Sure, the iPad is a great device for Web surfing, book reading, and movie watching. But it's also getting a lot of interest in corporations as a possible business device for field forces, nurses and doctors in hospitals, and knowledge workers in the office and on the go.

That interest is obvious from the top iPad downloads from the Apple App Store, where Citrix Receiver, an app that makes the iPad a portal to server-based apps such as Microsoft Office and SharePoint, has stayed in the top five almost every day. Also in that top-downloads list are Apple's iWork productivity trio (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) and two Microsoft Office-compatible productivity apps (Quickoffice Mobile Connect Suite and DataViz Documents to Go Premium).

I decided to see how well the iPad could fit into a business environment. The short answer: awkwardly, but with lots of promise. (Note that all the apps mentioned here are available through InfoWorld's "no-junk business iPhone and iPad app finder" Web page.)

The iPad is very portable and has long battery life (six to eight hours in my experience, although the more networking you do via Wi-Fi, 3G, or Bluetooth, the less time you get). So it is very appealing as a laptop replacement, at least for short trips. For many users, it can indeed replace a laptop. Which users? Certainly those whose lives revolve around email, Web access, and basic office productivity work. For other users, it depends greatly on the software availability for your work tasks.

Here's what you can do, and what could get in your way.

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Introduction

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Apple's new iPhone 4 but has it really lived up to it?

Pros

• The screen is awesome
• The interface is good, as usual
• battery life has improved
• Fast

Cons

• Facetime is useless
• Glass makes it feel too delicate
• Not really revolutionary

Design

Well, if you don't know what Apple's iPhone looks like, then you must have been living under a rock for the past few months. Anyway, it feels nice in the hand and noticeably slimmer. It also feels quite solid. I, however, was a bit nervous, the glass looked good but it made the phone feel like it could scratch easily. I was also scared of dropping it in case the glass cracked. I did find a nice case to put it in, but phones always look better when they are out of the case.

Performance

When, I first turned the phone on, I noticed the bright screen. The display was crisp and vibrant and it looked really good. I watched a few YouTube videos on it and they also looked really crisp. The phone's screen also felt a lot more responsive than the older iPhone 3G although it did feel a little sticky which was weird. The interface looked the same as it has done on all iPhones since the first one so there is nothing new worth mentioning. However, when comparing performance between the 3G and the 4, there was a huge difference. This could have just been because the 3G was running iOS 4 which made it sluggish. I looked at iBooks and there was no delays on the iPhone 4 while on the 3G, it took a while to even turn the page.

Logically, the next step would have been to explore the new camera and it feels really cool. The photos came out quite well and the addition of a flash makes a huge difference to the photos. Personally, I liked the tap to focus feature which was really useful and I thought it made it easier to focus than a conventional compact camera. The fact that the phone can also capture video is cool as is the ability to switch between the two cameras to take photos of yourself, if that's what you're into. This brings me onto one of the most hyped features of the phone, Facetime. Facetime is essentially video calling, except worse. Instead of being able to call anyone who has a phone capable of video calling, you can only call other iPhone 4s. On top of this, both of you have to be on WiFi. So essentially the feature is useless.

There have also been a lot of complaints about the reception of the phone but when I used it, I found no such issue. This could have been because the phone is on Telstra, one of the best networks which has really good coverage. I never noticed any drop in signal strength no matter how I held the phone. Call clarity was also really good throughout and I had no call drops. Again, this could have just been because of the network. I have heard AT&T is quite crap so this could have been why signal was lost so quickly.

Conclusion

Overall, the phone is quite good. it is fast, responsive and the retina display is really crisp and vibrant. The phone feels nice in the hand and is incredibly solid. The new features that were promised all worked well. However, i don't think the phone is really worth upgrading to if you have the 3GS. It has a few new features but nothing revolutionary. If you have the 3G though, it is a worthwhile upgrade as you get a better camera and compass functionality. On top of this you also get a much speedier phone and a better screen.

There has been a lot of talk everywhere about Apple's iPhone 4 and its antenna problems. One of the highlights is Apple's conference tomorrow or tonight (depending on where you live). This got me thinking. How badly has this incident affected Apple's reputation. After this incident have you changed your mind about buying an iPhone 4 or any other Apple product?

Let me know in the poll below.

In light of what has become a PR nightmare over the faulty reception issues of Apple's iPhone 4, could the tech giant be considering a recall? PR experts say it'd better.

