August 21, 2008
The vocal minority amplifying around the blogosphere’s echo chamber is now broadcasting across morning news shows regarding the iPhone’s alleged reception problems. There are likely steps that Apple could take to improve reception, but if this were a true defect, I think the response would be so overwhelming that you wouldn’t be able to get within 100 yards of an AT&T or Apple store.
Even retaining a degree of control that most cell phone manufacturers would give their SEND buttons for, the iPhone is a very unusual product for Apple in that it has had to rely on partners (phone carriers) for a core part of its user experience. But of course because of Apple’s high profile and tradition of owning the customer experience, many of the fingers of blame are pointing at it. So it needs to offer an acknowledgement, an explanation, another :”open letter” — something beyond a discreet missive.
The company has set a great precedent extending service for customers struggling with MobileMe. Surely it’s not in a position to offer similar free service for those having cell phone problems. As a relative newcomer to the cellular industry banking billions on the iPhone as a Trojan horse for OS X, Apple has too much at stake with the iPhone 3G for it to stay shrouded in a cloud of questionable reliability. And phones are too important to their consumers to deal with disappointment for long.
Wireless connectivity is what it is. Not to necessarily knock AT&T’s network quality, but the iPhone has likely attracted many newcomers to 3G (certainly from AT&T’s existing subscriber base) and, in what may be the cause of even more of the griping, switchers from Verizon Wireless and Sprint that may be used to dealing with more mature 3G wireless networks. As a company that is pioneering the way or many new broadband wireless users, Apple is getting some arrows in its back.
Back in 2003, Steve Jobs noted that downloading music illegally was bad karma, and yet the company has consistently lambasted struggles that Vista has had, many of which have been the result of driver and other issues that are the “fault” of Microsoft’s ecosystem partners — karma indeed. If this keeps up for much longer, how long will it be before a straight-laced personification of reliability stands aside a harried deadbeat as they intone, “I’m a Nokia phone.” and.”.. and I’m an iPhone 3G.”?
Tags: Apple, iPhone 3G, reception issues, reliabilityAugust 20, 2008
- Re: Canon shipping 100m compact cameras, Engadget asks how many of yours have died? For me, one out of five (S2 IS). http://snurl.com/3hxf1 #
- Canon shipping 100m compact digicams, Engadget asks how many of yours have died. For me, one out of five (S2 IS). #
- UrbanMax confused in terms of standing up versus sitting down usage experience. May be a MID for that fake Bigfoot. http://snurl.com/3hxid #
- The Gadgeteer pans CastGrabber. Julie got a lot further than I did in actually getting it to work at all. http://snurl.com/3hxpc #
- PlayOn seems like a nice implementation of Hulu on TV, but I suspect most mfgs. will do deals with Hulu directly.. http://snurl.com/3hxs7 #
- Sad tale of no demand for collector’s LPs (http://snurl.com/3hy2y) reminds me of “Time Enough at Last” (http://snurl.com/3hy35) #
- Hmm, Japanese handset mfgs. looking to export their tech. That didn’t work too well for Korean mfgs. and Helio. http://snurl.com/3hyof #
- Intel UrbanMax simply reflects different design tradeoffs to “convertible” tablets. http://snurl.com/3hyq0 #
- Who would like to see the Vadem Clio reborn as a netbook? #
- Hillcrest Labs sues Nintendo — great PR. “Mommy, why do the bad men want to kill Mario?” http://snurl.com/3i7ho #
August 18, 2008
- New Switched On column posted: From Bluetooth to the bedroom and the backyard http://snurl.com/3hhub #
August 17, 2008
- Wii getting DVD playback may finally help end the travesty of people moving while watching TV http://snurl.com/3fo8p #
- Atom is apparently doing well. Of course, that’s *shipments.* Let’s see how well they sell to consumers. http://snurl.com/3fo9u #
- I applaud Vudu’s approach to “getting out of jail cheap” assuming it includes movies not finished within 24 hours http://snurl.com/3fobv #
- New Switched On column posted: Rethinking the living room PC http://snurl.com/3fsn0 #
August 13, 2008
- Wii getting DVD playback may finally help end the travesty of people moving while watching TV http://snurl.com/3fo8p #
- Atom is apparently doing well. Of course, that’s *shipments.* Let’s see how well they sell to consumers. http://snurl.com/3fo9u #
- I applaud Vudu’s approach to “getting out of jail cheap” assuming it includes movies not finished within 24 hours http://snurl.com/3fobv #
- New Switched On column posted: Rethinking the living room PC http://snurl.com/3fsn0 #
August 12, 2008
The AP is reporting that Best Buy will become the first independent retailer to offer the iPhone 3G in the U.S. Carrying the iPhone is certainly a feather in the wireless cap of Best Buy, which has been rolling out its Best Buy Mobile stores and stores-within-a-store. Best Buy, of course, also has Apple-staffed sections within a store so it will be interesting to see where the iPhone will be merchandised (likely in both sections).
