Well, I've now finalised my plans regarding the iPhone 3G and my exam completion gift. I still intend to buy an iPhone 3G, but I only intend to do so when it becomes available on Pay/Go. And so I shall, funded by my wages from Tesco and my EMA. Contract was really not an option. I hate to wait, but O2 have forced my hand on this issue.
In the iPhone 3G's stead, my exam completion gift is to be the Halo 3 Edition Xbox 360. The effing awesome green one. This is the one I've wanted pretty much since Peter Moore raised it with one hand.
Additionally, in exchange for taking possession of my PC, my parents have bought me a 750GB USB Hard Drive and an Elgato eyeTV for DTT (TV Tuner). Two things I was going to buy myself which I now don't have to. Between those and the Xbox, my PC is redundant apart from Blu-Ray playing anyway. And I can always use the PS3 downstairs for that.
Which means my disposable income for this coming paycheck is £195...Less £59 for MobileMe and I've got £135 to spend.
And you know what? I've run out of major buys. All the big things I decided I wanted are gone (iPhone 3G excepted). So I'll buy iWork and probably try and nab MGS:TTS (Because I'm a Metal Gear freak and I simply must have a Metal Gear game I can play in my room - remember, our PS2s don't work. Long story).
But basically, from now on I'm on impulse and/or small buys until I start saving for the iPhone 3G. There's a chance that instead of iWork and MGS I'll buy a w580i this month, or do that next month if I buy the software this month, but other than that, it's uncharted territory.
I'll have to start buying my "back of the mind" wants. What I might do at some point is buy a DS Lite. That said, I'm half expecting The Reginator to reveal a new DS at E3 next week. I might buy that instead.
It's a Golden Age as far as I'm concrned.
Jens Out
PS: Oh god, I should ask the guy in the Shopping Centre about the signed Jenson Button stuff...I'll start small, with the cap or the (I don't think signed, but rare) Jenson Button F3 car...Then ask about the price of the signed 2000 Williams.
-Evil Grin-
Showing posts with label iphone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iphone. Show all posts
08 July 2008
07 July 2008
Plans
Okay, so O2 have totally effed me over here. But, I still want the iPhone and I still intend to go with Pay/Go. For that reason, I will buy one this winter by saving up for a couple of months (All it will take, my monthly income will be increasing to start at £275 come Autumn).
In the meantime, I'm going to have my parents buy me a cheaper new phone on the Tesco Mobile network. Probably the cheaper Sony Ericsson slider in white. Additionally, I'll have them buy the hard drive I have my eye on, the 750GB one. Anything left over I'll spend on a game or something, perhaps making use of my GameStation Gift Voucher (I'm praying for Twin Snakes).
That leaves me to buy my new TV Tuner and MobileMe. All told, that still leaves me with £95 after I take into account LOVEFiLM. If I don't end up with Twin Snakes, I might use some fo that for that, otherwise there's some miscellaneous stuff I've yet to buy like iWork and iTunes films.
Next month is probably my Xbox 360 in that scenario. It's gonna take over the PC's place in the VGA Switcher. But its physical location? I have no idea.
There's a chance I'll buy a DS Lite with that £95. I'm not sure, I'm just thinking about it. In that case, the 360 will be a month later and next month will be iWork and stuff.
Jens Out
In the meantime, I'm going to have my parents buy me a cheaper new phone on the Tesco Mobile network. Probably the cheaper Sony Ericsson slider in white. Additionally, I'll have them buy the hard drive I have my eye on, the 750GB one. Anything left over I'll spend on a game or something, perhaps making use of my GameStation Gift Voucher (I'm praying for Twin Snakes).
That leaves me to buy my new TV Tuner and MobileMe. All told, that still leaves me with £95 after I take into account LOVEFiLM. If I don't end up with Twin Snakes, I might use some fo that for that, otherwise there's some miscellaneous stuff I've yet to buy like iWork and iTunes films.
Next month is probably my Xbox 360 in that scenario. It's gonna take over the PC's place in the VGA Switcher. But its physical location? I have no idea.
There's a chance I'll buy a DS Lite with that £95. I'm not sure, I'm just thinking about it. In that case, the 360 will be a month later and next month will be iWork and stuff.
Jens Out
So, you ever hear of these dicks called O2?
By now you've likely heard the news. iPhone 3G is not out on Pay/Go until the indistinct "Later in the year". Naturally, I'm massively pissed off. For anyone wondering what happened to the 96 Hour coverage, that is. The news I was most interested in came real early and it was bad.
I'm forced to conclude O2 doesn't like customers, or money. Odd tactic, for a business.
The following is an e-mail I sent to O2 regarding this fiasco:
No, the Christmas season is not an official timeframe, just one CS Reps kept throwing out which now seems likely.
Jens is Pissed
I'm forced to conclude O2 doesn't like customers, or money. Odd tactic, for a business.
The following is an e-mail I sent to O2 regarding this fiasco:
From the iPhone 3G page of your Help site, under Pay & Go:This is totally unacceptable. I need a new phone. I have my heart set on that phone. I don't want to wait until freaking Christmas - this is supposed to be funded in part by my parents as a treat for the end of exams. Bit bloody late come Christmas.
"Pay & Go will be available later this year."
It's taken you since WWDC back in mid June to finally come out and say those of us who cannot have or do not want iPhones on contracts are being left out in the cold? I'm hugely let down. I've been looking forward to the iPhone 3G launch since the phone was announced, even more since it was confirmed Pay/Go would be an option.
But for weeks, I hear nothing. Then I start to hear from friends and people online that miscellaneous sources are saying no Pay/Go on launch day, some even saying not until the Christmas season. Shortly after, I receive an e-mail from O2...Telling me they're going to send an e-mail. Which I knew. Because I told them to.
And so then we come to today. As has become my custom, I head over to O2's site for news and check my mail. There in my inbox are details of how to buy an iPhone 3G on Contract. Which irks me because I registered my interest on the Pay/Go page and for a reason. Ad on O2's site? After weeks of stringing us along, O2 ordained to reveal Pay/Go customers are being left out in the cold until , well, I still don't know. You've managed to continue to disappoint without even removing the uncertainty.
How difficult would it have been to put some clear information informing us that the iPhone 3G would not be available on Pay/Go until later, or even that the Pay/Go option may have ended up being delayed? You clearly knew it might have been, which is why you have and continue to keep the details from us. It's extremely misleading, and there's a case to be made for it being fraudulent advertising, especially if you used it to gauge consumer interest (Which, to be honest, it was used for).
But then I do know why we're being treated so unfairly.
O2 wants to force me into a Contract. Well I don't appreciate that one bit. I can't have a Contract, it has to be Pay/Go. Even if I could, I wouldn't want it. One of the biggest barriers to iPhone adoption last time around was the lack of Pay/Go. It's clear to me now that either:
A) O2 are somehow unaware of this, leading me to wonder if they listen to their customers at all, and only found out by allowing people to register their interest. I should point out again that the manner in which this was done is in the grey regions of legality.
or
B) The Pay/Go option was pre-announced with the specific intention of announcing it's indistinct delay at a later date and therefore moving some potential Pay/Go-ers to Contracts, specifically early adopters
I feel extremely let down by O2 now. O2, you have some serious sucking up to do to avoid missing out on my sale. Ever heard of the iPod touch? It's waiting in an Apple Store near me, just waiting to eat your lunch.
No, the Christmas season is not an official timeframe, just one CS Reps kept throwing out which now seems likely.
Jens is Pissed
Announcing the 96 Hour iPhone 3G Net-Based Campout
Starting at 8:02 this morning, I will be comprehensively combing the internet for every morsel of information about the iPhone 3G I can find. Everything will be aggregated here and on my Twitter feed.
So primarily, I'm donating my body to the world as a crawler for UK iPhone 3G news for the next 4 days. My main aim is to whittle through all the goddamned BS and try and find something out about the Pay/Go iPhone 3G.
I might even record some video roundups, using Screenflow to capture the internet and myself simultaneously.
So, what will be powering this crazy coverage you ask? The Mac mini will be my primary station and the one from which I follow most of the news and the one I'll be using to post about it, both here and on Twitter. Also lending a hand will be my Eee PC, serving up yet more news and allowing me to continue the quest away from the desk.
My camcorder will be recording me for the video roundups of course, my iPod touch will be handling (Some) of the entertainment I'll need to keep myself from slashing my wrists and, should the iPhone 3G actually be available on Pay/Go this Friday, my RAZR's last job will be Twittering the line at the Carphone Warehouse I'm buying from. Or, from the Cambridge Apple Retail Store (I'll explain in the morning).
That's 96 hours of iPhone coverage. Suck it Laporte :P
In all seriousness though, Leo rocks. I'm looking forward to and may well I may well join Leo's coverage of the worldwide launch if he wants me. For that, I'll take my Eee and use store Wi-Fi.
Wow, I'm gonna have to go sleep soon.
Jens Out
So primarily, I'm donating my body to the world as a crawler for UK iPhone 3G news for the next 4 days. My main aim is to whittle through all the goddamned BS and try and find something out about the Pay/Go iPhone 3G.
I might even record some video roundups, using Screenflow to capture the internet and myself simultaneously.
