After their debut launches on the other CDMA network in the U.S., Palm's webOS-powered smartphones--the Pre (at right) and the Pixi (left)--have now launched on Verizon Wireless as the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus (and Amazon Wireless has them both). And like the original Sprint models, they feature fast 3G connectivity, the Palm Synergy all-in-one view of contacts and messaging, and GPS turn-by-turn navigation (now powered by Verizon's VZ Navigator Service). Additionally, both models have had their internal storage capacities super-sized to 16 GB (hence the Plus monicker), but that's not the most intriguing bonus feature.
Both the Pre Plus and the Pixi Plus can be turned into a Wi-Fi hotspot that can serve Verizon's 3G cellular broadband connectivity to up to six different devices--from laptop to iPod touch to cameras loaded with Wi-Fi-enabled Eye-Fi SD cards. There are other solutions that provide link together cellular broadband connectivity with Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities--such as the 3G Novatel MiFi (available in Verizon and Sprint flavors) and the 3G/4G hybrid Sprint Overdrive, but this is one of the first instances of a mobile phone offering this feature.
And according to David Pogue, it sounds easy peasy:
You download a free app. You open it, name your hot spot, make up a password if you want one, and tap On.
Now nearby neighbors suddenly see the hot spot, and (if they provide the password) can surf it at 3G speeds, just fast enough to watch videos without skipping. Each time someone connects, a note on the Palm’s screen to let you know -- a nice touch.
MobileCrunch also offers a more in-depth look at the feature, and they also come away impressed with its speed and ease of use. The 3G hotspot feature is an additional service that's priced at $40 a month for up to 5 GB of use (with an overage charge of 5 cents per megabyte).
Rejoice! The iPad is here! Well, almost... While Apple's long-awaited/rumored/gossiped-about/lusted-after tablet device was formally announced on Wednesday by Steve Jobs, availability of the iPad is still 60 days away for the Wi-Fi-only models and an additional 30 days until the 3G/Wi-Fi models are added. (Amazon has all six models--with your choice of 16/32/64 GB storage capacities--on the site, and you can sign up to be notified by e-mail when they're ready for pre-order.)
And unless you were one of the lucky members of the media invited to Wednesday's event (like my colleague Jeff Carlson, at the right), you won't get your chance to fondle an iPad at an Apple Store until the end of March at the earliest. But that's not stopping the gadgetosphere punditry (those who touched it at the event and those nowhere near San Francisco) from pronouncing the iPad as a disappointment. Here's just a quick list of the major gripes:
No multitasking.
No cellular voice capabilities on the 3G models--just data (although that's going to be relieved somewhat by Apple's backtracking on VoIP over 3G).
And 3G is served by the reviled AT&T for the love of Pete!
Still no support for Adobe Flash, the Web's main streaming video application. So no Hulu, no Netflix, and no personal videos stored on social networking sites.
The 9.7-inch screen has an old-school 4:3 aspect ratio, which will bring back the black bars of old when watching widescreen, HD-quality video (via TUAW).
No GPS in the Wi-Fi-only models.
Did I mention... no multitasking!
The lack of multitasking is a big deal killer for those who wanted the iPad to be provide even a modicum of true work productivity features. Or, frankly, even just those who wanted the ability to stream some Pandora radio while going through your e-mail inbox. And I do have to say that with the speed of Apple's homegrown A4 processor, it's disappointing that it's not included. But for the customers that Apple is directing the iPad at, multitasking and some of the other lacking features won't matter. After contemplating the iPad for a few days, I think this passage from Gizmodo sums it up very nicely:
We can sit here in our geeky little dorkosphere arguing about it all day, but as much as Apple clearly enjoys our participation, the people Jobs wants to sell this to don't read our rants. They can't even understand them. My step-mother refuses to touch computers, but nowadays checks email, reads newspapers and plays Solitaire on an iPod Touch, after basically picking it up by accident one day. That's a future iPad user if I ever saw one.
And I'll throw this bit of wisdom in from John Gruber of Daring Fireball:
Apple doesn’t talk much about the technical details of the iPhone. They never talk about CPU speed or the name of the chip being used. They don’t tell you how much RAM is in there. Part of their vision for moving computers from technical culture to popular culture is about getting away from defining these things by their technical specs.
