Although the T-Mobile Sidekick data disaster caused much gnashing of teeth among the device's users this week, the incident might not represent as dark a blotch on the concept of cloud computing as it may seem.
Sidekick users lost all their data, which is stored on the infrastructure of Danger, the company that developed the Sidekick and is now owned by Microsoft.
Microsoft later claimed it managed to recover most of the lost data, and it announced plans to restore it soon. Meanwhile, at least two users have filed lawsuits over the issue, and the entire episode has raised questions about the reliability of the cloud.
It's an experiment that has made back-to-school a little easier on the back Amazon.com gave more than 200 hundred college students its Kindle e-reading device this fall, loaded with digital versions of their textbooks.
However, some students are finding they miss the decidedly low-tech conveniences of paper -- highlighting, flagging pages with sticky notes and scribbling in the margins.
"I like the aspect of writing something down on paper and having it be so easy and just kind of writing whatever comes to my mind," says Claire Becerra, a freshman at Arizona State University.
Becerra tried typing notes on the Kindle's small keyboard, but when she went back to reread them she found they were laden with types and didn't make sense. After a month, she says she takes far fewer notes and relies on the Kindle's highlighter tool instead.
Virtualization, in simple English, is a interesting technology that helps you run multiple operating systems on the same machine. For instance, if you are running Windows Vista on a computer, you can create virtual machines for Windows XP or Ubuntu and run these operating systems on your existing Vista machine just like any other Windows application.
How to Create a Virtual Machine
Windows Virtual PC, Virtual Box and VMware Workstation are some popular applications that allow you to create new virtual machines on a Windows PC but the only problem with these programs is that they require you do everything from scratch. That is, if you want to create a new virtual machine, you will have to install the whole operating system first using the original installer DVD and then configure it with your favorite programs. This can be both time consuming and difficult. What if you could use your existing Windows computer, that already has all your favorite programs installed, and turn into a virtual machine?
Convert your Computer into a Virtual Machine
While it has always been possible to convert an existing hard drive into a virtual machine, the process was difficult and often required expensive programs. Well, not anymore. There’s a new utility from Microsoft that makes it both simple and free to convert an existing installation of Windows into a virtual machine ready to run on any other computer. Microsoft’s Sysinternals team has released a simple application called Disk2vhd, that lets you easily migrate an existing computer to a virtualized hard drive (VHD). It’s a tiny utility doesn’t even require instillation.
Create Virtual Hard Disks with Disk2VHD
When you run Disk2vhd, it will immediately show you all the drives and partitions on your computer that it can migrate to a VHD. Simply select a drive that you wish to create a VHD file from and click “Create.” Disk2vhd will convert the hard drive into a VHD file even if the computer /drive is currently in use.
When the Virtual Machine VHD file is created, you can run it in any desktop virtualization program including the free Windows Virtual PC, Virtual Box, or VMware Player. You can also mount the virtual machine as a standard hard drive in Windows 7, and can even boot from it if your computer is running Windows 7 Ultimate. You may use Disk2vhd to create virtual machines of your Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and higher machines, including x64 systems.
Usage Scenario
Let’s say you have a computer that is already running all the software programs you frequently use, but you now want to move to a new computer or upgrade your operating system. You can then consider creating a virtual machine of your old machine using the Microsoft utility and this will help you use all your favorite programs (with the same settings) on the new machine. You can also use virtualization to create a ghost image of your hard drive in a single file and this will be handy in the event of a disk failure. Disk2vhd is an useful tool that will make it much easier for you to enjoy the benefits of virtualization without being too technical.
Verizon Wireless ran a television ad dissing the iPhone over its lack of a physical keyboard, its inability to multitask, and its camera's inability to capture images in dark conditions. The ad also slammed the iPhone for being a closed platform. "Everything iDon't, Droid Does," the ad stated.
Verizon Wireless unveiled a new Web site that leads with similar criticisms of the iPhone.
