I’ve recently performed an audit of my next actions list and found that several entries weren’t actionable. For example, “interview questions” and “FaceTime poll” are poor action steps.
Why? No verbs. In fact, “interview questions” and “FaceTime poll” are both projects, not actions.
I’m terrible at this. My action lists are full of nouns.
(In other news, go buy Dave’s book!)
So if you take the current 13” MacBook Pro, remove the superdrive, grab an SSD, jam more battery in, and make the entire package smaller — you basically end up with a faster version of the 13” Air.
Or look at it this way: once the Pro line ditches optical drives, what will be the difference between the 13” Air and the 13” Pro? Not much. I wouldn’t think Apple would keep two different notebooks that are essentially the same (price, and performance being the main differences). I just don’t see Apple trying to sell the Air line and the Pro line with the differences being computing speed. One will have to die, so will it be the 13” Air or 13” Pro? Doesn’t matter, they will be the same at that point.
I think he’s right. The 13" MacBook Pro is a great machine, but I don’t see it having a future.
Be sure to check out my review of the machine back in 2009. I don’t have that computer anymore, but I will always have fond memories of it.
Be sure to check out Ben and Shawn’s new podcast. It’s great.
Editor’s Note: A little birdie from Cupertino sent this to me. They stressed that this is the real deal.
SAN FRANCISCO—March 2, 2011—Apple® today introduced iPad 2, a magical update to the revolutionary device that changed the course of computing history forever. iPad 2’s responsive Multi-Touch™ display lets users interact with applications and content, just like before, but with great new features like the FaceTime HD™ camera, better stereo speakers and the other new things announced today, users will once again be blown away by just how awesome Apple’s mediocre hardware revisions can be.
With an even-stronger glass display, more robust buttons and moisture-resistant ports, the iPad 2 is designed for users looking to take the magical experience of iOS on a 9.7-inch display into the bathroom stall with them.
“Without any doubt, iPad 2 is the best bathroom computer ever created,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Users will be able to enjoy their apps and media in more ways — and in more places — than ever before.”
“We don’t judge our users,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing. “In fact, I do most of my work from the private bathroom in my office. Before iPad 2, I often found myself annoyed at having to lug my MacBook Pro into the john. Those days have passed.”
“With the new vibrator built into every iPad 2, users will be able to get feedback from their favorite games without compromising their dignity or privacy,” said Jonathan Ive, Apple’s Senior Vice President Industrial Design. “We’ve re-thought everything for use in a stall. We are so proud of this product.”
Alongside the iPad 2, Apple unveiled a new line of iPad 2-ready accessories, including a new media dock and protective case. The iPad 2 Media Dock™ comes with a power cable and an HDMI port.
The case has a water-resistant bottom and a new textured handle for great grip and security, no matter what the situation.
iPad 2 features next-generation Multi-Touch applications. Every app works in both portrait and landscape, automatically animating between views as the user rotates iPad 2 in any direction. The precise Multi-Touch interface makes surfing the web on iPad 2 an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. Reading and sending email is fun and easy on iPad 2’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard. Import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad 2’s elegant slideshows. Watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD or flip through pages of an e-book you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.
iPad 2 syncs with iTunes just like the iPhone and iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable, so you can sync all of your contacts, photos, music, movies, TV shows, applications and more from your Mac or PC. All the apps and content you download on iPad 2 from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.
iPad 2’s brilliant 9.7-inch, LED-backlit display features IPS technology to deliver crisp, clear images and consistent color with an ultra-wide 178 degree viewing angle. The highly precise, capacitive Multi-Touch display is amazingly accurate and responsive whether scrolling web pages or playing games. The intelligent soft keyboard pioneered on iPhone takes advantage of iPad 2’s larger display to offer an almost full-size soft keyboard. iPad 2 also connects to the new iPad 2 Keyboard Dock with a full-size traditional keyboard.
iPad 2 is powered by A5, Apple’s next-generation system-on-a-chip. Designed by Apple, the new A5 chip provides exceptional processor and graphics performance along with long battery life of up to 14 hours. Apple’s advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology deliver up to 1,750 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan. With new battery technology packed into every iPad 2 2, this additional power is coupled with a thinner form factor, making the iPad weigh .5 pounds less than its predecessor.
iPad 2 comes in two versions—one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad 2 includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions work on either Verizon Wireless or AT&T in the United States. 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad 2 with easy, on-device activation and management.
Continuing Apple’s dedication to designing and creating environmentally responsible products, each iPad 2 enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iPad 2 contains no brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free. No puppies or toddlers were injured during the development of iPad 2.
Apple today released a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for iPad 2, so developers can create amazing new applications designed to take advantage of iPad 2’s capabilities. The SDK includes a simulator that lets developers test and debug their iPad 2 apps on a Mac, and also lets developers create Universal Applications that run on iPad 2, iPhone 4 and iPod touch.
iPad 2 will be available in late March worldwide for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad 2 will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. International pricing and worldwide availability will be announced at a later date. iBookstore will be available in the US at launch.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
I can’t believe that Consumer Reports is still fired up about this:
The Verizon iPhone 4 has a problem that could cause the phone to drop calls, or be unable to place calls, in weak signal conditions, Consumer Reports engineers have found in lab tests.
