may have a domino effect, creating further market disruption for RIM,” analyst Michael Walkley of Canada’s Canacord Genuity told that nation’s National Post. Earlier this week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said his Cupertino, Calif. company had passed RIM. “I don’t see them catching up with us in the foreseeable future,” he added.

With about a third of iPad owners, the App Store is a rare destination. A survey released Thursday finds, among other information nuggets, that 32 percent of iPad owners have yet to download a single app – not even free ones. This could be disheartening to Apple and others, who see the iPad as an integral part in the Cupertino, Calif. company’s strategy of integration.

Another group, 63 percent of the participants in a Nielsen Co. survey, is the audience likely to adopt Apple’s new App Store Economy. These iPad owners purchase their games, read books, do finances – even plan their vacations on the iPad. With an App Store for music, video, books, the iPod, iPhone, iPad and now the Mac, these self-confessed early-adopters will accept Apple’s vision of the future.

AT&T, Apple’s exclusive iPhone provider, Thursday posted third-quarter results of $31.6 billion and a record number of iPhone 4 subscribers. The Dallas, Texas-based carrier announced 5.2 million iPhone activations, up from the previous record of 3.2 million. Almost a quarter of those were from new AT&T customers.

“This was a terrific mobile broadband quarter,” said chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson. “A record number of customers signed new two-year contracts and integrated device sales outpaced our previous best by a wide margin,” he added. AT&T said it gained 2.6 million net subscribers, up 30 percent from a year ago.

We’ve seen it in PC versus Mac sales, now a new report claims businesses are opting to buy more Macs than PCs. A quarter of all computers added in the enterprise in 2011 will be Macs, according to the Enterprise Desktop Alliance. Additionally, by next year, 70 percent of businesses will have Macs at the workplace.

“Much of the growth in Macs will happen in organizations that already have Macs installed,” the organization announced in a report. IT managers point to Macs being less expensive to manage, easier to configure and requiring less training and troubleshooting than Windows-based systems.

The conventional hard disk drive may be going the way of the floppy disk, a retirement accelerated by Apple’s increasing use of flash memory in such popular devices as the iPad. Hard drive maker Western Digital could see shipments for netbooks and inexpensive laptops fall by 10 to 20 percent, the company CEO told reporters Tuesday.

CEO John Coyne told analysts investors should take a longer view about his industry in words meant to reassure a nervous Wall Street. “What I would say to investors is to look at the long-term demand for storage, the fact is the most appropriate solution for mass volume storage is hard drives and to look at the long-term progress the industry has made over the last 10 years,” he said in a call.

First up is a number of refurbished MacBook Pro units from the Apple Store, starting with a 2.26GHz 13″ model for $929. Next up is a Superleggera iPhone 4 case bundled with two screen protectors. We wrap up today’s featured deals with a 23-inch aluminum widescreen Cinema Display LCD monitor for $380.

Along the way, we check out a 16GB iPhone 4, an iPod touch with GPS and an 802.11g Airport Extreme. As always, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Who is leading in mobile advertising – Apple or Google? A new report seems to offer conflicting views. One graph (shown above) appears to indicate mobile ads served to Android devices grew at a faster pace in the third-quarter – 37 percent versus 10 percent for Apple. However, a second set of numbers illustrates a 156 percent increase in ad impressions and 316 percent revenue jump for the iPad between July and September.

Millenial Media, a mobile advertising network, Tuesday also announced while Apple accounts for 30 percent of the devices connected to its system, ad requests sent to Android devices grew 1,283 percent since January. The iPod touch and iPad accounted for two of the top four devices connected to the company’s network.

Although investors voiced some disappointment that Apple’s quarterly financial picture didn’t match some expectations, analysts Tuesday weighed in with a more optimism. The key phrase: the best is yet to come.

“We believe [the] iPad supply chain will expand substantially into the calendar fourth quarter,” Sterne Agee analyst Vijay Rakesh told investors this morning. Although Apple’s sales of 4.2 million iPads this quarter was below the 5 million Wall Street expected, the analyst views the lower number as a “strategic decision to allocate capacity to [the] iPhone 4 and the best is yet to come.”

We start off with a deal for your iPhone or iPod touch which we admit might be a little fishy. “The Little Carp That Jumped Over the Dragon Gate” is an e-book from the iTunes App Store. The story is in English, with Japanese and traditional Chinese and Chinese translations. You won’t need translation for the price, however: it’s free – $2 off the regular cost. Also in the deal spotlight is the Acase Aegis Power External Battery Case for the iPhone 4. It includes a 1700mAh battery, LED power indicator, micro USB charging cord, and more. Finally, you may go hook, line and sinker for the fishbone mesh hardback iPhone 4 case – it’s just $2.51 with product code.