So, what will be powering this crazy coverage you ask? The Mac mini will be my primary station and the one from which I follow most of the news and the one I'll be using to post about it, both here and on Twitter. Also lending a hand will be my Eee PC, serving up yet more news and allowing me to continue the quest away from the desk.
My camcorder will be recording me for the video roundups of course, my iPod touch will be handling (Some) of the entertainment I'll need to keep myself from slashing my wrists and, should the iPhone 3G actually be available on Pay/Go this Friday, my RAZR's last job will be Twittering the line at the Carphone Warehouse I'm buying from. Or, from the Cambridge Apple Retail Store (I'll explain in the morning).
That's 96 hours of iPhone coverage. Suck it Laporte :P
In all seriousness though, Leo rocks. I'm looking forward to and may well I may well join Leo's coverage of the worldwide launch if he wants me. For that, I'll take my Eee and use store Wi-Fi.
Wow, I'm gonna have to go sleep soon.
Jens Out
Welcome to Swift Kick in the Nuts
O2 is one of those companies I really want to like. They're like Sega in the Dreamcast days. Wow, this is awesome, I'm gonna use the online aspect...Not working, I'll try again...Again...Again...Baby, why you gotta make me hit you?
With O2, it goes like this:
Ooh, iPhone 3G...It gleams like the eyes of God...Ooh, a classy white one...I hope O2 put this on Pay/Go so I can get it....Ooh, they did, yay O2! Love you! Now to await the details. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Wai...Ooh, e-mail from O2! Oh...All this tells me is that they'lls end me another e-mail and that's the important one. What the fuck is this? It's like a week until launch, where is the Pay/Go info!?
And it goes on. The "leaked" pricing I posted about earlier is probably right, and I'm just about happy with those numbers. Unfortunately, we now believe the Pay/Go iPhone 3G will not launch this coming Friday. Which blows, I want my damn iPhone.
What's worse is that we believe that to be the case. We have no damned idea. O2 refuses to keep their story straight.
And so, the hate is building. It'll probably pass once I'm rocking my 6 months of free data, but I rally am annoyed. I was lookign forward to lining up for the launch of a new product, I've been waiting for years to be able to do it.
And it looks like they're taking that oppurtunity away from me.
Fail O2, just a freaking fail.
Jens Out
PS: My DV-FireWire cable came, my camcorder is now functional as a webcam.
With O2, it goes like this:
Ooh, iPhone 3G...It gleams like the eyes of God...Ooh, a classy white one...I hope O2 put this on Pay/Go so I can get it....Ooh, they did, yay O2! Love you! Now to await the details. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Wai...Ooh, e-mail from O2! Oh...All this tells me is that they'lls end me another e-mail and that's the important one. What the fuck is this? It's like a week until launch, where is the Pay/Go info!?
And it goes on. The "leaked" pricing I posted about earlier is probably right, and I'm just about happy with those numbers. Unfortunately, we now believe the Pay/Go iPhone 3G will not launch this coming Friday. Which blows, I want my damn iPhone.
What's worse is that we believe that to be the case. We have no damned idea. O2 refuses to keep their story straight.
And so, the hate is building. It'll probably pass once I'm rocking my 6 months of free data, but I rally am annoyed. I was lookign forward to lining up for the launch of a new product, I've been waiting for years to be able to do it.
And it looks like they're taking that oppurtunity away from me.
Fail O2, just a freaking fail.
Jens Out
PS: My DV-FireWire cable came, my camcorder is now functional as a webcam.
26 June 2008
iPhone Europe: O2 accidentally shows its Pay/Go Hand
Well, the cat would seem to be out of the bag. Multiple sites are reporting that O2 posted handset prices, rates and offer details for the iPhone 3G on the Pay/Go tariff to their site, apparently late last night.
The details have since been withdrawn from the site, but are still available to us through various rumour sites and blogs which caught them.
So, how much is the handset gonna set us back? 8GB will be priced at £299.99 and 16GB at £359.99 (MacWorld UK erroneously states £400, however even their cited source disagrees). These represent modest £30.99 price hikes on the elder models.
However, O2 has seen fit to sweeten the deal. Primarily through those "top up £X each month and receive" offers, but more importantly by bundling 6 months of unlimited (3G) data. Naturally, a fair use policy is in place and the offer only applies to phones activated before...December 31st. Some time away at least.
After the bundled data period is over, unlimited data can be added for £10 a month, a neatly non-committed solution, much better than the £30 tariff.
Incidentally, the 6 Months of data is therefore worth £60. I would have been buying it each month anyway, so I like to think of it as a £300 phone (16GB model) with unlimited data at £10 a month, £60 of which is paid upfront.
At these prices, with these deals, I'm definitely going to go ahead and get a 16GB iPhone 3G with a white back. I pretty much have to now. My touch is nearing the limits because I've bought three movies, and I plan to buy at least 2, maybe 3 more.
So, all in all, I'm pretty happy.
Jens Out
The details have since been withdrawn from the site, but are still available to us through various rumour sites and blogs which caught them.
So, how much is the handset gonna set us back? 8GB will be priced at £299.99 and 16GB at £359.99 (MacWorld UK erroneously states £400, however even their cited source disagrees). These represent modest £30.99 price hikes on the elder models.
However, O2 has seen fit to sweeten the deal. Primarily through those "top up £X each month and receive" offers, but more importantly by bundling 6 months of unlimited (3G) data. Naturally, a fair use policy is in place and the offer only applies to phones activated before...December 31st. Some time away at least.
After the bundled data period is over, unlimited data can be added for £10 a month, a neatly non-committed solution, much better than the £30 tariff.Incidentally, the 6 Months of data is therefore worth £60. I would have been buying it each month anyway, so I like to think of it as a £300 phone (16GB model) with unlimited data at £10 a month, £60 of which is paid upfront.
At these prices, with these deals, I'm definitely going to go ahead and get a 16GB iPhone 3G with a white back. I pretty much have to now. My touch is nearing the limits because I've bought three movies, and I plan to buy at least 2, maybe 3 more.
So, all in all, I'm pretty happy.
Jens Out
09 June 2008
WWDC: iPhones, MobileMe and a Big Cat in a Cold Country
Wow, that OS X iPhone SDK stuff sure was one helluva Dog and Pony show. Nothing much new there except those cool little notifications apps can send you. That sounds cool my friends. Very cool.
Oh, and I want the AP app. It's free and will enable me to do skunk works reporting, which you can no doubt guess I would love to do.
From that, you have no doubt inferred I intend on using a device running Apple's OS X iPhone 2.0. And you'd be correct. Which neatly leads us to the big news from Steve's Keynote yesterday: iPhone 3G.
Well, it's damned pretty. The new plastic back looks nothing like those ugly mockups, it's a thing of beauty.
It's got 3G (As implied) for high-speed data access over-the-air, GPS for precise positional data, allowing breakthrough location-based apps like Loopt to give us a truly awesome experience. The battery offers 10 (Up from 8) hours of 2G talk and 5 hours of 3G talk, beating competing 3G devices by some 1.5-2 hours.
Aside from that, it's the same great phone it's always been. Same gorgeous front with the awesome 3.5" Multi-Touch display, same Home button and (upgraded) iPhone OS software.
And O2 have made my (And WizzKid's) day. The iPhone 3G will be available Pay/Go here in the UK. This means there is no reason I can't get one. As such, assuming O2 are nice and allow the Pay/Go-ers to buy on launch day (Oh yeah, July 11) along with the contract signers and the price for the 16GB is less than or equal to £329, I will be at my local Carphone Warehouse store (Just 10 minutes away) on launch day to pick mine up.
As for contract signers, O2 has dramatically improved the deal for you:
Very good deals there, I think you'll agree. The £30 tariff is weird. Yes, it's good the monthly cost now has a new bottom end, but the difference between the £30 and the £35 is so great the extra £5 is more than justified. Still, good if you're on a budget and mostly just want data.
Now, onto the next big thing from Steve's talk. MobileMe. Yes, the rumours were true. And MobileMe does indeed look like a huge improvement, Exchange for the rest of us. With MobileMe, I'll be able to keep my desktop (The Mac mini I mean. I can of course do it on a PC too, but I'm transitioning to an Apple oriented environment) and my phone (iPhone 3G 16GB in Special White Version) in constant sync, all over the air.
That's e-mail, contacts, calendar, photos, bookmarks, the whole deal. Nice.
Furthermore, it will enable me to share my photos from iPhoto and to some extent my videos from iMovie. And all of this...With my jensonb(at)mac(dot)com e-mail address.
I knew it was a good idea to get in on that early. Best part is, my .Mac trial will be automagically upgraded to a MobileMe trial in early July, so I'll run out the trial period in MobileMe. Then, I'll be buying the 1 year 20GB (Yes, they doubled the storage) for the new prie of £59 - down £10. Awesome.
And you know. It was kind of important I move to an all-new e-mail account anyway. My Hotmail was set up for me some time ago. Probably over a decade and I've used it ever since. And I've never used folders. It's a mess. Windows Live Mail (The desktop app) allows me to easily search all the e-mails, but seriously...Change was needed.
So now I'm in my ultra-tidy new @mac.com e-mail account and I love it. Much better UI as well.
