Apple has now earned the title of the worlds most valuable company and by looking at the demand for their products you can see why. The iPhone is one of the most popular phones available, they created an entirely new category of products which people didn't really need and it became wildly successful and then they have the Macs. Macs are some of the best looking computers you can buy and for many people in the market for a new computer, purchasing one has definitely crossed their mind.

Some of the reasons why Macs were not a serious option in the past was because their OS was foreign (i.e. not Windows), they were comparatively underpowered and very expensive when compared to competitors. Fast forward a few years and OS X, although not the most popular OS, is very well known and owns about 10% of the market. The appeal is growing with each subsequent release sharing features with iOS (e.g. OS X Mountian Lion comes with a new Notification Centre) which is good for those who know how to use an iPhone (the vast majority of people in developed countries).

In terms of hardware, Macs have definitely caught up with their Windows counterparts. They are no longer a generation behind other PC makers and their computers have the latest components inside.  Graphics cards are top notch on the higher end models making them quite decent gaming machine (always an argument against buying a Mac previously). As well as this the build quality of Apple products is undeniably good. Parts used are of good quality, especially the display and keyboard. Although some features which Windows users have come to expect can still not be found on a Mac such as a BD drive, USB 3.0 or eSATA ports although the addition of a Thunderbolt port is supposed to make up for the last two (despite the lack of devices).

One area which Apple hasn't really improved is their pricing. Comparing builds with similar specs really makes it obvious that Apple seem to charge extra money because they can. For example when upgrading to 8GB of DDR3-1333 RAM from 4GB on an Alienware M14X the cost is $120. To do exactly the same thing on MacBook Pro 15.4-Inchthe cost is $200. There seems to be little justification for the extra $80. One way to justify the price is the amount of software which is already loaded on the Mac when you buy it. The iLife suite is complimentary which has some very useful programs, some of which would cost quite a bit of money on a Windows computer.

So what makes the Mac so tempting over Windows computers despite the price? I think that it is the little details which do it. One thing I found absolutely amazing was how Apple thought to make the display hinge loose enough so that you can open the lid with one hand (without the bottom of the computer lifting up as well) but tight enough that the screen doesn't flop around. The MagSafe power adapter
is also very well thought out to prevent people form tripping over the cable and throwing your computer to the floor. The other thing is the option of an anti glare screen. Most laptop manufacturers do not have this option on the vast majority of their products as anti glare screens aren't what the majority want. Clearly Apple don't care about this as they still have the anti glare option despite the relatively low demand for it. These little options really make people feel that Apple cares about the needs of the end user and is probably what makes Apple products so tempting. This is why Apple's market share in the PC world is growing at a fairly fast rate despite not being able to compete directly with other companies on price.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

With laptops outselling desktops for the last 4 years, it is becoming more and more likely that your next computer purchase will be a laptop. One of the biggest problems with this is the massive range of products available. It is often overwhelming how many choices there are. So here are a few tips to help you on your way to selecting a laptop.

1. Portability and Battery Life

One of the advantages of a laptop is that you can carry it around. Obviously, how powerful it is can affect how long you can carry it around for. More powerful components will also make a laptop heavier due to the need for extra cooling and higher voltages as well as a bigger battery. So when you buy your laptop, make sure you see whether it is light enough for your needs and look at the quoted battery life to see whether it fulfils your demands. Some laptops contain graphics switching to switch between a dedicated and integrated graphics card in order to provide a longer battery life when needed. This is another option however these laptops are often a bit more expensive than those without the feature. Netbooks also have a decent battery life and are highly portable but most people will find them horribly slow for everyday use

2. The Keyboard and Trackpad

This is one of the first things you should try out when you go to the computer shop. Test to see if the keyboard is roomy enough, whether all the buttons are present and in the right place (some laptops have very dodgy placement for arrow keys) and if you find it comfortable enough to type on. Another thing you might want is a number pad on the side (only found in larger laptops) or backlit keys. The trackpad is also one of those things you have to live with on a laptop. Making sure you can use it and it doesn't feel too uncomfortable to use is important. Also try pressing the mouse buttons to check that they aren't difficult to press or too mashy.

3.  What screen size and resolution?

The combination of screen size and resolution is very important. The standard resolution for a laptop nowadays is 1366x768 which is a fairly good resolution. However many people are looking for a laptop which has a higher resolution screen without increasing screen size. Manufacturers are starting to realise this and many offer much higher resolutions than standard in some models of their laptops. Manufacturers like Sony, Apple, Dell and Lenovo all have an optional high resolution option to choose when configuring selected models which gives you a lot more screen real estate as well as giving a crisper display.