Along the way, we’ll also check out a skin for your iPad, as well as software for your Mac. As usual, details on these and many other bargains can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

For some time, many have seen the iPad as only a threat to the PC industry. However, Apple’s tablet could actually breathe life into that market, providing new blood for an anemic industry. If the iPad is classified a PC, third-quarter sales growth in the U.S. would climb to 24 percent, up from a measly 4 percent, according to an analyst.

“The iPad is driving a rapid, unprecedented shift in the structure of the computing industry,” Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore told investors Monday. For Apple, if the iPad were classified alongside the iMac, MacBook and Mac Pro, computer sales for the Cupertino, Calif. company would go through the roof – climbing from 24 percent year-over-year growth to 250 percent, Whitmore said. This when PC leader HP saw sales increase just three percent and Dell watched demand fall five percent.

Apple is expected to announce its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2010 later today. Many professional analysts are predicting blow-out revenue for the Cupertino, Calif. company, particularly for iPhone sales. However, will this be another case where unofficial estimates are closer to reality?

Although a poll of professional analysts affiliated with a financial research firm largely agree that Apple will report $18.86 billion in quarterly revenue, the consensus of unaffiliated analysts forecast $20.37 billion. The numbers are somewhat more in agreement on product sales. Wall Street expects sales of 11.38 million iPhones (versus 12 million for the blogger-analysts), 9.54 million iPods (versus 9.74 million for the unofficial analysts), 3.78 million Macs (compared to 4.01 million by bloggers) and 4.73 million iPads (compared to 5.52 million for the bloggers).

We wrap up the week with two iMac deals and an app for making international phone calls. Up first is a number of Core 2 Duo iMacs, starting at $680 for a 2.16GHz desktop machine. Next is i-Hoot, an app for your iPhone which permits pay-as-you-go international dialing. Finally is a 27-inch iMac with quad i7 processors running at 2.8GHz. The package also includes three years of AppleCare all for $1,699.

Along the way, we’ll also take a look at a number of other items and apps for your iPhone or iPod. Like always, details on these and many more deals can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Whether you are an employee wanting to use your iPad on the road or a company looking to integrate the Apple tablet into your workspace, AT&T says it has you covered. The exclusive U.S. iPhone carrier announced Friday it will offer plans to sell the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G to business customers.

“iPad is a great fit for our enterprise customers across a wide range of industries who are looking for ways to increase business productivity and offer greater flexibility,” said Michael Antieri, President, Advanced Enterprise Solutions, AT&T Solutions. The iPad provides “businesses with the tools they need to accelerate mobility-led productivity,” he adds.

Normally, Apple is able to deliver Rolls-Royce earnings numbers when Wall Street is predicting just Cadillac financial figures. Shortages in the Cupertino, Calif. company’s two most popular products – the iPad and iPhone 4 – could prevent Apple from reporting its usual 15 percent premium on expectations, one analyst cautions.

Wall Street consensus if for Apple to report Monday earnings-per-share of $4.03 on $18.76 billion in revenue for the three-month quarter ended September. However, for Apple to deliver its usual 15 percent above-expected earnings, the company would need to report $4.08 per share on $18.8 billion in revenue, something Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster doesn’t foresee.

We start off with a deal on an 8-core 3GHz MacPro Xeon workstation. The computer is bundled with the Mac Creativity and Entertainment Software Suite for $2,150. Next is a touch stylus for your iPad. The green stylus is just $2 and includes free shipping. Finally, there is a Crystal Jelly Executive Case for the iPod touch. The $1.50 case is designed for the fourth-generation iPod.

Along the way, we’ll also check out other devices for your iPhone, iPod and iPad. As usual, details on these and much more can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

Within weeks, you should be able to walk into most AT&T and Verizon stores and walk out with an iPad. The two carriers announced Thursday they will begin selling the Apple tablet October 28. The announcement should fuel speculation Apple is preparing to soon sell the iPhone through Verizon.

AT&T said it will sell the iPad 3G version with its pre-paid 3G plans, while Verizon will bundle the iPad Wi-Fi with its MiFi mobile hotspot device. Earlier this year, a leaked Verizon memo mentioned the iPad was an “opportunity for VZW” to sell the MiFi. Verizon will also sell the iPad 3G.

Two monthly plans will be offered by AT&T, ranging between $14.99 for 250MB and $25 for 2GB with no term contract. Both provide iPad owners unlimited Wi-Fi access at AT&T’s more than 23,000 national hotspots. The 16GB iPad will cost $629, with $729 for the 32GB and $829 for the 64GB.