I recommend all my friends reading this now begin to use my @mac.com address for all personal communication with me.
And finally, Steve has revealed there is indeed a 10.6 being previewed, it's called Snow Leopard. I for one like that name, it's befitting of this release which is said to focus on giving OS X a smaller footprint and optimisig it, for example making it work better with multiple cores.
All very exciting stuff.
Jens Out
Oh, and I want the AP app. It's free and will enable me to do skunk works reporting, which you can no doubt guess I would love to do.
From that, you have no doubt inferred I intend on using a device running Apple's OS X iPhone 2.0. And you'd be correct. Which neatly leads us to the big news from Steve's Keynote yesterday: iPhone 3G.
Well, it's damned pretty. The new plastic back looks nothing like those ugly mockups, it's a thing of beauty.
It's got 3G (As implied) for high-speed data access over-the-air, GPS for precise positional data, allowing breakthrough location-based apps like Loopt to give us a truly awesome experience. The battery offers 10 (Up from 8) hours of 2G talk and 5 hours of 3G talk, beating competing 3G devices by some 1.5-2 hours.
Aside from that, it's the same great phone it's always been. Same gorgeous front with the awesome 3.5" Multi-Touch display, same Home button and (upgraded) iPhone OS software.
And O2 have made my (And WizzKid's) day. The iPhone 3G will be available Pay/Go here in the UK. This means there is no reason I can't get one. As such, assuming O2 are nice and allow the Pay/Go-ers to buy on launch day (Oh yeah, July 11) along with the contract signers and the price for the 16GB is less than or equal to £329, I will be at my local Carphone Warehouse store (Just 10 minutes away) on launch day to pick mine up.
As for contract signers, O2 has dramatically improved the deal for you:
Very good deals there, I think you'll agree. The £30 tariff is weird. Yes, it's good the monthly cost now has a new bottom end, but the difference between the £30 and the £35 is so great the extra £5 is more than justified. Still, good if you're on a budget and mostly just want data.
Now, onto the next big thing from Steve's talk. MobileMe. Yes, the rumours were true. And MobileMe does indeed look like a huge improvement, Exchange for the rest of us. With MobileMe, I'll be able to keep my desktop (The Mac mini I mean. I can of course do it on a PC too, but I'm transitioning to an Apple oriented environment) and my phone (iPhone 3G 16GB in Special White Version) in constant sync, all over the air.
That's e-mail, contacts, calendar, photos, bookmarks, the whole deal. Nice.
Furthermore, it will enable me to share my photos from iPhoto and to some extent my videos from iMovie. And all of this...With my jensonb(at)mac(dot)com e-mail address.
I knew it was a good idea to get in on that early. Best part is, my .Mac trial will be automagically upgraded to a MobileMe trial in early July, so I'll run out the trial period in MobileMe. Then, I'll be buying the 1 year 20GB (Yes, they doubled the storage) for the new prie of £59 - down £10. Awesome.
And you know. It was kind of important I move to an all-new e-mail account anyway. My Hotmail was set up for me some time ago. Probably over a decade and I've used it ever since. And I've never used folders. It's a mess. Windows Live Mail (The desktop app) allows me to easily search all the e-mails, but seriously...Change was needed.
So now I'm in my ultra-tidy new @mac.com e-mail account and I love it. Much better UI as well.
I recommend all my friends reading this now begin to use my @mac.com address for all personal communication with me.
And finally, Steve has revealed there is indeed a 10.6 being previewed, it's called Snow Leopard. I for one like that name, it's befitting of this release which is said to focus on giving OS X a smaller footprint and optimisig it, for example making it work better with multiple cores.
All very exciting stuff.
Jens Out
06 June 2008
Fast times at Moscone Centre Junior High
I've extensively updated my WWDC '08 Speculation post. You can review all my predictions for the keynote, the event and the period around it by visiting the link, or review the newest information below:
"Rumoured pricing (UK) has the iPhone selling subsidised on contracts from as little as free, up through £100. Macworld UK is suggesting the phone will sell unsubsidised on a Pay/Go tariff at the current £269/£329 price points (16GB/32GB or 8GB/16GB)."
"the 3G iPhone will match the existing model in general design and material choice, though it's size may have marginally decreased."
"From there, Steve will move on to the software powering iPhone 2nd Gen and iPhone black/white - as well as existing iPhones and iPod touches. That OS is now called OS X iPhone. Expect this section to give details on the AppStore as well as new software features. Highly unlikely Steve will go back over the SDK itself, more on that will follow in the sessions.
Expect Steve to announce launch apps including some of those we've already seen."
"Expect revamp of look and feel - the web interface I mean - in line with the recent .Mac Mail revamp, expect some more cross-platform uses, possibly a free version, possible capacity bumps and finally, expect integration with OS X iPhone. What form this final integration will take is debatable, likely it is syncing of and access to data - I'm sure you can imagine what forms this will take.
Unclear placement on this next stuff, but from what we see, it is worth mentioning. Mac OS X Leopard has been rechristened OS X Leopard, in line with the new name for iPhone OS, OS X iPhone. This probably means Apple will outline the differences and similarities going forward.
Rumours have suggested Apple may seed an OS X Snow Leopard (Technically, 10.6 under these rumours though I speculate even under that theory, Apple is dropping the 10.x.x numbering scheme in favour of OS X Name Version x.x, or even OS X Leopard Version x.x), an update in the same vein as OS X 10.1 back in the day - focusing on security, stability, general fixes and so on. Additionally, the release is said to drop PPC support and remove or de-emphasise Carbon.
I speculate these rumours are either correct and OS X Snow Leopard is the codename for the first update to OS X Leopard under a new naming system and release schedule/system or they are referring to a third OS X.
OS X touch would be a hybrid of OS X Leopard and OS X iPhone, combining the mobile platform's touch control roots with more of the raw power of the flagship OS for what I am calling iNewton, but you might call Mac touch. Yes, the Mac Tablet. I speculate Apple will reveal the iNewton and its OS X touch OS here, preparing developers for it by talking about it in sessions & the keynote and also seeding a developers' preview ready for a full unveiling and release details/release this comign January. This version would remove Carbon entirely as speculated.
That said, if Snow Leopard is, as others believe, an OS X Mac (As I am now calling the flagship OS as a line in light of the new naming scheme for the OS X iPhone line - to that end Apple would be advised to give individual OS X iPhone releases small mammal names) release, named OS X Snow Leopard, Is till believe it will include pervasive Multi-Touch based on the OS X iPhone line and be destined to power an iNewton because of this. This version would include the Carbon tools, but Apple's own apps would all move to Cocoa/Cocoa touch."
"As for the Mac mini's belated updated, the predictions I initially posted with regards to the update itself remain unchanged, but I now speculate it may occur at WWDC after all. Rumours suggest Apple wished to unveil new MacBooks at WWDC but has been forced to delay by Intel. I speculate Apple will move the MacBook updates to last year's consumer desktop update timeframe (August) in a straight swap with this year's due desktop updates (Mac mini and Mac Pro)
To put it simply, I think Apple was planning to update the MacBooks here and the Macs Pro and mini in August and may now be doing them the other way around.
It remains possible both lines will go without updates."
"Rumoured pricing (UK) has the iPhone selling subsidised on contracts from as little as free, up through £100. Macworld UK is suggesting the phone will sell unsubsidised on a Pay/Go tariff at the current £269/£329 price points (16GB/32GB or 8GB/16GB)."
"the 3G iPhone will match the existing model in general design and material choice, though it's size may have marginally decreased."
"From there, Steve will move on to the software powering iPhone 2nd Gen and iPhone black/white - as well as existing iPhones and iPod touches. That OS is now called OS X iPhone. Expect this section to give details on the AppStore as well as new software features. Highly unlikely Steve will go back over the SDK itself, more on that will follow in the sessions.
Expect Steve to announce launch apps including some of those we've already seen."
"Expect revamp of look and feel - the web interface I mean - in line with the recent .Mac Mail revamp, expect some more cross-platform uses, possibly a free version, possible capacity bumps and finally, expect integration with OS X iPhone. What form this final integration will take is debatable, likely it is syncing of and access to data - I'm sure you can imagine what forms this will take.
Unclear placement on this next stuff, but from what we see, it is worth mentioning. Mac OS X Leopard has been rechristened OS X Leopard, in line with the new name for iPhone OS, OS X iPhone. This probably means Apple will outline the differences and similarities going forward.
Rumours have suggested Apple may seed an OS X Snow Leopard (Technically, 10.6 under these rumours though I speculate even under that theory, Apple is dropping the 10.x.x numbering scheme in favour of OS X Name Version x.x, or even OS X Leopard Version x.x), an update in the same vein as OS X 10.1 back in the day - focusing on security, stability, general fixes and so on. Additionally, the release is said to drop PPC support and remove or de-emphasise Carbon.
I speculate these rumours are either correct and OS X Snow Leopard is the codename for the first update to OS X Leopard under a new naming system and release schedule/system or they are referring to a third OS X.