Verizon Wireless's main site also includes a dig against Apple, with the slogan "Want 5 times more 3G coverage than AT&T There's a Map for that." This echoes ads for the iTunes App Store, which use the catchphrase "There's an app for that."
While the ads may be clever, that doesn't mean Verizon and Google will make any headway against the iPhone. "iPhone killers always look good on paper," the Yankee Group's Howe said. "We've got to see the real prices, plans and performance before we can judge how much of a threat the Droid is."
Motorola and Verizon have their work cut out for them if they want to take on the iPhone.
"So Verizon and Motorola, two companies that have lagged behind in the smartphone area, suddenly release a device and say it will change the world? I think it will be difficult in such a competitive environment," In-Stat's Nogee said.
"Consumers will have to [decide] whether they want a new and somewhat unknown phone platform on a good network or a known, good iPhone experience on an OK network," Howe pointed out. "Apple has a much higher brand value and consumer cache than Motorola at present, and that's going to affect consumer choices."
Verizon Wireless is widely expected to launch the Motorola Droid, its entry into the Android smartphone market.
It's ramping up to the event by kicking off an ad campaign that appears to put the Apple iPhone firmly in the crosshairs.
Although Verizon hasn't officially announced details of the phone, The Boy Genius Report has posted a review as well as supposed photos of the device. The only information Verizon is currently offering is a teaser Web site.
Formerly known as the "Sholes," the Droid is slightly thicker than an iPhone 3GS and has a slider keyboard, according to The Boy Genius Report. It is made of metal and very sturdy.
The Droid is also very fast, according to the review. Its QWERTY keyboard has a soft-touch rubberized finish, but the keyboard design may not yet be entirely finalized. The Droid will be shipped with a desktop cradle-cum-charger that will turn it into a multimedia station.
The Droid's speed may come in part from a 600 MHz TI OMAP 3430 CPU, as reported previously in LinuxInsider. This is a multimedia applications processor that TI claims delivers up to three times better performance than ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY) 11-based processors.
The Droid supports microSDHC cards, according to leaked specs published by AndroidAndMe. It has a 5 MP camera with autofocus and video recorder. Its 3.7-inch display offers a resolution of 854 by 480 pixels and supports 16 million colors.
The Droid reportedly won't be released with BLUR, the Motorola adaptation of Android. Motorola declined to confirm or deny that. "Right now there is no additional information we have to share on our next Android-based device, but please stay tuned for upcoming news," Motorola spokesperson Kathy Van Buskirk told LinuxInsider.
The review posted by The Boy Genius Report glows with positive comparisons to the iPhone, and it appears Verizon wants to directly challenge Cupertino with its marketing strategy. However, the Droid may not pose a very serious threat to the iPhone, according to Carl Howe, director of anywhere research at the Yankee Group. "Every carrier wants a phone that can take on the iPhone," he told LinuxInsider. "This is Verizon's third try after the BlackBerry Storm and Storm2. If this doesn't do the trick, we'll just have to wait for Verizon to get the iPhone 4G, which is rumored for next year."
Almost overnight, it seems that Apple and its products, led by the iPhone, the iPod and the Mac, are everywhere -- including in the corporate enterprise.
Apple's presence as a favorite staple in the consumer market segment is accepted, expected and taken for granted. The corporate enterprise is another matter. Apple hasn't been a significant player in the corporate enterprise and networking arena since the late 1980s. All that started to change over the last three years.
The ascension of the iPod and the iPhone as "must have" consumer devices ignited interest in using Apple devices in corporate offices. What began as a singular grass roots movement, bringing Macs in through the back door, has now morphed into a ongoing sustained trend that mirrors Apple's own waxing fortunes.
Almost overnight, it seems that Apple and its products, led by the iPhone, the iPod and the Mac, are everywhere -- including in the corporate enterprise.
Apple's presence as a favorite staple in the consumer market segment is accepted, expected and taken for granted. The corporate enterprise is another matter. Apple hasn't been a significant player in the corporate enterprise and networking arena since the late 1980s. All that started to change over the last three years.