My Mother has been using Windows-based PCs for some time now, and she has expressed interest in moving to a Mac at some point. But the thing that's stopped her is the hurdle of having to relearn computing with a new UI, something that she's told me she just doesn't have the time or will for. She also isn't techno-spec savvy enough to understand the differences between processors or USB versus Apple dock connector, for that matter.
However, when I purchased my iPhone 3GS last summer, I gave her my OG EDGE-speed iPhone and she's been lapping it up--it's one of the last things that she puts down before going to sleep at night. And now that she's learned the basics of the iPhone OS, I think she'd be much more amenable to moving to an iPad for her mobile computing device (she has a notebook in addition to a desktop, which is her main repository of grandchild photos and the like). The iPad offers her just what she needs in a mobile device--access to calendar and e-mail, ability to surf the Web, and--most importantly--show off both photos and videos of my toddler to everyone she comes across (and believe me, she will).
I also see the iPad as the first computer my toddler will call his own. It won't be any time soon (as he's just about to turn 3), but perhaps in another year or two. He's a master of navigating the UI, and it's become both a great toy and a learning tool. (And frankly, it'll be a way for me to get my iPhone back. Just the other day, the boy turned the tables on me, saying, "Papa, if you're helpful and cooperative, I will give you my iPhone.")
So, perhaps the Apple iPad isn't as magical and revolutionary as master pitchman Steve Jobs would have us believe. But I do think it's the first step toward a new way of mobile computing devices (which is really about 9 years late, according to Arthur C. Clarke and the Newspad he envisioned in 2001: A Space Odyssey). However, it will take some time for things to shake out to determine whether this will be a success in iPhone terms or a disappointment in Apple TV terms (i.e., a niche product).
Before I go, a little something for the weekend: Pee Wee Herman taking on the iPad (and for those who enjoy a bit of NSFW humor, Hitler also has some gripes about the iPad using this well-worn clip from the movie Downfall).
Hang with us this morning as we follow Steve Jobs and his reveal of a "magical and revolutionary product"--one that will finally get a name. While we wait through some congratulatory numbers (great quarter, 250 millionth iPod, etc.), here's a little musical interlude for you:
[10:10 am update] And the official name is... iPad!
[10:12 am update] An image of the iPad from the Gdgt blog:
[10:15 am update] And one from Gizmodo, showing the onscreen keyboard:
[10:22 am update] Another one from Gdgt showing Steve Jobs (who is looking healthier) reclining with his iPad:
[10:27 am update] Interesting tidbit picked up from a couple of sources--it seems that the iPad is not immune from the dreaded black bars when viewing widescreen video due to the more squarish nature of the screen and device.
[10:30 am update] Jobs has finished demoing the iPad and is going through some of the specs: 9.7-inch full capactivie multi-touch display, 1.5 pounds, up to 64 GB of memory, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1. And it's powered by Apple's own processor chip--a 1 GHz Apple A4 chip.
[10:33 am update] More specs: 0.5 inches thin, accelerometer, compass (sounds like no GPS), a single 30-pin connector (as opposed to dual connectors as had been rumored), up to 10 hours of battery life.
[10:36 am update] Now onto apps--your old iPhone/iPod touch apps will work on the iPad. From iLounge's live feed: "Can run pixel for pixel accurate black box in the center of the screen, or pixel double to run the apps in full screen. Facebook can run in the center of the screen with a glossy frame around the image. You can hit a 2X button to scale application up to full screen."
And starting today, the iPhone SDK now supports development in the iPad.
[10:45 am update] The New York Times is on stage now, discussing their iPad-specific app. Looks like the future of newspaper publishing is pixels (image via Engadget):
[10:55 am update] And now comes the challenge to Amazon's Kindle--the iBooks app (below) and iBooks store. Starting off with five of the world's biggest publishers with more to be welcomed in.
[11:05 am update] They've redone the iWork interface to work with the multi-touch iPad. quote from Engadget's live feed: "We don't know about you, but using iWork wasn't one of our fantasies when we thought about what an Apple tablet would be like. This is nice... but it's iWork."
