New details have emerged which suggest chip maker Palo Alto Semiconductor (PA Semi) might not be the hive mind behind the iPad’s “A4” processor as was widely expected.

In case you missed it, the A4 is the diminutive custom silicon that lies at the heart of Apple’s new iPad. It’s the wee beasty that has the raw power to make Magic Move work so smoothly in the upcoming Keynote app, while providing the intelligence to manage energy efficiently enough to squeeze 10 hours of actual use out of the iPad between charges. Oh, and it runs at 1Ghz and is fuelled by unicorn tears, or something.

Anyone with an iPhone (and everyone who has ever relied on laptops to do a days work) knows that there’s usually a big difference between a mobile device’s advertised and actual battery life. So, unless Steve Jobs is lying through his teeth, how exactly does the iPad’s A4 processor manage to deliver its number-crunching goods over such a long period of time?

Certainly Apple’s developments in battery design help a lot, but it’s thought that the real magic happens in the custom-designed processor itself. Venturebeat.com’s Paul Boutin has been investigating the A4, and pushing chip engineers for answers. In an article published on the weekend, he offers the following (possible) explanation;

Apple has invested heavily in OpenCL and LLVM, which are technologies to distribute work across multiple CPUs and multiple GPUs. In this Apple is different than other mobile devices: other vendors want video decoding and 3D games at a good rate, but often leave the GPU mostly idle.

Apple is looking to drive a lot of work through the GPU all the time, as part of any application. For Apple, it makes sense to put a lot of GPU cores in the chip. It even makes sense to put in so much GPU that the chip would overheat, but throttle back the ARM clock speed to leave more thermal envelope for the GPUs to run.

Ah, right then. Magic. Got it.

Terribly Clever

This all sounds plausible, and makes Apple’s 2008 purchase of PA Semi (a snap at only $278 million) seem like a terribly clever move. And since we have yet to see a new custom brain in any iPhone, the iPad offered the most likely candidate as the first recipient of the chip maker’s special silicon.

Only, it’s not. Boutin adds the following;

A very trusted source tells me: PA Semi didn’t do the A4. It was the existing VLSI team. Apple has made custom chips for years like the Northbridges for G4 and G5.

So, if the iPad didn’t get the PA Semi treatment as we originally thought, what’s going on? $278 million is an awful lot of money (even for a company with billions in the bank), and I’d have thought we’d start seeing the results of that purchase by now.

If we haven’t yet seen the full might and majesty of PA Semi’s magic in Apple’s mobile offerings, that might all change soon. After all, we’re just months away from the anticipated 4th generation iPhone…

Back to Front

Maybe I’ve got this all back to front? Was the acquisition of PA Semi — like the more recent acquisition of music streaming service Lala — not so much about Apple getting its hands on new technology, but more about securing the mad skillz of new engineers? If that’s the case, the iPad may be the fruits of that acquisition after all.

Either way, if the next generation iPhone inherits any of the genetic characteristics of its iPad big brother, what might we expect from Apple’s next smartphone? A blistering-fast processor, perhaps, light-years ahead of the best competing handset? Insanely long battery life, perhaps two or three days between charges?

One thing is for sure; last month Steve Jobs very deliberately redefined Apple as a mobile devices company. In the last few years, the company has aggressively enhanced the processing performance and battery life of all its products, from MacBooks to iPods to iPhones and now, of course, the iPad. A breakthrough advancement in one device ultimately migrates across product lines into another, until we’re left with an ecosystem of devices that offer unrivalled power and interoperability. It’s those refinements that have helped sell MacBooks at record levels in spite of a global recession, and allowed the iPhone to steal valuable market share from well-entrenched competitors.

So with all these remarkable advancements in battery life, power management, custom silicon and hardware/software interoperability in mind, ask yourself – what can we expect to see in the next iPhone? Looking at the iPad’s A4 processor as a guide, I’m beginning to think it’ll be the most significant iPhone revision Apple has ever made. And we don’t have very long to wait before we’ll know for sure.

I often wish the iPhone and iPod touch supported memory extension via external modules. It would make my old iPod touch much more useful, which I suppose is why Apple doesn’t allow it (it’s a good reason to buy a new one). Soon, you’ll be able to use external SD cards with your devices, though probably not in the memory expansion capacity I’ve been dreaming of.

Still, you should be able to do at least as much as you can with the SD camera connector accessory that Apple’s officially releasing for use with the upcoming iPad. There’s no indication of whether or no that device will also work with the iPhone and iPod touch, but a third-party device by capitalization-challenged company zoomMediaPlus definitely will.

The accessory in question, called zoomit, will plug into your iPhone’s dock connector, and features an SD card slot that’s compatible with all currently available SD classes and capacities. Using a free app available from the App Store, you’ll then be able to access the data found on any card you insert.

A careful examination of zoomMediaPlus’ overly wordy press release reveals that you won’t be able to transfer files from your device to the SD card or vice versa, but you can view movies and photos, listen to music and preview documents stored on your external media. You can also share said media with others via email and various social networks, including Facebook. The only condition is that all of said media has to be in a format supported by iPhone OS 3.0 or higher, so those DivX files will definitely still require conversion.

At the very least, it should be incredibly useful for photogs on the go. You’ll be able to view and share you photos with others via the iPhone’s screen, which is undoubtedly better than the back of your camera in almost all cases. You should also be able to then create Facebook albums and post those photos to social network sites without first having to connect to a computer.

zoomMediaPlus envisions a future where content providers will sell specialized SD cards for use with the system:

In the future the zoomIt application will also support, among other things, protected content types enabling streaming of licensed music, videos, and other forms of protected content.

I wouldn’t count on this becoming a groundswell movement or anything, but it is an interesting possibility. Still, I see the value of being able to access documents anywhere without having to connect wirelessly to any kind of network. You take a look at soft proofs at an impromptu client meeting, or check out someone’s demo as long as they have it stored on SD media, which is fast becoming the only really strong player remaining on the flash card scene.

zoomit will retail for $59.95 when it is released in April 2010. You can save $10 now by pre-ordering, and get a free Kingston 4GB SDHC card in the bargain, but personally I prefer to wait until units actually begin shipping before putting down any kind of commitment.

Atimi Software Inc. has joined the AT&T Business Alliance Channel program as an Elite Member in the Apple ecosystem providing mobility solutions. Atimi joins a small number of firms supporting AT&T’s business customers in the United States as they develop and evolve their brand image, e-commerce, and publishing strategies on Apple’s iPhone and other smartphone platforms.

Atimi is one of the leading iPhone development firms in North America and by December of 2009 had produced more than 25 iPhone applications for leading U.S. brands in Media & Entertainment; Fashion; Health; Education; Finance; Games; Municipal Mapping and Utility. Atimi is also is one of the leading Macintosh development houses in the world; it supports global firms in development and porting of applications to the Mac platform. Atimi’s immediate partnership goal will be to help AT&T support its ever-growing base of iPhone and Mac desktop clients.

Perhaps it has to do with Apple positioning itself as a mobile devices company, but the iPhone is on a serious upswing in the U.S. smartphone market, even while all of its competitors seem to be losing ground. Except for one, that is, and the rate at which that company is building up steam should give the Mac maker cause for some concern.

