target is new

Well, there was a keynote of Apple again today with some serious product introduction. In case your read this some months later and already forgot about it; the new iPad was introduced. Mainly. Just like the last couple of keynotes the specs where predicted in advance and in the fight for the best news the expectations where set higher than was met. On first sight. This keynote has as most of the Apple events relevance for the development of the brand. In short some thoughts.

First of all on the evolution of the iPad. The upgrade seems to be a good one. The new iPad is definitely desirable and has some serious improvement in the experience of the device. With a stunning screen and quicker processor. And better cameras (less important). The most important shift in the device angle is the name. Everyone expected a succeeding number like iPad 3, or iPad HD for the new screen. It became just iPad. GigaOM did a good analysis that I highly agree on: this is the way to express the iPad to be grown up into a category product. Just like the iMac is for the desktop and the MacBook for the laptop. From now on we will see incremental upgrades on this setup. That is also the reason the design of the outside is almost the same. That makes it possible to keep the iPad 2 as a cheaper version. This trick was already tested with the iPhone introduction and it works. In this sense they becoming a solution for an even bigger audience.

Next up will probably a smaller screen to diversify the range somewhat more. It is as Tim Cook told us, the best proof of the new post PC area we have entered. The introduction of iOS5 last year was key, with the over the air updates. The iPad will be the primary and maybe even only ‘traditional’ computing device. It will be interesting to see if the iPhone will change radically on the outside later this year, or will be a internal based upgrade (like NFC chips).

The software changes are also more and more important again. iPhoto makes the iPad a default device for photo editing. And the same goes for iMovie and even iWork, that becomes sufficient for home use. You can expect that we will see more accessories for using that kind of programs (like keyboards). Also the use of more than one iPad together which is possible with the new Garageband is an interesting development to watch. One aspect is that we will have more and more personal iPads (not family based) and the connection of all the family devices and temporary guest devices to a local subset of iCloud to a HomeCloud will a logical step. Something where the BergCloud is also a nice example.

Here it is interesting to make the step to the AppleTV that was also introduced with an upgrade. Some find the upgrade disappointing, but I think that it is just an incremental upgrade to the fit the HomeCloud standard, and we can expect some true upgrades with the iTV empowered with an Appstore in the summer. At that moment the HomeCloud will be injected in all our devices and maximize the share of life. As Tim Cook ended his talk; this is just the beginning of a defining year for Apple. With the next iPhone becoming our identity provider and wallet I think they will dominate a complete the post PC era.

We are entering a new phase in the Internet of Things. It is a promise for years, but it seems that we are heading to a tipping point. And Apple’s new iOS5 could be a accelerator. Tomorrow the new version of the mobile operation system for the iPhone will be introduced, and one of the most interesting speculations on the news is the integration of Twitter deeply in the OS, together with the introduction of iCloud. The real difference of a Twitter integration comes not with the sharing your pictures directly from the tools, but will be the way Twitter will evolve in a notification platform for smart objects via your phone. How does this could work?
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Why are those Apple keynotes of new products always that big fun. Of course it is the excitement of the new great products that are introduced. But even more the knowing there are some serious steps ahead which we cannot think of yet. These steps are in a way hidden in the talk.

The real surprises are not anymore the product that is introduced. The secrets are not kept anymore, deliberately or not. The interesting guessing starts only after the speech: what are the real consequences of this new product.

So we have a new iPhone and it is beautiful. But what are the hidden developments this time? Some thoughts.

• rebranding iPhone OS to iOS is expected to be the sign of making this OS a carrier of a lot of new devices that will be connected: of course the iPad and the expected new AppleTV. But maybe even a small desktop. As Steve put it: “we will be connecting ten million of devices this year”
• especially on the AppleTV the expectations are high. Will it be just an upgrade of the current concept with the new iOS or will Apple make real TV’s as an intelligent screen. I think the last is not so logic, but there is a chance that the new AppleTV will turn every screen in an internet connected TV by adding live TV capabilities.
• with the introduction of an open standard for FaceTime the are going for videochat domination in the device world. Well maybe, but it is of course crucial that as many people as possible are FaceTime enabled, you have to obey Metcalfe’s Law.
• creating a new gesture interface experience with the glass back. Adding tickling-on-the-back features in coming releases will be interesting. Or just adding new sensing possibilities for light our devices will be more an more sensors to our environment.
• the introduction of iBooks, iMovie, unified inbox and later as expected also iWork shows the cloud computing focus where the device is just the remote control of the mobile life service Apple is providing. Seamless syncing will be a central feature.

Overall I think the new iPhone contributes a lot to the strategy of Apple to keep and expand there share of the market by put real focus on the best device experience and above of all the most balanced ecosystem that will be the key to success. In that manner they will keep there differentiation of other players as Google that never can meet up with this product and service quality. There will be room for both in the market but Apple will prove to make the best profit and lock-in.

Afgelopen 22 mei presenteerde Christian Lindholm op The Web and Beyond zijn visie over social computing. Hij illustreerde dat aan de hand van de Asus Eee PC die hij een gouden toekomst voorspelde. Dat zou wel eens net zo’n succes kunnen worden als Apple heeft geboekt. Gisteren heeft Apple weer een sprong voorwaartst gemaakt. En dan doel ik niet op de nieuwe iPhone die alles doet wat werd verwacht, maar op het nieuwe MobileMe.
Hiermee zet Apple een nieuwe standaard in cloud computing en boort daarbij een nieuwe geldstroom aan. Read the rest of this entry »

Begin van het jaar zat ik te filosoferen over wat mogelijke nieuwe ontwikkelingen voor dit jaar. Een van dingen waar ik aan dacht was een “opgeblazen Ipod Touch” als subnotebook. Waar het toetsenbord dus vervangen wordt door het touchscreen. Grappig genoeg zie je dat nieuwe versie van de OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) die weg is opgegaan.

Overigens was een van de sprekers op The Web And Beyond – Christian Lindholm – afgelopen donderdag er stellig van overtuigd dat een touchscreen veel te duur is om als toetsenbord te dienen. Ook hij zag overigens dat Apple met de introductie van de Macbook Air een nieuwe strategie inging waarbij “nieuwe haakjes” worden gemaakt via de Timecapsule en .Mac. Ik noemde het eerder de opkomst van de remote client.

Zijn betoog voor de Eee PC van Asus als de nieuwe 9″-standaard van mobiele devices was zeer aansprekend. Het ziet het als het voorbeeld van een nieuwe vorm van digitale experience: ‘casual computing’. Met als belangrijk aspecten: ‘improved 9″ experience, ‘hardware driver presence’, ‘platform agnostic video calling’, ‘unified messaging’, ‘Blackberry style always on connectiivity’ en ‘Seamless cloud computing’.

Als zijn voorspelling van 0,5 miljard verkochte units uitkomt heeft Apple daar ook een geduchte concurrent. Een van de bezoekers geloofde hem in ieder geval en kocht direct aandelen Asus.