Opinion - SlashGear

‘opinion’ Stories

Keep taking the Tablets

By Chris Davies on Sunday, Feb 21st 2010 3 Comments

Like the charming, fey uncle your grandmother warned you against showering with, Apple’s iPad has us confused. Tablets have broached the mainstream and, like CES 2010 last month, this past week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona saw several more companies show their hand. Each of the chipset companies we spoke to – Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Freescale, Marvell and others – included tablets among the target market for their ARM-based wares, and we played with various concepts, prototypes and mockups, many of which are destined for release within the next twelve months.

Notion Ink Adam prototype MWC 2010 12 540x303

Continued »

HTC Desire vs. Google Nexus One

By Chris Davies on Saturday, Feb 20th 2010 21 Comments

One of the biggest announcements from MWC 2010 this past week has been the official debut of the HTC Desire, instantly dubbed the Google Nexus One with HTC Sense. With HTC the OEM parent behind both theirs and the Google-branded smartphone, would-be buyers (and potentially remorseful Nexus One owners) are already looking for the differentiating factors between the two; check out our head-to-head comparison after the cut.

htc desire hands on 02 540x373

Continued »

Why there is no Zune Phone

By Michael Gartenberg on Wednesday, Feb 17th 2010 3 Comments

windows phone 7 series hands on 27 r3media11 The big news out of Barcelona this week was Microsoft’s announcement of Windows Phone 7 Series, the heir to Windows Mobile and Microsoft’s platform of choice to evolve their mobile strategy. With a UI that’s looks very familiar to users of the Zune HD, I think Microsoft has done an excellent job re-inventing their mobile strategy. It’s clear they are no longer playing in this market, they’re playing to win. It’s also clear that this year will be a major inflection point for mobile and Microsoft has gotten off to a good start, much better than what we’ve heard so far this week. The key will be execution and delivery on the things they’ve shown us this week. You’d think that would be enough for most folks, but it’s clearly not. It seems there are some out there that are still looking for more.

Continued »

Can the tablet save the publishing industry?

By Ben Bajarin on Friday, Feb 12th 2010 8 Comments

Apple iPad iBooks official 413x500 With all the buzz around the iPad and the slew of tablet designs we expect to see at CeBIT this year, it is clear that there is a looming battle if not an all-out war brewing for this new category of devices. The question, however, is where tablets fit into the overall consumer market. I believe that there certainly is a market and a fit for these devices in consumers’ lives. I also believe that there are particular elements of computing that will be better on a tablet form factor then on a mobile device or a PC. For example, watching movies on a device more portable and with better battery life than a notebook certainly has value. The web in portrait mode definitely makes many web sites feel more consumable, particular ones that require a lot of scrolling like news sites. But one of the primary opportunities for the tablet that I think will shine lies with the publishing industry.

Continued »

When the PC is a Toaster

By Michael Gartenberg on Wednesday, Feb 10th 2010 1 Comment

It hasn’t been that long since Apple announced a computer that was more appliance than traditional PC and we’re still feeling the shocks. It was a “closed” system and the digerati panned it. Some said it would hurt future generations who would lack the tools to tinker and program. Others decried a new metaphor for dealing with information as too limiting and toy-like. Universally, it was agreed that it was way overpriced for what it offered to the market. Now you might think I’m talking about the introduction of the iPad a few weeks ago. Actually, I’m referring the introduction of Macintosh in 1984.

1984 mac

Continued »

Is the mobile browser relevant?

By Michael Gartenberg on Friday, Feb 5th 2010 4 Comments

I think it started with the iPhone and Safari, combining the power of a Webkit browser and a mobile phone for the first time. Later adopted by Nokia and Google among others, the mobile browsing experience has improved in leaps and bounds over the last three years. Today, vendors offer to deliver the “real Internet” to devices but I’m not certain that the “real Internet” is what matters for mobility.

apple ipad browser 540x304

Continued »

Avi Greengart: Defending the iPad

By Avi Greengart on Monday, Feb 1st 2010 17 Comments

Cruising around the gadget blogs over the past few days you would be forgiven if you think that the consensus opinion is that the iPad is a massive disappointment. I disagree. Here’s why:

Expectations vs. Reality

Some expectations for the iPad were unrealistic, and some went well beyond that into the realm of fantasy. Many mainstream journalists wrote stories quoting “analysts briefed on the matter” which fueled these expectations. I can assure you with absolute certainty that, with the (possible) exception of its own board of directors, Apple briefed no one ahead of the launch. Nobody.

774805944 HnTjC XL2 540x304

Continued »

Hang on, where’s iPhone OS 4.0?

By Chris Davies on Thursday, Jan 28th 2010 6 Comments

Many of the iPad rumors we heard in the run-up to yesterday’s launch turned out to be false – OLED displays, dual cameras and solar panels all come to mind – but one of the suggestions that had sounded reasonably believable was that the tablet would run iPhone OS 4.0. Last we heard, tipsters suggested that Apple had been sitting on the launch of the updated platform since it contained too many mentions of the iPad, something that would tip developers (and thus the press) that the nigh-legendary tablet was on its way.

ipad email app 540x304

Continued »

Apple Redefines a Market: Hands-on with iPad

By Michael Gartenberg on Thursday, Jan 28th 2010 18 Comments

I was fortunate to get to spend some nice hands on time with the iPad. This is a first take on my initial impressions of the device. I should have a final unit here shortly so look for a full review soon. Of course, post your questions in the comments and I’ll answer as many as I can.

apple ipad onscreen keyboard 540x304

Continued »

Who wants to be the Home CIO? Not me, please

By Michael Gartenberg on Wednesday, Jan 20th 2010 3 Comments

bsod laptop1 The PC has come a long way since it entered the home. Going from a disconnected device with little connectivity, it has become one of the core focal points for the digital home. Household PC penetration is on the rise with many homes having two PCs, and it’s not uncommon for some to have three to or more. With the rise of lower cost laptops and netbooks, the average age at which a child receives their own PC is getting younger and younger each year. This growth of the PC within the home is not without complications and more consumers are growing frustrated as the proliferation of PCs make management, configuration and support a new and unwelcome household chore.