For the moment, though, Apple is doing much better than anyone in the space, really. The latest comScore report, which covers a three month period from September to December of 2009, shows Apple as having 25.3 percent of the total smartphone market share, up 1.2 points from 24.1 percent at the beginning of the period measured.

Research In Motion (RIM) came in first place overall once again, with 41.6 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers opting for a BlackBerry device. But that number represented a slide, ultimately, as RIM began the measurement period with 42.6 percent. Microsoft and Palm likewise slipped, with MS dropping from 19 to 18 percent, and Palm losing 2.2 points, down to 6.1 percent.

Google had the lowest market share of the bunch, with 5.2 percent of subscribers. But that number was up from only 2.5 percent in September, suggesting that it was probably helped along considerably with the introduction of the Motorola Droid. 2.7 points also represents the largest market share grab made by any smartphone manufacturer over the period of the report, so Google is indeed the company Apple needs to be most worried about.

Palm is probably the company everyone needs to be least worried about. The Pre and Pixi maker lost almost as much market share as Google gained, and was the only company on the list to post such a significant loss of ground. The Pre Plus and Pixi Plus could alter its fortunes, but I honestly can’t see customers who were disappointed with the originals going back for more at this point.

Going forward, Apple’s main concern is going to be with Google and how it fares now that it’s begun taking more control over its own smartphone future. The Nexus One drastically undersold the iPhone both in the first week and in the first month, so that’s got to be good news for Apple. That said, Google is doing something pretty much unprecented with regards to smartphone sales in the U.S., and it’s only selling the device in the U.S. as of yet. Apple had the advantage of selling its device through AT&T when it launched, which was an established sales and marketing channel for such devices already.

Apple’s growth over the period measured in the comScore report remains impressive, though, given that it had not introduced a new smartphone model since much, much earlier in the year. Google’s rise can be almost entirely attributed to the initially strong sales of the Motorola Droid, which was arguably the “it” device of the pre-Christmas season.

Related GigaOm Pro Research: As Windows Mobile Stumbles, Which Smartphone OS Will Seize the Lead?

A month ago I vented about Aperture 2’s stagnation, and many of you rallied along with me. Well everyone can stow their torches and pitchforks — Aperture 3 has finally been released today by Apple. With over 200 new features, the latest version of Apple’s professional photo processing and organization software should have something to please everyone.

The fairly obvious improvements like Faces, Places and 64-bit architecture (for Snow Leopard users with Core 2 Duo Processors) are there, of course. But there are so many cool new features — I won’t touch on all of them here — I had to mention a few.

• Backup on Import Smart & necessary!
  Automatically back up your master images to a second drive during import, freeing you from the need to perform a separate, manual backup.
• Color Labels
  Apply up to eight different color-coded labels to images to organize and group them. Add a custom name for each color label in Aperture preferences. Simple keyboard shortcuts allow you to apply labels using the keyboard.
• Fast Library Switching
  Close one Aperture library and open another on the fly by selecting the desired library from the Switch to Library submenu — no need to quit and restart Aperture.
• Focus Points
  Hover over the Focus Points button in the Camera Info pane to see the focus points used by your camera to autofocus the image. You can also click the button to turn the display of focus points on or off.
• Nondestructive Brushes YES!!!!
  Make nondestructive image enhancements to specific areas of any photo using new adjustment brushes. Use brush strokes to modify — brush in or brush away — most of the standard image adjustments available in the Adjustments inspector. You can control the size, softness, and strength of each brush with intuitive sliders.
• Create Multiple Instances of Adjustments
  Apply multiple adjustments of a single type to different parts of an image by creating multiple adjustment bricks for each adjustment. For example, set one Levels adjustment to create the perfect sky. Then add another Levels adjustment brick to selectively perfect skin tones. To add a new instance of an adjustment, choose the Add New option from the Action pop-up menu in each adjustment brick.
• Support for GPS Track Logs
  In Aperture, you can easily assign locations to photos by importing the track log from a GPS receiver. Then simply drag photos onto the track to have Aperture sync the photos to the location data in the track log. You can also reset the time zone of the track in Aperture.

So yeah, that’s maybe more than a few features I listed, but believe me, there’s plenty to get excited about with Aperture 3. Try it out for free for 30 days, and then if you’re upgrading, pay $99, or $199 for a new user license. (If you’re thinking about picking Aperture up, check out the new ‘in-action’ videos of it here.) We can breathe easy, folks — it looks like our day has finally come.

Sometimes I have to wonder whether everyone has taken leave of their senses. The big “news” doing the rounds in the last twenty four hours is that Apple execs have admitted they are prepared to change the price of the iPad should consumer reception (read: sales) demand it.

Yeah, that’s right; Apple admitted it might revisit the price of the iPad sometime in the future, and change it according to sales performance. Shocking, that a company might operate according to a business plan designed to encourage sales and make money, eh? Apparently, that’s somehow mind-boggling news.

It got started because of a report by Matt Phillips of the Wall Street Journal, who wrote;

Apple intends to stay “nimble” on pricing of the iPad, possibly lowering prices if the newly unveiled tablet device fails to gain traction among consumers.

(Top prize goes to Engadget for their humorous response/headline, “Apple to be ‘nimble’ on iPad pricing, athletic on pommel horse”.)

Phillips quoted a note from Credit Suisse analyst Bill Shope who, following a meeting with Apple executives, said;

“While it remains to be seen how much traction the iPad gets initially, management noted that it will remain nimble (pricing could change if the company is not attracting as many customers as anticipated),”

This only bolsters my long-held belief that analysts are, apparently, paid for pointing out the blindingly-obvious. That tendency to wrap together common sense and “what we all knew anyway” as “something new and worthy of reporting” is usually exemplified by Gene Munster, but since he’s been quiet for the last week or so, I guess Shope will have to do.

(I predict that, in the weeks ahead of the iPad launch, Munster, or some inspired analyst like him, will issue a note to the press proclaiming, “Apple’s App store sales will perform better in this quarter than in the same quarter last year.” Or it’ll be something even more obvious, like “Apple will sell more iPads this year than they did in 2009…” and I guarantee the tech press will rush to report that ‘advice’ like it’s vitally important “news.” You just wait and see.)

Confidence

The point here is that Apple is doing nothing revolutionary or surprising by admitting the fact that, according to the ebb and flow of consumer demand, it will revisit its pricing strategy for the iPad. This is what all businesses do with all products, all the time. Apple is always revising its prices; MacBooks, iMacs, iPods and iPhones get at least one price change on an annual basis. It’s not a big deal that they will do the same for the iPad, and it certainly doesn’t point to any lack of confidence in the product itself.

Let’s not forget the infamous iPhone price-cut of ‘07; after launching the iPhone with a hefty $599 asking price, Apple reduced it by a whopping $200 just a few months later. The only difference between then and now is Apple’s transparency (yeah, I can’t believe I said that either). During his keynote presentation late last month, Steve Jobs said of the iPad; “We want to get this into the hands of as many people as possible.” That is, after all, the overriding reason for the agreeably-low price of the entry-level iPad.

Here Come the Trolls

Sadly, the predictable fan-baiting didn’t take long, with the likes of Should-Know-Better-Than-That Windows evangelist Paul Thurrott writing, in a blog post provocatively entitled “Do Not, Under Any Circumstances, Buy an iPad”;

Following news that I was right about Apple’s decision to not allow iPad pre-orders would cause many potential buyers to reassess things, comes this unbelievable bit of news directly from Apple itself: The company said that it would aggressively lower prices on the iPad if/when it doesn’t take off in the marketplace.

