Will the real BRAD BALDWIN please stand up? » Apple

FaceTime from my Mac

Brad — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:37:48 +0000

Purchased the $0.99 FaceTime HD app from the Mac App Store. Hard to believe that they are charging $0.99 for an app that is restricted to Apple-only products. Oh well, it was only $0.99. Called my daughter. Grabbed some screenshots.

Now if only I could use my Mac full time again, I’d be able to call all my iPhone 4 friends from my desk.

Antenna-Aid: Why can’t I think of this?

Brad — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 07:06:31 +0000

Another Apple accessory hit. This time at the expense of Antenna-gate.

A couple of designers from NYC decided to play a prank and create some little Band-Aids to go over that spot on the iPhone 4 that is causing all the stir. The cranked out a little custom fit Band-Aid looking thing that hides the antenna, threw them up on an ecommerce store (etsy.com), and watched as orders began to pile up.

You gotta love some of the copy:
- Apple made a boo-boo. Make it better. — I can only smile at that one
- Works like magical — a Jobism for sure
- Colors you can see with the human retina — play on the display
- Tech Specs. Umm… It’s a sticker — My favorite of the entire piece

Next 90 days of SmartPhone sales: 52% iPhone

Brad — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 05:30:54 +0000

Remember the Palm Treo? It was hot stuff in it’s day. Where is it now? In the draw with all those old devices that you keep around just because you loved them in their time.

This ChangeWave Research survey must have RIM’s management and the board of directors pacing the floor and running scared for next quarter’s earnings report. This chart takes me back a few years to when BlackBerry broke out with devices that converged voice and email. People were dumping Treos for BlackBerries. RIMs advantage was devices on multiple carrier networks. Now 7 quarters (that’s 21 months / 84 weeks) of declining satisfaction exacerbated by new buyers turning their nose up at BlackBerries in exchange for iPhones or Android.

Now everyone is tossing out their BlackBerries for iPhones. And unfortunately for RIM, many of these users are in corporate America. iPhone is merging voice (or is that dropping), email, data, browsing, and mass customization through apps or games for every occasion and every user.
And while my Android friends will flame me, the device manufactures just can’t deliver an industrial design to match Apple. Android OS is better than any of the handsets it runs on–HTC isn’t doing anything special. And even though the world-wide adoption shows a world of opportunity, it reminds me of every Dell computer I’ve used: functional but boring.

The next 90 days for (h)Palm…yikes. And where’s Nokia / Symbian?

Posted via email from Brad Baldwin’s Posterous

Mac users are …

Brad — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:31:24 +0000

I love reading these research reports that classify and organize Mac vs. PC users. Of course there is a lot of bogus stuff collected and reported as gospel. But then again, you can always collect information that presents “facts” in a particular light.

This new report, highlighted on–as you might expect–9to5Mac.com, caught my eye

“Analysing aggregated data from 76,000 PC and Mac users asked about aesthetic preferences, media choices, and personality traits, the survey declares that Mac users want to be perceived as unique, prefer bold colors and retro designs, enjoy indie films, and consider themselves risktakers. Those PC users, on the other hand, are more likely to see the world as “different enough already” and appreciate “being in tune with those around them.” This is reflected in their more subtle, “mainstream modern” (neither retro nor extremely contemporary) design choices and their practical choices in clothing, footwear, and cars that favor getting the job done rather than making an overt design statement.”

So do you want to go with the flow? Like being unnoticed in the crowd? Like all things practical? Reminds me of a commercial I saw in 1984.

I like this PC and Mac commercial

Brad — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:53:41 +0000

Windows 7 is far away better than XP. I’ve used the beta, RC, and the RTM version since January 2009. It’s starts up fast, goes to sleep fast, and appears pretty solid on the hibernate. My apps have run just fine. I’m moving my one Windows machine to the shipping version of Windows 7.

Even with all the Windows fanfare, I’m still happy to say that I have 4 Macs, 3 on Snow Leopard.

Finally, over the years I’ve seen the OS changes come and go. As an “old-timer” who remembers the power of cd, xcopy, and other robust OS commands, I was happy to see Windows come along. Amy was alway a Mac person–she’s always “thunk” different. I welcome Windows 7 to join the family.

I must admit that this latest commercial from Apple made me chuckle. Enjoy.

Steve Mobs Keynote as a Ringtone for Your iPhone (myPhone)

Brad — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:35:22 +0000

In case you missed The Simpsons and the fantastic mocumentary of Mapple (a.k.a., Apple, NASDAQ:APPL) and Steve Mobs (a.k.a., Steve Jobs), Hulu now offers the entire episode or small clips.

If you’re an iPhone (myPhone) user looking for a the Steve Mobs in-store keynote converted into a ringtone, look no further. Just click on and download the ringtone below, add file to iTunes, and sync your iPhone. So if you’ve been missing the satire of the “pre-outed” Fake Steve Jobs, Bart Simpson is here to fill the void.

