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Monthly Archives: January 2012

Happy Birthday Magic

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Happy birthday iPad. At about this time two years ago, Steve Jobs showed you off to the world, he told us that this magical device will change the way we communicate and search forever, and boy was he right. Since it’s release in 2010, the iPad has brought much of Apple’s profit, helping it turn into the second most valuable company in the world, just behind Exxon. The iPad has caught hold in many markets. It has assisted many people in many kinds of different professions, from Medical to Education. It really has pushed the human race further. When Apple introduced the iPad, they created an entire new industry. And they have remained at the top of that industry since they released the iPad.

The iPad was Apple’s latest major product (well, actually the iPad 2) and what they do next, in terms of an entire new product, is unknown. It seems it will be the Apple TV or iTV. Or it could be a MacBook Touch. What do you think that Apple should do next? Comment your answers.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

Here’s to the crazy ones

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Here’s to the crazy ones the misfits, the rebels, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently, they are not fond of rules and have no respect for the status quo, you can quote them, disagree with them, glorily or vilify them, but just about the only thing you can’t do is ignore them, because they change things, they push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Tim Cook-Led Apple to destroy $8 billion dollar a year industry

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In the biggest Apple education event yet, Apple has announced it will work with McGraw Hill and Houghtin Milltin and Pearson three of the largest textbook companies in the world. They will release a set of digital, interactive textbooks that teachers and students alike will enjoy. The education event comes in the form of software called iBooks 2, which is basically a huge update of the current version. Apple said that iPads are being adopted in more and more schools and will eventually make all textbooks digital. Personally, I give two thumbs up to Apple. I truly believe that Apple will transform the education industry, one less textbook at a time. Apple has a way of doing things that not a lot of other companies can do. The thing that will really get schools’ attentions is that these portable, interactive textbooks will go for $15. This will save schools a lot of money, especially those who have already adopted iPads into schools. Apple, in order to get schools to respond even more positively should be selling their iPads cheaper to schools then they are to everyone not in the education field.

Another thing that I viewed that goes outside the box is the fact that teachers can create their own interactive textbooks through Apple’s iBooks Author, allowing educators to have their own content in their own textbooks that they make. So professors, teachers, and others, instead of having to have textbooks from textbook industry companies they can create a textbook covering what they feel students should know, following the standards too of course. Through this, I think Apple could make a Textbook store, allowing teachers and educators who would put in the time to make these textbooks could make a small profit and because of this would be less likely to go on strike due to bad pay I think that if Apple really holds on to this realm, the people of the world could be saying goodbye to bulky paper textbooks and bad backs and hello to electronic, interactive, almost weightless textbooks. Apple is about to destroy a $8 billion a year industry, just as they did with the music player, Apple will have yet a third monopoly. Currently, they have the music player industry and the tablet industry. Next, they will have textbooks and if other companies ignore this already fading opportunity then it will indefinitely stay that way. Let’s see how Apple pursues this extraordinary educational realm and we will see how Microsoft and Google will respond in the months to come. Tell me what you think. Would you use iTextbooks knowing they will be interactive and lighter than their much bigger papered predecessors or do you think Apple is just wasting it’s time? Please comment your answers.

As always, thanks for reading,

Joe

iOS Market Share gaining… While Android is dropping like a bomb

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This morning statistics were released showing Apple is in line to be #1 in OS distribution in mobile devices. In October and November, following the release of iPhone 4S (which honestly I believe stands for iPhone 4Steve, but Ill discuss that in another post), the iOS market share gained an astounding 17% compared to Q3 sales report. The iOS market share stands at 43%. The Android market share, however, dropped from 60% to 47%, a whopping 13%. This is really good news for Apple. Apple now has a chance to overcome Android (which is a main goal of Apple since Steve Jobs “declared thermonuclear war” on Google for its stealing of Apple ideas). More bad news for Google Android is that new iOS hardware is set to release this Spring possibly with a total overhaul of ALL of their products (maybe, if we’re lucky, some new products). I believe it is only a matter of time before Apple overtakes Android in the mobile operating system war. The two companies only have a 4% difference. Watch out Android, Apple is headed your way and passed it.

The RIM market share stands at a whopping 6%, down from 13% at the first quarter of last year. Windows Phone has a extremely high market share number of 1%. It seems Microsoft is failing at alot of things these days, i.e Windows Phone and Zune. Will they kill themselves with Windows 8 which is said to be the Microsoft killer by some critics? Lets certainly hope so.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

Apple is planning to release something BIG for education this month

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Apple, sometime within the month, is planning on releasing something that quote ” has been in the works for years”. Steve Jobs in his biography detailed that he had “set his sights on textbooks” stating that it was a 8 billion dollar industry set for destruction. He had been getting together with textbook manufacturers since the original iPad was released in 2010. This event is set to take place in New York, where almost all textbook manufacturers are located. Perhaps Apple is hosting an event with the textbook makers. I believe it has been Apples plan to kill textbooks for years. Now, with the iPad and its good paper-like size, they have that chance. No date for the event is known. It is something though that is catching attention. We’ll just have to see what happens in the weeks to come.

Steve Jobs Legacy

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As all of you know, Steve Jobs died earlier this year and Apple is about to start a whole new year without him. What Apple needs to do to ensure it remains a global leader in technology is to follow the triumph, legacy and beliefs that this man left for us. They need to follow in the legacy of Steve Jobs.

What exactly is his legacy? Everything that Apple and Pixar have done to this point is what he dedicated his life for. All of his products from the Apple II all the way up the iPad 2 he created for us to use in our daily lives and to improve it. Let’s face it, we live in Steve’s World. We watch his movies everyday made from an amazing studio called Pixar. We listen to our music libraries everyday through his wonderful iPods, we search the web with his amazing computers, we talk to our friends using his revolutionary phone and we have the whole world in our hands with his magical iPad. And we have learned how to live our lives through his amazing speech at Stanford. I have heard countless numbers of stories on the web and just talking to people of how these products helped them do what they thought was impossible like parents in Los Angeles allowing their children to see their sick grandmother in the hospital in New York City or connecting cousins in different countries, for free. Steve Jobs, through his word, is leading a new type of generation. He is leading, through his word, a type of generation that uses technology to connect with one another without being in the same room. He is leading a generation of people that will ask themselves when they wake up in the morning if that day were their last would they do what they were about to do that day. His wisdom will lead a generation that will take initiative to do what they want to do instead of what living another’s life. You see, his legacy isn’t just his products but what he believed in. Doing what you love everyday, to never give up even when the worst happens and to live your own life. This is the generation of people Apple needs to focus on. This is the group of leaders that Apple should target. I know that every decision Apple makes is moving and will move towards this group of people because thats what Steve’s legacy put them in a position to do. I wish everyone of you a Happy New Year and may all your best wishes come true in 2012.

Thank you for reading,

Joe

Oh I forgot, there’s one more thing. One story I want to share with you. Just one I promise. I watched a program one night that was talking about autistic kids and iPad. There are apps on the iPad that allow these autistic kids to communicate with parents and others what they want and it allows a much easier route for these parents to understand what their autistic kids want. Imagine for a second what these parents think when they finally have a way to easily communicate with their kids when before it was so hard to do so. Imagine the joy they must have. Just changing one person’s life for the better would have been good enough for Jobs. He just happened to change the world.