One year later, the iPad has been a terrific commercial success for Apple. More than 15 million copies sold, over 75,000 native apps available in the App Store, long lines around the globe to get the chance of buying an iPad 2. The iPad has become an iconic device in 12 months; and for those who believe, it’s become more than a simple piece of glass and aluminum. One year of iPad has changed everything for Apple, and the millions of consumers who get things done with it every day. The doctors, the journalists, the school teachers, the students, the writers and the sports fans. A single device with simple hardware features (touch, large screen, thin design) has proved that apps and a well-designed operating system can make a huge difference. And one year later, I still have the feeling we’re just getting started.
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‘We Believe’
Getting Stuff Into OmniFocus
David Sparks has created a great screencast about how to get stuff into OmniFocus. I just finished watching it, and learned several new tricks. This really goes to show just how flexible OmniFocus is.
I’m looking forward to the next episodes of the series.
Apple and Intel Take Stand on Conflict Minerals
Michael J. Kavanagh at Bloomberg:
Rules backed by Apple Inc. and Intel Corp. to stop sales of minerals used in electronics from funding war in Central Africa took effect today, forcing miners from the region to seek new buyers in Asia, according to exporters.
“There is a de-facto embargo, it’s very clear,” said John Kanyoni, president of the mineral exporters association of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “We’re committed to continue with all these programs. But at the same time we’re traveling soon to Asia to find alternatives.”
Fools of the Year
The Macalope celebrates April Fools Day in a way that I solidly approve of.
On Google and CNN
This is just crazy, but it’s what happens when you have companies that are so secretive, they lie to cover things up that leak. I believe CNN over Google any day of the week.
World Backup Day
Not backing up your data is like not wearing a seat belt when you drive.
No More #dickbar
Rather than continue to make changes to the QuickBar as it exists, we removed the bar from the update appearing in the App Store today. We believe there are still significant benefits to increasing awareness of what’s happening outside the home timeline. Evidence of the incredibly high usage metrics for the QuickBar support this. For now, we’re going back to the drawing board to explore the best possible experience for in-app notification and discovery.
On Product Announcements
It wouldn’t surprise me if updates to the iPod product line became as un-event-worthy as Mac CPU updates.
But couldn’t this happen to the iPhone and iPad as well?
Not every time, of course. Just like the Macs, what if the iPhone didn’t get massive updates on a regular annual schedule, but only got a significant redesign every few years, with minor mid-cycle updates as needed? Some wouldn’t even be announced at events at all, and others would be quick footnotes during otherwise software-focused events.
11 Minutes
My buddy Dave, on a new podcast he’s on with Myke and Terry:
Imagine you’ve spent time with friends, having a drink and a laugh, letting the conversation go where it may. Later, you might be asked, “What did you guys talk about last night?” Inevitably, you’d recount the one story that stood out as the most interesting, funny or engaging. That’s what I want to get at: the best part of a casual, friendly and spontaneous conversation.
How Microsoft Sees the Tablet
Microsoft’s global chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie:
I think there’s an important distinction - and frankly one we didn’t jump on at Microsoft fast enough - between mobile and portable. Mobile is something that you want to use while you’re moving, and portable is something that you move and then use.
These are going to bump into one another a little bit and so today you can see tablets and pads and other things that are starting to live in the space in between. Personally I don’t know whether that space will be a persistent one or not.
The Amazon Tablet
The tablet space is a weird little corner of the technology market right now. Apple’s crushing everyone with its iPad 2, clearly. There are several tablets on the horizon, but most of them feel like knock-off iPads.
There is more to a good tablet OS than the cloud, though. People are using tablets for content consumption, and with Android, that’s tricky. Android’s strength is its tie-in with the Google cloud, not with easy ways to purchase music and movies.Honeycomb apps can be counted on both hands.