Verizon will offer a $20 plan for up to 1GB of data. Verizon will offer the iPad Wi-Fi bundled with their MiFi. A 16GB iPad Wi-Fi bundle will cost $629.99, with $729.99 for a 32GB bundle and $829.99 for the 64GB iPad Wi-Fi package. The price of a Wi-Fi 3G will match that of AT&T.

Both the carriers and Apple made pointed-references to the all-important upcoming holiday buying season. “As we approach the holiday season, we are very happy that customers will now be able to buy iPad Wi-Fi + 3G at AT&T Stores,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “This is the perfect pairing for holiday travels,” Verizon Wireless CEO CEO John Stratton added.

[via AppleInsider]

Foxconn, the main manufacturer of Apple’s iPhone, Thursday confirmed an earlier report suggesting it will charge clients more for making mobile handsets. However, the company says competitors likely will not use the move to entice clients. “Most clients have already agreed to the new quotes,” a Foxconn representative told reporters.

Foxconn noted not all clients have yet to sign-up for the new pricing arrangement. Unknown is to which camp Apple belongs. Wednesday, a Taiwan-based publication reported a Citibank analyst believe Hon Hai, Foxconn’s parent, would raise manufacturing costs for October.

Another day, another batch of deals for your favorite Apple devices. Today we have two iPad bargains, whether you need to keep your current tablet operating or want to buy a next-to-new unit. First up is a replacement screen for your iPad or iPad 3G for $93.84. Next is a deal on a factory refurbished 16GB Wi-Fi iPad from the Apple Store – just $449. Finally, if you just bought either a 15-inch or a 17-inch MacBook Pro, add two years of warranty coverage with AppleCare.

Along the way, we’ll also check out cases for your iPhone, music devices for your iPod and software for your Mac. As always, details on these and many more items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

Apple stock rose above the $300 per share mark Wednesday morning, reaching a historic level. The Cupertino, Calif. company, which has been on a recent tear, now has a market capitalization worth around $275 billion. A poll of financial analysts put the Wall Street consensus at $350 per share.

Last week, we reported Apple is nearing the market value of Exxon-Mobile, the most largest company in history. Exxon-Mobile closed Tuesday with a market value of $329.44. Monday, Oct. 18, Apple is expected to announce record sales for the fourth-quarter, the first full-quarter for the iPhone 4.

Why is Apple supposedly providing South Korean customers refurbished iPhones instead of new handsets when the device breaks? That will be the central question when the Cupertino, Calif. company faces that nation’s legislators. Just days after expected record-breaking iPhone sales are to be announced, the company must answer the Korean parliament October 21.

At issue is Apple’s reported tendency to issue refurbished units when responding to repairs, a move appearing to depart from its stated repair and replacement policy. Farrel Farhoudi, Apple’s senior iPhone service director, is scheduled to take the hot seat. Farhoudi, also the former AppleCare Business Development, has been with the Cupertino, Calif. firm since 1993.

Will the iPad hurt PC sales? Chipmaking giant Intel thinks Apple’s tablet will “probably” make some consumers turn away from purchasing PCs. However, CEO Paul Otellini took the tact that the iPad’s waves will make all boats rise. “Apple has done a wonderful job reinventing the category,” he told analysts.

“Consumers will have a limited amount of discretionary income and some will choose to purchase a tablet instead of upgrading an existing PC or purchasing a netbook,” Otellini said.

We start off with three hardware deals. The first comes from the Apple Store, which is offering a number of MacBook Pros, starting at $1,019 for a 2.4GHz unibody model. We also take a look at a growing product segment – iPad cases. This time it is a crystal jelly skin with a dot-wave pattern – just $4. We wrap up our deal spotlight with more Mac minis from the Apple Store, including a 2GHz Core 2 Duo model for $499.

Along the way, we’ll also check out more cases, software and other items for your iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac. As always, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

A Japanese game developer must read our coverage of the meteoric growth of App usage. The developer, DeNA paid up to $400 million for San Francisco-based Ngmoco, creator of well-known iPhone apps such as the Rolando series and Eliminate. “We’re building the largest mobile social gaming platform in the world,” declares DeNA founder and CEO Tomoko Namba.

As part of the deal, the two-year-old Ngmoco could receive an additional $100 million if the game developer meets unspecified goals by the end of 2011. The iPhone developer was founded by Electronics Arts exec Neil Young, plus Bob Stevenson, Alan Yu and Joe Keene.