[11:07 am update]iLounge counters that iWork sentiment with this assessment of the Keynote presentation application: "To call this a "basic" version of Keynote would be unfair. It's been cut down a little, but it's obviously very sophisticated by iPhone OS standards - the next evolution of creation tools on a simple device."
[11:15 am update] Here it comes... 3G cellular connectivity is built-in. Two "awesome" plans, says Jobs, for the iPad. One for up to 250 MB of data -- $14.99 a month. Unlimited plan is $29.99. Both from AT&T, which is throwing in free Wi-Fi at its hotspot locations.
[11:17 am update] Jobs impresses on all the impressive features of the iPad before revealing the price... starting at at $499. Wow. That's for the 16 GB model. Add in 3G connectivity, and it's $629. Top-of-the-line 64 GB goes for $699 (and $829 for 3G connectivity version).
First availability will be for the non-3G models in 60 days, with 3G-included models following about 30 days after that.
[11:30 am update] Some Apple accessories for the iPad: standard dock; keyboard dock with full-sized mechanical keyboard; a folio-like cover that presents the iPad in book format, with the cover folding back to present the iPad like a picture frame.
[11:33 am update] Jobs sums up the "magical and revolutionary" third way for Apple, and that's a wrap:
We'll cover the iPad more in depth later on Friday in our weekly Bites post after all the specs and wonderment sink in. My first impression is that, as I suspected, I don't need the iPad right now. I certainly want it... desperately. But I don't see it fully fitting into the flow of my family's technology needs and usage. We are currently all stocked up on Macs and iPhones (one each for my wife and I) and it just doesn't seem to fulfill a need.
However, I can see some possibilities for it down the line. Where I once saw a netbook as my three-year-old's first computer (not yet, but in a couple years), I now see an iPad in his future. The way of computing for this young generation is the touchscreen, and the iPad will lead the way to even further adoption of this more natural input method.
But the biggest temptation for me will be an upcoming family trip to Europe in the middle of April--definitely within the window for release of the non-3G models. The iPad also looks like a great travel computer--powerful enough for some work if needed with the added benefit of excellent e-book and multimedia entertainment features--and it could be especially useful for entertaining a certain toddler during all our plane and train travel. With that in mind, it's going to be hard to keep me and my credit card away it, and I will try to stay strong. For as long as I can.
Do you have the strength to withstand the Apple magic? Let us know in the comments.
[One Last Update for now]
The six different iPad models have been added to Amazon, and while they're not currently offered as pre-orders, you can sign up to be notified by e-mail when they do become available for ordering.
I’ve been using Windows 7 since early betas, so I have come to take some of its great features for granted. Recently I was reminded by a friend who just switched from XP to Win7 about one of the nicest “little things” that makes the new OS such a joy to use. The power went out and he had to quickly shut down the computer – right in the middle of a big project he was working on. He had almost a dozen web sites open that he was using as a source for his research. It had taken him a while to hunt them all down. He also had an open Word document and a few PDFs. When the system shut down, he was just sick at the thought of how much time it would take to find all those web sites again, and wondering how much of the doc he’d lost.
When Windows 7 booted back up, he was amazed. All of his windows opened right back up to where they were before, and he was able to pick up where he left off and go back to work without missing a beat.
Of course, just switching to IE8 on XP would have helped him a lot in this situation, since IE8 “remembers” your last browsing session and will reopen the browser to those pages. But he’d been using XP with IE7, so all of this seemed truly miraculous to him.
The ability to reopen your previous browsing session is one of the nice features of IE8
Of course, there are scenarios in which this could be a security issue. Maybe you want to ensure that someone else can’t come along and reopen your last browsing session (and thus discover where you were browsing). In that case, you can disable this feature via a registry edit. See the January 28 edition of Win7News, “How To” section, for step-by-step instructions.
To conceal your browsing history, also remember to clear the cache (Tools | Delete Browsing History).
And, as promised, some (mostly) non-iPad/iSlate/iTablet/iBook Apple-y goodness...
David Carr in the NYTimes writes the typical pre-reveal-of-an-Apple-potential-gamechanger article with a focus on Apple's tight-lipped message discipline and Steve Jobs' showman qualities, but it's got a good quote from Daring Fireball's John Gruber. And for a reminder that Jobs has been doing his showman shtick for some time, here's a video of his reveal of the original Macintosh back on January 24th, 1984 (love the floppy disk flourish). And he's wearing a bowtie!
