Posted in Computing, How To, Wireless
Posted on 07 May 2013. Tags: amazon, apple, buying-guide, computing, description, guide, intel, microsoft, street, street-journal, surface, whether-or-not, windows, year
Whether the rumored Microsoft Surface Mini device is on its way is still unclear, but Asus is determined to release smaller and cheaper Windows 8 tablets starting within the next few months.
The Taiwanese manufacturer’s CEO Jerry Shen said that W8 tablets are likely to fall below $300 (UK£194, AU$295), according to the Wall Street Journal.
This move, expected to happen sometime this year, would allow tablets running Microsoft’s struggling operating system to compete with Apple’s iPad Mini and Google’s Nexus 7.
“We’re very optimistic about sales for Windows 8 tablets this year,” said Shen in a follow-up comment to the newspaper.
Falling prices, shrinking screens
The cheaper price of these tablets would also mean reduced screen sizes which, surprisingly, would be a first for the Windows 8 operating system.
The current Asus VivoTab, for example, is a 10-inch device, and that’s among the smallest of the W8 tablet screen sizes so far.
Although there are two versions of the VivoTab, one that runs Windows 8 and another ARM-powered Windows RT model, it’s unclear whether or not a smaller Asus tablet would be limited to Windows RT.
From Asus to Acer
Asus may not be the only Taiwan-based tablet manufacturer looking to get into the mini tablet market.
A leaked set of product images for an Acer tablet fit this description on Amazon.
The 8.1-inch device, able to be gripped single-handedly, had enough room to pack a dual-core 1.8GHz Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 1280 x 800 resolution display, according to the leaked specs.
Listed as the Acer W3-810, this tablet was priced at $379.99 (UK£246, AU$374) on the quickly pulled Amazon product page.
With manufacturers like Asus and Acer willing to try out new sizes, from really big to small, they may be able to peak the interest of tablet consumers who are flocking to Apple and Samsung.
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Posted in Computing, Software, Wireless
Posted on 01 May 2013. Tags: along-the-lines, apple, gaming-patent, ideas, made-the-ideas, multiplayer, patent, patently-apple, the-application, theory, trademark, whether-or-not
Apple has been loading up on video game-related patents recently, but so far all of its controller copyrights have made the ideas seem like single-player affairs.
This week, however, it was revealed that the Cupertino company was granted a multiplayer gaming patent along with 42 other successful patents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
While the application doesn’t spell out a long-rumored Apple game console, it does lay out different types of networks that could relay gaming media content.
“Apple’s focus zeros in on delivering a very high-end video gaming experience specifically for multiplayer gamers,” noted Patently Apple, which rifled through the patent application today.
“[Gamers] will be able to use chat, video and other forms of communication while gaming with their buddies,” noted Patently Apple, which rifled through the patent.”
Game time for FaceTime?
In addition to setting up a process for joining and inviting other players to multiplayer games, the patent details how gamers would be able to initiate in-game audio chat sessions.
This could extend between both desktop computer and mobile devices, demonstrating that this multiplayer gaming patent may cover everything from Macs to iPhones to newer technologies.
Whether or not the in-game chat capabilities outlined in this patent are intended to include video, along the lines of FaceTime, remains to be seen.
Apple’s gaming prospects
This newly published Apple multiplayer patent gives credence to the theory that the company is turning to gaming when exploring, as Tim Cook said, “exciting new product categories.”
Besides patenting multiple game controllers, the Apple was reportedly talking to developers about launching a proprietary game controller at GDC 2013.
The impact of an dedicated Apple gaming machine could destroy console gaming, according to a former Microsoft lead engineer and Xbox co-founder Nat Brown.
Agreeing with this former video game industry head, 50 percent of Brits polled said they would put money down on an Apple game console.
With analysts sour on the prospects of the new Xbox and PS4 matching current generation-console sales, Apple’s gaming competition in the future may actually be Google, which is also patenting multiplayer services in a hurry.
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Posted in Computing, Wireless
Posted on 06 April 2013. Tags: apple, carolina, computing, consumer, devices-reverse, financial, gartner, iphone, microsoft, whether-or-not, windows, windows-phone
Apple has always had a leg-up in the “cool factor” over Microsoft, but its devices may also finally outsell Windows hardware in 2013, according to a market research group this week.
Devices such as the iPhone, iPad and Mac will result in more sales than Windows PCs, tablets, and smartphone, according to analysis by Gartner picked up by The Financial Times.
This is significant because Windows PCs have long-dominated Apple’s market share.
However, it’s not all that surprising given consumers’ trend away from buying PCs in favor of purchasing smaller devices like smartphones and tablets.
Apple vs Microsoft sales in 2013
Apple’s Mac and iDevice sales totaled 159 million in 2012, with hardware running Microsoft’s Windows operating system slightly ahead at 175 million.
For 2013, Apple’s sales forecast is currently at 233 million, according to Gartner, with Microsoft reaching 181 million, but losing its lead over its long-time rival.
“If consumers don’t buy [Windows], developers aren’t interested in it,” said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi to the Times.
“Microsoft needs to win in the consumer space if they want to remain relevant.”
Microsoft’s game plan
The good news for Microsoft is that it saw this trend coming before these forecasts were released – though perhaps a little too late.
The company went so far as to release its own tablet, the Surface, and it’s rumored to be developing a Surface smartphone, possibly one that runs its Windows Phone 8 mobile OS.
Microsoft isn’t the only company struggling in this PC-turned-mobile world, as other computer manufacturers are complaining about the slow sales of Windows-based products.
Samsung, for example, called Windows 8 no better than the much-maligned Vista operating system. Likewise, Fujitsu referred to W8 demand as “weak,” and blamed its poor sales on the OS.
Whether or not sales of Microsoft-branded devices reverse Apple’s rising trend remains to be seen. At the same time, it’s just as unclear if Apple can maintain its level of cool now that it’s no longer the underdog.
Posted in Computing, Hardware, Mobile Phones, Software
Posted on 05 April 2013. Tags: apple, carolina, computing, consumer, financial, financial-times, gartner, given-consumers, iphone, market-research, microsoft, sales-forecast, week, whether-or-not, windows
Apple has always had a leg-up in the “cool factor” over Microsoft, but its devices may also finally outsell Windows hardware in 2013, according to a market research group this week.
Devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac will result in more sales than Windows PCs, tablets, and smartphone, according to analysis by Gartner picked by The Financial Times.
This is significant because Windows PCs have long-dominated Apple’s market share.
However, it’s not all that surprising given consumers’ trend away from buying PCs in favor of purchasing smaller devices like smartphones and tablets.
Apple vs Microsoft sales in 2013
Apple’s Mac and iDevice sales totaled 159 million in 2012, with hardware running Microsoft’s Windows operating system slightly ahead at 175 million.
For 2013, Apple’s sales forecast is currently at 233 million in 2013, according to Gartner, with Microsoft reaching 181 million, but losing its lead over its long-time rival.
“If consumers don’t buy [Windows], developers aren’t interested in it,” said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi to the Financial Times.
“Microsoft needs to win in the consumer space if they want to remain relevant.”
Microsoft’s game plan
The good news for Microsoft is that the company saw this trend coming before these numbers released this week – albeit a little too late.
Microsoft has gone as far as to release its own Surface tablet, and it is rumored to have a Surface smartphone in development.
Whether or not sales of these Microsoft devices reverses Apple’s rising trend remains to be seen. At the same time, it’s just as unclear if Apple can maintain its “cool factor” now that it’s no longer the underdog.
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