The ascension of the iPod and the iPhone as "must have" consumer devices ignited interest in using Apple devices in corporate offices. What began as a singular grass roots movement, bringing Macs in through the back door, has now morphed into a ongoing sustained trend that mirrors Apple's own waxing fortunes." By Sphoom Blogspot Dot Com"
Apple was less than exuberant in its guidance for the next quarter. Oppenheimer expects gross margins to decline to 34 percent. Revenues would be between $11.3 billion and $11.6 billion, and earnings per share would be between $1.70 and $1.78, he added.
"Guidance remains below expectations, but remember, Apple tends to be conservative," said Blin. "Wall Street was looking for fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of $1.91 on $11.45 billion in sales."
In general, analysts were disappointed at Apple's conservative guidance. However, investors must remember that Apple uses guidance as one of its tools of war -- its usual practice is to set expectations low and then exceed them. Keeping a low profile keeps it from shocking investors if demand falls off, and it also lets Apple beat street forecasts regularly, which is good for its image.
Apple has an opportunity to work the enterprise market, Gartner's Kitagawa said. "There is demand from users for the Mac even though IT departments don't want to support them," she pointed out. "But Apple seems to be careless about this market." " News By Sphoom Blogspot Dot Com"
In this past quarter, Apple sold 7.4 million iPhones. The demand for the device stunned even Apple's own executives. "For much of the quarter, demand outstripped supply in many countries for the iPhone 3GS," Oppenheimer said at Monday's earnings call.
Apple has redressed the situation and has 2.4 million iPhone 3GS devices in the channel. That's still not enough for Oppenheimer. "I would've liked to have more because we're still short in some countries given the launch in China," he said. The iPhone goes on sale in China at the end of the month.
Apple is also opening up the South Korean market. The iPhone is selling in 64 countries, and Cupertino wants to expand that to more than 80 countries by the end of December. "The international market will be a huge component for Apple's growth in the future," Broadpoint AmTech's Marshall said.
International sales constituted 46 percent of this quarter's sales, the same percentage as last year. Look for Apple to work hard to push that figure higher.
The iPhone is very profitable for Apple, with an average selling price globally of about $600, Julien Blin, CEO and principal analyst at JBB Research, told MacNewsWorld. In markets like the United States, however, that price is greatly subsidized by the wireless carrier in exchange for a long-term user commitment. Apple has likely gained market share from Nokia , Blin said.
A slew of smartphones on the Android operating system is expected to hit the global market this year, but Apple remains unfazed by the competition. The iPhone has significant momentum, Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer, pointed out at the earnings call. Combine that with iTunes, the App Store and Apple's "very strong" product pipeline, and Cupertino can be confident in taking on anyone, he said.
Apple launched three new products Tuesday just hours after disclosing details on the most successful non-holiday quarter in the company's history.
The new hardware includes new iMac models, a new sub-US$1,000 MacBook and a multitouch mouse that Apple has dubbed the "Magic Mouse."
On Wall Street, the company's revelations sent its stock climbing. It shot up after Monday's earnings call, opening at $200.47 on Tuesday. That's up $10.61 from Monday's closing price to $189.86. By close, shares had backed down slightly to $198.76.
While the Nook does have some color screen functionality, it's unclear whether it will be enough to engage users that are already seeing bright shades on their iPhones or iPod touches. Those devices are also a part of the e-reader competitive landcape, not just Amazon's and Sony's products, Krishna said.
"They're not only fighting for consumers against the Kindle and other e-readers, they're fighting for dollars that people have saved up for various other consumer electronics items, including gaming consoles and portable media players," Krishna explained. "It will be interesting to see how these companies will market these devices, because it's been an older demographic of late" that's been buying e-readers, he added.
It doesn't matter whether Amazon Kindle has 60 percent market share, or that Sony has its powerful brand backing its Reader. Barnes & Noble wants in on the nascent e-reader market.