According to a rumor from an "inside source" via Hot Hardware, AT&T might be losing its exclusivity on January 27--the date of the Apple tablet event.
The next version of the iPhone OS could be announced at Wednesday's gathering, and TUAW has been eliciting comments from readers on what they'd like to see in the new software rev. The latest installment focuses on Apple's core iPhone OS apps, like Calendar, Maps and Notes.
Speaking of the iPhone OS, app tracker Flurry Analytics has noticed a certain mythical device getting tested around Cupertino that is running the iPhone OS 3.2 (the current official version of the OS is 3.1.2).
The MacBook Air hasn't been refreshed since last summer, and ApplieInsider reports that Apple might be delaying its next rev until June due to a delay in the release of Intel's low-voltage Core i5 UM processor. However, CNet's Nanotech blog counters that low-voltage versions of Intel processors always come after their regular wattage hog older siblings, and that this isn't a delay at all.
Another hot rumor has it that Apple's purchase of online music streamer Lala.com will bring an "online locker" for your iTunes library that will enable you to access your music collection "either through a web browser or through an Apple handheld like the iPhone, iPod or rumored tablet" (via Electronista).
Remember the old Apple vs. Microsoft wars? Well, the corporate warfare might be heating up again, but this time pitting Apple against Google--with the latter introducing its own branded Nexus One and the two companies competing to acquire new online advertising entities. And now comes the rumor that Apple may turn to its beleaguered old foe Microsoft to replace Google search on the iPhone with the Bing search engine.
Patrick Hunt over at The Apple Blog wonders if he created a monster when he gave his original iPhone to his 3-year-old. From my own experience (and from Hunt's summation), I'd say no. I've been letting our nearly 3-year-old use my iPhone (which I've loaded with toddler-focused apps and the occasional music video--our boy is a fan of this Duckworth Lewis Method video) for about 15 minutes a day. And I'm on the lookout for a nicely priced used first generation iPod touch as we'll be taking a multi-week trip to Europe this spring and it will help with the traveling. Like Hunt, we've found the use of the iPhone to be a good carrot-and-stick tool for moderating behavior. But it's also been great to watch him learn touch computing skills, improve his finger control, and just generally have a ball.
And finally... Steve Jobs with his take (circa 1997) on what Apple means (via Gizmodo). And he's wearing shorts!
With this week's official confirmation that Apple will unveil something big and game-changing and seemingly splattered with color, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the end is finally in sight--much like the final resolution-producing season of LOST. But much like that show's myriad storylines and uncertain futures (or pasts) for its characters, I'm certain that there are sure to be disappointments as not everything that we've been hoping to learn and understand about Apple's new tablet device will get wrapped up in a tidy bow.
Most assuredly, there will be oohs and ahhs and gasps of delight on the day of the reveal, followed by the traditional gadgetosphere kvetching that Apple tripped over itself by not including a coveted feature. But we'll ultimately be left hanging wondering what impact the iSlate/iPad/iBook/iSlab will really have on us everyday technology users and, on a macro level, the tech/publishing/entertainment industry.
It will take some time to decipher whether the world (and in particular tech consumers with pinched wallets) is ready to splash the cash for a new gadget paradigm. And the answer to that will also stem from how willing consumers are to embrace pixels over paper, as it's looking like Steve Jobs and Apple are working in overdrive to do deals with trade and educational book publishers as well as newspapers--an arena that Amazon has owned up till now with its Kindle.
Will you be one of the "tens of millions" forecasted to purchase a tablet device (or NetTab) in 2010, and in particular an Apple tablet? Do you see it providing a tech niche that you've been hankering for? Let us know what you think in the comments. We'll continue on some more tablet-related news for the week, and check back later in the weekend as we'll have another edition of Bites that will be (mostly) tablet-free.
It was revealed this week that Apple has applied for a trademark for the name iPad, though it's got a fight on its hands with Fujitsu, the original holder of that trademark (which brings back memories of the falderal over the name of the iPhone, since it was already used by Linksys for a VoIP phone). And iPad has become the new frontrunner for Apple's new device--though I'm saddened the iCan't believe it's not a newspaper monicker isn't getting better traction (via 9to5Mac).
