Woo hoo! Now we know when we get to buy the iPad. However, we haven’t been told where we get to buy it. Of course the Apple Stores (both online and off) will carry it, but the end of the press release has a cryptic statement that the iPad will be sold at select (emphasis added) Apple Authorized Resellers. That probably means not every place that can sell Apple products will be allowed to sell iPads. This is a curious position for Apple and its distribution strategy. Which model does it choose? Let’s take the iPhone. It’s very limited in distribution. Apple and AT&T controlled sales at the beginning and then eventually allowed places such as Wal-Mart and BestBuy to carry it. Apple COO Tim Cook confirmed BestBuy would sell the iPad but didn’t say who else would have that capability. Logically, anywhere you can buy an iPhone you should be able to buy an iPad, right? What about any place you can buy an iMac? Only time will tell, but here is what I think will happen. Cue the special effects. First to get the iPad will be campus bookstores

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Section: Haven’t caught all of the Appletell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles! Could the iPad bring “intelligent” notifications? ” One of the biggest issues that consumers appear to have with the Apple iPad, is its lack of multi-tasking. Especially with this device being said to replace a netbook and be the best web browsing…” MORE » 3G enabled SlingPlayer hits the App Store “When Sling released their much anticipated SlingPlayer for the iPhone last year, it was an instant disappointment because AT&T refused to allow it to operate over their 3G network. A little less than two weeks ago, AT&T finally reversed their position as they announced they had worked with…” MORE » Macworld 2010 show specials [updated] ” It’s a wonderful Macworld tradition that each year many exhibitors will have show specials where you can receive additional discounts during and after the show. Some are only available on the show floor, but many are open to any with the…” MORE » Forget newspapers, the iPad will forever change magazines ” When I heard Wired, my favorite tech magazine, would be launching an iPad application to access their content by summer, I was ecstatic. Not just because I enjoy the magazine so much, but because of how they play a…” MORE » Appletell reviews Doc2 for iPhone and iPod touch “Seller: Byte Square Limited Category: Productivity Compatibility: iPhone or iPod touch Requirements: iPhone OS 3.0 or higher File Size: 2.6MB Price: $3.99 In this increasingly mobile world in which we live, having access to information on the…” MORE » Develop your own iPhone app via the web “iPhone development has created a huge business opportunity for many companies, and the possibilities are only increasing with the announcement of the iPad and constantly improving software. Part of this business involves not only developing…” MORE » Proporta iPhone 3G/S case roundup review “When it comes to iPhone cases, there’s really no shortage of options. Whatever style of case you’re looking for, there’s likely to be a perfect match. One of the companies you may take a look at while on your quest to find your perfect case would probably be Proporta.

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The Register’s Tony Smith notes in a report that the last 12 months have been good for netbook makers, who cumulatively shipped 30.2 million of the mini laptops in that period. According to market watcher Strategy Analytics, that’s 79 percent more than they moved in 2008 and amounts to 50-60 percent of total portable PCs shipped and around 17-20 percent of PCs sold overall. The researcher also forecasts further growth this year as netbook chips deliver more performance and ARM licensees take on Intel’s dominant Atom platform. The iPad notwithstanding, I’m still convinced that Apple has fumbled the ball in not offering a netbook. If it can sell an iPad for $500, I deduce that a netbook with a clamshell form factor, a real keyboard and trackpad, plus ideally a low-powered Intel Core CPU, decent connectivity, and capability to run the real Mac OS, should be eminently possible at an entry-level price of $600-$650 — at which I contend it would be a strong seller. It’d certainly be a machine that would appeal to me much more than the iPad does in its announced configuration. Chinese Knockoffs A knockoff outfit in China is showing the way, having released a tantalizing example of the potential for a truly appealing Apple netbook, if Apple were inclined to play ball. The Chinese tech industry-watching blog M.I.C (ie: “Made-In-China”) has posted a review of what it calls “the ultimate MacBook Air knockoff” — the best MacBook Air wannabe ever, featuring a real glowing Apple logo and a form factor almost as thin as the real MBA — which M.I.C. thinks is possibly the most beautiful product the Chinese knockoff makers have ever copied. I’m inclined to agree. Of course it’s not really a Mac, and OS X is not supported. It is a PC netbook in ersatz Mac clothing, powered by the latest version of the ubiquitous 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU with 1GB of RAM (upgradable to 2GB RAM at a modest additional cost of $180 RMB), a 160GB hard drive, a 13.3-inch (1280 x 800) LED-backlit display and a swappable 4-cell battery, plus 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and, get this — selling for only $1,900 RMB (about $280). To say it’s much more affordable than Apple’s real MacBook Air is an extreme understatement. The M.I.C