Aside from the clumsy jumble of clauses and inventive use of the adjective ‘aggressively’, (as far as I can see, neither Shope nor Phillips ever used that word) I really want to point out, one last time, and for the record — this is not “unbelievable” news. Far from it. It is, in fact, the most ordinary, run-of-the-mill, standard business practice, entirely believable news one could expect from a consumer electronics company. (Quite what Apple’s flexible pricing strategy has to do with Thurrott’s theory about the inability to pre-order an iPad is beyond me; can anyone say “straw man?”)

It comes down to this; the wider tech press are, inexplicably, falling over themselves to write-off the iPad as a failure before it’s even out of the starting gate. (Don’t forget, the iPod was panned by critics and tech “experts” when it first launched. The iPhone was subject to its own fair share of harsh criticism, too.)

No one can say exactly how successful the iPad will be, and while there’s no harm in speculating (after all, much Apple coverage is precisely that) it’s sad to see how some corners of the tech community choose to interpret every little thing Apple does (or says it might do) as “evidence” of failure.

I think I’m being rational and level-headed. You might think I’m a shameless fanboy. Either way, let me know exactly what you think in the comments below.

Related GigaOM Pro Research:

• Web Tablet Survey: Apple’s iPad Hits Right Notes
• 5 Tips for Developers Targeting the iPad
• How AT&T Will Deal with iPad Data Traffic

People are excited about the arrival of the iPad (or at least, some people are), but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is a little more apprehensive about what the device could mean for AT&T’s wireless 3G network. In an official FCC blog posting at Broadband.gov, Director of Scenario Planning Phil Bellaria and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Deputy Chief John Liebovitz expressed that concern.

Bellaria and Liebovitz didn’t specifically mention AT&T by name, but it seems fairly obvious who they’re talking about in the FCC blog post last week, especially given that the iPad so far only has one official carrier in the U.S.:

With the iPad pointing to even greater demand for mobile broadband on the horizon, we must ensure that network congestion doesn’t choke off a service that consumers clearly find so appealing, or frustrate mobile broadband’s ability to keep us competitive in the global broadband economy.

The blog post also recalls a time not too long ago when AOL’s unlimited internet usage plan caused connection and service problems, and how that time mirrors our own:

The congestion problem circa 1996-97 revealed an intense latent demand for Internet access.  Similarly, wireless network congestion today reveals intense demand for wireless broadband.  Widespread use of smartphones, 3G-enabled netbooks, and now, perhaps, the iPad and its competitors demonstrate that wireless broadband will be a hugely important part of the broadband ecosystem as we move ahead.

Finally, Bellaria and Liebovitz leave off with the conclusion that AT&T and other mobile broadband providers must expand their spectrum offerings to ensure that a similar congestion problem doesn’t happen again. No doubt, AT&T is taking steps to galvanize its network (which it knows is in trouble already) against the demand increase it has to have anticipated as a result of the iPad’s introduction, but will it be enough?

This problem is one that affects the fundamentals of mobile communication in this case, unlike before with AOL’s home Internet access issues. Even though it doesn’t make as much sense from a profitability perspective, AT&T has to make every effort not only to anticipate demand, but to over-prepare for the iPad’s release. If there’s one lesson the telecom should’ve learned from its ongoing iPhone usage problems, it’s that half measures will only continue to exhaust the patience of its subscribers.

I realize that a just-in-time approach to bandwidth probably makes more financial sense, but surprise everyone by taking a slightly longer view, AT&T. Presumably the next-gen iPhone will be available on your network, too, as an exclusive or otherwise, so factor that into the estimates of what you’ll need to provide for the iPad’s launch. Stay just one step ahead of the game instead of two steps behind and maybe you can go some of the way towards improving your terrible reputation.

Related GigaOM Pro Research:

How AT&T Will Deal With iPad Data Traffic

The time for Macworld Expo 2010 is upon us and the handiest tool you’ll bring to San Francisco with you is, of course, your iPhone. What apps should you install on your phone to enhance your Macworld experience?

iMacworld (Free)

The iMacworld is a handy guide for navigating the show floor and planning your day. iMacworld, featuring maps and a show directory, was just recently updated for 2010, so jump onboard.

Traveling to San Francisco

Gate Guru (99 cents)

For those who don’t travel often, favorite airport amenities frequently change and may be difficult to find. You’ve got 30 minutes between flights and can’t play “Where’s Waldo” to find your favorite coffee dispensary. Did Peet’s moved to gate 12 from gate 18? Gate Guru can help. Additionally, the app has a review function so if you aren’t sure where to eat, let the wisdom of crowds guide you. The interface is a bit clunky as you can’t search by airport, only by terminal within the airport, but otherwise it is handy and accurate.

TripIt (Free)

Traveling requires corralling an endless stream of alpha-numeric confirmation codes and repeating the same information over and over again to family and friends. Setup a TripIt account and email TripIt your confirmations, and they’ll automatically put it all into an itinerary complete with additional hotel information and links that you can share with others. When the front desks says they have no record of your reservation, pull up your TripIt app and you’ll have all the data handy.

FlightTrack Pro ($9.99)

Flight delays are a fact of life and getting accurate information is sometimes a challenge. Like many other apps, FlightTrack Pro will track flights for you. What’s special about this app is that it will also give you handy access to the airline’s phone number and provide push notifications. An indispensable feature is its ability to find alternate flights that match your planned itinerary should your flight be cancelled, as well as integrated access with TripIt.

Getting Around in San Francisco

iCommuteSF ($3.99)

iCommute is similar to MuniApp and iBART, except that it also covers the AC Transit system which serves the East Bay. Utilizing Nextbus information, it offers real time and predictive information as to when the bus or train will arrive. It might be the best “jack of all trades” for general getting around, but the interface was a bit more cluttered the MuniApp’s UI. Still, with the more complete data, if you had to pick a single app, iCommute is probably the one.

MuniApp ($2.99)

MuniApp focuses on San Francisco’s citywide bus and light rail network. It also includes BART info for the stations in SF, making it a good all-around solution if you plan to do heavy traveling within the city limits of San Francisco. The app will predict when the next bus will arrive, and has a good interface for sorting out the sometime confusing amount of bus routes in the city.

HopStop (Free)

HopStop allows you to enter a start and end location (or it will use your GPS as the starting point) and will build a route, mixing rail, bus and walking, taking into account the time of day. It is free and accurate, although the quality of the maps is poor. Similar to a GPS, it gets you from point A to B, though locals might disagree on the route it picks.

Exploring San Francisco

Yelp (Free)

Yelp is not San Francisco-specific, but of all the apps for finding what is cool in the neighborhood from where you are standing, Yelp stands above. There’s no better app for finding hidden restaurant gems and seeing what the locals think, and with the “VR camera mode” you can hold the phone in front of you and actually see places to eat and shop in real time as you move around. Don’t leave home without this app!

NFT San Francisco ($4.99)

“Not For Tourists” promises to show you the cool local places that tourists like you would never stumble upon on your own. That’s their line, but in reality, this is another generic guidebook to San Francisco with a hipster edge, and while not bad, it certainly isn’t that much better than other similar apps. It has a good selection of bars and restaurants, but you need to search specific categories.

