Apple margin per device – expressed in Chinese
[Image by Sven Teschke] An article in the New York Times published 2 days ago suddenly gained a lot of traction and got discussed, reposted and reblogged today: Apple making money off of the United States, while directly employing “only” twice as many employees in the US than overseas – but indirectly more than ten [...]
The Social Revolution Has Just Begun
Depending on whom you ask, 2011 was either the year of the iPad or the year of social. The truth is that they were and are equally weighted because they are catalysts for each other, and while each can exist without the other, imagining such a thing is like trying to imagine a world where [...]
iSalute : Remembering Steve Jobs
I was about to board my flight at Chicago’s O’Hare when the news of Steve Jobs passing away broke. When I landed in San Fran (My United flight did not have Wi-Fi)- my thoughts were with the family, Apple colleagues and the huge number of Steve Jobs and Apple supporters. Innumerable iPads, Macs, iPods inside [...]
Amazon’s Kindle Fire diverges the Tablet market
In his book The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin called divergence the driving force that creates a new species. Last week Amazon enhanced their Kindle range of e-readers, but also applied some divergence to the tablet market by extending in to a new sub-category of mobile tablet devices with the Kindle Fire. I think it’s [...]
Fusion Garage (of CrunchPad-Joo-Joo Fame) Drops Grid 10 Price by $200 – Only $200 More to Go
Some things just can’t die. Like the zillionth incarnation of what was formerly known as CrunchPad…. then after a messy divorce from TechCrunch became the Joo-Joo (sold a few dozen units), and now it’s back as the Grid 10. I have a funny history with this device. I was a major advocate of the [...]
Of Kindles and Business Models and Stuff
Over at TechCrunch, MG Siegler’s 2 September post on Amazon’s new Kindle has generated quite a storm. All across the web, media, bloggers, pundits, analysts and the rest are pointing to MG’s post, getting terribly excited about a new tablet that might actually challenge the iPad; something that so many others have patently failed to [...]
Number 9 Dreamforce
For a Beatles’ fan and a fan particularly of John Lennon, the number 9 has an important meaning. It has enough meaning Lennon wrote a few songs referencing it, including Number 9 Dream. Perhaps I like Number 9 Dream because it seems to be, quite literally, calling my name on the background vocal track. But [...]
Off The Charts
Earlier this week, I was asked to present at the Silicon Valley Forum SIG event entitled “OpenStack – How Big Can This Get?”, which brought together some of the leading lights from the OpenStack community and helped deliver a very focused session, providing the packed and attentive audience with an incredibly honest assessment of the [...]
HP Headlines, Pick A Favorite
HP used to be a great company. An amazing company, and the subject of numerous business books discussing innovation and leadership. Other than printers and calculators, I don’t have much HP around any more. Love my HP 12C calculator (RPN Ever4!). But the current HP is a joke and has been for quite some time. [...]
Tablets In The Enterprise: Workday and Box Announce Tablet Apps
From the days when we considered iPads in the enterprise as an exciting new trend, we have slowly moved into a world where tablets are a norm from boardroom to IT admins. In fact, it has become a defacto device for many of the top level executives, thereby, forcing cloud application providers to offer a [...]
Beating Apples system Amazon introduces Cloud Reader
Is this one of the first chinks in Apples armor for eBooks? I have tried repeatedly to use the eBook development kit for Apple, and honestly from a user friendly and programmatic viewpoint it is probably the worst chunk of software pushed by Apple. If the eBook fits all specifications and everyone from Amazon to [...]
Enterprise Tablets: Hurry and Get One Before They Are Gone
The Cius is here. That makes two enterprise UC tablets: Cisco Cius and Avaya Desktop Video Device with the Flare Experience. First some clarifications and differences, then a few conclusions. These devices do not compete with each other. The Cisco Cius is for Cisco UC customers and the Avaya Desktop Video Device is for Avaya [...]
Is That A Tablet In Your Pocket, or…?
My problem with tablets is they don’t replace anything. My smartphone replaced a lot of things, my laptop replaced my desktop. My Kindle replaces lots of books. From what I see, tablets don’t replace anything. They are a new device joining the primal fight for airport power outlets. They do seem kind of fun. On [...]
The Tethering / Hotspot Debate: No, You’re Not a Thief. But Somebody Else is a Highway Robber.
Interesting debate at ZDNet over wireless data plans: James Kendrick claims that unpaid tethering makes you a thief. Thankfully his fellow ZDNet-er Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols has the common sense to dispute this tethering thief nonsense. Yes, technically if your wireless contract includes an anti-hotspot clause and you turn this feature on, you are in violation. Of [...]
Living with iPad
Just before Christmas I joined in with the iPad crowd. The last straw was an XBRL event at ICAEW back in November when 5 of my colleagues who were speaking or supporting Twinfield at the show all had iPads and I didn’t. I started to look seriously at the tablet concept to see how it [...]