For reasons not apparent at press time, Barnes & Noble is calling its new electronic reading device the Nook, officially launching it during a late-afternoon Eastern time press event Tuesday in New York City. A Wednesday conference call was scheduled for media, but plenty of Nook information had already leaked out before the Tuesday afternoon event via a Gizmodo report last week, a Tuesday morning Wall Street Journal story -- and Barnes and Noble's own Web site, which went live with images and details about the Nook several hours prior to the press event.
Those details make it clear that the real-world bookseller, with more than 700 physical locations in the U.S. and an online store, is making a serious attempt to dethrone the Kindle as the early e-reader market leader. What's also clear is that the entire e-reader market is getting as crowded as the Stephen King section in a Barnes & Noble.
The Battle of the Bookworms just got a lot more vicious, thanks to Barnes & Noble. The mega-retailer perhaps got a little spooked when Amazon's Kindle began to get so much attention, so it started making some noise of its own in the e-book space a few months ago. It's been there before, but this time things are looking a lot more serious. It started by launching an e-bookstore that Barnes & Noble said would work with a variety of non-Kindle devices. At the same time, it released an iPhone e-reader app.
Then there was a lot of talk about a branded Barnes & Noble e-reader -- something built by an OEM and then stamped with Barnes & Noble's own logo. The bookseller planned a big event to unveil its new item, but somehow photos and details leaked to the public a little early. The only thing left for its big reveal was the name: the Barnes & Noble Nook. It's about the same size as the Kindle, and it's selling at the same $259 price point. And like the Kindle, it can download content over the air.
What's different is that the Nook has a small color touchscreen right under the main grayscale display. The lower screen lets you navigate, browse and flip through book cover art. Also, the Nook has a technology called "LendMe," which lets you loan out any e-book you have to someone else for two weeks, as long as that person is using a Nook or one of the other e-readers supported by the Barnes & Noble store.
So it looks like the Nook could give the Kindle a run for its money, but remember that it's not just going up against Amazon -- it's going up against any other mobile device that can display e-books. Still, as long as Barnes & Noble's e-bookstore is selling the content to a wide range of readers -- Nooks or otherwise -- it's making a sale.
Sun Microsystems was in a great deal of pain for a long time before Oracle finally came along with a winning bid to acquire the company. Selling out isn't exactly a glorious chapter in the history of a big company like Sun, but it sure beats bankruptcy. But Sun's pain is still far from over.
The acquisition is a kosher deal as far as the U.S. Department of Justice is concerned, but European antitrust regulators are a different species, and they're really putting Oracle and Sun through the wringer. Meantime, Sun's downward spiral has accelerated. It just announced plans to lay off up to 3,000 more workers over the next year, and it laid blame directly on the delays Oracle is experiencing as it tries to rope it in. Sun's customers aren't too pleased with all the uncertainty surrounding its product lines, either.
European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes is still not convinced that Oracle's purchase of Sun will not violate EU anticompetitive regulations. In addition, two NPOs -- Open Rights Group and Knowledge Ecology -- joined with software freedom activist Richard Stallman to voice opposition to the purchase in a letter to Kroes. Their big concern is what Oracle might do with MySQL if it's given control of Sun's properties. Getting MySQL out of the picture completely by selling it off might ease everyone's concerns, but Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has ruled that out.
It's "not the kind of problem that will slow down Apple or the smartphone segment," he predicted. "This is just an Apple vs. Nokia story. They will eventually settle it; in the meantime, the smartphone march continues."
Indeed, "large companies focusing on the protection of their innovations, such as Nokia with its diverse telecommunications patent portfolio, will, by necessity, collide with other innovators and market developers, such as Apple," Raymond Van Dyke, partner with Merchant & Gould, told MacNewsWorld.
"Patents in telecom, Internet telephony and other information technologies with immense interconnectivity are rife with the potential for litigation," he added.