Lonely Planet Travel Guide (Free)
This app automatically includes their SF guide and allows in app purchases for other destinations. Unfortunately, the app is slow to load and is a whopping 65MB in size. This is the most comprehensive guide out and contains the entire printed volume in a location-aware e-book format. Lonely Planet includes the depth of detail on the city’s culture and sights that other guides fail to include. Since the SF content is free, it is definitely worth the “price,” just remember to load it in advance due to the size.

And just for the fun of it, two bonus apps.  These aren’t necessary, but sure are fun for people with special interests.

Fido Factor (Free)

FidoFactor helps you find all things dog friendly in SF and includes dog pictures at each location. It’s Yelp for dog lovers. As a dog owner, I appreciate businesses that are dog friendly and like to patronize them. By reviewing or adding locations, money is donated to the SF SPCA. Nice!

SF Beer Week (Free)

Technology is my first passion, but being a beer nerd is a close second. By moving Macworld to February, Macworld coincides with SF Beer Week. This app isn’t location or date aware and is pretty much just an easy way view the static schedule for the Beer Week, but finding what beer related activities are going on while in SF is priceless. Mmm, beer!

The simple if unsatisfying answer to the question of when to buy a new Mac is when you need one.

There’s nothing a Mac bought a year ago can’t do today, and nothing a Mac bought today won’t be able to do a year from now, just not as well.

That’s the problem for those seeking to maximize the value of their next purchase. If one believes the hype from none other than Steve Jobs himself, Macs are going to “take Apple to the next level” in 2010, and who doesn’t want to level up with Steve?

But even without the hype, there are three–well, really, two good reasons and one forlorn hope–to wait a while before purchasing your next Mac.

While Steve Jobs just pronounced Apple a “mobility” company at the iPad event, it’s actually been one for awhile. More than two out of three Macs sold are laptops, and if you are in that majority you should definitely wait for Arrandale.

That’s the mobile CPU from Intel launched at CES under the Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 variants. Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies for improved parallelization and increased speed on demand have resulted in double-digit performance increases without a decrease in battery life.

Regarding performance, the desktop Core i5 and Core i7 can already be found in the high-end iMac, which admittedly are quad-core versus dual-core for the mobile versions. Nonetheless, Macworld found the that the “2.66GHz Core i5 iMac is the fastest standard configuration Mac we’ve ever tested,” and can be as fast as Xeon-based Mac Pros.

This is the kind of upgrade worth waiting for, and the wait shouldn’t be long. The MacBook Pros and the MacBook Air were last updated in June, meaning they are due for an update even without significant new technology. Keep in mind the MacBook, last updated in October, may continue to use a Core 2 Duo for market segmentation purposes. Since the iPad is set for launch in late March, and companies like HP are already selling Arrandale laptops, expect an update within weeks, possibly even sooner.

There’s something else HP is selling, the Envy 15 laptop with USB 3, and that’s the second reason not to buy a Mac right now. USB 3 has transfer rates of up to 4.8Gbps, though real world rates won’t be nearly that high, but then USB 2 doesn’t reach its theoretical maximum of 480Mbps, either.

We can expect that USB 3 will be multiple times as fast as USB 2, which is the kind of benefit instantly recognizable to anyone downloading images from a camera or backing up to a USB drive. While there are very few USB 3 devices available today, that will change quickly this year.

As to when to expect USB 3 Macs, a recent rumor in DigiTimes suggested Genesys Logic is sampling device controllers for Apple now, a claim which the company denied. Whether there’s truth in the rumor or the denial, Apple is undoubtedly working on USB 3 for Macs. The new bus could conceivably be part of the next round of updates in the spring, but if not then expect USB 3 Macs in the fall.

Something not to expect this spring, and that is suspect this year, would be Macs with Blu-ray. Just last month, it was attributed to Steve Jobs that Blu-ray is still a “mess,” and that Apple is waiting until Blu-ray sales “take off.”

According to market researcher In-Stat, that could be about 2013, if by “take off” one means exceeding sales of DVD players. Unfortunately, the predicted adoption rate for Blu-ray in PCs is even worse. Metrics firm iSuppli projects that by 2013 only 16 percent of PCs will come with Blu-ray drives.

If, like me, you are waiting for a Mac mini with Blu-ray, you probably won’t be buying this year. However, for those who plan on keeping their next Mac for one to three years, a Mac mini with Core i5 and USB 3 can likely be had this year.

The same can be said for every other Mac, too. While 2010 may or may not take Macs to the “next level,” both Intel’s new Core processors and USB 3 are significant upgrades. That’s why if you need a Mac today, buy one, but if not, tomorrow is definitely worth the wait.

A sharp-eyed MacRumors forum member spotted what is either a hoax or the highly inappropriate use of a next-generation MacBook Pro this weekend.

Processor and memory benchmarks for a computer identified as “MacBookPro6,1″ were posted at Geekbench, but that model identifier does not currently exist in the MacBook Pro lineup, nor does a MacBook Pro sporting Intel’s brand new Core i7 CPU. While Apple’s secretive nature and tight security would suggest these benchmarks are a fabrication, the benchmarks could also be the latest circumstantial evidence supporting an imminent MacBook Pro update.

Intel introduced the new Core i3, i5, and i7 CPUs for laptops at CES on Jan. 7, which was followed by announcements of new laptops from companies like Dell and HP. A few days later a leaked memo of an internal incentive program aimed at Intel employees was revealed, one that offered a Core i5 MacBook Pro as a prize. While Intel admitted the incentive program was real, the company asserted the reference to the Core i5 was a typo.

That bring us to the Geekbench results, which appear to be typo-free. The specs for the Core i7 are correct, and the results are in keeping with expected performance gains, about 20 percent, over Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros at the same clock speed. While the most current shipping version of 10.6.2 is build 10C540, 10C3067 conforms to a non-shipping build. The new model identifier has also been noted in recent builds of 10.6.2 as well.

It’s unfortunate that Geekbench doesn’t report GPUs. While the integrated GPU for the Core i5 and i7 is significantly faster than that of the Core 2 Duo, significantly faster junk is sill junk. Specs including a 9800 series GPU from Nvidia would make a good hoax into a great one.

However, true benchmarks or hoax, the launch of the new Core family of CPUs from Intel a month ago and counting is the real pressure on Apple to update the MacBook Pro lineup, that and the launch of the iPad in March. For the MacBook Pros, the update window is closing, and that means the odds of the familiar yellow sticky note at the Apple Store are increasing every day. If you are considering buying a new MacBook Pro, seriously consider waiting just a little longer.

Despite Amazon’s knee-jerk banishment and reinstatement of its books following a price increase of its books, publisher Macmillan isn’t the only one looking to introduce a new, more lucrative pricing structure. HarperCollins is also eager for renegotiation, and now, Hachette Book Group has also joined the growing contingent of those looking to charge more for their electronic wares.

This is what’s called the new “agency model” of pricing, which allows the company serving the content to take a cut. Apple’s own system calls for a 30 percent take of the revenue on all apps (and now books) sold through its online store. Amazon recently introduced a similar pricing structure for certain books and apps. It looks like major publishers are unwilling to absorb the cost of the seller’s cut, preferring instead to pass it along to consumers.