AppleInsider reports that this Flickr fanboi concept image (seen above) is said by unnamed insiders to be the closest to what the final Apple tablet will look like--or as AI says, "largely redolent of a first-generation iPhone that's met its match with a rolling pin."
The Register muses that the heart of Apple's new book/newspaper/music/TV "consumption device" will reside in Apple's new data center in Catawba County, North Carolina, slated to be finished by the end of the year.
(Apple) wants you to continue to buy (or rent via subscription services) tunes, videos, apps, games, and other content from its ludicrously successful iTunes Store [...]. And it wants to serve ads to you while you're blissfully enjoying your iPad entertainment. Witness Wednesday's rumor that Apple is in talks with Microsoft about a deal to ditch Google and go Bing--a search engine with a graphic-heavy style that's a natural for the iPad.
While it will be the centerpiece of the January 27 event, the iPad probably won't get into your hands until June due to "minor issues" of battery life and durability (which, really, don't sound that minor).
The Boy Genius Report notes that AT&T is said to be prepping its network " compensate for unannounced devices and also future devices that will use 'heavy data.'" And Fox News (via Electronista) has reported that Verizon is also in final discussions to carry and service the Apple tablet.
9to5Mac reports that the iPad looks to be using Apple's homegrown battery technology--the same kind used in its most recent crop of MacBook/MacBook Pro lineup.
iLounge dug up some interesting tidbits, including the fact that the tablet will have dual dock connectors (enabling both portrait and landscape charging) as well as having enough room to fit in a faster Wireless-N (802.11n) Wi-Fi antenna.
And finally... a look at what how proposed Apple tablet with 10.1-inch screen stacks up in size against the iPhone and the Newton MessagePad 2000 from Gizmodo's Jesus Diaz. Also be sure to check out Jesus' mini history of the tablet computer and what he feels Apple needs to do to make its tablet a broader success where previous Windows-based tablets became a niche.
I remember having a conversation with my dad in the late 80s, just as cordless phones became all the rage. You know the ones I'm talking about: those brick phones with telescoping antennae and batteries that never lasted long and were insanely expensive to replace. That day, dad was waxing poetic about what he imagined technology would be like in the future. Having grown up in the 50s and 60s, steeped in early sci-fi culture, he had only dreamed that such things as cordless phones would exist. I countered, imagining that we'd have… video phones by the time I was an adult! How far we've come.
But I find, in this day of smart phones and slate computers, that it's easy to forget that there are gadgets out there that, by virtue of their simplicity and ingenuity, have stood up to decades and, in some cases, centuries of use. So, for a look at simple tech, I've put together a list of some of the gadgets that, in spite of advances in technology, have yet to be outdone.
The French Press (at right) - If you follow me on Twitter, you may notice I have an affinity for coffee. Every morning is a ritual for me. And if I'm not pulling shots of espresso, I'm making a French Press. Having been lucky enough to visit Scotland in 2000, I came back with an obsession when it comes to coffee made with this method. The French Press dates back to the mid-19th century but wasn't patented until 1929, by an Italian designer. Unlike brewed coffee, the cafe press works by virtue of lower-temperature brewing, since you add just-boiled water (i.e. around 209-210). The resulting beverage is both bold and lower in acid, not to mention infused with antioxidants (which many commercial filters strain out). Super bonus? Since you can also brew tea with a French Press, it's a total multitasker. Personally, I know of no better cup of coffee! Our household press is the Bodum Chambord, but there are a variety of other versions including the Frieling Stainless Steel Press and the Bonjur Hugo Unbreakable Press.
The Good Pen - While it may be difficult for some of the gadget-heads among us, there are those of us in the world who still love a good pen. Conversely, there is nothing so bad as an awful pen. While I don't write by hand as much as I used to, my favorite pen I ever had was a Cross pen I received as a Christmas present when I was still in high school. Sure, some are proponents of the more refined ink varieties—some which can set you back a few hundred dollars—but the Cross versions are my personal favorites. Since pen selection is extremely subjective, I recommend you try a wide variety of pens and see what works best for you; slender or chunky, ball point or fountain, gel or felt-tipped. Some pens to try include the Lamy Safari Fountain Pen and the truly luxury priced MontBlanc Classic Ballpoint.