Conspiracy theorists convinced that Google wants a footprint in every single business category on the planet got some more ammunition Wednesday: reports that detail the company's possible efforts to extend into both branded smartphones and online music.
Manufacturers are working on a Google-branded phone that would be offered directly to consumers via retail outlets and not traditional wireless carriers, according to Northeast Securities analyst Ashok Kumar. This highlights Google's efforts to provide more customizable phones to consumers and perhaps in the process help rewrite the way new smartphones and related services are brought to market.
Google may also be very close to launching a music-related search service, according to a report from TechCrunch. The service apparently will not offer actual song downloads, but users would hear streamed snippets courtesy of potential partners like Lala or iLike.com, along with more targeted search results.
Google did not respond to requests for comments regarding the possibility of a music search service. Regarding a Google Phone, company spokesperson Katie Watson told TechNewsWorld "we don't comment on market rumor or speculation."
How's your head after that wild Windows 7 launch party with the Stepford crew? Still got the spins? OK, if you really did throw or attend an official Windows 7 launch party, then that's ... interesting. I sincerely hope you had a good time. For the rest of us, the official introduction of Windows 7 was a pretty austere affair. No human billboards this time around, no Santana, no fireworks, and no around-the-block lines at Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), as far as I could tell.
But the size of the party a company throws for itself is no way to measure the success of a new operating system.
Instead, let's try comparing it to completely unrelated goods, like books. By that standard, it's a win: Pre-orders for Windows 7 at Amazon UK topped those of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, whatever that means.
How about your competitors -- are they paying attention? Do they have enough respect for your product that they do a little something to try and steal your thunder, or do they ignore you completely? Well, Apple worked hard to get Snow Leopard to market before Windows 7, then it pushed out some new products earlier this week. And Canonical partnered with IBM to market what they say is desktop alternative to Windows 7. So again, a win! And a loss, because all that other stuff sounds pretty good too.
Good early reviews are good, but Vista got good early reviews too, so maybe they're bad.
Perhaps the way to measure success is if users cling to Windows 7 as tightly as they've been clinging to Windows XP. But that would be some pretty bad news for Microsoft when it comes time to launch Windows 8. Who knew it would be this hard to please everyone?
"Nokia's brand name is in more traditional handsets, which are not selling now," Kagan asserted. "Today, the hot segment is smartphones."
Following Apple's "supercharging" of the smartphone segment two and a half years ago with the iPhone, "now we see smartphone makers like Apple, RIM, Palm, Samsung, LG and others doing strong business," he pointed out. "Nokia is trying to restart their sales engine."
The company sees two benefits to the suit, Kagan said. "One is to slow down Apple, if possible," he explained. "Two is that this is another revenue opportunity for Nokia, and Apple is not playing along."
It's "not the kind of problem that will slow down Apple or the smartphone segment," he predicted. "This is just an Apple vs. Nokia story. They will eventually settle it; in the meantime, the smartphone march continues."
Indeed, "large companies focusing on the protection of their innovations, such as Nokia with its diverse telecommunications patent portfolio, will, by necessity, collide with other innovators and market developers, such as Apple," Raymond Van Dyke, partner with Merchant & Gould, told MacNewsWorld.
"Patents in telecom, Internet telephony and other information technologies with immense interconnectivity are rife with the potential for litigation," he added.
Nokia has invested approximately 40 billion euros in research and development over the past two decades, it says, and has built one of the wireless industry's strongest and broadest patent portfolios, with more than 10,000 patent families.
Much of that intellectual property -- including the patents in this suit -- has been declared essential to industry standards, according to the company.
Nokia said it has already successfully entered into license agreements for these and other patents with approximately 40 companies, including virtually all the leading mobile device vendors.
"The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate for," said Ilkka Rahnasto, vice president for legal and intellectual property at Nokia.
"Apple is also expected to follow this principle," Rahnasto added. "By refusing to agree [to] appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation."