Hachette CEO David Young, however, in a letter sent out detailing the new pricing plans, claims that book publishers will not make more money using the agency model, claiming the opposite, in fact:

[W]e make less on each e-book sale under the new model; the author will continue to be fairly compensated and our e-book agents will make money on every digital sale. We’re willing to accept lower return for e-book sales as we control the value of our product–books, and content in general. We’re taking the long view on e-book pricing, and this new model helps protect the long term viability of the book marketplace.

Call me skeptical, but I can’t help but feel that these publishers are acting more out of self-interest than anything else. It may be true that they actually make less on every book sold using the agency model for electronic distribution, but it’s probably also true that the books cost much less for them to create than print versions, too. I’d be willing to bet that they end up profiting more on a per copy sold basis in the end. Hachette makes other claims in his letter about how the deal is actually beneficial to consumers, despite the upfront price hike:

There are many advantages to the agency model, for our authors, retailers, consumers, and publishers. It allows Hachette to make pricing decisions that are rational and reflect the value of our authors’ works. In the long run this will enable Hachette to continue to invest in and nurture authors’ careers–from major blockbusters to new voices. Without this investment in our authors, the diversity of books available to consumers will contract, as will the diversity of retailers, and our literary culture will suffer.

It’s good spin, but it’s spin nonetheless. The bottom line, no matter how Hachette, Macmillan, or HarperCollins try to spin it, is that rather than introducing competition that will result in lower prices for book-buying customers, Apple’s iPad has in fact spelled the end of the $9.99 bestseller, for both Kindle and iPad users. Apple had to offer publishers an incentive to come over to its side, but the cost of that bargain is unfortunately one we as the buying public will be paying for.

At least in the short term. A longer view reveals a different picture. Apple needed to gain access to the ebook market, and so was willing to make concessions regarding price. Publishers jumped at the chance to get out from under the tyranny of what amounted to Amazon’s ability to set prices unilaterally. But is it a case of “out of the frying pay, into the fire?”

If Apple’s power play succeeds, Amazon could conceivably be forced to close up shop (though I still don’t think I’ll ever stop reading on my Kindle in favor of the iPad). If and when that happens, Apple will occupy the spot that Amazon once did, and will be able to dictate prices to publishers, much like they did and still continue to do with record labels. It’s a rare case where a monopoly could actually benefit the buying public, but only if you’re willing to pay more than paperback prices in the meantime. I’m not sure I’m willing to do that.

Related GigaOM Pro Research: Evolution of the e-Book Market

Apple’s .itms links are either the scourge of the universe, or a very handy little shortcut to getting at iTunes content, depending on who you ask and what mood they happen to be in. My personal policy is always to give people fair warning (warning: this Pastebot link opens iTunes) when I’m linking to the iTunes store, to prevent unexpected program launches when they might not be most convenient.

Recently, Apple introduced preview launch pages for its iTunes musical content. The new pages, which replace the boring “iTunes is launching, please wait” dialog that used to appear, provide basically a snapshot of what you’ll find when that iTunes icon eventually stops bouncing and you’re taken to the relevant page on the iTunes store. And now iPhone apps have received the same treatment.

The launch page you now receive when you click App Store links looks pretty much exactly like what you’ll see in iTunes itself. Product description, recommended apps, screenshots and user reviews — it’s all there. Apple also benefits by providing you with the Apple web site’s top navigation bar, so that customers clicking through are now also potentially rerouted towards the company’s other products and offerings.

Is the web preview a good idea? I guess so, especially for Apple’s new customers, who might be confused or put off by links that just open an application on their computer with little or no explanation. And it’s good for Apple, as I’ve just mentioned, since it acts as a kind of light up-selling tool. But as an experienced user who doesn’t appreciate being sold to when I’m already trying to buy something, I see little point in the entire iTunes Preview concept.

Not that it’s completely without merit. In fact, there’s a very simple way to make the whole thing extremely useful and get rid of the annoyance that some feel when inadvertently clicking .itms links. I’m talking about just using iTunes Previews, without the simultaneous opening of iTunes itself. This is one of the few times I will actually advise the implementation of a user interface element that actually adds a step instead of taking one away, but in this case it just makes sense.

The launch pad tells you everything you need to know, since it literally contains all the information available on the item’s iTunes store page. Let us as customers pause there, reflect, perhaps preview songs, etc. and click through to other app previews, and then provide a link to open iTunes. I suspect even just the sense of agency this will allow consumers will help boost actual purchase numbers. And Apple still gets the chance to up sell using the navigation bar. Everybody wins.

Atimi Software Inc. is a leading iPhone and cross-platform development company with a core strength in developing for the Mac platform and the new generation of smartphones. As a dedicated software services company, Atimi provides advisory and development services and has completed iPhone and software development projects for many of the leading brands in North America, including the New York Times and HBO. By the end of 2009, Atimi had completed more than 25 iPhone applications for its clients, 65% of which received some degree of Apple promotion including via iTunes, TV, print and in-store placement.

Atimi provides confidential, effective, and timely production of smartphone and desktop software. Atimi’s broad range of expertise, proven development processes, and its Orchard rapid development framework for mobile helps clients to reach their target launch dates reliably and efficiently, allowing them to focus on building strong, lasting relationships with their own customers.

Just over a year ago, Mac users began to feel a bit more Windows-like after a major Mac trojan horse was discovered in the wild. Of course, you’d get it only if you obtained copies of pirated software. While there had been a few scattered OS X virus reports, this trojan had the most destructive potential to date.

Since that rumble last year, the Mac security front has been relatively quiet. This begs the question that has been on many people’s minds and one I get asked on a daily basis: “Why don’t Macs get viruses?”

Of course, we know the question isn’t valid. Macs can be attacked as evidenced earlier. Even Apple suggests running some kind of antivirus software on your Mac and included one with a .Mac subscription. Additionally, numerous security flaws are found and Apple releases regular security updates to patch them up.  So, a better question might be “Why don’t Mac users have to worry about malware like Windows users do?” I suspect a relatively small number of readers have active antivirus software running on their Mac, despite Apple’s recommendation. For purposes of simplicity, we’ll lump viruses, worms, spyware, malware, and trojans under the common term of “viruses.” Here are the common responses given and my take on them.

Macs Aren’t Popular

Why do people rob banks? That’s where the money is! (Sutton’s Law). Because Windows-based computers represent around 90 percent of the market, virus writers get more bang for their buck. Not only does a Windows virus spread farther and faster due to its numbers, but the people writing viruses are more likely to have Windows machines upon which to code. And the banks are running Windows as well, so Windows is where the money is.

Of course, when Apple introduced Intel-based computers, some were concerned that Macs would get PC viruses because they were running the same chips. The chip switch was a legitimate concern, but for a different reason. If cheap PCs could be turned into Macs, the enemy could use that to their advantage and begin diversifying. Hacking the Mac OS to run on a PC would provide an easy way for malware writers to explore the MacOS.

However, as the Mac’s popularity has increased, we haven’t seen a rise in viruses for the Mac. Popularity is a weak rationale.

Macs Don’t Maintain Backward Compatibility

Since 1984, Apple has made multiple shifts in its operating system strategy. First there was the shift from 68K processors to PowerPC, and then the shift from Classic to OS X, and then finally the shift from PowerPC to Intel based processors. That old copy of MacWrite or NetTrek won’t run on your new MacBook without major emulation and other chicanery. On the other hand, WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS runs great on a Windows 7 PC with just a minor tweak.