The Leatherman. There can never be an app for this. Simply put, the Leatherman is the king of multitaskers, and really, the best bang for your buck when it comes to all the remarkable stuff it can do. Sure, there are Swiss Army knives, too, but in my experience nothing's got the job done so well as the Leatherman. The company really is a labor of love, started in the early 80s by Tim Leathermen. (And no, it's not a pocket knife—it's a Pocket Survival Tool™, or PST). The Super Tool 300 (at right) has a staggering 19 tools in one, and never needs to plug in to charge. For the truly elite, and those who can afford to drop that sort of money, Leatherman has also released a gorgeous collection called Argentum, with prices ranging from $240 to $40,000.
The Moleskine. Sure, sure, I know what you're saying. A notebook is not a gadget. However, no other notebook (and I don't mean computer notebook) has ever inspired so many gadget-like uses as the Moleskine. Be it art or organization, something about the Moleskine just inspires creativity. Personally, I think it’s related to its size, which is certainly similar to other pocket-organizers on the market today, albeit much lower tech. For portable note-taking, nothing beats the Moleskine, either: remarkably durable, far more affordable than a netbook, and extremely sleek, this is one of my favorite examples of simple tech.
The Watch. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up in the 80s, but I have an absolute knee-jerk hatred for digital-faced watches. I mean, to me, it might as well be a calculator watch. Ugh. However, when it comes to a beautifully crafted pocket watch or wristwatch, my heart is all a-patter with the shiny loveliness. Believe it or not, the pocket watch dates back to the 16th century and was the primary method of personal time telling until after WWI, when the whole wristwatch thing became a la mode. And while there have been some significant advances in the mechanisms (especially the development of batteries) the aesthetic, especially in pocket watches, has remained very much the same. I really like the idea of a gadget that stands the test of time, something that can be given to the next generation (you can't say the same for your iPhone, I bet). I've always had a thing for Fossil, and recently like a lot of the quirky designs from Betsey Johnson.
How about you? Any simple tech gadgets out there that you use every day that you'd like to share? Let us know.
Just when you were starting to get comfortable with the 3G cellular landscape, it's time to start thinking about moving onto the next new new thing--4G. While Verizon and AT&T are still in the midst of building up their version of 4G connectivity called LTE (which will start rolling out on the two networks starting later this year for Verizon and in 2011 for AT&T), Sprint has a headstart in the 4G game thanks to its merger with 4G WiMAX provider Clearwire (now called Clear). And at CES this year, Sprint unveiled two new 4G-enabled devices that are ready for action--as long as you're in one of the current 27 markets that Sprint offers 4G service (check Sprint's coverage page, and be sure to click the "Sprint Devices with 4G" tab under the Data, Email and Multimedia section).
Getting the most attention was the Sprint Overdrive (seen at left), a hybrid 3G/4G mobile hotspot that connect up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously. Because of its dual mobile broadband connectivity, the Overdrive is a good bridge between Sprint's current robust 3G network and its ongoing 4G rollout. The Boy Genius Report is a fan of the device:
Overall, the new device is ridiculously easy to use and speeds are blazing fast. If you travel a lot or are always in areas with no Wi-Fi, you can’t go wrong with the Overdrive, especially with the WiMax speeds.
And Andrew Berg at Wireless Week gave the Overdrive a workout at the crowded data spectrum of CES and came away pleased:
Just last night, I saw it running video on an iPod touch, while two Microsoft Zunes played a game of wireless checkers, and another guy searched the Internet on a netbook at a pretty good clip. Right now, I have both my netbook and my iPhone connected. While other iPhone users are walking around, holding their phones to the sky, I'm able to at least get e-mails out on the go.
Along with the Overdrive, Sprint also debuted its U301 USB modem (seen at right), which also offers hybrid 3G/4G connectivity for laptops. And as the 4Ginfo site points out, the U301 is Mac compatible (where Sprint's previous U300 hybrid modem was not).
Both the Overdrive and U301 are currently available for order and are shipping (with the Overdrive including a nice Amazon instant discount).
While games themselves certainly influence the console competition—notably with the XBox 360 making big news last week with the top-selling game of 2009 in spite of the Wii's heavy presence in the top ten—as we turn the corner into 2010, the situation is heating up in new and intriguing ways.