Nokia has filed a massive patent lawsuit against Apple, claiming infringement of its patents for the GSM and UMTS wireless standards, among others. Apple's popular iPhone is at the center of the complaint. Although Nokia hasn't specified monetary damages, they could range from $400 million to $1 billion. Still, the litigation isn't likely to slow Apple down, suggested wireless industry analyst Jeff Kagan.
Before using your iPhone in another country, you should also reset your usage statistics so you can track how close you are to your limit. Go to "Settings," then "General" and "Usage." The reset option is at the bottom. Also on the same page, there is a listing for "Cellular Network Data." This can grow at an astounding speed.
I used up a third of my 20 megabytes in an hour by checking e-mail, instant-messaging friends, getting directions from the Mayan Riviera resort area to Cancun's airport, and resetting my fantasy football roster for the week (I would have done better ignoring my team).
If you happen to be staying somewhere with wireless Internet access, you can dodge most of these charges. Establish a connection with the network, use Skype or another Internet phone service for all voice calls and use the wireless network to surf the Web and check e-mail.
With some care, your iPhone can make a wonderful travel companion, but just don't expect it to deliver quite as much as it does at home anywhere close to as cheaply.
There are some steps you can take to maintain some of the functionality of the phone without the monster bill, but it will still cost you extra.
First off, learn how to defang the functions of your iPhone that can whack your wallet: international calling and data. The easiest way to completely shut these off (other than turning off the phone) is to go into flight mode. However, that leaves you with a virtually useless phone that can't make or receive calls, check e-mail or text.
To be more selective, go to "Settings," then "General" and then "Network." Here you can shut off "Data Roaming" so you won't feast on high-priced data but can still make phone calls.
Also, in your e-mail settings, turn off the "Fetch" option so you won't automatically download e-mail. Do so under "Settings," then "Mail, Contacts, Calendars" and "Fetch New Data."
Taking your iPhone along with you on an international trip could run up an astronomical phone bill if you don't take the proper precautions. The iPhone's various apps and features automatically download data even when you're not using it, and that can be quite expensive in foreign countries. Make sure certain settings are checked, and consider buying an international plan for the time you're away.
An inventory for a trip to a tropical beach could read like this:
Swimsuit, check.
Sunscreen, check.
Passport, check.
And iPhone, check.
Well, make that a possibly giant check, drawn from your bank account. Unaware travelers can blithely rack up eye-popping bills on their iPhones while traveling abroad.
One new factor that could possibly impact the money Apple makes from iPhone sales is a lawsuit Nokia launched last week.
Nokia filed a complaint against Cupertino in the Federal District Court in Delaware alleging that the iPhone infringes 10 of its patents for various wireless standards. Nokia says the patents cover wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption, and it claims they are infringed by all iPhone models shipped since the device was introduced in 2007.
The lawsuit is an attempt by Nokia to slow down the iPhone's runaway market growth, contended Julien Blin, CEO and principal analyst at JBB Research. "Nokia's share of the smartphone market just took a big hit, falling from 41 percent to 35 percent," he told MacNewsWorld. "The timing might not be a coincidence at all, especially after Apple reported a great quarter."
As further proof of his suspicions, Blin pointed out reports that suggest Apple has been working with Nokia for at least 12 months to hammer out a patent agreement. "Nokia is better off dealing with its own issues rather than trying to slow down Apple, because it's unlikely to succeed," Blin added.
"The lawsuit will take years," agreed Broadpoint AmTech's Marshall. "Nokia is probably using some of Apple's patents as well, so expect a counter-suit soon."
Most importantly, the lawsuit won't impact the market. "It won't scare away investors," Marshall said. "I view it as a minor inconvenience."
Handset manufacturers and carriers are unleashing a slew of Android phones into the market. About 50 Android phones will hit the market soon, according to the site Wiseandroid.
However, Android will mostly take market share away from Nokia's Symbian OS rather than the iPhone, according to a report from In-Stat.