OS X touch would be a hybrid of OS X Leopard and OS X iPhone, combining the mobile platform's touch control roots with more of the raw power of the flagship OS for what I am calling iNewton, but you might call Mac touch. Yes, the Mac Tablet. I speculate Apple will reveal the iNewton and its OS X touch OS here, preparing developers for it by talking about it in sessions & the keynote and also seeding a developers' preview ready for a full unveiling and release details/release this comign January. This version would remove Carbon entirely as speculated.
That said, if Snow Leopard is, as others believe, an OS X Mac (As I am now calling the flagship OS as a line in light of the new naming scheme for the OS X iPhone line - to that end Apple would be advised to give individual OS X iPhone releases small mammal names) release, named OS X Snow Leopard, Is till believe it will include pervasive Multi-Touch based on the OS X iPhone line and be destined to power an iNewton because of this. This version would include the Carbon tools, but Apple's own apps would all move to Cocoa/Cocoa touch."
"As for the Mac mini's belated updated, the predictions I initially posted with regards to the update itself remain unchanged, but I now speculate it may occur at WWDC after all. Rumours suggest Apple wished to unveil new MacBooks at WWDC but has been forced to delay by Intel. I speculate Apple will move the MacBook updates to last year's consumer desktop update timeframe (August) in a straight swap with this year's due desktop updates (Mac mini and Mac Pro)
To put it simply, I think Apple was planning to update the MacBooks here and the Macs Pro and mini in August and may now be doing them the other way around.
It remains possible both lines will go without updates."
05 June 2008
Yes, it's that time again
Got some specific updates for you with regards to the 3G iPhone in the UK. First up, 9 to 5 Mac (The darling of the Apple Rumours Community) is reporting that Macworld UK believes new iPhone buyers, signing an 18 month contract, will pay as little as £100 for the handset. Even that those on that crazy top-tier tariff will get the phone for free.
Existing iPhone owners will be encouraged to update, signing extensions to their contracts (18 or 24 Months) in exchange for a free upgrade to the 3G model. Needless to say, all the UK iPhone users I've seen commenting are chuffed to bits.
More excitingly (For me at the very least), O2 is apparently preparing to sell the iPhone to Pay as You Go customers - like me. The price? Starting at £269. If that's a 16GB 3G iPhone, I'm buying one, no question.
If it's an 8GB 3G iPhone...Well, I dunno...I certainly will buy a 3G iPhone if I can get it on Pay/Go or unlocked, but if that's 8GB, I may or may not pay the extra for the 16GB. For one thing, I need it to be a better upgrade to the iPod touch. For another, I want some room for iTunes movies. Zoolander must be on that thing.
For those paying attention to my fledgling "Studio in a Bedroom for less than £1000" project, I've decided that rather than hunting out a high quality USB or FireWire (The latter preferred, I initially wanted iSight even though it's been discontinued but it proved hard to source at a reasonable price), I'm going to hook my miniDV camcorder up via FireWire and use that. It will probably work out better anyway, with advanced features like zoom and a screen I can use to monitor what it's looking at - I'll be doing the filming away from the desk.
I've even decided where I'll put it and where I'll position myself for filming. On that subject, if anyone's interested in creating a 30 Second looping abstract background, let me know.
The english exam today was a breeze by the way. And it gave me a chance to spend 45 minutes raving about Obama.
Finally, I'm announcing that Multiplayer Magazine's host has been chosen.
Jens Out
Existing iPhone owners will be encouraged to update, signing extensions to their contracts (18 or 24 Months) in exchange for a free upgrade to the 3G model. Needless to say, all the UK iPhone users I've seen commenting are chuffed to bits.
More excitingly (For me at the very least), O2 is apparently preparing to sell the iPhone to Pay as You Go customers - like me. The price? Starting at £269. If that's a 16GB 3G iPhone, I'm buying one, no question.
If it's an 8GB 3G iPhone...Well, I dunno...I certainly will buy a 3G iPhone if I can get it on Pay/Go or unlocked, but if that's 8GB, I may or may not pay the extra for the 16GB. For one thing, I need it to be a better upgrade to the iPod touch. For another, I want some room for iTunes movies. Zoolander must be on that thing.
For those paying attention to my fledgling "Studio in a Bedroom for less than £1000" project, I've decided that rather than hunting out a high quality USB or FireWire (The latter preferred, I initially wanted iSight even though it's been discontinued but it proved hard to source at a reasonable price), I'm going to hook my miniDV camcorder up via FireWire and use that. It will probably work out better anyway, with advanced features like zoom and a screen I can use to monitor what it's looking at - I'll be doing the filming away from the desk.
I've even decided where I'll put it and where I'll position myself for filming. On that subject, if anyone's interested in creating a 30 Second looping abstract background, let me know.
The english exam today was a breeze by the way. And it gave me a chance to spend 45 minutes raving about Obama.
Finally, I'm announcing that Multiplayer Magazine's host has been chosen.
Jens Out
02 June 2008
Apple Rumour Sites say the darndest things
Mac Rumors are reporting that Kevin Rose has posted a video blog about a rumour he's heard. First, he mentions the 3G iPhone will likely cost the same as the current iPhone does now (We'll come back to that), then he goes on to a new rumour. Namely, he speculates there will be a $200 (I imagine listed as $199) low-end iPhone announced alongside it.
That would be my iPhone black/white rumour. Rose's price seems awfully damned low though. Like...Wow. That's half-freaking-price.
As to his specific comments about the 3G iPhone's price, I'm inclined to agree. Apple's not stupid, they know they need to bring in the new phone at the current price or risk putting people off. On some updated products, they drop the price (2nd Generation MacBook for example). I doubt that will happen here, but we can assume current prices.
I find it funny that Kevin Rose, the Digg guy, has apparently got more sources for leaked Apple news than a site called Mac Rumors. I mean, what the hell?
Meanwhile, what sources Mac Rumors do have are speculating that the 16GB 3G iPhone will be the base model...But it'll stay at its current price. That's $499! That means there will be no $399 iPhone any more - contradicting Rose's insinuations for one thing and also just seeming like bad damned idea.
Aple tried that iPhone starting at $499 thing before, you 'member? Didn't go well.
Meanwhile, they suggest a 32GB iPhone will be intro'd. At - wait for it - $699. No, that's not a typo. Six-hundred-and-ninety-nine dollars. As in, $100 more than they've ever charged. As in, $300 more than the current bse iPhone, $200 more than the top end.
And further, they're continuing to push this idea that it'll be in the leaked plastic shells I say are destined for the budget iPhone. Am I the only one here who thinks the present iPhone design is brilliant? Why is everyone in such a hurry to believe Apple are changing it for such a clearly inferior one in the form of these plastic shells which are so obviously more suited to a cheaper device?
All of this seems totally ludicrous and it is for that reason we can only pray they're just being stupid, or their sources are anyway. None of this sounds good at all.
Jens Out
That would be my iPhone black/white rumour. Rose's price seems awfully damned low though. Like...Wow. That's half-freaking-price.
As to his specific comments about the 3G iPhone's price, I'm inclined to agree. Apple's not stupid, they know they need to bring in the new phone at the current price or risk putting people off. On some updated products, they drop the price (2nd Generation MacBook for example). I doubt that will happen here, but we can assume current prices.
I find it funny that Kevin Rose, the Digg guy, has apparently got more sources for leaked Apple news than a site called Mac Rumors. I mean, what the hell?
Meanwhile, what sources Mac Rumors do have are speculating that the 16GB 3G iPhone will be the base model...But it'll stay at its current price. That's $499! That means there will be no $399 iPhone any more - contradicting Rose's insinuations for one thing and also just seeming like bad damned idea.
Aple tried that iPhone starting at $499 thing before, you 'member? Didn't go well.
Meanwhile, they suggest a 32GB iPhone will be intro'd. At - wait for it - $699. No, that's not a typo. Six-hundred-and-ninety-nine dollars. As in, $100 more than they've ever charged. As in, $300 more than the current bse iPhone, $200 more than the top end.
And further, they're continuing to push this idea that it'll be in the leaked plastic shells I say are destined for the budget iPhone. Am I the only one here who thinks the present iPhone design is brilliant? Why is everyone in such a hurry to believe Apple are changing it for such a clearly inferior one in the form of these plastic shells which are so obviously more suited to a cheaper device?
All of this seems totally ludicrous and it is for that reason we can only pray they're just being stupid, or their sources are anyway. None of this sounds good at all.
Jens Out
31 May 2008
WWDC '08: Steve Jobs Keynote Predictions
It's that time again. I'll be putting all my ideas as to the content of the opening keynote address of Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference - to be delivered once again by Steve Jobs, Apple CEO - in this post.
First, Steve will unveil iPhone 2G, which will - humorously enough - be primarily about adding 3G cellular technology. It'll also add GPS and I expect Apple will double the offered capacities from 8/16GB to 16/32GB.
Update: Rumoured pricing (UK) has the iPhone selling subsidised on contracts from as little as free, up through £100. Macworld UK is suggesting the phone will sell unsubsidised on a Pay/Go tariff at the current £269/£329 price points (16GB/32GB or 8GB/16GB).
Rampant internet speculation based on "leaked" shots of the new iPhone's body (Tellingly, no shots exist with the electronics inside the shell) suggests the new iPhone will sport a plastic, glossy rear. I tend to follow more recent and more reliable suggestions that the 3G iPhone will match the existing model in general design and material choice, though it's size may have marginally update: decreased.