Both the Wii and XBox have generated a good deal of buzz so far this week, but not with game titles as you might expect (though XBox's Rock Band Network has gone into beta). It appears that both companies are making strides toward re-imagining their consoles as multi-media gadgets, pushing their usability far beyond the game realm. While initially the Wii and XBox have influenced very different demographics—the Wii for family-oriented gaming and a certainly advanced approach to gameplay, and the XBox to the more hardcore gamers—the line between the two is starting to blur.
First up, the Wii. From the outset, one of the biggest complaints about Nintendo's Wii has been that--though it can simulate a variety of sports, help trim your waistline, and even tackle classics like Mario Kart--it has no DVD playing capabilities to speak of. As a result, consumers have been forced to view the device primarily for games. And it's good at games, which is not a bad thing.
However, in spite of its 3-year presence as a gaming console and subsequent success in sales, Nintendo announced today that it's partnering with Netflix to offer streaming video on the Wii, much the same was as the XBox has done since 2008. The service will be free for Netflix subscribers with $9 or more monthly plans, and will require a CD update. It's definitely a new direction for the company.
Speaking to the Times, Reggie Fils-Amie, president of Wii America, indicates that new ventures such as the Netflix partnership have always been a part of the long-term plan, however, and that it's "a continuation of an effort to bring more and more entertainment to consumers who interact with the Wii."
But there are a few drawbacks, and skeptics are already voicing their trepidation. The Wii doesn't support high definition, unlike both the XBox and the Playstation 3. And while Nintendo has seen impressive sales numbers, it's unclear if people will be willing to sacrifice better quality for accessibility. To get an expert opinion on the subject of adoptability, IndustryGamers.com went to Michael Pacher of Wedbush Morgan, and he is far from optimistic:
In our view, only a small percentage (likely fewer than 20%) of Wii owners have connected their consoles to the Internet, which is required to activate the Netflix service. In contrast, we believe that more than 75% of Xbox 360s are connected to the Internet, and more than 80% of PS3s are connected.
Pacher expects a gradual growth, but nothing astronomical. In spite of the fact that the Wii is the number one selling gaming console, with over 26 million in the U.S. according to IndustryGamers, it's likely that consumers simply won't make the jump from gaming to media center, especially with the lackluster standard definition option.
XBox, however, does not appear to be chasing the tail of any other console, although the New York Times does report they're planning to release motion-based gaming technology akin to the Wii in the near future. Instead of following trends, the XBox is making them, and taking on bigger competition than ever. According to the New York Times, Microsoft is working to make XBox Live, their online subscription service, closer to "entertainment on demand" rather than just games. Netflix has already proved a successful partnership with the console, but how about streaming TV to sweeten the deal? The buzz is that Microsoft is already in talks with the Walt Disney Company about streaming ESPN through XBox Live.
The rumors aren't surprising. The XBox has recently added Twitter and Facebook support, as well as streaming music from Last.fm. That it would stream videos and television, like any PC can with Hulu, seems like a good tactical move. It certainly shows what the console is capable of, moving far beyond a simple gaming device and to something more akin to a multimedia center.
Says Marc Whitten, general manager of XBox Live: “I don’t think there’s a real difference between a game and ‘Lost.’ Or a game and ‘American Idol.’ They’re all ways we spend our leisure time… these narrow swim lanes — games, music, movies, etc. — will dissolve.”
Either way, it looks like if the Wii is going to compete as a multimedia platform, it's got a lot of laps to make before it can catch up.
The least secretive secret associated with the mythical Apple tablet device--i.e., the date of lift off--was confirmed today as lucky journalists and bloggers received their official invitations. As with all Apple invites, there's a bit of a mysterious theme that allows the gadgetosphere to ponder up until the date of the event, and this one is no different with 1980s-style splatters of bright color surrounding the white Apple logo. (Funnily enough, I was listening to just the right soundtrack for this invite this morning with Ministry of Sound's Electronic 80s Anthems.)
As per the rumors, the event will be held on Wednesday, January 27, at 10am Pacific time. Be sure to check back here on that morning as we'll provide full coverage of whatever gets announced.
