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The iPod Nano: Now With Auto-Personalizing Feature!
Electronics | Sep 29, 05
Apple's admission of breaking screens in what they claim are a small number of Nanos comes amid widespread reports that those screens are also highly susceptible to scratches. Cupertino says the former problem is covered under warranty but the later is not, and suggests those concerned about random etchings invest in a protective case.
Sure, because when you give up extra storage for the convenient slimness of the Nano, what you're looking to do is add some bulk with a nice, padded shell. Or maybe we should stop whining about that engraving on the screen and look at it as a kind of automatic personalization feature – after all, you haven't really "made it your own" until the display is obscured by your unique pattern of specks and gouges.
But if you're not enough of an iconoclast to express yourself in this way, and if you're so closed-minded as to insist that a product marketed for its small size not have to be lugged about in a foam and leather sarcophagus, here's one constructive suggestion: the Apple iPod Nano Armband. Makes jogging with the little guy easier and keeps it away from those keys and change in your pocket. Just don't bump into anything sharp.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 1:42 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Can Wintel Make Blu-ray The Next Betamax?
Electronics | Sep 27, 05
Microsoft and Intel's announcement that they will back Toshiba's HD-DVD standard for high-definition digital video is a blow to Sony's competing Blu-ray format, in a war eerily reminiscent of the VHS-Betamax battle of the early VCR era.
In a theory pioneered by economist W. Brian Arthur, increasing returns to scale can lead to a so-called "lock-in" effect in which a particular technological standard is picked out from a set of plausible alternatives. Ephemeral and even random factors may govern the choice, but once this happens, the cost to consumers and manufacturers of switching to any other standard becomes quite high, and any contending alternative must now present advantages far in excess of what it took to get in the game during the initial standard selection period. (For those into theoretical physics - and hey, who isn't! - the mathematics describing lock-in looks a bit like symmetry breaking.) Oft-quoted examples include the QWERTY typewriter keyboard, rail gauges, and yes, the selection of VHS over Sony's Betamax standard, even though many contend that Beta was the superior technology.
Many feel that when a critical mass of content became available on VHS and not Beta, the fate of Sony's standard was sealed. This time around, however, Sony has lined up half of Hollywood behind its gambit, as well as two of the largest PC makers. Plus, you never know what Cupertino will come up with, though currently putting more than brief HD video rips on a portable player may require a Blue-ray enabled iPod "Macro" that no one is going to be dancing around with, even in those cute silhouette ads. If Microsoft and Intel can pressure the PC makers to switch sides, they may tilt the balance of power to Toshiba. In the end, however, people watch DVDs for the content, not the supporting chips or operating system. With two so well armed alliances staring each other down, it's difficult to say what small factor of timing or technology might tip the balance, let alone who the victor will be.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 4:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Palm Embraces Windows For Treo, But Still Lacks Blackberry’s "In Your Face" Factor
Electronics | Sep 24, 05
So the word is that Palm has decided to license Microsoft's Windows Mobile for its new Treo, available with Verizon Wireless. But at least initially, the Treo with Windows will still require the user to download e-mail, as opposed to allowing senders to push e-mail onto the recipient's screen, as with Research In Motion's Blackberry.
And there's the rub. In the Blackberry world, you get to ram your thoughts down the throat of your clients, employer, employees (and of course your friends and loved ones) exactly when you want to, and without that oh so inconvenient time sink of having to listen to the other person's thoughts, as you must with a conventional phone call. By making the other person's Blackberry demand "read me, READ ME!" you get to hurl your typed thunderbolt with impunity, at least your chosen target retaliates with his or her own brilliant missive. Not to be confused with the nearly lost art of letter-writing, the Blackberry replaces conversation with a series of curt, "in your face" volleys, and a generation for whom "Crossfire" and "The McLaughlin Group" are formative examples of interlocution has naturally accepted this mode of "communication".
Of course one wonders what Palm's decision portends for its PDA offerings (and other PDA makers who license the Palm OS), assuming of course that people still want PDAs without wireless telephony - see "Are Falling Handheld Prices A Sign Of PDA Obsolescence". But RIM still has a winner until Palm and their new friends in Redmond succeed in accommodating push (shove? jam?) technology. I'd be interested in the thoughts of others on this subject, especially those whose organizations compel them to experience the joys of the Blackberry.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 4:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Lenovo Selling Style At China Prices
Computers | Sep 22, 05
When Lenovo purchased IBM's personal computer division, there was considerable discussion about the effect lower Chinese production costs – the so called "China Price" - might have on the market (see Can Dell Compete with the China Price?) and indeed the new firm has been quite price competitive (Laptops at China Prices).
Now, however, Lenovo is raising the stakes by offering something other low-cost makers are not known for – design. Lenovo's new Titanium IBM ThinkPad Z series offers the kind of styling one associates with Sony or the old Apple Titanium machines, but at a fraction of the cost. To be available next month, these models feature fully integrated Verizon Wireless Braodband (an extra monthly fee applies), fingerprint recognition biometric security, gigabit Ethernet connectivity, ATI Radeon X300 enhanced graphics and Intel Celeron M processors. The Z60m is a 1.5 GHz, 15.4" widescreen model, which at 1.4" thick and 6.6 lbs is still fairly modest in size, while Lenovo claims the 1.4 Ghz Z60t, with its 14" screen, 1.1" thickness and 4.5 lb weight is the lightest machine in its class. And of course both have that cool scratch-resistant titanium case. Perhaps most impressively, the Z60m and Z60t are to be released at just under $800 and $1,100, respectively. Models with the Pentium M processor will also be offered, but for several hundred dollars more. Still, a lot of notebook – and style – for a very modest price.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 4:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Sony Memory Sticks Reflect Declining Storage Costs
Digital Cameras & Camcorders | Sep 16, 05
Notably rapid price declines in the price of storage have been seen this year, particularly as far as digital film is concerned.
You can see this immediately by examining the price of Sony Memory Sticks. For example, a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo would have run you $225 five months ago, and is now available for just under $150.
Time Period: 4/18/2005 through 9/12/2005
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price
Of course that may have something to do with the fact that Sony has just released a 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo for $199.99, which is to say you can purchase twice the memory for only about a 33% increase in cost. But perhaps the best deal in this space is being offered by B&H Photo on the 4 GB Memory Stick Pro; as of this writing they’re offering that item for $399.95 when the next lowest vendor prices on PriceSCAN.com are over $700.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 5:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
iPod Prices Keep Dropping As New Models Released
Electronics | Sep 8, 05
In the weeks leading up to the release of Apple's ultra-thin iPod nano, we've seen significant price drops for Cupertino's higher storage capacity models.
For example, take a look at this PriceTrend graph of the iPod 60GB with Color Display, currently the most popular iPod model on PriceSCAN.com.
Time Period: 12/20/2004 through 9/5/2005
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price
As you can see, back at the end of last year, this model would have run you at least $550, and today it may be had for less than $370. One wonders whether at least some of this decline is related to the iPod nano's introduction. For many users, the 1000 song capacity of the 4GB, $249 flash-based nano may be sufficient. To be sure, hard disk based models offer far more capacity (the 60GB holds 15,000 songs), but will the typical users pay more, and carry more weight, for that extra storage? My colleague David Cost suggests the answer may be no, at least until players with video display capability make those extra gigabytes worth buying and hauling around. Stay tuned.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 8:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