On a purely speculative basis, the approximate existing iPhone guts may continue to be offered in these new plastic shells as an iPhone with the nano suffix or something (I speculate iPhone white and iPhone black) - a more budget oriented iPhone.
From there, Steve will move on to the software powering iPhone 2nd Gen and iPhone black/white - as well as existing iPhones and iPod touches. Major update: that OS is now called OS X iPhone. Expect this section to give details on the AppStore as well as new software features. Highly unlikely Steve will go back over the SDK itself, more on that will follow in the sessions.
Expect Steve to announce launch apps including some of those we've already seen.
Finally, Steve will One More Thing .Mac. Update: Expect revamp of look and feel - the web interface I mean - in line with the recent .Mac Mail revamp, expect some more cross-platform uses, possibly a free version, possible capacity bumps and finally, expect integration with OS X iPhone. What form this final integration will take is debatable, likely it is syncing of and access to data - I'm sure you can imagine what forms this will take.
Unclear placement on this next stuff, but from what we see, it is worth mentioning. Mac OS X Leopard has been rechristened OS X Leopard, in line with the new name for iPhone OS, OS X iPhone. This probably means Apple will outline the differences and similarities going forward.
Rumours have suggested Apple may seed an OS X Snow Leopard (Technically, 10.6 under these rumours though I speculate even under that theory, Apple is dropping the 10.x.x numbering scheme in favour of OS X Name Version x.x, or even OS X Leopard Version x.x), an update in the same vein as OS X 10.1 back in the day - focusing on security, stability, general fixes and so on. Additionally, the release is said to drop PPC support and remove or de-emphasise Carbon.
I speculate these rumours are either correct and OS X Snow Leopard is the codename for the first update to OS X Leopard under a new naming system and release schedule/system or they are referring to a third OS X.
OS X touch would be a hybrid of OS X Leopard and OS X iPhone, combinging the mobile platform's stouch control roots with more of the raw power of the flagship OS for what I am calling iNewton, but you might call Mac touch. Yes, the Mac Tablet. I speculate Apple will reveal the iNewton and its OS X touch OS here, preparing developers for it by talking about it in sessions & the keynote and also seeding a developers' preview ready for a full unveiling and release details/release this comign January. This version would remove Carbon entirely as speculated.
That said, if Snow Leopard is, as others believe, an OS X Mac (As I am now calling the flagship OS as a line in light of the new naming scheme for the OS X iPhone line - to that end Apple would be advised to give individual OS X iPhone releases small mammal names) release, named OS X Snow Leopard, Is till believe it will include pervasive Multi-Touch based on the OS X iPhone line and be destined to power an iNewton ebcase of this. This versio would include the Carbon tools, but Apple's own aps would all move to Cocoa/Cocoa touch.
As for the Mac mini's belated updated, the predictions I initially posted with regards to the update itself remain unchanged, but I now speculate it may occur at WWDC after all. Rumours suggest Apple wished to unveil new MacBooks at WWDC but has been forced to delay by Intel. I speculate Apple will move the MacBook updates to last year's consumer desktop update timeframe (August) in a straight swap with this year's due desktop updates (Mac mini and Mac Pro).
To put it simply, I think Apple was planning to update the MacBooks here and the Macs Pro and mini in August and may now be doing them the other way around.
It remains possible both lines will go without updates.
Update: Courtesy of TUAW we now have reason to believe the Mac mini could well be EOL'd today, replaced by a similar product using (As speculated previous) an enclosure similar to AppleTV and Time Capsule/Airport Extreme Base Station. No word on pricing, but it would sport an optical drive and be pitched heavily as a new developer's tool.This make sense thanks to the influx of new Apple developers owing to the OS X iPhone SDK - since iPhone apps are made on Macs, Apple needs a new, affordable Mac to be available so they can get making them apps fast and cheap.
Treat this with a grain of salt. I imagine TUAW's images, whilst they may be based o a real product Apple is conceiving (Since it makes a whole lot of sense), are faked.
First, Steve will unveil iPhone 2G, which will - humorously enough - be primarily about adding 3G cellular technology. It'll also add GPS and I expect Apple will double the offered capacities from 8/16GB to 16/32GB.
Update: Rumoured pricing (UK) has the iPhone selling subsidised on contracts from as little as free, up through £100. Macworld UK is suggesting the phone will sell unsubsidised on a Pay/Go tariff at the current £269/£329 price points (16GB/32GB or 8GB/16GB).
Rampant internet speculation based on "leaked" shots of the new iPhone's body (Tellingly, no shots exist with the electronics inside the shell) suggests the new iPhone will sport a plastic, glossy rear. I tend to follow more recent and more reliable suggestions that the 3G iPhone will match the existing model in general design and material choice, though it's size may have marginally update: decreased.
On a purely speculative basis, the approximate existing iPhone guts may continue to be offered in these new plastic shells as an iPhone with the nano suffix or something (I speculate iPhone white and iPhone black) - a more budget oriented iPhone.
From there, Steve will move on to the software powering iPhone 2nd Gen and iPhone black/white - as well as existing iPhones and iPod touches. Major update: that OS is now called OS X iPhone. Expect this section to give details on the AppStore as well as new software features. Highly unlikely Steve will go back over the SDK itself, more on that will follow in the sessions.
Expect Steve to announce launch apps including some of those we've already seen.
Finally, Steve will One More Thing .Mac. Update: Expect revamp of look and feel - the web interface I mean - in line with the recent .Mac Mail revamp, expect some more cross-platform uses, possibly a free version, possible capacity bumps and finally, expect integration with OS X iPhone. What form this final integration will take is debatable, likely it is syncing of and access to data - I'm sure you can imagine what forms this will take.
Unclear placement on this next stuff, but from what we see, it is worth mentioning. Mac OS X Leopard has been rechristened OS X Leopard, in line with the new name for iPhone OS, OS X iPhone. This probably means Apple will outline the differences and similarities going forward.
Rumours have suggested Apple may seed an OS X Snow Leopard (Technically, 10.6 under these rumours though I speculate even under that theory, Apple is dropping the 10.x.x numbering scheme in favour of OS X Name Version x.x, or even OS X Leopard Version x.x), an update in the same vein as OS X 10.1 back in the day - focusing on security, stability, general fixes and so on. Additionally, the release is said to drop PPC support and remove or de-emphasise Carbon.
I speculate these rumours are either correct and OS X Snow Leopard is the codename for the first update to OS X Leopard under a new naming system and release schedule/system or they are referring to a third OS X.
OS X touch would be a hybrid of OS X Leopard and OS X iPhone, combinging the mobile platform's stouch control roots with more of the raw power of the flagship OS for what I am calling iNewton, but you might call Mac touch. Yes, the Mac Tablet. I speculate Apple will reveal the iNewton and its OS X touch OS here, preparing developers for it by talking about it in sessions & the keynote and also seeding a developers' preview ready for a full unveiling and release details/release this comign January. This version would remove Carbon entirely as speculated.
That said, if Snow Leopard is, as others believe, an OS X Mac (As I am now calling the flagship OS as a line in light of the new naming scheme for the OS X iPhone line - to that end Apple would be advised to give individual OS X iPhone releases small mammal names) release, named OS X Snow Leopard, Is till believe it will include pervasive Multi-Touch based on the OS X iPhone line and be destined to power an iNewton ebcase of this. This versio would include the Carbon tools, but Apple's own aps would all move to Cocoa/Cocoa touch.
As for the Mac mini's belated updated, the predictions I initially posted with regards to the update itself remain unchanged, but I now speculate it may occur at WWDC after all. Rumours suggest Apple wished to unveil new MacBooks at WWDC but has been forced to delay by Intel. I speculate Apple will move the MacBook updates to last year's consumer desktop update timeframe (August) in a straight swap with this year's due desktop updates (Mac mini and Mac Pro).
To put it simply, I think Apple was planning to update the MacBooks here and the Macs Pro and mini in August and may now be doing them the other way around.
It remains possible both lines will go without updates.
Update: Courtesy of TUAW we now have reason to believe the Mac mini could well be EOL'd today, replaced by a similar product using (As speculated previous) an enclosure similar to AppleTV and Time Capsule/Airport Extreme Base Station. No word on pricing, but it would sport an optical drive and be pitched heavily as a new developer's tool.This make sense thanks to the influx of new Apple developers owing to the OS X iPhone SDK - since iPhone apps are made on Macs, Apple needs a new, affordable Mac to be available so they can get making them apps fast and cheap.
Treat this with a grain of salt. I imagine TUAW's images, whilst they may be based o a real product Apple is conceiving (Since it makes a whole lot of sense), are faked.
23 May 2008
Housecleaning
Switched to a new design you may have noticed, it reflects the gradual change in tone up in here. I'm also currently in the process of tagging all the posts in the archive, and since I don't have any exams until June 3rd now, I should be getting that done in the next week or so.
I'm now on Twitter, dunno what I'm going to do with it, but I imagine I'll find some use for micro-blogging in the future. Follow me if you use it, but right now it's probably not worth joining just to follow me.