Microsoft, in order to maintain compatibility with older products, has never fully excised old code and flaws in its operating system. Apple has been willing on at least three occasions to completely abandon old software and start from scratch. Because Apple controls the hardware and the software and has a much smaller installed base, it is better positioned to make these drastic moves.

Ironically, Macs used to get tons of viruses in the System 7 days. I fondly remember “Disinfectant,” and countless viruses spread via floppy disk. As the Classic OS evolved, less and less viruses worked until finally OS X rewrote the OS book. Which leads to the final reason for the dearth of Mac nasties.

Macs Were Designed with Security in Mind

Since Apple knew about Mac viruses, it was able to redesign the operating system with safeguards in place to prevent malware outbreaks. The proper use of the Administrator account and password was the most important key in preventing the spread of any Mac viruses. For those unfamiliar, on a Windows XP PC, programs can install automatically without an administrator name and password. While Vista and Windows 7 ask permission sometimes, you can still easily install programs (and therefore viruses) without intervention from a user.

Alternatively, Mac programs requires someone with Administrator privileges in order to install most software. In my day job as a computer repair tech, countless Mac clients can’t even remember their own password, so they are extremely unlikely to accidentally install some software. Windows PCs are usually infected by clicking on some kind of link followed by Windows automatically installing a virus in the background without user consent or intervention. This idea is as foreign to Mac users as a .dll file.

Because Apple has a quicker schedule in updating and patching its operating system, any flaw that is found and acknowledged by Apple can easily be patched via an update or the next operating system. Getting Apple to acknowledge some of these flaws is a different story, though Snow Leopard provided protection against the trojans discovered last year.

Should You Run Mac Antivirus Software?

Good question. Apple said at one time it recommended antivirus software (though later it recanted), yet most Mac users don’t. The risks of a virus on your Mac are slim and protection software is perceived as slowing down computers and being generally buggy. Unlike most other software, virus protection requires a yearly fee to keep protection active. If you stay away from the red light district on the Internet, you are much less likely to get a virus. Make sure your system password is a good one and hard to guess. Be wary of any software you download and check the source. That’s why you get the warning now whenever you download a program from the Internet. Common sense is your first line of defense.

Personally, at home, I have ClamXav installed. It’s a free program that will scan your Mac to determine if you have a virus, but won’t pre-emptively protect you from getting one. It’s an “on-demand” versus an active scanner. I update and run it every so often after I hear of some new threat.

For my work computer, I have Intego VirusBarrier installed. The program is unobtrusive and has little or no impact on the performance of my Mac mini. Because I work with a large number of clients, I can’t always guarantee that they haven’t downloaded an Internet Nasty and I don’t want to catch what they have on their computer.

The choice is yours whether to run antivirus software. The reasons why Macs don’t get many viruses are as much based on luck and market conditions, as they are on inherent security. At the very least, besides a good administrative password, a Mac on the Internet should have a copy of ClamXAV on it that can be run at the first sign of trouble and updated after a suspected outbreak. Furthermore, remember that “social engineering” threats, like phishing emails that attempt to steal your passwords can affect Mac and Windows users equally. Stay on your toes and never respond to unexpected emails that try to scare you into visiting a website that requires your password or other personal information.

TheAppleBlog is looking for a few iPhone and Mac developers who are also writers to help us out. So, if you are a solid iPhone and/or Mac developer and like to write how-to’s, tutorials, etc., I’d love to chat with you.

Please note, this is not a call for writers in general, it’s only for iPhone/Mac developers.

So, if you’re interested, just fill out this form with some examples of your developer-based how-to’s/tutorials and we’ll go from there.

Naturally, it’s important to every Mac owner that their computer behave itself and work reliably and efficiently. But if, like me, you’ve handed over the extra shekels for a Mac Pro, instead of, say, a MacBook, you don’t just expect reliability and efficiency. You expect — no, you demand — nothing less than Perfection.

It’s unsettling, then, that in recent months, owners of the very latest model of Mac Pro (the “Nehalem”-based machines introduced in early 2009) have been reporting worrying problems with their machines when performing otherwise very mundane tasks.

Let me give you an example. Imagine it’s early morning and, coffee in hand, you take your comfy seat before your 30-inch HD Cinema Display and power-up your gleaming Mac Pro. In no time at all you’re on the Snow Leopard desktop. You fire-up Mail and Safari and, as you prepare to trudge through the messages and articles that have amassed overnight, you decide to play a little light music in iTunes to lift your spirits. Some Beethoven, perhaps. Maybe a little Hans Zimmer. (John Williams is much too stimulating for this hour of the morning.)

Bam! No sooner have you hit Play and your machine inexplicably slowed to a crawl. You hear the Mac’s normally-whisper-quiet fans suddenly kick into high gear. For some unaccountable reason, your mighty Mac Pro is now guzzling power from the mains and getting very hot under the collar. It makes no sense. You’re doing the same things that would present no challenge at all to the most humble of MacBooks (a “mere abacus” by comparison, to quote the late great author and Macintosh-fan, Douglas Adams).

This isn’t just puzzling. It isn’t just troubling. It’s completely and unremittingly maddening. Your Mac Pro cost you an arm and a leg. Nothing less than perfection, remember?

Old Problem

The first reports of this problem appeared on the MacRumors.com discussion forum back in October, but eventually migrated to the Apple Support Discussion pages where they have grown quite considerably in number (and noise).

Users report the problem on machines running both Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6. Symptoms usually include a hefty cut in overall performance (as much as 20 percent in some cases), skyrocketing internal temperatures (excesses of 30 degrees celsius are common) and dramatically-increased power consumption for even minor “low power” tasks.

Software known to reliably and consistently trigger the problem includes heavy-duty titles such as Logic Studio and Flash, plus everyday applications like iTunes. The issue doesn’t appear to affect any earlier model of Mac Pro.

Curiously, the problem vanishes completely for those users who boot into Windows 7, which has led to speculation that Mac OS X itself is the culprit. MacNN reports;

Based on testing it is suspected that there could be a flaw in OS X’s handling of power management kernel extensions, or else the driver that exploits particular Nehalem features, such as SpeedStep and Turbo Boost.

Silence

Predictably, Apple is saying nothing. Users are also finding that even AppleCare Support is proving less than helpful. MacRumor’s Eric Slivka writes;

Despite the thorough investigations by users into the situation, AppleCare representatives have been unwilling [to] acknowledge that any issues exist, calling such temperature spikes normal and within design parameters for the machines. Users continue to be frustrated, however, by the performance hits their machines are experiencing and Apple’s refusal to address the situation. Apple has yet to issue any statements regarding the issue.

Anecdotal Evidence

I am very proud of my Mac Pro, for which I paid a quite obscene amount in April last year. I could have bought a car, or gone on a fantastic, life-changing trip around the world. But I’m a geek, so instead of those things I bought a big metal box with a picture of a fruit stamped on its side. (I regret nothing.)

And I really use this thing, all the time. I run iTunes constantly, and very regularly use audio-intensive apps like Apple’s Soundtrack Pro and Adobe’s SoundBooth. So far, I am relieved to say, I’ve never had any problems as a result.

But I have had one issue, and I’m beginning to suspect it might be connected to these complaints.