[…]
Here’s a rundown of what we did and what we found in our tests: We subjected the Verizon iPhone 4 to a full complement of regular tests in order to add it to our smart-phone Ratings, available to subscribers. We also put it through the special tests we carried out last year on the AT&T iPhone 4 after a rash of consumer complaints about signal reception with that model. There has been no such outpouring of complaints about the Verizon version of the phone.
For what it’s worth, my Verizon iPhone doesn’t have any issues with it. Nor have I heard a single complaint about this anywhere.
David W. Martin at Cult of Mac:
Apple’s new Mac OS X Lion adds support for a recovery partition as part of the OS installation and while this may not seem important to most users — it is. Apple is making the tools and resources available to you that will allow you to perform disk repair and recoveries on your mobile Mac while on the road or on your desktop Mac at home. The utilities will be readily available and therefore you won’t have to go hunting for that always elusive DVD or USB stick.
While this won’t do you any good if your hard drive physically fails, troubleshooting and dealing with software issues is about to get a whole lot simpler.
iOS and Mac OS X are symbiotic entities. When designing iOS, Apple distilled the Mac down to something pocketable, but the core concepts are there, such as an app-centric workflow, an always-accessible “home base” Dock, and a fierce pursuit of intuitive interfaces. After gaining knowledge and experience from nearly five years and four versions of iOS, Apple clearly felt that it’s time to return the favor in Lion. Apple is incorporating some of the fresh simplicity of iOS back into its point-and-click desktop computing platform that, at its conceptual core, is almost three decades old.
When Lion arrives, the Mac might begin to resemble some aspects of Apple’s simpler, more streamlined OS that’s designed for mobile devices. But that’s only because they are fundamentally good ideas that can polish a full-featured desktop platform and make it even easier to use, without sacrificing any of the power and flexibility that brought users to the platform to begin with.
Joshua Topolsky, in his review of the Motorola Xoom, the first Honeycomb-powered tablet to hit the market:
The problem with the Xoom isn’t really about the core of the experience or the core of the hardware – it’s about the details. Too much in both the design (like those wonky buttons) or the software (like the feeling that this is all very much in beta) makes you wonder if this wasn’t rushed out to market in order to beat the next wave from Apple. Regardless, there isn’t much here for consumers right now. The Android Market is almost devoid of tablet applications, the OS feels buggy and unfinished, and the hardware has pain points that we find troubling. And that’s to say nothing of the pricing and carrier commitments being asked of first-time buyers.
It’s Official: Memphis is on the grid.
On Tuesday morning, representatives from San Francisco-based ECOtality North America hosted a partner forum at The Peabody to welcome the Bluff City into a five-state embrace of electric vehicles and charging stations called “The EV Project.”
“Electric vehicles are coming, and we want to make sure businesses in Tennessee are as EV-friendly as possible,” said ECOtality’s Stephanie Cox.
A huge win for the Bluff City.
Writing this book has been an incredible challenge and the realization of a dream. I’m extremely proud of it, and feel certain that you’ll enjoy it, too. Aimed at small business owners and independent professionals interested using the iPad as a business tool, Using Your iPad as a Business Productivity Tool describes how to incorporate the iPad into your workflow and your business successfully.
Congrats, my friend. Can’t wait to read it.
BGR has learned that the topic in question is a new, retail-based service being called Joint Venture. First rumored back in March of last year, Joint Venture is an extension of Apple’s current Genius Bar services that is aimed at small businesses and prosumers. Subscribers of the new service will be able to speak with a store-based Apple technician — lovingly referred to as Geniuses — over the phone for one-on-one consultation and troubleshooting, or they can request an on-site visit. Currently, Apple’s Geniuses are not allowed to provide support remotely via the phone or in-person outside of Apple’s retail locations.
On-site support and time for one-to-one care are two things that have set Apple-Authorized Service Providers and members of the Apple Consultants Network apart from Apple retail. Apple has been ramping up its in-store business sales teams over the last 18 months or so, and so far, that has paid off for third-party Apple shops in the form of numerous small business installs and support gigs.
If Apple store employees do venture out into the world, it could spell bad news for small Apple shops (like the one I used to manage). If given a choice, many may choose an “official” Apple support route over a third-party. That would cripple many small companies.
However, Apple stores are already stressed, with many Genius Bars are stretched too thin. Adding off-site support could be a disaster for some teams. I know in my experience with our local store, the business team often lacked real-world knowledge about many products and services past Apple’s own. That’s a critical shortcoming when working in the field. And one that Apple will need to overcome if they want to succeed in this realm.
Update: Be sure to check out Steve Sande’s post over at TUAW on other possible changes concerning the ACN.
Patrick Rhone, in Episode 10 of the Enough podcast:
It’s not like you can buy app and magically solve your productivity problems.
That said, Patrick builds a great case for OmniFocus, but builds an even better case for selecting the right tool — not necessarily the most popular or nicest one.
Every episode of this show is better than the one before it.