I'm hoping to get around to those exam reviews next week, I have some issues with all three I've done so far so stay tuned for that.
I finally enabled Advanced Desktop (Vanilla Xandros) on my Eee the other day, so I've been kind of geeking out. That's how I roll, yo.
Nintendo are bringing a turquoise DS Lite out. Hot damn. That might be the thing that makes me upgrade. That thing is lush.
Rumours abound Apple will unveil a 3G iPhone soon (Like, within 3 weeks) which will go on sale shortly thereafter worldwide. The most exciting rumour is that it may be sold contract-free at the fll price, with carriers offering rebates (Similar to the one offered by Carphone Warehouse and O2 recently) to drive contract sales. Well if I can get a 3G 16GB iPhone for £269, contract-free, then I might just have to go for that instead of the Sony.
I'd be more aprehensive about an 8GB, it wouldn't be a big enough upgrade on the touch.
Right, I'm off to spec up a computer to drool over at VooDooPC's website. I'll finish the upgrades to the blog soon.
Goodbye my Coney Island baby
Jens
I'm now on Twitter, dunno what I'm going to do with it, but I imagine I'll find some use for micro-blogging in the future. Follow me if you use it, but right now it's probably not worth joining just to follow me.
I'm hoping to get around to those exam reviews next week, I have some issues with all three I've done so far so stay tuned for that.
I finally enabled Advanced Desktop (Vanilla Xandros) on my Eee the other day, so I've been kind of geeking out. That's how I roll, yo.
Nintendo are bringing a turquoise DS Lite out. Hot damn. That might be the thing that makes me upgrade. That thing is lush.
Rumours abound Apple will unveil a 3G iPhone soon (Like, within 3 weeks) which will go on sale shortly thereafter worldwide. The most exciting rumour is that it may be sold contract-free at the fll price, with carriers offering rebates (Similar to the one offered by Carphone Warehouse and O2 recently) to drive contract sales. Well if I can get a 3G 16GB iPhone for £269, contract-free, then I might just have to go for that instead of the Sony.
I'd be more aprehensive about an 8GB, it wouldn't be a big enough upgrade on the touch.
Right, I'm off to spec up a computer to drool over at VooDooPC's website. I'll finish the upgrades to the blog soon.
Goodbye my Coney Island baby
Jens
06 March 2008
iPod touch: Apple Promises to punch you once, square in the bean bag every 3 months if you buy it
Sigh.
Once again I find myself forced to want to kill Apple (The entity personified, not the staff). The January Software Update, AKA App Pack was bad enough. I could not buy that and simply do without a couple of features. I did want those features (Not the apps, didn't give two shits about them), but I could live without them.
Now Apple is going to charge me for the right to shop in the OS X Mobile AppStore? Now that's just out of line. But you know what? Fine. I'll pay the taxes. Mainly because ads which get in the way of syncing my iPod piss me off, partly because Apple's never going to listen to my money not flowing because other people's is and partly because I want those fucking 3rd party apps.
Games like Touch Fighter and Super Monkey Ball. Instant messaging. I did buy the iPod touch with the awareness that Apple were intending to sell 3rd party apps for it. It was part of my vision for my future use of it: a digital entertainment hand-held computer.
But I've come to some decisions:
1) I will not buy another iPod touch. My next iPod will be the 3G iPhone as soon as it's at the price point of the current 8GB model - and it better have more Flash than that or else I'll just keep waiting.
2) Apple is dreaming if they think I'm trusting them enough to spend the money for a MacBook Air now. The Eee will be able to function as an ultraportable so my Mac will be the considerably cheaper MacBook. I'll only pay extra for a better optical drive (A Combo drive in 2008 Apple? What the fuck are you on?) and the remote (WHY are those not free any more?).
Apple's gone to quite some effort to piss me off. I like the company generally, but not enough to put up with this rubbish.
Still not enough to turn me off their superior products.
Jens "Buy ASUS hardware, support Linux over Windows, give Apple money (But not too much)" with a J signing off.
Once again I find myself forced to want to kill Apple (The entity personified, not the staff). The January Software Update, AKA App Pack was bad enough. I could not buy that and simply do without a couple of features. I did want those features (Not the apps, didn't give two shits about them), but I could live without them.
Now Apple is going to charge me for the right to shop in the OS X Mobile AppStore? Now that's just out of line. But you know what? Fine. I'll pay the taxes. Mainly because ads which get in the way of syncing my iPod piss me off, partly because Apple's never going to listen to my money not flowing because other people's is and partly because I want those fucking 3rd party apps.
Games like Touch Fighter and Super Monkey Ball. Instant messaging. I did buy the iPod touch with the awareness that Apple were intending to sell 3rd party apps for it. It was part of my vision for my future use of it: a digital entertainment hand-held computer.
But I've come to some decisions:
1) I will not buy another iPod touch. My next iPod will be the 3G iPhone as soon as it's at the price point of the current 8GB model - and it better have more Flash than that or else I'll just keep waiting.
2) Apple is dreaming if they think I'm trusting them enough to spend the money for a MacBook Air now. The Eee will be able to function as an ultraportable so my Mac will be the considerably cheaper MacBook. I'll only pay extra for a better optical drive (A Combo drive in 2008 Apple? What the fuck are you on?) and the remote (WHY are those not free any more?).
Apple's gone to quite some effort to piss me off. I like the company generally, but not enough to put up with this rubbish.
Still not enough to turn me off their superior products.
Jens "Buy ASUS hardware, support Linux over Windows, give Apple money (But not too much)" with a J signing off.
19 February 2008
Only the inevitable
The trend in computing recently spells the end for the humble desktop, the old king of the personal computing world. Usually running Windows, it is a familiar sight.
But users increasingly need more customisation, better asset management and are more and more taking their computer on the road. In the coming years, OS X/Darwin and Linux are going to lead notebook and handheld computers on a charge into dominance at the expense of Windows and its natural habitat, the desktop.
These are the beginnings of a sea change for computers, and the poster children are two radically different solutions to the same problem.
Apple answered changing user needs in the portability market with MacBook Air, the device which aims to be to the notebook what the iMac was to the desktop a decade ago.
Asus answered cries for more portability and customisation with the Linux-focused Eee PC. They further addressed the need for the cost of computing to plummet and the difficulty of it to decrease rapidly.
Apple and Asus are just two companies who are seeing a new way forward.
In the year 2015, the desktop will be relegated to the realms of the pros and a role as a base. In the home, users will freely roam around the house wielding notebooks tailor made to their needs, running Wi-Fi at speeds unthinkable at present to connect to internet up to 30 times as fast as it is now.
On the road, uses will take their computers with them and connect to fifth generation mobile networks, true mobile broadband, at speeds up to half of that available over fixed lines, blitzing current-spec third and conceptual fourth generation networks by an order of magnitude.
When a computer is unnecessary, phones like Apple's iPhone Air or any one of the millions of phones running Google's dominant Android will connect to those same networks and provide users with speedy, intuitive access to communication and information.
Social networks like MySpace and Facebook will have given way to more tailored content sharing communities, linking users with content and its creators based on interest.
Microsoft, its monopolies long forgotten as the once dominant computer company sells its operating system and becomes a solutions and consultancy firm.
The buyer? A bit player looking for the fast track to marketshare in the OS space.
They're still working the dead weight out of Windows 9.
These have been visions of the future,
With Jensonb
But users increasingly need more customisation, better asset management and are more and more taking their computer on the road. In the coming years, OS X/Darwin and Linux are going to lead notebook and handheld computers on a charge into dominance at the expense of Windows and its natural habitat, the desktop.
These are the beginnings of a sea change for computers, and the poster children are two radically different solutions to the same problem.
Apple answered changing user needs in the portability market with MacBook Air, the device which aims to be to the notebook what the iMac was to the desktop a decade ago.
Asus answered cries for more portability and customisation with the Linux-focused Eee PC. They further addressed the need for the cost of computing to plummet and the difficulty of it to decrease rapidly.
Apple and Asus are just two companies who are seeing a new way forward.
In the year 2015, the desktop will be relegated to the realms of the pros and a role as a base. In the home, users will freely roam around the house wielding notebooks tailor made to their needs, running Wi-Fi at speeds unthinkable at present to connect to internet up to 30 times as fast as it is now.
On the road, uses will take their computers with them and connect to fifth generation mobile networks, true mobile broadband, at speeds up to half of that available over fixed lines, blitzing current-spec third and conceptual fourth generation networks by an order of magnitude.
When a computer is unnecessary, phones like Apple's iPhone Air or any one of the millions of phones running Google's dominant Android will connect to those same networks and provide users with speedy, intuitive access to communication and information.
Social networks like MySpace and Facebook will have given way to more tailored content sharing communities, linking users with content and its creators based on interest.
Microsoft, its monopolies long forgotten as the once dominant computer company sells its operating system and becomes a solutions and consultancy firm.
The buyer? A bit player looking for the fast track to marketshare in the OS space.
They're still working the dead weight out of Windows 9.