You see, in my experience, iMovie 09 is a great, lumbering cow. I need only use it for a few minutes before my machine collapses onto its metaphorical knees in protest. Closing the app doesn’t return things to normal, either. Instead, I have to completely restart my Mac. It’s annoying, certainly, but I spend more time in Final Cut these days, where I have no performance issues at all. I always just assumed that iMovie was a little buggy. Now, I’m not so sure.

If you’re a Mac Pro owner I’d love to know if you’ve suffered any of these problems. And, even if you’re not, leave a comment and let me know – is it just me, or is iMovie ‘09 an uncompromising diva for you, too?

Engadget has been digging through the iPhone OS SDK and, tucked away inside the MediaValidator.plist file, found what it believes are clues to future HD video capabilities in the next revision of the iPhone (codenamed N89). Engadget’s Chris Ziegler writes;

…the maximum video width is up from 768 pixels to 1280, and the maximum number of pixels per frame is up to 921,600, which just happens to work out to 1280 x 720. The device’s AVC profile has been bumped from 3.0 to 3.1, too, which adds in support for 720p.

Image by Engadget

Does this mean we can expect a (much) higher resolution screen in the next iPhone, possibly even OLED? (Mind you, it doesn’t matter one jot how brilliant OLED is – watching HD on a three and a half inch screen is still Teeny-Weeny-Eye-Strain-O-Vision, however you look at it.)

More sensibly, the baked-in HD capabilities might be intended for those times when connecting the iPhone to a big screen. (Which raises new questions about the method Apple might use to connect an iPhone an external HD monitor; Mini DisplayPort? HDMI? I’m pretty sure LightPeek is out of the question, but, heck, while we’re speculatin’…)

Alternatively, this might not be relevant to the iPhone at all but, instead, is relevant only to the iPad (which shares the same OS).

Foxconn’s New Friend

Meanwhile, the Taiwan-based DigiTimes yesterday reported that consumer electronics manufacturer Pegatron is set to produce the next revision of the iPhone, due later this year. Presumably veteran manufacturer Foxconn, who has produced each generation of the iPhone since 2007, are also continuing to produce Apple’s handsets.

What can I tell you about Pegatron, aside from the fact that its name is worthy of a Transformers character? (Megatron, Galvatron, Pegatron… yes?) Pegatron was founded by netbook giant ASUS two years ago. It is a consumer electronics manufacturer dabbling in all manner of devices, from LCD TVs to Microsoft’s upcoming Natal controller. According to DigiTimes, Pegatron has managed to score handset orders from “various telecom carriers.”

This is all absolutely essential background information when cooking-up new iPhone conjecture. Why would Apple secure a second handset manufacturer? Does Apple expect significantly greater demand for the next iPhone (more than Foxconn could satisfy?) Could Pegatron be the manufacturer of the first CDMA iPhone?

Could the addition of a second OEM point to Apple producing (or maintaining) multiple iPhone SKUs? There are six different iPad SKUs, why not have six different iPhone SKUs, too?

If Apple maintains the current iPhone lineup as well as adding a next-generation handset later this year, we would be left with a somewhat convoluted product line; there would be the iPhone 3G (black, 8GB) the iPhone 3GS (black/white, 16/32GB) and then, presumably, an iPhone 4G in Black, White, ‘iPad Silver’ and, of course, ‘Unicorn.’ And don’t forget the SKUs that will be introduced as a result of supporting different carrier frequencies. What was once a relatively simple (and fairly minimalist) lineup is made painfully complicated. It’s one step shy of producing a whole series of iPhone ‘Editions.’ Can you imagine it? ‘iPhone Home Premium’, ‘iPhone Professional’, ‘iPhone Ultimate’. (Who will buy ‘iPhone Starter Edition’?)

I kid of course, but there’s good reason to be wary. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in the late 90’s he axed entire product lines in an effort to simplify the company’s offerings (and, no doubt, cut costs). Since then, the variation in individual products that was, for a brief time, refreshingly limited has diversified into quite an astonishing array; just three ‘species’ of laptop and three desktop families manage to produce, between them, bewildering variations in size, capability and price. (Apple calls the iMac the “Ultimate all-in-one” which is amusing when one considers the enormous variety in iMac SKUs.)

The Ultimate all-in-one… depends on which 'one' you buy…

Apple understands the enormous value (and profits) in offering customers multiple variations of the same product. It’s how they present that variety that’s so clever. Apple somehow manages to keep their lineup simple, identifiable and easy. A quick glance at a Mac will tell you, broadly speaking, what kind of Mac it is. Can the same be said of a modern Dell computer?

The point is customers expect wide variation between computers, but when it comes to smartphones they want a certain degree of homogeny. Particularly among high-profile, expensive smartphones. If you’re spending a lot of money on a so-called smartphone, you don’t want to perceive it as being somehow less-smart than a similar product from a competitor – or worse, a similar product from the same manufacturer!

Apple changed the rules of the game; if you wanted the best smartphone in the world, you bought an iPhone. Could the rules change later this year to “If you want the best smartphone in the world, buy an iPhone, but… be really careful which one you buy, ‘cos some are better than others.”

Of course, we’ll know in a few short months. But in the meantime, there’s nothing to stop us debating the possibilities.

The thought of your iPhone or iPod touch falling into the wrong hands is enough to scare anyone. The iPhone does have the passcode function to keep prying eyes out, but what if that’s not enough?

In a corporate environment, the loss of a device like this is a major ordeal. Apple has touted the MobileMe remote wiping capabilities, but what if you don’t use MobileMe? If you are in a corporate environment, you probably connect to an exchange server for mail. Using OWA (Outlook Web Access) you can remotely wipe your lost or stolen iPhone/iPod touch and breath easy knowing your data is safe.

As I stated, this relies on using the Exchange email push functionality in the iPhone OS. I have only tested this with Exchange 2007 so I can’t verify how or if this works in older versions of Exchange. OWA is Microsoft’s fancy name for web mail so the first thing you need to do is access your company’s web mail.

1. After you successfully login, click on the Options button in the top right.
   
2. Now click on the Mobile Devices option in the left-hand menu.
   
3. You should now see your iPhone or iPod touch device listed. Click the radio button next to your device and the click Wipe All Data from Device…
   
4. You will get a confirmation dialog to confirm you really want to do this. After you confirm, the Status will change to Pending Wipe.
   
5. The next time your iPhone/iPod touch has an internet connection and checks in with Exchange, a secure wipe is initiated. This is what the screen looks like to the user.
   
6. After the wipe has been started, the status for the device in OWA will change to Wipe Successful and you can remove the device from the list.

You can give this a try on your own device if you want to see the magic. Be advised that it will take about an hour to wipe the device so you can’t use it during that time. After the wipe, you can restore from a backup in iTunes. Since this is done in OWA, you don’t even have to bother your Network Admin. Maybe you are a little embarrassed that you lost your iPhone. This way no one has to know. Your secret will be safe with me.

Steve Jobs says the iPad is better than a laptop, tacitly implying that the notebook’s days are numbered.

Well, maybe.

No Laptop Substitute for Serious Users

Or not. I really like the iPad. I want one, but it doesn’t come within a country mile of being even a halfway-adequate substitute for a real laptop, at least for folks who use their computers as serious work tools. Laptops are going to be around for a long time to come. However, with the iPad’s price of entry at $500, the netbook folks may have plenty to worry about.