If you want a super portable laptop with a 11 or 13 inch screen, looking at the resolution is a good idea. Often some high resolution ones can have font sizes difficult for some people to read. Other times, the resolution might be too low for your needs making it difficult to achieve some tasks which are crucial for you.

4. Do you want a dedicated graphics card?

Most laptops come with more than enough processing power for your everyday needs but one thing that not all laptops come with is a dedicated graphics card. Finding a laptop which has dedicated graphics is getting a bit more difficult after Intel and AMD have significantly improved their integrated graphics card offerings. Especially since laptops are becoming thinner, manufacturers are starting to lean more towards the integrated solution. This is true for the new ultrabooks (very thin, light laptops which run Windows) and the Macbook Air where it is difficult to have a dedicated graphics card and cool it properly without sacrificing a large amount of battery life. Larger, more expensive laptops come with dedicated graphics but this is at the cost of portability and battery life.

So, if you want a dedicated graphics card, your choice has been made for you on what type of laptop to get. If you want integrated graphics, there are still a lot of choices.

5. Be willing to make compromises

There is no laptop in the world which will fit all of your needs so what I suggest is to make a list of all the features you are looking for in order of importance. Then find the laptop that has as many of the features you wanted as possible. This way you will know that you are getting everything you absolutely need in the computer rather than coming home and finding that it is missing a crucial feature. This is one of the biggest things which make finding a laptop so difficult since people will always be searching for the perfect machine.

By following these simple tips, you can go to the store, check out the computer and make sure it fits all of your needs before you take it home. Try out all of the features in the store and make sure it is what you want. This will help you choose the right laptop for you.

6. BONUS TIP: Read the reviews

Everyone who is reading this blog probably has a smartphone. When you're in the store, write down the model number and search for reviews on it. Make sure there are no horrible issues which stand out on the computer. Make sure that everything works the way it should, there are no known bugs etc. User reviews can be especially helpful when it comes to this. Some forums will also have topics dedicated to your laptop so any major issues should be known to you before your purchase. This way you can avoid getting a dud.

Related posts:

1. The Perfect Laptop – Impossible Recently, I had to come up with the task of...
2. Upcoming technology in computers : CPU In the fast moving world of technology, it can become...
3. Windows 8 Developer Preview: What I Don’t Like By now we've all had a chance to play around...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

One of the biggest dilemmas for those who have Apple products is the fact that you don't seem to be able to do everything you want to do with it. For example, with the iPad you have a camera connector accessory which allows you to connect your camera to the iPad via USB and copy photos across reasonably easily. So you think to yourself, this should work if I plug a USB stick directly into it and copy photos from my computer across to the iPad. But it isn't as easy as you first think, there is a process which you have to follow before this can be done which I will show you in this article.

The iPad can recognise USB flash drives through the camera connector but can only import photos and videos through it. In order to achieve this you need to trick the iPad into thinking that you have connected a camera directly so as to import the photos.

What you need:

• An iPad
• A USB Camera Connector kit for iPad
• A USB Flash Drive
• A Computer - preferably with Windows (not essential)
• Bulk File Rename Utility

What to Do:

1. First, get everything you need together

2. Now find the photos you want to copy over on your computer and put them in one folder. The iPad will only recognise the photos if the file name is exactly 8 characters which should be fine if the photos are copied from your camera and haven't been renamed. If you have renamed your files to something different, don't panic! A simple utility exists which can rename your files easily. If you open Bulk Rename Utility and navigate to the folder where you kept your photos, you get a screen like this:

Click for Full Size

3. Although the screen look complex, its pretty easy if you make sense of it. First highlight the photos you want to rename, go to the Remove box and change the value of "First n" until the original file name is removed ( a live preview is shown next to the original file name). On the Add and Numbering box, make the values the same as shown in the above picture (click it to make it bigger). This will give you a file name that is 8 characters long.

4. The point of this exercise is to trick the iPad into thinking that the USB stick you have plugged in is a camera so the next step is to plug your USB stick into the computer and create a new folder called DCIM

5. Now create a sub folder inside the DCIM folder and call it PANA_100 (this is what my camera usually calls the sub folder in the memory card)

6. Now copy the files you just renamed into the sub folder

7. Finally, the last step is to remove the USB stick containing the photos and connect it to your iPad like so:

  The iPad should open the Photos app and show you the pictures on the USB stick under Camera. If this does not show up, try turning the iPad off and then back on again. You should eventually get a screen like this:

Now it's a simple matter of importing the photos and you're done!

It's a process which is way more complicated than it needs to be but it can be done. This will save you the hassle of using iTunes to sync the photos (which takes forever if you have over 1000 photos) and make it so much easier to use the digital photo frame feature of the iPad and share photos with your friends.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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.

Read the Full Story at PCWorld

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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]

Read Full Story

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.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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?

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.