In a recent Cult of Mac post, PR experts outline the dangers of Apple continuing to skirt the recent accusations of a bad antenna design, especially after yesterday's news of Consumer Reports magazine claiming it is unable to recommend the iPhone 4 after recent tests found too many faults with the phone's hardware. “Apple will be forced to do a recall of this product,” Matthew Seeger, an expert in crisis communication, told Cult of Mac. “It's critically important. The brand image is the most important thing Apple has. This is potentially devastating.” [Source: Techland]

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Apple's iPhone 4 seemed like a pretty cool device when it first came out but now it seems like Apple's image as a company which prides itself on the quality of its products is in tatters. The iPhone 4 has a serious design flaw with its antenna and the problem is not the design fault itself, as many great companies have released a product with a flaw in it, but the fact that Apple is not admitting to the mistake. In fact they are blaming the consumer by saying that they are holding it the wrong way. It is this arrogance which could lead to the failure of the product.

The iPad. A magical, revolutionary device in a category of its own. But what's the point?

Apple created their own category of device. A device which has more capabilities than a smartphone but is not quite a laptop. The device seemed pretty slick with the ability to use apps similar to the iPhone but on a larger screen. Using iWork on this thing seemed pretty cool when it shown off at Steve Jobs' keynote and how awesome would it be to watch videos on a device like this if you were travelling on a train or in the passenger seat of a car. You could have hours of entertainment right at your fingertips. On top of this you could browse the internet in a new, revolutionary way. This seemed like a dream device.

Then you found out about the limitations. No USB port to export your iWork documents, an additional adapter so you could connect your camera and the fact that you could only install things Apple wanted you to install. Then there are the obvious things such as a front facing camera for video chat. This seemed like a no-brainer, to be able to talk to your friends with an iPad would be an awesome experience. But it seems Apple left this feature out, probably to release it in the second generation. Next, it raises the question of where will you use it? Sure you could take it to school or work and take notes at a meeting but the touchscreen keyboard kind of limits it as you have to be looking at the screen to get your fingers in the correct position. You could use it on the bus or train to watch movies or read books. Firstly, reading books on a screen this bright and vibrant, although implemented well, will just not work. The backlight will cause eye strain and this cannot be avoided. Reading whole novels on this device will lead you to ruin your eyes even if you think it is fine in the beginning. Secondly, why would you want to fork out so much for a device where you can only watch movies. That's what a portable dvd player is all about and you can buy one for about $50 now.

So you have this device, something which was supposed to be magical and revolutionary but it wasn't. Its the tiny limitations of the product which make you realise how awesome it could have been but just wasn't. What is the point of buying a device like this? Can you name any uses specifically for this device which warrants the need for a new category of device?

You can also find this article at my newsvine.com column

Has Apple left iPhone 3G customers out in the cold? These are the first iPhones which came out internationally and now with the latest iOS4, sure the 3G will get the update but most of the features which people want are simply not there.

I can understand the logic behind no multitasking as the phone isn't optimised for it. It's processor will probably not be able to cope. I also understand that Apple want to make sure the end user gets an enjoyable experience when using their product. However, I cannot think why some other of the highly anticipated features such as customisable wallpapers, folders and iBooks were not allowed on the older iPhone. They probably would have worked fine as customisable wallpapers and other cool features have been available for jailbroken iPhones for ages. These ran fine, there were no complaints about the performance and the processor seemed to cope. This seems like a ploy by Apple to get everyone to renew their contracts with their carrier for the iPhone 4. Not a good practice if you ask me. The fact that the earlier products have just been abandoned so users are forced to fork out money to upgrade or live with an inferior phone which could have done so much more. The funny thing is, Apple have such an influence on people that everyone will accept this and move on. Take the iPad for example; if it was launched by some other company, exactly the same product but with a different logo on it, no one would have given it the slightest bit of attention. Apple can get away with making a product which deliberately is cut back on features and so when the next generation is released, the product which people wanted will come. This is a really bad tactic for the consumer. Especially those devoted to Apple and their products, to whom Steve Jobs is a god. The fact that Apple can sell so many of a device which lacks features most people expect is amazing. The fact that Apple managed to make a 2G phone in a 3G world and still make it one of the most popular phones in the US is a wonder. It is just amazing that this sales technique works purely because of the fanbase for their product.

Sorry about not updating the blog in ages. I have been extremely busy. So, I thought what better time to make a new post than on the introduction of a new Apple product. Quite frankly, I thought the iPad was a bit of a disappointment to me personally and I have to say that i was expecting big things of the iPhone 4. However, I believe this new product is just trying to play catchup with its Android counterparts for this generation. Yes, Apple has added over 100 new features to iOS 4 but none of them are truly revolutionary.