Then again, Jobs probably has a point, at least in that while web workers and other power or semi-power users who require multitasking capability, flexible input options, graphics and video editing power, and so forth will be buying laptops (and desktops) for many years to come, for the average consumer shopping at Best Buy or Wal-Mart, their laptop or netbook money may now be spent on an iPad. And if these folks discover that the iPad is all they needed in the first place (plausible in many instances) they may never buy a laptop again, which is probably what Jobs and Apple imagine to be the harbinger of the laptop’s future.

PowerBook Duo Redivivus?

For me, the deal breaker would’ve been lack of support for a real, electromechanical keyboard — I detest and revile touchscreen keyboards — but happily Apple covered that base nicely with Bluetooth support and an optional iPad Dock for the Apple Bluetooth keyboard. I’m a longtime fan of the old PowerBook Duo concept from the 90’s with its various dockable expansion options, and the iPad with dock seems to be a contemporary update of that motif. Reportedly, any Bluetooth keyboard will work — not just Apple’s — so those of us who don’t like living without a numerical keypad will be covered as well.

Pointing Device Driver Still a Question Mark

A remaining caveat is that unfortunately, as of yet there’s been no confirmation one way or the other as to whether there will be mouse driver support for Bluetooth external pointing devices. I’m inclined to think that the absence of mention in Apple’s tech specs means there likely isn’t, at least so far, which means there is no precision pointing device, and even when using an external keyboard with the iPad mounted on its dock, it will still be necessary to navigate and click using the touchscreen interface — really inconvenient for folks like myself who like to sit well back from the screen when working at a desktop with external keyboards and pointing devices.

Still Some Deficiencies

The lack of multitasking support is another major shortcoming, but scuttlebutt has it that iPhone OS 4.0 may add multitasking to its repertoire of features, so that may be addressed by the time the iPad ships.

Another deficiency of the iPad as a laptop replacement is its lack of provision for memory upgrades. Of course we’ve already gone through that with the MacBook Air, but at least it comes with 2GB of soldered-in RAM compared to the iPad’s 1GB.

The iPad a Work in Progress

Accentuating the positive, however, I prefer to look at the iPad as a work in progress, and hopefully some or all of these objections, plus the absence of Flash support, and tabbed browsing in the iPad version of Safari, HDMI or MiniDisplay Port output, an SD Card reader, and any sort of non-wireless data transfer connectivity, will be remedied in subsequent versions.

In the meantime, that surprisingly friendly $500 price of entry to the iPad club should make it a formidable force to be reckoned with in the marketplace right out of the blocks, although I’m personally inclined to keep my powder dry until the Revision B models hit the Apple Certified Refurbished channels in eight or 10 months time and any teething problems get ironed out.

How about you? Eager early adopter or content to wait? And can you envision the iPad ever replacing your laptop?

Related GigaOM Pro Research:

• Web Tablet Survey: Apple’s iPad Hits Right Notes
• 5 Tips for Developers Targeting the iPad
• How AT&T Will Deal with iPad Data Traffic

The Wall Street Journal has reported that major textbook publishers have made deals with ScrollMotion Inc, in an effort to bring their textbooks to digital devices — including Apple’s upcoming iPad.

McGraw-Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt K-12, Pearson Education and Kaplan Inc are all named as ScrollMotions’s latest partners (customers?). According to WSJ, ScrollMotion;

…has already developed applications for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch. ScrollMotion takes digital files provided by publishers for the iPad, adapts them to fit on the device, and then adds enhancements such as a search function, dictionaries, glossaries, interactive quizzes and page numbers.

Pretty much all the things you’d expect from a a digital edu-book. Other cool features said to be included in the iPad deal include;

…applications to let students play video, highlight text, record lectures, take printed notes, search the text, and participate in interactive quizzes to test how much they’ve learned and where they may need more work.

Only in recent years have tablet devices begun to offer a glimpse at a practical digital realization of many educators long-harbored dreams. It helps enormously that they’re book-shaped (almost removing the physical and psychological barriers laptops and desktop computers put between people), and, sometimes, they’re almost affordable. Sadly, their adoption has been hampered by lackluster design. Until the iPad appeared, the Kindle offered the best digital textbook platform for students and teachers, although that’s not saying much; the Kindle is slow, features a greyscale-only screen and offers a cumbersome input method. Most importantly, the Kindle does only one thing. It does it competently, to be sure, but it doesn’t dazzle.

It’s no wonder then, that textbook publishers are paying close attention to the iPad; it not only improves on the Kindle in almost every way (perhaps with the exception of battery life) but introduces an input paradigm already very well established and understood by millions of iPhone or iPod Touch owners. Some critics decry a lack of multitasking and expansion; but consider the far more powerful reality that the iPad just happens to be the easiest-to-use computer ever made.

For a teaching/learning aid, on the trajectory of “intuitively easy” it lies closer to the humble pen and paper than to a TFT screen with a bunch of plastic keys and a pointing device.

Publishers were already dipping their toes into the digital book market, but only tentatively. Now the iPad is just around the corner, it looks like they’re losing those prior inhibitions and preparing to dive right in, though they’re trying not to sound too enamoured. Rik Kranenburg, president of McGraw-Hill’s higher education unit, said;

People have been talking about the impact of technology on education for 25 years. It feels like it is really going to happen in 2010. Nobody knows what device will take off, or which ‘killer app’ will drive student adaptations. Today they aren’t reading e-textbooks on their laptops. But ahead we see all kinds of new instruction materials.”

Prickly Issue

Of course, the issue of Price remains prickly. Amazon sold its e-books at $9.99, despite the wishes of publishers who wanted to charge a bit more. Now, following a bit of a public spat with publisher Macmillans, prices of some e-book titles on Amazon.com (and, presumably, international Amazon sites) are beginning to change. Amazon maintains they set book prices at $9.99 to make it fair for consumers. Cynicism, on the other hand, offers an alternative reason, that includes the phrases “loss leader” and “market dominance.” I’ll leave you to decide which is most likely.

Meanwhile, one man who never seems to give two hoots about what’s fair, right or even logical – Rupert “Mad Dog” Murdoch – took a break from hating on Google to declare that he supported (and preferred) Apple’s pricing model for titles in the iBookstore. In a News Corp. earnings call yesterday, Murdoch said,

We don’t like the Amazon model of selling everything at $9.99… We think it really devalues books and it hurts all the retailers of the hard cover books. We are not against [electronic] books. On the contrary we like them very much indeed. It is low cost to us… Apple in its agreement with us […] does allow for a variety of slightly higher prices.

It’s interesting to note that a lot of criticism and debate surrounding Apple’s foray into e-book sales has been negative. Many bloggers have grumbled bitterly about Apple “doing to the publishing industry what they did to the music industry” and even yesterday All Things Digital was making reference to the “scarring” experienced by the music industry.

But what exactly did Apple do to the music industry that was so terrible? Last time I checked, Apple pretty much saved it, bringing sanity to a media landscape that, before the iTunes store arrived, was a fragmented sales and accessibility nightmare, where prices and content distribution were so appallingly inconsistent across competing services/platforms that scores of customers resorted to illegal file sharing as the de facto method for getting music.

If Apple can bring to the publishing industry the same format homogeny, pricing stability and content distribution/management methods that it brought to the music industry, that’s good for everyone. Everyone except Amazon.