Best Buy is also in a great position to highlight some of the many iPhone-compatible accessories that would not be carried in an AT&T store and, of course, the retailer has a far larger footprint than Apple stores. However, it may mark the first time the iPhone has been put side by side with other handsets with large touchs creens from other carriers in the U.S.
Tags: Best Buy, iPhone 3G
In an Analyst Angle column I wrote for RCR Wireless News about AT&T’s adoption of Microsoft Surface for its showrooms, I argued that having the table-based kiosks available in stores would benefit the wireless carrier and be good for the industry. Some wrote to me saying that what the wireless carrier really needed was a greater number of skilled store workers and not gee-wizardry, but of course those things are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are complementary.
In fact, when I was interviewed for Fox Business News on the day of the iPhone 3G launch, there were no iPhones at the store that was the site of the interview. There were, however, two Surface computers and, yes, they were being used by curious customers months after their introduction.
One interesting angle in this deployment is the branding of applications on Surface. The most interesting is CityTips, which may help reduce some of the load on concierges at the hotels by serving as a local guide to restaurants, bars, etc. I’m sure it won’t contain much that couldn’t be found on a laptop, but it’s a pretty common scenario for group outing planning to happen in a hotel lobby.
Other apps include he Sounds of Sheraton playlist creator, which would be a lot cooler if it could be used to deliver CDs (yeah, I know but lots of hotel rooms still have players) to a guest’s room, and Sheraton Snapshots, which seems like the weakest of the three as all it does is let you surf photos and information of other Sheraton properties. That’s the kind of thing that can be done at one’s leisure. When you’re a tourist, you’re interested in what’s happening in town, not at other hotels.
Tags: Microsoft Surface, Sheraton hotels
If your company is a startup, I’m generally not a fan of trying to distribute your product or service exclusively through established TV and landline service providers such as Comcast or Verizon. Mobile apps via wireless carriers are but one exception. But if you’re Starz Entertainment and you have relationships with these service providers and your product is a movie distribution service based on subscription, then it’s also a different story.
As a standalone service, the cost of acquiring customers to Vongo must have been expensive. But by taking advantage of the existing billing relationships that Verizon’s FiOS TV has with its customers, Starz Play as the revamped service will now be known, will garner more exposure and, more importantly, more bundling opportunities. As Netflix has shown, a sustainable number of consumers like a subscription option for movies on demand. It’s just unfortunate that the handoff from Vongo couldn’t have been made more seamlessly.
Tags: starz play, verizon fios, vongo
Speaking of proportions, according to OC Register, Averatec will enter the netbook market this fall with what looks like a pretty well-equipped netbook with a nice design as well, and available at retail for under $500 this holiday season.
I’ve had the opportunity to get hands-on with a number of these products and am coming to favor those with 10″ screens, at least aesthetically, for a few reasons. First, they simply look less toy-like, a complaint I’ve heard levied a number of times against other netbooks. Second, they address the problem of either having a cramped or compromised keyboard versus having an unusually large bezel around the screen, thus resulting in a better-proportioned look. I have some concern about 10.2″ models being a bit less portable than, the 8.9″ variety that has attracted much interest, but these should still be ideal airline tray companions.
Tags: averatec, netbooks, screen size
Almost three years ago to the date, I wrote a Switched On column looking at the iHome iH5, which pioneered the iPod clock dock market. It spawned a great business for SDI Technologies, which owns the iHome brand as well as the rights to use the Timex brand for clock radios.
Now SDI is releasing the iH41)\, its first dock specifically created for the iPod touch. Like the handheld computer itself, it can be used in a vertical or horizontal orientation. The clock display rotates, and, while I’m not necessarily a fan of many devices that can be used in multiple orientations, I’ve always had an odd soft spot for rotating displays, like the front-panel electronic logo on the new Dell Studio Hybrid.
iPod speaker docks have been a successful endeavor for other companies, too, such as Bose and Logitech, but I frankly never liked the way many of them have the iPod protruding from the top like it’s on some kind of pedestal. And the form factors of other dockable iPods, such as the classic and nano, had their small screens enveloped by massive speakers flanking them. The scroll wheel — which works so well on the go — isn’t an ideal way to control a docked iPod.
The iPod touch and iPhone don’t solve these problems completely, but their more generic appearance help them look less out of place docked, and the touch UI is better for a home environment. In addition, of course, the ability for them to stream music over Wi-Fi via Pandora (and soon other services), bring new value to speaker docks.
Tags: iHome, iPod touch, speaker docks