Take this quote for example of Apple's website:

"People have been dreaming about video calling for decades"

My first reaction to seeing this on Apple's website was to burst out laughing. You have to have been living under a rock for the last 6 years to not have noticed that most new phones have video calling capabilities. As well as this, FaceTime can only be used on WiFi between two iPhone 4s. The chances of the person you want to call being on a WiFi network with an iPhone 4 is astronomically low. Why wouldn't you just use Skype? Other features such as multi tasking, folders and an all new processor do not better its competitors such as the HTC Evo. They only just manage to match them. The A4 processor matches the Snapdragon 1GHz processor in many of the latest Android smartphones. Yet still, the iPhone is lacking in many areas. Apple didn't even take the opportunity to use 4G on their phone. It may be in its early stages but seeing as Apple only release one phone per year, they have to do something to stop it from becoming outdated in this year.

One thing I was impressed by was the retina display which has a really high resolution and the colours are well reproduced. As well as this the iPhone does look stunning and it looks like a high-end, well built device. But despite this, I could not imagine reading a whole, or even part of a book on an iPhone screen. It will cause too much eye strain due to the small screen and backlight. Although i think Apple have implemented the iBooks app really well. On top of this, I like the camera which the phone has and the photos it produces look quite good. Putting iMovie on an iPhone was also a really good idea but maybe they could have given it for free.

These are my first impressions of the iPhone 4. I should have a full review once it comes out in Australia in July. I shall leave you with this quote I found on a forum which is pretty true in my opinion:

"I can now replace my 2004 Nokia because the iPhone is finally catching up"

What do you think?

After a week of testing Microsoft's latest operating system out, here is a full review on how it is.

Pros

• Redesigned Taskbar
• Gesture Controls
• Faster than Vista
• Smaller Footprint

Cons

• Similar Appearance to Vista (Not really a bad thing but I like change)
• Some features are a bit gimmicky
• Pricey for Australians (unless you buy the OEM version)

Overview

I don’t have to remind everyone of the epic failure Vista was but Microsoft has now released their latest operating system, Windows 7. It has promised to be everything Vista was not. Judging by first impressions, I was very impressed. Installation was incredibly fast and easy (I performed a clean install) and surprisingly Windows found the drivers for ALL my devices automatically. My wireless card drivers were even there. I didn’t need to touch any of the CDs I got with the devices or manually go to websites to download 64-bit drivers. So far Windows 7 was living up to its claims.

Features

The most obvious new feature is seen as soon as the desktop has loaded. It is the new taskbar. I must say that it is nice to have large icons for a change. The taskbar is much tidier than the older windows ones as when a program is running, all you see is the icon of the program lit up on the taskbar. You can preview all the windows just by hovering over the icon and Windows will even maximise that windows will the mouse pointer is over the thumbnail. The new taskbar is very similar to Mac’s dock however minus the visual effects of bouncing icons and Mexican waves. Another new feature is the fact that the system tray is not clogged up with icons anymore. Instead all of the icons can go to an overflow area unless you specify that you want the icons on the system tray. Also, instead of having annoying pop ups saying your anti-virus is turned off etc. there is a new action center which is indicated by a flag. You just need to click on it to see what problems there could be on your computer and you can easily disable the message. Another new feature is Aero Peek which is a little button on the far right of the taskbar. If you hover over it, it turns all the windows transparent and allows you to see the desktop. Clicking on the button will minimise all windows. I honestly don’t see any point for this feature except for eye candy. The only thing you could use it for is if you needed to see the weather or check the currency exchange rates but it still is a fun thing to play with. Windows 7 also features a new search bar which I found extremely useful. The search is much more detailed and covers Control panel items as well. Once you use it you will never want to go back. This covers most of the new taskbar improvements.

Another feature which I really like is the gesture controls. For example, if you want to maximise the window you simply grab the top of it and drag it to the top of the screen. To restore it, you just drag down again. There is Aero Shake which means if you have hundreds of windows open on your desktop and you wanted to focus on that one window, you simply shake the windows you want to focus on and all the other windows will be minimised. If you want all the windows back, you just shake the same window again. Finally, there is Aero Snap where you can drag one window to the right of the screen and the other to the left and they will fit side by side making it easy to copy text from one to the other. When the two windows are side by side, you don’t to click twice to activate the other windows and do something. Instead you can just normally copy text without having to click the other window hundreds of times just to get it to activate. These small features easily become second nature and increase your productivity however I feel these features will be much more effective on a touchscreen rather than with a mouse. Another thing is the boot up time. This is significantly improved over Vista. Not only this but while everything is loading, you can use programs. You don’t have to click the Internet Explorer logo and wait 10 minutes with just the blue loading ring going on. It will load as fast as it does everytime. This just about covers the major Windows 7 improvements and the ones which are worth covering.