These have been visions of the future,
With Jensonb
15 January 2008
iPod touch Users: Boycott the App Pack
Attention all iPod touch users:
That's right, the guy buying a MacBook Air is telling you not to give Apple money. But why you ask? Well, iPod touch's version of OS X Mobile 1.1.3 lacks 3 things included in iPhone's version (I must point out, by the way, they run the same binaries). To get these features which are free for iPhone users and new iPod touch buyers, we must buy the £12.99 App Pack when we may not even want any or all of the Apps.
Those 3 Features are:
1) Home Screen rearranging. iPod touch needs this far more than iPhone. We have that ghastly missing icon. We should be able to move the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store into that gap at the very least.
2) Web Clips. Again, we should be allowed to use these to fill up our barren Home Screen and also to make browsing to WebApps easier and faster.
3) Lyrics. My iPod nano 2 supports lyrics for pete's sake.
Until at least these 3 things are free, buying the App Pack is telling Apple they can screw ipod touch's existing users for whatever money they want.
If you own an iPod touch, join the boycott. Spread the word. The more users refuse to pay the more likely it is Apple will stop pulling this kinda stunt.
I will repeat as I can't stress it enough:
DO NOT PAY APPLE MONEY FOR THE APP PACK.
That's right, the guy buying a MacBook Air is telling you not to give Apple money. But why you ask? Well, iPod touch's version of OS X Mobile 1.1.3 lacks 3 things included in iPhone's version (I must point out, by the way, they run the same binaries). To get these features which are free for iPhone users and new iPod touch buyers, we must buy the £12.99 App Pack when we may not even want any or all of the Apps.
Those 3 Features are:
1) Home Screen rearranging. iPod touch needs this far more than iPhone. We have that ghastly missing icon. We should be able to move the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store into that gap at the very least.
2) Web Clips. Again, we should be allowed to use these to fill up our barren Home Screen and also to make browsing to WebApps easier and faster.
3) Lyrics. My iPod nano 2 supports lyrics for pete's sake.
Until at least these 3 things are free, buying the App Pack is telling Apple they can screw ipod touch's existing users for whatever money they want.
If you own an iPod touch, join the boycott. Spread the word. The more users refuse to pay the more likely it is Apple will stop pulling this kinda stunt.
I will repeat as I can't stress it enough:
Spread the word. Boycott the App Pack.
Update: And if you're so inclined, sign the petition to get Apple to Make the App Pack Free
There's Something in the Air: A Tale of Two Apples
It was the best of times it was the worst of times.
January 15th. The Moscone Centre in San Francisco. Steve Jobs delivers the MacWorld keynote address 200 days after iPhone went on sale.
And commits one of the most horrendously offensive two-fingered salutes to early adopters in history. Second only to the infamous iPhone price cut. But this act was not against iPhone users.
No, it was against uses of iPhone's little brother. iPod Touch. Apple unveiled OS X Mobile 1.1.3, announcing it as a free upgrade for iPhone users. For them it adds Web Clips, customisable home screens, Lyrics and more. For iPod Touch it adds these things as well as Notes, Weather, Stocks, Mail and Maps. Apps included on iPhone, but dropped for iPod Touch.
What's the problem? They want existing users to pay $20 or £12.99 for the privilege. New buyers get the new software free.
That's not cool Apple. Not fucking cool. I'd just about let you away with charging for the apps, but charging for the 1.1.3? That's low. Very fucking low.
Don't expect a penny out of me for it.
And at that same conference, Steve Jobs look the wraps off the (Unfortunately named) MacBook Air.
Despite it's craptastic name, MacBook Air is quite simply amazing. It's thin and light. It has a MultiTouch trackpad. It looks gorgeous.
It's a little pricey. It must be said. But it's awesome. More details are here, but don't think the MacBook Ar excuses the iPod Touch 1.1.3 bullshit Apple. It doesn't.
I'll get a MacBook Air, and I'm sure I'll love it. I will not pay money for an update to add features others get free because they waited and which should have been there from day one.
It was a shit announcement, it was a great announcement.
It was Apple before releasing a product, it was Apple after releasing a product.
It was consumer electronics Apple, it was Apple Computer Inc.
Jens Out
January 15th. The Moscone Centre in San Francisco. Steve Jobs delivers the MacWorld keynote address 200 days after iPhone went on sale.
And commits one of the most horrendously offensive two-fingered salutes to early adopters in history. Second only to the infamous iPhone price cut. But this act was not against iPhone users.
No, it was against uses of iPhone's little brother. iPod Touch. Apple unveiled OS X Mobile 1.1.3, announcing it as a free upgrade for iPhone users. For them it adds Web Clips, customisable home screens, Lyrics and more. For iPod Touch it adds these things as well as Notes, Weather, Stocks, Mail and Maps. Apps included on iPhone, but dropped for iPod Touch.
What's the problem? They want existing users to pay $20 or £12.99 for the privilege. New buyers get the new software free.
That's not cool Apple. Not fucking cool. I'd just about let you away with charging for the apps, but charging for the 1.1.3? That's low. Very fucking low.
Don't expect a penny out of me for it.
And at that same conference, Steve Jobs look the wraps off the (Unfortunately named) MacBook Air.
Despite it's craptastic name, MacBook Air is quite simply amazing. It's thin and light. It has a MultiTouch trackpad. It looks gorgeous.
It's a little pricey. It must be said. But it's awesome. More details are here, but don't think the MacBook Ar excuses the iPod Touch 1.1.3 bullshit Apple. It doesn't.I'll get a MacBook Air, and I'm sure I'll love it. I will not pay money for an update to add features others get free because they waited and which should have been there from day one.
It was a shit announcement, it was a great announcement.
It was Apple before releasing a product, it was Apple after releasing a product.
It was consumer electronics Apple, it was Apple Computer Inc.
Jens Out
02 January 2008
Macworld 2008 Steve Jobs Keynote Predictions
On January 15th, Steve Jobs will be delivering the Macworld San Francisco keynote address. Last year, this address was used to unveil iPhone and to finish off the unleashing of Apple TV. Previously it has been used to announce iMac Core and MacBook Pro.
This year, I expect a return to Mac. Specifically, I expect Steve to make 2 major hardware announcements, 1 hardware replacement and at least one major software update. Further, I imagine there will be some less important accessories announced or upgraded.
Firstly, I expect Steve to reveal an ultra-thin notebook with a 13.3" screen using Solid State rive (SSD) technology in 32GB and 64GB versions. Expect Steve to show us how amazingly fast it boots. "I just press the power button and boom, it loads up. Press the power button again, it turns off. Press it again, boom. Back on. Isn't this incredible?". Possibly aluminum, colors unclear. Possibly iPod Nano colours, possibly iPod Classic colours.
And the other vital details:
MacBook Nano. Available that day or soon after. Expensive as hell. Cool as ice.
So next, Steve will want to eliminate the Mac Mini - needs to be the Mac Nano. So it'll probably borrow the MacBook Nano hardware and integrate it into a revised take on the Mac Mini form factor. Almost certainly thinner and using iPod design cues (Excluding chrome).
Mac Nano. Shipping February*. Same prices as Mac Mini for bumped RAM but reduced storage. Better than Mini at the very least.
Some accessory expectations: new Mighty Mouse to match latest Mac designs. Apple Cinema displays bumped to 1080p minimum with integrated iSights. And a curve ball purely off the top of my head...Updated Magsafe for all MacBook models, probably announced during the MacBook Nano bit.
Next, the Pros will get the new Intel processors and the Mac Pro will receive a facelift to bring it in line with the other Macs and a Blu-Ray drive.
And my last prediction, iTunes 8. Yes, I know I predicted it last time and was wrong. But come on, it has to come out now. It's overdue!
Well, to be totally accurate, I expect it will be called iTunes '08. But whatever. Movie rentals, movie store in international iTunes Stores (E.g., UK) and TV Store in more countries. OS X Mobile apps for sale (iPhone/iPod Touch SDK stuff) Integrates Front Row 2 across Mac and Windows. Available for download that day.
Anyway, there's a few things I expect to see at Macworld this year.
*Or that's what they'll say anyway
This year, I expect a return to Mac. Specifically, I expect Steve to make 2 major hardware announcements, 1 hardware replacement and at least one major software update. Further, I imagine there will be some less important accessories announced or upgraded.
Firstly, I expect Steve to reveal an ultra-thin notebook with a 13.3" screen using Solid State rive (SSD) technology in 32GB and 64GB versions. Expect Steve to show us how amazingly fast it boots. "I just press the power button and boom, it loads up. Press the power button again, it turns off. Press it again, boom. Back on. Isn't this incredible?". Possibly aluminum, colors unclear. Possibly iPod Nano colours, possibly iPod Classic colours.
And the other vital details:
MacBook Nano. Available that day or soon after. Expensive as hell. Cool as ice.
So next, Steve will want to eliminate the Mac Mini - needs to be the Mac Nano. So it'll probably borrow the MacBook Nano hardware and integrate it into a revised take on the Mac Mini form factor. Almost certainly thinner and using iPod design cues (Excluding chrome).
Mac Nano. Shipping February*. Same prices as Mac Mini for bumped RAM but reduced storage. Better than Mini at the very least.
Some accessory expectations: new Mighty Mouse to match latest Mac designs. Apple Cinema displays bumped to 1080p minimum with integrated iSights. And a curve ball purely off the top of my head...Updated Magsafe for all MacBook models, probably announced during the MacBook Nano bit.