"Phone makers want cheap and popular devices, so Android is a fit," Allen Nogee, a principal analyst at In-Stat, told MacNewsWorld. "They know that RIM, Microsoft and Apple will take market share if they don't unify behind one strong OS. Android works for those companies that aren't backing another OS, and there can be power in numbers."
Sales of the iPhone will remain strong, Nogee predicts. "Apple sold about 8 million iPhones in 2008 and will sell close to 32 million this year," he said. "This will more than double again in 2014 but, by then, Apple might have two or three models."
Apple introduced new iMacs with larger screens. Resellers reportedly expect demand for these computers to be strong.
"With compelling new products like the new Macs, I think Apple will continue its share gain in the PC market even though it's not currently playing in the fastest-growing segment, which is netbooks," Broadpoint AmTech's Marshall said. With Cupertino having about 5 percent of the global PC market, Marshall thinks it has plenty of room to grow.
Meanwhile, the iTune Apps Store, which is already the clear leader of its market, is running away from the competition. There are about 101,500 apps in the store, almost 93,000 of these are active, and there are more than 22,000 unique app publishers, all according to the tracking Web site 148apps.biz.
That puts the iPhone in a secure position, as a wide availability of apps enhance the mobile phone experience for many consumers. They are such an important factor in handset sales that wireless phone carriers, handset manufacturers and even Google and Microsoft are setting up their own app stores.
Apple will likely ship 2.2 million iTablets in 2010, according to an estimate by Broadpoint AmTech analyst Brian Marshall, though he categorized that forecast as "conservative." Shipments should begin in or around March 2009, he expects.
The iTablet's sales will be between US$1 billion and $2 billion for 2010, he estimates. "I don't think it will be huge," he told MacNewsWorld. Total sales for calendar 2010 will exceed $53 billion, he said. That will be 12.8 percent higher than Marshall's estimate for calendar year 2009 sales, which he pegs at $47.2 billion.
For Cupertino, perhaps, sales of $1 billion to $2 billion don't mean much, but any other company would be happy to have a product that performs that well in the first nine months of its introduction.
Apple is trying to get Australian media companies to provide content for its supposed iTablet.
Bill Keller, executive editor at The New York Times, appeared to hint at a staff meeting that the paper is developing content for an upcoming Apple tablet.
"We need to figure out the right journalistic product to deliver to mobile platforms and devices," he said. "I'm hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate, or whatever comes after that." A video of his speech was posted in the Nieman Journalism Lab blog.
Apple, for its part, has publicly divulged zero details on what features such a tablet might offer, or even whether the company really is developing one. Even so, expectations for a tablet have been running high for months, and the gadget blog Gizmodo published a description of such a product in August based on an anonymous source who claimed to have inside info on the device. The Apple tablet looks like a large iPhone and will have a 10-inch screen, according to the article. It will come in two editions, one with a webcam and the other for educational use. The price would be between $700 and $900.
That pricing may be a bit steep for non-Mac fans. An online survey of 753 consumers on Apple tablet pricing commissioned by online consumer electronics shopping site Retrevo found that 64 percent of PC users and 32 percent of Mac users wanted to pay less than $600 for an Apple tablet.
The survey found 16 percent of PC users and 27 percent of Mac users would pay between $600 and $800 for an iTablet. More than twice as many Mac users as PC users -- 41 percent compared to 20 percent -- would pay more than $800.
Talk that Apple is inching ever closer to making its rumored tablet computer a reality is making the rounds. In fact, Cupertino could sell more than 2 million tablets in 2010, according to the expectations of analyst Brian Marshall.
Meanwhile, Apple should continue to gain strength in other areas with the new iMacs it introduced last week and the strength of its iTunes App Store, which now carries more than 100,000 apps.
Though it remains on a general upward trend since the summer, Apple's stock has cooled down a bit from the heights it hit last week following the company's strong Q4 fiscal report.
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Virtualization, in simple English, is a interesting technology that helps you run multiple operating systems on the same machine.