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In a move reminiscent of the warranty extension Apple offered to MacBook Pro owners affected by NVIDIA-gate , the Mac maker announced this week that it would offer a similar consideration to some MacBook owners whose hard drives are crashing. Eligible models (black and white MacBooks sold between May 2006 and December 2007) affected by the problem will be repaired at no cost. On the support page created to describe the problem and the resulting warranty extension, Apple doesn’t mention which brand of hard drives are affected by name, which could mean that the problem doesn’t lie with the hard drives themselves, but with some other system components. Another indication that this is indeed the case is that all capacities of hard drive are also affected. If you’re wondering whether or not you have an affected unit (Apple says only a “small percentage” of users will experience problems), it’s very easy to identify. Your MacBook will just stop working altogether, and any attempts to boot it will result in a screen that displays a folder icon with a question mark over top of it, as in the image below. As someone who’s seen this screen many times while fixing up old PowerBooks, I can tell you it isn’t a heartening experience. Apple describes what you should do if you’re greeted with such a screen: Please take your MacBook to the Apple representative most convenient for you: Apple Authorized Service Provider – Find one here . Apple Retail Store – Set up an appointment with a Genius . If Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider confirms that your hard drive is affected, Apple will replace it with a new hard drive. You will need to have the original OS installation discs that were shipped with your product in order to re-install your operating system, other applications, and any backed up data. If you need assistance finding the best service option in your area, you may contact Apple Technical Support for more information. It sounds like any data you may have stored on the drive will be irrevocably lost if this does happen to you, so if you have one of the affected models and you haven’t yet implemented any kind of backup system, you should probably consider doing so

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The first step in Apple taking on netbooks without releasing a netbook was the iPad with cheap 3G support from AT&T. Now comes word the carrier may start selling iPads in its stores – and pushing out netbooks to make room. The rumor comes on the heels of reports European carriers will subsidize the iPad’s

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Filed under: Apple T minus a little over a month and a half until retail liftoff of the Apple iPad and, similar to the launch of the iPhone 3 years ago, the device is not without its share of criticism — be it the lack of support for multitasking or the missing front facing camera (or any camera, for that matter). However, it’s unlikely that anything short of a sub-$1,000 multitouch cancer-curing device could have lived up to expectations, for the hype coming into the keynote was of epic proportions. Expectations aside, however, the iPad’s price point and feature set put Apple in a position to disrupt the low-end notebook computer market, while also providing it a foot in the door in the eBook market as well as traditional print media. Continue reading iPad’s multifunction appeal and sub-$500 price point a formula for disruptive technology iPad’s multifunction appeal and sub-$500 price point a formula for disruptive technology originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . iPad’s multifunction appeal and sub-$500 price point a formula for disruptive technology originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Filed under: Hardware , Rumors , Apple , Interviews As the clock ticks slowly towards the introduction of the Apple tablet, a lot of people are speculating on what the device design will be like. TUAW recently spent some time interviewing Aaron Vronko, Service Manager for RapidRepair . RapidRepair, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has repaired and provided parts for all sorts of electronic gadgetry over the last six years, but Apple iPhones and iPods make up the bulk of their business. As an expert in the technology used in Apple’s products, Vronko has gleaned information from various sources — including component suppliers, industry trends, and just plain rumors — and has come up with his best estimate of what we’ll see in an Apple tablet. What will it be used for, and what kind of OS will it run? Aaron’s comments in this area mirrored my personal thoughts about the tablet. “It just doesn’t make sense as a ‘larger iPhone’,” said Vronko. “Considering the size and the expense of the device, the tablet will need to converge towards light productivity functions and replace a netbook or compact laptop. To do this, the device must be able to run Office-type apps that are accessed in a meaningful way, and the only way a tablet can do this is through easy user input. People buy solutions, not devices, and the tablet is going to have to fulfill a need that the target market has.” Aaron continued, saying “User input will have to be the biggest surprise from Apple. Perhaps we’ll see 3D gestures for more useful input, or some sort of split on-screen touch keyboard. The virtual keyboard was the real innovation of the iPhone; the tablet needs to bring this to the next level.” Continue reading Talking tablets with Aaron Vronko of RapidRepair Talking tablets with Aaron Vronko of RapidRepair originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

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Filed under: Retail , Apple Financial , Apple Apple is really defying gravity in this economic slump with impressive numbers. Market research firm IDC reports Apple sold about 5.6 million computers here in the U.S. in 2009, giving it an 8% market share. That’s up just a bit from the previous year, when Apple had a 7.9% share, and it makes Apple the 4th largest domestic computer maker, behind HP, Dell and Acer. These numbers are preliminary estimates based on 2009 sales. The report notes that low end notebooks and netbooks were really pushing the computer sales numbers, an area where Apple is not really competing. Windows 7 equipped computers also accounted for a strong 4th quarter in domestic sales. Sales of computers were also up worldwide. IDC reports that the market gained 15.8% year over year. In the 4th quarter of 2009 there was double digit growth for the first time since the 3rd quarter of 2008. Apple’s 4th quarter growth rate was the third highest of U.S. PC vendors, with sales up 31% compared to a year ago. Toshiba had booming sales up 71.5% from 2008, and HP was up a healthy 45% from the 4th quarter of 2008.

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If it walks like an App Store and quacks like an App Store, it’ll succeed like an App Store, right? Well, that’s certainly Intel’s hope as it unveils AppUp, a site promoting applications built around the Atom processor for the growing number of netbooks. The beta version was introduced Thursday, during the first day of CES

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One of my new year’s resolutions is to pursue more DIY projects. This includes things like putting Jolicloud on my Hackintosh netbook, swapping out the hard drive on my iMac, and, most importantly, doing something with my old Apple hardware. I currently own a Powerbook G4 and a Blue and White G3 Tower. They are sitting in a closet collecting dust. I would love to find something truly unique to do with the computers. The easiest answer is “turn them into servers.” In fact, we  published an article a few years ago with similar suggestions — music servers, file servers, etc. My goal is to do something creative with the hardware and put them on display. Leaving them in the closet is boring. Here’s my favorite project for the Powerbook: the WallMac . Basically, I would reverse the Powerbook’s monitor and then put the laptop inside a thick frame

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