Next, the Pros will get the new Intel processors and the Mac Pro will receive a facelift to bring it in line with the other Macs and a Blu-Ray drive.
And my last prediction, iTunes 8. Yes, I know I predicted it last time and was wrong. But come on, it has to come out now. It's overdue!
Well, to be totally accurate, I expect it will be called iTunes '08. But whatever. Movie rentals, movie store in international iTunes Stores (E.g., UK) and TV Store in more countries. OS X Mobile apps for sale (iPhone/iPod Touch SDK stuff) Integrates Front Row 2 across Mac and Windows. Available for download that day.
Anyway, there's a few things I expect to see at Macworld this year.
*Or that's what they'll say anyway
18 November 2007
iPhone is like, so totally awesome
Before work yesterday, but after grabbing some breakfast, I ventured into the Carphone Warehouse. They had iPhones displayed prominently on a classy wooden table resplendent with logos. Well, Apple's, iPhone's, Carphone Warehouse's and O2's.
These displayed iPhones were working perfectly and were there for all to play with. So I decided to take it for a whirl. I played some music through the speakers, checked out CoverFlow and browsed Apple.com in Safari.
Browsing (With Working Class Hero playing in the background) took up the majority of my demo. I was keen to try it out as I'd not had time when demoing the iPod Touch. I have to say, it's great. I was whizzing around the internets - Google for instance - without any trouble.
Next thing I did was go to Quicktime>Movie Trailers. I tapped the first one I saw - Children of Men I think - and it took me to the page. Where on a desktop the video would play in-page, there was a thumbnail and a little play icon. Tapping it started the video full screen. It, was awesome.
Anyway, that was my quick play with the iPhone. What really struck me about it was that it felt so nice in my hand. The aluminum back feels great and it's a really nice size.
Speaking of size, it's quite small. Very cute.
The demo completely sold me, I'm definitely getting an iPhone now. There's no way I'm not. It's just a matter of when.
Feel Good,
Jens
These displayed iPhones were working perfectly and were there for all to play with. So I decided to take it for a whirl. I played some music through the speakers, checked out CoverFlow and browsed Apple.com in Safari.
Browsing (With Working Class Hero playing in the background) took up the majority of my demo. I was keen to try it out as I'd not had time when demoing the iPod Touch. I have to say, it's great. I was whizzing around the internets - Google for instance - without any trouble.
Next thing I did was go to Quicktime>Movie Trailers. I tapped the first one I saw - Children of Men I think - and it took me to the page. Where on a desktop the video would play in-page, there was a thumbnail and a little play icon. Tapping it started the video full screen. It, was awesome.
Anyway, that was my quick play with the iPhone. What really struck me about it was that it felt so nice in my hand. The aluminum back feels great and it's a really nice size.
Speaking of size, it's quite small. Very cute.
The demo completely sold me, I'm definitely getting an iPhone now. There's no way I'm not. It's just a matter of when.
Feel Good,
Jens
15 November 2007
Breaking the Street Date
Super Mario Galaxy is officially released tomorrow here in the UK. Millions of fans nationwide are waiting impatiently. I've already played about 3 and a half hours of it.
GAME sent my copy early, so I was able to play it once I got back today. It's actually probably a bad thing, I have some homework I need to do for tomorrow. But it's not too much, I should be able to get by.
To start, the game's freaking gorgeous. The water and the normal mapping in particular shine - as do the brilliant light effects. Pun fully intended.
Next, the controls are great. Mario moves perfectly and his various actions like spinning and jumping feel great to do. Spinning initially worried me. Shaking the Remote, you know? But it actually works very well.
Now, the game is a roller coaster in difficulty. There are some extremely fiendish levels that had me pulling my hair out to get the star, and others which simply require some effort to get through. It's all very satisfying.
All in all, deserved its hype.
To move on, Call of Duty 4 is awesome. We played it in 1080p - the first time we've played any game at that resolution - and it just looks fantastic. And watching my brother play it reminded me how much I like that style of gameplay. Which put me onto the Medal of Honor Heroes 2 thing again.
So I went and found IGN's review. Normally, I avoid IGN. I prefer to stick to 1UP and GameSpot. But IGN had a review and I read it. Game looks totally awesome. I can see myself spending hours playing and tweaking the controls.
I'm really pumped for it! 32-Player CTF on Wii? Hell yeah I'll pay £30 for that!
Well, £27 to me.
I've been looking into PS3. My father intends to buy a 60GB model, but I think I will probably also need my own model. As such, I'd likely grab a 40GB. But I'm holding out for the White one.
But this is after iPhone, MacBook, 360 (May buy my brother's off of him), and PC upgrades.
Jens Out
GAME sent my copy early, so I was able to play it once I got back today. It's actually probably a bad thing, I have some homework I need to do for tomorrow. But it's not too much, I should be able to get by.
To start, the game's freaking gorgeous. The water and the normal mapping in particular shine - as do the brilliant light effects. Pun fully intended.
Next, the controls are great. Mario moves perfectly and his various actions like spinning and jumping feel great to do. Spinning initially worried me. Shaking the Remote, you know? But it actually works very well.
Now, the game is a roller coaster in difficulty. There are some extremely fiendish levels that had me pulling my hair out to get the star, and others which simply require some effort to get through. It's all very satisfying.
All in all, deserved its hype.
To move on, Call of Duty 4 is awesome. We played it in 1080p - the first time we've played any game at that resolution - and it just looks fantastic. And watching my brother play it reminded me how much I like that style of gameplay. Which put me onto the Medal of Honor Heroes 2 thing again.
So I went and found IGN's review. Normally, I avoid IGN. I prefer to stick to 1UP and GameSpot. But IGN had a review and I read it. Game looks totally awesome. I can see myself spending hours playing and tweaking the controls.
I'm really pumped for it! 32-Player CTF on Wii? Hell yeah I'll pay £30 for that!
Well, £27 to me.
I've been looking into PS3. My father intends to buy a 60GB model, but I think I will probably also need my own model. As such, I'd likely grab a 40GB. But I'm holding out for the White one.
But this is after iPhone, MacBook, 360 (May buy my brother's off of him), and PC upgrades.
Jens Out
12 November 2007
Housekeeping
Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that All Your Disney has joined The Disney Fan Network. I say eagle-eyed, but that's not strictly true. Many of you will have noticed I'm actually pushing the Network hard, both at All Your Disney itself and here.
But why not? Networks are there to generate collective traffic. Anyone who likes Disney who visits the blogs on the All Your Blog Network would be well advised to keep tabs on TDFN - run by the good people at The Disney Blog - easily my personal favourite Disney site.
But, to business. Final preparations are underway for my getting a job. You know what that means. Stuff. Stuff to write about. Games, movies, accessories, phones and computers.
Well, just one each of those final two. First off, the iPhone. Funny thing is, I didn't realise how much I really wanted iPhone in my life until fairly recently. And yet, it is without a doubt the culmination of desires I've had for a long time.
The MacBook meanwhile is the core of a long-standing desire to be untethered from this desk. iPhone represents another pillar of that - providing connectivity at all times.
But the MacBook is to allow me to browse the web, chat and play music/videos away from the desk. On my bed for example, or in the living room. The iPhone can accomplish this, yes, and will do so in some instances, but when I want a computer, the MacBook enables me to use one with more freedom.
That also frees this machine up for use as a gaming platform and a server. Fun.
In bad news, I have a terrible cold or a mild flu. One or the other. Either way, existence is hell. Grr.
You know, even though I love this monitor, I am sorely tempted by this, the Disney HDTV, lovingly adorned with Mickey Mouse symbols...Then again, I suppose I will probably need a second screen at some point. Plus, watching TV with Pinnacle TVCentre Pro is a real bitch.
I'll have to think about it.
Jens Out
But why not? Networks are there to generate collective traffic. Anyone who likes Disney who visits the blogs on the All Your Blog Network would be well advised to keep tabs on TDFN - run by the good people at The Disney Blog - easily my personal favourite Disney site.
But, to business. Final preparations are underway for my getting a job. You know what that means. Stuff. Stuff to write about. Games, movies, accessories, phones and computers.
Well, just one each of those final two. First off, the iPhone. Funny thing is, I didn't realise how much I really wanted iPhone in my life until fairly recently. And yet, it is without a doubt the culmination of desires I've had for a long time.
The MacBook meanwhile is the core of a long-standing desire to be untethered from this desk. iPhone represents another pillar of that - providing connectivity at all times.
But the MacBook is to allow me to browse the web, chat and play music/videos away from the desk. On my bed for example, or in the living room. The iPhone can accomplish this, yes, and will do so in some instances, but when I want a computer, the MacBook enables me to use one with more freedom.
That also frees this machine up for use as a gaming platform and a server. Fun.
In bad news, I have a terrible cold or a mild flu. One or the other. Either way, existence is hell. Grr.
You know, even though I love this monitor, I am sorely tempted by this, the Disney HDTV, lovingly adorned with Mickey Mouse symbols...Then again, I suppose I will probably need a second screen at some point. Plus, watching TV with Pinnacle TVCentre Pro is a real bitch.
I'll have to think about it.
Jens Out
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