Installation

Windows 7 was a piece of cake to install. It is like installing any other program. You just keep clicking next and it will be installed. I managed to get it fully installed with updates and drivers in less than one hour. The OS also takes up a smaller footprint partly because Microsoft hasn’t included Windows Photo Gallery and Movie Maker. These can be installed as part of the Live Essentials program though and both programs are an improvement over their Vista counterparts. The new Movie Maker has the Ribbon interface which makes it easy to use and there are several new effects. it still can’t match iMovie though. Microsoft also but their Ribbon interface on Wordpad (The free version of Microsoft Word) and Paint. Microsoft has significantly improved Paint. It has new brushes and is a lot of fun to use. The brushes look realistic as well and some even “run out” of paint! Windows 7 also has new types of themes which allows you to have a line up of wallpapers which will change after a specified amount of time. In these themes you can also set the colour of the Aero glass. There are many downloadable themes from Microsoft’s website including ones for different countries. There are also a few themes from different companies such as Coca-Cola and Porsche. Microsoft has included quite a few themes pre installed and you can easily create your own theme if you want to.

Along with Windows 7, Microsoft released a free Security suite called Security Essentials. It is basically just an anti-virus. I tested this program out and it is actually really good. it doesn’t eat up RAM and is easy to manage. It is non intrusive and barely slows down start up time. I would highly recommend this product for average computer users. Those who need a lot of protection for their valuable data might want to look elsewhere as this suite doesn’t have some of the advanced features which many payware suites do have. There is a full review of this coming soon.

Conclusion

Overall, Windows 7 really has lived up to its claims. Although there are no real gaming performance advantages, Windows 7 loads faster and overall feels more polished than Vista was. There are several new features and although some may be gimmicky, it is still fun to use. Honestly, Windows 7 is on of the best Microsoft OS’s I have ever used and I highly recommend it to anyone. It will work on many computers, even those with low system specifications. Windows 7 really is what Vista never was.

Apple has launched a new line of Mac a day before Microsoft is set to release Windows 7. Apple's new iMacs have the latest Core i7 and i5 processors and a new "Magic Mouse". They also feature larger screen sizes (21.5 inches and 27 inches). The screens also have a Full HD (1920x1080) resolution as well as a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Apple's new mouse features multi touch technology allowing you to control everything using gestures such as pinching to zoom. This is similar to the trackpad found on Apple's laptops. The new iMac also has more USB ports and an SD card slot. The new Mac is also wall mountable showing how Apple is designing their computers more and more for the living rooms.

Judging by the overwhwelming response I got from all these people in my last post. I thought I would even the argument out a little. Here are 7 Reasons why a Mac is better than a PC.

1. Almost No Viruses

The majority of Mac users don't even have an anti virus. This is because there are very few viruses out there for Macs. This is due to the fact that there are more PCs in the world so people only want to make viruses which can spread quicker. This makes a PC the medium of choice. This is great news for Mac users who don't need an additional anti virus which means there is no additional program to slow their computer down and eat up RAM. There is a built in security to stop viruses if they do come. This is of course free as opposed to Microsoft's Live One Care.

2. Heaps of Software Built In

Macs come with so much useful software built in to them. These are mainly part of the iLife suite which includes things like iMovie, iPhoto and Garageband. These pieces of software are so much better than their PC alternatives as they are easy to use and not to mention free. For designers, the software they need is much cheaper than any comparable software on PCs and it is the same, if not more powerful. Take for example Final Cut Studio which is cheaper than Adobe's Premiere. This makes a Mac almost ready to go as soon as you buy it.

3. Dock

The Dock in OS X is so much easier to use and access than Windows' start menu. All the programs you need are conveniently viewable and much more accessible than the "All Programs" menu. The Dock is also more flexible as it can be made bigger, hidden etc. This also leaves the desktop free of clutter and gives it room to put all the drives on it. This makes it easier to quickly access all your drives instead of going into My Computer and searching through there.

4. Display

Apple Monitors are always very bright and vibrant. They reproduce colours very well. Their Macbook displays are especially good when compared to other Windows laptops. This makes Macs a very good choice for designers who need accurate colour reproduction.

5. Build Quality

Even PC users will agree that Apple's build quality is excellent. Their computers always feel expensive and oozing of quality. An example is the Macbook Pro. These have a unibody aluminium shell, glass screen and glass touchpad. Their iMacs are also similar in design.

6. It Runs Windows!

The fact that Apple supports Windows means that it has a bigger software pool to choose from. This means that a Mac user can have the advantage of getting things like iPhoto and iMovie, which outweigh their Windows competitors, as well as having support for Aperture 2 and Final Cut Studio. They can also choose from a wide range of PC software and hardware should they want something which Mac doesn't support. There are no Windows computers that can legally run a copy of Mac OS X.

7. Seamless Backups

Apple's Time Machine makes backing up your Mac easy. It is a powerful software which can perform backups at regular intervals. Compared to Vista's backup solution, Apple's software is incredibly easy to use. Anyone who hasn't backup up a computer before wouldn't find this a challenge.