“And now a live announcement from Mapple founder and chief imaginative officer, Steve Mobs.”

“You think you’re cool because you buy a $500 phone with a picture of a fruit on it. Well guess what? They cost $8 bucks to make and I pee on every one!”

“I have made a fortune off you chumps, and I have invested it all in Microsoft. Now my boyfriend, Bill Gates, and I kiss each other on a pile of your money!”

Michael Arrington: “Nokia and Symbian are Irrelevant”

Brad — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:05:59 +0000

I’m glad to know that others agree with my point on other mobile device and OSes. I’ve owned all the brands of smart phones, Nokia included. For me, the AppStore and ability to attract developers make Apple the game changer.

From Forbes Magazine:

Eventually the iPhone bigots will get to you, as they did to David Rivas, a Nokia vice president in charge of its smart phone software efforts. “You’re ignoring Japan, you’re ignoring Korea. The statement that somehow the Web has not been mobile until the iPhone is absurd and back to the point about parochialism,” he told a room full of venture capitalists and software developers at a conference in July organized by tech blog impresario Michael Arrington.

“Wake up!” someone heckled from the back of the room as Rivas spoke. Arrington, the Valley’s answer to Judge Judy, wasn’t buying it either. “I believe that Nokia and Symbian [the software that powers its smart phones] are irrelevant companies at this point,” he pronounced from the stage.

Apple’s Swamped: Picture’s worth a 1,000 words

Brad — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:51:44 +0000

My One-on-One membership is quickly coming to a close. It’s time to try to get in some training on DVD production in Final Cut Studio. Went to the Concierge to book a session at the Apple Store at The Gateway in Salt Lake City. This is what I see when I try to register.

Since the iPhone 1.0, the dynamic at the Apple store has totally changed. Lot’s of people coming in for help with their devices. The core customers used to be creators. Now that same customer has become a “consumer” of the creative. Maybe Apple needs to open a new store for iPhones and iPods so the computing and software needs for creative types can be addressed without all the people needing a replacement to a faulty device.

“The phone of the future will be differentiated by software.”

Brad — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:37:06 +0000

As I wrote a month ago, the Apple AppStore for iPhone was a game changer. Remember, this is the report for the FIRST 30 DAYS since the iPhone 3G launched. Below are a couple of quotes and the news from Mr. Jobs as reported in The Wall Street Journal.

In the month since Apple opened an online software clearinghouse called the App Store, users have downloaded more than 60 million programs for the iPhone, Chief Executive Steve Jobs said in an interview at Apple’s headquarters. While most of those applications were free, Apple sold an average of $1 million a day in applications for a total of about $30 million in sales over the month, Mr. Jobs said.

If sales stay at the current pace, Apple stands to reap at least $360 million a year in new revenue from the App Store, Mr. Jobs said. “This thing’s going to crest a half a billion, soon,” he added. “Who knows, maybe it will be a $1 billion marketplace at some point in time.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my career for software,” he said.

…

“Phone differentiation used to be about radios and antennas and things like that,” Mr. Jobs said. “We think, going forward, the phone of the future will be differentiated by software.”

Source:
IPhone Software Sales Take Off: Apple’s Jobs
By NICK WINGFIELD
August 11, 2008; Page B1
The Wall Street Journal

Will the Halo Effect Bring Apple Support Nightmares?

Brad — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:12:19 +0000

The halo effect is kicking in. Maybe a bit bigger than some would have ever imagined. Apple’s computers are gaining popularity and are being sold a record levels. I’d expect the numbers to really go crazy with this year’s back to college shopping.

But I have a big fear, and the fear is this: Apple will NOT be able to meet the growing support needs of all the new users. After three negative experiences trying to purchase the iPhone 3G, I’m growing frustrated with Apple. My ability to see the “Genius” is a longer wait than ever before. And my one-on-one training has been filled with instructors without the knowledge to teach me the programs. The new MobileMe service has experienced trouble for old .MAC users converting and new users who are looking for sync goodness.

I have loved my previous Apple experiences. I’m worried that large increase in users is too great for Apple and their limited retail footprint of support outlets. Is it time to see more “Apple” resale and support locations? Can Apple let go of control and allow others to pick up where they slack?

TECHNOLOGY ALERT
from The Wall Street Journal.

July 21, 2008

Apple’s profit climbed 31% to $1.07 billion in the fiscal third quarter on strong sales of Macintosh computers and iPod music players. Total Sales rose 38% to $7.46 billion.

Apple said it shipped nearly 2.5 million Macs during the quarter, up 41% from a year earlier, while iPod shipments grew 12% to over 11 million.

UPDATE (8/11/08):
My iPhone had a problem with the GPS. I had to make two visits to the Apple Genius Bar to take care of Apple’s problem–the first time I tried, they were too busy. Here is a picture of my visit today to the Genius Bar. The place was packed. People gathered around the Bar waiting to get answers to their issues.